What we’ve learned in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs so far
Through the first 33 games of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, one team was swept, while every other series reached 3-1. It’s been a bit lopsided, but there’s been no shortage of drama.
From goaltending decisions to lineup moves to the usual slew of “only in hockey” injuries, it’s been a wild 33 games to start off the postseason.
To put it all into context, here are ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski with their top takeaways after the second wave of first-round games.
Panthers ‘get over that hump’
If the past is prologue, the Florida Panthers‘ journey back to the Stanley Cup Final could have ended in the first round. The Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Panthers in both of their previous playoff meetings, taking them out in six games in 2021 and then sweeping them in 2022.
“At some point you knew you were going to have them again and you’ve got to be able to get over that hump,” Florida center Aleksander Barkov said, “and we did it this year.”
Florida’s five-game victory over the Lightning didn’t just advance the Panthers to the second round. It offered them catharsis and validation.
“Tons of respect for what they’ve done and for all the players on the team that have won there,” Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said. “Just to be in a playoff series against your biggest rival is so cool.”
Anthony Duclair has seen both sides of the rivalry in the last year, having been a Panther last season and then getting sent to the Lightning at the trade deadline from the San Jose Sharks.
“They’re a well-rounded, well-built team,” he said after Game 5. “It starts with Bob. He made some key saves in key moments.”
Take out that horror show Game 4 in which he gave up six goals, and Sergei Bobrovsky had a .922 save percentage in his four victories against the Lightning, including a 31-save effort in Game 5. “He makes crazy saves at crazy times,” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. “When we need him to be big, he’s big. In this series, he makes saves that only one or two guys in the world can make.”
All of it fueled the first Panthers playoff series win over their prestigious state rivals. Coach Paul Maurice said you have to “slay the dragon” and felt it was an important step in his team’s maturation as a championship contender.
“You’ve got to do the things that you haven’t been able to do to show forward motion and progress. Because there was more pressure on our team,” he said. — Wyshynski
Depth scoring could be the difference in Golden Knights-Stars
There was Evgenii Dadonov‘s game-tying goal in the first period. And there was Ty Dellandrea‘s eventual game winner in the second period. They were two of the most significant moments in the Stars’ 4-2 win in Game 4 that allowed them to tie the series against the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights.
Those also the latest examples of how depth could play a role in deciding the only series that’s tied going into Game 5. Dadonov and Dellandrea’s contributions are just the second and third goals the Stars have received these playoffs from players who are not in their top-six forward corps, or on the top defense pairing. So far, eight of the Stars’ 11 goals have come from those particular groups. Mason Marchment, who is out with an undisclosed injury, also got on the board back in Game 1.
One of the hallmarks of the Golden Knights’ title run was their ability to receive goals throughout their lineup. So far, getting secondary and tertiary offense has been an issue to this point. Like the Stars, eight of their 11 goals have come from their top-six forwards or top defensive pairing. Second-pairing defenseman Brayden McNabb is responsible for having two of those goals beyond that group. The other is Michael Amadio, who gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead in Game 4. Stay tuned. — Clark
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Evgenii Dadonov scores … off of goalie’s facemask?
Evgenii Dadonov’s goal stuns the Vegas crowd as the Stars tie the score 1-1.
Leafs crumpled by putrid power play
They call it the “man advantage” for a reason — in theory, a power play is supposed to help a team score goals. In practice, the opposite has been true for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs are a woeful 1-for-14 on the power play (7.1%) through four playoff games, and it has shattered everything from their confidence to their postseason record (currently 1-3, on the brink of elimination). Coach Sheldon Keefe has called the Leafs’ lack of power-play success one of the most “disappointing” aspects in their playoff run thus far, and it’s in stark contrast to the regular season, where they finished seventh overall with a 24.0% conversion rate.
On the other side, the Boston Bruins have had far fewer struggles capitalizing on power-play opportunities (they’re 6-for-13), and that five-goal difference in production spells out a significant storyline in the series so far: One team has been able to execute when it counts; one team has not. — Shilton
Casey at the bat? Avs’ Mittelstadt proving to be a big hit in his first playoff run
Trading Bowen Byram to the Buffalo Sabres to get Casey Mittelstadt was a move that allowed the Colorado Avalanche to address one of their greatest roster concerns: finding a potential long-term, second-line center solution. Mittelstadt’s early results — scoring four goals and 10 points in 18 games — showed he was finding his place.
