NHL Playoff Matchups Announced

Well, yesterday the NHL Playoff matchups were released, so here are the goods...

Again, for convenience, i'll sum up the Eastern Conference Matchups only. If you want to see the league-wide matchups, go here.

(1) Boston vs. (8) Montreal- As far as i'm concerned, this is bad news for the Bruins. Even though they dominated every team this season, the only team that could really usurp the Bruins in the first round is their long-time rival Montreal Canadiens. In a playoff matchup, things get heated, and even moreso with a rival on the ice for 7 games straight. If Montreal can feed off of that rivalry and win a couple early games, they could take this one in 6 games. My prediction: Boston wins in 5.

(2) Washington vs. (7) New York- This should be an interesting matchup as Washington has scoring prowess, but the Rangers have strong goaltending in Henrik Lundqvist. The real deal breaker in this series will be defense. The team that can get the lead and hang on for the full 60 minutes is the team that will win this series. I expect a long series between these two: Caps win in 7.

(3) New Jersey vs (6) Carolina- A month ago, i'd say the New Jersey Devils would win this series in 4 games, but since the deadline, Carolina has been one of the strongest teams in the NHL. Their renewed scoring ways and strong goaltending are a formidable opponent. If the Devils can play the way they've played all season, they could win this one out in 5 or 6.

(4) Pittsburgh vs (5) Philadelphia- Ah, the battle of Pennsylvania. Two teams i personally hate. Can't they both lose? No? Well, i take Pittsburgh in 5 games here. The Pens have better offense, better Defense, and a better goalie. That being said, the Flyers have found a way to win all year. With the added rivalry of two Pennsylvania teams, who knows what will happen here. Still, Pittsburgh in 5.

Those are my predictions.. Next up, i'll talk a little bit about the draft lottery, and who won in that area.