The Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing and the action has lived up to the expectations. The much-awaited return of the tournament for the most difficult trophy in all of sports has already seen star-studded performances, shocking upsets, and the physicality fans everywhere love. Here's a look at the major takeaways from the first few weeks of playoff action.
Qualifier Upsets
The qualifier round featured the teams ranked fifth through twelfth in their respective conferences, and set matchups in traditional bracket style. The results of the play-in round were surprising to many, and led to some must-watch action in the opening round of the playoffs.
Not one, but both of the 5 seeds in the return to play tournament were beaten by the 12 seeds for entry into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Supposed playoff locks Pittsburgh and Edmonton had their playoff runs cut short before they even began at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively. Stellar play by Carey Price and the depth scoring of the Blackhawks were too much for the contenders to handle, leading to their losses. Both best-of-5 series lasted 4 games. Montreal lasted 6 games with the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, with the Flyers advancing to play the Islanders, while Chicago lost in 5 games to Vegas, who will do battle with the Vancouver Canucks in Round 2.
It wasn't a 12 beats 5 scenario, but 11th seed Arizona upset 6 seed Nashville with stout defensive play and elite goaltending from Darcy Kuemper. Nashville has struggled with mediocre goaltending all season, and their top scorers couldn't put enough pucks past Kuemper to allow Nashville entry into the tournament. Arizona advanced to play 2 seed Colorado, who finished them off in 5 games, scoring 14 goals in games 4 and 5 alone.
Star Power on Full Display
The league's top talents didn't disappoint, even those whose teams didn't make it past the qualifier. Eliminated talents including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Auston Matthews put on offensive clinics despite the lacking success of their teams. McDavid led the qualifying round with 5 goals and 9 points in just 4 games against the Blackhawks, with teammate Draisaitl netting 3 goals and 6 points in the series. Matthews scored twice and recorded 6 points in the 5 game series between his Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets, who won Game 5 and advanced to the first round.
Through the completion of Round One, more superstars are padding the stats and making their cases for the Conn Smythe Trophy, should their team make it all the way. Nathan Mackinnon is cementing himself as one of the game's best, with 4 goals and 13 points in the 8 games the Avalanche have played thus far; Elias Pettersson has the same stat line in 10 games for the Vancouver Canucks. His resume as one of the brightest young stars in the game is getting stronger with each game.
Unsung Playoff Performers
Another major story line has been the surprise players who have put up impressive numbers so far in the tournament. Several players have made cases for themselves to have increased roles next season due to their tremendous performances to this point in the playoffs. Montreal, who many believed didn't even belong in the qualifying round to begin with, rode the hot sticks of a few budding stars to success against the Penguins and the Flyers. 20-year-old Jesperi Kotkaniemi and 21-year-old Nick Suzuki have temporarily quieted the critics of Montreal's center depth, as the two centers combined for 8 goals and 11 points in the team's 10 games. Both should see increased playing time next season on a young Canadiens roster.
The Stars, who got past the Flames in 6 games in Round One, saw another young talent emerge in their Game 6 series-clinching win. Denis Gurianov scored 4 goals and recorded an assist in that game, giving him a total of 6 goals and 7 points through the team's first 9 games. During the regular season, Gurianov totaled 29 points in 64 games before the pause.
Draft Lottery
The Draft Lottery took place after the qualifying round, with each of the 8 teams eliminated from play given a 12.5% chance of landing prized talent Alexis Lafreniere. The New York Rangers won the lottery, and now have the first overall selection in the draft, looking to add the franchise talent to a skilled offensive group that also includes Hart Trophy finalist Artemi Panarin.
Round Two Matchups
Avalanche vs. Stars, beginning tonight, 8/22
Bruins vs. Lightning, beginning tomorrow, 8/23
Canucks vs. Golden Knights, beginning tomorrow
Islanders vs. Philadelphia, beginning Monday
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