EASTERN CONFERENCE
ROUND 1

Back to Playoffs
Main Page

PREVIEW

MON: 47-25-10-104

BOS: 41-29-12-94

Head to Head: 8-0 MON (0-7-1 BOS)

MONTREAL:

They’re ecstatic in Montreal because the Habs are, as Duck Coach Randy Carlyle says, “A very well structured team.” The East’s best-built club, they’ll try to roll through the competition with rookie Carey Price in net, echoing championships past, courtesy rookie netminders Ken Dryden (1971) and Patrick Roy (1986).

In recent years, fingers have been pointed at Russians when examining Les Habitants’ playoff failings. Sergei Samsonov was run out of town after a brutal tenure, and star Alex Kovalev endeared himself to no one. What a difference a year makes! Alex Kovalev is the NHL’s comeback player of the year with 35 goals for 84 points. Two Belorusan brothers, second year pro Andrei Kostitsyn (26 goals), and rookie Sergei (9).

Saku Koivu’s injury represents a big loss, and Michael Ryder had a forgettable season (70GP; 14-17-31), but Koivu could return at some point in the first round, and if there’s a time for Ryder to shine, it’s in a tightly-drawn playoff series. Chris Higgins managed 27 goals for a career best.

Sheldon Souray who? Speaking of “what a difference a year makes,” the club watched Mark Streit pot 13 goals from the blueline, while Andrei Markov moved his game to Norris trophy-level, and added 16 goals. Roman Hamrlik is a physical force.

BOSTON:

Claude Julien deserves the Jack Adams for his work this year, resurrecting this Original Six franchise. He did it without Patrice Bergeron, who may return this postseason after a devastating concussion.

Zdeno Chara could be a Norris contender this season after managing 17 goals (up from 11 last year) and continuing to be a dominant player. Nine of his goals came on the power play, and one was a shortie.

Only Marco Sturm, with 27, and Chuck Kobasew, with 22, scored more than 20 goals for the club, but Marc Savard was exceptional again, with 63 assists. The team is a bit small up front, and it will be a tough go for Bruin forwards in this series. Glen Murray may be at the end of the line.

Like Julien, goalie Tim Thomas saved the club’s bacon when Manny Fernandez checked out due to injury, and finished with a .929SV%.

PREDICTION:

Sweep! Canadiens, from top six, to checking line on down, is the best-built team in the East and Hockeytalk loves Gainey’s gamble with Price, who won championships at the World Juniors and in the AHL before joining the Habs.

Montreal in 4.

PIT: 47-27-8-102

OTT: 43-31-8-94

Head to Head: 3-0-1 OTT (1-3 PIT)

PITTSBURGH:

Some wonder whether Evgeni Malkin and Sid Crosby should be split, full-time, and there’s no time like the present. The club is chock full of offensive threats, Petr Sykora and Marian Hossa rounding out a top six as good as any other. Only Detroit, Philly and Montreal were better on the power play. Jordan Staal, who slipped to 12 goals this year, is just the depth charge who could upstage such Penguin luminaries as those mentioned above with some big goals at key times. The time may be right for Staal.

Sergei Gonchar’s resurgence (12-53-65) tops a swift but not too physical Pittsburgh defense. In net, Ty Conklin could unseat Marc-Andre Fleury, and quickly, if Fleury falters. Michel Therrien owes neither allegiance, since neither have a proven playoff track record.

After last year’s playoff loss to the Sens, the Penguins redoubled their efforts to taking the next step to Cup contention. The tables are now turned, as they finished second in the conference, with home ice advantage, which will be huge.

OTTAWA:

Daniel Alfredsson and Mike Fisher are out, which amounts to a subtraction of 63 regular season goals. Goalie Ray Emery was nothing but trouble, Coach John Paddock was fired and now, the club hopes that Martin Gerber (2.72GAA) will be stellar in net. No one’s picking the Senators to do much.

That’s why I think that the Senators might be set to upset the Pens.

The pressure’s off, in a lot of ways, for the Canadian darlings. Les Canadiens represent the country’s hockey hope, even more so than Calgary. The club still has Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, and in some weird way, this team with the weirdest regular season has a shot.

On defense, Wade Redden refused to waive his no-trade clause and is under pressure to prove that he was worth keeping. Mike Commodore has been a -9 since joining the Sens. Defensively, only six teams allowed more goals than the Sens (247), and none of those teams are in the playoffs.

PREDICTION:

Too much offensive mojo this postseason in Pittsburgh, who are champing at the bit to get revenge from the Senators for last year’s defeat.

Penguins in 6.

