Tag Archives: playoffs

NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Predictions

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Here are my predictions on how the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals will play out.

1-8 Matchup:

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The Rangers have been number 1 in the Eastern Conference since about late December, or early January I believe, and for good reason. They are an extremely well-balanced team with an above average offense and one of the best defenses in hockey. They rank third in the NHL in goals-against-average thanks to the play of their goalie, Henrik Lundqvist. He should without a doubt be a top 2 candidate to win the Vezina Trophy this year. As for the Senators, they have had a very nice “comeback season” after finishing 13th in the Eastern Conference last season. They have some good offensive weapons in Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson, and one of the league’s best defenseman in Erik Karlsson. With that said, however, the Rangers are too deep and skilled of a team for the Sens to beat in a 7-game series.

-New York wins series, 4-1.

2-7 Matchup:

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The defending Stanley Cup champions are never an easy team to knock out of the playoffs. The Bruins showed no signs of a “Cup hangover” early on this season, but as the year progressed, they began to show some signs of exhaustion. For about the first 2-3 months of the season, it looked like the Bruins were going to run away with the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they have since come back down to earth. They, much like the Rangers, have an extremely deep team. All 4 lines are capable of scoring. Their defense is one of the best in hockey, and their goaltending is as well. The Capitals have been a tough team to figure out all year long. For the past few years, they have consistently been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, but not so much this year. It wasn’t until recently that they finally started to step up their game and play some good, consistent hockey. Alex Ovechkin has had one of his most disappointing seasons so far in his career, and so has Alex Semin. I think this will be a surprisingly good series. The fact that the Bruins have had the fewest amount of rest from the end of last season until now (Vancouver as well), coupled with the fact that Washington has started to play a lot better and stronger as of late, I see this series being a very competitive one. In the end, it’s going to come down to goaltending and defense.

-Boston wins series, 4-3.

3-6 Matchup:

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Both of these teams have had great turnaround seasons. Florida finished last season as the worst team in the Eastern Conference. This year, they went out and acquired Kris Versteeg and Brian Campbell, among a few others, and gave themselves a brand new identity. Their offense is not the best, but it is decent. The same can be said of their defense and goaltending. The Devils finished last season ranked 11th in the Eastern Conference, which completely surprised many people, myself included. This year, they have played the way that we expected them to a year ago. Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise are two of the game’s most lethal scorers. They also have rookie Adam Henrique, who has been a very pleasant surprise on the offensive end this season. As for their goaltending, do I even have to mention his name? Martin Brodeur is arguably the best goalie of all-time, and even though he is getting up there in age, he can still get the job done. I’m calling for an upset in this series (I am only saying it’s an upset because Florida has a higher seed).

New Jersey wins series, 4-2.

4-5 Matchup:

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You want a physical series? Well, this should be all that, and more. This is arguably the best first-round series in the entire playoffs this year. Both of these teams are capable of going very deep into the playoffs, but only one of them will get through the first-round. Pittsburgh was able to climb the standings this year at an incredible pace and become one of the best teams in hockey, all without Sidney Crosby in the lineup. They have what could be the deepest team in the league offensively, and their defense isn’t anything to ignore either. Pittsburgh has the best trio of centers in the NHL now that Crosby is back: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal. This will make them a tough team for anyone to defend. Oh and by the way, the Penguins led the league in goals per game this season. Also, don’t forget they are only 3 years removed from winning the Cup and still have a number of players who were on that team, including Marc-Andre Fleury. The Flyers also have a very good offensive team, as they ranked second this season in goals per game. Their biggest problem is going to be defense. They went out and traded for Nicklas Grossman and Pavel Kubina at the trade deadline, which will help, but I am still not convinced that their D-unit is strong enough to beat the Penguins. Also, despite the recent play of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, I am not 100% sold that he can guide a team to the Stanley Cup. He showed too many weak spots early on this season. This is going to be a very entertaining series to watch, but I just don’t see the Flyers prevailing.

-Pittsburgh wins series, 4-2.

Check back later on for my Western Conference predictions.

Blackhawks Win In Shootout; Secure 6 Seed

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What a game between the Blackhawks and Red Wings this afternoon in Detroit. I don’t think anyone could have scripted that outcome if they tried.

The Hawks took the lead in the first period after Stalberg scored off a big rebound let up by Jimmy Howard to make the game 1-0. Then in the second period, Andrew Shaw scored on a great one-timer from Patrick Sharp to make it 2-0, Hawks. It would remain that way heading into the third period.

