NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW - Round of 16

As expected, the qualifying round of the NHL Playoffs was just as wild and exhilarating as the round of 16 normally is. Both number one seeds went 0-3 in round robin play, both 12 seeds upset the five seeds, and both bubble host teams lost their best of five series. It's all in a few days work for the ever-unpredictable NHL postseason. Here were the biggest shockers for me:

• Sidney Crosby and the Penguins got bounced in four games. Not only did I have Pittsburgh advancing, I talked this series up as a "laugher" and took the Pens to sweep.

• Neither Edmonton or Toronto could get the job done as favorites on home ice. I actually picked Columbus to upset the Leafs in five so that pick hit, but in the end I couldn't bring myself to pick against both host teams. Even though I considered Chicago a dark horse because of their wealth of playoff experience, I ended up taking the Oilers in five, and now I regret it!

• The Rangers getting run out of the arena in just three games. As a Blueshirts fan I naturally had higher expectations than most, but the fact that rookie goaltender Igor Shesterkin only played one game due to mysterious circumstances and that Artemi Panarin & Mika Zibanejad were both nonexistent on the ice was hard to stomach.

Here were the biggest shockers that did NOT surprise me:

• Round Robin results, Flyers/Knights big winners, Bruins/Blues big losers. Although I was pretty far off on my picks for this portion, I always knew the Round Robin would be a crapshoot. I've liked Philadelphia since the Fall and even though I had them finishing third here, I'm not surprised by their breakout under Alain Vigneault. I had Vegas finishing second and loved the addition of Robin Lehner at the deadline. I was more befuddled by the lack of cohesion and preparation we saw from Boston and St. Louis, last year's Stanley Cup contenders and top seeds heading into qualifiers. Neither team looked like themselves, or ready for these games whatsoever.

• The Yote's easy victory over Nashville. The Preds window has passed, as I stated in my article previewing the qualifiers, Arizona on the other hand looks like a rising star.

So with that said, let's dive into the Round of 16... but first, here were my first round results:

• Terrible in the Round Robin; 1 correct placement out of 8 (Dallas Stars)

• Solid in series picks; East- 2 for 4 (Isles & Jackets), West- 3 for 4 (Yote's, Canucks & Flames)

EASTERN QUARTERFINALS (BEST OF 7)

(12) Montreal Canadiens vs. (1) Philadelphia Flyers [season series: 2-1 Flyers, 2 OT wins]

Carter Hart is becoming the goalie that the Flyers have needed for years. Photo: Eric Hartline, USA TODAY Sports

Well, the impossible happened again in the NHL Playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens knocked out the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they did it in a hurry too. Carey Price went 3-1 with a 1.67 goals against and a .947 save percentage, Shea Weber had two goals and two assists, and journeyman Paul Byron had four points with a +6 on the ice. Unfortunately for the red hot Habs, they face a team just as scorching. Philly defensemen Phillippe Myers and Travis Sanheim are a +6 and +5 on the ice respectively, Kevin Hayes has four assists, and rookie netminder Carter Hart has proven his readiness and dominance with a .966 save percentage against tough competition. As much as Montreal fought to get this opportunity and gain recognition, it will be swept away in the blink of an eye. I have not learned my lesson, Habs get outmatched at their own game, Flyers in 4.

Notable losses: Karl Alzner (opt-out, MTL), Nolan Patrick (out indefinitely, PHI)

(9) Columbus Blue Jackets vs. (2) Tampa Bay Lightning [season series: 1-0 Lightning]

I loved the Blue Jackets as an upset in qualifiers, but I also had the Lightning taking the number one overall seed in the round robin... a classic case of a matchup conundrum. For the NHL however, this series couldn't have worked out better. Remember, Columbus ousted Tampa Bay from the playoffs in 2019, when they came in as the Goliath number one seed. It's only fitting that these two face off again just one year later. There's no doubt the Lightning want revenge, but with Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos questionable, is Tampa ripe for another upset? The Jackets after all are healthy, with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson leading the way (nine combined points in the 2020 playoffs so far). They've just come off of a decisive rubber game shutout versus the Maple Leafs, and they have certainly earned Tampa's respect (unlike last year), but that's exactly why I have the Lightning stepping up as the better team and taking this series in 6.

