Regulation wins: 11 The Panthers are hoping to have Ekblad back at some point this postseason, but it's iffy for this series. Jump to: Rod Brind'Amour is a favorite to win the Jack Adams as Coach of the Year in 2021, as he had the Canes operating on a high level for the entire season. Laviolette has the Stanley Cup (with the Hurricanes, in 2006), but Cassidy has familiarity with his team. 2; Nedeljkovic might even be Carolina's No. To mark the ninth straight year of the Bracket Challenge, the NHL is introducing two new exciting elements to the program. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? Washington also got a trade deadline addition in Mantha, who has been solid, with eight points in 14 games, albeit not as productive as Hall. First line: Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen: a trio that has proved, over multiple seasons, that it's perhaps the best line in the NHL. Modern international region, with players from outside of North American who were active for NHL franchises in the past dozen years. Playoff position: N3 Tragic number: N/A, Points: 66 Forward depth: The Jets were dealt a massive loss when Nikolaj Ehlers suffered an upper body injury in late April, as he was having a career year. Next game: @ VGS (May 8) Advantage: Toronto. Regulation wins: 30 Not only because it's the rare championship trophy from which you can drink, but also because the names of those who won it are etched along its rings, forged into hockey history. Briefly a member of the Wild before the expansion draft, he can be a physical force. | The 2021 bracket contest marks the fifth occurrence of Buffett's challenge, with the 2020 NCAA Tournament having been wiped out due to COVID-19. You can catch this game streaming on ESPN+ tonight. ACC. The Pittsburgh Penguins have a two-point lead in the standings over the Washington Capitals, and play their final regular-season tilt this afternoon against the Buffalo Sabres. The Oilers captain is a clear-cut No. It's now a yearly tradition: discounting the Islanders until they go on a playoff run that forces you to pay attention. That means the four divisions the. Stamkos (lower body injury) has been out since April 8 and is hopeful to be ready for the series, but it's troubling to hear him say all of his injuries are somewhat connected. The Wild's Cam Talbot ended up becoming one of the offseason's smarter signings, finishing 16th in goals saved above average (12.5). The middling "Price In Name Only" that they've seen in the regular season? Patrik Nemeth and Conor Timmins round out the group. More: Check out the full NHL postseason schedule here. At the peak period of entries shortly before the start of the first game today, fans registered more than 15,000 brackets per minute. When Backstrom and Ovechkin have been on the ice together this season, they have outscored teams by 14 goals. Playoff position: N/A Advantage: Even, Defense: Cale Makar finished the season as the only regular NHL defenseman who averaged a point per game. Games left: 4 In 35 games this season, the trio had a 64.9% expected goals percentage. The Canes have the third-best penalty kill in the league, while Nashville's power play ranks 24th -- another sizable mismatch. | You can download the bracket here and play along. Playoff chances: 99.1% After Kaprizov, the next highest goal scorer was Kevin Fiala, who had 20 on the season in 50 games. Games left: 1 The offseason free-agent addition played 41 games due to injury and a stint in the COVID protocols, and ended up with his lowest points-per-game rate (0.56) since 2015-16. Malkin returned to get four regular-season games in (and notched four assists). But another thing that sets hockey apart are the names that are memorable not because of the player's goal total or championship wins, but because this actual living breathing person is named Zarley Zalapski or Miroslav Satan. Women's Champ Week predictions: Which teams will win the auto bids in all 32 conferences? Neal Pionk (32 points in 53 games) was the Jets' leading scorer among blueliners. West: COL-STL | VGS-MIN, First line: It's been a running theme throughout Sidney Crosby's career of just how many linemates he's had, but Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust are a well-oiled machine at this point. 1 -- and then the debates begin. This will be quick if MacKinnon is OK. The phenom had 104 points through 55 games this season, one of the most dominant runs for an offensive player in NHL history when adjusted for era. 4 spot in the West Division. Pierre-Luc Dubois, acquired from Columbus for Patrik Laine earlier this season, had 20 points in 40 games. A five-game series win over the kind of team that would normally upset the Maple Leafs would be a declarative statement that this time, things are different. 32 NFL players who could change teams this offseason, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum. | Vasilevskiy can be a workhorse, and he will be. Advantage: Colorado. 