Hockey

Stanley Cup Prediction

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Eastern Conference

1. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. 4. Philadelphia Flyers

2. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. 3. Boston Bruins

1. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 4. New Jersey Devils

2. Washington Capitals vs. 3. Columbus Blue Jackets

Western Conference

1. Nashville Predators vs. 4. Colorado Avalanche

2. Winnipeg Jets vs. 3. St. Louis Blues

1. San Jose Sharks vs. 4. Minnesota Wild

2. Vegas Golden Knights vs. 3. Anaheim Ducks

Conference Finals

Lightning over Capitals

Jets over Sharks

Stanley Cup Finals

Lightning over Jets

Pacific Division

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1. San Jose Sharks

They became legit contenders with the addition of Erik Karlsson.

2. Vegas Golden Knights

Their cinderella season wasn’t a fluke. They should be contenders once again.

3. Anaheim Ducks

Health and the play of goaltender of John Gibson will determine their success.

4. Los Angeles Kings

It was an early exit in the playoffs last year, but too many questions remain about their scoring prowess.

5. Calgary Flames

They’re solid in a lot of areas, but they play in a stacked conference to get to the playoffs.

6. Edmonton Oilers

There is so much talent here, yet it almost goes to waste in Edmonton.

7. Arizona Coyotes

Some clever moves have the Coyotes positioned to be a surprise team this season.

8. Vancouver Canucks

The Sedin twins have retired and the Canucks will look for a new franchise player. Continue reading →

Central Division

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1. Nashville Predators

Their depth on defense is stacked, but they need more production from their forwards.

2. Winnipeg Jets

This team is built to win right now. They’ll have about 2-3 more seasons of being Cup contenders.

3. St. Louis Blues

They were the most active team in the offseason and that should get them back into the playoffs.

4. Minnesota Wild

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that a Bruce Boudreau led team will again make the playoffs against all the odds.

5. Colorado Avalanche

Their forward group will outscore a lot of teams, but will their goalie situation improve from last year?

6. Dallas Stars

A new coach and a new style, but it’s one that will mesh well with the star power they have.

7. Chicago Blackhawks

It will be a big learning curve for the youngsters coming in, but Chicago’s veterans will make it easier. Continue reading →