The NHL's playoff format takes a lot of criticism because, due to the lack of reseeding, the best teams in a particular conference can square off against one another as early as the second round. And, according to our numbers, that's precisely what happened this year: Winnipeg knocked off Nashville, and Tampa Bay beat Boston. Both the Predators and Bruins are power ranked higher than the other squads -- Vegas and Washington -- who are playing for their conference's title.
Nevertheless, the playoffs continue tonight with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Here's how our algorithm sees the rest of the playoffs going down:
| Team | Conference Finals | Stanley Cup |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 59.30% | 30.80% |
| Winnipeg Jets | 54.90% | 29.60% |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 45.10% | 22.40% |
| Washington Capitals | 40.70% | 17.20% |
After simulating the rest of the playoffs thousands of times, the projected winner flip-flopped a good bit between the Lightning and Jets. It's clear that those are the two teams that are projected to move on and fight for the Cup.