It's time once again for the annual Canadian ritual of beating your fellow Canadians up for a giant tin trophy. Now the question is, who will win it all this year? This year, I plan to watch a lot of games. Here are the first round matchups: Calgary vs Detroit - Calgary, being my home team, is probably the team I know the most about, and they have looked like Jeckle and Hyde all year. One night, they look like they could play anybody, and the next, they turn up the suckage to unbelievable levels. They are the type of team that can beat Detroit in 4 or be swept in 4. Conversely, Detroit has lost two of their top guys, yet continue to be excellent. They have a good bunch of veteran defenseman but can their soft Euro players produce for them when it really counts?Still, inconsistency has plagued the Flames all year, and I don't see that changing in the playoffs. Detroit in 5. San Jose vs Nashville - Nashville is a powerhouse team, and has been consistently great all year, but have really crapped the bed the last 15 or so games. San Jose is on a role, with two good scoring lines and a solid pair of goalies. The big question is, will the young Nashville defensemen be experienced enough to hold up their end in the playoffs? Personally, I see an upset here. San Jose in 6. Vancouver vs Dallas - Hmm...this will be an interesting series. The Stars have a solid team, and no weaknesses, yet Vancouver has been playing great since Christmas. Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo has played like the franchise goalie everyone expected him to be, and the whole team has learned to play good defense and accept their roles without much bellyachin'. Still, Dallas can't be underestimated, and Vancouver has a history of not performing up to expectations in the playoffs. Dallas in 7. Anaheim vs Minnesota - This will be a low scoring affair, with Minnesota playing the neutral zone trap to perfection and stifling any Anaheim rushes. I tried not to pick too many players from this pool because of the lack of offense this series will end up with. Still, I expect the Ducks to prevail in 5 or less. It is hard to bet against a team with two of the top 3 defenseman in the NHL today. Anaheim in 5. Pittsburgh vs Ottawa - This will probably be a great series to watch. Teen phenomenom Sidney Crosby makes his first playoff appearance going up against a very powerful Ottawa team. My prediction is Ottawa will do what they always do in the post season and choke, allowing the Penguins to advance past the first round. Pittsburgh in 6. Buffalo vs New York Islanders - Buffalo has an insane record this year, and nothing short of the Stanley Cup will be good enough for them. I expect them to crush the Islanders like a cheap tin can. Buffalo in 4. New Jersey vs Tampa Bay - You can't really bet against Martin Brodeur, who has been so great for so long, but Tampa is only two years removed from their own championship, and have a team filled with offensive stars that have proven they can bring it for the playoffs. This is a tough one to predict, but I am going to have to go with Tampa. New Jersey has had a lot of injury woes this year. Tampa in 7. Atlanta vs New York Rangers - This will be Atlanta's very first playoff appearance, and they have done it with the stars that they have developed. But the problem is, all their stars are Europeans, who have a penchant for disappearing during the playoffs. Still, with solid goaltending, and extremely gifted offensive players, I can see Atlanta taking this one. Atlanta in 6. What are your predictions?
Calgary vs Detroit - Detroit in 5, maybe 6. San Jose vs Nashville - Nashville in 6. Vancouver vs Dallas - Turco is not a Cup-caliber goalie. Vancouver in 5. Anaheim vs Minnesota - Tough call. Ducks in 7. Pittsburgh vs Ottawa - Ottawa in 6, but close games all around. Buffalo vs New York Islanders - Buffalo in 4, maybe 5. New Jersey vs Tampa Bay - Devils in 6 or 7. Atlanta vs New York Rangers - Atlanta in 6.
I'm watching the 4th OT in the first game of the Dallas/Vancouver series. So that means I'm actually watching the equivalent of the 1st period in my 3rd Hockey game of the night...
Argh! That sucked! I wasted 6 hours on that game! And Dallas seemed to have more chances in overtime too!
Heh. I had a friend who follows the Leafs every year like a kicked puppy, hoping to be shown some kindness for once. His jubilation of the last two victories were quickly turned to anguish when New York made that all irrelevant.
