Tuesday, April 13, 2010

2009-10 Playoff Previews: Eastern Quarterfinals

For hockey fans, the most wonderful time of the year is just a day away. The NHL's "second season" is about to kick off, and the 16 remaining teams have a pile of hockey ahead of them on their way to Lord Stanley's hardware. Today will feature a quick spin through predictions for the first round in the East. Tomorrow, the West will get it's chance to shine.

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens
Top seeds can lose in the first round. Just ask last year's San Jose Sharks team. However, when the top seed features one of the best players the league has right now, and a stellar supporting cast, the odds of them getting bumped out right away are pretty slim. Especially when you factor in an opponent who can be less-than-consistent night after night.

The Capitals are a high-flying team. They have far from the best goaltending and defense in the playoffs, but they'll survive the same way they did all season; the scoring that they put on the ice is just sick at times. Even once you move beyond Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, the Caps are a deep offensive team, and their moves at the trade deadline helped shore up some of the role positions that could have lead to question marks.

Meanwhile, Montreal is a team that almost didn't find itself in the post-season, and they have a lot of ground to make up. Jaroslav Halak will be relied on to make incredible saves, and Michael Cammalleri is the biggest offensive threat for the Canadiens. However, they'll be playing back on their heels all series long, as the Caps will come gunning, looking to enter the second round with momentum. Washington should send Montreal home in 5.

#2 New Jersey Devils vs #7 Philadelphia Flyers
The New Jersey Devils have the best goaltender ever to play the game in Martin Brodeur, and they've got skilled players in every corner of the ice. Whether it's Zach Parise on the offense, Jamie Langenbrunner on defense, or a wicked slap shot from Brian Rolston, the Devils have assembled a tough team to play against. Add Stanley Cup winning coach Jacques Lemaire back into the mix, and New Jersey could be a viable contender for the Eastern Conference crown.

The Flyers, on the other hand, are a team that's been scrambling for the last month or so, hoping to solidify a playoff spot, which they did (barely), by beating the New York Rangers in their final game of the season. The Flyers are a team that's willing to get dirty and play the physical side of the sport, while still seeing contributions from Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. The biggest problem for Philadelphia? They don't have a legitimate goaltender. The Devils will slap the Flyers around, taking the series in 5 games.

#3 Buffalo Sabres vs #6 Boston Bruins
Buffalo should be concerned. While they've got a fantastic goaltender in Ryan Miller, the rest of the team has stayed pretty much under the radar. Not many people outside of Buffalo may know who plays for the team, aside from Miller, but they've still gone about their business, taking their division with relative ease.

Their first-round opponent, the Boston Bruins, on the other hand, have some players you can't miss, but their goaltending isn't where they're most noted. Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara provide a physical side to the game, and Marc Savard, David Kreci, and Patrice Bergeron should provide an offensive kick. The question remains, however, if the Bruins have enough left in the tank to advance to the second round. They overcame the distractions of Phil Kessel's situation to start the season, and will overcome the Buffalo Sabres in 6 games.

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #5 Ottawa Senators
The Stanley Cup champions, with Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, and the rest of their cast, are looking ahead to their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Their first obstacle is the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins have a ton of offensive firepower, and it's no secret that the league itself wants to push them to the elite status, even despite potential burn-out from people getting tired of hearing about Crosby.

Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators had their own problems to deal with this season, but the loss of Dany Heatley may actually prove to be a gain. The Senators have a solid four lines of hockey, and they may have found their goaltender for the future. Unfortunately for Ottawa fans, it won't be quite enough, and the Senators will get bounced by the Penguins in 6 games.

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