Stanley Cup Playoffs: Bolts By The Bay Staff Predictions – Round 1

One of the hottest matchups on the schedule is the one between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators. This game is going to come down to a battle of the goaltenders. There is no denying that Carey Price has been one of the hottest netminders in the league this season, but “The Hamburglar” Andrew Hammond has been on fire as of late. When these two titans of the net come together, it is going to be one heck of a battle.

The Canadiens may have seen success against a battered Tampa Bay Lightning team in the first round of the playoffs last season, but they won’t have such an easy journey this time around.

Tasha’s Prediction: Ultimately, when it is all said and done, I believe that the Montreal Canadiens will take his series in 6 games.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings

Speaking of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the series between the Bolts and the Detroit Red Wings is going to be another one to watch. The Tampa Bay Lightning took the season series this year, dropping only one of four games to the Red Wings. This doesn’t mean that the Lightning are going to have an easy journey ahead of them, it simply means that we know for a fact that we have all the tools we need in order to get the job done.

One of the big differences between this season and last season is that we have a healthy Ben Bishop between the pipes this time around. While the entire future of a team definitely does not sit on the shoulders of one particular player, missing a player like Bishop is most definitely a detriment to any team, no matter how good.

Having home ice advantage is a very powerful thing; especially when you have dedicated fans like those of the Tampa Bay Lightning. True Lightning fans bleed blue and would do anything to see their Boys in Blue succeed, even if it does entail screaming and cheering until they lose their voices.

When it comes to the matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Detroit Red Wings, I am confident that the Tampa Bay Lightning will be the team advancing to the next round.

Tasha’s Prediction: If anything, I suspect that this series will make it to 5 games before the Lightning are ready to move on.

After taking a look at the matchup between the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins, it is plain to see that this is going to be pretty cut and dry; especially if the Penguins’s heavy hitters like Crosby and Malkin can’t seem to get things moving. The man who was once leading the NHL in points has only been able to muster four points – 2 goals and 2 assists – “ in the Penguin’s last five games. Crosby’s partner-in-crime Evgeni Malkin has found himself scoreless in the same stretch of games.

The blame for the Penguin’s recent stretch of bad luck cannot sit squarely on the shoulders of the offense. It is plain to see that goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury hasn’t been playing up to Fleury level as of late, and if he can’t seem to find his groove after dropping 4 of the last five games then the Pens are going to be in real trouble
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On the other hand, you have the President’s Trophy winners, the New York Rangers. Left wing Rick Nash and center Derick Brassard have been lighting it up all season long. Nash leads the team in goals with 42 while Brassard leads the team in assists with 41.

While Fleury has dropped four of his last five games, Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist has won four of his last five. If it comes down to the man between the pipes, we’re not sure that Pittsburgh has it in them.

Tasha’s Prediction: At the end of the day, I am predicting that the New York Rangers will defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in 5 games.

The one matchup that is incredibly difficult to call is the matchup between the Washington Capitals and the New York Islanders. Both teams finished off the season with 101 points, putting them in the fourth and fifth place positions in the Eastern Conference. Just in case that didn’t make the decision complicated enough, these two teams also split their season series against each other right down the middle.

The Capitals and the Islanders both has at least one star that stands out among the rest; Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and Islanders captain John Tavares. Remember what we said about being matched right down the middle? Well….Ovechkin finished off the season with 81 points while Tavares ended with 86.

The main difference maker between the two of them is that Ovechkin’s numbers are mainly in goals. Ovechkin leads the National Hockey League in goals, winning the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy this season. As much as people have to say about Ovechkin’s tactics, there is no denying that he can score.

This game is not going to be a cake walk by any means, and I think if any game in the Eastern Conference is going to go the distance in the 1st Round, it is going to be this one.

Tasha’s Prediction: This is a very tough call to make, but I am going to have to give this one to the Washington Capitals in 7 games.

Western Conference:

St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild

Making our way to the Western Conference, we take a look at the matchup between the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild. This is going to be a, for lack of a better word, wild series between these two teams.

