Round One NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Predictions: The start of summer, playoff hockey and ice cream

The key to finishing atop the leaderboard at the end of NHL postseason prognosticating can typically rely on sniffing out the inevitable opening round upsets. I've finished a more than respectable 12-3 each of the last two years I've done this—one game worse than the best in 2009 and and one game better than the runner-up last year—often more attributed to going against the majority on one series or another in the first round. This year seems to have more underdog appeal than usual—and not just because the beloved Blackhawks are the absolute lowest seed in the West. (That certainly helps though.)

Before I get to everybody else's picks as well as my own, it's also somewhat custom to quickly look back at how the actual playoff bracket looks compared to what I had predicted at the beginning of the season. This year, I improved to correctly calling almost half the league's final standings in each division with 14 out of 30 spots nailed. While I only have two of the actual seeds correct, I had once again had seven of the eight Eastern Conference playoff teams right and improved to six out of eight in the West. And technically, both my Conference and Stanley Cup Finals are both still possible—dare I say likely?

Well, let's get to how this first round might go first: 


Yahoo still doesn't have their usual section devoted to expert picks, so that graphic will have to wait just put their picks up, but I need to get going to work, so I'll make the graphic later (Puck Daddy does have picks up, although we'll see how much of the staff posts picks going into future rounds) UPDATE: I've placed the Yahoo picks below the ESPN crew's. In the meantime, here's the picks from ESPN:

Yahoo:

No, I don't know when Linda Cohn became a hockey "expert" either, but since the Mother Ship's apparently adding Steve Levy too, then I guess the more the merrier. Here's my own picks in their usual descending order of confidence (kind of ... basically you could arrange those last five however you want, and I'm not as remarkably confident in any as recent years):

San Jose Sharks over Los Angeles Kings in five games

There were some higher expectations about the Kings this year and if Kopitar were healthy, I might be tempted to say San Jose's window has closed, but with Los Angeles' ability to score now seriously hurting I have to think the Sharks can make this postseason run go at least another round.

Washington Capitals over New York Rangers in six games

It's hard for me to forget the last time these two teams met in the playoffs and how the Rags had put the Caps on the ropes before blowing a 3-1 series lead. After last season's colossal disappointment, top-seeded Washington has more pressure to perform this time around—and they're still my pick to represent the East for the Cup.

Detrtoit Red Wings over Phoenix Coyotes in six games

It went seven last year and maybe those Yotes can put another scare into the boys from Motown, but I'm not counting on it. Detroit was my pick at the beginning of the year, and as long as they don't run into the Hawks along the way, that's probably going to still remain the case.

Montreal Canadiens over Boston Bruins in seven games

The first upset pick, and a big one, I guess, seeing as the Bruins are pretty much the popular pick right now for most people in the East. It should be a rather spirited series, considering their overall history—let alone what's happened this season. More heartbreak for Boston, thanks to the Habs.

Anaheim Ducks over Nashville Predators in seven games

I'm extraordinarily tempted to pick the perennially plucky Preds, a team which might've delivered the most daunting of any challenger the beloved Blackhawks last season. But in the end, I'm going to take the home ice advantage of a seventh game here to believe the Ducks rise to the challenge.

Chicago Blackhawks over Vancouver Canucks in six games

Did you really think I'd go against my boys? Yeah, no Big Buff this year to mess with Luongo, but assuming Dave Bolland comes back and that "young core" the Blackhawks held on to shows why they were being built around, I think we can look forward to wondering once again if the President's Trophy is actually an omen.

Philadelphia Flyers over Buffalo Sabres in six games

The Flyers sort of limped into this postseason, and a series with Buffalo should deliver a charged atmosphere every game. While there's legitimate concerns about the goaltending for Philly, they'll pull the rest of the parts together to get by the Sabres.

Pittsburgh Penguins over Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games

It's hard to believe the Pens can survive very long without Sid the Kid, and indeed it sounds like they're without him this series. I was leaning Tampa just based on that alone, but on second thought, I'm going to opt to believe that Dan Bylsma finds the way to get the most out of what he has to work with in Pittsburgh's first series.