The Stanley Cup Playoffs are here, and every team has a chance. However, there are some teams that are better than the others, and other teams that do not have the injury problems that their competitors have. Here are some predictions about the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Metropolitan Division is where the Washington Capitals reside. The Capitals won the President’s trophy, meaning they had the best record in the NHL. They face the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, and despite how tough the Flyers are, the Capitals should have no problem against them, likely dispatching the Flyers in five games. The Capitals will then face off against the winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers. The Rangers have world class goalie Henrik Lundqvist playing for them, while the Penguins have the world class forward Sidney Crosby playing for them. The difference in this series will be health, as the Penguins will likely be without their top goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury. Despite that, the Penguins have been the hottest team in the NHL, and they should advance past the Rangers in a tight series.
The Atlantic Division starts off with the Florida Panthers against the New York Islanders. The Panthers won the division, and should hold off a scrappy Islanders team that will be without their starting goalie. This series should go the full seven games, leaving the Panthers tired against the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning- Detroit Red Wings series. The Lightning are hurt, missing their top forward and a key defenseman. However, the Lightning are too talented to lose to the Red Wings, who just barely made it into the playoffs. It will be close, but the Lightning should win this in seven games.
The Central Division sees the Dallas Stars with the Western Conference’s best record, facing the Minnesota Wild. The Stars should advance easily, especially if they can take advantage of the Wild’s poor penalty kill. The Stars would then draw the winner of the St. Louis Blues versus the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are the defending champions, but they have not been as good this year. The Blues come into the series with one of the top goalies in the league, as Brian Elliot lead the NHL in save percentage this season. Given that and a tough defense, the Blues should send the Blackhawks home after a tough six game series.
The Pacific Division sees the Anaheim Ducks taking on the Nashville Predators. Even though the Ducks won their division, the Predators won two of the three games the teams played against each other. The Predators were very good, but the Ducks have been better lately, and this will be a very tough series for either team to win, but the Ducks should emerge victorious after a seven game set. The Ducks will then face the winner of the Los Angeles Kings- San Jose Sharks series. Familiarity breeds contempt, and the Kings and the Sharks do not like each other. This will add to the drama of a tough series where both teams would be favored against almost any other team in the playoffs. Look for the Sharks to avoid another playoff elimination by the Kings, winning in six games.
