In this edition of the hotstove, we share our upset picks for the opening round.
Todd Cordell
I like the Minnesota Wild.
I understand Vancouver has the best goaltender in the series (Jacob Markstrom) and the best player (Elias Pettersson). That does concern me but I think Minnesota has enough edges to make up for it.
They are a much better 5v5 team. They just are. They ranked 4th in expected goals – behind only Vegas, Boston, and Montreal – over the last 25 games and finished with a plus-12 differential at 5v5. The Canucks slotted 19th over the same span and came out even on the scoreboard.
A big reason for that was their inability to play defense. They ranked 30th in suppressing shot attempts, and 28th in terms of chances, during that 25-game window. That’s no fluke.
Quinn Hughes is an awesome player but Chris Tanev and Alex Edler aren’t what they once were and Tyler Myers...well, let’s just say isn’t worth what he is making.
Led by Kevin Fiala, I think the Wild will be able to take advantage of Vancouver’s defensive woes and pull off the upset in this series.
Sean Maloughney
The Columbus Blue Jackets
All year Columbus has been defying the odds with a roster that has been plagued by injuries and lacking star talent. Despite that they were able to grind their way into some wins and even if this was a normal 16 team playoff, the Blue Jackets could have squeaked in.
The Leafs have been called out by a number of experts as being a team that still doesn't know how to bunker down and win when things get tough. The Blue Jackets are one of the best teams in the league at preventing scoring chances and if Merzlikins or Koprisalo stands tall while Seth Jones in front causes havoc for the likes of Matthews and Tavares the Jackets could take game 1 and put the Leafs behind the 8 ball early. How they react could spell an early end to their season.
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