The St. Louis Blues have some incredibly skilled players at their disposal. Players like Vladimir Tarasenko lead the way for the Blues. Tarasenko led the Blues this season with 37 goals and 36 assists for a total of 73 points. Right behind Tarasenko is left wing Alexander Steen with 24 goals and 40 assists.

There is most certainly no lack of scoring on the Blues side, but they do have one rather large obstacle they’ll have to overcome if they want to make it through to the next round. That obstacle would be Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubynk.

Since being traded to the Minnesota Wild back in January, Dubnyk has put up some spectacular numbers. Dubnyk holds a record of 27-9-2 in his time with the Wild along with a Goals Allowed Average of just 1.78 and a Save Percentage of .936. Dubnyk also has 5 shutouts to his name.

Tasha’s Prediction: While the Blues may have the scoring power, that is all for naught if they can’t find their way past someone like Devan Dubnyk. It is because of this that I have to give this one to the Minnesota Wild in 5 games.

Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Now, we take a look at the Chicago Blackhawks who will be taking on the Nashville Predators. This is going to be another one of those series that you won’t want to take your eyes off of. The Chicago Blackhawks are a very physical team with tons of control on the ice. They also have something in their arsenal that is incredibly hard to combat against; right wing Patrick Kane.

Despite missing the last month and a half of the season due to a broken collarbone, he still managed to find himself in second place on the Blackhawks in points with 27 goals and 37 assists for a total of 64 points. The question I pose to you is, can you imagine how high his point total would be had he not been injured?

At the same time, the Nashville Predators have something to their advantage as well. They have a goaltender by the name of Pekka Rinne. There is one thing about Rinne that will either play to the Predator’s advantage or their detriment. When Rinne is on his game, there is no stopping the 32 year old netminder; however, if Rinne has an off day, the rest of the team seems to follow suit. This is something that simply cannot happen in a playoff situation.

Once you find yourself at the end of the line, the slightest mistake can make the difference between holding Lord Stanley’s Cup or jetting off to the golf course. We all know that while most hockey players do enjoy a round of golf from time to time, the ice is where they truly long to be.

Tasha’s Prediction: This is an incredibly hard decision, but I have to give this one to the Chicago Blackhawks in 6.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Winnipeg Jets

Let us now take a look at the matchup between the Anaheim Ducks and the Winnipeg Jets. Unlike the matchups that have come before this one, we think that this encounter is a little lopsided. During the regular season, the Anaheim Ducks had the number of the Winnipeg Jets, successfully completing the season sweep of the Jets; however, in the Jet’s defense, two of the three defeats were decided by just a single goal.

While both teams will be starting the post season on a high note, winning their final game of the regular season, the Jets had a bit of a better run in the final weeks of the season. The Jets won 4 of their last five, while the Ducks won two of their last four.

There is no denying that this is going to be an uphill battle for the Winnipeg Jets. The Ducks led the Western Conference with 109 points, holding the tiebreaker over the St. Louis Blues who also had 109 points. If you compare the top scorers on each team, you come up with a battle of the captains; Jets left wing Andrew Ladd and Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf.

Getzlaf takes the lead with 25 goals and 45 assists for a total of 70 points in 77 games. At the same time, Ladd has 24 goals and 38 assists for a total of 62 points in 81 games.

Tasha’s Prediction: Based solely on the numbers, we’d have to give this one to the Anaheim Ducks in 5 games.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames

Last, but certainly not least, we take a look at the Western Conference matchup between the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames. This is going to be a fun matchup to watch. Both teams have solid goaltenders guarding the pipes and both teams have offensive firepower that can give their respective opponent’s goaltenders a run for their money. This one may very well come down to sheer will.

Offensively, the Canucks have their pairing of the Sedin twins. Combined, the brothers have a total of 149 points this season; Daniel Sedin leading the way with 20 goals and 56 assists for a total 76 points. Right behind him is his brother Henrik with 18 goals and 55 assists for a total of 73 points.

