NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2007

[Prax]

Alright all your WZ Hockey fans, it's that time of year again! It's playoff season! Two months of the best hockey in the world for the best prize in sports, Lord Stanley's Cup.

16 times will face off in 8 Quarter-Final Series Wednesday and Thursday night, and in June, we well crown one of those teams as the stanley cup champions.

Post your predictions, comments, and expectations about the playoffs and all the match-ups here!

 

[Prax]

I'll get things started with my first round predictions for the Eastern Conference. I'll post my Western Conference predictions tomorrow at some point.

Eastern Conference

(1) Buffalo Sabres vs. (8) New York Islanders
This one should be fairly obvious.. The Isles struggled to get in, the Sabres rolled over everyone during the season.
Prediction: Sabres in 4 (SWEEEEEEEEEEPP)

(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Tampa Bay Lightning
Solid Defense vs. Potent offense. But in the end it comes down to 1 think. Martin Brodeur.
Prediction: Devils in 5

(3) Atlanta Thrashers vs. (6) New York Rangers
Two very shaky teams. This one could go either way but I'll take experience in this one.
Prediction: Rangers in 6

(4) Ottawa Senators vs. (5) Pittsburgh Penguins
Potentially one of the best playoff series in the last decade. This one's going to be very emotional, and these two teams will wreck each other. In the end, I think the experience of Ottawa mixed with Therrien's lack of confidence in M-A Fleury will decide this series, but it will be close and the Pens and Sid the Kid will put up a fight.
Prediction: Sentators in 7.

Western Conference predictions to come tomorrow..

 

[Shadowmancer]

My favourite legit sport in the World ICE HOCKEY.
As for the picks for the Eastern Conference
(1)Buffalo Sabres vs. (8)New York Islanders
This is a tough one for me because these are both my teams but I will have to go with the top team in the NHL in the Golden Slugs in 5 games.

(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Tampa Bay Lightning
This is going to be the Devils right the way through and will win in 5 games.

(3) Atlanta Thrashers vs. (6) New York Rangers
I see this series going to the full seven games and will toss a coin and it comes up Rangers

(4) Ottawa Senators vs. (5) Pittsburgh Penguins
again Seven games but this one is going to go to the young guns from Pittsburgh. I can't see Crosby losing this series for the penguins but I can see him winning it.

 

[Prax]

Shadow, your Penguins and Sid the Kid got tossed around tonight

I'm tempted to change my prediction to Sens in 4, lol.

Ok I'll post the western conference now even though like 3 of the games already went down tonight (actually one of them is still going on and it's one of the bes tplayoff games I've ever seen).

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Calgary Flames
Detroit is my second favorite team after the Habs so I gotta go with them. but I think Kipper and Jarome will give them a battle.
Prediction: Wings in 6.

(2) Ahaheim Ducks vs. (7) Minnesota Wild
Anaheim currently leads the series 1-0, but i didn't watch that game so I can't comment. Anyway, I think Minnesota could be this year's cinderella team. They have a system, great defense, a Cinderella goalie in Backstrom and IMO the best goalie in the NHL, Jacques Lemaire. They can win this series.
Prediction: Wild in 7

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Dallas Stars
WOW I'm currently still watching this game... it's in Triple overtime and one of the best games I've ever seen! Who ever wins this... both teams are going to put up a battle! I'm going with the underdog team here and picking Modano, Turco, my Boy Mickey Ribs and the Stars!
Prediction: Stars in 6.

(4) Nashville Predators vs. (5) San Jose Sharks
This has potential to be the best Series of these playoffs... but the one before it will rival it for sure. You got two teams that are heavily stacked up front... but the Sharks are younger and hungrier. They're the most dangerous 1st round time (I think they face after that but we'll see). This series might be a toss up...
Prediction: Sharks in 7.

 

[Shadowmancer]

The penguins aren't my team. The Sabres, the Islanders and the Sharks are my teams.
Ill actually completely agree except on the Ducks/Wild series and say it will go to 6 games.

