Once again, just like my first round predictions, I’m late in posting my second round predictions. But here’s what they look like:
How the West Will Be Won:
- Wings Outlast Sharks: I’m not at all surprised to see the Sharks up by two games. San Jose has a very good team. They are getting secondary scoring for the first time in the playoffs in many years and they seem determined to prove the doubters wrong. That said, I think the Wings will storm back at the Joe and make this series go deep. In the end, I think the Wings will be better prepared to handle a long series.
- Hawks Overcome Canucks: After Games 1 and 2, the temptation is to give the edge to the Canucks. Had Vancouver not given up late goals in Game 2, they would be up 2-0 heading back to Vancouver. However, as we saw in Game 2, the Hawks are a fast skating team that can wear down their opponents. The Hawks are too quick and too powerful on offense.
How the East Will Be Won:
- Pens March Over Habs: We now know the formula for a Montreal win: (blocked shots + outstanding penalty killing + opportunistic scoring) x Halak . The problem here is that the Pens are not going to make life as easy for the Habs and Halak as the Capitals. As we can see, they’re placing plenty of traffic in front of Halak and they will create more scoring chances down low than the Caps managed. Scoring also won’t come as easy against the Pens for the Habs. Pens in six.
- Bruins Maul Flyers: Okay, this one may not turn out to be a mauling (aka: a four-game sweep), but I am giving the Bruins the edge in this series because of their defensive game. Rask is turning heads with his solid play and he’s getting lots of support. The Flyers just don’t seem to have the endurance of the Bruins and nor do they have the tenacity. Maybe Boston learned something from last year after all.
So I’m predicting three Original Six teams will advance to the third round. A Red Wings-Hawks series would certainly add to the renewed rivalry between the two franchises. While I’d love to see a Habs-Bruins series in the East and then perhaps a Habs-Red Wings Stanley Cup final, I don’t see it playing out like that.
What are your predictions? Where do you think I have it right or wrong?
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