2024 NHL Playoffs: B/R Staff 2nd-Round Predictions

And then there were eight.

The field moves on to Round 2 after a first round featuring heightened intensity.

Will the Presidents' Trophy-winning Rangers get downed by the Cup favorites Hurricanes? Can the Canucks continue their dream season against the high-powered Oilers?

The B/R NHL Staff was called together to provide their predictions.

Disagree with their selections? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments section of the app.

Whew! The competitiveness of the Metro gives us a duel between the league's first and third overall teams in the second round. And yes, it's every bit that difficult to forecast. Both teams did what you're supposed to do against inferior first-round foes—they blew them away. Which means there's not much to discern in terms of momentum or fatigue. So, it comes down to how you felt about each team coming into the tournament. I thought the Hurricanes were the best in the East and they showed me no reason to believe otherwise against the Islanders. As good as the Rangers looked, too, I won't believe they're all that until they win a 50/50 series. Doesn't happen here.

Prediction: Hurricanes in 6

- Lyle Fitzsimmons

Expect another closely-contested second-round series like the one we saw between these two teams in 2022. The Rangers prevailed in that one thanks to their scoring depth advantage. While the Hurricanes have improved in that department with the addition of Jake Guentzel, it still won't be enough to counter the Blueshirts' offensive firepower.

Prediction: Rangers in seven.

- Lyle Richardson

Whew, the heavyweights of the East are set to faceoff after each of them handily defeated two negative goal differential teams that squeaked into the playoffs.

Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin has been scary as ever in net, and he's got 4.4 goals saved above expected in four playoff starts, according to MoneyPuck.com. He ranks third among playoff goalies with a .930 save percentage and a 1.75 goals against average. Hurricanes goalie Freddie Andersen has been playing some of his best hockey since returning from a blood clotting issue, and has a .912 save percentage and a 2.25 goals against average.

On the other end of the ice, Mika Zibanejad has been popping off at the assist factory with 1-6--7 in four games and former Hurricane and perpetual playoff performer Vincent Trocheck is second on the team in points with three goals and six points. Trocheck is also a staggering 52-21 (71.2 percent) on the faceoff dot, by far the best ratio with the highest volume of faceoffs taken so far in these playoffs.

Meanwhile, Seth Jarvis leads the Canes with 3 goals and four assists for 7 points in five games, and former Ranger Brady Skjei is behind him in points with five assists in five games. Whereas Trocheck and the Rangers have been doing well on the faceoff dot, the Canes had a few bafflingly brutal outings against the Islanders.

Neither team's performance against their respective Round 1 opponents feels like it'll matter too much. They both played the worst teams in the playoffs and now they both face one of the best teams in the playoffs in each other. Both the Rangers and the Hurricanes have been extremely effective on special teams all season, so you'll want to look out for the matchup, there, or perhaps for either team to own the five-on-five game when they solve each others' power plays.

This is such an even series it feels impossible to pick a winner. The oddsmakers give Carolina a slight edge because of their edge in the expected goals share at -- you guessed it -- five on five. The Canes ended the regular season second in the league at 55.97 percent, meanwhile, the Rangers were 21st at 49.27 percent. Should we blame them when Chris Kreider has been parked at his office every power play, though? They've been able to rely on their power play because it's that good. And then there's Igor freakin' Shesterkin, who has made sure that if they aren't popping off offensively at five-on-five, they're at least keeping the opposition at bay.

I'm going Hurricanes in 7 because of the even-strength battle, but they've gotta figure it out on the faceoff dot and solve Shesterkin early.

Prediction: Hurricanes in 7

- Sara Civian

It's wild to see these two teams duking it out in the second round, but that's the playoffs, baby.

Carolina has been hot since December and with Frederik Andersen back healthy and, perhaps most importantly, rested, they're terrifying. They're the fancy stats dreamboats with how they constantly fire shots away and frustrate teams by burying them in their own end of the ice. They've got all that and loads of skill, too, and it's exacerbated with Jake Guentzel joining Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas among all the others.

But if there's a team that has a great antidote for what the Hurricanes do, it's the Rangers. Peter Laviolette's 1-3-1 forecheck frustrated everyone throughout the season and with Igor Shesterkin on the backend to help it all stand up, that's just rude. Mixing that up with Artemi Panarin's MVP-like brilliance this season, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Adam Fox...it's a lot to deal with.

This series feels like it's got seven games written all over it.

Prediction: Rangers in 7

- Joe Yerdon

It's the rematch from last year's first-round series between these two clubs as the Bruins seek revenge against the Panthers. They have superb goaltending in Jeremy Swayman, a solid defenseman led by Charlie McAvoy and proven playoff scorers in David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. However, the Panthers are motivated for another shot at the Stanley Cup. They possess a deeper, more physical lineup led by forwards Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, defenseman Aaron Ekblad and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Prediction: Panthers in 6

- Lyle Richardson

After a grueling seven-game series against the Maple Leafs, the Bruins' grand prize is a rematch against the defending Eastern Conference Champions. It's also the team that ended their magical 2022-23 season in heartbreaking fashion. The Panthers play a heavy, physical game and, with the Bruins having just been through a tough first round against Toronto, the smart money here is that Florida does it to Boston again. Look for Sasha Barkov to be dominant in this series just as he was against Tampa in all three zones.

Prediction: Panthers in 4

- Lucky Ngamwajasat

A year ago at this time, there was no chance the Panthers would beat the Bruins. It's a year later, and I can't see a path via which Boston beats Florida. It's not as if last season's Presidents' Trophy winners are entirely without merit. They're loaded with experience and skill and they have quality goaltending. But it's arguable that the boys from metro Miami have been the best team in the East (and maybe the league) all season. So, unless something ridiculous happens it'll be quick and relatively painless.

