by Brian Abate
There are going to be eight series in the play-in round when the NHL season returns. These series will be best-of-five instead of best-of-seven. While there will be lots of action and excitement, these two series stand out as must-see matchups.
New York Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes: The Kids vs A Bunch of Jerks
The Hurricanes have become famous for their celebrations after winning games over the last two seasons. Analyst Don Cherry was not impressed with Carolina and called them “a bunch of jerks.” The Nickname has stuck and last season the Hurricanes proved they weren’t just a punchline. They eliminated the defending-champion Washington Capitals in the first round of the postseason and then swept the New York Islanders in the second round, before falling to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals.
They have plenty of talent including 20-year-old Andrei Svechnikov. He is highly skilled and has scored multiple lacrosse-style goals. He is also known for agitating opponents, which backfired last season when he was knocked out by Alex Ovechkin.
Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen have also developed into star players and Carolina will get their best defenceman, Dougie Hamilton back from injury.
Their opponent, the Rangers are one of the youngest teams in the NHL and have somehow managed to complete a rebuild in just two seasons. Their turnaround was aided by signing Artemi Panarin, who has put on a show at Madison Square Garden. He was on pace to surpass 100 points when the season was suspended. Mika Zibanejad has also developed into a star player for New York and no player in the NHL was hotter than him before the season was suspended. He has 41 goals in 57 games this season, and he had five in a jaw-dropping performance against the Capitals. They have six players under age 23, including their dynamic rookie defenceman Adam Fox. Rookie goaltender Igor Shesterkin, has also been impressive since getting called up midway through the season. Tony DeAngelo is 24-years-old and has also had a breakout season. He has developed into a weapon and has excelled on the power play. He has 15 goals and 38 assists this season, including a hat trick against the rival New Jersey Devils.
The Rangers and Hurricanes are both aggressive offensive-minded teams, which should lead to action-packed games. They both have aggressive defencemen and highly skilled forwards. In addition, Brady Skjei was traded to the Hurricanes from the Rangers this season, while the Rangers acquired Julien Gauthier from the Hurricanes. Both players will have a chance for revenge against their former team. Both teams have been under the radar but both are hungry and on the rise. Whichever team wins this series will have a chance to make a deep run this postseason.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Edmonton Oilers: The Old Champ vs The Rising Contender
The Edmonton Oilers have two of the best players in the league in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid has already won the Hart Trophy (MVP) and Draisaitl is expected to win it this season. Still, the Oilers were held back by some of the worst trades in recent memory. They were made by former Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli . The Oilers are now rid of Chiarelli and have finally found success this season. They are led by their dynamic duo and are beginning to reach their potential after years of disappointment.
Edmonton has struggled defensively at times but has enough offensive skill to overcome those issues. When they are playing their best and getting good goaltending, they can hang with anyone in the league.
While Edmonton is a young team on the rise, the Chicago Blackhawks are a faded version of the team that won the Stanley Cup three times with their core of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Seabrook underwent hip surgery and isn’t expected to return this season. Toews and Keith have had decent seasons but are not playing at the same level they were when the Blackhawks were winning Cups. Their most recent one was in 2015. They signed all four players to huge contracts, which have come back to haunt them, with the exception of Kane. Kane continues to dominate the league and is one of the most entertaining players in the league. Every time he takes the ice it’s showtime. He has also been one of the clutchest players of this generation.
Kane is always at his best in the postseason and the Blackhawks will try to recreate their incredible playoff runs one last time. They also have an excellent goalie in Corey Crawford who can steal some games for them.
Both teams play an aggressive offensive style which should make for an entertaining series. This year could be an opportunity for the Oilers to finally break through with a deep playoff run but it won’t be easy for them to get by the Blackhawks.
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