It’s that time of year again for 16 teams to lace up their skates and compete for the most coveted trophy in sports: the Stanley Cup. No postseason compares to the NHL playoffs — the speed, the excitement, the will to win it all.
The Eastern Conference features a lot of the same faces this time around such as Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Washington. The Western Conference showcases some fresh faces with Phoenix, Los Angeles and Colorado entering the mix. Pittsburgh and Detroit have faced off in the Finals the last two years, and a three-peat isn’t quite out of the question. Series by series, here are the matchups and predictions.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Washington Capitals vs. No. 8 Montreal Canadiens
The Capitals put up 121 points and 54 wins this season and are bulldozing through their opponents. If Alexander Ovechkin didn’t miss time from injuries and suspensions, he would probably have won the races for goals and total points. But this team is going to need a goalie to lead them to the promised land.
On the heels of a stellar comeback-type season, goalie Jose Theodore will get an easy first matchup against Montreal. Montreal will wish it had never made the playoffs.
Washington in four.
No. 2 New Jersey Devils vs. No. 7 Philadelphia Flyers
Has there been a more confusing team this year than the Flyers? Pegged by many to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, they’ve been in disarray throughout the season. Starting goalie Ray Emery didn’t pan out and ended up injured and out for the season. Captain Mike Richards is going to need to put the team on his shoulders once again.
It’s no surprise the Devils are here. Last season, the Devils were ousted by an upstart Carolina team, but it’s hard to see that happening again. It will be a tough series though.
New Jersey in seven.
No. 3 Buffalo Sabres vs. No. 6 Boston Bruins
It’s hard to believe it was just last year when Boston made it to the Conference Finals. Since then, its traded Phil Kessel and lost Marc Savard to
injury, which put its offense in a serious grind.
It didn’t help that goalie Tim Thomas struggled mightily, but now the team has 23-year-old Tuukka Rask, who suffocated opponents with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. The goalie on the other side is no slouch either — Team USA starter Ryan Miller.
This series depends on which team can put the puck in the net. Buffalo has 12 players with 10 goals or more, and Boston’s leading goal-scorer has just 22.
Buffalo in six.
No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 5 Ottawa Senators
The Penguins, the defending Stanley Cup champions, find themselves facing a somewhat surprising Ottawa team. With all the talent Pittsburgh has, it’s a mystery as to why it never competes for a top seed. But the regular season doesn’t matter anymore, of course. This is where the Penguins excel, having been to the Stanley Cup Finals two years in a row. The Senators were already overmatched and now, after losing Alexei Kovalev for the year from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the Sens are the dead horse preparing to be beaten. Pittsburgh in five.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 San Jose Sharks vs. No. 8 Colorado Avalanche
If there’s any NHL topic that’s been exhausted, it’s the playoff woes of the Sharks. San Jose dodged a bullet in not having to face a red-hot Detroit team.
The Sharks shouldn’t have any problem taking out the Avalanche early. The Avs haven’t played well since the Olympic break. Goalie Craig Anderson’s massive workload has caught up to him, and key players Peter Mueller and Matt Duchene are recovering from injuries.
A version of this article appeared in the Apr 15 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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