NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Preview, First Round

The first-round best playoffs in the world are underway, so I am a little late with these picks. Thus, let me get right to them:

Washington Capitals hosting Les Habitants de Montreal

Caps in five

Sorry, no contest.

I know it has been a while since Washington played a game that mattered, and Montreal is boasting that Washington does not have any goalie as good as either of theirs, but there are numerous flaws with that concept:

1) Only one goalie plays at a time.

2) Neither of your goalies is a Vezina Trophy Candidate.

3) They have four players better than anyone on your roster.

4) They are going into the playoffs strong (even in their meaningless games), and you are not (even in your meaningful ones).

New Jersey Devils hosting the Philadelphia Flyers

Devils in six

New Jersey only really has the edge in one unit, but it is a big edge.

Martin Brodeur would beat Brian Boucher eight times in every 10 tries with equal talent, and his Devils are playing better entering the playoffs.

The only reason I am giving the Flyers two games is, because they may have an edge in skaters and, in a division rivalry, familiarity always tips the balance a bit more to the underdog.

Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins

Sabres in six

Both teams have excellent goaltending, but the Sabres have the edge at the starting position.

Buffalo has a good offence that is hard to shut down, because it is so spread out—they have eight players that average about a point every two games.

The Bruins, on the other hand, has had trouble getting that much production out of all 18 skaters combined, especially with leading playmaker Marc Savard out.

Boston comes into the series ranked dead last in scoring. But they are a savvy, gritty team with the second-best defence in the league, so this will be no cakewalk.

This is probably the best chance at an upset in the East.

Pittsburgh Penguins host the Ottawa Senators

Pens in five

Entertaining but mediocre analyst (which is more than can be said for his coaching) Barry Melrose may have said it best: "If Ottawa beats Pittsburgh, it proves God is a Canadian."

Ottawa is a scrappy team, but they have nothing on the defending champs, who have proven to be able to overcome adversity in the last three seasons.

Pittsburgh's biggest problem is in their own end, and Ottawa may have been able to exploit that if the right Alex Kovalev showed up.

Instead, the team's second-most talented forward is done for the season, and takes the Sens chances down with him.

They feature a virtual rookie in net (albeit a former NCAA champion with my Wisconsin Badgers!), and despite his solid play have the worst defence in the playoffs.

San Jose Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche

Sharks in five

This one is going to come down to the team that is green—as in young, versus the one that turns green—as in chokes.

But outside of last season, the Sharks have not choked in the first round, and the Avs are no Ducks.

For more on this series, please see my preview on Shark-Infested Blogger .

Chicago Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators

Hawks in six

Chicago is a little banged up and has not been in sync lately, while the Preds have battled to get in.

No one battles harder than Nashville, a team always at the bottom of the league in payroll but usually in the playoffs.

However, that lack of talent always catches up with them. They have lost in the first round—twice in five games to the Sharks and twice in six to the Red Wings.

Playing a struggling team from their division will help them keep things alive, as will their superiority in net.

But Chicago was better in scoring, defence, power play, and penalty kill—too much to overcome.

Vancouver Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings

Nucks in six

Vancouver is battling injuries of their own, as well as past playoff failures and high expectations. They are coming up against a young Kings team with talent in all three units, and nothing to lose.

If you were going to pick an upset, this would be the one.

However, the Nucks have arguably the best goalie in the world in net, two good scoring lines and pretty good checking lines, and a blue line that can move the puck.

They are also playing better than L.A. down the stretch, and pressure can be a good thing. Vancouver cannot consider this a successful season, if they lose this series like the Kings can.

Phoenix Coyotes host the Detroit Red Wings

Wings in six

The Red Wings are the only lower seed picked to win, but this is hardly an upset.

The Wings have the experience, and are the hottest team since the Olympic break because they are now healthy. They are only seeded so low, because they battled injuries.

That only gave them more ability to overcome adversity, if that is even possible for the two-time Western Conference champs.

Despite their fifth-seeded finish, they are serious contenders to win Lord Stanley's Cup.

But do not take the disciplined, well-coached Coyotes for granted.

Sure, they got 14 of their wins in the 20 shootouts they were in, but it does show they have talented shooters. Moreover, only Colorado has fewer wins in the Western Conference playoffs this season than the Wings have.

The Yotes have a conservative approach that plays to their strength, goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. He is more tested than his rookie counterpart, Jimmy Howard.

Their speed will also give some of the key, aging players for the Red Wings trouble. They will not go down easy.

In the end, I have no series going seven games. This is probably not the way it will happen, but none of the first-round matchups strikes me as particularly closely contested.

This is also why no real upset is picked

On the other hand, I did not pick a sweep because it is difficult to sweep an opponent. There have only been 11 playoff sweeps in 105 series since Ray Borque held up the Cup, and four of them happened last year.