I went four for six picks last Wednesday, which was a solid day if you ask me. I was one Alex Ovechkin goal and one decent performance by the Stars forwards away to get the sweep. I plan on accomplishing that feat at least twice during the remainder of these playoffs, and what better day to do so than one where we've got three Game 7 matchups ahead of us.

This is going to be extra difficult since today, all knowledge, all logic, all brain talk is out the window, both for the players and for us. It's the heart and grit that matters. And trust me, I've got plenty of that.

Since we're talking about series winners here, I'm not going to go the fancy route today, I'll simply pick my favorites and keep the intricate picks for my side bets. So, let's get into it.

Gold Pick

Boston Bruins @ Carolina Hurricanes – Pick: Bruins

The Bruins are going to have to face the storm this afternoon in Carolina. Having those Hurricanes fans cheer against them for 60 minutes isn't going to make this already monstrous game any easier for them. But if there's one squad that should have more mental strength than any other, it's Boston. Patrice Bergeron is both the greatest leader and defensive forward in the league. Brad Marchand is the most talented bad guy in the NHL possibly ever. Taylor Hall has had to overcome pretty much every obstacle in his career, especially playing for the Sabres, and the same can be said for Linus Ullmark.

This squad hasn't lost a first round since 2017. This would be their fifth ticket to the conference semifinals in a row. During that span, they've had their fair share of Game 7s, and they've come on top most of the time. While Carolina has also had solid postseason performances in recent years, and despite the fact that they've got a stronger defensive core, they lack the experience and wisdom that Boston has accumulated since first winning the cup in 2011. This one is going to go down to the wire, but the Bruins will find a way to edge it out.

Silver Pick

Los Angeles Kings @ Edmonton Oilers – Pick: Oilers

Everyone knows it, Edmonton should've ended this series long ago. They've made the moves to add depth on both defense and offense. They obviously dominate their opponents in terms of sheer talent. While their goaltending can still be questionable at times, Mike Smith is rolling on a .931 save percentage so far this series, so the problem is clearly not there. While Connor McDavid, Evander Kane, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and Cody Ceci are playing great, the Oilers demons are still here to haunt them as the rest of the squad is yet again underperforming. Zach Hyman can be invisible in some games. Tyson Barrie isn't the offensive machine he was last season. Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi are still showing signs of inexperience. Despite all this, I'm still opting for the noob answer: Connor McDavid will find a way. He's insane. He can do it. He will singlehandedly get his team to the next round.

Bronze Pick

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Toronto Maple Leafs – Pick: Lightning

Here it is. The one game to rule them all in this first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. I wish I didn't have to make a choice here, but my job on this website requires me to do so. It's a hard prediction to make, but, in the end, it all comes down to the mental game, and I believe Tampa has an edge here. Just ten months ago they came out victorious after Game 7 against the Islanders in the semi-finals. They obviously know how to play playoff hockey. While there can be some question marks regarding their depth, their core has been here time and time again and I believe they'll take over the game. Regardless of the performances or the stats so far this series, Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Andrei Vasilevskiy will make sure to get the job done.

What's even worse for Toronto here is the way the last game ended. It's a story we've seen before, and that will be polluting their emotional minds all game long. Because they are obviously an emotional team, which I personally believe are the coolest teams to cheer for, but that makes situations like these much more challenging. With all the storylines that have been created by hockey twitter during this series such as Justin Holl's talent, John Tavares' impact or Jack Campbell's mental fortitude, it's going to be a great challenge for these guys to go in there with a clear mind tonight.

Side Bets

Connor McDavid Anytime Goalscorer @1.95

Connor McDavid and David Pastrnak both to score @4.33

Boston Bruins @ Carolina Hurricanes (Over/under 5.5) – Pick: Over