Oi! What the heck is going on with my predictions this year? After going a horrid 2-for-8 in the first round, I end up going 0-for-4 in the 2nd round. I’m not sure I could be doing much worse. On the upside, most of the “experts” have also done poorly this year.
Eastern Conference
New York Rangers (1) vs. New Jersey Devils (6) – New York in 6
New York is the only top seed left (I’m not counting Phoenix) in the playoffs. They’ve made it to the Eastern Finals and will play the same kind of defensive game as the Devils. Despite his hall-of-fame credentials, I am worried about Martin Brodeur’s age and whether he can handle another grinding series. On the other hand, Ilya Kovalchuk has been all-world. He plays exactly the way the coaching staff want and he can singlehandedly break a game or series wide open. I just feel New York has a bit more depth and has an edge in goal.
Western Conference
Phoenix Coyotes (3) vs. Los Angeles Kings (8) – Los Angeles in 5
The improbable meeting the unlikely. For two teams out of the playoffs in early March, it is certainly surprising to see them meeting in the Conference finals. Both teams’ goaltending has been outstanding. Both teams defend the middle of the ice very well. And both teams rely heavily on their defense an system to hold teams to low-percentage shots. One other unflattering similarity is that neither team really scores all that much. Although you would think the scoring advantage would favour the Kings slightly, it hasn’t seemed to work out that way. I’m picking LA because they are on a roll (8-1) and will be well rested and less banged up. Jonathan Quick is a bit more battle tested than Mike Smith, I think, and Jeff Carter has been a bit too quiet for the first two rounds. This series won’t be decided by the team that plays best, but it will go to the team that has fewer poor shifts. Phoenix has had a bit of a dream run, but after knocking of #1 and then #2, knocking off #3 is the next logical step for LA. Look for this to be a really ugly, grinding series with little scoring.