NHL Playoff Predictions 2015: Full Bracket and Picks for Every 1st-Round Series

Only 16 teams remain with the long and grueling NHL regular season in the books, but the best hockey of the year has yet to be played as everyone figures to raise his level of play in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

Regardless of any perceived dip in entertainment level during the regular season, playoff hockey rarely fails to disappoint. Each and every game emits an aura of desperation and importance, and that leads to some of the greatest moments in sports.

Now that the first-round matchups are officially set, here is a look at how the bracket breaks down, as well as a full rundown of predictions for every opening series.

NHL Playoff Bracket (via NHL on Twitter)

NHL Playoff Predictions

Conference	Team 1	Team 2	Prediction
Western	St. Louis Blues	Minnesota Wild	Wild in 7
Western	Nashville Predators	Chicago Blackhawks	Blackhawks in 5
Western	Anaheim Ducks	Winnipeg Jets	Ducks in 6
Western	Vancouver Canucks	Calgary Flames	Canucks in 7
Eastern	Montreal Canadiens	Ottawa Senators	Canadiens in 6
Eastern	Tampa Bay Lightning	Detroit Red Wings	Lightning in 4
Eastern	New York Rangers	Pittsburgh Penguins	Rangers in 6
Eastern	Washington Capitals	New York Islanders	Capitals in 5

Breaking Down Top Series

Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks

One aspect of the revamped NHL playoff system that makes for some exciting first-round series is the emphasis on divisional rivalries. That will be on full display in the Western Conference when the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks lock horns.

The Preds and Blackhawks, along with the St. Louis Blues, battled all season to win the Central Division, so it is inevitable that some bad blood has built up. That is especially true of Chicago and Nashville, since they are on different ends of the spectrum as teams.

The Blackhawks are offensively focused, and they have won two Cups in the last five seasons. The Predators, on the other hand, rely on defense and goaltending, and they have never won a Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Despite Nashville's being the higher-seeded team, Chicago is seemingly favored to come out on top. That is bolstered by the fact that it won the season series quite handily, according to Scott Grodsky of 23 WIFR in Rockford, Illinois:

In addition, the Blackhawks are riding a wave of momentum due to the fact that superstar forward Patrick Kane is fully healed from injury and ready to play, per the team's official Twitter account:

No. 88 missed several weeks after breaking his collarbone, but the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner is back and excited to compete:

Kane is one of the most dynamic offensive players in hockey, and Chicago is a different team when adding him to the likes of Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Brandon Saad and others.

It wouldn't be wise to sleep on the Preds, however, since goalie Pekka Rinne can steal games and Shea Weber leads arguably the NHL's best defensive corps, but Chicago's playoff experience will prove to be too much.

New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Jim Mone/Associated Press

In perhaps the most intriguing first-round series of the playoffs, the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers will take on a team many expected to vie for that honor, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Pens are always in the mix due the presence of star forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but they have struggled this season due to a lack of secondary scoring and because of some defensive breakdowns. In fact, it wasn't until the last day of the regular season that Pittsburgh clinched a playoff berth.

There is no question that the Penguins are a dangerous team due to the talent that they possess, but New York isn't an ideal matchup, as the Blueshirts didn't drop a regular-season decision to the Pens, according to Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

With that said, being in this position could be beneficial to the Penguins. They are so used to playing with massive expectations and pressure hanging over them that being the underdog could be a welcome change of pace.

One person who isn't allowing himself to be impacted by it, though, is Sid the Kid, per Molinari.

"

It's definitely a different position than we've been in in the past, with where we finished and playing the top seed. ... I don’t mind it. It's not a bad thing. You get into it right away, with being on the road and the underdog, everything that comes with that. ... I don't think I've ever gotten caught up in (predictions and expectations), either way. There's no real point in doing that. At the end of the day, it's about results.

"

The results have been less than ideal for Pittsburgh this season, and it is entirely possible that the campaign will end in disappointment against the defending Eastern Conference champions.

It can be argued that the Rangers have more depth than any team in the league, but they also have a star offensive player in Rick Nash. Perhaps more vital than that, though, is the presence of all-world goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

This is a series that could very well be determined between the pipes, and there is no question that the Rangers and King Henrik have a massive advantage over the Pens and Marc-Andre Fleury.

St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild

Jim Mone/Associated Press

The Western Conference is absolutely stacked with talented teams, and that is quite apparent based on the fact that two potential Stanley Cup contenders will meet in the first round when the St. Louis Blues face the Minnesota Wild.

Although the Wild reached the 100-point plateau during the regular season, it was only good enough for the first wild-card spot. They have a huge challenge on their hands against the Blues, but they are actually quite evenly matched.

According to Jeff Ponder of InsideSTL.com, the Central Division rivals split the season series:

They also happen to be two of the best defensive teams in hockey as they each allowed just 201 goals. That was tied for the second-best mark in the Western Conference behind the Blackhawks and it suggests that their series will be a tight one.

One area in which the Wild may have an advantage, though, is their ability to win away from home. Minnesota tied an NHL record by winning 12 consecutive road contests late in the season, which gives forward Jason Pominville confidence that they can keep in going in the playoffs, per the team's official Twitter account:

Minnesota and St. Louis are almost mirror images as they rely on great depth on forward and defense, a strong two-way game and excellent goaltending.

The Wild have been a different team since acquiring goalie Devan Dubnyk from the Arizona Coyotes, while the Blues continue to get consistent efforts in the crease from Brian Elliott. Dubnyk is playing at an otherworldly level with a .936 save percentage as a member of the Wild, though, which may give them the advantage.

This has all the makings of a series that will go right down to the wire, and it wouldn't be at all surprising to see the lower seed come out on top.

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