Just over 8 minutes into the third, Johan Franzen scored for the Wings from a bad angle to Corey Crawford’s left, making it 2-1. With just 47 seconds remaining in regulation, Pavel Datsyuk tied the game after a great pass from Holmstrom through the middle of the crease found Datsyuk with a wide open net.

Neither team scored in overtime, and the Hawks went on to win in the shootout thanks to Patrick Kane’s nifty goal through the legs of Jimmy Howard.

So, what does this mean for the Hawks and Red Wings?

The Red Wings will head into the playoffs as the number 5 seed in the West, and they will play Nashville in the first round, with the Predators owning home-ice advantage in that series.

As for the Hawks, they have clinched the number 6 seed in the Western Conference and will have to wait and see how today’s later games play out before they know just exactly who they will meet in the first round. It will be either Phoenix, Los Angeles, or San Jose. If Phoenix wins their game, they clinch the Pacific Division and will play the Hawks. If they lose, the Blackhawks will get the winner of the Sharks/Kings game (that’s going to be a fun one to watch). No matter who the Hawks end up playing, they will not have home-ice advantage.

The common belief among Blackhawks fans heading into today’s game against Detroit was that we would rather have the Hawks not beat the Wings in regulation to ensure that we would get the 6th seed in the West. Our reasoning? The Blackhawks match-up much better against any of those 3 Pacific teams than they do against Nashville. Had the Hawks won today’s game in regulation, they would have clinched the 5 seed and a first round matchup with the Predators. It would seem that the Blackhawks themselves may have had a different mindset than us fans.

After Detroit tied the game with less than a minute left to play, Joel Quenneville pulled Corey Crawford for the extra attacker, thus making it obvious that the Hawks really did want to win the game in regulation and secure the 5 seed. However, that obviously didn’t happen.

So, looking forward for the Hawks, I think their best matchup would be against Phoenix. The Coyotes don’t have the offensive fire-power that both San Jose and L.A. have, and I just think the Hawks are flat-out the better team and should win that series. One thing about Phoenix that scares me is the recent play of their goalie, Mike Smith. He has been lights-out for the past month or so, and the Coyotes are ranked 5th in the NHL in goal-against-average.

Worst case scenario, the Kings win that division and face the Hawks in the first round. Jonathan Quick is most likely going to be a finalist for the Vezina Trophy this season for the league’s best goaltender, and he has been incredibly good against the Hawks this season. As a result of Quick’s play, and the team defense of L.A., the Kings are second in the league in lowest goals-against average. Plus, and like I mentioned a bit earlier, the Kings have some very, very skilled forwards who can put the puck in the back of the net at will. For whatever reason, they just haven’t been able to do it the rate that they would have liked for most of this season, but that could all change come playoff time.

As for a possible Hawks series with San Jose, it could be worse, but it could be better. San Jose is a very physical team, and the Hawks are not. That won’t bode well for Chicago. Of the three teams that the Hawks could play in the first round, they had the best regular season record against the Sharks, going 2-2.

Regardless of which team the Hawks end up playing, I think they have a legitimate shot at advancing into the second round. Whether or not they get Jonathan Toews back, however, could lead to a different outcome in the series. With Toews, I’d say that the Hawks should have a good chance of advancing. Without him, a series against either San Jose or L.A. could get ugly for them. I’m not saying that Phoenix would be any “easier,” but I think the Hawks could still beat them without Toews.

Check back sometime within the next day or so for my predictions on how the first round will play out for each conference. Obviously, not all the match-ups are set yet.

This is going to be an interesting evening of hockey. I can’t wait!

Playoff Fever

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I have been waiting for this moment ever since the Blackhawks were eliminated in Game 7 of the Conference Quarterfinals against the Canucks last year. NHL playoff fever is finally back.

Now that the Hawks have clinched a playoff spot, all I can do is think about the upcoming playoffs. Three years ago when the Blackhawks made the playoffs for the first time since 2002, I was introduced to playoff hockey for the first time in my life (I was too young to remember the ’02 playoffs or the playoffs from the 1990’s). Let me tell you, it’s a feeling that never gets old. It’s almost an addiction. It is also one of the toughest feelings to try and describe to someone who has never experienced it.

During the regular season, hockey is still one of the most suspenseful sports to watch because of the quickness of the game. The playoffs, however, take it to a new level. From the opening puck drop to the final buzzer, you will find yourself on the edge of your seat with your eyes wide open knowing that at any second, someone could score a goal. For me, I get a bit more extreme.