Notable losses: Victor Hedman (left game/probable, TB), Steven Stamkos (questionable, TB), Brandon Dubinsky (out indefinitely, CBJ)

(7) New York Islanders vs. (3) Washington Capitals [season series: 2-2 Tie]

Islanders head coach Barry Trotz versus his old team, another dream series for the NHL. The two were even on the season series, but I didn't like the way the Caps looked during the round robin. Alex Ovechkin was held without a point, and goals in general came at a premium for Washington. Back in October I picked the Isles to win the Metro, and if injuries had not derailed them they might have stood a chance. They are now more healthier than ever before (in 2020), plus Anthony Beauvillier and goalie Semyon Varlamov are playing at the top of their game right now. Deadline acquisition Jean-Gabriel Pageau will also play a huge role. I think the Isles stout defensive tactics frustrate the offensively challenged Capitals, leading to an upset victory for New York in 6.

Notable losses: John Carlson (missed last game, WSH), Lars Eller (missed last game, WSH), Johnny Boychuk (missed last game, NYI), Ilya Samsonov (out, WSH)

(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (4) Boston Bruins [season series: 1-0 Bruins]

Sebastian Aho played the part of the Hart nominee in round one instead of finalist Artemi Panarin. Photo: Greg Thompson, Getty Images

Was this round of 16 in the East scripted or what? A rematch of last year's Conference Finals between the Canes and Bruins, not to mention the matchups already listed above? Things could not have played out better. This series sets up as a tough one to predict. History would have any sane man take Boston, who's been here before and has maybe the top goaltender in the league in Tuuka Rask. Run of play however favors Carolina, and it's not even close. Sometimes the NHL Playoffs is all about who's hot and who's not, and right now the Bruins are not. Rask is 0-2 and dealing with an injured finger on his glove hand. David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand were a -3 each on the ice and held without points in the round robin (looking totally out of sync). Zdeno Chara even had a massive mishap which led to an immediate goal. To make things worse, the Hurricanes mimicked a tropical storm in qualifiers, tossing the Rangers back to America. Petr Mrazek and James Reimer were both solid in net, and Sebastian Aho had eight points in three games! His line-mate Andrei Svechnikov added five points of his own, and this Canes team proved they are a force to be reckoned with. If Dougie Hamilton returns (against his old team), this could be a swift uprising, but for now I'll bet on a long one and take the revenant Hurricanes in 7.

Notable losses: Dougie Hamilton (missed qualifiers, CAR), Brett Pesce (out, CAR)

WESTERN QUARTERFINALS (BEST OF 7)

(12) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (1) Vegas Golden Knights [season series: 2-1 Knights, 1 OT win]

Mark Stone and the Golden Knights are rolling, everything on black! Photo: The Coaches Site

My biggest regret of qualifiers was not picking the Blackhawks. The Stanley Cup pedigree shined as I thought it might, especially on the stick of captain Jonathan Toews (seven points in four games). Rookie of the year candidate Dominik Kubalik also flourished in qualifiers with three goals and three assists. This Chicago team does not play great defense, even with goaltender Corey Crawford healthy, but they can score. Vegas is another team I've been high on, but the Knights exceeded my expectations yet again (as they have become famous in doing). Trade deadline acquisitions Alec Martinez and Robin Lehner made this team special in qualifiers, but mainstays Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch stole the stage at times. Don't forget Mark Stone who has become one of the best all-around players in the league. The Knights should start Lehner over Fleury in net, but either way I like Vegas to advance as they overpower this defense, VGK in 5.

