What, no Ovechkin-Crosby showdown? Bullocks.
As tasty as that matchup would have been, the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs has some great storylines in its own right. Jaroslav Halak’s superman routine, Sid the Kid taking aim at the Great One’s playoff scoring record, Boston and Philly defying the odds to make it this far. This is going to be fun. Get your bets in, everybody.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens
There’s no rest for the wicked in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Montreal Canadiens are set to find that out in a hurry. After Jaroslav Halak single-handedly shut down the high-flying Caps, he gets only a single day to soak it in before lining up against Sidney Crosby and Co. Nobody said this was going to be easy.
One thing Halak does have going for him is a team that’s as willing to block shots as much as he is and Montreal will need that to continue, starting with the puck drop Friday night. The Penguins have to be on high alert after watching the Habs crawl back into that series against Washington.
For Habs bettors, that has to be worrisome. The Pens aren’t going to take Montreal lightly. Even more worrisome? Sidney Crosby grew up a Canadiens fan and has always had a flair for the dramatic against hockey’s most historic club.
Watch out if Evgeni Malkin really gets going, too. He had some moments in the first round that looked a lot more like his great run in the playoffs last year than his 77-point regular season. Keep in mind, the guy only played 67 games this year and appears to be fresh when it matters most.
Looking down the lineups, it’s hard to see how Montreal will be able to handle Pittsburgh’s depth, experience and firepower. Then again, that’s what we said about the Habs last round. Halak may get them a couple games, but this Cinderella story stops here.
Prediction: Penguins in six games
Boston Bruins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
With a week left in the regular season, it looked as though both of these clubs could end up on the outside looking in on the NHL playoffs. Instead, they’re now squaring off for a chance to go to the conference finals. If you remember this year’s Winter Classic, you know we’re in for a dandy matchup here.
Most of the numbers look good for the Flyers so far, namely .940 and 1.59 – Brian Boucher’s save percentage and goals-against average in the first round. But Philadelphia does have some issues heading into Game 1. Jeff Carter and Simon Gagné are both out with foot injuries and won’t be available against Boston, which is a huge hit to Philadelphia’s power play. The Flyers themselves were no strangers to the penalty box in the first round, handing the Devils 32 power-play opportunities.
Plus, does anybody really trust Brian Boucher yet? He’s always been a streaky goalie and it’s hard not to wonder when the other shoe is going to drop. Maybe he’s finally proving the critics wrong, or maybe he’s a bad goal away from disaster. Flip a coin.
You don’t feel the same way about Boston’s Tuukka Rask, even though he’s a 23-year-old rookie. This kid’s put a Vezina Trophy winner on the pine – enough said.
If you’re looking for blood, this is your series of choice. The B’s and Flyers have gone after each other for decades and we should be in for some old-time hockey here, so special teams could easily turn out to be what tips the balance of power.
The Bruins struggle to score a lot of nights, but getting Marc Savard back on the ice is a huge boost, considering they converted on six of 22 power plays in the first round without him. He had 17 power-play points in only 41 games during the regular season.
It’s going to be a nasty one, but the Bruins get the edge in goaltending and special teams.
Prediction: Bruins in seven games