Playoff Predictions Pt. 2

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Unfortunately I can't go into as much detail with the West because I am busy with exams, but here's my summary.

SJ (1) vs. COL (8)

Prediction: SJ in 4

Colorado has been sliding since the new year, and they seem to lack some confidence. Facing SJ certainly won't be easy, and for the Sharks this is a good chance to build momentum for a long playoff run. Is this finally the year for the Sharks? I say they breeze past the Avs, but it will get tricky.

CHI (2) vs. NAS (7)

Prediction: CHI in 4

Chicago is a team with loads of young talent up front, a stellar goalie, and enough grit to tango with anyone in the league. Chicago is my pick for the Cup this year and I think they’ll easily slide by Nashville in the first round.

VAN (3) vs. LA (6)

Prediction: VAN in 6

The Canucks have been playing solid up front lately and with Henrik Sedin being the top scorer in the league (112 pts.) it’s no surprise. The only doubts come from the back end with Luongo. It depends which Lou shows up in order to determine if the Canucks succeed. LA got off to a blazing start, but has cooled down over the year. That said, they cannot be taken lightly.

PHX (4) vs. DET (5)

Prediction: DET in 7

To be honest, I’m just excited to see this series. Detroit has been on an absolute tear coming into the post season, with only 3 regulation losses since the Olympic break. Both these teams play a trappy, defence-first style of game and it will be interesting to see who can come out on top. Phoenix continues to surprise many with their play, let’s hope the home town fans can realize it.

Playoff Predictions

First Round Playoff Predictions:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
WSH (1) vs. MTL (8)
prediction: WSH in 4

It's not a stretch to believe that the combination of Art Ross runner-up Alex Ovechkin and 101 pt Nicklas Backstrom will continue to find success in the post-season. In addition, no team has better secondary scoring like Washington does with Alexander Semin, who had a career high in goals (40). After racking up a franchise best 120 point regular season, look for the Washington Capitals to go deep into the playoffs, but not all the way (more on that later). With the addition of playoff experienced players like Knuble and Scottie Walker in the off-season, the Caps have much more grit than they did last year which will certainly help. The key for this series, and playoffs in general, for Washington will be for Ovechkin to not try to do too much himself. He had a career high in assists (59) this season and needs to keep distributing the puck well for the Caps to have success. Montreal forwards in my mind are just too small for playoff style hockey, and the team doesn't have a solid goal-tending situation, despite Halak's improved play since the Olympics. With this said, I expect a Caps sweep.

NJ (2) vs. PHI (7)
prediction: NJ in 7

When Philly made the playoffs this year it ensured that Chris Pronger would be part of the playoffs again. So what? This is so impressive because it now makes it 15 years since he has been on a team that has missed the playoffs (1994 Whalers) . He's a player that knows how to step up his game in the post-season and inspire the rest of the team. The Flyers can definitely give the Devils a run for their money, and this series could go deep. This playoff series also offers a chance to see how Ilya Kovalchuk will fair in the playoffs for the first time since 2006-2007, this time on a team with more talent than the Thrashers of '07. Martin Brodeur is the real deciding factor. Can he keep up his incredible season, in which he had 9 shutouts? He played 77 games (the second most of his career) and at age 37 to boot, if he can stay sharp the Devils should be able to pull this one out.

BUF (3) vs. BOS (6)
prediction: BUF in 5

The theme of this series will be "can Boston find a way to beat Ryan Miller?" The situation is clear, Buffalo with the best goalie in-tow will be facing the lowest scoring team in the league with Boston. Buffalo has had some scoring woes in the past, but with Tomas Vanek getting hot at the right time, and rookie Tyler Myers trying to improve on what should be a Calder Trophy year (in my opinion), I like Buffalo's chances. Boston without Marc Savard lacks a decent scoring threat, but with Chara at the back and Tukka Rask behind him, goals will be hard to come by for both teams. This series should be a blast to watch, with some real grindy playoff style hockey being played. In the end, I just don't think Boston has enough to beat Miller consistently, and therefore it's Buffalo in 5.

PITT (4) vs. OTT (5)
prediction: PITT in 6

I think Ottawa surprised a lot of people (me included) by placing 5th in the East this year. With the excellent play of captain Daniel Alfredsson, who is one of the most underrated players in the league, and breakout years from Carlson, Regin, and Fisher the Sens have a pretty deep team. They're in deep though against the defending champs who are looking to make their third straight Cup Finals. Sidney Crosby has only gotten better since his rookie year and has proved a scoring threat this year with a career-high in goals (51), which is also good for a tie of the league-lead. Ottawa won't be a push-over, but the experience of the Pens, who have 17 returning players from last years Cup run, just might be too much. Pittsburgh wins, but Ottawa may have a few tricks up their sleeve.