With eight teams left in the playoffs and four series to be played, we don't have quite as many bold takes to make or analysis to do a deep dive into. Fortunately, it means we can max out our thought process for making the kinds or predictions few would have the courage to make.

The Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes meet in the second round of the NHL playoffs in a series between division rivals that play the same defensively but try to score in entirely different ways.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals play Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Tuesday in D.C.