From the Press Box: Round 2 Preview

Canadiens defeat Senators 4-2
At the end of an emotional six-game series we got a clear understanding of what a difference a top goalie can make. While the Sens got some momentum out of making their own goalie switch by inserting Craig Anderson in place of rookie Andrew Hammond, the Canadiens rode the superior quality of Carey Price. The Canadiens' star goalie showed his mettle in the clinching game, a road win when he turned aside all 43 shots he faced, while the Habs had only 20 at the Ottawa net. This was a snapshot that told the whole story. Price's heroics and some surprising fourth-line scoring obscure the fact that the Habs did not get much offense from their top two lines. Still, it was good enough to turn back the Sens.

Lightning defeat Red Wings 4-3
In a seven-game series that only had a couple of close games, this was a difficult set to handicap. Each team could point to star performances, as Tampa got plenty of offense from Tyler Johnson, while rookie goalie Petr Mrazek got two shutouts. Home ice didn't even prove to be an advantage, with road teams winning four of the first six games. Game 7 was a tight-checking affair with unheralded defenseman Braydon Coburn scoring the winner in the third period, while Ben Bishop pitched a shutout, turning aside 31 shots in the clincher. He gave up only 13 goals in the series. Steven Stamkos may have been held goalless, though he had four assists. Tyler Johnson was a monster with six goals while anchoring a second line that created some matchup headaches for the Wings. Detroit went out on their shield, led by their wizard, Pavel Datsyuk (five points), but got five goals and 19 total points from a trio of young guns (Riley Sheahan, Tomas Tatar and Luke Glendenning) who will be charged next year with extending Detroit's streak of consecutive playoff appearances. The Wings will lament the fact that Henrik Zetterberg was held goalless for the first time in his last 23 playoff series.

Rangers defeat Penguins 4-1
The Rangers showed the Penguins a couple of key lessons and highlighted aspects of their makeup that ultimately told the tale of the five-game series. The Broadway Blueshirts had too much depth and consistency among their four forward lines, whereas the Pens faltered up front, largely because one of their two superstars, Evgeni Malkin was held pointless. The Rangers' defense was much more involved in the offensive flow of this series, accounting for 12 points, which was twice as many as the Penguins' blueline brigade. Oddly enough, goaltending was the area where the matchup was remotely close, as Marc-Andre Fleury allowed only three goals more than Henrik Lundqvist. In the aftermath, it seems clear that the team structure of the Rangers was more than a limited Penguins roster could counter.

Capitals defeat Islanders 4-3
This seven-game series played out almost exactly as anticipated. The Capitals showed a new commitment to their defensive structure, which was characterized by their big collection of forwards, who played a grinding game and yet were also capable of offensive output. They were opposed by an up-and-coming Islanders team that perhaps was slightly more skilled but perhaps lagged a little on the defensive end and in physical battles. That was the most decisive advantage in this series, as Joel Ward and Jason Chimera (with four points each) chipped in with solid secondary scoring. Cal Clutterbuck (three points) was the only surprise contributor for the Islanders. Apart from this, you could make the case that the respective defenses and goalies were virtually even. In fact, the margin of victory came down to a great individual effort by Evgeni Kuznetsov, a rising offensive talent in Washington.

Western Conference

Ducks defeat Jets 4-0
The Ducks overcame as excited Jets team (and their rabid fan base) in a short series that underscored a regular season superiority of the division leaders. Though they may have been equal in terms of physicality, the Jets had no answer for the high-end offense of the Ducks, paced by Corey Perry (seven points) and Ryan Getzlaf (four points). As expected, a second scoring line featuring Ryan Kesler (five points) and Jakob Silfverberg (six points) did a lot of damage and only widened the gap between these clubs. They outscored a plucky Jets squad 16-9 and effectively limited the Jets' scoring lines almost completely. It came down to the fact that Anaheim looked like a team that was further along in their development and ready to take steps in a long playoff run after previous failures. For the Jets, the important step was in simply qualifying for the post-season.

Flames defeat Canucks 4-2
The Flames' series win has to rate as the biggest surprise of the opening round. Their formula for success was the same as it has been all season long, and young offensive stars Johnny Gaudreau (six points) and Sean Monahan (five points) showed an unexpected level of comfort level in their playoff debuts. Rugged Michael Furland (four points) injected a large physical component that got some Canucks (most notably Kevin Bieksa) off their game. The defensive trio of Kris Russell, Dennis Wideman and T.J. Brodie each chipped in with four points and that continued the season-long ingredient of offense from the blueline group. The Canucks had no answer for the physical advantage that the Flames enjoyed. That made life miserable for the Canucks' skill players and goes a long way towards explaining why the Sedins were only able to produce two goals at even strength in the six games.

Wild defeat Blues 4-2
I get to say "I told you so" in reviewing this series, which may be considered an upset outcome. The Wild proved to be every bit the equal of the Blues and their formula for a consistent and deep offensive mix. The Wild have the same makeup, perhaps with a little lower profile. Minnesota leaned heavily on usual contributors Zach Parise (seven points) and Jason Pominville (five points), with less-heralded Michael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter combining for nine points. The Wild defense outscored their Blues counterparts four goals to none, though Kevin Shattenkirk led all St. Louis players with eight assists. Devan Dubnyk continued his magical season, posting a 2.32 goals-against average in the series. The Blues surprised me by going to Jake Allen for much of this series, but he did play well, too (2.20 GAA). At the end of the series, Minnesota proved that they matched up depth-wise, but their advantage was an edge in the ability to win more puck battles and defend against sustained pressure better than the Blues.

