If the Western Conference Final between the Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators is anything like last year's first-round matchup, Ryan Johansen likes his team's chances.
The Predators bested the Ducks in seven games last season and as Johansen sees it, the Ducks have not upgraded their roster much over last year.
"Well, we beat them," Johansen said, according to NHL.com's Robby Stanley. "We found a way to beat them and there's just confidence through that. They don't really have any new faces in there other than (Patrick Eaves) and I'm not sure when he's going to be back (from a lower-body injury). For our group, we're going to go in there with confidence in the way we play and the way we can play, and get some results."
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The Ducks have, in fact, seen some roster changes since the 2016 playoffs, with David Perron, Jamie McGinn, Ryan Garbutt, Chris Stewart, and Shawn Horcoff no longer with the team.
As for the Predators, their roster from last year remains largely the same, save for one big change on the back end, with P.K. Subban replacing former captain Shea Weber.
Despite each team's changes, Johansen still expects a similar series to the one from a year ago.
"We're assuming it'll be pretty similar," Johansen said. "We know what to expect from playing them last year as well. I don't think there will be any surprises going over to Anaheim."
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