Stanley Cup playoff takeaways after 16 games of Round 2 - ESPN

We have reached another pivot point in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs: Each Round 2 series has made it through four games, and the next matchup will be played at the higher seed's arena.

In the East, the Carolina Hurricanes have built a 3-1 lead over the New Jersey Devils, and the Florida Panthers have done the same vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, the two series in the West are both deadlocked at 2-2, as the Dallas Stars beat the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night and the Edmonton Oilers bested the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

What have we learned from these first 16 games of Round 2 — and what comes next? Let's hear from Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski:

You've noticed it. So have your family, friends, coworkers and anyone else who is paying attention. Goals are being scored — and lots of them. Maybe more than there has been over the previous few years. Or at least it feels like more.

Well, there's no «feeling» about this. It's a fact. Entering Tuesday's action, the average playoff game has seen 6.4 goals scored, which is not only an increase from last postseason but also in line to be the most the NHL has seen since the 1993 postseason.

From 2006 to 2021, teams scored an average of 5.39 goals per game in the playoffs. Last postseason, that average jumped to 6.32, a rise of nearly one goal per game compared to the previous season (5.49). And through the first 66 games of these playoffs, there have been 423 goals scored (6.4 average).

In addition, there have already been 102 power-play goals, and teams are converting at a rate of 24.2%. If that rate holds, it would be the highest in more than 40 years. There have also been more short-handed goals scored this postseason (17) than last postseason