1 pick. Carter Verhaeghe and Anthony Duclair likely flank Barkov. ET (ESPN) Game 3: Friday, May 6 at 9:30 p.m. On Tuesday, we'll have staff picks and winners. Joe Lunardi breaks down North Carolina's rsum and how the Tar Heels can earn a berth to the NCAA tournament. He'll have to be good, as rookie Kaapo Kahkonen couldn't build on a promising start, and really struggled down the stretch. No. ET (ESPN2) Game 2: Wednesday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m. Who is the player of the year in every women's college basketball conference? 32 NFL players who could change teams this offseason, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum. Playoff position: N4 Why Owen Power is the clear No. ESPN Insider's Bracket Predictor helps you evaluate each of the 63 games and imports your picks directly into ESPN's Tournament Challenge. The Maple Leafs' top line has a generational goal-scoring savant. The Penguins are bottom-six in penalty kill (77.4%), which is where the Isles thrive, finishing in the top six (83.7%). Playoff chances: 0% For the third straight season, Hellebuyck led the NHL in shots faced and saves made. O'Reilly and Perron were the leading scorers for the Blues, and no one else was close. The official National Hockey League web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips. The Golden Knights were 22nd in the NHL (17.8%), while the Wild were right behind them at 24th (17.6%). Games left: 2 The winners of those series will square off in the Stanley Cup Final. 4 New York Islanders The best defenseman on the St. Louis Blues, post-Alex Pietrangelo? The Wild's defense corps is one of the deepest in the NHL. Here are the best available options for teams looking to upgrade ahead of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. More: Check out the full NHL postseason schedule here. Florida Panthers vs. WC2. Regulation wins: 24 Reclamation success story Alex Galchenyuk is in the mix too. He has also managed a packed roster well. Games left: 1 Ovechkin had been nursing a lower-body injury toward the end of the season but should be OK for the playoffs. First line: The Jets' top line is well established: center Mark Scheifele (61 points in 55 games), flanked by wingers Kyle Connor and Blake Wheeler. Finally, the New York Islanders need a lot of help to move out of fourth into third, but one part of the process would be a win in their game against the New Jersey Devils tonight. As the March 3 deadline approaches, here's a list of players and picks potentially on the move for each club, and our call on what each GM should do. 01:02. Playoff position: N1 Playoff position: N/A Against most teams, the Caps would have an edge on the top line, but the Bruins have arguably the best trio in the entire league in Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. Plus, which teams are best set up for the future with a strong young group? 1 Calgary Flames vs. Wild Card 1 Dallas Stars (Calgary wins 4-3) No. Also, Jarry has played in only one career postseason game, while DeSmith has zero. Who is the player of the year in every women's college basketball conference? Games left: 2 It's a group that's been effective in the past, but has struggled to produce offense this season. Forward Matt Calvert is out long term while goalie Pavel Francouz is done for the season. Bracket busted? Play Tournament Challenge The past few years have spoiled us with an exuberance of blue-chip talent . They needed him, as Robin Lehner struggled through an injury to post a .913 save percentage. Central: CAR-NSH | FLA-TB After a winner is crowned from the four divisions, the "final four" will be rebracketed based on their regular-season records, with No. Series pick: Jets in seven. Oh, the names hockey has produced. Series pick: Islanders in seven. The Blues earned one point for their overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, and with the Los Angeles Kings' regulation loss to the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis is now locked in to the No. Fill out your bracket and compete against friends, ESPN personalities and celebrities for your shot at $100,000 in prizes. Even if he isn't, it would take Binnington stealing this series against Colorado as emphatically as he lost the Blues the series against Vancouver last postseason. Jump to: The #1 bracket app is back and better than ever for the 2022 NCAA Men's and Women's College Basketball Tournaments! Today, we're featuring a look at the field. Advantage: Even, Health: Boston had to shuffle its lineup quite a bit this season due to injuries and COVID-19 absences. It can't be stressed enough how important Gallagher is to this team: They were 17-9-9 with him and 7-11-0 without him. Welcome to Qatar Bracket Challenge The tourney has ended. Games left: 4 We've compiled 64 of them into four different regions in a bracketed tournament: Old-school region, with the players from yesteryear. 