By: Chris Nosek

Maple Leafs vs. Senators

Many continued to believe that the Maple Leafs would squander away yet another multi-game lead in a series and fail again in a win-or-go-home game. They jumped to the early lead and Ottawa was able to tie it up which only added to the pressure. It was Max Pacioretty who scored the go-ahead goal which helped send a wave of relief over the bench. The presence of Craig Barube definitely showed as the team kept composure until the final whistle. They Maple Leafs were the more talented team and needed to end the series as quickly as possible. They need to rest up as they await their second round matchup against the Panthers to begin.

Golden Knights vs. Wild

The Wild threw everything they had at the Golden Knights in this one, and every time it seemed like Vegas had the answer. The only one who was able to put the puck past Aiden Hill was Ryan Hartman and for Vegas it was Jack Eichel and Mark Stone who secured the victory. The true feeling for this series will be felt once we see how Vegas finishes the season. If they go on to win the cup, then the Wild feel much better about how they played and how close each game was in this series. I really thought the Wild had enough to pull it out because of the emotional boost in playing for Marc-Andre Fleury, but it simply just wasn’t enough.

Stars vs. Avalanche

The way I feel about the Avs is how I should feel about the Golden Knights – if I used logic in that situation. The Avs have so much talent that they are never out of a game and if they’re able to get the first goal they can suffocate their opponent. MacKenzie Blackwood seems to be letting his game get away from him despite his strong start in the series. He has allowed 10 goals over the past two games and was even pulled from game 5. With the veterans on the team, he should be able to reset mentally going into game seven. The Avs have the higher top-end talent, while the Stars have the higher talent floor. Trying to predict a winner in this game 7 is as 50/50 as flipping a coin. Given their history though, I just don’t think I can pick against the Avalanche – despite Dallas being the home team.

Kings vs. Oilers

After the first two games, the Kings has a chance to go up in the series 3-0. They scored 16 goals in those first three games, but lost game 3 because of poorly chosen coaches challenge by Jim Hiller. After that game 3 loss, they still could have maintained control of the series, but in overtime Hiller significantly shortened his bench and clearly overworked his top-end guys. The offense that produced 16 goals in three games put up half of that in the final three games. This was a series the Kings could and should have won. I’d be surprised if we see Jim Hiller on their bench again next season.

Jets vs. Blues

Over the course of this series, the Jets have scored 17 goals for an average of 2.8 goals per game. The Blues on the other hand have scored 24 goals for an average of 4 goals per game. The Blues have also chased the pending Vezina winner, Connor Hellebuyck, from the game on three occasions by putting up 5 goals or more three times. The Blues have a clear scouting report on the 31-year-old goaltender and aren’t afraid to attack his weaknesses. The fact that this series has gone to a seventh game is a clear confidence boost for the Blues, but the difference factor would be whether or not the Jets have Mark Scheifele or Nikolaj Ehlers back in the lineup. Between injuries and the scouting on Hellebuyck, I would expect the Blues to steal another one on the road.