Stanley Cup Playoffs 2017 Predictions: Expert Picks For Every NHL First-Round Series

The Stanley Cup champion is always the most difficult to pick of the four major sports, and that hasn’t changed before the start of the 2017 NHL playoffs. But hockey experts appear to be on the same page for most series when making predictions for the first round.

The Washington Capitals have the best championship betting odds of any team in the Eastern Conference, and they are heavy betting favorites in their upcoming series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After leading the league with 118 regular-season points, the Capitals are being picked by just about every expert to reach the second round.

READ: NHL playoff and Stanley Cup odds

The same goes for the Chicago Blackhawks, who are favored to meet the Capitals in the Stanley Cup Finals. Most experts are picking Chicago to defeat the Nashville Predators. The Blackhawks have won three titles since 2010, and they led the Western Conference in points. Nashville lost four of their five games against Chicago in the regular season.

Most experts are picking the Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota Wild and the Anaheim Ducks to advance, as well. Pittsburgh plays the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round, while Minnesota takes on the St. Louis Blues. The Ducks are favored in their series against the Calgary Flames.

The Boston Bruins appear to be getting more support from experts than any other underdog. Despite losing all four regular season games against the Ottawa Senators, they seemingly have a real chance to pull off the upset and win their first-round series.

The Montreal Canadiens might have the edge over the New York Rangers, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Blue Shirts pull off the upset. The series between the Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks is basically a toss-up.

Here are first-round NHL playoff predictions by hockey experts from ESPN, Yahoo Sports and TSN:

John Buccigross, ESPN: Capitals, Penguins, Rangers, Bruins, Blackhawks, Wild, Ducks, Sharks

Linda Cohn, ESPN: Capitals, Penguins, Rangers, Senators, Blackhawks, Wild, Ducks, Oilers

Pierre LeBrun, ESPN: Capitals, Penguins, Canadiens, Senators, Blackhawks, Blues, Ducks, Oilers

Joe McDonald, ESPN: Capitals, Blue Jackets, Canadiens, Bruins, Blackhawks, Wild, Flames, Oilers

Barry Melrose, ESPN: Capitals, Penguins, Rangers, Bruins, Blackhawks, Wild, Ducks, Oilers

Greg Wyshynski, Yahoo Sports: Capitals, Penguins, Canadiens, Bruins, Predators, Wild, Ducks, Oilers

Sean Leahy, Yahoo Sports: Capitals, Penguins, Canadiens, Bruins, Blackhawks, Wild, Ducks, Sharks

Scott Cullen, TSN: Capitals, Penguins, Canadiens, Bruins, Blackhawks, Wild, Ducks, Sharks