As the NHL 2016-17 regular season fades into the background, all focus is on the Stanley Cup playoffs, which begin on Wednesday, April 12. Sixteen teams will face off in some highly-contested series, however the Washington Capitals remain a favorite among the league’s best. The action begins Wednesday with five first-round games. The Boston Bruins visit the Ottawa Senators, while the Montreal Canadiens host the New York Rangers at 7 p.m. ET. The defending Stanley Cup champion, the Pittsburgh Penguins also open their postseason on Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Edmonton Oilers will make their first postseason in 10 seasons when they face the San Jose Sharks at 10 p.m. ET. The Minnesota Wild will face-off against the St. Louis Blues on home ice at 9:30 p.m. ET. Here's a look at this week's power rankings as the playoffs get underway. (Getty)
10. San Jose Sharks
Record: 46-29-7
The Breakdown: The San Jose Sharks are just one year removed from making a Stanley Cup Final run, and clawed their way back into contention after a late-season collapse. However, the Sharks are facing a formidable foe in the first round: the Edmonton Oilers. In the regular season, the Oilers held a 3-1-1 record against the Sharks. The Sharks have their share of depth concerns, and will rely heavily on their front-line to remain in the mix. Defenseman Brent Burns has had an incredible season, putting together a goal-scoring campaign the NHL hasn't seen in recent history. Burns is the first blueliner with consecutive 75-point seasons since Rangers' Brian Leetch in '96 and '97. Forwards Joe Thornton and Logan Couture are both injured, but will likely be back to add some scoring power to the lineup for Game 1. However, their level of production might not be what we're accustomed to if they're not in full health. (Getty)
9. Minnesota Wild
Record: 49-25-8
The Breakdown: Despite a late-season slump, the Wild still enter the playoffs tied for the fourth-most points in the league. Their defense has put together an impressive regular season campaign featuring goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who could be a Vezina Trophy finalist. Dubnyk finished the regular season with a .923 save percentage (third among goalies with 55 appearances or more) and 2.25 goals against average. A deep and talented blue line, gives the Wild a good chance of taking the first round against the St. Louis Blues. The Blues won the season series 3-2, including their last matchup in Minnesota. Minnesota will need their offense to produce for a deep playoff run. (Getty)
8. New York Rangers
Record: 47-28-6
The Breakdown: After being locked in the wild-card for weeks, the Rangers now need to flip the switch. The Rangers, who finished in the first wild card in the Eastern Conference, struggled to find consistency in the final stretch of the regular season. But don't count the Blueshirts out just yet, with 256 goals, the Rangers ranked fourth in the league on offense. They'll face off against the Atlantic Division first seed, the Montreal Canadiens in the first round. The Canadiens swept the season series 3-0-0 against the Rangers. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is undoubtedly one of the league's best, however he's had his share of struggles at the Bell Centre. He's 4-9-2 with 3.87 goals-against average and .877 percentage in the regular season. (Getty)
7. Edmonton Oilers
Record: 47-26-9
The Breakdown: Connor McDavid -- do I need to say more? The 100-point man was the league's scoring leader in the regular season, finishing 11 ahead of Pittsburgh forward Sidney Crosby and Chicago right wing Patrick Kane. After finishing the regular season on a 14-game point streak, the 20-year-old seems poised to carry that momentum into his first Stanley Cup playoffs. Overall, the team is riding high on an 8-2 stretch to close the season. The Oilers will face the Sharks in the first round. Although San Jose has an edge in playoff experience, Edmonton won the season series 3-1-1 and, beat the Sharks twice in the final two weeks of the season, including a win at the Shark Tank itself (SAP Center). Considering the Sharks' late season fade, Edmonton seems favored to take the first round. (Getty)
6. Montreal Canadiens
Record: 47-26-9
The Breakdown: No doubt about it, Price vs. Lundqvist will be an outstanding first-round battle. As I mentioned earlier, the Canadiens swept the season series 3-0-0 against the Rangers, outscoring New York 11-7. The Habs appear to have everything they need for a solid playoff run, including a high-caliber goalie in Carey Price. Since Claude Julien came on board, Price has made marked improvement, especially on the penalty kill. Carey's save percentage went from .852 to .929 under Julien. (Getty)
5. Anaheim Ducks
Record: 46-23-13
The Breakdown: Anaheim is a on a hot streak as they enter the first round, and show no signs of slowing down. The Ducks were 11-0-3 in their final 14 games, including an electric overtime victory against the Kings on Sunday. Anaheim will now face the Calgary Flames. The Ducks took the season series against the Flames 4-1. It'll be interesting to see what the Ducks can do with home-ice advantage, especially considering the Ducks had the NHL's third-best home record at 29-8-4. Although Anaheim is one of the top team's defensively, they'll look to pick up their goal production in the playoffs. With 223 goals in the regular season, Anaheim ranked 17th in the league in scoring. These two teams have met twice in the playoffs, with the Ducks winning in both 2006 and 2015. (Getty)
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: 50-24-8
The Breakdown: The Blue Jackets are one of the deepest teams in the Eastern Conference. Now the question is if they can slow down the NHL's top offense. Columbus will face the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins for an incredible first round. Each team was 1-1-2 in the season series. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is the Vezina Trophy favorite, which would mark his second time claiming the title. Bobrovsky has been impeccable all season and leads the league with a .933 save percentage. However, the overall youth of the Blue Jackets and their lack of major playoff experience gives Pittsburgh the edge in this series. (Getty)
3. Chicago Blackhawks
Record: 50-23-9
The Breakdown: The Blackhawks are a modern-era Stanley Cup Dynasty and once again, enter the playoffs as the Western Conference's best team. The Blackhawks are loaded with top-tier talent and a deeper forward group than many expected at the start of the season. During the regular season, Chicago showed their scoring depth with seven rookies combining for 105 points, and six players scoring 20 or more goals. Goaltender Corey Crawford has seen a slight drop-off on the stat sheet, but has been solid in net with a .918 save percentage and 2.55 goals-against average. Chicago enters Round 1 against the Nashville Predators as a heavy favorite. Chicago took the regular season series 4-1 against the Preds. (Getty)
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
Record: 50-21-11
The Breakdown: When your lineup includes Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, you're in good hands. Expect a physical, high-scoring match-up against the Penguins and Blue Jackets in Round 1. This is one series you won't want to miss, and is expected to be a tight one. Each team was 1-1-2 in the season series. The defending Stanley Cup champs had an impressive regular season, finishing 31-6-4 at home, with 66 points (second most in franchise history). The biggest injury is to Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, who is out four to six months after surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck. Goaltender Matt Murray seems poised for another impressive postseason. After winning a Stanley Cup last spring, his postseason save percentage is .923. He maintained the same save percentage of .923 during his first full NHL season. (Getty)
1. Washington Capitals
Record: 55-19-8
The Breakdown: The Capitals are still the clear Stanley Cup favorite. Despite their postseason crumbles in recent history, Washington boasts a stacked lineup from top to bottom which will be hard to beat. The Caps have failed to advance beyond the second round since the 2005-06 season, but this year's team is different. A significant advantage is their unparalleled depth. They also have one of the best goalies in the league. Defending Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby became one of only three goalies in NHL history to record three straight seasons of 40 or more wins. They earned their second straight Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular season team, and now seemed poised to win hockey's most coveted hardware. (Getty)
NHL Power Rankings: Week 28