The NHL Playoffs Quarterfinals are over and now the 2013 NHL Playoffs gear up for another round: The Conference Semifinals. The first round was filled with some amazing comeback victories, some hard fought wins and the usual spoilers. Here is what we are looking at for the NHL Playoffs Round 2 match-ups:

Western Conference:

(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs (7) Detroit Red Wings
(5) Los Angeles Kings vs (6) San Jose Sharks

Eastern Conference:

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (7) Ottawa Senators
(4) Boston Bruins vs (6) New York Rangers

The last two games of the first rounded concluded last night, with some of the best heart racing hockey we may have seen. The one game on most people’s mind this morning was the Bruins vs Leafs. The Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs were a Game 7 Battle Royale, where both teams were fighting to advance. The Leafs were dominate through the first two periods, looking like they were killing the spirit of the Bruins, as they held on to a 4-1 lead into the 3rd period.

This certainly was not looking well for the Bruins, as fans trickled from the building. With literally just minutes left in their final game, this Boston Strong team pulled through with the likes of Zdeno Chara (tying the game) and Patrice Bergeron scoring the winning goal in overtime. This Boston Bruins team won deservedly in front of their home crowd, as the Leafs were sent packing after an amazing game themselves.

If this next round of series games are anything like the first, we are in for an amazing treat. As an added bonus, 4 of the original 6 hockey teams will be playing each other to advance to the next round: Chicago, Boston, New York and Boston. There will be two California teams battling it out with LA and San Jose, not to mention an incredible rivalry between the Blackhawks and Red Wings that can’t be missed.

The first round of games are set to kick off tonight (Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa) and will run into next week, once again, being a first to 4 games out of 7. Expect the the physicality of the games to increase; as well as the heart pounding power plays and any over time minutes to be tense as ever. Never has hanging on every shot of a puck been so exciting!

Who’s your pick for advancing onto the next round? Any favorites you see getting spoiled? Who do you want in the Stanley Cup Finals? Let us know in the comment section below!

The NHL Playoffs continue to heat up an whether or not you’re a hockey fan, it is nearly impossible to miss the signs that the NHL Playoffs are in full swing. From social media sites like twitters special hashtags of #BecauseItsTheCup and #NHLPlayoffs, Facebook posts from the NHL teams, or even just your friends – the hockey fever has certainly taken over with fans old and new. The Western and Eastern conferences are winding down their final few games of the quarterfinals, and we’re soon off to Round 2, leaving behind 8 teams.

Western Conference

The most notable match-up from this conference is the San Jose Sharks sweeping the Vancouver Canucks last night. The Sharks took all 4 games in the best of 7 and were the first team to advance. The Sharks have proved themselves to be a tough team, and showed no slowing down while playing the Canucks. Although some Vancouver fans may cry “playoff curse” as they were once again eliminated from contention, but in the end this boiled down to just a better team winning.

The Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild are also an honorable mention from this conference. The Blackhawks started off with a strong 2-0 series lead, but the Minnesota Wild fought back in Game 3. Any fan would agree that in Game 3 the Wild were a completely different team on the ice than in the previous two games. The team brought physicality which threw the Chicago Blackhawks off their game. The Hawks did come back to win the next game, and hold a 3-1 series lead.

Eastern Conference

Some may agree that the Eastern Conference isn’t as tough as the Western, so the Pittsburgh Penguins would easily skate into the Stanley Cup Finals no matter who they played. Although the Pens were viewed as having the conference already won, the New York Islanders may another thing to say on that. These two teams are currently tied in a 2-2 series and is showing that this series won’t just be given, it must be taken. Going from a Pittsburgh Penguins series lead to a series tie, could the Islanders be able to finally pull through as the underdogs and take lead of the series for the first time?

Also feeling the heat in the NHL Playoffs this year are the Montreal Canadiens. These number 2 seeded Habs are matched up against the 7th seeded Ottawa Senators, and in theory, was thought to have been an easy victory for the Canadiens. The Senators are up to a commanding 3-1 lead over Montreal and it is not looking good. This series has been one of the most physical this year, from some hard hits, to a throw-down-brawl in center ice involving most of the team. Are the Canadiens out of gas and accepting defeat, or can they pull forward? It’s still possible, as teams have come back from a deficit once before.

These are just a few of the match-ups occurring for the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs this year. While the teams are finishing up their best of 7 games this week, the next 8 will advance and in just a few short weeks, we’ll have a Stanley Cup winner! Whether you plan on wearing some Chicago Blackhawks gear, or sporting a Pittsburgh Penguins t-shirt, now is the perfect time to get into the playoffs with some NHL Playoffs gear.

