The time has come for another postseason of The Manliest Sport Ever Conceived by Man, otherwise known as the National Hockey League. Round two is already underway, leaving me the opportunity to analyze the good, the bad and the ugly. Not only have we already seen last year’s Stanley Cup Champions make an early exit, but we were also one game short of seeing both number one seeds fall the first round for the first time ever. So here are reasons why each team won their series, what players to watch for and why you should never bet against a Western Conference goaltender.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) New York Rangers
Regular Season Record: 51-24-7 (109 Points)
Round 1: Beat (8) Ottawa Senators in seven games
How they won: The Rangers are physically tough and have a ridiculously good goalie in Henrik Lundqvist. Both teams saw multiple players suffer suspensions, which is part of the reason Ottawa was able to gain an advantage in the series. Despite great goaltending by Ottowa’s Craig Anderson, the Rangers’ offense was able to get in gear in their final two games of the series and clinch an entrance into the next round.
Player to watch: Brad Richards- Center
VERSUS
(7) Washington Capitals
Regular Season Record: 42-32-8 (92 Points)
Round 1: Beat (2) Boston Bruins in seven games
How they won: As last year’s Stanley Cup Champions, the Boston Bruins were an easy favorite in this series. Yet, rookie goaltender Braden Holtby of the Caps proved composure and confidence is just as good as real playoff experience. Boston’s offense faded in and out the whole series, which led to a Capitals game seven overtime win. Each game was won by a margin of one goal, the first time ever in NHL history.
Player to watch: Braden Holtby- Goalie
My Biased Prediction: Rangers in six

(5) Philadelphia Flyers
Regular Season Record: 47-26-9 (103 Points)
Round 1: Beat (4) Pittsburgh Penguins in six games
How they won: Everyone knew this series was going to be crazy, given the wild brawl that erupted in a game between the two teams late in the regular season, but no one expected what happened. The Flyers took an early three-games-to-one lead on Pittsburgh (who was favored by most to win it all) with both teams scoring an NHL record 45 goals in all four games. The Flyers then had an easy four-goal win in game six to seal the deal.
Player to watch: Claude Giroux- Center
VERSUS
(6) New Jersey Devils
Regular Season Record: 48-28-6 (102 Points)
Round 1: Beat (3) Florida Panthers in seven games
How they won: Although the Panthers were three seeds higher than New Jersey, the Devils were the better and more experienced team. Behind the experience of veteran goalie Martin Brodeur (who earned his 100th career playoff win this series) and the leadership of Center Travis Zajac, the Devils were able to bounce back each time they dug themselves in a hole.
Player to watch: Travis Zajac- Center
My Biased Prediction: Flyers in five

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(2) St. Louis Blues
Regular Season Record: 49-22-11 (109 Points)
Round 1: Beat (7) San Joe Sharks in five games
How they won: A deep Blues goaltending unit made sure this series wasn’t a hard one for St. Louis, a franchise that has been struggling for years. The Sharks never scored more than three goals a game all series, while the St. Louis offense exploded en route to a promising postseason.
Player to watch: Andy McDonald- Center
VERSUS
(8) Los Angeles Kings
Regular Season Record: 40-27-15 (95 Points)
Round 1: Beat (1) Vancouver Canucks in five games
How they won: Much like the Bruins, many expected the Canucks to not only easily win their series, but also be contenders for the Cup. However, Los Angeles’ goalie Jonathan Quick only allowed an outstanding eight total goals in the series. Conversely, veteran goalie Roberto Luongo of the Canucks was replaced in game three after a terrible performance. Even after the change, the Kings’ offense proved supreme.
Player to watch: Jonathan Quick- Goalie
My Biased Prediction: Kings in seven.

(3) Phoenix Coyotes
Regular Season Record: 42-27-13 (97 Points)
Round 1: Beat (6) Chicago Blackhawks in six games
How they won: This was another wild series, in which five of the games went into overtime. The series was rough, but severely escalated in game three when Phoenix’s Raffi Torres left his feet to check Chicago’s Marian Hossa. Even with the loss of Torres through his suspension, Phoenix relied on the great goaltending of Mike Smith.
Player to watch: Mike Smith- Goalie
VERSUS
(4) Nashville Predators
Regular Season Record: 48-26-8 (104 Points)
Round 1: Beat (5) Detroit Red Wings in five games
How they won: Considering both teams had very similar records coming into the playoffs, this one could have gone either way. Controversy came in game one when Nashville’s Shea Weber cracked Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg’s helmet when his head slammed into the glass. Although fined, Weber was not suspended, and averaged 28 minutes on ice on his way to a surprisingly easy series win.
Player to watch: Shea Weber- Defenseman
My Biased Prediction: Phoenix in six