Sure I'm late in posting them here, but they're all over my Facebook - and those of my friends...
Flyers - Penguins
I really don't like the Pittsburgh Penguins. I respect their superstar Evgeny Malkin, I wish the Habs had their goalie Marc-André Fleury, I really like Krys Letang on defense... but I hate Sidney Crosby.
On the other hand, the Philadelphia Flyers have everything I like to watch about hockey - amazing scorers like Claude Giroux, top-notch goaltending, and a hard-hitting defense corps. Oh, and even attackers with a mean streak.
Flyers in 5
Devils - Panthers
I'm rooting for the Florida Panthers and would like them to win in as few games as possible, but I just don't see that happening, especially since the New Jersey Devils now have the most offensive firepower they've ever had... and one of the league's 5 most electrifying players in Ilya Kovalchuk.
Devils in 6
Bruins - Capitals
Again, a match-up where I'm rooting for the underdog - this time the Washington Capitals. Hard to think of Dale Hunter's Caps as underdogs, with the likes of Alexander Ovechkin in tow, but the Boston Bruins did win the last Stanley Cup, after all. But I'd love to see them fail at repeating, big-time; ideally, I'd want the Bruins to lose to the Flyers, with a taste of their own medicine (timely goals, shut-down goaltending and borderline-illegal hits that injure opponents), but the sooner they're out, the better.
I predict the Bruins will take a 2-0 series lead, but with the return of Tomas Vokoun, the Caps will bounce back.
Capitals in 7
Senators - Rangers
Yet again, my heart lies with the underdog. The Ottawa Senators - with the likes of passer supreme Jason Spezza and sniper Milan Michalek - are easy to like, but John Tortorella's New York Rangers are just too good in every aspect - the bestgoalie in the game in Henrik Lundqvist, the best defense corps, the most balanced offense led by sniper Marian Gaborik. I wish for the Sens to win in 6... but they're just no match for the Blueshirts.
Rangers in 6
Kings - Canucks
Oh, the Los Angeles Kings have laid low all year despite being Stanley Cup favourites since the beginning of the season, with Drew Doughty leading the way on defense, the goaltending tandem of Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier, and an offense so potent they can afford to have former Flyers captain Mike Richards play on their second line...
But the Vancouver Canucks - the best team in the league for the past 2 seasons, last season's Cup finalists - are just too good. Their goaltending tandem of Roberto Luongo and Corey Schneider is even better than the Kings', they have 2 of the last 3 Art Ross winners in Henrik and Daniel Sedin, a strong defense, the best agitator line in the business led by Maxim Lapierre, and all of Canada behind them.
Canucks in 6
San Jose - St. Louis
There is no way in hell the San Jose Sharks will finally meet expectations, and because of that, they are just not allowed to eliminate the St. Louis Blues and their superstar goalie Jaroslav Halak. Period.
Blues in 6
Predators - Red Wings
One team in the entire NHL was built to win this year, and this year alone: the Nashville Predators, with all their deadline trades, Alexander Radulov coming back from Russia, and All-Star goalie Pekka Rinne. But no one in their right mind would neglect the Detroit Red Wings, with goalie Jimmy Howard, the best defenseman of all time in Nicklas Lidstrom, the best all-around forward in Pavel Datsyuk and Conn Smythe winner Henrik Zetterberg... it may extenuate them and get them eliminated later on, but the Wings will find a way.
Red Wings in 7
Blackhawks - Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes' story is just too good to be true - a team on the verge of moving, with no owner, in the middle of the Arizona desert, with one of the lowest payrolls in the league and a rag-tag bunch of throwaways from other teams, against the Stanley Cup champions of 2 seasons ago, the Chicago Blackhawks...
Hawks in 5
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