NHL Playoff Schedule 2012: 3 Must-See Matchups of the First Round

The NHL season concluded Saturday night and though all 16 playoff spots had been secured going into the final game, the seedings were still up for grabs. But on Sunday morning we know now who will be facing who when the NHL playoffs get underway next week.

The elimination style tournament is one of the best in all of sports. Each round is a best of seven series, making for an increase in drama and action from game to game. Combine that with the physicality of the sport and the short rest in between matches and it is a recipe for some of the best competition you will ever see.

Last year, the Boston Bruins went the distance in three of their four series, needing thrilling wins in Game sevens to hoist the Stanley Cup. The Bruins will hope to limit the drama this time around, but there are plenty of other matchups that will keep us watching.

Here are three of the best you won’t want to miss in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers

If there is one series you must watch in this first round, it has to be between these two stark rivals. Similarly, if you are a sports fan with passing interest looking to learn a bit more about the game, tune in here to see some of the very best hockey and one of the most heated rivalries brewing in the NHL.

The Penguins and Flyers have never been particularly fond of one another. Both vying for control of Pennsylvania and battling in the same division, there has always been an inherent rivalry between them.

However, things took a sharp turn last week when the two met in a regular season game.

A cheap shot to Pens star Sidney Crosby was the catalyst to a melee between the two sides at the end of the game. All five players on the ice went to the closest opponent they could and started going at it, taking the refs a while to break it up and sort things out.

But it was not only the players who were getting into it.

The coaches found themselves in an altercation of their own, standing on the boards shouting at each other over the glass. If it probably were not for the partition, the two would have come to fisticuffs as well.

The Pens and Flyers finished up the regular season against each other in a comparatively mild game. With both teams' playoff spots locked in, there was no point in risking suspension or injury before the postseason.

But once the puck drops there, you can expect it to be physical. Even Flyers forward Scott Hartnell predicts there will be “a lot of blood.” With that kind of attitude going into the matchup, you can expect a very physical series.

More importantly though, you can expect one played at an energy level rarely seen. Players may want to bash the other guys faces in, but they know the best way to beat someone up is to do it on the scoreboard.

Both sides will be at their best to make that happen.

Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals had a disappointing season to say the least. The perennial Southeast division champs found themselves needing a late surge to even make the playoffs. Off-ice issues involving everything from the coach to Ovechkin’s attitude got them the squeaking into the postseason in the seventh seed.

However, they may see this as more of a blessing than a curse.

The Caps will see the second seed Boston Bruins in the first round and welcome the matchup. The Capitals took three out of four games from the streaky Bruins, two of which were in Boston.

Though Boston should not be underestimated, they have not had the kind of season that would leave fans confident of a repeat Stanley Cup. The Bruins record is bolstered by an incredible November where the team went 12-1, with that only loss coming in a shootout to Detroit. Other than that, they have been just above average in terms of results.

Their acumen against playoff teams has not exactly been stellar of late. The final two months of the season found them 4-7-1 against playoff opponents, with one of those losses coming to the Caps.

Ovechkin can never be counted out and with the pressure finally off Washington, this could be the season they make that push to the finals. It will not be easy getting by Tim Thomas and Boston, but the record the two teams have on paper can be deceptive. They are much closer when they get on the ice.

It should be a good long physical matchup, full of some great plays and amazing goals.

Vancouver Canucks vs. LA Kings

The LA Kings were the odd man out of a race for the Pacific division title that went down to the last day, but they still managed the eighth-place playoff seed. The Canucks were able to hold on to their spot atop of the Western conference and will see the Kings in the first round.

Though LA will surely go in as the betting underdog, there is little reason to suggest it as true on the ice.

The Kings had the second worst offensive record in all of hockey this season scoring only 194 goals in the regular season. They are in the playoffs by virtue of being the second best defensive team, led by the play of Vezina trophy hopeful Jonathan Quick.

Quick has been arguably the best goalie on the season, given the help he has around him. Rangers netminder Henrik Lundquivst may have better numbers, but he also has a much better squad in front of him.

No one has done more with less than Quick.

Compare that to the Canucks keeper Roberto Luongo. The Canadian has been inconsistent at best and resides around the middle of the pack in most statistical categories. He—at times—can stand on his head to make a save, and at others he lets in uncontested shots from the point.

It's a truly frustrating thing to watch as a Vancouver fan.

Few tournaments have the kind of parity the NHL playoffs have. Often, it is not the best team that wins, but the team who is playing the best at that time. History will show that no one player has more influence in the outcome than the goalie. A hot goalie on a lower seed can lead their team all the way to Lord Stanley’s cup, outing more talented sides along the way.

In a head to head battle, Quick is going to have the edge over Luongo.

A a single goal for the Kings will force the Canucks to press forward for an equalizer knowing it will not be easy to come by. It will open up the ice and could make for one of the most enthralling upsets we have seen in a while.

What other first-round matchups interest you?

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