All eight series predicted and explained by The Post sports staff.
Eastern Conference
(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) Ottawa Senators
Season records: MTL – 50-22-10 (110 points, 1st Atlantic) OTT – 43-26-13 (99 points, 4th Atlantic)
Season series: Ottawa won 3-1
Last year’s playoffs: MTL: Lost in Eastern Conference Finals (NYR 4-2); OTT: Missed playoffs
Alex Busch | Asst. Sports Editor
Offense:
Max Pacioretty has been a man on fire so far this season (67 points, plus-38). But he’s not expected back before game one, while Ottawa’s Mark Stone, Kyle Turris and Mike Hoffman will. Rookies Stone and Hoffman have brought a new edge to this team in their remarkable run to the playoffs. Advantage: Even
Defense:
P.K. Subban vs. Erik Karlsson. Two of the last three Norris Trophy winners. It doesn’t get much better than that. They’re both surrounded with solid guys as well. Crediting Marc Methot and Andrei Markov to the success of Karlsson and Subban, respectively. This will be a battle at both ends. Advantage: Montreal
Goaltending:
Before Alex Ovechkin showed up Carey Price last month, it looked like Price was going to be the runaway Hart Trophy winner. But MVP or not, Price has been the best goalie in the league by far. But Andrew Hammond is 20-1-2 as a starter, and that’s not a typo. This is a push of all pushes when you take momentum into account, but give “The Hamburglar” credit where it’s due. He just can’t lose in 2015. Advantage: Even
Coaching:
Michel Therrien has proved to be a terrific coach during the regular season, but there’s no reason to give Montreal the edge here when Ottawa enters the playoffs on a 21-3-3 run under Dave Cameron’s lead. Advantage: Ottawa
Game-changer:
Max Pacioretty (MTL). Yes, he isn’t your typical under-the-radar “game-changer,” but Pacioretty and the speed of his recovery from what has been called an “upper body injury,” could be a decider on the series. Pacioretty is a guy who could take a series right away from the streaking Sens.
Winner:
It’s tough to pick against the Eastern Conference’s second-best team, but the matchup and momentum swing coming from Ottawa will prove too tough as “The Hamburglar” will prove doubters wrong for at least one more series. The recent death of assistant coach Mark Reeds could fuel the Sens, also. Ottawa in seven
@Alex_Busch91
ab109410@ohio.edu
(2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3) Detroit Red Wings
Season records: TB – 50-24-8 (108 points, 2nd Atlantic) DET – 43-25-14 (100 points, 3rd Atlantic)
Season series: Tampa Bay won 3-1
Last year’s playoffs: TB: Lost in Eastern Conference Quarterfinals (MTL 4-0); DET: Lost in Eastern Conference Quarterfinals (BOS 4-1)
Jordan Horrobin | For The Post
Offense:
Tampa’s Steven Stamkos is this series difference maker. His wicked one-timers helped him to 43 tallies this year, including four in his four games against Detroit. Look out, Wings. Advantage: Tampa Bay
Defense:
Niklas Kronwall heads a relatively young group of Detroit defensemen and the deadline addition of the productive veteran Marek Zidlicky (11 points in 21 games with Detroit) gives the Wings the edge. Advantage: Detroit
Goaltending:
With all the questions surrounding Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard in Detroit, it’s easy to give Tampa’s Ben Bishop (40-13-5, 2.32 GAA) the victory here. He's the type of goalie who can get hot and lead Tampa deep into the playoffs. Advantage: Tampa Bay
Coaching:
No disrespect to Steve Yzerman’s crew in Tampa, but Stanley Cup champion and two-time Canadian Olympic gold medalist Mike Babcock in Detroit is arguably the most respected hockey coach in the world. Advantage: Detroit
Game-changer:
Valtteri Filppula (TB). He posted 57 points in 105 playoff games for Detroit and now dons a Lightning jersey in the postseason for only the second year. He's the forgotten third-line center behind Stamkos and Tyler Johnson, but the Wings certainly remember who he is.
Winner:
April is the wrong month for Detroit to have goaltender troubles. Bishop and the boys in Tampa will take this one. Tampa Bay in six
@JordanHorrobin
jh950614@ohio.edu
(1) New York Rangers vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins
Season records: NYR — 53-22-7 (113 points, 1st Metropolitan) PIT — 43-27-12 (98 points, 4th Metropolitan)
Season series: New York won 3-1
Last year’s playoffs: NYR: Lost in Stanley Cup Final (LA 4-1); PIT: Lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals (NYR 4-3)
Nick Kairys | For The Post
Offense:
Let’s not forget the Penguins have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Although Pittsburgh may not be as deep as the Rangers, they have an explosive power play and two aforementioned point-tallying superstars. Advantage: Pittsburgh
Defense:
The Penguins are struggling with injuries — especially on the defensive side. They will be without Olli Maatta, Kris Letang and Christian Ehrhoff (three top defensemen) for the start of the series. Plus the Rangers are stacked defensively with veteran guys. Advantage: New York
Goaltending:
“The King” Henrik Lundqvist is finally healthy and is one of the best goaltenders in the league. Moreover, Marc-Andre Fleury truly has been just a “Flower” in the net during recent playoff seasons. The Swedish goalkeeper has the upper hand in this category. Advantage: New York
Coaching:
Current Rangers coach Alain Vigneault has masterfully developed a finesse, transition-like playing style during his first two seasons with New York. Advantage: New York
Game-changer:
Brandon Sutter (PIT). Hard-working forward Brandon Sutter is the lead killer on the power play for the Penguins. Also, if Crosby and Malkin are cold, Sutter and his third line will be expected to help out in the scoring department.
