In the Eastern Conference, it was the year of the Bruins. Bruins stood atop of almost every offensive and goaltending catergory in the NHL and even Coach Claude Julien is considered the odds on favorite to win the Jack Adams Award. This year in the East also gave fans of teams like the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens severe heart attacks as their teams fell in and out of the playoff race as the season went on, but all three find themselves in the dance. It was also a year of disappointment as the Florida Panthers became so close to capturing their first playoff berth in 8 years, only to be denied by a Montreal overtime loss.(1) Boston Bruins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens - Seriously, what would the NHL Playoffs be without a Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens showdown? The Bruins come in as the East's top seed, led by Norris-favorite Zdeno Chara and the best offense in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Habs late season push has to be credited to the revival of the powerplay in Montreal. However, the Habs are without leader of the powerplay Andrei Markov, who's sidelined with a knee injury and Mathieu Schneider is playing through what was at one point considered a season ending shoulder injury. With Montreal putting their three best offensive players on the same line (Tanguay-Koivu-Kovalev) their offense will surely lack depth and the inconsistent goaltending of Carey Price will ultimately make them unable to get the job done. Prediction: Bruins win in 5.
(2) Washington Capitals vs. (7) New York Rangers - Perhaps one of the most intriguing series in the NHL Playoffs is the battle between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. The Rangers have proved to be a worthy adversary for every team they face since the trading deadline. For Washington, the juggernaut that is Alexander Ovechkin is coming off yet another MVP-like season and has one of the NHL's best supporting casts with Niklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Alexander Semin skating alongside him. The biggest question mark for the Capitals will be in net, Jose Theodore. Theodore has lacked the consistency he had throughout his tenure in Colorado and is by far less superior to Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Prediction: Rangers win in 7.
(3) New Jersey Devils vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes - Is this not the most boring series in the entire playoffs? Combine the Devils sleep-inducing defensive trap style of play and the over all bland team that is Carolina Hurricanes and what do you have? This series. The mystery for the New Jersey Devils is which Martin Brodeur will show up? Will it be the Marty of old Devils fans know and love or the Marty who's struggled since returning from his bicep injury. The Hurricanes have been on a tear since acquiring Erik Cole from the Oilers, and Cole has responded well to his return to Raleigh, posting 15 points in 17 games with the 'Canes. Prediction: Hurricanes win in 6.
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers - The interstate rivals meet again in a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals. There's no doubting that these two teams hate one another, as the battle for Pennsylvania continues in the 1st round. The Penguins are on fire since the hiring of Dan Bylsma behind the bench while Sidney Crosby has found his stride just in time for the playoffs. With the offensive additions of Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz, and add in Russian sensation Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins have surely regained the offensive strength they had during last years Playoff run. Meanwhile, across the state in Philly, the Flyers late seasons struggles due to lack of strong goaltending left them in the fifth seed and without home ice advantage, something they fought for all season long. Prediction: Penguins win in 7.
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