First round results:
I said Rangers in 6
Rangers won in 7
.5
I said Bruins in 5
Capitals won in 7
0
I said Devils in 4
Devils won in 7
.5
I said Penguins in 7
Flyers won in 6
0
I said Canucks in 6
Kings won in 5
0
I said Blues in 7
Blues won in 5
.5
I said Coyotes in 6
Coyotes won in 6
1
I said Predators in 6
Predators won in 5
.5
So for the first round, in which many things did not quite make sense, I went 5/8. The first round produced each seed winning the series (1 Rangers, 2 Blues, 3 Coyotes, 4 Predators, 5 Flyers, 6 Devils, 7 Capitals, 8 Kings)
So the second round matchups are set up and it's gonna be a great round for hockey. I'm gonna give a brief prediction for each series. If you want a dissection of each, I took enough time to do that with the first round predictions over here.
Here is the schedule for the second round games.
1. New York Rangers vs. 7. Washington Capitals
Regular season series tied 2-2
I really think what the Washington Capitals needed the most was the lack of hype going into the playoffs. In years past, they entered the post season as high favourites and with great expectations. But this year they kind of slid into the playoffs and to be honest, nobody felt they could pull off the upset. An offense that struggled most of the year along with a third string goalie had most people doubting them, including me. But they played great hockey against the defending champs to advance.
The 1 seeded Rangers had struggles of their own in the first round against Washington. Their offense was lacking and their powerplay and penalty kill were average at best. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist obviously played well but many were surprised with the trouble the Rangers had with them. Chris Neil gave them headaches all series and the Sens did a good job playing against them. But the Rangers won back-to-back games to win the series so that's good for them I guess.
I think that Washington COULD win this series. They did a great job battling against a team that isn't very easy to beat. Boston, on paper, could be more of a difficult team to play than the Rangers. Washington was tested physically and they out on top. The Rangers struggled against guys like Chris Neil (public enemy number 1 to Ranger fans who somehow forgot a player named Sean Avery) who got under their skin (while still producing offensively). Washington does not quite have that type of player but they are still able to go toe-to-toe with these guys physically.
This whole thing will come down to Braden Holtby. He was superb against Boston, and I mean superb. Boston peppered him with shots and he was zoned in every second of each game. He's got a wicked glove hand and could easily dictate the flow of this series, especially if the Rangers continue their offensive woes. Washington's offense could take care of the rest against a stingy Lundqvist.
The Rangers will need a little more out of Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards. They are their stars and needed to be a little better against the Sens. The Rangers need to get their offense going. The last thing they need is to get behind in a series against a hot goalie. Lundqvist I'm sure will be lights out but he can only stand on his head for so long. Rookie Chris Kreider was phenomenal in game 7 against the Senators. He skates extremely well and was great at both ends of the ice. I think he'll be the player to watch for the Rangers.
In the end, I actually have a TON of faith in Holtby. I saw an interesting dissection of his play so far and he seems to be ready for whatever the Rangers throw at him. I think the Caps also have the edge in the special teams department and that will also come in handy. The Rangers struggled too much with Ottawa and they may have to go through another tough series here. Gonna go with the upset.
CAPITALS IN 7
5. Philadelphia Flyers vs. 6. New Jersey Devils
Regular season series tied 3-3
The Philadelphia Flyers skunked the Penguins in the first round. Claude Giroux was sparkling, Sean Couturier was great as well offensively, and defensively. Pretty much everyone played well for them. Their defense was a little weak though. And Ilya Bryzgalov was at times great but occasionally played like the sieve people expected him to be. The word about the Flyers was that if they played a team in the second round with any sort of defense, they'd be stymied. So is this the case?
The Devils at times played like garbage in their series against the Panthers. They blew too many leads and at times couldn't keep up with the Panthers. Their penalty kill was absolutely horrendous after being the best in the regular season and their powerplay wasn't much better. Their kill has to get back to form against the Flyers who converted on 52% of their powerplays in the first round. Their offense did produce at times but, again, this team was bipolar in their series. Randomly great, and then pathetically horrid. So the question is, which team shows up for round 2?
