The 2026 NHL playoffs feature a new lineup, with the Florida Panthers eliminated and the Buffalo Sabres ending a 14-season playoff drought. Experts provide predictions for the first-round matchups.
Key points
Florida Panthers are out of the playoffs
Buffalo Sabres end 14-season playoff drought
Six playoff teams missed postseason last year
Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers have not made playoffs for eight seasons
All told, six 2026 playoff teams had missed the postseason last year. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, playing in the first round, have been out for a combined eight seasons.
So who will advance to the second round? USA TODAY's Mike Brehm, Jace Evans and Kevin Skiver offer their predictions and analysis on the eight first-round series of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Mike Brehm:Hurricanes in 5. Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour has never lost in the first round and the Senators aren't deep enough to end that run. Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi gave up some bad goals down the stretch, and he'll have to stop that if the Hurricanes are going to go far.
Jace Evans:Hurricanes in 5. It's kind of the same old story for Carolina. The 'Canes are deep. They possess the puck better than anyone in the NHL. And anything short of another conference finals appearance will be a big disappointment.
Kevin Skiver:Hurricanes in 5. Full credit to Ottawa for turning its season around, particularly after some wretched goalie play. But the Hurricanes have managed to fly under the radar as one of hockey's best teams. Now, however, there's nowhere to hide. and lead Carolina to a win over Ottawa, which goes into the offseason with a spring in its step for surviving the Eastern gauntlet.
Q&A
Which teams are in the 2026 NHL playoffs?
The 2026 NHL playoffs include teams like the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, among others.
What caused the Florida Panthers to miss the playoffs this year?
The Florida Panthers missed the playoffs due to an injury-plagued season.
How long was the Buffalo Sabres' playoff drought?
The Buffalo Sabres ended a 14-season playoff drought this year.
Who are the experts predicting to advance in the NHL playoffs?
Experts from USA TODAY, including Mike Brehm, Jace Evans, and Kevin Skiver, provide predictions for the first-round matchups.
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Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers predictions
Mike Brehm:Penguins in 7. Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby said in 2012 that he didn't "like any guy" on the Flyers. That intensity might not be as evident this year, but it's good to see these rivals back in the playoffs. Crosby is still at the top of his game, and he'll make the difference against an upstart Flyers team.
Jace Evans:Penguins in 6. Keeping it simple on this one: One team has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and the other doesn't.
Kevin Skiver:Penguins in 7. What a blessing of a first-round series this is. A Pennsylvania Civil War between the veteran Penguins and the upstart Flyers? With newcomer Porter Martone leading the charge for Philly? Sidney Crosby in the playoffs for the first time in four seasons? It doesn't get better. Ultimately, this is going to be an absolute bar fight for seven games. But Pittsburgh manages to eke through.
Mike Brehm: Sabres in 6. The Sabres' longtime core might not have playoff experience, but Alex Tuch, Luke Schenn and coach Lindy Ruff do. And Tage Thompson thrived at the Olympics, which dials up more pressure than the NHL playoffs. The Sabres also have more talent than the Bruins and will prevail.
Jace Evans: Sabres in 5. Boston's bounceback has been a nice story, but Buffalo is a cut above the Bruins. The Sabres being better than the Bruins feels impossible for anyone who has lived through the past 15 years, but it's true!
Kevin Skiver: Bruins in 6. Buffalo gets a brutal first-round draw after snapping its playoff drought, taking on a Bruins team with one of hockey's most experienced playoff goalies in Jeremy Swayman and Charlie McAvoy alongside David Pastrnak. While Buffalo took the Atlantic this year, Boston went 3-1 against the Sabres this season. That may not always translate to a seven-game series, but we'll see if Buffalo can shrug the bear off its back in the postseason.
Mike Brehm: Lightning in 6. I have the Lightning reaching the final, though they could easily lose this series. But Montreal isn't the Florida Panthers, who knocked Tampa Bay out the past two years. Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy will be able to get out of the first round for the first time since 2022.
