Whew. The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs was a whirlwind, with only two series sweeps and a record 18 games going to overtime.
Now we're on to the conference semifinals, where each matchup is filled with intrigue. Will the hot goalies from Round 1 continue to carry their teams? Who will win the latest edition of the Penguins-Capitals rivalry matchup? Will Connor McDavid reach the conference final in just his second season in the league?
Let's have a look at what the key stats in each series tell us about what to expect:
St. Louis Blues vs. Nashville Predators
Head-to-head: The Predators won the season series 3-2, outscoring the Blues 15-11.
St. Louis strength: Jake Allen's .956 save percentage in Round 1
Allen joined the ranks of Jaroslav Halak and Jean-Sebastien Giguere in stealing a first-round playoff series. The Minnesota Wild, who outshot and outchanced St. Louis by a wide margin, couldn't get much past Allen. Usually, hot Round 1 goalies eventually come tumbling down at some point, but Allen's fall might not be as hard as you might expect. In his final 15 regular-season games, the Blues' goalie had a .942 save percentage. While it's unlikely that he will keep up historically good numbers, it wouldn't be a surprise if Allen continues to flourish.
St. Louis weakness: 39.1 Corsi for percentage in Round 1
Of course, if Allen isn't spectacular and the Blues get demolished again on the shot attempt counter, they will have a difficult time beating the Predators. Their gigantic defense corps did a solid job of clearing the net against the Wild, but still gave up far more shots and opportunities than they wanted. St. Louis was often stifled in the neutral zone, and created few Grade-A chances of its own. The Blues' skaters will have to perform much better to advance.
Nashville strength: 58.7 regular-season Corsi for percentage for Filip Forsberg-Ryan Johansen-Viktor Arvidsson line
After the opening round, the name Viktor Arvidsson is now well-known, especially in Chicago households. He finished with two goals and two assists and flustered the Blackhawks with his speed. Alongside two offensive dynamos, Arvidsson has been the piece that was missing in the Predators' playoff failures of the past. Even with size and toughness, the Blues' defensemen will have a tough time against these playmakers.
Nashville weakness: 18.9 percent power-play percentage in the regular season
There's no doubt the Predators are a terrific even-strength team, but they've been so-so on the power play (including going just 1-for-8 in Round 1), which could benefit St. Louis. The Blues' penalty kill mostly shut down the Wild, and ranked third in the NHL in penalty killing during the regular season.
The pick: Nashville in six
The Predators might not have dominated the standings, but they were the second-best Corsi team in the NHL this season and their performance against Chicago shouldn't have been that big of a surprise. When Nashville controls the shot counter, its skill players won't be shut out like Minnesota's.
Anaheim Ducks vs. Edmonton Oilers
Head-to-head: The Oilers won the season series 3-2, with two of those wins in overtime, outscoring the Ducks 14-12.
Anaheim strength: Cam Fowler's 24 points in 49 playoff games
Fowler is expected back against the Oilers after being kept out of Round 1 with a late-season injury. Despite being mentioned in trade rumors the past few seasons, the former first-round pick has been a big part of the Ducks' success this season, posting 39 points and a positive Corsi for percentage for the first time since 2011-12. Anaheim got by without him in the first round, but will need his skating ability and puck skills to handle the Oilers.
Anaheim weakness: 2.7 goals per game in the regular season, 18th in the NHL
While Ryan Getzlaf had another terrific season, the Ducks were not a scary offensive team during the regular season. They feature enough depth with players like Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg to win with their typically excellent defense and good goaltending, but Anaheim doesn't have an attack that can carry the team through tough defensive times or a goalie slump.
Edmonton strength: Connor McDavid's 21:21 time on ice per game in Round 1
McDavid is likely to win his first Hart Trophy after leading the NHL in scoring during the regular season. He didn't blow up the scoreboard in Round 1, but still netted four points in six games against the Sharks while playing huge minutes in all situations. If No. 97 has a big series, the Ducks will have a difficult time overcoming his effort.
