NHL Thread - 2009-10

[People's Champ]

So our beloved Sharks are back home. Over 17000 in attendence for the game. It was a great game. Nabby played great tonight, making some phenominal saves. The first two goals came on PP, which is not our strength, so good to see. The only downside was that they didn't score a 4th goal, which would have gotten everyone a free personal pizza haha. Obviously not a bad night.

So with the Blackhawks loss we are back with the points lead in the West, although that means nothing as we have seen in recent past. But still Nabby and the Sharks needed a good game, and being back home I think did some good.

I've said it before and ill say it again, Sharks fans are the best in the NHL outside of Canada. Bar none. We are the most passionate, hardcore hockey fans you will ever see. Over 17000 for a Thursday night game. I challenge anyone to prove otherwise. All in fun of course. But really we are the best and tonight was a great game.

Damn I love hockey.

 

[Mr. TM]

Jack Adams Award

One of the few awards that have gone tot he Canucks in the last few years, although I suspect that

Joe Sacco: Well it is not Sakic, but Sacco had done a great job after coaching a team that was one of the worst to a team that is fighting for a division lead. He has done that without star players, a flashy old time goaltender, instead working with young players like Craig Anderson to challenge the Canucks for first in the giant division.

Dave Tippett: From Bankrupt/being sued/abandoned by the Great One to fourth in the NHL. Yes, Bryz... Tippett was one of the reasons behind that. He was able to coach a team well at the beginning of the season, but after some key trades at the deadline, he is leading a high powered team to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Phoenix Coyotes have been a great team led by Tippett after Gretzky left.

Bruce Boudreau: Why the hell not? His team is first, he leads the East by nearly 20 points, he is able to win with limited goaltending, without Ovechkin, and he has already won it once in the last few years. The Capitals are one of the most successful teams in regular season play since the Sens super season a few years ago.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

I agree with 2 of your choices TM:

1: Dave Tippett - my choice for the Jack Adams award. He took control of a mess that was the Phoenix Coyotes and got his players ready and focused on hockey and not the uncertainty of the franchise. They aren't only playing good hockey, but amazing hockey and hockey that is giving the power house Sharks a run for the division title. Tippet doesn't have the star power or heavy sniping like some teams do, but every player does their role well and it comes together to form a successful game.

2: Joe Sacco - Took an Avalanche team that was near the bottom last year and has turned them into a playoff team, the perfect recipe for a Jack Adams award. He's got a team full of young guns, but he got them to buy into the system he was teaching and now those guys are performing. A big reason for their success in also the play of Craig Anderson, but Sacco deserves a lot of credit for turning this team around in such a short time.

3: Barry Trotz, John Stevens, Cory Clouston, Lindy Ruff - I know that all of these coaches can't be nominated, but I think either one of these 4 guys is deserving of the 3rd nomination and I'll explain each one.

Barry Trotz has been the coach of the Predators since they came into the league. That is an amazing accomplishment. Although he never seems to have any star players on his team he works with what he has and Nashville is almost always in the playoff hunt come April. Nashville is always quietly playing good hockey and always in a playoff spot, but no one seems to notice or care that Trotz has made the Predators a consistently good team. Maybe this year he'll get recognized.

John Stevens has the Atlanta Thrashers fighting for a playoff spot without Ilya Kovalchuk. No one would have guessed that after Atlanta traded Kovalchuk to the Devils that they would still be competitive in the East. Now look at them, playing solid hockey and still in the playoff hunt and I find that pretty remarkable. If Atlanta happens to make the playoffs, I think Stevens will be nominated.

Cory Clouston may be nominated because Ottawa wasn't really expected to be where they are in the standings. After trading Heatley, many people thought they didn't have enough fire power, but Michalek stepped up quite nicely and the role players on Ottawa raised their game up and made the Senators a playoff team. The coach has to get some credit for that and he kept his players in check and has them on the verge of another playoff run.

Lindy Ruff. I believe he and Trotz have the longest tenure actively in the NHL. It's rather unheard of to last as long as they have behind the bench, but they have had consistent teams to warrant it. This year Ruff is leading the Sabres to a division lead, something that people did not see coming. The Sabres were coming off a bad season last year and didn't really add anyone in the offseason that could make a big impact on the team, but Ruff still found a way to make his team play hard every night and compete. With the steller play of Ryan Miller and the surprisingly good play of rookie Tyler Meyers, the Sabres are having a great campaign and are in the lead in the Northeast division.

