And then there were 8!

Here are my updated NHL playoff predictions with the remaining 8 teams and their matchups...

Montreal Vs. Philadelphia

Montreal seemed to have a harder time with Boston than I or perhaps anyone expected, but they managed to pull through, I don't think that they will have as hard of time with Philly though and should win this series in 6. They key for Montreal is to keep playing tight defense and as long as Carey Price keeps stopping shots like he has been in net, they should be fine, their offense is doing well and they have a large range of guys who can score.

Pittsburgh Vs. New York Rangers

Both Pittsburgh and NYR have had decent rest after their first series wins, so that may be a huge factor, I think that the Pens will greatly benefit from the rest and have their lineup in full tact to take on a team that they had some struggles with during the regular season. The Rangers are also looking like they are healthy and productive with guys like Gomez, Avery, Straka, and Jagr all producing well for them, so it will certainly be a tough matchup for the Pens, especially as the Rangers have one of the best goalies in the league: Henrik Lundquist. But that doesn't mean that they can't be stopped either and with Fleury playing well and guys like Hossa finally getting some confidence look for the Pens to clinch in 6.

Detroit Vs. Colorado

Detroit and Colorado both struggled in their first round matchups, way more than anyone though. Detroit pulled out all the stops though towards the end with Nashville as they replaced Hasek with Osgood in net and that proved to be just the ticket they needed to stop Nashville, the same will go true for this series as well. Colorado looked to their veteran players to win their series against Minnesota, but don't think that those 'old guys' will save them from a well-oiled matchine like the Red Wings. Detroit in 5.

San Jose Vs. Dallas

San Jose barely made it to this round after going to a game 7 with Calgary and that series was brutal! It was a super-aggressive matchup, but the Sharks found their way after going down early in the series and recovered to win out the series. Dallas utterly detroyed last years defending Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks and sent them home earlier than anyone could have guessed, but Dallas was a strong team all year round and had the momentum going their way. They were producing offensively with guys like Morrow, Ribeiro and Ott, which helped keep the pressure off a very solid Marty Turco in net. This series will certainly be a tough one for both teams, so look for this to go all 7, but San Jose will inevitable win out.


If these predictions hold true, then the next series looks like this:

Pittsburgh Vs. Montreal

San Jose Vs. Detroit