Playoffs Part Two

And now for the West matchups

1 San Jose vs 8 Anaheim
This should be a dandy of a playoff matchup and should be the test San Jose needs to prove themselves worthy of being a Cup contender. Too bad it has to happen in the first round. Anaheim always has that special place in my hockey heart because of past years and I always cheer for them. Although they are missing a huge part of their last Cup win (Pahlson and Moen) they still have a very experience and solid team. San Jose has constantly disapointed in past playoffs, but with Boyle and Blake on D now, they should be able to handle any team. However, Hiller has been hot for the Ducks and Nabokov has been...well...Nabokov. And that is not a compliment. With studying both teams, I gotta stick with my teams.
Anaheim in 7

2 Detroit vs 7 Columbus
One huge Detroit fan that I know said that the only team he didn't really want to face in the first round was Columbus, because they always seem to find a way to beat them. Although I am not a Detroit supporter (at all), its hard to bet against them in this round. Columbus will get some valuable experience and will get to see how a great coach changes his team into a playoff team. While Detroit's weakness lies in net, it wont be enough to send Detroit packing
Detroit in 6 (with Mason stealing a game or two)

3 Vancouver vs 6 St. Louis
Both teams came up huge down the stretch which makes this series interesting. However, Vancouver finally has a second line and some pretty good grinders, which will make the difference in this series. Their defense is good, and if you get by them, you got to face Roberto, who will be out to prove he can handle the pressure. (Which I'm sure he can)
Vancouver in 6

4 Chicago vs 5 Calgary
Another great series with two evenly matched teams...if Calgary was healthy. If Calgary wasn't so cleaned out, I think they would handle Chicago easily. However, with the injuries they have, its going to be a great series. I like both teams, and its rough to see one knocked out in the first round.
Calgary in 7


Who knows how it'll work out. Hockey has become very unpredictable but its still fun to try!