Ok. Lightning look tough. Flyers are playing inspired. Wings are playing well when they decide they want to. Flames are young and extremely fast.

But man o man, the Sharks just look downright scary. They look evil. They are handing Colorado an asskicking of colossal and biblical proportions. The Avs, the Red Wings most hated enemy, the team that has been consistently tough for 8+ years looks like a ECHL team out there against the Sharks.

I'm not going to lie. If the Wings manage to escape this hot Flames team I'm downright worried about San Jose.

The thought of a San Jose - Tampa Bay finals, as ridiculous as it sounds, it a real one. The pioneers of the NHL will be rolling in their graves if that happens.

A San Jose Tampa Bay finals in June?
Hockey Fans in shorts and pineapple pizza at the tailgate!
The hockey oldtimers are turning in their grave with that match-up.
I like Tampa Bay against the Wings right now.

If the Flyers beat Toronto, they're going all the way. Too big, tough for Tampa. They'll neutralize their skill up front and they'll crash the 'Bulin Wall and it'll come down.

San Jose have a very tactical game. They pressure the puck all over the ice. Colorado can't handle it. Will Detroit be able to? Who knows...things are getting interesting though. If they sweep the Avs, they'll have a tonne of rest. Last game, Avs were just downright unlucky.

I know there is a difference between the regular season and the playoffs, but just a reminder that the Lightning swept the season series with the Flyers, so they showed little problem with the Flyers size.

Also the Lightning have the best road record of the teams left in the playoffs. This so far has carried over into the post season with back to back 3-0 shut outs in New York.

We're talking hypothetically here because Philly has to beat Toronto first but throw everything you have on the Lightning (road record, season series) in the trash. We're not talking the NYI here...we're talking a bigger, faster, more skilled club in Philly. I'm not saying TAmpa would go down easy...but they'd be outmatched IMO.