Unscientific First Round Predictions
Happy Stanley Cup Playoffs! No, as Blues fans, we are not happy that our Local Six did not make it to the big tournament, but that doesn’t mean bloggers like me can’t pontificate as to how things will end up. This is where this blog post comes in.
Mind you, this will be off-the-cuff and VERY unscientific, but I stand by my predictions. Plus, all of my predictions are right, or you get your money back. Which means . . . yeah, you get nothing back, because you didn’t pay anything. FOOLED YOU!
Anyway, without further ado, my Eastern and Western Conference Quarterfinal Round predictions are as follows:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Matchup: #1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers
Prediction: Capitals in 5
Synopsis: The Caps have been struck with past failures in the early rounds of the postseason, putting extra pressure on Alexander Ovechkin and company to finally break through. The Rangers, for the second season in a row, had their playoff hopes hinge on the last game of the season, and this time they succeeded and are in the playoffs. But how much do the Rangers have left? They have a world-class goalie in Henrik Lundqvist, but will he be enough to quell the offensive attack that the Caps present? This time, I say no.
Matchup: #2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #7 Buffalo Sabres
Prediction: Sabres in 7
Synopsis: This is the CLASSIC case of a high seed staggering into the postseason and a low seed coming in like blazes to the dance. What’s funny is that these two teams were nearly in the exact opposite position of each other last year, and guess what happened? Philly won their first round series as a 7, with Buffalo being bounced as a 3. I think the Sabres have the firepower and the goaltending (well, it’s Ryan Miller, for God’s sake) to take this one, but it should go the distance.
Matchup: #3 Boston Bruins vs. #6 Montreal Canadiens
Prediction: Bruins in 5
Synopsis: We add yet another chapter to the lore and history that is the Boston-Montreal rivalry. It’s brute force (The B’s) against brute speed (Le Habs), and USUALLY, brute force wins out in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This isn’t even mentioning the man in goal for the B’s, Tim Thomas, who is the frontrunner for the Vezina. I think Boston makes this look easier than it should be with the magic of Halak now residing outside the postseason and not with the Habs.
Matchup: #4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning
Prediction: Lightning in 6
Synopsis: The Lightning made some intriguing deals at the deadline – intriguing not in that they were not needs trades, but intriguing in who they picked up. It seems to have worked for the Bolts, as they snagged a 5-seed in the East thanks in part to these moves. Add to it an offense led by Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, and you have a combo that can knock off an injury-depleted Pens squad. The pens are REALLY going to miss Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in this series. Oh, and sorry Jeff.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Matchup: #1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #8 Chicago Blackhawks
Prediction: Canucks in 4
Synopsis: This is equal parts an emotional and a gut feeling pick. Most of you know my disdain for the Blackhawks, but the fact is that while the Hawks have knocked the Canucks out in each of the last two seasons, this is NOT the same Blackhawks team, and the Canucks have improved immensely since then. If Roberto Luongo plays like Roberto Luongo can, this is a cake-walk for the President’s Trophy winners. How often do you hear THAT said?
Matchup: #2 San Jose Sharks vs. #7 Los Angeles Kings
Prediction: Sharks in 5
Synopsis: Sure, the Kings have a solid goaltender in Jonathan Quick. But the Sharks have a solid team from goal line to goal line. And the Kings are missing some key pieces, most notably Anze Kopitar and his broken ankle. I think the Sharks make this series look relatively easy apart from one game in Los Angeles.
Matchup: #3 Detroit Red Wings vs. #6 Phoenix Coyotes
Prediction: Coyotes in 6
Synopsis: Another half-gut half-heart pick. Sure, the Red Wings are a top-flight team, but I think we all know how much I don’t like them. The Coyotes are seeking revenge from their 7-game first-round ouster at the hands of these Wings from last year. And the Wings are missing an important piece in Henrik Zetterberg for at least the start of this series, not to mention the team is slumping and the goaltending has been struggling of late (Really? 10 goals to the Blues?!). It will be intriguing to see how this plays out.
Matchup: #4 Anaheim Ducks vs. #5 Nashville Predators
Prediction: Ducks in 6
Synopsis: Ray Emery has been playing well in net for the Ducks, creating yet more #DanEllisProblems. The Ducks have been playing with violence and anger all season, but it took the last month of the season to find their groove, not to mention 50 goals from Corey Perry. They absolutely ARE hot at the perfect time. Nashville, while steady performers all season behind SOLID goaltending from Pekka Rinne and good performances from elsewhere, has a team that can win in the regular season, but probably not in the playoffs.
Again, this is a very unscientific and off-the-cuff analysis, so don’t take these predictions TOO seriously. Unless they’re right, but really, who thinks THAT will come to fruition?
I’ll see you again to predict the Conference Semifinals!
