Northeast: Bruins, Senators primed for playoff success

by John-Eric Iannicello
on

 

Photo: Forward Patrice Bergeron (37) and defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) will once again be two important pieces in the Bruins quest for a second consecutive Stanley Cup (courtesy of

Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI)

Two teams from the NHL's Northeast Division will be taking part in the first round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs that begin Wednesday night. Below is a look at the keys for the Ottawa Senators and defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins against their opening round opponents.

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Atlantic: Four division teams preparing for playoffs

by Ian Altenbaugh
on

 

Photo: Star forwards Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers will do battle in the first round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs (courtesy of

Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

Four of the five teams in the Atlantic Division made the 2012 NHL playoffs. The Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins get started on Wednesday night, while the New York Rangers open on Thursday night and the New Jersey Devils begin on Friday.

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Southeast: Goaltending questions surround playoff-bound Panthers, Capitals

by Cory Lavalette
on

 

Photo: Florida Panthers goaltender Scott Clemmensen may get the nod in goal over Jose Theodore in the Panthers opening round playoff series vs. Clemmensen's old team, the New Jersey Devils (courtesy of

Bill Streicher/Icon SMI)

The Southeast Division avoided sending just one team to the postseason when the Capitals outlasted the Sabres to earn a playoff berth. Washington also managed to leapfrog past Ottawa along the way, earning the seventh seed and a date with the defending champion Boston Bruins in Round 1 of the 2012 NHL Playoffs.

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Central: Strong division sports four playoff squads

by Andrew Sykes
on

 

Photo: St. Louis Blues captain David Backes will attempt to lead his team out of a late-season funk in their opening playoff series vs. the San Jose Sharks (courtesy of

Ray Carlin/Icon SMI)

In the regular season, the NHL's Central Division ranked along with the Atlantic as the two most competitive divisions in the league. In St. Louis, Nashville, Detroit and Chicago, the Central produced four of the top five teams in the Western Conference with all four topping the 100-point plateau.

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Northwest: Canucks offense faces challenge in first round

by Blake Benzel
on

 

Photo: The Vancouver Canucks hope Ryan Kesler has more of this kind of success against the Los Angeles Kings' Jonathan Quick in the first round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs (courtesy of

Bob Frid/Icon SMI)

Some divisions have a wealth of teams heading into the playoff race, but not the Northwest, which has seemingly decided for quality over quantity. The division has just one representative in the playoffs this season, but that one representative just happens to also be the winner of the NHL's President's Trophy, the Vancouver Canucks.

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