Jace Evans:Canadiens in 7. Few teams were hotter down the stretch than the Habs, who closed with an 11-3 flourish. They also play in the most raucous building in the NHL, which will give them an advantage in Games 3, 4 and 6. But the real reason they get the nod here is the questions about Vasilevskiy. The Lightning goaltender has been the most responsible for his team bowing out of the postseason in the first round the past three years. Now 31 years old, it's hard to trust he'll find his old form.
Kevin Skiver: Lightning in 6. In a series where one team is literally called the Lightning, the Canadiens are bringing the flash. With one of hockey's youngest teams and brightest futures, Montreal finds itself against a team that stonewalls opponents, sometimes almost literally, by way of Vasilevsky. Although Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are strikingly good, Kucherov is the player to beat here. Indeed, even overtime will look different for Montreal in the postseason.
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.
Feb. 28: The Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) battles along the boards with the Toronto Maple Leafs' Brandon Carlo in the second period at Scotiabank Arena.
Feb. 28: The Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg hits the boards alongside the Dallas Stars' Nils Lundkvist during the third period at the American Airlines Center.
Feb. 5: The Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk (left) and Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman fight during the second period at Benchmark International Arena.
Feb. 4: The St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn fights with the Dallas Stars' Justin Hryckowian during the second period at the American Airlines Center.
Feb. 1: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman fight during the second period of the 2026 Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium.
Jan. 29: St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (left) fights Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer during the second period at Enterprise Center.
Jan. 27: Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) fights with San Jose Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren during the second period at Rogers Arena.
Jan. 19: San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (left) fights Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena.
Jan. 15: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) fights with Calgary Flames left wing Joel Farabee (86) during the second period at United Center.
Jan. 15: Boston Bruins center Alex Steeves (21) and Seattle Kraken center Ryan Winterton (26) fight during the third period at TD Garden.
Jan 10: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) checks Seattle Kraken right wing Kaapo Kakko (84) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
Dec. 30: Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) fights with New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
Dec. 20: Philadelphia Flyers left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) and New York Rangers left wing Brennan Othmann (78) are separated by officials and teammates after a fight during the second period at Madison Square Garden.
Dec 8: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua (81) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Maxwell Crozier (24) fight during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
Dec. 4: Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Bokondji Imama (14) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) fight in the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
Dec. 1: New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (71) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) fight during the second period at Prudential Center.
Nov. 28: New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (11) and Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
Nov. 28: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway (19) checks New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) during the second period at UBS Arena.
Nov. 28: Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) checks Carolina Hurricanes center Justin Robidas (46) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
Nov 24: Members of the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings fight at the end of the third period at Prudential Center.
Nov. 22: Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) and Edmonton Oilers center Trent Frederic (10) fight during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
Utah Mammoth center Jack McBain (22) and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) fight during the third period at Delta Center.
Nov. 16: The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings engage in a major scrum after their game at Madison Square Garden.
Nov. 6: Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) fights Minnesota Wild center Tyler Pitlick (19) after his hit injured Carolina's Jalen Chatfield.
Nov. 6: Los Angeles Kings right wing Corey Perry (10) and Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) fight during the third period at Crypto.com Arena.
Nov. 6: Buffalo Sabres center Josh Dunne (44) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
Nov 4: New York Islanders and Boston Bruins players get in a scrum after Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) was roughed by Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) during the second period.
Nov. 1: Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier (24) fights St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) in the first period at Nationwide Arena.
Nov 1: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (9) hits St. Louis Blues right wing Jordan Kyrou (25) along the boards in the third period at Nationwide Arena.
Nov. 1: Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) and Buffalo Sabres left wing Jordan Greenway (12) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
Oct. 24: Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley (64) fight in the first period at Canada Life Centre.
Oct. 23: Boston Bruins left wing Tanner Jeannot (84) fights with Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (44) during the second period at TD Garden.