I cannot sit back and relax while watching the Blackhawks in the playoffs. I am constantly leaning forward, waiting for something to make me jump out of my seat. My heart is beating a mile a minute from about 2 hours before puck-drop to a good hour after the game ends. I can’t even think about food while watching the game. I get so wrapped up and nervous while watching that I sometimes even feel sick. Yes, I know that sounds pathetic, but I cannot help it. You know those people who yell and scream at the TV while watching their favorite sports teams? Well, that’s me, and then some. Just ask any of my college roommates, or anyone who lived on my floor in the dorm last year during the Hawks’ first round series against the Canucks. I know for a fact that I woke up most of my neighbors when the Hawks won in overtime in Game 6, as well as when Toews scored shorthanded to tie Game 7 with about 2 minutes left in regulation. Maybe the best example of how obsessed I am with the Blackhawks and the playoffs is this:

May 29th, 2010 was the day of my high school graduation. It was one of the biggest days of my life up to that point. I had been waiting for that day basically ever since I started school. Most kids get nervous before their high school graduation, and for good reasons. They don’t want to trip and fall while walking across the stage, they don’t want to faint while sitting during the ceremony, etc. Well, I was definitely nervous that day, but for a completely different reason. May 29th, 2010 was Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Blackhawks and Flyers. While riding with my family to my graduation, which was about a 45 minute drive from my house, all I did was read that day’s newspaper articles about the Blackhawks and the Cup. While sitting in my seat during the graduation ceremony, guess what I was thinking about? I don’t think I even have to answer that. When the whole ceremony was over with, I took a few pictures with my friends like most people do, but then it was back to the Hawks. The best part about it all was when my dad handed me a note after the ceremony that read, “Be ready by 4:00. Game starts at 7:00.” It was at that moment that I realized he had bought tickets to that night’s game without me knowing until then. I’ve never been so excited in my life.

The playoffs make you experience certain feelings that you never even knew existed. Some people might ask how I can find enjoyment in watching the Blackhawks when all I do is get so nervous that I end up feeling sick. Well, my answer to them is this: I am a die-hard fan who lives and dies with the Hawks. When they win, I win. When they lose, I lose with them. It’s an addiction, and not a bad one.

Us Hawks fans are still waiting to see just where in the standings they will finish up this year. It’s looking like they will most likely finish 6th, with a 50/50 chance at finishing 5th. They have 2 huge games left on their schedule, both of which they need to win if they want to finish any higher than 6th. Thursday, they’re in Minnesota, and Saturday afternoon they finish up their regular season in Detroit.

So, with all of that being said, if there is one thing that I can ask of you, please watch the NHL playoffs this year. Especially those of you who have never done so! You will not regret it, I promise.

Go Hawks!

 

Interesting Dilemma For Blackhawks

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With last night’s big win in Nashville, the Blackhawks tied the Red Wings for 5th place in the Western Conference with 97 points. They sit just one point behind the 4th place Predators. While you always want to try and head into the playoffs with as high of a seed as possible, this year may be a little different for the Hawks.

Up until last night, the Blackhawks had been sitting in the number 6 spot in the West for quite some time. If they were to enter the playoffs as the number 6 seed, they would play the number 3 seed (the winner of the Pacific Division) in the first round of the playoffs. If they make the playoffs as the number 5 seed, they will play either Detroit or Nashville (whichever is the number 4 seed) in the first round. There is now a chance that the Hawks could even end up getting the 4 seed in the Western Conference. The big question is, do the Blackhawks really want to end up as high as the number 4 or 5 seed?

Let’s say that the Hawks end up finishing 5th in the Western Conference. They would end up playing either the Red Wings or the Predators in the first round. Both the Wings and Predators are two of the best defensive teams in the entire NHL, and they also tend to give the Blackhawks more problems than most other teams. As the 5 seed, the Hawks would play one of these two teams in the first round, and they would be without the home-ice advantage (only the top 4 seeds get home-ice advantage in the first round). If this were to be the case, I’m not so sure that the Blackhawks advance to the second round, regardless of whether they play the Red Wings or Predators.

Now, what if the Blackhawks get the 4 seed? In this instance, they would still play either Detroit or Nashville, giving them an extremely tough first round matchup, but they would have home-ice advantage. This gives them a bit of a better chance at advancing past the first round.

What happens if the Hawks end up as the 6 seed in the West? Well, they would play the winner of the Pacific Division in the first round. Regardless of which team wins the Pacific (San Jose, Dallas, Los Angeles, or Phoenix), they will have finished the season with fewer points than the Blackhawks. The Hawks match-up better against any of those 4 Pacific Division teams than they do against both Detroit or Nashville. The only problem with finishing as the 6 seed is that they lose home-ice advantage. With that said, I still believe that the Hawks could get by the first round against whichever team wins the Pacific.

