The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is officially underway and eight teams are left standing in the quest for the Cup, eight more teams had their hopes of hoisting Lord Stanley’s mug this spring doused. Let’s compare some key metrics from the regular season and round 1 to see where things went wrong for the teams we said goodbye to in round 1.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets were grounded by the Vegas Golden Knights in 5 games. They got off to a good start with a convincing win in game 1 but it was all downhill from there. The Jets powerplay was hot throughout the series, but it wasn’t enough to overcome their 5v5 problems. The Golden Knights controlled 5v5 play in games 2-5 and held the advantage in 5v5 xGF%. The Jets needed Connor Hellebuyck to be the best goaltender in the series to improve their chances. He was a difference maker during the regular season, but it didn’t carry over into the playoffs and the Golden Knights won the finishing/goaltending battle at both ends of the ice.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings Stanley Cup hopes were doused by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round for the second straight season. The Kings were a good 5v5 team through the regular season, particularly defensively. They weren’t able to carry that advantage into the playoffs as the Oilers won the 5v5 xG battle decisively early in the series. Outstanding goaltending kept the Kings afloat early and helped them to a 2-1 series lead. The Oilers shooters broke through in the second half of the series though and it was enough to down the Kings in three straight despite some improved 5v5 play from LA.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche fell victim to the Seattle Kraken, knocking the defending champions out in round 1. Injuries were an issue for the Avalanche all year and they carried a mediodre xGF% over from the regular season into the playoffs. With some high powered players out of the lineup, they struggled to finish their chances which was a theme we saw mid-season under similar circumstances. In the end, the Kraken’s depth was too much for the Avs.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild fell victim to the Dallas Stars in 6 games. Their key 5v5 metrics from the first round look very similar to the regular season. They played the Stars to a draw at 5v5 in terms of xG%, while they struggled to finish but made up for it with their goaltending. The difference in the series was on special teams, where the Stars capitalized at roughly double the rate the Wild did.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins fell to the Florida Panthers in the first round after a historic regular season. The Bruins were a juggernaut throughout the regular season, putting up strong xG%, finishing and special teams numbers all year. It was goaltending that truly set them apart, though, and it’s also what changed the course of their series with the Panthers. The Panthers’ shooters won the battle in the last three games of the series and turned a 3-1 series deficit into one of the biggest upsets in the cap era.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning met the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round for the second straight season. The Leafs exorcised their demons and moved onto the second round for the first time in two decades, ending the Lightning’s recent dominance of the NHL’s postseason. It was a clash of two good teams that was a saw-off in xG share over the course of the season. Both team’s shooters won the finishing/goaltending battle and the fact that Andrei Vasilevskiy looked human in the playoffs for the first time in the last 4 seasons may have been the difference in a hard fought series.
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders met their demise at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. Goaltending was their savior in the regular season, propping up an unimpressive 5v5 xG% and middling finishing. The Isles held their own against one of the top 5v5 teams in the league. It wasn’t enough, though, and the Canes overpowered them with some help from their special teams.
New York Rangers
The Rangers were bounced by the rival New Jersey Devils in the first round. After starting the season with strong 5v5 results that were undercut by some poor finishing, the Rangers reverted closer to their form from last season in the second half. A middling 5v5 xG% was supported by strong goaltending and special teams. They needed both to carry over into the playoffs as the Devils dominated play at 5v5 in their first round series. The powerplay went cold early in the series and Igor Shesterkin was left to stem the tide of the Devils’ attack. It was nearly enough, but the Devils prevailed 7 games.
