The last game of the second round went last night. Expecting an exciting Game 7, I was disappointed, as the New York Rangers easily defeated Carolina 6-2. Goalie Igor Shesterkin was the star of the game for the Rangers, as he made 37 saves and shut down the Hurricanes early. Chris Kreider scored two goals to lead the Rangers offense. With the win, New York wins the series 4 games to 3, and will move on to face the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
The next round of the playoffs begins tonight, with Edmonton travelling to Colorado to start the Western Conference final. The Eastern Conference final starts on Wednesday. See the McDonald NHL Power Ratings Playoff Preview for details of the next round!
Yesterday’s Game
Carolina (1st in Metropolitan, 116 pts) vs. NY Rangers (2nd in Metropolitan, 110 pts)
NY Rangers 6 at Carolina 2
- NY Rangers wins series 4-3
Series schedule:
- May 18: NY Rangers 1 at Carolina 2 (OT)
- May 20: NY Rangers 0 at Carolina 2
- May 22: Carolina 1 at NY Rangers 3
- May 24: Carolina 1 at NY Rangers 4
- May 26: NY Rangers 1 at Carolina 3
- May 28: Carolina 2 at NY Rangers 5
- May 30: NY Rangers 6 at Carolina 2
Today’s Game
Edmonton (2nd in Pacific, 104 pts) vs. Colorado (1st in Central, 119 pts)
Edmonton at Colorado
- Series tied 0-0
- Colorado has a 64.1% chance of winning the series
Second Round Playoff Summary
Eastern Conference
Florida (1st in Atlantic, 122 pts) vs. Tampa Bay (3rd in Atlantic, 110 pts)
Tampa Bay wins series 4-0
McDonald NHL Power Ratings:
- Florida: 1591, 4th overall
- Tampa Bay: 1574, 7th overall
Head-to-head this year (4 games):
- Florida: 2 regulation wins
- Tampa Bay: 1 regulation win, 1 overtime win
Last round:
- Florida: defeated Washington (1530, 14th) in 6 games
- Tampa Bay: defeated Toronto (1598, 2nd) in 7 games
Series schedule:
- May 17: Tampa Bay 4 at Florida 1
- May 19: Tampa Bay 2 at Florida 1
- May 22: Florida 1 at Tampa Bay 5
- May 23: Florida 0 at Tampa Bay 2
Carolina (1st in Metropolitan, 116 pts) vs. NY Rangers (2nd in Metropolitan, 110 pts)
NY Rangers wins series 4-3
McDonald NHL Power Ratings:
- Carolina: 1595, tied for 2nd overall
- NY Rangers: 1568, 8th overall
Head-to-head this year (4 games):
- Carolina: 3 regulation wins
- NY Rangers: 1 regulation win
Last round:
- Carolina: defeated Boston (1559, 11th) in 7 games
- NY Rangers: defeated Pittsburgh (1540, 12th) in 7 games
Series schedule:
- May 18: NY Rangers 1 at Carolina 2 (OT)
- May 20: NY Rangers 0 at Carolina 2
- May 22: Carolina 1 at NY Rangers 3
- May 24: Carolina 1 at NY Rangers 4
- May 26: NY Rangers 1 at Carolina 3
- May 28: Carolina 2 at NY Rangers 5
- May 30: NY Rangers 6 at Carolina 2
Western Conference
Colorado (1st in Central, 119 pts) vs. St. Louis (3rd in Central, 109 pts)
Colorado wins series 4-2
McDonald NHL Power Ratings:
- Colorado: 1623, 1st overall
- St. Louis: 1595, tied for 2nd overall
Head-to-head this year (3 games):
- Colorado: 2 regulation wins
- St. Louis: 1 regulation win
Last round:
- Colorado: defeated Nashville (1512, 17th) in 4 games
- St. Louis: defeated Minnesota (1575, 7th) in 6 games
Series schedule:
- May 17: St. Louis 2 at Colorado 3 (OT)
- May 19: St. Louis 4 at Colorado 1
- May 21: Colorado 5 at St. Louis 2
- May 23: Colorado 6 at St. Louis 3
- May 25: St. Louis 5 at Colorado 4 (OT)
- May 27: Colorado 3 at St. Louis 2
Calgary (1st in Pacific, 111 pts) vs. Edmonton (2nd in Pacific, 104 pts)
Edmonton wins series 4-1
McDonald NHL Power Ratings:
- Calgary: 1582, 6th overall
- Edmonton: 1564, 9th overall
Head-to-head this year (4 games):
- Calgary: 2 regulation wins
- Edmonton: 2 regulation wins
Last round:
- Calgary: defeated Dallas (1509, 18th) in 7 games
- Edmonton: defeated Los Angeles (1534, 13th) in 7 games
Series schedule:
- May 18: Edmonton 6 at Calgary 9
- May 20: Edmonton 5 at Calgary 3
- May 22: Calgary 1 at Edmonton 4
- May 24: Calgary 3 at Edmonton 5
- May 26: Edmonton 5 at Calgary 4 (OT)