The intensity factor gets ratcheted up in the playoffs, and it's time for the NHL's best teams to assert themselves and lay claim to Lord Stanley's Cup.After running a marathon during the regular season, the eventual champion will run a marathon of sprints in the postseason. It requires four victories in four best-of-seven series that will leave the winner elated and exhausted.The Chicago Blackhawks were the best Western Conference team in the regular season, while the Washington Capitals won the Presidents' Trophy as a result of having the best regular-season record in the league.These are the two favorites in this year's playoffs, and the Blackhawks have garnered more respect from the oddsmakers. They are plus-400 favorites according to OddsShark, and successful bettors would earn a profit of $400 and get their original $100 bet back if Chicago wins the Stanley Cup.The Capitals are chasing their first championship, while the Blackhawks have won three since 2010. That's a primary reason why they have slightly better odds than the Caps, who are plus-450 to earn the title.The defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota Wild follow at plus-800.The Stanley Cup playoffs get underway Wednesday with five games, and one of those involves the Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets. These two teams finished second and third, respectively, to the Caps in the Metropolitan Division.The Blue Jackets won their regular-season finale on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they lost their six previous games and are struggling as they enter the playoffs.The Penguins didn't burn it up down the stretch either, as they were just 4-4-2 in their last 10 games. However, they had a 111-108 edge in points over the Blue Jackets and will have home-ice advantage in the series.The Penguins have the combination of skill, firepower and experience to rate having the edge in this series. The combination of Sidney Crosby (89 points), Evgeni Malkin (72) and Phil Kessel (70) give the Penguins the ability to mount a comeback if they fall behind by two goals or more.The Blue Jackets were one of the regular season's big stories, and the presence of Sergei Bobrovsky in goal has to make head coach John Tortorella feel good about his team's chances of winning its first playoff series.Bobrovsky had a 41-17-5 regular-season record, along with a 2.06 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. Cam Atkinson scored 35 goals and added 27 assists to lead the Jackets with 62 points, while Alexander Wennberg scored 59 points and Brandon Saad added 53.Prediction: The Blue Jackets are good enough to make the Penguins fight hard in this series and take one game in Pittsburgh and another at home. However, the Penguins will tighten up their own defensive play and win the series in six games.Nashville Predators vs. Chicago BlackhawksThe Blackhawks saw their playoff season end fairly quickly and in a most painful manner last year when they were beaten by the St. Louis Blues in the first round.That seven-game loss should motivate the Blackhawks this time around. The Predators will travel to Chicago for the first game of the series, and that advantage should serve the Blackhawks well. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane clearly know what it takes to set the tone in a playoff series and so do defenseman Duncan Keith and goalie Corey Crawford.The Blackhawks are fallible and will not blow many opponents away, but in a best-of-seven game series, they are very difficult to beat when motivated and this year's team doesn't want to see another first-round defeat.The Blackhawks have changed many players since winning the Stanley Cup two years ago, and two newer faces are Artemi Panarin (31 goals, 43 assists) and Artem Anisimov (45 points in 64 games). Anisimov has been out recently with a lower-body injury, but head coach Joel Quenneville expects him back for the start of the playoffs Thursday night, according to Chicago Tribune reporter Chris Hine's tweet.The Predators have the ability to score goals in bunches, and they look to Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson to do much of the heavy lifting. Both scored 61 points to lead the team this year, and Filip Forsberg is right behind with 58 points.The Preds can also dominate from the back end with defensemen Roman Josi and P.K. Subban, as both can pound the slap shot, make plays on the offensive end and handle their defensive responsibilities.Prediction: The Blackhawks are too smart and too experienced to make the mistake of taking the No. 2 wild-card team in the Western Conference lightly. That's a good thing because the Preds are good enough to push the Blackhawks to the limit.This should be a seven-game series, and that's where Toews and Kane take over and lead Chicago to the victory.
Click here to read full news..
