Playoff Predictions Round 1: Eastern Conference

Here are my picks for 1st round winners in the East, who do you guys have?

Capitals @ Lightning Preview (Video) 1/12/11

A look at the second game in a week between two teams tied at the top of the division. Who will take it this time?

"Southleast" No More

For the last few years, the Southeast Division has been referred to as the “Southleast” Division, and not without good reason.  The Capitals have blown their competition out of the water and virtually won the division before Christmas the last two years.  Maybe two teams from the division make the playoffs each year (if even that), and the fact that they play in the Eastern Conference (thought to be the lesser of the two conferences) doesn’t help their case much either.

While that argument may have had traction in the past, it no longer does.  If the playoffs were to start today, three Southeast Division teams would make the playoffs, with a fourth (Carolina) in the 9^th seed.  Florida currently holds the 10^th seed as well.  Washington, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta have all spent some time at the top of the division standings.  Currently, Tampa Bay and Washington are tied at 51 points apiece, with Tampa winning in the tiebreaker.