After a jam-packed, shortened 48-game regular season, the first round was grueling for hockey fans, especially those who support the Leafs, Habs and Sens.

Only Ottawa plays on and they’re our last hope to see a Canadian team hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in 20 years.

I survived Round 1 with a solid 6-2 record. The only two series I failed to get right were Montreal (never bet/predict with your heart!) and Vancouver (what was I thinking?). The second round has plenty of great storylines. There are a pair of Original Six match-ups, the Battle of California and Matt Cooke and the Penguins renewing acquaintances with Erik Karlsson and the Senators.

Here are my predictions:

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS:

Ottawa (7) vs. Pittsburgh (1)

These two teams will collide in the second round, despite not playing their best hockey in Round 1. Ottawa was outplayed in much of its series vs. Montreal, but goaltender Craig Anderson was the best player in that series. He’ll have to pull it off once again if the Senators are to have a chance against the stacked Penguins. Ottawa was also physical early and often with Montreal and that paid off later on in that series. They’ve got to do the same to a Pittsburgh squad that has plenty of depth but is considered a little fragile with so many star players that have battled injuries recently. As for the Penguins, they had their hands full with the upstart New York Islanders in Round 1. But once the Pens turned to veteran backup Thomas Vokoun, they were able to right the ship. While Pittsburgh may not be 100% healthy (no one really is at this time of year anyway), they have too much depth and fire power. PENGUINS IN 6.

NY Rangers (6) vs. Boston (4)

The Bruins barely survived against the Maple Leafs and move from one Original Six rival to another. Boston and New York haven’t met in the post-season in 40 years. Henrik Lundqvist was sensational in Round 1 vs. the red-hot Capitals. His save percentage vs. Washington was .947 and he is coming off back-to-back shutouts, in elimination games nonetheless. That’s not good news for a Bruins squad that can struggle to put the puck in the net. Derick Brassard, who was acquired in the Marian Gaborik deal, led the Rangers in Round 1 with nine points while David Krejci continues his strong playoff play with 13 first-round points. Boston had a difficult run down the stretch; they had to play a lot of hockey late in the season and I’m not convinced they’ll fully recover after a sloppy series with Toronto. This should be a low-scoring series and I like the upset here. RANGERS IN 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS:

Detroit (7) vs. Chicago (1)

Many counted out the old Red Wings, especially when they were down 3-2 vs. the Ducks. But Henrik Zetterberg, as he did to get the Wings into the post-season, was the team’s best player once again. After a tough 7-game series though, with four of those games having gone to overtime, I’m not sure how much the Wings have left in their tank. And they happen to be up against their Original Six rivals in Chicago, the Presidents Trophy winners. It’s no secret, the Blackhawks have plenty of firepower, and with Corey Crawford playing like he is (1.32 goals against average and .950 save percentage vs. Minnesota in Round 1), Chicago is set for a long playoff run. HAWKS IN 6

San Jose (6) vs. Los Angeles (5)

Thanks to a pair of high seeds getting knocked out in the first round (No. 2 Anaheim and No. 3 Vancouver) the defending champion Kings get home-ice advantage in the second round. They take on San Jose in the battle of California, only the second time they’ve ever met in the post-season (San Jose ousted Los Angeles in the first round of the 2011 playoffs). Both teams have won four straight and this has the makings of a seven-game series. Goaltending will be featured with two Cup winning ‘tenders between the pipes: last year’s Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick and Vezina nominee Antti Niemi. In Round 1, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture were lights out for the Sharks and Brent Burns has been a force since being moved up front for San Jose. Still, I like the defending champs in a series that will go the distance. KINGS IN 7

Like Paul Henderson, I’ll take a wild stab at it! The first round of the NHL playoffs is the most exciting. It’s also the most difficult to predict! Here goes nothing:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Pittsburgh vs. 8. NY Islanders

John Tavares has proven over the past two seasons that he is a superstar in the NHL. Too bad he and the upstart Islanders are up against a stacked Penguins team. With or without Sidney Crosby, the Pens are too deep for the Islanders. Look for Marc-Andre Fleury to make amends for his poor playoff performance of a year ago. PENGUINS IN 5

2. Montreal vs. 7. Ottawa

While Montreal does have more depth than the Sens, this series will come down to goaltending. Carey Price and Craig Anderson have been their team’s most valuable players this year, both have question marks heading into the playoffs. Price struggled down the stretch and Anderson battled injury. The team with the best goaltending will move on. CANADIENS IN 6

