Pittsburgh is not a team I want to play.

This is going to be a fun series.

Pens 4-2

This will be tough... Rangers in 6.

If the Rangers manage to win this series they might very well win the Cup.

The Rangers are going to have to stay out of the penalty box in this series because the Pittsburgh PP is lethal.

Yeah they have to be tough and physical on the penguins without being dirty or out of control.

It's pretty much a guarantee that the Rangers will spend a fair amount of time in the sin bin considering how ridiculously uneven Penguin games have been called all year. Yes I'm complaining about the officiating before the series has even started. Crosby's become the posterchild for diving and I expect nothing less from the Kid. I hope I'm wrong, but I have little doubt that the officiating is one thing the Blueshirts will have to contend with.

This should be an awesome series but I'm giving the Rangers the edge because:

1) Veteran leadership: The Pens will likely suffer from an overblown ego given their dismantling of an awful Ottawa team that had no right to really be in the playoffs. Crosby is growing into a great leader but you have to think that Drury/Gomez/Jagr/Shanny trumps whatever they have.

2) Goaltending: Fleury is a so-so goalie having a good year. But he's no match for Henrik when it comes down to it.

3) Jagr: The key to this series. I have to think that Jagr is going to be turning it up a notch or two.

4) Avery: His antics will play havoc on an inexperienced young team. If they start going after him instead of the puck you know they're in deep trouble.

5) Patience: As the Rangers showed more often than not during the season, their patient approach is what it takes to beat such a high-flying, dare I say reckless team like the Penguins.

Anyway, Rangers in 6 or 7.

This is actually a great match up for the NHL. Caps-Pens (which everyone seemed to want) would have been a disaster. Pittsburgh would have run all over them. And for all the national attention it likely would have been over in 5 at most with casual fans wondering what the big deal was.

I'm also excited for Flyers-Habs. I'm a big believer in the Flyers style in the playoffs and think they'll give Montreal a lot of trouble. Flyers in 7 for that one. Though I have serious questions about Philly's ability to close the deal.

Speaking of closing the deal, Stars over Sharks in 5. This series won't be so forgiving to San Jose and the way they always seem to look lost in the playoffs.

And finally, Red Wings over Avs in 6. I would say the Wings would win sooner but I expect this to be a bloody, hard nosed renewal of this great rivalry.

Unlike the Devils, the Penguins do have a pretty good agitator of their own in Jarkko Ruutu.

Is Gary Roberts going to play in this series? If so, that is a huge lift in terms of veteran leadership for the Pens. Seems like he's questionable for Game 1.

I think Flyers/Habs is a very interesting series. They haven't met in the playoffs since 1989. Ultimately I think the Canadiens will prevail but it could be a wild series.

As much as I'd love to see the rivalry reinvigorated, I'm sure Detroit/Colorado will never be what it once was without the Claude Lemieux's and Adam Deadmarsh's of the world. Detroit has the better talent...they should win.

Lastly, the Stars and Sharks...these two teams hate each other. They had some fight-filled games late in the season, including the regular season finale. I'd expect it to be very physical early on. Tough series to call, but the Sharks have me believing the way they played last night. That was a terrific home crowd too. I'll say Sharks in 7.

Go Pens!

(In 6.)

i love him. <3 <3

Great start by the Blueshirts. 1-0

Do the Penguins really have to obnoxiously argue about every penalty with the refs?