The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs proved to just as unpredictable as I expected. Chicago didn't do anything to disprove that they're the best team in the West, while Pittsburgh was lucky to survive the Islanders. The most impressive teams, though, might've been Ottawa and San Jose. The Canucks get a lot of the credit for the Sharks' sweep, but the Senators-Canadiens series was all Ottawa. Carey Price's injury certainly played a part, but even if he's healthy, the Canadiens don't win that series the way Ottawa played.
And true to form, playoff hockey gave us plenty of overtime. Every series had at least one overtime game, and there were a total of 17 overtime periods, which averages out to a little more than two per series. Detroit-Anaheim had four, and the Red Wings' only regulation win was Game 7. That series could've gone either way. But Detroit found a way, like they seemingly always do, setting up one final playoff showdown with their archrival Blackhawks before the Red Wings move East for some reason next year. That series is certainly the highlight of Round 2, but all four of them look pretty good on paper.
(1) Penguins vs. (7) Senators: Pittsburgh certainly got all they could handle from the Islanders. And then some. They were outplayed for a good portion of the series and if they don't make that goalie change prior to Game 5, they might not even advance. Marc-Andre Fleury was flat-out terrible in Games 1-4. Thomas Vokoun saved the series (and the season), which entitles him the right to start this series. It would be a mistake to go back to Fleury now. The Penguins offense needs to click, too. They showed flashes of how explosive they can be against the Islanders, but have to be more consistent. As for the Senators, they didn't do much wrong against Montreal. Offense? Great. Defense? Great. Goaltending? Great. They outplayed the Canadiens from the start and, as a result, wrapped up their series earlier than the other three East teams. Will everything they did right carry over, or will the rest be a bad thing? I reiterate that Pittsburgh is the best team and should win. But that was also true about Montreal. The Penguins know they were lucky to get past the Islanders. They also know that they'll have to up their game significantly against the Senators. I think they will. Pittsburgh in six.
(4) Bruins vs. (6) Rangers: How incredible was that comeback by the Bruins in Game 7? They blew a 3-1 series lead and were down 4-1 in the third period before coming back to win in overtime. Incredible. That's the mark of a championship-caliber team. It was quite a comeback by the Rangers, too, but for that, the credit goes to one man. I said before the Capitals series that Henrik Lundqvist was the best player in that series and might prove to be the difference. Back-to-back shutouts in Games 6 and 7, with his team facing elimination in each, certainly proved me right. After those two seven-game thrillers, we get an Original Six matchup (we've got two of them!) between two evenly-matched teams. I'm expecting this series to be low-scoring with a lot of one-goal games. Special teams could end up being a big key. The Rangers' power play has to be better than it was against Washington. So does the offense. They can't rely on Lundqvist to win every game for them. Boston's defense will make scoring tough, though. That's why taking advantage of power play chances will be so important. Bottom line, though, is that Boston is the better team. I think the Bruins have a shot against the Penguins. They need to beat the Rangers first, and I give the Bruins an edge that's ever so slight. Both of these teams have gotten accustomed to playing seven games in the playoffs. This series will be no different. The Bruins win Game 7 at their Garden.
(1) Blackhawks vs. (7) Red Wings: The only good thing about Detroit beating Anaheim is that this classic rivalry gets a fitting final chapter. And to put it right up there with those Blackhawks-Red Wings matchups of the past, I hope we get a long series. Chicago's the best team in the Western Conference, if not the entire NHL. They proved that against Minnesota. But the Red Wings are kind of like the St. Louis Cardinals. You can never count them out until they're officially eliminated. Did luck come into play in the Anaheim series? Probably a little. But you can't discredit the playoff experience of this battle-tested Red Wings squad, either. If there's any team that knows Chicago well, it's the Red Wings. They're actually very similar squads. The Blackhawks' core is younger and, in my opinion, slightly more talented, though. And Corey Crawford was out of his mind against the Wild. I don't want to discout Detroit entirely. Especially with this team, I know better. But I think Chicago's talent will win the day. It'll be intense, hard-fought, physical hockey. Hockey fans everywhere, and especially those at NBC, are hoping this one goes the distance. If it does, give me the Blackhawks in Game 7.
(5) Kings vs. (6) Sharks: This is perhaps the most even of the four matchups. The Kings spotted St. Louis two games, then reminded everybody why they won the Cup last year. Once LA got going, the Blues didn't have a chance. In the battle of playoff underachievers, the Sharks got the better of Vancouver. The Sharks did everything right, the Canucks did virtually nothing right, and San Jose pulled off the only sweep of round one. For a veteran team, I think the rest will be a benefit in this case. San Jose's got all the talent in the world, and is always one of the best regular season teams in the league. Are we finally seeing a Sharks playoff run? But speaking of playoff runs, this is the first time in their six playoff series over the past two seasons that the Kings have home ice. That obviously hasn't stopped them. I'm curious to see if starting the series at home will actually have the reverse effect. Both teams should also benefit by the fact that the entire series will be played in California. No dramatic time changes or weird start times to mess with their bodies. It should improve the quality of play. This series is a definite toss-up. If the Sharks that played against Vancouver show up, they'll be very tough to beat. Even for the defending champions. Meanwhile, the Kings are just getting revved up. I recommed staying up late to watch these games, 'cause this sereis should be good. Call me crazy, but I'm going to keep playing my hunch about the Sharks. I'm going to say San Jose in six.
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