3. Washington vs. 6. NY Rangers

No team was hotter down the stretch than the Capitals and a rejuvenated Alex Ovechkin has led the charge. But the Rangers have been playing their best hockey of the season since the trade deadline as well. They’ve brought in character and Henrik Lundqvist has stood on his head. RANGERS IN 7

4. Boston vs. 5. Toronto

This could be the most entertaining series of the playoffs. Two big, physical teams. The Bruins have the experience, while the Maple Leafs are making their first playoff appearance in nine years. The Leafs could be poised for an upset if James Reimer shines in his playoff debut. BRUINS IN 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Chicago vs. 8. Minnesota

After spending a couple hundred million last off-season on Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, Minnesota struggled early but managed to sneak into the playoffs. Their reward? A date with the regular season’s best team the Hawks. BLACKHAWKS IN 5

2. Anaheim vs. 7. Detroit

The Ducks have surprised many this season thanks to great (and unexpected) goaltending, not to mention a huge bounceback season from captain Ryan Getzlaf. The Wings have been lead by a red-hot Henrik Zetterberg, who scored 10 points in the final four regular season games to help Detroit sneak into the playoffs for the 22nd straight season. This series is a toss up. Let’s go with the upset. RED WINGS IN 7

3. Vancouver vs. 6. San Jose

Two teams that have underachieved in the past few seasons come post-season hockey collide. One will be ousted early once again. After an out-of-this-world start to the regular season, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have cooled considerably. The Sharks have been lead by great goaltending from Antti Niemi. Another toss up. CANUCKS IN 7

4. St. Louis vs. 5. Los Angeles   

The defending champs are up against a team they swept last year in the playoffs. The Blues are physical and have plenty of depth on defence. But, goaltending is a question mark right now in St. Louis with Jaro Halak constantly battling injury. KINGS IN 6

Francis Lessard and the River Kings will battle Sebastien Laferriere and Sorel in Round 2 of the LNAH Playoffs. ALLISON PAPINEAU PHOTO

#3 Cornwall (20-17-1-2) vs. #5 Sorel-Tracy (18-15-4-3)

Game 1: Sunday, April 14 at 2 p.m. (at Sorel)
Game 2: Wednesday, April 17 at 8 p.m. (in Cornwall)
Game 3: Friday, April 19 at 8 p.m. (at Sorel)
Game 4: Saturday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. (in Cornwall)
Game 5: x-Sunday, April 21 at 3 p.m. (in Cornwall)
Game 6: x-Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m. (at Sorel)
Game 7: x-Sunday, April 28 at 3 p.m. (in Cornwall)
x-If necessary

Ready for Round 2

It was a wild first round in the LNAH playoffs.
The defending champions from Thetford-Mines were ousted in five games by Trois-Rivieres.
Sorel surprised many by sweeping Riviere-du-Loup in three straight games.
And the River Kings got back to their winning ways with a 3-1 series victory over a team in Saint-Georges that appeared to have its number during the regular season.
Still, Round 2 – the semi-finals – promise to be even more intense as Cornwall takes on arguably it’s biggest rival in Sorel.
There’s no love lost between these two teams and they played close games all season long – with Sorel winning 4 games to Cornwall’s 3.
Loic Lacasse and the River Kings put a difficult regular-season finish behind them with a fresh start vs. Saint-Georges in Round 1.
Saint-Georges had plenty of fire power, but they were shut down thanks in large part to the trio of captain Steve Simoes, Kurt McSweyn and Francis Lessard. When leading scorer Kevin Cloutier was on the ice, more often than not, so too were Mario Joly and Brennan Barker on defence. And Lacasse was in fine form when called upon.
In Round 2, Cornwall will have home-ice advantage (well eventually thanks to the Home & Trade Show) and last change will once again play a huge factor for Cornwall on home ice, as they try to shut down Gregory Dupre, who was second in league scoring with 67 points (32 goals, 35 assists) in 40 games.
The River Kings will also have to keep a close eye on Michael Tessier, who had 46 points (35 assists) in 38 games.
Sorel was one of the biggest surprises in the second half of the LNAH season. And, they dispatched of a struggling but talented Riviere-du-Loup squad in three straight games, outscoring the No. 4 seed 18-6. Their confidence has to be sky-high.
Sorel isn’t a one-line team either. Dominic Chiasson had 6 goals and 2 assists in Round 1. And Eric Doucet is coming off a 3 goal, 2 assist performance in Game 3 vs. Riviere-du-Loup.
Cornwall will once again be led by veteran Eric Meloche, who had 29 points (11 goals and 18 assists) in 31 regular-season games. Meloche has that fire in his eyes and you know he’d love to win one more championship here in Cornwall.
The line of Alex Bourret, Nicolas Corbeil and Olivier Proulx sparked the Kings in Round 1, not only with their offense, but gritty play as well. Bourret and Proulx will dig with the best of them, do all of the dirty work and more often than not, the sharp-shooting Corbeil is there to do what he does best – put the puck in the net.
Look for speedy winger Pierre-Luc Faubert, who is always outworking d-men in corners, to be a factor in this series as well.

