Sports Circuit

As I write this, we are mere minutes away from the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and l couldn’t be more fired up for playoff hockey. The grind of an 82 game season has been wrapped up and 16 teams remain all with the same goal, to hoist Lord Stanley in two months time. In my previous article, I broke down the first round matchups for the Eastern Conference. Today, I’ll be predicting the Western Conference contests.

Bracket via NHL.com

Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues

These two teams will be kicking off the festivities tonight in Winnipeg. The Jets have had an incredible season from the jump and captured the President’s Trophy the other night. Is that trophy a good or bad omen heading into the playoffs? Depends on who you ask, but since you’re reading my predictions, I have to say that I feel it’s an ominous omen for the Jets. Winnipeg is a team who’ve had recent playoff struggles and haven’t gone on a deep run since making it to the Conference Final in 2018.

The other team in this contest has had quite the opposite regular season. St. Louis had a tumultuous start to their year and found themselves eight points out of a playoff position at the 4 Nations break. They hired Jim Montgomery mid-season and that seemed to create some positive momentum. The Blues went on a tear towards the end of the season, ripping off 12 consecutive wins, which ended in a loss to guess who, the Winnipeg Jets. Could that be some sort of foreshadowing? Possibly, but something seems special about this Blues team. Also, I don’t enjoy betting against Blues Goalie Jordan Binnington.

Prediction: Blues in 7 Games

Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche

This is a heavyweight matchup that the whole hockey world is salivating for. Dallas has had a helluva season, but their recent form is troubling. Falling in their last seven games entering the playoffs, they aren’t necessarily rounding into playoff form. Dallas Defenseman Miro Heiskanen has been out since January with a knee injury but is considered day to day according to Head Coach Pete DeBoer. To make matters worse, LW Jason Robertson also has a knee injury and is considered week to week according to Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News. A banged up Stars squad going into a series against the buzzsaw that is Colorado is not great. Despite the injuries, Dallas has great forward depth so it’s difficult to count them out.

Colorado has had an interesting season as well, highlighted by the Mikko Rantanen saga, ending with him being traded to Carolina, then being traded from the Canes to Dallas. At the beginning of the season, I’m not sure anyone expected to see Rantanen turn into a Dallas Star. The Avalanche acquired Martin Nečas and Jack Drury, along with a couple picks in the Rantanen trade. Necas is elite at entering the zone with speed and appears to fit well in the Colorado system. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar have both had great seasons and are geared up for a deep playoff run. I believe they remember what happened last year in the second round against the Stars and are ready to get some redemption.

Prediction: Avalanche in 7 Games

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild

Vegas is the same old Vegas that we know and don’t love. Winners since birthed into the league, many despise Vegas not necessarily because they aren’t a likeable group of players, but because they are a damn good team and many fans would love to have their stars on their own squad. There’s also some cap circumventing in the past that has created some disdain towards Vegas, but we won’t get too much into that. Forward Jack Eichel leads the team in points with 94 and is accompanied by four other players with over 20 goals. This is a well rounded team that is primed for another run. Finishing in 1st place in the Pacific, they are a juggernaut still and are hungry for the Cup.

Minnesota has had an up and down season riddled with injuries that nearly derailed their postseason plans, finishing only a point above the Blues and Flames. Kirill Kaprizov’s injury in January was a huge blow for the Wild, but he appears to be close to returning for the playoffs. I was impressed by Defenseman Brock Faber this year, especially in the 4 Nations Face-Off. There is serious talent on this Wild team, but will it be able to matchup well against the Golden Knights?

Prediction: Golden Knights in 6 Games

Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers

The Kings and Oilers face off for the fourth straight time in the first round. The Kings have fallen to the Oilers in the playoffs three straight times and are probably sick and tired of trying to contain the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Despite facing some serious firepower in the Oilers, I really like what the Kings bring to the table. Finishing ahead of Edmonton in the standings, they’ve claimed home ice advantage for the series. The Kings are the best home team in the league this year, sporting a 31-5-4 record. This could be a deciding factor between two teams who are very familiar with each other.

Edmonton made it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last year, falling just short after mounting a colossal comeback from a 3-0 series deficit. The Oilers have had a solid year, but have struggled with injuries to stars in the back half of the season. Both McDavid and Draisaitl have been hampered by injuries, but appear to be regaining their health heading into the first round. Arguably two of the best players in the world will need to be healthy and at their best if the Oilers want to get past the Kings and make a deep run.

Prediction: Kings in 7 Games

So, there it is. Western Conference matchups are filled with exciting storylines and are going to make for great viewing for all hockey fans. Leave your predictions in the comments along with any other takes regarding the Western Conference first round. I appreciate you following along and will be back with more articles soon!