Here is a complete breakdown of the 2012 NHL playoffs. Scroll down to the bottom of the article for a link to my Penguins Flyers preview.
Western Conference Series 1: #1 Vancouver Canucks vs #8 Los Angeles Kings
The Canucks finished first in the west with 111 points. Roberto Luongo is going to have a lot of pressure on him. Luongo had 31 wins with a 2.41 GAA and a .919 save percentage. But backup goalie Cory Schneider had 20 wins and a 1.96 GAA and a .937 save percentage, so Luongo is going to be on a very short leash. Offensively Vancouver finished 5th in the league in scoring so they can definitely put up some goals.
Head coach Alain Vigneault is going to have to do a good job of balancing the goalie situation. Vigneault will also be under the pressure due to the fact that the Canucks have won their second straight President’s trophy and anything short of the Cup will be a major disappointment.
Kings
Goalie Jonathan Quick will literally have to carry the Kings if they want to make it out of the first round. Quick had a monster year notching 35 wins and a 1.95 GGA to go along with .929 save % and a league best 10 shutouts.
But Los Angeles finished second to the last in the NHL in scoring. Three top scorers were Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams, and Dustin Brown who all had over 20 or more goals a piece. Former Flyer Mike Richards was their fourth leading scorer with just 18 goals and 26 assists. Kings lost 1-0 6 times during the regular season, and were shutout 10 times. Overall failed to provide Quick with support. Kings should get offensive support with Jeff Carter’s return.
Prediction: Canucks win in 5.
Western Conference Series 2: #2 St. Louis Blues vs #7 San Jose Sharks
Blues finished second in the west with 109 points. Ken Hitchcock has done an amazing job with this young Blues team. Hitchcock took over in early November and took a 6-7 team to a legit contender. Brian Elliot and Jaraslov Halak were a solid goalie duo in the regular season and will have to continue to play well in the playoffs. Blues need to focus on keeping games close, high scoring games could get them into trouble.
Sharks
Sharks are 29th in the league in penalty kills. Joe Thornton is going to be key for the Sharks to be a leader and a spark. San Jose is probably more of a threat offensively, but the Blues have the better goaltending and defense in front of them.
One thing to watch out for is the play of goalie Antti Niemi. Niemi played in 22 playoff games for Chicago in 2010, and 18 last year as the Sharks went to the conference finals. Niemi is a very good playoff goalie. Sharks need balanced scoring in order to win the series.
Prediction: Blues in 6.
Western Conference Series 3: #3 Phoenix Coyotes vs #6 Chicago Blackhawks
Goalie Mike Smith had an amazing year for the Coyotes 38 wins 2.21 GAA and .930 save % and 8 shutouts. Great big goalie, players play with confidence in front of him.
Blackhawks
Chicago had 106 points, more than the Coyotes 97. Goalie situation is shaky. Crawford and Ray Emery failed to really get starting spot, but Crawford will get the nod in the series. Chicago can put up some goals but will definitely have their hands full with Mike Smith in goal.
Prediction: Chicago in 7.
Western Conference Series 4: #4 Nashville Predators vs #5 Detroit Red Wings
Very strong goaltending in Pekke Rinne. Rinne had 43 wins this season. He also posted a 2.39 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. They have two strong defenders in Shea Weber and Ryan Sutter, great powerplay as well.
Red Wings
Have had a lot of injuries and struggles this year. Great at home during regular season but will have to get it done on the road as they don’t have home ice advantage. Red Wings can be described as a team searching for an identity right now. Goalie Jimmy Howard also had a very strong season.
Prediction: Detroit in 7.
Eastern Conference Series 1: #1 New York Rangers vs #8 Ottawa Senators
Finished first in the east with 109 points. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist is an absolute stud. He has the ability to steal games for the Rangers with his great play. Coach John Tortorella was fined for his comments about the Penguins, but he should have no problem pumping his team up. Rangers can’t get cocky and overlook Ottawa. Rangers have to pounce early, not let Ottawa think that they have a chance in the series.
Senators
Jason Spezza will have to play extremely well for Senators to have a shot at taking down the Rangers. Ottawa came in fourth in the league in scoring and if they can keep games close, they can definitely win some games with their great offensive ability.
There will be a lot of pressure on goalie Craig Anderson. 2.84 GAA, 33 wins, and .914 save %. If the Senators can get solid play from Anderson and lots of scoring from offense, they could make this an interesting series.
Prediction: Rangers in 6.
Bruins
Tim Thomas literally carried the Bruins to a Stanley Cup title last year. He will have to play extremely well again if the Bruins want to go deep into the playoffs. Bruins feature 6 20 goal scorers. Tied for second in the NHL for scoring. Boston has great defense and deep and balanced scoring which will make them tough to beat.
Capitals
Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin and Green all have to play well at the same time. Nick Backstrom’s return is crucial for the Caps. He compliments Ovechkin nicely and makes them a much more dangerous team.
Prediction: Boston in 5.
Eastern Conference Series 3: #3 Florida Panthers vs #6 New Jersey Devils
Finished with 94 points. Very tough first round matchup in the New Jersey Devils. Struggled down the end of the season. Jose Theodore will have to come up big for the Panthers as they really aren’t that much of an offensive threat. Finished 27th in the NHL in scoring.
Devils
Kovalchuck, Parise, and Clarkson 30 goal scorers, led the Devils to a 102 point season. They have a veteran goalie in Marty Brodeur who will soon turn 40. 3 time Stanley Cup champ. He still has potential left to play amazing. Defense can be good, but can also be inconsistent. Overall, offense will have to carry the Devils to the second round. Kovalchuck has to stay hot, and Brodeur has to be better than he was during the regular season.
Prediction: Devils in 5.
Click here to read my prediction for the Penguins Flyers series.
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