Round 2

I almost didn't bother with round 2 after the fiasco of round 1. Wowzers! Feeling a little gun shy! It's a really good thing that I wasn't in any sort of hockey pool. I'd have lost big although I imagine there's a lot of pools out there that are in big trouble.

So, now that most people's favorites (including the "professionals") - Boston, Pittsburgh and Vancouver- are out, what's left? It's anybody's game, so to speak.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

NY Rangers VS Washington Capitals
So I still don't trust the offensive prowess of Washington to offer up too much. They were saved in the last round by the stellar play of Holtby...yes, the rookie I wrote off for round 1. Surprise! The kid's got skill, I'll give him that for sure but can you ride a rookie to the cup?  Both teams are tired out from 7 game series but fired up by pulling into the second. The Rangers are riding with a bit more offense and some solid defense. I'm going to give it to the Rangers in 7.  

Philadelphia Flyers VS NJ Devils
I really didn't think that Philly had it in them but seeing the way they had their way with Pittsburgh, they're looking far better than I'd thought. A team that found their stride. Was all the fight and fire simply because of a first round match up against a bitter rival or can they match it in this round? They've had a break too; time to recover from the abuse they took in round 1 and time to watch the other teams and see what was in store. NJ's win was a whole team effort, from rookie to veteran. Brodeur has been solid.  It'll be a battle, tempers will flare, and my best guess is Philly in 6.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

St.Louis Blues VS LA Kings
It seems that St. Louis is the only team to come out of round 1 seemingly unscathed. They played a serious series, solid and somewhat predictable.  LA, on the other hand, rode the wave and are probably still feeling a bit elated after their upset win over the President's Trophy winners. So here's the deal. St.Louis is probably the better all around team. If they play solid and steady like they have, they'll be successful. They will need to figure out the goaltending of LA's Quick who stood solid all through round 1, facing a ridiculous amount of shots every game.  I'll pick St. Louis in 6.

Phoenix VS Nashville
Meh. I still stand behind Nashville and Pekka Rinne, even though Phoenix surprised me (thankfully) and took out Chicago. Two pretty evenly matched teams but I'm going with Nashville in 6.