Oct. 21: Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) and Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby (83) fight during the third period at Bridgestone Arena.
Oct. 18: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) is held back by a linesman after scuffling with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Marchand is holding Dahlin's helmet and later pulled off the straps in the penalty box.
Oct. 18: Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Mathieu Olivier (24) fight during the first period at Nationwide Arena.
Oct. 16: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) checks Boston Bruins center Michael Eyssimont (81) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
Oct 14: Dallas Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel (6) checks Minnesota Wild center Yakov Trenin (13) during the first period at the American Airlines Center.
Oct. 11: Calgary Flames left wing Ryan Lomberg (70) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Oct. 11: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena.
Oct. 11: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Luke Schenn (5) fight during the first period at Canada Life Centre.
Oct. 9: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) checks San Jose Sharks center Philipp Kurashev (96) at center ice during the third period at SAP Center.
Oct. 9: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) and Ottawa Senators left wing Kurtis MacDermid (23) fight during the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
Oct. 9: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) checks New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Lenovo Center.
Oct. 9: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) as he goes after a loose puck during the second period at KeyBank Center.
Oct 7: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) points to Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) after he finished fighting Josh Manson during the first period at Crypto.com Arena.
Oct. 7: Chicago's Nick Foligno fights with Florida's A.J. Greer during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: The Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) battles along the boards with the Toronto Maple Leafs' Brandon Carlo in the second period at Scotiabank Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: The Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg hits the boards alongside the Dallas Stars' Nils Lundkvist during the third period at the American Airlines Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 5: The Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk (left) and Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman fight during the second period at Benchmark International Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 4: The St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn fights with the Dallas Stars' Justin Hryckowian during the second period at the American Airlines Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 1: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman fight during the second period of the 2026 Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 29: St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (left) fights Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer during the second period at Enterprise Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 27: Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) fights with San Jose Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren during the second period at Rogers Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 19: San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (left) fights Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 15: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) fights with Calgary Flames left wing Joel Farabee (86) during the second period at United Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 15: Boston Bruins center Alex Steeves (21) and Seattle Kraken center Ryan Winterton (26) fight during the third period at TD Garden.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan 10: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) checks Seattle Kraken right wing Kaapo Kakko (84) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 30: Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) fights with New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 20: Philadelphia Flyers left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) and New York Rangers left wing Brennan Othmann (78) are separated by officials and teammates after a fight during the second period at Madison Square Garden.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec 8: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua (81) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Maxwell Crozier (24) fight during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 4: Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Bokondji Imama (14) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) fight in the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 1: New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (71) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) fight during the second period at Prudential Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (11) and Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway (19) checks New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) during the second period at UBS Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) checks Carolina Hurricanes center Justin Robidas (46) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 24: Members of the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings fight at the end of the third period at Prudential Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 22: Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) and Edmonton Oilers center Trent Frederic (10) fight during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Utah Mammoth center Jack McBain (22) and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) fight during the third period at Delta Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 16: The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings engage in a major scrum after their game at Madison Square Garden.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) fights Minnesota Wild center Tyler Pitlick (19) after his hit injured Carolina's Jalen Chatfield.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Los Angeles Kings right wing Corey Perry (10) and Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) fight during the third period at Crypto.com Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Buffalo Sabres center Josh Dunne (44) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 4: New York Islanders and Boston Bruins players get in a scrum after Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) was roughed by Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) during the second period.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 1: Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier (24) fights St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) in the first period at Nationwide Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 1: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (9) hits St. Louis Blues right wing Jordan Kyrou (25) along the boards in the third period at Nationwide Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 1: Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) and Buffalo Sabres left wing Jordan Greenway (12) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 24: Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley (64) fight in the first period at Canada Life Centre.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 23: Boston Bruins left wing Tanner Jeannot (84) fights with Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (44) during the second period at TD Garden.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 21: Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) and Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby (83) fight during the third period at Bridgestone Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 18: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) is held back by a linesman after scuffling with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Marchand is holding Dahlin's helmet and later pulled off the straps in the penalty box.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 18: Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Mathieu Olivier (24) fight during the first period at Nationwide Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 16: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) checks Boston Bruins center Michael Eyssimont (81) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct 14: Dallas Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel (6) checks Minnesota Wild center Yakov Trenin (13) during the first period at the American Airlines Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Calgary Flames left wing Ryan Lomberg (70) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Luke Schenn (5) fight during the first period at Canada Life Centre.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) checks San Jose Sharks center Philipp Kurashev (96) at center ice during the third period at SAP Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) and Ottawa Senators left wing Kurtis MacDermid (23) fight during the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) checks New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Lenovo Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) as he goes after a loose puck during the second period at KeyBank Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct 7: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) points to Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) after he finished fighting Josh Manson during the first period at Crypto.com Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 7: Chicago's Nick Foligno fights with Florida's A.J. Greer during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
Mike Brehm: Avalanche in 5. The Kings will pull off one win to extend the career of retiring captain Anze Kopitar. But the Avalanche are far too deep for Los Angeles to do any more than that.