The battle for the Jack Adams is between Tippett and Sacco, but these other coaches are very deserving of that last nomination. I do have one sleeper pick for this award and that is Mike Babcock. After significant injuries to almost all of his players, he has still kept Detroit competitive and they are slowly running away from Calgary for the 8th seed. Detroit did not add anyone to ease the burden of these injuries and Babcock took it in stride and kept Detroit afloat. It's possible that he gets a nomination for the Jack Adams.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

Man the playoff race is heating up in both conferences. Let's start off with the East shall we.

Eastern Conference: 3 teams are tied with 82 points (Flyers, Bruins, Canadiens) with Atlanta behind by 2 points and the Rangers behind by 4 points. The push is going to be crazy and with the Canadiens loss tonight it certainly helps the Thrashers keep pace. If the Flyers can get somewhat competent goaltending I think they'll make the playoffs. The Bruins have a good goalie in Rask and I think that helps them edge out the competition as well. I'm not sold on the Canadiens (bias?) and I think that the Thrashers or Rangers could catch them and knock them out of the playoff hunt. The Rangers need to start help out Lundqvist by scoring and playing defence, but if they smarten up they are very capable of making a run into the playoffs.

Western Conference: Colorado currently holds the 8th spot in the conference with 89 points despite losing tonight, while the Flames won tonight to keep pace with 87 points. The Flames are in must win territory for the rest of the season because they have to make the playoffs with all of the changes they made this year. It's going be a very close race all the way down to the wire.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

Well two Canadian teams had a chance to clinch playoff spots tonight, the Canucks and the Senators. The Senators clinched with a win over the Hurricanes in OT, but the Canucks weren't so lucky. They got hammered tonight against the Kings and lost 8-3. The Canucks are a shoe-in for the playoffs though and it will only be a mater of time before they clinch.

The Flyers lost a crucial game tonight as they lost to the Islanders 6-4. Again their goaltending was shaky and if this keeps up it may cost them a spot in the post-season. Atlanta also took a hit tonight losing to the Capitals. With the Flyers loss, Atlanta had a great chance to tie them in the standings, but they couldn't beat the top team in the league. Boston also lost tonight and missed a chance to leap frog in the standings. All of the teams fighting for a spot in the East lost tonight. They must really want a nail biter to end the season.

Nashville also won tonight beating the Blues 3-2. The Blues are far off the pace and they can't afford to lose many more games, if any at all and this loss hurts them. On the other hand, Nashville needs only one more win to clinch a playoff birth.

Here are the updated standings as we approach the home stretch:

Eastern Conference
6. Philadelphia Flyers 82 pts (5 games remaining - MTL, DET, TOR, NYR, NYR)
7. Montreal Canadiens 82 pts (5 games remaining - PHI, BUF, NYI, CAR, TOR)
8. Boston Bruins 82 pts (5 games remaining - TOR, WAS, BUF, CAR, WAS)
9. Atlanta Thrashers 80 pts (4 games remaining - PIT, NJD, WAS, PIT)
10. New York Rangers 78 pts (6 games remaining - TAM, FLA, BUF, TOR, PHI, PHI)

On the bubble: Carolina Hurricanes 76 pts (4 games remaining)

Western Conference
8. Colorado Avalanche 89 pts (6 games remaining - CAL, SJ, VAN, EDM, CHI, LA)
9. Calgary Flames 87 pts (5 games remaining - COL, CHI, SJ, MIN, VAN)

 

[Mr. TM]

A big game in the NHL tonight, potentially the last big game before the playoffs start. the game starts in just under 5 hours as the New York Rangers will face off against the Philadelphia Flyers.

There are still 4 teams fighting for 3 spots in the East, as the West is all locked up. However, with a Philadelphia regulation win tonight, they, Boston, and Montreal will all clinch a playoff spot, and the Rangers will be eliminated. If the Flyers win in overtime, they and Montreal will both clinch a spot, leaving one spot left for two teams, the Bruins and New York.

