This will be an interesting first round in the western conference. There are thrilling rivalries and new teams ready to gain playoff experience. The President’s trophy winner Colorado Avalanche will face everyone’s best no matter the round. Dallas and Edmonton again have pressure to make it back to the conference championship while Minnesota will face more criticism if they can’t get past the first round. Anaheim and Utah look to upend everyone’s predictions while Los Angeles and Vegas make another push to return to the championship round. Most teams have their hands full against deep rosters wanting a conference finals appearance. It is time to break down and predict which four teams have the best chance of advancing to the second round.
#6 Anaheim Ducks v. #5 Edmonton Oilers
This may be the easiest series to predict in either conference. The reigning western conference champion Oilers may not have former MVP forward Leon Draisaitl, but that won’t stop them against a young, inexperienced Anaheim team grateful to be back in the playoffs. Edmonton’s speed, scoring depth and massive advantages on special teams means this will be a fast series with or without Draisaitl.
Prediction: Oilers win series 4-0
#4 Minnesota Wild v. #3 Dallas Stars
Commissioner Gary Bettman must fix the playoff seeding at some point. It’s unfair that one of the central division’s three best teams has to be eliminated against a rival in the first round. Both Dallas and Minnesota look like complete teams that could give any opponent in the other three divisions fits. Sadly, one has to go home.
Most likely, that team is the Wild. Minnesota struggles to get depth scoring past their first two lines. The Stars are also the more experienced playoff team and defend better in front of the net. The Wild are more physical, but Dallas is more determined to get back to the championship round after fizzling out the last two years in the conference finals.
Prediction: Stars win series 4-2
#8 Los Angeles Kings v. #1 Colorado Avalanche
Wonderful news for Los Angeles: they finally get a first round playoff opponent that isn’t Edmonton. Terrible news for Los Angeles: it’s against the NHL’s best Colorado Avalanche. The Kings finally figured out how to fix their offense with interim coach D.J. Smith, but that won’t be enough against what many believe are the most complete team in either conference. Coach Jared Bednar is back behind the bench after taking a puck to the face recently, and MVP front-runner Nathan MacKinnon is a nightmare once he sees open ice. The Kings have one of the NHL’s best defenses, but their lack of scoring and defensive depth will show the longer this series goes. At least franchise legend Anze Kopitar will end his fantastic career in the postseason playing against a Stanley Cup finals favorite.
Prediction: Avalanche win series 4-1
#7 Utah Mammoth v. #4 Vegas Golden Knights
This is my favorite western conference matchup. On paper, Vegas is the superior team with championship experience, a Stanley Cup winning coach and a deeper roster. However, Utah presents a lot of challenges to the Golden Knights.
Coach John Tortorella went 7-0-1 after Vegas hired him almost three weeks ago. The Golden Knights could be back to their dominant levels of years past. However, the Mammoth are a big test. Goaltender Karel Vejmelka is a Vezina finalist and took a big step forward being one of the NHL’s better players this season. Vejmelka handled a larger workload better than expected once backup/partner Connor Ingram went to Edmonton. Like a few teams in both conferences this round, Utah has a younger, talented scoring core unfamiliar with the playoffs. Despite these obvious disadvantages, Utah’s core was exceptional against quality opponents and wound up being the best team in the central division after the three headed hydra of Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota. That is certainly a big deal.
The Golden Knights’ coaching switch from Bruce Cassidy to John Tortorella came at the best time for them. Tortorella is dealing with disciplined veterans who know how to cleanly block shots, play more aggressive and defend better in front of the net. Even tenured Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny isn’t used to being in the postseason, and there will be a lot of growing pains top to bottom for Utah. While it’s obvious Vegas will win this series, the Mammoth will make the Golden Knights earn every win and learn a lot of valuable lessons this series.
Prediction: Golden Knights win series 4-2
Regular season western conference playoffs prediction record: 6-2
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