Jace Evans: Avalanche in 4. The Kings managed to make the playoffs, and credit to them for that. But, unfortunately, they stink. Only one team in the NHL had fewer regulation wins than them: the woebegone Vancouver Canucks. The Avalanche finished on the literal other side of the standings from the Canucks. Tough sledding for LA!
Kevin Skiver: Avalanche in 4. It's nice the Kings made it back for Kopitar's farewell tour, but the President's Cup-winning Avs are a staunch opponent. Los Angeles just doesn't have the firepower to match up with Colorado, which outstrips it at nearly every turn. For the Avalanche, there's a playoff bugaboo to shake off, having lost in the first round two of the past three seasons. This is a big first step.
Mike Brehm:Stars in 7. This could be the best series of the playoffs and it's a shame it has to happen so early. Adding Quinn Hughes to high-scoring forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy makes the Wild a tough out. But Dallas' Mikko Rantanen is built for the playoffs as he showed last season.
Jace Evans:Stars in 6. Can Minnesota really lose a 10th consecutive playoff series? Yes! Dallas has been on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup Final three consecutive seasons and its playoff experience will prove to be the difference.
Kevin Skiver:Stars in 7. Another downright dogfight of a first-round matchup, in a different playoff format this could easily be a Western Conference final matchup. The Stars and Wild split the season series this year and will likely take seven games to decide it here. This series is a coin flip, but the Stars barely come out on top.
Mike Brehm:Golden Knights in 7. John Tortorella has the Golden Knights playing the right way, and that and home-ice advantage should be enough to get Vegas past the Mammoth. It remains to be seen if they can go farther.
Jace Evans: Golden Knights in 7. Say what you will about John Tortorella, but the decision to fire one Stanley Cup winner (Bruce Cassidy) and replace him with another (Tortorella) seems to be working out. VGK has yet to lose in regulation with Torts behind the bench (7-0-1).
Kevin Skiver:Mammoth in 6. Utah is a grindy, difficult team that isn't going to make itself easy to get out. While John Tortorella has managed to turn things around for Vegas down the stretch and has it looking scorching hot coming into the postseason, Utah is able to hold it off as some of the fire dies in the playoffs.
Mike Brehm: Oilers in 5. The Ducks' core is young. The Oilers' core went to the Stanley Cup Final the past two years. Experience will win out.
Jace Evans: Oilers in 5. The Ducks stumbled into the playoffs and now have to face the best player in the NHL. I wish them a lot of luck!
Kevin Skiver: Oilers in 5. Talent wins out in the playoffs, and the Oilers are dripping in talent. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are obviously the headliners, and while the Ducks play a fast, fun game, there needs to be more physicality before they can be trusted as a playoff team. Edmonton has been here before, and though the road to return has been bumpy, it knows what to do now that it's back.