Second Round Playoff Matchups:
Eastern Conference
Boston Bruins (1) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)
- The Bruins players are glad to finally know who they are playing in Round 2. Boston also knows they’ve had great success against Carolina this season. Speaking of the Hurricanes, Bruins defenseman Aaron Ward knows a lot about that organization. If you didn’t know, Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference leads an interesting life off the ice. Will this round make Whalers jerseys more visible in Boston?
- “The difference in Jersey and Boston is that Boston doesn’t have a set checking line. … They have enough depth that they can just run their lines,” said coach Paul Maurice. More talk about Aaron Ward and Carolina.
Washington Capitals (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)
- PTI’s Michael Wilbon says the Capitals/Penguins series is the main event for NHL fans. Let the all-time comparisons begin, writes Dan Daly. Expect some of the moves Bruce Boudreau made at the end of Round 1 to stay the same. “They’re a much different team, as was New York. It is going to be tough. There’s no doubt,” says Boudreau.
- Bill Guerin is loving playing with the youthful and talented Penguins. Coach Dan Bylsma hints that you won’t see Petr Sykora and Miroslav Satan dressed for the same game. For all the hype about the superstars, the Capitals’ season is probably more dependent on the play of Simeon Varlamov than Alexander Ovechkin.
Western Conference
Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)
- Red Wings fans are pretty intense. There are no secrets between these two teams. Dave Dye tells us that this series will see the top two defense units in the NHL up against each other. Here is Dye’s series preview.
- In a usual request regarding the Ducks, the team needs to cut down on its penalties if it wants to win Round 2. “It’s just enough time to heal the body, but not lose sight of what we want, why we’re here. You get to clear your head for a day,” said Ducks winger Corey Perry.
Vancouver Canucks (3) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)
- Veterans Pavol Demitra and Mats Sundin will be relied upon to carry the load behind the Sedins this series, explains Ben Kuzma. If the Canucks were happy to get the Blackhawks in Round 2 instead of Detroit, they may come to regret that. Apparently there is already some mutual hatred between these two sides. Will Roberto Luongo feel the effect of the long layoff?
- Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune breaks down every aspect of the series. If you don’t remember, Duncan Keith and Alex Burrows hate each other. Here’s how the four games between the two teams turned out during the regular season. The two netminders in this series could make it a low-scoring battle.
Teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs:
- Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch says the Blue Jackets’ announcers deserve an answer on their future.
- Mike Richards is going to have surgery on both shoulders in the next two weeks, but he is making no excuses.
- “This result should sting and it should piss everybody off,” said Sharks GM Doug Wilson. “You can’t just go to Costco and pick it up,” said coach Todd McLellan about grit and toughness. “The fact is, it is tough being a Bay Area sports fan these days.
- Remember earlier this season when Manny Legace was a Blue?
- Make no mistake, John Tortorella will have a hand in the Rangers’ personnel decisions this summer. Michael Obernauer of the NY Daily News says Nikolai Zherdev is unlikely to return to Broadway next season. Larry Brooks suggests the Rangers go after Martin St. Louis or Alexander Radulov to help compliment Scott Gomez.
- Forget your goaltending worries Devils fans, the team needs a number one defenseman, writes Mark Everson. Don’t expect any rash decisions from Lou Lamoriello.
Teams that did not make the playoffs:
- I linked this last night, but if you didn’t catch it, the Coyotes are apparently being run by the NHL. Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star sheds some new light on the matter.