Claude Giroux had a sick first round, getting 14 points in 6 games. Danny Briere also stepped up after a mediocre regular season. Offensively, there's no way to critique these guys. They scored 30 goals in 6 games. But they also gave up 26 goals in 6 games. This was partly weak defense and ugly goaltending. So this game, in my opinion, will fall on the shoulders of Ilya Bryzgalov. His 3.89 GAA will not cut it against a legitimate opponent (with Bobrovsky's 8.11 GAA not being much better). He's a good goalie who A) had a rough season and B) has a history of disappearing in the playoffs. He really has to step up this round for his team.
The Devils had a few problems. Firstly, Ilya Kovalchuk is playing injured. No questions asked. He's not even close to being as good as he should be. He's not skating hard and doesn't look right. This ruins the first line's chemistry. Luckily, their fourth line really picked up their play for the Devils. Ryan Carter-Steve Bernier-Stephen Gionta combined for 5G and 4A in 7 games. They were by FAR the best line for the Devils. Obviously, the Devils can't rely on them forever and with Kovy playing injured, the first line hasn't been as great either. So it falls on the second line. Patrik Elias-Petr Sykora-Dainius Zubrus combined for only 2 even strengthed goals in the series. They really need to perform. Also, Martin Brodeur has been very soft for them. He's given up weak goals and each shot by the opposition gives Devils fans mini-heart attacks. He's gotta be a lot better if he wants to see the Eastern Conference Finals one last time.
To me, it's a goaltender duel. While Bryzgalov gave up more goals, Brodeur gave up softer goals. So it's very likely it's going to come down to which goalie steps up. Obviously the Flyers have more offense but the Devils can still get their chances here and there. The Devils defense has been pretty good in the playoffs. At times they were overwhelmed with Florida's speed but they still impressed me. Marek Zidlicky has been the unsung hero for the Devils and gets things done both ends of the ice.
Ultimately, Philly is too powerful for my Devils. Brodeur's wheels have been slowly coming off and the Flyers will most likely barricade him with shots. The injured Kovy puts a damper on a great season and unless he miraculously gets healed, it'll be a tough series offensively for that line. Eventually, the Devils will have to play tough guys Cam Janssen and Eric Boulton to keep up with the physicality of the series, thus ruining the chemistry of their fourth line now.
FLYERS IN 6
2. St. Louis Blues vs. 8. Los Angeles Kings
Kings won regular season series 3-1
Oh Boy. There is a lot of buzz about these Los Angeles Kings. Unfortunately, due to the games of the Kings-Canucks series being on the West Coast, I didn't quite catch most of the series. But I'll use what I've heard and what I've seen to write about this.
So the word on the block, and something I thought as well, was that the Kings benefited greatly from the Canucks inability to play the sport of hockey. Without Daniel Sedin, Vancouver was close-to-clueless in all aspects of their game EXCEPT FOR GOALTENDING! So most people say that that was how they advanced (don't get me wrong, I'm not discrediting the Kings. They played very well. They just got a lot of help along the way).
The St. Louis Blues just walked all over the Sharks. Whenever San Jose' seemed to gain momentum, the Blues would just go right back and take control of that game. Their powerplay was great. As was every other aspect of their game. They are so well coached and they are going to take this series seriously. The Blues finished 2nd in the league. They were ignored by most people going into the playoffs and people are now giving the Kings the nod without question after they beat the Canucks. But people will be surprised.
This series, like the other one in the West, will feature a goaltending matchup that is spectacular. Assuming that Brian Elliot gets the start for St. Louis, we'll be seeing two goalies who can go out and steal any game (note: if Jaroslav Halak plays for the Blues, he too can steal any type of game). The numbers are similar for these goalies and really the only difference is supporting cast. St. Louis' defense seems just a tad better than LA's crew. This could mean one less huge save that Elliot has to make which could be huge in these games. But Jonathan Quick can really decide on this series himself if he has to. He might need to be perfect if LA wants a chance.
