2023 NHL Playoffs Vibe Check: Drama and Intensity Highlight Round 1 So Far

Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs is in full swing, and each series is two games deep.

We've already had some special moments, like double overtime in Stars-Wild, the Leafs almost Leafing but giving us hope again in Game 2, and first playoff goals from guys like Jack Eichel and Jack Hughes (any other Jacks, feel free to step up).

Where are we at as we look to the Game 3s that often have the power to change the tide in any series? Let's go through each matchup and examine the vibes so far.

Brad Marchand has played enough postseason hockey to know the first rule of postseason hockey club: You absolutely must respect your opponent.

It doesn't matter if you had a historic regular season and your opponent clawed themselves in by a matter of points—just ask last season's Presidents' Trophy-winning Panthers.

Now, though, the Panthers are in a situation Marchand has been in plenty of times throughout his decade-plus NHL career: an underdog with something to prove, with the added relief a clean playoff slate brings. Meanwhile, the burden of the Bruins' Presidents' Trophy expectations can make that slate feel dirty.

So, Marchand made a point of reiterating the first rule of postseason hockey club after the Bruins took Game 1.

"It's always good to start the first game with a win, but we haven't accomplished anything yet," he said. "Each game that goes on is harder and harder to win. That second game is always a tough one. It's good to start the way that we did but we could be better, and we need to be better."

The second game is always a tough one, indeed, and the Bruins ended up dropping a scary 6-3 defeat Wednesday at TD Garden. There wasn't one glaring reason for the loss that tied the series 1-1 as it heads to Sunrise, rather a new and exciting batch of mistakes to worry about and narratives to create.

Let's get this out of the way: The Panthers won Game 2 more than the Bruins lost it, although both teams were at least partially to blame. As wrapped up as we've been in the Bruins' record-breaking season, Matthew Tkachuk, Brandon Montour and Carter Verhaeghe were cooking down south.

But the Bruins' turnovers were equal parts egregious, uncharacteristic and untimely in Game 2, meanwhile the Panthers were ready to capitalize.

This is not on Linus Ullmark, who had to stop so many chances on a whim it was unbelievable. It's not on Marchand, who was quiet through the end of the season but tried to revive his team with a beautiful shorthand goal. He even ignored Radko Gudas' taunts all game.

If you're a Bruins fan, you'll never forget Montour's name. You've also been missing Patrice Bergeron and his Selke things—you'll remember Game 1 wasn't all hunky dory five-on-five. Game 3 is gigantic.

Game 2 in three words: Respect the opponent

Overall vibes: 8/10. The Panthers are putting up a fight against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins and things are getting chippy. There were words and fists exchanged at the end of Game 2, and we'll see if that carries over to Sunrise.

Hurricanes lead Islanders 2-0

What was a bit of a snoozefest Monday turned thrilling Wednesday, but the result was the same as the Hurricanes took a 2-0 series lead over the Islanders. A top-five playoff happening is when a random-but-hardworking overtime hero emerges, and Wednesday that guy was Jesper Fast.

The Canes are clearly sick of being disrespected, led by head coach Rod Brind'Amour, who became the winningest coach in team playoff history Wednesday. The somewhat unexpected choice to roll with journeyman and overall good guy Antti Raanta in net over Frederik Andersen has paid off in net. Meanwhile on the other end, Vezina contender Ilya Sorokin has been pretty good, but something just isn't clicking well enough for the Islanders. Score more goals? (Not you, Sebastian Aho).

The Hurricanes have struggled in the playoffs on the road, though, and these are two of the most electric environments you'll find in hockey. If the Hurricanes win their first away game of these playoffs Friday, the league should take notice.

Game 2 in three words: High stick city

Overall Vibes: 3/10. This series is getting three points for just reaching overtime, but there's already officiating controversy brewing, which derails any good vibes.

Series tied 1-1

Wait, hold the presses and stop the narratives: The Stars-Wild series is one of if not the most entertaining series of Round 1. You've got Roope Hintz hat tricks and an unsung hero in Ryan Hartman. You've got double overtime. You've got coaches going back and forth in the media subtly accusing the opposite team of diving.

The series is tied after the Stars took Game 2 with a commanding 7-3 lead. The Wild, who have allowed five goals on 11 Dallas power plays throughout the series, absolutely need to clean it up on the penalty kill for Game 3.

You wonder how many more opportunities veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury will get after the 7-3 loss Wednesday, even if he wasn't fully to blame. Looks like Filip Gustavsson is the guy for at least the rest of the series.

Series in three words: Respect the West

Overall Vibes: 10/10. This is why we playoff. For teams that have been underestimated all season to demand respect. For double overtimes. For Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn to feel like kids again.

Series tied at 1-1

It's a tale as old as time for the Oilers: Get a comfortable lead, thanks largely to Connor McDavid, and end up losing the game by a small margin.

Game 2 of this thrilling Oilers-Kings series was different. It wasn't McDavid, it was the somehow unsung Leon Draisaitl leading the way with a goal and two assists. It was also emerging rookie goalie Stuart Skinner making 23 saves on 25 shots.

There's not a take that hasn't been taked about the Oilers at this point, but in the end we're all trying to get at two major issues with the team—McDavid and Draisaitl can't do it alone, and no one can do it without a viable goaltender.

