Round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs features the premier matchup between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Can Alexander Ovechkin lead his surging team to the finals? Find our prediction on that series and the rest of the second round matchups.
We are down to the conference semifinals now. Some teams have had a long wait after sweeping their opponent in the first round. We'll find out if that will lead to a slow start or will they be refreshed and come out firing. Can't wait to find out.
Eastern Conference
Boston (1) versus Carolina (6)
Boston defeating Montreal wasn't a surprise; Carolina overcoming the Devils was a small one, but no big shock. Boston had the best record in the East, and may indeed be the best team, but they are not a great team and can be beaten. Where Carolina relies on goal scoring from Ray Whitney and Eric Staal, Boston is a much more rounded team that can attack with two, even three lines. The Hurricanes don't have a defensemen who can approach the talent of Zdeno Chara, and Dennis Wideman is also better then anyone they have. Tim Thomas is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy which shows you how well he has played this season. Cam Ward has been outstanding for the Canes, and will need to continue to be in order for the Canes to advance to the Conference Finals.
Prediction: Boston in 6
Washington (2) versus Pittsburgh (4)
The NHL has to be thrilled about this matchup. Arguably the games top three stars will be playing in Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and Alexander Ovechkin. What's even better is that they don't like each other much. Crosby is not a fan of Ovechkin's goal scoring celebrations, and Ovechkin thinks Crosby whines too much. Should be a lot of fun too watch. I see this series coming down to two things. One, whichever team stays out of the penalty box has an advantage as both teams have lethal power plays. Two, can Simeon Varlamov play as well against Pittsburgh, a team with a big offense, as he did against a team like the Rangers, who have very little. Whereas the Rangers only had 15 shots on goal in Game 7, Pittsburgh is able to put that many shots on goal in a period. Neither team has the greatest of defenses, so goal scoring chances should be aplenty. I'll make sure to tune into each and every game of this series.
Prediction: Pittsburgh in 6
Click here to find the Western Conference Preview & Predictions
Jessica Hart
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