NHL first round predictions.

As always, the first round offers up some intriguing matchups.

Boston vs Montreal
The best rivalry in the sport continues again this year, with the B's looking to turn the tables on the Habs after losing in 7 to them last year. This matchup is the best the Canadiens could have hoped for as the extra emotional intensity of the rivalry will give them a bigger lift than any other opponent would have. If they steal one of the first two games in Boston the B's fans won't be able to help but have those old doubts creep in. The Habs have won 24 of 31 series against the Bruins, so the weight of history could land squarely on the B's with a Montreal win early. When all is said and done though the B's have a much better team.

Bruins in 6

NY Rangers vs Washington
The Rangers are so unpredictable. In the half dozen games I saw of them this year they looked awesome in 3 and sucked in 3. Washington has arguably the best scorer in the game, and a solid team all around.

Washington in 5

Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh
Another great rivalry. There's no love between these two teams, and I expect a hard fought series throughout. Six weeks ago I would have picked Philly in a heartbeat, but since then the Pens have played as well as anybody in the League, and are riding a red hot goalie.

Pittsburgh in 6

New Jersey vs Carolina
The Devils are clearly the better team, but have struggled of late while Carolina has been playing pretty solid. Cam Ward is no Brodeur, but he's playing as well as he ever has. However, defense wins in the playoffs (in any sport), and the Devils have one of the best, backed up by the best goalie ever, imo.

New Jersey in 6

San Jose vs Anaheim
Like the Boston/Montreal series this too has the potential for an upset. The Sharks are notorious for playoff flops, and the Ducks are still pretty much the same team that won the Cup a couple years back. It's also a perfect rivalry series. However, the Sharks are big, strong and have talent up and down the roster, not to mention the best goalie in the West, and one of the best in the league. Look for a very physical series in this one.

San Jose in 6

Detroit vs Columbus
Not much to predict here. Columbus isn't a bad team by any stretch, but I don't see them giving Detroit too much trouble (famous last words).

Detroit in 5

St. Louis vs Vancouver
This is tough for me because I haven't seen much of either team this year, and just reading about it doesn't give you much of a feel for chemistry. The Canucks are a better team with a better offense, but the Blues played well down the stretch and should give them a battle.

Vancouver in 7

Calgary vs Chicago
A really good matchup here with two teams that like to skate up and down. The Hawks have some great young players, but their lack of playoff experience may cost them, though Khabibulin is still a goalie to reckon with. But Kiprisoff is an equal match, and the experience Calgary has coupled with the talent they have gives them the edge for me.

Calgary in 6


Keep your stick on the ice!

and I agree with most of the rest of them except...I think history might just get to the Bruins, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Montreal do it to them again...there's a hex going on there or something.

I also look for Chicago to give Calgary all it wants, in fact I'll predict a Blackhawk win in 6.

Vancouver has been playing great and they have Luongo..they're a solid real dark horse coming out of the west. I look for them to roll over a just happy to be there Blues team in 5, at most 6.

When I was little the Bruins went something like 7 or 8 years without winning a single game in Montreal, and this was when the B's had really solid teams with Esposito, Hodge, O'Reilly, Park, Ratelle, etc. We just couldn't win up there. In the Neely days things changed, and the B's were one of the few teams who seemed to have Roy's number. Since then it's been back and forth, but Montreal is usually the one on top.

I hope you're right on the Hawks series because I've always been a fan since the Stan Mikita/Denis Savard days.

Even with Luongo I still think of them as more of an offensively geared team, but that D looked excellent. You might have something here with them being a dark horse team.

:shrug:

You're dead wrong about Cam Ward and the Canes versus the Devils. Look at the regular season statistics between the two teams. It might seem like an aberration (The only game the Devils won was against a backup goalie on the last day of the season in a meaningless game). It's not coincidental...Ward has outplayed Brodeur head-to-head. If you don't follow the Canes though, you don't see it: (Canes record versus NJ: 3-1.)

1.) I swear Cam Ward is a headcase with some sort of attention issue. He plays exceptional in big games. (In a Game 7, there is almost nobody I want in net more. When he comes to play, he's unbeatable.) He loses the meaningless ones or the ones that "everybody" knows the Canes should win because he doesn't seem to have his head in the game until he's 2 goals down. It's frustrating to watch if you're a Carolina fan. He's never going to be the "superstar" goalie until he shows some consistency. It seems that he might be turning this corner...but that's what I thought after he matched the Canes to the 2006 Cup.