Skinner could be the difference the Oilers have desperately needed, but I still favor the happy-go-lucky Kings to prevail in seven this time.

Meanwhile for the Kings, Anze Kopitar is looking as good as ever with his leadership and two-way game, and new goaltender Joonas Korpisalo was excellent in Game 1 and very good in Game 2.

Game 2 in three words: Let Draisaitl cook

Overall Vibes: 9/10. Wild takes are going to fly out of Alberta until McDavid leads the Oilers to a Cup, but if you take all the noise away, this is such a fun matchup with tons of suspense.

Series tied 1-1

The Leafs? The Leafs!

Look, we're not in the business of praising one of the league's top teams for tying a series up at home. But it's the Leafs, and the 7-2 win over Tampa Bay on Thursday was far andaway the most complete playoff game they've played in the Auston Matthews era.

Further, it was a follow-up to one of their saddest attempts, a home-opening 7-3 loss to start a playoff run that was supposed to be different this time.

Maybe–just maybe–it's still supposed to be different this time.

The beauty of the playoffs is that a 7-3 loss counts just the same as a 1-0 quadruple-overtime defeat. A 7-2 response win is also just another win, but it feels a little personal.

The Leafs didn't just get out to a 3-0 start, they survived two daunting Lightning power plays en route and kept it moving. Then they actually built something, holding the Lightning to zero shots for the last 9:57 of the period.

The Lightning would get two back throughout the game, but they were never timely enough to make a dent in the confidence the Leafs apparently found.

Mitch Marner, who started this all on the power play 47 seconds in, even allowed himself to smile by the third period. Captain John Tavares netted a hat trick in a convincingly systematic fashion. Morgan Rielly put on an absolute show with his four assists, tying the NHL record for defenseman points in a playoff game. Willy Styles Willy Styled. Fourth-line greaser Zach Aston-Reese even had a gross net-front garbage goal. Ryan O'Reilly's presence helped literally everyone on the roster out in some way.

The Leafs did everything they could possibly do to win this game. For once, it actually paid off.

What stuck out the most, beyond the fun goals, was the timely shot suppression and the lack of goals allowed. Head coach Sheldon Keefe decided to keep rolling with Ilya Samsonov, who told the media he "played like s--t" in Game 1, and it paid off even though it didn't really have to. The Leafs had it under control in their own end, and now we have ourselves a series.

Game 2 in three words: Buds all day.

Overall vibes: 10/10, so many goals, so many storylines, so much suspense. Toronto media doesn't even have to invent any narratives.

Rangers lead Devils 2-0

Will the young, inexperienced but finally playoff team in New Jersey figure it out before it's too late?

It's looking unlikely considering the Rangers now have two commanding wins over the Devils at The Rock, the latest a 5-1 thrashing featuring key performances from veterans Vladimir Tarasenko, Chris Kreider and Patrick Kane.

The vibes have been improving for the Devils at certain points throughout the series, whether it was Jack Hughes' first career playoff goal off a penalty shot Tuesday or Erik Haula's goal to give the Devils their first lead of the series Thursday. Despite the flashes of hope, this team has just been outclassed every step of the way by the Rangers and their lofty trade-deadline acquisitions.

Stranger things have happened than a comeback from a 0-2 deficit, but barring a miracle (and the best edition of the Rangers-Devils rivalry ever), New Jersey might look back on this run as a learning experience.

Three words to describe Game 2: Kane goes Broadway

Overall Vibes: Minus-1/10. This series was supposed to deliver a dramatic revival of a storied rivalry, and it couldn't be moving the needle less.

Series tied at 1

No matter who ends up coming out of this series victorious, the newest franchise in the NHL has earned our respect. The Kraken took Game 1 on the road against the defending champions, altitude and all, 3-1. Game 2 was very tight, but Colorado's sneaky Swiss army knife Devon Toews came up with a late goal in the third period to tie the series headed to Seattle.

Goaltender Philipp Grubauer has looked like the Grubauer the Kraken thought they were getting when they signed him (Good!). It can be rattling for a young team in the playoffs when a team like the Avalanche comes back from a two-goal deficit, though, so winning the first-ever playoff game at Climate Pledge Arena for Game 3 is huge. I know, groundbreaking stuff.

Game 2 in three words: There's the Avs

Overall Vibes: 7/10. Nothing particularly wild has happened, but it's pretty cool to see the newest team in the league take on the defending champion Avalanche and hold their own.

Series tied at 1

Jack Eichel, welcome to playoff hockey. And Mark Stone, welcome to the series. Eichel scored a big goal for his first-ever postseason glory, and Stone returned to the lineup to dominate in the fun way he does as the Golden Knights tied the series Thursday with a 5-2 win. This is shaping up to be perhaps a more even matc-up than some of us thought, considering the Jets took Game 1 by a 5-1 score.

As the series shifts to Winnipeg, Vegas need to focus on putting together a full 60. The Golden Knights built entirely on their second period Thursday after the Jets took an early lead. Meanwhile, Winnipeg let Vegas capitalize on silly mistakes and passing errors for nearly all of their goals in Game 2.

Will Nikolaj Ehlers return for Game 3?

The series in three words: Clean it up

Overall Vibes: 6/10. None of these games have been particularly close, so it hasn't been the most fun matchup of the playoffs. But still, things are bound to get chippier and more intense now that the series is tied.