Ahhhh Habs, always one to stir the pot....
I really enjoy seeing two of the guys amongst my favorite posters on the forums get so excited about their respective teams in the NHL. On one hand, we have IDR and his beloved New York Rangers. Gotta give them credit, they have been playing far and above what I had expected of them this season.
I thought the Rangers would be a threat- a major one at that- when they signed Brad Richards. He gives them a leadership component that they really were lacking in some ways, as well as being one of the most well-rounded players in the league. Couple that with a young Derek Stepan getting a full season under his belt, and Henrik Lundqvist emerging as the best goalie in the NHL, and this team is incredibly dangerous. I still think they lack the scoring depth to win it all, but their top line rivals any in hockey, especially if Ryan Callahan is healthy for the playoffs.
And then there's the Pittsburgh Penguins and LSN80. Riding a very impressive nine game winning streak, none more impressive than their most recent victory earlier today.
And...which team is it they embarrassed yesterday?
One is momentum. A 9 game winning streak is damn impressive, but can they sustain such momentum so far removed from the playoffs?
They're not going to win the rest of their games, they have an incredibly tough stretch that started yesterday against Boston, and gets even more difficult come Thursday and onward, when they play the Rangers, Devils, and Flyers in succession. They don't need to win every game to sustain momentum, just most of them. What in their track record indicates that they can't and won't do exactly that?
And a returning Crosby is cause for jubilation, but how will this impact another key concept: chemistry. Personally, I see the Penguins blowing their load early and being distracted by the hoopla of a returning Sid the Kid.
How will a returning Crosby affect team chemistry? Well, it won't break up their top line, with two thirty goal scorers in Malkin and James Neal, along with Chris Kunitz, that's for sure. Dan Bylsma has come out and said as much. I imagine they'll re-unite him with Pascal Dupuis, with whom he's had great success playing with since 'Duper came over from Atlanta, and a streaking Steve Sullivan. If anything, this will enhance the chemistry of the team, as it will allow the Jordan Staal/Matt Cooke/Tyler Kennedy line to re-unite, which has universally been regarded as the best third line in the league for years.
And then it hit me: I just wasted an entire paragraph on nothing. How can getting the best player in the league back be anything but a good thing for team chemistry, especially a team leader like Crosby?
Combine this with the likelihood of hosting a tough Flyers team in the first round.
Except the possibility of the Penguins grabbing the one seed isn't so far fetched now. 4 points behind the Rangers, with two games remaining against them, so the opportunity to pass them is there. Granted, the Penguins have the most difficult schedule in the league down the stretch- 10 of their 13 remaining games are against playoff teams- with three games against Philadelphia, and two against Jersey and the Rangers respectively.
But that being said, the one seed is within reach. Getting back Crosby, along with a top 4 defensemen in Paul Martin and a premiere one in Kris Letang is only going to make a deep team even deeper. Washington in the first round and the Rangers/Flyers/Devils in the second round is a far less imposing task, and it's within reach. I'm assuming nothing, as it would be Pens/Flyers if the season ended today, but bigger things are within reach.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are looking to host the Senators in the first round and the Panthers in the second.
Speaking of momentum, is saying the Penguins may be peaking too soon a smokescreen for the fact that the Bruins are fading, as in 4-5-1 over their last ten?
As for their first round opponent, isn't that the same Senators team that's beaten them in that ten game losing stretch? I wouldn't bet on the Panthers being their second round opponent, assuming they get past Ottawa. A Flyers/Devils matchup would be far more likely, and far more difficult.
By the time round three rolls around, Thomas should just be hitting his full stride.
Just so we're clear, is this the same Tim Thomas who was splitting time with Tukka Rask before he got injured, and was pulled for NHL analyst.....I mean, back-up goalie Marty Turco yesterday after one period? Just checking.
I maintain the same prediction that I have had all year. A Bruins/Blackhawks final. And a repeat. And I would welcome a wager with either of you on that when the time comes.
You mean playoff time? Or after neither Boston or Chicago makes it past round 2? Heck, I'd bet the 'Hawks are more likely to endure a
first round exit then they are to make a
Cup run.
I'd be open to a wager myself.
Keep in mind here, as hot as the Pens have been, the Rangers are set to start 7-game home-stand here, starting with the Pens on Thursday, and that 23-7-2 home record (third best in the NHL) should be a major, major factor.
And this is the part that scares me. The other factor, along with the homestand, is the fact that the Rangers have a far easier schedule down the stretch then the Penguins do. Sure, they've got the Pens twice, and the Flyers, Bruins, Red Wings, and Devils down the stretch, but their other 8 games are ones they should win.
It's still advantage Rangers, no doubt, as the homestand, easier schedule, and the 4 point lead tip the scales in their favor. Which makes the showdown at MSG this Thursday the biggest game of the season for both teams.
