Stanley Cup Playoffs roundtable: Play-in round predictions

(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (11) New York Rangers

Brendan: When looking at the advanced metrics, Carolina should dominate this series. The Hurricanes are first in the league in Corsi percentage at 54%, the Rangers are 30th at 46.5%. Despite the disparity in possession numbers, New York dominated the Hurricanes to a tune of 4-0 this season. I fully expect Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad to continue their success, and I also believe we will see a rejuvenated Kaapo Kakko.

The Hurricanes have a phenomenal young roster that poses formidable matchups at both ends of the ice, lead by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. But whether it is Henrik Lundqvist or Igor Shesterkin in goal, the Rangers’ success against Carolina will continue. Rangers in four.

Stefen: The Carolina Hurricanes have transformed their team into a contender over the last few years. And while they finished the season ahead of the New York Rangers, the Hurricanes are now in a vulnerable spot.

They are going up against a Ranger team that had no expectations this season and are just happy to be in this situation. And that is dangerous, especially with the talent this team has in Panarin and Zibanejad, with youngsters like Adam Fox and Tony DeAngelo on the back end taking strong strides this season.

But the biggest advantage for this Rangers team is the goaltending. It looks like Shesterkin will get the nod to start the series, but Henrik Lundqvist will be ready to go if need be against a team he has owned throughout his career.

For Carolina, Mrazek has not been strong and against the fifth-best offense in the league (3.33 GPG), his play will dictate how this series will go. The Rangers will take this series in three games, as I have little faith in Mrazek’s ability.

Dave: This series is fascinating to me. The New York Rangers offense is outstanding and the Hurricanes are a very well-balanced team. However, the Rangers have a significant advantage in net, and goaltending can be the ultimate wild card. That’s why I’ve got to go with the Rangers in five.

Colton: We all know how good Artemi Panarin is and what we can expect from him. If Shesterkin is able to play like he did in his short stint with the team this season, they will beat the Hurricanes. Rangers in four.

Matt: The Rangers have incredible potential, but the Hurricanes are a year ahead in their move toward relevance. The difference-maker in this series will be the strong blue line in Carolina. Hurricanes in five.

Emmanuel: Hurricanes win series 3-0.

Elias: I give the edge to Carolina as I feel they have more weapons. Hurricanes in four.

Kyle: Hurricanes in five.

Jasmine: Rangers in three. There is no way that Petr Mrazek and James Reimer beat out the Rangers’ three-headed monster of Henrik Lundqvist, Igor Shesterkin, and Alexander Georgiev. The Rangers also have more scoring depth than the Hurricanes as they have 7 players with 40+ points while Carolina has just four.