Running analysis of Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Our hockey writers share their observations and insights throughout Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Saturday, April 18
Hurricanes go with the veteran for Game 1
Frederik Andersen split starts with Brandon Bussi down the stretch, and head coach Rod Brind'Amour is opting for the 36-year-old to begin the series against the Ottawa Senators.
For much of the season, it looked like Bussi would be the guy for the Hurricanes once the playoffs rolled around. He impressed early, winning 11 of his first 12 starts and entering the Olympic break 23-3-1 with a .906 save percentage. However, Bussi's play has dipped, sporting an .865 SV% in 12 games since returning to action at the end of February. Andersen has been marginally better with an .879 SV% in 13 contests in that span.
Both goalies head into the postseason coming off quality starts. Andersen stopped 26 of 27 against Utah last Saturday, and Bussi made 29 saves on 30 shots versus the Islanders on Tuesday.
We'll likely see both in this series. Maybe even Pyotr Kochetkov, too. This is Carolina's eighth straight playoff appearance, and they've had two goalies start at least one game every postseason during this streak. - Kyle Cushman
Late-arriving rookies could be X-factors
Five highly touted prospects left the NCAA for the NHL in the final month of the regular season: Cole Hutson (Capitals), Cole Eiserman (Islanders), Porter Martone (Flyers), Charlie Stramel (Wild), and James Hagens (Bruins).
The two about to make their playoff debuts have an X-factor vibe to them.
Martone, a 6-foot-3, 214-pound right winger built for the grinding nature of playoff hockey, has made an immediate impact in Philadelphia. He racked up 10 points (four goals, six primary assists) and a team-high 32 shots in nine games down the stretch. Logging 17:02 a night, the former Michigan State freshman has been playing alongside veterans Travis Konecny and Christian Dvorak. The trio's outscored the opposition 5-1 in 83 five-on-five minutes.
No Eastern Conference playoff team scored fewer goals in the regular season than Philadelphia. Martone offers the Flyers some much-needed juice.
Hagens is eight games into his pro career - six in the AHL and two for the Bruins. The speedy and creative left winger out of Boston College picked up an assist off a strong forecheck against Columbus and looked the part of a top-nine forward in 16 minutes versus New Jersey in the Bruins' regular-season finale. Hagens, 19 years old like Martone, is excellent in transition, both as a distributor off the wall and puck carrier through the neutral zone.
Boston's testing out an all-youngster third line of Hagens, 21-year-old Fraser Minten, and 23-year-old Marat Khusnutdinov. The addition of Hagens helps the rest of the forward group to click into place a little bit better. - John Matisz
Who's in trouble if Round 1 goes sideways?
Four presidents/general managers and three head coaches have been fired by NHL teams since March 1. Who's next? It depends on how the next two weeks unfold, but there are a couple of situations worth monitoring.
Rod Brind'Amour: The Hurricanes' bench boss is a fantastic coach. If made a free agent by Carolina, he would be snapped up by another franchise within days. Still, if Carolina loses in the first round, a change makes some sense. Brind'Amour, the third-longest-tenured NHL coach, is in his eighth year. The goal since Day 1 has been to win a Stanley Cup, and the team hasn't made a Cup Final to this point while playing a distinct style under Brind'Amour.
Kris Knoblauch: General manager Stan Bowman's seat should be as hot, if not hotter than the Oilers coach's. Bowman's done a terrible job trying to construct a championship-caliber roster around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. However, Bowman hasn't made a coaching change since getting hired in July 2024. GMs usually get at least one. Also, Knoblauch's coaching was critiqued by McDavid in late March. Not a good omen. - John Matisz
Bandwagon teams, players to root for
Half the league's teams won't be playing a meaningful game until October, which means millions of fans are looking for a bandwagon to jump on.
Buffalo (14-year playoff drought is over!), Pittsburgh (former powerhouse is unexpectedly back in contention!), and Utah (first playoff appearance since moving from Arizona!) are all appropriate picks. Each team is fun to watch.
Then there are individual players. Most fans, especially in Canada, will naturally gravitate toward rooting for generational talents Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. But what about the old dudes who've dedicated their entire lives to pursuing the Stanley Cup but fallen short time and time again for whatever reason?
Colorado's Brent Burns (1,579), Ottawa's Claude Giroux (1,345), Minnesota's Nick Foligno (1,287), and Dallas' Jamie Benn (1,252) enter the playoffs with the most regular-season games played without a Cup. Burns, the oldest skater in the NHL this season, is one of the sport's most colorful characters.
Rasmus Ristolainen is set to make his playoff debut. The Flyers defenseman's 820 regular-season games - 542 in Buffalo, 278 in Philadelphia - are tops among active players who've yet to take a postseason shift. - John Matisz