I did pretty well with my picks in the first round, as did Dan, Joe, and those of you who participated in the poll. The first round records were as follows
Mine: 5-3
Dan: 5-3
Joe: 6-2
Poll: 5-3
Be sure to post your picks for round two in the comments, on my facebook, on twitter, or just pick your four winners in the poll:
Round 2 Match-ups:
WESTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Vancouver vs #5 Nashville
It took till the fourth game but Vancouver finally found a way to close the door on the youthful and pesky Hawks. The Canucks looked strong in the first three games, as well as games 6 and 7. They will need Luongo to find the form that he displayed in the four wins for them to carry on any further. Vancouver will also need their big name players to play bigger. Because of the two blowouts a majority of the Canucks players were minus players for the series. The Sedin twins combined for 12 points, unfortunately Daniel scored all 5 goals that the pair accounted for. A more balanced scoring attack would help as well, only 9 players recorded goals in the 7 games against the Hawks. Nashville found a way to shutdown, if you can count a 3.33 goals against per game shut down, the top line of the Ducks. Even if it required having one of them stomp on a players foot to get him suspended. Rinne wasn't spectacular, with an official 3.29 GAA, it was enough to get the series won but im not sold on it being enough this series. The Preds found scoring from 12 different players including 3 from Fisher, Weber, and Ward. For the Predators to win this series I think they will need to tighten up defensively to help out Rinne and hope for the offense to continue on from the first round. As mentioned before, the Canucks will need Luongo to be a presence in net, hoping that his downfall was a mental block against the Hawks. I also think the Canucks offense will break out in this series. Using solid goaltending, and a more rounded offense, I think Vancouver takes the series in 5.
#2 San Jose vs #3 Detroit
Detroit rolled through their first round series against what turned out to be a significantly inferior opponent. They won the first four games of the series, only one of them was decided by less than 2 goals(no empty netters). The extra time off was extremely beneficial to the Wings, giving Franzen's face time to heal, he took 20 odd stitches and refused a mask early in the series, as well as a chance to get Zetterberg healthy without having to rush him back. San Jose took longer to finish off a team that many thought they would have no trouble with. It took three overtime wins, including a four goal comeback, and a 6-3 win for the Sharks to move on. The Sharks got big numbers out of their rookie Logan Coture, who was behind only Ryane Clowe for the team lead in points so far. Their goaltending will need to be far better, especially against a high scoring Detroit team. Antti Niemi had a GAA of 4 in the first round, with only a .860 save percentage, not up to par for a goalie with a ring in his pocket from last season. I think the veteran loaded Sharks will do a much better job of getting to Howard than the Coyotes did. This, along with a better performance in the net will lead the Sharks to a series win, in seven games.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Washington vs #5 Tampa Bay
Both of these teams looked strong in the first round, however they both knocked off teams that were missing pieces. Tampa Bay holds the edge in the goaltending department, Roloson played well in the first series and has playoff experience earlier in his career. For Washington Neuvirth has playoff experience, winning back to back titles, but it was at the AHL level not the NHL. Rest in this series will also come into play with the series starting on Friday. The Lightning finished up their comeback from being down 3-1 in the series on Wednesday while Washington has been waiting to find out their next opponent for nearly a week by the time the puck drops. Both of these teams have very potent offenses, though Washington settled into a defensive strategy that seemed to work against the Rangers in the first round. I also think that the Caps will be able to shut down the weapons of Tampa on a semi regular basis. Im taking the Capitals in 6.
