Eastern Showdown

Tampa Bay vs Pittsburgh
Finally get some quiet time and I feel fine enough to type.

The Lightning - how did they get here?

First Round - 5 games over Detroit
Detroit was out-matched at every angle. Datsyuk never looked Datsyuk-like. In the games I watched, I might have seen one sick move and maybe one of his slick wristers. It isn't enough and wasn't. Tampa looked very good, but I dismissed a lot of the strong success because it was a thinned-out Detroit and their top players weren't effective. Looking back, they weren't effective because the likes of Hedman and the other defensemen are solid and speedy.

Second Round - 5 games over the New York Islanders

The Islanders were certainly more competition. They dismissed Florida in 6 games and although the Panthers had holes in their game, I didn't believe the Isles were deep enough to exploit them. They did and looked solid doing so.  Tampa, however, surprising me again with their ability to shut down the Isles and the Isles lack of forward depth was too much to overcome. Again, I blamed the competition more than crediting the Lightning. Looking back, the Lightning, without Stamkos and Stralman - big minutes and top skill guys - are still deep on talent for their system. Hedman is looking like Chara in his prime.

The Penguins - how did they get here.

First Round - 5 games over the New York Rangers
This went very much as expected. Lundqvist (as all goalies) wasn't enough to stop Pittsburgh three lines and the Rangers' lack of speed hurt them going both directions. Hard to know what Pittsburgh had going for them from this series. It was just a bad matchup. Looking back - nothing changes. Pittsburgh won in every area of the ice.

Second Round - 6 games over Washington

This was somewhat of a surprise. Mainly in how ineffective the Caps were at scoring. They generated chances and were able to counter the Pens' speed, they just couldn't put it in the net. Some of that is the solid play of Pittsburgh 2nd/3rd string goalie, Matt Murray. Some of it was just the inept plays by some of the Caps' go-to players. I don't how many times I watched the Caps blow a rush with a bad pass. Or blow a solid scoring opportunity with a shot on the ice to one of Murray's leg pads. The Caps powerplay which has run effectively through Ovechkin all season (and for years) couldn't get creative once the Pens started allowing Ovie the shot, they would overplay that shot and he basically had to place it high and to the corner every time - didn't happen. Pens win - handily!

After those two rounds, I was totally leaning to Pittsburgh for the Conference Finals win. I was believing in Tampa more but still unsure of their speed. If the Pens get the break and transition game working, they enter the zone with good control and they have a lot of finishers. This is still the case. However, after game one, I have to say, the Lightning have the speed to match all of the Pens' lines and Hedman is truly shining.

The next game will tell a lot. No matter who wins, it will be interesting to see if the Pens can have impact with their speed. Can Hedman and company continue getting their sticks on the puck, disrupting the Pens' offense? Both teams had chances but the Pens' chances were nothing like they have had in the first two rounds.

I am certainly respecting the Lightning. Their speed is solid. And they may be the best finishing team in the league. If Stamkos and Stralman return and don't mess up the flow - they might actually win the Cup this year.

Western Showdown

St. Louis vs San Jose

 

The Sharks - how did they get here?

First Round - 5 games over Los Angeles
History can be a driving force in the way I look at things, and this was certainly the case with this series. I believed in both teams but just leaned on the Kings' past and what their core is made of. But the losses to their defense has been too much for them - primarily that Slava Voynov domestic debacle weaked the blueline and Muzzin and Martinez haven't filled that hole. San Jose looked so good here and I though going in, if they get past the Kings, they can win the whole thing. They have it all - forward skill. Forward finishers. Defensive threat in Burns. And with Ward and Couture, they have the toughness (I've been saying this since they got Couture a few years ago - but don't underestimate the impact of a guy like Joel Ward). In this series, everything showed up.

Second Round - 7 games over Nashville

For all the confidence I gained for the Sharks in round one, I lost as much in round two. They came out dominant early in the series and looked to blow the Preds out. But they failed to go in for the kill. I was disappointed - Nashville is good but not great. Forward depth (especially with an ineffective Filip Forsberg) isn't great. The defense is thin after Josi and Weber. And Rinne is exposed - if he has to move a lot laterally he gets destroyed. Anyway, the Sharks let this well-coached Predator team back in. What should have been a 5 game series went seven. That said, they were clicking in that final game.

The Blues - how did they get here?

First Round - 7 games over Chicago
This was what the San Jose - LA series was supposed to be. Having watched the Blues this season, I believed this was the year for them. They didn't let me down in round one. It was a great series - the defending champs didn't lay over - their high-end skill allowed for quick strikes and kept them in games where St. Louis controlled flow. St. Louis won on depth - both ends of the ice and skill and toughness and speed. This team proved they can muscle through playing that Hitchcock system rolling four lines.

Second Round - 7 games over Dallas

Not as disappointing as the Sharks' 2nd round, but St. Louis didn't show a killer instinct here as well. Most of the series, in every game, the Sharks had no answers for St. Louis' depth. The reason the Stars were even in the playoffs and in the series is because of the top-level offensive talent. Dallas' defensive holes (forwards and d depth) was obvious, yet the Stars were able to stretch it to a seventh game. That game was decisive, however, and the Blues' team just never slowed down. A lot is blamed on Dallas' goaltending - well, Dallas, go out and grab Lundqvist, if you can; make no other adjustments and end up in a similar spot next year. You have no defensive forward line and your mobile d-men are a liability with some solid defensive-minded guys to help them out.

After the two rounds, I don't know where to lean. Both the Sharks and the Blues have shown dominance. The Blues run a deeper team with no holes on defense. The Sharks have a better finishing team. Can the Sharks counter the third and fourth lines of the Blues? Can the Blues keep Pavelski and Couture and Burns in check without opening up to Marleau and Thornton?

It should go 7. I'll say Blues, but I may change that after tonight.