NHL Playoffs Round-Up

The NHL Playoffs are in full gear and we are already seeing some injuries begin to mount from the remaining eight teams competing for the Cup. My predictions in the opening round looked like they were going to be pretty solid until Washington pulled one of the all-time choke jobs, becoming the first number one seed in history to blow a 3-1 series advantage over a number eight seed. Speaking of which…

· I do not want to jinx the Pens here, and I will save a longer version of my thoughts on Sidney Crosby until after the season and hopefully another Stanley Cup run, but as a Penguins fan could you ever imagine a Crosby-led team losing in a game seven when they are clearly the superior team. I have long withheld the notion that Crosby was a better all-around hockey player than Alexander Ovechkin, no matter how entertaining of a player “Ovie” is, and the Montreal upset of Ovechkin’s Capitals in the first round has cemented this notion for me.

· I alluded to the Penguins' defense being sub-par, at least compared with last year’s Cup team, after Ottawa’s game one upset in the Penguins opening round series. I have not seen much to dispel that thought since as the Penguins are allowing over three goals per game in their eight playoff games. If there is any reason why the Penguins will not repeat, barring injury, it will be their play in their own end of the ice that will be the culprit.

· I am a little shocked by the Boston Bruins’ ability to jump out to a 2-0 series lead against the Philadelphia Flyers. I liked the Flyers’ chances to slide by New Jersey in the first round and I really liked their chances to get by the Bruins in the Conference semifinals. The Flyers personnel department built this team for postseason success and the plan looked to be coming to fruition until the Flyers players decided to get outworked by the Bruins in the first two games of this series.

· The Bruins have scored the first and last goal in each of the two games and have yet to trail in a game in the series so far. If the Flyers do not come out with more intensity from the start of game three, this series could be all but in the bag for Boston. I do think, however, that the Philly crowd rejuvenates the Flyers and we end up getting a great series out of these historic rivals. I just don’t feel as confident about my Flyers pick as I did at the outset.

· In past years, the Western Conference had clearly been the superior conference top to bottom. I think the tide may have turned, however, judging by the speed and intensity in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year. I am sure that has had a lot to do with teams competing with and building their teams around playing against Crosby and Ovechkin.

· My Western Conference winner, the Chicago Blackhawks, have not played particularly well up to this point. The main problem has been goaltending. Take away Antti Niemi’s two shutouts and the goaltender has given up over 3.3 goals per game in Chicago’s other six games. Chicago did get a big win last night, however, to even up the series with Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks. I still feel as though the Blackhawks have too much talent with Toews, Kane and Hossa not to get out of the West, I just hope the goaltending does not cost them.

· Detroit trails San Jose, who I did pick to win this series, 2-0 in their Western Conference semifinal. Even down two games you get the feeling that Detroit will somehow get back into this series as they head back to Detroit for games three and four. The Red Wings have too much pride and too much talent still to bow out easily. Their problem, much like the Blackhawks, has been goaltending. This is their goaltender Jimmy Howard’s first action in a Stanley Cup playoff and the 26-year-old has given up 20 goals in Detroit’s five losses in the playoffs.

· I am sticking with my original prediction of the Penguins over the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals. The key, for both teams, will be limiting their opponents’ opportunities as both hockey clubs possess more talent from their forwards than any of the other remaining playoff teams.