Western Conference
San Jose Sharks (1) vs. Detroit Red Wings (5) – Detroit in 6
Couple of OT bounces and San Jose would have been sweating out a Game 7 with Colorado. Nabokov wasn’t a disaster – always a fear – but we’ll see if that can last against Detroit. The Red Wings looked awfully strong against the Coyotes in Game 7…
Chicago Blackhawks (2) vs. Vancouver Canucks (3) – Chicago in 7
Worried about the playoff moxie of Vancouver, but a helluva matchup.
Eastern Conference
Pittsburgh Penguins (5) vs. Montreal Canadiens (8) – A surprise?
My preview will be up at Puck Prospectus on Friday. If you want a hint, check out the records of the two teams over the last 50-60 games.
Boston Bruins (6) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (7) – Flyers in 6
Expect Boucher to come back down to earth a bit. The Bruins get a good bit of luck again, facing a team with injuries to their top forwards – Without this luck, they’d have no chance of beating Buffalo or Philadelphia. Interesting matchup for Boston, as they meet a team with a diametrically opposite style and strengths as Buffalo.