nhl playoffs

The second season begins later in the week and there is some great match ups.  It's a funny time of year for Leafs fans, since you basically can cheer for anyone you want since you won't be seeing them in the playoffs anytime soon.  So, first round predictions, I'm terrible at this (I picked San Jose to win it probably four seasons in a row a couple years back) but I'll give it a try.

Probably a blessing in disguise for Ottawa to fall to eighth seed instead of seventh since they now draw the New York Rangers in the first round, a much more desirable match up than the Bruins.  Not by much though since they are fast, highly skilled, with tenacious third and fourth liners and will just be too tough for Ottawa to match up.  The Sens need Anderson to stand on his head and Karlsson can't slow down his pace from the regular season for them to have a chance. Rangers in six.

Sorry Washington, unless all you big cogs are firing on all cylinders at once, which they haven't done all season they haven't got a chance.  The Bruins are too big, too skilled, too deep, too mean.  Ovechkin finished the season on fire to help the Caps clinch a spot on the second last game of the year, but he is going to have Chara sitting on him for much of the game.  Bruins in five.

Even though the Florida Panthers are seeded higher I still think them beating a team like Jersey in the playoffs would feel like an upset and give the Cats a real boost.  I like what's be going on down in Florida with their slew of former Hawks and the rejuvenated Jose Theodore, my nominee for Comeback Player of the Year, not that he was dismal last year, but he has regained some elite goalie points he lost a few years ago.  I like the Panthers in seven.

My word.  The marquee matchup in the East if not the league.  Almost too close to call, and judging by the last week of the season we're in for a classic.  Cross state rivals who don't like each other none too much.  All I hope is that the series is everything that it's expected to be.  Malkin and Crosby together is about as intimidating as it gets and Sid looks sharp out there, maybe even benefitting from not being banged up from playing the entire season.  Who ever comes out of this one I just hope they don't face the Bruins in the second round.  They'll need time to heal some wounds! Penguins in seven.

Going to be a great series.  Very well matched teams.  LA under achieved most of the season, but have gotten used to Darryl Sutter's new coaching techniques and have become a real Darryl Sutter type team.  It may come down to whose goalie is going to be better.  Jonathan Quick was.. the man this year, posting ten shutout and is a finalist if not shoe-in to win the Vezina trophy.  Going with Kings in seven, my first genuine upset.

Maybe the dullest of the four series in the West may be a first goal wins type of series given the sterling St. Louis defence and the often anemic San Jose offence.  The difference may be the experience of the deep playoff runs by the Sharks and the treading of relatively new waters for the St. Louis Blues.  But in a defensive series, the team with the best goalie usually wins and St. Louis may have the two best goalies.  Blues in six.

The Coyotes sneaked into the division lead, and while LA and San Jose traded wins on a home a home series Phoenix just quietly won out their schedule and knew that if they won then they took care of their own games they controlled their destiny.  However, matching up against the Hawks in the first round may be a formidable task.  The Hawks success may depend on the injury to Jonathan Toews, but even without hit the Hawks boast enough fire power to tear apart this Phoenix team.  Hawks in six.

My other nominee for the best series of the playoff is Nashville and Detroit.  Both of them expected to go deep, with perhaps a little more pressure on the Preds now that they are considered contenders after bolstering their blue line with Hal Gill at the trade deadline as well as picking up the other Kostitsyn and former deserter, the KHL's all time leading scorer Alex Radulov.  It's only one game but that extra game on home ice in Nashville may prove crucial.  Predators in seven.