We'll now continue our journey down I-95, to some "unconventional" hockey markets. Four of the five teams in the conference came into existence in the 1990s (although you can argue Carolina existed before. Bring back the whale!). Anyway, the Southeast is home to some exciting hockey with the scoring machine in Washington and the Dynamic Duo in Tampa Bay. We also have some news to report that the Chicago Blackhawks have relocated to Miami. Well, alright, that's only partly true, and we'll get into that in a bit.
SOUTHEAST DIVISION:
Last year's standings.
Washington 48-23-11
Tampa Bay 46-25-11
Carolina 40-31-11
Atlanta/Winnipeg 34-36-12
Florida 30-40-12
Washington Capitals: While you car argue it would be difficult for the Capitals to get better, they did it this off season. Amongst rumors of Semyon Varlamov looking to go back to Russia, GMGM (George McPhee) managed to trade him to Colorado for 1st and conditional 2nd round draft pick, which is more than the compensation for his salary if the Avalanche tendered and offer sheet. The capitals also signed Nashville playoff phenom Joel Ward. As if that wasn't enough, they might have made the shrewdest signing this year, Tomas Vokoun, for roughly 1.5 million dollars. The Capitals have had some success with their young goaltenders, but now they have one of the best goalies in the league in recent years at a bargain basement price. Will this be the Capitals year finally? Unfortunately, Vokoun's playoff record is less than stellar, but with a team as deep as Washington's, this could be THE move to bring them over the hump.
Tampa Bay Lightning: What a bizarre summer for the Lightning. RFA scoring machine Steven Stamkos was a challenge to re-sign, but they managed to come to an agreement to keep Stamkos around for awhile. They're also bringing back Dwayne "Rollie the Goalie" Roloson. The ageless wonder continues to defy the critics, as well as nature seemingly. At 41, he appears to play about 10 years younger, with no real signs of stopping. He's possibly the best goalie the Lightning have had since their Cup run in 2004 with Khabibulin. Perhaps the most underrated component to their success is coach Guy Boucher. The Lightning have drafted well, but never managed to click, that is until Guy took the reigns and off they went.
Carolina Hurricanes: Ahh the Cardiac Canes. Or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Carolina Hurricanes have been as enigmatic as they've been exciting the past few seasons. With Eric Staal, Cam Ward and soon to be sophomore Jeff Skinner, the core of this team is still young and highly skilled. The problem lies in their consistency. Will they be a team that looks more at home in the AHL, or will they look like the team that has won the Stanley Cup 06? If the Canes can get their act together and play consistent hockey, they will soon return to the playoffs. If not, it's another year of outside looking in.
Winnipeg Jets (formally Atlanta Thrashers): A brief moment to say how nice it is to see the Jets back in the 'Peg. With that said, I don't see them making the playoffs this year. While it's not impossible, it doesn't seem like they did enough this year to get past their tougher divisional rivals. They do have some quality young players like Kane and Bogosian, as well as Pavelec in goal. This is another team that has the potential to make a run, if they can string together a nice string of wins, but with Tampa and Washington to climb over, it will be an incredibly tall order.
Florida Panthers: This is a team that has made a lot of noise this off season. GM Dale Tallon has stock piled draft picks and took on some salary to make this team more competitive. This year's draft pick Jonathan Huberdeau has a chance to make the lineup, but some of the more established acquistions this year include Kris Versteeg, Scottie Upshall, Theodore, Kopecky, Jovanovski and Brian Campbell. that's 3 cup winning Blackhawks acquired in less than a week. While a good portion of these players could be considered overpaid, they are winning vets who have a want to win, which is something that's been missing in Florida for quite some time. Will Jose Theodore returned to his Hart and Vezina winning form and help propel this team up the standings, or will he be simply an adequate stop gap replacement for Vokoun? Only time will tell, but on paper the Panthers have improved quite a bit.
Predictions: The Southeast Division is still a two horse race between the Capitals and Lightning, but the rest of the division has the potential to play spoiler to either their divisional rivals or other teams in the conference. It certainly looks like the Panthers have the potential to make the biggest splash in the division. However, the Cardiac Canes and Cats will still leave their fans perplexed and at times furious I'm sure. Look for Washington and Tampa Bay to duplicate their 1-2 position in the division once again this season.
Washington-Tampa Bay-Florida-Carolina-Winnipeg
Showing posts with label Tampa Bay Lightning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tampa Bay Lightning. Show all posts
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Steven Stamkos Saga
Nice alliteration huh?
We can really replace his name with a few of the high profile pending RFA's to be lately, but it seems to be that his name is at the top of the list, and on the tips of tongues and fingers everywhere. For good reason I suppose. As currently as this afternoon Tampa Bay has been signing other players (D-men Bruno Gervais and Marc-Andre Bergerson), arguably deemed lesser players, to their roster but have yet to sign Stamkos to a deal. I can hear you asking yourselves already, what pucking gives?! Quite honestly no one really knows, but I'll try to figure it out as best as I can.
According to Capgeek.com, the Lightning have 21 million dollars in cap space right now. Let us just assume for a moment, that Stamkos is looking for Vinny LeCavalier type money (a 7.7 mil cap hit until next millennium). With the current state of of long term deals it seems simple enough to ink him to a long term front loaded contract with a cap hit around 6 million dollars. There is some speculation out there that Steve Yzerman trying to follow the Detroit business model where the top end guys take a little less money for the good of the organization, and it looks like Stamkos isn't biting. Why should he? Back to back 90+ point seasons, with 45 or more goals. The kid is turning into everything that he was expected to be, and possibly more. He has every right to ask for more money. Now on June 22nd TSN reported that Stamkos Says He's "close" to a Deal with Lightning. What could've happened within the span of a week to change all that? With mum being the word from all sides, it's hard to gauge. Without trying to dissect this even further, I'm going to skip right to the speculation flying around. Yeah yeah, enough pucking around, I know.
Let the rumors begin. July 1 is literally right around the corner. Tampa Bay has cap room, but it is being reported that they have lost from anywhere from 20-30 million dollars this past season, despite coming within one game of the Stanley Cup finals. That certainly doesn't bode well for a long term lucrative deal for Stamkos. There are also reports that Stevie Y. has said that he's ready for anything, you have to wonder if there will be money enough to match any/every offer sheet that comes through the door. With the cap floor being so high, a lot of teams are struggling to make it there, so an offer sheet could come from teams with cap room to spare, or from a big market club with space and money to burn. Barring an offer that is completely out of reach you have to wonder if Tampa Bay will match year after year until Stamkos becomes a free agent, or they will manage to iron out a deal before someone else comes along with an offer sheet to good to refuse.
Undoubtedly the compensation will be four consecutive 1st round draft picks, as there is no way the Lightning will be unable to match a smaller offer, nor will one be issued in all likelihood. Teams rumored to be in on the possibility of an offer sheet are Toronto and Philadelphia although any number of teams can make a move, as long as they have their picks to offer as compensation. However, it doesn't make any sense for those to clubs. For starters, Philadelphia has only 8.2 million in cap space currently, and still has to reach deals with recently acquired RFA's Voracek and Simmonds, while also attempting to re-sign pending UFA Ville Leino, whom the Flyers have expressed great interest in locking back up. Not to mention the Flyers are in need of some depth players and possibly a younger defenseman to come in and learn the system while playing a limited minutes role until some key veterans retire, which may be sooner than later. Despite what amounts to rumor mongering by Frank Seravelli of the Philadelphia Daily News, it just seems illogical for the Flyers to make that kind of run at a player. Although to be fair to Frank, this is Philadelphia we're talking about so anything is possible. Toronto seems more likely with over 18million in cap space and an overwhelming need for a number one center. However, with the state of their team, and the bitterness over losing two first round picks for Phil Kessel (which resulted in the second overall pick in the draft, Tyler Seguin and a Stanley Cup for Boston) I cannot see Brian Burke willing to give up four years worth of draft picks. However, if anyone is "crazy" enough to do it, it would be Burke.
