The Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin, and there are several high-profile matchups on tap for the most exciting postseason in professional sports.
Over the next two months, we'll narrow the playing field down from 8 qualifying teams in each conference to just one left standing to hoist the Stanley Cup.
After a drama-filled race to the finish line of the regular season, some of the matchups are set, and it's time to break them down and give a series prediction.
After a competitive race for the top spot in the Central division, the Dallas Stars rose above the rest to take the group's top seed.
That leaves the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets to face off in the first round as the second and third place teams in the division, and it's a series that pits a team with championship pedigree against a group desperately trying to break through in the playoffs.
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First Round Series Preview: Colorado Avalanche vs. Winnipeg Jets
The Avalanche obviously boast an outstanding top unit, with a first forward line consisting of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and whoever Jared Bednar likes with them on a given night, along with a top defensive pairing of Devon Toews and Cale Makar.
Beyond that, things looked rough before the additions of Casey Mittelstadt and Sean Walker at the deadline and the return of Valeri Nichushkin.
Now, the Avalanche are closer to full go, but the Jets have a nice lineup in their own right, as the emergences of Gabe Vilardi and Cole Perfetti have fused a stacked top six as those guys have joined Nikolaj Ehlers, Kyle Connor, and Mark Scheifele.
Josh Morrissey is a standout on the backend, but the Jets could be in trouble from Colorado's relentless attack with a questionable blue line outside of Morrissey.
Still, though, the Jets have enough firepower up front to feasibly make this a series, and they performed well on defense for large stretches this season.
One area where this series certainly figures to be a mismatch is in net. Winnipeg boasts presumptive Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck, while the Avalanche will counter with the shaky Alexandar Georgiev.
Hellebuyck will doubtlessly be under relentless offensive pressure on a game-to-game basis, but he should be able to steal a game on his own.
Winnipeg is good enough to win a game without Hellebuyck totally stealing it, but that might be it for the Jets in this series.
Colorado utilized the trade deadline as an opportunity to rectify some serious depth concerns, and this roster looks like it's in much better shape than at any other point this year. It won't be a cakewalk, but the Avs take this one.
The Pick: Colorado Avalanche in 6
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