The Kings seized the most of their chances against the Canucks. They got timely scoring from several of their key players and things worked out rather nicely. Captain Dustin Brown had 4 goals in the 5 games and definitely set a physical presence along the way. The Kings offense hasn't been there all season but they definitely have the tools to be better. Anze Kopitar and Mike Richards can definitely provide a pop and there are a handful more players who the Kings fans have been waiting to step up. The Kings will need that type of performance this round against a stingy defense.
The Blues scoring has been so nice this postseason. They make such crisp passes and capitalize on almost every chance they get. They have enough talent to make plays and they are a team that I truly believe is 4 liens deep. In game 5, for example, it seemed like 4th liner Jamie Langenbrunner was a man on a mission to get a goal. He pushed a puck through the crease at one point. Hit the post later on. And finally got the Blues on the board in the 3rd before they took the series clinching win. This is just the type of team they have and I'm sure it'll continue to next round.
The Kings really have to prove why they advanced. It is not like they powered through Vancouver. They won that series but didn't necessarily show us their true potential. They'll have to do this now against a really good hockey club like the Blues. I think it'll be nice if their defense gets involved offensively. Drew Doughty is a great player and could get it done and I also like Slava Voynov on D. They need as much help offensively as they can get.
I feel though that the Blues are just too good of a team for LA to keep up with. They possess every good trait of a successful hockey team and their defensive-minded gameplay makes me love them all the more. Jonathan Quick will be very very good and this is LA's only hope. But I feel that over time St. Louis will gain control of the series. Quick has played in 74 games this year and although there are no signs of it at this point, he might be slowing down and might be pretty fatigued by the end of this.
BLUES IN 5 GAMES
3. Phoenix Coyotes vs. 4. Nashville Predators
Regular season series tied 2-2
The Phoenix Coyotes are here thanks to a nice man named Mike Smith. He has placed the team on his back and paved the way to the second round. The Blackhawks were simply unable of finding a way to beat him. The Blackhawks peppered him with shots and he was spectacular in goal. He had to be because Chicago fired the most shots on net per game than any other team in the playoffs. But of course, the Coyotes did have to score. They received timely scoring from guys like Antoine Vermette and a couple of OT winners thanks to Mikkel Boedker (yes, you read that correctly). They weren't overwhelming offensively but their plays connected at the right times and that was all they needed.
The Predators are a little bit of a different story. Here's how pretty much each game worked for the Preds against the Red Wings in round 1. The Predators would dominate, build a lead, the Wings will come back with chances of their own, Rinne wouldn't give up a goal. So I think the thing separating these teams are the offensive capabilities of Nashville. They both contain active defenseman. (Yandle and Ekman-Larsson vs. Weber and Suter) but Nashville's offensemen, to me, display more promise for a playoff series like this.
Phoenix will really have to apply pressure this series if they want to win. Rinne has been too spectacular for Phoenix to take the same approach as last series (almost a "we'll take the chances we get" approach). They need to really bombard him with chances. Another thing though, is that Phoenix is a bit banged up. Martin Hanzal, who scored the overtime winner in game 1 last series, is out with an injury and guys like Rusty Klesla and Lauri Korpikoski are pretty banged up as well. Consider that Raffi Torres is out for the playoffs, and the Coyotes are in a sticky situation.
Nashville benefited from good forechecking and players stepping up. Gabriel Bourque has been playing great for Nashville so far. Alexander Radulov has also stepped up, showing his true value. Their defense has been chipping in (big shock, right?) with guys like Shea Weber and Kevin Klein. However, after being great in the regular season, Nashville's powerplay disappeared, and it was not for lack of chances. They were miserable and couldn't get it together with the man advantage. They really need to figure things out if they want a chance against a scorching hot Mike Smith and a sick Phoenix kill.
To me, this will all come down to offensive pressure. Both goalies will certainly stand on their heads for the bulk of the series and it will most likely be the team with the most chances that will win. Phoenix does have a few injury problems and that won't only mess them up because of depth, it will also ruin line chemistry that they've been utilizing all season long. That will definitely hurt their chances in this low scoring series. In the end, I feel that the Nashville offense will be too quick and Rinne will be close-to-unbeatable.
