2nd Round Playoff Thoughts

The first round of the NHL playoffs was so good, what's the point of having a break. Nashville at Vancouver kicks things off tonight.

I went 5 for 8 in my predictions for the first round, and even got the amount of games right for Tampa Bay and San Jose. But my Stanley Cup pick, the Ducks are out. I'm not bother going to pick another Stanley Cup winner now, but just make my picks round by round.

Vancouver vs Nashville
My pick: Vancouver in 7

Could the Canucks take the Preds lightly? I hope not, cause Nashville will be tougher than Chicago. I think the goalies and defence cancel each other in this series. The Sedins and Kesler have to be way better for the Canucks to move on.

San Jose vs Detroit
My pick: Detroit in 6

Detroit really impressed me the way they crushed the Coyotes without Zetterberg. It's just another example why Mike Babcock is probably the best coach in hockey. Sometimes you just have to go with experience and there's no team in the playoffs with more experience than Detroit.

Washington vs Tampa Bay
My Pick: Washington in 6.

If the Caps can improve on their strong defensive effort against the Rangers over to the series with the Lightning, then I think they should have no problem. The Caps are a really scary team in my eyes if they play solid 2 way hockey.

Philadelphia vs Boston
My Pick: Boston in 7.

In my eyes this will be the best series this round. After last year, you know the Bruins will be ready for revenge. With both teams playing a fast hard hitting series, this will make for some exciting hockey. I think the goalies will be key, and if Tim Thomas plays like it's the regular season, the Bruins will come out on top.

Can the second round be better than the first? Probably not, but I'm still looking forward to it.