From road warriors to overtime overload: Five takeaways from first week of playoffs

Underdogs have been hot on the road, and first-round contests have gone a lot longer than three periods

With about a week of Stanley Cup playoffs wrapped up, some first-round favorites are on the verge of elimination and others are virtually shifting their sights to the next round. As the eight opening series unfold, here are five takeaways from the first week:

The underdogs are road warriors

Much to the chagrin of the Western Conference front-runners, the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators have teamed to give the underdogs a good name this postseason. And their success has come almost exclusively on the road. The two teams, in fact, entered this week a combined 4-1 at Minnesota and Chicago, which, in case you forgot, is no slouch. Even more interesting: Nashville and St. Louis were sub-.500 (combined 39-37-6) on the road in the regular season.

Taking it down to the wire (and then some)

We've already churned out seven overtime games, including a double-OT thriller between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs. Chalk it up to parity or just call it an exhilarating start. Maybe this is where the polarizing playoff seeding earns high marks (until, of course, it officially eliminates a pair of top-ranked teams).

The Penguins' speed cannot be overstated

Twelve goals in three games against the Columbus Blue Jackets says it all. That kind of scoring isn't unusual for the Pens' league-leading offense, which had Jake Guentzel at the forefront of success Sunday. But to do so against Columbus' highly touted defense, namely goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, and leave the Blue Jackets clinging for life heading into Game 4 is a firm reminder that Pittsburgh's speed cannot be ignored. Their durability can be questioned, but their puck-moving talent cannot.

Bruins-Senators is the quieter version of Rangers-Canadiens

OK, it's a little much to compare either the Boston Bruins or the Ottawa Senators to the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals enemies. No one can deny that the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers are delivering one of the first round's premier matchups. But the Boston-Ottawa matchup is quietly intriguing, if only because it swings so many directions. The Bruins looked well on their way to a second straight upset Saturday but were bested in a thrilling OT decision, and now the series is in Boston for two games.

Cheap shots and hard hits are under the microscope

From Matt Calvert's untimely suspension to the Edmonton Oilers' roughing up the San Jose Sharks, keep an eye on dicey contact. It's the playoffs, remember, so things are going to be a little more edgy. And you're always going to have people wondering why Sidney Crosby, for example, isn't getting the penalty calls he "deserves" (make of that what you will). But there's a fine line between using physicality to gain momentum and crossing the line, especially amid such high stakes.