Which of the four wildcard teams would you least want to play? Poll

[yave1964]

Last day of the season all sixteen tickets are punched but seeding is still in play almost everywhere, I have been looking at the four teams that made the playoffs as wildcards and trying to decide which I would least want to play. The case for:

 

HURRICANES Playing with house money, nobody expects anything of them they are playing with house money. Loose and happy team who believe in themselves.

 

AVALANCHE one of the hottest teams in Hockey during the second half, the Blues got the pub for getting back in the race while the Avalanche managed to overcome one injury after another they are peaking and getting healthy at the right time.

 

BLUEJACKETS Like the 'Lanche they got hot down the stretch winning 6 of their last 7 with Bobrovsky playing some of his best hockey ever, they seem to have gelled at the right time.

 

STARS Strong second half as the team bought into the defense first philosophy of coach Jim Montgomery. Zuccarello back in time for the playoffs.

 

So of these four which would you LEAST want to face?

[yave1964]

I might surprise some folks by not voting for the Jackets but I am going with the Avalanche, MacKinnon is a genuine superstar, a perennial MVP candidate, Grubauer has taken the net and ran away with it, Barrie is probably playing the best hockey of his career and they are getting healthy at the right time.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

I feel the Blue Jackets should have been at top 3 Metro team, and while they certainly have been a head scratcher this year (and even the last couple seasons), I feel they ARE  a top 3 Metro team disguised as a wild card team.

They just may end up facing the Lightning in Round 1, and of all the possible opponents the heavily favored Bolts could get in the 1st round, I feel the Jackets' combination of skill and power plus goaltending (if they indeed put it all together in a series for once) are the most dangerous, and could be a recipe for an upset of a team like Tampa Bay...or Washington for that matter.

The other three on the list, I feel, have too many flaws, are too one dimensional, or just plain not deep enough to be the kind of threat I believe the Blue Jackets can be.

Dallas has good defense, and have an awesome top line....but I question the rest of their depth and their goaltending...is Bishop good to go? Or is Khudobin expected to carry the mail? And CAN Khudo carry the mail in the playoffs if that is the case?

Colorado...same awesome top line scenario, a LESSER defense than Dallas, but perhaps better goaltending, but again, where is the depth beyond Mack's top line?

Carolina, awesome fast paces style, some very talented forwards, but their defense leaves the goalies on their own a bit too much for my tastes, and though Mrazek and McBackup (I stole your nickname for him Yave...haha) have played well, I SERIOUSLY question both those guys' playoff viability.

So yea... Blue Jackets are the dark horse (or disguised horse) in the Wild Card group.
If the Bolts end up facing them, TB best be prepared to play an ECF quality style series.

[OccamsRazor]

I had to go with the local team.

 

The Canes.

 

Their weakness is in goal.