Everything You Need to Know About the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs get under way with four matchups Wednesday and four more Thursday. Before the puck drops in Montreal and D.C. on Wednesday night, there's a lot of information we'd like to pass along to you to help enjoy the viewing experience.

What are the big storylines? Who are the superstars to watch? Who is going all the way? Who has the potential to pull the upset?

Those are rhetorical questions. You should not have answered aloud while looking at your phone or computer. 

But once you read this slideshow, you will be able to answer all of them to yourself or aloud in any setting you see fit.

Click through, and get ready for what should be one of the wilder NHL postseasons in recent memory.

Stanley Cup Playoffs 101

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Let's make you aware of some of the basic stuff, stuff you may already know but others may not. Don't be a hockey snob. Let's all learn together!

Where can I watch games? In your home, in a bar, in a friend's home, on a train, on a plane. With technology the way it is, you can watch anywhere!

No, I mean which networks are airing games, funny guy? Oh, sorry. Games will be all over the place. You can find games on NHL Network, NBC, NBC Sports Network, CNBC and USA. USA is the network that shows all the Law & Order reruns, so if you're a fan like me, I'm sorry. Just pretend each period is a L&O episode that centers around the crime of bad officiating.

What's this wild-card nonsense? I know, it's weird. It doesn't matter in the East, as four teams from each division are facing off in a 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3 setting. It's different in the West, because both wild-card teams are from the Central. So what happens there is Winnipeg moves to the Pacific for the first two rounds, because the Jets are the worst wild-card team and the Ducks are the West's top seed. 

Who's the favorite? That city in the desert that may get an NHL franchise has the Rangers as favorites, but it's a wide-open field. After the Rangers (11-2), Bovada has two teams (St. Louis, Chicago) at 8-1, three teams (Anaheim, Minnesota, Montreal) at 9-1 and Tampa Bay at 10-1. There are seven more teams between 12-1 and 18-1. That's 14 teams at 18-1 or better; last year, there were only eight teams with odds that good. Expect craziness.

First Round in Eastern Conference

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New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

The matchup: The Rangers are the Presidents' Trophy winners while the Penguins limped to the finish to get the East's final playoff spot. The Rangers are healthy, while the Penguins are missing Kris Letang for sure and maybe Christian Ehrhoff on the back end too.
Buzz meter: This series will only be as interesting as the Penguins make it. Few are expecting the Penguins to put up a fight, so if they can grab one of the first two games, it could go the distance.
Prediction: Rangers in 7

Washington Capitals vs. New York Islanders

The matchup: The Capitals and Islanders are two evenly matched teams with two potential Hart Trophy finalists in Alex Ovechkin and John Tavares. How each team shuts down the other's star will likely determine who wins the series.
Buzz meter: Ovechkn is always appointment television, and this series should be conducive to his high-flying ways. This is the final season for Nassau Coliseum, so watching a game with that building rocking should be a thing you do, too.
Prediction: Capitals in 6

Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators

The matchup: This series features the presumptive MVP in Carey Price and a scrappy underdog in Ottawa that was the NHL's best team over the final two months. The Senators have owned Price in recent years, which makes for an intriguing matchup.
Buzz meter: Maybe no one in the United States cares, but all eyes in Canada will be on this one. Everyone loves an underdog, so people will gravitate toward the Sens if they make this a series.
Prediction: Senators in 6

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings

The matchup: Jon Cooper and Mike Babcock are two of the game's top coaches, and they will be matching wits in this series. The Red Wings announced that rookie Petr Mrazek will start in net, which means Babcock has already begun making moves.
Buzz meter: Steven Stamkos versus Pavel Datsyuk guarantees a highlight-reel goal or two. Both of these teams play a quick game that makes for fun viewing.
Prediction: Lightning in 5

First Round in Western Conference

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St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild

The matchup: It's fair to say the winner of this series can win the Cup. That's how competitive the Central was this season. The Wild are going with season-saving Devan Dubnyk in net while the Blues have yet to announce if Jake Allen or Brian Elliott will start.
Buzz meter: Does anyone outside St. Louis or Minnesota care about this series? These teams are more about grinding than free-wheeling, so maybe just check the scores on your phone or tune in for any overtimes.
Prediction: Blues in 6

Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks

The matchup: Both teams stumbled home down the stretch, but the Blackhawks have been playing better. It's likely going to be Pekka Rinne vs. the world, which is the sequel to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
Buzz meter: All the buzz revolves around whether Patrick Kane returns four weeks earlier than expected from a broken clavicle. And that's some good buzz, as Kane likely would've won the scoring title if he didn't get hurt.
Prediction: Blackhawks in 7

Anaheim Ducks vs. Winnipeg Jets

The matchup: The Ducks are the top team in the West while the Jets used a strong finish to earn the conference's final playoff spot. These are two really good teams with big question marks in net.
Buzz meter: This feels like the series people care the least about. People in Winnipeg will be in a euphoric state for Games 3 and 4, but I doubt anyone else cares too much about the outcome of this series, besides the players.
Prediction: Ducks in 7

Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames

The matchup: It's our second Canada vs. Canada matchup, and it features two teams that missed the playoffs last year. Ryan Miller's ability to get up to speed after missing time with a knee injury will likely decide who wins.
Buzz meter: The excitement is off the charts in Western Canada, but nobody anywhere else really cares all that much. Ask an American about this, and they might think it's a curling contest. No, just kidding. Americans don't know much about curling.
Prediction: Flames in 6

Biggest Storylines

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The Cinderella Senators: Ottawa was left for dead in February and sat 14 points out of a playoff spot with two months to play. Under Dave Cameron, who replaced the fired Paul MacLean, the Senators finished 23-4-4 to claim a wild-card spot. Andrew Hammond, aka The Hamburglar, went 20-1-2 (!) with a .941 save percentage over that time. They are plenty good enough to go on a deep run.

