Round 2

Devils look on in disbelief as game 7 slips away

And then there were 8. After an upset and two series goin 7 its time for the second round. I accurately predicted most of the outcomes of the series but as with most playoffs this one has had plenty of surprises. First lets take a look east.

(1)Boston vs (4) Carolina- Boston, as predicted, swept through Montreal and did it with relative ease. Every game was won by two or more goals anchored by leading scorers Michael Ryder and David Krejci. Bostons depth carried them easily over the Habs. Simply put the Habs were just completely out matched. Carolina played in one of the game 7 series. Carolina meant trouble for New Jersey from the start. Games 2 and 3 went into over time with each team taking one game. Carolina goalie Cam Ward helped shut down the top line of New Jersey to help push a game 7. Then things got weird. In game 7 the Devils at home took the lead in the first period with goals from captain Jamie Langenbrunner to tie the goal from Carolina center Tuomo Ruutu. Followed by a goal from winger Jay Pandolfo. The Devils extended their lead with a powerplay goal from Brian Rolston. Carolina would pull with in one heading into the third. Future hall of famer Martin Broudeur shut down Carolina completely........until the last two minutes. With a buck 20 on the clock Carolina's Jussi Jokinen one timed a goal right past Brodeur to tie it. With the series third overtime game on the horizon the crowd at New Jersey was silent. Then with time winding down Chad LaRose floated a pass to Eric Staal and shot the goal with 31 seconds left to send Carolina to the next round. Brodeur, the all time goalie with wins, could simply stand with his team mates stunned. Boston has not lost against Carolina this season. Boston is riding on a few days rest while the Canes are still catching their breath. Verdict-Carolina will put up more of a fight than Montreal did but Boston is rolling, Boston in 6.

(2)Washington vs (4) Pittsburgh- Washington played in one of the more chippy series so far this playoffs. Even the coach for the Rangers was wielding a stick at the Washington fans. Rangers staying in the series to 7 can mostly be attributed to goalie Henrik Lundqvist fantastic play. This series had tough checks, both legal and illegal. But when all the smoke cleared the Caps advanced off of veteran Sergei Federov scoring the game winner in game 7. Of course having the great duo of Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin helps also. Despite the Flyers winning 2 games the Penguins where in control. Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin led the way combing for 8 goals. And that is what the media is paying attention to. Rather than its Washington vs Pittsburgh; it's portrayed as Sydney Crosby vs Alexander Ovechkin. These are the two top stars right now in the NHL. Having them in the same series is huge for TV. Verdict- This is another tough matchup that I think potentially will go 7. Washington and Pitt have equal the amount of offensive potential. This will come down to the goalies play and I like the Caps Simeon Varlamov, Capitals in 7.

Western Conference

(2) Detroit vs (8) Anaheim-Detroit breezed into the second round playing a Columbus team that was inexperienced and really just happy to have made the playoffs. Detroit crushed the young Blue Jacket team. Columbus rallied a bit in game 4 but it was all Detroit. I missed the San Jose prediction but I did say that if one of the number 1 seeds were to fall it would be the Sharks. Anaheim was the worst opponent for San Jose due to all of the home games San Jose had, Anaheim won the most. Anaheim silenced the loud crowd of the shark tank with stellar goalie play from Jonas Hiller and wing Bobby Ryan. Detroit lead the series in the season 3-1 with one win coming close. I can definitely see Anaheim winning a few games but I don't see them winning the series.Verdict-Detroit still has too many weapons for Hiller to handle, the Red Wings will score eventually, Redwings in 6.

(3)Vancouver vs (4)Chicago-As I write this game one has just wrapped up with Vancouver taking the first game at home. Vancouver had a similar route like Detroit with the Canucks sweeping St. Louis. Their success can be measured due to goalie Roberto Luongo. Vancouver and Chicago split the season 2 games a piece. Chicago delt with Calgary well winning in 6 as expected and I expect a similar series from the Black Hawks against another decent Canadian opponent. Vancouver is a stronger team than Calgary however. Verdict-This series could easily go to 7 games but the inexperienced Hawks could slip early and not recover. Vancouver in 7

photo courtesy of Bill Kostroun