Now that there is downtime before the postseason starts, the predictions start to fly. Here’s my breakdown for the eight series that start on Wednesday and Thursday.

Montreal (1) vs Boston (8)

Boston doesn’t have a prayer with this matchup. Montreal has them beat in almost every category. The Bruins can’t kill a penalty, while the Habs are #2 in the leauge in power play effectiveness. One of Boston’s saving graces would be the play of goaltender Tim Thomas, who has been nothing short of amazing. But, factor in the depth of Montreal and the incredible lack of experience in Boston, and you’re looking at a short series. Montreal in FOUR.

Pittsburgh (2) vs Ottawa (7)

When Sidney Crosby was injured, the Penguins didn’t miss a beat, posting an impressive win record with the Next One on the mend. Don’t expect the same from Ottawa with their star Daniel Alfredsson sitting out. It’s amazing to see how quickly the Senators went from Conference champions to insignificant in just a season’s time. Without any good offense, goaltending, or ability to keep controversy out of the locker room, there is not way Ottawa can beat a hungry Pittsburgh club looking for redemtption. Pittsburgh in SIX.

Washington (3) vs Philadelphia (6)

This is going to be a dicey, physical series. Alex Ovechkin is obviously the biggest story here, being the top scorer and points leader in the league. But he may not be enough to compete with the seasoned veterans on the Flyers that have playoff experience. Basically, this will be a battle of the physical vets versus the young offensive guns. In my opinion, heart and talent will win out. Washington in SEVEN.

New Jersey (4) vs New York Rangers (5)

The New Jersey Devils are a team that hasn’t adapted well to the new NHL. Being a clutch and grab team, their speed just isn’t what it needs to be to keep up and be the powerhouse they used to be. The Rangers, however, seem to spend every offseason of late trying to learn from what went wrong the year before. This year, the Rangers seems to have found their perfect recipe. Expect low scoring, grinding games coming from this series, with each team relying on their clutch players (i.e. Brodeur, Drury). With now real wow coming from either team, however, this one will take every night on the schedule. Rangers in SEVEN.

Detroit (1) vs Nashville (8)

My bold prediction of the first round comes with the Predators and the Red Wings. The former showing impressive resolve in the final push, and the latter looking rather unimpressive during that same time. Yes, Detroit did post the best record of the regular season, but losing so badly as of late to teams like Chicago? This team is cold. Nashville has a chance to take advantage and post a huge upset. Nashville in SEVEN.

San Jose (2) vs Calgary (7)

This big question with this series is whether Calgary can endure the rough play of the San Jose. The Sharks are notorious for being a big hitting team, and expect even more of that during the postseason. Nabokov is more than capable of handling anything Iginla and company will send his way. Can Kipprusoff keep Marleau and Thornton at bay? Each team will have a good shut down defense and the firepower to match, but which goaltender will put on a better show between the pipes? Shark in FIVE.

Minnesota (3) vs Colorado (6)

Take a look at the Northwest Division, the home of these two teams, and you’ll have an idea of what this series will be. Tight. Will the Wild rally around Gaborik and his skill, or will he be the only one to show up? Most say this team is more than just a one trick pony, and this series will be the place to prove it with Colorado bringing a roster full of big name players. The Avalanche made tremendous moves at the trade deadline, but guys like Forsberg and Foote are only useful if they aren’t injured. While Colorado has shown resolve with some of their top names out of the lineup, it’ll be hard to keep up with Minnesota if they can’t keep their roster intact. I’ve heard murmuring of a Theodore bust in net, but don’t count on it. He loves being back on top. Avalanche in SIX.

Anaheim (4) vs Dallas (5)

Marty Turco, the goalie who can’t win a playoff series, stood on his head last year against J.S. Giguere and the Duck only to fall once again. The Stars just couldn’t match up against the Ducks and their powerhouse team. While the Stars have really grown and become more successful as a team since last year, Anaheim isn’t much different. You have to wonder with the dominating play of Selanne and Niedermayer, will the Dallas Stars fall once again, even if it is just that much closer to the next round? Will Mike Modano continue the incredible season he’s been having in Dallas? The regular season Ducks were much more of a presence than the Stars have ever been, and that presents quite a challenge for Marty and Mike. Anaheim in SIX.

Do you agree or disagree? Any points I may have left out? Let me know! There are a couple brutal days of speculation and anticipation, and nothing is more therapeutic than arguing about it. The first round starts on April 9th! NHL.com has the entire schedule, so don’t miss it!