Predictions And Such

The first round is over, and I was busy last night (yet again). That means I missed predicting the second round before it started. I correctly predicted Montreal and Pittsburgh moving on from the first round in the Eastern Conference, and I correctly predicted Detroit San Jose from the Western Conference. Four out of eight. Brutal. Yes, I wanted Washington to move on so they would play Pittsburgh, but sometimes things just don't happen the way you want them to. That's what makes the playoffs dramatic, exciting, and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Let's keep rolling with Round Two Predictions!

Eastern Conference

#1 VS. #6

Montreal swept this regular season series 4-0, but, as Boston proved, anything can happen in the playoffs. Montreal has looked vulnerable at times, and Philly has more talent on paper than the Bruins do. If the Bruins can push Montreal to seven games, Philly should be able to do more. However, I think Montreal has learned from their opening series follies, and will dispatch Philadelphia in six games. Look for Carey Price to be huge in this series.

#2 VS. #5

The Penguins and Rangers are set to do battle in an Atlantic Division semi-final. The return of Jagr to Pittsburgh will undoubtedly bring out the "boo-birds" as Jagr unceremoniously left Pittsburgh for greener pastures in Washington. The Penguins will have to continue playing a solid defensive game, especially against the high-flying Gomez and Drury. Look for the Penguins to remove the Avery factor early in this series with physical play against the agitator. I'm going with Pittsburgh to advance in six games over the Rangers.

Western Conference

#1 VS. #6

Detroit dominated the Northwest Division this season, and went 4-0 versus Colorado in the regular season series. With Peter Forsberg announcing that he's nursing an injured groin, the Avalanche will be forced to have their secondary players step up and fill the scoring void. Detroit is getting balanced scoring throughout their lineup, and look to continue to play steady defence. Chris Osgood, stepping in for streaky Dominik Hasek, hopes to outduel Jose Theodore in the Avs' net. This series looks to be fast-paced, but I give the edge to Detroit for their balanced attack. Detroit should advance in five games past the Avalanche.

#2 VS. #5

The Sharks got a good scare in the opening round from a team that hit them at every turn and played gritty defence in the Flames. The Stars will also look to continue that trend. I expect Morrow and Ott to give the Thornton line headaches. Marty Turco will have to continue playing lights-out hockey between the pipes as well. San Jose, on the other hand, need to continue getting scoring out of their secondary players. Setoguchi, Roenick, Clowe, and Marleau have to be huge for San Jose again this series. I see the Sharks advancing to the Western Conference Final in six games over the Dallas Stars.

The PLAYOFF LINE POOL has been updated. Again, if you haven't been here in a couple of days, the number in parentheses is the number of players you have remaining on your line. As you can see, some players near the top are playing significantly shorthanded. Hopefully, no one is completely out before the next round.

That's all for today. Work is piling up already.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!