2020 NHL playoffs: Picks for each first-round series

The 2020 NHL playoffs have advanced past the awkward yet delightful qualification round, and we are now on to the tried-and-true, 16-team tournament with which we're all familiar. One twist this time around: Instead of a bracket, the teams will be re-racked after each round so that the highest seed plays the lowest in each conference.

There's a wealth of history in this round -- on the team vs. team and player vs. player levels -- and if the earlier games are any indication, we're in for a special set of contests.

We gathered our panel of NHL experts to hear their picks on each series in the first official round of the 2020 playoffs, along with how many games it will take to get to the result in each case.

More: Check out the full NHL postseason schedule here.

Jump to:br/>PHI-MTL | TB-CBJ | WSH-NYI | BOS-CARbr/>VGK-CHI | COL-ARI | DAL-CGY | STL-VAN

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Philadelphia Flyers vs. No. 12 Montreal Canadiens

Sean Allen: Canadiens in six

>Ben Arledge: Flyers in six

>Pierre Becquey: Flyers in seven

>John Buccigross: Flyers in five

>Sach Chandan: Canadiens in six

>Linda Cohn: Flyers in six

>Dimitri Filipovic: Flyers in five

>Emily Kaplan: Flyers in six

>Tim Kavanagh: Flyers in five

>Don La Greca: Flyers in five

>Vince Masi: Flyers in five

>Victoria Matiash:Flyers in six

>Barry Melrose:Flyers in five

>Arda Ocal: Canadiens in seven

>Greg Wyshynski:Flyers in five

Consensus pick: Flyers (12/15)

No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 9 Columbus Blue Jackets

Sean Allen: Lightning in six

>Ben Arledge: Lightning in six

>Pierre Becquey: Lightning in five

>John Buccigross: Lightning in seven

>Sach Chandan: Lightning in seven

>Linda Cohn: Lightning in seven

>Dimitri Filipovic: Lightning in five

>Emily Kaplan: Lightning in seven

>Tim Kavanagh: Blue Jackets in seven

>Don La Greca: Lightning in six

>Vince Masi: Blue Jackets in seven

>Victoria Matiash:Blue Jackets in seven

>Barry Melrose: Blue Jackets in six

>Arda Ocal:Blue Jackets in seven

>Greg Wyshynski:Lightning in seven

Consensus pick: Lightning (10/15)

No. 3 Washington Capitals vs. No. 7 New York Islanders

Sean Allen: Capitals in five

>Ben Arledge: Capitals in seven

>Pierre Becquey: Islanders in seven

>John Buccigross: Capitals in seven

>Sach Chandan: Islanders in six

>Linda Cohn: Capitals in seven

Dimitri Filipovic: Capitals in seven

>Emily Kaplan: Islanders in seven

>Tim Kavanagh: Capitals in six

>Don La Greca: Islanders in seven

>Vince Masi: Capitals in six

>Victoria Matiash:Capitals in six

>Barry Melrose:Islanders in six

>Arda Ocal: Islanders in five

>Greg Wyshynski:Capitals in six

Consensus pick: Capitals (9/15)

No. 4 Boston Bruins vs. No. 6 Carolina Hurricanes

Sean Allen: Hurricanes in seven

>Ben Arledge: Hurricanes in seven

>Pierre Becquey: Bruins in five

>John Buccigross: Hurricanes in seven

>Sach Chandan: Hurricanes in five

>Linda Cohn: Hurricanes in seven

>Dimitri Filipovic: Hurricanes in six

>Emily Kaplan: Hurricanes in seven

>Tim Kavanagh: Bruins in six

>Don La Greca: Hurricanes in six

>Vince Masi: Hurricanes in seven

>Victoria Matiash:Hurricanes in seven

>Barry Melrose:Hurricanes in seven

>Arda Ocal:Hurricanes in six

>Greg Wyshynski:Hurricanes in six

Consensus pick: Hurricanes (13/15)

Western Conference

No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 12 Chicago Blackhawks

Sean Allen: Golden Knights in six

>Ben Arledge: Golden Knights in five

>Pierre Becquey: Golden Knights in six

>John Buccigross: Golden Knights in seven

>Sach Chandan: Golden Knights in five

>Linda Cohn: Golden Knights in seven

>Dimitri Filipovic: Golden Knights in four

>Emily Kaplan: Blackhawks in seven

>Tim Kavanagh: Blackhawks in seven

>Don La Greca: Golden Knights in five

>Vince Masi: Golden Knights in five

>Victoria Matiash:Golden Knights in six

>Barry Melrose:Golden Knights in six

>Arda Ocal:Blackhawks in seven

>Greg Wyshynski: Golden Knights in four

Consensus pick: Golden Knights (12/15)

No. 2 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 11 Arizona Coyotes

Sean Allen: Avalanche in five

Ben Arledge: Avalanche in five

>Pierre Becquey: Avalanche in five

>John Buccigross: Avalanche in six

>Sach Chandan: Coyotes in seven

>Linda Cohn: Avalanche in six

>Dimitri Filipovic: Avalanche in five

>Emily Kaplan: Avalanche in six

>Tim Kavanagh: Coyotes in six

>Don La Greca: Avalanche in six

>Vince Masi: Avalanche in five

>Victoria Matiash: Avalanche in five

>Barry Melrose:Avalanche in five

>Arda Ocal:Coyotes in seven

>Greg Wyshynski:Avalanche in six

Consensus pick: Avalanche (12/15)

No. 3 Dallas Stars vs. No. 8 Calgary Flames

Sean Allen: Stars in seven

>Ben Arledge: Flames in six

>Pierre Becquey: Stars in six

>John Buccigross: Stars in seven

>Sach Chandan: Stars in four

>Linda Cohn: Flames in six

>Dimitri Filipovic: Stars in seven

>Emily Kaplan: Flames in seven

>Tim Kavanagh: Stars in seven

>Don La Greca: Stars in six

>Vince Masi: Stars in seven

>Victoria Matiash: Flames in six

>Barry Melrose:Flames in six

>Arda Ocal:Flames in six

>Greg Wyshynski:Stars in seven

Consensus pick: Stars (9/15)

No. 4 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 7 Vancouver Canucks

Sean Allen: Canucks in six

>Ben Arledge: Blues in seven

>Pierre Becquey: Blues in six

>John Buccigross: Blues in seven

>Sach Chandan: Canucks in six

>Linda Cohn: Blues in seven

>Dimitri Filipovic: Blues in six

>Emily Kaplan: Blues in six

>Tim Kavanagh: Blues in five

>Don La Greca: Blues in five

>Vince Masi: Blues in seven

>Victoria Matiash: Blues in six

>Barry Melrose:Blues in five

>Arda Ocal: Canucks in seven

>Greg Wyshynski:Canucks in six

Consensus pick: Blues (11/15)

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