The Official NHL Playoffs Thread

[bluef0x]

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we left off the conversation with me telling bluefox he's a homer and that nashville is way better than last year.

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Did you not see the word HOMERISTIC also?

NSH is a lot better than last year, but that doesn't equate to insta-cup.

Their D is highly questionable. Kyle McLaren has more playoff experience than the NSH D combined. NSH is 24th in shots against. They don't have enough guys to cover the Sharks' top two lines. Look out for Zidlicky to be hardly used in ES play or carry a huge -.
Goaltending is also questionable. Vokoun has been shaky and it's easy to tell that he's debating with himself during the game. In the few I watched he looked like a schizo.
Forsberg hasn't been himself all season long.
Trotz needs to adapt.

Don't forget, the Sharks aren't the same team they were last year either. The series last year wasn't even close... the Sharks dominated every aspect. It will be closer this year, but I still think the Sharks will win.

[stealthcow]

East

Buffalo in 5
New Jersey in 4 or 5
Rangers in 6
Pittsburg in 6

West
Detroit in 6
Anaheim in 5
Vancouver in 5
Nashville in 6

I dont know much about the west, but i think i have the winners right. Fwiw, i strongly believe the weakness of schedule helps detroit and nashville a ton, but i think they win the 1st rounds this year.

For East.
Buffalo - i think they walk all over dubie. Sabres will score a lot.

New Jersey. I think Tampas got no chance in this. Tampa gets all its scoring from 3 players. They will be shut down and there goaltending isn't that great

Rangers. Really hot right now. I think they roll against the thrashers

Pittsburg. This one is the toughest. Its close to a wash. I dont listen to that hype of "ottawas a playoff team now". Are they really better then they were last year? The sens are filled with so many players that haven't "stepped" it up in the playoffs. This will be, imo the most exciting series to watch though

[Triumph36]

wow - so McLaren has more experience - too bad he's not very good. The Sharks' D is more experienced now but still isn't exactly good.

Forsberg not himself is still a point a game player and a top 30 player in the game.

Nabokov isn't exactly Patrick Roy back there.

This series will be more difficult than you think.

[Wes Mantooth]

I forgot all my other picks let me try this again...

East

1 Buffalo vs 8 New York Islanders (Buf in 7)
2 New Jersey vs 7 Tampa Bay (NJ in 6)
3 Atlanta vs 6 New York Rangers (NY in 5)
4 Ottawa vs 5 Pittsburgh (Ott in 7)

West

1 Detroit vs 8 Calgary (Det in 6)
2 Anaheim vs 7 Minnesota (Min in 7)
3 Vancouver vs 6 Dallas (Van in 6)
4 Nashville vs 5 San Jose (SJ in 7)

round 2
Buf over NY in 6
Ott over NJ in 7

Det over Minn in 6
SJ over Van in 6

3rd round
Buf over Ott in 6
SJ over Det in 7

finals
Buffalo over SJ in 6

[mmbt0ne]

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ATL over NYR in 7 (provided Kovalchuk wakes up)

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If scoring goals in 4 straight games is asleep, I don't want to wake up.

[g-bebe]

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ATL over NYR in 7 (provided Kovalchuk wakes up)

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If scoring goals in 4 straight games is asleep, I don't want to wake up.

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No doubt he still has scoring touch, but I was merely alluding to the fact that he seriously cooled off in the second half of the season -- probably more so than any other elite forward in the NHL. 76 points in 82 GP for Kovalchuk is a big dissapointment, especially after 98 points in 76 games last year. All due respect to Slava Kozloz (I'm a big backer of Kozlov being underrated in fantasy leagues), he shouldn't be getting more points than Kovalchuk.

Hossa's still going strong, but if ATL wants to go anywhere in the playoffs, they're going to need to cut down on the GA, and hope Kovalchuk goes on a tear.


Didn't really think about how outmatched BUF vs. NYI is... still, I think the Islander's are carrying some momentum into the playoffs, and while they're probably just happy to be there, I think they're more likely to beat BUF than TB is to beat NJ.

[Triumph36]

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ATL over NYR in 7 (provided Kovalchuk wakes up)

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If scoring goals in 4 straight games is asleep, I don't want to wake up.

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No doubt he still has scoring touch, but I was merely alluding to the fact that he seriously cooled off in the second half of the season -- probably more so than any other elite forward in the NHL. 76 points in 82 GP for Kovalchuk is a big dissapointment, especially after 98 points in 76 games last year. All due respect to Slava Kozloz (I'm a big backer of Kozlov being underrated in fantasy leagues), he shouldn't be getting more points than Kovalchuk.

Hossa's still going strong, but if ATL wants to go anywhere in the playoffs, they're going to need to cut down on the GA, and hope Kovalchuk goes on a tear.


Didn't really think about how outmatched BUF vs. NYI is... still, I think the Islander's are carrying some momentum into the playoffs, and while they're probably just happy to be there, I think they're more likely to beat BUF than TB is to beat NJ.

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you are WAY off - NJ has been sleepwalking for the last month and a half, if they lose Game 1, they are probably finished. Islanders winning that series is a 20-1 shot - at least.

[bluef0x]

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This series will be more difficult than you think.

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I just said it will be closer this year. You really need to read.

You have yet to give any reason why NSH is so godly, other than the GM "made a deadline move!"

If playoff experience didn't count, why are teams ALWAYS making trades to add a playoff vet? Rag on McClaren all you want, but he's still a solid top 4 d-man.

Right now, I'd take:
Hannan, Vlasic, Rivet, McLaren, Carle
over
Weber, Timmonen, Hamhuis, Suter, Zidlicky

[g-bebe]

I'll be the first to admit NJ has problems scoring, but to count out any team backed by Brodeur if they lose game 1... now that's just silly.

[Triumph36]

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This series will be more difficult than you think.

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I just said it will be closer this year. You really need to read.

You have yet to give any reason why NSH is so godly, other than the GM "made a deadline move!"

If playoff experience didn't count, why are teams ALWAYS making trades to add a playoff vet? Rag on McClaren all you want, but he's still a solid top 4 d-man.

Right now, I'd take:
Hannan, Vlasic, Rivet, McLaren, Carle
over
Weber, Timmonen, Hamhuis, Suter, Zidlicky

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Those two claims are not mutually exclusive. You said 'the series will be closer than last year', I said 'this series will be harder than you think' - meaning that even despite the fact that you admit it won't be a walk as it was last year, it is not so lopsided as you are still claiming.

A deadline deal? Yeah that's all it is - maybe it's also adding Jason Arnott, the continued emergence of David Legwand, JP Dumont, Martin Erat, and Alexander Radulov's scoring prowess. Nashville is deeper at forward than San Jose - and San Jose's forwards aren't exactly experienced either. And while Nashville's defenders are young, they are also a capable bunch.