NHL 2011/2012 Round 1 Playoff Predictions

[Kel]

Canucks in 5
Sharks in 6
Hawks in 5
Predators in 6

Rangers in 5
Bruins in 5
Devils in 5
Penguins in 5

EDIT: Made all picks in team names (rather than city)

[dbr]

Rangers in six
Bruins in five
Devils in five
Penguins in six

Canucks in six
Blues in four
Coyotes in seven
Red Wings in six

[Bret H]

Rangers in six
Caps in six (wishful thinking perhaps)
Panthers in six (not sure this is a wise bet but it'll be my upset in the first round)
Penguins in five

Canucks in five
Blues in six
Blackhawks in six
Preds in six

[Diehard1]

East

Rangers over Sens in 7 - will be much tougher than most think.

Bruins over Caps in 6 - Bruins are just much better, the Caps stars are babies.

Jersey over Panthers in 5 - this one won't be close, and it's not because Jersey are that good.

Flyers over Pens in 7 - upset here, too many people think the Pens are all world. They are beatable.

West

Nucks over Kings in 5 - Kings are decent, but not enough depth and too slow to keep up with Nucks.

Sharks over Blues in 6 - Blues are very inexperienced and it will show.

Hawks over Yotes in 6 - Hawks aren't that good, but they are better than the Yotes.

Preds over Wings in 7 - gut feeling here, the Wings have been coasting for a while and I just don't see them winning this series.

[Madcombinepilot]

EAST

-Rangers in 6
-Bruins in 6
-Devils in 7
-Pens in 7

WEST

-Canucks in 6
-Blues in 5
-Coyotes in 7
-Wings in 6

[Topper]

EAST

-Rangers - Senators - Rags in 4, remember when Demitra was supposed bring Gaborik to Vancouver, if there were to be an upset, Ottawa in 6
-Capitals - Bruins - Bruins in 5, The Caps just recalled Danny Sabourin to back up Holtby, Neuvirth is a distant possibility, Vokoun is further away.
-Devils - Panthers - Devils in 6, Tallon't ain't there yet
-Pens - Flyers - Pens in 7 because Bettman/NBC/CBC/TSN say so, both teams have 8 players in their starting line up for game 6. This will be more fun to watch than BBW Mud Wrestling

WEST

-Canucks - Kings - Canucks in 5, simple game of getting lots of shots on Quick (He like Niemi flounders after facing a lot of shots) and and putting rebounds under the bar. Willie neutres Dank in LA but Dutter doesn't get the match ups in Vancouver, Kesler explodes.
-Sharks - Blues - Sharks in 6 as depth prevails
-Blackhawks - Coyotes - 'Yotes in 6, for no other reason than the folks in Glendale deserve it and I want to see Kane cry like Bubba
-Predators - Wings - Wings in 6, once again depth prevails

[spooner]

East

Rangers in 5
Bruins in 5
Panthers in 7
Pens in 6

West

Canucks in 6
Blues in 6
Hawks in 7
Preds in 6

[KeyserSoze]

EAST

Rangers in 5
Bruins in 6
Devils in 4
Pens in 6

WEST

Canucks in 5
Blues in 7
Yotes in 7
Wings in 6

[rockalt]

EAST

Rangers in 6

The Sens give a good fight but King Henrik holds the fort and prevents the upset. Stay tuned for the playoff collapse in round 2!

Bruins in 6

I was very pleased to see the Capitals somehow finish in 7th because they are clearly the most talented of the lower seeds. In fact, I am tempted to pick them to win but the goaltending issue compels me to make the safe pick in this one. Still, I think they will give the Bruins a much harder series than anyone expected.

Devils in 6

Meh

Penguins in 7

Based on the season series you'd have to go with the Flyers but for once, the Pens are the healthier team. I can't understand how Philly has been doing it without Pronger and Meszaros. Briere has been an impressive playoff performer in the past and I think the injuries are due to catch up to them. I really am hoping for a war of attrition. Has all the makings of an epic first round series à la Canucks and Hawks last year.

WEST

Canucks in 6

Not the greatest matchup in the world but then again the Sharks wouldn't have been that much easier (unless you consider the Canucks have owned them of late). Would have preferred the Coyotes but prefer them to the Sharks (who might just finally play above expectations)

I think the deciding factor will be Quick. Everyone is raving about this kid due to a spectacular regular season. That's well and grand but he has proved nothing in the playoffs aside from a tendency to look shaky. I don't think he'll be awful but I think the Canucks will expose him in a couple of games to take control.

Sharks in 6

Cue the upset. The Blues have owned the Sharks this year and have excelled with excellent team discipline and work ethic. I think the Blues lose for 3 reasons:

1) The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Blues have been playing over their heads all year and while they may have better depth, they lack the top end talent of the Sharks.

2) The Blues haven't looked that great down the stretch and have lost quite a few home games to weaker opposition.

3) The Sharks have been there before and will be the underdogs for the first time in a long while. It has been a nightmare year for the team which may finally play to their advantage.

Blackhawks in 6

You figure the Jets/Coyotes fans have to make it out of the first round one of these days but frankly I don't even know how they managed to take the division. They might win a couple with hard work and stifling defensive play but I think talent will prevail in the long one.

Wings in 7

Probably the toughest one to call. Could go either way. Somehow I feel discounting the Wings will come back to bite me but I'll go with the overall depth and home ice advantage of the Preds....

And I couldn't even finish that sentence without changing my prediction to the Wings. Call me crazy but something about the way they stormed back against the Blues and Hawks in the third shows me that not only can this team take over when they want but also that they are not afraid of the Preds at all.

[Reefer2]

Canucks in 7
Sharks in 6
Pho in 7
Detroit in 6

Rangers in 6
Wash in 7
Devils in 7
Penguins in 7

[Knucklehead]

Canucks in 5
Blues in 6
Dogs in 7
Predators in 7

Rangers in 6
Bruins in 7
Devils in 5
Flyers in 7

[Canuck-One]

East

Rangers in 6
Bruins in 6
Panthers in 7
Pens in 7

West

Canucks in 7
Blues in 6
Hawks in 7
Preds in 6

I don't think the Kings will be an easy out for us. Quick is a very good goalie and as we saw last year when Thomas got hot, we have trouble with hot goalioes.

[Meds]

I don't think the Kings will be an easy out for us. Quick is a very good goalie and as we saw last year when Thomas got hot, we have trouble with hot goalioes.

True story.

Ironically, that is true of most teams that run into a hot goaltender who keeps the puck out of the net with regularity.....go figure.

[wienerdog]

I don't think the Kings will be an easy out for us. Quick is a very good goalie and as we saw last year when Thomas got hot, we have trouble with hot goalioes.

True story.

Ironically, that is true of most teams that run into a hot goaltender who keeps the puck out of the net with regularity.....go figure.

Wasn't Rinne supposed to be that last year for the Preds? That team also had two of the best dmen in the League.

Meh, I see this series w the Kings as much like the one we had with Nashville last year. Tough, but eminently winnable.

[Cornuck]

Canucks - Kings - Canucks in 5
Sharks - Blues - Blues in 6
Hawks - Yotes - Yotes in 7
Wings - Preds - Preds in 6

Sens - Rags - Rangers in 7
Caps - Bruins - Boston in 5
Devils - Panthers - Florida in 6
Pens - Flyers - Pens in 6