After tonight, the Bruins will just have one game left, while the Rangers have two. if the Bruins lose both of their next two in regulation, and the Rangers win both theirs, a huge comeback will elate the New Yorkers.

 

[hatehabsforever]

A big game in the NHL tonight, potentially the last big game before the playoffs start. the game starts in just under 5 hours as the New York Rangers will face off against the Philadelphia Flyers.

There are still 4 teams fighting for 3 spots in the East, as the West is all locked up. However, with a Philadelphia regulation win tonight, they, Boston, and Montreal will all clinch a playoff spot, and the Rangers will be eliminated. If the Flyers win in overtime, they and Montreal will both clinch a spot, leaving one spot left for two teams, the Bruins and New York.

After tonight, the Bruins will just have one game left, while the Rangers have two. if the Bruins lose both of their next two in regulation, and the Rangers win both theirs, a huge comeback will elate the New Yorkers.

Now that's just about enough of that blasphemous talk of the Bruins losing out while the Rangers win out. Hopefully the Flyers can win tonight and end all the drama for everyone.

By the way, the Bruins actually have two games left: Carolina on Saturday and Washington on Sunday. They would have to lose both in regulation, coupled with wins by NY, to be out, so hopefully their chances should be pretty good. Now if only there was a way for Boston and NY to get in and Montreal to be out, that'd be great. I think that actually is possible, but too much drama for me, I just want Philly to win tonight and end the drama.

By the way, what the hell is wrong with Luongo? Hopefully he gets things figured out, because I don't like the Canucks chances too much with Raycroft in net.

 

[Mr. TM]

Right, they do, I was just trying to keep track in my head.

Luongo has been cold lately. I think if Canucks fail, they will blame the Olympics, but I don't think at this time in the season, you can blame it.

Canucks do not want to win games and tire out their players. They should give Luongo some time off while there is time. Canucks arent moving any position, it is why they let Salo sit. Hopefully Henrik gets some points to end the season and bring the Canucks their first Art Ross since Naslund lost it on the last game of the year.

 

[Mr. TM]

A dream of every Canuck fan has come true today. Fans that have watched Bure, Messier, Mogilny, Naslund and so many other greats, Canuck fans are just hours away from having one of their players bring home the Art Ross Trophy.

But wait, If you were like me, you got up to follow the Caps play the Bruins. Each time Ovechkin was on, you watched, and were delighted that the game went to overtime with not a single point for him.

But I am sitting here in panic, as the Islanders are letting Sidney Crosby pound them, with 5 points with time remaining. Never been so scared. Crosby needed to get 8 points, and he is just 3 away.

After Henrik's 4 points last night, Crosby needed to double that, and at 5, it is getting close. Crosby also has taken the lead in the Maurice trophy race.

Philidelphia needed Overtime, but they clinched the final spot. I hope to talk about the teams as they go into the playoffs as all the teams have clinched at this point.

 

[Mr. TM]

Vancouver Canucks (3) v. Los Angeles Kings (6)

Two teams that have been cold coming into the playoffs yet got that final big win of the season will meet up here in this Pacific Ocean battle.

Vancouver Canucks are a team that can score. Just ask their six 20 goal scorers the team has, including Henrik Sedin, the winner of the 2010 Art Ross trophy for the leading point getter in the NHL. Equipped on a line that possess his brother Daniel, who despite missing nearly a quarter of the season finished in 11th in total points this year. There is a reason that the Canucks finished first in goals in the West, and it is their two incredible starting lines, and their defensemen who will jump up on the rush.

Winning the North West was a challenge for the Canucks who could not win on the road. They were the only team in the Western Playoffs who had a losing record on the road. They were a team that did hit the road enough, setting a record breaking six week road trip, as they were kicked out of their arena for the Olympics.

After the Olympics, there was one key problem with the Orca powered team. They could not get Roberto Luongo, the gold medalist goalie for Team Canada playing to the level he is accustom to. A potential Vezina finalist finished the post Olympic season with a GAA over 3 and a Save Percentage below 90%.

