Each year at the start of the NHL playoffs, I usually do my predictions for the first round. (I miss the old playoff system when you could see the entire playoff brackets all the way through instead of the new system where seeding can impact who plays who each round.)
So yeah, even knowing the winners, I'm going to try not to be biased here and put who I wanted to win (as always, I choose who I *want* to win, not who I think will win which is another thing that makes my predictions somewhat unique!)
Washington vs. Montreal (Montreal)
Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa (Pittsburgh)
Buffalo vs. Boston (Boston)
Philadelphia vs. New Jersey (Philly)
San Jose vs. Colorado (San Jose)
Phoenix vs. Detroit (Detroit)
Vancouver vs. Los Angeles (Vancouver)
Chicago vs. Nashville (Chicago)
What's that? 50%. Which I think is about how I usually score. Oh well. Go Montreal – although no Canadian team has won since 1993, it's pretty cool that in the last six years, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa have all made it to the Finals. If Montreal does, that's even more cool that Vancouver and Toronto would be the only Canadian teams who haven't! 😈 And if there's a Canadian team that has to win it, I'd prefer it to be one with a stylized “C” on their jersey – Montreal, if not Calgary.