NHL Eastern Playoffs Round 2: These Waters Seem Unchartered

Welcome back to the blog, and welcome to hockey's second round! It's almost mind-boggling that teams that have come this far are only one-quarter of the way towards earning their ultimate goal. Tonight's Game 7 between the Ducks and Predators will be the final added piece to the NHL's "Elite Eight," and this bunch indeed includes some local flare. The Islanders advanced to the second round for the first time since 1993, sparking a Brooklyn party following Game 6's overtime clincher by captain John Tavares. While the Rangers ran into a buzzsaw Penguins team and did not have the same luck, there is still plenty of intrigue to get to. With the Western Conference first round is still (weirdly) going on as the second round starts in the East, let's roll through what to expect on just one side of the bracket in Round 2. Starting with the main event:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
#1M Washington Capitals vs #2M Pittsburgh Penguins


Season Series: Five games- Three wins for PIT (one in OT); Two wins for WAS


Moxy Measurable: WAS 9/10; PIT 10/10


Sentimentality Scale: WAS 9/10; PIT 7/10


Stanley Cup Odds: WAS 27:10; PIT 19:5


Applicable WWE Catchphrase: "To be the Man...you gotta beat the Man!" - Ric Flair 

Relevant 1993 Anthem: "Two Princes" - Spin Doctors

Lessons from Round One: This one has all the makings of insanity. And a whole lot of fun. It's the undisputed champions of the NHL's regular season going skate-to-skate with the undisputed hottest team in the league. The Stanley Cup odds above admittedly look a little wonky (rough math: WAS 2.7:1 and PIT 4:1), but these also represents the two best odds of the nine teams remaining (Nine will become eight once Anaheim and Nashville settle their Game 7 tonight out west). Which almost seems impossible- two teams facing off in the quarterfinals having the two best odds. But that is the feeling in this one: these are the cream of the crop. Washington certainly (and expectedly) got the better of Philadelphia in the opening round. But with the recent playoff history of black eyes for the Caps, fans couldn't help but worry when their 3-0 series lead suddenly became 3-2. With the stunning play of goalie Braden Holtby (5 goals allowed in six games, two shutouts), the Capitals had enough to dispatch the Flyers. Alex Ovechkin got his production, usually on the power play, while less talked about Nicklas Backstrom put on an absolute show across the entire series. The Caps are loaded, and become even scarier if rising star Evgeny Kuznetsov (just one point in Round One) can find his groove.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, steamrolled the Rangers in a five-game series that didn't even seem that close. Evgeni Malkin returned and had a monster series, as did the usual suspects of Crosby, Letang, and (gasp!!) often-maligned Phil Kessel. The question with the Pens this playoff season, though, has never been the 5-on-5 talent...it's been that all-important sixth guy standing in the crease. Marc Andre Fleury still has concussion issues, meaning it will be the unheralded Matt Murray likely to shoulder the load. Murray played great in closing out the Rangers after taking over for Jeff Zatkoff in Game 3, but to say these Capitals will bring a new level of firepower would be a real understatement. 


The Pick: Pundits from coast to coast are envisioning a seven-game classic in this one. Personally? I think that surprise test from Philly was exactly what the Capitals needed. After over six months of running roughshod through the league and arguably not playing much of a "meaningful game" in weeks, I think the alarm clock hath been rung D.C. In all the years of playoff shortcomings during the Ovechkin era, Pittsburgh has often been the grim reaper in their biggest heartaches. I think the Capitals have known for a long time that Crosby & co. would be their biggest test in their quest for the Cup, and they are ready for this. And, uh, playing a backup goalie doesn't hurt either. Don't adjust your computer screen...this one ends shockingly quick.
CAPITALS IN 5




#2A Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (WC) New York Islanders


Season Series: Three games- Two wins for NYI; One win TB


Moxy Measurable: TB 8/10; NYI 6/10


Sentimentality Scale: TB 8/10; NYI 9/10


Stanley Cup Odds: TB 12:1; NYI 14:1

Applicable WWE Catchphrase: "I will give you a show that you've never seen before. Why? Because I can" - 
Shawn Michaels

Relevant 1993 Anthem: "Reason to Believe" - Rod Stewart

Lessons from Round One: It feels a bit like the "ugly stepchild" series in the East, as the Crosby/Ovechkin showdown is sure to soak up all the national attention. But surely neither of these teams have a problem with continuing to fly under the radar. Though it may get less attention, it's the same odds at stake with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Your feelings on long layoffs during the playoffs (rest vs. rust) may sway how this series turns out. Tampa hasn't played in forever- eliminating the Red Wings last Thursday in the five-game series. They are missing their superstar forward Steven Stamkos, but you could hardly notice it against Detroit. Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn, and even Jonathan Drouin provided all the firepower needed against an overwhelmed Red Wings squad. While the offense held its own, the defending Eastern Conference champs will once again hitch their wagon to goaltender Ben Bishop. He was sharp as a tack against Detroit and--as the Rangers saw last year-- can wreck a series with his stellar play. Tampa will also have the home ice advantage to go along with their considerable "experience" edge in the series. 
While the Lightning were able to kick their feet up and relax all week, the Islanders were engaged in double-overtime slugfests against the Panthers in Round One. The six game series felt like 20 games, as each was decided by one goal and three of the Isles' four wins needed one overtime or more. Nevertheless, New York finally got the monkey off their back and have advanced to this point. While Islanders fans have known the name and true value of John Tavares for many seasons, his eye popping performance in the first round- particularly the clincher- has put him on the mainstream map of superstardom. He put together nine points in the six games, while helping linemate Kyle Okposo notch six points. Though the top line asserted their will on the feisty yet inexperienced Panthers, the Lightning defensive prowess is bound to give them far more resistance. The Islanders can no longer afford to escape without secondary scoring from the likes of Brock Nelson, Josh Bailey, Nikolay Kulemin & co. Goaltender Thomas Greiss put on a first round performance that was every bit as good as Bishop, Holtby, you name it. But without any kind of playoff experience prior to this season, it's fair to worry about whether the grind of his first postseason as starter will take its toll against the scary Tampa attack. The Islanders are thrilled to have gotten to this point, as the celebration of Game 6 in Brooklyn had clearly indicated. Though they are hungry for more, they cannot afford to keep the status quo of their performance against Florida. 

The Pick: Don't be fooled into thinking the Isles are a bigtime underdog in this series. New York finished three points higher in the standings than the Lightning, even with the perceived two-game "tanking" at the end. Stamkos is a tremendous loss for Tampa, no doubt. But the Lightning have the defensive prowess and proven goaltender that can withstand such a loss. But this year's version of the Islanders can consider themselves the best team to put on the jersey in over two decades. With a fanbase that now has New York all to itself (in the hockey sense). Greiss will need to continue holding up his end of the bargain, which will be easier said than done. And with the young forwards knowing they can be benched at any time and miss out on the excitement (see: Ryan Strome last round), perhaps that lights the fire for supplementary scoring. But with teams this closely matched, this pick gets filed under "one team has John Tavares...and the other team doesn't." 
ISLANDERS IN 7

Thank you for reading and enjoy the action!