NHL East playoffs feature Ovechkin's 2nd Cup chase, a Sunshine State showdown and battle of Ontario

Alex Ovechkin has a new chase to focus on in trading his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's NHL goals record for a second Stanley Cup title as he and the Eastern Conference's top-seeded Washington Capitals prepare to open the playoffs against Montreal.

The defending champion Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are set for their latest all-Florida faceoff. Toronto and Ottawa are rekindling their provincial playoff rivalry. And then there’s the matter of the Carolina Hurricanes seeking to overcome their string of playoff shortfalls, with the New Jersey Devils first up.

All that was missing in the East — aside from a New York team for just the second time since the league's expansion era began in 1967 — was Washington awaiting an opponent, with the Canadiens out-racing the Columbus Blue Jackets to clinch their spot as the eighth seed on Wednesday.

Of more concern in D.C., perhaps, is the Capitals regaining their groove after limping down the stretch with a skid of losses.

“We obviously can score goals but we need to be sharper in our D-zone,” defenseman Martin Fehervary said of the Capitals, who are 4-6-1 in their past 11, including a 7-0 loss at Columbus. “Those details are really important and need to be sharper.”

Teams to beat

No matter who they faced, the Capitals are favored following their sixth season with 50 or more wins while no longer having to deal with the hype involving Ovechkin.

“Him getting the goals record is incredible to say the least,” goalie Charlie Lindgren said. “What we do in the playoffs is what matters. That’s the most important thing.”

Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs are surging into the postseason, appearing ready and eager to put behind their decadelong past of early playoff exits. Toronto won eight of nine and outscored its opponents by a combined 28-12 in clinching its first Atlantic Division title.

“Obviously, we can’t change what’s happened in the past. I think you wear that,” Matthews said of a team that’s advanced beyond the first round just once in its past nine playoff appearances.

“I feel really confident in this group,” he added. “Earning our division here is a big step for us. But we just want to push forward.”

Bolstering the Leafs' confidence is adopting a more responsible defensive style under first-year coach Craig Berube, who led St. Louis to the Cup in 2019. There’s also the emergence of journeyman goalie Anthony Stolarz, who is 12-3-1, including eight wins in a row with three shutouts, since missing a 24-game stretch with a knee injury.

In avoiding the division’s usually tough 2-3 matchup, the Leafs rekindle their Battle of Ontario playoff rivalry with Ottawa.

In Carolina, the Hurricanes have the talent but not the consistent playoff results. Qualifying for the postseason in each of coach Rob Brind’Amour’s seven years, Carolina has lost the East finals twice and been bounced in the second round three times, including last year.

“We always have confidence — it’s been a tough couple of bounces the last few years," forward Seth Jarvis said. “Especially in the playoffs when it gets tighter, you can’t be giving other teams a lot of chances and it’s tough to score, so I think that bodes well for us.”

Even up

Not much separates the Lightning and Panthers, who have combined to win three of the past five Cups. The teams are meeting in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, with Tampa Bay winning the first two and Florida last year.

“Certainly the eyes in Florida and the fans in both cities will be wired into it, so it’s great for hockey,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.

The good news in Florida is the possibility of Matthew Tkachuk's return after being sidelined by a lower-body injury during 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad is due to return in Game 3 after serving a 20-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drugs policy

The Lightning are making their 11th playoff appearance in 12 years under coach Jon Cooper but first over that span without captain Steven Stamkos, following his departure in free agency last year.

“For sure he’s missed and never forgotten,” Cooper said of Stamkos. "But he’s not with us now, so we’ve found a way to move on without him. But there was definitely some growing pains.”

Underdogs

Ottawa qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2017 under first-year coach Travis Green, who is very familiar with the Battle of Ontario history. He played for the Leafs in 2001-02, when Toronto rallied to eliminate Ottawa in a seven-game second-round series.

“Exciting is downplaying it a little bit,” Green said. “Really everything you want in a playoffs series, and players are going to love it. Fans are going to love it.”

The Devils also feature a new coach in Sheldon Keefe, making just their third playoff appearance since losing the Stanley Cup Final to Los Angeles in 2012. New Jersey will be without star center Jack Hughes (shoulder surgery) but welcomed back defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who returned Wednesday after getting knocked out of the lineup by a lower-body injury in early March.

The Canadiens, meantime, are ahead of GM Kent Hughes' rebuilding timetable and feature a young but relatively untested playoff core from the team that lost to Tampa Bay in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.