Playoff Predictions Chart: Round 2 Recap

- update: turns out Barry Melrose did make second round predictions, though they hid in a corner of the internet. Fret no longer, they have been found. Pierre and Milbury are still MIA.

If the second round the NHL playoffs have proven anything, it is this: the Philadelphia Flyers will not yield to the robot invasion. And for that matter, neither will the Dallas Stars. Perhaps you remember that following the first round of the playoffs we all looked on in awe as the NHL 08 simulation went a perfect 8 for 8. In the second round? Penguins over New York Rangers. Called it. Detroit Red Wings over Colorado Avalanche. Called it. But as for the other two series, the mighty machine has faltered. I have a hard time celebrating the Dallas one though, as no one else from our chart called for the Stars to move on. However, notching one in our column, Jes Golbez of Hockey Rants did correctly surmise the outcome of the Canadiens v. Flyers series. It still holds a lead on the rest of us, but one thing has be proven: The machine can be beaten. In the words of my comrades from The Pens Blog: do it.

Looking at the second round, I finished 2 for 4. After rambling on how I was too biased to make an accurate prediction for my Penguins series against the New York Rangers, I not only called it, but made the correct games prediction, and correctly predicted which games both teams would win. I have no problem taking credit where credit is due, and I was on my game with that one. I also got the Red Wings vs. Avalanche series right, although I don't think anyone was too thrown off by what went down in that one. The Wings are rolling. Does that mean I'm taking back my doubt about them struggling in the Conference Finals? Well I haven't put my predictions in pen yet, but they've made a strong case.

Minus Golbez's call as stated above, we all dropped the ball when it came to the Canadiens vs. Flyers and Sharks vs. Starks match-ups. Not taking anything away from Philadelphia, but I think if Carey Price plays like he can in that series, Montreal isn't breaking out their golf clubs yet. As for the Sharks elimination, I'm genuinely surprised we all missed that one. I'm sticking to the excuse that I was merely staying true to my preseason Cup picks. What's your guys excuse?

Before I end this post, and we say goodnight to the second round of the playoffs, let me just repeat one thing. Neither Barry Melrose, nor Pierre Milbury made second round predictions. These are supposed to be the ambassadors of our sport. Anyone who has caught some playoff games knows one thing when it comes to the league and their voes. It's not the product. But maybe it's the packaging.

Round 2 Predictions: Pittsburgh Penguins (2) vs. New York Rangers (5)

Now comes the pick for the series I have so much of a self interest in I can't possibly be expected to make an accurate prediction. Right now I'm thinking the Penguins are playing as well as they have all season. I called for the sweep of the Senators, and it's taking everything in me to not predict another. Home ice is big, and I don't see them losing in either game one or two. They haven't lost at the Mellon Arena since February 24th. But I think the Rangers could steal a game or two in this series, merely because they are the kind of team that can put up 5 or 6 goals. But I don't see the Penguins losing this series. Maybe it's just the complete homer in me, but I'm calling this for the Penguins in 5. Fleury will be key, I think the long break is probably hard on the goalies, we'll see how they settle in. One thing that will happen without a doubt, former Pittsburgh Penguin Jarmoir Jagr will hear the boos tonight.

Game 20: 11/17/07: Penguins 3 - Rangers 4 OT

The Penguins squandered a 2-goal lead on home ice last night, eventually losing in overtime to the New York Rangers 3-4 in overtime.

Early in the first, with the Ranger's on the power play, Maxime Talbot blocked a shot from the blue line. The rebound bounced to Sidney Crosby, who lead the short-handed rush down the ice. Talbot recovered, joined the rush, and Crosby found him with a cross-crease pass that Tablot shuffled behind Ranger's goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

Only recently has Crosby begun playing the penalty kill again, and the assist was Crosby's first shorthanded point since his rookie season.

Just minutes later, with a Ranger's penalty pending, the 6 Penguins skaters controlled the play, cycling the puck around the offensive zone. The puck bounced to Crosby who beat Lundqvist with a bad angle shot, bouncing the puck of the inside of Lundqvist's leg pad and into the net.

But after a decidedly Penguins 1st period, it was the New York Rangers who stormed out in the 2nd. Former Penguin Michal Rozsival scored 2 goals, one of which short-handed, in just over 3 minutes to knot the game all up at 2-2.

The Ranger's took the lead on Daniel Girardi's power play goal as the clock winded down in the 2nd. Ryan Whitney was unable to clear the rebound off a Fedor Tyutin shot, and Girardi picked it up and scored to give the Ranger's the lead.

In the 3rd, with the one goal lead, the Ranger's sat back defensively with aims on shutting down the Penguins attack. And they were successful until, with just over 5 minutes remaining in the game, Erik Christensen lead the rush, carrying the puck into the offensive zone. He beat the trap, throwing the puck behind the net just after crossing the blue line. After a fortunate bounce of the glass, Evgeni Malkin, with his stick tied up by the Ranger's defense, kicked the puck over to teammate Petr Sykora, who's back hand goal tied the game late in the 3rd.

In overtime the Ranger's Paul Mara found teammate Jason Strudwick for the game winner on a across the crease pass from an odd man rush.