#2 Philadelphia vs #3 Boston
This pick is another difficult one to make, both teams are lacking in areas and strong in others. For the Bruins they will need to find something for their powerplay. Making it through one series without scoring a single goal is lucky as it is, doing it against the Flyers would be near suicide for their playoff hopes. Another key to fix is their discipline. Although I did not agree with some of the calls in the first round, Boston spend way to much time in the penalty box. Two 5 on 3 goals in game six allowed Montreal to stay in the series against them, not to mention two powerplay goals in game seven to keep it close. The Bruins do have the advantage in the defensive zone. Anyone with Chara on their team automatically on the positive side but that is not the only reason. The main reason is that Tim Thomas is in net for the Bruins. They relied on Thomas a little bit to much in the first round but he stepped up and kept them in it. The Bruins will have to cut down on the number of odd man rushes that they surrender this series, the Flyers offense is better in my opinion then the Canadians. They key for the Flyers is goaltending. Can one of the keepers on the carousel make it stop long enough to win a few games? They did just enough to make it through the series against and undermanned Buffalo offense but what will they do against a higher powered Bruins team. The Flyers will get some goals in this series, Briere can't be shut down for the whole thing and they got goals from unexpected contributors in the first round, something that will continue in the second. This should be an extremely fun series to watch, physical with lots of chances for scoring. In the end I think it comes down to special teams and goaltending, I like the Bruins in 6.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
1st round results vs the picks
Just in case any of you aren't watching and finding out elsewhere, I will keep track of the series as they end. A brief summary as well as how the results compare to my picks and those of you that shared yours.
WEST
#1 Vancouver vs #8 Chicago
The Canucks looked poised to sweep the Blackhawks out of the playoffs in about the same amount of time they Blackhawks had be guaranteed a playoff spot. Then the unthinkable happened. Chicago found motivation in the form of a home crowd, some controversial calls, and the return of Dave Bolland. They blew the Canucks out in game four by a score of 7-2. OK, so one game is just a fluke right Vancouver would bounce back and clinch at home in game 5, wrong. The Blackhawks took it to the Canucks again. Beating them 5-0 and running Luongo from the game for the second in a row. For game 6, the Canucks decided to start Cory Schneider the backup who had played well during the regular season as a backup. Other than a few mishandled plays the plan seemed to be working well. Surprisingly it was a penalty shot that got Schneider out of the game. He appeared to twist his knee awkwardly as he was falling backward and took several minutes before even returning to his feet. In comes Luongo again, the Vancouver defense stepped up for him, allowing only 13 shots in the 32 minutes that he played. Unfortunately he only made 12 saves, that one miss coming in the overtime period to give the Hawks the win. Vancover went to Luongo for the start in game 7 and he earned it, making 31 saves and leading the Canucks to a game 7 victory.
Mine - Canucks in 6
D.P. - Canucks in 5
J.R. - Canucks in 6
Poll - Canucks by a vote of 7-0
#2 San Jose vs #7 Los Angeles
Joe Thorton overcame his stereotype of being a regular season player, the Sharks overcame the stereotype of being a post season choke artist. In what could be considered one of the most interesting series of the playoffs so far the Sharks knocked off the Kings in six games. The Kings held on in the series better than most had expected them to, considering that they were without their leading scorer from the regular season. They had a chance to take control of the series in game three. They held a 4-0 lead in the second period, only to see the Sharks score five goals in the period to take the lead. After fighting back to tie the game up, the Kings gave up the game winner in overtime. The overtime win was the third of the series for the Sharks.
Mine - Sharks in 6
D.P. - Sharks in5
J.R. - Sharks in 4(5)
Poll - Sharks by a vote of 6-2
#3 Detroit vs #6 Phoenix
This was a series that I thought would be much closer than it was. However, Paval Datsyuk filled in more than sufficiently for the Wings leading scorer. He gathered six points in the series to go with a plus six rating. On the other side of the puck Ilya Bryzgalov was never able to get comfortable. In the first three games he looked uncomfortable, not getting down on shots from the point and at times not battling for position and a view in his own crease. His support was not much help though as the Coyotes were outscored 18-10 in the series. In the end, the Wings broke out the brooms and swept the Coyotes out of the playoffs, becoming the first team to advance to the next round in 2011.
