(1) Washington Capitals vs. (2) Pittsburgh Penguins
The Capitals had all they could handle in a six-game series with Toronto, but in the end, they did manage to pull through. They did so despite Alex Ovechkin providing just three points (all goals). Having a balanced attack that includes TJ Oshie, Niklas Backstrom, and Justin Williams should help offset Ovechkin's struggles, particularly as he is shaking off an injury scare in the last game of the Leafs series. Braden Holtby continues to hold down the for the Capitals.
Pittsburgh had a relatively easy time with the Blue Jackets en route to a five-game series win. In spite of having to go to Marc-Andre Fleury thanks to Matt Murray being injured, the Penguins have shown some resilience, particularly since Kris Letang is out for the playoffs. It helps that their big guns (Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, and Sidney Crosby) all produced in the series.
Prediction: Penguins in 7
(2) Ottawa Senators vs. (4) New York Rangers
The Senators went to overtime in virtually every game of their series against Boston. Like Pittsburgh, they had their share of adversity, and like Pittsburgh, their big name players came up big when it counted the most. Erik Karlsson is still the engine that gets the offense going, and having Bobby Ryan finally show why the Senators traded for him a few years ago have been big factors. Craig Anderson has played well, but it's been Clarke MacArthur that has truly come up clutch after missing most of the season because of concussions.
The Rangers have ridden their defense to a six-game victory over Montreal. Henrik Lundqvist still has a few great games left in him, and the defense in front of him tightened up when it counted the most. Offensively, they may wish to ramp things up a little, as Mika Zibanejad led the team with four points. That means the likes of Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello need to pick things up a little.
Prediction: Senators in 6
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (2) Edmonton Oilers
The Ducks had little difficulty in disposing of the Flames in a sweep. Their offense was well-balanced, with Shea Theodore emerging as a new option on the blue line. Getting Corey Perry to produce a little more would help, but with everyone bunched into the 3-5 point range, it could also be beneficial in keeping the pressure off of Perry to perform. In goal, John Gibson was healthy, but also rather shaky, as he was pulled from a start in the series. Goaltending bears watching here.
The Oilers are going to go as far as Connor McDavid and Cam Talbot will take them. Other than a game four clunker, Talbot has been as good as he's been in the regular season. McDavid is undoubtedly the man on the Oilers, but it's been the big boys (Patrick Maroon, Zack Kassian, and Darnell Nurse) that have come up big offensively and defensively.
Prediction: Oilers in 7
(3) St. Louis Blues vs. (4) Nashville Predators
The Blues took care of the Wild in five games thanks to Jake Allen righting his game in time. Despite Vladimir Tarasenko not being much of a factor in the series, the Blues got some production from other players, most notably Alex Steen and Jaden Schwartz. Vladimir Sobotka's presence has really helped defensively.
The Predators had their way with the Blackhawks in a sweep, giving up less than a goal per game. Pekka Rinne was on top of his game, and will most likely need to be again this series. Offensively, everything goes through the JOFA line (Viktor Arvidsson, Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen), but it's been PK Subban that has been a game-changer with his puck-moving skills from the blue line that have made it harder to key in on Roman Josi.
Prediction: Predators in 6
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