The NHL's Elite 8

After an exciting first round of playoff hockey, eight more teams are getting ready to begin their offseason traditions, while the only eight left, are getting ready to get back to work.

Eastern Conference Semifinals

Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Two teams that needed seven games to win.  Many have picked the Canadiens to win the Prince of Wales trophy this year, despite that it would be on the shoulders of rookie goaltender Carey Price.

The Flyers went from down in the NHL cellar last season to legitimate Stanley Cup contender this season as they used Daniel Briere among others as a fast lane through the rebuilding stage.

In this series, the moments when either team does not have a goal scorer on the ice will be far and few between.  Each roster has several players who are more than capable of taking over at least a shift and creating a goal out of it.

The goalies, Price for Montreal and Martin Biron for the Flyers, each had their share of stunning performances in the first round, while also had their fare share of time getting stunned by the opposing offense.

They will not play a very large role in this series as I do not see either being able to out perform the other to the point where they will steal a game when their team is being outplayed.

This series is not going to be won between the pipes; rather it will be won in the battles for the puck along the half-boards and end-boards.  In the offensive end, bad turnovers will result in odd-man breaks the other way, and it won’t take many of those for either team to score.

Neutral ice will be especially important; transition defense will have to watch the middle of the ice and players making cuts through it.  Also, when working the puck through center ice, it will be important not to turn the puck over.

On Special Teams, the key is to stay out of the penalty box.  These are two of the most dangerous Power Plays in the league, and too many penalties will equal too many goals against.

In the end, I am picking the Canadiens in five.  They swept the Flyers in four regular season games.  Although they won’t be able to sweep them in this series, they will come close.

Also, getting to play twice at home right off the bat will let Carey Price settle in and establish himself.  Also, there won’t be the 3-1 choke this time by Montreal for Philly to force Game Seven.

The Flyers will win Game Three, but the Canadiens will then be playing for a chance to win another series at home, and will not let that slip through their fingers. 

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers

This will be an interesting series.  In the first round, both teams had their way with their opponents.  The Penguins swept the Senators ending it in Ottawa and the Rangers knocked off the Devils in game five at the Prudential Center.

Both teams are starting the playoffs undefeated on the road, so it won’t matter where the game is being played, either team will be able to win.  However, during the regular season, the road team only won once (Rangers at Penguins in November).

The Penguins are an offensive team, they can control the puck, play the game at their pace and score goals.

The Rangers will rely on King Henrik Lundqvist to protect his kingdom and, with the help of the defensive corps, keep Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa off the board.

The Rangers also have something the Penguins didn’t see in the first round, Sean Avery.  I don’t think Marc-Andre Fleury will be able to sustain himself the way Brodeur did if Avery is allowed to do in this series what he did in the previous series.

Granted it is now illegal for him to turn around, Avery will still do whatever he can to get into Fleury’s head.  Fleury is also a young goalie with very little playoff experience, so it should be easier to do.

The Rangers won the season series 5-3, not quite the 7-1 lead they had on the Devils, but it still shows that the Rangers know how to beat this incredibly skilled offensive team, and not only can beat them, but shut them out a couple times as well.

Sidney Crosby is the most important player in this series.  He is the best player on either roster, and has a strong supporting cast.  It will take a lot to stop him, and then after you stop him, you have to stop the guy you left open to stop him, good luck Henrik.

I think the Rangers will look to try and get Sean Avery on the ice with Sidney Crosby, while he won’t be able to defend him one-on-one, Avery should be able to push him around in the corners and maybe get Sid the Kid to flip his lid.

In the end, New York Rangers win in Game Six.  Lundqvist wasn’t at the top of his game against the Devils, but that is due to the fact that he didn’t need to be.  In this series, Lundqvist will play with everything he has and steal at least two games, one of which being on the road.

While the Penguins boast some of the most talented offensive players (Crosby, Malkin, Hossa), the Rangers boast a great defensive team backed up by the best goalie left in the playoffs (Henrik Lundqvist). 

Western Conference Semifinals

Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche

This is a series which will re-ignite one of hockey’s great rivalries.  Some familiar names (Forsberg, Sakic, Lidstrom) mixed with some new ones (Stastny, Datsyuk, Zetterberg), will make for one fun series.

Both teams needed six games to advance out of the first round, Colorado beating the Wild and Detroit downing Nashville, expect this series to last longer.

Both teams can play, and win, hockey games in different ways.  It won’t be too long before they each abandon puck possession and finesse play, for dump, chase and kill the defense-man hockey.

I enjoy a good series in which both teams play offensively and score a lot, but this will be a series for the old time hockey fans.  Bodies will be flying, players will be walking just fine to the locker room holding their wrists  so the other team doesn’t know they are going to try and quick fix their sprained ankle.

Each team will have an injury report longer than the last novel I read, but there won’t be any readers, or authors, because this is the type of series where you play through the pain, until you can’t skate.

I really don’t think there is much to write in preview for this series other than hold on to your hats, and hope the refs don’t ruin it by calling penalties left and right.  Just for continuity’s sake, I will say that Detroit did sweep the regular season 4-0.

In the end, Detroit wins this in seven.  The teams win all their home games, and at least half of each roster will need a vacation, although neither team will want it, one of them will have to take it.

This series, however, will be the one that tires out the Red Wings and prevents them from getting any farther.  I would say that there wouldn’t be much time before they joined the Avalanche on the golf course, but I don’t think either team will be able to swing a golf club for about a month or two. 

San Jose Sharks vs. Dallas Stars

I was disappointed in the Flames, I fully expected them to be able to knock off San Jose, but the Sharks battled past the game when they managed to blow a 3-0 lead, and took it in seven.

Dallas showed a lot of what it takes to be a championship team in downing the Ducks, the defending Stanley Cup champs, in five games.  Marty Turco is beginning to etch his place in hockey history, and the Stars are looking more and more like hoisting the Stanley Cup after every game.

In the regular season, they split the eight games they played right down the middle.  This series could be just as even, but something is telling me Turco won't let it be.

Each teams star players will take turns shining, but in the end, Evgeni Nabokov vs Marty Turco is the most important match-up in the series.  Whichever goalie can hold on the longest, and make the biggest impact for his team, will advance to the Conference Finals, then beat the Red Wings.

In the end, the Stars will win this one in five.  I don’t know why, I am just going with my gut on this one, Dallas will ride on the back of Marty Turco, and shut down the Sharks.