It's Time For New Heroes

Well maybe not that kind of Heroes featuring Hayden Penettiere (great hockey name by the way), but the kind of heroes that bring cities together and have a huge impact on a team's Stanley Cup chances by doing the little things right.

We all know the superstars. We know the prime-time players that have risen up and led their teams to glory while taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.

Henrik Zetterberg in 2008. Scott Niedermayer in 2007. Steve Yzerman in 1998. Joe Sakic in 1996.

But what about those unsung heroes. The role players or 2nd line goal scorers that emerge as the heart and soul of a franchise for a grueling two months of do or die hockey. It doesn't always result in a Stanley Cup. But it results in very fond memories that fans can carry with them forever.

The 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs start Wednesday night. It seems like the most wide open field the NHL has ever seen. Each conference has four, maybe five, legitimate threats to win it all. At the top of each conference, we have some of the finest teams we've seen in some years. But at the bottom of each bracket we see some of the scariest #7 or #8 seeds in quite some time. Teams that didn't meet expectations in the regular season and snuck in. We even have teams in each conference that were written off months ago... Carolina and St. Louis.

So without further adieu... I present to you the unscientific results of my playoff predictions. For the NEW season. Let's go.

Eastern Conference

#1 Boston Bruins vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens

There has been a lot of talk about this storied rivalry and the upper hand the Canadiens teams of the past have had over the Boston Bruins. It makes you wonder about the psyche of this well balanced Bruins team and whether they'll allow doubt to creep into their minds if the Canadiens steal a game in Boston early. Perhaps that would be the case if Andrei Markov was healthy and the Habs didn't have such a strange season, but it seems unlikely this Bruins team doesn't have the confidence necessary to pull this out. The B's have all the ingredients necessary for a Stanley Cup run, while the Canadiens will need amazing play from their goaltender, Carey Price, to disrupt the flow of this series. Don't count on it.

Key Player: Zdeno Chara, Bruins. Besides shutting down some of the savvy Canadiens forwards that Montreal boasts in Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay and Saku Koivu, Chara will need to have an impact on the Bruins power play with that booming shot of his.

Prediction: Bruins in 5

#2 Washington Capitals vs. #7 New York Rangers

One of the NHL's top offenses, the Capitals, runs into one of the NHL's stingiest defenses. Which one will be overwhelmed first? Probably neither. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is a difference maker and an asset the Capitals don't have. His play gives the Rangers upset potential, but will it be enough to win 4 games? The Rangers are an improved team since head coach John Tortorella has taken over but their play has been too inconsistent to believe in. Especially against a team with the most explosive goal scorer in the league in Alexander Ovechkin. I expect the Capitals crowd to have an impact in the series' first two games putting the Rangers behind early.

Key Player: Ryan Callahan, Rangers. He's been one of the strongest Rangers forwards of late and can play a pivotal role in frustrating the likes of Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom.

Prediction: Capitals in 7

#3 New Jersey Devils vs. #6 Carolina Hurricanes

Probably the least anticipated series of the bunch, the red hot Hurricanes skate into the playoffs with an offense AND a defense that can score (Anton Babchuk, 16 goals!). Most importantly, the play of goaltender Cam Ward reminds some of their Stanley Cup winning run in 2006. While the Devils continue to be a model of success with their defense-by-committee style and consistent goaltending from the great Martin Brodeur, they don't seem to have a squad formidable enough to score goals when it's going to matter most.

Key Player: Zach Parise, Devils. Parise reminded many of Sidney Crosby with his play this year. The Devils' leading goal scorer was the heart and soul of the team this year. But can his clutch goal scoring make up for a lack of scoring depth against a deeper 'Canes team?

Prediction: Hurricanes in 6

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Philadelphia Flyers

The battle of Pennsylvania occurs twice in two playoff seasons. Last year the Penguins got the better of the Flyers, defeating them in 5 games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Logic tells you the Flyers will have an answer for the Penguins this time around with a healthy Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, and Simon Gagne. Both teams feature amazing scoring depth and slightly above average goaltending, but the Penguins might be playing better hockey than they were last year - and last year they pushed the Red Wings to 6 games in the Stanley Cup. It might be asking too much of Marty Biron to help shut down a Penguins offense featuring Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, especially when his team gives up far too many scoring chances every night.

Key Player: Mike Richards, Flyers. Richards' play has dipped lately. If he's unable to find his best game, the rest of the Flyers will follow suit. If he can help shut down Crosby or Malkin, Philly can pull this out but it just doesn't seem like they're able to string together 60-minute efforts at this crucial juncture of the season.

Prediction: Penguins in 7

Western Conference

#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #8 Anaheim Ducks

This was not the matchup the Sharks were hoping for. After steamrolling the competition, they draw a rival team with the chops to make a surprising run after a mostly mediocre regular season. Similar to the Bruins-Canadiens series, history shows the top seeded Sharks are susceptible to losing confidence early in the playoffs. Most of the pieces from the Ducks 2007 Cup winning team are still in place, but this is the Sharks time. They have their best D corps in years and Joe Thornton knows that it's now or ever with this talented club.

Key Player: Evgeni Nabokov, Sharks. The goaltender can be a difference maker in every series, but this is where the Sharks have a serious edge. Nabokov has been strong for them all season long while the Ducks are flip-flopping between former Conn Smythe MVP JS Giguere and youngster Jonas Hiller.

Prediction: Sharks in 6

#2 Detroit Red Wings vs. #7 Columbus Blue Jackets

It'll be exciting to see how the Columbus crowd reacts to their first NHL playoff home game

once the team returns from Motown. Hopefully they're not down 2 games none at that point, which very well could be the case. If the Red Wings didn't have goaltending issues, this looks like a team that could casually take out opponents en route to a repeat. But that's not how it will work. The Blue Jackets have come this far for a reason. Their franchise leader, Rick Nash, will try his best to lead the way and rookie goaltender Steve Mason should keep the Jackets in every game.

Key Player: R.J. Umberger, Blue Jackets. The Flyers might've taken this forward for granted after his clutch performance in the 2008 playoffs. His competitiveness will rub off on other teammates and his propensity for the big goal should be witnessed at least in two games during this series.

Prediction: Red Wings in 6

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 St. Louis Blues

The Blues' improbable second half merits respect from other teams and even fans. But their roster is a who's who of young talent and veterans who most people wrote off long ago. Vancouver seems to be firing on all cylinders of late, too. Moving Alex Burrows to the first line and giving Mats Sundin a couple of linemates to gel with has paid dividends. The Canucks just seem like a playoff team. They're solid in all areas and have the star power up front to make the difference in close games.

Key Player: Roberto Lungo, Canucks. At times during the season, the Canucks played without their franchise goalie and struggled mightily. With Luongo back there, the Blues will find it tough to score too early to give them the confidence they need to pull off this upset.

Prediction: Canucks in 6

#4 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #5 Calgary Flames

The young and the restless. At least that has to be the feeling in the Hawks locker room as they prepare to take the ice in game 1 to a roaring United Center crowd. Young stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have their first opportunity to shine... or fall flat on their faces. With head coach Joel Quenneville's experience, they should have enough leadership to guide

them through this opening round. The Flames, however, are trying to find their game and stay healthy. Not a good combination in April. Goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff will need to regain his 2004 form or else it could be a quick fizzle for the Flames.

Key Player: Jarome Iginla, Flames. One has to believe that the captain of this team will lead by example on the ice and have the support of his team off the ice giving the Flames a powerful bond that goes back many years... before the Hawks had players like Toews, Kane, Marty Havlat, and Duncan Keith. Seeing is believing though.

Prediction: Blackhawks in 6