Marc-Andre Fleury made some mistakes in this game, but none of them lead to goals. Rozsival's short handed tally and Strudwick's overtime winner both came off an odd man rush following a Penguins defenseman being caught too deep in the offensive zone. Whitney was guilty in the 2nd, Gonchar in OT.

The Penguins have yet to have the scoring breakout that they need to kick this November slump, though they did have a number of scoring opportunities which were thwarted by the stellar play of Lundqvist. Pittsburgh has scored more than 3 goals only once out of the 9 games this month. Of the 8 games in which they've scored 3 or less goals they have lost 7.

Again last night there were complaints about the poor ice surface at the Mellon Arena. It's to be expected from the oldest ice surface in the league, but it's just another reason why the Penguins will be looking ahead to that new arena that's on the way. For such a dynamic finesse squad, their game is hindered by the slow choppy home ice.

But they'll be back in the Mellon Arena on Wednesday night to finish off an incredibly difficult 8 straight Atlantic Division games, the Penguins (8-10-2) will face the New Jersey Devils.

Game 8: 10/23/07: Penguins 1 - Rangers 0

Somewhere Gary Bettman is furious. Absolutely furious. He's probably on hold at the present moment ordering soccer goals for all 30 teams.

Okay, maybe not, but the league had to be hoping for a little something more in front of the national crowd tonight in Pittsburgh. The face of the league, Sidney Crosby, and his Penguins took on the free agency bolstered New York Rangers.

And actually, it was rather uneventful.

The only goal came on the power-play in the 2nd period. Sidney Crosby fed Ryan Whitney who was (surprise, surprise) pinching in from the blue-line. Whitney's shot/pass found Evgeni Malkin, and Malkin put it behind Henrik Lundqvist. And it was all they needed with Marc-Andre Fleury picking up the 36 save shut out, his first of the season.

Jordan Staal did have a penalty shot in the 2nd, but he didn't do anything with it. He has shown he has moves one-on-one in the past, but tonight he went for a simple shot on the five-hole, which Lundqvist easily stopped.

A win against a division opponent, and a shutout at that, is definitely something to get excited (even if it was a boring game) about, but forgive me for not already penciling in the names on the Cup when it comes against the Rangers, especially at the point they are right now. They can't buy a goal, although with Scott Gomez making $10 million, Jaromir Jagr making over $8 million and Chris Drury at a cool $7.1 million, Lord knows they have tried.

Honestly they really looked awful tonight, and Gomez commented between periods that it's the best they have played all season. It's still much too early to pass judgment, because it could take some time for the new additions to find their place, but the Rangers are looking more like the high price lackluster boys in blue of the past.

The Penguins are at it again Thursday at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Pens and Leafs have already met once this season, with Pittsburgh winning 6-4. Now that's a game Bettman can get excited about.

Buffalo Sabres (1) vs. New York Rangers (6)

The Sabres floated through the opening series with the Islanders, not playing as well as they might have hoped, but still winning in 5 games. Overall Buffalo's offensive will need to step up and put some more pucks in the net if they expect to get far in the East. Young goaltender Ryan Miller will keep them in games, but he's not going to steal many.

In the only sweep in the first round of the playoffs the Ranger's upset the Southeast Division champion Atlanta Thrashers. The Ranger's may not have the depth of the Sabres, but they certainly get enough well balanced scoring to be more than competitive. Henrik Lundqvist is also a young goaltender, but he's got experience in playing under pressure. Lundqvist lead team Sweden to the gold medal in Turin last year.

It's hard to judge these teams, as both of them played mediocre teams in the first round. Neither team had to play at full force to advance. This series will be the Sabres if they step up and play at the level that they can. Buffalo in 6.

Atlanta Thrashers (3) vs. New York Rangers (6)

The Atlanta Thrasher's finished atop the Southeast division, but it was the least competitive division in the league. The New York Rangers turned it up a notch late in the season to separate themselves from the pack, finishing 6th in the East. The Rangers have been battling all season in the tough Atlantic division, which sent 4 teams into the playoffs.

Both teams have the potential to run up the score. The Ranger's are lead by Jagr, Nylander and Shanahan. Nylander is not postseason experienced, but Jagr and Shanahan are, with 2 and 3 Cups, respectively. The only question for New York is Jagr's heart, for the past few years it's been up in the air on whether he was going to show up or not. He didn't score in last years early exit from the playoffs. But, when he does show up to play, he can be one of the most dangerous players in the league. The Thrasher's themselves have the incredible one-two punch of Hossa and Kovalchuk. But in the playoffs, depth becomes more important than ever, and they just don't have it.

Atlanta's Kari Lehtonen will be making his first playoff start, but he comes in playing strong. He's given up more than 3 goals only once in his last 17 starts. Henrik Lundqvist started 3 games in the playoffs last year, but he dropped all 3, giving up a total of 13 goals. How these young goaltenders play could shape the series.

I don't think this series will be as close as it may seem, the Thrashers are severely overrated, and I believe the playoffs will showcase their flaws. I'm picking the Rangers for the 4 game sweep.