Grading all the big NHL deals, including Wednesday's trade that saw the Kings and Blue Jackets swap goaltenders, among other assets. Playoff position: N/A Advantage: Tampa Bay. Valeri Nichushkin and J.T. Vasilevskiy's backup, Curtis McElhinney, doesn't inspire much confidence, but the Lightning don't expect to use him much anyway. His primary partner has been Alec Martinez, who is working his way back from an injury. Regulation wins: 23 The Lightning's penalty kill is marginally better than the Panthers' (84.2% versus 79.8%). Next game: @ VGS (May 8) Minnesota doesn't generate offense from this group like Vegas does -- the Wild don't have a defensemen in the top 40 in points per game, while the Knights have three in the top 30 -- but it's a solid group. The Knights aren't nearly as strong defensively as they were under DeBoer last season, while the Wild are one of the NHL's best defensive teams in terms of limiting high-danger chances. As long as health holds up, the Lightning should win this. Bracket Analyzer How far can your bracket go?. Games left: 2 Instead, Koskinen has struggled while Smith posted a .924 save percentage in 31 games, placing 12th in goals saved above average (14.6). Washington defenseman Michal Kempny, a regular defenseman, is out for the season. The Canadiens are also hoping to get their top line healthy again, as Brendan Gallagher (fractured thumb) and Phillip Danault (concussion) could reunite with Tomas Tatar. Yet bottom-six production -- and lack of 5-on-5 scoring -- was a recurring issue for Boston all season. Complete your bracket by selecting the winner in each of the games in the NCAA tournament. Verhaeghe (upper body injury) missed 13 games but got a regular-season game in before the playoffs. Advanced stats are from Hockey Reference, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey. Can the Lions fix their defense? Meet the next wave of top picks Advantage: Edmonton. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. We look at six teams and how they could plan to approach Friday's trade deadline. : LOADING BRACKET. O'Reilly and Perron were the leading scorers for the Blues, and no one else was close. 4 New York Islanders Get the latest NHL hockey news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ESPN. Playoff position: N/A Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? Elizabeth Kitley, 6-4, C, Virginia Tech Hokies Kitley turned what was a close race into a second straight ACC Player of the Year trophy. The Capitals' defense might not be the X factor in many games, but it also won't lose them many games either. Ethan Bear and William Lagesson are also in the mix. 2; Nedeljkovic might even be Carolina's No. 1 option. Next game: vs. COL (May 8) From a woman coming across an azure-hooded blue jay and believing "Creighton will fly through the early rounds" to a man feeling a little husky, "like UConn" in his dress shirt, the . East: PIT-NYI | WSH-BOS Series pick: Hurricanes in five. Advantage: Edmonton, Goaltending: Connor Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender last season, and has once again carried the defensive load for the Jets. (But not adjusted for division, detractors will say.) Logan Stanley, Tucker Poolman, Derek Forbort, Sami Niku and trade deadline addition Jordie Benn are options. Privacy Policy Play Tournament Challenge Second Chance. They're praying the same thing doesn't happen this postseason, as Jonas Johansson and Devan Dubnyk are the alternatives. Pierre-Luc Dubois, acquired from Columbus for Patrik Laine earlier this season, had 20 points in 40 games. The Jets have the NHL's sixth-best power play (23.1%) and its 14th-best penalty kill (80.3%). That means the four divisions the. Playoff chances: 100% Playoff position: C3 2 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. Race for No. Games left: 5 Series pick: Lightning in seven. In more than 775 minutes together at 5-on-5, the duo have a 59.96% expected goals for percentage, per Natural Stat Trick. Tarasenko, who returned after his third shoulder surgery, had just four goals in 24 games. Paired with Joel Edmundson, he could be a Norris Trophy contender. For Montreal, Gallagher, Price and Weber could all return for the start of the series. In more than 766 minutes at 5-on-5, Dougie Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin have tilted the ice with a plus-19 differential in goals and plus-57 delta in high-danger chances, per Natural Stat Trick. David Rittich, acquired from Calgary at the trade deadline, is insurance. Barry Trotz and Mike Sullivan are Stanley Cup winners, though Trotz has had more recent success, winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 (with the Capitals), earning the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2019 and taking the Isles deep in the bubble last summer. Tragic number: E, Points: 48 He went to the Stanley Cup Final with the Sharks in his first full season in San Jose. Series pick: Caps in seven. ET (ESPN) Game 2: Wednesday, May 4 at 9:30 p.m. Are PSG better off without Neymar in big games? It's now a yearly tradition: discounting the Islanders until they go on a playoff run that forces you to pay attention. 