Burning Questions On The West's First-Round Matchups

Here's what Katie Gaus, Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos discussed: 1:00: Thoughts on the first-round schedule? 2:59: How can the Los Angeles Kings stay competitive against the Colorado Avalanche? 5:55: What will be a key difference in the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild series? 8:19: What are the expectations for Mitch Marner in the playoffs? 9:30: What do you make of the Vegas Golden Knights' end to the regular season? 13:12: Who should be the Edmonton Oilers' starting goaltender? 14:45: What's the scouting report on the Anaheim Ducks as they enter the playoffs? 17:03: Which of the first-round series are you most looking forward to watching? 18:20: Who is an unlikely playoff hero? 19:30: What is the toughest series of the bunch? BetMGM Playbook 22:15: What are the odds for NHL teams seeking to win the Stanley Cup for the first time? 23:14: What are the concerns with each of these teams that could prevent them from winning? 29:40: Which team would you pick as the first-time Stanley Cup winner? 31:02: What are the overall Stanley Cup odds? Rapid Fire 31:46: The 2026 NHLPA Player Poll is released. David 'Pasta' Pastrnak was voted the player with the best nickname. Do you agree with the players? 33:42: Who would you select first overall in an NHL playoff pool fantasy draft? 34:47: Vancouver Canucks fired GM Patrik Allvin. Thoughts? 37:21: Which player will lead the playoffs in scoring? 38:36: Which goalies will steal the spotlight? 40:11: Who is your pick to win the Stanley Cup? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Burning Questions On The West's First-Round Matchups is an episode from The Hockey News Podcast by TheHockeyNews.

This episode is 41:53 long.

This episode was published on Apr 17, 2026.

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