NASHVILLE IN 7
I said Rangers in 6
Rangers won in 7
.5
I said Bruins in 5
Capitals won in 7
0
I said Devils in 4
Devils won in 7
.5
I said Penguins in 7
Flyers won in 6
0
I said Canucks in 6
Kings won in 5
0
I said Blues in 7
Blues won in 5
.5
I said Coyotes in 6
Coyotes won in 6
1
I said Predators in 6
Predators won in 5
.5
So for the first round, in which many things did not quite make sense, I went 5/8. The first round produced each seed winning the series (1 Rangers, 2 Blues, 3 Coyotes, 4 Predators, 5 Flyers, 6 Devils, 7 Capitals, 8 Kings)
So the second round matchups are set up and it's gonna be a great round for hockey. I'm gonna give a brief prediction for each series. If you want a dissection of each, I took enough time to do that with the first round predictions over here.
Here is the schedule for the second round games.
1. New York Rangers vs. 7. Washington Capitals
Regular season series tied 2-2
I really think what the Washington Capitals needed the most was the lack of hype going into the playoffs. In years past, they entered the post season as high favourites and with great expectations. But this year they kind of slid into the playoffs and to be honest, nobody felt they could pull off the upset. An offense that struggled most of the year along with a third string goalie had most people doubting them, including me. But they played great hockey against the defending champs to advance.
The 1 seeded Rangers had struggles of their own in the first round against Washington. Their offense was lacking and their powerplay and penalty kill were average at best. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist obviously played well but many were surprised with the trouble the Rangers had with them. Chris Neil gave them headaches all series and the Sens did a good job playing against them. But the Rangers won back-to-back games to win the series so that's good for them I guess.
I think that Washington COULD win this series. They did a great job battling against a team that isn't very easy to beat. Boston, on paper, could be more of a difficult team to play than the Rangers. Washington was tested physically and they out on top. The Rangers struggled against guys like Chris Neil (public enemy number 1 to Ranger fans who somehow forgot a player named Sean Avery) who got under their skin (while still producing offensively). Washington does not quite have that type of player but they are still able to go toe-to-toe with these guys physically.
This whole thing will come down to Braden Holtby. He was superb against Boston, and I mean superb. Boston peppered him with shots and he was zoned in every second of each game. He's got a wicked glove hand and could easily dictate the flow of this series, especially if the Rangers continue their offensive woes. Washington's offense could take care of the rest against a stingy Lundqvist.
The Rangers will need a little more out of Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards. They are their stars and needed to be a little better against the Sens. The Rangers need to get their offense going. The last thing they need is to get behind in a series against a hot goalie. Lundqvist I'm sure will be lights out but he can only stand on his head for so long. Rookie Chris Kreider was phenomenal in game 7 against the Senators. He skates extremely well and was great at both ends of the ice. I think he'll be the player to watch for the Rangers.
In the end, I actually have a TON of faith in Holtby. I saw an interesting dissection of his play so far and he seems to be ready for whatever the Rangers throw at him. I think the Caps also have the edge in the special teams department and that will also come in handy. The Rangers struggled too much with Ottawa and they may have to go through another tough series here. Gonna go with the upset.
CAPITALS IN 7
5. Philadelphia Flyers vs. 6. New Jersey Devils
Regular season series tied 3-3
The Philadelphia Flyers skunked the Penguins in the first round. Claude Giroux was sparkling, Sean Couturier was great as well offensively, and defensively. Pretty much everyone played well for them. Their defense was a little weak though. And Ilya Bryzgalov was at times great but occasionally played like the sieve people expected him to be. The word about the Flyers was that if they played a team in the second round with any sort of defense, they'd be stymied. So is this the case?
The Devils at times played like garbage in their series against the Panthers. They blew too many leads and at times couldn't keep up with the Panthers. Their penalty kill was absolutely horrendous after being the best in the regular season and their powerplay wasn't much better. Their kill has to get back to form against the Flyers who converted on 52% of their powerplays in the first round. Their offense did produce at times but, again, this team was bipolar in their series. Randomly great, and then pathetically horrid. So the question is, which team shows up for round 2?