Injuries wrecked havoc on the Canucks all season. Demitra took a long time to lace up for the Canucks, Bieksa had a tendon cut from a skate, and one of the biggest was the the loss of Daniel. But with Daniel out, his twin brother took control of the Canucks and kept them winning. Canucks forward Kesler, fueling for Team USA was a shinning light for the team as he took on a huge load. Scoring will not be a problem come the playoffs, keeping the puck out will. Defensemen, and stay at home specialist Willie Mitchell might not lace up for the rest of the season. But Canucks are good in the back, as impressive youngster Rome has done wonders at the blue line with veterans like Salo, and big time scorer Ehrhoff has helped.

The Olympics shaped this team more than any other outside presence I have ever seen. With Luongos slump, the road trip, Keslers rise, and a buzzing crowd brought forth a different fuel. Michael Sammuelson, being left off of Team Sweden, who went on to fail miserably, and MS showed why. They left off a man who went on to scorer like there was no tomorrow during that road trip that was mentioned.

The Los Angeles Kings are going to have to find a way to stop this scoring onslaught. Finishing just 2 points behind the Canucks, they had 30 less goals their opening round rivals. Somehow a team that has had so many questions in net continues to delight the world with their low goals against. Bernier played well in his starts this season, but this is Team USA third string goalie Jonathan Quick's series.

LA has one shot to win this, and that is to utilize their waves of defensive offense. A team with only Kopitar to lead them in scoring, they will rely on three lines as Brown, Smyth, and Frolov will look to isolate the Canucks power, and score on the breakout.

Canucks have to watch for one thing when playing this team, and that is of course Olympian Drew Doughty who has proven he can score at the big times.

I really give Los Angeles one chance to win this. They have to stop the Sedins line, and then try and outscore the Kesler line. If they are able to do that, they have a shot. But stopping the Sedin's is nearly impossible if they work as hard as they have all season.

TM's Predictions:

Canucks in 5
Leading Scorer: Ryan Kesler

 

[Big Sexy]

With the playoffs set in stone I'll make some predictions. Although I'm from the Detroit are and am a Red Wings fan, my team has always been the New Jersey Devils. Brodeur is the most experienced and one of the best goalies in the playoffs. They also have that big scoring threat this year in Kovalchuk. The combination of him and Parise should be able to take the Devils to a showdown in the East Finals with the Capitals.

In the West the favorites for me are Detroit, Chicago, and Vancouver. San Jose always seems to blow it in the first or second round and I see that happening again. When it's all said and done I think it will be the red hot Red Wings and Chicago facing off in a rematch of the West Finals.

Stanley Cup early prediction- New Jersey over Chicago in 6 games.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

The 2009/2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs are set and the NHL's second season is about to begin. Let's look at the matchups:

Eastern Conference

(1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers
(3) Buffalo Sabres vs. (6) Boston Bruins
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Ottawa Senators

Western Conference

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Colorado Avalanche
(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (7) Nashville Predators
(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings
(4) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings

Breakdowns

Capitals vs. Canadiens: Terrible draw for the Canadiens and I couldn't be happier. The Canadiens don't have anyone that can matchup to who the Capitals have and Washington will run rough shed all over them. The Capitals offence is going to skate circles around the Canadiens and dominate them.

Devils vs. Flyers: Should be a good series, but I can't overlook the goaltending of the Flyers. Not picking up a goalie at the deadline is going to hurt them and I fully expect Brodeur to out duel Boucher/Leighton. Also, Kovalchuk is back in the playoffs and he must be hungry for some playoff success so expect an energized Kovalchuk which will be a problem for Philadelphia.

Sabres vs. Bruins: Two teams with good goaltending should make this a good series. Both teams have problems, at times, to put the puck in the net, but with their goaltending it shouldn't take much offence to win. It's going to be a frustrating series offence wise and there should be a lot of low scoring games.

Penguins vs. Senators: Regardless of their slump I just can't see the Penguins going out in the first round of the playoffs with Crosby on the team. He's having a fantastic season and I think he'll be enough to put the Penguins over the top. Ottawa will make it difficult, but Crosby will be too much to handle.

Sharks vs. Avalanche: The Avs are very young and that could hurt them in the playoffs. The Sharks have a lot of fire power and a capable goalie in Nabokov and that should be enough to beat the upstart Avalanche.

