Playoffs Baby...Eastern Conference Predictions

Here are my prediction for the Eastern Conference. I feel the East is a little more wide open than the West and that anyone can reach the cup finals.

#1. Montreal vs. #8. Boston

Here is one of the best rivalries in hockey. Expect to see some hard hitting in this series. Don't however expect this one to last to long though. Boston played Montreal 8 times this year, and did not win a single game. They playoffs is a completely different season, but Montreal has owned the Bruins. Therefore I am going with the sweep on this one.

Montreal in 4, break out the broom.

#2. Pittsburgh vs. #7. Ottawa

At the beginning of the season this series would be regarded as an exciting series. With so much offensive firepower on both sides, one would expect this one to go 7 games. However, Pittsburgh has been on fire of late and Ottawa is slumping to say the least. Not to mention, Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson and Miek Fischer are hurt. A healthy Sidney Crosby and a confident Marc-Andre Fleury send Ottawa into the offseason.

Pens in 5.

#3. Washington vs. #6. Philadelphia

This is going to be great series. Washington has been of the hottest teams in the NHL going into the playoffs abd Alexander the Greats legacy continues to grow. Alexander Ovechkin is the best player in the NHL and something tells me his intensity is going to give Philadelphia a lot of problems. Philly on the other hand was out of the playoffs and then made a run of their own to move into 6th place in the east. A healthy Daniel Briere is a big advantage for Philly. Expect this one to go the distance. I flipped a coin on this series and then changed my mind. I can not go against Ovechkin right now.

Washington in 7.

#4. New Jersey vs. #5. New York Rangers

The fun between these two teams continues. The Rangers and Devils have had some memorable series, with the Rangers usually coming out on top. They have played each other 4 times in the playoffs, with th Rangers winning 3 of those. This season the Rangers took 7 out of 8 against the Devils, but 4 of those wins were in shootouts. In playoff hockey, there aren't any shootouts. Expect these teams to beat the living Hell out of each other. Rangers need there big time players to step up. Drury, Gomez, Shanahan and Jagr need to provide leadership to the Ranger youngsters. The Devils need Elias and Parise to get hot, because without them, the Devils offense does not go. Then there is Martin Brodeur. Arguably the greatest goaltender of all time, his game always shifts to another level in the postseason. On the other side of the ice, expect Henrik Lundqvist to step his game up as well. Lundqvist lead the league in shutouts this year with 10. When Lundqvist is on, he has the ability to steal games just like Brodeur. Expect both netminders to put on a show. This series is going to take a toll on whoever advances. This one could end up having multiple OT games. I personally cannot wait until the puck drops in game 1. Being this is Rangers blog, I got to show my love to the Broadway Blueshirts.

Rangers in 6.

These are my picks and I am sticking to them. If you don't like it, go kiss a VQUZESHUF.

As always, LETS GO RANGEERSSSSSS!!!!!!