The aura of MLB Opening Day has hardly worn off, but with an entire summer of baseball ahead, I want to show North America's other pastime some love. For NHL fans, April is a glorious month of sporting spectacle, including last-gasp playoff pushes, award debates and seemingly 'round-the-clock coverage of postseason play. So, ladies and gents, lace up your skates, throw on your hockey sweaters - even if it is 70 degrees outside - and allow me to walk you through the first round, best-of-seven matchups of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Eastern Conference:\nNo. 1. Washington Capitals (54-15-13) vs. No. 8. Montreal Canadiens (39-33-10)\nThis is a no-brainer. The Caps won the President's Trophy with an NHL-best 121 points, while the dilapidated Canadiens backed into the playoffs - and almost missed them entirely - thanks to a three-game losing streak. Washington paced the league on the back of another MVP-caliber season from Alex Ovechkin, who finished second in total points (109) and goals (50). Conversely, Montreal's own sniper, winger Mike Cammalleri, managed just two assists in nine games since returning from injury. Although Montreal plays a conservative, trapping style of defense and relies on the .924 save percentage of goaltender Jaroslav Halak, the Capitals will try to score early and often to ease the pressure on veteran netminder and ex-Hab Jose Theodore, who finished the season on fire (20-0-3). Prediction: Capitals in five.
No. 2. New Jersey Devils (48-27-7) vs. No. 7. Philadelphia Flyers (41-35-6)\nThe Devils' advantage in wins and points suggests another massive mismatch on paper, but don't be fooled. The Flyers owned the season series against New Jersey, 5-1, won a do-or-die season finale against the Rangers and are much better than their record indicates. That being said, the Devils have perennial Vezina Trophy candidate Martin Brodeur and his NHL-best 45 wins in net, while Philly fields uninspiring emergency netminder Brian Boucher. If defenseman Chris Pronger and the Flyers' third-ranked power play can't set the physical tone for the series, the Devils' own scoring unit featuring stars Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk will run rings around Boucher. Prediction: Devils in seven.
No. 3. Buffalo Sabres (45-27-10) vs. No. 6. Boston Bruins (39-30-13)\nLike Philly, Boston barely scraped into the postseason yet dominated the season series against the favored Sabres, 3-1. Both are gritty teams that love to grind out ugly wins. Backstopping Buffalo is U.S. Olympic hero Ryan Miller, who stole American hearts when he almost stole a win from Canada in the gold-medal game. Miller ranks second in the NHL with a 2.22 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. The one goalie he trails in both categories is the Bruins' Tuukka Rask, whose 1.97 and .931 marks repeatedly rescued an anemic Boston offense that ranked last in goals scored. The series will showcase two talented, towering blue liners - Buffalo rookie Tyler Myers and Boston's Zdeno Chara. Expect a tight, well-coached and low-scoring affair that could go either way. Prediction: Sabres in seven.
No. 4. Pittsburgh Penguins (47-28-7) vs. No. 5. Ottawa Senators (44-32-6)\nThe Steel City won last year's Cup, but during his first full year as Penguins coach, Dan Bylsma has struggled to elicit the elite level of play of last year's champions consistently. The Pens finished with 101 points but ambled to a mediocre 5-4-1 regular season finish. Likewise, the streaky Senators won a franchise-best 11 straight but also endured multiple five-game losing streaks. With a league-best 51 goals, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will look to light the lamp repeatedly against the Senators' netminder, Brian Elliot. The series should hinge on the forward play of Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin and Ottawa's Jason Spezza - both proven playoff scorers having uncharacteristically ordinary seasons. If either finds his scoring touch early, his team will be heavily favored to advance. Prediction: Penguins in six.
Western Conference:\nNo. 1. San Jose Sharks (51-20-11) vs. No. 8. Colorado Avalanche (43-30-9)\nPerennial playoff underachievers, the Sharks nevertheless could be forgiven for looking past their first-round matchup with Colorado. San Jose led the West with 113 points and boasts a formidable forward line of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley that combined for 103 goals and 151 assists, and is arguably the postseason's deepest and most talented hockey team. While the Sharks sprinted to an 8-1-1 finish, the Avalanche stumbled across the finish line with a 3-5-2 record. Colorado gained respect and defied hockey pundits just by reaching the postseason, but a roster full of inexperienced young guns like Team USA center Paul Stastny means the Avalanche must wait another year to make a deep Cup run. Prediction: Sharks in five.
No. 2. Chicago Blackhawks (52-22-8) vs. No. 7. Nashville Predators (47-29-6)\nThe Blackhawks just missed the West's top seed and will be eager to build on their most successful regular season in franchise history. Chicago holds a 4-2 season edge against the Preds, but the matchup is essentially the tale of two 'tenders. Nashville simply can't compete with the offensive firepower of Chicago's Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, but the Predators do boast a sizeable goalie advantage in the proven Pekka Rinne. Chicago counters by thrusting the comparatively untested Antti Niemi into the playoff goalie role that has been the team's Achilles heel all season. Rinne must stand on his head for the Predators to have a fighting chance, but expect some shaky Blackhawks goaltending to make things interesting. Prediction: Blackhawks in six.
No. 3. Vancouver Canucks (49-28-5) vs. No. 6. Los Angeles Kings (46-27-9)\nBoasting a Northwest Division title and NHL point leader Henrik Sedin, the Canucks should be brimming with confidence, especially against a Los Angeles team that they dominated 3-1 during the regular season. Nevertheless, the Kings - led by winger Anze Kopitar's breakout 81-point season - are a trendy upset pick despite question marks in net. Playoff goaltending is always crucial, and the Canucks have a sizeable advantage in Roberto Luongo, who backstopped Team Canada to Olympic gold. The Kings' season starter and Team USA backup, Jonathan Quick, finished the season with eight straight losses and hasn't won since March 22. Unless the youthful Quick can make a rapid return to his pre-Olympic form, Vancouver should advance with ease. Prediction: Canucks in five.
No. 4. Phoenix Coyotes (50-25-7) vs. No. 5. Detroit Red Wings (44-24-14)\nAlas, a cruel twist of fate from the hockey gods! The Cinderella-story Coyotes defied their defeat-plagued past and uncertain financial future to win 50 games on 107 points. Midseason injuries and uninspired play saw the Red Wings uncharacteristically out of the playoff picture. The teams split their season series 2-2, but sizzling Detroit now sports an NHL-best 16-3-2 record since the Olympics, has forward Johan Franzen healthy and is always an intimidating foe by virtue of its unrivalled hockey pedigree. Phoenix counters with suffocating defense and stellar goaltending from Ilya Bryzgalov, but it won't matter, as the Coyotes' Hollywood story will meet an abrupt end in Hockeytown. Prediction: Red Wings in six.
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