Stanley Cup Second Round Predictions

And then there were eight. We now have eight teams left standing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The second round of the Cup playoffs has finally arrived, and we have quite a few storylines still floating around going into this round.

Can Colorado keep the pace they have all season long? Can Minnesota continue its hot streak after its first round upset? Can Anaheim keep their great play up? Was Philadelphia a first round fluke or are they for real? Can Montreal end the drought for Canada? What about Buffalo? Are they for real? A lot of these questions and more will be answered over the next week and a half or so as the second round gets rolling.

Yes some of the games have already started in round two, but the predictions made here have been made before any of the games actually got underway and have not been changed based on the way opening games have gone.

Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens

Buffalo is coming off winning their first playoff series since 2007, taking out the Bruins. Montreal is coming off a bit of an upset beating Tampa and winning a round for the first time since 2021. Buffalo is coming into this a little more rested, having won in six. Montreal is coming off a very physical very tight series against Tampa. This is going to be another tight series and another even series. It’s going to make for must see TV, of the four series we have left. Because of the atmosphere in both buildings and the rivalry between the two franchises. What’s going to swing the series is the play of the big boys. Montreal had its role players pull it out against the Lightning, their big line was held in check. Buffalo’s big guns acted like it against Boston. Don’t get it twisted, Buffalo had their role players have an impact too, bhut the big guys played just as much of a role. That’s going to be the difference in the series.

Pick: Buffalo in 6!

Carolina Hurricanes vs Philadelphia Flyers

Carolina was the best team in the East all year and showed it in a sweep against Ottawa in the first round. Philly came in and beat the Penguins in a bit of a surprise win. A big reason for that was the play of Dan Vladar in the Flyers net, he had two shutouts in the series and allowed more than two goals just twice in the series, both losses. And Philly got pretty balanced production from most of its lineup, there wasn’t one line that really stuck out in that series. Carolina was just as good in their four game sweep of Ottawa. It was the big guns that had an impact too as well as the role guys. Hall, Stankoven and Blake all had big series. And just like Vladar did in that first round for the Flyers, Freddy Andersen was just as good for the Hurricanes. This series won’t be as easy for the Hurricanes as the first round was. The Flyers are going to come out and push hard. At the end of the day, the Hurricanes depth and talent will win out.

Pick: Hurricanes in 6!

Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild

Colorado proved in the first round why they won the Presidents Trophy, winning in a sweep over the Kings. Minnesota pulled off the big upset in the first round, knocking off the favored Stars in six. This series is going to be a run and gun, high scoring series. Minnesota not only had balanced scoring, but their big guns acted like it against Dallas. They had balance and put a lot of pressure on the Stars and it killed Dallas as the series went along. That’s going to play a factor in the series as they will be able to stay stride for stride with the Avs. At the same time Colorado showed why they were the best team in the league in the first round. It was the same thing in Denver, with balanced scoring and the big guns leading the way as everything went along. Expect a lot of high scoring hockey in this series.

Pick: Colorado in 7!

Vegas Golden Knights vs Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim is coming off an upset win over the Oilers in six in the opening round, while Vegas had to go the same against Utah. This is going to be the other most evenly matched meeting of this entire second round, as both teams have the same skill level and got the same production out of said skill level. Anaheim youth movement proved to be too much for the Oilers in the opening round, where Vegas experience is what won out against Utah. And Vegas had to do it coming back from down two games to one in that series. It going to come down to who’s big guns are going to have more firepower in the series. And the edge, for me at least, goes to Vegas.

Pick: Golden Knights in 6!

Broadcasting Legend Passes

Television and Radio announcers. They make the games come to life. And for 36 years, one man did just that for New York Baseball. Whenever people think of the New York Yankees, naturally the legends of the game always come to mind. Ruth, Gerig, DiMaggio, Jeter ect. There’s one name on that list of legends who never made a play or hit a long ball. But boy did he make those moments come to life. That person was John Sterling, who for 36 years painted the word picture on the radio for one of the greatest franchises in any sport anywhere in the civilized world. Monday morning, it was announced that John had passed away at the age of 87.

The cause of his passing was due to heart failure at a hospital in Englewood New Jersey. This coming a couple of months after suffering a heart attack at the beginning of the year.

John’s career had spanned 5.420 regular season games and another 211 in the playoffs. He started calling games for the Yankees in 1989 and never missed a broadcast, a streak of 5,060 games, until missing one in 2019. He finally retired from the booth just before the start of the 2024 season. During his legendary career, John’s had quite a few different partners in the booth, ranging anywhere from Jay Johnstone (1989–1990), Joe Angel (1991), Michael Kay (1992–2001), Charley Steiner (2002–2004), and Suzyn Waldman (2005–2024). Sterling was on the air for 24 Yankees postseason trips, seven World Series appearances and five World Series titles.

Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theeeeeee Yankees win! It is high, it is far, it is gone! Those are the two most famous things that any baseball, or sports fan, associates with John Sterling. He also had a unique way to come up with induvial calls for players when they would go deep, or make a spectacular play, during the course of a season.

Aside from his baseball career he also had stints behind the microphone for the Washington Bullets in the NBA and even called games on the radio for the New York Islanders from 1975-78. John provided so many thrills for so many fans, love him or hate him. He left a legacy that will never be forgotten in the sports world.

John Sterling, gone but not forgotten.