Mittelstadt’s work through four playoff games has given the Avs the sort of depth production that they struggled to conjure in last year’s first-round elimination. With fellow Minnesotan Zach Parise and Finland native Artturi Lehkonen, the “Finnesotans” have given the Avs a second line that’s driven offensive play while showing defensive reliability.
And remember: This is Mittelstadt’s first career playoff run, and he’s doing it for a team trying to win its second Cup in three years. This is also just months before the pending restricted free agent will need a new contract. Mittelstadt is on a three-year deal that has seen him earn $2.5 million annually. His play thus far for Colorado is evidence that his next deal will be a more lucrative one. — Clark
A wild round of goaltending narratives
Just halfway through the first round, at least half of this year’s playoff teams have dealt with some form of goaltending drama.
The goalies aren’t taking a back seat when it comes to generating storylines, either by helping or hurting their teams’ chances along the way. — Shilton
The Rangers’ rare dominance
Only five teams in NHL history had won the Presidents’ Trophy and then swept their opening-round playoff series. The New York Rangers made it six after brooming the Washington Capitals. Three of the previous five went on to win the Stanley Cup, including the last Rangers team to hoist the Cup (1994). So that bodes well.
The Rangers didn’t just defeat the Capitals — they dominated them. New York trailed in its four games against Washington for a total of 201 seconds. That’s the least amount of time the club has trailed in a best-of-seven series in franchise history.
It’s only one series, against an opponent whose fuel gauge was teetering on empty after grinding for the last wild-card spot. But the Rangers have that championship feel right now. Their power play converted six times in 16 attempts, while their penalty kill went 15-for-17 and produced two short-handed goals. Igor Shesterkin had a .931 save percentage and a 1.75 goals-against average in the series.
Their top two lines are clicking, as evidenced by their two leading scorers playing on two different lines: While Mika Zibanejad leads the Rangers with seven points, Vincent Trocheck might have been their best forward overall, finishing with three goals and three assists.
“We won the series, so it’s good. But for sure we have to build up for the next round, 100 percent. Better teams in the second round,” forward Artemi Panarin said. — Wyshynski
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Jack Roslovic seals Rangers sweep with empty-net goal
Jack Roslovic caps off the Rangers’ night with an empty-net goal to make it 4-2, sealing the 4-0 sweep vs. the Capitals.
Carolina’s cooled top line could be an issue
The Hurricanes were one double-overtime goal away from sweeping the New York Islanders and advancing to the second round. That Islanders star Mathew Barzal found mesh before one of Carolina’s stars might not be so surprising, really.
Lost in the shuffle of New York falling behind 3-0 in the series is that the Hurricanes haven’t had much success scoring at 5-on-5 — and their top line has been disturbingly quiet. Carolina’s vaunted trio of Jake Guentzel, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov have controlled possession nearly 64% of the time when on the ice, but they’ve generated just one even-strength score — and Carolina has just six five-on-five goals through four games.
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour seemed to recognize that’s a problem by shaking up his second, third and fourth lines at practice Monday (without fully committing to changes for Game 5) but when Brind’Amour lamented giving the Islanders “hope” in that double-OT loss, he may have had those scoring struggles on the brain.
Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen has been fantastic in net throughout the series, and Carolina’s back end is strong as ever. But if the Hurricanes can’t bury more pucks without the help of a power play (where they’re 4-for-14), New York may find more life in this series yet — Shilton
Penalties plus struggling PK have placed Kings in proverbial checkmate
Not that a pair of Hart Trophy winners such as Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid — along with a 50-goal scorer in Zach Hyman — needed help scoring. But the Los Angeles Kings have provided those three with even more scoring chances on the power play.
In the regular season, the Kings were one of the strongest teams in the NHL when it came to the penalty kill and avoiding penalties altogether. They finished second in the league with an 84.6% success rate on the kill, while finishing tied for 12th in terms of fewest penalty minutes.
The playoffs have been a different story. The Kings entered Monday with the worst kill in the postseason (with a 46.7% success rate) while the 63 minutes they’ve accrued through four games is the second most among 16 playoff teams. The New York Islanders are first, at 105 minutes.