REGULAR SEASON RECAP

Nov. 17: Sorel 4, Cornwall 3 SO (in Cornwall) – Michael Tessier scored the winner in the shootout, as Sorel battled back from an early 2-0 first-period deficit to beat the River Kings. Mario Joly had a goal and an assist for Cornwall.

Dec. 14: Cornwall 3, Sorel 2 (at Sorel) – Kurt McSweyn’s goal with 2:12 to play was the difference as Cornwall edged Sorel on the road. Fred Piche stole two points for the River Kings with a 37-save performance. Olivier Daunais scored twice for Sorel.

Jan. 4: Cornwall 5, Sorel 4 SO (at Sorel) – Sasha Pokulok scored a beauty in the shootout as Cornwall picked up two points on the road. Sorel trailed by two goals in the third period, but battled back with two power-play goals by Maxime Charron and Christian Deschenes.

Jan. 25: Sorel 6, Cornwall 2 (at Sorel) – Gregory Dupre had a goal and two assists and Sorel scored five power-play goals en route to an easy two points. Sasha Pokulok had both River Kings goals, while Sorel had six different goal scorers.

Jan. 26: Cornwall 6, Sorel 5 (in Cornwall) – Playing in the second half of a home-and-home, Cornwall escaped with a wild penalty-filled win at the Civic Complex. Oliver Proulx’ second goal of the game in the third period was the eventual game winner. Nicolas Corbeil and Mathieu Curadeau each had three-point nights for the River Kings. Gregory Dupre scored twice for Sorel, while Michale Tessier chipped in with a goal and two assists.

Feb. 24: Sorel 3, Cornwall 0 (in Cornwall) – Francis Gourdeau made 37 saves for a rare LNAH shutout in a game that featured an incident that would get national attention. Sorel’s Sebastien Laferriere and Cornwall’s Francis Lessard squared up for a fight but not a single punch was thrown after the two combatants skated around centre ice for a couple of minutes. After serving two for delaying the game, Laferriere and Lessard immediately settled their differences.

March 9: Sorel 5, Cornwall 3 (in Cornwall) – Sorel trailed 3-0 at one point in the third period, but scored five unanswered goals to shock the River Kings.

Sorel will once again have their hands full with Cornwall. ALLISON PAPINEAU PHOTO

PIPER’S POINTS PREDICTS

These two teams don’t like each other and a best-of-seven playoff series will add fuel to the fire. Cornwall proved in Round 1 that even with a young defence, they could shut down some of the league’s elite offensive players. The River Kings must play a simple game, limit the sloppy play and turnovers in their own end. Sorel has good depth and Cornwall will have to play solid defensively. While Sorel’s confidence level is sky-high right now, that’ll be brought back down to earth quickly in this series. The pesky line of Olivier Proulx, Nicolas Corbeil and Alex Bourret will be the difference for the River Kings. CORNWALL IN SIX.

Game 1: Saturday, March 30 in Cornwall (7:30 p.m.)
Game 2: Sunday, March 31 in Cornwall (2:30 p.m.)
Game 3: Friday, April 5 at Saint-Georges (8 p.m.)
Game 4: x-Saturday, April 6 at Saint-Georges (7:30 p.m.)
Game 5: x-Sunday, April 7 in Cornwall (2:30 p.m.)
x-If necessary

River Kings goaltender Loic Lacasse makes a save on Jean-Philippe Pare from Saint-Georges. ALLISON PAPINEAU PHOTO

Struggling Kings

The Cornwall River Kings gave up more goals than any other team in the LNAH during the regular season (176 in 40 games) and will face a Saint-Georges squad that has three of the Top 10 scorers in the league.

It’s a dangerous combination for the River Kings, who crawl into the playoffs having lost five games in a row.

Despite being the lower seed, Saint-Georges has given the River Kings fits this season, with four straight victories over Cornwall. Saint-Georges won the regular season series 4-2, including a shootout victory. Cornwall’s only two wins vs. Saint-Georges came back in November and December.

