Pucks and Pitchforks Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2 Picks

The Pucks and Pitchforks crew picks the second round of the playoffs!

The playoffs have been moving fast and furious through the play-in round and the first round as we’re now down to our final eight teams. For the first time in history, no first-round series went to a sweep or to a full seven games. This has us rocking and rolling towards the second round.

That means second-round picks from your favorite Pucks and Pitchforks writers. You know the drill, so we won’t waste any time here.

Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Nick Villano (Site Expert): The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to make up for last year’s debacle, and they already made it past the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team that ousted them last season. Now, they face the defending Eastern Conference champs. This Lightning team is a unit, and things are clicking on a whole new level right now. Tampa Bay in 6.

Vinnie Parise (Head Site Writer): Boston and Tampa Bay are two of the three best teams in the league facing off in the second round. It feels like the Lightning are beat up and the Bruins are now feeling good about themselves. This is going to be a tough series that will have a little bit of everything. Boston in 7.

Steve Palumbo (Staff Writer): Boston proved they are back with a big first-round win, but can they keep up with an extra motivated Tampa Team? Blake Coleman and company have shown they can’t be pushed around. Tight series incoming. Tampa Bay in 7. 

Rob DeLuca (Staff Writer): This is going to be the best series in round 2 by far. Very competitive that sees Tampa moving on slightly. Tampa Bay in 7.

Charlie Borges Jr. (Staff Writer): I didn’t think the Bruins would have been able to outlast the Hurricanes last round, and boy was I wrong. Their starting goalie opted out and some people thought they would blow the lead. However, Jaroslav Halak put a wrench in the comeback. A healthy Lightning forward core will be too much for him to handle this time though. Patrick Maroon advances. Tampa Bay in 6.

Owen Egbert (Staff Writer): The Lightning are aggressively hunting the Stanley Cup. Though the Bruins are built for the playoffs, they have not been 100 percent in the bubble and now they’re without their goaltender Tuukka Rask, who is among the best in the NHL. Both the stars and the depth players on the Lightning work hard to get the puck to the net. This will be the deciding factor. Tampa Bay in 6.

Andy Studna (Staff Writer): Once Andrei Svehcnikov went down, I think everybody sensed that Carolina was done. However, I was impressed with the turnaround in the Bruins’ play from the round robin to the first round. They look to be back to the same team that was dominating the regular season at the pause. Before the (actual) playoffs, I said the Lightning were going to roll through the rest of the East if they got past the Blue Jackets, regardless of opponent. I still believe that, if not even more so now. Tampa Bay in 5.

David Lebovitz: (Staff Veteran): The Bruins are far more of a test than Columbus, but there was something about the Lightning in the first round. They looked more focused, intense, scarier – if anyone can hold them off, it’s the Bruins, but I don’t see how to solve the Bolts. Tampa Bay in 6.

Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Islanders

Villano: The Philadelphia Flyers were… fine…. against the Montreal Canadiens. The New York Islanders looked dominant against the Washington Capitals. The Flyers’ top line isn’t really impressing, while the Islanders are getting a four-line effort seemingly every night. New York in 5.

Parise: The Philadelphia Flyers are one good hockey team. They have everything you need from youth to experience. Carter Hart is one of the best goalies in the playoffs already and he is still super young. With that said, the Islanders have just shut down everyone they have played and made it look easy. It feels like they have one more round left in them. New York in 6.

Palumbo: Probably the most intriguing match-up of the second round. Both teams have looked great and boast excellent goaltending. I so want to pick the fish sticks, but I have Philly going all the way to the Final. Philadelphia in 7.

DeLuca: This is the last series I ever wanted. Lesser of two evils here. New York in 6.

Borges: The Islanders played like a well-oiled machine while the Flyers had a few shaky moments playing against a low tier team in the Montreal Canadiens. Carter Hart didn’t seem like a goalie that was ready for prime time. Matt Barzal looked like he was ready for the next level in his inevitable journey to superstardom. Andy Greene advances. New York in 7.

Egbert: The Islanders showed how disciplined and tight they can play against the capitals. They will face an even bigger challenge against the Flyers, but I think their coaching and systems play will be the deciding factor. This will be a coaching battle for sure. New York in 7.

Studna: The Islanders were simply dominant over the Capitals; they were scoring goals and shutting down the Caps’ offense with ease. On the Philly side of things, the Flyers can probably thank Carter Hart for avoiding a game 7 against Montreal. It will be interesting to see how they come out for this one after a pretty nasty series. Despite that, I’ve still got Philly. Philadelphia in 7.

Lebovitz: Philly has scary good talent, but some strange coaching decisions that occasionally set the team back. Barry Trotz, meanwhile, got his team to crush a Caps team at five on five – and that team had more talent than Philly. New York in 6.