Seven’s are wild! – Round 2 Preview
The Detroit Red Wings topped the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL Playoff’s first Game 7 last night.
Tonight we are all lucky enough to have two more Game 7’s on the docket. First we have the Toronto Maple Leafs @ Boston Bruins at 7 PM EST followed by the New York Rangers @ Washington Capitals at 8 PM EST.
The Maple Leafs came back from 3-1 down thanks to the outstanding goaltending of James Reimer. Boston in recent memory has had difficulty closing out playoff series and that problem has come to the forefront yet again. The Bruins looked like they were in control of the series and then all of a sudden they could not beat Reimer. Game 7 goes tonight in Boston, the city of Toronto should be wild and so should the game. Prediction: Maple Leafs win 3-2.
The home team has won every game in the Capitals and Rangers series, so that bodes well for the Capitals tonight. Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby have each played very well through six games and we will likely see good games from both of them tonight. These two faced in a 7-game series in the second round last year, which was won by the Rangers. I think that will happen again tonight on the back of ‘King’ Henrik. Prediction: Rangers win 3-1.
Round 2 Preview
Western Conference
#1 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #7 Detroit Red Wings
The Blackhawks did exactly what they had all season in the first round vs. Minnesota. They scored a bunch of goals while getting great goaltending from Corey Crawford. His 1.32 GAA leads all NHL playoff goalies so far. While some might say Jonathan Toews struggled because he only had two assists in five games, it is what he does in the defensive zone that makes him an elite player. The same can be said about the Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, but they also scored a ton and carried the team vs. Anaheim. The Blackhawks were the better team in the regular season but the Red Wings played Chicago hard every game (minus that one 7-1 thumping). I think this series will be much closer than some may think especially because of how clutch the Red Wings have been of late. They won four straight at the end of the season to get into the playoffs and then won three overtime games in the first round. Prediction: I’m a Red Wings fan, I can not Predict this series.
#5 Los Angeles Kings vs. #6 San Jose Sharks
Wow, was that Kings vs. Blues series not awesome to watch? Hit after hit after hit, that is what you want when you watch playoff hockey. The coolest part about that series was it was so physical, but the players were not stupid about it. They were hammering each other but it did not get out of control. The Sharks were amazing in round one. They completely dismantled the Canucks in a four-game sweep. This will be another physical exciting series and should have great goaltending. There is tons of offensive talent and size on the ice with these two California teams and it should provide the viewers with a great brand of hockey. Prediction: Kings win in 6.
Eastern Conference
#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #7 Ottawa Senators
Remember February 13th when Matt Cooke sliced Erik Karlsson’s Achilles? And then Karlsson made a historical come back, is playing great and pushed the Sens into the second round? Well Karlsson will get his chance for revenge when the Senators take on the Penguins next round. Pittsburgh had some trouble keeping the biscuit out of their net against the Islanders but as expected they had no problem scoring. Craig Anderson was great against Montreal posting a 1.80 GAA in five games. He will need to bring his ‘A’ game against the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evegni Malking, Jarome Iginla etc… if the Senators are going to have a chance in this one. Jason Spezza has started skating recently but likely will not be returning anytime soon. Should he return it would be a huge boost to the Sens lineup, but do not get your hopes too high. Prediction: Penguins win in 6.
#3 Washington Capitals / #6 New York Rangers vs. #4 Boston Bruins vs.#5 Toronto Maple Leafs
I can not really do much of a preview since we have no idea who is going to be playing next round. Check back after tonight’s Game 7’s for a preview of this round two matchup.
Editor’s Note: If you have any Fantasy Hockey or General NHL Stanley Cup Playoff questions or concerns you can contact us on Twitter @DailyFaceoff or @Brock_Seguin