Looking at the conference semifinals

(3) Vancouver Canucks (45-27-10, 1st, Northwest) vs. (4) Chicago Blackhawks (46-24-12, 2nd, Central)

2008-09 SERIES: Split, 2-2-0

LEADERS: Vancouver – Daniel Sedin (4 GP, 4G, 2A); Henrik Sedin (4 GP, 2G, 4A); Ryan Kesler (4 GP, 3G, 2A); Alexander Edler (4 GP, 1G, 3A); Mats Sundin (2 GP, 1G, 3A); Roberto Luongo, 3 GP, 2-1-0, 2.36 GAA, 1 SO). Chicago – Kris Versteeg (4 GP, 1G, 4A); Patrick Kane (4 GP, 2G, 2A); Patrick Sharp (4 GP, 3G, 1A); Cristobal Huet (3 GP, 2-0-0, 2.57 GAA); Nikolai Khabibulin (2 GP, 0-2-0, 4.85 GAA).



Old-time hockey! Eddie Shore!!

This is gonna be good.

With both teams combining for an average of 50 penalty minutes per game, there’s little doubt that more of the same physical play will be on tap.

In a 4-0 Canucks win on March 29 in Chicago, a series of brawls broke out in the third period, punctuated by the Blackhawks’ Ben Eager slamming Kevin Bieksa to the ice.

"That brawl will be in the back of everybody’s minds, but it's a different game now," said Chicago’s Adam Burish, who received three roughing minors and a 10-minute misconduct.

Making their first playoff appearance in seven years, the Blackhawks didn’t show any jitters as they beat Calgary in six games, closing out the series with a 4-1 road win on Monday.

“We’re excited about the win, but you pay the price,” captain Jonathan Toews said after Chicago won its first playoff series in 13 years. “You take a lot of pressure and abuse.”

Balance was the key to Chicago’s success – six players scored at least six points with Calder Trophy finalist Kris Versteeg notching a team-high seven.

Vancouver will come into this series well-rested. The Canucks haven’t played since beating St. Louis 3-2 in overtime on April 21 to complete the first sweep in franchise history.

Roberto Luongo – a snub for the Vezina Trophy – posted a 1.15 goals-against average versus the Blues.

“Great players find a way to elevate their game, bring it to another level, and he’s done that,” Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. “We need him to bring it to another level because as it continues it’s going to get more challenging every game.”

THE PICK: Chicago in 7. Luongo notwithstanding, the Blackhawks will do anything to set up a conference finals matchup with the hated Red Wings.


(1) Boston Bruins (53-19-10, 1st, Northeast) vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes (45-30-7, 2nd, Southeast)

2008-09 SERIES: Boston, 4-0-0

LEADERS: Boston – David Krejci (4 GP, 3G, 4A); Blake Wheeler (4 GP, 3G, 2A); Michael Ryder (3 GP, 3G); Tim Thomas (3 GP, 3-0-0, 1.33 GAA); Manny Fernandez (1 GP, 1-0-0, 2.00 GAA). Carolina – Ray Whitney (4 GP, 1G, 2A); Matt Cullen (4 GP, 2 G); Rod Brind’Amour and Frantisek Kaberle (4 GP, 2A); Cam Ward (4 GP, 0-4-0, 3.90 GAA)

The Bruins are rested, but the Hurricanes have momentum.

Boston hasn’t played since April 22 after completing a four-game sweep of longtime Original Six rival Montreal. Vezina Trophy finalist Tim Thomas allowed stopped 105 of 111 shots in the series, and former Canadien Michael Ryder paced the offense with four goals and seven points.

For Ryder, the plan for facing Carolina – a team the Bruins swept in the regular season - is simple.

“We have been practicing hard the last week and we know we might be a little rusty but we just have to keep things simple early in the game,” Ryder said in a recent Internet chat session with fans. “We need to make sure we watch our turnovers against these guys and not try to force things.”

For the Hurricanes, the key will be building off perhaps the most exciting finish to any game in franchise history.

On Tuesday, Jussi Jokinen and Eric Staal scored in a 48-second span over the final 1:20 for a stunning 4-3 win over New Jersey in Game 7.

