1 intriguing matchup for each 1st-round series

The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is one of the most exciting stretches on the NHL calendar.

There's an overwhelming amount of storylines percolating this postseason, and below, we'll outline one intriguing matchup to watch in each of the eight series.

(M1) Washington Capitals vs. (WC2) Montreal Canadiens

Intriguing matchup: Capitals' offense vs. inexperienced Canadiens' D-corps

The Canadiens limped into the playoffs, but they showed they can hang with the league's best teams with a red-hot stretch following the 4 Nations Face-Off. One big concern for Montreal in its return to the postseason is a defensive unit that lacks experience. David Savard is the elder statesman with a Stanley Cup to his name and 57 career playoff games, but there's a steep drop-off after him. Three of Montreal's top six - Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, and Jayden Struble - are playoff rookies.

Washington has cooled off lately despite all the hoopla around Alex Ovechkin breaking the all-time goals record, but the Caps still boast seven 20-goal scorers and finished the campaign ranked second with 3.49. The Capitals also have a balanced blend of physical and skilled forwards who the Canadiens will need to hold at bay.

(A1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (WC1) Ottawa Senators

Intriguing matchup: Brady Tkachuk vs. Toronto's top pairing

There are several intriguing layers to the upcoming Battle of Ontario, but Tkachuk's impact in his playoff debut leads the pack. The Sens' captain has been chomping at the bit to make his mark in the playoffs, and is expected to be ready for Game 1 after dealing with an injury for the stretch run. As evidenced at the 4 Nations, Tkachuk is capable of rising to the moment, and an underdog role against Ottawa's biggest rival is a situation where it's easy to imagine him thriving.

Limiting Tkachuk will unquestionably be among the Maple Leafs' top priorities, but Jake McCabe's undisclosed injury, even though he's probable for Game 1, clouds the feasibility of it. He's Toronto's most physical defender and makes up the club's shutdown unit with Chris Tanev.

(M2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (M3) New Jersey Devils

Intriguing matchup: Carolina's power play vs. New Jersey's penalty kill

The Hurricanes enter this series as strong favorites, which is strongly influenced by the Devils' glut of key injuries. While New Jersey faces an uphill battle to reach the second round, a notable advantage on special teams has the potential to swing the series in its favor.

As dangerous as Carolina is on offense at five-on-five - its 55.43% expected goals rate led the NHL - the Hurricanes are mystifyingly terrible on the power play. The club ranked 24th in the regular season and 31st from January onward with a paltry 12.4% conversion rate. Conversely, New Jersey has owned the league's second-best penalty kill at an 82.27% clip. If the Devils lock it defensively at all strengths, they've got a shot.

(A2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (A3) Florida Panthers

Intriguing matchup: Matthew Tkachuk vs. Brandon Hagel

Florida and Tampa Bay hate each other, and it seems like Tkachuk and Hagel do, too. There was clearly bad blood between the two in their premeditated scrap at the 4 Nations, and due to Tkachuk's injury from the tournament onward, the two players haven't seen each other since. There are plenty of reasons this could be the most memorable matchup of the opening round, but nothing would cause a stir like Tkachuk and Hagel renewing hostilities.

(C1) Winnipeg Jets vs. (WC2) St. Louis Blues

Intriguing matchup: Connor Hellebuyck vs. Playoff demons

Everything on paper in this matchup heavily favors the Jets, as the Presidents' Trophy winners have been the league's top team since starting the season on an eight-game win streak. However, one question mark looms over Winnipeg entering its highly anticipated playoff run: Which Hellebuyck shows up? The Jets' superstar netminder is a virtual lock to win his second consecutive Vezina Trophy, but he has faltered in back-to-back playoffs with save percentages of .886 and .864 in consecutive first-round losses. It's difficult to understand Hellebuyck's recent playoff struggles, but the Blues, who mustered only six goals against him in three games this season, have to hope the trend continues.

(P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Minnesota Wild

Intriguing matchup: Center depth

The Golden Knights have dominated the Wild recently, winning 11 of the past 13 meetings. Vegas enters this series as significant favorites, and a key advantage is likely to swing the clash in its favour: depth down the middle. The Golden Knights are set to roll out Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, and William Karlsson as their top three pivots. The Wild have a competent first-line center in Joel Eriksson Ek, but there's a major decline with Frederick Gaudreau and Marco Rossi anchoring lines two and three. How Minnesota manages this mismatch is likely to determine its playoff fate.

(C2) Dallas Stars vs. (C3) Colorado Avalanche

Intriguing matchup: Thomas Harley vs. Nathan MacKinnon

Dallas' defensive corps is a big question mark heading into the playoffs, particularly with Miro Heiskanen missing. Slowing down MacKinnon and the rest of Colorado's attacking weapons is imperative for the Stars to have a chance, and that responsibility is likely to fall primarily on Harley.

The 23-year-old has quietly been outstanding this season, particularly since Heiskanen hit the shelf. Harley led all blue-liners with 27.1 goals above replacement in the regular season, a metric that measures an individual's all-around contributions on the ice. He had a strong cameo with Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but stepping up in the playoffs against MacKinnon could make him a household name.

(P2) Los Angeles Kings vs. (P3) Edmonton Oilers

Intriguing matchup: Darcy Kuemper vs. Oilers' attack

We've seen this one before, as the Kings and Oilers are set to clash for the fourth consecutive year. Edmonton has taken the previous three matchups, but this year offers an interesting wrinkle: Los Angeles has competent goaltending. Over the last three meetings, the Kings trotted out six different netminders, and only one - 36-year-old Jonathan Quick in 2022 - posted a save percentage over .900.

This year, the Kings will rely on Darcy Kuemper, who could be a Vezina Trophy finalist after a dominant stretch run. On top of a great debut season with the Kings, Kuemper is 13-4-4 lifetime against the Oilers with a .924 clip and two shutouts. He also won a Cup with the Avalanche in 2022. Could he be what Los Angeles needs to get over the first-round hump?