Starting with the East:
vs.
Atlantic #1 Boston Bruins Wildcard #2 Detroit Red Wings
The Bruins are just far and away the better team in this one. Tuukka Rask is a top 3 goalie in the NHL and Charra has had one of his best seasons defensively this year. If Boston controls the tempo of the game to set up chances for guys like Lucic and Krejci, this could easily be a sweep. Detroit's only chance is for them to keep Boston off balance defensively and use the speed that Datsyuk provides them to provide scoring opportunities. Jimmy Howard has been battling a knee injury all year, and I believe is one of the more overrated goalies in the game, so shouldn't be a real brick wall in the net.
Prediction: I don't like the Bruins, I despise the Blues, but man oh man do I hate the Red Wings. Boston is gonna be way too much to handle, but I'll say the Wings win one in "Hockey Town."
B's in 5
vs.
Atlantic #2 Tampa Bay Lightning Atlantic #3 Montreal Canadiens
This is gonna be a really exciting matchup to watch. Both teams are playing good puck right now, both being 7-3-0 in their last ten games each. The Canadiens traded with the Islanders for Thomas Vanek at the trade deadline year, who has been a huge help. Kid is an absolute gamer coming out of the University of Minnesota who has great ice presence and just knows where to be out there. The Lightning also made a big move at the trade deadline by trading Martin St. Louis to the Rangers for Ryan Callahan, who looks rejuvenated since the move to Florida. He's not St. Louis offensively, but he brings a lot of experience and leadership to this Lightning squad.
Prediction: Both teams healthy, this would be a really close series. Unfortunately for us fans, the Lightning aren't. Stamkos has been sporting a broken leg injury for almost the whole season which caused him to drop out of this year's Olympic games. Goalie Ben Bishop of the Lightning is still considered questionable for this series, which is bad news considering he finished this year with a 2.23 GAA and .927 SV%. The Lightning may have to rely on backup Ander Lindback, who went 7-12-2 this year. Combine that with the fact that Montreal goalie Carey Price is another top 3 goalie who won the gold medal for Team Canada and I think this series is over pretty quickly. Habs in 5.
vs.
Metropolitan #1 Pittsburgh Penguins Wildcard #2 Columbus Blue Jackets
First glance people may think this is going to be a wash of a series, but I really don't think it is. The Blue Jackets are not a bad team and have played some really good hockey as of late. Bobrovsky won the Vezina Trophy last season and put up another really impressive year with a .923 SV%. Columbus also doesn't have a terrible offense, and Pittsburgh certainly doesn't have a Stanley Cup defense. Fleury is known to be a choke artist in the playoffs too, which should prove interesting to watch.
Prediction: That all being said, the Penguins still have Crosby and Malkin. Arguably the best duo in hockey, these two create absolute havoc for opposing defenses and goalies. Penguins also have playoff experience, while this is the Blue Jackets' first trip to the playoffs since 2009. The series will be kind of like Islanders Penguins was last year, with a very similar result. Penguins in 6.
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Metropolitan #2 New York Rangers Metropolitan #3 Philadelphia Flyers
I LOVE this matchup. This is gonna be the best matchup in the east this first round. Two cities that absolutely hate each other in every sport, with two of the most brutal fanbases in America. You're gonna be able to make a necklace with all of the teeth that get punched out of peoples' heads during this series. As for the hockey, it's gonna be tight the whole way. Claude Giroux is a fuckin' sniper who can launch pucks top shelf better than anyone else in the game. But he has to score those goals on King Henrik Lundqvist, who I guess is alright? The Flyers defense isn't great, but neither are New York's forwards, especially Martin St. Louis who has really struggled to produce since the trade. Each team has weaknesses that could cost them this series.
Predictions: This matchup is a putting a bunch of bruisers on the ice and watching them just fight a real war out there. Expect injuries, fights, OT games and shootouts. Everyone should watch this series because this is going to be a bloodbath. In the end, despite Giroux's excellence, Lundqvist will be too much with McDonagh on D and I think the Rangers manage to get by the first round, but barely. Rangers in 7.
