NHL Playoffs 2023: Top Storylines for April 18 Schedule

The Colorado Avalanche begin their Stanley Cup title defense on Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken.

Colorado is aiming to become the second repeat champion in four years after the Tampa Bay Lightning captured consecutive titles in 2020 and 2021.

Colorado's first opponent in the Western Conference bracket is the Seattle Kraken, who make their Stanley Cup Playoffs debut inside Ball Arena.

Seattle put together a strong record in its second NHL season, but a first playoff series victory might have to wait.

A first-round triumph is all the Toronto Maple Leafs want to end their decades-long losing streak in the opening postseason series.

Toronto has not won a first-round matchup since 2004. It is 0-7 in that span, including six straight eliminations in the opening round. The Leafs lost five first-round series and a qualifying-round matchup in the bubble since 2017.

Toronto is hoping to open its series with Tampa Bay on a high note, as it did last season with a 5-0 home win. The Leafs and Lightning went seven games last year, and Toronto could be locked in another tough fight to get out of the first round in 2023.

April 18 NHL Playoff Schedule

Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 13: New York Rangers Left Wing Chris Kreider (20) and New York Rangers Defenceman K'Andre Miller (79) in action during the third period of the National Hockey League game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers on April 13, 2023 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Game 1: New York Rangers at New Jersey (7 p.m. ET, TBS)

Game 1: Tampa Bay at Toronto (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Game 1: Winnipeg at Vegas (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Game 1: Seattle at Colorado (10 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Colorado Begins Title Defense in Seattle's First Playoff Game

Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images

DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 05: J.T. Compher #37 of the Colorado Avalanche awaits a face off against the Seattle Kraken at Ball Arena on March 5, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Colorado will try to follow in Tampa Bay's footsteps as repeat champion.

The Avalanche reside in a similar position as the start of last postseason as the Central Division champion. The difference is they finished second in the West and would need the Vegas Golden Knights to lose to hold home-ice advantage.

A year ago, Colorado used a pair of sweeps and a 4-2 series win to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

A sweep could be in play against the Kraken because of the second-year side's playoff inexperience as a whole.

Seattle does have some Stanley Cup-winning experience on its roster in Jaden Schwartz, who won with the St. Louis Blues, and Yanni Gourde, who was a two-time champion with Tampa Bay.

However, the Kraken have 10 players who are age 26 and younger, and most of them will be participating in their first postseason series. That could be a disadvantage against a battle-tested Colorado team.

Seattle should have a bit of confidence from its two regular-season wins and one shootout loss against Colorado.

But this is a Colorado team that won seven of its last eight games to land the Central Division crown, and that run to end the regular season should provide them with a boost to take over Game 1.

Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen will once again be tasked with leading the Avs through the playoffs. Both players had over 100 points in the regular season.

Four other Colorado skaters, including defenseman Cale Makar, recorded over 50 points. Seattle had just four players with 50 points, led by Jared McCann's 70.

The Avs' advantages on offense and in experience should show immediately on Tuesday night, and they hope Game 1 against Seattle is as successful as the seven-goal outburst against the Nashville Predators in the postseason opener in 2022.

Toronto Still Looking to Get out of First Round

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 13: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on April 13, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Maple Leafs' postseason plight has been well documented over the last few years.

Toronto's inability to get out of the opening round is one of the more confounding things about the NHL postseason because of the rosters the franchise put together.

Just like 2022, Toronto appears to have the edge with home ice over the Lightning. The Leafs took advantage of home ice in Game 1 last year before going 1-2 in their other three home contests.

Tampa Bay is as tested of a franchise in the postseason as you will find in the NHL, so that makes the task even harder on paper for Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Co.

The Lightning have been to the last three Stanley Cup Finals and advanced to at least the Eastern Conference Final in five of its last six postseason appearances.

A series win over Tampa Bay would not just end Toronto's horrendous first-round losing streak, but it would also eliminate one of the top contenders in the East.

The Leafs should have the advantage in Game 1. They won the regular-season series with Tampa Bay and the Lightning earned the second-fewest road wins of the eight playoff qualifiers in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto can earn a similar result as Game 1 in 2022, but then it must follow up a potential win with another home triumph to put it in the best position possible heading to Tampa.