The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs are midway through the second round. So far, there have been plenty of thrills and surprises to keep fans entertained as the field of 16 has been reduced to eight.

Each club began the postseason hopeful of staging a Cup run this spring, but several teams saw those hopes come to a disappointing early conclusion.

Some issues, such as poor special teams' play or lack of production, led to clubs with good regular-season records like the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs getting eliminated. Other teams struggled with inconsistent goaltending or sloppy defensive play.

Here's our ranking of what we believe are the biggest disappointments in this NHL postseason thus far. Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the app comments below.

10. Alexandar Georgiev's Goaltending

It's been a difficult season for Alexandar Georgiev.

The Colorado Avalanche goaltender led the league with 38 wins this season, but his other stats were less than stellar. His 3.02 goals-against average ranked 35th among goalies with at least 25 games played while his .897 save percentage was 41st.

The playoffs didn't start well for Georgiev, who gave up seven goals on 23 shots in a 7-6 series-opening loss to the Winnipeg Jets in Game 1. That sparked criticism of his performance, and backup Justus Annunen's illness meant the Avs had no choice but to stick with him for Game 2.

The 28-year-old battled back, though, allowing only two goals or less in the next three games as he backstopped Colorado to victory, culminating in its 6-3 series clincher in Game 5.

His improvement was promising for the Avs entering their second-round series with the Dallas Stars, but his performance has been inconsistent in this matchup. He won the first game but gave up three goals on 22 shots, and he allowed four goals in their 5-3 loss in Game 2.

Georgiev played better despite the Avs' 4-1 loss in Game 3. He allowed two goals on 21 shots before being pulled for the extra attacker late in the game.

It's not as though Georgiev's overall performance has been terrible in this postseason, especially after overcoming his poor showing in the opening game against the Jets. However, the Avs need a better, more consistent effort from him to eliminate the Stars and continue their quest for the Cup.

9. Nashville Predators Offense

Entering their first-round series, few gave the Nashville Predators much of a chance against the Vancouver Canucks. To garner victory, they'd have to neutralize a potent offense while trying to capitalize with their own scoring punch.

The two sides weren't that far apart in regular-season scoring, with the Canucks sitting sixth overall in goals-per-game (3.40) while the Predators (3.24) were 10th. For the most part, the Predators held the Vancouver offense in check in this series, limiting it to two goals or less in four of the six games played.

However, the Predators failed to capitalize offensively, limited to two goals or less in four of those six games. This was against a team down to third-string goalie Arturs Silovs after injuries sidelined Canucks starter Thatcher Demko and backup Casey DeSmith.

The Canucks advanced to the second round despite sitting ninth among the 16 playoff clubs with a goals-per-game of 2.63. Meanwhile, the Predators are 14th at 2.00. While the Canucks' power-play percentage was an anemic 12.5, Nashville's was much worse at a mere 9.1.

Of the Predators' scorers, only Filip Forsberg scored more than one goal, and he had just two. Granted, 10 other players each had one goal, but that's not the kind of production that carries a team on a deep playoff run.

Had their offense been even marginally better, it might have tilted this series in their favor.

8. Alex Ovechkin's Production

No one disputes Alex Ovechkin's place among the NHL's greatest goal scorers. His 853 career regular-season goals have him within range of surpassing Wayne Gretzky's record of 894.

The Washington Capitals captain also sits 15th among the all-time playoff-scoring leaders with 72.

At 38, though, Ovechkin is in the twilight of his great career. Meanwhile, his Capitals have considerably declined since their 2018 Stanley Cup run. They haven't won a playoff round since then, missed the playoffs last season and barely qualified for the 2024 postseason.

For the Capitals to have a chance in their first-round series against the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers, they needed Ovechkin to light the lamp or at least be a consistent offensive threat.

That never happened. For the first time in a postseason series, the "Great 8" was held scoreless as his club was swept by the Rangers in four games.

Other factors also contributed to the Capitals' swift playoff exit. Injuries hampered top forwards T.J. Oshie and Tom Wilson. They're a roster in transition as promising young players yet to reach their playing prime are replacing aging or sidelined veterans. They were among this season's lowest-scoring teams and need a late-season push to reach the postseason.