“Every five minutes or so … it’s like getting hit with a bus—but a good one,” Carolina coach Paul Maurice said of the comeback. “You realize just what happened.”

What happens now is Carolina looking to beat Boston for the first time this season. Improved play from Cam Ward and Staal would be a good start.

Ward lost all four matchups, posting a goals-against average of just under 4. Staal led the ‘Canes with 40 goals and was second with 75 points, but was scoreless against Boston.

“We hope [the Bruins are rusty], but I don’t think we can prepare that way to think that they’ll be anything but their best,” Maurice told the Hurricanes’ official Web site. “Sure, we’re hoping it’s not smooth or easy, but a team like that, even if they’re off a little, they’re not going to be off for seven games. They’ll warm up.”

THE PICK: Bruins in 6. After scoring five goals in the opening round, Staal will help Carolina put up a fight, but the Bruins will come away headed to the conference finals.

Quarterfinal observations - Game 1

Now that the openers in for all eight first-round playoff games are in the books, some things to consider ...

* Was the Sharks' 32-5-4 home record this season a fluke? They looked awfully flat against Anaheim.

* Do the Ducks have a Cup run in them? They do if Jonas Hiller (35 saves in his playoff debut) keeps playing like this.

* What is it about contract years? Chicago's Martin Havlat (tying goal with 5:33 left in regulation, game-winner 12 seconds into overtime) and Nikolai Khabibulin (23 saves) may be setting themselves up for one more payday.

* Olli? Olli Jokinen? Hellllooooooo? The Flames' key trade-deadline acquisition was quiet. Again.

* Taking Wing. Don't make any mistakes against Detroit - they'll make you pay each and every time.

* Feeling Blue in Columbus. The Jackets' playoff debut was good, for a brief while. It remains to see how they bounce back.

* If Boston wins its first Stanley Cup in 37 years, they'll look to this series with Montreal as its toughest.

* Carey Price looks pretty beatable. The Canadiens' goalie looks easily rattled, and I am wondering if that ankle he injured mid-season is affecting his mind also.

* Where was the intensity the New York Rangers showed in Game 1 hiding all season?

* Does anyone really think Washington will win a Cup with Jose "Three-or-more" in goal?

* Martin Brodeur's late-season slump is a thing of the past. He came within 10:38 of his 23rd career playoff shutout.

* Cam Ward's late-season surge is a thing of the past.

* A 2-1 final in the Canucks-Blues series is going to seem like an offensive explosion.

* The Penguins are still the defending Eastern Conference champions. They methodically dismantle you.

* The Flyers are letting emotions dictate their play. No one wins when that happens.

Steak Bet 3.0 - And the winner is ...

It’s been said that even a broken watch is right twice a day.

That in mind, I am proud to announce that on the third try, I finally have won Steak Bet, Version 3.0.

For each of the last two seasons, longtime co-worker and semi-noted, Gurnee, Ill.-based blog castigator Chris Altruda and I have put a friendly wager on the NHL season. Looking to avoid a third consecutive loss, we put together five categories, with me winning (finally).

Here’s the happy recap …

NUMBER OF GOALS BY WASHINGTON'S ALEXANDER OVECHKIN: I say 58, while Chris had 53.

In the final game of the season, Alex the Gr8 scored his 56th goal with 6:09 to play in a 7-4 loss to Florida.

NUMBER OF POINTS BY PITSBURGH'S SIDNEY CROSBY: I say 107, Chris goes with 112.

Sid the Kid finished with 103, and I should be thankful for this. From Feb. 16-April 1, no player was hotter than Crosby, who had nine goals and 18 assists in a 16-game points streak. Over the final five games – three goals and two assists.

And a propos of nothing … when is he going to have a 50-goal season? Crosby was hyped among some of the game’s greatest names – people were comparing him to owner Mario Lemieux in Steeltown. I know Crosby is only 22, but he’s looking more like Mats Sundin to me.

YOUR SIX DIVISION WINNERS: I have gone with Philadelphia, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Vancouver, Dallas; Chris has chosen Pittsburgh, Montreal, Carolina, Detroit, San Jose, Calgary.

We both crapped out in the East as New Jersey, Boston and Washington led their divisions. In the West, it was Detroit, Vancouver and San Jose.

The Canucks took the Northwest despite having one fewer win than the Flames.

FIRST COACH OUT (FIRED OR RESIGNED): I have a hunch that Mike Keenan will wear out his welcome in Calgary. Chris thinks Wayne Gretzky won't last in Phoenix.

This was settled very quickly when Chicago axed Denis Savard four games into the season.

While Keenan led Calgary to a second-place finish in the Northwest, Phoenix was tied for last in the Pacific with 79 points.

WORST TEAM: This one should come down to the wire - I've chosen Los Angeles; Chris picks the New York Islanders.

The addition of Jonathan Quick (21-18-2, 2.48 goals-against average, 4 shutouts) in goal around midseason made sure I wouldn’t win this.

Chris nailed this. As he said back in October … I think this is the season this team finally bottoms out dysfunction-wise, and it’s going to be ugly. Like sub-65 point ugly. I also think the Atlantic Division is stronger than the Pacific (where you took the Kings) and will result in a lower point percentage.

And while it is universally accepted the Kings currently have no goaltending, I’m not counting on (goaltender Rick) DiPietro being healthy for a full season, which will cost them at least six wins.

DiPietro lasted five games. The Islanders finished with 61 points, their fewest since 2000-01.


Fogo de Chao, here I come!

Western Conference predictions

(1) San Jose Sharks (53-18-11, 1st, Pacific) vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks (42-33-7, 2nd, Pacific)

2008-09 SERIES: San Jose, 4-2-0

LEADERS: San Jose – Dan Boyle (6 GP, 4 A); Jonathan Cheechoo (5 GP, 3G, 2GWG, 1A); Christian Ehrhoff (5 GP, 1G, 3A); Evgeni Nabokov (5 GP, 3-2-0, 2.00 GAA, 2 SO). Anaheim – Ryan Getzlaf (6 GP, 6 A); Rob Niedermayer (6 GP, 1G, 2A); Corey Perry (6 GP, 2G, 1A); Jonas Hiller (4 GP, 1-3-0, 2.04 GAA); Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2 GP, 1-1-0, 2.00 GAA).

THE PICK: San Jose in 5. Since 1994, a No. 8 seed has beaten a
No. 1 seed seven times. However, given the way the Sharks tore through
the regular season, this is one series I expect to end fairly quickly
despite a late surge that pushed the Ducks into the top eight.

San Jose set a franchise points record for the third consecutive
season, moving from 107 to 108 to 117. Each of the last three seasons,
though, the Sharks, then led by Ron Wilson, were ousted in the Western
Conference semifinals. That should change under first-year coach Todd
McLellan, a Stanley Cup winner last season as Mike Babcock’s assistant
in Detroit.

McLellan will likely win the Jack Adams award as the league’s top coach after becoming the fifth rookie bench boss since the 1967-68 expansion era got under way to lead his team to the Presidents’ Trophy for having the league’s best record.

The Sharks can look to the likes of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi for scoring, but they also can count points from their blue line. San Jose is just the fourth team in NHL history to have four defensemen with 30 assists – newcomers Dan Boyle (41) and Rob Blake (35), Christian Ehrhoff (34) and Marc-Edouard Vlasic (30).

Of course, the Sharks will go nowhere without Evgeni Nabokov at the top of his game. He led the league with 46 wins a year ago, and still posted 41 this season despite missing 14 games with flu and the ever-enigmatic “lower-body injury.”

Nabokov will have his hands full with the line of Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry. That trio combined for 17 goals and 21 assists over the final eight games. Ryan, selected second behind Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby in 2005, will almost certainly be a Calder Trophy finalist after finishing with 31 goals in 64 games.

The Ducks haven’t won a playoff series since lifting the Stanley Cup in 2007 against Ottawa, and what may ultimately doom them this season is goaltending. I am not sold on Jonas Hiller despite the fact that he tied a franchise record by winning seven straight starts from March 19-April 4. Cup winning goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere finished with only 19 wins, snapping a streak of three straight 30-win seasons.

Do the Ducks have a chance? Of course – at this time of the year, you cannot count anyone out. If Anaheim can continue its late-season mastery on the power play, then they certainly have a shot. The Ducks converted 41.7% of its chances with the man adavantage, going 20 for 48 over the final 13 games.




(2) Detroit Red Wings (51-20-10,
1st, Central) vs. (7) Columbus Blue
Jackets (41-31-10, 4th, Central)

2008-09 SERIES: Teams split, 3-3-0

LEADERS: Detroit – Pavel Datsyuk (5 GP, 1G, 7A); Henrik
Zetterberg (6 GP, 3G. 3A); Marian Hossa (5 GP, 5G, 2 GWG); Chris
Osgood (5 GP, 2-2-1, 3.37 GAA); Ty Conklin (2 GP, 1-0-0, 0.79 GAA).
Columbus – Rick Nash (6 GP, 6A); Fedor Tyutin (6 GP, 2G, 2A); R.J.
Umberger (6 GP, 2G, 2A); Jakub Voracek (6 GP, 1G, 3A); Steve Mason (5
GP, 3-2-0, 2.38 GAA).

THE PICK: Detroit in 7. The reigning Stanley Cup champion that
has won it all four times in the last 11 years versus the only NHL
team that has yet to appear in a playoff game.

Screams mistmach, right? Not so fast. Detroit will prevail, but it will not be easy, and perhaps unlike three years ago, they know it now.

“We're taking this seriously,'' Henrik Zetterberg said Tuesday. “The first round is tough.”

In 2006, the Red Wings entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed – and were dispatched in seven games by eighth-seeded Edmonton. This season, Detroit will lean on high-scoring Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk to make up for deficiencies by Chris Osgood and Ty Conklin in goal.

The wild card in all this will be Marian Hossa.

Playing with Pittsburgh last season, he finished third in playoff scoring with 26 points, but watched as the Red Wings won the Cup again. Spurning a more lucrative offer from the Penguins, Hossa inked a one-year deal with the Wings, saying he had a better chance of winning a championship with them – an odd statement considering who’s on that team.

A good start against the Blue Jackets will help. Hossa had five goals in five games against them including two game-winning tallies. The Red Wings are trying to become the first champions to repeat since, well, they did back in 1997 and ’98.

Columbus, meanwhile, is crashing the playoff party for the first time after setting franchise records with 41 wins, 92 points and 226 goals scored.

The key to their breakout season, though, has been goaltender Steve Mason, the likely Calder Trophy winner as rookie of the year. Mason finished with 33 wins, a league-best 10 shutouts and a 2.29 goals-against average that was good for second in the NHL.

On offense, the Blue Jackets will look to captain Rick Nash, who had 40 goals and a career-high 79 points. He had an unassisted hat trick Columbus’ 8-2 rout of the Red Wings in Detroit on March 7.

The addition of second-line center Antoine Vermette also has been a boost. In 17 games after being acquired at the trade deadline from Ottawa, Vermette had seven goals, six assists and was a plus-5. In 62 games with the Senators, he had nine goals, 19 assists and was minus-12.

Columbus also has a Stanley Cup winning coach in Ken Hitchcock, a decade removed from leading Dallas to its only title. But while the Blue Jackets have talent, they don’t have the overall body of experience.

The last team to make their postseason debut was Atlanta in the 2007 Eastern Conference quarterfinals, and they were outscored 17-6 while being swept by the New York Rangers.



(3) Vancouver Canucks (45-27-10,
1st, Northwest) vs. (6) St. Louis Blues
(41-31-10, 3rd, Central)

2008-09 SERIES: Teams split, 2-2-0

LEADERS: Vancouver – Daniel Sedin (4 GP, 1G, 4A); Henrik Sedin
(4 GP, 1G, 4A); Willie Mitchell (4 GP, 2G, 2A); Alex Burrows (4 GP,
3G); Roberto Luongo (3 GP, 2-1-0, 2.67 GAA, 1 SO); Jason LaBarbera (1
GP, 0-1-0, 6.00 GAA). St. Louis – Patrik Berglund (4 GP, 1G, 5A); T.J.
Oshie (4 GP, 2G, 3A); Carlo Coliacovo (4 GP, 4A); Keith Tkachuk (4 GP,
1G, 3A); Chris Mason (3 GP, 1-2-0, 3.43 GAA).

THE PICK: Vancouver in 7. Two of the hottest teams to close out the regular season will square off for the third time in postseason play.

The Canucks and Blues went seven games in the 1995 and 2003 Western Conference quarterfinals, with Vancouver winning each time. This series should be no less entertaining thanks to goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Chris Mason.

In his final 30 games, Luongo was 22-6-2 with a 2.20 goals-against average. He also comes in on a shutout streak of 185 minutes, 16 seconds. Though he missed two months earlier this season with a groin injury, Luongo still totaled 33 wins and was second in the league with nine shutouts.

Mason started his first season with St. Louis as a backup, but took over after Manny Legace was released on Feb. 7, and responded by going 20-7-4 with a 2.26 GAA, and also heads into the postseason off a shutout win, his third in that span.

With Luongo and Mason playing well, a low-scoring series could be on tap.

Twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin were tied for the team lead with 82 points, and they combined for 15 game-winning goals. Mats Sundin, who finished with nine goals and 19 assists in 41 games after joining the club in December, will be making his first playoff appearance since 2004 with Toronto.

That’s also when the Blues made their last postseason appearance, and they could be a little stunned to find themselves there. Defenseman Eric Brewer (back) and high-scoring Paul Kariya (hip) combined to play in only 39 games, and a severe knee injury kept highly touted blueliner Erik Johnson out for the season.

Brad Boyes finished with 33 goals, and David Backes added 31 including four in a late-season win over Detroit. Keith Tkachuk reached 25 goals for the 13th time in his career.

This shapes up at the best first-round matchup in the West



(4) Chicago Blackhawks
(45-24-12, 2nd, Central) vs. (5) Calgary
Flames (46-36-10, 2nd, Northwest)

2008-09 SERIES: Chicago, 4-0-0

LEADERS: Chicago – Martin Havlat (4 GP, 2G, 4A); Andrew Ladd (4
GP, 2G, 4A); Nikolai Khabibulin (3 GP, 3-0-0, 2.00 GAA); Cristobal
Huet (1 GP, 1-0-0, 1.00 GAA). Calgary – Todd Bertuzzi (4 GP, 2G, 1A);
Rene Bourque (4 GP, 1G, 2A); Jarome Iginla (4 GP, 3A); Miikka
Kiprusoff (4 GP, 0-3-1, 4.66 GAA).

THE PICK: Chicago in 6. The continued revival of the Blackhawks made them the feel-good story in the NHL this season.

With Joel Quenneville taking over for the fired Denis Savard four games into the season, Chicago is back in the playoffs for the first time in seven years – the longest drought by any team coming out of the Western Conference.

While youngsters Patrick Kane (70 points) and captain Jonathan Toews (34 goals including seven game-winners) are two driving forces, the Blackhawks have plenty of players with deep playoff experience, including Sammy Pahlsson, Nikolai Khabibulin, Martin Havlat and Brian Campbell.

Khabibulin will be the key. After largely underachieving during his first three seasons, he put it all together in the final year of his contract by going 25-8-7 with a 2.33 goals-against average and three shutouts. At the United Center, he allowed two goals or less 13 times.

At the other end of the ice is Miikka Kiprusoff, the league leader with 45 wins. Though he could be in line for the Vezina Trophy, Kiprusoff hasn’t posted back-to-back wins since March 3-5.

Kiprusoff and the Flames lost to Khabibulin, then with Tampa Bay, in the 2004 Stanley Cup final.

The Flames pulled off the biggest deal at the trade deadline by acquiring Olli Jokinen from Phoenix, but he’s never played a postseason game. He started off with eight goals and two assists in his first six games with his new team, but cooled off considerably after that – five assists in 13 contests.

Calgary, though, does have Jarome Iginla, who became the franchise’s scoring leader this season. A seven-time 35-goal scorer, the Flames’ captain comes into the playoffs averaging nearly a point per game.

Eastern Conference predictions

After 6 1/2 months, the real season gets underway on Wednesday. First to 16 wins it all ...

(1) Boston Bruins (52-19-10, 1st, Northeast) vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens (41-30-11, 2nd, Northeast)

2008-09 SERIES: Boston, 5-0-1

LEADERS: Boston - Zdeno Chara (6 GP, 3G, 3A), Marc Savard, (6 GP, 3 G); Tim Thomas (5 GP, 4-0-1, 2.12 GAA), Manny Fernandez (1 GP, 1-0-0, 1.00 GAA). Montreal – Andrei Kostitsyn (6 GP, 2G, 2A); Andrei Markov (5 GP, 4A) Carey Price (5 GP, 1-2-2, 3.46 GAA), Jaroslav Halak (1 GP, 0-1-0, 3.05 GAA).

THE PICK: Boston in 5. Someone is going to go home disappointed, and it will be the Canadiens as their centennial season will ends without their 24th Stanley Cup.

Boston, meanwhile, will be looking for its first playoff series win since 1999 and Stanley Cup since 1972.

The 32nd playoff meeting between these Original Six clubs has been a one-sided affair with Boston taking 24 of the previous 31 series. Simply put, the Eastern Conference champion Bruins have way too much firepower for the Canadiens, and especially goaltender Carey Price, who’s been very shaky since returning from an ankle injury in January.

Boston had a season-high 20-goal scorers in 2008-09, and the addition of Mark Recchi cannot be understated enough. Recchi has 47 goals and 70 assists in the postseason. Without him, Boston’s current career playoff scoring leader is Stephane Yelle with 11 goals and 20 assists.

The Canadiens hope Alex Kovalev will be able to continue his playoff mastery – he’s scored 42 goals with 53 assists in 112 games. Kovalev, the MVP of the All-Star game played this season in Montreal, was the Habs’ leading scorer for the second straight season with 26 goals and 39 assists.

What was supposed to be a celebratory season has hardly resembled that for the Canadiens. Among the lowlights were the alleged involvement of the Bros. Kostitsyn with an organized crime outfit, injuries to Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang, and the late-season firing of coach Guy Carbonneau. General manager Bob Gainey was 6-6-4 behind the bench, but Montreal is a fragile team heading into the playoffs.



(2) Washington Capitals (50-24-8, 1st, Southeast) vs. (7) New York Rangers (42-30-9, 4th, Atlantic)

2008-09 SERIES: Washington, 3-0-1

LEADERS: Washington – Alex Ovechkin (4 GP, 3G, 2A); Mike Green (3 GP, 3G); Niklas Backstrom (4 GP, 5A); Jose Theodore (3 GP, 2-0-1, 3.05 GAA) New York - Ryan Callahan (4 GP, 3G, 1A); Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky, Scott Gomez (4 GP, 3A); Henrik Lundqvist (3 GP, 1-1-1, 3.57 GAA).

THE PICK: Washington in 6. While the Rangers have the advantage in goal – I’ll take Henrik Lundqvist and his career-high 38 wins on his worst day over the Jose Theodore and backups Simeon Varlmov and Michael Neuvirth – the Capitals simply have the offensive weapons that will help them to their first playoff series win since 1998.

Start with Alex Ovechkin, the repeat Maurice Richard Trophy-winner with 56 goals, and Mike Green, the leader among all defensemen with 31 tallies. Add Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin, and Washington has four players each averaging a point per game for the first time since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins (Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis and Petr Nedved).

Though he’s now 39, don’t overlook Sergei Federov. In 169 playoff games, the 1993-94 Hart Trophy winner has 51 goals and 117 assists.

At some point years from now, New York will probably add Ovechkin and Green. For now, though, the Rangers head into the postseason without a 30-goal or 60-point scorer and will rely on Lundqvist and the NHL’s top penalty-killing unit.

Chris Drury and Scott Gomez have combined for 71 playoff goals in 231 games. Drury had 10 power-play goals and Gomez seven game-winners to lead the Rangers in those respective categories.

New York added Nik Antropov, Sean Avery and Derek Morris at the trade deadline, and they all seemed to thrive. Antropov had seven goals, Avery 12 points and Morris eight assists in helping the Rangers to an 11-6-1 mark.

The addition of Stanley Cup-winning coach John Tortorella on Feb. 23 to replace the fired Tom Renney resulted in the Rangers going 12-7-2 over the final quarter of the season. He’ll be staring daggers for much of this series.



(3) New Jersey Devils (51-27-4, 1st, Atlantic) vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes (45-30-7, 2nd, Southeast)

2008-09 SERIES: Carolina, 3-1-0

LEADERS: New Jersey – Patrik Elias (4 GP, 2G, 2A); Brian Rolston (4 GP, 4A); Martin Brodeur (2 GP 1-1-0, 2.03 GAA); Scott Clemmensen (1 GP, 0-1-0, 3.21 GAA). Carolina – Rod Brind’Amour (4 GP, 6A); Anton Babchuk (4 GP, 4G, 1A); Sergei Samsonov (4 GP, 3G, 1A); Cam Ward (3 GP, 3-0-0, 1.67 GAA); Michael Leighton (1 GP, 1-0-0, 3.05 GAA).

THE PICK: Carolina in 7. Sure, Martin Brodeur’s story this season was a feel-good one: Returning after missing 50 games with the first major injury of his career to break Patrick Roy’s all-tiime wins record and move two shutouts of Terry Sawchuk’s career mark.

But Brodeur has looked awfully mortal down the stretch. In seven losses since March 22, the three-time Stanley Cup winner has surrendered 26 goals for a 3.70 goals-against average. Despite all that, Brodeur is 95-74 with a 1.96 GAA and 22 shutouts in his postseason career, so you can’t discount him completely.

If Brodeur falters, Scott Clemmensen showed he’s more than up to the task. With Brodeur sidelined Clemmensen was 25-13-1 and became the only other goalie in franchise history with shutouts in consecutive games.

Zach Parise enjoyed a breakout season, leading New Jersey in almost every major category including 45 goals and 94 points. But he has only nine goals and nine assists in 25 playoff contests.

The Hurricanes also have a battle-ready goaltender in Cam Ward. The Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy winner himself, Ward was 17-4-2 with a 2.13 GAA since Feb. 19, and won a franchise-record nine straight starts over the last three weeks of 2008-09.

Carolina also has Eric Staal, a 40-goal scorer for the fifth straight season. How important was he to the ‘Canes’ furious drive to get into the playoffs for the first time since their championship season? He had 13 goals and 16 assists in the last 20 games, and Carolina was 22-3-2 when he scored a goal.

Something to keep in mind for overtime pools: Staal had eight game-winning goals.

The Devils and Hurricanes have meet three previous times in the playoffs, with the series winner appearing in the Eastern Conference final each time.



(4) Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9, 2nd, Atlantic) vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers (44-26-11, 3rd, Atlantic)

2008-09 SERIES: Pittsburgh, 4-0-2

LEADERS: Pittsburgh – Sidney Crosby (6 GP, 4G, 5A); Evgeni Malkin (6 GP, 3G, 4A); Marc-Andre Fleury (5 GP, 3-1-0, 2.96 GAA). Philadelphia – Jeff Carter (6 GP, 3G, 5A); Mike Richards (6 GP, 2G, 5A); Kimmo Timonen (6 GP, 7A); Martin Biron (5 GP, 2-2-1, 3.37 GAA); Antero Niittymaki (1 GP, 0-0-1, 2.77 GAA).

THE PICK: Pittsburgh in 7. A rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals, this easily could be the best quarterfinal series this year.

The Keystone State rivals couldn’t be more evenly matched. Each team scored 264 goals this season, the Penguins allowed 239 – one more than the Flyers. Pittsburgh had 25 wins at home - one more than Philadelphia – and each team posted 20 road victories.

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins are powered by Art Ross Trophy winner Evegni Malkin (113 points) and Sidney Crosby (103). Philadelphia answers with a league-high six 25-goal scorers, including 46 from Jeff Carter with a league-leading 12 game-winners.

Add seven short-handed goals from captain Mike Richards and another 30-goal season from a finally healthy Simon Gagne, and the Flyers have the offensive weapons needed to match the Penguins.

The key, as always in the postseason, will be in goal – and that’s where Pittsburgh has the advantage with Marc-Andre Fleury over Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki.

Fleury was 9-1-2 with a 1.87 goals-against average in March, and 12-4-1 with a 2.71 GAA from Feb. 3-March 10. When giving up at least three goals, Biron was 11-16-3, while Niittymaki was 4-8-4.

Don’t miss any of these games.

NEXT: The Western Conference.

Playoff predictions ....

Coming soon!