Eight of McDavid’s 10 points have come with the extra skater advantage, with six of Draisaitl’s eight points coming that way. As noted above: These guys don’t need all the extra help, and this series is going to be a short one if the Kings can’t reverse the trends. — Clark
0:47
Evan Bouchard rips one-timer to give Oilers lead in the 2nd
Evan Bouchard’s shot finds the top-left corner of the net for the Edmonton goal on the power play.
The hits keep coming (and coming)
It’s no secret that the physicality picks up in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But this postseason has been particularly brutal, especially when compared to the regular season.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the combined hits per game during the 2023-24 regular season was 45.5. Entering Monday night’s games, the combined hits per game rate in the playoffs was 83.3. This number should drop as the postseason rolls on. Last season’s playoffs averaged 70.6 combined hits per game overall, while they averaged 75.0 combined hits in the first round.
But given how many “heavy hockey” teams are still involved in the playoffs, the hits should keep on coming. Of the top eight teams in the regular season in hits per 60 minutes, seven of them were still alive in the playoffs as of Tuesday night: The Panthers (28.2), Maple Leafs (27.4), Bruins (27.1), Canucks (26.3), Predators (26.0), Islanders (24.8) and Golden Knights (24.4).
This hit parade is also part of a larger trend. Since the NHL started tracking the stat in 2005-06, the top four postseasons in hits per game have all happened since 2019. The current leader was the 2020-21 playoffs, at 76.7 combined hits per game. — Wyshynski
Canucks’ current situation might feel familiar
A team that missed the playoffs the year before has since relied on its stars while tapping into its depth, all while doing it with multiple goaltenders. This is one of the more succinct ways to describe how the Canucks are just a win away from advancing to the second round for the first time since 2019-20.
It also sounds extremely similar to the circumstances the Vegas Golden Knights faced last season before winning the Stanley Cup. Whether or not the Canucks have a similar fate, however, is a development that’s still unfolding. But winning 50 games this season has seen the Canucks ascend into the discussion of teams that could win the West, if not the Cup.
One of the differences between last year’s Golden Knights and this year’s Canucks is their respective paths. Four consecutive playoff appearances with two trips to the conference finals and one Cup Final appearance were interrupted when the Golden Knights missed the playoffs in 2021-22 before winning it all the following season.
The Canucks’ lengthy drought, however, means this is the first time this particular group is going through a playoff run together. It’s been a committee approach thus far: Eight players have more than two points through four games, while a different goalie has backstopped each of the team’s three wins. Relying on the sum of their parts has allowed the Canucks to be one of the more intriguing teams. Could it be a formula that also sees them be one of the most successful in this year’s playoffs? — Clark
Week 13 is here as we look toward big Saturday matchups that could have an effect on the College Football Playoff rankings, along with what’s going on in the SEC and the success story of a UCLA walk-on who is now leading the FBS in solo tackles.
Starting Saturday’s slate of games, No. 5 Indiana and No. 2 Ohio State will meet in a game that could have Big Ten and CFP implications, while No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 19 Army will face each other in the evening. Army and Indiana enter their matchups undefeated, but will they stay that way?
With conference title games just around the corner, we take a look at what’s going on in the SEC. No. 3 Texas and No. 15 Texas A&M lead in the standings currently, but could we see a potential rematch between No. 7 Alabama and No. 10 Georgia on Dec. 7?
Our college football experts preview big games and storylines ahead of the Week 13 slate.
Jump to a section:
UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger | Army-Notre Dame | Who could win the SEC?
Big Ten CFP implications
UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger engineers an extraordinary walk-on story
Before this season, Carson Schwesinger‘s story had the typical markings: walk-on, overlooked in recruiting, worked his way onto the field for a Power 4 program.
Schwesinger was a scout team standout for UCLA. He played on every special teams unit, making the travel squad and catching the attention of running backs coach DeShaun Foster. He earned a scholarship before the 2022 season. Schwesinger had limited opportunities on defense but collected 15 tackles in 2022 and 12 last fall, including a sack.
His was a nice little story. This season, he has become something very different.
Schwesinger, a junior linebacker for the Bruins, leads the Big Ten and is tied for third nationally in total tackles with 109, and also has 2 interceptions, 3 sacks and a forced fumble. A team captain, Schwesinger leads the FBS in solo tackles with 69. He’s even generating NFL draft buzz after recording seven games with 10 or more tackles, including 17 last week at Washington.
