April 17 marks the end of the National Hockey League's regular season, and on April 19, the Stanley Cup playoffs will start. The playoffs consist of a seven-game series and the matchups that are set to take place in the first round include rivalry series and possible Cinderella stories. Though every match is unpredictable, some are going to be more interesting than others.
In the first round of the Eastern Conference, for the first time since 2004, it will be the battle of Ontario, with the Ottawa Senators facing the Toronto Maple Leafs. Although the Leafs may seem like the clear-cut winner, the team has a history of early playoff exits due to factors like a lack of defense and goaltending issues. However, this season the Leafs are stronger defensively, with head coach Craig Berube building up the defensive core.
Although the Leafs have the edge defensively and offensively, do not count the Senators out with Vezina trophy winner Linus Ullmark in net. The Senators also won all three regular-season games the two teams have played. Without a doubt, the Senators will put up a tough fight against the Leafs, but in the end, the Leafs team has more scoring depth and playoff experience needed for this series.
Also in the East, the Washington Capitals will face off against the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens just clinched their spot in the playoffs on Wednesday, knocking out the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is the first time since the 2020-21 season that the Canadiens are in a playoff position. Montreal is seeking to upset the Stanley Cup favorite Capitals. This is possible, seeing that in the playoffs, there is no team more dangerous than one with nothing to lose.
The biggest series in the West will be the Dallas Stars versus the Colorado Avalanche. This is a rematch of the 2024 second-round series between the teams, which the Stars won in six games, but this year the matchup is even more intense with former players now playing for the rival team.
The Stars now have former Avalanche player Mikko Rantanen in their lineup. Rantanen won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in the 2021-22 season and was with the team for ten years before being traded. Arguably, Rantanen was added to the team to increase their cup chances, which he certainly has with 18 points within his first 20 games with the Stars.
However, the Avalanche recently announced that their captain, Gabriel Landeskog, has rejoined the team after two years on the long-term injured reserve list. The Avalanche also has Norris Trophy favorite Cale Makar and the 2024 Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon. Thus, Dallas will have to step up their defense, and starting goalie Jake Oettengier will have to be at the top of their game to stop the Avalanche's core.
This year has been a historic season in the NHL. With Sidney Crosby breaking Wayne Gretzky's point per game record, Alex Ovechkin breaking the goal record and this postseason will be the first time in history that the Bruins, Penguins and Rangers will not be competing in the postseason. The postseason is set to be just as entertaining within the first round, with rivalry matchups and revenge games set to take place.
Cassie is a junior studying communications at Ohio University. Please note the views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Cassie? Email her at cb086021@ohio.edu.
