EASTERN CONFERENCE
(Atlantic 1) Boston Bruins vs. (Wild Card 2) Detroit Red Wings
Boston's bread and butter is their defense, and never more is that evident than the numbers Vezina Trophy candidate Tuukka Rask posted, as he led the league in shutouts (7) and posted a 2.04 GAA. Offensively, they ranked second in the league in goals, and led the league in goal differential with a +84. It is no surprise that the leading three players in the +/- category are Bruins, with David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand leading the way.
Detroit had a harder time making the playoffs, especially after Henrik Zetterberg was lost for the regular season during the Olympic break. However, the younger players such as Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar helped save the day for a Red Wings team that had their issues. Nyquist, in particular, shined, and had he played a full season, would have led the team in scoring (Daniel Alfredsson and Niklas Kronwall led the team with 49 points). Jimmy Howard had an average year, posting a 2.66 GAA while battling injuries throughout the season.
Prediction: Bruins in 4
(Atlantic 2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (Atlantic 3) Montreal Canadiens
This is where the new format makes things interesting, as Tampa Bay and Montreal were third and fourth in the Conference. Despite not having Steven Stamkos for half the season and trading away Martin St. Louis at the deadline, the Lightning still performed well. While Stamkos still managed 25 goals in a mere 37 games, it was the play of Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson, two rookies that few expected to make an impact for the Lightning (compared to Jonathan Drouin, who himself is having a great year in Halifax). Victor Hedman took a big step in becoming a number one defenseman, and having Ben Bishop put together a breakthrough year helped the Lightning post a +25 in goal differential.
The Canadiens go as Carey Price goes. He's had a great year, and clearly, his run to Olympic gold this year has carried over to the stretch run. Max Pacioretty led the team with 39 goals, but the nearest player in that category was Thomas Vanek, and he posted 27 goals with Buffalo, NY Islanders, and Montreal. For Montreal to win, they do need to continue their strong defensive play and hope their playoff experience comes into play.
Prediction: Montreal in 7
(2 Metropolitan) New York Rangers vs. (3 Metropolitan) Philadelphia Flyers
The Rangers didn't quite have the offensive outbreak people thought they would when Alain Vigneault became coach prior to the season. Mats Zuccarello led the team in scoring, with 59 points, but once again, it will be up to their goaltending to bail the Rangers out. While Henrik Lundqvist posted less than sterling (by his standards) numbers (2.36 GAA), he did help the team down the stretch. Having fewer games played (he was in 63 games), the hope here is that he will have enough in the tank to give the Rangers a deep run this year.
The Flyers were a rather uneven team this year. Well, actually they were almost even, if you look at the goal differential number (+1). Still, when the gap between your leading scorer (Claude Giroux) and your second leading scorer (Jakub Voracek) is 24 points, that does present a problem. Mark Streit provided a decent spark from the blue line, there should have been more from a team that has talent for days up front. Steve Mason was the best goalie for the Flyers this season, but his injury on Saturday bears watching, as the Flyers could be in trouble if he has to miss any time. Ray Emery posted a 2.96 GAA, almost a half goal more than Mason, and Cal Heeter is unproven at the NHL level.
Prediction: Rangers in 6
(1 Metropolitan) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (1 Wild Card) Columbus Blue Jackets
The Penguins were spearheaded by league leading scorer Sidney Crosby. However, the same question that has haunted the Penguins for the last two seasons has a chance to rear its ugly head. Marc-Andre Fleury posted a 2.37 GAA in the regular season, but he has struggled mightily in the playoffs the last two years. Unfortunately, Tomas Vokoun has battled health issues this season, and the safety net is unproven Jeff Zatkoff, who played in 20 games this season, the most extensive playing time he's received in his NHL career.
Columbus struggled early in the season, but found their way in time to make the playoffs for the second time in their existence. Ryan Johansen has emerged as a two-way threat that can lead the team for years. However, the rest of the team doesn't scare anybody offensively, though James Wisniewski did finally begin to justify his contract he signed a couple of seasons ago. Nathan Horton is a wild card here, as he missed the first half of the season, but he does bring considerable playoff experience with him. Goaltending is solid here, but unproven, as Sergei Bobrovsky has played in only one playoff year while Curtis McElhinney is unproven.
Prediction: Pittsburgh in 5
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