Another option could be the New York Rangers. While they are front runners for Brad Richards once free agency opens up, if that goes awry, they do have the space and the craziest of all GM's in Glen Sather to possibly pull this off. I see this as a dark horse at best, simply because they're freeing up their cap space for Brad Richards, and given that player's close relationship to current coach John Tortorella, it's hard to imagine Richards going anywhere else. Other teams with cap space to burn and some offensive woes are the Ottawa Senators (who have holes up and down their line up), Nashville Predators (who play a defensive system), St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche (who are currently deepest at center position).
So as free agency prepares to open its flood gates, we sit and watch as these rumors continue to fly. If you take the time to pause for a moment though, it only seems to make sense that he stays in Tampa Bay. Yzerman will be forever defined by what happens in the coming days, possibly weeks. He's smart and competitive, and there's no way he's simply going to be out bid for a player. If a team puts together a deal, he can simply match it for a year and spend all that time negotiating a long term contract. While fans are enjoying the thoughts of Stamkos in their favorite team's sweater, at the end of the day it's just a pipe dream. Anything is possible, sure, but this one is probably the furthest from it, without being officially impossible.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Final Thoughts on 2010-2011
No, this isn't going to be a Jerry Springer rip off, although that would be hilarious. Anyway, with the puck having been dropped for the final time, and the Cup awarded I think now is a good time to comment on the Cup Final series as well as look back at the season in general.
The Stanley Cup Finals certainly lived up to their own already impressive reputation. Not since 2007-2008 has a President's Trophy winner competed in the Stanley Cup Finals. It also saw two Vezina finalists; Tim Thomas, the eventual Conn Smythe winner; and Roberto Luongo, the scapegoat of the millenium, go head-to-head. Also center stage were the Sedin twins, perhaps the first brothers to win Hart Trophies, and possibly doing it consecutively. With the previous rounds providing seemingly endless amounts of water cooler moments, the finals proved to be no different.
This series saw two teams with radically different approaches to the game. The Canucks are a much more effective puck moving team, and early results showed that as crisp passing would pull Thomas out of position on more than one occasion, giving Vancouver easy goals. Unfortunately for the Canucks, they ran into a much more physical team in the Boston Bruins. Boston presented something the Canucks didn't really face in the playoffs until the Cup finals. Boston used their bodies effectively and won the war of attrition against the Canucks and as series wore on it paid dividends, ultimately leading them to their first Cup win since 1972. Injuries to key defensemen as well as undisclosed injuries to members of their foward core rendered Vancouver's offense all but useless.
The unofficial battle for the Vezina was a sight to behold in games 1 and 2. It took until the final 19 seconds of game 1 to see a winner and OT in game 2 to see Vancouver come away with a 2-0 series lead. Unfortunately, Boston's TD Garden was anything but kind to Luongo. Losing 8-0 and 4-0 in games 3 and 4 to bring Boston even. Whether or not the hit to the head of Nathan Horton was the official catalyst or not for Boston's surge remains to be seen, but it certainly looked like it turned something on for the Bruins and they ran with it. Games 5 and 6 once again saw the home teams winning, with Luongo picking up his 2nd shutout of the series in game 5, forcing the decisive game 7 on Wednesday night.
It seems that Nathan Horton's delivery of water from the TD Garden ice surface proved to be the good luck charm the Bruins needed as they scored in the first period and never looked back. Despite Luongo giving up four goals, you cannot place all the blame on his shoulders. At the end of the day your best players need to be your best players, and for Vancouver they were anything but the best. In a series that should've shown the best of the best that hockey can offer, it showed us that diving and whining about officiating was more important than bearing down and trying to outwork the competition for the Canucks. From where I was watching, there seemed to be a sense of entitlement surrounding the Vancouver team that I simply cannot explain. The better team on paper, got outworked by a group of guys who simply wanted it more. Desire will always win when talent doesn't want to perform.
Regardless of the awful display by certain people set on willful destruction and mayhem following the end of game 7, the Stanley Cup playoffs were excellent all around. Boston's greatest moment will be the lifting of the cup, but they cannot forgot the remarkable comeback season of Tim Thomas, setting the modern day record in save percentage and basically having the best season anyone can remember for a goalie in quite some time. Let us not forget the Nashville Predators advancing to the second round in their history, mark with exclamation points on Pekka Rinne's regular season and playoffs, as well as Joel Ward being a beast in the playoffs. Although I'm fairly certain most people in Nashville will want to forget Bobby Ryan's incredible goal in their first round series. We can also look at Tampa Bay's climb back towards the top of their division and Conference Finals appearance (their first playoff appearance since 06-07) with their impressive erasing of the 3-1 Pittsburgh series lead to eliminate them, then moving on to sweep the Washington Capitals. Despite what the front office, players and fans would regard as a disapointment, the Flyers James vanReimsdyk burst on the scene with one of the most single handedly dominating performances in recent memory in game 2 against Boston in the 2nd round.
The Stanley Cup Finals certainly lived up to their own already impressive reputation. Not since 2007-2008 has a President's Trophy winner competed in the Stanley Cup Finals. It also saw two Vezina finalists; Tim Thomas, the eventual Conn Smythe winner; and Roberto Luongo, the scapegoat of the millenium, go head-to-head. Also center stage were the Sedin twins, perhaps the first brothers to win Hart Trophies, and possibly doing it consecutively. With the previous rounds providing seemingly endless amounts of water cooler moments, the finals proved to be no different.
This series saw two teams with radically different approaches to the game. The Canucks are a much more effective puck moving team, and early results showed that as crisp passing would pull Thomas out of position on more than one occasion, giving Vancouver easy goals. Unfortunately for the Canucks, they ran into a much more physical team in the Boston Bruins. Boston presented something the Canucks didn't really face in the playoffs until the Cup finals. Boston used their bodies effectively and won the war of attrition against the Canucks and as series wore on it paid dividends, ultimately leading them to their first Cup win since 1972. Injuries to key defensemen as well as undisclosed injuries to members of their foward core rendered Vancouver's offense all but useless.
The unofficial battle for the Vezina was a sight to behold in games 1 and 2. It took until the final 19 seconds of game 1 to see a winner and OT in game 2 to see Vancouver come away with a 2-0 series lead. Unfortunately, Boston's TD Garden was anything but kind to Luongo. Losing 8-0 and 4-0 in games 3 and 4 to bring Boston even. Whether or not the hit to the head of Nathan Horton was the official catalyst or not for Boston's surge remains to be seen, but it certainly looked like it turned something on for the Bruins and they ran with it. Games 5 and 6 once again saw the home teams winning, with Luongo picking up his 2nd shutout of the series in game 5, forcing the decisive game 7 on Wednesday night.
