NHL Playoff Bracket 2012: Predicting Matchups Set to Go a Full 7 Games

The first round of the NHL playoffs always makes for excellent theater, with wildly intense play, seven-game series that leave entire cities devoid of fingernails and often improbable upsets that make highlight reels feel like James Cameron epics.

Don't expect this year to be any different.

I've identified three series I believe are set to be seven-game classics. If you don't have a dog in this postseason fight, make sure you don't miss these matchups.

Eastern Conference: (4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers

You can't ask for much more in a series than you'll get in this one.

Intense rivals who genuinely despise each other. Incredible talent littering the ice. Ex-Penguins Max Talbot and Jaromir Jagr now suiting up for the Flyers. Goaltenders capable of getting hot and winning this series for their teams.

And did I mention that these teams don't care for one another?

This should be the most compelling series in the first round—a flurry of physical play laced with brilliant skill on either side. In the end, look for Claude Giroux and the gritty Flyers to get in the Penguins' heads and squeak by in seven.

Western Conference: (3) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (6) Chicago Blackhawks

Coyotes goalie Mike Smith comes into the playoffs scorching hot, allowing only two goals in his past five games. He has been a revelation for the team all season long after replacing the departed Ilya Bryzgalov.

The Blackhawks have a lot of offensive firepower, especially if Jonathan Toews is able to return. But they do have some question at goaltender, where both Corey Crawford and Ray Emery have been inconsistent for stretches.

If Toews is in tow, the Blackhawks will be tough for the Coyotes to beat. Look for Smith to steal two games in this one, but Chicago to ultimately prevail in seven.

Western Conference: (4) Nashville Predators vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings

This is another series that has classic written all over it. From goaltenders capable of stealing the series (Pekka Rinne for Nashville, a healthier Jimmy Howard for Detroit) to star power on either side, this one should be compelling.

Sure, the clash between Nashville's top defensive pairing of Ryan Suter and Shea Weber versus Detroit's highly-skilled top six, led by Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Valtteri Filppula, is incredibly intriguing. But the real difference in this one could be Nashville's home-ice advantage. Detroit was only 17-21-3 away from Joe Louis Arena. At home, they rattled off 23 straight wins—a remarkable number.

In an otherwise even series, that will be the difference. Nashville slips by in seven.

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets are growing a playoff beard.