NHL Playoffs Set (EAST)

The best point in an NHL season has arrived. I admit I slogged through the regular season, what can I say? It doesn't interest me as much, but hockey playoffs, now that's something I can watch pretty regularly. Here's a quick look at what I see happening in all the first round match ups...

Beginning with the Devils (my mid-season pick to win the Stanley Cup). They have home ice advantage against Tampa Bay, the one team I did not want them to play against. These two have a history, and it's in the Lightning's favor. Still, Devils win this in 6, possibly 7. I have a feeling, from watching and reading about them, that they are going to come together as a team even more so. You got Gionta and Elias hurt all year, Gomez with who knows what went wrong, but they will come to play along with one of the better D's in the league. However, this is one of the bigger upsets I can see happening.

Buffalo wins easy. Sorry Islanders fans.

Rangers VS Atlanta. Sorry Rangers fans. Lundquist will definitely win you at least two games (rebounding nice year from last year's embarrassment)--he has just been nasty lately, one of the best in the game. Still, Atlanta is too much. They can roll out 4 decent lines and have a pretty good goalie in net themselves, young and looking to make a name for himself. This could possibly go seven, and probably will get very ugly. Definitely good tv here. So yeah, Atlanta in seven I'll say.

Then Pittsburgh VS Ottawa. Two of my more favorite teams to watch, and I'm going to go with the lone upset and pick Pittsburgh to win in 6 or 7. If Rangers and Atlanta is as good as I think it will be, Pittsburgh and Ottawa are going to be twice as good. I have a feeling this series is gonna be a lot of fun, and here's hoping Malkin can rise again.

So wait a second CollegeBoy, no upsets? Well, you know how the Western Conference is supposedly much better than the Eastern Conference in the NBA? I guess you could say the same thing for the NHL. Pure points wise, 4 teams with 100 or more points in the East, and seven in the West. In fact, the 8th seed almost could have been the #3 seed in the East, as Calgary had one less point than the aforementioned Thrashers of Atlanta.

You know what this means. Craziness out in the West...and let's dive in.