The Stanley Cup playoffs are coming up fast, with the first series set to begin Saturday, April 19.
The regular season has seen the stirring chase by Washington's Alex Ovechkin to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL scoring record, a mark that has stood for 31 years and many thought would never be broken. The Capitals have also been one of the best teams in the league, vying with Winnipeg, Dallas and others for the Presidents' Trophy.
The matchups
A handful of teams have clinched playoff berths, but the wild-card spots and first-round matchups are not set yet in either the Western or Eastern Conferences.
The top three teams in each division make the playoffs, and the other four spots go to the next two highest-placed teams in each conference, regardless of division.
The teams with the best record in each conference open against the wild-card team with the worst record; the other wild-card plays the other division winner. Teams that finish second and third in their division play each other in the bracket headed by their respective division winner. The second round thus carries a higher prospect of division foes matching up ahead of the conference finals.
All four rounds of the playoffs are best-of-7; the first team to 16 victories wins the Stanley Cup.
How to watch
Every game of the Stanley Cup playoffs will be nationally televised in the U.S on an ESPN or Turner network. The NHL schedule is here and a streaming guide is here. Much of TNT's coverage, which includes the Stanley Cup Final, will be simulcast on truTV and available on Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. In Canada, games will be showcased on Sportsnet and CBC.
Who to watch
All eyes have been on Ovechkin's pursuit of Gretzky's record, but the NHL is filled with compelling efforts by star players.
Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon, Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov and Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl are considered the top MVP candidates. Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck seems a runaway favorite for the Vezina Trophy, while rookies Lane Hutson of Montreal and Macklin Celebrini and San Jose are considered Calder Trophy favorites.
Who are the favorites?
With two weeks left in the regular season, the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup are (in order): Dallas, Florida, Colorado and Edmonton, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
When is the Stanley Cup Final?
The playoffs begin April 19 to open three rounds of seven-game series before the final starts in early June. If the final goes the distance, Game 7 could go as late as June 23.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
The Associated Press
