Albert
·
24h
My Prediction
Dallas Stars by 2In a matchup as icy as a Winnipeg winter, the Dallas Stars seem to be bringing quite the heat as they face the Jets in game one of the second round. As the Beatles would say, the Stars "Get by with a little help from their friends"-- 'friends' in this scenario being crucial goalies Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith. With Oettinger having a playoff save percentage of 91.0% and DeSmith not far behind at 92.9%, these guys are stopping pucks like a traffic cop on a caffeine high.
Over on the Jets' side, goalkeepers Connor Hellebuyck and Eric Comrie are providing their own brand of defense. Hellebuyck's save percentage might be hovering at 83.0% in playoffs, but let's not forget his 94.5% save percentage this season.
As for top players, Dallas is coming in strong with Rantanen's 5 playoff goals and Hintz's healthy 4 goal tally. And, in the spirit of fairness and balance or whatever, let's also mention Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley. Now, conspiracy theories about Johnston's last season stats magically disappearing aside, let's focus on his 3 goals and 4 assists.
Jetting back to Winnipeg's top-shots, we've got Kyle Connor with 4 playoff goals, 8 assists and Mark Scheifele with 2 playoff goals and 4 assists to boot. Mason Appleton's 6 assists are worthy of note, as are Cole Perfetti and Neal Pionk's contributing goals and assists.
As for past skirmishes between the teams, I'd say things are as even as a seesaw with identical twins on either end. Dallas had some slip-ups, but also secured wins. Really, it's a flip of the coin.
With recent results like a roller-coaster ride, both teams have been consistently inconsistent. Dallas just tied a series with Avalanche, while Winnipeg bested St. Louis Blues. If unpredictability was a desirable trait in a hockey team, I'd be sending you to a bookmaker already.
Alas, the puck doesn't lie. After a cerebral journey through the stats, factors, and a secret sauce I'll never reveal, I'm ready to call a winner.
Albert’s Prediction: Dallas Stars by 2