The Picks:
Mine - Wings in 7
D.P. - Wings in 6
J.R. - Wings in 6
Poll - Wings by unanimous vote (7-0)
#4 Anaheim vs #5 Nashville
I can't say a whole lot about this series since none of their games made it on national TV. The Predators found an offense that many questioned existed, although it was on a questionable goalie core for the Ducks. Nashville scored at least 3 goals in every game of the series, losing only when Anaheim scored at least 5 goals in a game. Anaheim's top line was relatively held in check for the series, though Bobby Ryan was suspended for two games early in the series. The win for the Predators was their first Stanley Cup playoffs series win in the history of the franchise. They won the series 4 games to 2.
The Picks:
Mine - Ducks in 5
D.P. - Ducks in 6
J.R. - Ducks in 7
Poll - Ducks by a vote of 5-2
EAST
#1 Washington vs #8 New York
The Rangers had opportunities in this series to seize momentum and make a run at the top seed in the east. A lack of offensive firepower and a powerplay that just couldn't generate any goals kept them from making that run. Game one was key for both teams, playing in Washington the Rangers had a chance to take control of the series. Instead, a costly turnover lead to a overtime winner for Alexander Semin and the Caps got things on their side early. The Rangers got on the board in game 3, with a win at MSG to close the series to 2-1 in favor of the Capitals. Then game 4 happened. The Rangers took a 3-0 lead in the second period at home and seemed to be having no trouble at all. Unfortunately in hockey you have to play all 3 periods and sometimes more. The Caps got 3 goals in the third to become the only team in the playoffs so far to overcome a their period deficit. The Rangers recomposed somewhat and held the Caps off for the rest of the third period as well as a period and a half of overtime. Then the back breaker occurred. Marian Gaborik tried to play the puck out from in front of Henrik Lundqdvist but it was blocked by a Washington player who was in behind the goalie. The puck landed in the crease, where it was an easy goal and the Caps took the game and a 3-1 lead in the series. Game 5 seemed to be a formality and the Caps became only the second team to win an elimination game in their first try.
The Picks:
Mine - Capitals in 7
D.P. - Capitals in 6
J.R. - Rangers in 6
Poll - Capitals by a vote of 6-1
#2 Philadelphia vs #7 Buffalo
I still haven't decided what to think of this series. The goaltending for the Flyers was bad to put it nicely throughout the series. Although none of the games turned into blowouts, there were many very weak goals given up throughout the series. The biggest downfall to Buffalo's game was their defensive zone play. They were out-shot by somewhere in the vicinity of 70 shots over the 7 games in the series. Many people both on twitter and facebook called for Miller to be replaced by Enroth prior to game 4. I personally think these people are out of their minds. Miller recorded two shutouts in the series, as well as facing 49 shots in the game six loss to the Flyers. The Flyers somehow overcame their goaltending, and exploded offensively in game seven to win the series over the Sabres. With Pronger back in the lineup, the Flyers only need a goalie to step up and be average and they will have a chance to make a run throughout the rest of the playoffs.
Mine - Sabres in 6
D.P. - Sabres in 7
J.R. - Flyers in 6
Poll - Sabres by a vote of 6-2
#3 Boston vs #6 Montreal
Only once in this series did a team not score the first goal of the game, it is only fitting that it took overtime in that time for the Bruins to secure a victory. This series contained all sorts of facts like this including the road team winning the first four games of the series, before Boston became the first team to win at home. This was another series where all of the overtime games were won by the same team, Boston won all three games that went into overtime, including game seven. This series was everything NHL fans could have asked for. It was a physical matchup that featured both defensive struggles as well as some strong offensive showings. The Boston powerplay was as weak as anything I have ever seen, going 0-everything for the series. From that games that I was able to watch, they didn't even establish any long term pressure or outstanding chances. The Montreal powerplay was the exact opposite, it allowed them to win game 6 with two 5 on 3 goals and was among the top powerplays in the first round of the playoffs. In order for Boston to continue on they will need to find a way to get their powerplay, as well as Lucic, going.
