Five out of the eight lower seeds won in the last round, which means the Conference Finals could feature all six and seven seeds. Could is the key word in that phrase.
Despite the lower seeds having their way with the league's "elites", the two best teams in the league navigated their way into the second round. Since the beginning of the season I thought both the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins would make it to the Stanley Cup, and so far that prediction is looking pretty good. Though the Penguins had an issue with the Isles, they showed some moments of brilliance Now that Thomas Vokoun is in net, I expect the Penguins to get back on track. So who will be fighting for the conference crowns next round? Let's take a look.
East
Pittsburgh Penguins - 4 Senators - 2
I did a good job talking up the unpredictability of the NHL Playoffs, but the Penguins will take care of business. The Penguins haven't lost against this Ottawa team this season which is something the Senators will have on their mind. This series will get very interesting because it pits one of the highest scoring offenses in the league against one of the best defensive teams in the league. The Senators allowed an average of 2.1 goals per game in the regular season and have a penalty kill percentage of 88. To many other teams, these stats could spell trouble, for the Penguins, it presents a challenge. The Pens averaged 3.4 goals per game in the regular season and have a power play percentage of 24.7. Though defense wins championships most of the time, I think the Pens have too many offensive weapons and will pepper Craig Anderson to escape the series in 6 games.
Boston Bruins - 3 New York Rangers - 4
These two rivals haven't met in the playoffs since 1973 and when they meet this year, sparks will fly. This is going to be a great series between two teams that have been grinding out results in the playoffs. Both teams went seven games in the first round and I fully expect them to go the distance in this round. Both teams have stud goal keepers which will keep these games close all the way until the final whistle. Boston's Tuukka Rask allows an average of two goals per game, while New York's Henrik Lundqvist is allowing a fraction more with a 2.05 GAA. This series will be scrappy and close, but I think the Ranger's 5-0 blasting of the Capitals gives them huge emotional boost. Lundqvist looks like he's heating up with two straight shutouts, which is another good reason to go with the Blueshirts.
West
Chicago Blackhawks - 4 Detroit Red Wings - 3
This is the series I am looking forward to the most. Playoff rivalries almost always exceed any meeting in the regular season. With regular season meetings between these two already at playoff levels, the excitement may just blow the roofs off both venues. The Red Wings have the momentum after winning a whole bunch of overtime games in their series against the Ducks and their game seven beat down. I find it really hard to pick against the Wings, but the Blackhawks have the rest and haven't lost to the Wings yet. Plus the Blackhawks are the best team in the league. They allow an average of 2 goals per game and score an average of 3.1. That is what I call dominance. They will struggle with the Wings, but ultimately they will be too much for the boys from Detroit.
San Jose Sharks - 2 Los Angeles Kings - 4
The battle for California will be yet another entertaining rivalry series. The Kings will be looking to continue their defense of their title and what better way to gear up for the conference finals than beating your rival? The Sharks may have the better set of overall statistics, but their inefficiency on the offensive end of the ice and playoff history both scare me. Many hockey fans know how bad the Sharks are when May comes around and it's hard to win a title when you are scoring an average of 2.4 goals per game. The Kings are heating up, and I believe Jonathan Quick will get back on his game and take over this series.
No comments:
Post a Comment