So the NHL regular season is over and surprise surprise the Leafs didn't make the playoffs. Oh well at least now Leaf fans can watch good teams play hockey. Of the 16 teams that made the playoffs 3 are Canadian. The Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and the Montreal Canadiens all made the playoffs and are looking to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time since the 1992-1993 season.
There are a lot of surprise teams in the playoffs this year like the St. Louis Blues and the Columbus Blue Jackets (1st time in franchise history). That should make the playoffs a bit more interesting. I am obviously choosing the Canucks to win the whole thing which I have complete confidence that they will.
What kind of sports site would this be if there was no breakdown of the match-ups? Instead of doing the whole thing in one go I will instead break it down round by round starting with round 1 which officially kicks off tonight (Wednesday) with the Flyers - Penguins game at 7pm eastern.
Eastern Conference
Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens
Regular Season Record: 5-0-1 in favor of the Bruins
Breakdown: Boston was the best team in the East the entire season. Goalie Tim Thomas played out of his mind and the fact that the powerplay was 4th in the league doesn't hurt either. The Bruins have both the skill and the toughness to be a good team in the playoffs and they currently have no massive injuries that are going to set them back.
The Canadiens on the other hand limped into the playoffs as all season they have been the model of inconsistency. Goaltender Carey Price has been ineffective and hurt for some of the season which has brought Jaroslav Halak into the picture. These two will have to bring their A game is Montreal has any hopes of winning this series.
Prediction: Boston in 5
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Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers
Regular Season Record: 3-0-1 in favor of the Capitals
Breakdown: The Capitals are an exciting team who played well this year thanks to their high powered offense. Alexander Ovechkin had another monster year as did defenseman Mike Green. Goaltender Jose Theodore played well but I don't know if he is the guy you want in net in a playoff series. He has a tendency to disappear in big games. If Washington wants to be successful they will need to keep their 2nd ranked powerplay working and ensure that Ovechkin can remain his superstar self.
The Rangers have a ton of offensive weapons that they can use to take out Washington. The only problem is that they have been invisible all season. The Rangers were 2nd last in the league in goals scored and their powerplay was 29th in the league. The return of Sean Avery has helped the team improve and with goalie Henrik Lundqvist in net there is no need to worry. I feel like the Rangers depth will help them in this series and will ultimately be the key to their victory. Also the fact that head coach John Tortarella has won a Stanley Cup cannot be overlooked.
Prediction: Rangers in 6
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New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes
Regular Season Record: 3-1 in favor of the Hurricanes
Breakdown: The Devils bring tonnes of experience to the table and an ability to shut down opposing offenses. Martin Brodeur is one of the greatest goalies of all-time and there are 11 players on this team who have won a Stanley Cup. The Devils are a well balanced team that can skate, hit, score, and play defense. They are my pick to win the East and they should have no problems with the Hurricanes.
Carolina was a mid-pack team in almost every major statistical category. They don't have much flash on offense and their team is somewhat old. Still they have lots of experience as well from their cup run in 2005-2006. While Cam Ward has played well the second half of the season he is hardly a match for Brodeur and in the end I feel like this series will be decided in the net.
Prediction: Devils in 5
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Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers
Regular Season Record: 4-2 in favor of the Penguins
Breakdown: After a slow start the Penguins really picked up their play in the second half and were one of the hottest teams in the league. With scorers like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin the Penguins are definately favored in the offensive department. The problem is the fact that their goalie is Marc Andre Fleury and he is anything but reliable. This year he has been very up and down and is hardly the man you want to count on in a tight game.
As for the Flyers aka the Folders they always make the playoffs and yet find some way to blow it. I love their team. They have great forwards, strong defense, and can play fast and physical. Their one problem however is in between the pipes. Martin Biron doesn't inspire confidence in me and I think he is going to be an issue. Not enough of an issue in the first round but in the later rounds he is done for.
Prediction: Flyers in 7
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Western Conference
San Jose Sharks vs Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Regular Season Record: 4-2 in favor of the Sharks
Breakdown: The Sharks bring a well-balanced attack as they get offensive contributions from all four lines as well as the defence. The Sharks made a conscious decision this past offseason to bring in proven winners. The blueline was restocked with Dan Boyle and Rob Blake both of whom have already captured a ring. San Jose also has a very nice mix of young players to go along with their vets. Players like Devin Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe enjoyed excellent campaigns and fit it well with the Sharks' team mentality. The team also gets solid goaltending from Evgeni Nabokov.