On to the West:
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Pacific #1 Anaheim Ducks Wildcard #2 Dallas Stars
Battle of the D's (no homo). This matchup could be interesting if Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen stands on his head and boasts a SV% of >.93, considering the Ducks throw an average of 31.6 shots on goal per game thanks to Canadian olympian Ryan Getzlaf and Cory Perry. The Stars will rely heavily on Seguin to provide them with scoring opportunities and goals, which is possible because no single goalie on the Ducks has been really incredible.
Prediction: Again, this series could be fun to watch, but I think Getzlaf and Perry are too much for this young Stars defense. Dallas will do enough to win 1, but ultimately the Ducks take this no problem. Ducks in 5.
vs.
Pacific #2 San Jose Sharks Pacific #3 Los Angeles Kings
Man the western conference is awesome. How in the hell is this a first round matchup? Two teams that could win the Cup forced to duke it out in the first round. San Jose brings an incredible offense to the table, with Joe Thornton leading the way and seems to have an assist in almost every game he plays, while Pavelski is their to rack up goals. The Kings aren't as deep on O as the Sharks, but have Drew Doughty coming back to the ice healthy. If they can cause problems on offense, then they should be able to hold off the Sharks.
Prediction: A shame that one of these two teams has to go early. Both teams are so good and I think this comes down to one thing: goalies. Niemi for the Sharks has a ring from 2010 with the Blackhawks but hasn't been the same since, while Johnathan Quick has proven to be consistently a top-tier goalie who doesn't go down easily. Shots will have to be perfect for the Sharks to score on Quick, and considering the Sharks haven't proven to be the best playoff team, I think the Kings end another chance for the Sharks. Kings in 7.
vs.
Central #1 Colorado Avalanche Wildcard #1 Minnesota Wild
This Avalanche team is good. Scary good. They remind me so much of the 2010 Blackhawks team that won the cup it's scary. Young guys who will skate teams right off the ice. MacKinnon has put together an unreal year at forward, along with O'Reilly. But Duchene may not play this series, and he's one of Colorado's best skaters and scorers. With him out it will allow Suter on defense for the Wild to potentially disrupt the Avalance offense and give Parise a chance to win these games at forward. This one could be close.
Prediction: The Avalanche win if goalie Varlamov plays a good series. Doesn't have to play out of his mind, but just consistently good hockey. Goal tending is Minnesota's weak point as they've started four different guys in net all year. Some people believe the Wild could be that #7 seed upset, but I don't. Avalanche in 6.
vs.
Central #2 St. Louis Blues Central #3 Chicago Blackhawks
Well this is it. This is the matchup that will make me bite all my fingernails off, holes in the wall, copious amounts of beer to be drank, and hopefully, unbelievable joy seeing the Hawks move on. The Blues are banged up coming into the playoffs. American Olympians TJ Oshie and David Backes are hurt but expected to be back, but Brendan Morrow won't, leaving some deep holes in St. Louis' forward depth. That being said, Kane and Toews both enter this series coming off of injuries, but have been given plenty of time to rest and should be fully healthy by the puck drop. St. Louis has Ryan Miller who's a proven veteran but has struggled late, and has to face Toews, Hossa, Sharp, Kane, Keith, and Smith. Offensively the Hawks have the advantage, but solid play from Miller could make this series difficult to win.
Prediction: The Blues have been on a really bad slide to end the year. You never want to be cold going into the playoffs. Coupled with the injuries to their lines of forwards, the Blues could be in trouble. The Hawks meanwhile are terrible on the penalty kill, so if they want to win they have to stay out of the box, especially considering Crawford isn't even close to being the goalie he was last year. All that said, I think the Hawks take this series and win it in the Madhouse on Madison. Hawks in 6.
So there ya have it, sorry it was so wordy but this will obviously go down as the playoffs go on. This is going to be an exciting year for playoff hockey, so gear up and get ready to get sloppy. Let's do it and bring this cup back to Chi-raq. PLAYOFF HAWKEY BABY!!
*Getting drunk enough to be able to cope with the absurd amount of work we have
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