1 pairing in Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock. Looking ahead, Hall is eager to see how the Bracket Challenge can evolve when new broadcast partners ESPN and Turner Sports come on board, starting in the 2021-22 season. Central: CAR-NSH | FLA-TB The opposite happened with the trade for Eric Staal, who had three points in his first 21 games in Montreal. Series pick: Islanders in seven. . Saad is working his way back, having been out since April 24. Catch NHL games streaming live every night (and on replay) this season on ESPN+. Advantage: Colorado, Health: MacKinnon's health is the biggest issue facing the Avalanche. 4 and No. 1 pick, Points: 75 Terms of Use Catch NHL games streaming live every night (and on replay) this season on ESPN+. Why Owen Power is the clear No. Next game: vs. ARI (May 8) Zach Parise, a healthy scratch this season, is there too. Log in here. Nashville's penalty kill is third worst in the league (75.4%), so this is a mismatch. Playoff chances: 100% Games left: 3 Sign in to customize your ESPN experience. But Tampa Bay has already been through its growing pains; its time is now. Next game: vs. DAL (May 9) Next game: @ CHI (May 9) Deadline decisions: What will Avs, Kraken and others do? Andrei Vasilevskiy looks like he will win his second Vezina Trophy in three seasons (he has finished as a finalist in each of the past four seasons) after going 31-10-1 with a .925 save percentage. Playoff chances: 0% Games left: 2 2021 NHL playoff series previews: First-round matchups, picks, The triumph of Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors in Creed III, Top draft prospect Carter charged in fatal crash, Out of dark, Rodgers vows decision coming soon, Survey: Vikes, Fins, Raiders top FA report cards, Scheyer makes history as Duke sweeps at home, Kings deal Cup-winning G Quick to Blue Jackets, Eagles defend QB-push tactic as NFL set to revisit, Chargers GM halts speculation: Allen staying put, Hall of Fame coach Ault named to CFP committee, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, A new home for Michael Thomas? 1 selection. Welcome to the 2021 men's basketball Tournament Challenge. Advantage: Florida. 1? Tragic number: E, Points: 43 With the Caps, Ovechkin was resting toward the end of the season thanks to a minor injury, which also might have been precautionary. Next game: vs. VAN (May 8) Oh, the names hockey has produced. Florida at Washington, Saturday, 1 (ESPN/BSF); . Yzerman. Make sure to tune-in and watch who will. Regulation wins: 19 If not, the other option is Jake Allen, who outplayed Price in the regular season but is only 28th in goals saved above average. He has had linemates ranging from Dominik Kahun and Jesse Puljujarvi (an effective 61.8% expected goals percentage) to Leon Draisaitl to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to Kailer Yamamoto. Regulation wins: 15 Assuming Kucherov is fully healthy and as dynamic as usual, the Lightning should have the edge here. Stone led the Knights with 61 points in 55 games, skating to a plus-26. A five-game series win over the kind of team that would normally upset the Maple Leafs would be a declarative statement that this time, things are different. Tragic number: E, Points: 55 The Predators activated Olivier from injured reserve before the end of the season, and while Dante Fabbro and Colton Sissons were banged up, they appear to be ready for the series. Washington's forward depth, overall, is stronger than Boston's. He has also recently taken this team on a run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2019. Current playoff matchups Games left: 3 Regulation wins: 30 Advertisement. First line: Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen: a trio that has proved, over multiple seasons, that it's perhaps the best line in the NHL. But at this point, the Oilers could put McDavid in with the equipment manager and the mascot and they'd be the best line in the game. Advantage: Colorado. ESPN's Tournament Challenge is back for the 2023 NCAA College Basketball Tournament! 32 NFL players who could change teams this offseason, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum. Playoff position: E2 Oh, and he led nearly this exact group to a Stanley Cup last year. The line of Martin Necas, Nino Niederreiter and Vincent Trocheck (57.89% expected goals for percentage) could feasibly operate as Nashville's top line. Elsewhere in the Central, it's the latest skirmish in the Battle of Florida, as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers continue to joust for seeding; they're currently tied with 75 standings points, but the Lightning hold the regulation wins tiebreaker. The Wild's Cam Talbot ended up becoming one of the offseason's smarter signings, finishing 16th in goals saved above average (12.5). Full list of all 224 picks Pittsburgh has been buoyed by surprise performances from Mike Matheson and especially Cody Ceci. Advantage: Toronto, Goaltending: The Leafs just got Frederik Andersen back from injury. Tragic number: N/A, Points: 71 Regulation wins: 24 They needed him, as Robin Lehner struggled through an injury to post a .913 save percentage. Devon Toews, acquired last offseason from the Islanders, has combined with Makar on a paring with a 63.0% expected goals rate at 5-on-5. Tragic number: 2, Points: 52 scores. 