 

[Prax]

lol I'm just kidding around because it make me happy to see Sid the Kid get tossed around the ice last night

Sharks are awesome. That game vs. the preds was great, and would've been the game of the night any other night, but you can thank Roberto Luongo and Marty Turco for stealing the show.

Poor isles got romped tonight, sorry Shadow

 

[Shadowmancer]

Yeah I don't expect them to amount for much for another 2 years.

 

[Prax]

They have the coach, and apparently a competent GM/Back-up goalie.

But I fear they mortgaged too much of their future to get Smyth and Bergeron. I'm not sure if Bergeron is a UFA or not, but they're going to lose Smyth for sure after this year.

I dunno... I just don't see them getting out of the 6th to 13th spot pool anytime soon.

 

[TCOF]

Nice to see my Red Wings wreck the Flames last night.


I just hope the Sabres don't win it cause my cousins are huge Buffalo fans, mostly cause they live there, and I've been talkin crap.

 

[Deuces]

I was hoping for the Maple Leafs to make it but damn Sabres I am routing for Ottawa

 

[Prax]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LEAFS!

Sorry I'm from Montreal, lol.

The Slugs are going to dominate the first couple of rounds at the very least. Sorry folks.

 

[A.J.]

Well i think this be one of the years that we will not see the lower seeded teams advancee past the first round and if they do they are not advancing to the Conference Finals. So i see it going like as i will just advance to the Stanley Cup Finals which will be and quote me on this will be Ducks vs Sabers and you winners Ducks in 6.

 

[justinsayne]

Eastern Conference
-(1)Buf vs. (8)NYI
Honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see the Islanders take this series, they’re coming in with a lot of momentum, and being in the eighth seed in the playoffs can be a bit of and advantage to some teams, because you don’t have anything to lose really, all the [pressure is on the top team, and that’s Buffalo in this case, so with all that being said, my
prediction-NYI in 7

-(2)NJ vs. (7)TB
The Devils have always been built for playoff hockey so the pick TB for the upset in this series would be crazy, my prediction-NJ in 6

-(3)Atl vs. (6)NYR
Atlanta doesn’t look to be the favorite in this series but then again the Rangers have a history of chokeing this time of the year so I’m going to go with Atl in 6

-(4) Ott vs. Pit
I’d like to see the pens go to the finals but I don’t see it happening, Ottawa is just too good, so my prediction for this one is Ott in 5



As for the rest of the eastern conf. playoffs are concerned, I see (2)NJ vs. (8)NYI going 5 games with NJ coming out on top, and (3) Atl vs. (4)Ott going 6 games with Ott winning it, and that would leave us with an eastern conference final of (2)NJ vs. (4)Ott, with Ott winning the series in 7 games

 

[justinsayne]

Western Conference
-(1) Det vs. (8)Cgy
Detroit is my team and have been since I started watching Hockey, so I want to see them win, foruntly I think they will, my prediction Det in 6

-(2) Ana vs. (7) Min
Anaheim is going to be tough to beat in these playoffs, My prediction is Ana with the Sweep, 4 games

-(3) Van vs. (6) Dal
The fisrt game of this series was amazing, I mean 4 OT, that’s what make playoff hockey great, and with that win I think Vancouver has taken complete control of this series, my prediction is Van in 5

-(4)Nas vs. (5)SJ
I hate Nashville, just can’t stand them, I don’t know why, but it might have something to do with the fact that it make absoulty no sense for Nashville to have a hockey team, and it doesn’t help that they have Peter Forskin playin for them, so since I hate Nashville and I haven’t picked an upset for the first round yet, My prediction is SJ in 5
As for the rest of the Western conf. playoffs, I see Detroit vs. San Jose going 6 games with Detroit winning, Anaheim vs. Vancouver will be a hard fought series and could go either way but I think that it will be Anaheim coming out of the series victorious after 7 games, so the Western Conf. Finals will be Detroit vs. Anaheim and as much as I’d like to see my Red Wings going for the cup I gotta pick Anaheim in this one, but it’s not going to be easy for them, it’ll take 7 games, and multiple OTs

 

[Prax]

Some interesting games the first couple of night so far. The SJ vs. nashville series is getting RIDICULOUS. Another 5 minute major and game ejection for Nashville tonight,this time Radulov on Bernier.

