NHL Playoff predictions.

[Pappy13]

Anyone care to comment?  I think the Blackhawks might have a chance to win the first 2 rounds, I like their chances against Pheonix in the 1st round and whomever the winner is between St. Louis and San Jose. St. Louis has a great record, but Chicago has played well against them this year and Chicago should have Toews back for the playoffs.

[Brian Fein]

I'll throw up my predictions, why not?

LA Kings vs Vancouver - I think Vancouver wins this in 5 games.
San Jose vs St. Louis - The Sharks seem to have lost a step but I think they'll make it a series.  Blues in 7.
Chicago vs Phoenix - I have never been a believer in Phoenix, so I'm going Chicago here in 6 games.
Detroit vs Nashville - This is going to be a great series! I'm picking Nashville in 7

NY Rangers vs Ottawa - Landslide, Rangers in 4
Washington vs Boston - Washington has not been great this season and their goalies are both hurt.  Boston in 6
New Jersey vs Florida - My Panthers have been downright crap-tastic lately. Devils in 7
Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh - Best series of the first round, going with Pens in 7.

[tubba marxxx]

I'll throw up my predictions, why not?

LA Kings vs Vancouver - I think Vancouver wins this in 5 games.
San Jose vs St. Louis - The Sharks seem to have lost a step but I think they'll make it a series.  Blues in 7.
Chicago vs Phoenix - I have never been a believer in Phoenix, so I'm going Chicago here in 6 games.
Detroit vs Nashville - This is going to be a great series! I'm picking Nashville in 7

NY Rangers vs Ottawa - Landslide, Rangers in 4
Washington vs Boston - Washington has not been great this season and their goalies are both hurt.  Boston in 6
New Jersey vs Florida - My Panthers have been downright crap-tastic lately. Devils in 7
Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh - Best series of the first round, going with Pens in 7.

I completely agree with this.  Pitt and Philly might literally kill each other. 

Devils/Panthers - Game 3 - Just bought my ticket!

[Sunstroke]

LA Kings vs Vancouver -  Kings pull the shocker, beating Vancouver in 6 behind strong goalie play by Quick (series MVP)
San Jose vs St. Louis - I see St. Louis blowing San Jose's doors off in 5 games.
Chicago vs Phoenix - I'm a Coyotes believer...Phoenix in 7
Detroit vs Nashville - Detroit looks beatable lately, but Nashville chokes...Red Wings in 6

NY Rangers vs Ottawa - Insert your favorite "rented mule" or red-headed stepchild" reference...Rangers in 5
Washington vs Boston - Boston goes nuclear...Bruins in 5
New Jersey vs Florida - Which Panthers squad shows up? Not the good one...Devils in 6
Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh - Agree about this one being a great series, but Pens win it in 6

[TonyB0D]

LA Kings vs Vancouver -  Nucks in 5 - both teams have great goaltending, but the kings lack any kind of scoring depth and playoff D.  This series is also heavily dependent on if Sedin comes back from concussion and Luongo plays well.

San Jose vs St. Louis - Blues in 6 - Perennial playoff disappointments whose window is about to slam shut vs the best team in the league.

Chicago vs Phoenix - Yotes in 6....fresh off their 1st ever division title, and players will be playing hard to save hockey in the desert before the team inevitably moves back to canada next year.


Detroit vs Nashville - Detroit in 7 - Detroit hasn't been playing like Detroit this year, but they got healthy just in time for the playoffs and they just have too much star power and experience for the Preds.

NY Rangers vs Ottawa - Rags in 6 -  Rangers are the most overrated team in the tournament and lack scoring depth, but they will beat Ottawa. 

Washington vs Boston - Bruins in 5 - Caps are a mess, they'll be lucky to steal a game in Wash.

New Jersey vs Florida  - Devils in 5 - I will try not to let my die hard Devils fandom influence my pick here, but the Panthers just suck.  They got lucky winning a shitty division and drew a date with the hottest team heading into the playoffs.  How can they keep up with all the world-class talent the Devils have?  Brodeur, Parise, Kovalchuk, Elias...hell, even CLARKSON scored 30 this year.  Cats will by lucky to steal 1.

Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh - Pens in 7 - This will be the best matchup of the entire playoffs.  You want to watch real playoff hockey?  Well here it is, one of the biggest, hardest fought rivalries in all of sports.  How many season ending injuries are we gonna see here?  Maybe set the playoff record for most PIM in a series?  THERE WILL BE BLOOD!!!  Pens have the skill, but Flyers have the grit.  Missing Pronger here gives the edge slightly to Pitt.

[MaineDolFan]

Playoff hockey.  There seriously isn't anything better on Earth.  You can't miss a shift or you might miss the deciding factor of the entire game. My wife likes it so much more when I watch teams not from Boston because I will at least leave the room to go pee...
 

If you aren't a hockey fan, do yourself a solid and introduce yourself to playoff hockey.

LA Kings vs Vancouver:  Vancouver has too much everything, including hell of a goalie.  They take it in 5.

San Jose vs St. Louis:  I'm taking San Jose in 6.  St. Louis is too young, too inexperienced.  People seem to forget San Jose has three 30-goal scorers and plays solid defense.

Chicago vs Phoenix:  Chicago in 7.  Very even series, though.  I will say this: If Smith gets hot, Phoenix could sweep.

Detroit vs Nashville: Two heavy weights.  104 points, 102 points and they are the 4 / 5 seeds.  Flat out sick and this is one series I don't plan on missing any games.  Not to mention former Portland Pirate (ahem) Barry Trotz leads the Preds into battle.  NUTS these two teams are in the same division.  Had they not had to play each other, both teams might have easily cleared 110 points + this season.  The difference in this series is going to come down to Pekka Rinne.  Preds in 6.

NY Rangers vs Ottawa:  Ottawa doesn't deserve to be in this year.  Rangers sweep and make it look easy.

Washington vs Boston:  Boston has better talent, top to bottom, and more depth....but this is one of those "not a good match up" deals.  Where the Caps are going to run into issues?  Boston has a ton of fire power, more than people who don't follow the team know:  SIX players have scored 20 or more goals and more in the teens, five players who have a +/- over 30...the Bruins can light you up. Add a crushing defense and Tim Thomas and this could be interesting. Bradeb Holtby, if this is who the Caps have to go with, will be severely tested.  All this said --this series scares me a bit.  The Caps have owned Boston this season since Dale Hunter took over this crew.  Hunter ain't no chump and he doesn't let his players skate like chumps.  Boston in 7.

New Jersey vs Florida: I love that I have two friends coaching in the playoffs this year.  Do not bet against Kevin Dineen.  Period.  While you're at it, look up some of the former Portland Pirates' (ahem) fights on YouTube.  Why?  Because he brings that spirit to everything he does.  Panthers in 5.

Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh:  Who cares?  I'm popping some popcorn, opening beer and praying it goes 7.  This is the series to watch.

GO BRUINS!

[Brian Fein]

New Jersey vs Florida  - Devils in 5 - I will try not to let my die hard Devils fandom influence my pick here, but the Panthers just suck.  They got lucky winning a shitty division and drew a date with the hottest team heading into the playoffs.  How can they keep up with all the world-class talent the Devils have?  Brodeur, Parise, Kovalchuk, Elias...hell, even CLARKSON scored 30 this year.  Cats will by lucky to steal 1.

You didn't try hard enough.  You still have Peter DeBoer as your coach and a goalie that is 128 years old.  Its not going to be that easy.  The Panthers are 2-1-1 vs the Devils this season.

[Sunstroke]

Alright...I'll get my first live taste of playoff hockey. I have a ticket for game 2 on Sunday night against the Devils. Section 125, so lower level on the corner.

I also just ordered my first Panthers gear...a 3XL polo shirt and a cap.

[MaineDolFan]

Yeah, boy.  THAT is what I am talking about.  Win or lose, you're in for a treat!

Go Panthers!

[SportsChick]

I'm sad, I'm screwed for Sunday's game with work but I did get someone to trade with me for Friday. I'm holding out hope that my manager was able to work out Sunday but I'm not holding my breath

[Brian Fein]

^^ Apparently I might have an extra ticket for Sunday's game...

[SportsChick]

I'll know more tonight

[wyvernmcd]

New Jersey vs Florida  - Devils in 5 - I will try not to let my die hard Devils fandom influence my pick here, but the Panthers just suck.  They got lucky winning a shitty division and drew a date with the hottest team heading into the playoffs.  How can they keep up with all the world-class talent the Devils have?  Brodeur, Parise, Kovalchuk, Elias...hell, even CLARKSON scored 30 this year.  Cats will by lucky to steal 1.

