By JEFF Z. KLEINMAY 1, 2014  As in the first round, the conference semifinals of the N.H.L. playoffs feature intense rivalries, some with long postseason histories and some starting fresh.  Atlantic Division: No. 1 Boston Bruins vs. No. 3 Montreal Canadiens  One of hockey’s most bitter rivalries will be renewed for a 34th time in the postseason.  The Bruins’ tough guy Shawn Thornton was asked when he first started hating the Canadiens. “Oh, about 20 years ago,” he said.  Or, as forward Milan Lucic put it: “It’s just natural for me. Just being a part of this organization you just naturally learn to hate the Montreal Canadiens.”  The Canadiens express themselves less overtly. Goalie Carey Price preferred to use the word competitive to describe the rivalry instead of hate. But they are capable of starting some fireworks on the ice, through the combative third-liner Brandon Prust and defenseman P.K. Subban.  The teams polished off their first-round foes easily, the Habs sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Bruins beating the Detroit Red Wings in five. So they are ready and rested for a series that could be as close as their last one, in 2011, when three games went to overtime, including Boston’s Game 7 victory.  The Bruins’ top scorers with 5 points in five games are Patrice Bergeron, hockey’s best two-way forward, and Torey Krug, an exciting defenseman in his second season. On defense they have the imposing Zdeno Chara, and in goal, the Vezina finalist Tuukka Rask, who leads the N.H.L. in postseason saves percentage at .961.  Montreal’s attack is paced by Subban and forwards Brendan Gallagher and Lars Eller, with 5 points apiece. Thomas Vanek, with 62 points in 55 career games against the Bruins, is waiting in the wings.  But the Canadiens can’t match Boston’s firepower, goaltending or malevolent strength. It may be a nasty series, but the Bruins should continue their march to the Stanley Cup finals. Pick: Bruins in 6.  Metropolitan Division: No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 2 Rangers  On paper, this looks like a straightforward victory for the Penguins, who finished the regular season with 13 more points and are better rested. But the Rangers think they match up well with Pittsburgh. The Penguins, for their part, are probably relieved they will not face their in-state tormentors from Philadelphia, who embarrassed them two years ago.  The Rangers were not able to completely shut down the Flyers’ Hart Trophy finalist, Claude Giroux, in the first round, and there’s no reason to believe they will have better luck against Sidney Crosby, the expected Hart winner.  But Crosby has not scored in 11 straight playoff games. At the same time, the Rangers’ big gun, Rick Nash, has gone dry in 10 straight postseason games. So that’s a wash.  The Penguins’ defense scores a lot (Matt Niskanen and Paul Martin have 8 points each, leading all blueliners in the playoffs), but can be sloppy in their own end. The Rangers’ defense is more conscientious defensively, but not as productive.  Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is much improved over last year, but still prone to the occasional howler of an error. Henrik Lundqvist has not been as good as usual, but he has been steady when necessary, as in the deciding Game 7 Wednesday.  It all points to a close series headed to a Game 7 — and when it comes to a Game 7, how can you bet against the Blueshirts? Pick: Rangers in 7.  Central Division: No. 3 Chicago Blackhawks vs. No. 4 Minnesota Wild  In Game 7 against the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota’s Nino Niederreiter became the State of Hockey’s newest hero. He set up the tying goal with 2 minutes 27 seconds left that sent the game to overtime, then followed with the series-winner at 5:02 of overtime.  Still, Zach Parise is the Wild’s main weapon, and with 10 points in seven games, he has proven worth every penny of his $98 million contract.  But goalie Darcy Kuemper left Game 7 with an undisclosed injury, leaving the Wild with the prospect of playing Ilya Bryzgalov in goal. That would be an adventure, although of what kind only time can tell.  The Blackhawks are the defending Stanley Cup champions, and after an uncertain start against the St. Louis Blues, Chicago rolled to a six-game victory. Their big stars produced: Jonathan Toews provided three game-winning goals and Patrick Kane scored three times as well; defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook have 5 goals between them; and goalie Corey Crawford has a stellar .935 save percentage.  Last year, Chicago ousted Minnesota in five games. This time the Wild are better, but ultimately not good enough. Pick: Blackhawks in 6.  Pacific Division: No. 1 Anaheim Ducks vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Kings  Pro sports rivalries between Southern California teams have rarely gotten off the ground because they almost never involve the postseason. The Dodgers have never played the Angels; the Lakers have never played the Clippers; back in the day, the Rams never played the Raiders. Only the Galaxy and Chivas USA have met in postseason play, and only once.  But now comes Ducks vs. Kings, the new crème de la crème of West Coast hockey, two Stanley Cup winners separated by 30 miles of freeway. The Kings arrive on the heels of their historic four-game comeback against the Sharks. The Ducks are also here courtesy of a stirring comeback, when they scored twice in the final 2:10 of regulation and again in overtime to oust the Dallas Stars.  The strategic matchup is relatively simple: The Kings’ smothering team defense and the revived goaltending of Jonathan Quick against Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and the rest of the Ducks’ four-line flying circus. But the Kings are back in their Stanley Cup form of 2012. Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams and Jeff Carter are rolling, setting the stage for a virtual tossup. The series may go down in the annals of Southern California sports – and steal some headlines from the Clippers scandal. Pick: Ducks in 7.
With Montreal and Boston leading the hate parade, rivals face off in the second round of the N.H.L. playoffs starting Thursday.