The Stanley Cup Champion favorite Colorado Avalanche are taking on the Los Angeles Kings in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Kings have now been to five straight playoffs, never advancing past the first round. Colorado finished the regular season with 55 wins and 121 points, both best in the NHL. Los Angeles somehow made the playoffs with only 35 wins and 90 points, both last of all the teams that qualified for the playoffs.

The Avalanche is led by its clever center, Nathan MacKinnon, and dangerous defenseman Cale Makar, both of whom scored 20-plus goals and 55-plus assists during the regular season. As a whole, Colorado is a complete team from their first line to the penalty killing units to their goalies, Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. The Kings have little to no chance in this series, even with the best efforts by Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, and the soon-to-retire Anze Kopitar.

Prediction: Los Angeles Kings Vs. Colorado Avalanche

If the Kings win one game in this series, it would be a huge surprise for all hockey fans. The combo of MacKinnon and Makar helps the Avalanche waste no time eliminating Kopitar and the Kings in a series sweep of four games.

Minnesota Wild Vs. Dallas Stars

This matchup between the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars will be the best series in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Stars have advanced to three consecutive Western Conference Finals, coming up short in each trip, so they are chomping at the bit for this chance to make another deep playoff run. Dallas features three skaters who each scored more than 75 points this season: Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Mikko Rantanen.

When at full health, the first offensive and defensive lines for the Wild are among the NHL’s best because Kirill “The Thrill” Kaprizov, Ryan Hartman, Mats Zuccarello, Quinn Hughes, and Brock Faber work cohesively together. The goaltenders for both teams will make the greatest difference in the outcome of this series. The Stars’ Jake Oettinger and the Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt are both passionate and talented goalies who will have to rise to their peak potential in order to advance.

Prediction: Minnesota Wild Vs. Dallas Stars

Both of these teams are genuinely Stanley Cup Finals contenders, but there can be only one by the end of this matchup. In a seven-game bloodbath of a series, Kaprizov and the Wild advance to the Western Conference Semi-Finals by defeating Robertson and the Stars.