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!

What an amazing past 2 months filled with NHL and NBA Playoff action! Almost every night had a game that came down to the final shot or overtime. In the end, the Boston Bruins and Dallas Mavericks took home the titles. Here’s a quick look back on some of the best of the 2011 NHL and NBA Playoffs.

NHL

Best Series: Vancouver Canucks vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Any time a team comes back from being down 3-0 to force a game 7, you know it’s a great series. Add in the two clubs’ recent rivalry, and that both games 6 & 7 went to overtime, and you have the recipe for the best series of the 2011 playoffs.

Breakout Performance: Brad Marchand

This rookie put up 19 points in 25 games! Not enough for you? In game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, he posted 2 goals and an assist!

Biggest Surprise: The Capitals get swept in the Conference Semi’s

A year removed from being upset after having a 3-1 series lead, the Capitals again earned the #1 seed only to be swept by the Lightning.

Most Memorable: Tim Thomas’s hit on Henrik Sedin

A defining play by the Finals MVP. Thomas put a huge hit on the Canucks superstar. Henrik Sedin will never live this down. Check out the hit here.

NBA

Best Series: Oklahoma City Thunder vs Memphis Grizzlies

This terrific series highlighted two up & coming teams in the West. The 7 game showdown was extra special for the reason that it showcased two small market teams with astonishing fan support. This match up should be a reoccurring series for many years to come.

Breakout Performance: JJ Barea

It’s great for the game when a guy who looks like he could be your neighbor delivers under pressure. Barea had 7 double digit point games including 17 & 15 in the last two games of the NBA Finals.

Biggest Surprise: LeBron James’ Finals performance

This will go down as one of the most puzzling events in NBA history. The 2x NBA MVP only averaged 17.7 ppg, which was the largest drop off in points from a regular season to an NBA Finals in history.

Most Memorable: Dirk Nowitzki’s Playoff performance

His playoff performance catapulted his resume from NBA superstar to NBA legend.

Congratulations again to the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins and NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks. Make sure to head to FansEdge for all your championship gear!