On the other side of the ice, the Flames have center Jiri Hudler. Hudler has been amazing this season; especially in the final weeks of the season. Hudler has 31 goals and 45 assists for a total of 76 points in 78 games. In Hudlerâ€™s last five games of the season, he came up with 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points.
Aside from the offensive side of things, both teams have solid netminders that are more than capable of defending the pipes. The Canucks have an incredibly talented Eddie Lack, who has really stepped up and taken charge since Ryan Miller went down to injury this season.

On the other side of the ice, you have the veteran Jonas Hiller. Hiller has plenty of playoff experience, having seen post season play three times with his former team, the Anaheim Ducks. As we mentioned before, there is a good possibility that with the amount of talent on both sides of the ice that this one is going to come down to a battle of sheer will.

Tasha’s Prediction: If a decision has to be made, which it does, we would give this one to the Calgary Flames in 6 games.

Next: Who Did Kyle Choose to Make It Through Round 1?

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Mar 20, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman (6) is congratulated by teammates after he scored against the Detroit Red Wings during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

By: Kyle Barber

Eastern Conference:

– Riding a wave of momentum, the Ottawa Senators are going to be a tough out in the playoffs. They are matched up against a Carey Price led Montreal Canadians team that pulled out the Atlantic Division crown on the last day of the regular season. Even against a great goaltender like Price, the line of Clark MacArthur-Kyle Turris–Mark Stone will give the Canadians blue line fits throughout the 7 game series. The Sens win the series in game 7 at the Bell Center, and something tells me Andrew Hammond will have a say in that.

Kyle’s Pick: Ottawa in 7 over Montreal

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings

– The Detroit Red Wings are entering the Stanley Cup playoffs for the 24th consecutive season while the Tampa Bay Lightning are just on their 2nd consecutive appearance. Experience matters, but so does skill, and Tampa Bay just has more skill than Detroit does. The goal tending situation in Detroit is shaky at best, and with reinforcements arriving from the injury report both on the blue line the Lightning will overwhelm the Red Wings.

Kyle’s Pick: Tampa in 6 over Detroit

– Many are already counting out the Pittsburgh Penguins before this series even begins, but the stingy Pens won’t go down without a fight. Whenever you have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the lineup, you always have a chance to win. However, the Rangers are just flat out better than Pittsburgh. Their depth both on the front lines and the blue line, along with the return on Henrik Lundqvist, will make the President’s Trophy winners too tough to beat.

Kyle’s Pick: Rangers in 6 over Pittsburgh

Wow, what a match up this is. Two of the best players in the world in Alexander Ovechkin and John Tavaras battling in the playoffs. However, this series will come down to which team has the better goaltending, and Braden Holtby has been unbelievable as of late. Along with the Caps ability to gain contributions from all four lines, the Caps will move on to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, and the final season at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum will be complete.

Kyle’s Pick: Capitals in 7 over Islanders

Western Conference:

St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild

– The run is over for the fighting Devin Dubnyks. Though he and his team has played well throughout the regular season, they will be overwhelmed by a strong Blues team that arguably has the most complete team in the NHL. With the additions of Vladamir Tarasanko and Alexander Steen back on the top-6 forward lines, their scoring depth just improved by over 60 goals! Brian Elliot and Jake Allen round out the Blues impressive roster as one of the most feared 1-2 goalie tandems in the league. St.Louis wants the cup this year, and nothing will stand in their way.

Kyle’s Pick: St.Louis in 6 over Minnesota

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators

– Watch out NHL, Patrick Kane is back, and Nashville is going to experience his wrath first hand. Kane provides a shot in the arm to a Hawks offense that was struggling to score goals during his absence. Along with the outstanding play of goaltender Corey Crawford, the Blackhawks will be tough to beat. Filip Forsberg and his Nashville teammates have been fantastic this season, but this just isn’t their year. They have fallen back to earth, and the Blackhawks talent will overwhelm the young Predators roster.

