Stanley Cup Playoffs: Predictions for each second round series
With the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs ready to get underway, let’s predict who will win each series!
The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs start on Saturday, Aug. 22. Everyone though this postseason would be wild and chaotic. So far, the playoffs have exceeded our high expectations. There have been crazy finishes, broken records, pulse-increasing overtimes, and unpredicted upsets.
Each of the series in the second round showcases an interesting matchup, most of which could go either way. Only eight teams remain in this unprecedented postseason. Whoever lifts the Stanley Cup will have earned it, as these times have forced each team to overcome quite a bit of adversity.
So which of those eight teams will survive and advance to the best of seven matchups? We have you covered with our picks for each of the play-in round series.
(2) Colorado Avalanche vs. (3) Dallas Stars
Why Colorado can win it: The Avalanche have been incredibly dominant so far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They’ve only lost two games – one in the round-robin to the Vegas Golden Knights and one to the Arizona Coyotes. In each of those losses, the Avalanche still looked very good.
Colorado is best known for their high-flying offense, led by Nathan MacKinnon (13 postseason points), Nazem Kadri (11 points), and Mikko Rantanen (10 points). Andre Burakovsky and team captain Gabriel Landeskog each have 8 points in 8 games.
However, don’t sleep on the Avalanche’s defense. They’re led by likely Calder Trophy winner Cale Makar, who has a Norris Trophy or two waiting for him in the future. Samuel Girard, Erik Johnson, Ryan Graves, Nikita Zadorov, and Ian Cole round out a well-balanced blue line. Philip Grubauer has been solid in net with a .937% save percentage.
Why Dallas can win it: On the other side of the ice, the Dallas Stars rely on their goaltending and their defense. Their offense, though, seemed to come alive against the Calgary Flames. Even without starting goaltender Ben Bishop, Anton Khudobin gives them an excellent option in net. Miro Heiskanen has stood out the most for Dallas, as he’s just one point behind MacKinnon for the postseason lead in points.
Joe Pavelski has been phenomenal in the postseason, picking up 8 points in 9 games. Denis Gurianov had a hat trick in Game 6 against the Flames and is a dangerous player whenever he’s on the ice.
PREDICTION: Avalanche in 6.