Atlantic Division
(A1) Tampa Bay Lightning (113 pts) vs (AWC) New Jersey Devils (97 pts)
Cool Fact: The Lightning's 296 goals this season is the most since the 2010 Capitals, who rolled to a President's Trophy with over 300, and summarily lost in 7 games to the Jaroslav Halak show. Somehow, I think the Lightning will fare better here. Actually, even as a Devils fan, I don't want to ruin this Tampa season. Let them win. We'll have our fun in future. I don't think they'll need luck anyway.
Lightning in 5
(A2) Boston Bruins (112 pts) vs (A3) Toronto Maple Leafs (105 pts)
Cool Fact: People obviously will point to the 2013 1st Round series, when the Leafs blew a 4-1 lead in Game 7, which they probably should. But I'll go with a different one. With this series, the Bruins will have played every Original 6 team in the playoffs since 2013, including three of them (Leafs, Canadiens, Rangers) twice. If they lose here, they'll actually get a chance to lose to a fourth original 6 team since then. I think the Leafs pull it out. Just haven't really trusted the Bruins all year.
Maple Leafs in 6
Metropolitan Division
(M1) Washington Capitals (105 pts) vs (MWC) Columbus Blue Jackets (97 pts)
Cool Fact: John Tortorella has played the Capitals in the playoffs a lot. Like a whole lot. One came before Ovechkin was around (2003), but then they played again in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 and now this year. Each series has been entertaining in their own way, specifically those Capitals vs. Rangers series. I think this one will be interesting, because the Capitals find it impossible to ever win a series cleanly anymore, but ultimatley in a year where they seem to have little real pressure on them, I think they'll still pull it out.
Capitals in 6
(M2) Pittsburgh Penguins (100 pts) vs (M3) Philadelphia Flyers (98 pts)
Cool Fact: These two haven't met since 2012, a memorable series where goal upon goal was scored, Marc Andre-Fleury gave up 8 goals in a game (and that wasn't the worst goalie performance), and the Penguins memorably lost their mind, with Aaron Asham cross-checking a guy in the neck, James Neal taking run after run on Flyers players, and even Sidney Crosby getting penalized. I don't expect that many fireworks, but I do think the Flyers can win it. They're offense has been on fire of late, and something seems off about the Penguins.
Flyers in 6
Pacific Division
(P1) Vegas Golden Knights (109 pts) vs (PWC) Los Angeles Kings (98 pts)
Cool Fact: Obviously, this is the first expansion NHL team to make the playoffs in its first season. Of course, they draw the team that still seems to have some Stanley Cup mysique despite having a resume since their last Cup win of missing the playoffs twice and getting drummed by the 2016 Sharks in five games. Not really anything much to say about the series, but it will be interesting to see a notoriously night-life loving Kings team in Vegas for the playoffs. I think the Kings, and Jonathan Quick, will show up, but the Knights are this good for a reason.
Knights in 7
(P2) Anaheim Ducks (101 pts) vs (P3) San Jose Sharks (100 pts)
Cool Fact: They haven't actually met in the playoffs since 2009 (the other two 'Battle of California' series have happened multiple times), a year where the Sharks won the President's Trophy and lost in the 1st round to the Ducks in six games. The Ducks are the team with, in some ways, more experience than any other in the West, making the playoffs for a 6th straight season. The Ducks should be able to take advantage from a Sharks team that is still recovering.
Ducks in 6
Central Division
(C1) Nashville Predators (117 pts) vs (CWC) Colorado Avalanche (95 pts)
Cool Fact: The Predators won their first President's Tropy, and get to play the first NHL team ever to go from lowest points one year to the playoffs the next year. The Predators will have to duck history. The last team to lose the Cup Final and make it back was the 2009 Penguins. Thing is, they are too good to get tripped up here. And the world wants to see Predators vs. Jets.
Predators in 5
(C2) Winnipeg Jets (114 pts) vs (C3) Minnesota Wild (101 pts)
Cool Fact: This used to be one of the great rivalries, when it was the first incarnation of the Jets and the Minnesota North Stars. Of course, neither of those franchise still exist technically (Dallas and Arizona have yet to meet in the playoffs). The Jets also haven't won a playoff game in their current iteration, getting swept away in 2015 by the Ducks. Me thinks they'll win one, and get the chance to at least get wins 5-8.
