Well kids my favorite time of year is upon us…NHL PLAYOFFS. I am a huge sports fan who’s favorite sport is hockey. Take it from me, hands down hockey has the best playoffs of any pro sport. Here is a quick breakdown and my predictions for the first round of the playoffs.
Colorado vs Minnesota
Although it is tempting to pick the Colorado, I have to go Minnesota in five. Colorado has a hot net minder in Jose Theodore, 12-4-1 in the last 17 games, and a few vets of past Avalanche glory (Sakic, Foote, and Foreberg). The series will be decided on special teams. Minnesota is 2nd in Penalty Killing and 7th on the Power Play. I know that in the playoffs the refs tend to swallow their whistles, but this is exactly why it is important to take advantage of the opportunities when they are given.
San Jose vs. Calgary
In the NHL, much like any other sport, a hot team and goltender can take you far. Think Jean Sebastian-Giguerre in 2003. Evgeni Nabakov is the hottest goalie in the league and is now the best in the game (sorry Marty Brodeur). Nabakov led the league with 46 wins, 25 of which were in one goal games. Patrick Marleau is stepping up late in the season (finally), scoring 19 points in the last 20 games. That combines with a healthy Jonathan Cheecoo and a reinvigorated Joe Thorton will spell a short series for the Flames. Sharks in five.
Detroit vs. Nashville
These teams look like a MASH unit right now. Nashville is missing David Legwand, Martin Gelinas, and Jed Ortmeyer; while the Wings are skating without Tomas Kopecky, Kurt Maltby, and Kris Draper. This is loss will be the Predators third straight first round exit and you have to wonder how reports of the teams relocation will affect this young team. Red Wings in six.
Anaheim vs. Dallas
This is a resilient Stars team that has a league leading 19 victories after giving up the first goal. I will be eager to see how the Stars forwards match up against the Ducks defense. In a tough, hard fought series the combo of Niedermeyer, Schneider, Pronger, and Beauchemin will be too much for the Stars to overcome and it will be a hard fought seven game victory for the defending champs. Ducks in seven.
Washington vs. Philadelphia
Alexander Ovechkin is re-writing the record books. Of his 65 regular season goals 11 were game winners. The Flyers have three players left over from the last Philadelphia team that made the playoffs in 2006. Traditionally the Flyers have tip-toed on the line between physical play and felonies. They cannot do this in this series. I don’t want accuse the league of conspiring, but lets face it, like Wayne Gretzky or Jordan, any hit, stick check, or physical play against Ovechkin will be called. Even in the playoffs. I do not think the Flyers play any other style, and the will lose this series to the Capitals in seven.
Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa
Sidney Crosby is only the third best young player ON HIS TEAM. Look for Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury to lead this team into the second round. The Senators have a dicey goaltender situation, not characteristic of a Stanley Cup contender. Though the Penguins have a vulnerable penalty-killing unit that will cost them in the 2nd round, the Senators will not be able to effectively exploit this weakness. Penguins in five.
New Jersey vs. New York Rangers
This is clearly not your dads Devil D. Paul Martin is now the shining star of the New Jersey blue line. The Devils finally have the puck moving point man they have been looking for since before Jimmy Hoffa was rumored to be buried in the Meadowlands. Colin White will provide veteran leadership for that young defensive core. I don’t care if he is aging, give me Marty Brodeur over Henrik Lundqvist anyday. In the unlikely event that Marty is not on, the Devils have a proven backup in Kevin Weekes. Look for John Madden to neutralize Scott Gomez and in a low-scoring series give the Devils over the Rangers in six.
Canadiens vs. Bruins
In this Orignal Six battle Boston is not ready to prevail over Montreal. Although the Habs young goaltender Jaroslav Halak may cost them later in the playoffs, he will pick up his first playoff series victory against Boston. Boston’s lone offensive threat is Marco Sturm while the Habs have four twenty-goal scorers and seven players who have amassed fifty points this season. Le Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge in a five.
Bill Lambeer would be proud
A few things about this years NBA playoffs have me, a product of the early 80's, nostalgic.
Washington-Cleveland
This series has it all, reminiscent of the Lakers-Pistons Finals. Trach talk by Agent Zero and DeShawn Stevenson, hard fouls, ejections. I admit Stevenson bit off more than he can chew calling Lebron overrated, but at least he had the balls to do so. Brenden Haywood layed out James in the first half in game one on a mid court screen that would have made Rick Mahorn proud. Not only that, but towering over James for a few seconds added a nice touch. Props to James for bounding up and continuing to torch the Wizards.
Chippy play continued in game 2. Agent Zero picked up a T as frustration finally set in for Arenas. Haywood was ejected in the 3rd quarter after a flagrent foul on James. Then late in the game, Anderson Varjao was given a flagrent after hitting Andrew Blatch in the face. Wow and this is just the second game of the series.
San Jose Sharks
Ok, so maybe I' overreacting, but this team is struggling in the first round of a series that should have been over after four or five. I am sick and tired of this team underachieving. It seems like they only play well if their backs are against the wall. If a disaster occurs tonight and the Sharks lose Game 7 to Calgary, the whole thing needs to be blown up. Fire Ron Wilson and demote or trade Patrick Marleau.
To his credit Joe Thorton has stepped up more this playoff season than he has in the past with Boston or San Jose. 6 points so far in 6 games, maybe he will step up today. As a Sharks fan I was excited during the deadline when we picked up Brian Campbell, but he has been harder to find in this series than another San Jose fan in Texas, trust me I have tried. Marleau played well in games 3-5 of the series, but he once again dissappeared in game 6. I do not trust him to step up. As the team captain he had to have the balls to step up, urge this team to play well in game 6, and put this series to bed. But this was not the case. I am sick of waiting for this guy to develop into the leader the Sharks have been looking for since Owen Nolan was traded 5 yrs ago. I am depending on Cheechoo or Clowe to step up in game 7 after dissappointing all-around team effort in game 6. If not them this will not be an immature obituaries.
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