Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

The NHL playoffs begin tomorrow, which means it's time for a preview of what's to come. I can't guarantee any of my predictions will be accurate, and it's more likely that I get more wrong than right.

#8 Boston Bruins v. #1 Montreal Canadiens

MON 3-2 BOS
MON 6-1 BOS
MON 2-1 BOS
MON 7-4 BOS
MON 4-2 BOS
MON 5-2 BOS
MON 8-2 BOS
MON 3-2 BOS

41-29-12, 94 points:Record:47-25-10, 104 points
4-2-4:Last 10:8-1-1
2.59:GFA:3.20
2.70:GAA:2.70
17.6%, 16th:PP:24.1%, 1st
78.6%, 28th:PK:82.5%, 15th

How can Boston win this series? They need to stop doing what caused them to lose every game in the season series. Judging by how dominant Montreal was, that probably won't be very easy. Patrice Bergeron will probably give them a little bit of a lift, but they're just not a very good team.

How can Montreal win this series? They need to deal with their injuries and not lose focus. They've had a couple players go down recently, but they still have pretty good depth. Their PP has been great all season, and they shouldn't have any problems scoring goals on Boston. Carey Price has been hot, and this is a good opportunity for him to get his feet wet in postseason play. Montreal will take this one in 5.

#7 Ottawa Senators v. #2 Pittsburgh Penguins

PIT 6-5 OTT
OTT 4-1 PIT
OTT 4-3 PIT
OTT 5-4 PIT

43-31-8, 94 points:Record:47-27-8, 102 points
3-6-1:Last 10:6-3-1
3.18:GFA: 3.01
3.01:GAA: 2.63
18.3%, 12th:PP:20.4%, 4th
81%, T22nd:PK:81.0%, T22nd

How can Ottawa win this series? Whoever is in net, probably Martin Gerber, needs to play the best hockey of his life. I know it's easy to say a goalie needs to play well for a team to win in the playoffs, but this is especially true for Ottawa. They haven't gotten consistent play from their goalies all season, whether it's Gerber or Ray Emery. Early in the season, their great scorers such as Alfredsson, who's injured, Spezza and Heatley could cover it up. However, as the season wore on, defense and goaltending just became a big issue. Pittsburgh has great goal scoring ability, and Gerber will have to steal some games for the Senators to have a chance.

How can Pittsburgh win this series? Execute on special teams. If their penalty killing improves, they'll gain a huge advantage on Ottawa. Their power play is great; they have a lot of players with tremendous skill, and they can really take advantage of Ottawa's weak penalty kill. Pittsburgh needs to just relax and play with energy. They're more talented than Ottawa, and the Sens are just in complete turmoil with injuries and this huge collapse they've had. I'll say Pittsburgh takes it in 5.

#5 New York Rangers v. #4 New Jersey Devils

NYR 2-0 NJD
NYR 2-1 NJD
NYR 4-2 NJD
NYR 1-0 NJD
NYR 3-1 NJD
NYR 2-1 NJD
NYR 3-2 NJD
NJD 3-2 NYR

How can the Rangers win this series? They need to score goals, and it's not going to be easy. They play a defensive, conservative system, even though they have very good scorers such as Jagr, Shanahan and Drury. In fact, only three playoff teams scored fewer goals than them, and the Devils are one of them. If they continue to sit back and just try and keep the Devils from scoring, I don't think they have a shot. If they want to match goalies and defensive systems against the Devils, they're going to lose. You can't beat Martin Brodeur at his own game.

How can the Devils win this series? New Jersey needs to stick to the system and play sound defensively. If they don't put Brodeur in too many bad spots, he'll have no problem carrying them to victory again. He's had success against the Rangers in the playoffs lately, and he can probably do it again. The Rangers don't have much firepower, and the Devils should be able to win 2-1, 1-0 and 3-2 games. Despite the season series, I think the Devils have the advantage and take this one in 6.

42-27-13, 97 points:Record:46-29-7, 99 points
5-1-4:Last 10:4-5-1
2.60:GFA:2.51
2.43:GAA:2.40
16.5%, 22nd:PP:15.6%, 25th
84.6%, 6th:PK:82.8%, 13th

#6 Philadelphia Flyers v. #3 Washington Capitals

PHI 3-2 WSH
WSH 4-3 PHI
PHI 6-4 WSH
WSH 4-3 PHI

42-29-11, 95 points:Record:43-31-8, 94 points
7-2-1:Last 10:9-1-0
3.02:GFA:2.95
2.84:GAA:2.82
21.8%, 2nd:PP:18.8%, T8th
83.2%, 10th:PK:80.5%, 25th

How can the Capitals win this series? If someone besides Alexander Ovechkin scores, the Flyers are in a lot of trouble. Ovechkin buries them in every single meeting, so it's safe to assume he's going to be a pain in the ass to Philadelphia all series. In addition to his contributions, if someone else on the team steps up and plays a great series, it's going to be tough to stop Washington. They can score a lot of goals, and guys like Mike Green can also bring a lot to the table. They have a very good PP, so if they can get opportunities there, the Capitals could run the Flyers out of the building.

How can the Flyers win this series? Stop Alexander Ovechkin. It's stupidly obvious, but as I just mentioned, he kills them. He scores a goal and racks up points every game, and it's almost like he's the only player on the other team. They need to find some way or some matchup to limit his contributions. Lines featuring Hartnell, Richards and Thoresen or Upshall, Carter and Knuble can both play responsible hockey, so one of those lines could be matched up against him. They need to hit him, knock the puck away, take away hot water from the visitor's looker room or something to keep him quiet. I think the Flyers get the upset here in 6 games.

After that, we would have 6 Philadelphia v. 1 Montreal. Montreal will take that easily in 5 games. 2 Pittsburgh will beat 4 New Jersey in 6.

Unfortunately for Flyers fans, the Pittsburgh Penguins will represent the East in the finals. They have stars up front that can pile up goals in bunches and passable defense and goaltending.