By Tommy Kane

Published: April 25th, 2019

Volume III: Issue XIII

What a playoffs it has been. The Presidents’ Trophy recipients the Tampa Bay Lightning were surprisingly swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round, as well as the Pittsburgh Penguins being swept by the New York Islanders.

The Calgary Flames saw their season end at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche. The St. Louis Blues continued their domination into the postseason by knocking out the Winnipeg Jets. And the Dallas Stars, well, they had some great goaltending and production from their top line to wipe out the Nashville Predators.

Adding to the excitement is the amount of Game 7s that took place. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins squared off, the Washington Capitals took on the Carolina Hurricanes, and the San Jose Sharks forced the final game after trailing 3-1 in the series against the Vegas Golden Knights.

My picks were wrong, but another stab wouldn’t be the end of it. Let’s dive into the second round of the 2019 NHL Playoffs.

WC1. Dallas Stars vs. 3. St. Louis Blues

St. Louis really has been riding a hot streak that started all the way back to the beginning of the 2019 year. The Stars have been a quiet team that creeps up and shocks opponents, and they are now a viable candidate for the Stanley Cup.

Ben Bishop (G) is a star for the Stars. Through the playoffs, he has a save percentage of .945 and a GAA of 1.90. Incorporate that with a whopping 100% PK and it looks this team can hold it’s ropes defensively.

Mats Zuccarello is doing wonderfully in his new role and leads the team with three goals. Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn have also helped out Zuccarello a ton. This is a team that can sting on both sides of the puck, despite having huge offensive weapons.

The Blues have a star in Jordan Binnington (G). His save percentage did drop to .908, but that is still great for a rookie. He has the composure of a rookie Matt Murray and Cam Ward, both Cup winner their rookie seasons.

Jaden Schwartz is one of those players that is a true underdog and has been shocking people. He has four goals thus far and gave the Jets the most grief. The Blues could continue and move on with this team, especially with the help Schwartz has.

The goaltending battle will be tight, but the Stars will edge on due to them having a stronger cast. Bishop is superior and there is more production for the Stars so far. Stars win, 4-2.

2. Boston Bruins vs. WC2. Columbus Blue Jackets

Who would have thought the Blue Jackets would be able to come out alive against the Lightning, let alone sweep them? The Bruins recently battled to a Game 7 thriller with the Maple Leafs. Who can come out of this series?

Boston has a scoring leader in Brad Marchand. His nine points have propelled the Bruins to new heights. Along with the help of Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, this team can score quickly as seen against Toronto.

Tuukka Rask (G) has had times, especially early on in the previous series, where he has looked a bit shaky, but he finished off with a .928 save percentage.

Sergei Bobrovsky (G) has been on fire for the Blue Jackets ever since period 3 of Game 1. He has a save percentage of .932 and has been critical down the stretch.

Going along, Columbus has the top powerplay at 50%. Matt Duchene has warmed up to the task and, along with Artemi Panarin, Nick Foligno, and Seth Jones can take games. Look to see them firing on all cylinders.

Both Columbus and Boston are very good two-way teams. Strong offense and defense, along with great goaltending, is a recipe for success. The Bruins have the experience and have looked great from day one of the season. Bruins win, 4-3.

2. San Jose Sharks vs. WC2. Colorado Avalanche

These are two very good teams out west. The Sharks came back from a 3-1 series deficit, as well as a 3-0 deficit in Game 7 against the Knights. The Avs dropped Game 1 to the Flames but rallied to win four straight.

Colorado has found a star in Nathan Mackinnon and it is no surprise that his name is coming up. He has eight points and his star teammate, Mikko Rantanen, has nine. The two of them have a solid defense that did a great job shutting down Johnny Gaudreau and company. Not to mention the newest member and future stud for the Avs being a factor, Cale Makar.

Philipp Grubauer has a save percentage of .939 and a GAA of 1.90. He faced a great top-line. This guy is legit. He needs to come up big against the Sharks and he will.

The Sharks have found a rough spot, but they got out. Despite this, Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl have been dynamite. Both have six goals and are tied in first for that stat. Add in the Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson duo, and the team has a backbone.

Martin Jones (G) has not been playing well. A .904 save percentage isn’t awful, but he has shown many instances of panic against Vegas. Look for him to steadily improve in this series. He needs to, or the Avs will win.

This is a tight series and a tough one to call. Jones will pick up his game and San Jose has been more reliable all year. The Avs are riding a hot streak and can play well, but they have their own consistency issues that will come up eventually. Sharks win, 4-3.

2. New York Islanders vs. WC1. Carolina Hurricanes

The Islanders were quite impressive sweeping the Penguins, while the Hurricanes knocked off the defending champs in 2OT. This makes for a fun series.

Jordan Eberle is a dark horse that scored four goals against the Penguins and has been huge for the team. The fourth-line also brings a physical presence that has had a major output. The Isles penalty kill is also one of the best at 90.9%, doing so against a prominent Pittsburgh powerplay.

Robin Lehner (G) proves to be the best player for the team. He has the highest save percentage at .956 and remember he did so against the likes of Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel, just to name a few. He needs to come up strong against a good Canes team.

The Hurricanes are a difficult team to get by. We know Sebastian Aho is great, but Jacob Slavin, Jordan Stall, and Warren Foegele have stepped up to the plate. This team can strike fast when down and takes advantage of odd-man opportunities.

Petr Mrazek (G) has numbers that look bad (.899 save percentage), but he has made huge plays when needed. He can keep Carolina in games.

When it comes to the push, the Canes will edge this one out. The odds Lehner and the rest of the team play that magical is against them. It will be close, but the Hurricanes have the greater push. Yes, the Isles swept, but they figured out the Penguins. This is a greater challenge. Hurricanes win, 4-2.

The action starts on Apr. 25, 2019 with the Bruins taking on the Blue Jackets at 7PM EST. The games will be televised on NBC and its affiliates.

HAPPY HOCKEY!

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