Eastern Conference seeding round-robin preview

Four of the NHL's top six teams will battle for playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference round-robin portion of the league's expanded postseason.

The Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Philadelphia Flyers won't have to worry about elimination at this stage, but these are by no means mere tuneup games. Given the stakes and the talent of the teams involved, these contests should be nearly as competitive as the playoffs themselves.

Schedule

Boston Bruins

How they stack up

Season recap

The Bruins remained a powerhouse in 2019-20, boasting virtually the same roster that came within one game of a championship last spring.

Boston finished the abbreviated regular season with the NHL's best record and was the only club to hit the 100-point plateau in the standings, recording eight more points than the second-best Lightning while playing the same number of games.

David Pastrnak made the leap to superstar status, tying for the league lead with 48 goals and ranking third with 95 points while playing all 70 contests. Tuukka Rask was voted a Vezina Trophy finalist after leading the league in 5-on-5 goals saved above average (19.69) and placing second among qualified NHL goalies with a .929 save percentage.

This club is extremely well-rounded, icing arguably the best line in hockey, a top-10 overall offense, an elite defense, stellar goaltending, and exceptional special-teams units.

Key player to watch

Patrice Bergeron

Pastrnak and Brad Marchand are must-watch players in their own right, but no one does more for the Bruins - or for most other teams, for that matter - on both sides of the puck than Bergeron. The four-time Selke Trophy winner was recently named a finalist for the 2019-20 award, and for good reason.

Even at age 35, Bergeron remains nearly unparalleled when it comes to the 200-foot game. His versatility will once again be critical when Boston faces the rest of the Eastern Conference's best squads.

Biggest question mark

Can the Bruins pick up where they left off at the pause, justify their status as the Presidents' Trophy winners, and avenge last year's crushing loss in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final? After coming so close one season ago, nothing short of a title will do this time around.

Tampa Bay Lightning

How they stack up

Season recap

Considering the shockingly premature conclusion of their 2018-19 campaign, the Lightning responded well this season. Tampa Bay posted the NHL's second-best record and authored a plus-50 goal differential that only the Bruins surpassed.

The Lightning's multiple offensive weapons produced at their usual high levels, Andrei Vasilevskiy turned in another excellent campaign in the crease, and veteran addition Kevin Shattenkirk proved to be one of the most cost-effective acquisitions in the league.

Key player to watch

Nikita Kucherov

Kucherov didn't duplicate the 128-point campaign that netted him the Hart and Art Ross trophies in 2018-19, but the electric winger had a strong follow-up season with a team-leading 33 goals and 85 points in 68 games.

He's still one of the league's most dangerous offensive talents, and one of the most fun to watch.

Biggest question mark

Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos missed time with an injury prior to the pause and sat out on-ice sessions at the start of training camp, but he's since returned to practice and is expected to suit up in the round-robin stage.

With Stamkos on track to play, the Lightning's primary concern remains the same as it's been since last April: Putting the humiliation of the Columbus Blue Jackets' first-round sweep behind them once and for all. Can this team do it?

Expectations are lower for the Lightning after they lacked the historic regular-season dominance they displayed one campaign prior. Regardless, Tampa Bay will be looking to fully quell any remaining doubts.

Washington Capitals

How they stack up

Season recap

The well-oiled Capitals machine kept rolling in 2019-20, buoyed by its superstar captain, a talented supporting cast of forwards, and a standout season from its best defenseman.

John Carlson led all NHL rearguards with 75 points this season - 10 more than Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi, who finished second. The Washington blue-liner was rightfully named a Norris Trophy finalist for his efforts, along with Josi and Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.

The Capitals claimed the Metropolitan Division title by a single point, and though the team was less than spectacular in several areas, Washington was once again one of the league's most dynamic clubs.

Key player to watch

Alex Ovechkin

Ovechkin continues to defy Father Time, tying for the league lead with 48 goals at the age of 34. He reached that tally in two fewer games than Pastrnak, with whom he'll share the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. It's the ninth time Ovechkin has secured the award - no one else has won it more than twice since its introduction in 1998-99.

The Russian sniper turns 35 in September but showed no signs of fading down the stretch. He buried eight goals over the last 10 games before the pause and netted a remarkable 24 markers across the final 25 contests. Only four of those 24 goals - and just 13 of Ovechkin's 48 on the campaign - came on the power play.

Biggest question mark

The Capitals' most pressing issue is goaltending. Braden Holtby had another mediocre regular season in 2019-20, and though he's proven he can elevate his game in the playoffs, Washington's No. 1 netminder will be under even greater pressure to do so now that his backup, rookie phenom Ilya Samsonov, is out with an injury.

Holtby, 30, will have very little margin for error. Neither Pheonix Copley nor Vitek Vanecek - his two potential backups - has any playoff experience.

A pending unrestricted agent, Holtby will have to shoulder the load and once again perform at a high level in the postseason if the Capitals are to have any chance of repeating the championship success of 2018.

Philadelphia Flyers

How they stack up

Season recap

The Flyers were the NHL's most pleasantly surprising team in 2019-20, going 9-1-0 over their final 10 games to finish with the Eastern Conference's fourth-best record.

Head coach Alain Vigneault was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award in recognition of his club's performance, and it wasn't just for the way Philadelphia finished the shortened regular season. The Flyers turned things around following a four-game losing skid that spilled into the first week of 2020, going 19-6-1 from Jan. 8 until the pause.

Travis Konecny led the team in scoring in his fourth NHL campaign, recording 24 goals and 61 points. The 23-year-old set a career high in the latter category and tied his personal best in the former while playing in just 66 games.

Key player to watch

Sean Couturier

Couturier took a big step forward in 2019-20, cementing himself as one of the most underrated players in the league. He finished two points behind Konecny and was selected as a Selke Trophy finalist, with many considering him the clear-cut favorite to be named the league's best defensive forward.

Much like Bergeron, Couturier isn't overly flashy, and his contributions don't always make the highlight reel. But the Philadelphia center is now the most versatile forward in the NHL, and he's proven he can create offense at a high clip while shutting down opposing teams' best players.

Biggest question mark

Carter Hart played well in his second NHL season, posting a .914 save percentage and 4.47 GSAA in 43 appearances. The netminder was a major reason for the Flyers' late-season surge, going 11-3-0 with a sizzling .929 save percentage over his final 14 games dating back to Jan. 8 when Philadelphia began its rapid climb up the standings.

But the Flyers' goaltender of the present and future is still young - he turns 22 on Aug. 13 - and has yet to play a game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Hart's response to the postseason spotlight and the pressure that accompanies it will go a long way in determining how far Philadelphia advances.

(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)