Plus a bunch of fights and close to a line brawl in the last minute.

Ladies and gentlemen, we've got ourselves a new western conference rivalry.

 

[Shocky]

Nothing beats a 4OT game though the first game of a playoff series. Are you freaking kidding me. Vancouver and Dallas both wanted that game bad. It's just amazing wants playoff time starts how high, especially in the NHL, the intensity level gets turned up.

I'm stuck in Cincy, and we haven't sniffed real Hockey in who knows how long. I love watching it live, but we're stuck with crappy ECHL hockey now because our AHL team abandoned ship. It just doesn't translate that well to me on TV though.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Buffalo v. Ottawa. How nasty is that going to get from what happened this year?

 

[Prax]

ECHL is alright but it's really nothing compared to the NHL or even the AHL.

I'm lucky in Quebec (being canadian, lol), I get 82 Habs games a year, plus 2 games every saturday on Hockey night in Canada, plus all the other games that are broadcast.

As for these playoffs, dude, did you watch game 2 of SJ/nashville tonight? I pray that game goes to game 7... this rivalry is ridiculous!

And I'm sooo happy Turco got the shutout tonight. After all the choking he's done in the playoffs in his career finally nice to see him get a shutout.

 

[Prax]

BAH! I was watching the Vancouver/Dallas game tonight hoping for another 4 or 5 overtimes at least... but Taylor Pyatt ruined it for me... scored early in the first overtime.... against my team too.

The Sens/Pens series is getting interesting though.

the Ducks look like they're going to sweep... sucks. I had Minnesota in 7. All three games have been really boring too.

 

[TCOF]

Chea my Wings are up 2-0. They looked really good yesterday. Hopefully it continues.

 

[justinsayne]

Chea my Wings are up 2-0. They looked really good yesterday. Hopefully it continues.

Me too, not only because I'm a Wings fan but because if the win more games and get farther in the playoffs than Pit, I win the bet I made with my friend, And more importantly I will be able to rub it how much better my team is than his for another year, I do feel kinda sorry for the Wild though, they can't get a danm thing going agaist the Ducks, just getting Dominated like a bunch of little bitches

 

[A.J.]

as of right now my Anahiem Ducks are looking good against the Wild and i'm telling you if we play like this every game no one can beat us in a 7 game

 

[justinsayne]

I wouldn't be suprised to see Anaheim in the finals, but I think they would have to beat Detroit to get there, IMO that would be a good series

 

[Prax]

It's amazing how much some teams are dominating in the west... I though all the series there would be tight like a tiger and we should see some massacres in the east, but it's the other way around.

 

[A.J.]

Detroit and Anaheim would go all 7 and make a damn good Western Conference Final..though i will be a bit distracted once the NBA playoff start. But this year the lower seed teams are putting up the fight this year just manily the Rangers.

 

[justinsayne]

well it looks like the first round of the Playoffs is complete in the Eastern Conference, this is how things look

-Buffalo vs. NY Rangers- I'm hopeing for the Rangers to win this one, I just don't like Buffalo, I never have, and I like it better when lower seeds advance, well in the East anyway

-New Jersey vs. Ottawa- I think that Ottawa will win this series, I actully see Ottawa going all the way to the finals

Now we just need the Western conference to wrap-up the first round over on their side, I see Detroit winning tonight and wrapping up that series, and I'm hopeing for Vancouver to win game 7 agaisnt Dallas, It's nice to see canadien teams advance, but either way whoever wins this one truely deserves it, this has been a really tight series and IMO the best one in the western conf.