Prediction: Panthers in 5

- Lyle Fitzsimmons

It's an easy knee-jerk reaction. The Canucks beat the Oilers in all four meetings and outscored them by a ridiculous 21-7 margin—including an 8-1 rout in a tone-setting season opener—so it ought to be a slam dunk that they'll win here and probably quickly. Lots of people will go that way and it's impossible to blame them But there may be more to the story, too. Remember that three of Vancouver's four wins came in Edmonton's first 11 games and preceded the Oilers' tone-setting decision to replace Jay Woodcroft with Kris Knoblauch. And the Oilers outshot the Canucks in three of the four games, which presumably means if Edmonton gets a 50/50 split or even wins the goaltending battle (remember, Stuart Skinner was an ugly .830 in the season series), the pendulum might swing differently and let guys like Connor McDavid be difference-makers instead. That's the guess in this space anyway.

Prediction: Oilers in 6

- Lyle Fitzsimmons

These Western Canadian rivals only met twice before (1986 and 1992) in the playoffs with the Oilers winning both. Expect that streak to continue for the Oilers as they ride their high-octane offense powered by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Canucks squeaked past the Nashville Predators in a closely-fought first-round series but questions linger about their goaltending and the ongoing struggles of top center Elias Pettersson.

Prediction: Oilers in 5

- Lyle Richardson

The Canucks were not perfect in Round 1, but here's the thing -- they haven't been perfect all season. They've thrived on finding ways to win, on career seasons out of stars, on supporting players stepping up, and on the vibe-shifting from cursed to happy-go-lucky.

The Oilers are a better team than the Predators, no doubt. But the Predators had the kind of second-half momentum that gives a team like that confidence and drive. And, honestly, their defense and goaltending were a sneaky tough match-up. Now, the high-octane Oilers have the offense on lock, but their defense -- especially in net in round 1 -- might be easier for the Canucks to squeak past. Not for nothing, the regular-season matchup Lyle brought up above reflects that.

Goaltender Thatcher Demko has started skating and is trying everything to come back, but the emergence of Arturs Silvos is one of those unexpected good vibe-y things that happen on a deep playoff run, right? At the very least, the Canucks have discovered he's an NHL goalie. It's the best-case scenario, he's rallied the troops to play tighter in front of him, he's gained confidence from these wins, and he carries the whimsical vibes of the new Vancouver Canucks into the third round.

I know the Oilers are the heavy favorite, but due to the overall vibes and the regular-season matchup, I'm rolling with the Canucks.

Canucks in 6

-Sara Civian

I remember a year ago when we all got dazzled by the Oilers' offensive brilliance in the early part of the playoffs built upon how great their power play is and many people wondered how they could be beaten.

Whether people forgot how last season went or maybe they believe it's totally different this year, we're again star-struck by how great Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman are and how they made the L.A. Kings look like a team itching for an on-the-fly rebuild.

Last year, they ran into a Vegas team that seemed destined to go all the way. This year, it's Vancouver who have risen from the ashes of near disastrous ruin to being one of the best teams in hockey. The Canucks got tested a little by Nashville, but they got past them without serious issue while sorting through losing both of their NHL goalies.

The Canucks are dangerous and they're able to weather anything opponents throw at them and counterpunch with an offense that can pile up goals as well. That said, Arturs Silovs dealing with Nashville is a lot different than handling Edmonton, but the team in front of him is really good.

Prediction: Canucks in 6

- Joe Yerdon

To advance another step toward hanging the second banner in franchise history, the Dallas Stars are going to have to emulate the old-school ways of Ric Flair...again.

To be the men, they've got to beat the men.

Coach Peter DeBoer's team took out the defending Stanley Cup champions in the first round and has been rewarded with a similar task for round two, where it'll face off with the previous champion Colorado Avalanche in a duel that'll begin on Tuesday night.

The Avs had their way with Dallas for much of their four-game season series, winning the first three games by a combined 16-8 before dropping a 7-4 decision on April 7. Of course, that's a nice enough nugget but it didn't mean much in the first round, where Colorado blew through Winnipeg in five after losing three regular-season games by a 17-4 count.

No fewer than 10 players scored at least a goal for Dallas against Vegas, including seven combined from youngsters Wyatt Johnston (20) and Jason Robertson (24). Advancing will largely be up to them and their fellow 20-something on the other end, Jake Oettinger (25), who stopped 92.5 percent of the shots against him for his third career series win.

Says here that they'll style and profile into the Western final, whooing all the way.

Prediction: Stars in 6

- Lyle Fitzsimmons

Led by forwards Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin and puck-moving defenseman Cale Makar, the Avalanche demolished the porous Winnipeg Jets' defense in the first round. They'll face a tougher opponent in the Stars, who can rely on Jake Oettinger's goaltending and an improved defensive game. Sophomore forward Wyatt Johnston is thriving in the heat of playoff battle.

Prediction: Stars in 6

- Lyle Richardson

A Dallas-Colorado series after having Dallas-Vegas and Colorado-Winnipeg in the FIRST round shows the playoffs are never meant to be easy. It is always a gauntlet of doom and the road never was or becomes easy. Colorado found their wheels and their gear after a messy start and they look beastly now. After all, making Connor Hellebuyck look human isn't easy, but they did and they made it look easy, too. Dallas dispatching Vegas also was not simple, but their Game 7 win was clinical. They stifled the Golden Knights and made them look slow and indecisive. Colorado may be more well-rested, but Dallas is a machine.

Prediction: Stars in 6

- Joe Yerdon