The Conference Semifinals are set to get underway, so it’s time for predictions.

I missed getting my first round predictions up in time, and I would have fared better in the West than the East. I had Boston and Washington, but also had New Jersey and Philadelphia. In the West I would have only missed Anaheim beating San Jose.

Let’s start in the Eastern Conference.

Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes
Boston had an easy time with long-time playoff nemesis Montreal. Granted, the Canadiens had some key injuries, but the players never stepped up to the challenge. Carolina, meanwhile, stunned everyone (especially Martin Brodeur) with one of the most improbable come-from-behind victories. Down 3-2 in game seven with 1:20 left, Carolina tied it up, but then won the game with 32 seconds left! Still, while emotionally lifting, that seven game series had to be physically draining, and the Bruins are rested. Boston in six.

Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins
A lot of people wanted to see this matchup, and they got their wish. Ovechkin vs Crosby and Malkin. It’s been a storyline for better than a season now, and they get to battle it out in the semis. I was surprised how much trouble Washington had with New York, but they showed their grit and learned a lot. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, had a few bumps, but finished state rival Philadelphia off in six games. This series will come down to who can stop the other team’s top line the best, and goalies will be key. Marc-Andre Fleury has been mostly solid, but Simeon Varlamov has been otherworldly. Capitals in seven.

Now for the Western Conference.

Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks
The Columbus Blue Jackets almost avoided a sweep, pushing Detroit hard in game four, and opening a bunch of question marks. Can Chris Osgood play consistently better? Is Detroit going to have a similar lapse against the Ducks? Anaheim came into the playoffs on a tear, and they were more than up to the challenge of facing the President’s Trophy winning Sharks, who seem to always wilt this time of year. Jonas Hiller is going to have to maintain the high level of play he’s given the Ducks and they’re going to need more offense out of Teemu Selanne. Detroit just has to be Detroit. Detroit in six.

Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks
It was great to not only see Chicago make the playoffs, but win their first series win in 13 years. The kids are doing great and they ran the Calgary Flames around a lot. Vancouver had an easy time with the Blues, a team many thought might pull off one of the first round upsets. Roberto Luongo has been huge for this team, as have the Sedins. This is going to be a high-intensity series, with a lot of high skill players going at it. You can flip a coin and have as much success picking a winner here. Vancouver in seven.

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