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Nashville Predators: Who do the Preds Want to Play?

By James Dugger

May 2, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators players celebrate after a win against the St. Louis Blues in game four of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
May 2, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators players celebrate after a win against the St. Louis Blues in game four of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Who should Nashville Predators fans root for in game seven of the Ducks and Oilers?

The Nashville Predators advanced to their first Western Conference finals appearance in franchise history on Sunday. The only thing still to be decided is who they will play in the series. There are many reasons for wanting to face the Ducks and the Oilers.

Both teams would be hard to beat, but both teams have faced their fair share of troubles this postseason as well. The Preds definitely have an uphill battle from here and both teams will make for fun a fun series to watch.

First off, reasons to root for the Ducks:

Anaheim Ducks
May 7, 2017; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) makes a save on Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (not pictured) during the first period in game six of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports /
  1. The Preds beat the Ducks just last postseason. It took Nashville’s first game seven in franchise history to do so, but the Preds still came out of that series on top.
  2. The Ducks have been taking an emotional beating this series after losing 7-1 in game six. If they do pull out the win, they won’t be nearly as aggressive as they could be.
  3. The Ducks are older. While the Ducks aren’t nearly as old as some other teams in the NHL, the still have some age to them that would make it easier to beat them up.

Why root for the Oilers:

Connor McDavid
May 7, 2017; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) tries to block a shot from Anaheim Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg (33) during the second period in game six of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports /
  1. The Oilers are a lot like the Preds in the fact that they are a young team. Wouldn’t it make a great western conference finals between two of the best young, explosive teams in the NHL?
  2. The Oilers, like the Preds, haven’t had much success in the playoffs in recent years. The Oilers used to be one of the joke teams in the NHL. But now, like the Preds, they are a real contender to win the Stanely Cup.
  3. This would make for the most exciting series of the two possibilities. If the Oilers close out the series Wednesday night with a win, NHL fans would be in store with one of the best possible series’ of late.

Which team is it?

After going through all of the different pros of each team, I believe the team Preds fans should root for is the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers would make for a more fun series to watch and a better matchup for the Predators.

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The Ducks have too much experience in the playoffs to make me want to root for them. They would also have the Predators’ number since the Preds knocked them out in seven games last postseason.

Both teams would be fun to face, but we’ll have to wait and see which one the Preds end up facing. Tune in Wednesday night at 9 p.m. CST on NBC Sports Network to find out which team will be facing the Predators in the conference finals.

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