Well hockey fans, the start of the “second season” and the race for the Stanley Cup is officially underway: the NHL Playoffs! To get you up to speed, here are the current teams in this year’s playoff, as well as who they’ll be playing:

Western Conference

Minnesota Wild vs Chicago Blackhawks
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks
San Jose Sharks vs Vancouver Canucks
Los Angeles Kings vs St Louis Blues

Eastern Conference

New York Islanders vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Ottawa Senators vs Montreal Canadeins
New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins

Last night’s kickoff of the NHL Playoffs surely didn’t disappoint as Chicago vs Minnesota, Anaheim vs Detroit and St Louis vs Los Angeles all hit the ice. Highlights from last night’s games include:

Chicago Blackhawks vs Minnesota Wild
2 – 1 Overtime Win
Chicago Leads 1-0
Bryan Bickell scoring the overtime winning goal

Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks
3 – 1
Anaheim Leads 1-0
Jonas Hiller with 21 saves

Los Angeles Kings vs St Louis Blues
1 – 2 Overtime Win
St Louis Leads 1-0
Alexander Steen scoring a power play goal and the overtime winning goal

(Remaining teams are scheduled to play their first games tonight or Thursday.)

Playoff hockey is a whole new beast compared to regular season hockey. Every play, every hit, and every shot on the net is one you will hang on. Your blood pressure will increase, your body will tense up, and you’ll maybe even cry out unexpectedly on the close goals and before you know it, you’ll be hooked. As any regular hockey fan would agree to, the NHL playoffs are an amazing time of year!

This is the perfect time for you the hockey fan to get in on the action as well. With our expansive selection of 2013 NHL Playoff Gear, we can get you into the latest and greatest threads for this year’s NHL playoff season. Best of luck to your team in the quarterfinals, and we’ll see you back next week with a full recap of this week’s happenings!

Well, another week is marked off in the hockey books as we come to an exciting conclusion on the NHL season. With most teams reaching their last final 4 games, some are playing for home ice advantage, some are trying to squeeze their way into the playoffs and some are just trying to get through alive.

Chicago Blackhawks

Once again, the Chicago Blackhawks remain the top team this week, as how it seemed to be the whole season. These Blackhawks are 8-0-2 of their last 10, most recently losing in a shootout to the Nashville Predators. Although not winning their last game, they still managed to earn a point, and are sitting at 73 total game points – the highest in the NHL. With concerns of Ray Emery’s injury, and Corey Crawford failing to stop easy shots to the net, could a goalie issue pose a serious concern yet again for the Blackhawks heading into the playoffs? The Chicago Blackhawks can clinch the Presidents Trophy and home ice advantage with a win tonight, and a Pittsburgh loss.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Nipping on the heels of the Blackhawks are the Pittsburgh Penguins. This team has done quite well themselves, as they are currently on a Win 6 streak of their own and are 8-2-0 of their last 10. Most remarkably, these guys are a 21-2-0 in the last 23 games! The Pens have clinched the best record for the Eastern Conference and are battling for the Presidents Trophy with the Blackhawks. Whether or not the team could forge on without seeing the likes of a Sidney Crosby jersey or Evegeni Malkin jersey on the ice was a question that weighed heavily with fans – but this Pittsburgh Penguins team conquered through adversity. Although these players have been skating with the team, there is no definite timetable for their return.

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit fans, we can hear you loud and clear: you’re nervous! With the Red Wings sitting at a 9th place position, this Detroit team needs to buckle down if they want to get into the Playoffs. Could a 21-year run of making the Playoffs come to an end? With Columbus and Minnesota ahead, both with 51 points, and Detroit tied with Dallas at 48, these last few games need to be played to their fullest. Anything but a 2-point victory could cost one of these teams the Playoff spot. I would recommend keeping an eye on these Western Conference duelings, as this will be a fight to the finish and notably one of the most exciting finishes this season.

Florida Panthers

This Florida Panthers team is just trying to get back and end this shortened season. With a special feat of their own, these Panthers barely survived the season at a lowly 13-26-6 record – the lowest record in the league. These Panthers have a 6 game losing streak and are 3-7-0 within their last 10 games. Florida fans everywhere will be thankful for the end of the season. This team never had much hope from the beginning as injuries plague them from the start.

With the Playoffs within arms reach, now is as good as any other to browse through your team’s NHL jerseys and find your favorite player to support. The hockey fan is just as important to the game as the player, which is why the fight for the Presidents Trophy and home ice is so important. Who do you think will be making it to the playoffs in the Western Conference? Have you any gut feelings on who’ll be in the Stanley Cup Finals? Let us know in our comment selection below.