Ovechkin's lack of production in this series was a tribute to the Rangers' solid effort in shutting him down. It also signalled that the future Hall of Famer's best days are well behind him.

7. New York Islanders' Goaltending

The low-scoring New York Islanders didn't match up well offensively against the Carolina Hurricanes in their opening-round series.

Sitting 22nd overall with a goals-per-game of 2.99 compared to their opponent's 3.38, they needed a strong performance from their defensemen and goaltending to stage a first-round upset.

Goaltending has long been New York's strength with Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov splitting the duties. Their efforts were crucial to the Isles' late-season push that clinched a playoff spot.

Nevertheless, the Hurricanes dominated the Islanders, whose goaltending failed to bail them out as they fell in five games. Varlamov and Sorokin combined for a 3.80 goals-against per game, the fourth-highest among the 16 playoff clubs.

Varlamov, 36, did his best, including a 44-save performance in their only victory, a 3-2 double-overtime win in Game 4. But he was lit up for five goals on 37 shots in their series-ending 6-3 loss, finishing with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

More troubling was Sorokin's performance.

A finalist for the Vezina Trophy last season, the 28-year-old battled inconsistency for most of this season. He was outstanding last year during their first-round series against the Hurricanes. This time, he saw action in just one game, giving up three goals on 14 shots in Game 3 before being replaced by Varlamov.

6. Carolina Hurricanes Scoring Against New York Rangers

The second-round series between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers was a much-anticipated rematch of their 2022 second-round series.

Back then, these Metropolitan Division rivals went the full seven games before the Rangers eliminated the Hurricanes.

This year's version has been a lopsided affair as the Rangers enter Game 5 on Monday with a 3-1 series lead, poised to eliminate the Hurricanes in five games.

It's been a disappointing series for Carolina. A lack of scoring punch last season led to it getting swept by the Florida Panthers in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final. It hoped to address that with trade-deadline acquisitions Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov to augment scorers Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis.

Credit Igor Shesterkin for putting the Hurricanes into this situation. They pounded 57 shots on the New York goaltender through three regulation periods and double overtime in Game 2 and 47 more in regulation and an overtime period in Game 3. But the Russian slammed the door and put his club in a position to eliminate the 'Canes.

The Rangers' penalty-killing also deserves plaudits for the hard work in shutting down the Carolina power play. The Hurricanes were held off the board in 15 attempts through the first three games, sending their power-play percentage (18.8) to 11th among this year's playoff clubs.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning's Depth

From 2018-19 to 2022-23, the Tampa Bay Lightning were the NHL's dominant team. They were back-to-back winners of the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, won the Presidents' Trophy in 2019, and they were a Cup finalist in 2022.

Maintaining a Cup contender in the salary-cap era depleted the Lightning's roster depth. They finished third in the Atlantic Division last season with 98 points and were eliminated in six games in their opening-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This season saw them finish with 98 points again but holding a wild-card berth. Facing a more dominant Florida Panthers squad compared to the last two playoff matchups between them, Tampa Bay fell in five games.

The Lightning still possess a core of stars such as Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov, first-line center Brayden Point, defenseman Victor Hedman, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and team captain Steven Stamkos. However, they weren't enough to prevent the Lightning from being overwhelmed by the Panthers.

Fixing their depleted roster during the offseason won't be easy. The Lightning possess limited salary-cap space to re-sign Stamkos and fill out the remainder of the roster

One of the biggest criticisms of the salary cap is it punishes successful teams by making it increasingly difficult to maintain a winning roster. Look no further than the Lightning over the past two seasons. It's a decline that could accelerate in the coming seasons.

4. Los Angeles Kings Special Teams

The Los Angeles Kings endured an up-and-down performance during the regular season. They started well, setting a league record with 11 straight season-opening road wins. Their subsequent struggles through December and January prompted Jim Hiller's promotion to head coach, bringing renewed stability and a playoff berth.

