For the 20^th time, we are ready to do battle for the WCHL Cup.

A benchmark few leagues ever reach, the WCHL is still going strong into season 20 and for the first time in nine seasons, it is a Canadian club trying to defend their title.

 

Defending the title has been easy it would appear in recent seasons, as the past three teams prior to Ottawa to win the cup would go on and defend their title the following season. Can Ottawa extend the streak?

 

Possibly, the club had another strong season and is as good of a contestant as any, but there is always a strong field of teams eyeing an opportunity to knock off the champs.

 

Here's a look at round one of the WCHL playoffs.

 

Western Conference

 

(1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (8) Arizona Coyotes – The Ducks roll in having earned two cups in the last three years and are the President's Trophy winner in the regular season. The club is dead from top to bottom and still has several youngsters coming up through the system. They could be unstoppable until the third round at a minimum.

 

Arizona meanwhile has the worst winning percentage of any team in the playoffs and are the lone club with a losing record in games decided in regulation. Unless they have an unbelieveable run from netminder Anton Khudobin, expect this one to be over soon.

 

Arizona could make it interesting if they get ahead early but they likely won't. Anaheim in four games.

 

(2) Nashville Predators vs. (7) Los Angeles Kings – After a year out of the playoffs, Nashville reemerged with a vengeance, nearly claiming the league's regular season crown in the process with a 55 win season. The club is backed by the always great Jonathan Quick and many of their mid-season aquistions have paid off, adding depth to a skilled team.

 

Los Angeles won't be a push over though. While seeded seventh, the Kings still managed the sixth highest point total in the Western Conference and topped the 100-point plateau. Sergei Bobrovsky posted a 45 win season and James Neal will give Nashville all they can handle.

 

This series will be closer than the seeding indicates, but Nashville should still prevail. Nashville in six games.

 

(3) Calgary Flames vs. (4) Edmonton Oilers – A classic first round battle of Alberta adds an extra layer of spice to a first round sure to have a few surprises. The Oilers made it all the way to the WCHL Cup finals last year and after a strong season once again, they are eyeing a return trip to the ultimate dance.

The Flames however actually hold home ice advantage and after not even making the playoffs last season are determined to show they still have legitimate cup aspirations. Since winning the cup in Season 11 the Flames have faced more playoff flops than successes, and a long playoff run this year would do the fanbase and General Manager Lawson Cham wonders.

 

It'll be a tight series, the battle of Alberta always is, but it'll be more of the same for both teams. Edmonton in seven games.

 

(5) Chicago vs. (6) Minnesota Wild – Any other season this series wouldn't happen until the second round at the earliest and both clubs would be starting on the road, but due to the new playoff format a pair of lower seeds match up in round one.

 

Chicago reached 100 points on the final day of the season and are led by the inspirational story of Mike Santorelli, the one time scrap heap reclamation project that bammed off a 45 goal, 108 point season. Having Jaroslav Halak in net doesn't hurt either.

 

Minnesota meanwhile is the more balanced club, and mid-season pickups Jussi Jokinen and Milan Michalek helped boost the teams chances. The real question is whether or not playoff flop Antti Niemi will rise to the challenge this year.

 

This should be another seven game series and could come down to a fluke goal. Flip a coin on the winner. Chicago in seven games.

 

Eastern Conference

 

(1) New York Rangers vs. (8) Philadelphia Flyers – The Rangers continue to rule the roost in the East, winning yet again another conference title. The club also has had numerous lengthy playoff runs and the stars are certainly aligning for that to happen again this post-season.

 

The Flyers, once a mini-powerhouse themselves in the East, have lately been reduced to being a bubble team, making the playoffs one year, missing the next. This is a season where they got in, doing so on the final day of the season after Pittsburgh and New Jersey lost. Their reward isn't a good one, facing the Rangers in round one.

 

The Flyers have a balanced team and could surprise, but the Rangers rarely get surprised in the playoffs. New York Rangers in five games.

 

(2) Ottawa Senators vs. (7) New York Islanders – At first glance this seems like an easy one to decifer; the defending cup champs battle an Islanders squad which hasn't even mad ethe playoffs the last two seasons.

 

But looking at it like that would be to easy. The Islanders, a perennial under-achiever the past several seasons, finished only 10 points behind the Senators in the regular season and have the likes of Carey Price, Niklas Backstrom and Phil Kessel in their arsenal. It won't be a cakewalk, that's for sure.

 

If you are looking for an upset, this could be it. New York Islanders in six games.

 

(3) Columbus Blue Jackets vs. (4) Washington Capitals – The Blue Jackets have been without a General Manager all season and that's been just fine for them. Not only are they in the playoffs, they are holding down home ice advantage as well. Thank you, Semyon Varlamnov.

 

Washington however is ready to finally get on a roll, something that's been hard to do in the playoffs for this talented team. Lacking a true star –though Vladmir Tarasenko is rapidly erasing that issue- the Capitals get it done by committee, something that will have to continue for them to advance.

 

The Capitals should move on, but it won't be easy. Washington in six games.

 

(5) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Detroit Red Wings – Another series featuring two teams that wouldn't have home ice advantage in previous years, this round also features two teams that didn't make the playoffs last year.

 

For Detroit, they finished with the league's worst record last year, but a 28 point improvement let them just edge into the playoffs. Some surprising performances, including a 30 goal season from Zack Boychuk and a 71 point season from the ageless Jaromir Jagr, has the Wings searching for the glory years they had a decade ago.

 

Boston meanwhile is trying to rely on Ryan Miller in net to get them through the post-season. The netminder started all 82 games for the club, which lacks a supporting cast behind forwards like Vincent Lecavalier, Nazem Kadri, Alexander Semin and Maxim Afinogenov, who is in his final season in Boston.

 

Another close one, but the Wings season to soar isn't over yet. Detroit in six games.