2016 NHL Playoffs Round 1 - Western Conference Preview

(C1) Dallas Stars vs. (W2) Minnesota Wild

Out of all the opening round series, this one basically screams sweep. The Stars have rebounded after an abysmal season last year. Jamie Benn (89 points) and Tyler Seguin (73) once again lead the way offensively. Even Jason Spezza posted over 30 goals for the first time since 2011-12. An issue is that they might miss Seguin, as he's questionable for Game 1. Defensively, John Klingberg continues to make his case to be a Norris candidate. The goaltending has been better, as Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi have split time in net. Dallas finish sixth in the lead in Fenwick, posting a 52.5% Fenwick. Minnesota will be hurting coming into this series. It was announced that Zach Parise and Thomas Vanek will be out for a while. Leading scorer Mikko Koivu will be available, and Mikael Granlund, Nino Neiderreiter and co. will need to step up. Ryan Suter will again lead a solid defensive corp. Devan Dubnyk is in goal for the Wild, as he will need to stand on his head in order for them to have any chance. Minnesota enters the playoffs as the worst possession team in the West, posting a 48.6% Fenwick (20th overall). Dallas is too good a team to face plant in the first round, as Minnesota will need a miracle in order to advance. Dallas Stars in four.


(C2) St. Louis Blues vs. (C3) Chicago Blackhawks

 Ah yes, perennial disappointment vs. perennial contender. For St. Louis, 40-goal scorer Vladimir Tarasenko leads the way on offense, with Alexander Steen, Paul Statsny, and crew adding to the scoresheet. Defensively, its hard to find a better group than this one. Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk highlight the defense, while Colton Parayko has also made a name for himself as well. Goaltending has always been a bit of a question, as Brian Elliot (series starter) and Jake Allen split time in net. The Blues have usually been a strong possession team, and this year is no different, as they post a 52.4% Fenwick (7th overall). For Chicago, Patrick Kane cracked the 100-point barrier for the first time in his career. Rookie linemate Artemi Panarin also had a great season, collecting 77 points. Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa always bring a solid two-way game to the table. Defensively, Duncan Keith (whose suspended for the first game) and Brent Seabrook lead the way. Corey Crawford looks to have recovered from his injury, and will be in net for the Blackhawks. Possession-wise, it's been a bit of a down year, as they finished outside the top-10, posting a 50.8% Fenwick. There is no doubt Chicago knows how to get through, but this year might be St. Louis' (like almost the past number of years). In a toss-up, I'm guessing the Blues eek this one out. St. Louis Blues in seven.


(P1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (W1) Nashville Predators

Anaheim is an interesting team. After starting off sluggish, they climbed their way to the top of their division. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf once again lead the charge offensively, while Ryan Kesler, Jakob Silfverberg, David Perron, and co. also contribute. Their defense is good as well, as Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, and Cam Fowler highlight the back end. John Gibson and Frederik Andersen split time in net this season, but it looks like Gibson will take the net to start the playoffs. Anaheim was the second-best team possession-wise, as their Fenwick was 53.8%. Nashville look to change their philosophy from defense to offense, and they did so by doubling the amount of 50-point scorers from three to six. Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen lead the way offensively, while James Neal and Mike Ribeiro also add an offensive punch. Roman Josi and Shea Weber headline what is usually a good defense (maybe not their best in recent years, but still good). Pekke Rinne is in net, but has been shaky this year, and at 32, it's a question of was this season a one-off or the start of a  trend. Nashville was a surprise possession-wise, as they finished third in the league with a 53.6% Fenwick. Overall the Ducks are the better team, while Nashville hasn't been overwhelming this season (granted they are in a tougher division). Anaheim Ducks in five.


(P2) Los Angeles Kings vs. (P3) San Jose Sharks

Hey, look at these guys facing each other again. Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter highlight a strong attack, and offer a nice one-two punch at center. Tyler Toffoli has come into his own as a sniper, and Milan Lucic will bring the physicality. Defensively, it's a bit of a different story. Outside of Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, and Alec Martinez, there are some question marks. Their system is good enough to cover for any questions though. Jonathan Quick is back in net, and while an average goalie during the regular season, he can turn it on in the post season. The Kings were the top possession team during the regular season, posting a 56.4% Fenwick. The Beards Sharks look to finally break through their state rival, and once again Joe Thornton leads the way. Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, and co. will also look to put up points. On defense, Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic highlightt a good group. Martin Jones is in net, and gets to face his own team. It will be interesting to see how long a leash he has, as James Reimer has been excellent since arriving in San Jose. The Sharks were top-5 in possession, as their Fenwick was at 53.1%. Again, it's expected to be a great series between the two teams, but it would not be a surprise if the Kings are still in the Sharks' head. Los Angeles Kings in seven.

Note: All advance stat via puckon.net and are score-adjusted.