The qualifying round that will whittle down 24 NHL clubs to the 16 that will make the Stanley Cup Playoffs will consist of best-of-five series this summer. It’s a format that magifies the importance of each game’s result, with a 1-0 lead becoming a major advantage. By entension, the importance of each goal increases in the series, with one timely goal, or failing to seize hold of the scoreboard when given the chance, possibly being the difference between moving on to face a new opponent and having your post-season end as quickly as it began.
It will therefore be crucial for teams to pounce on their power-play chances, and limit the opponents on their penalty kill.