3 Minnesota Wild. This will be quick if MacKinnon is OK. Can Barca overcome on-field fatigue, off-field chaos to beat Real Madrid in Copa del Rey? Regulation wins: 29 Your US State Privacy Rights Tragic number: N/A, Points: 52 It's a different story for rookie Peyton Krebs, who is out indefinitely with a fractured jaw. Advantage: Tampa Bay, Forward depth: When the Lightning won the Stanley Cup last year, they were lauded for their trade deadline acquisitions of Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. Play Tournament Challenge The past few years have spoiled us with an exuberance of blue-chip talent . 2 Edmonton Oilers vs. No. Follow along here with our updated tracker. Around him, Florida's defensmen have all leveled up, including Brandon Montour, who looks revived after coming over in trade from Buffalo. 01:02. Washington also got a trade deadline addition in Mantha, who has been solid, with eight points in 14 games, albeit not as productive as Hall. 4 spot, the Golden Knights, Avalanche and Minnesota Wild are all still in the mix for the top seed. Playoff position: N4 Riley Nash, Alex Kerfoot and Ilya Mikheyev are one depth line; the other features more than 3,800 combined games in the NHL, with Joe Thornton, Jason Spezza and Wayne Simmonds all chasing their first Stanley Cup. Playoff chances: 100% Next game: vs. NJ (May 8) Stanley Cup of Chowder | August 11, 2020 Related Topics: National Hockey League, Boston Bruins. First line: The Jets' top line is well established: center Mark Scheifele (61 points in 55 games), flanked by wingers Kyle Connor and Blake Wheeler. The Predators have finally inserted young players into the lineup. Jump ahead: There's not much dropoff on New York's middle lines, as they all play with a similar identity. 329m goal: Felix the only men's contender for Chelsea's Goal of the Month, UFC 285's Shevchenko by the numbers: It all adds up to domination, A battle for No. In the North Division, the Montreal Canadiens can move closer to punching their playoff ticket with a win in their contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Goodrow is out indefinitely with an upper body injury. The wild card is Ville Heinola, a 20-year-old blue chip defenseman, but he's inexperienced. But credit's hard to find when everyone thinks you just put some McDavid and Draisaitl on anything that ails the team. 2 Washington Capitals vs. No. Dayton has the chance to earn a "home" NCAA tournament game. Advantage: Even, Special teams: The Bruins had the second-best penalty kill in the league this season, operating at 86%. Paul Stastny, who recently passed 1,000 career games, has 29 points in 55 games playing in a variety of roles. Their offense was the Leafs' best defense, too: Toronto goalies had a .932 save percentage when the line was on the ice. After missing eight games, forward Jordan Martinook got a regular-season game in and should be good for the playoffs. Users can have up to 25 brackets per person (no limit) by default but the limit for each group can be set to. Complete your bracket by selecting your winner for each game of the Men's NCAA Tournament. 3 Boston Bruins, No. Playoff chances: 0% Games left: 8 In 822:55 minutes together this season, they have outscored teams 71-37 with a 61.1% expected goals for percentage. Forward Jonathan Drouin remains out of the lineup for personal reasons, with no determination on his return. Advantage: Even. Click here for the upcoming schedule and to learn how to subscribe. ET, while the Women's Tournament Challenge brackets will be open on Monday, March 15, at 8 p.m. Tragic number: E, Points: 74 Final top 50 prospect rankings Another night, another playoff spot clinched as we officially welcome the St. Louis Blues to the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs. Advantage: Toronto. Manage Privacy Preferences, Locked - Brackets may leave/join group only before the Round of 64 begins. Adam Larsson has been a mainstay on the second pairing, playing with Kris Russell, Caleb Jones and Dmitry Kulikov at different times this season. Regulation wins: 11 The Wild are relatively healthy. You can catch this game streaming on ESPN+ tonight. Advantage: Vegas. Regulation wins: 28 4 Nashville Predators No. Games left: 2 This exclusive ESPN+ tool gives you bracket advice, with stats to help you make more informed picks for every game. The Greatest NHL Name Bracket - Bronco Horvath, Hakan Loob, Jaromir Jagr and more. Advantage: Nashville, Coaching: The Predators went on a remarkable run to even make it to the playoffs, going 19-7-1 since March 15. In more than 106 minutes at 5-on-5 together, the duo has a whopping 73.62% expected goals for