At least three games into each series of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it's becoming more clear which underdogs have the best chance at delivering an early exit to the top teams. Every series has been exciting thus far, as expected, and it seems as if the upsets are picking up right where they left off last year.
 

(6) San Jose Sharks over (3) Vancouver Canucks

The Sharks, who surprisingly took the first two games in Vancouver, will be looking for the sweep on Tuesday night. It seems as if no matter who the Canucks put in net, San Jose ends up being the better team overall. The Sharks have gotten key contributions from Logan Couture and other forwards, but the MVP of this series is clearly goaltender Antti Niemi. Niemi won a Stanley Cup in his rookie season in Chicago, and is looking determined to do the same thing this year.
 

(7) Ottawa Senators over (2) Montreal Canadiens

Sunday night's game, to say the least, was nothing short of war on ice. The game resulted in over 200 penalty minutes, most stemming from a third period line brawl at center ice. The Sens sent their home fans happy, delivering a 6-1 shellacking of the Habs and taking a 2-1 lead in the series. Ottawa looks like the better team, as Craig Anderson has been magnifíque (sorry Habs fans) and hometown hero Jean-Gabriel Pageau has become a fan favorite in Ottawa.
 

(8) New York Islanders over (1) Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins lead the series 2-1 but have been far from dominant. They choked up a 3-1 lead at home in Game 2 and also lost a 4-2 lead in Game 3 before winning in overtime on a sketchy powerplay. If we've learned anything from the past, its that Pittsburgh has not been a consistent playoff team since winning the Stanley Cup back in 2009. Also, facing a high-powered Islanders' offense, this is not the kind of series that the Penguins want to be involved in looking at last year's series against the Philadelphia Flyers.