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Playoff Preview
Posted by tgirsch

For the NBA fans, I’m not talking about those playoffs. Run along. The adults have things they need to discuss.

More below the fold.

OK, just us NHL fans, right? Excellent. Here’s my take on the first round of the playoffs:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

8 Islanders vs. 1 Sabres: I’m pretty sure the Islanders used up their magic just getting into the playoffs. Unless DiPietro comes back quickly and is effective, Buffalo makes short work of them. Sabres in five.

7 Lightning vs. 2. Devils: If the season were a week longer, I’m not sure the Lightning would even have qualified for the playoffs. They may well have dropped to the eleventh spot, the way they played late. The Devils, meanwhile, are always a factor when Brodeur is in net. Devils in five.

6 Rangers vs. 3 Thrashers: Atlanta is a much improved team, but their playoff seeding is artificially high thanks to a weak division. Even with Hartley pacing behind the bench, I just don’t have much faith in the Thrashers to advance, particularly not with as well as Lundqvist has been playing for New York. Rangers in six.

5 Penguins vs. 4 Senators: This may well be the most entertaining series of the first round. And a tough one to call. The Penguins are exceedingly young, with almost no meaningful playoff experience. But then the Senators have plenty of playoff experience, and almost all of it’s bad. In the end, the Penguins power play is the difference, and the Senators choke. As usual. Penguins in seven.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 Red Wings vs. 8 Flames: Detroit is in the top spot mainly by virtue of a late slump by Nashville and the OTL point cheating the Preds out of the top spot. On paper, though, they’re still a better team than the flames, who struggled down the stretch. Still, Calgary matches up well against the Wings; coupled with Detroit’s recent history of first-round chokes, that should make this an interesting series. Still, I have to go with my head over my heart. Red Wings in six.

2 Mighty Ducks vs. 7 Wild: Another tough series to call. Minnesota finished strong (7-2-1 in their last 10), and the Ducks are another team that’s seeded much higher than they ought to be thanks to the evil OTL point. (They won their division, despite having fewer wins than either San Jose or Dallas.) Still, the Ducks have been strong most of the year. In this case, for no better reason than because I’m light on upsets, I’ll go with the underdog. Wild in seven.

3 Canucks vs. 6 Stars: It always worries me when my head and my heart tell me the same thing. Since the Maple Leafs have been eliminated, that leaves Vancouver as my favorite remaining team. But on paper, just about all the advantages go to them, even though Dallas has more wins. The Stars need a stellar performance from Turco to pull off the upset, which is questionable; meanwhile, Luongo is arguably the best netminder in the league, and Vancouver’s scoring troubles seem to be mostly behind them. In the end, against my better judgment, I’m going to jinx them. Canucks in six.

4 Predators vs. 5 Sharks: Another tough-to-call series, between teams that would be the 1 and 2 seeds were it not for the OTL madness. The two teams have identical win totals, and San Jose finishes stronger than Nashville, but the Preds were dealing with an injury to their top goalie. Vokoun appears to be back and healthy, and should be the difference if he stays that way. I have a soft spot for both teams, albeit for different reasons, so I can’t really bet with or against my heart. So in the spirit of Stephen Colbert, I’ll go with my gut: Predators in five.

Think I’m wrong about any (or all) of this? You’re probably right! But by all means, tell us why in comments!

April 11th, 2007 Sports, NHL | 6 comments