Anaheim vs. Winnipeg
The Ducks finished atop the Western Conference standings at the end of the regular season, but the real knock on Bruce Boudreau’s team has been, for a long time now, their inability to convert regular season dominance into playoff success. Too often, we’ve seen them squander opportunities, and Boudreau, himself, had a similar habit of doing that with Washington.
If the Ducks get it right, though, watch out, because they have a line-up that’s easily capable of getting to and winning the Stanley Cup Final. Led offensively by their twin talismans Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks play fast and score often. When those guys are up and about, they’ll make trouble for anyone.
This will be Winnipeg’s first playoff appearance since the team relocated from Atlanta, and although they had a reasonable season by their somewhat meagre standards, finishing fourth in the west, the playoffs are a huge step up. There are few who’ve seen the post-season, or at least done so meaningfully. Dustin Byfuglein and Andrew Ladd won a Cup with Chicago, but there are few top line players, Mark Scheifele, Tyler Meyers and others who are unproven at this level.
The pressure is going to be on another playoff newbie, goalie Ondrej Pavelec to try and hold the fort against the Anaheim scorers. To be honest, I can’t see them being able to match it for very long with the Ducks.
Prediction: Ducks in five. Too big, too experienced and just too much firepower across the board.
St Louis vs. Minnesota
I’ll say it right at the top, I think St Louis will be in the Western Conference Final. They have so much to like, and this is a team that’s been slowly building to a pretty big crescendo over the last few years. This might be their time. From Jake Allen in net, to the excellent defensive corps – Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk and Jay Bouwmeester – and forwards like veterans Paul Stastny, David Backes and younger, emerging guys like Ty Rattie and, the Olympic shootout king, TJ Oshie. The real wild card is Russian star Vladimir Tarasenko. If he goes on a tear, watch out.
Minnesota have a few superstars on their roster – Ryan Suter, Zach Parise and Tomas Vanek come to mind – and goaltender Devan Dubnyk has impressed me greatly since being traded from Arizona. You could make the case that the Wild wouldn’t be in the playoffs were it not for Dubnyk’s timely arrival. Minnesota had been struggling in goal to that point.
Look, this is a pretty good team, young and rising, but they don’t have the ponies to skate with St Louis, who have everything a championship team needs. They might steal a game or two, but this isn’t the Wild’s year. Dubynk will probably be under siege a lot, and the Blues should advance easily.
Prediction: St Louis in five.
Nashville vs. Chicago
The good news for Blackhawks fans is that Patrick Kane is back in the line-up after an extended stay on the sidelines after breaking his collarbone in February. Seeing #88 out there is huge for Chicago. Look, the ‘Hawks know what they’re doing, having won two Stanley Cups in the last five years. Playoff experience counts for a lot. They have it in spades. They also have solid defense, sparkling offense and Corey Crawford in net. If Kane gets quickly back to his usual self alongside captain Jonathan Toews, then Joel Quenneville’s men, despite going 0-4-2 to end the season after clinching a playoff berth.
Conversely, Nashville aren’t known for their stunning offense. They win games by playing solid defense – led by perennial All Star Shea Weber, who also owns a cannon of a shot – and taking their chances when they can offensively. They also have one of the best goalies in the NHL in Pekka Rinne, who tied for the NHL-best with 41 wins this year. Defenceman Strong defense, stout goal-tending, and opportunistic scoring: that’s the blueprint for many championship teams. There’s a lot to like about the Predators.
This is one of those series’ that can go either way, the sort where an errant bounce or a freak play or an egregious error of some description turns momentum on it’s head. Both of these teams are capable of going all the way and hoisting Lord Stanley. In a way, it’s a shame that we’re seeing this series in the first round, but such is life.
Prediction: I predict we’ll be enthralled by this one. And Chicago wins it in seven, despite Nashville’s 28-9-4 record at home.
Vancouver vs. Calgary
A nice all-Canadian match-up out west. Little separated these two teams during the regular season, and it’s hard to separate them in this match-up. I like Vancouver’s goaltending situation, with Eddie Lack and Ryan Miller. There’s offensive strength with the Sedin brothers, Henrik and Daniel, alongside free agent Radim Vrbata. The Canucks have improved markedly on defence, especially Alex Edler, who had a disastrous 2013-14 season, with rookie coach Willie Desjardins implementing a lot of new things in the wake of John Tortorella’s controversial one-year reign.
The Flames are perhaps the most unlikely team featuring in this year’s playoffs. Coach Bob Hartley has them blocking shots like it’s going out of fashion, and doing so an average of 19 per game. It’s a system that’s probably battered them from head to toe by now, but the sort of desperation needed to win playoff games. They have Jonas Hiller in goal, a proven goalie, and some nice young talent, including Johnny Gaudreau.
For mine, what the Flames lack is playoff experience. The franchise hasn’t seen the post-season in six years, whilst the Canucks have been regular combatants of late. That veteran presence – the Sedin’s, Edler’s, Bieksa’s and Hamhuis’s of the world – is what’s going to separate the two teams.
Prediction: Vancouver in six.
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