2010 Playoffs: Round 2 Preview

The first round of the playoffs saw many surprises, as top seeded teams were ousted from the playoffs early. The President Trophy winning, Washington Capitals looked lost in the final three games of their series against the Montreal Canadiens, who made history by being the only team to defeat a number one seed after being down 3-1 in a series. Washington was heavily favoured, but now are subjected to watching the rest of the playoffs on TV. The Montreal Canadiens now face the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in round two.

The Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins almost failed to make the playoffs at all this season, but still managed to beat the second and third seeds in the east to advance. The Philadelphia Flyers made short work of the New Jersey Devils, taking the series in five games, while the Boston Bruins won a hardfought series against the Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins and Flyers will now face one another in a bid to make the Conference Finals.

In the west, the three top seeded teams managed to advance to round two, but it was not an easy task for any of them. The San Jose Sharks barely beat the surprising Colorado Avalanche in round one, but still managed to get the job done. They will now face the Detroit Red Wings in game one tonight. The Red Wings were the only team in the west to "upset" a top four seed. Although, in my opinion, the Red Wings can hardly be looked at as a fifth seeded team. Especially with the way they are playing now.

The other series in the west features the high flying offense of both the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks. This series should be highly entertaining, with both teams loaded with offensive talent. The only concern for both teams will be goaltending. If Roberto Luongo can play the way we know he can however, then the advantage must go to the Canucks in this series.

Here is what the round two matchups look like:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
(6) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers

WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Vancouver Canucks

*My picks to win are in bold italics