2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview

 The last week of the NHL regular season was unlike anything seen in recent history. The dust from the 82-game grind settled, and jaws dropped as a once cloudy playoff picture became clear. Seven teams from the previous year's Stanley Cup Playoffs would not be returning to the postseason.
 The unfathomable turn of events saw some of the last decade's powerhouses checking April tee times, while some of the most wildest stories the league has ever seen led certain squads to the quest for Lord Stanley's Cup. Some teams simply had incredible runs, others got off to an unexpected hot start and never looked back, and others defied the odds in the most literal sense possible to clinch a playoff spot.
 However, whatever success or misfortune experienced during the past six months is meaningless now. A whole new season begins as the NHL's 16-best squads begin the hellacious quest for ultimate glory. The field is set, and much like the season that preceded it, the first round looks tantalizingly unpredictable.