No. 1 New York Rangers (-900) vs. No. 8 Ottawa Senators (+550)
The Rangers didn’t secure the Presidents’ Trophy on the season’s final night. But when that’s the worst thing you can say about a team, they’ve had a pretty good year.
New York has the best goaltender in the game, Henrik Lundqvist (39-18-5), a fiery coach who has already won the Stanley Cup before, John Tortorella, and home-ice advantage over 14 of the 15 playoff teams in the tournament.
For now, it’s about stepping up, shaking off a slow finish and burying a team that, while talented, is truly in that “happy to be here” mode. Ottawa has gifted goal scorers in Milan Michalek (35), Jason Spezza (34), and Daniel Alfredsson (32) and a scoring machine on the backline in Erik Karlsson (78 points).
But this series is probably a little out of the Senators’ rent district. Ottawa lost three in a row to end the season and, though it had its way in the season series, the second season is a whole new game. Look for a big series from New York forward Marian Gaborik (76 points), who had three goals in his final five games.
Season series: 3-1 for the Senators
Pick: Rangers in five games
No. 2 Boston Bruins (-425) vs. No. 7 Washington Capitals (+320)
Braden Holtby, this is your life. The Capitals' third-string goaltender will be pressed into duty against the Stanley Cup champions, who just happen to have six players with 20 or more goals. No pressure there for a kid who was just 4-2-1 this season.
That’s the way the Bruins won it all last year. Without a true superstar up front, Boston coach Claude Julien threw out layer upon layer of depth, combined it with tremendous goaltending and, 25 games later, the Cup was theirs.
It will be more difficult this time. The East is better than it was last season - the Rangers are more experienced, the Penguins are healthier, the Devils are back, and the Flyers have a goaltender - so things likely won't break the way they did for Beantown last spring.
But the Capitals burned up an awful lot of fuel just making it to the postseason. And though Alex Ovechkin (38 goals) is streaking into the tournament, he doesn't have the playoff resume to pull off an upset here, especially with Washington's questions in net. The Capitals will put up a good fight but the Bruins should at least get out of Round 1.
Season series: 3-1 for the Capitals
Pick: Bruins in seven games
No. 3 Florida Panthers (+160) vs. No. 6 New Jersey Devils (-200)
There are plenty of ties to both sides and plenty of incentive, as well. New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer was let go by Florida a year ago. And Florida center John Madden and backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen are Devils’ castoffs. So, while it may not be the most glamorous matchup, it has its interesting storylines.
Florida is a gift No. 3 seed, by virtue of winning the subpar Southeast Division and New Jersey, with six wins to end the year, could be the hottest team in the East. But it goes beyond that. DeBoer has made the most of his average defense and allowed goaltender Martin Brodeur (31-21-4) and a stable of skilled forwards - Ilya Kovalchuk (83 points), Zach Parise (31 goals), Patrik Elias (78 points), and David Clarkson (30 goals) - to carry the club.
And while Florida can boast a great season out of goaltender Jose Theodore (three shutouts, 2.46 GAA), the facts remain that the Panthers have a rookie coach in Kevin Dineen and a leader in Stephen Weiss, who has never played a postseason game.
The Devils are a long way from their old Stanley Cup form and they will likely get bounced by the rival Rangers in the second round. But they are better than Florida on many levels.
Season series: Tied, 2-2
Pick: Devils in six games
No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins (-320) vs. No. 5 Philadelphia Flyers (+250)
This is the series that has the networks and advertisers drooling. There are stars on both sides of the ice, two quality goaltenders, and a pair of coaches who just don’t like each other.
The Battle of Pennsylvania should be a treat. The Penguins have the likely Hart Trophy winner in Evgeni Malkin (50 goals), and a still-on-his-way-back Sidney Crosby (22 games played), but NHL bettors should like the depth and drive of the Flyers.
The Flyers can come at you in waves, with the likes of Claude Giroux (93 points), Scott Hartnell (37 goals), Wayne Simmonds (49 points, 140 hits) and Jaromir Jagr (35 assists), and they back down to no one.
Though Philadelphia has missed injured forwards Danny Briere and James van Riemsdyk, the former may play before this series is said and done. Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov (33-16-7) doesn't have the finals appearances like Marc-Andre Fleury (42-17-4), but he has a stiffer defense in front of him.
