Now that the Sharks have booked their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it's time to play the matchup game. There are, mathematically speaking, five teams with a greater than .01 percent chance of meeting up with San Jose in the first round. As of this writing, they are: Los Angeles, Anaheim, Nashville, Minnesota and Chicago.
It's going to be, in all likelihood, L.A. or Anaheim. At this moment, the Ducks have a slight edge on the Kings in the Pacific division race, making the Kings the most likely first-round opponent for San Jose.