2010 Playoff Preview and Prediction Show

Another NHL regular season is come and gone now. Gone are the days of Referees calling penalties, and playing multiple teams in multiple days. No, now you had better get used to your opponent, learn how to beat them, rinse and repeat.

Here at TH, the playoffs me two things:
1) Intense and Televised Hockey,
2) Another chance to make an ass of myself with predictions.

Make the jump and enjoy


We'll start with everyone's second-favorite NHL Conference, the West.

#1	San Jose Sharks	VS	Colorado Avalanche	#8
And the 2010 Playoff Choke watch is on. Really, it'll be interesting to see if SJ got all the choke out of their system during that losing streak about a month ago. Of course, it's not like their going up against a scrub, either. Colorado has all the makings of a real Cinderella, and if your March Madness bracket didn't tell you, this is a good year for Cinderella upsets. Prediction: San Jose wins in 6
#2	Chicago Blackhawks	VS	Nashville Predators	#7
There's a lot of talk around the NHL that the Predators got hot at the right time. That may be true, but what's not being said is that the Blackhawks have been hot for most of this season. Anyway, if Chicago can't win a Cup this year, then they'll have mortgaged their future on Marian "Season ends in April" Hossa. Still, they'll have their core, and should be able to handle Nashville without too much trouble. Prediction: Chicago wins in 5
#3	Vancouver Canucks	VS	Los Angeles Kings	#6
If I had to pick a great opportunity for a first round upset, this has all the makings. Los Angeles has a solid young goaltender in Jonathan Quick, A young defenseman playing beyond his years in Drew Doughty, and A Slovenian with nothing to lose in Anze Kopitar. Not to mention, "The Peice" is a King. What does Vancouver have? A couple of Swedish twins, and a Gold Medal winning goaltender who has recently forgot how to play. Prediction: Los Angeles wins in 7
#4	Phoenix Coyotes	VS	Detroit Red Wings	#5
Phoenix, despite being the higher seed, is probably the underdog in this one. It's nothing short of a miracle that they've managed to do so well all season. Unfortunately, they're going up against a red hot Detroit team, and this team hasn't made the playoffs in my recent memory. Still, a lucky bounce here and there and they might be able get out of this series alive. Prediction: Detroit wins in 6

Next up, the Eastern Conference.

#1	Washington Capitals	VS	Montreal Canadiens	#8
Washington has had their chance to get a taste of Playoff hockey, and this should prove to be a great opportunity for them to make a legitimate run. Montreal's been kinda hot lately, but the Capitals winning the President's trophy wasn't a total fluke. They did have 7 players who scored 20+ goals this season. Even if Jaroslav Halak is at the absolute top of his game, the Canadiens will have a tough time even hoping to win this series. Prediction: Washington wins in 4
#2	New Jersey	VS	Philadelphia	#7
New Jersey managed to win the Atlantic Division, despite stiff competition from Pittsburgh. What do they get for their trouble? The Philadelphia Flyers. Unfortunately for the Devils, they only won one of six games against the Flyers this season. This is the playoffs, however, and all signs point to this being Marty Brodeur's last run. Expect the Devils to play with a renewed passion. Prediction: New Jersey wins in 6
#3	Buffalo Sabres	VS	Boston Bruins	#6
Let's be honest here...if Boston hadn't kept trying to remind Tim Thomas that he won the Vezina last season, Boston may have managed a higher seed. Tukka Rask will have his work cut out for him, however. Ryan Miller isn't one to make mistakes, and Buffalo has a solid gameplan and a full set of two-way players. Rask will have to be at the top of his game and Boston will have to remember how to score if they want to try and win this one. Prediction: Buffalo wins in 5
#4	Pittsburgh Penguins	VS	Ottawa Senators	#5
This could prove to be one of the most exciting series in the east. Ottawa has found it's groove, and Pittsburgh has been struggling lately. Inconsistency has plagued the Penguins, while Ottawa seems to have finally found a starting goaltender. However, with former Penguin and Penguin-killer Alexei Kovalev out for the series, the Penguins should be able to win this series. Prediction: Pittsburgh wins in 7

Well that completes the first round predictions. Feel free to throw your own in the comments, or criticize mine. The semifinal predictions will be up after the semifinal matchups are determined.