It seems that Nathan Horton's delivery of water from the TD Garden ice surface proved to be the good luck charm the Bruins needed as they scored in the first period and never looked back. Despite Luongo giving up four goals, you cannot place all the blame on his shoulders. At the end of the day your best players need to be your best players, and for Vancouver they were anything but the best. In a series that should've shown the best of the best that hockey can offer, it showed us that diving and whining about officiating was more important than bearing down and trying to outwork the competition for the Canucks. From where I was watching, there seemed to be a sense of entitlement surrounding the Vancouver team that I simply cannot explain. The better team on paper, got outworked by a group of guys who simply wanted it more. Desire will always win when talent doesn't want to perform.
Regardless of the awful display by certain people set on willful destruction and mayhem following the end of game 7, the Stanley Cup playoffs were excellent all around. Boston's greatest moment will be the lifting of the cup, but they cannot forgot the remarkable comeback season of Tim Thomas, setting the modern day record in save percentage and basically having the best season anyone can remember for a goalie in quite some time. Let us not forget the Nashville Predators advancing to the second round in their history, mark with exclamation points on Pekka Rinne's regular season and playoffs, as well as Joel Ward being a beast in the playoffs. Although I'm fairly certain most people in Nashville will want to forget Bobby Ryan's incredible goal in their first round series. We can also look at Tampa Bay's climb back towards the top of their division and Conference Finals appearance (their first playoff appearance since 06-07) with their impressive erasing of the 3-1 Pittsburgh series lead to eliminate them, then moving on to sweep the Washington Capitals. Despite what the front office, players and fans would regard as a disapointment, the Flyers James vanReimsdyk burst on the scene with one of the most single handedly dominating performances in recent memory in game 2 against Boston in the 2nd round.
Even the 2010-2011 regular season had some great moments. The second half pushes from the Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils were truly remarkable. Both teams played some of the best hockey of the year when it mattered most. While early season stumbles proved too much to overcome, it was certainly entertaining to watch them make everyone take notice. I would be remiss to not mention the Maple Leafs who also put together a late season surge, led in no small part by the play of James Reimer, aka Optimus Reime. The Leafs already did the smart thing and locked him down to an extension and for the first time in a long time the future seems legitimately bright in Toronto.
Corey Perry in Anaheim was this year's only 50 goal scorer and was part of one of, if not the most, dangerous line in hockey with Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan. Martin St. Louis put together his best season since 06-07 playing with Steven Stamkos, proving to be one of the most dynamic duos in the league today. While talking about Philadelphia goaltending is both repetitive and usually depressing, the performance of Sergei Bobrovsky certainly deserves mention. Undrafted out of Russia, he won the starting job in training camp, when most predicted he would be in the AHL. With the usual rookie ups and downs he turned in a solid rookie season and only looks to get better.
And now it is time to say goodbye to the 2010-2011 NHL season. We all had our good times and bad. Playoff beards have been shaven by all but the grizzliest of men, and we turn our eyes to the draft next week and July 1 for the start of Free Agency. I would also like to thank those of you who have actually taken the time to read this over the season. For being not even a year old, and far from a "professional" blog, it's nice to know that there are some of you out there who read this and (hopefully) enjoy it. The season is over, but the mediocre coverage you've come to know and...tolerate will continue this off season. I'm sure there will be plenty to talk about, so keep reading.
Corey Perry in Anaheim was this year's only 50 goal scorer and was part of one of, if not the most, dangerous line in hockey with Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan. Martin St. Louis put together his best season since 06-07 playing with Steven Stamkos, proving to be one of the most dynamic duos in the league today. While talking about Philadelphia goaltending is both repetitive and usually depressing, the performance of Sergei Bobrovsky certainly deserves mention. Undrafted out of Russia, he won the starting job in training camp, when most predicted he would be in the AHL. With the usual rookie ups and downs he turned in a solid rookie season and only looks to get better.
And now it is time to say goodbye to the 2010-2011 NHL season. We all had our good times and bad. Playoff beards have been shaven by all but the grizzliest of men, and we turn our eyes to the draft next week and July 1 for the start of Free Agency. I would also like to thank those of you who have actually taken the time to read this over the season. For being not even a year old, and far from a "professional" blog, it's nice to know that there are some of you out there who read this and (hopefully) enjoy it. The season is over, but the mediocre coverage you've come to know and...tolerate will continue this off season. I'm sure there will be plenty to talk about, so keep reading.
Friday, May 13, 2011
8 down, 8 to go.
We’re halfway home. The Conference Finals start Saturday the 14th and well, we’ve come this far, so let’s break down the match ups and pick some winners. Although last round predictions were terrible going one for four so let’s see if this will be better or worse.
Western Conference Finals
#1 Vancouver Canucks vs #2 San Jose Sharks
The age old battle of the choke off. Which team wants to lose marginally less is how most people are looking at this. Both teams blew 3-0 series leads this year, only to win their respective game 7’s in dramatic fashion. The Canucks gave up a one goal lead inside of the final two minutes of regulation against the Blackhawks in the first round to conjure up shades of the past two years where they were eliminated by Chicago in the conference semis. Somehow, Chicago managed to beat themselves in OT and Vancouver moved on to face Nashville who they defeated in six games.
The Sharks had their own little voyage of “they’re going to blow it…again” moments this year as well. After defeated the injury depleted Los Angeles Kings in six games, they faced Detroit, a team they faced in the second round last year as well, and handily beat in five games. San Jose are the poster boys for post season futility, as they consistently perform well in the regular season, but fail to win when it counts. They advanced to the Conference Finals last year, but were swept by eventual cup winners Chicago.
Breakdown: The Canucks have a lot of pressure on them, having won the President’s Trophy this season and advancing to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1994, when they advanced to the Stanley Cup finals, losing to the New York Rangers in seven games. The Sharks have never been to the Cup finals, but are looking to shake their underachieving reputation once and for all with a trip of their own. San Jose has a bit of history on their side this year. He currently stands between the pipes and goes by the name Antti Niemi. He was in goal last year for the Chicago Blackhawks when they dispatched the Canucks, and I’m surely the Sharks are hoping he continues his winning ways against them.
While the Sedins have been relatively MIA this post season, the play of Ryan Kesler has been simply outstanding for Vancouver. 11 of his 15 postseason points came in the series against Nashville, and he appears to be finding his groove, which is something the Sharks can ill afford to let continue. Offensively both teams are rather well balanced in terms of depth, but you have to give the edge defensively, at least on paper, to Vancouver. So far Luongo has played well, outlasting Corey Crawford and Pekka Rinne but given Nashville’s lackluster offensive numbers, that wasn’t a huge task. The Sharks are a much more offensively gifted team than Nashville was, and he will need to play some of the best hockey of his career to advance the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 16 years.
Bottom Line: Sharks in 6. I believe that Antti Niemi will be the better goaltender in the series, but given the actual clutch play of “Jumbo” Joe Thorton, the Sharks are finally getting playoff production from their top players. If Vancouver cannot get that same kind of production from the Sedins, this series will be over pretty much before it began.
