The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs began on Tuesday with four Eastern Conference teams taking the ice. Boston Bruins, led by solid goaltending, are favored to win the series against Florida Panthers. The strong Carolina Hurricanes, led by many goal scorers, are expected to easily defeat New York Islanders. The other two opening round series in the Western Conference will start on Wednesday. The playoffs feature 16 teams and are broken down into three rounds, the quarterfinals, the semifinals and conference finals, with five teams in each division competing for the playoffs. The winners navigate three rounds of playoffs until the Stanley Cup Final, which starts on June 8. This season, it will be a 16-team tournament; previously, 24 and 30 teams competed. All games in the Stanley Cup through the first and second rounds will be played in the NHL's North Division.