 What's up everyone? Takedown here. Welcome back to another video. Today we're going to be talking about the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. It looks like it's gonna be some very exciting hockey. The playoffs start tonight and I'm really really excited for that because I am off work and I can actually enjoy the first few games which is going to be awesome. Now looking at the matchups it looks like it's gonna be insane and it looks like some matchups could go either way. I think some teams are going to have the upper hand but some teams it might come down to the seventh game and that just is amazing to see that it's going to be some awesome hockey to watch and I'm really excited. So just like I do every year today I'm going to be breaking down the first round of the playoffs giving my final predictions on each matchup and then at the end I will say who I think is going to win the Stanley Cup because unlike previous years I don't know if I'm going to be able to break down every single round of the playoffs this year I'm going to try my best but I am going to be busy the next couple weeks So at least I'm going to be doing the first rounds and saying who I think is going to win the Stanley Cup So let's get straight into this. So at first we have the Florida Panthers Which as you guys know or might know from previous years I am a fan of versus the Boston Bruins which if you guys remember from previous years I'm not so much a fan of those but I will say Boston had an amazing regular season They just dominated and that was very interesting to see even though it's a team I don't like I can still respect how much work they did in the regular season And with that being said whenever it comes to the playoffs with Boston They always play dirty and I expect nothing but that this year I think they're going to be some very dirty matches And it's quite possible that they could advance and go all the way to the finals But I would much rather see the Florida Panthers win this matchup I think it's going to be some very exciting hockey But I think it's going to come down to the seventh game if Florida can win I definitely think it'll be down at the seventh game So my final prediction for this matchup is going to be Florida Panthers Advancing 4-3 for this match next up We have the Tampa Bay Lightning versus the Toronto Maple Leafs two teams that I'm not really a fan of But I will say that this is going to be some interesting hockey now Tampa Bay Lightning, I would love to see them just eliminated in the first rounds Of course Toronto Maple Leafs always get eliminated in the first round if they make it to the playoffs And they always end up choking but this year even though I'm not a fan of Toronto And I definitely don't want to see them win the Stanley Cup I do respect them enough that I do want to see them advance At least once and make it past the first round. So hopefully this year will be it I'm going to say this matchup here is going to be 4-2 my final prediction Toronto advancing in this round Next up we have the New York Islanders versus the Carolina Hurricanes This is one that I think could go either way I am a fan of a lot of the players that are on the Islanders So I am gonna have to pick the Islanders to win again I could see this one going either way But I am going to say 4-1 for the New York Islanders Next up we have the New York Rangers versus New Jersey Devils This is one that it's gonna be some amazing hockey. I must say but as you guys know I am a fan of the Rangers. They have a lot of great players Especially by the trade deadline this year. They acquired some great names Hopefully that will help them in the playoffs this year. I do think they are gonna go very far So it's gonna be very exciting to see what they can accomplish this year And with that being said since I'm hyping them up so much Obviously, I am gonna be picking that the Rangers are gonna be winning this one here I honestly would love to see a clean sweep. I'm gonna say the Rangers 4-0 for this matchup against the Devils That's honestly what I think is gonna happen and if that happens They're definitely gonna be dominating most rounds of the playoffs and I think they're honestly gonna make it to the finals So for the Eastern Conference, I honestly think that the Rangers are gonna make it all the way to the finals And that is my prediction of who's gonna make it to the finals for the Eastern Conference Now we have the Western Conference. This is gonna be some amazing hockey as well Up first we have the Seattle Kraken versus last year's champions the Caroline Now for the Western Conference We do have the Seattle Kraken versus the Colorado Avalanche the champions from last year This is gonna be some amazing hockey This is one of the matchups that I'm looking more forward to of course the champions from last year are gonna be dominating I think they're gonna be doing some amazing hockey and they're just gonna be doing some amazing things The Kraken I would love to see them advance though I still would love to see them and see what they can do obviously this season was way better than last season Their first season in the NHL, so I definitely think they could possibly go far I would love to see either team win now honestly I think the Avalanche are gonna be the ones to win, but I'm gonna be very optimistic here I'm gonna say the Seattle Kraken are going to advance in this matchup and if I had to guess It's obviously for me I feel like it's gonna go down to the final game game seven and I think it's gonna be 4-3 for the Seattle Kraken If Seattle can beat the Avalanche, I definitely think it would have to be in the seventh game I think Avalanche are going to win possibly the first two possibly the first three and Seattle will have to grind to get all of the other wins just to make it and Tie the game and then to win this series I think that could happen, but they definitely have to put in the work so Seattle Kraken 4-3 Next up we have the Minnesota Wilds versus the Dallas Stars now this one here I'm not really keen on either team, but I do love Flurry so I am gonna have to say the Minnesota Wilds I would like to honestly see them advance obviously there's other players on the wild as well that I am a fan of But Dallas, I'm not really keen on too many players. There is some good players But as a team, I'm just not really a fan of so I'm gonna have to say the wild advancing I'm gonna say 4-1 as the final outcome for the wild Next up we have the Winnipeg Jets versus the Vegas Golden Knights Of course, normally I would always pick the Canadian team I would love to see a Canadian team win the Stanley Cup one year However, this matchup here. I honestly seen going for the Golden Knights I honestly see them winning even though this could be some very exciting hockey I'm gonna say Vegas Golden Knights are gonna clean sweep the series and I think it's going to be 4-0 for the Vegas Golden Knights I just have a very good hunch that that's gonna happen, especially against the Winnipeg Jets I just feel like the Vegas Golden Knights are going to have a better run against them and make it to the next rounds And then we do have one last match, which is the LA Kings versus the Edmonton Oilers. Now the LA Kings, they've been growing on me as a team They've been doing some great stuff and I would love to see what they can accomplish this year in the playoffs However, they're going against the Edmonton Oilers, and I just think they're gonna be an amazing team Of course, McDavid has the most points in I don't know how many years in the NHL But just amazing hockey all around and just amazing players on the team So I honestly think and I think a lot of people would agree that the Edmonton Oilers are going to advance Now against the Kings, I could see it going down to game 7 But my final prediction for this matchup is going to be 4-2 for the Oilers I do think that the Oilers are going to win. Would I like to see the Kings win? Absolutely I think that'd be very interesting. Do I think if they win, they're gonna get very far Honestly, not really compared to some of the other teams But I think it is going to be some amazing hockey regardless Now my prediction for the Western Conference, who's going to make it to the finals? I'm gonna say right now it's going to be the Oilers So if my prediction does come true, for the Western Conference down to the Finals It's going to be the Edmonton Oilers versus the Eastern Conference down to the Finals New York Rangers. So if that happens in the Finals, I'm just going to be absolutely having a blast because Rangers versus the Oilers, I think that would be some amazing hockey to see I think that is one that I would love to see go down to game 7 And honestly, I would love to see go either way I would love either the Rangers to win or the Oilers to win I would love either one to win But I would love both teams to at least make it to the Finals And then I'm okay with whoever wins But I do have to make a prediction And I would love to see McDavid win the Stanley Cup I know his young guns and all his cards would just skyrocket from that point But I would love to see the Oilers win that game And if it does happen, again, I could see it going down to game 7 But I'm going to make a prediction here I'm going to say 4-2 for that outcome If the Oilers and the Rangers do make it to the Finals That's what I think the outcome would be for the Oilers So my prediction is the Oilers are going to win the Stanley Cup this year But I would absolutely love to see the Rangers win as well Comment down below your predictions for the first round of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs And who you think is going to win the playoffs this year Hope you guys enjoyed this video I'll see you guys in the next one Please take care Peace