NHL Playoffs: Second Round Preview

Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers
Why the Bruins could win:  Their top two lines
While the Bruins lack depth at the offensive and defensive end, their top two lines are stacked with talent, especially upfront.  David Krejci and Nathan Horton seemed to finally wake up in the first round after having a sub par regular season.  Krejci led all NHL players in the first round with 13 points, while the sharpshooting Horton netted four goals.  If these two can play like this, the way they're expected to, then Boston will be a very dangerous team.  Milan Lucic, the other winger on this first line, always provides a big body up front and will be needed to cause havoc in front of Henrik Lundqvist.  Their second line boasts an equally impressive threesome with Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and Tyler Seguin.  Marchand, otherwise known as the "little ball of hate," is a pesky competitor who led the Bruins in points and goals during the regular season.  Bergeron, while only putting up four points in the first round, came up big in Game 7 with two goals and an assist including the overtime game winner.  Seguin struggled in the first round, registering a mere one point.  He did finish second on the team with 29 shots and, given his ability, should find the back of the net more often if he keeps it up.

Why the Rangers could win:  Rick Nash
After spending years being a one man show in Columbus, Nash finally got the opportunity to play for a true contender as he joined the Rangers at the start of this year.  He was everything the Rangers wanted in the regular season, playing at almost a point per game pace, finishing with 42 in 44 games.  Unfortunately, the knock against Nash is his lack of playoff experience and performance in the playoffs.  Columbus only managed to reach the playoffs one time while Nash was there and, despite being "the man" in Columbus, he finished with three points, and a minus four in four games.  This first round series against the Capitals did nothing to silence critics.  Despite averaging nearly 20 minutes in ice time, Nash managed only two points in seven games with no goals.  Nash's skill level is unquestioned, and when he's on, he's one of the best players in the league.  He's a big body with speed, stick handles, and the ability to score.  If he can get going, the Rangers could start putting up goals in bunches, instead of having to rely on Lundqvist to save the day every game.

Prediction:  Bruins in seven
Close call between these two teams, but I think the Bruins' top heavy talent wins out.  This will be a hard fought and exciting series.  Despite my prediction, I still think everything hinges on Nash's play.  If he plays up to his ability, the Rangers could win this thing in six or less.  If he only plays average, the Bruins got it.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators
Why the Penguins could win:  Offense
The offensive firepower on this team is truly ridiculous.  Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the two household names on this team, yet it was Pascal Dupuis who led the team in goals in the first round.  I thought their acquisition of Jarome Iginla from Calgary was a phenomenal pick up, and he answered the bell in the first round, finishing tied for second on the team with nine points. This team lives by the phrase the best defense is a good offense.  As long as they can score in bunches, they could care less who is in goal.  The duo of Crosby and Malkin alone is enough to strike fear in the heart of any opponent.  Add in the likes of James Neal, Chris Kunitz, and Kris Letang, and you have an offensive juggernaut that will be difficult for anyone to stop.

Why the Senators could win:  Goal tending
This doesn't just mean the Senators' goal tending, but the Penguins' as well.  Those that followed the Pens-Islanders first round series know all too well about the Penguins issue with their goalies.  Marc Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh's starting goalie, struggled in the opening round finishing with a 3.4 goals against average and splitting his four starts going 2-2.  The nail in the coffin was a Casey Cizikas goal late in Game 4, sealing a 6-4 victory for the Isles.  It was a soft goal to let up, as Fleury looked out of position and frustrated on the bench once he was pulled for the extra skater.  Now the Pens must put their faith in backup Tomas Vokoun, who played fantastic in the final two games of the first round, resulting in a series win.  Despite his strong play so far, if Vokoun struggles, then what?  It could be a dangerous situation developing in Pittsburgh

On the flip side, the Sens' Craig Anderson had a great first round.  He held a potent Montreal attack to nine total goals in five games.  Although Pittsburgh will bring more offensive firepower than the Canadiens, it is a good sign that Anderson played solid after missing a significant portion of the regular season with an injury.  Add in injury buddy Erik Karlsson and you have a formidable pair to stop, or at least slow down, the Pittsburgh attack.

Prediction:  Penguins in five
Despite having a stronger defense and goalie than the Islanders, the Senators also have a lesser offense.  There is no John Tavares-like player on the Sens that can take over a game by himself.  I think the offense will keep clicking for the Pens and they win this series with time to rest, although the games themselves will be close.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings
Why the Hawks could win:  Depth
The Hawks' depth can be summed up just by looking at their opening round with Minnesota.  Despite Jonathon Toews and Patrick Kane finishing with a combined zero goals in the first round, they still dispatched the Wild in five games.  Instead, they got goals from the likes of Andrew Shaw, Marcus Kruger, and Johnny Oduya.  Even when their top lines aren't producing, they still are getting contributions from their third and fourth ones.  While this help is nice, the Hawks will certainly need their stars to step up in this round and beyond if they want to hoist the cup.  Fortunately, the Wings lack the kind of production that the Hawks are able to get at the back end.  If the Hawks can neutralize the line(s) that Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterburg are on, it will give them a significant advantage in the series.

Why the Red Wings could win:  Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg
It will be interesting to see how coach Mike Babcock deploys these two superstars.  For most of the first round series against the Ducks, he had them paired on the same line.  In game 7, however, he split them up which resulted in a goal and an assist for Zetterberg in a 3-2 Wings win.  On paper, the Wings look outmatched in this series, but the same could have been said when they faced the Ducks in the opening round.  Zetterburg and Datsyuk carried the team on their respective backs finishing one-two on the team for points scored in the first round.  The challenge will be even stiffer against the Blackhawks, but with two highly skilled players and Jimmy Howard playing arguably the best hockey of his career, the Wings have a shot to make this a series.

Prediction:  Hawks in six
They say that you can throw out the records when rivals meet and this series is no different.  This will be the last time they meet as divisional foes, so you can bet the crowds will be rocking and passions will be running high.  The tipping point for this series will be the goalies.  Both are playing well, despite being criticized for their play in the past.  If Howard begins to struggle, this series could turn into a sweep.  If Corey Crawford plays like he did against Phoenix last year, the Hawks could succumb to the Presidents' Trophy curse.

Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks
Why the Kings could win:  Jonathan Quick
Quick, who had his coming out party last year, stood tall in the first round and finished with a 1.58 goals against average including a Game 3 1-0 shutout.  This was done against a very talented St. Louis Blues team.  San Jose benefited from the revolving door that is the Vancouver Canuck goalie position, as neither Roberto Luongo or Cory Schneider could establish their presence in net.  Quick gives the Kings a consistent anchor on defense behind Drew Doughty.  The Sharks will find the Kings much tougher to score on than their porous round one opponent.

Why the Sharks could win:  Matchups
The Sharks, similar to the Bruins, have top heavy talent.  Unlike the Bruins, the Sharks tend to spread their talent out with their three star centers, Joe Thorton, Logan Couture, and Joe Pavelski, all on different lines.  This can create match up nightmares against other team's defensemen.  It will be interesting to see who Drew Doughty is matched up against.  Normally, he takes the first line no questions asked, but that will be difficult to determine with three potent lines.  The Kings have seen Jake Muzzin and Slava Voynov perform well at times this season, and they will need them to step up in this series to contain this Shark attack.

Prediction:  Sharks in seven
I'll go with the upset here given the star power of the Sharks as well as the rest they got.  They swept away Vancouver in the first round, while the Kings were engaged in an extremely physical series with the Blues.  I think those effects will start to show from Game 5 on.  If Quick stands on his head, the Kings could win, but I think the Sharks' offensive balance wins out.

Matty O