The NHL playoffs are here. The puck drops on Monday as we have four games to start out the first round playoff series. Let’s look closer at these matchups.
Islanders at Hurricanes
The first puck on ice will be between the Islanders and Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are big favorites in this one and for good reason. The over/under on goals is set at just 5.5 for these two teams who were not big scorers during the season. Brock Nelson and the Islanders will look to fend off the Hurricanes on the road.
Panthers at Bruins
The biggest favorite of the day is also the team that everyone expects to win the Stanley Cup trophy this year. Boston has had a season to remember winning a ridiculous league high 65 games. They are heavy favorites in this game and series so should have no problems on Monday night.
Wild at Stars
This is expected to be the closest and most competitive game on Monday. The Stars are the favorite at home by a slight margin. Should the Stars be bigger favorites? They had more wins and ties than the Wild in the regular season and arguably have a better star player in Jason Robertson.
Kings at Oilers
Edmonton are large favorites in this game which should be a high scoring one, especially if the Kings are going to make it interesting. Edmonton obviously has Connor McDavid, who is one of the best if not the best player in the NHL. His legacy depends on if he can win in the league, which he hasn’t been able to so far.
Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Connor_McDavid_-_19434541205.jpg
