The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoff series are now confirmed.
As we do every season, we’re analyzing each conference’s post-season matchups and making personal predictions for the outcomes of the first round.
Wednesday, we focused on the Eastern Conference, and today, we’re looking at the West.
(Playoff seedings in parentheses)
Dallas Stars (C1) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (WC2)
Why the Stars could win: The Stars and Winnipeg Jets were the West’s hottest playoff teams (8-2-0) at the end of the regular season, and the Golden Knights (6-4-0) were not.
Dallas was 0-1-2 against Vegas this season, but the teams haven’t played since Dec. 9. In that time, Dallas has gotten stronger and emerged as the go-to Cup pick for many fans and pundits.
The Stars have everything a team wants heading into the post-season – good health, great depth and quality goaltending. It won’t be easy-breezy for Dallas, but Vegas is a more flawed team that has played a ton of high-impact hockey in the past two seasons. That could be the difference that sends the Stars to the second round.
Why the Golden Knights could win: It’s never been a good idea to expect Vegas to disappoint their fans. With the slew of moves Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon made at the NHL trade deadline, his team could upset the Stars.
Vegas isn’t a top-10 team on offense or defense, but their playoff experience could carry them into the second round.
There’s sufficient depth and upper-end talent here, and the Golden Knights have Grade-A coaching via Bruce Cassidy. In any case, the word “upset” probably shouldn’t be used to describe a potential Vegas win over Dallas, as there’s very little to separate the two teams.
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Who is going to win: Dallas, in six games
The Golden Knights dropped four of their final seven regular-season games, and the primary reason for that is their defense. In those final four losses, they were outscored 20-9.
While they’ve got two capable goalies in Adin Hill and Logan Thompson, the fact that Vegas doesn’t have a set No. 1 option in net could be seen as a weakness. However, it could just as easily give the Knights the option to change things up if the series unfolds in Dallas’ favor.
Vegas has the know-how, balance and management to once again go far, but the Stars have just as much talent, great coaching, and prowess at both ends of the rink. Give us the Stars in a hard-fought series decision.
Vancouver Canucks (P1) vs. Nashville Predators (WC1)
Why the Canucks could win: The Canucks beat the Predators in all three meetings during this regular season, but all three of those games took place in the first half of the year. Still, Vancouver has everything Nashville has – including terrific goaltending, a Norris Trophy candidate and a forward corps that has proven performers – but the Canucks just have more of it.
The Canucks need their younger players, including star forward Elias Pettersson and star D-man Quinn Hughes, to lead the way. This writer took three Canucks players in THN.com’s fantasy playoff pool draft for good reason: Vancouver has everything you’d want in a Cup front-runner, and Nashville (which didn’t have a single player selected in that playoff pool) doesn’t.
Why the Predators could win: The playoffs always have underdogs pulling out an unexpected series win. Maybe there is a timeline in which Nashville rides goalie Juuse Saros and a Preds team with far less pressure to win than Vancouver to four wins over the Canucks.
Nashville is still in the early stages of a franchise makeover. While they’re playing with house money entering this series, the Predators might put it all together to take the Canucks to their limit and eliminate Vancouver.
Who is going to win: Vancouver, in seven games
The Canucks lost three straight games or more just once this season – and that was back in mid-February. Vancouver went 5-5-1 in its final 11 regular-season tilts, but coach-of-the-year candidate Rick Tocchet has kept his charges on an even keel. For the first time in a long time, the Canucks are in position to enjoy a long playoff run.
Nashville won’t embarrass itself, but the Preds don’t have the horses to keep up with Vancouver’s stable of talent. The Canucks may finally have a team that goes on a deep playoff run, and it all starts with putting the Preds into their off-season.
Winnipeg Jets (C2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (C3)
Why the Jets could win: The Jets took it to the Avalanche in their meetings this season, going 3-0-0 against the Avs, including a 7-0 spanking on April 13.
Winnipeg also ended the season on a hot streak, winning eight straight games, including wins over Nashville, Dallas, Colorado and Vancouver. Winnipeg finished tied with Florida as the NHL’s best defensive team (averaging just 2.41 goals against per game), and star netminder Connor Hellebuyck had an outstanding season, one that should see him win the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender.
Winnipeg can also run and gun, but they really don’t want to against the high-octane Avs. So long as they minimize their mistakes, the Jets can do serious damage against Colorado.
Why the Avalanche could win: The Avs have the best defenseman in the series in Cale Makar. Colorado also has the best forward in the series in Hart Trophy front-runner Nathan MacKinnon and a supporting cast that includes Valeri Nichushkin, Jonathan Drouin, Mikko Rantanen and Casey Mittelstadt.
They finished the season with the NHL’s most potent offense, averaging 3.68 goals-for per game. Although the playoffs don’t usually see teams score goals in buckets, the Avalanche’s attack is well-constructed, and they’re still in their championship window.
Winnipeg won’t go out as meekly as they did in last season’s playoffs, but the Avs have the veteran know-how and hunger to add another Cup to their mantle.
Who is going to win: Colorado, in six games
Call this pick more of a hunch, as it’s not easy to look at the Jets and imagine them going out in the first round. But MacKinnon has basically been a beast no opponent knows how to defend against, and the Avs also have a generational talent in Makar.
Winnipeg is a very good team, but we think the Avalanche are slightly better. Colorado has proven itself championship-capable, and the same isn’t true for the Jets.
Edmonton Oilers (P2) vs. Los Angeles Kings (P3)
Why the Oilers could win: Edmonton went 3-1-0 in its season series against the Kings this year, and the Oilers have two top-tier superstars in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
They shored up their group of forwards at the trade deadline and now can ice four above-average lines.
Goalie Stuart Skinner hasn’t been perfect, but he has given Edmonton’s incredible offense a chance to win games night in and night out. If McDavid and Draisaitl raise their games even a smidgen, L.A. will be hard-pressed just to keep pace, let alone beat the Oilers.
Why the Kings could win: The Oilers went 7-6-2 in their final 15 games and the Kings won six of their final eight regular-season games. That could set the table for a massive upset here.
The Kings have fallen to Edmonton in each of the past two post-seasons, but they’ve got a terrific 1-3-1 neutral zone trap to rely on against the Oilers. They’ve shown in the regular season their stifling defense allows their offense to eke out just enough to win games regularly. So long as their goaltending holds up, L.A. has what it takes to shock the hockey community and send McDavid & Co. packing.
Who is going to win: Kings, in seven games
This pick is another hunch for this writer. The Oilers certainly will be a menace against the Kings, but we suspect Los Angeles’ suffocating defense will ultimately defeat Edmonton’s full-throttle offense in a series that likely will need seven games to decide a victor.
The Kings don’t have a superstar like Draisaitl or McDavid, but L.A. GM Rob Blake has assembled a tough group that Edmonton will have trouble with. It won’t be easy, but the Kings might just turn out to be the biggest “upset” pick in the first round.
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