The Picks:
Mine - Bruins in 7
D.P. - Bruins in 6
J.R. - Bruins in 6
Poll - Bruins by a vote of 6-1
#4 Pittsburgh vs #5 Tampa Bay
In my round preview I said that if Roloson could steal a game or two for the Lightning that they would have a chance to steal the series. Roloson played well throughout the series but the missing offense for the Penguins showed through. The Penguins were able to take a three games to one lead in the series, but they failed to score more than three goals in a game at any point. The Lightning offense on the other hand did well throughout the series. They had three games where they scored four goals or more, including eight in a pivotal game five. Balance seemed to be the key for the Bolts as well, 13 different players scored goals in the series. A 1-0 game seven win gave the Bolts the win, Roloson stood on his head to make it happen, especially late in the game as the pressure was mounting for the Pens.
Mine - Penguins in 7
D.P. - Penguins in 7
J.R. - Lightning in7
Poll - Penguins by a vote of 7-2
WEST
#1 Vancouver vs #8 Chicago
The Canucks looked poised to sweep the Blackhawks out of the playoffs in about the same amount of time they Blackhawks had be guaranteed a playoff spot. Then the unthinkable happened. Chicago found motivation in the form of a home crowd, some controversial calls, and the return of Dave Bolland. They blew the Canucks out in game four by a score of 7-2. OK, so one game is just a fluke right Vancouver would bounce back and clinch at home in game 5, wrong. The Blackhawks took it to the Canucks again. Beating them 5-0 and running Luongo from the game for the second in a row. For game 6, the Canucks decided to start Cory Schneider the backup who had played well during the regular season as a backup. Other than a few mishandled plays the plan seemed to be working well. Surprisingly it was a penalty shot that got Schneider out of the game. He appeared to twist his knee awkwardly as he was falling backward and took several minutes before even returning to his feet. In comes Luongo again, the Vancouver defense stepped up for him, allowing only 13 shots in the 32 minutes that he played. Unfortunately he only made 12 saves, that one miss coming in the overtime period to give the Hawks the win. Vancover went to Luongo for the start in game 7 and he earned it, making 31 saves and leading the Canucks to a game 7 victory.
Mine - Canucks in 6
D.P. - Canucks in 5
J.R. - Canucks in 6
Poll - Canucks by a vote of 7-0
#2 San Jose vs #7 Los Angeles
Joe Thorton overcame his stereotype of being a regular season player, the Sharks overcame the stereotype of being a post season choke artist. In what could be considered one of the most interesting series of the playoffs so far the Sharks knocked off the Kings in six games. The Kings held on in the series better than most had expected them to, considering that they were without their leading scorer from the regular season. They had a chance to take control of the series in game three. They held a 4-0 lead in the second period, only to see the Sharks score five goals in the period to take the lead. After fighting back to tie the game up, the Kings gave up the game winner in overtime. The overtime win was the third of the series for the Sharks.
Mine - Sharks in 6
D.P. - Sharks in5
J.R. - Sharks in 4(5)
Poll - Sharks by a vote of 6-2
#3 Detroit vs #6 Phoenix
This was a series that I thought would be much closer than it was. However, Paval Datsyuk filled in more than sufficiently for the Wings leading scorer. He gathered six points in the series to go with a plus six rating. On the other side of the puck Ilya Bryzgalov was never able to get comfortable. In the first three games he looked uncomfortable, not getting down on shots from the point and at times not battling for position and a view in his own crease. His support was not much help though as the Coyotes were outscored 18-10 in the series. In the end, the Wings broke out the brooms and swept the Coyotes out of the playoffs, becoming the first team to advance to the next round in 2011.
The Picks:
Mine - Wings in 7
D.P. - Wings in 6
J.R. - Wings in 6
Poll - Wings by unanimous vote (7-0)
#4 Anaheim vs #5 Nashville
I can't say a whole lot about this series since none of their games made it on national TV. The Predators found an offense that many questioned existed, although it was on a questionable goalie core for the Ducks. Nashville scored at least 3 goals in every game of the series, losing only when Anaheim scored at least 5 goals in a game. Anaheim's top line was relatively held in check for the series, though Bobby Ryan was suspended for two games early in the series. The win for the Predators was their first Stanley Cup playoffs series win in the history of the franchise. They won the series 4 games to 2.