Winner:
The Penguins will shock a lot of naysayers. They want revenge. Pittsburgh in seven
@NKairys
nk596613@ohio.edu
(2) Washington Capitals vs. (3) New York Islanders
Season records: WSH — 45-26-11 (101 points, 2nd Metropolitan) NYI — 47-28-7 (101 points, 3rd Metropolitan)
Season series: Tied 2-2
Last year’s playoffs: WSH: Missed playoffs; NYI: Missed playoffs
Andrew Gillis | For The Post
Offense:
Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom led the league in goals and assists, respectively. They’ll be too much to handle for the Islanders. John Tavares is one of the league’s best in New York, but with Mikhail Grabovski still out of the lineup due to a concussion in February, the Isles’ offense hasn’t been the same since his injury. Advantage: Washington
Defense:
The Islanders top defenseman Travis Hamonic is hurt, and it doesn’t look good for his return this round. The Caps boast a balanced defense for the first time in years having added Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen in the offseason. Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk are not a pair to scoff at, but they’re not the shutdown defensemen Washington has. Advantage: Washington
Goaltending:
Braden Holtby had a career year this year leading the Capitals to 41 wins with a 2.22 goals against average, placing him fifth in the NHL. Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak miraculously shut down the 2010 Capitals in the playoffs, but don’t expect the same magic this year. Advantage: Washington
Coaching:
New York coach Jack Capuano has only coached six playoff games in his career. Barry Trotz has seven playoff appearances from his time in Nashville. Advantage: Washington
Game-changer:
Travis Hamonic (NYI). If he can get healthy for the series, the Islanders have a much better chance of stopping the goal-scoring champ Ovechkin and company. With Hamonic out of the fold, the Islanders will likely ask Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk to shut down Ovechkin, which bodes well for Washington.
Winner:
I think Washington has just too much depth for the Islanders to handle. The Caps have to focus on shutting down Tavares, and Tavares only, to beat the Isles, something I think their defense is capable of. Washington in seven
@Agill072
ag079513@ohio.edu
Western Conference
(1) St. Louis Blues vs. (4) Minnesota Wild
Season records: STL — 51-24-7 (109 points, 1st Central) MIN — 46-28-8 (100 points, 4th Central)
Season series: Tied 2-2
Last year’s playoffs: STL: Lost in Western Conference Quarterfinals (CHI 4-2); MIN: Lost in Western Conference Semifinals (CHI 4-2)
Alex Busch | Asst. Sports Editor
Offense:
This one appears tough with the firepower throughout the Wild lineup: in Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. But, St. Louis is absolutely stacked. Vladimir Tarasenko, Alexander Steen, David Backes, T.J. Oshie, Paul Stastny — it’s any coach’s dream. I’m giving the Blues a substantial edge here. Advantage: St. Louis
Defense:
When it comes to scoring, the Blues’ defense takes the cake. But when it comes to the real “defense” on the team, that goes to Minnesota without a doubt. Led by Ryan Suter, it will be interesting to see how the Wild D matches up with Blues all-star Tarasenko. Advantage: Minnesota
Goaltending:
Devan Dubnyk has been unbelievable since putting on a Wild sweater. With “The Hamburglar” stealing the show down the stretch, Dubnyk has been put under the radar. Meanwhile, the Blues’ goalie situation isn’t 100 percent under control; don’t be surprised if Jake Allen sees some time in this series. Advantage: Minnesota
Coaching:
Earlier in the season, everyone was calling for Mike Yeo’s job, but he’s turned around a team that was stacked with skill but headed for trouble. Ken Hitchcock has been there, but had a tough time getting out of the first round of the playoffs last year. Advantage: Minnesota
Game-changer:
Vladimir Tarasenko. Big Vlad is a primetime performer at its best definition. The 23-year-old has taken the league by storm with highlight reel goal after goal throughout the season. There’s no doubt that his play can shorten this series.
