Playoffs Push Onward

......well for 8 teams at least. What a first round, two game 7's, lost a presidents trophy winner, a couple of Cinderella stories, the trap (thankfully) and an Olympics MVP. What does the second round hold, hopefully a lot of Lindsay Soto (Niklas Lidstrom and Jimmy Howard agree) and a couple of great match ups.

Western Conference Semifinals

(5) Detroit Red Wings vs. (1) San Jose Sharks

Since the Capitals are the new Sharks, what does that make the Sharks--scared, because the bullies of the Western Conference are coming into town with their big guys on fire. Henrik Zetterberg had six goals and five assists and Pavel Datsyuk had 8 points including 2 goals in the Game 7 clincher in their first round series with Phoenix.

Doesn't help the Sharks case that their top line (Thornton, Heatley, Marleau) is no where to be found with a combined minus-7 and 10 points in their first round series with Colorado. That line has to produce to have any chance in this series, as San Jose cannot rely on huge shots-on-goal discrepancies game to game against Detroit, like they did versus the young Avalanche.

Detroit has too much depth, spotlight players (who show up), experience and confidence, Red Wings in 6.

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (2) Chicago Blackhawks

The creme de la creme of the conference semifinal round, this series has it all, bad blood, grit, skill and revenge. The Canucks are still bitter about their loss to a young emerging 'Hawks team in this round last year. The key this year is goaltending, last year Luongo was admittedly inadequate between the pipes.

There is alot of offensive firepower on both these teams with Mikael Samuelsson burying everything, 7 G in the first round, and the Sedin twins for Vancouver. Toews, the unsuspendable Marian Hossa and clutcher by the series Patrick Kane shoulder the offensive load for Chicago. What is remarkable is the wealth of offensive depth both teams possess and is displayed through their secondary scoring.

Vancouver gets better goaltending this go around and that is the difference, Canucks in 6.

Eastern Conference Semifinals

(8) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins

Halak is the name of the game if the the Habs have an encore upset performance in them. The man whose hand was "shaken" last series needs to be just as good if not better in net for Montreal to take down the defending champs.

Pittsburgh took three of four from the Canadiens during the regular season as Sidney Crosby scored four goals and had two assists. It will be a tall task to slow down the red hot Crosby and his world class running mate Evgeni Malkin, especially when giving up forty plus shots-on-goal nightly.

The Penguins are built to wear down goalies and smaller teams, and how much does Montreal have left in the tank after holding on for three desperate wins in a row against the Caps, Penguins in 5.

(7) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (6) Boston Bruins

Have to respect the Flyers through this regular season and postseason, a club that has battled injuries and adversity finds itself in a winnable series and on the cusp of making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Funny, you could insert Bruins for Flyers in the above sentence and it still would hold absolutely true. Marc Savard makes his return for the Bruins and Jeff Carter is out indefinitely for the the Flyers, that shot of offensive adrenaline for the boys from Boston proves to be the difference in the battle of NHL Hard Knock "Rocky" stories. The city whose fans idolize that FICTIONAL character lose, Bruins in 7.


1st Round Record 7-1 (Dag nabbit Caps) with one perfect series