As usual, there’s plenty of questions in the West
Conference is predictably unpredictable as puck drops on postseason
In assessing the status of his Pacific Division champion Calgary Flames, coach Darryl Sutter may have at the same time aptly captured the unpredictable state of the entire Western Conference once the playoffs open on Monday.
“We’re good. We’ve been consistent all year,” Sutter said. “The key is being healthy and know what we’re up against. There’s a big storm coming here this week.”
Sutter’s point was for the Flames to not take for granted their first-round opponent, the Dallas Stars, who made the jump from ninth to seventh during a frantic final week in becoming the NHL’S final team to clinch a playoff berth.
As storm warnings go, the playoffs have traditionally stirred up havoc for the top seeds in the West, in which only one division champ — Vegas in its first season of existence, 2018 — reached the Stanley Cup Final since the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks won the title in 2013. The Blues finished fifth in the West when they won the Cup in 2019, the 2014 Cup-wining Los Angeles Kings were sixth, while Nashville was eighth when losing the championship to Pittsburgh in 2017.
This year’s field doesn’t include the Golden Knights for the first time in franchise history, while Calgary and Colorado are the top two seeds, but with a recent history of early round playoff collapses. The Kings return to the playoff for the first time in four years. And brace yourselves for Central Division rivals Minnesota and St. Louis meeting in a first-round matchup which has the makings of being a bruiser.
Colorado, which hasn’t advanced past the second round since losing the Western Conference final to Detroit in 2002, will open against eighth-seeded Nashville.
“It’s not something that I’m thinking about anymore. It’s a new group this year. We have new opportunities and a new challenge,” defenseman Cale Makar said.
The Flames’ playoff history is just as checkered. They’ve won just two of 10 playoff series since losing the Cup Final to Tampa Bay in 2004.
And it’s no different for Edmonton, where the second-seeded Oilers advanced to the playoffs for just the fourth time since Connor Mcdavid’s arrival in 2015, and coming off a fourgame first-round dud against Winnipeg a year ago. Edmonton opens against the Kings.
Colorado vs. Nashville
The Avalanche finished 22 points ahead of the Predators in the standings, and could have an even more distinct edge if Nashville starter Juuse Sarros is unable to return after missing the final two regular season games with an undisclosed injury.
The matchup pits two of the NHL’S top-scoring defensemen in Nashville’s Roman Josi, who led all blueliners with 96 points, and Makar, who finished second with 86.
Minnesota vs. St. Louis
The Wild set a franchise record with 53 wins and 113 points, while finishing third in the NHL with a 31-8-2 home record. The Blues, who closed their season on a 14-2-2 run, won 23 road games ranked tied for ninth in the NHL.
St. Louis has had the edge over Minnesota by going 12-1-1 in its last 14 meetings. Seven of those wins, however, were decided by one goal, including five in overtime.
Calgary vs. Dallas
The Stars opened their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020 — which they lost to Tampa Bay — by defeating the Flames in aseries played in the Edmonton COVID-19 bubble. This time, the Flames will have home-ice advantage.
While Dallas reached the postseason for a fifth-straight year, Calgary is making just its fifth appearance since 2010.
Edmonton vs. Los Angeles
Kings coach Todd Mclellan faces his former team in the playoffs for the first time since being fired by Edmonton during the 2018-19. season And the Oilers are now coached by Mclellan’s former assistant, Jay Woodcroft.
The Oilers have surged by going 26-9-3 under Woodcroft to finish with 49 wins, their most since winning 50 in 1986-87.