Here we go hockey fans, we move one step closer to the Stanley Cup Finals starting tomorrow night. If the first round was any indication, we should be in for another great batch of matchups. With a few exceptions, just about every game was tight and most needed overtime to decide the contest. It has made for compelling drama each and every night.

The Western Conference is ripe for the taking right now with the top-two regular season teams, Chicago and Minnesota, eliminated early. Momentum will play a huge factor because of how close each team stacks up to each other. One series will feature the two hottest goaltenders in the NHL right now, while the other is a matchup of the new guard vs. the old guard in what should be an extremely fast paced series.

Over in the Eastern Conference, the first round didn’t provide much in terms of surprises, but that is to our benefit. Goaltending will be the difference here. One series will be one for the grinders and defensemen. The other is a matchup of the two best teams left in the playoffs, led by the NHL’s premier superstars. We could be looking at an all-Metropolitan Division final in the East. Let’s take a look at my picks and how each team stacks up to each other.

Western Conference

Nashville vs. St. Louis (Game 1, Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.)

One of the major storylines in any postseason is the run of a hot team with an equally hot goaltender. This matchup features both teams that fit that description. The two most impressive teams from the first round will square off here, and it should make for an intense, hard-hitting series. Despite the fact that both teams made quick work in their first round matchups, don’t expect this one to be a short series.

Nashville’s Pekka Rinne and St. Louis’s Jake Allen were fantastic in the first round. Whichever goaltender can channel that momentum in this series will give their team a leg up here. I would give the edge to Rinne here because he was virtually unbeatable against Chicago.

In terms of matching up stars, I can’t wait to see P.K. Subban against Victor Tarasenko. I would expect Peter Laviolette to have his best defender (Subban) on the ice any time the Tarasenko line is on the ice. Subban will have to get more involved on the offensive end though as he remains without a goal in this postseason.

I’ll be interested to see how Mike Yeo counters the Johansen-Forsberg-Arvidsson line. This was a lethal trio against Chicago, totaling 11 points and a combined +22 rating when on the ice. This will have to be the focal point for the Blues to stop a suddenly red-hot Nashville team.

Winner: Nashville in 6

 

Anaheim vs. Edmonton (Game 1, Wednesday, 10:30 p.m.)

If you like speed, this series will be for you. The Ducks and Oilers have a plethora of talented forwards, which should make for a fast-paced series. It is an intriguing matchup of an established team against the up-and-comers.

Off the bat, I have to give a slight edge to Anaheim in this series due to the fact that they took care of Calgary without much issue. Edmonton had to scratch and claw through a tough six-game series against San Jose. That may only last one game though.

As good as Anaheim played against Calgary in the first round, they needed the offense to bail them out of games late. John Gibson was good but not great at times, and needed to get pulled out of Game 3 after allowing four goals on 16 shots. Edmonton is a much better offensive team than Calgary so Gibson will need to be on his game.

The same could be said for Edmonton goaltender Cam Talbot. He was arguably better than Gibson at his best, we also saw that things can break down as well. Talbot notched two consecutive shutouts in Games 2 and 3 before getting blitzed for five goals in Game 5.

This series will come down to which goaltender can be the most consistent in net. Both teams have certainly showed they can score, especially in the clutch. The battle between Talbot and Gibson will go a long way to determining who moves one step closer to the Stanley Cup Final.

Winner: Edmonton in 7

 

Eastern Conference

Washington vs. Pittsburgh (Game 1, Thursday, 7:30 p.m.)

Folks, it doesn’t get much better than this series. The hype for this one is off the charts. Crosby vs. Ovechkin. The defending champions against the two-time President’s Trophy winners. This one has all the makings of an epic seven-game clash. The only question is will it actually happen?

Washington is arguably the best two-way team in the NHL with an elite goaltender. However, this team has criminally underachieved during the Ovechkin-era, having never advanced past the second round. There were times in the first round where it looked like Washington was in trouble. Ultimately, they righted the ship and pulled off a tough series win against a surprisingly good Toronto team. The Capitals can’t afford to have the same lapses against Pittsburgh in this series though.

With all of the talent on the ice for both teams, the more disciplined team will prevail. That means Washington will have to play a much smarter game than they did in the first round. I’m looking squarely at Capitals enforcer Tom Wilson. He has a knack for picking up penalties in bunches, and that could cause serious problems for Washington. Pittsburgh’s powerplay is not to be trifled with.

In terms of the defensive and goaltending matchups, Washington certainly has the edge over Pittsburgh. Marc-Andre Fleury was good in round one, but with his history we could just be waiting for the other shoe to drop. If he struggles against this potent Washington attack, Pittsburgh will likely be stuck with him in net. Last year’s playoff hero Matt Murray is unlikely to return in this series.

Keep an eye on the second lines in this series as well. The Rust-Malkin-Kessel line is a versatile line, and Phil Kessel has been a monster in the postseason since joining Pittsburgh. Washington will counter with the crafty Johansson-Kuznetsov-Williams line. Justin Williams has been great wherever he has gone during his illustrious career, so look for him to really mix it up against Pittsburgh’s second line.

All told, this will be a fantastic series so just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Winner: Pittsburgh in 7

 

Ottawa vs. New York (Game 1, Thursday, 7:00 p.m.)

We finish up the second round previews with what will likely be the most defensive series of the entire round. Both teams like to grind down their opponents and pick their spots offensively. This won’t be a showcase of elite skill, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a great series.

The main storyline heading into this series is the Rangers facing an old friend in Derick Brassard. New York dealt Brassard to Ottawa in the offseason for Mika Zibanejad and a second round pick in 2018. Brassard was New York’s top goal scorer in 2015-16, so the trade came as a bit of a surprise last July. Both teams have benefitted from the move, so this will be an interesting subplot.

Similar to the first round, I think that this series will come down to the play of Henrik Lundqvist in net for the Rangers. Much was made about his apparent “down year” in the regular season, but he looked great against Montreal. If he continues to play like the “King Henrik” we’ve come to expect, New York should be in a great position to move onto the Eastern Conference final.

Winner: New York in 6

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with “No Huddle” to preview the NFL Draft. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook. Also head on over to iTunes and SoundCloud to subscribe to the Shooting the Moon Podcast, I’ll have a new episode up towards the end of the week.