The first round of the 2024 National Hockey League (NHL) playoff is now set.

Some highlights include:

• The New York Rangers enter the playoffs as the Presidents’ Trophy winner.
• The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs are both playing in their eighth consecutive year of post season action.
• Four Canadian teams made the playoffs this year: the Toronto Maple Leafs in the East, and the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets in the West.

The playoff brackets breakdown as follows:

Eastern Conference

Washington Capitals (91 points) vs. New York Rangers (114 points)

This is the 10th time the two teams have met in the post season. The Rangers have won five of those match-ups, including the last three in 2012, 2013, and 2015. The team split their regular season series. Look for the Rangers to win in six games.

New York Islanders (94 points) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (111 points)

This is the third time the two teams have met in the postseason with the Hurricanes winning in 2019 and 2023. Both teams split their four games they met in during the regular season. Look for a seven game series with the Islanders coming out in the seventh game.

Toronto Maple Leafs (102 points) vs. Boston Bruins (109 points)

This is a first round battle of two of the Original Six. They have met 16 times in the past in the playoffs with both teams winning eight times. The last time the Leafs beat the Bruins in the postseason was back in 1959, with the Bruins winning the last six times. The Bruins won all four games during the regular season. Look for the Leafs to win in seven games.

Tampa Bay Lightning (98 points) vs. Florida Panthers (110 points)

This is the third time that the two Florida teams have met in the postseason with The Lightning winning the first two series back in 2021 and 2022. The Panthers won two of the three regular season games this year. Look for a close series with the Panthers winning in six games.

Western Conference

Vegas Golden Knights (98 points) vs. Dallas Stars (113 points)

The Knights won all three regular season games this year and it’s the third time the teams have met in the postseason and split the previous postseason match-ups. Look for The Stars to win in six games.

Colorado Avalanche (107 points) vs. Winnipeg Jets (110 points)

This is the first time these two teams have met in the postseason. Winnipeg won all three games this season. Look for The Jets to soar over the Avalanche in six games.

Nashville Predators (99 points) vs. Vancouver Canucks (109 points)

The Canucks won all three regular season games this year, and won the only postseason match-up back in 2011. Look for The Canucks to win in six.

Los Angeles Kings (99 points) vs. Edmonton Oilers (104 points)

This is the third consecutive postseaon match-up between the two teams and 10th match-up overall. The Oilers have won seven of the nine times the two teams have met in the playoffs. And The Oilers won three of the four games in the regular season. Look for The Oilers to win in seven games.

So, my first round predictions are:

Eastern Conference:

New York Rangers
New York Islanders
Toronto Maple Leafs
Florida Panthers

Western Conference:

Dallas Stars
Winnipeg Jets
Vancouver Canucks
Edmonton Oilers