Stanley Cup Eastern Conference First Round Betting Previews

Playoff hockey seems to have almost nothing in common with the regular season, which is why people become so enthralled in watching games nightly because of the excitement.

The craziness of the action is borne out by which teams are expected to advance, with No. 4 seed Pittsburgh the favorite by oddsmakers at +160 to win the East.

The New York Rangers are the top seed and second choice at +180, while the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins are the third pick at +400.

Critics point out to the absurdity of a team receiving a higher seed because they might have won a weak division, which is the case of Florida, who won the Southeast and earned the No.3 seed. This is despite having the second fewest points, although they are the longest longshot to capture the Eastern crown at +2000.

Here is a preview of each East series with a prediction.

(1) N.Y. Rangers vs. (8) Ottawa 

The Rangers were the best team in the Eastern Conference almost the entire season, though several would argue that at least two or three different teams in the East have more overall talent.

Coach John Tortorella demands each player give his best every game, which has helped elevate the Blueshirts play over their opponents continually.

New York has a core group of players that nightly buy into what Tortorella and the coaching staff preaches, which is why the Rangers have been so consistent. The biggest issue they face is a lack of scoring depth, which could be exposed by a hot opposing goaltender.

In spite of the records between these teams (17-point differential), Ottawa is a dangerous opponent.

Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza are top-scoring threats and defensemen Erik Karlsson is on the shortlist for the Norris Trophy. When in harmony, this top-tier talent meshes with quality grinders on the third and fourth lines.

The biggest concern is Craig Anderson between the pipes and the Senators, 2.86 goals a game, is the worst of the teams still playing hockey.

Ottawa won the season series 3-1 and has taken five of six at Madison Square Garden, suggesting this could be a lengthy series.

Selection: New York (-240) in six over Ottawa (+180).

(2) Boston vs. (7) Washington 

The defending Stanley Cup champions smelled the finish line and closed 7-2-1, solidifying the Bruins belief they are ready to defend their title.

Boston has a lot of weapons to support that conviction, but this is a different team from last year.

Three key players, Michael Ryder (in Dallas), Nathan Horton (presumed out for the playoffs with concussion) and Mark Recchi (retired) take away 21 goals from last year’s squad.

Tim Thomas is still an elite goaltender, but did not put up historic numbers like a season. The Bruins work as hard as any team in the league, but are deficient in scoring beyond their top two lines.

Ask any NHL aficionado their thoughts on Washington and it starts to look like a Google search. The Capitals used to win 5-3 all the time, but flamed out in the postseason when offensive skill needed to be replaced with defensive discipline and hard work.

Last year, Washington tried to go defense-first at midseason and that worked for a while before stumbling again.

Now, the Caps are somewhere in the middle, still showcasing skilled players and others that can muck it up.

In other words, Washington has no real identity, which makes them either very treacherous or a team that will falter quickly.

These teams have met four times in the last two-and-a-half months, with Washington taking three games and the road team winning thrice.

Selection: Boston (-220) in six over Washington (+170).

(3) Florida vs. (6) New Jersey 

Florida might have earned the No. 3 seed by winning the Southeast Division, but they are a decided underdog against New Jersey, even if they have home ice advantage.

It is easy to ignore the Panthers; they have not been in the Stanley Cup playoffs for 12 years.

Florida accumulated 94 points, but was actually 38-44 SU on the season, manufacturing points with a league-high 18 overtime games.

The Panthers may lack star power but they can roll out four effective lines. Their defense and goaltending, however, can be a detriment. Starter Jose Theodore has not been a positive almost anywhere he’s been in the playoffs and Florida was an astonishing -27 in goal differential and closed the season 2-8 SU.

Coach Kevin Dineen has said he has not made a final decision on who his starting netminder will be, with Scott Clemmensen still a possibility—not a good sign.

New Jersey possess elements that make them a dark horse to advance to the finals. They have two special scorers in Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, while the team as a whole is excited to be back in the postseason after a brief absence.

There are two oncerns about the Devils.

The first one is that, despite having a top-10 goals-against defense this season, none of their defensemen fit into the elite category, which be become an issue against the better forwards.

The second is that a dozen of the Devils' 47 victories came in shootouts, which will not be part of playoff hockey.

Nevertheless, New Jersey was the top penalty killing team in the league and goalie Martin Brodeur has three championship rings.

These teams split four games—each once winning on enemy ice—and have not met each other since Feb. 11.

Selection: New Jersey (-170) in seven over Florida (+135)

(4) Pittsburgh vs. (5) Philadelphia

If hard nose, in your face, physical hockey is what can excite viewers, this series will garner puck fans' attention.

These rivals from the Keystone State have a genuine dislike for one another, so expect this series to be played on the edge.

Pittsburgh like their chances because they have Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby back in the lineup.

The Penguins have exceptional scoring depth, with six players having scored 19 or more goals and this club has averaged better than four goals a game since Feb. 21.

Like great offensive-minded teams of the past, Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is not going to lead the league in goals-against, but he will make the necessary saves that lead his team to victory.

Last year, the Pens were without several established postseason stars, which will be the case for Philadelphia this season.

The Flyers are without studs Chris Pronger and Daniel Briere, yet still boast four 20-plus goal scorers. The series for them could well come down to Ilya Bryzgalov in the net. Bryzgalov has in the past put up brilliant regular season numbers but was ordinary at best in the postseason.

Another such performance by the Philly netminder sends the Flyers home in spite of recording 103 points during the regular season.

Philadelphia did take the season series 4-2 and has won six of last nine contests in the Steel City.

Selection: Pittsburgh (-190) in seven over Philadelphia (+150).