The Picks:
Mine - Ducks in 5
D.P. - Ducks in 6
J.R. - Ducks in 7
Poll - Ducks by a vote of 5-2
EAST
#1 Washington vs #8 New York
The Rangers had opportunities in this series to seize momentum and make a run at the top seed in the east. A lack of offensive firepower and a powerplay that just couldn't generate any goals kept them from making that run. Game one was key for both teams, playing in Washington the Rangers had a chance to take control of the series. Instead, a costly turnover lead to a overtime winner for Alexander Semin and the Caps got things on their side early. The Rangers got on the board in game 3, with a win at MSG to close the series to 2-1 in favor of the Capitals. Then game 4 happened. The Rangers took a 3-0 lead in the second period at home and seemed to be having no trouble at all. Unfortunately in hockey you have to play all 3 periods and sometimes more. The Caps got 3 goals in the third to become the only team in the playoffs so far to overcome a their period deficit. The Rangers recomposed somewhat and held the Caps off for the rest of the third period as well as a period and a half of overtime. Then the back breaker occurred. Marian Gaborik tried to play the puck out from in front of Henrik Lundqdvist but it was blocked by a Washington player who was in behind the goalie. The puck landed in the crease, where it was an easy goal and the Caps took the game and a 3-1 lead in the series. Game 5 seemed to be a formality and the Caps became only the second team to win an elimination game in their first try.
The Picks:
Mine - Capitals in 7
D.P. - Capitals in 6
J.R. - Rangers in 6
Poll - Capitals by a vote of 6-1
#2 Philadelphia vs #7 Buffalo
I still haven't decided what to think of this series. The goaltending for the Flyers was bad to put it nicely throughout the series. Although none of the games turned into blowouts, there were many very weak goals given up throughout the series. The biggest downfall to Buffalo's game was their defensive zone play. They were out-shot by somewhere in the vicinity of 70 shots over the 7 games in the series. Many people both on twitter and facebook called for Miller to be replaced by Enroth prior to game 4. I personally think these people are out of their minds. Miller recorded two shutouts in the series, as well as facing 49 shots in the game six loss to the Flyers. The Flyers somehow overcame their goaltending, and exploded offensively in game seven to win the series over the Sabres. With Pronger back in the lineup, the Flyers only need a goalie to step up and be average and they will have a chance to make a run throughout the rest of the playoffs.
Mine - Sabres in 6
D.P. - Sabres in 7
J.R. - Flyers in 6
Poll - Sabres by a vote of 6-2
#3 Boston vs #6 Montreal
Only once in this series did a team not score the first goal of the game, it is only fitting that it took overtime in that time for the Bruins to secure a victory. This series contained all sorts of facts like this including the road team winning the first four games of the series, before Boston became the first team to win at home. This was another series where all of the overtime games were won by the same team, Boston won all three games that went into overtime, including game seven. This series was everything NHL fans could have asked for. It was a physical matchup that featured both defensive struggles as well as some strong offensive showings. The Boston powerplay was as weak as anything I have ever seen, going 0-everything for the series. From that games that I was able to watch, they didn't even establish any long term pressure or outstanding chances. The Montreal powerplay was the exact opposite, it allowed them to win game 6 with two 5 on 3 goals and was among the top powerplays in the first round of the playoffs. In order for Boston to continue on they will need to find a way to get their powerplay, as well as Lucic, going.