Winner:
The winner of this series could very well go to the Stanley Cup Final. Either one. The NHL’s change of format in the playoffs has proved to make the bracket much more interesting. St. Louis in six
@Alex_Busch91
ab109410@ohio.edu
(2) Nashville Predators vs. (3) Chicago Blackhawks
Season records: NSH — 47-25-10 (104 points, 2nd Central) CHI — 48-28-6 (102 points, 3rd Central)
Season series: Chicago won 3-1
Last year’s playoffs: NSH: Missed playoffs; CHI: Lost in Western Conference Finals (LA 4-3)
Nick Kairys | For The Post
Offense:
The Blackhawks have loads of talent throughout their first three lines. Patrick Kane is cleared to play and Jonathan Toews is one of the best leaders in the game. Advantage: Chicago
Defense:
The defensive pairing of Shea Weber and Roman Josi for the Predators is extremely strong, especially on the offensive end. I also see younger defensemen Seth Jones and Mattias Ekholm grow in their first playoff appearance. Advantage: Nashville
Goaltending:
Pekka Rinne has lost four straight games coming into the playoffs, but is tied for the second most wins among goaltenders this season. Corey Crawford is a little too inconsistent. Advantage: Nashville
Coaching:
Predators coach Peter Laviolette and Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville both have playoff experience. Quenneville, however, has taken Chicago to the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season and won the Stanley Cup in 2010 and 2013. Advantage: Chicago
Game-changer:
Mike Ribeiro (NSH). Veteran forward Mike Ribeiro signed with Nashville before this season. He is the head of the Predators first line and first power play unit. If he can continue to set up his teammates for goals like he did in the regular season, Crawford may be in trouble.
Winner:
Chicago’s playoff experience puts them into the next round. Chicago in seven
@NKairys
nk596613@ohio.edu
(1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (4) Winnipeg Jets
Season records: ANA — 51-24-7 (109 points, 1st Pacific) WPG — 43-26-13 (99 points, 5th Central)
Season series: Anaheim won 3-0
Last year’s playoffs: ANA: lost in Western Conference Semifinals (LA 4-3); WPG: Missed playoffs
Andrew Gillis | For The Post
Offense:
The Ducks are very strong up the middle, having Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler as their top two centers. Winnipeg had six players score more than 40 points, so they’re no strangers to offense either. However, I think that Getzlaf and Perry will carry the Ducks scoring this series as they’ve done for years. Advantage: Anaheim
Defense:
The Jets have arguably the most intimidating defense in the league, led by Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien. The Ducks have a young defense that moves the puck well, but I think Winnipeg boasts more shutdown pairs. Advantage: Winnipeg
Goaltending:
Ducks goalie John Gibson is injured and won’t start the series. Backup Frederik Anderson will start, leaving question marks in the net for the Ducks. Winnipeg boasts maybe the hottest goalie in the league in Ondrej Pavelec, and will surely give the Ducks high-flying offense fits. Advantage: Winnipeg
Coaching:
Jets coach Paul Maurice made the Cup Finals as the coach of the Hurricanes in 2001, but Boudreau, while never making the third round, has far more experience recently coaching the Capitals and Ducks. Advantage: Anaheim
Game-changer:
Winnipeg’s crowd. The best fans in the NHL haven’t seen a playoff game since the team left in 1996 for Phoenix. They rioted in the streets when the Jets clinched a playoff berth. They sold out tickets for Games 3 and 4 in less than five minutes. Their “Winnipeg Whiteout” is arguably the most well-known playoff tradition in the NHL. They’ll be the loudest fans for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Anaheim has no idea what’s coming.
Winner:
Coach Gordon Bombay can’t help the Ducks now. The Jets come into the series as the underdog, but it should be Anaheim who is concerned. Bruce Boudreau’s teams have never been successful in the playoffs before, and facing one of the hottest teams in the league in Winnipeg, I think they feed off of their home crowd, as well as their defense, and defeat the Ducks in an upset. Winnipeg in six
@Agill072
ag079513@ohio.edu
(2) Vancouver Canucks vs. (3) Calgary Flames
Season records: VAN – 48-29-5 (101 points, 2nd Pacific) CGY – 45-30-7 (97 points, 3rd Pacific)
Season series: Tied 2-2
Last year’s playoffs: VAN: Missed playoffs; CGY: Missed playoffs
Jordan Horrobin | For The Post
Offense:
Calgary’s first line of Jiri Hudler, Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau has the right mix of veteran leadership and energetic youth, plus it’s red hot with nine goals in the last six games. Advantage: Calgary
Defense:
Norris candidate Mark Giordano is out, but the Flames have four durable D-men who have played 75+ games – compared to zero on the Canucks. Advantage: Calgary
Goaltending:
Vancouver’s Ryan Miller is battling back from an injury and backup Eddie Lack has never been in a playoff setting. Calgary’s Jonas Hiller, on the other hand, won five of his last six starts at the end of the season in must-win games. Advantage: Calgary
Coaching:
Calgary’s Bob Hartley was fired six games into the 2007-08 season with the Atlanta Thrashers and is in the playoffs for just the second time in his past nine seasons as a coach. Yikes. Advantage: Vancouver
Game Changer:
Johnny Gaudreau (CGY). The one they unfortunately call “Johnny Hockey,” Johnny Gaudreau is a first-year phenomenon who electrifies Flames fans with his dazzling dekes. Keep him in your discussion for the Calder Trophy.
Winner:
Sorry, Sedin twins. 2015 Eddie Lack isn’t 2011 Roberto Luongo, and the Flames are simply a hungrier team. Let's just hope a first-round loss doesn't spark riots in Vancouver. Calgary in six
@JordanHorrobin
jh950614@ohio.edu