Blackhawks vs. Predators: The Predators run into a very powerful Chicago team and that's the bad part. The only way I see the Preds winning here is if the goalies for Chicago implode, which in all honesty could actually happen. Rinne is a very good goalie and should out duel Niemi, but the Blackhawks have to much balance in front of their goalie to lose here.

Canucks vs. Kings: I was saying to TM yesterday that if the Canucks draw the Kings then I can see them winning and I keep that thought. Both teams are very good and the Kings are a young and dangerous team, but I think the Canucks match up with them well and have enough personnel to etch out a win.

Coyotes vs. Red Wings: Poor, poor Coyotes drawing the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings were fighting for a playoff spot most of the season, but it was a well known that if they found a way to enter the dance then they would be a dangerous team to run into and it looks like the Coyotes have to fight the beast. Phoenix has to get the Bryzgalov from the regular season and their players have to keep up their hot streak because Detroit is a completely different team in the playoffs and they will throw everything at the Coyotes until they give.

Predictions

Eastern Conference

Washington vs. Montreal
Capitals win 4-0

New Jersey vs. Philadelphia
Devils win 4-1

Buffalo vs. Boston
Sabres win 4-2

Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa
Penguins win 4-2

Washington vs. Pittsburgh
Capitals win 4-2

New Jersey vs. Buffalo
Devils win 4-3

Washington vs. New Jersey
Capitals win 4-1

Western Conference

San Jose vs. Colorado
Sharks win 4-1

Chicago vs. Nashville
Blackhawks win 4-1

Vancouver vs. Los Angeles
Canucks win 4-2

Phoenix vs. Detroit
Red Wings win 4-2

San Jose vs. Detroit
Red Wings win 4-3

Chicago vs. Vancouver
Blackhawks win 4-2

Chicago vs. Detroit
Blackhawks win 4-3

Stanley Cup Finals

Washington defeats Chicago 4 games to 2 and the Capitals are your 2009/2010 Stanley Cup Champions.

*I will update as each round ends because these predictions will most likely be messed up.

 

[Mr. TM]

The big news out sort of shocked me a bit. Tampa Bay was a shit team this year, but they get to finish the season knowing that one of their players, at 19 years of age is the best scorer in the NHL. And the person who developed that player arguably, Rick Tocchett has been fired. Now I hate Rick, always have. But firing him is silly. He did everything the GM (who was also fired) could have done. He needs money for players, and he had none, so what do you expect? The4 should trade Vinny while he still has value however.

The lottery is tomorrow to determine the #1 draft pick. Oilers have the best shot in getting it, and if they do, they sure need it. Toronto in getting Kessel lost their potential #1 pick (they have a chance to get the #1 pick), but being in the top two is key as there are two great picks at the top. Now Boston will get that pick, and I feel sorry for the 5-8th teams in the East next year trying to compete against Boston.

 

[Big Sexy]

Now Boston will get that pick, and I feel sorry for the 5-8th teams in the East next year trying to compete against Boston.

There is a rumor out there that because Boston already has so many young scorers in their farm system, they might trade their first round pick to get Jarome Iginla. According to one source Calgary will only do it if Boston ends up with the one or two pick.

 

[Mr. TM]

The Iginla potential trade would be the worst idea in history. It is not his fault the team is shit. Trading for Jokine in exchange for a great playmaker in Lombardi just initiated the beginning of the downfall for that team. They had a horrible losing streak, but they were without Cammalleri who left the team.

They has no support in the back either, with Robyn playing shit, Jay not showing why he was worth coming tot he team, and with Dion not playing up to the level he had, then getting traded, it hurts.

Yeah, a rebuild by getting a 1 or 2 pick would be great, but they would have nothing for the Tylers if they select one. Iginla has a no movement clause, but if the Flames do nothing to bring in someone who can get him the puck, he wont score. So if that happens, the Flames can get their draft pick, and do shit with it, while losing their hearts. Boston wont complain.

 

[Mr. TM]

Well the draft draw happened and there was little surprise, each was drafted in order meaning that Edmonton will get the first draw, while Boston, who holds onto Toronto's will get the second.

