Before I move on to my 2nd round predictions, let us recap my first round predictions.

As always, these are based on nothing more than gut.  There is no actual research involved in the making of my NHL playoff predictions.  Basically, Robbie is guessing.

In the first round I picked:

Penguins over the Islanders.  The Penguins won.  I was right.
Senators over the Canadiens.  The Senators won.  I was right.
Rangers over Capitols.  The Rangers won.  I was right.
Bruins over Maple Leafs.  The Bruins won.  I was right.
Blackhawks over Wild.  The Blackhawks won.  I was right.
Ducks over Red Wings.  The Ducks lost.  I was wrong.
Sharks over Canucks.  The Sharks won.  I was right.
Kings over Blues.  The Kings won.  I was right.

I should play the freakin’ lottery, right?  That’s seven correct out of eight.  Someone is pretty good at picking the first round, and it’s me.  Damn straight.

The second round, however, is where I usually look like an idiot.

Here are my second round predictions:

Penguins vs Senators.  How about those Ottawa Senators, eh?  They showed those heavily favored Canadiens how it was done.  Let me tell you a story… Jen and I were sitting in a bar at Mohegan Sun waiting for the doors to open for the Rush concert last Thursday.  At a table next to us was a Rhode Islander and two guys from Montreal whom he’d just met for the first time moments before.  They started talking hockey.  One of the Montreal guys gave some horseshit story about how he was a hockey fan first and a Canadiens fan second, and how he doesn’t hate or root against any team because he just loves the game and blah blah blah and he’s sitting with a Bruins fan in a bar in New England and just wants to play nice out of fear he’ll get beaten up so he’s all up with people and lovey dovey and yadda yadda yadda.  He went on to say how he never had anything against the Senators and how there was no real rivalry between Ottawa and Montreal prior to the series.  “But there sure is now!” he says.  Later that night the Senators eliminated the Canadiens.  It was glorious.  Congratulations Ottawa, you have won your way to the second round where you will be blown off the face of the Earth by the Penguins.  Huzzah and all that!  Pittsburgh wins this series.

Bruins vs Rangers.  Now we’re talking.  No it’s not Bruins vs Canadiens, but if you want a rivalry this is a pretty good one.  Boston vs New York.  I have to be honest, again, and say that I don’t see the Bruins surviving this.  They beat the Rangers easily a couple of times early in the season, but that was a different Bruins team.  There are two Bruins teams this year.  The one that played the first half of the third period last night in game seven against the Leafs, and the one that played the second half of the third period last night in game seven against the Leafs.  If the first Bruins team shows up the Rangers will win easily.  If the second Bruins team shows up it will be an awesome series and either team has a shot.  In a rare show of Bruins based optimism I am going to say the second team shows up and that this series is epic from start to finish.  I’m also going to say that the Bruins will win it, but I live in Boston so if I said anything else I’d be thrown off the Tobin Bridge.  Yes, I pick the Bruins, but they are going to need their A+ game for 60 minutes a night and I haven’t seen them do that yet.  My fingers are crossed.

Now on to the Western Conference.  Also known as the conference I hardly followed at all this year.

Blackhawks vs Red Wings.  I really didn’t think the Wings had it in them this year.  They are old and not nearly the team they used to be.  Still, they made it happen against the Ducks.  The Blackhawks however, do have it in them this year.  They have been the team to beat in the West since day one.  This is a great rivalry, and it should be a fun series to watch, but the Red Wings are going to be golfing when it ends, and the Hawks will be sharpening their skates for round three.

Kings vs Sharks.  California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day.  Yeah, dude, like surfs up down at the ice rink.  Okay, I’ll stop being that asshole.  I’m just really happy that these two teams are matched up because it allows me to safely bet against the Sharks.  99 out of 100 times, when I pick the Sharks they make me look stupid.  The first round was that one out of 100 times when they make me look smart.  The odds are no longer in my favor.  Likewise, I like the Kings.  Always have.  Now I can safely say that the Kings will defeat the Sharks and I don’t have to question my gut at all.  The Kings will win this series.

So if all goes to plan we’ll have Penguins/Bruins and Blackhawks/Kings conference finals.  See you in a couple of weeks, okay?

Go Bruins!