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Stanley Cup Playoffs: The West is full of surprises
Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers has been the talk of the league this season, but is he the extra edge the Oilers have over the Anaheim Ducks? Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images

Stanley Cup Playoffs: The West is full of surprises

And then there were eight: the crop of NHL teams that the bloodbath that was Round 1 in order to advance to the conference semifinals. First, the four that survived the Western Conference melee. You can find the Eastern Conference coverage here. 

Unlike the contingent on the Atlantic coast, the Western Conference got itself set relatively quickly. Two of the advanced teams swept their first round competition, and one got the job done in a five-game set that ended in thrilling overtime action. It is only a wonder how these teams pivot and faceoff against each other in their next series. Here is a look at who will represent the Western Conference in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Nashville Predators


Nashville Predators line of left wing Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Johansen were too much for Chicago's defense in the first round.  Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Nashville wasn't given much of a chance ahead of the first round, since they were going up against an established and heavily-favored Chicago Blackhawks squad. Then the unthinkable happened: The Predators swept the Blackhawks out of Stanley Cup contention in four games, and did it in confident and convincing fashion.

X-factor: The offense has caught fire. Most notable was the line combo of Viktor Arvidsson, Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. The three were an unstoppable force in Round 1, to the point that the Blackhawks' blue line couldn't figure them out in a four game stretch.

The difference maker for Preds over the Blues: Nashville has had a couple extra days to rest and get healthy. They are hopeful they will get Colin Wilson back, who missed the entire series against Chicago with a lower-body injury. Wilson was an offensive juggernaut for the Predators in the 2016 playoffs, leading the team in points.

Extra edge over the Blues: Predators beat reporter Adam Vingan of the Tennessean points out that multiple pieces of Nashville's offense have caught fire at just the right time. Their depth, mixed with the confidence of beating a tough first round opponent, should bode well for them as they take on the St. Louis Blues.

St. Louis Blues


Blues goalie Jake Allen's impressive save percentage brought a quick exit for the Wild.   Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

St. Louis proved in Round 1 that every team's regular season records and patterns meant pretty much nothing. They entered the playoffs after an inconsistent season that was peppered with injuries and struggling special teams. Yet, when it came to facing the streaking Wild, they turned it on and dominated Minnesota in five games.

X-factor: Jake Allen. In the five-game first round series, the Wild outshot the Blues 182-134, including a 51-shot effort in Game 1. (St. Louis won that game, 2-1.) Allen is a big part of that equation, registering a 1.47 GAA and .956 save percentage.

The difference maker for Blues over the Preds: Allen has carried this badge so far, but the offense picking up some of the weight will be the difference in the next round. The St. Louis Dispatch points to Vladimir Tarasenko as the player that can fit that bill, although any offensive punch will suffice to beating Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne.

Extra edge over the Predators: The physicality. St. Louis has a history of putting a hard-hitting product on the ice at playoff time. It will test the Predators, who had just worked to beat a Blackhawks team that runs more on speed and skill.

Anaheim Ducks


Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf's faceoff prowess has proved beneficial for the Ducks.  Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

If Nashville is the Cinderella of Round 2, Anaheim is the Wild Card. Many were expecting their first round series against Calgary to be a tough back-and-forth affair, but the confident Ducks swept the Flames straight out of contention in a four-game set.

X-factor: As pointed out by Eric Stephens of the OC Register, Anaheim is a top-performing team in the faceoff circle. And they are significantly better than Edmonton, who struggled to win faceoffs against the San Jose Sharks in Round 1. Dominance from seasoned centers Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, and Antoine Vermette could set the tone of these games very early.

The difference maker between for the Ducks over the Oilers: The Ducks demonstrated depth through the four-gamer against the Calgary Flames. Scoring came from different places, and the final tilt came down to netminder John Gibson holding down the fort.

The extra edge over the Oilers: Experience and discipline. SportsNet points to Round 1 when Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl speared San Jose center Chris Tierney. Such a decision comes with a higher price tag in later rounds, and the Ducks are more experienced in exercising how to play tough without making such mistakes.

Edmonton Oilers


Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot stops a shot against the San Jose Sharks during the third period in Game 3 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Sunday, April 16, 2017. Talbot in net helped push the Oilers past the 2016 Western Conference champions.   AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

The squad from Edmonton enters the second round on the heels of a tough six-game bout with the San Jose Sharks. While the Oil emerged victorious, the seasoned Sharks' team definitely put them to the test. "They helped us grow up by pushing us," Oilers bench boss Todd McLellan said after their Game 6 victory.

X-factor: Believe it or not, it's not Connor McDavid. Goaltender Cam Talbot was the savior against the Sharks, shutting them out in two consecutive tilts and keeping them off the board in the elimination game until the third period. Edmonton will need him to continue that, and not play like he did in Game 4, when San Jose laid the smack down 7-0.

The difference maker between the Oilers and the Ducks: Okay, maybe McDavid is part of the equation for defeating the Ducks. The Oilers' captain was held to a single even strength goal in the first round, which only came in the last second of the last game. That marker could be what he needs to get going and do some damage in these playoffs.

The extra edge over the Ducks: As previously mentioned, the past regular season hasn't had much impact on these playoffs so far. However, the Oilers can take into account that they are familiar with this Ducks team, and beat them three times during their 2016-17 campaign. And if McLellan's comments about the Sharks toughening the Oilers up holds up, they should be plenty prepared for six-to-seven game battle with Anaheim.

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