This article is part of our Neutral Zone Wrap series.
That loud noise you hear is the sound of thousands of brackets crying. While a select few are basking in the glow of success, many have seen their early predictions ripped to shreds. But, hey, that's playoff hockey.
While I didn't fare too poorly on the opening series (correctly selected six of eight), I struck out big time by hanging all my hopes on St. Louis. Heck, I figured Minnesota would be the Blues' toughest opponent on their Cup run, but I didn't expect the Blues would fold so easily. Was it a mistake to start debutante Jake Allen every game? (And as a more important fantasy question, will this performance hurt his value for next season?)
Winnipeg might have been the darling darkhorse, but it couldn't hold up against Anaheim. Vancouver's defense was repeatedly exposed by Calgary. Chicago managed to deflect its goalie problems by being outscored by Nashville (21 to 19), yet still progressed. Ottawa could only battle so hard before it found out the Price wasn't right. Lightning struck Detroit twice to send Tampa through. Two superstars do not make a team, as the Rangers implemented a unified concept to perplex Pittsburgh. And who would've imagined Washington could outgrit the Islanders?
Next up, the upstart Flames head south to hunt some Ducks. The Wild and Hawks renew their rivalry for a second straight season. The Bolts bolt across the border to meet the Habs. And the Rangers look to fend off a confident Caps contingent.
SECOND ROUND
That loud noise you hear is the sound of thousands of brackets crying. While a select few are basking in the glow of success, many have seen their early predictions ripped to shreds. But, hey, that's playoff hockey.
While I didn't fare too poorly on the opening series (correctly selected six of eight), I struck out big time by hanging all my hopes on St. Louis. Heck, I figured Minnesota would be the Blues' toughest opponent on their Cup run, but I didn't expect the Blues would fold so easily. Was it a mistake to start debutante Jake Allen every game? (And as a more important fantasy question, will this performance hurt his value for next season?)
Winnipeg might have been the darling darkhorse, but it couldn't hold up against Anaheim. Vancouver's defense was repeatedly exposed by Calgary. Chicago managed to deflect its goalie problems by being outscored by Nashville (21 to 19), yet still progressed. Ottawa could only battle so hard before it found out the Price wasn't right. Lightning struck Detroit twice to send Tampa through. Two superstars do not make a team, as the Rangers implemented a unified concept to perplex Pittsburgh. And who would've imagined Washington could outgrit the Islanders?
Next up, the upstart Flames head south to hunt some Ducks. The Wild and Hawks renew their rivalry for a second straight season. The Bolts bolt across the border to meet the Habs. And the Rangers look to fend off a confident Caps contingent.
SECOND ROUND
Western Conference
Anaheim (P1) vs. Calgary (P3) (Season series: Anaheim 4-1)
Who to watch:Jakob Silfverberg (six points, plus-5) was just born for the postseason. Patrick Maroon (three, including two on the power-play) is getting more opportunities while Andrew Cogliano (four, plus-4) and Rickard Rakell (scored the winner in Game 3) are earning praise. If Sami Vatanen (five, plus-4) qualifies as Option A, then Hampus Lindholm (three assists) is a mighty fine Option B. Unlike last year, there is no dispute with Frederik Andersen (2.20 GAA, .924 SV%, played every minute in Round 1) as the clear starter ... While the first unit is on fire (combining for 17 points), Calgary can't complain about secondary scoring. David Jones was decent (30 in 67) but stepped it up to start (two goals, three assists). Micheal Ferland came out of nowhere to shine in Game 5 (three) but also achieved overall worth (21 PIM). The future is already now for Sam Bennett (two goals, assist), and he hardly looks out of place. It may be easy to forget about T.J. Brodie (four) without Mark Giordano but the Chatham native is leading in ice time (at 27:10 a pop). Former Duck Jonas Hiller (2.20 GAA, .931 SV% in six appearances) will get the nod over Karri Ramo (2.11 GAA, .905 SV% in two), even though the former got yanked early in the game that got them here.
Prediction: The Ducks might have been able to roll over the Jets, but they'll find the Flames a formidable opponent. Two strong attacks will clash, leaving the result fall before the netminders. The extra rest will benefit the 2007 champs, as they'll need all available resources to handle a speedy Calgary lineup. The Prairie boys may be hungry, but their plates will be empty when the final whistle blows ... Anaheim in seven.
