The Stanley Cup playoffs — the most entertaining postseason of any American professional sport — begin Wednesday night, setting into motion a grueling two-month march that will end with one team hoisting the trophy and 15 others wondering what could have been.
Will it be the Washington Capitals, who won the Presidents’ Trophy this season but have a long and painful history of postseason collapses? Will it be the Los Angeles Kings or Chicago Blackhawks, who have teamed up to rule the NHL for the better part of the last half-decade? How about Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins or the Tyler Seguin- and Jamie Benn-led Dallas Stars?
What’s not up for debate, however, is the fact that there will be hours upon hours of playoff hockey to consume over the coming days, weeks and months. And since watching it all probably isn’t an option for most people, we ranked the eight first-round series based on which ones we’re most excited to watch. Click the link below to check it out.
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