Talented centre Kevin Cloutier led the league in scoring with 68 points (25 goals, 43 assists) in 39 games. The River Kings have done a good job at shutting down Cloutier this season however.

Unfortunately for Cornwall, they haven’t been able to find an answer to goaltender Jeremy Duchesne, who tied River Kings goalie Loic Lacasse for the league-lead in wins at 17. Duchesne’s goals against average was much lower than Lacasse’s (3.44 vs. 4.27).

The Saint-Georges offence doesn’t end with Cloutier though. They had two other players with more points than any River King. Cornwall’s young defence will have to keep an eye on Jean-Philippe Pare (16 goals, 38 assists in 36 games) and Dany Roussin (24 goals, 23 assists in 40 games).

Cornwall’s scoring has been spread out all season long. In fact, three players ended up tying for the team lead in points. Deadline acquisition Olivier Proulx, sniper Nicolas Corbeil and defenceman Sasha Pokulok each had 44-point seasons.

River Kings forward Eric Meloche, who scored 29 points in 31 games this season, will face the club he suited up for last season. If the Kings are to get past Saint-Georges, they’ll need inspiring performances from veterans such as Meloche.

While River Kings head coach Al Wagar will likely go with Alex Bourret/Olivier Proulx/Nicolas Corbeil and Pierre-Luc Faubert/Mathieu Curadeau/Eric Meloche as his Top 6 forwards, expect the third line of Steve Simoes/Kurt MacSweyn/Francis Lessard to be a difference maker in this series, if Cornwall is to be successful.

The trio was put together late in the season, when Lessard was bumped up to the wing. Since then, this line has been banging and crashing every night. Simoes/MacSweyn/Lessard, as a unit, can be a momentum swinging line for Cornwall. They are are strong on the forecheck, keep things simple and crash the net.

NOTES: Veteran Yves Sarault is expected to start the playoffs with the River Kings. But the former NHLer will be heading to Russian April 18-28 as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championship … Saint-Georges right winger Hubert Poulin also led the league with 273 penalty minutes in only 26 games.

REGULAR SEASON RECAP
CORNWALL vs. SAINT-GEORGES

Nov. 3: Cornwall 4, Saint-Georges 2: Loic Lacasse stole two points on the road with a 46-save performance at St-Georges. Nicolas Corbeil led the River Kings attack with a goal and two assists. Mario Joly scored an empty netter for Cornwall.

Dec. 23: Cornwall 4, Saint-Georges 3: Nick Romano scored two goals including the game winner at 3:23 of the third to give the River Kings a victory on home ice. Lacasse was brilliant in goal once again with 38 saves. Captain Steve Simoes left the game with an upper-body injury.

Jan. 11: Saint-Georges 3, Cornwall 2 (SO): In the first game of a home-and-home, Saint-George tied the contest with 3:51 to play in regulation on a goal by Jean-Philippe Pare. They went on to win in the shootout on goals by Pierre-Luc Laprise and Dany Roussin. Jeremy Duchesne got the win in goal for Saint-George, turning aside 46-of-48 shots. River Kings back up Fred Piche took the loss, despite a 44-save performance.

Jan. 12: Saint-Georges 6, Cornwall 3: The following night at the Civic Complex, Saint-George scored three goals in the final 10 minutes for their second win over the River Kings in as many nights. Samuel Grenache led Saint-Georges with two goals and an assist. Shawn Collymore had a two-goal night for Cornwall, which lost for the fourth straight game.

Feb. 1: Saint-Georges 3, Cornwall 2: At Saint-Georges, Pierre-Luc Laprise’s second goal of the game, a shorthanded marker with only 29 seconds to go in the second period, was the eventual game winner. The River Kings only managed 22 shots on goal in a losing effort.

March 16: Saint-Georges 3, Cornwall 2: Duchesne turned aside 29-of-31 shots to lead Saint-Georges to their fourth straight win over the River Kings, in Cornwall’s final home game of the regular season.

PIPERSPOINTS PREDICTS

It’s been an up-and-down season for Cornwall. This team proved in the first half of the regular season that they can beat any team in this league. Since then, the team has struggled, especially defensively. But, while it wasn’t necessarily pretty, the Kings did get what they wanted — the third seed in the playoffs and home ice advantage in the first round. Finally, the team gets the fresh start they’ve been looking forward to for three months. While the Kings are young on the back end, leaders such as Meloche and Simoes are invaluable up front and they’ll provide the spark Cornwall needs to oust Saint-Georges. River Kings in Five