The Picks:
Mine - Bruins in 7
D.P. - Bruins in 6
J.R. - Bruins in 6
Poll - Bruins by a vote of 6-1
#4 Pittsburgh vs #5 Tampa Bay
In my round preview I said that if Roloson could steal a game or two for the Lightning that they would have a chance to steal the series. Roloson played well throughout the series but the missing offense for the Penguins showed through. The Penguins were able to take a three games to one lead in the series, but they failed to score more than three goals in a game at any point. The Lightning offense on the other hand did well throughout the series. They had three games where they scored four goals or more, including eight in a pivotal game five. Balance seemed to be the key for the Bolts as well, 13 different players scored goals in the series. A 1-0 game seven win gave the Bolts the win, Roloson stood on his head to make it happen, especially late in the game as the pressure was mounting for the Pens.
Mine - Penguins in 7
D.P. - Penguins in 7
J.R. - Lightning in7
Poll - Penguins by a vote of 7-2
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
My NHL Playoffs First Round Picks
I have truly neglected my writing lately, or had far to much last semester work, but either way hopefully this will be the start of some regular use again.leave your picks in the comments or at least click them in for the poll.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Vancouver vs #8 Chicago
Vancouver comes into the match-up after winning the presidents trophy as number one in the NHL. Despite falling to the Hawks the last two years in the second round the Canucks look poised to switch the trend. Chicago backed into the playoffs on the final day of the season after losing to Detroit at home. Minnesota defeated Dallas later that night sending them home in the Wilds first meaningful game since mid march. I think Luongo finally has a good playoff series while the the offense gets it done for Vancouver even with out Malhotra in the lineup. Ill take Vancouver in 6.
#2 San Jose vs #7 Los Angeles
In the past I would question San Jose's ability to deal with the pressure of being one of the top teams in the West. Previously they have finished the regular season strong then fizzled out as soon as the pressure games roll around. This year they seem to have shaken off the pressure, no one is asking if they can win. No matter the reason its weight off the back of the Sharks. They quietly have one of the top offenses in the league while their solid defense and Antti Niemi continues to play like a top tier goalie after winning the cup with Chicago last year. Los Angeles has a solid team in front of Jonathan Quick. However, the loss of Kopitar will be fatal for the Kings. Their firepower doesn't match-up with the Kings, nor does their defense. Ill take the Sharks in 6 but thats on the high end, 5 wouldn't surprise me.
Pick: San Jose in 6
#3 Detroit vs #6 Phoenix
This was the hardest series for me to pick and I can still see it going either way. Detroit comes into the playoffs as one of the two teams playing sub .500 hockey in their last ten games. They are loaded with experience though, many members still on the team from their championship in 2008. The down side to picking the Wings for me are the injuries and Howard in goal. Despite having a ring in his collection I am still not a believer in Howard, he is far to streaky and the Detroit offense is not what it once was. Zetterberg will miss at least game one if not more into the series, leaving Detroit without their leading scorer, one reason they struggled down the stretch. The Coyotes offer a very enticing pick for the upset. Led in goal by Ilya Bryzgalov Phoenix will be in just about every game defensively. The question for them is how do they get the wins. Shane Doan and Keith Yandle offer the offense for their team, problem being Yandle is a defenseman. Their experience against the Wings last year will help as will a strong home ice advantage as Glendale will be out in full force to keep their team in town. As hard as it is not to pick the upset ill take the Wings in 7.
#4 Anaheim vs #5 Nashville
This match-up should be the closest on a game to game basis. Both teams have separate strengths, Nashville relying on goaltending while Anaheim relies on the Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan line. Anaheim will be starting the series with Dan Ellis in net, he was wearing a Nashville jersey at this point last year, while Hiller and Emery recover from injuries. Nashville had only two players get to 50 points, Erat and Kostitsyn, and they will rely on them to score goals. The most I see Rinne shutting down Anaheim's top line for is one game, Ellis will play well enough to win. Ill take the Ducks in 5 games.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Washington vs #8 New York
Washington to me right now is the San Jose of previous years. They play extremely well in the regular season then falter in the playoffs. This season though they changed their philosophy from all offense to a more balanced attack, still leading them to the top spot in the east. If it was not for the injury to Callahan I would have picked the Rangers in this series since I like their match-up in most cases. In goal Lundqvist is the clear favorite over the Capitals rookie Neuvrith. The Rangers offense also offered an excellent match-up before Callahan went down, he was previously their second leading goal scorer. The Rangers were also a team that had to hope for their playoff chances, benefiting from the Hurricanes loss on the next to last day of the year to get into the playoffs. I think the Caps will be just good enough to get by in this series in 7 but watch out if the Rangers can steal game one, MSG would be a scary place to play for the Caps.