Notable losses: Max Pacioretty (missed last game, VGK), Brent Seabrook (missed qualifiers, CHI), Andrew Shaw (out, CHI), Zack Smith (out, CHI),

(11) Arizona Coyotes vs. (2) Colorado Avalanche [season series: 1-1 Tie, 1 OT win Av's]

Arizona's Darcy Kuemper may have been snubbed of a Vezina nomination, but he was one of the top goaltenders all season. The Yote's will certainly need him if they hope to hold down the Avalanche, who can rip off goals in a way their team name describes. I doubted Colorado in the round robin, mainly because I heard Nathan MacKinnon might miss time. Fortunately for the Av's, he didn't, Mac even scored three points, and his team narrowly missed out on a number one seed. The opposing Coyotes have a young team, reminiscent of Colorado last year, but I'm not sure they can keep up with a franchise that is finally poised for a Cup run. Taylor Hall could end up being a talking point, but depth and playoff grinders like Nazem Kadri and Ian Cole end up making the difference in this one, Av's in 6.

Notable losses: Nick Schmaltz (missed last game, ARI), Colin Wilson (out, COL)

(8) Calgary Flames vs. (3) Dallas Stars [season series: 2-1 Flames, 1 OT win]

Matthew Tkachuk was the story in qualifiers, but can the young star frustrate Dallas like he did Winnipeg? Photo: SportsCity.com

Hmm, the team I took to win the Western Conference in the regular season (Calgary) back in October versus the team I took to win the Western Conference Finals (Dallas) in the same article. As much as I liked the Stars as a dark horse in the Fall, I doubt them now. Ben Bishop and Tyler Seguin have both been out, two crucial players in Dallas' system, and this offense have been unexplosive more often than not. I always liked the Flames depth, they just need a goaltender to step up behind this fearsome defense. So far Cam Talbot has done that (1.51 goals against in qualifiers), not to mention Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau seem to have found their game. Matthew Tkachuk will be a key player in this series, he was controversial in qualifiers when he took out Mark Scheifele, and the 22-year old is generally a handful to deal with. The Stars need Seguin and Bishop to stand a chance, but even with all their guys I take Calgary, Flames in 5.

Notable losses: Ben Bishop (missed last game, DAL), Tyler Seguin (missed last game, DAL), Travis Hamonic (opt-out, CGY), Roman Polak (opt-out, DAL), Martin Hanzal (out, DAL)

(7) Vancouver Canucks vs. (4) St. Louis Blues [season series: 2-1 Canucks, 1 OT win for each]

I'm not sure what happened to the Blues in qualifiers. They deserved to win that last game against Dallas, but fate said otherwise when Joe Pavelski tied things up with less than a minute to go. A shootout decided it. Aside from that, the Blues just couldn't get their offense going. This series is very similar to the Bruins/Canes in the East, the young talented upstart with the high-octane offense pitted against the grizzled winners who come with a wealth of experience. Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Bo Horvat are set to make headlines for Vancouver, but can Jacob Markstrom hold up against the defending Stanley Cup Champions? On the St. Louis side, who will start between Jordan Binnington (who has been poor) and Jake Allen. The latter deserves the nod, but will the Blues turn their back on the youngster who won them the Cup a year ago? Another key question, will Vladimir Tarasenko find him shot (zero points in qualifiers)? At the end of the day, the Canucks do not impress me enough as a complete team whereas the Hurricanes did, so this time I will take the experience to win out, Blues in 7.

Notable losses: Micheal Ferland (questionable, VAN), Ivan Barbashev (missed last game, STL), Jay Bouwmeester (out, STL), Josh Leivo (out, VAN)

Advancing to the Eastern and Western Semifinals, I have:

(7) N.Y. Islanders vs. (1) Philadelphia Flyers, (6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (2) Tampa Bay Lightning

(8) Calgary Flames vs. (1) Vegas Golden Knights, (4) St. Louis Blues vs. (2) Colorado Avalanche

See you next round.