After an exciting regular season of hockey, it is time for an even more thrilling two months of playoff action. Here's your guide to the eight first-round match-ups that kickoff the Stanley Cup Playoffs, starting with the Eastern Conference.
1. Montreal vs. 8. Boston. At the beginning of the season, few expected the Canadiens to be sitting atop the Eastern Conference at season's end, but a spectacular second half vaulted the Habs to the top of the East. Goaltending and special teams have been the keys for Montreal this year. Goaltender Carey Price has shown the NHL that he is one of the league's up and coming stars. He posted an exceptional .920 save percentage and a 2.56 goals against average. Furthermore, Montreal's power play comes in ranked first in the NHL at 24.2 %. Boston's goaltending is exceptional, as Tim Thomas has really proven himself this year. His save percentage (.921) and his goals against (2.44) are slightly better than Price's. However, Boston is third-worst in the NHL with a meager 78.6% penalty kill success rate. That spells disaster for Beantown. The Bruins have lost all eight contests to Montreal this year and 11 straight dating back to last season. I see no reason for that to change now. Look for the Canadiens to sweep past the Bruins and eventually hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.
2. Pittsburgh vs. 7. Ottawa. That sound we hear is the Ottawa Senators dropping like a rock despite the arrival of Colgate legend Jesse Winchester, who will not play in the playoffs. Fun fact: Did you know Jesse's given first name is Graham? A team that found itself in first place in the East for much of the year is now in seventh. The problem with Ottawa is two-fold. First of all, goaltender Martin Gerber has been poor as of late, and his .910 save percentage reflects that notion. If he has to be pulled, a sieve named Ray Emery would take over. Secondly, Ottawa has just one line that can score: the famous Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley unit. The Penguins, on the other hand, have emerged as one of the elite teams in the conference thanks in part to their two exceptional goaltenders. Ty Conklin played spectacularly while Marc-Andre Fleury was hurt, but Fleury got the job back when he returned. Fleury has shown he deserved his starting post back by putting up a .921 save percentage this season. Pittsburgh can also skate two prolific scoring lines led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, both MVP contenders. The Penguins also possess former Senator Marian Hossa, a talented scorer in his own right. Look for the Pens to win this series in six and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
3. Washington vs. 6. Philadelphia. The Capitals won the Southeast Division this year, but the league was very weak during this ledger. The Caps are essentially a two-man team, but that two-man team could probably beat the L.A. Kings by itself. Alexander Ovechkin is the hands-down NHL MVP after he accrued 65 goals, which is the new NHL record for a left winger. Goalie Cristobal Huet is an elite netminder with a .920 save percentage and 2.32 GAA. However, Philadelphia has several solid forwards, including Daniel Briere (72 points) and Mike Richards (75 points). They also have a solid goaltender in Martin Biron. Philadelphia's balance will overcome Washington's star power in a grueling seven-game series.
4. New Jersey vs. 5. New York Rangers. It should come as no surprise that the Devils have gotten back to the playoffs thanks to Martin Brodeur in net and a solid defense. But once again their offense is lackluster. Leading scorer Zach Parise had just 65 points this year. Across the Hudson River, the Rangers have an exceptional goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist, who has really kept the Blueshirts rolling this year with a 2.23 GAA and a league-leading 10 shutouts. Plus, one has to imagine that Chris Drury and Scott Gomez will be their usual clutch selves despite disappointing regular seasons. The Rangers should advance to the Conference Semifinals after winning this series in six games.
1. Detroit vs. 8. Nashville. Every year, it seems like Detroit wins the President's Cup before underachieving in the playoffs by failing to make the Stanley Cup Finals. I don't think the Wings will buck the trend this year, but they should have no trouble with the Predators. The key to Detroit's success is an extraordinary blue line led Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski. Henrik Zetterberg (43 goals) and Pavel Datsyuk (31 goals) propel a steady offense. The four Detroit players mentioned above are all in the NHL's top ten in plus/minus ratings. Nashville has some talented players like young goaltender Dan Ellis, but Detroit is better at every aspect of the game. The Wings will take this one in five.
2. San Jose vs. 7. Calgary. The Sharks had another impressive season. As usual Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau lead a solid offense, but the real strengths of this team are defense and special teams. The Sharks allowed the third-fewest goals in the conference and are in the top ten in both the penalty kill and power play. The Sharks' special teams units and defense have only gotten better as the season has gone on, especially with the addition of All-Star defensemen Brian Campbell, who has 19 points in 20 games since joining the team. The addition of the former Sabre has been quite beneficial to the team, as the Sharks are 16-2-2 over that stretch. San Jose also has a solid netminder in Evgeni Nabokov, who led the league with 46 wins and posted a miniscule 2.14 GAA. Calgary usually gets strong play from Jarome Iginla and goalie Miikka Kiprusoff. Iginla has been solid again this year with 50 goals and 48 assists, while Kiprusoff has struggled with just a .906 save percentage. Both will have to play stellar hockey to overcome the Sharks, but San Jose's D and goaltending are too good to let Iginla skate wild, so it is very unlikely that the Flames will win. The Sharks are a complete team and should win this series in five and the Western Conference as well.
3. Minnesota vs. 6. Colorado. The Wild wins games with special teams and goaltending. Young goalie Niklas Backstrom has been strong again this year, and Minnesota is ranked second in the league in penalty kill and seventh in power play. Colorado by contrast is 29th in power play and 20th in penalty kill. The Wild's offense is certainly not stellar, but Marian Gaborik is a superstar and he had another strong performance this year with 42 goals. He'll need to keep it up throughout the playoffs. Colorado, which has been plagued by injuries this season, counters with wily veterans such as Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth. However, the real key to the Avs' success is goalie Jose Theodore. He's been playing well of late, but he is known to be streaky. The former Montreal Canadien needs to play well for Colorado to advance. This series will be close, but special teams will be the difference, and the Wild will win this one in seven games.
4. Anaheim vs. 5. Dallas. The defending champs will face a stiff challenge in the first round, as they face a Dallas team once again led by Captain Mike Modano, who had 21 goals and 36 assists. The Ducks also picked up perennial 20-goal scorer and playoff veteran Brad Richards at the deadline from Tampa Bay, and he should be the Ducks' X-Factor in the playoffs. Goalie Marty Turco is having an off-year (.909 save percentage), and that does not bode well for Dallas. The Ducks on the other hand got a strong year from star goalie, Jean-Sabastien Giguere. He posted a stellar .922 save percentage and a 2.12 GAA. Their goaltending is complemented by one of the best blue lines in the game, which features Chris Pronger, Mathieu Schneider and last year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Scott Niedermayer. Anaheim's solid defense and goaltending should earn them a hard fought seven-game victory. I also believe that the Ducks will upset the Red Wings in the second round.
