My first-round playoff picks:
Sharks over Avalanche in 5- Colorado is everything last year's Ducks were not in a #8 seed- cold down the stretch b(Ducks were hot- Colorado lost their last 3), a team not used to winning (only 1 player left from their Cup Champs), a not-so-loaded defensive corps (Adam Foote is a veteran, but it's not exactly Pronger and Niedermayer), and a serious lack of experience (most of the Ducks were on the 2007 Cup winning team). If last year's Ducks were the #8 seed from hell, the Avs are anything but.
Blackhawks over Predators in 5- Chicago's goaltending may be shaky, but who exactly is going to put the puck in the net for Nashville? Plus, the Blackhawks have scoring depth that I don't know if the Preds could match.
Canucks over Kings in 6- This series could be very fun, but Jonathan Quick has been shaky since the Olympic Break. Plus, Vancouver has the West's scariest offense- that could be a rough combination. But Luongo has been iffy at times since the Olympics, and the Kings have some fine scorers themselves. Still, Quick has been too leaky for the Kings to go far.
Coyotes over Red Wings in 6- Call it a hunch, but I think it could happen. Phoenix is a good team that deserves respect. They have a good goaltender (with playoff experince, a ring, and the second-longest playoff shutout streak), defense, and a lot of grit. Plus, home-ice advantage will be very crucial- Detroit, normally a master of that, will not have that on their side, and that could prove to be crucial. Jimbo, I'm sorry, but rookie goaltenders rarely succeed in the playoffs (only twice in my lifetime- Patrick Roy in 1986 and Cam Ward in 2006- has that ever happened). I'm not ready to buy into Jimmy Howard in the postseason. He could prove me wrong, but history says otherwise.
Capitals over Canadiens in 5- Montreal is not exactly going into the playoffs like a house of fire. Jaroslav Halak is a far less daunting goalie then Henrik Lundqvist.
Devils over Flyers in 6- Philly can match N.J. in toughness and talent, but ultimately, the goaltending mismatch will hurt the Flyers.
Sabres over Bruins in 6- Ryan Miller is a stud goalie, plus the Bruin offense is not what it was last year.
Senators over Penguins in 6- This is my upset special. The Penguins have been VERY inconsistent since the Olympic Break- and I am not a fan of teams that go into the playoffs cold. Ottawa had a better finishing kick, plus they have talent in Alffredsson, Spezza, and Mike Fisher, plus a capable D with Volchenkov and Phillips.
My four Conference Final teams- Sharks, Blackhawks, Capitals, and (this is a homer pick) Sabres.
