Five of the top eight teams in the NHL this season play in the Western Conference. Two of them have to face off in a first-round showdown between Dallas and Colorado.
Presidents鈥� Trophy-winning Winnipeg has its own demons to slay, from elite goaltender Connor Hellebuyck on out, to get over the playoff hump that has been a recent roadblock. Defending West champion Edmonton is banged up going into a fourth consecutive opening series against Los Angeles. And don鈥檛 forget about Vegas, just two years removed from and looking as imposing as ever.
The path through the West is a brutal one, though the tests along the way could be fit for a champion.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a war of attrition,鈥� said six-time Cup champion and Hall of Famer Mark Messier, now an ESPN analyst. 鈥淔or any team that鈥檚 going to come through the West this year, they鈥檙e going to have to be a big, strong team that can withstand that kind of not only physical stress but the emotional stress because we know the games are going to be close.鈥�
Teams to beat
The Jets had the best regular season, but the Stars are 3-1 favorites to come out of the West, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Next up are the Avalanche 鈥� for the first time since he three years ago 鈥� even though the Central Division rivals ranked fourth and eighth in the league are locked into playing each other because of .
鈥淚t certainly makes it difficult, but that鈥檚 the road that we have,鈥� Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. 鈥淲e finished where we finished, they finished where they are, playing a really good team, one of the top teams in the league right away.鈥�
This was always the punishment for whoever didn't win the Central, and Winnipeg gets to start against wild-card St. Louis instead. Avalanche-Stars is another animal.
鈥淲e played them last year in the second round, so back at it again this year,鈥� Dallas general manager Jim Nill said. 鈥淥ur attitude is if you鈥檙e going to win it, you鈥檝e got to beat all the good teams, so it doesn鈥檛 matter. They鈥檙e a good team, and it鈥檚 going to be a battle.鈥�
The Golden Knights have been through the gauntlet and come out the other side, winning the Cup in 2023. The guy who then has since left for Nashville but still thinks Vegas can make a long run.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see anyone stopping them until the top four," Jonathan Marchessault said. "I think they鈥檙e going to get out of their division. It鈥檚 going to be a pretty good battle against the Central Division. I think there are three really good teams. I follow them and am going to cheer for them, for sure.鈥�
Underdogs
The Kings have gotten knocked out by the Oilers each of the past three years. They have home-ice advantage this time against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Edmonton, which will be for at least the first round because of injury.
The West wild cards came down to the tail end of the regular season to determine, with Minnesota coming back in its final game to clinch the first spot and a matchup against Vegas. The Blues got in as the eighth seed and faces Winnipeg in the first round.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited for guys to experience it that haven鈥檛 experienced it before,鈥� St. Louis captain Brayden Schenn said. "This locker room, some young guys have been champing at the bit to get that feeling. And it鈥檚 important. That鈥檚 how you build a winning culture. That鈥檚 how you build a winning mindset.鈥�
Storylines to watch
The Colorado-Dallas series is even more tantalizing after the Avalanche traded longtime star winger in late January only to see him boomerang back to the Central when the Hurricanes at the trade deadline.
鈥淭o see him and play him in the first round? That鈥檚 probably not what the Avalanche were thinking when they tried to send him out East,鈥� said retired player Anson Carter, now a TNT analyst. 鈥淭hat series is going to be crazy.鈥�
Colorado's Logan O'Connor, who won it all alongside Rantanen in 2022, called it a 鈥渘o-friends-on-the-ice type thing.鈥�
鈥淲e obviously all respect him as a player, a great friend to a lot of us,鈥� O'Connor said. 鈥淭ons of good things to say about him, but I think the second that puck drops, it sort of goes out the window for the time being. We all have got a job to do in here, and he鈥檚 in the way of that.鈥�
There's also McDavid and Draisaitl's collective pursuit of their first championship after last year after erasing a 3-0 series deficit. The Oilers and Jets have the chance to end Canada's Cup drought that dates to 1993.
Predictions
First round: Colorado beats Dallas in seven games; Winnipeg beats St. Louis in six; Vegas sweeps Minnesota in four; Los Angeles beats Edmonton in six.
Second round: Colorado beats Winnipeg in six; Vegas beats Los Angeles in five.
Conference final: Colorado beats Vegas in seven.
鈥淭he West is stacked,鈥� Avalanche winger Miles Wood said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e a stacked team, as well."
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AP Hockey Writer Larry Lage in Detroit, AP Sports Writers Pat Graham in Denver and Mark Anderson in Las Vegas and AP freelance writer Joe Harris in St. Louis contributed.
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AP NHL:
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
