Well after calling four series correctly and only botching one, I'm pretty confident going into this second round of hockey. Before we get to that I thought the Islanders' last 2 minutes of hockey was terrible, Tyler Johnson saved the Lightning from an early exit, Chicago didn't disappoint and I never should have doubted them, and the flip those feelings same for the Blues.
Metropolitan Division
Washington has a high powered offence, but their defense really shined in their series against the Islanders. Meanwhile the Rangers blueliners contained several great players on the Penguins' squad.
After the first round cruising, the Rangers look rested and energized to take on Washington. Looking at the Rangers offensive pieces, its very hard for all of them to go cold. From Brassard all the way to Zuccarello, upon his return, the Rangers' forwards have proven that anyone can step up to win the game and their two-way play looks remarkable. Couple that with Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, and Ryan McDonagh and potentially Kevin Klein: the Capitals have their work cut out for them. Also, even though King Henrik is not up for the Vezina, he is still one of the best.
Going seven games can take a physical toll on a team, as well as a mental one. However, the way Washington played in game 7, their play was head and shoulders above their opponent and they should feel confident and excited to play the Rangers. That determination needs to be there through all four lines. Beagle and Wilson have to go in hard on the forecheck and get under the skin of the Rangers d-men. Any team with Alex Ovechkin has a chance to win and Brayden Holtby is over the flu and in fine form and either can steal a game.
I think the Rangers depth in all assets of the game is what makes this an easy call. Washington can match up fairly well but their bottom-six forwards are weaker than Kevin Hayes and company.
Rangers in 6
Atlantic Division
Now this one is interesting, as I was watching Game 7, this morning in Doha, the Bolts are 5-0 against the Habs this year. Very impressive, but how will this play out now? Will the Lightning go north of the border over-confident or under prepared? Montreal is looking at redemption, they might even want to play best-of-nine to see if they can repay Tampa for all five loses.
I didn't watch a single Habs' game but they will need to play good defense and forecheck like mad men. Also the stars on that team need to play like stars. No player has 3 goals on the team. Price has a GAA under two which is a standard for him post-Sochi. Subban can't be reckless again because their powerplay needs to be in full motion.
The Lightning showcased the value of the best second-line in the NHL. Tyler Johnson has 6 goals coming into the second round! Victor Hedman and Andrej Sustr are 1 and 2 in Plus/Minus! Steven Stamkos is in a scoring slump and that doesn't seem to matter; Cooper has them firing on all cylinders. Now they're going up against a team they haven't lost to this season. Ben Bishop is 10-1-2 against the Habs.
Stats are anchoring my prediction because they're very convincing. Montreal doesn't have a proven offensive force so far in the playoffs, but Price took over the Olympics, he could take over the series. That being said, the Habs can't win every game 2-1 but they will get a couple.
Lightning in 7
Central Division
I didn't expect either of these teams to make it into the second round, but here they are. Chicago has a boat load of experience-- Duncan Keith's series-deciding goal was brilliant! The Wild have a deep team and a great top line with a defense that shut down a great offensive team.
Chicago is a dynasty and if they make it to the finals again I'd call them as a proven dynasty. Hjalmersson, Keith and Seabrook stepped up significantly against Nashville. The 'hawks' checkers are getting it done as usual and are getting the opportunity to play with the offensive players which spreads the teams talent that much further. Goaltending is still a big question mark, even though Crawford has a ring, but Coach Q is playing with fire swapping Darling and Crawford because this series could come down to one goal.
The Wild cease to amaze me; actually, turn around player of the year, Devin Dubnyk, blows my mind. The rest of the team is very well put together. The defensive play of their forwards in their zone and on the fore-check is very consistent; it managed to frustrate the Blues. They're puck-hungry men, offering a very exciting style of play. Vanek and Nino are two prime X-factors against the Blackhawks, but other players like Charlie Coyle or Zucker can certainly provide some additional offense.
Although there aren't many cup winners on the Wild they want to win and can win. The Blackhawks are consistent and can dig in their claws when they need to. No Bolland? No Problem! History repeats itself in the Windy City.
Blackhawks in 6
Pacific Division
The young guns of Calgary and gritty players throughout the Ducks roster are two very different teams. The Ducks are well rested after sweeping the Jets while the Flames roll into Disneyland with their heads high.
I didn't have the Ducks beating the Jets, and those four games changed my opinion about the team as a whole. Defensively, the team has forwards that can do it all: Matt Beleskey can rock houses and will continue to do that against a smaller Calgary team. The biggest thing about the Ducks is how they take over a game in the third. Not many teams are 4-0 when they're down at the start of the third. Andersen needs to keep doing what he's doing. Perry, Getzlaf, Fowler, Vatanen and guest can demolish the Flames on the powerplay which will force Cow-town to play smart and not as aggressive.
The Flames have won a series with their young guns and Jiri Hudler leading the team. The exciting story in this match-up is Jonas Hiller. Will he be the player that was let go by the Ducks going to come back and give Karri Ramo a couple more moments in the crease, or will Hiller continue to impress in the Saddledome? Calgary's dynamite defense will have a bigger test with the Ducks' bulky forwards, and will need to continue to facilitate the offense as well. Bob Hartley has his work cut out for him, because this will be the toughest seven-game series his tykes have played all season.
Maybe I'm giving the Ducks a little more credit to than they deserve, or not enough to Calgary, but the Ducks are just a deep team with cup winners. I just can't see any line on the Flames that could shut down Perry and Getzlaf together.
Ducks in 5
Enjoy the second round, folks!