Jets in 5
(A1) Tampa Bay Lightning (113 pts) vs (AWC) New Jersey Devils (97 pts)
Cool Fact: The Lightning's 296 goals this season is the most since the 2010 Capitals, who rolled to a President's Trophy with over 300, and summarily lost in 7 games to the Jaroslav Halak show. Somehow, I think the Lightning will fare better here. Actually, even as a Devils fan, I don't want to ruin this Tampa season. Let them win. We'll have our fun in future. I don't think they'll need luck anyway.
Lightning in 5
(A2) Boston Bruins (112 pts) vs (A3) Toronto Maple Leafs (105 pts)
Cool Fact: People obviously will point to the 2013 1st Round series, when the Leafs blew a 4-1 lead in Game 7, which they probably should. But I'll go with a different one. With this series, the Bruins will have played every Original 6 team in the playoffs since 2013, including three of them (Leafs, Canadiens, Rangers) twice. If they lose here, they'll actually get a chance to lose to a fourth original 6 team since then. I think the Leafs pull it out. Just haven't really trusted the Bruins all year.
Maple Leafs in 6
Metropolitan Division
(M1) Washington Capitals (105 pts) vs (MWC) Columbus Blue Jackets (97 pts)
Cool Fact: John Tortorella has played the Capitals in the playoffs a lot. Like a whole lot. One came before Ovechkin was around (2003), but then they played again in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 and now this year. Each series has been entertaining in their own way, specifically those Capitals vs. Rangers series. I think this one will be interesting, because the Capitals find it impossible to ever win a series cleanly anymore, but ultimatley in a year where they seem to have little real pressure on them, I think they'll still pull it out.
Capitals in 6
(M2) Pittsburgh Penguins (100 pts) vs (M3) Philadelphia Flyers (98 pts)
Cool Fact: These two haven't met since 2012, a memorable series where goal upon goal was scored, Marc Andre-Fleury gave up 8 goals in a game (and that wasn't the worst goalie performance), and the Penguins memorably lost their mind, with Aaron Asham cross-checking a guy in the neck, James Neal taking run after run on Flyers players, and even Sidney Crosby getting penalized. I don't expect that many fireworks, but I do think the Flyers can win it. They're offense has been on fire of late, and something seems off about the Penguins.
Flyers in 6
Pacific Division
(P1) Vegas Golden Knights (109 pts) vs (PWC) Los Angeles Kings (98 pts)
Cool Fact: Obviously, this is the first expansion NHL team to make the playoffs in its first season. Of course, they draw the team that still seems to have some Stanley Cup mysique despite having a resume since their last Cup win of missing the playoffs twice and getting drummed by the 2016 Sharks in five games. Not really anything much to say about the series, but it will be interesting to see a notoriously night-life loving Kings team in Vegas for the playoffs. I think the Kings, and Jonathan Quick, will show up, but the Knights are this good for a reason.
Knights in 7
(P2) Anaheim Ducks (101 pts) vs (P3) San Jose Sharks (100 pts)
Cool Fact: They haven't actually met in the playoffs since 2009 (the other two 'Battle of California' series have happened multiple times), a year where the Sharks won the President's Trophy and lost in the 1st round to the Ducks in six games. The Ducks are the team with, in some ways, more experience than any other in the West, making the playoffs for a 6th straight season. The Ducks should be able to take advantage from a Sharks team that is still recovering.
Ducks in 6
Central Division
(C1) Nashville Predators (117 pts) vs (CWC) Colorado Avalanche (95 pts)
Cool Fact: The Predators won their first President's Tropy, and get to play the first NHL team ever to go from lowest points one year to the playoffs the next year. The Predators will have to duck history. The last team to lose the Cup Final and make it back was the 2009 Penguins. Thing is, they are too good to get tripped up here. And the world wants to see Predators vs. Jets.
Predators in 5
(C2) Winnipeg Jets (114 pts) vs (C3) Minnesota Wild (101 pts)
Cool Fact: This used to be one of the great rivalries, when it was the first incarnation of the Jets and the Minnesota North Stars. Of course, neither of those franchise still exist technically (Dallas and Arizona have yet to meet in the playoffs). The Jets also haven't won a playoff game in their current iteration, getting swept away in 2015 by the Ducks. Me thinks they'll win one, and get the chance to at least get wins 5-8.
Jets in 5
