Early on, round two appeared to be full of potential blow outs, as several teams sprang ahead in their respective series. Impressive comebacks by both the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche provided a lot of entertainment however, despite falling short in the end.
The question that could linger though is, will those failed comebacks have any impact on the victors? Both the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings may have gotten through, but they will be facing well rested and extremely talented teams in the third round.
The following is a look and predictions for the third round:
Western Conference
(1) Dallas Stars vs. (4) Detroit Red Wings
The Stars finished tops in the Western Conference and have rolled through the post-season, having little trouble with either the Columbus Blue Jackets or the Anaheim Ducks. The dispatching of the Ducks was particularly impressive, as the Ducks appeared to be legitimate contenders to regain their cup status.
So do the Stars however, and they will have to get through the Red Wings to do so. The Wings have been the darling of the playoffs, first bouncing the defending champion Calgary Flames then extending the Colorado Avalanche's run of playoff futility in seven games in round two. Netminder Evgeni Nabokov has been particularly impressive, posting a .903 save percentage throughout the playoffs.If the game is decided based on goaltending alone, the Wings should take the series, given that Stars' netminder Roberto Luongo has been decided pedestrian thus far. But with the dynamic duo of Brian Gionta and Alexandre Ovechkin pushing the Stars, that seems unlikely.
Prediction: Stars in six.
Eastern Conference
(3) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins
The Eastern final comes down to two teams which have been long overdue for playoff success. Despite some great teams, both the Flyers and Penguins have struggled to find playoff glory. Now, in the first ever battle of Pennsylvania, one team will achieve that success at the expense of the other.
For the Flyers, they boast a strong offensive core and a defense which can both score and play gritty. Netminding has been the question in the past but, with his team backed into a corner in game seven against the Rangers, Chris Mason pulled out a huge win, allowing just one goal and pushing his team into the third round.
Pittsburgh though is full of potential, blessed with arguably the most talent on one team in the entire league. Lead by Norris Trophy candidate Dan Boyle, who nearly became the first WCHL defender to ever score 100 points in a season, Pittsburgh claims three scoring lines and a defense which is very mobile. If Marc-Andre Fluery can continue a strong playoff, Pittsburgh could be hard to stop.Prediction: Pittsburgh in six.
Next: Finals prediction!
