THN.com/podcast. From THN On The 'O': OHL Cup and Rangers Prospects New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba and New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier play bumper cars in a race for the puck during their Nov. 28 matchup. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk2NzQyMjE5MzM4NjIxOTcw/usatsi_19521766.jpg] New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba and New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier play bumper cars in a race for the puck during their Nov. 28 matchup. With the end of the NHL’s 2022-23 regular season now about three weeks away, we’re starting to see some real separation in the standings – and while there are some likely first-round series that will be a thrilling watch, there’s no more high-stakes drama than what we’re going to see between the second and third seed in the Metropolitan Division. Yes, agreed, the almost-guaranteed first-round series between the Tampa Bay Lighting and Toronto Maple Leafs will be hugely compelling for many reasons – we’ll see whether the Buds are finally able to get through the first round or whether this is another season of post-season misery for them – but any way the Metro shakes out, we’re going to have a must-see showdown between the New York Rangers (who are all but certain to finish third in the division) and either the Carolina Hurricanes or New Jersey Devils in Round 1. If New Jersey does wind up overtaking Carolina for first place in the Metro, we’re going to get the Hurricanes and Rangers to square off – and that will wind up being a very painful experience for one of those two teams. The Hurricanes have been electric most of the season – they’re 21-6-1 and haven’t lost more than two consecutive games since Jan. 10 – and Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour has one of the best minds for the game. But the Rangers are 8-3-1 in their past dozen games, and they’ve beaten Carolina in two of three matches this season. (The two teams do battle one more time before the playoffs Thursday night in Manhattan.) Either way, we do not see a short series between the Hurricanes and Rangers, and no matter what happens, one of those teams will have a bitter end to their year. The same goes if the Canes win the Metro and we see a first-round series between the Devils and Rangers. The upstart Devils have cooled off a little of late, but they’ve still posted a stellar 21-6-5 record since Jan. 5, and they added arguably the biggest trade deadline piece in winger Timo Meier. The Rangers, meanwhile, have played the Devils very well, going 1-1-1 in their three head-to-head games thus far this year (a fourth and final regular-season game is scheduled for March 30). And no team made bigger moves before the trade deadline than the Blueshirts, who added star wingers Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane for nothing key to the Rangers’ roster. Whatever team emerges from a Devils/Rangers first-round series might not have much left in the tank, as we doubt there will be a sweep for either side. It’s too close to call, really. Listen, every first-round playoff series will be worth watching. The first round of the playoffs is the best time of year, and hope springs eternal. It is an achievement to push through the punishing regular season and emerge in the top section of a division. But this is why first-place matters, especially in the Eastern Conference this year. Whoever wins the Metro will be playing the seventh-overall team in the East, and that is likely to be one of Pittsburgh, Florida or the New York Islanders this season. Those teams are far more flawed than the Rangers, Hurricanes and Devils. Regardless of how it shakes out, the series between the second-best and third-best team in the Metro promises to be the best skill-on-skill matchup of the first round. By the end of the first round, the results will stink to high heaven for one of the Hurricanes, Devils and Rangers, and at least one of them will be heading home for the summer before the earned privilege of playing any hockey in May. Nobody said winning a Cup would be easy.
