NHL

Stanley Cup Semifinals Preview

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Eastern Conference

1. Philadelphia Flyers vs. 6. New York Islanders

Players to Watch: G Carter Hart and G Semyon Varlamov

Who Wins: Islanders in 6 games

2. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. 4. Boston Bruins

Players to Watch: F Nikita Kucherov and G Jaroslav Halak

Who Wins: Lightning in 6 games

Western Conference

1. Vegas Golden Knights vs. 5. Vancouver Canucks

Players to Watch: F Mark Stone and D Quinn Hughes

Who Wins: Canucks in 6 games

2. Colorado Avalanche vs. 3. Dallas Stars

Players to Watch: F Nazem Kadri and D Miro Heiskanen

Who Wins: Avalanche in 5 games

2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview

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Eastern Conference

1. Philadelphia Flyers vs. 8. Montreal Canadiens

Players to Watch: G Carter Hart and G Carey Price

Who Wins: Flyers in 5 games

2. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. 7. Columbus Blue Jackets

Players to Watch: F Nikita Kucherov and D Seth Jones

Who Wins: Lightning in 6 games

3. Washington Capitals vs. 6. New York Islanders

Players to Watch: G Braden Holtby and D Ryan Pulock

Who Wins: Islanders in 7 games

4. Boston Bruins vs. 5. Carolina Hurricanes

Players to Watch: F David Pastrnak and F Sebastian Aho

Who Wins: Hurricanes in 7 games

Western Conference

1. Vegas Golden Knights vs. 8. Chicago Blackhawks

Players to Watch: G Robin Lehner and G Corey Crawford

Who Wins: Golden Knights in 6 games

2. Colorado Avalanche vs. 7. Phoenix Coyotes

Players to Watch: D Cale Makar and F Taylor Hall

Who Wins: Avalanche in 6 games

3. Dallas Stars vs. 6. Calgary Flames

Players to Watch: G Ben Bishop and F Sean Monahan

Who Wins: Flames in 6 games

4. St. Louis Blues vs. 5. Vancouver Canucks

Players to Watch: D Alex Pietrangelo and D Quinn Hughes

Who Wins: Blues in 7 games

Pacific Division

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1. Vegas Golden Knights

A full season with the group they put together during last season should put them at the top.

2. Calgary Flames

They took a big step forward last year, but there are still questions in net.

3. San Jose Sharks

Their captain left via free agency, but they have one of the deepest defensive units in the league.

4. Arizona Coyotes

This is the year they need to put it all together and make a playoff push.

5. Anaheim Ducks

There should be improvements in many areas, but they’re another year away from contention.

6. Los Angeles Kings

The reset button has been hit, but they aren’t going all out for a rebuild just yet.

7. Vancouver Canucks

If their defense and goalie can match what their offense can dish out, they can make a leap in the division.

8. Edmonton Oilers

Not a lot is expected from them and that is a good thing for this franchise. Time to fly under the radar. Continue reading →

Central Division

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1. Nashville Predators

Their defense is still stacked, but will the offense match?

2. St. Louis Blues

Coming in as defending Stanley Cup champions shouldn’t have any effect on this team.

3. Colorado Avalanche

They were a dark horse team last year, but they should be legit contenders this year.

4. Winnipeg Jets

The loss of a few key players will hurt, but this team is too talented to not make the playoffs.

5. Dallas Stars

If they remain a defensive stalwart they’ll be playing in the playoffs once again.

6. Minnesota Wild

They seem to always be a player or two away from making a leap in a stacked division.

7. Chicago Blackhawks

They could certainly make strides this year, but everyone above them is better by far. Continue reading →

Atlantic Division

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1. Tampa Bay Lightning

They can’t have a repeat of last year and they shouldn’t.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a crucial year for this group to finally live up to their potential.

3. Boston Bruins

After coming up short in the Stanley Cup final, they’re still contenders once again.

4. Florida Panthers

They have a new goaltender and a Stanley Cup winning coach to go with their high powered offense.

5. Montreal Canadiens

The health of goalie Carey Price will determine their fate this season.

6. Buffalo Sabres

Once again they made a coaching change, but their talent pool is as deep as it’s ever been.

7. Detroit Red Wings

With Steve Yzerman now in charge it’ll be interesting to see how long it takes for them to be contenders.

8. Ottawa Senators

The long rebuild continues north of the border. Continue reading →