2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions

As has been my custom for the last two years, it's time once again for me to post my predictions for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  (I really didn't want to have this as my first post after not posting in a long time, but I promise once I'm done with this semester and I can be sure that I still have a shot to get my Master's, I'll get back to posting real stuff more regularly.  It's just that grad school really takes a lot out of me, so I'm almost never in the mood to write anymore.) 

Anywho, here's the final rankings of the sixteen playoff teams at the end of the 2010-11 season:

Eastern Conference: 
1) Washington Capitals
2) Philadelphia Flyers
3) Boston Bruins
4) Pittsburgh Penguins
5) Tampa Bay Lightning
6) Montreal Canadiens
7) Buffalo Sabres
8) New York Rangers

Western Conference:
1) Vancouver Canucks
2) San Jose Sharks
3) Detroit Red Wings
4) Anaheim Ducks
5) Nashville Predators
6) Phoenix Coyotes
7) Los Angeles Kings
8) Chicago Blackhawks

A quick recap of how the playoff system works: The division champions are automatically seeded first through third; the top five remaining teams in each conference get the remaining ten spots.  The top seed in each conference plays the lowest-seeded team, the second-highest plays the second-lowest, and so on.  Each playoff series is best-of-seven, with the higher-seeded teams hosting games 1, 2, 5, and 7.  Unlike in the NCAA bracket, the remaining teams are automatically re-seeded after each round. 

And now, my predictions:

Conference Quarterfinals
Capitals over Rangers in 5
Flyers over Sabres in 6
Bruins over Canadiens in 5
Penguins over Lightning in 7
Canucks over Blackhawks in 4
Sharks over Kings in 4
Red Wings over Coyotes in 5
Ducks over Predators in 7

Conference Semifinals
Capitals over Penguins in 6
Bruins over Flyers in 6
Canucks over Ducks in 7
Sharks over Red Wings in 7

Conference Finals
Capitals over Bruins in 6
Canucks over Sharks in 4

Stanley Cup Final
Canucks over Capitals in 5

Of course, this could all change depending on if / when Sidney Crosby returns to the lineup for the Penguins.  If that's the case, I could easily see Pittsburgh going all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, but I wouldn't put my money on them beating Vancouver, though the series might stretch to the full seven games. 

And as always, I encourage everyone out there in Reader Land to post their own predictions. 

Stay frosty, y'all!  And go Pens! 

B-)