Let’s rip off a fucking band-aid to start this folks. Leafs VS Bruins, David VS Goliath, The true thorn in your side, 2013, 2018, 2019 and not beating them in the playoffs in 65 years. These two teams are rivals and whoever wins the fans will be insufferable to deal with. Boston is in its 100th year, and was supposed to regress after winning 65 games last year before falling in 7, blowing a 3-1 lead to Florida and Toronto slayed a dragon in winning a first-round matchup against Tampa in 6. Toronto is 0-2-2 VS Boston this year and a month ago was humiliated at TD Garden losing 4-1. One dragon slayed and now a monster dragon awaits as I have said this Leafs Nation. YOU WANT TO BEAT BOSTON. Boston is the thorn in your side, they know what you do well and take it away from you, if you win this, the sky’s the limit. Leafs in 6. 

Next, we go to Florida where it’s a 2022 playoff rematch as the Panthers play the Lighting in round 1. Florida is the better team this year and is in must-win mode, 2 years removed from a President trophy win and a trip to the Cup Finals last year. To be honest having a hard-hitting Battle of Florida is cool, with one team being a near dynasty and now the Panthers have found that killer miserable to play against mentally it will be a fun series with two Russian goalies, two solid D cores and two forward cores who can be pests and put them into the back of the net. Power Play will be key in this series and so will the experience which I lean with in this series. Tampa in 7.

New York, New York. The Rangers have won the President’s trophy and are playing a not-good Capitals team. Now these two teams have gone head to head before and each time it created moments that in etched in playoff lore, The most notable is Derek Stepans OT winner in game 7, back in 2015. Back to present day 2024, I don’t think the Rangers have the depth to make a run deep in the playoffs and the Capitals got in because the other vying teams said no thanks we’re good, so what’s gotta give, apart from a potential Tom Wilson Matt Rempe old fashioned scrap and a Lindgren brothers duel, not a whole lot. It will take Washington pulling rabbits out of hats but I think the rabbits stay in the hat. Rangers in 6.

We end in Carolina with the Hurricanes against the Islanders again for the second year in a row. Carolina has a lot of RFA’s and UFA’s this year so this seems like they’re all in and pushing to win now. Meanwhile, the Islanders were dead in the water and the Islanders fired head coach Lane Lambert on January 20, 2024, after a miserable start. Enter Patrick Roy and fortunes changed for the team and developed a new attitude. I will keep this short but the Islanders can make life hell for the Canes as they grind you down and often don’t get into high-scoring games with their opponents. However, I will go with the team that I think is All in the year. Hurricanes in 5.