Blackhawks defeat Predators 4-2
Experience. That one word describes the result of this series. The Predators did have a wonderful regular season, but they came up short against a battle-tested Chicago group that was led by arguably the best leader in hockey today: Jonathan Toews. He co-led all scorers in Round 1 with eight points (tied with the Blues' Kevin Shattenkirk), but more than that, he led by example, combining a focus, a fire and overall effective two-way style that has led this team to two recent Cup wins. He and his mates look very comfortable with the job at hand. Veteran support was also provided by Duncan Keith (seven points and an overtime game-winning goal), a healthy Patrick Kane and all the other usual suspects. The only fly in the ointment was the erratic start by goalie Corey Crawford, but Scott Darling, who played steadily the rest of the way, replaced him capably. The Preds were able to match up well in the early part of the series, but an injury in Game 2 to their captain and on-ice leader, Shea Weber, certainly took some of the wind out of their sails.

Round 2

Canadiens vs. Lightning
(Tampa Bay swept the season series 5-0)
Both teams have to be concerned that their signature offensive players, Max Pacioretty and Steven Stamkos, produced one goal between them in Round 1. For their part, the Lightning and their captain are feeling better about this matchup after their regular season success versus the Habs, erasing last year's playoff wipeout. At least, they hope so. Tyler Johnson is the top goal scorer left in the postseason and is expected to be a problem for Montreal because he is one of a group of speedy forwards, including Stamkos, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov, who may be the quickest group of forwards in the league. We have already highlighted Bishop's great playoff performance, and he needs to stay at this level, knowing that Carey Price is at the opposite end of the ice. Tampa scored 41 more goals than Montreal during the regular season, implying an edge there for the Lightning. The Habs need to find some scoring punch from top-six forwards who were dormant in Round 1 to at least narrow that gap. No Montreal forward even produced more than three points in the first round. Brendan Gallagher needs to be at his pesky best and Alex Galchenyuk needs to act like a gamebreaker for Montreal to compete in this series.

The Call: the Canadiens will be pressed by the Lightning speed game but otherwise these teams are similarly built: each has a high-end defenseman, a top goalie and explosive power plays. Take Tampa and revenge as a motivator (for their 2014 playoff loss) in seven games.

Rangers vs. Capitals
(New York won season series 3-1, outscoring Washington 13-10)
The Rangers did nothing to dispel their status as the No. 1 seed in the East during Round 1. They can also point to their head-to-head record against the Caps and have to believe that they are the better team. That confidence should fuel the Rangers in the early going. Their speed, particularly among the forward ranks, ought to provide a large edge. They also boast two of the biggest forwards, in Chris Kreider and Rick Nash, who should be able to negate much of the physical edge the Capitals enjoyed in Round 1 against the Islanders. The Rangers will again enter a series with an edge in goal, as Lundqvist is the old hand, while Braden Holtby is closing the gap and may soon merit inclusion among elite NHL goalies. The Caps can look at their defense to give them a slight edge in that part of the respective rosters, but with Dan Boyle now in the Rangers top four, that gap is narrow as well. One of the wild cards in this matchup is the realization that Alex Ovechkin has never had a better team around him in his playoff history and he has had a great year.

The Call: I like the Rangers speed as the deciding factor, as the Caps trail badly in that aspect. New York in six.

Ducks vs. Flames
(Anaheim won season series 3-2)
Here we have a team that was expected against a young team that may be a surprise element in the league quarterfinals. Anaheim ran away with the division and ran over a physical Winnipeg squad in Round 1. Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and a host of veteran leaders have kept the Ducks' foot on the gas pedal and they are buoyed by a regular-season mastery over the Flames, which extended the Flames futility to 20 straight losses in the Honda Center. That second Anaheim forward unit is primed to be a difference maker in this matchup. Kesler could be a huge factor here. The Flames have a combination of size and speed that will be difficult for Calgary, a team that relies more on skill. The Flames will need a productive power play to keep this interesting. Gaudreau and Monahan could be in for a rough ride against the physicality of the Anaheim squad.

The Call: Anaheim has all the tools to play any way an opponent wishes. They were the cream if the crop in the Pacific Division all year long. Ducks in five.

Hawks vs. Wild
(Chicago won season series 3-2)
Devan Dubnyk is the key for Minnesota. He won both of his starts against the Hawks, including one shutout. The Hawks may concede to Minnesota in the goalie matchup, but they will again lean on their veteran leadership core. This year is likely the last playoff run for this decorated group. Speed from Toews, Kane, Patrick Sharp and company will be a challenge for a big Wild defense. Minnesota will have to continue to get big contributions at both ends from their defense because you know that Brent Seabrook and Keith will bring it for the Hawks. Chicago will turn to Corey Crawford to start this series, but now know they have a capable second option. That knowledge should fortify the Hawks even more.

The Call: the sexy pick would be to go with the talented underdogs, but I have no qualms about throwing my support behind a motivated Chicago team. Hawks in six.