Yesterday I started my playoff preview series, in which I break down the first-round matches of the NHL post-season using data, looking at the East Division matchups underway. Today, we're shifting our focus to the top-heavy West Division, where two powerhouse franchises will look to stave off upsets.

The stats are from TopDownHockey with additional micro-stats provided by SportLogiq's new public betting platform LogiqBets.

Colorado Avalanche vs. St. Louis Blues  

Let’s get this out of the way quick -- nobody is giving the Blues a chance here. Prediction models are incredibly bullish on the Avs, with The Athletic granting them only a 12 percent chance of victory (the lowest of any playoff series this decade, apparently).

It’s not hard to see why these models so prefer the Avalanche. Colorado w