percentage, outscoring opposing teams 10-1. Playoff chances: 4% No. But because he has such an assemblage of talent on his bench, he doesn't get the credit he deserves for conducting that orchestra. can. (Especially Sanford, whose offensive numbers dipped from last season.) Carter Verhaeghe and Anthony Duclair likely flank Barkov. About Nielsen Measurement. The men's NCAA tournament is over, with Villanova on top. Lee won't be back for the postseason, but New York added Palmieri and Zajac at the deadline to help replace him. You can also test out your skills by picking all the NCAA tournament games and more via the ESPN Streak game, where you can compete for $5,000 in guaranteed prizes each month. Jeff Petry was a revelation for Montreal this season, with 42 points in his first 55 games, skating 22:44 per game on average. Advantage: New York, Health: The Islanders' biggest loss is captain Anders Lee, who has been out since March (ACL). Bobrovsky has played well enough lately to earn the start in this series, but Florida has options if he falters early. 12-year-old Sam Holtz, a Notre Dame fan, said that he didn't watc Tragic number: N/A, Points: 57 The official National Hockey League web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips. Playoff position: N/A Next game: @ NYI (May 8) ET (ESPN) Game 3: Friday, May 6 at 9:30 p.m. Pittsburgh and the Caps are even in regulation wins, and the Pens won the season series, 6-2. There is no penalty for not filling-out all of your created brackets/entries with team selections or using them to enter into a group. Playoff chances: 100% For Edmonton, the pairing of Tyson Barrie (48 points in 55 games) and Darnell Nurse (36 points in 54 games) has excelled offensively. Grubauer had a stellar regular season -- in a contract year -- with a 30-9-1 record and a .922 save percentage and was rolling with a .922 in the playoffs last season before the injury. | If he stumbles, the Bruins will turn to 22-year-old rookie Jeremy Swayman, who earned the backup role with a .945 save percentage and two shutouts in 10 starts. Games left: 4 Advantage: Even, Defense: Cale Makar finished the season as the only regular NHL defenseman who averaged a point per game. Francesco Pinelli's Slovenian tour Note: Emily Kaplan previewed the East and Central, while Greg Wyshynski did the honors for the North and West. They could use Vince Dunn, who's out with an upper-body injury. Fill out your bracket and compete against friends, ESPN personalities and celebrities for your shot at $100,000 in prizes. The best part is it's completely free to play and we're offering $150K in total prizes this year! Complete your bracket by selecting the winner for each game of the 2023 men's NCAA tournament. | Playoff position: W2 Ivan Barbashev and Kyle Clifford are among the options in the lineup. The Promotion commences on March 12, 2023 and ends on the earliest of. More than 11 million people participated in ESPN's NCAA tournament bracket challenge, and the winner is a sixth-grader. Fill out your bracket and compete against friends, ESPN personalities and celebrities for your shot at $100,000 in prizes. 32 NFL players who could change teams this offseason, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum. Dominique Ducharme replaced Claude Julien after 18 games, and managed to sneak the Canadiens into the playoffs despite several injuries down the stretch. The Canes also have elite defenders. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? Forward depth: John Tavares and William Nylander hold down the second line for Toronto, with trade deadline addition Nick Foligno joining them. Six players have double-digit power-play points, with Aho, Trocheck and Hamilton leading the pack with 18 apiece. Next game: @ MIN (May 8) Since entering the league, Kucherov is top 10 in power-play points -- and that's despite missing this entire season. Every postseason for Toronto centers around the new and exciting ways it's going to blow it -- this is a team that hasn't won a playoff series since 2004. Playoff chances: 0% Tournament Challenge The three :15 spots - launched in partnership with Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP) - debut Mon., Feb. 27, highlighting how there is no surefire bracket prediction method. If you score the most points, you'll have a chance to win the grand prize: a trip for two to Hawaii for the 2021 Maui Jim Maui Invitational and a $10,000 Amazon.com gift card.