Second Round Playoff Predictions

Eastern Conference
After the first round of the playoffs, several very strong teams which could have gone all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals were knocked out of playoff contention. The New Jersey Devils, a team that always seems to be competitive in the springtime, went down to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games. The Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators, two teams that some had predicted would win the Stanley Cup, also lost out in the quarter finals succumbing to the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, respectively, both in seven game series. The New Islanders lost out to the Tampa Bay Lightning; however, the Islanders were never really considered serious contenders.

Tampa Bay Lightning (1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (7)
After locking up top spot in the Eastern Conference guaranteeing themselves a playoff series with the number eight seed, the Tampa Bay Lightning easily disposed of the New Islanders in a relatively painless five game series. The Lightning come into this series with a great deal of speed and skill from some of the best young players in the game including Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier. They also have some excellent playoff experience brought forth by Dave Andreychuk. Despite their excellent regular season and strong first round of the playoffs, the Lightning really have not faced any adversity this season which causes one to wonder how they will react to a curve thrown their way. It could be anything from a key injury to a controversial call.

The Montreal Canadiens are coming off an emotional high defeating the heavily favoured Boston Bruins in game seven on the road. This achievement is made even more remarkable as they pulled off this upset after falling to a 3-1 series deficit. Until this season, fighting back after being down 3-1 in a playoff series is something the Canadiens had never done in the long and illustrious history of their franchise. The Canadiens played strong defensively, especially in the latter games of the series. Despite a shaky start from Jose Theodore, he really turned up his level of play in games five, six and seven. Recently acquired Alex Kovalev, who was more than abysmal in the handful of games he played for Montreal in the regular season, came up with huge contributions late in the series finishing tied for the lead in first round scoring with five goals. Saku Koivu played with heart and determination that one would expect from players born in Canada. While being continually tossed about the ice by a much bigger Bruins team, Koivu refused to let his team loose. He finished tied for the lead in first round scoring with ten points. Look for Montreal to win this series in seven games.

Philadelphia Flyers (3) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (4)
Both teams are experiencing the absence of some very important players in their lineup going into this second round match up. The Flyers are without arguably their best defender in Eric Desjardins and power play specialist Kim Johnsson. The Leafs still say Mats Sundin is unlikely for the first game of the series and Owen Nolan remains sidelined with a knee injury although he is expecting to return in ten to fourteen days should the series last that long. The Flyers finished their series against the New Jersey Devils in five games while the Leafs had to grind it out in seven games against the Ottawa Senators so the Flyers will benefit from a few extra days off.

The Flyers have big forwards that enjoy going to the front of the net to either screen the goalie or shovel in rebounds. This is something the Ottawa Senators seemed to avoid at all costs; therefore, the Leafs will have to make an adjustment to their defensive plan of attack. The Leafs clearly posses the upper hand in goal with Ed Belfour coming off one of his most brilliant goaltending performances of his career. Though Robert Esche played well in his playoff debut, he has not faced any adversity and has little experience.

If the Leafs can keep the front of the net clear for Belfour to work his magic and can keep their offence going from game seven, they certainly have a good chance to knock off the Flyers. Look for the Leafs to win in six games.


Western Conference
In the Western Conference, several strong teams were eliminated from contention. The St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars went down far easier than anyone would have expected to the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche, respectively, perhaps showing that they were not as good as many may have thought they were. The Vancouver Canucks were upset by a hungry Calgary Flames team. Nashville gave Detroit a tough series but the Red Wings eventually won out in six games.


Detroit Red Wings (1) vs. Calgary Flames (6)
The Detroit Red Wings avoided any first round humiliation this season by eliminating the Nashville Predators in six games. However, Nashville came within a few breaks of taking this series from the Red Wings perhaps showing that Detroit can be beaten by hard work and determination, two qualities the Calgary Flames certainly posses. The Flames just came off their first series win since 1989 in a thrilling overtime victory on Canucks ice in game seven. The Flames are getting clutch goaltending from Miikka Kiprusoff and exceptional leadership out of their captain Jarome Iginla, who finished tied in first round scoring along with Alex Kovalev and Joe Nieuwendyk with five goals. While Detroit will be favoured in this series, it will be a far more competitive series than many people will think. Look for the Flames to win in seven games.

San Jose Sharks (2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (4)
The Sharks defeated the St. Louis Blues in commanding fashion showing many people that they are not to be taken lightly. Their goaltending has been solid and they have been getting decent offensive production. Colorado played extremely well in their first round match up defeating their opponent, the Dallas Stars, easily as well. Look for the Sharks to win in seven games.