Eastern Conference Finals
#3 Boston Bruins vs #5 Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning waste no time. This is their first playoff appearance in four years and here they are now, four wins away from the Stanley Cup Finals. The Boston Bruins on the other hand haven’t been to the Conference Finals since 1992. Tampa Bay has had a remarkable run this post season. Coming from 3-1 down to eliminate the Crosby/Malkin-less Penguins, they then went on to sweep the top seeded Washington Capitals, where they managed to make them regress a few seasons in a matter of a few periods. The Tampa Bay Lightning also have one of the most dynamic playoff goaltenders in Dwayne Roloson. This guy is practically unbeatable in elimination games, and he carried the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup finals in 06, where if not for his injury in game one, many believe they would’ve won the Cup.
The Boston Bruins have no slouch between their pipes either. All but guaranteed a second Vezina trophy for his absolutely dominating performance this season, Tim Thomas has returned to the form he seemingly lost a year ago. The Bruins defeated their bitter rivals the Montreal Canadiens in a seven game classic series in the opening round before having their way with the Flyers in a four game sweep in the Conference semifinals. A balanced attack and solid team defense, along with Thomas stopping almost everything that comes his way makes the Bruins a tough out this post season.
Breakdown: Tampa Bay is getting scoring from the unlikeliest of places. Vinny Lecavalier. While that seems like a joke, Vinny hasn’t been his 50 goal self in a long time, and he is finding his touch this post season, as he is second on the team with 12 points, behind Martin St. Louis with 13. Other unlikely scorers are former Islander Sean Bergenheim. He has 8 points (7, 1) in 11 games. His career high regular season numbers are 29 points (14, 15) which he scored this year. It’s not impossible to think that he can match his regular season goal total in the playoffs this year. Steve Downie also continues to thrive down in Tampa as he is tied with Lecavalier for points in the playoffs. If Steven Stamkos can start to contribute regularly (4g, 2a, -2) this Tampa Bay Lightning team will become even scarier.
The Bruins finally got some scoring from Milan Lucic in the second round where most of, if not all, of his points came in the series against the Flyers. He and Nathan Horton have found some chemistry and they are a dangerous pair coming down the wing. The biggest concern for Boston is the loss of leading playoff scorer Patrice Bergeron, who was concussed on a questionable hit from Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux. Taking his place in the lineup will be 19 year old rookie Tyler Seguin. Seguin doesn’t bring the complete game Bergeron has, but he has speed, an excellent skill set and youthful energy. It’s unlikely he will produce the kind of points that Bergeron did, but he can give the Lightning one more thing to think about. David Krejci and Nathan Horton will be looked on to contribute more in the points department, but after watching Krejci in the Philly series, that shouldn’t be a problem. Look to Tim Thomas once again to stop the vast majority of pucks thrown his way. He will be there to bail the Bruins out should any type of defensive lapse or breakdown occurs.
Bottom Line: This will be a great goaltending match up to watch. Tim Thomas is a Vezina winner and Rollie the ageless goalie is simply an unbelievable playoff performer. Two potential Conn Smythe winners will be battling it out in the Eastern Conference for a right to play for the Cup. At the end of the day, I think that Tampa Bay has more “elite” talent (as much as I hate to use that reasoning) and Roloson’s will to win, will put Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup finals once again. Lightning in 7.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
and now the east
(hey NHL, the picture is yours i know. i'm not saying it's mine. don't sue me jerks)
The Eastern Conference wrapped up its quarterfinal rounds tonight in dramatic fashion. Montreal and Boston went into OT, where Boston actually won a game 7, and Tampa Bay came back from being down 3-1 in the series to ride out a last minute penalty to defeat the Penguins at the Consol Energy Center. We now officially have our match ups, so it's time to break them down.
#1 Washington Capitals vs #5 Tampa Bay Lightning
Regular season results, Washington wins 4-2 (3-1-1 tampa bay)
The Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers, erasing some dubious history of losing a series after being up 2-0. Michael Neuvirth has been excellent, even in loses for the Caps. Look for him to continue starting for the Caps to start this series. Meanwhile Southeast Division rivals, the Tampa Bay Lighting, have fought back from the brink of elimination to advance to the next round. Dwayne Roloson has been huge for the Lightning since being acquired from the New York Islanders earlier in the season.
Washington Capitals: The Capitals are past the first round, and they beat an excellent goaltender to do it. The commitment to team defense has really paid off. All of their regular season adversity has really seemed to make this a better club this spring. While, one player does not make a team, the deadline acquisition of Jason Arnott certainly hasn't hurt. The goaltending carousel has stopped on Michael Neuvirth and he has yet to disappoint. Washington will need to get more scoring out of Backstrom who has a points in the first series. Yes, not even a number, but a letter of points. The trio of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin will need to step up for Washington as Tampa Bay is more offensively gifted than the Rangers.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Tampa Bay has really come into their own under first year head coach Guy Boucher. Given the talent this team has up front, it's not so much as surprise as it is a relief. The Lighting have a goaltending merry-go-round of their own, as four goaltenders have played for them this season. When the ride finally stopped Rollie the ageless goalie, Dwayne Roloson, has emerged as their starter and he is on a mission. Twice in his career, before the series against Pittsburgh, he has lead a team back from being down 3-1 and almost singlehandedly won a cup in Edmonton. It's hard to recall an injury to one player being so significant to a team, than Roloson going down in '06. With the team he has in front of him, it's very possible that Roloson can will this team back to their first Cup final appearance since their win in 2004.
Breakdown: Look for goals, and lots of opportunities. Neither of these teams are defensive juggernauts, but they are capable of keeping games close. At the end of the day though, these are two teams who are more comfortable scoring goals than preventing them. With that said, goalies will still be called upon to make crucial saves to give their teams a chance to win.
Bottom line: Bolts in 7. Look for this series to be a back and forth battle. As good as Neuvirth has been good, Roloson knows what it takes to win and will be a deciding factor in this series.
#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs #3 Boston Bruins
Regular season results, Boston won 2-1-1
The Flyers have once again staged a comeback in the playoffs, battling back from 3-2 to defeat Buffalo in an exciting series. Boston was engaged in one of the oldest rivalries in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens. In a series where the home teams were both 1-2 before game seven. Boston was the aggressor getting leads and holding them for periods of time, but the Habs continually battled back and forced overtime where they ultimately lost thanks to Nathan Horton. The win has set up a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference semi final, where the Flyers became only the third team in the NHL to come back from a 3-0 series deficit to win a series. In that monumental game seven the Bruins managed to blow a 3-0 lead. This series is going to be epic
Philadelphia Flyers: Well we can't talk about how determined this team is, or the talent from the the fowards to the defense. No, the only thing that matters in Philadelphia is goaltending. Will it be Boucher? Bob? Leighton? It doesn't matter that Danny Briere leads the league this postseason with goals, or that Claude Giroux leads the postseason with assists and is second in points and Timmo Kimmonen leads the league at +9. None of that matters since they don't have a superstar goaltender capable of stopping shots from five different angles at once. While goaltending is certainly a concern, Brian Boucher has been more than up to the task of backstopping the Flyers. With the exception of a terrible stretch during game 5, Boucher has been excellent between the pipes for Philadelphia. He's 3rd among all goalies in the playoffs in goals-against average (not including Lindback or Niittymaki who came in relief for their respective clubs). Their abysmal power play has shown signs of improvement since Chris Pronger has returned to the lineup, scoring critical goals in both games 6 and 7.
