So I went 0-for-4 in the second round. I suck. But hey, at least I had Pittsburgh-Washington and Boston-Carolina going seven. As they say, though, you don't get points for coming close.
Time's running out. I need to pull off some big wins in this round or else I'm screwed. With that in mind, here are my picks for the conference finals.
Eastern Conference
(4) Pittsburgh vs. (6) Carolina - Pittsburgh in 6
The more I think about these teams, the more similar they become. So far, Pittsburgh has defeated a physical Flyers team and an offense-heavy Capitals team. They've shown they can play in any number of ways. Carolina, on the other hand, has defeated the defense-first Devils and the all-around brilliant Bruins. They, too, have had to adapt their style to win. This should be a great series featuring two well-rounded teams, not to mention two goaltenders who have been stellar so far. Both teams have plenty of recent playoff experience. Now, having said all of that, even though I like Ward better than Fleury, I'm going with Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby played at a ridiculously high level during the Capitals series and should be able to keep up his momentum against the Hurricanes. The Penguins have more talent and should be able to win this highly competitive series... but the Hurricanes have pulled wins out of nowhere a couple of times in these playoffs. I won't be surprised if they win. In the end, you know Gary Bettman and NBC will ensure that the Penguins advance.
Western Conference
(2) Detroit vs. (4) Chicago - Chicago in 6
Yes, I know the Red Wings are the defending Stanley Cup Champions. But did you see Chicago against the Canucks? They made Roberto Luongo look mortal; hell, they made him look awful. Experience might win a lot of battles, but don't underestimate youthful exuberance, particularly when it comes to the fans. There were empty seats at the Joe Louis Arena at Game 7 against Anaheim, partially because of the economy, partially because Red Wings fans are trained to expect a Stanley Cup every year. The United Center, on the other hand, has been absolutely boisterous. The playoffs are new to Blackhawks fans, and they're having the time of their lives during this playoff run. Let's not forget the obvious - these Blackhawks can score, Chris Osgood hasn't been great this year, and Nikolai Khabibulin is capable of stealing a game if he has to. Detroit will definitely play well in this series, but it just seems like a series Chicago is capable of winning.
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