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NHL 2015-16 season predictions from USA TODAY Sports' experts

Dennis Wierzbicki, USA TODAY Sports

Dennis Wierzbicki, USA TODAY Sports

The Anaheim Ducks lost in the 2006 Western Conference final and used that motivation to win the 2007 Stanley Cup.

After falling short again last season, this time to the Chicago Blackhawks, they might just repeat that pattern.

Eight of the 10 members of USA TODAY Sports’ NHL power rankings panel picked the Ducks to get over the hump and win the franchise’s second Stanley Cup.

POWER RANKINGS: Ducks, Lightning lead the way

PODCAST: Picks, predictions and more for the new season

“They’ve been on the cusp the last two springs, toppled both times by the eventual Cup champions, but this is the year the Ducks rise above,” said Bob Duff, a columnist for the Windsor (Ontario) Star. “Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are in the prime of their careers, and key younger players like Cam Fowler, Frederik Andersen and Jakob Silfverberg are another year older and wiser.”

The Ducks have won three consecutive Pacific Division titles and tied for the top record in the Western Conference last season. They held a 3-2 series lead in the conference final before falling to the Blackhawks. – Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports

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