“Any opportunity I was going to get, I was going to try and make the most of it,” Schwesinger said. “I don’t like going in with too many expectations about stats or playing time or whatever. I’m not a huge stats guy.”
Schwesinger attributed his production spike to several factors: increased playing time, facing more run-oriented offenses in UCLA’s first season in the Big Ten, and his teammates, especially star tackle Jay Toia and fellow linebackers Oluwafemi Oladejo and Kain Medrano. Ikaika Malloe, who coached the line in 2023, became Schwesinger’s fourth defensive coordinator in as many years but didn’t overhaul the scheme.
“He’s just somebody who you can count on,” said Foster, now UCLA’s head coach. “Just to see him continuously make plays, flying around and really being the quarterback of the defense, is just amazing. We’re not surprised by it, but he just keeps doing more stuff that’s just impressive.”
A native of Moorpark, California, Schwesinger played safety and wide receiver at Oaks Christian School, the football power not far from UCLA’s campus that regularly produces Power 4 recruits. But no one wanted Schwesinger, as he “slipped through the cracks,” Foster said.
Schwesinger came to UCLA to study bioengineering. One of his sisters studied physiological science there, and another was studying engineering “across town” at USC, the team the Bruins host Saturday.
“It’s definitely a little bit more time consuming,” said Schwesinger, who schedules most of his lab classes in the offseason. “It just takes a little bit extra preparedness throughout the week. The professors have been great in terms of being flexible and allowing me to be able to do both of my passions.”
Schwesinger hopes to use his degree and work in the sports science field after finishing with football.
“He’s going to real school, it’s not just showing up and taking TV,” said Foster, quoting fictional coach Pete Bell from the movie “Blue Chips.”
Schwesinger is a semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the top college football player who started his career as a walk-on. He’s also a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, bestowed upon the sport’s top linebacker.
“I’m proud of just being able to continue to work, even when there were times when it didn’t seem like it was going to be going to work out for me,” Schwesinger said. “I’m just thankful for the opportunities that I’ve been given, and want to continue to make the most of any that I keep getting.” — Adam Rittenberg
What’s on the line in the Army-Notre Dame matchup?
Back in August, everybody had the Army-Notre Dame game in the next-to-last weekend of the regular season carrying College Football Playoff implications, right? And the same goes for Army coming into the game unbeaten, correct?
Sounds like fantasy, especially with the game being played at Yankee Stadium and the history of the two institutions, but the winner of this game takes a sizable step toward the playoff. Granted, Notre Dame is a big favorite and has been playing lights out since a shocking loss to Northern Illinois in the second week of the season. Since that loss, the Irish (9-1) have won eight straight games with seven of those wins coming by 18 or more points. After Army comes a trip to the West Coast to face USC, and with wins in both of those games, Notre Dame should be safely in the playoff for the first time since 2020.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman wants no part of what might lie ahead for his team, and he also doesn’t want anybody mistaking Army for Navy, which the Irish routed 51-14 back in October. The Midshipmen were unbeaten and nationally ranked at the time.
“I met with the defensive staff, and the first thing we said is the biggest mistake we can make is to think this is Navy 2.0. It’s not. It’s a different offense,” Freeman said. “They do some different things. They have a different identity and present a different challenge.”
The Black Knights (9-0) moved to 19th in the playoff committee’s latest rankings and have already clinched a berth in the AAC championship game against Tulane. The highest ranked Group of 5 conference champion will earn an automatic spot in the playoff. But with such a weak strength of schedule, Army is going to need a marquee win (like Notre Dame) to have a chance to pass Boise State in the final rankings even if it wins a conference championship.
Either way, this is the most anticipated Army-Notre Dame matchup in more than 50 years, although Army coach Jeff Monken has chosen to go down another road with his players, as in emphasizing the things — blocking, sure tackling, winning the turnover battle and winning on special teams — that have gotten them to this point.
“If I’m telling our guys this is the biggest [Notre Dame] game since 1946, I mean, how does that help our team win?” Monken said. “Does it? It just puts undue pressure on them.”
For sure, but it’s the kind of pressure, and the kind of stage, anybody in or around Army’s program would have gladly accepted back in August. — Chris Low
What’s going on in the SEC?
The dream of complete chaos happening in the SEC — an eight-team tie for first place — ended with LSU’s 27-16 loss at Florida last week.