The return of Patrick Kane: Ah, to be young, wealthy and with the ability to return from injury four weeks sooner than projected. Kane is back after breaking his clavicle in February and will be in the lineup for Game 1 against the Predators. How will he fare? Will he hurt himself again? Is he rushing back? Can he push the Blackhawks past a good Predators team? Only time will tell.

Who is playing goalie?: There are eight teams, in my estimation, that could have goaltending issues—Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago, Anaheim and Tampa Bay. That's not to say those teams have poor goaltending; it's that a goalie switch at some point isn't out of the question. At least half the field lacks that true No. 1 goaltender, and St. Louis and Vancouver, as of Monday, haven't announced a Game 1 starter.

Look at all these Canadian teams!: There are five Canadian teams in this year's postseason, with four of them meeting each other in Round 1. That means there will be at least two Canadian teams in Round 2 with a third if Winnipeg beats Anaheim. A Canadian organ-eye-zation hasn't won the Cup since 1993, and maybe this is the year that finally changes.

Superstars to Watch

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Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals: He had a league-leading 53 goals this season, the sixth 50-goal season of his career. What makes it special is he produced 53 goals in a season in which superstar scoring is down, as the NHL called a record-low number of penalties that resulted in power plays. Ovechkin had 10 more goals than the next-best goal scorer. 

Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues: The 23-year-old had a career-best 37 goals this season and had four goals in six playoff games a year ago. He's a game-breaking talent, something the Blues lacked in many of their early exits in recent years. He can be a difference-maker against the Wild.

Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning: Can you believe this is only Stamkos' third postseason trip in seven years? You can? Well good for you being so historically intelligent. He had two goals in four games last year as Tampa was swept by Montreal, so he will want to do more this year.

Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks: Getzlaf is nearly a point-per-game player in the postseason (77 points, 81 games) and is one of the best two-way players in the league. Unlike most stars, Getzlaf brings a physical element to his game and will be looking to lay out a few Jets in the first round. This is where I'd make a West Side Story joke, but I've never seen it.

Biggest X-Factors

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Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks: When healthy, Kane is one of the best players in the league. But how will he fare after missing nearly seven weeks? Will there be rust? Will he pick up where he left off, which was leading the league in scoring before the injury? Kane's ability to get up to speed quickly will decide whether the Blackhawks win a Cup or maybe lose in Round 1.

Andrew Hammond, Ottawa Senators: Hammond was languishing in the minors before backstopping the Senators to a stunning playoff berth. But how will he do in the postseason? Will the stage become too big? The Hamburglar has to avoid getting kicked in his buns or the Senators will be meat. Follow me on Twitter.

Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens: The Habs' leading scorer suffered what was likely a concussion near the end of the regular season, and now his status for Game 1 is up in the air. If he doesn't dress, Montreal is in trouble. But if he plays at less than 100 percent (with a brain injury, which is a bad idea), he may not be the same. 

Ondrej Pavelec, Winnipeg Jets: What's this guy going to do in his first postseason? After spending most of his career as one of the worst at his position, he raised his save percentage to .920 this season and closed with three straight shutouts. If he's consistent, the Jets can go far. If he does that thing he usually does, which is look brilliant at times before allowing a bad goal, the Jets won't go anywhere.

The Favorite in Each Conference

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Eastern Conference

New York Rangers: They won the Presidents' Trophy, have one of the game's best goaltenders and just got to the Final last season. They also have, relatively speaking, the easiest first-round matchup. It will be a problem if they face a big team, but that may not happen until the Final. 

Western Conference

St. Louis Blues: They may have the best top-nine group of forwards in the league, and their defense from one to six is solid. They score and defend as well as anyone in the West and enter the playoffs as a healthy group. But just like the Rangers, the path to the Final won't be easy. If the Blues get goaltending, they are bound for the Final.

The Dark Horse in Each Conference

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Eastern Conference

New York Islanders: The Islanders will be on the road for at least the first two rounds and will have to beat Alex Ovechkin and either the league's top teams or one with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Jaroslav Halak carried the Canadiens to the Eastern Final in 2010 by beating Washington and Pittsburgh, and he may do the same thing in 2015.

Western Conference

Winnipeg Jets: Beating the Ducks will be difficult, but if they do, they are almost a lock to beat whoever wins the Canucks-Flames series. They have a great group of forwards and defensemen. They only need goaltending to make a deep run.

The Stanley Cup Final Matchup Will Be...

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...St. Louis vs. Tampa Bay

This year's playoff field is filled with Cup contenders. The bet here is on the Blues and Lightning because their forward/defense groups are arguably the best in each conference. All they need is slightly above-average goaltending to get here, as each team is among the top five in scoring.

It will be the Blues, however, that emerge victorious. 

The Conn Smythe Winner Will Be...

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...David Backes of the St. Louis Blues.

If the Blues win, it will be Backes who drives the bus. He's the captain of the team, and that always sways voters, but he's thought of as a great leader and he can score as well. So we'll say Backes finishes with 11 goals and 10 assists, because making this prediction as specific as possible and nailing it will be rewarding in ways you can't imagine.