NHL Rankings

We are into Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. What a wild and crazy round 1 that saw its share of upsets, thrilling finishes, and even a pair of Game 7’s. We now turn our attention to the Final 8 teams in the postseason and see where the series currently stands as we enter Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021. Be sure to check out the complete list of rankings at Dunkel Index here.

#4 Tampa Bay Lightning 2 - 0 #1 Carolina Hurricanes

The defending Stanley Cup Champions have been terrific once again. After taking down the Panthers in the first round, the Lightning won both games in Carolina. Tampa Bay is doing it with fantastic goaltending. Andrei Vasilevskiy has turned away all but two shots put on him in the first two games of this series. The win on Tuesday saw Alex Killorn score his 5th goal of the postseason. The top-ranked Hurricanes are now in big trouble, as they will have to go on the road and win at least 1 in Tampa Bay to keep the series alive and get another home game in Game 5.

#2 Colorado Avalanche 1 - 0 #3 Vegas Golden Knights

After making quick and easy work of the St. Louis Blues - the #2 seeded Colorado Avalanche smashed Vegas in Game 1. The Avalanche, led by Nathan MacKinnon, scored seven goals in the game. MacKinnon was dynamite against St. Louis, and Vegas does not seem to have any answers for him and his line matters. The Golden Knights turned to physical and dirty hockey late in Game 1. Vegas hopes the extra day off gives them the breath of fresh air they need to grab a win on the road in Colorado. The Golden Knights used Robin Lehner in Game 1, which was a surprise but expect Marc Andre Fleury back between the pipes for Game 2.

#10 Boston Bruins 1 - 1 #12 New York Islanders

Boston had their five-game winning streak snapped with a 4-3 overtime loss on Monday. The Bruins lost their first game to Washington and rattled off five straight. The Islanders are a team that seem to never go away and will give the Bruins fits. This series has the makings of 7 games, as now they turn their attention to Long Island. The win on Monday saw Casey Cizikas score his first playoff goal of the season. The 30-year-old scored just seven goals on the season for the Islanders.

#18 Montreal Canadiens 0 - 0 #19 Winnipeg Jets

Last but not least is the battle of Canada. After the Toronto Maple Leafs choked their 3-1 lead to Montreal, these are the two teams that remain. Both teams were upset winners, as the Jets made quick and easy work of Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. The question is going to be - did the time off help or hurt the Jets? We will find out Wednesday when the series gets started. No matter who wins this series, they will take on the winner of the Golden Knights and Avalanche in the next round.

Enjoy the week of the National Hockey League. This should be a great week, with the series in Round 2 that are going to be excellent. We hope you have taken a good look at the latest rankings for the National Hockey League. If you missed them, be sure to check them out here!