Four teams will continue their season after a relatively short semifinal round. In the West, Detroit completed a seemingly easy sweep of Colorado, giving them much needed (or unwanted depending on who you talk to) rest. They will take on Dallas, who won the 8th longest game in NHL history against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday night to complete their six game series. As mentioned in the alliterative title, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will meet for the first time ever in the Eastern Conference Finals, assuring Pennsylvania as a host of the Stanley Cup Finals. Pittsburgh, thanks mostly to stellar goaltending and deep offense, made quick work of the New York Rangers in five games. Philadelphia gained their ticket by upsetting the top seeded Montreal Canadiens, and preventing the Stanley Cup from coming to Canada for the 14th straight year.
So what will round 3 bring? Well if you ask me…
Detroit Red Wings (1) v Dallas Stars (5)
What will win this series, rest or momentum? The Red Wings will have a 7 day layoff in between series, while the Stars will be coming off a 3 day break and one of the longest games in history. If Dallas is able to keep the momentum from that stellar win, and Marty Turco is able to keep his performance at such a top notch level, this will be a long series. Don’t expect Detroit to let a week long layoff get to them, however. This team showed an uncanny ability to play structured and disciplined all through the Colorado series, and they aren’t about to give up that smart play. Chris Osgood may be their only question mark, as long breaks have a tendency to cool down a hot goaltender. Still, Turco and the rest of the Stars will have to make sure they play mistake-free hockey in order to keep up. Detroit in 6
Pittsburgh Penguins (2) v Philadelpia Flyers (6)
Depth. That will be the key to this series. Sidney Crosby didn’t score once against the Rangers in the semifinals, and the Penguins didn’t seem to miss him. They’ll need him this time around when the Flyers do their best to beat Marc-Andre Fleury, who’s been red hot so far. Umberger, Briere, and Prospal are the big three for Philly, and they seem to have no trouble getting points, and it won’t be any different in round 3. Both teams play a physical game, but expect the Flyers to have more control over that aspect of the game. But, there’s much more talent for Pittsburgh to count on, and Biron just won’t be able to match the clutch goaltending on the other end of the ice. Pittsburgh in 5