The 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Monday, May 2, with the first round [view the full schedule here], and as we do every year, The Fourth Period’s panel of experts weigh in with their Predictions and Series MVPs. Here are our picks for Round 1:

Atlantic Predictions

Washington Capitals (WC2) vs. Florida Panthers (1)

TFP Panel

Series Winner

Series MVP

Bamford

 in 4 Jonathan Huberdeau

Bernstein

 in 5 Jonathan Huberdeau

Di Marco

 in 7 Claude Giroux

Gaffar

 in 6 Jonathan Huberdeau

Hoven

 in 5 Anton Lundell

Hutcheon

 in 5 Jonathan Huberdeau

Kelly

 in 5 Aleksander Barkov

Lack

 in 5 Aleksander Barkov

Pagnotta

 in 5 Aaron Ekblad

Pasculli

 in 6 Aleksander Barkov

Paton

 in 6 Claude Giroux

Sicard

 in 4 Jonathan Huberdeau

Ward

 in 5 Sam Bennett

Tampa Bay Lightning (3) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (2)

TFP Panel

Series Winner

Series MVP

Bamford

 in 5 Steven Stamkos

Bernstein

 in 6 Steven Stamkos

Di Marco

 in 6 Andrei Vasilevskiy

Gaffar

 in 7 Andrei Vasilevskiy

Hoven

 in 6 Nikita Kucherov

Hutcheon

 in 7 Andrei Vasilevskiy

Kelly

 in 7 Auston Matthews

Lack

 in 6 Andrei Vasilevskiy

Pagnotta

 in 6 Victor Hedman

Pasculli

 in 7 Jack Campbell

Paton

 in 7 Auston Matthews

Sicard

 in 7 Auston Matthews

Ward

 in 6 Andrei Vasilevskiy

Metropolitan Predictions

Boston Bruins (WC1) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (1)

TFP Panel

Series Winner

Series MVP

Bamford

 in 6 Teuvo Teravainen

Bernstein

 in 7 Andrei Svechnikov

Di Marco

 in 6 Erik Haula

Gaffar

 in 6 Sebastian Aho

Hoven

 in 7 Charlie Coyle

Hutcheon

 in 7 Linus Ullmark

Kelly

 in 6 Andrei Svechnikov

Lack

 in 6 Sebastian Aho

Pagnotta

 in 6 Andrei Svechnikov

Pasculli

 in 5 Frederik Andersen

Paton

 in 7 Patrice Bergeron

Sicard

 in 7 Frederik Andersen

Ward

 in 6 Vincent Trochek

Pittsburgh Penguins (3) vs. New York Rangers (2)

TFP Panel

Series Winner

Series MVP

Bamford

 in 7 Adam Fox

Bernstein

 in 5 Artemi Panarin

Di Marco

 in 6 Sidney Crosby

Gaffar

 in 7 Mika Zibanejad

Hoven

 in 5 K'Andre Miller

Hutcheon

 in 7 Igor Shesterkin

Kelly

 in 6 Igor Shesterkin

Lack

 in 6 Igor Shesterkin

Pagnotta

 in 6 Mika Zibanejad

Pasculli

 in 7 Artemi Panarin

Paton

 in 5 Igor Shesterkin

Sicard

 in 5 Rickard Rakell

Ward

 in 7 Chris Kreider

Central Predictions

Nashville Predators (WC2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (1)

TFP Panel

Series Winner

Series MVP

Bamford

 in 5 Cale Makar

Bernstein

 in 4 Mikko Rantanen

Di Marco

 in 5 Cale Makar

Gaffar

 in 5 Nazem Kadri

Hoven

 in 5 Cale Makar

Hutcheon

 in 5 Cale Makar

Kelly

 in 4 Nathan MacKinnon

Lack

 in 5 Nathan MacKinnon

Pagnotta

 in 4 Mikko Rantanen

Pasculli

 in 6 Nathan MacKinnon

Paton

 in 5 Cale Makar

Sicard

 in 4 Cale Makar

Ward

 in 6 Cale Makar

St. Louis Blues (3) vs. Minnesota Wild (2)

TFP Panel

Series Winner

Series MVP

Bamford

 in 7 Marc-Andre Fleury

Bernstein

 in 6 Vladimir Tarasenko

Di Marco

 in 4 Ryan Hartman

Gaffar

 in 7 Kirill Kaprizov

Hoven

 in 7 Ryan O'Reilly

Hutcheon

 in 6 Vladimir Tarasenko

Kelly

 in 6 Marc-Andre Fleury

Lack

 in 7 Kevin Fiala

Pagnotta

 in 7 Ryan O'Reilly

Pasculli

 in 7 Kirill Kaprizov

Paton

 in 7 Jordan Kyrou

Sicard

 in 6 Kevin Fiala

Ward

 in 7 Kirill Kaprizov

West Predictions

Dallas Stars (WC2) vs. Calgary Flames (1)

TFP Panel

Series Winner

Series MVP

Bamford

 in 5 Matthew Tkachuk

Bernstein

 in 5 Johnny Gaudreau

Di Marco

 in 6 Jacob Markstrom

Gaffar

 in 6 Jacob Markstrom

Hoven

 in 7 Johnny Gaudreau

Hutcheon

 in 6 Jacob Markstrom

Kelly

 in 5 Matthew Tkachuk

Lack

 in 5 Elias Lindholm

Pagnotta

 in 5 Matthew Tkachuk

Pasculli

 in 5 Matthew Tkachuk

Paton

 in 5 Jacob Markstrom

Sicard

 in 7 Jacob Markstrom

Ward

 in 4 Johnny Gaudreau

Los Angeles Kings (3) vs. Edmonton Oilers (2)

TFP Panel

Series Winner

Series MVP

Bamford

 in 6 Jonathan Quick

Bernstein

 in 6 Anze Kopitar

Di Marco

 in 7 Leon Draisaitl

Gaffar

 in 5 Evander Kane

Hoven

 in 6 Dustin Brown

Hutcheon

 in 6 Connor McDavid

Kelly

 in 6 Connor McDavid

Lack

 in 6 Jonathan Quick

Pagnotta

 in 7 Connor McDavid

Pasculli

 in 7 Anze Kopitar

Paton

 in 7 Jonathan Quick

Sicard

 in 7 Jonathan Quick

Ward

 in 7 Zach Hyman

TFP Experts:

Tab Bamford - Columnist, Chicago
Dennis Bernstein - Sr. Writer
Anthony Di Marco - NHL Correspondent
Irfaan Gaffar - Host & Lead Reporter
John Hoven - Special Contributor, MayorsManor.com
Shawn Hutcheon - Boston Correspondent
Shane Kelly - Data Analyst
Eddie Lack - NHL Analyst
David Pagnotta - Editor-in-Chief
Matteo Pasculli - NHL Correspondent
Ryan Paton - Host, The Hot Stove on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio
Felix Sicard - Anaheim Correspondent
Aaron Ward - NHL Analyst, 3-time Stanley Cup Champion