#2 Philadelphia vs #7 Buffalo
This game was the one that tore me the most because we all know how I feel about the Sabres and their bandwagon fans in Brockport. However, I cannot deny that they are the hottest team in the playoffs at 8-1-1 in their last ten and the Flyers are the coldest at 3-4-3. I have a hard time believing that the Flyers will just find their game since its the playoffs, especially if Pronger is out for any length of time. The Sabres may be young but have enough to figure out how to win the last half of the season. Miller will be the key to the series though since the Flyers will get their chances at times. If he can play as well as he has in the past playoffs ill take the Sabres in 6.
#3 Boston vs #6 Montreal
The Bruins and Canadians will play the most intense series of the first round. All of the Chara drama will appear when the series moves to Montreal but until then I think the Bruins will out work Montreal. Boston has what seems to me to be one of the most balanced teams in the league, Thomas in goal with his league leading numbers, Chara and Co on defense, and scorers like Krejki, Lucic, and Bergeron. Montreal matches up well with Price in net and Plekanek, Cammalleri, and Gionta up front. I think Boston wins the series, with help from their home ice advantage, in 7 games.
#4 Pittsburgh vs #5 Tampa Bay
Another series that should be tight all the way through. The Penguins have found a new identity since the loss of Crosby and Malkin. They have become one of the harder working teams in the league, ideal for playoff hockey. They have the "possibility" of getting Crosby back in the playoffs, as soon as this series as late as the potential finals, but regardless his return would light a spark. I would have to guess that the locker room is buzzing too with the mantra of lets keep its alive for Sid. They will need Fleury to play well to do so, but he has been excellent since the all-star break so it will be expected. Tampa brings a high powered offense to the match-up, featuring Stamkos and St. Louis, two near 100 point players, and Lecavalier. If Roloson can stand on his head and steal a game that the Lightning don't deserve to win then Tampa wins it but my guess is Penguins in 7.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Vancouver vs #8 Chicago
Vancouver comes into the match-up after winning the presidents trophy as number one in the NHL. Despite falling to the Hawks the last two years in the second round the Canucks look poised to switch the trend. Chicago backed into the playoffs on the final day of the season after losing to Detroit at home. Minnesota defeated Dallas later that night sending them home in the Wilds first meaningful game since mid march. I think Luongo finally has a good playoff series while the the offense gets it done for Vancouver even with out Malhotra in the lineup. Ill take Vancouver in 6.
#2 San Jose vs #7 Los Angeles
In the past I would question San Jose's ability to deal with the pressure of being one of the top teams in the West. Previously they have finished the regular season strong then fizzled out as soon as the pressure games roll around. This year they seem to have shaken off the pressure, no one is asking if they can win. No matter the reason its weight off the back of the Sharks. They quietly have one of the top offenses in the league while their solid defense and Antti Niemi continues to play like a top tier goalie after winning the cup with Chicago last year. Los Angeles has a solid team in front of Jonathan Quick. However, the loss of Kopitar will be fatal for the Kings. Their firepower doesn't match-up with the Kings, nor does their defense. Ill take the Sharks in 6 but thats on the high end, 5 wouldn't surprise me.
