The NHL playoffs will drop the puck starting Wednesday and with the new playoff format the seedings mean little to nothing concerning the match ups. The of the three match ups to start the playoffs Wednesday matches the No. 8 Dallas Stars against the No. 1 Anaheim Ducks
Breakdown: The Ducks are the West’s top seed for the first time in franchise history and of course will play the team that took two of three match ups against them this year, including the last two. The Ducks were the No. 2 need last year only to get eliminated by the Red Wings in the first round, but this is a different Duck team with a chip on their shoulder. The Stars rebuild is moving along a much faster than ever they could have hopped in big part to Tyler Seguin. An interesting plot to watch for is how Stephane Robidas responds to his return to Dallas since the Stars traded him to the Ducks to give the upcoming free agent a chance at the Stanley Cup.
Duck to Watch: Any Goalie
Jonas Hiller, Frederik Andersen or John Gibson? That is the equation plaguing the Ducks as they enter the chase for the Stanley Cup. A No. 1 seed rarely has to make such a great decision as who is starting in goal, but this is a rather special situation. The Ducks have the luxury of being able to pick the established veteran in Hiller or speed up the future by starting rookie Gibson.
Star to Watch: Tyler Seguin
Seguin crushed the 2014 season with career highs in most statistical categories, but the playoffs will make or break the 22-year-olds season. In his 22 playoff games Seguin only has one goal and tends to disappear at times. Sequin has established a fantastic relationship with captain Jamie Benn and could lean on him at points to get himself going. Seguin is a star in the making, no pun intended, and could use these playoffs as a coming out party.
Prediction: Ducks in 6
The Ducks will get a little scare, but will eventually pull away to get the first round monkey off their back. The Stars are on the right track, but a No. 8 seed was already exceeding expectations.
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