*. Advantage: Florida, Special teams: Not a huge difference between the power play for the Panthers (20.5%) and the Lightning (22.4%), though Kucherov's presence could be an X factor. Regulation wins: 16 Fill out 25 brackets to compete for more cash! Next game: vs. OTT (May 9) However, it should enter the playoffs with a mostly intact roster. Winnipeg's Maurice is sixth in career wins and has done a solid job with a team that has had its share of change and challenges. Nico Sturm, Nick Bjugstad and veteran center Nick Bonino are in the mix, as is veteran winger Marcus Johansson. For Montreal, Tyler Toffoli brought as much joy to the Canadiens as his departure brought pain to Vancouver, scoring 28 goals this season. With Teravainen -- who had three goals in his first five games back -- they're even stronger. The Jets were really spiraling down the stretch, while the Oilers and a next-level McDavid were steam-rollering through teams. Better offensively have been 22-year-old Jordan Kyrou and Mike Hoffman, the latter of whom the Blues held onto at the trade deadline. The third pairing of Nicolas Hague and Zach Whitecloud might be one of the most underrated in the NHL. Tragic number: E, Points: 48 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge Brackets are closed for the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge Sign in to check your scores. Credit young players for stepping up, but also Charlie McAvoy for owning the No. Edmonton's Dave Tippett is 18th in career wins and deserves credit for helping the Oilers improve defensively this season. Sam Bennett has been a seamless fit since coming over from Calgary, specifically thriving alongside Jonathan Huberdeau. Meanwhile, Filip Forsberg, a staple on Nashville's top line, had 32 points in 39 games -- which made him the Predators' most productive forward this season. Jake Muzzin and Justin Holl continued their strong play that began last season. Game 1: Monday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET (TBS) Game 5:. Advantage: New York, Goaltending: The Islanders' tandem of Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin have the third-best 5-on-5 save percentage in the league (.931), which is about what you'd expect from a team coached by Barry Trotz and Mitch Korn. Advantage: Tampa Bay. ESPN's Tournament Challenge is back, giving you the chance to fill out up to 10 brackets and compete against friends, family, coworkers, professional athletes and celebrities for bracket glory. 3 Florida Panthers, No. Modern North American region, with players from North America who were active for NHL franchises in the past dozen years. They're a very good team and capable of the upset. Sullivan did a wonderful job with the injury-riddled Penguins this season, but given that Pittsburgh has won only one postseason game over the past two years, the edge goes to Trotz. Tragic number: 3, Points: 78 At risk of incurring another analytics rant from coach Paul Maurice, Wheeler has been sub-replacement (negative-2.6 goals scored above average) level this season. Games left: 2 While NBC covered the league at various points in its history, the network's last relationship with the NHL is the result of NBC Sports acquiring the league's broadcast . Join the Chowder NHL Bracket Challenge! 1 taking on No. Games left: 1 Tragic number: N/A, Points: 75 It can't be stressed enough how important Gallagher is to this team: They were 17-9-9 with him and 7-11-0 without him. The first two rounds of the 2021 playoffs will be intradivisional. | Playoff position: N/A First line: Florida's top line is all about Aleksander Barkov, one of the best two-way players in the game -- but really, just one of the best players in this game. Tragic number: N/A, Points: 60 Playoff chances: 99.1% You can download the bracket here and play along. For the third straight season, Hellebuyck led the NHL in shots faced and saves made. Petr Mrazek has been excellent, but missed two months in the middle of the season with a thumb injury. The Predators shouldn't be discounted, but we need to look at this matchup for what it is: a fringe playoff team versus a deep and talented squad that has looked strong all season and captured the division crown from the defending Stanley Cup champions. ESPN's Tournament Challenge is back for the 2023 NCAA College Basketball Tournament! The annual tradition is back! CAR (May 8) Here are the best available options for teams looking to upgrade ahead of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. Tragic number: E, Points: 37 In New York, the top line is not as defined. Playoff chances: 100% The Oilers' top line is tougher to define, except to say that "it's the one with Connor McDavid." Advantage: Even, Goaltending: Tuukka Rask has played 93 career playoff games, and that type of experience typically matters this time of year. Complete your bracket by selecting your winner for each game of the NCAA Tournament, starting with the Sweet 16. Note: Emily Kaplan previewed the East and Central, while Greg Wyshynski did the honors for the North and West. After Kaprizov, the next highest goal scorer was Kevin Fiala, who had 20 on the season in 50 games. Sizing up the player of the year winners in all 32 Division I men's conferences. 4 and No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. When Vladimir Tarasenko is in the lineup, you might find him skating with Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz. Though they performed well enough to persuade GM Brian MacLellan not to acquire a veteran goalie at the deadline, it's important to remember the Caps initially signed Henrik Lundqvist this season because they figured they would need insurance.