NHL Playoffs 2012: Biggest Surprises of the Postseason

The 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs have started off fast and have been extremely competitive. As great as the playoffs have been, there have been a handful of surprises, as well.

There were a record 16 overtime games in the first round, with the first five games of the Phoenix Coyotes series going into overtime. The competition has been great and the salary cap has done its job and brought parity to the NHL.

Now that the second round is under way, and I have had time digest what happened in the conference quarterfinals, I have come up with a list of the four biggest surprises so far in this postseason.

No. 4: Washington Capitals Upset Defending Stanley Cup Champions

It was an almost impossible proposition for the Boston Bruins to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions, but it was one of the biggest surprises in the first round when they were defeated by the Washington Capitals.

Dale Hunter took over as the head coach in November and turned the Capitals into a defensive-oriented hockey team. After years of trying to outscore their opponents, Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals were now tasked with trying to change on the fly.

In their series against the Bruins, the Capitals gelled and perfected Hunter’s new scheme.

As long as they stay committed to playing defense, clogging up shooting lanes and blocking shots, the Capitals will have a chance to upset the top-seeded New York Rangers in the second round.

No. 3: Pittsburgh Penguins Lose in the First Round

Despite not having the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Pittsburgh Penguins were one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Sidney Crosby had returned from injury and had started to return to form while Evgeni Malkin was playing at an MVP level.

However, in less than two weeks, Pittsburgh was dismantled by their in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers. They were out-muscled, lost the goaltending battle, couldn’t control their emotions and before you knew it, were eliminated from the playoffs.

What was most shocking about this series was the slew of lopsided games in what was supposed to be a tightly-fought series.

In the end. the Penguins couldn’t muster up enough to make it to the second round and are golfing early for the second straight season.

No. 2: L.A. Kings Defeat Presidents' Trophy Winner

The L.A. Kings had a daunting task in front of them when they were paired up against the Presidents' Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks. However, their defense prevailed and shocked the hockey world by defeating the Canucks in just five games.

The Kings were a nice story entering the playoffs, but lacked experience and didn’t have the superstars that you usually need to win in the playoffs.

Yet, Los Angeles managed to handcuff the offensively-talented Canucks and quickly advanced to the second round.

If the Kings can continue to ride their hot goalie, they could seriously contend for a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since Wayne Gretzky wore a Kings sweater.

No. 1: Talented Chicago Blackhawks Lose First-Round Matchup

The Phoenix Coyotes upset the talented Chicago Blackhawks and won their first playoff series in franchise history.

This was one of the most physical first-round series and it had two of the biggest suspensions in Raffi Torres’ 25-game suspension for his hit against Marian Hossa and Andrew Shaw’s three-game punishment for hitting Coyotes’ goalie Mike Smith.

Despite the dirty plays, this was a historic series with the first five games going into overtime for only the second time in NHL history. The Coyotes managed to shut down the high-octane Blackhawks offense by playing tight defensively and because Smith had an outstanding series.

Even though they still lack local support, the Coyotes are already leading in their second-round matchup with the Nashville Predators and look to secure a spot in the Western Conference Finals.