NHL Round 2 Predictions

The battle for the Stanly Cup resumes tonight as Round 2 begins. One thing I've found over the years is that every new series is unique and it is always a mistake to read too much into how a team played in the prior round. Because, no matter how badly a team might look to have played, they did win the series. With that in mind, here are my predictions:

Eastern Conference

New York Rangers v. Ottawa Senators -  Ottawa can certainly put the puck in the net, while Henrik Lundqvist was outstanding in the defeat of the Canadiens. Ottawa relies so much on Erik Karlsson for both offense and defense, logging over 70 minutes of ice time in just the last two games of the Bruin series. But Karlsson has two hairline fractures in his ankle and just doesn't have the quick jump that he had all season. I think the ranger depth will wear Karlsson and the Ottawa defense down and Henrik Lundqvist will do the rest.  Rangers in 6.

Washington Capitals v. Pittsburgh Penguins - This really should be the conference final as the two top point leaders are going head-to-head. I expect the Capitals to be far better than they were against Toronto. Braden Holtby will lift his game. And the Penguins will miss Kris LeTang on defense. This should be an awesome, brutal series. Caps in 7.

Western Conference

St. Louis Blues v. Nashville Predators - Nashville looked unbeatable in their sweep of the Hawks and St. Louis is clearly a team with a lot of momentum. Both Jake Allen for the Blues and Pekka Rinne for the Preds have been outstanding and the difference in this series may come down to which one can steal a game for their team. Nashville, however, just looks like a team on a mission. Predators in 6;

Anaheim Ducks v. Edmonton Oilers - As in the East, this series should also be the conference final. This will be a study in contrasts. The Oilers are the brash, young, talented newcomers while the Ducks are the wily, grizzled, veteran team. The matchup will be the Ducks defensive specialist Ryan Kesler's line versus the flashy Oiler superstar Connor McDavid. But the more important matchup will probably be the Ducks tandem of John Gibson and Jonathan Bernier versus the Oilers Cam Talbot. And Talbot will be the difference for Edmonton. Oilers in 7;