The Stanley Cup playoffs are officially at the halfway mark. Another 4 teams bit the dust in Round 2. Let’s compare some key metrics from the regular season and playoffs to see where things went wrong for the latest casualties.
Edmonton Oilers
After defeating the Kings in Round 1 for the second straight season, the Edmonton Oilers dropped a six game series to the Golden Knights in Round 2. The Oilers with their current core have long had a lethal powerplay. They supplemented that with a strong 5v5 game in the second half of the season and both carried through in their first round victory over the Kings. Their 5v5 expected goal share took a turn for the worse in Round 2 as they met another strong 5v5 team in the Golden Knights. Goaltending also became an issue as the Golden Knights were able to finish at a high rate.
Seattle Kraken
The Kraken were sent back to the deep by the Dallas Stars in Round 2, although not before they dispatched the defending Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche in Round 1. The Kraken had an extremely high rate of team finishing throughout the regular season. It didn’t carry over against the Avalanche, but they were able to get the bounces they needed to outlast Colorado in a tightly contested series. Their finishing bounced back in Round 2, but they weren’t able to maintain their 5v5 offensive game against the Stars. Their 5v5 expected goal share dropped as a result and the Kraken’s rediscovered team finishing wasn’t able to overcome it.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs found themselves in the second round for the first time in two decades after a hard fought series with the Lightning. Their 5v5 expected goal share and special teams rates were very even with the Bolts. The Leafs ultimately got the bounces and moved on to face the Panthers in Round 2. Once again, the Leafs found themselves with relatively equal share of 5v5 xG, but ran into a red hot Sergei Bobrovsky and saw their finishing results take a turn for the worse as the Panthers goaltender shut them down.
New Jersey Devils
The Devils were very good at controlling 5v5 expected goal share in the regular season and that carried over into their first round series with the Rangers. It was enough to propel them past their Metropolitan Division rivals in 7 games, after which they collided with another strong 5v5 team in the Carolina Hurricanes. Their finishing improved somewhat in the second round, but not enough to keep up with the Hurricanes with Carolina holding a more even share of expected goals than their first round opponent. The Devils goaltending wasn’t great either, trending downward through their second round series.
