Before the puck is dropped on the first round, here are five questions heading into the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. Until a Canadian team can break the 31-year drought to bring Lord Stanley back to its place of origin, this will be a talking point heading into every NHL postseason. This year’s bracket has four of the seven Canadian teams in the running: the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks.
Not far behind Toronto in the drought watch is Vancouver, which has never won a Cup in its 52 seasons in the NHL. This Canucks team surprised many with a Pacific Division–winning season thanks to a young core that is coming into its own. Quinn Hughes led all NHL defensemen in points this season with 92, J.T.
After losing to the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the playoffs last year, New York brought in coach Peter Laviolette. Having coached four other Metropolitan Division teams , it was pretty clear what the Rangers were aiming for. Laviolette is known for putting together a complete roster that can find ways to win, and he’s done just that this season.
Boston has bounced back this season despite losing its top two centers in David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins boast a deep lineup, starting with stars like David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle and Charlie McAvoy. They also have an incredible goalie tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. The pair alternated starts in the last 30 games or so of the season, with Ullmark having a slight edge statistically.
Who will be the bracket busters this year? Only time will tell. But this postseason’s wild-card teams—Capitals, Lightning, Knights and Predators—all have plenty of recent experience with making deep runs. The Islanders have also turned things around since Patrick Roy stepped in as coach in late January, finishing out the regular season with a 19-12-5 and a renewed confidence on Long Island.
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