What is to be sure is Edmonton will be keeping this pick. They have two great people to pick from here in Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall. Edmonton has never had the top pick, so it will be good to see who they bring in to hopefully change the fortunes of that club around. I have a feeling that Tyler Seguin will get drafted first, he is currently in the lead according to scouts, and he is more likely to be happy in Edmonton.

Tyler would be a good center presence in Edmonton, decent sized guy who could be playing next year for sure. But the thing that Edmonton needs are some wingers, and Hall would be great with Penner. So it is still a bit of a toss up for sure.

 

[Ayden]

Hey TM, I'm Ayden and also a huge hockey fan. You like the Canucks, eh? Ugh. I live in Victoria so my family and the few friends I do have all adore them, believe me it gets annoying. I'm for backing the teams nobody else backs, so I'm a Hurricanes fan. But they didn't make it this year, so I'm going for the better Canadian team in the Senators. Now, for the playoffs. Each and every series looks like it could either way, because the few matchups that look awfully stacked, actually aren't in the end. But about Edmonton's pick, I'm not so sure. Either way they're gonna get a heck of a lot better, but Hall and Eberle were great with eachother in the Jr's and I can only imagine how they would do in the big leagues. And then Boston, gets Seguin which is too scary to think about. The East is absolutely screwed next year, holy, they have to be a cup contender.

Now, I was wondering if we wanted to do a little bet between us hockey people. We'd all put down our brackets, and whoever got the most matches right would win. And the losers, would have to... we can figure out that later. Even if we wanna do brackets, we need an answer soon, like real soon. What d'ya think?

 

[Whistler 619]

I honestly think Edmonton is going to pick Taylor Hall, it makes more sense for them to do that, they already have an over abundance of Centers, mind you, now that Sheldon Souray has asked to be Traded, I could see them shift some guys around to make room for Tyler Seguin down the middle, but my personal choice is Taylor Hall... But lets be realistic, its not a great draft this year..

 

[Whistler 619]

Playoff Prediction Round 1:

Washington will beat Montreal, I hate to say it, but Washington is just to strong.
Philadelphia is gonna beat NJ, just look at the way the season was played and you'll see why.
Buffalo and Pittsburgh will go on, they're both better then Boston and Ottawa, although both will be close

In the West I think is were you'll see a major upset, I think Colorado is going to beat San Jose simply because we've all seen the Sharks screw up year after year. Chicago and Vancouver will advance, easy choices there, and Detroit will beat Phoenix in 6, more experience, they've been red hot since the Olympics.

So there are my pick for Round 1.

Washington-Philadelphia-Buffalo-Pittsburgh
Colorado-Chicago-Vancouver-Detroit.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Washington over Montreal in 4.

Best team in the NHL hands down. Montreal's goaltending has been suspect at best, and they really did kind of back into the playoffs.

New Jersey over Philly in 6.

Just as the Devils got healthy, the Flyers got hurt. Plus, it's Marty Brodeur vs Brian Boucher - the greatest goaltender in history vs a guy who was 3rd on Philly's chart until #1 and #2 got hurt.

Buffalo over Boston in 7

Tukka Rask will stand on his head well enough to make this a series, but Ryan Miller is battle tested and the Sabres have enough role players to make this work. Plus, Boston truly did just back into the playoffs, and weren't even a lock to make it until the final week.

Pittsburgh over Ottawa in 5 games

The Sens lost Kovalev for the season. He's an important peice, but the bigger issue is that is shuffles the lines and messes with the team chemistry FAR too late in the season. Defending champs will advance pretty easy, Ottawa takes one on goaltending.

San Jose over Colorado in 6 games

Colorado overacheived early and looked more like the team we figured they'd be later on. San Jose is build better and deeper this year, and Nabokov has to show up eventually.

Chicago over Nashville in 7 games

I say 7 because Nashville has solid goaltending from Rinne whereas Chicago is goaltending by committee. But the Hawks are too young and too strong for a Nashville team with no depth to withstand.

Vancouver over LA in 7 games

Gotta like Luongo, even against Quick. Plus, the Sedins are on fire. I think this will be the best and closest series of round 1.

