NHL Western Conference: 2016-17 Regular Season Preview, Predictions

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Oct 4, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville sits with his players during the third period of a preseason game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /

The NHL’s regular season begins tonight with five games, so let’s take a look at how the Western Conference stands

Hooray, hockey is back! And the Chicago Blackhawks’ first game of the regular season doesn’t conflict with a Chicago Cubs game (like last year). That’s good news for a portion of the fan base.

But while we care most about the Blackhawks around here, they’re obviously not the only team in the league. We have 29 other teams vying for the Stanley Cup as well, some with a better shot than others to actually earn it.

Today, we’re going to take a look at the two divisions that matter most to the Blackhawks — the Central Division and Pacific Division — and try to predict what happens in the 2016-17 campaign with regard to the Western Conference.

You can’t go into hockey season without expectations. So let’s get to it.