Round 2 Conference Semifinal Predictions

In the Eastern Conference, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Ottawa Senators will go all the way to a game 7 with the Penguins winning.  The Sens will be tight competition and no doubt kick a puck into the goal during this series but the experience on the Penguins bench will help them win.  The Senators stand to be Canada’s only hope, and with that added pressure there might be a resurgence with this team, especially after they lost Game 1, 4-1. The two most despised and physical hockey teams, the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers face each other during round 2 for what will be a brutal match-up.  The Bruins’ 3 top-line defense men were absent from practice today, Ference, Redden and Seidenberg.  If these 3 players don’t make the line up, the Bruins game could have a much different feel to it but Chara will step up, like he did in Game 7 and lead this team to a series victory. There will be brutal competition in the Eastern Conference.  These four teams: Penguins, Senators, Bruins and Rangers are very physical, relentless teams. Regardless of the slow start that the Ottawa Senators had in Game 1, they will be back to play hockey soon and their exit from the playoffs will not be as easy as it appeared last night.  

In the Western Conference, the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Detroit Red Wings. The Blackhawks had some consistent momentum in series one against the Minnesota Wild, winning the series 4-1. The Red Wings struggled against the Anaheim Ducks in series one, winning a close 4-3 series.  The top two players for the Wings, Toews and Kane, have yet to score during the playoffs but contributed to assists.   During the regular season the Wings pushed the Blackhawks to over time in three of their four meetings, this match-up shouldn’t be underestimated, it could be close.  The Blackhawks and the Redwings are both full of talent but the Blackhawks have the depth that will help them win the series. The L.A Kings blanked the San Jose Sharks 2-0 during Game 1 last night. The L.A Kings are here to defend the Stanley cup and coming off of a very impressive round 1 performance against the St. Louis Blues, they will gain momentum to push them through to round 3. The San Jose Sharks who have not had a chance to compete for the Stanley cup, easily made it to round 2 but will now have to assert themselves against the L.A Kings if they plan to be a contender.  The Western Conference is full of talent; the Blackhawks and the Red Wings have a nice match-up talent wise.  But the experience on the L.A Kings bench is going to trump the San Jose Sharks in their quest for the Stanley Cup. There were a few upsets during Round 1 that show us anything can happen in the playoffs. Let’s watch and see tonight as the Detroit Red Wings take on the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1.