Boston Bruins: The Big Bad Bruins are more than capable of playing physically, yet they seemed content to let the faster Canadiens move as they pleased. They will need to up their physical play against the Flyers, a team who can bang and move. The Bruins have an undeniable edge in net with Tim Thomas who had one of the best regular seasons in recent memory. They're going up against a team who can put a lot of rubber on net. Timmy Thomas will need to be at his best to keep the Bruins in the game. The Bruins will need to improve their special teams, especially their power play which was absolutely dreadful against Montreal. The Flyers kill penalties aggressively and the Bruins will need to be smart with the puck, or they will give up shorties. Chris Kelly has been an excellent pick up for them in the post season. He leads the team in goals and is second on the team in points. Look for him to continue his steady play against the Flyers.
Breakdown: This should be a very physical series, as both teams are able to bang bodies and dish out some punishment. The key will be special teams. The Flyers are looking to be clicking on the power play, while the Bruins power play is powerless. This is one of the more evenly matched series we will see this post season and should be an exciting one. The Flyers entered the playoffs on a terrible run, but picked it up in the series against Buffalo. The Bruins were in a tight division race all year and rode the back of Tim Thomas to the third seed. The speed of the Habs showed their weaknesses, but given the history between these teams, expect this to be hard hitting and nasty. Boston will want revenge for last year, and the Flyers will look to get a lead and stay on top.
Bottom Line: Flyers in 6. Given the officiating this post season, and both teams ability to sit in the sin bin, special teams will be crucial to this series. Boston will need to find a way to score on the power play, otherwise they will have to completely dominate five-on-five play to get to the conference finals. The Flyers will also need to continue to find success on the power play. Tim Thomas is more than capable of stealing games, so scoring when you have the man advantage will be huge.
#1 Washington Capitals vs #5 Tampa Bay Lightning
Regular season results, Washington wins 4-2 (3-1-1 tampa bay)
The Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers, erasing some dubious history of losing a series after being up 2-0. Michael Neuvirth has been excellent, even in loses for the Caps. Look for him to continue starting for the Caps to start this series. Meanwhile Southeast Division rivals, the Tampa Bay Lighting, have fought back from the brink of elimination to advance to the next round. Dwayne Roloson has been huge for the Lightning since being acquired from the New York Islanders earlier in the season.
Washington Capitals: The Capitals are past the first round, and they beat an excellent goaltender to do it. The commitment to team defense has really paid off. All of their regular season adversity has really seemed to make this a better club this spring. While, one player does not make a team, the deadline acquisition of Jason Arnott certainly hasn't hurt. The goaltending carousel has stopped on Michael Neuvirth and he has yet to disappoint. Washington will need to get more scoring out of Backstrom who has a points in the first series. Yes, not even a number, but a letter of points. The trio of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin will need to step up for Washington as Tampa Bay is more offensively gifted than the Rangers.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Tampa Bay has really come into their own under first year head coach Guy Boucher. Given the talent this team has up front, it's not so much as surprise as it is a relief. The Lighting have a goaltending merry-go-round of their own, as four goaltenders have played for them this season. When the ride finally stopped Rollie the ageless goalie, Dwayne Roloson, has emerged as their starter and he is on a mission. Twice in his career, before the series against Pittsburgh, he has lead a team back from being down 3-1 and almost singlehandedly won a cup in Edmonton. It's hard to recall an injury to one player being so significant to a team, than Roloson going down in '06. With the team he has in front of him, it's very possible that Roloson can will this team back to their first Cup final appearance since their win in 2004.
Breakdown: Look for goals, and lots of opportunities. Neither of these teams are defensive juggernauts, but they are capable of keeping games close. At the end of the day though, these are two teams who are more comfortable scoring goals than preventing them. With that said, goalies will still be called upon to make crucial saves to give their teams a chance to win.
Bottom line: Bolts in 7. Look for this series to be a back and forth battle. As good as Neuvirth has been good, Roloson knows what it takes to win and will be a deciding factor in this series.
#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs #3 Boston Bruins
Regular season results, Boston won 2-1-1
The Flyers have once again staged a comeback in the playoffs, battling back from 3-2 to defeat Buffalo in an exciting series. Boston was engaged in one of the oldest rivalries in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens. In a series where the home teams were both 1-2 before game seven. Boston was the aggressor getting leads and holding them for periods of time, but the Habs continually battled back and forced overtime where they ultimately lost thanks to Nathan Horton. The win has set up a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference semi final, where the Flyers became only the third team in the NHL to come back from a 3-0 series deficit to win a series. In that monumental game seven the Bruins managed to blow a 3-0 lead. This series is going to be epic
Philadelphia Flyers: Well we can't talk about how determined this team is, or the talent from the the fowards to the defense. No, the only thing that matters in Philadelphia is goaltending. Will it be Boucher? Bob? Leighton? It doesn't matter that Danny Briere leads the league this postseason with goals, or that Claude Giroux leads the postseason with assists and is second in points and Timmo Kimmonen leads the league at +9. None of that matters since they don't have a superstar goaltender capable of stopping shots from five different angles at once. While goaltending is certainly a concern, Brian Boucher has been more than up to the task of backstopping the Flyers. With the exception of a terrible stretch during game 5, Boucher has been excellent between the pipes for Philadelphia. He's 3rd among all goalies in the playoffs in goals-against average (not including Lindback or Niittymaki who came in relief for their respective clubs). Their abysmal power play has shown signs of improvement since Chris Pronger has returned to the lineup, scoring critical goals in both games 6 and 7.
Boston Bruins: The Big Bad Bruins are more than capable of playing physically, yet they seemed content to let the faster Canadiens move as they pleased. They will need to up their physical play against the Flyers, a team who can bang and move. The Bruins have an undeniable edge in net with Tim Thomas who had one of the best regular seasons in recent memory. They're going up against a team who can put a lot of rubber on net. Timmy Thomas will need to be at his best to keep the Bruins in the game. The Bruins will need to improve their special teams, especially their power play which was absolutely dreadful against Montreal. The Flyers kill penalties aggressively and the Bruins will need to be smart with the puck, or they will give up shorties. Chris Kelly has been an excellent pick up for them in the post season. He leads the team in goals and is second on the team in points. Look for him to continue his steady play against the Flyers.
Breakdown: This should be a very physical series, as both teams are able to bang bodies and dish out some punishment. The key will be special teams. The Flyers are looking to be clicking on the power play, while the Bruins power play is powerless. This is one of the more evenly matched series we will see this post season and should be an exciting one. The Flyers entered the playoffs on a terrible run, but picked it up in the series against Buffalo. The Bruins were in a tight division race all year and rode the back of Tim Thomas to the third seed. The speed of the Habs showed their weaknesses, but given the history between these teams, expect this to be hard hitting and nasty. Boston will want revenge for last year, and the Flyers will look to get a lead and stay on top.
Bottom Line: Flyers in 6. Given the officiating this post season, and both teams ability to sit in the sin bin, special teams will be crucial to this series. Boston will need to find a way to score on the power play, otherwise they will have to completely dominate five-on-five play to get to the conference finals. The Flyers will also need to continue to find success on the power play. Tim Thomas is more than capable of stealing games, so scoring when you have the man advantage will be huge.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
It's preview time.
No pontificating (I just wanted to say that) about the end of the regular season. You know it's over, and you know it was awesome. The playoffs are here and it's time to get down to business. So without further adieu (bi-lingual up in the mo-pucker) here is the Eastern Conference matches and my "expert" analysis and predictions.