So which seed benefits the Hawks the most? It comes down to either the 4 or 6 seed. With the 4 seed, yes they would have an extremely tough first round matchup, but they would have home-ice advantage in that series. As the 6 seed, they would match-up better against their opponent than they would as the 4 seed. Having said that, I would like to see the Blackhawks finish 4th in the conference. Their first round would definitely be a tough one, but with home-ice advantage on their side, they could get the job done (not to mention that it sounds like Toews will for sure be back for the playoffs). It’s always a good thing to have as high of a seed as possible as you get deeper and deeper into the playoffs.

As it stands right now, anything could happen. As long as the Hawks don’t end up getting the 5 seed, I think they have what it takes to get by the first round, and maybe even further.

Your thoughts?

My Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions: Eastern Conference

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1. New York Rangers

This has been arguably the best team in the East all season, and I see no reason for that to change. They have the best goalie in all of hockey in Henrik Lundqvist, and one of the best defenses in the game. With as many big names that this team has, especially on offense, you would think that their powerplay would be ranked a lot higher than 29th. Luckily for them, however, they still lead the Eastern Conference in points despite their lack of production with a man advantage. Barring any major injuries to key players, I expect this team to play pretty deep into the playoffs.

2. Boston Bruins

The Bruins have hit a major rut recently, and are only 2 points ahead of Ottawa for their division lead. Over their last 10 games, Boston is a meager 4-5-1. That’s just not going to be good enough heading into the last 14 games of the regular season. I know that they have suffered some injuries lately, but the Bruins are going to have to find a way to get 2 points on a nightly basis more often than not from here on out. If they don’t, Ottawa could end up surprising everyone by winning the division.

3. Washington Capitals

They play in by far the weakest division in hockey. They have just 74 points on the season right now and trail Florida by one point for the division lead. There are a lot of issues concerning the Capitals this year, but their offense has the potential to put themselves in front of Florida and win the division. Expect to see them turn up their game here in the last month of the regular season.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins

With the way they are playing right now, it is possible that they could find themselves overtaking the Rangers for first in their division and first in the conference before it is all said and done with. Sidney Crosby said the other day that he hopes to be back in the lineup this Thursday. If he can come back and play anywhere close to the way he is capable of playing, Pittsburgh might just become the best team in hockey. However, that is all a big unknown. Until Crosby proves that he can play effectively, I don’t see them passing up New York.

5. Philadelphia Flyers

These guys lead the entire NHL in goals per game, averaging 3.22. That is the reason why they have been able to keep themselves in the top 5 of the Eastern Conference all year long. Their goaltending has been sub-par most of the year, which should be concerning to the Flyers, but it has been better in the past few game. The Flyers need to hope that Bryzgalov can continue his strong play heading into the final month of the season and the playoffs.

6. New Jersey Devils

This was arguably the most disappointing team last season. This year, however, they have been playing much more like we expected them to. They are second in penalty killing in the NHL, which is an area of the game that they are going to have to stay strong at come playoff time. Martin Brodeur is not his old self, but he is still an above average goalie. He knows what it takes to win a Stanley Cup, and I expect him to step up his game once the playoffs begin.

7. Ottawa Senators

They might just be the biggest surprise in the NHL this year. Last year, they finished third to last in the Eastern Conference. Like I said earlier, they trail Boston by just 2 points in the division. If Boston continues to struggle and Ottawa stays hot, they could take over the number 2 spot in the conference. Jason Spezza is having a great “bounce-back” year this year after struggling a bit last season. They also have Erik Karlsson, who leads all NHL defenseman with 69 points (25 more than the next closest), leading their defense. Their biggest problem is goaltending. Look for this to really hurt them in the playoffs.

8. Winnipeg Jets

This is pretty much a toss-up between 3 teams: Florida, Winnipeg, and Buffalo. I’m saying that Winnipeg finishes in the number 8 spot because of the fact that they will have a throng of playoff-hungry fans supporting them during each home game down the stretch. Winnipeg fans had their hockey team taken away from them in the mid-90’s, and they want nothing more than for this team to make the postseason. Don’t be surprised to see the Jets’ players absorb that same hunger for the playoffs. This team will do everything it can to make sure they are playing in the postseason.

My Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions: Western Conference

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I’ll start tonight by giving my predictions on who will make the NHL playoffs from the Western Conference. Then, over the next few days I will do the same for the Eastern Conference, as well as tell you just how far I think each team will go in this year’s playoffs. Tonight, I am going to rank the teams in the order that I think they will finish in the Western Conference. Keep in mind that the winners of the 3 three divisions in each conference automatically get a top 3 seed. Therefore, it is possible for a bottom 5 seed to finish with more points than the number 2 or 3 seed.

1. Vancouver Canucks

They finished with the number 1 seed in the West a year ago, and are also the defending Western Conference champions. This team is better than they were last year, believe it or not. Their offensive depth is greater than just about any team in the entire NHL, and their defense is as strong as any other in the Western Conference. Add in the experience that they gained by making it to the Cup Finals last year, and this team just about has it all. My only concern with the Canucks heading into the playoffs is their goaltending. It wasn’t good enough to win the Cup last year, and they will be heading into this year’s playoffs with the same goalies.

2. Detroit Red Wings

They are currently 4 points behind the Blues in the Central Division, but I think the Wings will make a late push and get to the top spot in the Central before the season is over. If there is one team that can match the Canucks’ offensive and defensive depth in the Western Conference, it’s Detroit. This team has a handful of players that have been to and won the Stanley Cup before, including their 7-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, Nicklas Lidstrom. The Wings know what it takes to be the best team in the NHL, and they will prove that heading into the home-stretch of the regular season.

3. Dallas Stars

If this team wasn’t leading their division, they would be tied with Chicago for the number 6 seed in the conference. However, considering that the Pacific Division is by no means a very strong division this year, Dallas will end up walking away as division champions. They currently have a 3-point lead over Phoenix, and with the way Kari Lehtonen has been playing in net lately, I don’t see them losing the top spot in their division.

4. St. Louis Blues

It was tough for me to put Detroit ahead of these guys, but the Blues just aren’t as good as the Wings when it comes to overall team-depth. Because of that reason, and the fact that St. Louis has hardly any playoff/late-season pressure experience, I have them finishing 4th in the West. This is going to be a dangerous team come playoff time, largely in part because of their team defense and goaltending. The question of, “Which goalie should the Blues start in the playoffs?” has been a reoccurring one lately. When you look at the stats, Brian Elliot makes the most sense. However, since Halak started the season 0-6, he has arguably been the better goalie of the 2. He ranks second in the NHL (behind Elliot) in Goals Against Average, and has more playoff experience. He was the starting goalie for the Canadiens in the 2010 playoffs when they lost to the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Because of the fact that both Elliot and Halak have such similar stats, and because Halak has more playoff experience, he should be in net to start the playoffs.

5. Nashville Predators

If there is one spot in the West that looks to be pretty well locked up, it is the number 5 seed. The Predators are 4 points out of the number 4 spot, and 6 points ahead of the number 6 spot. Nashville greatly increased their chances of making a deep playoff run at the trade deadline this year by acquiring Hal Gill, Andrei Kostitsyn, and Paul Gaustad. Also, they have Pekka Rinne,who should be a Vezina Trophy finalist, as their starting goaltender, and possible Norris Trophy finalists, Shea Weber and Ryan Suter on defense. This is a very strong defensive team that can shut down the best offensive teams in the league. It is their offense that has me questioning just how far they can make it in the playoffs.

6. Chicago Blackhawks

They desperately need Jonathan Toews back if they are going to do any damage come playoff time. Lately, even without Toews in the lineup, the Hawks have been playing fairly decent while getting wins over St. Louis, Detroit (twice), and the New York Rangers. If they can keep winning most of their games until Toews comes back, they should be a lock to finish as the number 6 seed once Toews does come back. Ray Emery has started 4 straight games for the Hawks, going 3-1 over that stretch. If he can continue to turn in solid performances and essentially lock himself up as the Blackhawks’ starting goalie for the playoffs, this could be an extremely dangerous team heading into the postseason.

7. Phoenix Coyotes

Somehow, I don’t know how, this team keeps making the playoffs. Lately, their wins have been coming via great goaltending by Mike Smith. I hate to put all the focus on one guy, but whether or not the Coyotes do end up making the playoffs lies in the hands of Smith. He needs to continue to be great in net. Being just good isn’t going to be enough for this team.

8. San Jose Sharks

Currently, the Sharks are 9th in the West. They trail the Avalanche for 8th place by just 1 point, and the Sharks have played 3 fewer games than the Avs. San Jose has shown in recent years that they are a good team. Now that they are currently sitting in a non-playoff spot in the conference, expect these guys to wake up, and really step up their game. They could definitely end the season as even the number 7 seed in the West. It just comes down to how bad they want it.