The playoffs are every hockey fans favorite time of year. This year things look extremely up in the air. The Eastern Conference has been dominated by the likes of Pittsburgh and Boston, but no one can count out teams like the Montreal or the New York Rangers. Here is a quick breakdown of the Eastern Conference first round match-ups and predictions.
#1 Boston Bruins versus #4 Detroit Red Wings
Lets face it the Bruins will be tough to beat this year. They are very well-rounded in every aspect. Tuuka Rask in net gives the Bruins a huge advantage. He is arguably the best goaltender in the NHL, and is a leading candidate for the Vezina Trophy. The Red Wings have battled injuries all season, and its hard to really get a feel for how this team would be if they were all healthy. The physical strength, and play in the corners of Boston will make this a difficult series for the already wounded Red Wings. The key to a Bruins series victory is consistency, they have all the tools. The key to the Red Wings winning the series is great goaltending and timely scoring.
Prediction: Boston in 5
#2 Tampa Bay Lightning versus #3 Montreal Canadiens
This one will be a good one. Both teams are evenly matched. The Lightning are forced to start Anders Lindback in net because of an injury to Ben Bishop. The Canadiens are set with Carey Price in net. Both of these two teams can score, and both have had some defensive struggles. The Habs are hoping that the acquisition of Thomas Vanek will push them over the edge in the offensive category. The two teams battled for home ice advantage down the stretch, but I honestly do not think that this will even matter in this series. I think this one actually comes down to a battle of the goaltenders.
Prediction: Montreal in 7
#1 Pittsburgh Penguins versus #4 Columbus Blue Jackets
This series is filled with numerous question marks. Is Columbus ready to win their first playoff game in team history? Is Marc-Andre Fleury ready to quiet the critics? These two variables will determine the series. The Penguins are more offensively talented, and are also deeper on defense. The Blue Jackets have the advantage in net with an always steady Sergei Bobrovsky. The Blue Jackets have a chance to win this series if Bobrovsky plays amazing and the team forgets that they have never had any playoff success. The Penguins will win this series if Marc-Andre Fleury plays well. If he struggles early the door will be open for the Blue Jackets to upset the Penguins.
Prediction: Pittsburgh in 6
#2 New York Rangers versus #3 Philadelphia Flyers
Lets face it after the start the Flyers had to the season it is down right amazing that they are even in the playoffs. Well now it is time for them to continue their success and make a strong playoff run. The series looks fairly tight on paper with the edge slightly going to the Rangers. With the injury to goaltender Steve Mason for the Flyers, it is no doubt that the Rangers have the advantage with Henrik Lundqvist in net. Offensively the Rangers have more game breakers, but they have also been very inconsistent. The Rangers have better possession numbers but the Flyers get the slight edge defensively. There is one key attribute that the Flyers have that the Rangers do not have, GRIT. This is what the playoffs are all about. To be successful a team must have grit and determination. The Flyers have that and this will be the difference in the series. Can the Rangers match this?
Prediction: Philadelphia in 7
Predictions for later rounds:
Conference Semi-Finals
Boston over Montreal in 6
Philadelphia over Pittsburgh in 7
Conference Finals
Boston over Philadelphia in 6
Stanley Cup Finals
Boston over Anaheim in 5
Brad Burud the owner/editor of the Inside Edge Hockey News. I am a huge fan of hockey, from youth hockey, to junior hockey, and of course professional hockey. I have played, coached, worked as statistician, and watched hockey all of my life. Hockey is not just a game, it is a lifestyle and family. The game of hockey is great! It can bring you nights of great enjoyment. It also brings nights where you feel like your team will never win. I am proud to be a journalist for the greatest game in the world. I have a degree in Business Administration, Psychology from Minot State University. I also have a Hockey General Manager and Scouting, and Sports Communications/Journalism degree from Sports Management Worldwide. I am also a member of the Sports Executives Association. Most of all I am a fan. Hockey is a huge part of my life and my families life.