The 2011-12 NHL regular season is over, and the eight first-round playoff matchups are all set.
With 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff schedule set to be released Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM ET, let us take a closer look at some awesome opening-round matchups sure to go the distance this April.
No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 5 Philadelphia Flyers
Without a doubt, the most anticipated first-round playoff clash in the Eastern Conference is the in-state Pennsylvania rivalry between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers.
The two teams met six times this season, with the Flyers winning four, including two in Pittsburgh. The Penguins will have home-ice advantage against Philadelphia, but that likely won't matter, as both teams have proven that they can win anywhere this season.
The brawl between the two teams in their April 1 meeting gave us a preview of the brutality we will likely see once the stakes get even higher in the postseason.
Also, Pittsburgh and Philly are the No. 1 and No. 2 highest-scoring offenses in the NHL, respectively, each averaging more than three goals per game.
The Penguins' Evgeni Malkin and the Flyers' Claude Giroux will be players on each side to keep an eye on, as they both lead their teams in assists and points in 2011-12.
No. 1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Kings
It's not as unlikely for a No. 1 seed to fall to a No. 8 seed in the NHL playoffs as it is in other sports, but that's not to say it isn't still shocking when it happens.
The Western Conference first-round playoff between the NHL's top squad, the Vancouver Canucks, and the Los Angeles Kings should be an excellent matchup—one that likely goes all seven games.
Despite the Canucks' dominance this season, they have only beaten the Kings two out of four time, and just once in the last three meetings dating back to New Year's Eve. Since then, LA has outscored Vancouver 7-4.
The key for the Kings to pull off the upset and drag this series out lies in their defense, however. LA has allowed 19 less goals than Vancouver this season, ranking them second in the NHL in goals allowed, with a tad over two per game. The Canucks rank just fourth, however, which means goals will be just as difficult to come by for the Kings in this series.
No. 4 Nashville Predators vs. No. 5 Detroit Red Wings
The Western Conference's Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings met six times during the regular season, with each team winning two on its home ice and one on the road.
Nashville took the past two meetings in March, but it is taking on a Detroit team that boasts an impressive +45 scoring differential this season. That's 18 better than the Predators' +27.
Still, the Predators are playing great hockey at the right time, having won their last three games heading into the postseason. Meanwhile, the Red Wings have lost two in a row.
The "X" factor for the Red Wings, though, will be their strong play at home in Detroit, where they won a league-best 31 games this season.
Although the Predators have won there this season and are a decent road team, Games 3, 4 and 6 will be played in the Motor City, likely setting up a thrilling seven-game series between these two rivals.
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