Are you ready? Game 1 between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Anaheim Ducks starts tonight. It's a battle to determine the most effective team from the weakest division in NHL history: the Pacific Division.
That's right, the pillow fight to end all pillow fights begins on Monday at T-Mobile Arena. You can call it the "Battle of Mid" or the "Toilet Bowl." Whatever you need to call it. Still, it'll be a battle to determine who will stand "tall" and prepare for a Western Conference Final.
With that comes the prediction side. It's time to play the guessing game and see which team will come out on top in this "Battle of Mid" (but with Mitch Marner!). Feel free to leave your best guesses on how the series will go, by the way.
So, who did the writers at Vegas Hockey Knight go with? Here's a look at how both writers picked and their explanations for why the series will go a certain way. Be warned! This is about get extra "quacky!"
Robert Lazar
The Ducks are, on paper, a tough opponent for Vegas. They offer speedy, young stars-in-waiting, such as Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson, and playoff-tested veteran experience in players like Chris Kreider and Alex Killorn. They also have bruising grit in Jacob Trouba and the currently-injured Radko Gudas, as well as a Stanley Cup champion head coach in Joel Quenneville.
They also had Vegas's number during the regular season, going 3-0-0 head-to-head. To top all that off, they just shut down Connor McDavid and their roughly 50% power play shredded Edmonton's goaltending. But it's worth noting that all three losses were one-goal games and two were in overtime, so it's not like Vegas was manhandled.
I'm also reminded of how we went 0-2-1 against Dallas in the 2022-23 season before beating them in the Western Conference Final. Anaheim has also dealt with wild inconsistency like Vegas, with multiple long winning and losing streaks, including a bad one down the stretch. Therefore, they're not invincible. On top of that, Vegas is riding the high of winning three straight games over a strong Utah team with wins in overtime, along with William Karlsson returning for Game 1.
It really comes down to goaltending yet again. Carter Hart had extreme ups and downs against Utah, while Lukas Dostal looked vulnerable for months. Ultimately, I think it'll be a tough battle again. But my gut says Vegas in six due to the experience and Hart's highs being higher than Dostal's.
Jacob Walters
There are numerous similarities between the Anaheim Ducks and the Utah Mammoth. Both teams run an up-tempo offense and both have the necessary offensive pieces to make the transition game tough. However, there are notable differences between both teams.
One, Joel Quenneville is far more experienced than Andre Tourigny. John Tortorella could get away with stacking lines and wearing down the Mammoth as the series went on. That included starting the fourth line against Utah's best unit. Will that be the case against a three-time Stanley Cup champion?
Also, Anaheim is far more physical and bigger than Utah. They were 13th in the NHL in hits this regular season (1,718), staying slightly ahead of the Golden Knights (1,713). If you thought the last series was brutal, wait until you see what's in store for the second round. Also, remember that Jeremy Lauzon is on the sidelines with an injury and his physical presence is desperately needed.
Still, I'm erring on the side of experience in this round, with the Golden Knights winning in six games. While Anaheim can be a pesky team, the circumstance have drastically changed from the regular season. Vegas is a battle-tested team that will eventually break down the Ducks, moving them towards the Western Conference Final.
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