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My Second Round Playoff Predictions

The Oilers move onto the second round so here we go with second round predictions. I did a quick scan of the round one blog and it looks like I was fortunately right on all my predictions except for the Avs-Jets series as far as the winners - most of the margins I actually got wrong which is fine by me. For the Oilers this will be only the third time in their history they've met the Canucks in the playoffs, the first being 1986 in the first round when they beat the Canucks 3-0 (I guess the first round series were only five games back then) and the second round in 1992 when the Oilers beat the Canucks 4-2. Personally I think history will repeat itself, read on for more.....:)

By Phil Gretzky

Edmonton Oilers v Los Angeles Kings - Game Four
Edmonton Oilers v Los Angeles Kings - Game Four / Ronald Martinez/GettyImages
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Stars-Avs

The Stars gutted out a great series win against Vegas in seven games, so that definitely says something about their team. Jake Oettinger is riding the hot hand right now with a 1.95 GAA and a .925 sv%, which bodes well for them, especially considering that he came out of this against a potent Vegas attack up front. Insane. No wonder Vegas wasn't able to solve him when he put up those kinds of numbers against them.

I'd compliment the Avs for their win over the Jets, but the Jets have become legendary playoff chokers ever since their window to win opened. Nonetheless, this was the only first round series I missed on largely because the Jets were healthier than the Avs so I thought between that and Connor Hellebuyck they would take the series. Nope, the depth of the Avs took over as injury replacements stepped up in a big way for them - also Hellebuyck choked too which was not something I saw coming. Gabriel Landeskog injured for the season?

No problem, here's a Casey Mittlestadt we traded for and am paying him with LTIR cash - who by the way finished with six points in five games in the first round. Goalie Pavel Francouz's career is over? Well, next up is Alexandar Georgiev, who......oh wait.......AG is a shadow of his former self, and it appears that his team succeeded in the first round in spite of him rather than because of him. Dallas's firepower up front is firing on all cylinders right now, so I doubt that Georgiev's struggles will produce the same result in this series. Top six winger Jonathan Drouin injured? No problem, here's a Valeri Nichuskin that we're going to elevate who will only be tied for most goals scored in the first round, no big deal or anything.....two more bottom six forwards injured? No problem, we'll trade for two of them at the trade deadline and give up very little for them. Have to give up Bowen Byram for Mittlestadt? Josh Manson is next up and we'll trade for Sean Walker at the deadline to take his old spot.

No matter who you cheer for, you have to be impressed with Avs GM Chris MacFarland's ability to plug holes in his lineup and cover for injuries.

In the first round the Avs also benefited from better puck over the Jets. They sport a 1.008 team PDO while the Jets were on the lesser end of the scale at .992 - for the record Vegas's team PDO was .988 which also explains in part why they lost to Dallas, not enough puck luck. The Avs won't have the fortune of a good tilt in this regard in the second round, though, as the Stars have a 1.012 PDO.

This one is a really tough call - and I hope I'm wrong because I'd rather the Oilers face Georgiev in the third round rather than Oettinger - but I'm going to have to call this one for the Stars. The Avs have more firepower up front but the Stars have the hot goalie and the Avs have the cold one.

My winner - Stars win 4-3

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