The Official NHL Playoffs Thread

[Triumph36]

Okay, let's restart it....

1 Buffalo vs 8 New York Islanders
2 New Jersey vs 7 Tampa Bay
3 Atlanta vs 6 New York Rangers
4 Ottawa vs 5 Pittsburgh

WEST

1 Detroit vs 8 Calgary
2 Anaheim vs 7 Minnesota
3 Vancouver vs 6 Dallas
4 Nashville vs 5 San Jose

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

[Hopey]

In the interest of getting this thread restarted...I posted this before they 'down-graded' the forums and lost all of posts that were made over the last 24 hours. It was saved in my clipboard:


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You guys are giving too much credit to Pittsburgh. Ottawa matches up extremely well against them -- probably better than every other opponent the Pens could have faced. Ottawa has a very similar team to Pittsburgh in many ways, but the Sens' depth will win them the series in the end.

Everyone talks about the scoring power of Pittsburgh, but the reality of the situation is that Ottawa scored 11 more goals that Pittsburgh did this year. Pittsburgh has Crosby, Recchi (who has been slumping since he got taken off of Crosby's line once Roberts arrived) and Malkin. Ottawa has Heatley, Spezza, and Alfredsson. If anything, Ottawa has a slight edge here, but it's close enough that we can call it a wash.

However, the ondoing for the Pens will be that they give up way too many goals. Of the teams who made the playoffs this season, the Pens gave up the second most goals (only Tampa Bay gave up more). Ottawa's defence isn't as strong as in previous years, but overall they're still superior to the Pens' blue-liners. Pittsburgh can score 4 or 5 goals and still end up losing 5-4 or 6-5 due to their inability to shut down Ottawa's attack.

As for goaltending, Emery hasn't been spectacular, but he's been solid. Fleury is going to be expected to stand on his head in order to keep the Pens in games. He might be able to do this for a game or two, but it's a rare goaltender who can do this for a whole series.

With home ice advantage, Ottawa will be able to trot out their top line against the Pens' 3rd and 4th lines. This will be a huge advantage in the first 2 games in Ottawa, and may end up deciding the series if it goes to game 7. Since the Sens' are much stronger defensively, being able to match up Crosby's line against Ottawa's 3rd and 4th lines (when the Pens have home ice) won't be as much of an advantage -- as Ottawa is strong defensively from top to bottom.

It'll be Ottawa in 6. It may only go 5 games if Ottawa wins the first two at home. It'll go 7 if Fleury is spectacular and Crosby carries the team on his shoulders, but I still think Ottawa will end up taking the series.

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[kolotoure]

Quack Quack

[g-bebe]

As long as Nashville flops, I'll be happy so I can bump my other thread to further prove my point that acquiring Forsberg wasn't as great of an idea that it sounded. Nashville seriously cooled off during the last 20 games of the season, and I don't think they'll go far, if they even get past the Sharks.

Being a Vancouverite, I obviuosly take the Canucks over the Stars in 5 or 6. In fact, the only teams that I think the Canucks don't match up great against are Anahiem and Minnesota, and if Luongo keeps on doing what he's doing, there's no reason why the Canucks can't march into the conference final and stanley cup final.

My first round picks are:

East:
BUF over NYI in 5 (maybe 6... doubtful without DiPietro)
NJ over TB in 5
ATL over NYR in 7 (provided Kovalchuk wakes up)
PIT over OTT in 7 (very tight matchup... but everyone always says "This is the year Ottawa breaks thruogh in the playoffs"... sorry, Ottawa is destined for dissapointment)

West:
DET over CGY in 5 (maybe 6)
ANA over MIN in 6
VAN over DAL in 6
SJ over NSH in 6

I can't see any series finishing in 4, with the exception of NJ-TB... Brodeur could shut the door pretty quickly.

[Triumph36]

And I will bump my point that the Predators are in the best position to win now - this was their year to go to for it. In the salary cap era, you cannot sit on your hands like Brian Burke is out in Anaheim - you MUST make moves when your team is a contender, or risk ending a winning cycle without the Stanley Cup. The Senators are in danger of this as well, and the Sabres too, though to a lesser extent.

[Hopey]

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And I will bump my point that the Predators are in the best position to win now - this was their year to go to for it. In the salary cap era, you cannot sit on your hands like Brian Burke is out in Anaheim - you MUST make moves when your team is a contender, or risk ending a winning cycle without the Stanley Cup. The Senators are in danger of this as well, and the Sabres too, though to a lesser extent.

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I would have agreed with you a few months ago, but Nashville has been on a bit of a slide lately. Vokoun hasn't been sharp since he came back from injury, Forsberg is basically skating on one good foot, and Sullivan has been out with a back injury.

I'd love to see Nashville have a good run, as I have been following them closely for the last two years, but I think they'll fall in 6 to SJ.

[Hopey]

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I can't see any series finishing in 4, with the exception of NJ-TB... Brodeur could shut the door pretty quickly.


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It wouldn't surprise me to see Buffalo-NYI go in 4. It was a big deal just for the NYI to make the playoffs. Having them beat Buffalo is a bit too much to ask of them. Buffalo will walk all over them. I'm predicting scores of 5-1 and 7-2 for two or three of the games.

[niss]

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It wouldn't surprise me to see Buffalo-NYI go in 4.

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I agree with this. Dublewitzesheimer strikes me as someone who is going to get rattled quickly by Buffalo and will fall apart.

[Triumph36]

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It wouldn't surprise me to see Buffalo-NYI go in 4.

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I agree with this. Dublewitzesheimer strikes me as someone who is going to get rattled quickly by Buffalo and will fall apart.

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The Islanders' defense is terrible - that series should go 4. I wouldn't be surprised if the Islanders never have a lead in the series. I don't know what Wade was doing in the final seconds of the Devils' game yesterday - but it almost cost them a shot at the playoffs.

[Hopey]

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It wouldn't surprise me to see Buffalo-NYI go in 4.

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I agree with this. Dublewitzesheimer strikes me as someone who is going to get rattled quickly by Buffalo and will fall apart.

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The Islanders' defense is terrible - that series should go 4. I wouldn't be surprised if the Islanders never have a lead in the series. I don't know what Wade was doing in the final seconds of the Devils' game yesterday - but it almost cost them a shot at the playoffs.

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Yeah, that was weird. It almost looked like he fell trying to come across the crease, and then just flopped around on the ice, hoping the puck would hit him. Luckily, it *did* hit him, but he was in no position to stop the rebound.

He made a couple of nice poke-checks in the shootout, though.