(Photo: Jason Behnken/AP)
Here are some things to keep an eye on as the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs gets underway Wednesday evening.
Teams to watch
The favorite: Tampa Bay Lightning
On the heels of a historic regular season, it is Stanley Cup or bust for the Presidents' Trophy winners.
The Lightning won't be able to keep their elite core of players together forever, and a unit including Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy is a force to be reckoned with.
The dark horse: Colorado Avalanche
Don't let the fact that the Avalanche had to settle for the second wild-card spot fool you.