Stanley Cup Playoffs 2015: Analyzing Teams That Will Overcome 1st-Round Deficits

Getting off to a fast start in the Stanley Cup playoffs by taking a 1-0 series lead can be huge in terms of building momentum and confidence, but falling behind certainly isn't the end of the world.

Teams manage to show their resilience and overcome series deficits on a yearly basis. In fact, dropping the first game of a postseason series can work as a wake-up call at times, and there are eight teams hoping that is the case after stumbling out of the gates.

With the first game in the books for every first-round playoff series, here is a full listing of predictions for teams that will come back and advance to the second round despite facing 1-0 deficits.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Most observers seemingly figured that the Tampa Bay Lightning would have little trouble dispatching of the Detroit Red Wings in the first round, but the Bolts may have gotten a bit more than they bargained for in Game 1 as they fell 3-2.

With that said, the peripheral stats from Game 1 suggest that the Lightning are in line to rebound and seize control of the series from Detroit.

The biggest difference in the series-opening game was goaltending, as Red Wings netminder Petr Mrazek outshined Bolts goalie Ben Bishop. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Tampa amazingly put 32 more shots on net than the Red Wings did:

Bishop couldn't solve veteran Pavel Datsyuk, and while that could be an issue moving forward, the Lightning are bound to break through if they continue to pepper Mrazek.

Even Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall acknowledged that his team was outplayed by the young and dynamic Bolts in Game 1, per Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times:

Hot goalies can steal games during the postseason, and the Lightning learned that firsthand. Provided that they can keep Detroit's high-quality scoring chances to a minimum, though, they should be fine.

Tampa Bay can come at teams with a seemingly endless wave of offensive talent, including Steve Stamkos, Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Ryan Callahan and many others.

The Bolts are too stacked at forward to continue getting stymied, so things will eventually click, which will allow them to advance past Detroit.

Vancouver Canucks

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Neither the Vancouver Canucks nor the Calgary Flames were expected to make the playoffs prior to the 2014-15 season, but the Canadian rivals defied the odds and are in engaged in what promises to be a tightly contested series.

The Flames took Game 1 by a score of 2-1, with the decisive goal coming off the stick of defenseman Kris Russell with just 30 seconds remaining in regulation. That was certainly a heartbreaking way to lose, but Vancouver has the pieces necessary to mount a comeback.

Primarily, the Canucks need to solve Flames goalie Jonas Hiller, who turned aside 29 of their 30 shots in Game 1. Veteran center Henrik Sedin acknowledged that Calgary benefited greatly from its netminder's stout performance, according to the Canucks' official Twitter account:

Vancouver's lone goal came from rookie Bo Horvat, which has become something of a trend for the Canucks in their recent games against the Flames, per Jeff Paterson of TSN 1040:

There is no doubt that the likes of Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Radim Vrbata, Alexandre Burrows and Jannik Hansen need to start finding the back of the net in order for Vancouver to get back into the series.

Since they combined for 103 goals during the regular season, they obviously have the ability to get on the scoresheet and wreak havoc on the opposition.

Also, while Eddie Lack played well in goal for the Canucks in Game 1, they have Ryan Miller waiting in the wings if they feel as though they have to shake things up.

The American stopper could prove to be a wild card in this series, and Vancouver would be wise to turn to him if things start to tilt too far in Calgary's favor.

Washington Capitals

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

The Washington Capitals entered the playoffs with all kinds of momentum on their side, but they were quickly hit with a rude awakening as the New York Islanders throttled them 4-1 in Game 1 of their first-round series in the Eastern Conference.

It certainly wasn't an ideal start for Washington on home ice, but the Caps can turn it around due largely to the presence of offensive forces such as Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The Great Eight led the NHL with 53 goals, and Backstrom added 60 assists, which means Washington is capable of breaking out at any time.

The Capitals' secondary scoring may leave something to be desired, but defensemen John Carlson and Mike Green are great at jumping into the play and activating the offense, which is something the Isles will have to be cognizant of.

Washington also has the advantage of the NHL's top power-play unit going up against New York's somewhat suspect goaltending, according to ESPN's John Buccigross:

Jaroslav Halak didn't have a bad season for the Islanders by any means, but he was definitely outperformed by Capitals netminder Braden Holtby.

The opposite was true in Game 1; however, the cream tends to rise to the top in a seven-game series, which benefits the Caps in essentially all areas.

New York has more depth of scoring, with John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Brock Nelson, Anders Lee and others, than Washington does, but the Capitals' top-flight talent will be enough to help them crawl out of the 1-0 hole.

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