Claude Giroux had a sick first round, getting 14 points in 6 games. Danny Briere also stepped up after a mediocre regular season. Offensively, there's no way to critique these guys. They scored 30 goals in 6 games. But they also gave up 26 goals in 6 games. This was partly weak defense and ugly goaltending. So this game, in my opinion, will fall on the shoulders of Ilya Bryzgalov. His 3.89 GAA will not cut it against a legitimate opponent (with Bobrovsky's 8.11 GAA not being much better). He's a good goalie who A) had a rough season and B) has a history of disappearing in the playoffs. He really has to step up this round for his team.
The Devils had a few problems. Firstly, Ilya Kovalchuk is playing injured. No questions asked. He's not even close to being as good as he should be. He's not skating hard and doesn't look right. This ruins the first line's chemistry. Luckily, their fourth line really picked up their play for the Devils. Ryan Carter-Steve Bernier-Stephen Gionta combined for 5G and 4A in 7 games. They were by FAR the best line for the Devils. Obviously, the Devils can't rely on them forever and with Kovy playing injured, the first line hasn't been as great either. So it falls on the second line. Patrik Elias-Petr Sykora-Dainius Zubrus combined for only 2 even strengthed goals in the series. They really need to perform. Also, Martin Brodeur has been very soft for them. He's given up weak goals and each shot by the opposition gives Devils fans mini-heart attacks. He's gotta be a lot better if he wants to see the Eastern Conference Finals one last time.
To me, it's a goaltender duel. While Bryzgalov gave up more goals, Brodeur gave up softer goals. So it's very likely it's going to come down to which goalie steps up. Obviously the Flyers have more offense but the Devils can still get their chances here and there. The Devils defense has been pretty good in the playoffs. At times they were overwhelmed with Florida's speed but they still impressed me. Marek Zidlicky has been the unsung hero for the Devils and gets things done both ends of the ice.
Ultimately, Philly is too powerful for my Devils. Brodeur's wheels have been slowly coming off and the Flyers will most likely barricade him with shots. The injured Kovy puts a damper on a great season and unless he miraculously gets healed, it'll be a tough series offensively for that line. Eventually, the Devils will have to play tough guys Cam Janssen and Eric Boulton to keep up with the physicality of the series, thus ruining the chemistry of their fourth line now.
FLYERS IN 6
2. St. Louis Blues vs. 8. Los Angeles Kings
Kings won regular season series 3-1
Oh Boy. There is a lot of buzz about these Los Angeles Kings. Unfortunately, due to the games of the Kings-Canucks series being on the West Coast, I didn't quite catch most of the series. But I'll use what I've heard and what I've seen to write about this.
So the word on the block, and something I thought as well, was that the Kings benefited greatly from the Canucks inability to play the sport of hockey. Without Daniel Sedin, Vancouver was close-to-clueless in all aspects of their game EXCEPT FOR GOALTENDING! So most people say that that was how they advanced (don't get me wrong, I'm not discrediting the Kings. They played very well. They just got a lot of help along the way).
The St. Louis Blues just walked all over the Sharks. Whenever San Jose' seemed to gain momentum, the Blues would just go right back and take control of that game. Their powerplay was great. As was every other aspect of their game. They are so well coached and they are going to take this series seriously. The Blues finished 2nd in the league. They were ignored by most people going into the playoffs and people are now giving the Kings the nod without question after they beat the Canucks. But people will be surprised.
This series, like the other one in the West, will feature a goaltending matchup that is spectacular. Assuming that Brian Elliot gets the start for St. Louis, we'll be seeing two goalies who can go out and steal any game (note: if Jaroslav Halak plays for the Blues, he too can steal any type of game). The numbers are similar for these goalies and really the only difference is supporting cast. St. Louis' defense seems just a tad better than LA's crew. This could mean one less huge save that Elliot has to make which could be huge in these games. But Jonathan Quick can really decide on this series himself if he has to. He might need to be perfect if LA wants a chance.