Their special teams performed well during the regular season. The penalty-killing percentage (84.6) was second-best overall while their power play (22.6) ranked 12th. Those strengths should have given them a fighting chance against the Edmonton Oilers in the first round.

Instead, the Kings' special teams play became a weakness that the potent Oilers offense easily exploited as they rolled to a 4-1 series victory.

The penalty kill struggled to contain the Oilers as their 55.0 percentage is this postseason's worst thus far. Their power play was impotent, failing to generate a goal with the man advantage throughout the series.

Pierre-Luc Dubois' woeful performance in this series (one goal in five games) also contributed to the Kings' early exit, prompting post-series speculation about trades or buyouts. Nevertheless, those special teams' weaknesses were the bigger disappointment.

3. Vegas Golden Knights Offense

Several factors account for the end of the Vegas Golden Knights' tenure as Stanley Cup champions after taking a 2-0 lead over the Dallas Stars in the first round.

Captain Mark Stone and trade-deadline acquisition Tomas Hertl were less than 100 percent after being sidelined for weeks with injuries.

The defense vanished in Game 3 as they gave up 46 shots while undisciplined penalties proved costly in Games 4 and 5. The Stars adjusted to the Golden Knights' physical style as the series progressed.

A lack of offense was the most disappointing factor, though. The Golden Knights managed 16 goals through those seven games against the Stars.

Seven of those goals occurred in the first two games. After that, Vegas never tallied more than two goals in a game.

Stone and Jack Eichel each had three goals. Defensemen Noah Hanifin and Brayden McNabb each had two, as did winger (and 2023 playoff MVP) Jonathan Marchessault. Hertl, William Carrier, Brett Howden and Michael Amadio each had one.

The Golden Knights finished the playoffs with a 2.29 goals-per-game average. That's well below their 3.21 pace during the regular season.

2. Winnipeg Jets Defense

Defense played a big role in the Winnipeg Jets' success during the 2023-24 regular season. It carried them to a second-place finish in the Central Division with 110 points, marking the second-best record in franchise history and earning them home-ice advantage in their first-round series with the Colorado Avalanche.

The Jets were tied with the league's lowest goals-against per game (2.41) while their shots-against per game (29.6) was the 11th lowest. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck won the William M. Jennings Trophy for this season's lowest goals-allowed (199). He's also among this year's finalists for the Vezina Trophy.

However, that vaunted defense was demolished by the Avalanche as they bounced the Jets from the first round in five games.

Winnipeg gave up at least five goals in each game, including six in its sole victory in this series. Its goals-against per game (5.40) is the worst of this postseason so far. Its penalty-killing percentage (62.5) was the third-worst, and it gave up the most shots-against (37.0).

Hellebucyk was lit up like a Christmas tree, sporting a bloated 5.23 goals-against and a save percentage of .870. He didn't get much help from his teammates, who had no solution for containing the high-flying Avalanche offense.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs' 1st-Round Issues

Since 2016-17, the Toronto Maple Leafs have never missed the postseason. They've been a successful regular-season club. Five of their eight 100-point seasons in franchise history came between 2017-18 and 2023-24.

The Leafs possess three core stars in Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander that any team would love to have on their rosters. Despite no Stanley Cup title since 1967, they still possess one of the NHL's largest and most devoted fanbases.

Nevertheless, since 2017, this club has just one series win in eight postseason appearances.

The Leafs have failed to advance beyond the opening round seven times. For the third time since 2018, they fell to the Boston Bruins.

Several reasons account for the Leafs' failure this time against the Bruins.

Nylander missed the first three games with migraine issues. Matthews was sidelined for two games with a head injury. Goaltender Ilya Samsonov struggled through the first four games. Backup Joseph Woll won Games 5 and 6 but was sidelined for Game 7. The Leafs also had trouble scoring on the power play.

Regardless, their ongoing quick playoff exits are trying their fans' patience. It cost head coach Sheldon Keefe his job and could result in one of their core players getting traded this summer.

Stats via NHL.com and Quant Hockey with salary info via Cap Friendly.