![]() ![]() My concerns with Carolina are pretty much the same as they were entering the first round: Outside of the brilliant Sebastian Aho, does the team have enough top-of-the-lineup offensive talent to make a deep run? We know the Devils do. New Jersey showed that the experience (or lack thereof) factor is overrated the Devils went down 0-2 in the series against the Rangers, made adjustments and took off in the series. The Hurricanes will play at a quicker pace than the Rangers, the Devils' first-round opponent, but they are too beat up to topple a team that has been so dominant this season. Matthew Tkachuk will help the confident Panthers carve out a couple wins, but the Maple Leafs have more talent and went 3-0-1 against Florida this season. The Panthers seem a lot like the Sergei Bobrovsky-led 2019 Columbus Blue Jackets, who upset the 62-win Lightning, then lost in six games in the second round. The Panthers are no pushover (as the Bruins can attest) and found their game as that series went along, but I just think the Leafs are a little more talented – and perhaps more important that talent is producing. Toronto slayed its elimination game demons against Tampa, then got to watch Florida knock off its longtime tormenter. This certainly isn’t the second-round matchup I expected. They won three games in overtime, all three on the road, and they did not crumble after a 7-3 loss in Game 1. Toronto's stars came to play in the first round, but what gives me the most optimism for a long playoff run is the pushback the Maple Leafs showed. Who will advance to the conference finals? USA TODAY Sports' experts make their picks: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers will travel to Las Vegas to take on the Golden Knights (9:30 p.m., ESPN). ![]() On Wednesday, the Devils will visit the Carolina Hurricanes, who have been resting since Friday after knocking off the New York Islanders in six games (7 p.m. Meanwhile, the Seattle Kraken, in their second season of existence, will face the Dallas Stars (9:30 p.m., ESPN) So what does that mean for the next round? Well, the 92-point Florida Panthers, the worst team entering the playoffs, get to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, who reached the playoffs the past seven years but hadn't gotten past the first round until now. Then, Monday concluded the first-round action with a New Jersey Devils win over the New York Rangers in a Game 7. The first round of the NHL playoffs saw three Game 7s, which included the record-setting Boston Bruins and the 2022 champion Colorado Avalanche getting upset. Have you caught your breath yet, hockey fans? View Gallery: NHL playoffs 2023: Best photos from road to Stanley Cup ![]()
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