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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Eastern Conference playoff preview - USA TODAY

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Eastern Conference playoff preview - USA TODAY
Apr 11th 2012, 00:53

  • Henrik Lundqvist has been the NHL's top goalie this season and goaltending wins in the playoffs.

    By Brace Hemmelgarn, US Presswire

    Henrik Lundqvist has been the NHL's top goalie this season and goaltending wins in the playoffs.

By Brace Hemmelgarn, US Presswire

Henrik Lundqvist has been the NHL's top goalie this season and goaltending wins in the playoffs.

USA TODAY Sports hockey reporter Kevin Allen sizes up the first round of the NHL Eastern Conference playoffs.

No. 1 New York Rangers (51-24-7) vs. No. 8 Ottawa Senators (41-31-10)

Story line: The Rangers were the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed for most of the season; the Senators were among the conference's big surprises.

Season series: Ottawa won three of the four games

Goaltenders: New York's Henrik Lundqvist (39-18-5, 1.97 goals-against average, .930 save percentage vs. Ottawa's Craig Anderson (33-22-6, 2.84, .914). Lundqvist is having his best NHL season, and Anderson has solidified Ottawa's goaltending. Anderson, 30, has six games of NHL playoff experience. Lundqvist, 30, has 35.

X factor: Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson has game-changing ability with his ability to rush the puck like a modern-day Paul Coffey. The Rangers will have to spend considerable energy trying to keep him bottled up.

Why the Rangers should be favored

1. With a blue collar, hard-work approach, the Rangers seem built for the playoffs. They block shots. They compete hard. They have everyone on the oars.

2. Lundqvist is the league's best goalie, and aren't the playoffs suppose to be about goaltending?

3. Coach John Tortorella seems to be able to will his team to victories.

What the Senators need to do to upset the Rangers

The Senators played confidently against New York this season, and they can afford to play an aggressive game because the Rangers' power play has struggled all season. With Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson going well, the Sens can measure up to Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik. The Senators have surprised us all season. Why not one more time?

Prediction: This is probably where GM Glen Sather hoped the Rangers would be when they signed Richards last summer. Take the Rangers in six games, but expect it to be more of a struggle than New York fans will want.

No. 2 Boston Bruins (49-29-4) vs. No. 7 Washington Capitals (42-32-8)

Story line: Boston, trying to become the first team to repeat in 14 years, faces a team that needed a late run to make the playoffs.

Season series: Washington won three of four games.

Goaltenders: Boston's Tim Thomas (35-19-1, 2.36, .920) vs. Washington rookie Braden Holtby (4-2-1, 2.49, .922). Holtby is 22, and he has 14 wins in his NHL career. Thomas is 37 and won last year's Conn Smythe and Vezina trophies. Washington's veteran goalies, Tomas Vokoun (groin) and Michal Neuvirth (lower body), are injured. Neuvirth could return during the series.

X factor: Boston center Patrice Bergeron is considered a star more by his peers than by fans. He's among the league's best faceoff artists, and he's a relentless defensive player. He led the NHL in plus-minus rating.

Why the Bruins should be favored

1. They're an impressively well-balanced team: second in goals, third in shots, fifth in goals against.

2. The Bruins should have a significant advantage in net. To understand the advantage, just remember the save Thomas made on then-Tampa Bay Lightning player Steve Downie in last year's playoffs.

3. Zdeno Chara is one of the few defensemen who can handle Alex Ovechkin one-on-one.

What the Capitals need to do to upset the Bruins

Be the force they were expected to be last October, not the inconsistent team they were the first five months of the season. They need Ovechkin to be Ovechkin circa 2008-09. They also need center Nicklas Backstrom, recently returned from a concussion, to have an exceptional series. The Capitals look elite when Backstrom owns the puck.

Prediction: The Bruins just need to change the year on the blueprint. If they dictate the tempo, they win this series in five games.

No. 3 Florida Panthers (38-26-18) vs. No. 6 New Jersey Devils (48-28-6)

Story line: The Devils are a quality team masquerading as a lower seed. They are probably the sleeper of the playoff pool, and they are going up against a Cinderella team making its first trip to the ball since 2000.

Season series: Each team won twice.

Goaltenders: Florida's Jose Theodore (22-16-11, 2.46, .917) vs. New Jersey's Martin Brodeur (31-21-4, 2.41, .908). Brodeur has a bushel of playoff wins, but he hasn't won a playoff series since 2006-07. At 39, Brodeur might be looking at his final run at the Cup. Theodore is 19-28 lifetime as a playoff goalie.

X factor: New Jersey wing Ilya Kovalchuk's 310 shots were the most he has had since 2006-07. He's always a short burst away from being on a breakaway. He's the most dangerous player in the series.

Why the Devils should be favored

1. General manager Lou Lamoriello seems to have done it again, piecing together another team that seems more proficient than the sum of its parts. The Devils were among the league's best teams at the end of the season.

2. The scoring depth is better than you think. The Devils have eight forwards with 14 or more goals.

3. Left wing Patrik Elias has long been one of the league's most underrated players. At 35, he is essentially a point-per-game producer and a Selke Trophy-quality defensive forward.

What the Panthers need to do to upset the Devils

Get a big series from Kris Versteeg and Stephen Weiss. They combined for six goals and 11 points in the five games. Florida was in every game this season, but the Panthers will have to reach a much higher level to be competitive in this series. They also need their goaltender to be the series' best player to advance.

Prediction: Isn't this Devils team starting to remind you of those championship New Jersey teams that just knew how to win? Take the Devils in five games.

No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins (51-25-6) vs. No. 5 Philadelphia Flyers (47-26-9)

Story line: This series seems to have a 1970s style vibe, with fans expecting a rock 'em-sock 'em confrontation between bitter rivals. But this is a matchup between quality teams that have the potential to win the Cup.

Season series: The Flyers won four of the six games.

Goaltenders: Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury (42-17-4, 2.36, .913) vs. Philadelphia's Ilya Bryzgalov (33-16-7, 2.48, .909). Fleury has won a title and was consistent start to finish. Bryzgalov was not, although he started to look down the stretch until he developed a foot problem at season's end.

X factor: Pittsburgh's Kris Letang might be as important to the team as Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby because he is the only premium puck mover on the Penguins defense. If his season had not been undermined by injury, he would have been a strong Norris Trophy candidate.

Why the Penguins should be favored

1. The Penguins' offense is the 21st-century version of the 1980s Edmonton Oilers. They had 70 goals over the last 15 games.

2. Malkin was the NHL's best player, and then Crosby came back. Crosby is averaging 1.68 points a game since his return.

3. While Crosby was hurt, the Penguins learned to be a better all-around team. This team doesn't wait around for Malkin or Crosby to score.

What the Flyers need to do to upset the Penguins

Play strong and physical without spending excessive amounts of time in the penalty box. The Flyers take a lot of penalties, and the Penguins will make them pay. It's easy to focus on Pittsburgh's offense, but Philadelphia can fill the net. Claude Giroux had an MVP season. Danny Briere is dangerous. Scott Hartnell had a career year. If the Flyers are playing at their best, this could easily become a toss-up series.

Prediction: This is a better Penguins team than the squad that won the Stanley Cup in 2009. Take the Penguins in six games.

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