Predicting the Second Round of the 2009 NHL Playoffs: BT Versus Burgundy

(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Welcome back to the NHL Playoff Previews with Bryan Thiel and Ron Burgundy!

After a fairly up-and-down first round where I went 2-2 in the West while Ron went 1-3, and we both went 3-1 in the East, we're back with fewer teams, and bigger matchups.

Ron: You...you misread the teleprompter.

BT: What?

Ron: You misread it. It says Tits McGee and Ron Burgundy. You're Tits Mcgee...

BT: Ron, I'm not an idiot. You wrote that on there.

Ron: LIAR! If I had written that one there, my name would've been first, TITS MCGEE.

BT: Seriously? Fine. Here's the second round according to Ron Burgundy and *sigh* Tits McGee.

Ron: Heh, heh, heh.

1. Boston Bruins vs. 6. Carolina Hurricanes

Well...Eric Staal is the man.

The fact that Martin Brodeur lost his third first round series in five series can be discussed somewhere else.

For their first playoff appearance since their 2006 Stanley Cup Championship though, the Carolina Hurricanes certainly made the wait worth while.

One overtime win, scoring the game winner with 0.2 left on the clock, and a two goal comeback with under two minutes to play?

The 'Canes aren't winning on skill alone. They're winning in a way that only happens to eventual champions, or at least teams that end up going very deep do.

They're winning off breaks.

With Boston going up against Carolina though, it'll be interesting to see how both team's match up.

Carolina's offense was going up against a well-developed defense, and Martin Brodeur. Averaging just under 2.5 goals per game may not seem that impressive, but it was the timing and impact of those goals that meant the most.

Tim Thomas and the Bruins' defense were able to hold the Canadiens to 1.5 goals a game, but consider that Montreal's two leading scorers didn't break 65 points in the regular season (they had 65 and 64 respectively), and one of their leading scorers (Andrei Markov) missed the entire series due to injury.

It'll be interesting to see how Carolina's four 20-goal scorers fair against the NHL leader in goals against.

But what about goaltending? In Montreal, the Bruins faced a team that was on the verge of disaster, collapsing around a rookie (well sophomore) goalie who was simply fending for himself.

Cam Ward, although not classified amongst the upper-echelon of keepers in the NHL (although if he takes Carolina deep in these playoffs it'd be hard to keep him out), is a whole new breed. Ward has been at his best during the playoffs, and gets even better when the games get tighter and later.

The Bruins though, can't be discounted.

The Eastern Conference Champs (of the regular season) have put forth a balanced offensive attack in the playoffs, with eight players recording a goal, and only three players not recording a point.

They also have yet to allow a powerplay goal, with a 100 percent penalty kill.

It'll be interesting to see the Bruins' depth and experience go up against a Canes' team high off of a huge game seven win, but it'll be up to the Bruins' role players to keep the little engine that could chugging.

Burgundy: People should stop nit-picking the best of society.

BT: What are you getting at Ron?

Burgundy: I'm looking at this list of "goofs" for my movie. It's completely ridiculous. Like "there are seven members of the Spanish news team on the stairs during the Anchorman fight, but only six of them fight."

First of all, we killed him. Get used to it, it's life, these things happen.

Second of all, it's a "News Team Fight". Anchorman Brawl. Hah. Amateur.

BT: And the point of all this is?

Burgundy: Don't discount number one simply because of a few gaffes. After all, it's not the Bruins fault they had to play Montreal. It's the Canadiens' fault they had to play Boston.

It's possible that playing a weaker opponent only makes these bears hunger for stronger flesh. And bears are vicious, let me tell you.

Bryan says 'Canes in seven

Ron says Bruins in five

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