The NHL playoffs are off and running.

Saturday brought a trio of solid games, with the Carolina Hurricanes shutting out the Ottawa Senators 2-0, the Minnesota Wild laying a 6-1 beatdown on the Dallas Stars on the road, and the Philadelphia Flyers snagging a 3-2 road win of their own over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

I asked some of the Oilersnation crew for their first-round predictions, their Stanley Cup favourites, and more.

Liam Horrobin: Feeling good about it, but still wish it was the L.A. Kings. Anaheim has the firepower to give the Oilers a tough series. However, the Oilers’ experience should help them overcome an inexperienced Ducks team. Yes, they have the likes of Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, and Alex Killorn, but the stars in Anaheim have not faced the pressures yet of the Stanley Cup playoffs. While I do believe Edmonton comes out on top, Lukas Dostal can steal games, so don’t let him get hot.

Baggedmilk: I think the Oilers match up well against Anaheim, provided they can maintain their newfound defensive structure. I think the Ducks can be a little sloppy in their own end at times, and if the Oilers can maintain discipline, they should be able to take advantage of those mistakes. Our boys have been here many times before, and that experience should be the edge they need to get through.

Michael Menzies: Good. It is funny how a good chunk of the fanbase is tired of beating the Kings and prefers this matchup. Count me in with that group, to be honest. When you finish 14th overall and get to play the 18th overall team, it’s about as good as it gets.

Tyler Yaremchuk: I like the matchup on paper, granted not as much as I would have liked the Kings matchup, but the Oilers are a much more mature team that can control large portions of the game. If they get even slightly above-average goaltending, then they should be able to get through this round. I have no concerns that the Oilers will be able to generate enough quality chances against the Ducks that even if Lukas Dostal plays well, they will still score enough to win. Their defensive play has been pretty poor all season.

To sum this up in one line: if the Oilers play their ‘A’ game, then the Ducks don’t have a chance.

Zach Laing: I like this matchup for the Oilers. They handled the Ducks well this season, going 2-1 with 4-2 and 7-4 wins and a 6-5 loss. If that’s any indication of what’s to come — and it could be — buckle up, because this could be a high-flying series. With the Oilers tightening things up defensively in the second half of the season and the Ducks struggling to do so, this series could come down to goaltending.

Liam Horrobin: The Tampa Bay Lightning. Their route to the Stanley Cup Final should be relatively straightforward, which gives them the edge over everyone else. Dallas and Tampa are my Stanley Cup Final predictions.

Baggedmilk: Edmonton or bust! Truly, if it’s not the Oilers, I literally could not care less about anyone else.

Michael Menzies: Call me Charlie Chalk, but it’s Colorado that’s earned the right to be considered the prohibitive favourite. With that said, they’ve not been very avs-like in the last three playoff years. Everybody starts 0-0…

Tyler Yaremchuk: It’s pretty hard to not look at the Eastern Conference and see Tampa as the only true elite team. Their path to the Cup Final seems the clearest of any other team in the league, although nothing is guaranteed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and upsets happen all the time. I love the Oilers path through the Pacific Division as well. The Avalanche are a wagon, but that second-round matchup with either Minnesota or Dallas could totally wipe them out. So I like Edmonton and Tampa. Pittsburgh was my dark-horse contender.

Zach Laing: Oddsmakers at Bet365 have the Oilers with the sixth-best odds to win the Stanley Cup at the time of writing, but that feels disrespectful to them. Is everyone forgetting they just made it to the final in two straight years? Gimme the Oilers all day.

Liam Horrobin: Buffalo and Boston, for the reason that the Sabres haven’t made the postseason in, however long it’s been. I was at Game 1 of the San Jose Sharks series in 2017, and it was electric. I can only imagine how excited Buffalo will be.

Baggedmilk: I think Pittsburgh and Philly will be fun. Those two franchises have a long history, and I think the fanbases are really going to get into it. Of all of the other series, this is the one I’m most looking forward to watching.

Michael Menzies: Montreal-Tampa Bay has the best mix of factors. Two of the six best regular season teams. A former Stanley Cup giant who’s lost their way and not won a round in three seasons vs. a team that wants to become a perennial stalwart. There’s also the bizarre Cup Final rematch angle too. I think this series has the most to chew on from a storyline, stylistic, and entertainment factor.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Pittsburgh and Philadelphia should produce some unreal theatre. Those two teams hate each other, and they’re pretty evenly matched. I am also very excited to see playoff hockey return to Buffalo, and I think that series will go seven games as well.

Zach Laing: Is this a safe space? I don’t love the first round this year, but the series that have me most intrigued are the Flyers and Penguins and the Canadiens and Lightning.

Liam Horrobin: Colorado, Dallas, Utah, Edmonton, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, Ottawa, and Philadelphia.

Baggedmilk: Oilers, Vegas, Colorado, Minnesota, Buffalo, Tampa, Carolina, and Pittsburgh.

Michael Menzies: Buffalo, Tampa, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Colorado, Minnesota, Edmonton, and Utah. Many unwise choices, I know. But I’ll root for the chaos.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Colorado and Dallas in the Central. Edmonton and Utah in the Pacific. I love the Mammoth as an upset pick. Tampa Bay and Buffalo in the Atlantic. Pittsburgh and Ottawa, another upset, in the Metropolitan.

Zach Laing: Colorado, Dallas, Utah, Edmonton. Buffalo, Montreal, Carolina, Pittsburgh.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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