Congratulations to the Nashville Predators for taking down the Anaheim Ducks.  Way to go!  The first round curse has been shattered! 

On one hand, I'm very happy because the Ducks are a bunch of freakin' goons that I LOVE to see in the tank.  On the other hand, I'm watching a possible upset in the making between Vancouver and Chicago, and I'm thinking my beloved hometown Red Wings may have to play the Preds in the conference semifinals.  Not good. 

At this point I'd rather play the San Jose Sharks.  The Sharks-Kings matchup borders on the ridiculous with Anze Kopitar out of the Kings' lineup, yet they have held on and forced a Game 6.  In the Ducks-Predators series, however, what I saw was a knock-down-drag-out between two very evenly matched teams with Nashville coming out on top (a little bruised and bloodied, perhaps, but still the last saber-toothed tiger standing). 

However it shakes out, I don't envy the team that draws the Preds for Round Two -- and if it ends up being the Wings, I can pretty much chisel it in stone for you that the Wings will NOT sweep.  Heck, if it ends up Preds vs. Wings I'd lay heavy odds on seven games being played, and as much as I'd like to say the Wings would take it, I could see the Preds beating the Wings and advancing to the Conference Finals. 

I am seriously routing for the Blackhawks to pull off the upset of all time against the Canucks, but from a practical let's-see-my-team-go-all-the-way standpoint, I'd rather send the Sedin Twins and Company into Grand Ol' Opryland...