Yes, it's May 7th. Yes, one of the four series is already over and two are close to it. Yes, this post is a bit late. Too bad. If I was getting paid for this, then maybe it would have been on time. Don't worry, I'll write out these predictions as if I really do have a Delorean and it's still April 27th.
#8 Los Angeles Kings vs #2 St. Louis Blues
Two teams that had commanding first round series victories meet up, with LA looking to take down the new top seed, and Hitchcock looking to show us again why he's a hall of fame coach. As long as St Louis can stay healthy, especially their D line, (cough Pietrangelo cough), they should give Quick a truer test than Vancouver did.
Rusty - St Louis in 5
Brian - St Louis in 6
#4 Nashville Predators vs #3 Phoenix Coyotes
Fresh off of the example Shanahan made of Raffi Torres, the Coyotes look to put that behind them and continue their cup run that may keep hockey in Arizona for a little while longer. Nashville, one of the top favorites out of the west, made easy work of Detroit and now sets their sights on crushing Shane Doan's playoff dreams.
Rusty - Nashville in 6
Brian - Nashville in 6
#7 Washington Capitals vs #1 New York Rangers
Shot blocking, shot blocking, shot blocking. Whichever team can stay healthier will be taking this series. Both teams look to their all-stars to pick it up after quiet first rounds. Holtby continues to wow DC, but is he the real deal, or just a rookie who is getting lucky? Niemi was able to stay strong, hopefully Holtby took some notes.
Rusty - New York in 7
Brian - New York in 5
#6 New Jersey Devils vs #5 Philadelphia Flyers
A classic matchup of a team that dominated their first round opponent early on and had a week off versus a team that battled it out through game 7 and multiple overtimes. The Flyers will definitely have some rust to shake off, but the Devils have to be nearly exhausted, especially without getting any extra rest since Game 7 in Florida. It'll be interesting to see how the Flyers match up against a team that has a defense and goalie that actually know how to play 60 minutes of hockey.
Rusty - New Jersey in 7
Brian - New Jersey in 6
Some fun facts of the playoffs so far:
One of every seed (1-8) made it through to the second round.
[Through Game 4], the Flyers have not won a single game that they've scored first in.
Shane Doan has won his first playoff series, good for him.
Marty Brodeur is the only goaltender to play a playoff game as a teenager and a 40 year old.
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