Yes, I know this is up late. Yes, I know Phoenix won last night. It doesn't change anything for me. The following predictions were written yesterday, I just didn't get them up in time. So sue me.
Basic Predictions:
East
1)NYR vs 7)WAS
NYR in 7
5)PHI vs 6)NJD
PHI in 6
West
2)STL vs 8)LAK
STL in 6
3)PHX vs 4)NSH
NSH in 6
Analysis and explanations after the jump
East:
New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals
How many times do you need to meet in the postseason for it to become an official postseason rivalry? This is the Rangers and Caps third meeting in the last four years. The previous two meetings have been won by the Caps (2009 in 7, 2011 in 5). Honestly, this series could go either way. These are not the same teams that met last year. The Rangers have transformed into one of the best teams in the east while the Caps have finally bought into a defense-first system. A lot of people have been comparing these new Capitals to the Rangers and we should see some of that starting at 3p on Saturday.
How the Caps can win:
Another big performance by Holtby will help the Caps survive the Vezina-nominated Lundqvist. Washington is going to need to keep blocking shots and start getting more from their big guns. Ovechkin will need to sizzle against a strong shutdown pair of Girardi and Staal. The Caps can win this, that's not a question. They knocked off the defending champs, they have a great chance.
Why the Rangers will win:
Lundqvist is going to regress back to his regular season norm. He posted a 1.70 GAA in the first round, despite some less than stellar performances. Expect last season's early exit to still be fresh in the minds of the Rangers. They will be feisty and they will be tough.
This series could go either way, but I have the New York Rangers in 7. I hope I'm wrong.
Philadelphia Flyers vs New Jersey Devils
This series is the only match up that features two former Stanley Cup winners. After a less than stellar performance in the first round, Philadelphia should be nice and rested. They go up against a New Jersey team that didn't play as well as they could have in the first round, versus the Panthers. This will be another long series, but both teams stand a chance. I'm going to give Philly the edge here because of Bryzgalov. While he was absolutely awful in the first round, he really didn't get much defensive support from his team. In the regular season Bryz was lights out against the devils posting a 3-0-0 record and a .987 sv%. He made some serious saves in the first round and was instrumental in closing out the Penguins in game 6.
How New Jersey can win:
If the Devils can solve Bryzgalov they can close out this series. They need to strike hard and fast in game 1 and take away the home ice advantage. The Devils played Thursday night, the Flyers last played on Sunday. This could mean the Flyers are well rested, but it could give the Devils a major advantage, the Flyers may not have their feet under them. If Jersey can fix their penalty kill woes from the first round (they allowed 9ppg after having the top PK in the regular season) and Broudeur plays like he did in OT on thursday, the Devils can win this series and advance to the Final.
Why the Flyers will win:
Bryzgalov is going to be on fire, I think. He looks ready to break out and have some massive performances. The Flyers should have fixed their leaky defense in their week-long break and should be difficult to crack. Expect to see some scoring from all parts of the offense. If their Power Play stays as effective as it was in the first round, the Flyers will strike, and they will strike hard.
Devils have a great shot, but I say Flyers in 6.
West:
Saint Louis Blues vs Los Angeles Kings
A great goaltending matchup highlights this series between the dominant Saint Louis Blues and the successful Los Angeles Kings. This series is two defense-first teams with outstanding goaltending. The Kings are fresh off an amazing first round in which they eliminated the President's Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks in 5 games. While the Saint Louis Blues won four straight to eliminate the San Jose Sharks in 5 games. These two teams are very evenly matched, and with the goaltending the way it is, we might see a series decided by 1-0 games.
How the Kings can win:
If their powerplay can figure out it's problems (3 PPG) and not let in more Shorthanded goals (they had 2 against them) then the Kings should be able to give the Blues a run for their money. Jonathan Quick needs to be as stellar as he was in the first round, and keep his team in a game against a dangerous Blues offense, highlighted by secondary scoring. If the Kings can keep the top line for the Blues down, it will help them a lot.
Why the Blues will win:
Elliot will continue to give outstanding performances as long as he stays healthy. The top line will start to perform and create some major problems for this Kings defense. The Blues are the better team in this one, but not by much. They need to take advantage of that and hit the Kings hard and fast.
This is going to be a long series, but should be enjoyable. The Blues will take it in 6.
Phoenix Coyotes vs Nashville Predators
This is the one I really like, two base hit teams going at it for the chance to play in their first ever Western Conference Final. Another great goal tending match up in the west pits the final Vezina nominee Pekka Rinne vs a strong contender Mike Smith. Both of these teams, despite their higher seeds are coming off upset wins. Nashville defeating Detroit in 5 and Phoenix defeating Chicago in 6, most of the Phoenix series went to OT as well.
How Phoenix can win:
Mike Smith needs to be a wall. The Predators are great at going to the net and causing havok. It can rattle a goaltender and will cause problems for him. The defense needs to do whatever it can to keep this from happening. Expect to see some jostling for position and even the gloves fly a few times as the Preds will rush smith and hit him hard. Phoenix needs to also continue what they did in their first series and take advantage of mistakes made by the Preds. Nashville doesn't make many, but they do make some, and Phoenix will need to jump on all of them.
Why Nashville will win:
Pekka Rinne is a powerful force in net, expect him to continue to be so. Nashville is great at keeping teams to the outside and clogging the lanes. This is going to make it hard for Phoenix to get real scoring chances and quality shots on net. If Nashville can kick-start their special team play then expect this series to swing in Nashville's favor early.
Phoenix can win this, but I don't think they will. Nashville in 6.
Well that's it for my second round predictions. I went 4/4 in the east, I really hope I can go 3/4 this time around.
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