Eastern Conference Playoff Picks

4. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 8 Montreal Canadiens

Pittsburgh possesses the rights to the best player in the game today. Sidney Crosby, when the games matter most, is better than all others, including Alexander Ovechkin. Surrounded by other talent such as, but not limited to, Evgeni Malkin, veteran Bill Guerin and all-around defenseman Sergei Gonchar, Crosby steers the direction of the Pens, who are on a quest for a 3rd straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Yet, if there has ever been a time when the Pens are most vulnerable, it is indeed now. The reason is mainly due to Marc Andre Fleury, who has not been the same goaltender since the Olympics.

Montreal comes in riding a major wave of confidence led by Jaroslav Halak. It appears that former #1 pick Carey Price has been smitten from “Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge“ (The Blue-White-Red) territory. In three! elimination games in Round 1, Halak stood on his head, stopping 130 of the 133 shots that he faced. General Manager Bob Gainey really changed the make-up of this team and it now appears to be paying off big-time. In losing Saku Koivu and Alexei Kovalev, they gained Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez and Michael Cammalleri. Also, expect highly-touted rookie P.K. Subban to play a very intricate role in this series for Montreal. Halak MUST steal one of the first two in “The Steel City” to give Montreal a chance.

This series will come down to special teams in the end. Montreal’s P.K. (no, not Subban this time) was able to thwart the Washington “Ovechkins” top power play attack with a 97% kill rate. In the process, they left Washington with just one goal in 33 opportunities, a staggering 3%. Pittsburgh, though, boasts a fantastic power play with Malkin, Crosby and Sergei Gonchar leading the way.

Fleury needs to be very good in this series, significantly better than he was against Ottawa. He has been both their biggest x-factor and question mark at the same time as of late. As good as he was in the past two playoff runs, this season, he may be holding the defending champs back. Regardless, the Cup still runs through Pittsburgh, carried as a burden by superstar Sidney Crosby.

The intangibles and post-season discipline are there for Pittsburgh, which could carry them to a 3rd consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Pittsburgh will not roll over Montreal, they may even struggle at times in this series, but this will not stop them from advancing, ultimately, Montreal does not have enough firepower to stop Crosby, Malkin and co. Pens in 6.

6. Boston Bruins vs. 7. Philadelphia Flyers

Brian Boucher was the star performer of the 1st Round, continuously halting New Jersey power plays and keeping them afloat. Now Boucher and coach Peter Laviolette, both New Englanders, are in for a homecoming of sorts in Round 2. The Boston Bruins, the most unlikely of opponents, will welcome Philly into Bah-ston on Saturday afternoon for a Winter Classic rematch.

The return of Marc Savard will give the Bruins a boost ahead of the injury-riddled Flyers in the early going as they will play off of his emotion. The leading goal-scorer of the league’s 30th ranked offensive team, will help drastically against high-scoring Philadelphia. Though they do not have a powerful offense by any means, they do have depth, with eight double digit scorers. In addition to Savard, the emergence of net-minder Tuukka Rask in place of last year’s Vezina Trophy Winner Tim Thomas has helped fuel Boston all season long. Rask, a relative unknown, has been a rock in Boston’s net and now the rookie carries his squad into Round 2.

Without Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne and Ian Lapperriere, the Flyers will struggle in various departments, or at least be looking for upgrades and fill-ins. Players like Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, James Van Riemsdyk and Darrell Powe will be expected to step up immensely. In the penalty-killing, face-off and two-way portions of the game, the Flyers will need to step up as a team in the absences of three of their top players. Yet, with Kimmo Timonen and Chris Pronger healthy, the Flyers will surely be a force on the back line. Pronger is indeed Philadelphia’s Kepha (rock) and has been since his signing, playing in all 88 games to date. Though, when the games are most important, Pronger really shines, these are the types of games in which he logs minutes into the 30s on a consistent basis.

Special teams and goaltending will be crucial here. Boston was perfect on the penalty kill in Round 1 against Buffalo, and Tuukka Rask was a major reason for that. Brian Boucher dominated New Jersey in Round 1 as well, and was able to disrupt their momentum constantly both at even strength and on the man advantage. Quarterbacked primarily by Timonen, yet, led by Pronger and Richards, Philadelphia’s Power Play is one of the best in the game. Boston though will present a challenge with its 3rd ranked PK and can take advantage of Philly‘s injuries.

In the end, a physical series will have been played with a tug-of-war-like momentum shift constantly. The team that ends it strongly will ultimately be the victor. Philadelphia is geared for a long, hard, physically enduring series, even with its injuries. Boston also is very physical and will test Philadelphia mentally in this series, it should be a dandy. The winner must beat their opponent into submission, look out folks, this one could get nasty. Flyers in 7.