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NHL Playoff Preview – Jets vs. Ducks

NHL Playoff Betting: Jets vs. Ducks Series Preview & Pick

Stanley Cup Betting fans sure are getting their money’s worth from the free NHL picks we give out here at Capperspicks.com. There are now 16 teams competing for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Stick with us for the entire 2015 NHL Stanley cup playoff run.

The upstart Winnipeg Jets will have upset on their minds when they open their first playoff series since moving from Atlanta in 2011 against the top Western seed Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. The Ducks have lost a Game 7 at Honda Center to a lower-seeded team in each of the past two postseasons and absolutely should not take the Jets lightly – Winnipeg is quick, they are big and they are as hungry a team as there is in the playoffs this year.

G1 Thurs., April 16 Winnipeg @ Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet
G2 Sat., April 18 Winnipeg @ Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet
G3 Mon., April 20 Anaheim @ Winnipeg, 9 p.m. ET Sportsnet
G4 Wed., April 22 Anaheim @ Winnipeg, 9:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet
G5* Fri., April 24 Winnipeg @ Anaheim, TBD Sportsnet
G6* Sun., April 26 Anaheim @ Winnipeg, TBD Sportsnet
G7* Tues., April 28 Winnipeg @ Anaheim, TBD Sportsnet

Jets vs. Ducks Odds To Win 7 Game Series:

Jets Series Prices +155
Ducks Series Prices -175

The Winnipeg Jets squeaked into the playoffs thanks to a terrific stretch run and a physical brand of hockey that made them one of the most difficult teams to play against the final month of the season. The Ducks on the other hand cruised down the stretch and were atop the Western Conference standings all season long. It looks, on paper as though it could be a cakewalk for Anaheim in the first round but there aren’t many that would be shocked to see the Jets add to the first round woes of the Ducks.

Offense

Offensively the Ducks seem to have an overwhelming advantage in the series. That said the Ducks finished the season 11th in the NHL in scoring with 2.79 goals per game while the Jets were 16th with an average of 2.69. Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Matt Beleskey are one of the best top lines in the game and Ryan Kesler was a difference-making second line center during the Regular season.

Jiri Sekac, Kyle Palmieri, Andrew Cogliano, Rickard Rakelland Jakob Silfverberg provide terrific depth for Ducks while Nate Thompson is a good fourth-line center, and Patrick Maroon and Tim Jackman provide size and grit.

The Jets have a stellar top line of their own – Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler were superb all season long and will be a handful indeed. Mark Scheifele, Drew Stafford and Mathieu Perrault are a very good second unit and Michael Frolik, Lee Stempniak and Jiri Tlusty add the depth needed in the tough Western Conference.

Simply put the Ducks are talented but the offensive gap isn’t as great as most people would think ahead of this series. The Jets should be able to hold their own and if they can limit the effectiveness of Anaheim’s top line, they have a fighting chance in this series.

Defense

Winnipeg may hold an advantage in terms of their defense corp. Tyler Myers was a stellar add at the trade deadline, Dustin Byfuglien is an absolute nightmare to play against in both ends of the rink and Toby Enstrom, Jacob Trouba and veteran Mark Stuart fill out one of the most underrated top five in the game.

Anaheim enters the postseason without a true shutdown D-Man. James Wisniewski, Simon Despres, Francois Beauchemin, Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler and Clayton Stoner make up a good, not great defensive unit – they finished in the bottom half of the League in goals allowed per game and in 5-on-5 play and are a huge question mark as we head into the postseason.

Goaltending

Goaltending may be the difference between winning and losing in the postseason for both of these teams. Neither team has a legitimate #1 – Frederik Andersen slightly underperformed during the regular season for Anaheim while Ondrej Pavelec was up and down over the course of the season for Winnipeg. Pavelec unlike Andersen however certainly picked up his game down the stretch.

Pavelec enters the playoffs with as much confidence as any keeper in the Western Conference while Andersen knows he will be on a short leash. Coach Bruce Boudreau won’t be afraid to make a switch between the pipes for the Ducks – not exactly confidence-inspiring for the Western Conference champs.

Prediction:

Intensity and physical play rule the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Jets have been playing with that level of emotion for a month. I think that’s the difference in this series. Despite Anaheim’s stellar Regular Season there are holes in their game – they have been prone to letdowns in the playoffs and the Regular Season. Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien should be able to give Anaheim’s top line fits – if you shut down the Ducks top dogs and take them out of their game, the top seed can be had.

I love the upset in this series – Winnipeg’s size, their skill and their heart has me believing! Take the Jets +155 in 7 games!

By DaveB

Dave B has been a Fantasy Football writer for us for 10 years. A couch potato wannabe, Dave’s insights have been read by 10’s of people for years. He hope’s for world peace + global relaxation. Enjoy and remember only smoke things that are completely natural.