Nashville Predators: Breaking Down Each Potential 1st-Round Opponent
By Chad Minton
Anaheim Ducks (88 points, last wildcard spot)
Probability of facing Predators: 18.2 percent
I’m sure Ducks fans want nothing more than getting revenge on the Predators for the playoff eliminations in recent years. There’s a major gap in talent and skill between these two teams, in favor of the Predators. However, the Ducks would dirty the waters and make this series grueling. They’d get a win or two playing with that strategy.
What worries me about facing them first is expending so much energy to dispose of them. This will be their Stanley Cup as I can’t see them getting past the second round. The Predators swept the Ducks this season, continuing their domination of them in recent years.
The juiciest potential first-round opponent is the Ducks by a landslide. We’ll get to see Ryan Johansen and Ryan Kesler go at it again, and hopefully see Corey Perry bury his face into the bench after another elimination. I actually think the Ducks will charge into the top three of the Pacific Division, and bump the Kings down to the wildcard. We’ll have to wait to see these two foes meet again.