Eastern Conference:
(1) Boston Bruins v (8) Montreal Canadiens
Boston won the regular season matchup against the Canadiens, and finished the last game in the series at home with a 5-4 overtime win. The match was rough, nasty, and fulfilled all the expectations of the long-time rivalry. The first round could be very exciting to watch, but Montreal has no answers in net to rival Tim Thomas. Boston wins in 5.
(2) Washington Capitals v (7) New York Rangers
Washington had the regular season edge 3-1, but the last time these teams faced off was in early February, before the whole Sean Avery returns and coach firing fiasco in New York. And the Rangers have been playing a whole lot better since then, courtesy of Nik Antropov. Washington should win, but Jose Theodore has a worse track record than King Henrik. Washington wins in 6.
(3) New Jersey Devils v (6) Carolina Hurricanes
Interesting statistic: Carolina won the season series 3-1, but their one loss was the one game they played against Martin Brodeur, where the Devils won 3-2 at home. At the same time, their defense has been struggling, so we'll see if Brodeur plays like the best goalie in NHL history or if Carolina continues to roll over the Devils. Huge upset potential here. Carolina wins in 7.
Another huge rivalry match-up here. A late season loss by the Flyers means they won't get home ice, which could be huge in a season series that had each home team winning twice and losing once. The Pens have the season series advantage 4-2, but both teams have high flying offenses, solid goaltending, and a 99 points regular season finish. Still, you have to like Pittsburgh based on their late season surge and last year's postseason performance. Pittsburgh wins in 6.
Western Conference
(1) San Jose Sharks v (8) Anaheim Ducks
For the first time in 40 years, two Californian teams will face-off in the NHL playoffs. Anaheim is probably the most deadly 8 seed in playoff history, and they get the benefit of facing a Sharks team that is still trying to find the stride that led them to the strong start that secured them the #1 seed. San Jose has the regular season edge 4-2, but the last two games they played were a 2-5 spanking by Anaheim and a very very close 3-2 win. Still, coming into the season, San Jose wanted to establish dominance on home ice, and they have done just that and have secured the advantage throughout the playoffs. San Jose wins in 5.
(2) Detroit Red Wings v (7) Columbus Blue Jackets
On paper, this is a very close match-up. The season series was tied 3-3 between the clubs. Detroit has the best skill set in the playoffs, but they have absolutely no answer in net. Columbus has skill in the limited variety. The acquisition of Vermette helps, but upsetting the defending champions will be on the back of their rookie goaltender Steve Mason. The past few Stanley Cups has shown that first-timers in net actually perform pretty well. But you know Detroit will double-team Rick Nash constantly, and that severely hinders the Jackets's offense. Detroit wins in 6.
(3) Vancouver Canucks v (6) St. Louis Blues
The series is tied 2-2 between the clubs. Both teams are entering the postseason on huge winning streaks. Roberto Luongo has the resume, but Chris Mason has been lights out as of late. The only edge Vancouver has is offensive depth and a more playoff-built forward line. Vancouver wins in 6.
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane will get their first career shot at the postseason as they lead this young, talented team towards a shot at the Stanley Cup. Calgary has been struggling in the past two months, and they have fallen all the way from the 3rd seed and the division championship to not having home ice advantage in the first round. Khabibulin and Kiprusoff are both battle-tested, so now we'll get to see just how big of an impact the acquisition of Olli Jokinen will have on the Flames, who are still looking at nothing short of winning the Stanley Cup. X-factor: Chicago won all 4 regular season meetings against the Flames. Still, Calgary wins in 7.
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