WAS: 43-31-8-94

PHI: 42-29-11-95

Head to Head:  2-2 WSH (2-1-1 PHI)

WASHINGTON:

Smashing success since Bruce Boudreau became coach and unleashed the offensive giant lurking beneath the Glen Hanlon Capitals. GM George McPhee was also a smash at the trade deadline, picking up Sergei Fedorov, who, during his brief tenure with the club, has reminded folks of his greatest days with the Wings.

Fedorov is bringing along Alexander Semin, and importantly for the team, he can speak to Semin in his native tongue. What’s more, he’s older than Ovechkin and is a bona fide Russian legend in his own right, with three Cup rings. Semin has responded, and Fedorov’s defensive abilities are welcome in the postseason (remember that Fedorov won the Selke and also played defense for Scotty Bowman’s Wings).

Matt Cooke, a Vancouver castoff at the deadline, managed a shorthanded tally to go with two more, all from a checking role. Also a welcome addition for the Caps. On defense, Brendan Witt brings the mustard and Mike Green scored 18 goals, more than any NHL defenseman.

But the most welcome addition of all was goalie Cristobal Huet, who came over from the Canadiens. In 13 games with the Caps, he’s won eleven, and tallied a 1.63 goals against average, with a .936 save percentage. If the Caps meet his former club in the playoffs, it’ll be the stuff of legend. First, though, Huet is a good candidate for stumping the Flyers.

PHILADELPHIA:

Seven players with more than 20 goals, including two with more than 30. GM Paul Holmgren went for some big-ticket upgrades last summer and got good bang for his buck on offense. Daniel Briere’s 31 relieved the pressure of his huge new contract. Mike Richards signed another whopper of a deal, and delivered on his promise, too, potting 28 goals for 75 points.

The Flyers are a club caught between the memory of a brutal 2006-07 and a future including big talent with big contracts. How will they respond in the playoffs with all of these new faces?

Sounds obvious, but Flyer confidence will start in net, where Martin Biron will see his first playoff action ever.

The Flyers made headlines with a bunch of suspensions to various players, like Steve Downie and Randy Jones. The league disciplined the club collectively, which showed how serious the league was regarding the club’s tactics. In the playoffs, any hotheaded play by Philly will prove to be their undoing, and quickly.

Braydon Coburn, who came over from Atlanta in the Alex Zhitnik deal, could be a major player in this series. He’s young, quick, big, and the time is right for him to make his mark on a big stage.

PREDICTION:

Capitals have the spirit, and home ice advantage. They’ve been tremendous since the trade deadline, and a series win could cap a very satisfying season in DC, which, thanks to Alex Ovechkin’s 65 goals, a new record for a left wing, is paying attention to the Capitals for the first time in years.

Washington in 6.

NJD: 45-29-7-99

NYR: 42-27-13-97 pts

Head to Head:  7-0-1 NYR (1-4-3 NJD)

NEW JERSEY:

The Devils have the home ice advantage and the defense, but some things never change in Devil-land: Goals were hard to come by this season, as the club scored fewer goals for than all but five clubs.

That said, Zach Parise had 32 goals, and John Madden, Brian Gionta and Patrik Elias all cracked 20. Encouragingly, Travis Zajac, Dainus Zubrus and Jamie Langenbrunner scored in the teens—not great, but not terrible—and can be counted on for tough goals.

On defense, they have a purely defensive set with Colin White, Johnny Oduya and Paul Martin. As always, though, Martin Brodeur is the franchise, and had another stellar year, likely another Vezina win (if Giguere doesn’t get it). 2.17GAA; .920 and 44 wins.

It says here that the Rangers will not have trouble keeping the puck out of the net, so it’s on the Devils like never before to generate some offense from the forward ranks.

NEW YORK:

And now, the payoff from the Chris Drury deal.

With seven game winners (44 in his career), 12 power play goals and 220 shots this season, Chris Drury is primed to earn his fat paycheck this postseason. He’s never disappointed, not with the Avs, Sabres nor Flames.

Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan should be dependable, but will they stand up to the rigors of the postseason at their advanced ages?

Christian Backman, acquired from St. Louis at the deadline, is a solid presence for an unheralded defense. Rookie Marc Staal should, but won’t, be a Calder nominee this year. It’s time for the New York D to prove that the fact that only four clubs allowed fewer goals was due not only to Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist, 2.23GAA; .912SV%, 37 wins, availed himself well last postseason, and should give the Rangers a suitable foil for the Great Brodeur.

PREDICTION:

Rangers primed to win big series with cross-river rival. Too many goals on the New York side; they should be able to crack Brodeur. Just need to throw a lot of shots on net and take an extra ten-to-twenty shots per game, to get that extra tough playoff goal.

Rangers in 6.

1

8

2

7

3

6

4

1

8

2

7

3

6

4

5