Phoenix over Detroit in 7 games

We need an upset, so here it is. Just seems like Phoenix is riding a high right now and could have the type of scrappy play to upend the confident and hot-as-of-late wings. I think the Wings will win, but I have an odd feeling a good team is losing, and who better to make it happen than the shock #2 seed in the West?

 

[Big Sexy]

Eastern Conference

1. Washington vs. 8. Montreal- Capitals take this in 4 games. Washington is on fire and Montreal doesn't have the fire power to keep up.

2. New Jersey vs. 7. Philly- The Devils win in 6. Brodeur vs Boucher is as lopsided as it gets when it comes to goaltending match ups. Philly dominated them in the regular season but it changes here.

3. Buffalo vs 6. Boston- Sabres in 6. Ryan Miller is too good and the Bruins don't have enough fire power offensively.

4. Pitt vs 5. Ottawa- The Senators are solid but I say Pitt in 6. Crosby and Malkin will be too much for the Senators and their young goalie.

Western Conference

1. San Jose vs. 8. Colorado- Sharks in 5. They usually struggle in the playoffs but Colorado just isn't that good and they have struggled as of late.

2. Chicago vs. 7. Nashville- Chicago in 5. Nashville has had very average goaltending all season long and that isn't good going against a team with as many scoring weapons as the Blackhawks.

3. Vancouver vs. 6. LA Kings- Canucks in 6. Luongo and the Sedins will be too much for a young LA team.

4. Phoenix vs. 5. Detroit- Detroit in 6. The Red Wings have been the hottest team in the NHL since the Olympic break. They are 16-3-2 since the break and Jimmy Howard may be the hottest goalie in the NHL. Phoenix had a great season but they go down here.

 

[People's Champ]

I don't really care to make predicitions on all the games and series. I only care about my Sharks.

Once again we have the top seed but that means nothing. Tonight's game is huge. We lost the first two home games against the Ducks and could never make the comeback. So tonight ill be at the game and a little nervous. Although there seems to be a different feel to this team. I feel as though they have a more gritty team and ready to shut everyone up this postseason. Sharks in 5.

 

[Mr. TM]

I honestly think Edmonton is going to pick Taylor Hall, it makes more sense for them to do that, they already have an over abundance of Centers, mind you, now that Sheldon Souray has asked to be Traded, I could see them shift some guys around to make room for Tyler Seguin down the middle, but my personal choice is Taylor Hall... But lets be realistic, its not a great draft this year..

Its not a GREAT draft, but the first two picks are great draft picks. Taylor and Tyler are not Taveres, but when you look at the Edmonton Oilers team, a team that did not get a lot of offensive support, either won of them will make the team in the first year, and they will probably be on the first line, learning everything they can from Penner. The first two picks are key, and that is why I was hoping that the Bruins would have fallen a spot in the draft instead of picking up the number 2 spot.

 

[hatehabsforever]

Its not a GREAT draft, but the first two picks are great draft picks. Taylor and Tyler are not Taveres, but when you look at the Edmonton Oilers team, a team that did not get a lot of offensive support, either won of them will make the team in the first year, and they will probably be on the first line, learning everything they can from Penner. The first two picks are key, and that is why I was hoping that the Bruins would have fallen a spot in the draft instead of picking up the number 2 spot.

TM, you hurt me with those words! How could you possibly hope for my Bruins to fall a spot in the draft? We gave them Kessel, a proven commodity, and deserve proper compensation for him, although I don't think the Bruins were anticipating such a high draft pick. Makes you wonder if Burke would do it all over again if he knew then what he knows now. I expect the Oilers to take Seguin, leaving Hall for the Bruins to build upon for the future.

But enough about the future, here's the present as I see it.

CAPITALS IN 4: A clean sweep for Ovechkin and company. Theodore is hot and will likely want to burn the team that let him go. The goalie carousel that the Habs ran throughout the year won't cut it in the playoffs, and I'm not sure if either guy is ready to go it alone at this point, especially against an attack like the Capitals. Plus, in regards to the Habs, I Hate Them. And will Forever.

NEW JERSEY IN 6: I don't have the confidence in Brodeur that I once had, despite the fact he did have another stellar year. But they're still going to be too much for the Flyers, who are lucky just to be there. There luck is about to run out.

