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Picks for each first-round NHL playoff series
With the puck dropping on the first playoff clash Saturday, who do our experts take in each series? Plus, see our early picks for Cup champs and Conn Smythe.
NHL experts make bold 2021 playoff predictions on X factors, best series, more
Which players will have an outsized impact? What series is most intriguing? Which No. 4 seed will get furthest?
Best bets for the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs
From the first round all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, here are the bets our experts like for the playoffs.
GET CAUGHT UP!
PLAYOFFS BEGIN SATURDAY
Lapsed fan's guide to the NHL playoffs: Everything you might have missed
Haven't been paying close attention to the NHL these past few months? Here's everything you need to know before the playoffs begin Saturday.
Top Headlines
PLAYOFF PREVIEWS
2021 NHL playoff series previews: First-round matchups, picks
The playoffs are here! Get caught up with position-by-position breakdowns of all the first-round series before the puck drops Saturday.
GOALIE RANKINGS
Goaltender Confidence Index: Ranking all 16 NHL playoff teams by their tandems
How good should each team feel about its netminders? We rank them here, with insights analyst Steve Valiquette.
PLAYOFF CENTRAL
2021 NHL Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, scores, highlights, analysis
From the first round all the way through the Stanley Cup Final, ESPN has you covered. Check out the full picture and coverage on each team.
LOOKING AHEAD
Keys to the offseason: Free-agency, draft plans for the 15 non-playoff teams
We explore the next moves each non-playoff team should make this offseason and forecast their 2021-22 outlook.
THE NEXT WAVE
The top rising candidates for NHL coach, GM jobs
Hiring season will be upon us before you know it. We polled 22 people in front offices around the league to find the next wave of candidates.
INSIDE HOCKEY'S GENDER GAP
How the pandemic widened the gender gap in hockey
From infrastructure to resources to promotion, the stage is far from even. and COVID-19 has made it even worse.
NHL
Highmore scores twice in 3rd, Canucks beat Oilers 4-1
— Matthew Highmore scored twice in the third period to help the Vancouver Canucks beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 on Saturday.
Top Headlines
- Doughty: Kings 'need to be better, get better'
- Avs' MacKinnon on track to return for Game 1
- Stars' Hintz set to have surgery for tendon issue
- Women's league plans move forward without NHL
- NHL: No conference championship trophies in '21
- NHL wants Canada border answer by June 1
- Avalanche lock up No. 1 overall seed for playoffs
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More than just a building (ESPN+)
- Greg Wyshynski/ESPN
Inside the New York Islanders' new UBS Arena, built for the NHL's COVID-19 era
From the brick exterior inspired by neighboring Belmont Park to state-of-the-art tech inside, here's what Isles fans can expect next season.
Execs rank NHL's top 10 centers
- ESPN Illustration
Ranking the NHL's top centers for 2021: Execs, coaches, players debate the top 10
A trio of young perennial MVP candidates tops our list. Where does 33-year-old Sidney Crosby finish?
Stream the NHL on ESPN+
- NHL on ESPN+
Stream game replays and analysis
Replay NHL games during the Stanley Cup Qualifiers and Playoffs, and join Linda Cohn, Barry Melrose and Nabil Karim daily on In The Crease for full highlights and analysis.
