NHL Playoffs 2015: Updated Stanley Cup Schedule and Championship Picks
Wednesday marks the one-week birthday of the 2015 NHL playoffs, and we already have indications as to which first-round series could go the distance and which could end in sweeps.
Of the eight first-round series taking place, only two involved superior-seeded teams winning both opening games in their home arenas. And the two series that currently sit 3-0—Anaheim versus Winnipeg and Montreal against Ottawa—have been among the most exciting thus far.
But elsewhere in the early portions of the race for the Stanley Cup, back-and-forth showdowns figure to produce at least a couple of seven-game series before Round 1 is in the books.
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Below is an updated look at the full first-round schedule and a detailed prediction for two teams destined to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Updated NHL Playoff Schedule
| 4 | Wednesday, April 22 | 7 p.m. | Montreal at Ottawa | USA, CBC |
| 5* | *Friday, April 24 | 7 p.m. | Ottawa at Montreal | CNBC, CBC |
| 6* | *Sunday, April 26 | TBD | Montreal at Ottawa | CBC |
| 7* | *Tuesday, April 28 | TBD | Ottawa at Montreal | CBC |
| 3 | Tuesday, April 21 | 7 p.m. | Tampa Bay at Detroit | NBCSN, SN |
| 4 | Thursday, April 23 | 7 p.m. | Tampa Bay at Detroit | NBCSN, CBC |
| 5 | Saturday, April 25 | TBD | Detroit at Tampa Bay | CBC |
| 6* | *Monday, April 27 | TBD | Tampa Bay at Detroit | TBD |
| 7* | *Wednesday, April 29 | TBD | Detroit at Tampa Bay | TBD |
| 4 | Wednesday, April 22 | 7 p.m. | NY Rangers at Pittsburgh | NBCSN, SN 360 |
| 5 | Friday, April 24 | TBD | Pittsburgh at NY Rangers | SN |
| 6* | *Sunday, April 26 | TBD | NY Rangers at Pittsburgh | SN |
| 7* | *Tuesday, April 28 | TBD | Pittsburgh at NY Rangers | TBD |
| 5 | Thursday, April 23 | 7 p.m. | NY Islanders at Washington | CNBC, SN |
| 6* | *Saturday, April 25 | TBD | Washington at NY Islanders | SN |
| 7* | *Monday, April 27 | TBD | NY Islanders at Washington | TBD |
| 4 | Wednesday, April 22 | 9:30 p.m. | St. Louis at Minnesota | NBCSN, SN 360 |
| 5 | Friday, April 24 | TBD | Minnesota at St. Louis | TBD |
| 6* | *Sunday, April 26 | TBD | St. Louis at Minnesota | TBD |
| 7* | *Wednesday, April 29 | TBD | Minnesota at St. Louis | TBD |
| 5 | Thursday, April 23 | 9:30 p.m. | Chicago at Nashville | SN |
| 6* | *Saturday, April 25 | TBD | Nashville at Chicago | TBD |
| 7* | *Monday, April 27 | TBD | Chicago at Nashville | TBD |
| 4 | Wednesday, April 22 | 9:30 p.m. | Anaheim at Winnipeg | USA, SN |
| 5* | *Friday, April 24 | 10 p.m. | Winnipeg at Anaheim | SN |
| 6* | *Sunday, April 26 | TBD | Anaheim at Winnipeg | SN |
| 7* | *Tuesday, April 28 | TBD | Winnipeg at Anaheim | SN |
| 5 | Thursday, April 23 | 10 p.m. | Calgary at Vancouver | CNBC, CBC |
| 6* | *Saturday, April 25 | TBD | Vancouver at Calgary | CBC |
| 7* | *Monday, April 27 | TBD | Calgary at Vancouver | CBC |
Stanley Cup Pick: Anaheim Ducks vs. New York Rangers
We've seen many surprises during the first week of the postseason but nothing that will make those picking chalk for their Stanley Cup Finals picks have an ounce of regret. That's because the top seeds in both conferences have stepped up to the task in not-so-simple first-round series against capable foes, showing the moxie and resolve needed to make the 16-win trek to the Cup.
The darlings of the West all season long, the Anaheim Ducks entered the playoffs with a big-time test against the Winnipeg Jets. Their opponents resemble them in so many ways—big, physical, gritty and relentless—that the Ducks have trailed after two periods in each of their three playoff meetings.
As much as that reeks of despair, games are 60 minutes for a reason. Anaheim showed its resiliency by bouncing back to win each of the three games, including an improbable overtime victory in Game 3. Despite playing far from their best hockey, the Ducks are nearing a first-round sweep.
It's those moments that show championship grit, which had former NHL player Tyson Nash lauding Anaheim:
The New York Rangers looked poised to roll through the postseason when they entered it as Presidents' Trophy winners against a reeling Pittsburgh Penguins team. Sidney Crosby and Co. have come to play, but the Rangers look bound to finish it early after pulling out Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead.
Of course, the Ducks and the Rangers are just two teams that have started the playoffs in style. But it's the way both teams are built that will have them navigating through two treacherous conference series in the future.
New York won't get anywhere in the East without a stable defense, which it unquestionably has—the Rangers gave up just 192 goals during the season, third-best in the league. Henrik Lundqvist is not just back and healthy but also playing at the level that has been crucial to their recent playoff runs.
With forwards such as Rick Nash and Derek Stepan, who can turn defense into goals in a flash, the Rangers will be an impossibly tough out, even for a defensive juggernaut like the Montreal Canadiens. There's simply no team out East with the Rangers' balance—they scored 31 more goals than Montreal in 2014-15 while conceding just three more.
As for the Ducks, they undoubtedly need more consistent goaltending from Frederik Andersen in order to deal with the likes of Calgary or Vancouver and likely either Minnesota or Chicago. But there's much to be said of the fact that Anaheim went 3-0 despite its goalie's struggles in those games.
So, it's Anaheim and New York pegged for an exhilarating Cup Final, as EA Sports' NHL 15 predicted, per Yahoo Sports—just ignore that whole 0-for-7 part:
It's like splitting hairs to decide where the advantage lies between two stacked teams that have long been building for a Cup run, unless you look between the pipes. That's where this series will be won—and lost.
Lundqvist hasn't been his usual dominant self on a consistent basis since returning from injury in late March, but he has dazzled in two of three postseason games—looking to be nearing peak form. The chiseled veteran will more than hold his own against Anaheim's big-bodied forwards, but it's hard to say the same of Andersen, who is in just his second year in the league.
The playoffs can be a time for young stars to emerge, but that's not going to be the case with such potent offensive attacks gunning for a Cup. Experience in net will be the difference, and the Rangers will hoist their first Stanley Cup in more than 20 years.
Prediction: Rangers beat Ducks in six games
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