With only two weeks to play in the regular season, there’s still much unknown and plenty of potential havoc that can happen in the deepest Power 4 conference.
No. 3 Texas and No. 15 Texas A&M, the only teams with one conference loss, are in the driver’s seat in getting to the Dec. 7 SEC championship game. If those teams win Saturday (the Longhorns host Kentucky, and the Aggies travel to Auburn), the winner of their Nov. 30 showdown at Kyle Field will punch its ticket to Atlanta.
If either Texas or Texas A&M slips up this weekend and then comes back to win in the regular-season finale, however, there’s potential for a six-way tie for first if the other contenders (No. 7 Alabama, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 10 Georgia and No. 11 Tennessee) win out.
Another potential scenario: If Texas or Texas A&M lose this week and then bounce back in the regular-season finale, it could potentially be an Alabama-Georgia rematch in Atlanta (as long as the Tide win at Oklahoma on Saturday and against Auburn in the Nov. 30 Iron Bowl).
Still with me?
Georgia’s SEC season is complete after the Bulldogs took down the Volunteers 31-17 last week. Tennessee closes the regular season at Vanderbilt on Nov. 30. The Rebels play at surging Florida on Saturday and host rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Nov. 29.
Even if the Texas-Texas A&M winner has only one SEC loss, there’s a good chance there could be a multiteam tie for second. Because not everyone played each other in the 16-team league, head-to-head and common-opponent tiebreakers can’t be used.
So the fourth tiebreaker, cumulative conference winning percentage of all SEC opponents, would probably be used to settle the debate. That’s where Alabama has an advantage over the others with a 27-26 record (.509) going into this weekend.
Of course, a couple of upsets over the next two weeks could change everything in the SEC. — Mark Schlabach
What does each team need to capitalize on to win?
Indiana: Led by the electrifying playmaking foursome of running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins and wideouts Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith, the Buckeyes rank third nationally in offensive efficiency. Operating with those playmakers around him, quarterback Will Howard ranks fourth with a QBR of 85.3.
Still, despite thriving otherwise in his first and only season with the Buckeyes, Howard remains prone to making big mistakes. On Nov. 2 against Penn State, Howard committed two colossal turnovers, throwing a pick-six on Ohio State’s opening drive, then later fumbling away the ball on the way to what would’ve been a touchdown run. The Buckeyes overcame those takeaways on the way to a 20-13 victory. But if the Hoosiers, who rank 10th nationally in turnover margin, can force Howard into those types of mistakes again, they could hang around and, potentially, pull off the upset.
Ohio State: The Hoosiers became the first team in 26 years to open 8-0 without trailing once. Despite winning 10 games for the first time in program history, Indiana has yet to face a ranked opponent. The Hoosiers also haven’t had to play in an imposing venue like Ohio Stadium. Two years ago, while still at Ohio, Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke struggled in such an environment, throwing for just 119 yards in a 46-10 loss at Penn State. In two years with James Madison competing in the FBS, Indiana’s Curt Cignetti never coached anywhere like the Horseshoe. Cignetti is on track to become college football’s coach of the year, and Rourke is having a fabulous season. But Ohio State can make the moment — and the setting — too big for them. Indiana hasn’t had to play from behind all year. Ohio State could put the Hoosiers in an uncomfortable and precarious position with a couple of quick early strikes. — Jake Trotter
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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
SMU coach Rhett Lashlee has signed a contract extension with the school, as he has the team positioned for a run at its second straight conference title and its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.
Terms of Lashlee’s deal were not disclosed, as SMU is a private school. He also received a multiyear contract extension in November 2023 “to keep him on the Hilltop for years to come,” athletic director Rick Hart said at the time.
Lashlee is 27-10 at SMU, which won the American Athletic Conference title in 2023, its first since 1984. The program moved to the ACC this season and is the only team undefeated in league play, as its faces Virginia and Cal to close the regular season. SMU is No. 13 in the CFP standings with its only loss coming to No. 14 BYU in Week 2.
“We changed leagues and changed levels,” Lashlee told ESPN.
Since the start of the 2023 season, SMU is tied for sixth nationally in win percentage at 20-4 overall (.833). Lashlee, 41, served as SMU’s offensive coordinator under Sonny Dykes in 2018 and 2019, and also held coordinator roles at Miami, UConn, Auburn and Arkansas State. He’s a former quarterback at Arkansas.
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