NHL Playoff Predictions 2012: Power Ranking Each Team's Chances to Win It All

With the NHL playoffs just about to kick off, the talk about which team will win the Stanley Cup this year is hot on the lips of all the NHL fans.

Despite the fact that 16 teams are in the playoffs, only a select few truly have the inside lane to winning the Stanley Cup this season.

All of the playoff teams have been ranked, with the teams most likely to win the Stanley Cup situated at the top and the losers stuck at the bottom. Sorry in advance if this offends you.


5. Philadelphia Flyers (103 Pts)

The Philadelphia Flyers have reinvented themselves this season. The development of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov into the player they thought he could be when they signed him to a long-term deal is also important. This is a team ready to win it all.


2. Boston Bruins (102 Pts)

With the defending Stanley Cup Champions retaining most of the same pieces from last year’s run, the Bruins will demand respect from the team’s they face until someone proves they can unseat the champs.


1. Vancouver Canucks (111 Pts)

As good as the President’s Trophy shows that a team has been all season, the inconsistencies of a goaltender can undo all the momentum built. If Roberto Luongo keeps his head straight, there are few teams that can match Vancouver.

2. St. Louis Blues (109 Pts)

While no one is giving the lowly St. Louis Blues any love, they have the depth and scoring prowess to make a serious run against any team. Add in the best goaltending in the NHL and you have a team that could be Stanley Cup Shockers.


1. New York Rangers (109 Pts)

The New York Rangers' chances start and end in net with Henrik Lundqvist. If the Randers can protect their star goalie with stellar defense, he could single-handedly carry them to a Stanley Cup.


4. Nashville Predators (104 Pts)

The best defense in the playoffs this season goes to the Nashville Predators. With top-tier goalie Pekka Rhine manning the net, there is no doubt that the Predators will be a dangerous team. The only real question is the consistency of their offense.

6. Chicago Blackhawks (101 Pts)

Despite a mediocre season, the Blackhawks are finally playing their best hockey, and doing so at the right time. Add in all the experience from the 2010 Stanley Cup run, and the only question left is about the goaltending situation. If that holds up, the Hawks could be deadly.


4. Pittsburgh Penguins (108 Pts)

With the return of Sidney Crosby to the Pittsburgh lineup and a sniper like Evgeni Malkin ready to roll, if the Penguins can knock off the Flyers in the first round, they will have the best momentum heading toward the final and could be a force to be reckoned with.

5. Detroit Red Wings (102 Pts)

As good as the Detroit Red Wings have been over the last few seasons, their aura that once had teams scared to enter their building is now gone. If Nashville dispatches the Red Wings, the generation of invincible Detroit team is officially over.

7. San Jose Sharks (96 Pts)

While the always present questions of consistency have again plagued the San Jose Sharks, their undeniable firepower and defensive depth can send them all the way to the cup. The problem will be getting that many games of effort out of all players on the team.


6. New Jersey Devils (102 Pts)

Any team that starts a legend like Martin Broduer has a chance to win it all, but they will need the veteran to play like a kid again. If Broduer doesn’t find the fountain of youth, the Devils will most likely be bounced in the second round.


3. Phoenix Coyotes (97 Pts)

While everyone is sleeping on the Phoenix Coyotes, it’s only because everyone is still waiting for them to come back down to Earth. A stellar year from journeymen goalie Mike Smith has put the team in a great spot, but how long the ride lasts is up for debate.

7. Washington Capitals (92 Pts)

As it always does, the Stanley Cup will be decided by goaltending. For the Washington Capitals, their biggest flaw this year has been their netminder. If youngster Braden Holtby can live up to the hype under the pressure, Washington could be dangerous.

8. Los Angeles Kings (95 Pts)

With a stellar goalie and defensive depth any team in the NHL would be jealous of, the only thing the Los Angeles Kings are missing is scoring consistency. While they have the gunners to make it happen, the puck just hasn’t bounced the Kings way. Maybe it’s their time now.


3. Florida Panthers (94 Pts)

This is the great unknown in the Eastern Conference. The Florida Panthers are a team built on a strong defense from the forwards and the defenders, but the questions in net and inconsistency on offense will have them out early.


8. Ottawa Senators (92 Pts)

Sorry Ottawa fans. As long as Craig Anderson is in net and your offense is predicated on a 39-year-old winger, you will win nothing. Thank you, come again.


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