Kyle’s Pick: Chicago in 5 over Nashville

Winnipeg Jets vs. Anaheim Ducks

The feel good story of the year is best getting started. Nobody had the Winnipeg Jets making it to the Stanley Cup playoffs, especially after the blockbuster deal that sent forward Evander Kane to the Buffalo Sabres. The players in that deal are some that have helped the Jets in their run to the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference. Tyler Myers have been fantastic, and so has the goaltending tandem of Ondrej Pavlec and Micheal Hutchinson. Anaheim had the second best record in the entire NHL this season, but their is just something about this team that has the word upset written across of it. Jets in 7.

Kyle’s Pick: Winnipeg in 7 over Anaheim

Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames

The other feel good story in the NHL this year? Yeah, that story is about to come to an end. Arguably one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the league, the Calgary Flames surprised everyone this season when they got off to a hot start, and continued their solid play on their way to finishing third in the Pacific Division.

Johnny Gaudreau has been arguably the best rookie player in the NHL this season (Mark Stone may have something to say about that) and the addition of goaltender Jonas Hiller solidified a position that was left void after the retirement of Miikka Kirusoff. However, the Cinderella story must end. Vancouver is solid on the back end, and the addition of Ryan Miller from injury and Eddie Lack as their backup completes the best goalie tandem in the NHL. In a hard fought series, Vancouver pulls it out in 6.

Kyle’s Pick: Vancouver in 6 over Calgary

Next: Who Are Lauren's Playoff Predictions?

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Mar 20, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Brian Boyle (11) defends Detroit Red Wings left wing Teemu Pulkkinen (56) during the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

By: Lauren Burg

*Due to time constraints and publishing deadlines, Lauren was only able to provide her Eastern Conference playoff predictions.

It’s that time of year again! The best of the best in the NHL put everything on the line to potentially have a chance at lifting hockey’s holy grail, Lord Stanley’s Cup. However, they must first get past their opening round opponent. Often times, that’s easier said than done. Below I’ll give you a couple paragraphs on each series, along with my prediction of who wins and how many games it takes.

Montreal vs. Ottawa is probably the most intriguing series of the 2015 opening round. Both teams are located in hockey hotbed Canada, which usually means if you like one you hate the other and vice versa. Expect some nastiness, as these two teams are battling for Eastern Canada supremacy.

Past that, goaltending will be a major storyline. For Montreal, you have likely the Vezina and Hart Trophy winner in Carey Price. His 44 regular season wins, !.96 goals against average and .933 save percentage all led the league. Andrew Hammond, meanwhile, spent a large part of last season playing for Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. A couple of late season injuries to both Craig Anderson and Robyn Lehner opened up an opportunity for him to play and he never looked back, compiling a 20-1-2 record to help the Senators make a late season charge into the playoff picture and eventually the playoffs.

Lauren’s Pick: Montreal in 6.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings will likely end up being must-see TV. Each team relies on speed and puck possession, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering the man making all the moves for Tampa Bay is a legend in Detroit. Steve Yzerman won a couple of Cups in his time with the Wings, and now hopes he can lead his new team to the same kind of heights.

Steven Stamkos is going to be a player worth watching in this series because of his pure goal scoring ability, but he’s not the only one. In fact, his lines offensive production during the regular season was second to what many consider to be the NHL’s best line containing sophomore sensations Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov. Don’t fall asleep on anyone though, as the Lightning boasted 10 players who reached double digits in goals. Another, center Vladislav Namestnikov, spent half of the regular season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, yet is only one away from reaching that semi-milestone.

Detroit boasts their own speedy attack, led by youngsters Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist. With 29 and 27 goals respectively, those two accounted for a good portion of the Red Wings offense. However, they were far from the only contributors. Veterans Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk led the team in scoring despite missing 24 games combined, two of eight players to reach the double digit goal mark.

