The 2021-22 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Second round predictions

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Florida Panthers (1st in Atlantic Division) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (3rd in Atlantic Division)
The Florida Panthers advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1996 after defeating the Washington Capitals in six games in a very hard fought opening round. They will face the Tampa Bay Lightning, who defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the opening round. Tampa Bay is aiming to win their third straight Stanley Cup, but in the seventh game against Toronto in the opening round, they lost Brayden Point, one of their top players. Tampa Bay defeated Florida in six games in the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, their only previous playoff meeting.
Prediction: Florida in seven games.

Carolina Hurricanes (1st in Metropolitan Division) vs. New York Rangers (2nd in Metropolitan Division)
The Carolina Hurricanes were pushed very hard in the opening round by the Boston Bruins, being taken to the limit in a seven game opening round. The New York Rangers advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in five years after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games in the opening round. The Hurricanes and Rangers previously only met in the postseason in a preliminary round in 2020, where Carolina swept the Rangers. The Rangers have made plenty of improvements in the two years since then, and hope to be a much better team against the Hurricanes this time around. However, Carolina are the more experienced team in the playoffs.
Prediction: Carolina in six games.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Colorado Avalanche (1st in Central Division) vs. St. Louis Blues (3rd in Central Division)
The Colorado Avalanche were the only team to win in a sweep in the opening round after sweeping the Nashville Predators in four straight. The St. Louis Blues have advanced in the playoffs for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2019 after defeating the Minnesota Wild in six games in the opening round. The Avalanche and Blues met in the first round of the playoffs last year; the Avalanche swept the Blues in four straight. However, this year's St. Louis team is much stronger, and will not make it a cakewalk for Colorado by any means. The problem with Colorado is that despite having fantastic regular seasons in recent years, they can't seem to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs. They hope that this will be the year they get that monkey off their back.
Prediction: Colorado in six games.

Calgary Flames (1st in Pacific Division) vs. Edmonton Oilers (2nd in Pacific Division)
The Edmonton Oilers have advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in five years after defeating the Los Angeles Kings in seven games in the first round. They will face the Calgary Flames, who defeated the Dallas Stars in seven games. This marks the first time the Oilers and Flames meet in the playoffs since 1991, when Edmonton defeated Calgary in seven games in the Smythe Division Semifinals. The two teams have met five times in the playoffs to date, and Edmonton has won four, although Calgary's lone win is probably the most remembered. The lone Calgary win was in 1986, when Edmonton defenseman Steve Smith accidentally put the puck in his own net in the seventh game, an own goal that ended up being the series clincher that gave Calgary a shocking upset win. The two teams met four times in the regular season, with Edmonton winning two and Calgary winning the other two.
Prediction: Edmonton in seven games.

Brayden Point is a big time playoff performer. The Florida series was a coin flip even before he got injured. I think the Panthers have the edge now. But Huberdeau and Barkov need to be better. They are not as hairy as Bill Lindsay, Mike Hough, Brian Skrudland, Dave Lowry etc were.

I'll take the Panthers anyway, in a close series. Let's say 4-2.

Carolina is better than the Rangers. I feel the Rangers got outplayed by the Penguins. Shesterkin is the ace here. He is the best goalie in the world. He could take down the Hurricanes, potentially. But I take the Hurricanes, they are damn impressive. 4-1 'Canes.

Colorado I feel are now where they always seem to stumble. The second round. They got off easy against the Predators. Now they have to beat Ryan O'Reilly and a tough Blues team. The Avs just aren't winners, they can't get over the hump. They are almost like the Leafs. It's Blues 4-3.

Calgary will tear the Oilers apart. The Oilers have no business being in the second round of the playoffs. Oilers-Kings was not a playoff series between playoff quality teams, all the while actually good teams like Penguins-Rangers, Leafs-Bolts, Blues-Wild were duking it out and eliminated each other. Bruins-Canes, too. The Flames struggled against Oettinger, but now they get a bunch of easy goals against Mike Smith. Flames win 4-0.

Required Fields wrote:

The lone Calgary win was in 1986, when Edmonton defenseman Steve Smith accidentally put the puck in his own net in the seventh game, an own goal that ended up being the series clincher that gave Calgary a shocking upset win.

I recently watched that entire series. It was during the first covid break. Good stuff.

Some of my earliest memories relating to watching hockey are from Calgary winning the Cup in '89 and of Lanny MacDonald. Then next year Kurri and Messier hoisted it once more for the Oilers, without Gretzky. The Oilers' last Cup.

1991 I was already watching much more intently and I remember every final game between the Penguins and the North Stars. The next year playoffs I became a lifelong Blackhawks fan because of Dirk Graham, JR, Steve Larmer and a few others. That team was fun to watch (and violent) and I was on their side when they bitterly fell against the Penguins in the final.