As the NHL playoffs roll into Round 2, another dramatic Eastern Conference showdown between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins headlines the action.
The Penguins are gunning for their third consecutive Stanley Cup. The Capitals are fighting to finally win their first Cup, mindful that superstar winger Alexander Ovechkin is edging ever closer to the twilight of his career.
The Capitals lost to the Penguins in second round the last two springs, in seven games last year and in six games in 2016. They also lost to the Penguins in seven games back in 2009.
“I can’t wait. It’s a huge opportunity for us to take a step forward,” Ovechkin told reporters. “Obviously, it’s the Stanley Cup champion, back-to-back. They know how to play. They know how to handle the pressure. It’s going to be a huge series for us.”
Since Penguins star Evgeni Malkin will sit out Game 1 Thursday night with an apparent left knee injury, the Capitals should feel somewhat better about their chances. Malkin scored 98 points in 78 regular season games this season and five more in five playoff games.
PREDATORS, JETS WILL PUT ON A SHOW
Over the Western Conference, the series between the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators promises much entertainment. The deep, seasoned Predators reached the Stanley Cup Final last season and aim to win it this season.
But the explosive Jets will counter with three excellent scoring lines and a hot goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck. He was 4-1 with a 1.94 goals-against average and .924 save percentage against the Minnesota Wild during the first round.
Expect a fun series starting Friday night.
“High-event games, because something is happening all the time, right? They’re either very physical, I think really fast, or great saves,” Jets coach Paul Maurice told reporters. “Neither team is passive in how they play. Neither team sits back and tries to slow the game down in terms of what they do with the puck. There’s lots of action in these games.”
The Predators have the home-ice edge, which should be especially valuable in this series. Counting their first round playoff series the Jets are 35-7-2 on their home rink this season.
CAN VEGAS EXTEND STORYBOOK SEASON?
The San Jose Sharks will challenge the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in the other Western Conference series while Tampa Bay will play the Boston Bruins to round out the Eastern Conference bracket.
Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury allowed just three goals as the surprising Golden Knights swept the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. And the Golden Knights were 3-0-1 against the Sharks during the regular season.
“They’re a good fast team,” Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore said of the Sharks. “They play a strong game. You saw them take it to Anaheim. They’re a good team, but I feel like we’ve gotten a lot of video on them throughout the regular season on how they play, and I thought we played well against them all year.”
LIGHTNING, BRUINS BRACE FOR HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT
For much of the season, the deep and powerful Lightning looked like the NHL’s team to beat. Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat leaded the talented forward corps and Victor Hedman is one of the league’s best all-around defensemen.
The Lightning dispatched the New Jersey Devils in five games in the first round, with Kucherov scoring 10 points. So they should have more in the tank than the Bruins, who needed seven games to finally outlast the persistent Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Lightning-Bruins series starts Saturday.
“Well, they’ve had some time to rest, and if they had any injuries, probably get a little healthier,” Boston coach Bruce Casssidy told reporters. “But that’s the advantage of winning in five. If we had of done the same thing, then we would have that advantage as well.
“But for us, I guess going into it … we are battle-tested now, and we’ve got to bring that mentality into the next round.”
