NHL Playoff Predictions 2012: Picking Winners for Thursday's Game 1s

By the time the dust clears Wednesday, three teams will be sitting on 1-0 series leads in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

On Thursday, four more teams will look to take their own 1-0 lead. The top-seeded New York Rangers will be in action, as will the defending champion Boston Bruins and the 2010 champion Chicago Blackhawks.

Here are my picks for who's going to come out on top Thursday.

Ottawa Senators at New York Rangers 

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: NHL Network

The Rangers did not play their best hockey down the stretch, but that will be all forgotten if they get off to a hot start against the Senators.

It's not a foregone conclusion that the Rangers will win, of course. The Senators took three of four against the Rangers this season, and their high-scoring offense will make life tough for Henrik Lundqvist.

But not tough enough. Despite the fact they stumbled to the finish, the Rangers still managed to finish atop the Eastern Conference at the end of it all. They're the best team the East has to offer, and they're going to play like it once they feel the energy of the playoffs.

Expect the Rangers to win a close one.

Rangers 2, Senators 1

Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins 

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBC Sports Network

The question in this series is whether the Capitals are going to be better than the sum of their parts, as they'll be outmanned and outgunned against the Bruins.

I can see it happening, but not in Game 1 in a hostile environment. The Bruins finished the season playing very well, and their rough style of play is going to spell trouble for Alex Ovechkin and friends.

Plus, the Bruins can rest easy knowing Tim Thomas will be at his best under the bright lights of the playoffs. The Capitals aren't going to be able to get enough past him to challenge the Bruins.

I'll take the Bruins to win easily.

Bruins 4, Capitals 1

San Jose Sharks at St. Louis Blues 

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: CNBC

The Blues had no trouble handling the Sharks this season, winning all four meetings while outscoring the Sharks 11-3.

However, the Blues didn't get to play the Sharks late in the season after they started playing their best hockey. The Sharks slumped for much of the season, but they finished it on a high note.

It's not going to be easy for the Sharks to run up the score against Jaroslav Halak, but better him than Brian Elliott. If the Sharks manage just two goals, they'll be in good shape. Antti Niemi can be brilliant on a good day, and the Blues do not have an elite offensive attack.

I'll take the Sharks to win a close one.

Sharks 2, Blues 1

Chicago Blackhawks at Phoenix Coyotes

Time: 10 p.m. ET

TV: NBC Sports Network

The Coyotes are the higher seed in this series, but the Blackhawks are the better team. They have the playoff experience to make a deep run, and the Coyotes are going to have a hard time containing their high-powered offense.

The return of Jonathan Toews will help, and the Associated Press has reported that he didn't feel any concussion symptoms during Wednesday's practice. That's a very positive sign.

There's going to be a lot of pressure on Phoenix netminder Mike Smith, who finished the season on a hot streak. He also handled himself very well against the Blackhawks in three games during the regular season.

I'm banking on the return of Toews energizing the Blackhawks, which will lead them to an easy win.

Blackhawks 4, Coyotes 2