Pick: San Jose in 6
#3 Detroit vs #6 Phoenix
This was the hardest series for me to pick and I can still see it going either way. Detroit comes into the playoffs as one of the two teams playing sub .500 hockey in their last ten games. They are loaded with experience though, many members still on the team from their championship in 2008. The down side to picking the Wings for me are the injuries and Howard in goal. Despite having a ring in his collection I am still not a believer in Howard, he is far to streaky and the Detroit offense is not what it once was. Zetterberg will miss at least game one if not more into the series, leaving Detroit without their leading scorer, one reason they struggled down the stretch. The Coyotes offer a very enticing pick for the upset. Led in goal by Ilya Bryzgalov Phoenix will be in just about every game defensively. The question for them is how do they get the wins. Shane Doan and Keith Yandle offer the offense for their team, problem being Yandle is a defenseman. Their experience against the Wings last year will help as will a strong home ice advantage as Glendale will be out in full force to keep their team in town. As hard as it is not to pick the upset ill take the Wings in 7.
#4 Anaheim vs #5 Nashville
This match-up should be the closest on a game to game basis. Both teams have separate strengths, Nashville relying on goaltending while Anaheim relies on the Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan line. Anaheim will be starting the series with Dan Ellis in net, he was wearing a Nashville jersey at this point last year, while Hiller and Emery recover from injuries. Nashville had only two players get to 50 points, Erat and Kostitsyn, and they will rely on them to score goals. The most I see Rinne shutting down Anaheim's top line for is one game, Ellis will play well enough to win. Ill take the Ducks in 5 games.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Washington vs #8 New York
Washington to me right now is the San Jose of previous years. They play extremely well in the regular season then falter in the playoffs. This season though they changed their philosophy from all offense to a more balanced attack, still leading them to the top spot in the east. If it was not for the injury to Callahan I would have picked the Rangers in this series since I like their match-up in most cases. In goal Lundqvist is the clear favorite over the Capitals rookie Neuvrith. The Rangers offense also offered an excellent match-up before Callahan went down, he was previously their second leading goal scorer. The Rangers were also a team that had to hope for their playoff chances, benefiting from the Hurricanes loss on the next to last day of the year to get into the playoffs. I think the Caps will be just good enough to get by in this series in 7 but watch out if the Rangers can steal game one, MSG would be a scary place to play for the Caps.
#2 Philadelphia vs #7 Buffalo
This game was the one that tore me the most because we all know how I feel about the Sabres and their bandwagon fans in Brockport. However, I cannot deny that they are the hottest team in the playoffs at 8-1-1 in their last ten and the Flyers are the coldest at 3-4-3. I have a hard time believing that the Flyers will just find their game since its the playoffs, especially if Pronger is out for any length of time. The Sabres may be young but have enough to figure out how to win the last half of the season. Miller will be the key to the series though since the Flyers will get their chances at times. If he can play as well as he has in the past playoffs ill take the Sabres in 6.
#3 Boston vs #6 Montreal
The Bruins and Canadians will play the most intense series of the first round. All of the Chara drama will appear when the series moves to Montreal but until then I think the Bruins will out work Montreal. Boston has what seems to me to be one of the most balanced teams in the league, Thomas in goal with his league leading numbers, Chara and Co on defense, and scorers like Krejki, Lucic, and Bergeron. Montreal matches up well with Price in net and Plekanek, Cammalleri, and Gionta up front. I think Boston wins the series, with help from their home ice advantage, in 7 games.
#4 Pittsburgh vs #5 Tampa Bay
Another series that should be tight all the way through. The Penguins have found a new identity since the loss of Crosby and Malkin. They have become one of the harder working teams in the league, ideal for playoff hockey. They have the "possibility" of getting Crosby back in the playoffs, as soon as this series as late as the potential finals, but regardless his return would light a spark. I would have to guess that the locker room is buzzing too with the mantra of lets keep its alive for Sid. They will need Fleury to play well to do so, but he has been excellent since the all-star break so it will be expected. Tampa brings a high powered offense to the match-up, featuring Stamkos and St. Louis, two near 100 point players, and Lecavalier. If Roloson can stand on his head and steal a game that the Lightning don't deserve to win then Tampa wins it but my guess is Penguins in 7.
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