BOSTON IN 6: Come on, check out my name, what else would you expect me to say? It will be tough, but an over-confident Miller and Sabres may be susceptible to the upset that I am hoping for. Rask is hot, even Thomas is OK, and the Bruins may be energized by their draft success (at least for one round anyway).

PITTSBURGH IN 7: Will be tougher than most people anticipate, Ottawa has a good team and their goalie has been solid. Their distractions are gone (Heatley) and some of their players are warming up at the right time. But ultimately, Crosby and company are too good, too hungry, and won't be satisfied following up their win last year with a first round exit this year.

SAN JOSE IN 4: I have zero confidence in the Sharks, but I have even less in the Avs who over-achieved all season. And the Sharks can't choke again, can they?

CHICAGO IN 4: A young hot team, somewhat suspect in net, but will be solid enough to deal with the Preds pretty easily.

VANCOUVER IN 7: Will get all they can handle and then some from the much improved Kings, but ultimately the experience of Luongo, as opposed to the lack of such by the Kings goalie whose name I don't even know, will be enough. Look for the Sedins to disappear, though, which will be problematic as they move forward.

DETROIT IN 5: A finally healthy, focused, and surprisingly underestimated Red WIngs team will make some noise this post-season. Look for them to be motivated by the lack of respect they've been receiving from most of the TV analysts. Will be too old to repeat their recent successes, but will certainly be good enough to dispose of the Coyotes quickly, as this franchise has not known success, whether they be in Phoenix, Winnipeg, or elsewhere.

Now, let's get it on!

 

[Theo Mays]

Alright been meaning to do this. Bare with me, as I'm not exactly a hockey whiz. I decided to get back into hockey this year because my buddies are huge hockey nuts and it gives me a reason to talk more sports haha.

Eastern Conference

1. Washington Capitals over 8. Montreal Canadians (5 games)
-I think the Habs can get a win or two over the Caps, but I can't see them taking the series. Ovi is one of the best in the game and he has been a man on fire this year. I actually think Semin or Backstrom will have the better series and carry the Caps to round 2.

7. Philadelphia Flyers over 2. New Jersey Devils (7 games)
-Call me a homer shall you. The matchups don't favor the Flyers at all, especially the goalies. But stranger things have happened. If the Fly Guys don't win I expect a hard fought series against a division rival and this could be the best series of round 1 in the East.

3. Buffalo Sabres over 6. Boston Bruins (7 games)
-This will give the above series a run for the best. This was the toughest of the first round matchups for me to select. The determining factor for me was Ryan Miller. The guy is probably one of my favorite non-Flyer players in the NHL. Could go either way and it wouldn't surprise me to see the Bruins take it.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins over 5. Ottawa Senators (6 games)
-I think the Sens will hang in there, but the Pens turn it on in the playoffs and play some awesome hockey. Plus I think the Pens have too much talent for the Sens to start. Could be another run for Pitt this year.

Western Conference

1. San Jose Sharks over 8. Colorado Avalanche (6 games)
-The Sharks are like their state counterpart (San Diego Chargers) when it comes to the playoffs. They are consistently a great regular season team, yet they seem to have terrible luck in the playoffs. I think the Avs give them some trouble, but the Sharks escape round one with a victory.

2. Chicago Blackhawks over 7. Nashville Predators (4 games)
-This is my only sweep in round 1. I think Chitown is too much for the Preds to handle and they will dominate the series. Goaltending is a question mark for the Blackhawks, but I think they have enough offense to get by and sweep the Preds.

3. Vancouver Canucks over 6. Los Angeles Kings (5 games)
-I'm a fan of the Kings and big fan of Drew Doughty. However he is not going to carry the Kings to a victory over a solid Canucks team. The Sedins and Luongo will be too much for the Kings to overcome. They will hang in there, but I think Vancouver will be too much.

5. Detroit Red Wings over 4. Phoenix Coyotes (7 games)
-The Wings were up and down during the regular season, but I expect them to turn it on in the playoffs. The Coyotes won't go away easy. The Coyotes have the edge at Goalie and that could push them over, but I think the Red Wings will edge it out and move on.