First Round Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview

We are just two days away from the Stanley Cup playoffs and predictions have already been stated and proven to be wrong, and favorites are already emerging. Here’s a look at what the first round is going to look like in the Easter conference, and who’s likely to be moving onto round two once they’re done.

New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators

The Senators found out just days ago that they’d be playing the Rangers and not the Boston Bruins, and all Sens fans breathed a sigh of relief. Boston’s a tough team, and one that Ottawa does not hold a good record against. But the Rangers were first in the league during regular season and might prove to be just as tough a team to beat as the Bruins, if not tougher. It is noteworthy though, that Ottawa has been full of surprises all year long and no one thought they’d even get this far. The team’s history is also full of underdog victories and rallies, so they’ll at least make the Rangers go seven games if they’re going to hand this round over.

Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals

Boston has had another stellar year and Washington has had a terrible one. The Bruins generally excel and shine in the playoffs, the Caps are known for choking under the pressure. But Alex Ovechkin, the best chance Washington has, has hiked his stats up and has gotten his head back in the game. Add to that the fact that Boston’ the favorite in this round, and Washington may just feel as though they have something to prove. Will it be enough to beat the Bruins? Not likely.

Florida Panthers vs. New Jersey Devils

The Panthers have two things going for them this round: their determination to win after overcoming the longest NHL playoff drought in history; and the fact that they have several experienced players on their team that have won the Cup in the past and aren’t likely to let the intense environment of the playoffs affect their game. The Devils have two things going against them: the fact that they’ve been complacent the past couple of years; and their star goaltender, Marty Brodeur’s, age. After missing the playoffs last year though, and still being one of the best goalies in the league, Brodeur will probably lead his team to round two yet again.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers

With big names like Ilya Bryzgalov, Claude Giroux, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin on both sides, this round is going to be the one that likely sees the most scoring during round one in the East. The Penguins though have all that power up and down the ice, and they have a star goaltender in net, too with Marc-Andre Fleury, who’s already won himself a Cup ring. The Flyers on the other hand, have Ilya Bryzgalov, who has not shown anywhere near the potential Philly was hoping for. He has improved over the past few weeks, but that might be tough for his to maintain come playoff time. It’s most likely going to come down to goaltending during this round and because of that, the Penguins will take it.

Categorized in: NHL