The 2020 NHL playoffs have advanced past the awkward yet delightful qualification round, and we are now on to the tried-and-true, 16-team tournament with which we're all familiar. One twist this time around: Instead of a bracket, the teams will be re-racked after each round so that the highest seed plays the lowest in each conference.

There's a wealth of history in this round -- on the team vs. team and player vs. player levels -- and if the earlier games are any indication, we're in for a special set of contests.

We gathered our panel of NHL experts to hear their picks on each series in the first official round of the 2020 playoffs, along with how many games it will take to get to the result in each case.

More: Check out the full NHL postseason schedule here.

Jump to:
PHI-MTL | TB-CBJ | WSH-NYI | BOS-CAR
VGK-CHI | COL-ARI | DAL-CGY | STL-VAN

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Philadelphia Flyers vs. No. 12 Montreal Canadiens

Sean Allen: Canadiens in six
Ben Arledge: Flyers in six
Pierre Becquey: Flyers in seven
John Buccigross: Flyers in five
Sach Chandan: Canadiens in six
Linda Cohn: Flyers in six
Dimitri Filipovic: Flyers in five
Emily Kaplan: Flyers in six
Tim Kavanagh: Flyers in five
Don La Greca: Flyers in five
Vince Masi: Flyers in five
Victoria Matiash: Flyers in six
Barry Melrose: Flyers in five
Arda Ocal: Canadiens in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Flyers in five

Consensus pick: Flyers (12/15)

No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 9 Columbus Blue Jackets

Sean Allen: Lightning in six
Ben Arledge: Lightning in six
Pierre Becquey: Lightning in five
John Buccigross: Lightning in seven
Sach Chandan: Lightning in seven
Linda Cohn: Lightning in seven
Dimitri Filipovic: Lightning in five
Emily Kaplan: Lightning in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Blue Jackets in seven
Don La Greca: Lightning in six
Vince Masi: Blue Jackets in seven
Victoria Matiash: Blue Jackets in seven
Barry Melrose: Blue Jackets in six
Arda Ocal: Blue Jackets in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Lightning in seven

Consensus pick: Lightning (10/15)

No. 3 Washington Capitals vs. No. 7 New York Islanders

Sean Allen: Capitals in five
Ben Arledge: Capitals in seven
Pierre Becquey: Islanders in seven
John Buccigross: Capitals in seven
Sach Chandan: Islanders in six
Linda Cohn: Capitals in seven
Dimitri Filipovic: Capitals in seven
Emily Kaplan: Islanders in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Capitals in six
Don La Greca: Islanders in seven
Vince Masi: Capitals in six
Victoria Matiash: Capitals in six
Barry Melrose: Islanders in six
Arda Ocal: Islanders in five
Greg Wyshynski: Capitals in six

Consensus pick: Capitals (9/15)

No. 4 Boston Bruins vs. No. 6 Carolina Hurricanes

Sean Allen: Hurricanes in seven
Ben Arledge: Hurricanes in seven
Pierre Becquey: Bruins in five
John Buccigross: Hurricanes in seven
Sach Chandan: Hurricanes in five
Linda Cohn: Hurricanes in seven
Dimitri Filipovic: Hurricanes in six
Emily Kaplan: Hurricanes in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Bruins in six
Don La Greca: Hurricanes in six
Vince Masi: Hurricanes in seven
Victoria Matiash: Hurricanes in seven
Barry Melrose: Hurricanes in seven
Arda Ocal: Hurricanes in six
Greg Wyshynski: Hurricanes in six

Consensus pick: Hurricanes (13/15)

Western Conference

No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 12 Chicago Blackhawks

Sean Allen: Golden Knights in six
Ben Arledge: Golden Knights in five
Pierre Becquey: Golden Knights in six
John Buccigross: Golden Knights in seven
Sach Chandan: Golden Knights in five
Linda Cohn: Golden Knights in seven
Dimitri Filipovic: Golden Knights in four
Emily Kaplan: Blackhawks in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Blackhawks in seven
Don La Greca: Golden Knights in five
Vince Masi: Golden Knights in five
Victoria Matiash: Golden Knights in six
Barry Melrose: Golden Knights in six
Arda Ocal: Blackhawks in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Golden Knights in four

Consensus pick: Golden Knights (12/15)

No. 2 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 11 Arizona Coyotes

Sean Allen: Avalanche in five
Ben Arledge: Avalanche in five
Pierre Becquey: Avalanche in five
John Buccigross: Avalanche in six
Sach Chandan: Coyotes in seven
Linda Cohn: Avalanche in six
Dimitri Filipovic: Avalanche in five
Emily Kaplan: Avalanche in six
Tim Kavanagh: Coyotes in six
Don La Greca: Avalanche in six
Vince Masi: Avalanche in five
Victoria Matiash: Avalanche in five
Barry Melrose: Avalanche in five
Arda Ocal: Coyotes in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Avalanche in six

Consensus pick: Avalanche (12/15)

No. 3 Dallas Stars vs. No. 8 Calgary Flames

Sean Allen: Stars in seven
Ben Arledge: Flames in six
Pierre Becquey: Stars in six
John Buccigross: Stars in seven
Sach Chandan: Stars in four
Linda Cohn: Flames in six
Dimitri Filipovic: Stars in seven
Emily Kaplan: Flames in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Stars in seven
Don La Greca: Stars in six
Vince Masi: Stars in seven
Victoria Matiash: Flames in six
Barry Melrose: Flames in six
Arda Ocal: Flames in six
Greg Wyshynski: Stars in seven

Consensus pick: Stars (9/15)

No. 4 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 7 Vancouver Canucks

Sean Allen: Canucks in six
Ben Arledge: Blues in seven
Pierre Becquey: Blues in six
John Buccigross: Blues in seven
Sach Chandan: Canucks in six
Linda Cohn: Blues in seven
Dimitri Filipovic: Blues in six
Emily Kaplan: Blues in six
Tim Kavanagh: Blues in five
Don La Greca: Blues in five
Vince Masi: Blues in seven
Victoria Matiash: Blues in six
Barry Melrose: Blues in five
Arda Ocal: Canucks in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Canucks in six

Consensus pick: Blues (11/15)