Every single April 16 NHL teams start out hoping for a chance to win the Stanley Cup, or for some teams just win a series. This year both of my teams that I usually cheer for, Toronto and Calgary, are out. So in this blog I’m going to predict what is going to happen in the playoffs, that’s right all the way thru to the Finals.

So let’s start in the East. The President Trophy (most points in the Regular Season) winning Washington Capitals are facing the 8^th placed Montreal Canadiens, I think that even thou with a 2-1-1 record each, Washington will come out on top in five or six games. I think this mainly because of their finess, intensity and all around, they are probably the most exciting team to watch. Oh ya, they’ve also got the Alexander Ovechkin.

For the 2^nd vs. 7^th Matchup, I believe that the New Jersey Devils will get upset by the Philadelphia Flyers in a six game series. I think that the Flyers will win because they have dominated the Devils every time they played them in the season ending with a 5-1-0 record against them.

In the 3 vs. 6, I think that the Boston Bruins will win a couple of early games, because of being hot coming into the playoffs, but then the Sabers will win it in a weird and wacky seven game series.

Now for the final series in the Eastern Conference First Round, I think that the 4^th seeded Pittsburgh Penguins will take the series in six games from the Ottawa Senators, falling behind at first but winning four straight quickly like the Bruins vs. Sabers series.

So there are my first round Eastern Conference Series picks for me, next week I will predict the Western Conference first rounds. I’m just going to come out and say it, I think that although the Eastern Conference will be cool to watch, I think that they will not win the Stanley Cup. Now I won’t reveal my winner just yet. Comment at the bottom please about my picks.

I commented on Brendan’s Blog this week.