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| Roberto Luongo is one of the goalie's on the hot seat heading into the second round of the NHL Playoffs |
The first round of the NHL Playoffs were probably the most exciting set of games in recent memory. Four of the eight series went to game 7 and there were overtime games for nine consecutive nights. I’ve never seen so much hype for the Blackhawks and Canucks seventh and deciding game, and they definitely didn’t leave anyone disappointed. That series had about as much drama as Jersey Shore and there definitely was a situation when Cory Schneider was given the start in game 6 in favour of Roberto Luongo. With one game of the first round already in the books, I’m a little behind, but the following are my predictions for the second round.
Vancouver (1) vs Nashville (5)
Season Series: Tied 2-2
The Canucks are coming off an emotional victory against the Chicago Blackhawks and I think they’re going to roll through this series. Vancouver has a lot more depth on both forward and defense. All of the games will be tight-checking games and the Predators’ strong defensive tandem of Ryan Suter and Shea Weber will do their best to wear down the Canucks forwards. (On a side, Weber probably has the best playoff beard in recent memory, but he started growing it in February). The only way Nashville has a chance this series is if goaltender Pekka Rinne stands on his head. He had a .930 save percentage during the regular season and is a Vezina Trophy finalist.
Final Prediction: Vancouver in 5.
San Jose (2) vs Detroit (3)
Season Series: 3-1 San Jose
The Red Wings steamrolled right through the Phoenix (potentially Winnipeg) Coyotes in four straight games all without top winger Henrik Zetterberg. Their game on Friday will be their first in ten games, so they’re definitely well rested. This could potentially mean the return of Zetterberg. The Red Wings have a lot of depth, including ageless wonder Nicklas Lidstrom, who has nominated for the Norris Trophy for the 10th time in 12 seasons. Dany Heatley had one of his worst statistical campaigns with only 26 goals. The trio of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Heatley will be integral to the Sharks success. However, I think Detroit’s depth will prevail in this series.
Final Prediction: Detroit in 7.
Washington (1) vs Tampa Bay (5)
Season Series: 4-2 Washington
This is a classic Southeast Division match up between two teams that save their best for each other. Tampa Bay beat a depleted Penguins team in 7 games in round one, but they’ll need better play from their superstars if they want to compete with Washington’s forwards. Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos combined for a single tally in the opening round. That won’t be good enough this time around. The Capitals seem like one of the most complete teams remaining. They’re led by Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin, who combined for 29 points in 6 games in their series win against the Rangers. In both of Washington’s losses to Tampa Bay this season, they were shut out by Dwayne Roloson. ‘Rollie the Goalie’ will need to continue his remarkable play if the Lightning want a chance to win this series.
Final Prediction: Washington in 6.
Philadelphia (2) vs Boston (3)
Season Series: 3-1 Boston
These are two teams with such a rich history full of bad blood. We saw last year that anything can happen between these two squads. For those that don’t remember, the Flyers became the first team since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to come back from a 3-0 deficit and win in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals last year against the Bruins. I wouldn’t be surprised if something similar happens in this series. Both teams were worn down in the opening round, but they both have a lot of depth. The Bruins went 0-16 on the powerplay against Montreal in the first round. The broad street bullies will take undisciplined penalties, and Boston will need to capitalize on their chances. Their prized acquisition this season was Tomas Kaberle, but he has done absolutely nothing to help their man advantage. If the Bruins want to win this series, they’ll need their powerplay to be much better. The Flyers have a goaltending dilemma. Surprise…Surprise… we’ve never seen that from Philadelphia! They used three goalies to eliminate Buffalo in round one, and they’ll need more consistent netminding to knock out Boston. Brian Boucher won all of the Flyers’ games, but he’s been a very streaky goalie. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sergei Bobrovsky makes an appearance at some point in this series.
Final Prediction: Boston in 7.
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