2.) Brodeur is Cam Ward's idol...read some of the interviews after the past head-to-head games or the ones Ward gave during the series between the two teams during Carolina's run to the Cup...it's all he talks about, how much he respects and idolizes Martin Brodeur. He's used the word "love" un-ironically twice that I know of. He comes psyched for those games. Brodeur had to play flawlessly. Sometimes even flawlessly hasn't been enough.

Is NJ a better team? Yeah. Do they have a chance? Probably not. I don't think it's Carolina's year, but if they get through the opening series, I think Ward will carry the Canes to the Eastern finals and knock off another team they should get beaten by. I definitely think this will be the best of the round 1 series though.

Canes in 6.

I'm a big Devils fan, but I like Carolina, too (even if they should still be in Hartford). The teams play similar styles for the most part.

Cam Ward picked the right goalie to look up to, and it's always fun to watch a player going up against his idol.

Thanks for the stats on their matchups this year. I knew Carolina had played them well, but I didn't know they had won the season series. Still think the Devils will win though. ;)

Montreal over Boston and Carolina over New Jersey.


Agree with you on the rest.

The Habs knocked the B's out in '04 when Boston was the #1 seed and Montreal the #8 seed. They have the B's number more often than not. Still, I don't think they have the talent level to win the series, though a hot Kovalev is always a B's nemesis, regardless of what team he's on.

It seems you're the only one who thinks Carolina will win. Look above you. :)

They had our number more than any team all year. I'm hoping someone else knocks them out.

A LOT of Caps fans root for the Caps and the Bruins. So, this is weird.

A hilarious fight broke out at a Caps-Bruins game in DC a few years back. A HUGE woman in a Bruins jersey and a little guy in a Caps jersey...in the $200 seats. She got a few punches in and he finally started to fight back.

He was pulled out by police. Then she was - and she paused and held her fists together above her head like a heavyweight champ and all the Bruins fans cheered. People STILL talk about that one.

What do you think about the Caps chances overall..I know they have an unfortunate tendency to choke in the early rounds but I don't recall them ever being a two seed before...

Their offense is excellent (though surprisingly the Bruins led the Conference in offense...I didn't know that until yesterday), they play a very up-tempo game that forces mistakes by lesser teams, and they have the talent to cash in on those mistakes. Getting out of the East will be tough for anyone, but I'd put the Caps in top 3 teams in the East to make it, behind only Boston and New Jersey. And it's arguable that they're better than NJ, and not far off from the B's. But the beauty of the NHL playoffs is that it's so evenly matched that anyone can win it. Watch the Habs go all the way as the #8 seed. x(

could be Carolina over Jersey and maybe Chicago over Calgary.

Other than that I tend to agree.

Can't wait for tonite. Pens and Flyers at 7. Unfortunately if it's not on Vs. I have to listen to the Flyers announcers. I don't mind homerism, but ............

http://www.channelsurfing.net/

or here...

http://www.myp2p.eu/competition.php?competitionid=&part=sports&discipline=icehockey

No idea which team's broadcasters they'll be streaming, but you might be able to avoid the Philly announcers.

...of course my heart disagrees with one of them in particular :P (Fun Game 1 tonight, loved the game winner Dubinsky scored).

As for the Columbus/Detroit match...I remember when San Jose made the playoffs for the first time ever, they stunned the Red Wings so who knows?

He was spent and Dubinsky embarrassed him, then potted a beauty of a goal to finish it.

The Rangers did get one break on a goal. There should have been an interference call on one of them when the defenseman was taken out at the blueline. But still, that's the breaks, and bad/missed calls tend to even out over the course of a game, so the Caps can't use that an excuse.

Trust me, this is one series I won't mind being wrong about. There's no way I want the Caps to survive and play Boston. They played the B's better than any other team all year and really had their number. So do us Bruins fans a favor and rub them out. :)

he's been the whipping boy all year among Caps fans

He was clearly out of gas.

There are times when having home ice advantage just adds pressure to the home team, and the Caps looked like they were gripping their sticks a bit too tight last night. I see them settling down and playing a better game overall next time.

that the Blues can make it into the second round.

They looked good. The Blues will have their work cut out for them.

But, tonight was only one game, and in the playoffs you just never know. That's the beauty of them. :)

I'll settle for the Blues not being swept.

There's what I really want to happen (Stanley Cup victory!)
What I hope (Second round)
and then that.

:wtf:

:spank:

:)

:shrug:

:hi: