There were a few huge upsets in round one of the playoffs, a few contenders on the brink of elimination and some incredible individual performances. But that's all in the past now, and the eight remaining teams are looking ahead to the new series in front of them, and the chance to advance in their quest for Lord Stanley's Cup.
The Western Conference Semi-finals
San Jose Sharks vs. Detroit Red Wings
After the Wings asserted their dominance in a convincing game 7 victory over the higher seeded Phoenix Coyotes, they get to ride the momentum into the Shark tank to face Western Conference leading San Jose. The Sharks struggled to get by the much lower seeded Colorado Avalanche in the first round and are looking to exorcise some playoff demons. The Sharks have been victim of consistently performing well in the regular season, and then flopping in the playoffs. Facing the mighty Detroit Red Wings is probably not their favorite option. But to be the best you have to beat the best, and what a testament it would be for the Sharks to advance to the Conference finals with a series win over the two time defending Western Conference champions. But a lot will have to go right for that to happen. The Sharks big three of Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau have combined for one goal and ten points. That's just not nearly good enough if the Sharks want to get past Detroit. The Wings have better offensive stars, a veteran defense and oodles of experience. They know how to win, and San Jose hasn't proved they know what it takes. It's not impossible for the Sharks to win this series, but it's going to take a full team effort. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov will have to shake the memories of past failures, the secondary scoring has to keep scoring, and the stars need to be stars. A lot of hockey pundits say the Wings are getting too old, but they sure didn't look old when they picked apart the Coyotes. Good luck San Jose.
Prediction: Detroit Red Wings in 6 games
Vancouver Canucks vs. Chicago Blackhawks
In a rematch of last year's semi-finals, the Canucks look to avenge an embarrassing loss at the hands of the young Blackhawks. Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo took the loss extremely hard, and will either revel in the chance to make amends, or buckle under the pressure. It's not fair to place all the weight on one guy's shoulders, but this series really does depend on what Roberto Luongo does. The Hawks have an unproven young goalie in their net, and the talented Canuck forwards can light him up if they're on their game, but that won't mean anything if Luongo doesn't step up to the challenge. The Hawks have a lot of firepower up front and on the back-end, and Vancouver's defense is still banged up. This series could absolutely go either way, but what happens if the Sedins go cold, and the Blackhawk defense hold off the Canucks secondary scoring? What if Roberto Luongo gets pulled again like he did against Los Angeles? And no offense to the Kings, but Chicago is more talented. This series won't depend fully on young Hawks goalie Antii Niemi, but his play will be a huge factor. This one will come down to who wants it more.
Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks in 7 games
The Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens are riding high after knocking off the President's Trophy winning Washington Capitals in seven games. It was a very unlikely and unpredictable victory, but the Habs had all the the ingredients needed to pull off a playoff upset. They scored timely goals. Their defense was blocking shots and getting in shooting lanes. And most importantly their goalie played out of his mind. They didn't get a ton of shots on goal but they made the most of their opportunities. Before the playoffs began, the Penguins would probably have been favored in this match-up, but after watching Montreal knock off the number one seeded Caps, it seems like anything and everything is possible. If Jaroslav Halak continues his Patrick Roy-like run, if the Canadiens defense can shut down Crosby and company, and if the Habs can capitalize on their chances, they absolutely can win this series. But can they keep that up for another series against another powerhouse?
Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins in 6
Boston Bruins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
When the playoffs began, this is probably the last match-up anyone would have expected. But yet here they are, two teams who knocked off their higher seeded opponents, and who deserve to be here. On paper this looks like a series that should play out fairly even, but then again, a lot in these young playoffs haven't happened as expected. The Bruins will get a huge boost with the return of their number one center Marc Savard who has been out since March with a concussion. While it's unlikely he will make a big impact right away, his presence will be a lift to the team. They have a hot goaltender in Tuukka Rask who has been proving why he was a first round pick. The Flyers are built to win. They have a lot of depth, strength and talent. But they have an unproven goalie in Brian Boucher, and they have some very unlucky injuries. Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne and Ian Laperierre are all out for the rest of the playoffs and that's a huge blow to the Flyers. If the Bruins continue to play like they did against Buffalo, they have the advantage over a banged up Flyers squad. This should be a hard hitting, old-time hockey type series.
Prediction: Boston Bruins in 7 games.
Marcia Di Michele - In addition to Suite101, Marcy is also a writer for TheHockeyWriters.com and blogs for Sports Illustrated's Fannation page. Marcy has been ...
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