WRC’s Jim Iovino is running this project for the Channel 4′s web site, and he’s tailoring the discussions for each round to address emerging topics. So for the start of the second round Jim asked local hockey media to tally up the number of blows likely directed at Mike Green’s head by Tampa. JP delivered a great quip:

Number of times Mike Green will be targeted with a head shot: 0. The League takes the issue of head injuries very seriously and would never let one of its star players — who recently missed two months due to a concussion (or two, depending upon where you get your news) — be the target of such tactics.

Just kidding. He gets targeted once. Per shift.

We told WRC that our “Matchup to watch” involved this series’ specialty teams.

Matchup to Watch: Tampa Bay’s first power play unit versus the Capitals’ PKers. The Lightning had the league’s sixth-best extra-man unit during the regular season (20.5%) and went white hot with the extra man against Pittsburgh (29% — third-best in the postseason). The Caps were the league’s second-best penalty killing team in the regular season (85.6%), and almost perfect at 95% against the Rangers. But Tampa possesses weapons up front on the power play that the Rangers sorely lacked. Tampa’s only real chance to pull off the upset to is draw the Caps into a number of penalty killing situations and to capitalize on a good many of them.

There’s some fantastic analysis and insight with this project, so give it a look before you head down to Chinatown tonight or meet up with your fellow soliders in the Red Army at a local watering hole. We’d like to chime in again for WRC for in-kind collaborations with our new media colleagues two more times this spring.

: )

You ought to follow this link to the file and survey how common a common prediction for series length there is among the amassed voices. And perhaps leave a comment of appreciation for NBC for pursuing the fun filing. We love participating in these collaborative projects, especially at this time of year.