The NHL playoffs are off and running.

Saturday brought a trio of solid games, with the Carolina Hurricanes shutting out the Ottawa Senators 2-0, the Minnesota Wild laying a 6-1 beatdown on the Dallas Stars on the road, and the Philadelphia Flyers snagging a 3-2 road win of their own over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

I asked some of the Oilersnation crew for their first-round predictions, their Stanley Cup favourites, and more.

How do you feel about the Edmonton Oilers facing the Anaheim Ducks in the first round?

Liam Horrobin: Feeling good about it, but still wish it was the L.A. Kings. Anaheim has the firepower to give the Oilers a tough series. However, the Oilers’ experience should help them overcome an inexperienced Ducks team. Yes, they have the likes of Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, and Alex Killorn, but the stars in Anaheim have not faced the pressures yet of the Stanley Cup playoffs. While I do believe Edmonton comes out on top, Lukas Dostal can steal games, so don’t let him get hot.

Baggedmilk: I think the Oilers match up well against Anaheim, provided they can maintain their newfound defensive structure. I think the Ducks can be a little sloppy in their own end at times, and if the Oilers can maintain discipline, they should be able to take advantage of those mistakes. Our boys have been here many times before, and that experience should be the edge they need to get through.

Michael Menzies: Good. It is funny how a good chunk of the fanbase is tired of beating the Kings and prefers this matchup. Count me in with that group, to be honest. When you finish 14th overall and get to play the 18th overall team, it’s about as good as it gets.

Tyler Yaremchuk: I like the matchup on paper, granted not as much as I would have liked the Kings matchup, but the Oilers are a much more mature team that can control large portions of the game. If they get even slightly above-average goaltending, then they should be able to........

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