The staff writers at LetsGoSharks.com submit their predictions for the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs:

New Jersey vs Carolina
Ryan Hall	Paul Krill	Mike Lee	Ken Smyth
4 games to 3	4 games to 3	4 games to 2	4 games to 3
Ryan Hall: I get funny vibes from the Devils. They're way ahead of schedule and the emrgence of Akiri Schmid gives them a legitimate chance at pulling out another victory. For Carolina, it all comes down to their ability to score goals. They've struggled to do so in big moments and New Jersey is coming off a series where they made a potent Rangers attack look very ordinary. This one looks like it'll go the distance, with the Devils sneaking by yet again. Paul Krill: So glad I was wriong about the Devils in the first round. Once they got the nervousness out, they dominated the Rangers. Hischier, Hughes, Meier, Hamilton, new goalie Schmid - I think the Devils are ready to dispatch the Canes from the playoffs. But it won't be easy. Ken Smyth: The Devils flashed a lot of speed in their win over the Rangers while the Canes beat a tough but rather slow Islanders team. Devils oach Lindy Ruff has been through it all before but his team is seeing things for the first time. Probably riding the emotion here but Devils in 7. Mike Lee: The Hurricanes should represent the East in the Finals if they can keep guys healthy. They have the weapons, but they'll have a tall order in the Devils. The biggest advantage they have is being rested compared to the Devils, who had to go 7 games against the Rangers. That series will start less than 48 shours after the Devils closed out their 1st round series.

Toronto vs Florida
Ryan Hall	Paul Krill	Mike Lee	Ken Smyth
4 games to 2	4 games to 3	4 games to 2	4 games to 3
Ryan Hall: There’s a strange phenomenon when a team finally gets over the hump. Either they expended so much energy that they have nothing left for what comes next, or else they are so liberated that they turn into a buzzsaw. Put money on the Leafs going on a long run this Spring as they are playing with house money. Personnel wise, the Top 6 is a wash, but Toronto has greater depth throughout their lineup and a slight edge in goaltending and home ice atmosphere. I expect Florida (and Matthew Tkachuk) to give them everything they can handle, but this feels like a Leafs in 6 kinda series. Ken Smyth: Toronto doing handsprings about getting past the first round, but now has another challenge. Florida got their Presidents' Trophy curse over with last year and is certianly not overconfident. Bobrovsky gives the Panthers an edge in goal if he's healthy and I don't like the matchups for the Leafs up front unless Ryan O'Reilly can drag those guys along with him. Mike Lee: The Panthers shocked everyone except LGS columnist Ryan Hall who picked them to beat the Bruins in the first round. They'll now do the same albeit with less surprise to the Maple Leafs. There's something to be said about momentum, and the Panthers have it. Sergei Bobrovsky looks like the Vezina winner we used to see dominate in net. The Tkachuk grittiness is something lots of teams should learn from. You need a guy willing to lay it all on the line like Tkachuk if you want to do damage in the plsyoffs. Paul Krill: This series features two teams I picked to lose in the first round. Of course, just about everyone picked the Panthers to lose to the Bruins. But I think the clock strikes midnight for the Panthers, with Auston Mathews and Co. breaking on through to the conference championship, ahead of Matthew Tkachuk and Co. (Remember when his dad, Keith, used to burn the Sharks regularly?)

Seattle vs Dallas
Ryan Hall	Paul Krill	Mike Lee	Ken Smyth
4 games to 3	4 games to 3	4 games to 3	4 games to 2
Mike Lee: I think the Kraken are a fun story, but the reality is that Dallas is just a better team and they'll keep the slipper from fitting on the Kraken's Cinderella run. I had to look up Roope Hintz, to see who this guy is and how he lead Dallas in the 1st round. If the Stars can get Joe Pavelski back in the lineup, things get much tougher for the Kraken. Head Coach Peter DeBoer says Pavelski is close. Ryan Hall: I’ll be frank: I don’t know how the Kracken are still here. Does anyone? Hockey really is a wonderful, strange game sometimes! On the other side is a Dallas Stars team that on paper seems balanced, skilled, and hungry. What chance does Seattle have against that? Well, if past is prologue, the Stars will get into trouble if they let themselves get bogged down into a grinding war of attrition. I’m not convinced they have the mental strength and self-control to ride the fine line between engaged and baited. This series has all the makings of a 7-game trench fight, which favours the Kracken. Pick them to shock the world again!. Paul Krill: I'm still not convinced the Kraken are that great. They just beat a Colorado team that was not good enough to repeat as champs. Look for the Stars to advance here. Ken Smyth: Seattle will need to deal with a deeper team than the Avalanche were in the previous round. Both Stars' and Sharks' fans can hope that Joe Pavelski will be back during this series. Will the few extra days of rest turn into rust for the Stars or help heal a few bumps incurred during a first round against a physical Minnesota team?

Vegas vs Edmonton
Ryan Hall	Paul Krill	Mike Lee	Ken Smyth
4 games to 1	4 games to 3	4 games to 2	4 games to 3
Paul Krill: While Edmonton got off to a poor start vs. the Kings, they eventually got the job done. Edmonton has just too much firepower to lose to Vegas at this point. Look for Edmonton's post-season to continue. Ryan Hall: Hello Darkness, my old Friends. Those words, or something to their effect, must be reverberating around the minds of Laurent Brossoit, Jonathan Quick, and (perhaps?) Logan Thompson. After mostly silencing the Jets offense, they’ll face a much stiffer challenge from the Oilers. Is the Vegas D ready for the onslaught? Are their forwards ready to commit fully to playing 3-zone hockey? There were plenty of times when the Knights lets an average Jets team get back into a game with missed assignments or bad penalties, and those same lapses will spell disaster against Edmonton. Overall, I think the lights go dim on the strip quickly, with the Oilers booking a return trip to the WCF in 5 games. Mike Lee: This is going to be the series to watch, because the fate of two franchises hang in the balance. The Golden Knights are still trying to figure out if their "sell your soul to the devil" approach to roster building is something that will pay dividends or if it will be the start of a setback. The Oilers are waiting to see if this roster is for real and if they can finally get over the hump. There's just too much offensive firepower on this Oilers roster and they're starting to gell at the right time. Edmonton should win this series in 5, but I thing Vegas will steal one and win one handidly. Ken Smyth: Finally, the showdown between Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel that was predicted after they went 1-2 in the 2015 draft. The big question is whether Vegas can slow the Oilers down and stay out of the penalty box while doing it, if not this could be a short series going the Oilers' way. Others are which goalie will rise to the occasion and who on the Oilers staff will be tasked with keeping Evander Kane away from the gambling tables.

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