Stanley Cup Predictions 2012: Projecting How Every Contender Will Finish

Tonight is the night NHL fans have been waiting for all year long. The Stanley Cup playoffs begin in earnest on Wednesday, with 16 teams looking to achieve immortality. 

We have seen what these teams have done for 82 games, but everything gets reset now. Everyone is poised to prove that they are the best in the NHL. 

So who is going to walk away with the Stanley Cup? Which top seeds are going to flame out early? Here is our projected finish for all 16 teams in the NHL postseason. 

Eastern Conference

No. 1 New York Rangers

The Rangers surprised in the regular season, finishing with 109 points. Now they have a lot of pressure on them to perform.

Despite great goaltending, their offense and penalty killing aren't going to be strong enough to carry them through a deep Eastern Conference field. 

Result: Eliminated in second round

No. 2 Boston Bruins

Last year's champions look just as strong this year. They finished with the best point differential in the league (plus-67) and will make another deep run in the postseason. 

They have a great mix of offense, defense, goaltending and penalty killing to get right back to the Stanley Cup Final. 

Result: Stanley Cup Final

No. 3 Florida Panthers

They were the worst division winners in the NHL this season. It is nice to see them get back to having success after last year's failure, but the Panthers won't be around very long. 

Result: Eliminated by New Jersey in first round

No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins

Despite being seeded fourth, the Penguins were the second-best team in the Eastern Conference. 

They are going to be the one team standing in the way of the Boston Bruins making it back to the Stanley Cup Final. 

Either way, they will make for a great Eastern Conference final matchup. 

Result: Eliminated in Eastern Conference final

No. 5 Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers will suffer from being locked in a bad matchup with Pittsburgh in the first round. 

Result: Eliminated by Pittsburgh in first round

No. 6 New Jersey Devils

Another year, another under-the-radar season for the Devils. Martin Brodeur is great, obviously. But will they have enough offense to make a deep run?

Result: Eliminated in second round

No. 7 Washington Capitals and No. 8 Ottawa Senators

Lumping the two lowest seeds in the Eastern Conference, they can take comfort in making the playoffs and selling tickets, while having a solid foundation for the future. 

Result: Eliminated in first round

Western Conference

No. 1 Vancouver Canucks

This was not a great year for the Western Conference. Even the second-seeded St. Louis Blues were a mediocre team on the road. 

The Canucks were, by far, the best team all year long. They had the best offense and were one of the best defensive teams in the conference. 

They will be challenged in the second round by Detroit. If the Canucks can get by that, they will be on their way to the Stanley Cup. 

Result: Stanley Cup champions

No. 2 St. Louis Blues

The Blues enter the playoffs with a mediocre 4-3-3 finish to the season. They had the best goaltending in the NHL, and it wasn't particularly close. 

One big problem that gives me trepidation is their 19-16-6 road record. It is not a bad mark, and they will have home-ice advantage in at least the first two rounds, but winning on the road is paramount to success in the Stanley Cup Final. 

Result: Eliminated in the second round

No. 3 Phoenix Coyotes

The Coyotes drew an unfortunate matchup with the red-hot Blackhawks in the first round. They don't score enough to defeat them in a seven-game series. 

Result: Eliminated in first round

No. 4 Nashville Predators

The Predators are the victims of bad circumstances. They have a winnable series with Detroit in the first round, but making it past the Red Wings and, potentially, the Canucks is not going to be easy. 

Result: Eliminated in second round

No. 5 Detroit Red Wings

Basically, everything I said about St. Louis applies to Detroit. This team has had a lot of problems on the road, and it will be starting away from Motown against an underrated Nashville team. 

Result: Eliminated in first round

No. 6 Chicago Blackhawks

After a midseason lull, the Blackhawks have caught fire. Their offense is playing up to its potential. The goaltending has been good enough, though it could become a problem the deeper they move in the playoffs. 

Still, you have to love the way they are playing right now. 

Result: Eliminated in Western Conference Final

No. 7 San Jose Sharks and No. 8 Los Angeles Kings

The Sharks are a sleeper team because of their outstanding home record and the Blues' struggles on the road. They won't win, but they could make the series more interesting than you think. 

The Kings can't score. They don't allow a lot of goals, but they don't put the puck in the net enough to keep up with Vancouver. 

Result: Eliminated in first round

Follow @adamwells1985