NHL PLAYOFFS First round matchups offer plenty of drama

The consensus is that every series has something intriguing.
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
DALLAS -- ESPN hockey analyst Bill Clement studied the Stanley Cup playoff bracket and shook his head.
"The shame of it all is that some very good teams are going to be sitting home after the first round," he said. "I mean, teams that believe they can win the Stanley Cup are going to be done, just like that."
Well, one man's shame is another man's glory. This season's playoffs have a chance to be the best ever, and that's in large part because of first-round series that pit old rivals such as the Stars and Colorado, Philadelphia and New Jersey, Toronto and Ottawa, and Boston and Montreal. Yes, some good teams will be eliminated after one round, but the level of play for this year's Stanley Cup chase should be volcanic from Day One.
Climate change
It could be the kind of hockey that finally sheds good light on a league that has stumbled through a year of darkness. It could be the kind of hockey that pushes aside talk of Todd Bertuzzi and violence in the sport and major rules changes and labor unrest.
"It's the best time of the year, and this year might be better than ever," said Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock, whose team has drawn no small assignment in opening against the defending Stanley Cup champion Devils. "You look down the line, and every series has something intriguing. And I will guarantee you this: Any prediction you make is a pure guess. There's nobody who can even begin to imagine what might happen this year."
And that's exactly what the league needs -- intrigue, high drama and focus on the ice. In a season when The View's Meredith Vieira has weighed in on hockey violence, it would actually be good to hear more of Barry Melrose opining on how Detroit goaltender Manny Legace controls his rebounds.
Vieira and a host of other talking heads criticized the NHL after Vancouver's Bertuzzi sucker-punched Colorado's Steve Moore, causing two broken vertebrae that could end Moore's career. Bertuzzi was suspended for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, and the league is hoping he will become a footnote in the postseason.
For that to happen, the game has to take over. The goodwill that would follow is sorely needed.
"You look at the matchups and they're terrific," Stars winger Bill Guerin said.
And a large group of veterans believes this could be their last chance to win a Stanley Cup.
"When you're at this point, you understand even more how important this is," said Vancouver's Mike Keane. "You look at the labor situation and realize this could be it, and it does make the playoffs mean that much more."
The NHL's contract with its players expires Sept. 15. There has been little progress toward a new agreement, and players and management are prepared for a labor war that could wipe out next season.