329m goal: Felix the only men's contender for Chelsea's Goal of the Month, UFC 285's Shevchenko by the numbers: It all adds up to domination, A battle for No. No. Playoff position: E3 Advantage: Even, Special teams: The Oilers have the league's best power play (27.4% in 54 games) thanks to McDavid and Draisaitl. But at this point, the Oilers could put McDavid in with the equipment manager and the mascot and they'd be the best line in the game. There are other aspects to this matchup that are intriguing for the Jets: Dubois following up a near star-making performance while with Columbus in the postseason bubble last summer, or Hellebuyck maybe stealing a game or two. Vasilevskiy's backup, Curtis McElhinney, doesn't inspire much confidence, but the Lightning don't expect to use him much anyway. The other is Mattias Janmark, who has one goal in 15 games since coming over at the trade deadline, but hasn't played poorly. Playoff chances: 0.9% Though they performed well enough to persuade GM Brian MacLellan not to acquire a veteran goalie at the deadline, it's important to remember the Caps initially signed Henrik Lundqvist this season because they figured they would need insurance. It's that time of year again, when all the chatter about teams involves phrases like: body of work; good wins; bad losses; and of course, RPIs and the dreaded "bubble." | He went to the Stanley Cup Final with the Devils in his first full season in New Jersey. 4 Montreal Canadiens Terms of Use Here's what to watch for in Saturday's 14-game slate: There aren't many other teams that are locked in to particular spots right now, but one of them is the Carolina Hurricanes, who have clinched the Central Division crown. In 822:55 minutes together this season, they have outscored teams 71-37 with a 61.1% expected goals for percentage. Nico Sturm, Nick Bjugstad and veteran center Nick Bonino are in the mix, as is veteran winger Marcus Johansson. The winners of those series will square off in the Stanley Cup Final. Pittsburgh has been buoyed by surprise performances from Mike Matheson and especially Cody Ceci. The Jets averaged 3.15 goals per game with him, and 2.25 goals per game since he left the lineup. Get the latest NHL hockey news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ESPN. Playoff chances: 0% Next game: vs. OTT (May 8) The ESPN Men's Tournament Challenge brackets will be available Sunday, March 14, at 7 p.m. In the playoffs, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Tom Wilson on their right wing, or Anthony Mantha. Sizing up the player of the year winners in all 32 Division I men's conferences. Games left: 1 Games left: 8 But Jon Cooper is one of the best in the game right now, the man Canada is likely to tap as its 2022 Olympic coach. Their offense was the Leafs' best defense, too: Toronto goalies had a .932 save percentage when the line was on the ice. But I like the upset here, on one condition: Ehlers is back and healthy. Playoff chances: 100% Regulation wins: 19 The first two rounds of the 2021 playoffs will be intradivisional. He has had linemates ranging from Dominik Kahun and Jesse Puljujarvi (an effective 61.8% expected goals percentage) to Leon Draisaitl to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to Kailer Yamamoto. Advanced stats are from Hockey Reference, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey. Can the Lions fix their defense? The Jets were really spiraling down the stretch, while the Oilers and a next-level McDavid were steam-rollering through teams. How aggressive will the surprising Kraken be? Speaking of inexperience, the Caps' tandem is two youngsters: Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek. The Stanley Cup is something that sets the National Hockey League apart from other sports. Compete against friends, ESPN personalities and celebrities to see who finishes with the best bracket. He went to the Stanley Cup Final with the Sharks in his first full season in San Jose. ET. Elsewhere in the Central, it's the latest skirmish in the Battle of Florida, as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers continue to joust for seeding; they're currently tied with 75 standings points, but the Lightning hold the regulation wins tiebreaker. Kucherov should probably slide back to the top line with Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point, a trio that was dynamite in last year's playoffs, combining for 85 points in 25 games. Tragic number: N/A, Points: 60 The Greatest NHL Name Bracket - Bronco Horvath, Hakan Loob, Jaromir Jagr and more. Advantage: New York, Coaching: This matchup pits two of the best bench bosses in the game against each other. Log in here. The X factors: As always, one is Alex Tuch, who had 18 goals in 55 games this season and has 15 goals in 47 career playoff games. Games left: 3 Regulation wins: 23 Better offensively have been 22-year-old Jordan Kyrou and Mike Hoffman, the latter of whom the Blues held onto at the trade deadline. 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