Vancouver Canucks (1) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (8)

It's April, and an annual Vancouver/Chicago series is upon us. Of course it's starting a bit earlier than it has in the past two years. but that's just the beginning of the difference from previous years. This is a strong Vancouver team that dominated in the regular season and is now more ready than they ever have to move deeper into the playoffs. How fitting is it that it is Chicago to greet them in the first round? While the Blackhawks are the defending Stanley Cup Champions, they really are just a shadow of that team. While the main players are still there, Toews, Kane, Sharp, Hossa, and Keith, they pretty much gutted the rest of the team. Guys like Byfuglien, Burish, Versteeg, and Eager who came up big in the playoffs last year all left because of the salary cap, and now Chicago is relying on guys like Viktor Stalberg and Michael Frolik to step up.

Where Vancouver really has the big edge this year is in goal. Corey Crawford has struggled a bit down the stretch, and it wouldn't be surprising if he falters at all in this series to see Marty Turco make an appearance. Roberto Luongo has had one of his best years, and he's been on fire ever since November. The only thing that is standing in the Canucks way in this series is the mental block of the past two seasons, but they're much deeper on defense than they ever have, and that should be the difference in this series for a motivated Canucks squad. After all they are the team who finished 1st overall in the standings, 1st overall in goals for, 1st overall in goals against, 1st overall in PP, and tied for 2nd on the PK, so this series that may not go very long.

Prediction: Vancouver in 5

San Jose Sharks (2) vs. Los Angeles Kings (7)

The battle of California is intriguing until you look at how Los Angeles has played down the stretch. They went an unspectacular 11-6-2 and one of those losses was a 6-1 drubbing to this Sharks team. Since losing Anze Kopitar, the Kings have had to shift their game to a more defensive one, which goes against the way the team was built, and may explain why newcomer Dustin Penner has struggled (6 points in 19 games with the Kings). The Kings are a slow team, so the high flying Sharks should feast on them easily. The Sharks have a lot of demons to exorcise in these playoffs, their core group has been around for a few seasons, and they brought in Stanley Cup Winner Antii Niemi to try and push them over the hump. It wasn't until the last few months of the season did Niemi really turn it on (2.06 GAA since Feb.1), and it might just be enough to make it through the rough waters of the playoffs, something they've struggled with throughout the history of their franchise. This match up should be quite short.

Prediction: San Jose in 5

Detroit Red Wings (3) vs. Phoenix Coyotes (6)

Even though the Coyotes were defeated by the Red Wings in the first round last year, there's a lot more at stake than just redemption. There's respect as a franchise in the desert which saw Phoenix go to the playoffs 6 times in their playoff history, and 6 times they have not made it out of the first round. They've come close with two of those series going 7 games, including last year against Detroit, so it may come down to a basic law of averages that may see Phoenix win this one. Phoenix is a stingy team, that when they are at their best capitalize on chances, while limiting their opponents to little. This team has seen the emergence of Keith Yandle, and is led by veteran Shane Doan, who is one of the only surviving members of the Winnipeg Jets. This franchise is at the brink of its existence, and the NHL would dearly love to see the franchise, that they are paying the bills for, make it another round. Wait, the NHL wouldn't do anything nefarious that might help them would they? Of course not, wink wink. The Red Wings are full of world class talent, but their best years are behind them, and Zetterberg and Datsyuk have been in and out of the lineup this year. Maybe this finally is the year for the Desert Dogs, with or without any help from the NHL.

Prediction: Phoenix in 7

Anaheim Ducks (4) vs. Nashville Predators (5)

Another team seeking redemption is the 5 times unlucky Nashville Predators. 5 out of 11 years they've made the playoffs, and in each of those years they've also not made able to make it out the first round. They rolled the dice earlier in the year when they went after Mike Fisher before the trade deadline, but unlike the last time they went after a big name (Peter Forsberg in '07), this team is tight defensively. They finished 3rd in the league this year in goals against, and 5th in the league on the PK. Anaheim comes into this series on a major roll, mainly due to Corey Perry's breakout season of 50 goals. Their weakness though is that all their scoring comes from one line in Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Bobby Ryan, and as we've seen so many times in the playoffs, one line teams can be shut down. Nashville, with Shea Weber leading the way on defense, should be able to keep them in check long enough for them to outlast Anaheim.

Prediction: Nashville in 6

Originally posted at Betfair.net