The Ducks have a great mixture of skill and toughness. The Ducks can score with anyone in the league thanks to their potent power play. They have Scott Niedermayer at quarterback, Chris Pronger launching bombs from the point and Cory Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and rookie Bobby Ryan to bang pucks home. As one of the most penalized teams in the league, Anaheim will really need to be disciplined in the post-season. Fortunately for the Ducks, they have a both a coach in Randy Carlyle and a goaltender in J.S. Giguere who have won it all before and won't be in awe of their surroundings.
Prediction: Ducks in 7 and will be the best series of the entire playoffs.
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Detroit Red Wings vs Columbus Blue Jackets
Regular Season Record: 3-2-1 in favor of the Red Wings
Breakdown: Their veteran core of Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Holmstrom and Osgood all have multiple Stanley Cup rings. They are able to roll out four lines every night with every single player understanding their role on the team. Head coach Mike Babcock has done a fantastic job keeping his team focused this season when there could have been a serious Stanley Cup hangover. The Wings' forwards are as good a group as you will find in the league with no fewer than five 20 goal scorers. What truly separates Detroit from the pack is their defensive unit. Led by perennial Norris Trophy candidate Nicklas Lidstrom, the Wings blueline is absolutely stacked with a nice mix of puck movers and bangers. They are also battle tested thanks to last year's championship run.
Having never made the playoffs before, the Blue Jackets have to prove that they are not simply just happy to be there. After clinching their spot in the post-season the team went into the tank in the last week of the season. Several of the Jackets key players have little or no post-season experience, but they do have an excellent head coach in Ken Hitchcock, who led the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup in 1999. "Hitch" will make sure that the young Jackets are mentally prepared for what they are about to face. The Jackets' biggest strength remains in net, where Steve Mason has been a revelation leading the league in shutouts in his rookie season.
Prediction: Wings in 5
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Vancouver Canucks vs St. Louis Blues
Regular Season Record: 2-2
Breakdown: In Roberto Luongo, the Canucks have one of the top goaltenders in the world. He is ready ready to take the next step in his career and lead a team to the promised land. As great as Luongo is, the Canucks are far from a one-man show. They have a good balance of puck movers and bangers on the blue line and an extremely quick group of forwards. What they don't have is anyone who has been there before, as not a single player on their roster has hoisted the Stanley Cup. That lack of experience could ultimately cost them in the long run. This post-season could also be the defining moment of the Sedin brothers' careers. As they both approach unrestricted free agency, they will need to take their games to a new level if they hope to receive maximum compensation come July 1. The future is now for the Canucks and anything short of a deep playoff run will be seen as a failure.
The team has exceeded all expectations by reaching the post-season, so the Blues could be forgiven if they are just happy to be here. What they lack in skill and star-power they more than make up for with dedication, hard work and team-wide defensive responsibility. The Blues will likely live and die in the post-season on special teams - they own the third best penalty killing percentage at 83.8 percent and a top 10 power play unit, firing at a 20.5 percent clip. What might be the Blues' ultimate undoing is how hard they had to work to make it in to the 'Big Dance.' With all that energy expended down the stretch, will the young Blues have anything left in the tank when the games mean their most?
Prediction: Canucks in 6
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Chicago Blackhawks vs Calgary Flames
Regular Season Record: 4-0 in favor of the Blackhawks
Breakdwon: The Blackhawks can throw out a plethora of scoring options as Kane, Toews, Martin Havlat, Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg all broke the 20-goal barrier. Chicago gets plenty of offensive contributions from their blue line, thanks to the offensive instincts of Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith, Cam Barker and Dustin Byfuglien. Also working in the Hawks' favour is the fact that they have a playoff-tested goaltender in Nikolai Khabibulin, who captured the Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. While the Blackhawks' youth movement is extremely talented, they are not exactly battle tested. The majority of their key players have little or no NHL playoff experience.
Calgary has speed, power, play-making abilities and they can put the puck in the net. While the Flames may be a little top heavy, their role players can all chip in with the occasional goal. That depth of scoring will come in handy in the post-season as teams focus on the top line. While Dion Phaneuf has not had the season he was hoping for, the Flames as a defensive unit are enjoying a great season. Robyn Regehr, who has always been tough as nails, has developed into one of the top shutdown defenders in the league. Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff is among the elite netminders in the NHL, but once again was forced to play more than 70 games this season and could wear down if the Flames make a deep run.
Prediction: Chicago in 7
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3 comments:
I can already tell you that you are wrong. My boys in San Jose are going to win the cup (okay so that might not be true, but I can at least guarantee you they beat the ducks)
that was a tough call because both those teams are good. By far going to be the best series of the playoffs. Sad it is in the opening round instead of the Western Conference Finals
Rumour has it Anaheim threw their last game of the season so that they could get the 8th seed to play San Jose.
Going to be a sweet series regardless of who wins, but i'm obviously pulling for San Jose.
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