After an entertaining first round of the 2024 NHL playoffs, which had two series go to a game seven and only one series end in a sweep, the second round has arrived and is off to a fast start. The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers kicked off the second round on Sunday in a back-and-forth game that came down to the final two minutes, which included a goal to move the Hurricanes within one of the Blue Shirts. Then, a penalty on the Rangers gave the Hurricanes a six-on-four empty net opportunity to tie the game. In a blink,, a penalty was called just six seconds later on the Hurricanes, leaving the rest of the game at only a five-on- four advantage for Carolina in search of the equalizer. The Rangers were able to hold off Carolina to take the 1-0 series lead, but Game One surely set the tone for the rest of the series. Game Two was arguably even more exciting as the game went to double overtime before a winner could be decided. Additionally, the Hurricanes had two power plays over the course of the two overtimes and were still unable to score. The Rangers on the other hand did not let a power play opportunity during overtime go to waste. Vincent Trocheck slapped the puck past Frederick Andersen into the back of thenet, securing the win and the 2-0 series lead for the Rangers. Then the series moved to Raleigh, NC where the Canes attempted to cut the Rangers series lead in half. It was another close game with the Canes scoring first to take a 1-0 lead into the second period. But the Rangers would not go down without a fight, scoring a short-handed goal in the second to tie the game at one. Then in the third, the Rangers took their first lead of the night six minutes into the third. With time running out the Hurricanes pulled their goalie and Andrei Svechnikov scored the game tying goal with a minute and a half left in the game, sending it into overtime. . It took the Rangers less than two minutes to secure the win in overtime off a backhanded shot from Vincent Trocheck that was deflected into the net by Artemi Panarin. The Rangers are now up 3-0 in the series on the brink of two straight series sweeps. Game Four will decide whether they move onto the Conference Finals or whether the Hurricanes can put together a complete game and stay alive in the chase for the Cup. 

Another interesting story that involves the Rangers as they continue to have success in the playoffs is the “curse of the Presidents Trophy.” While certain fans may discredit the idea, others have a strong belief that whatever team wins the Presidents Trophy (for the most points earned during the regular season) is therefore cursed in the playoffs. For those who do believe in the curse, it is supported by the many Presidents Trophy winning teams that have been eliminated early in the playoffs in recent years. The 2013 Chicago Blackhawks were the last team to win the Stanley Cup after winning the Presidents Trophy. Since then, only the New York Rangers have made it past the second round when they did so in 2015 advancing to the conference finals before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Seven other teams in the 10 years since the Blackhawks won were eliminated in the second round and the remaining two lost in the first round, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, who were swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2018-19 season. For now, the Rangers are not showing any signs that a curse may be affecting them; but they still have a long way to go.  Carolina, always a strong team, will not let them through to the conference championship series easily. 

Staying in the East bracket, the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers series is sure to be a physical matchup. After the Bruins were eliminated by the Panthers in the first round last year after a seven-game series, as both the top team in the East and the Presidents Cup Trophy winners, there is sure to be revenge on the minds of the Black and Gold. That was evident after a dominant Game One, 5-1, win for the Bruins in Sunrise, FL. Despite going down 1-0 in the second period, the Bruins stormed back, scoring five unanswered to win a pivotal away game. Then in game two, the Panthers showed their claws. A similar pattern to the first game happened with the Bruins scoring first, but the Panther scoring the next six. After four goals, Bruins coach Jim Montegomery made the decision to pull goaltender Jeremy Swayman. The series now moves to Boston, tied 1-1. 

In the West half of the bracket, the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars meet in the second round. In the regular season, the teams played four times with the Avalanche winning three. Despite the regular season head-to-head record, the Stars have home ice advantage. Another noteworthy statistic in this matchup is that every time the Stars have made it to Stanley Cup Finals they have beaten the Avs in to get there. In Game One, the tone was surely set. The Stars got off to a hot start scoring three goals in the first period before the Avalanche scored two in the second, making it 3-2 going into the third period. Then just 39 seconds into the third period, Nathan MacKinnon scored, tying the game at three and eventually sending the game to overtime. Halfway through, Miles Wood got the puck on his stick with a partial breakaway and beat goalie Jake Oettinger securing an important Game One victory on the road. 

The last matchup of the playoffs is the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, the last two Canadian teams remaining in the playoffs. Both teams are trying to end the drought of Canadian teams not winning the Stanley Cup since 1993. In their first round series, the Canucks beat the Nashville Predators in six games while the Oilers eliminated the Los Angeles Kings in five games. The battle of Canada held up to its name in the first game of the series. Just two minutes into the game, Zach Hyman of the Oiler scored a power play goal, giving Edomonton the 1-0 lead, which was doubled by the end of the period. Then in the second both teams scored twice keeping the Canucks within two at 4-2. In the third the Canucks came alive, scoring three times including two goals in under a minute to secure the comeback win 5-4.