Round 2….FIGHT!!

 Who didn’t love Mortal Kombat?!  That’s a shoutout to all you fans of Johnny Cage, Sub Zero and of course my boy Scorpion, #COMEHERE .  So here we go yet again, round 2 of the playoffs.  Hey guess what?  I went 7 of 8 in the 1st round…have I mentioned that yet?!  Had both the Bruins and Rags winning in 7.  Had the Hawks winning in 5 (although if you didn’t have the Hawks in 4 or 5, I’m sorry but you’re an idiot).  I feel dumb that I got the Carburners series wrong because I should know better, nobody chokes like the Canucks.  Nobody goes into there domain and does it better than the Carburners!  But as much as I brag about how well I did in the 1st round, other than Chicago vs Detroit I think these series could easily go either way.  I would be stunned if the other 3 series are less than 6 games so buckle up because that likely means a lot more GREAT hockey is on the way, unlike last season where the playoffs quite frankly peaked in the 1st round and were a huge letdown by playoff standards the rest of the way.

Eastern Conference

#1 Pittsburgh vs #7 Ottawa

Here it is!!!  The forensic series!!!  Did he….or didn’t he?!?!?  Matt Cooke’s freshly sharpened blades vs Erik Karlsson’s achillies heel!!!  This one will be good, and will have nothing to do with that.  These 2 teams are fun to watch, they play tough, they’re well coached, and the Sens have a BIG advantage in goal right now.  That could be the x factor in this series.  Craig Anderson’s best is far better than Tomas Vokoun’s….although it remains to be seen as of typing this who we will see in game 1.  I think they go back to Fleury, but could agrue it either way.  If the Sens get Spezza back I have a tough time going against them, but even if he comes back in this series he won’t be at 100%.  Craig Anderson will make this a close series, but in the end I think the Pens edge them out.

Pens in 7

#4 Boston vs #6 NY Rangers

I can’t believe Boston survived.  In my mind the better team didn’t win that series.  Toronto was better, but that’s what happens when it is such an experienced team vs such a youthful team.  Those things can happen.  Hats off to the Leafs for an awesome year and even better series.  But it’s the Bruins and Rangers, Boston v New York in what should be a tough, low scoring, and long series.  I won’t lie, this one I could argue either way.  Neither have an advantage in terms of being rested, both goaltenders are great, both teams are really good down the middle, solid on the blueline, I really don’t see the advantage going into the series.  So this is what I’m going with….the Bruins got such a scare in game 7, and could have HUGE momentum coming into the series having won in such dramatic fashion that I think the Bruins got their sluggish play out of their system and have new life.  So while I do expect a long series, I’m going to say the Bruins are a bit too much for the Rangers.  If Brad Richards was going at 100% this pick would be different, but I highly doubt he has been all season given his performance and that is a huge hole for the Rangers to fill.

Bruins in 7

Western Conference

#1 Chicago vs #7 Detroit

This could be the final time for a LOOOOOONG time we get to see this matchup in the playoffs with the Wings moving to the East next season.  So enjoy this one while we got it and really there are 2 theories on this series.  Either the Hawks will win in 4 or 5 because they owned the Wings the in regular season and the Wings will be gassed coming off a 7 game series while the Hawks had a cake walk with the Wild.  And after all these years, I still have no clue what a cake walk is, just that it’s easy.  And why are you walking while eating cake?!  Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?!?  Guess what all you cake walkers….it doesn’t make it any healthier, it’s still CAKE!!!  I’m looking at you Adam Banks, we all know you’re a profoned cake eater, so why wouldn’t you be a cake walker as well?  Oh yeah, the Hawks and Wings.  Being a rivalry and the Wings having so much experience maybe they do make it a series, but while I really respect the Wings I just don’t see that happening.  You can only ride 2 players for so long.

Hawks in 5

#5 Los Angeles vs #6 San Jose

Californiaaaa, Californiaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, here we coooooooooooooooommmmme!   For all the talk of “what was happening 9 years ago” prior to the Leafs/Bruins series, I can’t speak for the rest of you but if you WEREN’T watching the O.C….then you were a TOOL!!  Ryan and Marissa was 2004’s Zach and Kelly, their Sam and Dianne.  And Seth…well Seth was that loveable loser who over comes his loser ways and gets with the hottest girl in school just like in real life.  OF COURSE this leads me to the Kings and Sharks series.  I like the Kings.  Had the Sharks got the Hawks I would have liked the Sharks chances better to be honest because they may have the edge in net, but they don’t in this series.  After a bad mistake in game 1, and a VERY stoppable puck let in with a minute to go in game 2, Jonathan Quick got back to being dominant in the Blues series.  And what was even bigger for the Kings is they finished the Blues in 6 so while it was such a punishing series, they got a few days off while the Sharks having swept the Carburners may have got too many days off.  I think this will be a damn good series, but love the Kings.

Kings in 6

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