Season series: 4-2 for the Flyers
Pick: Flyers in seven games
The Rangers didn’t secure the Presidents’ Trophy on the season’s final night. But when that’s the worst thing you can say about a team, they’ve had a pretty good year.
New York has the best goaltender in the game, Henrik Lundqvist (39-18-5), a fiery coach who has already won the Stanley Cup before, John Tortorella, and home-ice advantage over 14 of the 15 playoff teams in the tournament.
For now, it’s about stepping up, shaking off a slow finish and burying a team that, while talented, is truly in that “happy to be here” mode. Ottawa has gifted goal scorers in Milan Michalek (35), Jason Spezza (34), and Daniel Alfredsson (32) and a scoring machine on the backline in Erik Karlsson (78 points).
But this series is probably a little out of the Senators’ rent district. Ottawa lost three in a row to end the season and, though it had its way in the season series, the second season is a whole new game. Look for a big series from New York forward Marian Gaborik (76 points), who had three goals in his final five games.
Season series: 3-1 for the Senators
Pick: Rangers in five games
No. 2 Boston Bruins (-425) vs. No. 7 Washington Capitals (+320)
Braden Holtby, this is your life. The Capitals' third-string goaltender will be pressed into duty against the Stanley Cup champions, who just happen to have six players with 20 or more goals. No pressure there for a kid who was just 4-2-1 this season.
That’s the way the Bruins won it all last year. Without a true superstar up front, Boston coach Claude Julien threw out layer upon layer of depth, combined it with tremendous goaltending and, 25 games later, the Cup was theirs.
It will be more difficult this time. The East is better than it was last season - the Rangers are more experienced, the Penguins are healthier, the Devils are back, and the Flyers have a goaltender - so things likely won't break the way they did for Beantown last spring.
But the Capitals burned up an awful lot of fuel just making it to the postseason. And though Alex Ovechkin (38 goals) is streaking into the tournament, he doesn't have the playoff resume to pull off an upset here, especially with Washington's questions in net. The Capitals will put up a good fight but the Bruins should at least get out of Round 1.
Season series: 3-1 for the Capitals
Pick: Bruins in seven games
No. 3 Florida Panthers (+160) vs. No. 6 New Jersey Devils (-200)
There are plenty of ties to both sides and plenty of incentive, as well. New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer was let go by Florida a year ago. And Florida center John Madden and backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen are Devils’ castoffs. So, while it may not be the most glamorous matchup, it has its interesting storylines.
Florida is a gift No. 3 seed, by virtue of winning the subpar Southeast Division and New Jersey, with six wins to end the year, could be the hottest team in the East. But it goes beyond that. DeBoer has made the most of his average defense and allowed goaltender Martin Brodeur (31-21-4) and a stable of skilled forwards - Ilya Kovalchuk (83 points), Zach Parise (31 goals), Patrik Elias (78 points), and David Clarkson (30 goals) - to carry the club.
And while Florida can boast a great season out of goaltender Jose Theodore (three shutouts, 2.46 GAA), the facts remain that the Panthers have a rookie coach in Kevin Dineen and a leader in Stephen Weiss, who has never played a postseason game.
The Devils are a long way from their old Stanley Cup form and they will likely get bounced by the rival Rangers in the second round. But they are better than Florida on many levels.
Season series: Tied, 2-2
Pick: Devils in six games
No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins (-320) vs. No. 5 Philadelphia Flyers (+250)
This is the series that has the networks and advertisers drooling. There are stars on both sides of the ice, two quality goaltenders, and a pair of coaches who just don’t like each other.
The Battle of Pennsylvania should be a treat. The Penguins have the likely Hart Trophy winner in Evgeni Malkin (50 goals), and a still-on-his-way-back Sidney Crosby (22 games played), but NHL bettors should like the depth and drive of the Flyers.
The Flyers can come at you in waves, with the likes of Claude Giroux (93 points), Scott Hartnell (37 goals), Wayne Simmonds (49 points, 140 hits) and Jaromir Jagr (35 assists), and they back down to no one.
Though Philadelphia has missed injured forwards Danny Briere and James van Riemsdyk, the former may play before this series is said and done. Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov (33-16-7) doesn't have the finals appearances like Marc-Andre Fleury (42-17-4), but he has a stiffer defense in front of him.
Season series: 4-2 for the Flyers
Pick: Flyers in seven games
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