You do know you are forgetting the aspect that the Panthers were not supposed to be in this position in the first place. PERIOD.

At the beginning of the season they were predicted to be 11th maybe 10th because it was a brand new team (virtually) and they didn’t know how to play as a cohesive team; had questionable goaltending; and not many offensive threats. I don’t know of any hockey “experts” that said Florida would have even threatened to be where they are now. They were all waiting for a Tampa and Washington duel to see who would win the division.

 It’s too easy to say they suck, that they lost the last 8 of 9 going in and that they are an embarrassment. If that were the case, games should be 10 – 0 by your analysis. Yes, Kovalchuck, Elias ant the rest of the offensive threats are quick, skilled and Brodeur, is still one of the top goalies in the league, but it is too easy to say a team that didn’t qualify for 12 years just sucks. Look at Vancouver and tell me why they are 0-2 with the best record and a top level goalie and a very good back-up? How does that happen??

Playoffs are always different than the regular season. Why does everyone forget that???

BTW, don’t blame Florida of accidently winning the division, ask where Washington screwed up? (In the mindset that your arbitrary statement “the Panthers just suck”). They have everything according to fans and (again) “hockey experts” they needed and yet they are not #3. Why is that?

[MaineDolFan]

First of all, Florida did not win the division by accident.  Second of all, Washington was a freaking mess this year. 

Hunter has them playing BETTER, however he also has them playing that disgusting trap / slow down / awful hockey that no one likes.  It grinds some teams down.  It works at times.  The neutral zone trap defensive style, once broken, is exposed quickly, especially when you're playing a defensive buzzsaw like Boston.  It was barely good enough for them to sneak into the 7th spot.

Florida earned where they are right now.  Go ahead and keep doubting Kevin Dineen.  I watched this man walk into an AHL locker room, a former proud franchise (former Calder Cup winner), who had not sniffed .500 in over 5 years.  The team had not seen a crowd in the building of over 2,000 in over three years.  His first year with the team?  Very low expectations.  Rookie coach.  Bad team.  Portland was so bad they had just been fired as the Caps affiliate, was picked up very late season as the Ducks.  Actual result?

Portland went 53-19-5-3.  Easily won the Eastern Conference.  ****34 point increase**** over the previous year.  Won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award (AHL outstanding coach).  Playoffs?  Made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, losing in seven games to the eventual Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears.

Under Dineen, Portland went on to an 86 point year, 99 point year, 88 point year, and 103 point year after.  Only missed the playoffs once (sophomore year, team was crushed by calls ups).  Never under .500 - record crowds, great hockey.  For a minor league team.  Oh, one which changed affiliates two more times under his watch.

This past year, the first year he left?  Right back under .500 and missed the playoffs.

It's incredibly short sighted to call the Panthers a fluke.  Of course, someone on this board also said they would be "lucky" to win one game in this series...and there they are, up by 2.  They are going to win the series, by the way.  Dale Tallon is an amazing GM.  As good as they come in the NHL.  He's the guy who built a 59 point Chicago Blackhawk team into a Stanley Cup champion. 

And he has Kevin freakin' Dineen on his bench.  Along with Tomas Fleischmann.  Kris Versteeg.  A guy I know a thing or two about, up close - Brian Campbell. 

Everyone said last year that Florida would finish dead last.  Everyone.  Except me.  Didn't I say it?  Wasn't I shouting it from the roof tops?  I flat out told Brian and Christina:  KEVIN DINEEN.  GO MEET THIS MAN.  I've been saying it since he was hired.  He will not let your team lose.  He doesn't know how to lose.

KEVIN FREAKIN' DINEEN.  After working with Kevin in Portland for five years, I am sold.  Every Panthers fan should be, too.  After this series, Devils fans sure will be.

[Brian Fein]

I would love to meet Kevin Dineen.  Brian Campbell has contributed more than I ever expected.  Leads the league in time on ice per game, and approached 50 assists this season.  This team has never had anyone lead a team offensively like he has.

Sadly, I think the goaltending inconsistency will end up hurting the Panthers this playoffs.  You saw it yesterday, but Clemmensen has been great in relief. 

What's funny about this is that IF the Panthers get out of the first round, they'll likely be facing the Bruins in the second round.  I'm just waiting for you to ditch that silly Cardinals avatar for a Panthers one.