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Toronto Maple Leafs NHL Hockey
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A have a look at the Western Convention playoff sequence:
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Colorado Avalanche (1st Central) vs. Seattle Kraken (1st wild card)
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Sport 1: Tuesday at Colorado
SEASON SERIES: Kraken gained two of three, all low-scoring one-goal outcomes.
PAST PLAYOFF MEETINGS: Seattle’s first look in Yr 2 of the franchise.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Energy play, Colorado 24.5% (sixth), Seattle 19.8% (twenty first), Penalty Kill, Colorado 79.0 (seventeenth), Seattle 76.7% (twenty first).
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SIGNIFICANT INJURIES: Colorado, LW Gabriel Landeskog (knee) gained’t be making a playoff comeback. Seattle, LW Andrei Burakovsky (decrease physique) gained’t play except the Kraken go a few rounds. RW Joonas Donskoi (concussion) is out.
WHAT ELSE: Opening in Denver gained’t faze the Kraken, probably the greatest highway groups within the league, profitable seven on one journey … Everybody is aware of the problem of repeating and the Avs already got here by a spate of accidents, 400 man video games misplaced in all, together with Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar … Alexandar Georgiev provides the Avs the sting in internet, a 40-game winner to Martin Jones’ .887 save proportion … Kraken gave up fewest pictures per sport within the convention, however their scoring falls off after Jared McCann.
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DID YOU KNOW: Seattle is again within the playoffs within the a hundred and fifth anniversary of its Metropolitans profitable the final pre-NHL Stanley Cup.
QUOTE: “I’d in all probability be mendacity to say I anticipated the season we’re having, however I did anticipate enchancment.” – Seattle GM Ron Francis.
PREDICTION: Colorado in six.
Dallas Stars (2nd in Central) vs. Minnesota Wild (third in Central)
Sport 1: Monday in Dallas.
SEASON SERIES: Two 4-1 Dallas wins, sandwiched by its shootout losses to the Wild, although no head-to-heads the previous two months.
PAST PLAYOFF MEETINGS: In 2016, Dallas gained a first-round sequence in six video games.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Energy play, Dallas 25.0% (fifth), Minnesota 21.4% (fifteenth), Penalty Kill, Dallas 83.5% (third), Minnesota 82.0% (tenth).
SIGNIFICANT INJURIES: Dallas simply received energy ahead Mason Marchment again, whereas the Wild misplaced defensive centre Joel Eriksson Ek within the closing days of normal season with a decrease physique damage, till late within the sequence.
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WHAT ELSE: Wild coach Dean Evason has the selection in internet of playoff warhorse Marc-Andre Fleury or younger Filip Gustavsson … Dallas made the 2020 last underneath the cloud of COVID-19, so this time there’s a lot of enthusiasm for a long term within the wide-open West … Stars prime scorer Jason Robertson enters the playoffs on a excessive, as NHL participant of the week for six factors in three video games because the Stars went 6-0 down the stretch … Conversely, the Wild sputtered on the finish, however gained their fair proportion towards the league’s elite groups.
DID YOU KNOW: There’s an intense rivalry between the one-time Minnesota-based Stars and the Wild, a few of whom departed Texas for jobs in Minny similar to GM Invoice Guerin and advisor Mike Modano.
QUOTE: “We all know play playoff hockey.” — Wild coach Dean Evason.
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PREDICTION: Dallas in six
Vegas Golden Knights (1st in Pacific) vs. Winnipeg Jets (2nd wild card)
Sport 1: Tuesday at Vegas
SEASON SERIES: A 3-game sweep by the Knights, however all video games have been performed earlier than Christmas.
PAST PLAYOFF MEETINGS: Bitter recollections in Manitoba of the growth Knights profitable the 2018 Convention last in 5 video games.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Energy play, Vegas 20.3% (18th), Winnipeg 19.3% (twenty third). Penalty Kill, Vegas 77.4% (nineteenth), Winnipeg 82.4% (seventh).
SIGNIFICANT INJURIES: Jets C Cole Perfetti (higher physique) will miss some or all the first spherical, Sam Gagner (hip) is out. Vegas appears to get ahead Mark Stone again, however continues to be lacking G Logan Thompson and LW William Provider with decrease physique points at current.
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WHAT ELSE: It’s shaping up as a ‘frenemy’ crease battle between Connor Hellebuyck and his former Jets back-up Laurent Brossoit, who’s doing properly within the unlikely starter’s position … All’s properly within the Winnipeg room after a tough patch threatened their playoff hopes underneath intense media scrutiny … Vegas’s Jack Eichel will get his lengthy awaited likelihood in playoffs, whereas Pierre-Luc Dubois appears to excel in a two-way position for the Jets … Winnipeg, which averaged the fewest pictures per sport of any playoff workforce, faces the league’s finest group of shot blockers.
DID YOU KNOW: Whereas Winnipeg followers plan one other playoff residence ‘White Out’, the Knights simply launched a brand new workforce pet for playoffs, Goldie the goldfish, who lives in a dressing room tank.
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QUOTE: “I’ve seen guys together with his means, measurement and energy management a playoff sequence.” — Jets head coach Ric Bowness on Dubois.
PREDICTION: Vegas in 5.
Edmonton Oilers (2nd in Pacific) vs. Los Angeles Kings (third in Pacific)
Sport 1: Monday in Edmonton
SEASON SERIES: Cut up 2-2, however give the nod to Edmonton for his or her late season victories through which the Kings managed only one objective.
PAST PLAYOFF MEETINGS: Final yr’s rally by the OIlers to prevail in seven video games revived an intense rivalry. The golf equipment had battled in seven sequence over a decade till 1992, the Kings profitable simply twice.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Energy play, Edmonton 32.4% (1st), L.A. 25.4% (4th), Penalty Kill, Edmonton 77.0% (twentieth), L.A. 75.8% (twenty fourth).
SIGNIFICANT INJURIES: Edmonton none, L.A. C Gabe Vilardi (higher physique) is each day.
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WHAT ELSE: Wanting throwing an enormous internet on Hart Trophy favorite Connor McDavid, the Kings must restrict his injury and hope to include the second wave of Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman … Mattias Ekholm provides the Oilers a greater again line, however Kings’ Drew Doughty missed final yr’s sequence … Rookie Stuart Skinner wants to keep up his crease magic, whereas Kings’ coach Todd McLellan is being coy whether or not Joonis Korpisalo begins forward of Pheonix Copley.
DID YOU KNOW: Edmonton’s energy play proportion topped the ’77-78 Montreal Canadiens’ league report of 31.9, whereas Draisaitl’s objective within the last common season sport was a franchise report 89th with the person benefit.
QUOTE: “I don’t suppose there’s something that units you up for Edmonton. It’s a unique monster,” McLellan on taming the Oilers’ offence.
PREDICTION: Oilers in 5.
lhornby@postmedia.com
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