The Kings seized the most of their chances against the Canucks. They got timely scoring from several of their key players and things worked out rather nicely. Captain Dustin Brown had 4 goals in the 5 games and definitely set a physical presence along the way. The Kings offense hasn't been there all season but they definitely have the tools to be better. Anze Kopitar and Mike Richards can definitely provide a pop and there are a handful more players who the Kings fans have been waiting to step up. The Kings will need that type of performance this round against a stingy defense.
The Blues scoring has been so nice this postseason. They make such crisp passes and capitalize on almost every chance they get. They have enough talent to make plays and they are a team that I truly believe is 4 liens deep. In game 5, for example, it seemed like 4th liner Jamie Langenbrunner was a man on a mission to get a goal. He pushed a puck through the crease at one point. Hit the post later on. And finally got the Blues on the board in the 3rd before they took the series clinching win. This is just the type of team they have and I'm sure it'll continue to next round.
The Kings really have to prove why they advanced. It is not like they powered through Vancouver. They won that series but didn't necessarily show us their true potential. They'll have to do this now against a really good hockey club like the Blues. I think it'll be nice if their defense gets involved offensively. Drew Doughty is a great player and could get it done and I also like Slava Voynov on D. They need as much help offensively as they can get.
I feel though that the Blues are just too good of a team for LA to keep up with. They possess every good trait of a successful hockey team and their defensive-minded gameplay makes me love them all the more. Jonathan Quick will be very very good and this is LA's only hope. But I feel that over time St. Louis will gain control of the series. Quick has played in 74 games this year and although there are no signs of it at this point, he might be slowing down and might be pretty fatigued by the end of this.
BLUES IN 5 GAMES
3. Phoenix Coyotes vs. 4. Nashville Predators
Regular season series tied 2-2
The Phoenix Coyotes are here thanks to a nice man named Mike Smith. He has placed the team on his back and paved the way to the second round. The Blackhawks were simply unable of finding a way to beat him. The Blackhawks peppered him with shots and he was spectacular in goal. He had to be because Chicago fired the most shots on net per game than any other team in the playoffs. But of course, the Coyotes did have to score. They received timely scoring from guys like Antoine Vermette and a couple of OT winners thanks to Mikkel Boedker (yes, you read that correctly). They weren't overwhelming offensively but their plays connected at the right times and that was all they needed.
The Predators are a little bit of a different story. Here's how pretty much each game worked for the Preds against the Red Wings in round 1. The Predators would dominate, build a lead, the Wings will come back with chances of their own, Rinne wouldn't give up a goal. So I think the thing separating these teams are the offensive capabilities of Nashville. They both contain active defenseman. (Yandle and Ekman-Larsson vs. Weber and Suter) but Nashville's offensemen, to me, display more promise for a playoff series like this.
Phoenix will really have to apply pressure this series if they want to win. Rinne has been too spectacular for Phoenix to take the same approach as last series (almost a "we'll take the chances we get" approach). They need to really bombard him with chances. Another thing though, is that Phoenix is a bit banged up. Martin Hanzal, who scored the overtime winner in game 1 last series, is out with an injury and guys like Rusty Klesla and Lauri Korpikoski are pretty banged up as well. Consider that Raffi Torres is out for the playoffs, and the Coyotes are in a sticky situation.
Nashville benefited from good forechecking and players stepping up. Gabriel Bourque has been playing great for Nashville so far. Alexander Radulov has also stepped up, showing his true value. Their defense has been chipping in (big shock, right?) with guys like Shea Weber and Kevin Klein. However, after being great in the regular season, Nashville's powerplay disappeared, and it was not for lack of chances. They were miserable and couldn't get it together with the man advantage. They really need to figure things out if they want a chance against a scorching hot Mike Smith and a sick Phoenix kill.
To me, this will all come down to offensive pressure. Both goalies will certainly stand on their heads for the bulk of the series and it will most likely be the team with the most chances that will win. Phoenix does have a few injury problems and that won't only mess them up because of depth, it will also ruin line chemistry that they've been utilizing all season long. That will definitely hurt their chances in this low scoring series. In the end, I feel that the Nashville offense will be too quick and Rinne will be close-to-unbeatable.
NASHVILLE IN 7
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