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The quest for Lord Stanley's cup is finally here as 16 teams begin their playoff journeys after an 82-game regular-season campaign. This season's had a bit of everything, from breaking records few thought would ever be broken to two surprise teams securing home-ice advantage as the top seeds in their respective conferences. 

With the 16-team field set, let's dive into the matchups and the betting odds for each series, courtesy of DraftKings as of Thursday.

Eastern Conference

The Washington Capitals had a lot of eyes on them with Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record, but they also had a stellar season, securing the No. 1 seed and a date with the Montreal Canadiens. The defending champion Florida Panthers are also in the field in the East, as are perennial contenders Tampa Bay and Carolina. 

Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens 

  • Money line: Capitals -330, Canadiens +260
  • Spread: Capitals -1.5 (-145), Canadiens +1.5 (+125)

The Caps were one of the more overachieving teams relative to preseason expectations. Ovechkin set the all-time record, but Washington also got career years from Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome, who finished second and fourth, respectively, in goals on the team, helping Washington score the second-most goals in the NHL this year. 

The Canadiens were the 16th and final team to secure a playoff spot and did so on the season's second-to-last day. Nick Suzuki has had a stellar year with 89 points, but he and Cole Caufield are the lone Habs with at least 70 points this year. Montreal allowed the 10th-most goals this year and the most among playoff teams. 

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators

  • Money line: Maple Leafs -170, Senators +145
  • Spread: Maple Leafs +1.5 (-320), Senators +1.5 (+250)

Mitch Marner led Toronto in points and crossed 100 points, while captain Auston Matthews had fewer than 80, a low mark for him as he missed some time this year. Those two were among four Maple Leafs with at least 70 points this season, and on defense, goalie Anthony Stolarz had a stellar season with a .926 save percentage in 33 starts. 

Goals have, at times, been tough to come by for the Senators, who rank 21st in that category, and Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson were the lone Senators to reach 60 points this season, while star Brady Tkachuk, who missed 11 games in total, had a team-leading 29 goals. Linus Ullmark tends the net for Ottawa and had a .911 save percentage and allowed 2.67 goals per contest in 43 appearances.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers

  • Money line: Panthers -115, Lightning -105
  • Spread: Panthers +1.5 (-220), Lightning -1.5 (+180)

The two Florida teams face off in the first round, with the defending champs, the Panthers, hoping for a return from star Matthew Tkachuk, who hasn't played since getting injured in the 4 Nations Face-Off. With Tkachuk out, Sam Reinhart has led Florida with 81 points. Sergei Bobrovsky, who was stellar in the Panthers' title run a year ago, had a good year in net with a .905 save percentage. 

As for Tampa, the Lightning are tops in the NHL goals scored and best in the East in goals allowed. Nikita Kucherov led the NHL in points and was one of four Lightning players with at least 80 points. Andrei Vasilevskiy posted a .921 save percentage and allowed just 2.18 goals per game. 

Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils

  • Money line: Hurricanes -245, Devils +200 
  • Spread: Hurricanes -1.5 (-115), Devils +1.5 (-105)

The Hurricanes are a top-10 team in goals scored and goals allowed despite having just two players with more than 60 points in Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. Pyotr Kochetkov has had the worst year of his career in net, though, with his first sub-.900 save percentage of his career. 

The Devils have one of the top defenses in hockey, but they rank in the bottom half of the league in goals scored. The Hughes brothers, Jack and Luke, have combined for over 110 points, and Jesper Bratt's set a new career high. Jacob Markström is New Jersey's top goalie, and the veteran posted a .900 save percentage this year. 

Western Conference

The West runs through ... Winnipeg? Yes, the Jets not only are the top seed in the Western Conference above perennial contenders like Vegas and Dallas, but Winnipeg had the best record in the NHL this season and will face the St. Louis Blues. Here's a look at that matchup, as well as the other three series in the West.

Winnipeg Jets vs St. Louis Blues

  • Money line: Jets -180, Blues +155 
  • Spread: Jets -1.5 (+120), Blues +1.5 (-140)

The Jets were seen as a fringe playoff contender before the season began, but they finished the year as the best team in the NHL. Winnipeg is a balanced bunch, and with goaltending so key in the playoffs, the Jets have to feel better than most with Connor Hellebuyck in net, as he's a big reason why the Jets allowed the fewest goals in the league this season. Winnipeg doesn't have a true top star putting up massive offensive numbers, but Kyle Connor leads the way with just under 100 points, which has helped the Jets rank in the top five in the league in scoring. 

The Blues secured a wild card spot in the season's final days, and St. Louis is also a balanced group, ranking in the top half of the NHL in goals scored and allowed. Robert Thomas leads the squad in points while Jordan Kyrou paces the team in goal. Veteran netminder Jordan Binnington gives the Blues stability at goalie, and he has extensive playoff experience, recording a .914 save percentage in the Blues' 2018-19 title run. 

Vegas Golden Knights vs Minnesota Wild 

  • Money line: Golden Knights -205, Wild +170
  • Spread: Golden Knights -1.5 (+110), Wild +1.5 (-130)

Jack Eichel had the best year of his career with over 90 points, and Adin Hill has been great in net for Vegas all year, allowing with a save percentage over .900. The Golden Knights have a very experienced roster when it comes to postseason play, with stalwarts like Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev in the mix. 

The Wild earned a wild card berth after an uneven campaign, and they rank in the bottom 10 of the NHL in goals scored and are middle of the pack in goals allowed. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson has played especially well over the last two months, with a save percentage in the .910s since the start of March.

Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche 

  • Money line: Stars +120, Avalanche -140
  • Spread: Stars +1.5 (-195), Avalanche -1.5 (+155)

This matchup features plenty of familiar faces for those who follow playoff hockey. The Stars are once again a very balanced team, ranking in the top six in goals scored and allowed. Matt Duchene and Jason Robertson both eclipsed the 80-point mark, while goalie Jake Oettinger posted a .911 save percentage, right in line with his .912 career percentage. 

The Avs are in the top 10 in goals scored and in the top half of the league in goals allowed. Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL in assists, and Cale Makar again showed he's one of the best two-way players in the league with more than 90 points to his name. Goalie has been a big question mark for Colorado in recent years, but Mackenzie Blackwood appears to have stabilized the net for Jared Bednar's group since being traded to the Avs from San Jose this year. 

Los Angeles Kings vs Edmonton Oilers

  • Money line: Oilers -135, Kings +115
  • Spread: Oilers +1.5 (-270), Kings -1.5 (+225)

The Kings enter the playoffs as one of the top defensive teams in hockey, ranking second in goals allowed, as goalie Darcy Kuemper is allowing just over 2.00 goals per game. That defense will be put to the test by Edmonton this series. The Oilers are just outside the top 10 in goals scored, but the duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is still one to be reckoned with, as both helped Edmonton reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season.