Let's Rank The Stanley Cup Playoffs' Easter Conference Matchup Based On How Intriguing They Are

All of the matchups are set, which means it's nearly time for the puck to drop for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

There's nothing better than playoff hockey, but it can still sometimes be hard to decide which series are worth making time for and which ones are skippable.

That's where my patented Intrigue-O-Meter comes in.

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We introduced this device last season — which was met with widespread acclaim — and it worked wonders. It's a little intrigue measuring device I whipped up that looks kind of like a Geiger counter with hot rod flames on it.

Lucky for us, I was able to track it down in a box in my garage after moving into my new place a month ago.

So, let's fire that puppy up and see which series you need to watch…

The Hurrivanes will take on the New Jersey Devils who are without their best player, Jack Hughes. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

New Jersey Devils Vs. Carolina Hurricanes

These two teams met in the postseason a couple of years ago, and I feel like this matchup had the potential to be awesome, but it’s just going to be missing too much to make it must-see-TV.

The big thing is that the Devils will be without superstar Jack Hughes, and while the team still has some serious firepower in the likes of Nico Hischier and Jesper, I just don’t think there’s any way that a Jack Hughes-less Devils team will make it very deep into the postseason.

As for Carolina, I think this is their series to lose, but here’s the thing: I don’t think they’ll get beyond Round 2, which doesn’t help on the intrigue front if the winner of this series is almost certainly doomed immediately afterward.

Intrigue-O-Meter Score: 3 out of 10. Just check the score on your phone the next morning.

Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals come into the playoffs as the Eastern Confernece's top seed and will take on the Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/NHLI via Getty Images)

Montreal Canadiens Vs. Washington Capitals

Here’s an interesting one. 

Now, I think this one will be lopsided as hell, and it may even end in a Caps’ sweep, but I think there are more compelling storylines in this series than in the Devils/Hurricanes series.

First of all, you’ve got the man of the 2024-25 season, Alex Ovechkin, leading a Washington Capitals team that no one predicted would nearly win the Presidents’ Trophy.

Plus, Ovechkin isn’t getting any younger, and there’s a pretty decent chance that this is the best chance he’ll have to win another Cup before he retires.

On the Montreal side, you’ve got a younger Canadiens team that barely snuck into the playoffs, but they recently brought in highly-regarded Ivan Demidov and he has already really impressed and some think could become one of the next big stars in the NHL.

Washington is going to win this one easily, and then probably thump the winner of the Devils/Canes series.

Intrigue-O-Meter Score: 5.5 out of 10. Throw it on in the background while you vacuum or clip the dog’s toenails.

The Battle of Florida features a pair of legitimate Cup contenders. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images)

Florida Panthers Vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Buckle up, boys and girls.

Three of the past five seasons have ended with the Stanley Cup heading to the Sunshine State, and there’s a reason: these two teams are loaded with offensive weapons, some shutdown defenseman, a nice dose of sandpaper, and a ton of postseason experience.

Plus, they absolutely despise each other.

Sort of like with the Leafs and Senators, geography plays a role in this rivalry, but unlike the Battle of Ontario, there have been more than a few postseason meetings between the two teams, so there is some history there.

Plus, both are coming in as contenders, with the Panthers being the reigning champs.

So who comes out on top? It’s going to be tight, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see this one go the distance. The longer it goes on, the more I think it favors the Panthers, because with the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and now Brad Marchand in the lineup, they’re going to wear teams down both mentally and physically over the course of a series.

Intrigue-O-Meter Score: 8.5 out of 10. Clear your schedules and disconnect your phone if you’re old enough of a geezer to still have a landline.

The Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs will both have something to prove in this year's playoffs. (Photo by Michael Chisholm/Getty Images)

Ottawa Senators Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

We already have Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz is already predicting that the Battle of Ontario will be a bloodbath, and I think he's right.

The series will pit two teams that are going to be incredibly hungry for a win, for totally different reasons.

For the Senators, they're making their first playoff appearance since they were a goal away from the Stanley Cup final back in 2017. It's a totally different Senators team now, led by Brady Tkachuk (who I think we're all excited to see in the playoffs) and they're going to want to show they belong in the postseason.

And what better way to do that than to knock off the top dogs in the Atlantic Division, who just happen to be their cross-province rivals?

Well, Toronto still has a lot to prove in their own right after years of falling short of lofty expectations.

Every year that the team comes up short, more and more questions are going to be asked, especially as it relates to the team's core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander.

I think Stolarz is right; this one could turn into a war.

Intrigue-O-Meter Score: 9.5 out of 10. Skip any weddings or funerals of people who aren’t immediate family members.

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Alright, that's it for the Eastern Conference. We'll reconvene later to talk about the Western Conference!