In goal, there looks to be a battle of playoff rookies. Ben Bishop has never started a postseason game, while Petr Mrazek spent the early part of this past season with AHL Grand Rapids before being summoned to Detroit. He won his most recent start against the Lightning though, 4-0 back in late March.

Lauren’s Prediction: This one can really go either way, depending on which team is most prepared for the big stage. That being said, it will take 7 games to decide a winner.

New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins is sure to be an offensive shootout. With big name stars like Rick Nash, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin anything else would be a disappointment.

Other than the three I mentioned above, the Presidents Trophy winning Rangers boast 10 players with double digit goal totals. Chris Kreider will likely draw the Penguins attention for his knack of screening opposing goaltenders, yet both Derek Stepan and future Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis scored timely goals at key moments down the stretch. For Pittsburgh, the only real offensive threats outside of Crosby and Malkin would be Patric Hornqvist and Brandon Sutter. Both tallied over 20 goals and were steady defensively. Unfortunately, season ending injuries to key contributors such as Kris Letang, along with their late season collapse, doesn’t bode well going forward.

Lauren’s Pick: New York Rangers in 5.

Washington Capitals vs. New York Islanders will be another high scoring series. Alexander Ovechkin leads the Capitals attack, scoring a league-high 53 goals during the regular season. That helped him capture another Rocket Richard Trophy to add to his resume. Nicklas Backstrom had 60 assists to lead all NHL players in that category. Even young rookie forward Evgeny Kuznetsov exceeded expectations by tallying 11 goals, 37 points and a plus-10 rating. Defenseman Mike Green and John Carlson were forces at both ends of the ice as well, evidenced by point totals ranging from 45 to 55 and plus-minus ratings over 10.

Meanwhile, on Long Island it’s all about John Tavares. The first overall pick back in 2009, he’s only been to the postseason once before. Will the bright lights get to him? That will be something to keep a close eye on. His regular season was outstanding, as his 86 points give him an outside chance of winning the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. Ryan Strome also put up a strong season, with 17 goals, 50 points and a tremendous plus-23 rating.

Defensively, the early season additions of Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy bring invaluable experience and a steady presence to one of the league’s youngest teams.

Lauren’s Pick: New York Islanders in 7.

Next: Dan's Playoff Selections for the First Round

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Jan 29, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Cedric Paquette (13) shoots as Detroit Red Wings center Stephen Weiss (90) defends during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

By: Dan Herrejon

There is no better playoffs in all of professional sports that the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Four best of seven series. To hoist the Stanley Cup, a team has to win 16 games before they lose four out of seven.

Here are my predictions for this year’s first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

Eastern Conference:

Montreal has arguably the NHL MVP in Corey Price. Ottawa missed the playoffs last year and without their hot goalie, Andrew Hammond, would have missed them again this year.

The Senators lost an assistant coach, Mark Reeds, to cancer yesterday. Hockey teams are known to rally around a singular focus during playoff time, remember the New York Rangers rallying around Marty St. Louis last year after his mother passed away.

Reed’s last words to his players were: “Let’s win it all!!” I have to admit to choking up after reading that. Taking into consideration how much Ottawa had to fight in the last month of the regular season just to make the playoffs. I believe they have the fuel to get them past Montreal in the first round.
Dan’s Pick: Ottawa in six games.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings

They say regular season stuff does not matter one bit in the playoffs. Okay, fine. I know talent matters and the Lightning are loaded with talent. Up and down their lines, people score. Tampa has a coach and a goaltender that have something to prove after last year’s early exit. They begin proving it in the first round.

The top players for Detroit are older, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are 34 and 36 respectively. When you match them up against the Triplets, Steven Stamkos, Ryan Callahan and Victor Hedman. There is that talent I was talking about.

Dan’s Pick: Tampa in 5 games

Best team in the East against the last seed. On paper, this looks like a no brainer. I just do not think that any team with Sidney Crosby, Evgen Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury can be counted out so quickly. They have playoff experience up the wazoo.

Ultimately, I think the depth on the Rangers will prove too much for the Penguins.
Dan’s Pick: New York in 5 games