WESTERN CONFERENCE
DUCKS 42-23-13, 105 pts 1st Round: def. Calgary, 4-0. EDMONTON 47-26-9, 103 1st Round: def. San Jose, 4-2. Power play: Season — Ducks 18.7% (17th); Oilers 22.9% (fifth). Playoffs — Ducks 23.1% (4th); Oilers 12.5% (14th). Penalty killing: Season — Ducks 84.7% (4th); Oilers 80.7% (17th). Playoffs — Ducks 62.5% (16th); Oilers 80.8% (10th).
Top scorers: Season — Ducks, Ryan Getzlaf 15-58— 73; Oilers — Connor McDavid 30-70—100. Playoffs — Ducks, Getzlaf 3-2—5; Oilers, McDavid 2-2—4.
Outlook: The Ducks overcame weak penalty killing and a shaky Game 3 start by goaltender John Gibson to win four close, rugged games from Calgary. Young defensemen Shea Theodore and Brandon Montour played well after injuries took out Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen, and a week of rest probably will allow Fowler to return. The Oilers showed resilience in bouncing back from a 7-0 spanking in Game 4 against defending Western Conference champ San Jose to close that series. The consensus is regularseason scoring champ McDavid hasn’t hit top stride in his first playoff experience. That’s scary. He and Leon Draisaitl (six goals vs. the Ducks this season) will be tough to contain.
Pick: Ducks in seven.
ST. LOUIS 46-29-7, 99 1st Round: def. Minn., 4-1. NASHVILLE 41-29-12, 94 1st Round: def. Chicago, 4-0. Power play: Season — Blues 21.3% (8th); Predators 18.9% (16th). Playoffs — Blues 6.7% (15th); Predators 12.5% (13th).
Penalty killing: Season — Blues 84.8% (3rd); Predators 80.9% (15th). Playoffs — Blues 83.3% (7th); Predators 77.8% (12th).
Top scorers: Season — Blues, Vladimir Tarasenko 39-36—75; Predators, Viktor Arvidsson 31-30—61. Playoffs — Blues, Jaden Schwartz 2-3—5; Predators, Ryan Johansen 1-5—6.
Outlook: Goals should be rare against St. Louis’ Jake Allen (1.47 goals-against average, .956 save percentage) and Nashville’s Pekka Rinne (0.70, .976, two shutouts vs. Chicago). Coach Mike Yeo breathed life back into a stodgy Blues team after he replaced Ken Hitchcock on Feb. 1. They also got a boost with the return of forward Vladimir Sobotka from Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, but the Predators’ line of Arvidsson, Johansen and Filip Forsberg romped in the first round and the team scoring is balanced. The Predators have a more mobile top four on defense, and that could make the difference for a team that has not advanced past the second round.
Pick: Nashville in six.