Edmonton weakness: 45.6 scoring chance for percentage (per Corsica Hockey) when McDavid is off-ice
The Oilers received some non-McDavid scoring from Zack Kassian and others en route to beating San Jose. Normally when its superstar is off the ice, Edmonton struggles to create scoring chances and put the puck in the net. The Ducks have a deep defense and forwards like Ryan Kesler who excel at shutting down opponents, which could make Round 2 difficult for the Oilers' depth scorers.
The pick: Anaheim in seven
McDavid is a force and Cam Talbot continues to prove himself as a capable goalie, so the Ducks won't have an easy ride to the Western Conference finals, but Anaheim's experienced players and quality blue line will be too much for the Oilers.
New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators
Head-to-head: The Senators won the season series 2-1, outscoring the Rangers 8-5.
New York strength: Henrik Lundqvist's .947 save percentage in Round 1
If you're going to come at the King, you have to bring a better offensive attack than the Montreal Canadiens did in the first round. Lundqvist had a tough regular season, posting the worst save percentage of his 12-year career (.910), but as usual, he stepped up in the playoffs. He has carried the Rangers to the Stanley Cup finals before, and he still has enough in the tank to do it again.
New York weakness: 161 even-strength shots against in Round 1
During the regular season, the Blueshirts ranked 19th in shots against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, and they allowed a huge number against the Canadiens in Round 1. Things may be changing in the NHL as teams adapt to possession styles, but few teams have remained competitive in the postseason while giving up huge shot attempt totals. The Rangers will need Lundqvist to be at the top of his game to advance.
Ottawa strength: Erik Karlsson's six points in six first-round games
By the end of the Senators' series with Boston, writers covering the Bruins were comparing Karlsson to Bobby Orr. He averaged nearly 30 minutes of ice time per game and dominated the puck, creating scoring chance after scoring chance, sometimes all by himself. This isn't a new revelation: Karlsson is nearly impossible to stop.
Ottawa weakness: Ranked 22nd in even-strength goals per 60 minutes in the regular season
As dynamic as Karlsson is, the rest of the Senators' offensive attack lacks bite. Ottawa didn't have a single player who averaged more than 2.0 even-strength points per 60 minutes this season. In fact, its top 5-on-5 producer, Mark Stone, ranked 59th in the NHL in that metric. Someone will have to step up, or Lundqvist and the Rangers will roll into the Eastern Conference finals.
The pick: New York in five
The Senators benefited from a first-round matchup against a banged-up Boston Bruins team, while New York sent a division winner to the golf course. The Rangers aren't perfect, but they ranked seventh in goals for per 60 this season. And did we mention Henrik Lundqvist?
Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Head-to-head: The teams split the season series 2-2, with the Penguins' two wins coming via the shootout and overtime. The Capitals outscored the Penguins 21-14.
Washington strength: 1.72 goals against per 60 minutes in the regular season (No. 1 in the NHL)
Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals' dangerous scoring attack is always the first thing that comes to mind with Washington, but this season, the Caps were the NHL's top team at keeping pucks out of the net. In the first round, Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs gave the Washington defense trouble at times, but Braden Holtby held strong enough to advance.
Washington weakness: Minus-34 penalty differential in the regular season
This one doesn't take much explanation: If the Capitals end up on the penalty kill frequently against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins, they will be in trouble.
Pittsburgh strength: Crosby's 73 points in 56 career games against the Capitals (including playoffs)
Through the years, Crosby has been a terror when he's played against Washington. Many names have changed, but Sid is once again the best player on the ice in a series against the Capitals. He scored 44 goals to lead the NHL this season, and notched his highest points-per-game rate since 2013-14 (1.19).
Pittsburgh weakness: 31.0 shots allowed per 60 minutes in the regular season (seventh worst in the NHL)
Wide-open hockey has worked for the Penguins since Mike Sullivan took over midway through last season, and it worked last year against the Capitals in the playoffs. But if Pittsburgh continues to give up high numbers of shots to Ovechkin & Co. -- being without possession beast Kris Letang doesn't help here -- the Penguins could be in for a rough road.
The pick: Washington in seven
Every postseason seems like it's going to be Washington's year ... and then it isn't. The biggest advantage this time around against Crosby and the Penguins is that Pittsburgh is without Letang, a dominant puck-carrying defender. That gives a razor-thin edge to the Capitals.