Playoffs Start With a Bang; Night 2 Preview

So it seems as though all eight teams playing last night liked the idea of a one-goal game, because that was all we saw on the scoreboard...

1. Philly beats NJ 2-1, takes 1-0 lead.

Eesh. I thought Boucher was the shaky goalie?! He actually made some great saves to keep the Devils off the scoreboard. Save for Travis Zajac's shot through a screen that cut the lead to 2-1, New Jersey couldn't get anything past him, while Martin Brodeur has been better. It's a shame, because I really would love for the Flyers to stop in, er, mid-flight. Hopefully the Devs will snap out of it and tie it up on Friday.

2. Ottawa beats Pittsburgh 5-4, takes 1-0 lead.

This was the highest-scoring game of the night- and what a shootout it was. Brian Elliott was sharp, as he needed to be, while Marc-Andre Fleury was the victim of a bad bounce, as well as his own fluster. Evgeni Malkin scored two goals and Sidney Crosby had three points but wasn't as much of a factor as he had been, likely because of the great coverage Ottawa executed.

3. Phoenix beats Detroit, 2-1, takes 1-0 lead.

So, everyone's calling Phoenix winning against Detroit an upset, and I say to that: Whatever. Phoenix was higher-seeded for a reason, and while they of course don't have the experience that the Red Wings have, they're not just going to lie down and let them skate to easy victory. Detroit had 1-0 and 2-1 leads, but they were eliminated quickly by Keith Yandle and Wojtek Wolski, and then Derek Morris score early in the third period to cement the come-from-behind win. P.S. Awesome job by PHX fans with the "White-Out." Same for Pittsburgh.

4. Colorado beats San Jose, 2-1, takes 1-0 lead.

Well, San Jose's gonna have to do some damage control fast. Though they'd tied it at 1 on Ryan Clowe's goal, a lucky bounce and a goal by Chris Stewart kept the game from going to OT, and Sharks fans were certainly not happy. They're going to have to work hard to keep from falling into a 2-0 hole, because this energetic Avs team shows no signs of backing down. Lots of pressure, but hey... that's what happens when you're the No. 1 seed.

So Night 2 commences tonight, with the other half of the playoff spectrum competing for an early lead, and it goes as follows:

(8) Montreal at (1) Washington, 7:00 p.m.

Montreal has their work cut out for them in this series- the high-octane offense Washington boasts will be going full-throttle while Montreal stumbled into the playoffs, winning only three of their last 11 games. They'll have to look to Jaro Halak to be extra-sharp tonight, though here's a fun fact: Carey Price started all four games against the Caps. Interesting.

(6) Boston at (3) Buffalo, 7:00 p.m.

Yay! A series I can watch locally! And while Boston took the season series 4-2-0 against the Sabres, neither of these teams is very high-scoring; therefore, look for tight games all the way. In net, look for Tuukka Rask against Ryan Miller, and I hope Miller's not too tired after playing most of the season plus the Olympics.

(6) Los Angeles at (3) Vancouver, 10:00 p.m.

The Canucks won the season series 3-1, but the Kings won big in their final meeting, 8-3. That being said, the Kings aren't much of a hot team right now. They won only two of their final 12 in regulation, and Jonathan Quick is a bit shaky (1-3-4 in last eight, pulled for the only win the Kings had in that span). Add an Art Ross Trophy winner (Henrik Sedin), his equally talented twin (Daniel), and perhaps the best Vancouver team in a while, and it'll be an uphill battle for L.A.

Can't wait for tonight's action! P.S. Yeah, Chicago doesn't play Nashville until Friday night. Lame. *grumble* Enjoy!