New York Rangers
Prediction: win Stanley Cup
Everyone knew the Rangers were going to be good this year, but it’s probably safe to say few expected them to be this good. They’re neck-and-neck with the Canucks for the President’s Trophy, and are tops in the East in a number of different statistical categories. The addition of Brad Richards has proven to be one heck of a pick up for previously-maligned GM Glen Sather, and a deep roster only reinforces the team’s regular season. Henrik Lundqvist will likely run away with the Vezina Trophy, and could easily steal a round or two for the Rangers if his teammates falter. With a Stanley Cup winning coach behind the bench and a deep lineup, it’s not likely that’ll happen.
Boston
Prediction: lose in ECF
No one in Vancouver needs a reminder of what the Bruins are capable of, but here’s one anyway. They’re still the big bad Bruins capable of beating you and beating you up, and that’s what got them past Vancouver last June. That said, they barely beat Montreal and Tampa Bay along the way, so they’re not invincible. Tim Thomas isn’t on the roll he was last year, and the team, top to bottom, is no doubt exhausted from their Cup run last year. But, given the talent and brawn they have, would you bet against them without thinking twice? They have three lines that can score, check, and stop goals, and still have the game’s reigning top defenseman — and hardest shot — in Zdeno Chara.
Florida
Prediction: lose in ECQF
The Panthers management opened up their wallets and spent all they could this past summer in free agency, but it was mostly just to meet the salary cap floor. Nonethless, the Panthers surprised almost everyone by making the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. At first glance, they seem like little more than a bunch of spare parts and overpaid free agents, but they’ve come together to win the Southeast Division (although they were aided by the incompetence of the Washington Capitals and to some extent, the Winnipeg Jets down the stretch). As good as a season as they’ve had, they’re still not ready to go far in the playoffs, and will likely be one of the first top seeds to be eliminated.
Pittsburgh
Prediction: lose in ECSF
The Penguins are flat out scary. They have the NHL’s top point-getter in Evgeni Malkin, while he and James Neal are second and fourth in goal scoring, as well. And let’s not forget Sidney Crosby, who’s consistently called the best hockey player in the world. The Kid has 34 points in just 20 games this year, which would put him on a 140-point pace over an 82-game season. Yeah, no ill effects there. They have Jordan Staal, a candidate for the Selke award as the top defensive forward. Marc-Andre Fluery has gained consideration for the Vezina. Matt Cooke has worked on his game to settle it down and it’s been nothing but beneficial. They don’t take as many penalties as they used to, but they play tougher, which will prove invaluable given who they’ll be playing in the first round.
Philadelphia
Predicition: Lose in ECQF
The first round matchup between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia promises to be the most exciting — and most heated — of all eight first round matchups. The Battle of Pennsylvania has become the Vancouver–Chicago matchup of the East. There’s been plenty of animosity between the two teams and no love lost in the verbal warfare that’s been going on, and if the series degrades into a fight-filled hate fest, the Flyers could have the upper hand. The Flyers won’t beat you up like the Bruins, but they’ll wear you down and piss you off — and when you’re up against Crosby and Malkin, getting those two off their game could prove to be the difference. Their one major downfall is goaltending: Ilya Brzgalov hasn’t exactly been a world beater this year, and has been shaky in past playoffs. Against Crosby and Malkin, that could be the difference.
New Jersey
Predicition: lose in ECSF
As per usual, no one has been talking about the Devils this year, but in the middle of a 100-point year, they deserve more attention. Ilya Kovalchuk decided to play like he’s capable of playing, and was a superstar for the Devils this year, and he’s probably the team’s lone game breaker. He’s had plenty of support from captain Zach Parise and veteran Patrik Elias (who, with almost zero acknowledgment, has put up a point-per-game season). Adam Henrique is a strong candidate for the Calder trophy as the league’s best rookie, but has yet to experience the grind of the NHL playoffs. However, the rest of the Devils’ roster is chock-full of seasoned playoff veterans, led by multiple-Cup-winning goalie Martin Brodeur, who has quietly rebounded with an impressive year. That said, they might just not have the talent — especially on the backend — to get past the second round.
Ottawa
Prediction: lose in ECQF
Like the Blues in the West, the Senators have been the darlings of their conference. No one pegged them to make the playoffs, let alone challenge for the Northeast division lead, but they did, and turned heads along the way. Oft-berated centre Jason Spezza has been sensational for the Sens this season, but he’ll be judged by how he performs in the playoffs. Erik Karlsson had a season for the ages, posting almost a point a game from the blue line, while maintaining a plus-17 rating, and Milan Michalek came out of nowhere to score 35 goals. Of course, there’s a possibility it might just be a group of players having career years all at the same time, but if they can keep it up through the playoffs, who cares? That’s a big if, and the Senators might not have the mettle — and especially not the goaltending — to make it very far.
Washington
Prediction: lose in ECQF
What to make of the Capitals? They stunk for the first part of the season, and haven’t exactly been a revelation since. Really, they made the playoffs by virtue of every other bubble team settling for mediocrity (save for Buffalo, but their start was so bad their fantastic finish couldn’t make up for it). But as ho-hum as the Capitals have been, they still have the tools do serious damage in the playoffs. Alex Ovechkin, for all his struggles, is still one of the best hockey players in the world. Nicklas Backstrom is finally back and healthy, and he’s one of the best set-up men in the NHL. They have the skill — so much so that The Hockey News had them as Cup winners in the preseason — but they can be stubborn and selfish, and that could, and likely will, be their undoing before they make it very far.
