Enter Second City Hockey’s 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs Bracket Challenge

Fill out your bracket!

The Stanley Cup playoffs are upon us.

Even though it’s been known for months, it’s still weird to go into the playoffs without the Chicago Blackhawks in it.

The Nashville Predators are the top team entering the playoffs as the Presidents’ Trophy winners. But being the best regular-season team rarely translate into postseason success; only eight times has the Presidents’ Trophy winner went on to win the Stanley Cup. The last team to win both the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season was the 2013 Blackhawks. People forget that.

Since then the 2015 New York Rangers are the only Presidents’ Trophy winner to advance past the second round.

After the NHL implement its new playoff format for the 2013-14 postseason to focus on division rivalries instead of the traditional 1-8 format, no division winner has reached the Stanley Cup Final. Only the 2015 Rangers and ‘15 and ‘17 Anaheim Ducks division winners have reached the conference final round.

SCH has set up its own pool with the NHL’s bracket challenge. If you decide to join, you will have a chance to go head-to-head with fellow SCH readers and site staff. All you need is an NHL.com account to sign up.

Group name: “Second City Hockey Bracket Challenge