With the NHL having their first games since mid-march the chance for the cup is own. Starting with the Qualifiers where 16 teams will have the right to make the playoffs. So who will make the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs?
First up the western conference with the 12th seeded Chicago Blackhawks taking on the 5th seed Edmonton Oilers. This series has the potential to be great as both of these two teams have had a lot of rest and that benefits Chicago a bit more than Edmonton. Chicago has an older core of players which gives them a distinct advantage with more playoff experience and a team that is 100% healthy. But in the end, even though the series will go the distance with 5 games the firepower of Edmonton will overcome the weak goaltending unit of Chicago. Edmonton will move on to the playoffs.
The 11th seed Arizona Coyotes take on the 6th seed Nashville Predators. This series is going to be very quick and will only take 3 games seeing the Predators moving on. The preds have a lot more playoff experience that the coyotes just don’t have even with a healthy Taylor hall and Phil Kessel it will not be enough to beat the predators.
Most teams in the Qualifiers are teams that would have not had made the playoffs if the season had continued normally. Such as the 10th seeded Minnesota Wild taking on the 7th seeded Vancouver Cunucks. These two teams were going in a downward trend before the pause of the season. Both of these teams are in a good spot to show off but to show how promising their future is. The series should go 5 games and have the Cunucks come out on top. They have a better prospect of players and a better coaching staff than the Wild putting them in the playoffs over the Wild.
Finally, from the west, the two teams with the best shot to win the cup if they make the playoffs are the 9th seeded Winnipeg Jets and the 8th seeded Calgary Flames. Both these teams have the talent and playoff experience to make it al the way to the cup final. This series will go 4 games having the jets making the playoffs on the back of solid goaltending to extinguish the flames.
Over to the stacked Eastern Conference starting with the 12th seeded Montreal Canadians taking on the stacked 5th seeded Pittsburgh Penguins. This series should shock no one but in the end, the power of the penguins is going to be too much for the efforts of Carey Price as the Canadians fall to the penguins in 3 games.
Next up could be the best series in the whole playoffs as you have the 11th seeded New York Rangers taking on the 6th Seeded Carolina Hurricanes. Both of these teams are young and hungry with an almost completed rebuild and will go 5 games seeing the Rangers defeat the Bunch of Jerks with a solid goaltending performance from the Czar Igor Shesterkin.
The 10th seeded Florida Panthers are up next as they take on the 7th seeded New York Islanders. Both teams where on the upswing when the season paused but now, they have a chance to get a shot at the cup. After 4 games the panthers with a healthy Sergei Bobrovsky are too hot to deal with the New York Islanders.
The last series for the 2020 NHL Stanley cup Qualifier is the 9th seeded Columbus Blue Jackets taking on the hosting 8th seeded Toronto Maple Leaf’s. This series is what many people have said the most anticipated series of them all and it will go 5 games. With the Leaf’s not becoming the laughing stock of the NHL playoffs like Tampa bay did last season and will beat the jackets with one of the best lineups in hockey.
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