#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers
Regular Season results, Rangers win series 3-1 (Caps 2-1-1)
The Rangers once again needed the last day of the season to clinch a playoff spot, and they needed help from the Tampa Bay Lightning to do it. The Caps on the other hand, have once again finished on the top of the heap, and while they failed to capture the President's Trophy for two years in a row, but till have the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers will be out to prove that they deserve to be in, and the Caps are looking to finally get passed the first round and show they're for real.
Caps: The Caps have improved defensively and that was their biggest downfall the last few years in the playoffs. Their run-and-gun offense was fine in the regular season, but when the playoffs start and teams buckle down, it's not always enough to play fast and loose. What remains to be seen is whether or not Mike Greene will be back in the line up after dealing with his head injury. He will certainly help the Caps power play which finished the season at 17.5%. The biggest question will be whether or not the Caps young goaltenders will be able to rise to the occasion and get them over the hump. All three goaltenders who have played for the Caps this season have been rather solid between the pipes, but only Varlamov has any kind of playoff track record. Neuvirth seems to be the Caps choice heading into the first round, so it will be interesting to see if he's the key to the Caps success or not.
Rangers: Rangers might have just made the playoffs on the last day, but the last few games have been some really inspired hockey with gutsy wins over division leaders Boson and Philadelphia. The Alanta shutout was a cause for alarm, but they bounced back and won when their backs were against the wall. They have lost one of their emotional leaders in Ryan Callahan to a broken leg, courtesy of Zdeno Chara. The return of captain Chris Drury seemed to be a morale boost. The play of Henrik Lundqvist has once again been stellar, as he is the NHL shutout leader this season, with 11. King Henrik, has been known to let in a softy in his day, so it should be interesting to see which version of him shows up come playoff time.
Breakdown: This series should be rather intense. The Rangers have a chip on their shoulder, but the Caps have something to prove of their own. Rangers and Caps have met in the playoffs before so there could be some bad blood brewing, if it hasn't started already. With the new commitment to better team defense, expect the Caps to put on a better display than they did last year against the Habs. Goaltending will be the key to this series. The Rangers actually put up more goals this season than the Capitals (233 to 224), so they aren't afraid to go toe-to-toe in an offensive battle. Their biggest problem is that they tend to score in bunches, so if the well runs dry against a team like the caps they could be in trouble. Will either goaltender be able to steal a game, possibly the series, for their respective clubs? Whoever can win the battle between the pipes will win the series. I think the regular season struggles of the Caps have made them a stronger team for the playoffs.
Bottom Line: Caps in 6. that's if they can get playoff caliber goaltending from Neuvirth...or whoever starts for them. If goaltending fails them again, Rangers in 7
#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #7 Buffalo Sabres
Regular Season results, 2-2 (Philly 2-1-1, Buffalo 2-2)
Stop me if you heard this before, but Philadelphia needed a solid last game effort to clinch a spot, and they have goaltending issues. Only difference now is that last year they were fighting for the final playoff spot, and this year they were fighting for the Atlantic Division title and #2 seed. Goaltenders for Philadelphia have been healthy this season as opposed to the trauma unit they had in goal last year, but their anointed starter has been pulled twice in his last few starts once again raising the question of who will be in the pipes come Game 1. Buffalo, has been...well Buffalo. Seemingly flying under the radar, but playing well enough to make it in.
Philadelphia Flyers: As stated above, the Flyers are once against in the midst of some goaltending issues, but that's par for couse at this point. Honestly, if this happened to any other team, it wouldn't be a big deal, but Philly's been having goaltending issues since Hextall's 2nd go round in the orange and black. It's up there with death and taxes as things you can count on in life. The recalling of Michael Leighton from the Phantoms only adds to the goaltending situation. Are the Flyers showing no faith in rookie Sergei Bobrovsky, or are the Flyers simply looking to add some insurance in case something should happen to either him or Boucher?
Offensively the Flyers are arguably one of the deepest teams in the playoffs. 7 players with 20 goals or more, two of which are over 30 goals on the season. They also have two players who just missed the 20 goal plateau, which means they could've had 9 players with 20 or more goals. Defensively, the Flyers have a terrific crop of 6 D-men, although the absence of Chris Pronger, courtesy of a broken hand, has been detrimental to the team. All aspects of their game has been suffering without his veteran leadership on the ice. Waiver pickup Nick Boynton is day-to-day with neck issues, so look for the 6th man to be Danny Syvret, until Pronger or Boynton is healthy enough to come back in the line up. Obviously the Flyers are hoping for Pronger's return first and foremost to help with their mediocre power play and PK.
Buffalo Sabres: Buffalo enters the playoffs on a decent streak of 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, securing the 7th seed. Thomas Vanek has been one of the hottest players down the stretch, and their leading scorer for the season. The acquisition of Brad Boyes has also sent a message that the Sabres are out to win, and they want to win quickly. Previous ownership of the team was notoriously frugal, and the new owner has come in with a message to the team that he wants to win, and he's willing to spend to do it.
Defensively one has to look at Tyler Meyers, rookie phenom who had one of the worst sophomore slumps in the first half of the season. He has since been on a tear and managed to finish even in plus-minus, after being a minus for the majority of the time leading up to the midway point of the season. Jhonas Enroth has also been a pleasant surprise for Buffalo this season. It used to be the Sabres only had a chance to win with Miller between the pipes, as Patrick Lalime has been terrible during his tenure in Buffalo. To give you an idea of his "success" in Sabres blue, in the past 3 seasons with the sabres, he has been a combined 9-26-5, including 0-5-o this season. Those are numbers that instill confidence in your back up. Enroth on the other hand is 9-2-2 this year, already equalling Lalime's wins over 3 seasons. If something should happen to Miller, Enroth appears to have the skills to step in and get some wins for the Sabres. At the end of the day though, this is still Ryan Miller's team, and he will need to be brillant to stifle the Philadelphia attack.
Breakdown: Philly limped into the playoffs this year, but they did that last year too. Will they capture lightning in a bottle twice, or will the lackluster 20 game stretch be too much for them? The long layoff should help, and hopefully they will use that time to rest up and nurse any nagging injuries before the series with Buffalo. Their regular season match ups have been exciting games, and the playoff atmosphere should only add to that. Will the man they call Bob say "nyet" to the Sabres and bring the Flyers one step closer to the Cup, or will they need to call on their expirienced backups? The Flyers have the physical edge, but Buffalo can punish you for being careless with the puck. If the Flyers can control the flow of the game their forecheck will wear down Buffalo. They will need to play smart and limit the term overs, something that has been a bit of an issue as of late. If they can do that, they can win.
Bottom Line: Flyers in 7. Ryan Miller will steal some games, but the Flyers should be able to prevail
#3 Boston Bruins vs #6 Montreal Canadiens
Regular Season results Montreal wins 4-2 (boston 2-3-1)
Boston Bruins: The "big bad" Bruins have certainly lived up to their name this year. Towards the top of the lead in fighting majors, and if there is a stat for this, they have to be up there in breaking opponents bones. Well at least Chara is anyway. Their abilities to be excellent loan sharks notwithstanding, the play of Timmy Thomas has to be noted. While most people out there were willing to write him off after last season (myself included) he has stormed back and not only silenced even the harshest of critics, he did so while setting a new record in save percentage of .938%. As long as Tim Thomas is between the pipes, the Bruins will have a chance to win every game they play.
