The first round of the National Hockey League playoffs are complete. The first round gave us three game sevens, overtimes, and zero sweeps.

The Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins next round

The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers continued their alternating winning and losing ways, as the Rangers defeated their Flyers in game seven. The Rangers beat their rivals at Madison Square Garden 2-1. Henrick Lundqvist stopped 26 out of 27 shots against for the Rangers. Daniel Carcillo and Benoit Pouliot scored the two goals for the Rangers to take a 2-0 lead in the second period, and the Rangers never looked back. The Rangers are now 5-0 in game sevens played at home.

The Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks next round

In Colorado, hockey fans got a thrilling nailbiter between the Avalanche and the Wild. The Avalanche took a 2-0 series lead, but the Wild forced a game seven by winning three of the next four games. Game seven followed that same theme. The Avalanche led for the majority of the game, but Jared Spurgeon scored the tying goal with just under three minutes remaining to force overtime. Momentum would carry over for the Wild, as Nino Niederreiter would score the series clinching goal.

The Kings vs. the Anaheim Ducks next round

A battle in California between the Sharks and Kings took place in game seven. To no one's surprise, the Sharks disappointed their fans once again. The Kings dominated the Sharks 5-1. The Sharks have made the playoffs the last 11 seasons, but have never made it to the Stanley Cup in the franchise's history. This year's defeat comes at a huge let down for Sharks fans; the team lost in the first round and the Sharks had home ice advantage. For the second round in a row, the Kings will stay in state.

The Montreal Canadiens vs. the Boston Bruins next round

The Montreal Canadiens head into the second round looking to win the team's first Stanley Cup since 1993 as they face off against the and Boston Bruins. The Canadiens are the only Canadian NHL team of seven remaining left in the playoffs: the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, and Vancouver Canucks. The Ducks recently advanced to the second round by defeating the Dallas Stars.

The four winners from these games will advance to the Conference Finals, just one round away from the Stanley Cup.