Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is arguably the best two weeks on the sports calendar. The increase in intensity and physicality from regular-season hockey to postseason hockey is unlike anything else. There's hatred, upsets, sudden-death overtime - everything sports fans could ask for.
The only negative - and it's a nice problem to have - is that it can be tough to keep track of all the action with four games on some nights. That's where we come in with our Round 1 watchability rankings, an attempt to predict the entertainment value of each series. Giddy up.
A = Atlantic Division
M = Metropolitan Division
C = Central Division
P = Pacific Division
WC = Wild card
1. C2 Stars vs. C3 Avalanche
Going by talent and not geography, this is a Stanley Cup Final-worthy series. Seriously, that's how good these two teams are. On paper, you could make a case that they're the league's two best squads. But one of them will go home in the first round.
In addition to the pure talent, there are multiple compelling storylines. Will former Avalanche cornerstone Mikko Rantanen come back to haunt his former team? Will Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog play in his first NHL game since raising the Stanley Cup in 2022? If so, what kind of impact might he have after missing three years?
This will be must-watch television. Fans can only hope it goes the distance.
2. A2 Lightning vs. A3 Panthers
The hatred between these two teams is very real, and the talent isn't that far off from Dallas-Colorado. A team from the Sunshine State has represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final five straight years.
This will be the fourth edition of the Battle of Florida in the last five years. While these matchups have produced plenty of heated moments and extracurriculars, there hasn't been a very close series yet. The Lightning won in six games in 2021 and pulled off a four-game sweep in 2022 before the Panthers won in five in 2024. Perhaps this could be the year it comes down to the wire.
3. A1 Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Senators
The Battle of Ontario is back. Toronto essentially made Ottawa its little brother during the early 2000s, winning playoff meetings in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004. But save for Daniel Alfredsson still being involved (now as a Senators assistant coach) and a Domi (now Tie's son, Max) likely causing a stir after the whistle for the Maple Leafs, things are very different.
All the pressure is on the Maple Leafs, who are making their ninth straight postseason appearance. The problem? Toronto owns a 1-8 series record during that span, all with the current core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. Ottawa, on the other hand, is playing with house money after snapping a seven-year playoff drought. The Maple Leafs never make things easy on themselves, so don't be shocked if this series goes deep.
4. P2 Kings vs. P3 Oilers
When two teams meet in Round 1 for four consecutive seasons, there's bound to be some bad blood. That's especially true when a matchup has been this lopsided - the Oilers defeated the Kings in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The rivalry was already turned up a notch in a chippy affair Monday that resulted in a combined 69 penalty minutes and a one-game suspension for Darnell Nurse for cross-checking Quinton Byfield in the head. Kings center Phillip Danault accused the Oilers of trying to hurt them. Corey Perry responded, "What the f---?" Get your popcorn ready.
5. C1 Jets vs. WC2 Blues
The Jets may be the Presidents' Trophy winners, but this series has the potential to be tight. The Blues enter the playoffs scorching hot, having gone 13-2-1 down the stretch to get into the postseason.
Connor Hellebuyck is set to win his second straight Vezina Trophy, but can he get it done in the playoffs? He owns an .875 save percentage the last two postseasons. In the other crease, Jordan Binnington beat Hellebuyck in Round 1 in 2019 en route to the Blues' Stanley Cup. He also beat him in the 4 Nations Face-Off final and has played well ever since. Does Binnington have more big-game magic?
Another neat storyline is the battle of the Schenn brothers. We can't imagine there will be much fraternizing between Brayden (Blues) and Luke (Jets) over the next couple of weeks.
6. M1 Capitals vs. WC2 Canadiens
This could turn into a high-scoring affair. Washington's No. 1 goalie, Logan Thompson, hasn't played since April 2 and could be rusty. If he can't go, Charlie Lindgren has struggled with an .882 save percentage in his absence. The Canadiens can be leaky defensively, but they boast impressive firepower for a No. 8 seed.
7. M2 Hurricanes vs. M3 Devils
This matchup might be ranked higher if the Devils weren't playing without Jack Hughes. There was, however, some rough stuff in the Dec. 28 meeting between these clubs that could boil over in the playoffs. They also met in Round 1 in 2023, with Carolina winning 4-1.
8. P1 Golden Knights vs. WC1 Wild
Vegas enters as the heavy favorite and has owned Minnesota in recent years, including a seven-game Round 1 victory in 2021. However, the Wild have gotten healthy in recent weeks. They'll still need Kirill Kaprizov - 10 goals in 19 career postseason games - to play out of his mind to give them a chance.