I didn't have a ton of success on my picks in round one of the NHL playoffs, only going 3 for 8. The three that I picked correctly were the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues all winning. Not exactly a shining record.
Either way, I'll go ahead and make my picks for the second round. Here they are:
St. Louis vs. Los Angeles - Blues in 6. It's really too bad that these two teams have to meet up in round two, considering they are my two favorite teams remaining in the 2012 postseason. Either way, I see the Blues as a team that is simply too big, strong and balanced for the Kings. Los Angeles was impressive and the Blues don't have a ton of experience, so I wouldn't be shocked to see LA do better than I give them credit for with this prediction.
Nashville vs. Phoenix - Predators in 7. Both teams were pretty impressive in the first round, knocking off challenging opponents in Detroit and Chicago. Unfortunately this matchup is not exactly a headliner and I might have a hard time finding any reason to watch it. Either way, I like the Preds in this one as their top end talent is better than the Coyotes. Should be a good series if you enjoy great coaching and solid goaltending.
Washington vs. New York - Rangers in 6. I was really impressed with the play of Braden Holtby in round one for Washington as they knocked off the Bruins. With that being said, I think the Rangers will really take some valuable lessons out of their first round win over Ottawa and should take out the Caps without a ton of difficulty here. Regardless of the outcome, this could very well end up as the most entertaining 2nd round series.
New Jersey vs. Philadelphia - Flyers in 5. The Flyers were the most impressive team in that opening round. It sure was impressive to see what they could do once they got even mediocre goaltending. I'm not sold on the depth of the Devils both up front and on the blueline and the current Marty Brodeur won't be good enough to slow down Giroux and the gang.
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