Round Two NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Predictions: Where Have All The Kings and Blackhawks Gone?

It is, of course, sad times around these parts as I've been forced to convert the image of Jonathan Toews to the film grain black and white tone after the elimination of the defending champion Blackhawks. First-round exits aren't exactly unprecedented for this team, but we fans have come to expect having rooting interests in games well into May and usually June. And Lord knows everybody has come to expect the Blues to choke away series leads.

Instead, the season has ended in April. And my predicted champion this year was also eliminated. As it currently stands, I've gotten half of my picks in the last round right. The total might increase to five if Anaheim does not piss away a Game 7 at home for once.

It seems that in years past, the second round did not begin until the first was completely over. Yet the first series of the conference semifinals will begin even before the puck drops on the final game of the opening round tonight. So I'll have to revise this graphic later on.

For the time being, I'm still adjusting to the possibility that a team other than Chicago or Los Angeles will be hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup this June. Part of me is inclined to believe that an Eastern Conference team is going to once again take advantage and emerge victorious in the Final, but another part of me is legitimately fearful that maybe the Blues really have finally put it all together this year.

And then another part of me is simply rooting for the Sharks. Because that would be hysterical.

Here's my picks in the usual descending order of confidence:

San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators in five games or Anaheim Ducks in six games

The reason that a Sharks Cup run would be hysterical is because I picked San Jose win it all in 2014. And 2015. So of course they'll win it in 2016—when I picked the Kings. The Sharks looked like the best team in the West (and maybe the league) in stunningly quick ouster of Los Angeles in the first round, so I'm fully expecting them to stay hot against either one of the teams that comes out of tonight's first round finale. I think the Ducks might steal one more than the Preds, but the winner's going to be the same either way.

Pittsburgh Penguins over Washington Capitals in six games

As long as we're looking back on predictions, this series takes me back to 2009 when I thought the Caps were going to win the Cup in 2010. It's funny how back then I remember thinking it was going to be Sid and Ovie competing for regular Cups. That score currently stands at one for Crosby and none for Ovechkin (but three for Toews). The Penguins have been the hotter team and seem to be the ideal candidate to derail Washington's Presidents' Trophy season. 

St. Louis Blues over Dallas Stars in seven games

God, I hate this series. In that I mean that I am having a hard time picking a winner, not necessarily that I won't be watching. I simply think St. Louis has a stronger defense than the Stars, but I don't know that I can really count on the Blues to take full advantage of the weak Dallas presence on the blue line. St. Louis also clearly has the stronger goaltending thus far, but again, the Stars seem likely to test that far more often than the Blues will challenge Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen. Seeing what Vladimir Tarasenko did to the Blackhawks in limited action, I have to imagine he'll single-handedly tear up the porr guy in between the pipes for Dallas.

New York Islanders over Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games

I'm sticking with the Isles only out of loyalty to my pre-season picks, but my gut tells me that Tampa is probably going to get back to the conference finals. Still, New York had the semi-charmed kind of luck teams need in the playoffs when the team overcame one Florida team, so it wouldn't be a complete surprise if they're able to pull it off again against another.