Montreal Canadiens: In one of the most bizarre moves of last year's off season, the Habs traded the rights of Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues for a 6-pack and half a pizza. After their run to the Eastern Conference finals, defeating both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins in playoff series for the ages, they essentially say "thanks for that, now don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya," although it probably sounded way more pompous in French. The Habs decided to stick with Carey Price and he has rewarded them with his best season as a professional, with each stat being a career high for him. The Canadiens will need more of this kind of play out of him if they have any kind of hope to beat the Bruins
Breakdown: This is like a prize fight where it's speed versus power. There is no way the Habs can compete with the Bruins in a physical series, but the Bruins cannot compete with the speed of the Habs. Whoever can control their aspect of the game will be victorious. There is already a long standing history between these two Original Six teams, and this regular season has only added to it. The Pachioretty incident will certainly be talked about again, and the Habs should use that to their advantage, but looking at their first meeting with the B's after that, they simply came out flat. The Canadiens will need to skate and move the puck quickly to keep Boston reeling. Conversely, the Bruins will need to bang on the Habs every chance they get. You often hear players say from the bench "no easy plays, boys" and the mantra should hold true for Boston. Finish every check and make the Habs pay a price every time they touch the puck, and they will success. Both goalies will need to bring their best efforts to give their teams a chance to win. You have two Vezina caliber goaltenders going head to head in one of the most storied rivalries in the NHL, and this should be an exciting series to watch.
Bottom Line: Boston in 5/6. The Habs will need to find a way to respond to the physical game of the Bruins if they have a chance. Plus, Tim Thomas has been a beast all season, and I don't that changing any time soon.
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #5 Tampa Bay Lightning
Regular Season results, series split 2-2
This is the series the league will be pushing the most in the first round. Will Crosby be back in time to play in this series? What will Steven Stamkos be like in the post season? These are two teams with players who know what it takes to win the cup, and who want to win. Who will want it more?
Pittsburgh Penguins: When Crosby was on nearly a two point-per-game pace, the play of Marc-Andre Fleury was suspect at best. Then when both Malkin and Crosby were lost for the season, the man they call Flower came up huge for them. Jordan Staal finally returned to the line up after his broken hand injury and has been this team's number one center in the absence of the team's top two guys. Credit to Dan Bylsma for turning this team into a more defensive minded team amidst the loss of their two most offensively dynamic players. It is working well for them, as everyone was expecting them to fall off the face of the earth without Crosby and Malkin.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Steve Yzerman and Guy Boucher have turned Tampa Bay into what they should've been for years, a playoff team. Steven Stamkos was on pace for 50 in 50, and while he fell off his torrid offensive pace, he still managed to finish the season with 45 goals and 91 points. Line mate Martin St. Louis turned in his second best season in terms of points, and set a new personal record for assists. In terms of Center-Winger combinations they are 2nd only to the Sedins in terms of points, but not by much. Vincent Lecavalier looks like he's finding his game again scoring more goals this season than last season, despite playing in 17 fewer games. He's a long way from his career years, but he knows what it takes to win, so look for him to step his game up in the playoffs. The big question in Tampa is goaltending. Expect Dwayne Roloson to start. At 41, you have to wonder if he has it in him to sustain a long playoff run, but he seems to be ageless between the pipes.
Breakdown: The Penguins are perennial favorites for the division title and conference lead. This year was no different, and they challenged right up until the end for the division. Tampa Bay was leading their division for awhile, but lost it to the Caps. With both teams having a mix of veterans who know what you need to do to hold the cup over your head, as well as young hungry players, it will simply come down to who wants it more. Dwayne Roloson carried the Oilers to the Cup finals in '06, and if not for his injury, it's quite possible they would've won. Can Rollie the ageless goalie do the same for Tampa Bay? The Lightning are a team that can score, but they can also give up as many as they put in. Roloson will have to be his old self and be prepared to steal this series.
Bottom Line: Pens in 7. This should be a back and forth series, but it just seems like the Pens will find a way to pull this one out. Roloson will have to steal a few games in order for the Lightning to be victorious. Tampa has given up the most goals this season, and I don't see that changing in the playoffs.
So there you have it, the east in a nutshell. Yeah i picked all the top seeds, but honestly these series can all go either way. The only series I really see being "easy" to predict is Boston/Montreal. I will be back tomorrow, or Tuesday, with the Western Conference previews. Those should be fun matchups.
#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers
Regular Season results, Rangers win series 3-1 (Caps 2-1-1)
The Rangers once again needed the last day of the season to clinch a playoff spot, and they needed help from the Tampa Bay Lightning to do it. The Caps on the other hand, have once again finished on the top of the heap, and while they failed to capture the President's Trophy for two years in a row, but till have the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers will be out to prove that they deserve to be in, and the Caps are looking to finally get passed the first round and show they're for real.
Caps: The Caps have improved defensively and that was their biggest downfall the last few years in the playoffs. Their run-and-gun offense was fine in the regular season, but when the playoffs start and teams buckle down, it's not always enough to play fast and loose. What remains to be seen is whether or not Mike Greene will be back in the line up after dealing with his head injury. He will certainly help the Caps power play which finished the season at 17.5%. The biggest question will be whether or not the Caps young goaltenders will be able to rise to the occasion and get them over the hump. All three goaltenders who have played for the Caps this season have been rather solid between the pipes, but only Varlamov has any kind of playoff track record. Neuvirth seems to be the Caps choice heading into the first round, so it will be interesting to see if he's the key to the Caps success or not.
Rangers: Rangers might have just made the playoffs on the last day, but the last few games have been some really inspired hockey with gutsy wins over division leaders Boson and Philadelphia. The Alanta shutout was a cause for alarm, but they bounced back and won when their backs were against the wall. They have lost one of their emotional leaders in Ryan Callahan to a broken leg, courtesy of Zdeno Chara. The return of captain Chris Drury seemed to be a morale boost. The play of Henrik Lundqvist has once again been stellar, as he is the NHL shutout leader this season, with 11. King Henrik, has been known to let in a softy in his day, so it should be interesting to see which version of him shows up come playoff time.
Breakdown: This series should be rather intense. The Rangers have a chip on their shoulder, but the Caps have something to prove of their own. Rangers and Caps have met in the playoffs before so there could be some bad blood brewing, if it hasn't started already. With the new commitment to better team defense, expect the Caps to put on a better display than they did last year against the Habs. Goaltending will be the key to this series. The Rangers actually put up more goals this season than the Capitals (233 to 224), so they aren't afraid to go toe-to-toe in an offensive battle. Their biggest problem is that they tend to score in bunches, so if the well runs dry against a team like the caps they could be in trouble. Will either goaltender be able to steal a game, possibly the series, for their respective clubs? Whoever can win the battle between the pipes will win the series. I think the regular season struggles of the Caps have made them a stronger team for the playoffs.
