The regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL) 2016-17 is over, and the playoffs have started. In this post you will find match-ups for the Round of 16 together with comments. Spring is here, and so are the NHL playoffs!
Stanley Cup Round of 16, 2017
Chicago Blackhawks – Nashville Predators
Comment: The dynasty Chicago will advance from this meeting.
Minnesota Wild – St. Louis Blues
Comment: St Louis Blues still has no Stanley Cup title. Will 2017 be different?
Anaheim Ducks – Calgary Flames
Comment: The Ducks are always strong in the playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers – San Jose Sharks
Comment: Last year’s finalists,- the “beards” from San Jose will probably go far in the 2017 playoffs as well.
Montreal Canadiens – New York Rangers
Comment: Tough resistance for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers. Can they withstand the pressure at the Bell Center?
Ottawa Senators – Boston Bruins
Comment: This matchup is difficult to predict, but we believe in Boston.
Washington Capitals – Toronto Maple Leafs
Comment: The toughest opponent possible for the Swedish rookie William Nylander and Toronto in the first round, but on the other hand, Washington is known to fold when it is time for the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Penguins – Columbus Blues
Comment: Crosby, Malkin and their henchmen are hoping to repeat last year’s success.
Notably, last year no Canadian team made it to the playoffs. This year four teams have reached the round of 16: Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Vancouver and the Sedin brothers miss the playoffs. Now we’re just waiting to see how many NHL players that will join 2017 Ice Hockey World Championship. According to Sweden’s head coach Rikard Grönborg, things are looking great. The following players have said they will play for The Swedish national team in the 2017 championships:
- Alexander Edler, Vancouver.
- Elias Lindholm, Carolina.
- Joakim Nordström, Carolina.
- Victor Rask, Carolina.
- Victor Hedman, Tampa.
Last time Sweden won the Ice Hockey World Championships was in 2013.