Chicago (C3) vs. Minnesota (W1) (Season series: Chicago 3-2)
Who to watch:Patrick Sharp (five, 24 SOG) woke up as he usually does this time of year. Ditto for Brad Richards (three in two), albeit in a smaller capacity. Andrew Shaw (no points) is still a regular on the man-advantage, but he's making a living in another department (32 PIM). Congrats to Niklas Hjalmarsson (goal, assist) on hitting 100 playoff games. Corey Crawford (4.19 GAA, .850 SV% in three) was in net for their last title, so Scott Darling (2.21 GAA, .936 SV% in five) will have to wait ... Mikael Granlund (five, plus-4) has enjoyed centering Zach Parise (leading with seven). Nino Niederreiter (four, 14 hits) continues the evolution of his game. Chris Stewart (two) likes to use his body to fend off opponents, but it would be nice if he took more offensive opportunities (only five SOG). Mathew Dumba (one PPG) may serve as the flashy type, but Marco Scandella (three, plus-5, 11 blocked shots) is more of the dependable variety. With all the mileage Devan Dubnyk (2.32 GAA, .913 SV%) has logged (started 46 of the last 47), it's difficult to envision anyone else between the pipes.
Prediction: Dubnyk has been the savior since arriving in January so it'll be interesting to see how he holds up after a few shaky moments versus St. Louis. All that youth against all that experience. It will be difficult for the Wild to relax, though the Blackhawks have to weather their own concerns. In the end, the same pattern will follow for Minnesota: the highs of consecutive first-round upsets, the lows of crashing back to Earth ... Chicago in six.
Eastern Conference
Montreal (A1) vs. Tampa Bay (A2) (Season series: Tampa Bay 5-0)
Who to watch: It's all about the role players for Montreal. And the Habs didn't have to pay much for either Torrey Mitchell (seventh-round pick) or Brian Flynn (fifth-round pick) at the trade deadline (and each have three points). Dale Weise (two goals, including the Game 3 decider) had his tour on the first line but has settled nicely on a checking unit. Without Nathan Beaulieu (upper-body injury), Greg Pateryn (two assists) has filled in with adequate numbers. All the superlatives have already been heaped on Carey Price (1.94 GAA .939 SV%), but his greatest quality might be his perpetually calm demeanor ... Nothing has changed at the top, seeing how Tyler Johnson (six goals, assist) has continued to outshine Steven Stamkos (three assists). Aside from the Triplets, Alex Killorn (four) is the next best option up front. Rookie Nikita Nesterov (three, with two on the PP) is getting to showcase his talent while veteran Jason Garrison (goal, assist in four) returned at the perfect time. Despite his detractors, Ben Bishop (1.87 GAA, .922 SV%) can really fill a net and generally looks effortless doing so.
Prediction: Tampa scraped by Detroit and only have one day to recover. Ottawa also made life difficult for Montreal, which sport a few lingering love bites. The reality is Bishop hasn't looked entirely sharp, the team is exhausted, and Price is an emotionless robot who is virtually unbeatable. To heck with the season series, it'll be ... Montreal in six.
New York Rangers (M1) vs. Washington (M2) (Season series: NY Rangers 3-1)
Who to watch: Speed demon Carl Hagelin (three in three) is more confident thanks to an increase in responsibility. Kevin Hayes (one) has received the same boost, though the results have turned out different. Tough blow for Mats Zuccarello (undisclosed head ailment, out indefinitely), which will allow J.T. Miller (one in five after 15 in 18 in the AHL) advanced status. He may not be the power-play specialist anymore, but Dan Girardi (three assists with 23 blocked shots) can still be of service. The nearly two months Henrik Lundqvist (1.53 GAA, .939 SV%) was sidelined probably prevented him from notching another Vezina nomination ... It took nearly two seasons, but Evgeny Kuznetsov (three goals, assist) has blossomed into a lethal weapon. Late-spring heroics have become commonplace for Joel Ward (goal, three assists). Jason Chimera may be 35, but he can find the scoreline (four) almost as much as he can dish out the punishment (21 hits). Maybe Matt Niskanen (three assists, averaging 23:16) isn't the bust the regular season made him out to be. Don't get your hopes up over Karl Alzner (two goals, assist), whose stats will never be in the club's upper (or even middle) echelon. Braden Holtby (1.63 GAA, .943 SV%) has been ridden hard since October yet he only seems to be improving.
Prediction: Once again, the Rangers managed to squeak by offensively (12th in scoring with 2.2 goals per game), though the Caps didn't fare much better (2.29). It's no surprise New York's blueline is more disciplined than Washington's (and we're not strictly talking goals against). To dethrone a King, a lot of effort is required. Unfortunately, the Caps don't quite have enough in them to finish the job ... Rangers in seven.
CONN SMYTHE CANDIDATES
It may be slightly premature to project Conn Smythe candidates, but here's my top-5 heading into the second stage. As usual, goalies dominate the field:
1. Carey Price
2. Henrik Lundqvist
3. Tyler Johnson
4. Zach Parise
5. Frederik Andersen
Can the upcoming couple weeks match the previous stretch in terms of excitement and tension? You'll just have to wait and see. And then we'll return to prep you for the Conference Finals.
