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Stanley Cup second-round playoff capsules

Western Conference second-round playoff capsules

Nashville Predators (53-18-11) vs. Winnipeg Jets (52-20-10)

The skinny: Nashville (117 points) and Winnipeg (114) had the best two records in the league, so it's a crime that they are meeting in the second round. But what a series it should be. These are two young, fast, exciting teams that play at a feverish pace. In four of the five regular-season meetings (Nashville went 3-1-1), a team needed more than 4 goals to prevail. Some pundits may pick Winnipeg because Nashville didn't look particularly good against Colorado, but the Avs presented a good, stiff test. I still like the more experienced Preds here.

Prediction: Predators in 6

San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl vies for the puck with Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt during a game last month in Las Vegas. Associated Press

Vegas (51-24-7) vs. San Jose (45-27-10)

The skinny: The Golden Knights swept the Kings in the first round by scoring just seven times. Goalie Marc Andre-Fleury was an impenetrable wall, stopping 127 of 130 shots for an incredible .977 save percentage. Vegas must start scoring if it expects to get past a Sharks team playing its best hockey at the perfect time. This series could come down to a bounce at the end, but I believe Vegas is on a mission and will not be stopped.

Prediction: Golden Knights in 7

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins' and Evgeny Kuznetsov of the Washington Capitals are separated by a linesman at the end of a game in Pittsburgh earlier this month. Associated Press

Eastern Conference second-round playoff capsule

Pittsburgh (47-29-6) vs. Washington (49-26-7)

The skinny: The Capitals went down 0-2 to the Blue Jackets in the first round, but stormed back to win the next four games behind the outstanding play of Braden Holtby (. 932 save pct., 1.92 GAA). Will that momentum propel them into the conference final for the first time in 20 years? It's possible, but coach Barry Trotz's team must go through Pittsburgh to accomplish that feat. This is the third straight year these teams are meeting in the second round. The two-time defending champion Penguins eliminated the Flyers in six games in the first round, getting a herculean effort from Jake Guentzel in Game 6 as he scored 4 straight goals in an 8-5 victory. Pittsburgh is in Washington's head and will likely advance after a hard-fought, entertaining series.

Prediction: Penguins in 7

Tampa Bay (54-23-5) vs. Boston (50-20-12)

The skinny: Boston just survived a grueling seven-game series against Toronto. David Pastrnak (5G, 8A) and Jake DeBrusk (5G, 2A) combined for 10 of the Bruins' 28 goals. DeBrusk is a 21-year-old rookie who scored 16 times in the regular season. ... If the Bruins are going to pull of the upset, they'll have to pump quite a few goals past Andrei Vasilevskiy, who tied for the league lead with 44 wins and allowed just 10 goals in five games to New Jersey in that opening-round series. Tampa Bay is loaded with high-end talent, including Nikita Kucherov (5G, 5A vs. New Jersey), Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Tyler Johnson, J.T. Miller, 26-year-old rookie Yanni Gourde and defensemen Victor Hedman, Anton Stralman and Ryan McDonagh. ... Tommy Wingels, acquired from the Blackhawks at the trade deadline, has been in and out of the lineup for the Bruins. He played in three of the seven games against Toronto.

Prediction: Seems crazy, but I'm going with the upset - Bruins in 6

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