#1. Boston Bruins vs #2WC. Detroit Red Wings

Season Series

3-0-0 (Bruins)

Top Scorers

Patrice Bergeron (BOS) (39-56-95)
Brad Marchand (BOS) (38-56-94)
Alex Ovechkin (BOS) (37-52-89)
Shea Weber (DET) (18-59-77)

Starting Goaltenders

Frederik Andersen (BOS) (42-16-4) (2.48 - .910%)

Connor Hellebuyck (DET) (38-20-13) (2.36 - .919%)

Analysis

What a season it has been for the Boston Bruins. They lead the entire way this season and never looked back. They had the best Goals Forward to Goals Against ratio in the league and added a lot more firepower towards the end of the season. The Bruins are this years Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL and are favored to win it all. Nolan and his Red Wings had the unlucky spot of playing in the Atlantic where it was killers row. Despite being a really good team and finishing with the 6th most points in the East, they have the Killer B's aiming down their sights. Everyone talked about who was going to finish 4th in the Atlantic, but no one talked about the short end of the stick finishing 5th.

Offensively, the Bruins are a much better team. They nearly had 3 players hit 40 goals this season which is unheard of. They might have the best line in hockey with Bergeron centering Ovechkin and Pastrnak. If you contain that line somehow, you end up also having to deal with Tavares, Marchand and JT Miller. If there is a weak spot on this Bruins team, it's on defense. Letang and Lindholm are the main pieces back there while the rest of the gang are one dimensional defensive defensemen. The defense is still better then average but it's an area where the Red Wings have an advantage. The Wings boast perhaps the best D corpse in the league with Weber, Subban, Slavin, Keith, Barrie and Larsson as their top 6.

In the goaltending department, it's pretty even here. Hellebuyck will have to be considerably better then Andersen for the Wings to steal this series, but I do expect the Wings to steal a game, or maybe even two.

Prediction

Bruins in 6



#2. Ottawa Senators vs #3. Tampa Bay Lightning

Season Series

3-1-0 (Lightning)

Top Scorers

Tyler Seguin (OTT) (45-54-99)
Claude Giroux (OTT) (46-48-94)
Anze Kopitar (TBL) (38-48-86)
Sidney Crosby (OTT) (15-66-81)

Starting Goaltenders

Jonathan Quick (TBL) (35-14-6) (2.48 - .915%)

Martin Jones (OTT) (39-18-5) (2.41 - .918%)


Analysis

It's been an up and down season for both teams. The Atlantic Division saw many changes from positions #2 through #5. It wasn't until the last two weeks of the season where it became clear these two teams were going to face off against each other. The series is not short of storylines, as Jonathan Quick has the opportunity to knock out the team he played 46 games for this season. It will be an interesting goalie matchup, as the Lightning have a great 1-2 punch in Quick and Smith.

Offensively, the Senators are the clear favorite here as their top end talent is clear. Their top line of Crosby, Giroux and Seguin nearly combined for 300 points. They added some depth towards the deadline with acquisitions of Joe Thornton and Zach Parise. The Lightning on the other hand have a more balanced attack but lack that top line star power. I'd argue the Lightning have the better bottom 6 but it's so miniscule that I don't think it'll have any effect on the series.

On defense, the Lightning come out ahead on paper with Burns, Dumba, Seabrook and Pesce in their top 4. Burns and Dumba combined for 130 points this season, when you add Seabrook to the mix its at 175 points. There was a lot of offense coming from the back end. The Senators whole defense corpse combined for roughly 150 points.

In net, is where this series can be won. Despite the hate Jones has received this season, he has been a consistent goaltender. His game elevated since being traded to the Senators. His numbers are better then those of Quick and Smith. The Lightning have the advantage of going to their backup goalie in this series if Quick has a bad game 1. I'd hate to bet on myself and look like a jackass if I lose.. soo..


Prediction

Senators in 7



#1. New York Islanders vs #1WC. Montreal Canadiens

Season Series

2-0-1 (Islanders)

Top Scorers

Alexander Barkov (NYI) (52-59-111)
Nikolaj Ehlers (NYI) (33-40-73)
Matthew Tkachuk (NYI) (28-38-66)
Vincent Trocheck (MTL) (31-34-65)

Starting Goaltenders

Andrei Vasilevskiy (NYI) (40-21-6) (2.37 - .922%)

Sergei Bobrovsky (MTL) (50-19-2) (2.12 - .922%)


Analysis

Did the Habs strategy pay off this season. The Canadiens rode Sergei Bobrovsky like a cheap whore this season, it wasn't until they sat comfortably in a playoff spot that they used Leland Irving to their advantage and had him lose a bunch of games to finish 4th in the division. This lined them up to face the #1 seed in the Metro. While this spot was more attractive when Toby and his Penguins held it, the Islanders are a scary team. In my early season predictions, I had the Islanders winning the East altogether. I love their depth as their top 6 consists of the best player in the game in Alexander Barkov, Nikita Kucherov, Matthew Tkachuk, Nikolaj Ehlers, Rickard Rackell and Kyle Connor. Perhaps it's a good thing Joe doesn't like to trade, because this team can coast on it's own and win a division.

It's clear that I prefer the Islanders offense, but what about on the back end?. The Islanders aren't quite as strong but do have some nice pieces in Hamilton, Pulock and McAvoy. The Canadiens have Cam Fowler, TJ Brodie and Calvin de Haan. There is no clear favorite here, but the Canadiens could be without Brodie for the first 3-4 games.

In net, it's another stalemate as Bob and Vasilevskiy but up very similiar numbers this year. You can see from Bob's 50 wins how badly Steve overworked him this season. Bob was a difference maker in last years playoffs and could be again here. Between Bob being a playoff performer, and Steve's slimey ways of double-shifting players, he could squeak out a victory here. With that said, on paper the Islanders are a better team.

Prediction

Islanders in 6



#2. Pittsburgh Penguins vs #3. Columbus Blue Jackets

Season Series

2-2-0 (tie)

Top Scorers

Dustin Byfuglien (CLB) (16-61-77)
Connor McDavid (PIT) (32-41-73)
Jamie Benn (PIT) (36-35-71)
Mika Zibanejad (CLB) (28-37-65)

Starting Goaltenders

Corey Crawford (PIT) (18-13-4) (2.40 - .919%)

Ben Bishop (CLB) (25-19-1) (2.53 - .915%)


Analysis

This might be everyone's favorite series of the first round. Bust out the popcorn while Toby and Jesse throw insults and racial slurs at each other. Will it lead to Jesse's ultimate goal of having Toby go fuck himself into the abyss?. There is something about this Penguins team that stinks, it could be the smell of Billy's bad luck, but Toby pulled the impossible and got this team to the playoffs in his first year. He also went out and made some smart moves to acquire Crawford near the middle of the season. It was what the doctor ordered as Crawford played well for the Penguins down the stretch. There is an advantage in net, and it goes to the Penguins.

Offensively, the Penguins are a top heavy team. With a first line of McDavid, Benn and Tarasenko, it leaves the rest of the roster to get exposed. While I give the edge of Toby in top end talent, it's clear the Blue Jackets have much more depth on their roster. A team will need more then one line if they expect to make it far in the playoffs, so I'll give the Blue Jackets the edge here.

Prediction

Blue Jackets in 6