NHL Conference Semifinals Match-ups and Predictions

Here's the schedule (assume all matches will be shown on VS, TSN, or CBC): http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Tell-all-casual-fans-you-know-that-Caps-vs-Peng;_ylt=Ag21Vz4YFESm_ydxJuJlVZR7vLYF?urn=nhl,159740

Eastern Conference:

(1) Boston Bruins vs (6) Carolina Hurricanes:
Which is worse, upsetting the President's trophy winner to move on to face the defending Cup champions, or winning in the toughest 7 game series this year only to face the Boston Bruins? The answer is debateable, but the Hurricanes will take part in answering the second half of that question. Carolina played a sensational game and Cam Ward was clutch in the series, and although on paper the New Jersey Devils are as talented as the Boston Bruins, can the Hurricanes really pull off another 7 game upset? I'm saying no, as the Bruins absolutely destroyed the Montreal Canadiens, not showing any weaknesses nor giving up any leads after the second period. Boston wins in 6.

(2) Washington Capitals vs (4) Pittsburgh Penguins
The NHL would like you to think this is the monster match-up of the semifinals this year, as Alexander Ovechkin will be pitted against Sidney Crosby. But to be honest, this is a very one-sided battle. On paper, it is almost dead even. The Capitals scored 17 goals through 7 games while the Penguins scored 18 goals in 6. Fleury had a GAA of 2.39 with a save percentage of .922, while Varlamov stepped in for Theodore for 5 games and became a wall, with a GAA of 1.21 and a save percentage of .954. The biggest differential was the +/-, as the Capitals were +24 compared to Pittsburgh's +8. But I think that tells the bigger story: the Capitals were facing an extremely offensively-challenged team. The New York Rangers are better known for their shutdown play and Henrik Lundqvist than scoring a lot of goals. Getting a team combined +24 off 17 goals means that the Rangers really weren't scoring a lot. Could that be Varlamov establishing himself as the next great rookie goaltender in the postseason? Maybe. But I put more of the fault on the Rangers, and Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who had 4 goals each in the first round, are going to make life very tough in the next two weeks for Varlamov. Pittsburgh wins in 6.

Western Conference:

(2) Detroit Red Wings vs (8) Anaheim Ducks
Going into the Western Conference Quarterfinals, the question was who was the team to fear, San Jose or Detroit? Well, Anaheim proved it to be Detroit, and now they'll have to beat the Red Wings to continue their quest to the Stanley Cup. That's what happens when you have a horrid start to a pretty strong season, but Anaheim knows that they have the ability to upset the powerhouses in the playoffs. Although Todd McLellon was brought to San Jose to impliment the Detroit style of play, the two clubs actually play a different system. Detroit plays strong defensively and creates turnovers and penalties to score their goals, while San Jose likes to push the pace and open up the game. This could be a tough, grinding series for both teams, but I think the Western Conference will now get their version of the Boston/Montreal series: brutal in each game but ultimately a quick finish. Detroit in 5.

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs (4) Chicago Blackhawks
Despite Washington and Pittsburgh squaring off, this match-up is the monster match-up of the semifinals throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. Khabibulin, the world gold-medalist, against Canada's finest Roberto Luongo. The Sedin twins and Alex Burrows against Toews, Kane, and Havlat. Vancouver generates most of their goals outside of the Sedin cycle from monster shots from the point by Salo and Edler. Chicago plays a more active defenseman-in-offense system, backed by Brian Campbell. By all means, this series should go to a game 7, have about 10 periods worth of overtimes, and the team with the most healthy starters end up winning. Instead, I'm looking at one factor that will cripple the Chicago Blackhawks in their run: youth. Although Vancouver never really had much success in the postseason, they still have a lot more playoff experience than the fresh-out-of-rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. And ultimately, when they're facing a better goaltender, a healthier team, and a hungrier team, their lack of experience will come back and bite them. Vancouver in 6.