Bottom Line: Caps in 6. that's if they can get playoff caliber goaltending from Neuvirth...or whoever starts for them. If goaltending fails them again, Rangers in 7
#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #7 Buffalo Sabres
Regular Season results, 2-2 (Philly 2-1-1, Buffalo 2-2)
Stop me if you heard this before, but Philadelphia needed a solid last game effort to clinch a spot, and they have goaltending issues. Only difference now is that last year they were fighting for the final playoff spot, and this year they were fighting for the Atlantic Division title and #2 seed. Goaltenders for Philadelphia have been healthy this season as opposed to the trauma unit they had in goal last year, but their anointed starter has been pulled twice in his last few starts once again raising the question of who will be in the pipes come Game 1. Buffalo, has been...well Buffalo. Seemingly flying under the radar, but playing well enough to make it in.
Philadelphia Flyers: As stated above, the Flyers are once against in the midst of some goaltending issues, but that's par for couse at this point. Honestly, if this happened to any other team, it wouldn't be a big deal, but Philly's been having goaltending issues since Hextall's 2nd go round in the orange and black. It's up there with death and taxes as things you can count on in life. The recalling of Michael Leighton from the Phantoms only adds to the goaltending situation. Are the Flyers showing no faith in rookie Sergei Bobrovsky, or are the Flyers simply looking to add some insurance in case something should happen to either him or Boucher?
Offensively the Flyers are arguably one of the deepest teams in the playoffs. 7 players with 20 goals or more, two of which are over 30 goals on the season. They also have two players who just missed the 20 goal plateau, which means they could've had 9 players with 20 or more goals. Defensively, the Flyers have a terrific crop of 6 D-men, although the absence of Chris Pronger, courtesy of a broken hand, has been detrimental to the team. All aspects of their game has been suffering without his veteran leadership on the ice. Waiver pickup Nick Boynton is day-to-day with neck issues, so look for the 6th man to be Danny Syvret, until Pronger or Boynton is healthy enough to come back in the line up. Obviously the Flyers are hoping for Pronger's return first and foremost to help with their mediocre power play and PK.
Buffalo Sabres: Buffalo enters the playoffs on a decent streak of 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, securing the 7th seed. Thomas Vanek has been one of the hottest players down the stretch, and their leading scorer for the season. The acquisition of Brad Boyes has also sent a message that the Sabres are out to win, and they want to win quickly. Previous ownership of the team was notoriously frugal, and the new owner has come in with a message to the team that he wants to win, and he's willing to spend to do it.
Defensively one has to look at Tyler Meyers, rookie phenom who had one of the worst sophomore slumps in the first half of the season. He has since been on a tear and managed to finish even in plus-minus, after being a minus for the majority of the time leading up to the midway point of the season. Jhonas Enroth has also been a pleasant surprise for Buffalo this season. It used to be the Sabres only had a chance to win with Miller between the pipes, as Patrick Lalime has been terrible during his tenure in Buffalo. To give you an idea of his "success" in Sabres blue, in the past 3 seasons with the sabres, he has been a combined 9-26-5, including 0-5-o this season. Those are numbers that instill confidence in your back up. Enroth on the other hand is 9-2-2 this year, already equalling Lalime's wins over 3 seasons. If something should happen to Miller, Enroth appears to have the skills to step in and get some wins for the Sabres. At the end of the day though, this is still Ryan Miller's team, and he will need to be brillant to stifle the Philadelphia attack.
Breakdown: Philly limped into the playoffs this year, but they did that last year too. Will they capture lightning in a bottle twice, or will the lackluster 20 game stretch be too much for them? The long layoff should help, and hopefully they will use that time to rest up and nurse any nagging injuries before the series with Buffalo. Their regular season match ups have been exciting games, and the playoff atmosphere should only add to that. Will the man they call Bob say "nyet" to the Sabres and bring the Flyers one step closer to the Cup, or will they need to call on their expirienced backups? The Flyers have the physical edge, but Buffalo can punish you for being careless with the puck. If the Flyers can control the flow of the game their forecheck will wear down Buffalo. They will need to play smart and limit the term overs, something that has been a bit of an issue as of late. If they can do that, they can win.
Bottom Line: Flyers in 7. Ryan Miller will steal some games, but the Flyers should be able to prevail
#3 Boston Bruins vs #6 Montreal Canadiens
Regular Season results Montreal wins 4-2 (boston 2-3-1)
Boston Bruins: The "big bad" Bruins have certainly lived up to their name this year. Towards the top of the lead in fighting majors, and if there is a stat for this, they have to be up there in breaking opponents bones. Well at least Chara is anyway. Their abilities to be excellent loan sharks notwithstanding, the play of Timmy Thomas has to be noted. While most people out there were willing to write him off after last season (myself included) he has stormed back and not only silenced even the harshest of critics, he did so while setting a new record in save percentage of .938%. As long as Tim Thomas is between the pipes, the Bruins will have a chance to win every game they play.
Montreal Canadiens: In one of the most bizarre moves of last year's off season, the Habs traded the rights of Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues for a 6-pack and half a pizza. After their run to the Eastern Conference finals, defeating both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins in playoff series for the ages, they essentially say "thanks for that, now don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya," although it probably sounded way more pompous in French. The Habs decided to stick with Carey Price and he has rewarded them with his best season as a professional, with each stat being a career high for him. The Canadiens will need more of this kind of play out of him if they have any kind of hope to beat the Bruins
Breakdown: This is like a prize fight where it's speed versus power. There is no way the Habs can compete with the Bruins in a physical series, but the Bruins cannot compete with the speed of the Habs. Whoever can control their aspect of the game will be victorious. There is already a long standing history between these two Original Six teams, and this regular season has only added to it. The Pachioretty incident will certainly be talked about again, and the Habs should use that to their advantage, but looking at their first meeting with the B's after that, they simply came out flat. The Canadiens will need to skate and move the puck quickly to keep Boston reeling. Conversely, the Bruins will need to bang on the Habs every chance they get. You often hear players say from the bench "no easy plays, boys" and the mantra should hold true for Boston. Finish every check and make the Habs pay a price every time they touch the puck, and they will success. Both goalies will need to bring their best efforts to give their teams a chance to win. You have two Vezina caliber goaltenders going head to head in one of the most storied rivalries in the NHL, and this should be an exciting series to watch.
Bottom Line: Boston in 5/6. The Habs will need to find a way to respond to the physical game of the Bruins if they have a chance. Plus, Tim Thomas has been a beast all season, and I don't that changing any time soon.
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #5 Tampa Bay Lightning
Regular Season results, series split 2-2
This is the series the league will be pushing the most in the first round. Will Crosby be back in time to play in this series? What will Steven Stamkos be like in the post season? These are two teams with players who know what it takes to win the cup, and who want to win. Who will want it more?
Pittsburgh Penguins: When Crosby was on nearly a two point-per-game pace, the play of Marc-Andre Fleury was suspect at best. Then when both Malkin and Crosby were lost for the season, the man they call Flower came up huge for them. Jordan Staal finally returned to the line up after his broken hand injury and has been this team's number one center in the absence of the team's top two guys. Credit to Dan Bylsma for turning this team into a more defensive minded team amidst the loss of their two most offensively dynamic players. It is working well for them, as everyone was expecting them to fall off the face of the earth without Crosby and Malkin.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Steve Yzerman and Guy Boucher have turned Tampa Bay into what they should've been for years, a playoff team. Steven Stamkos was on pace for 50 in 50, and while he fell off his torrid offensive pace, he still managed to finish the season with 45 goals and 91 points. Line mate Martin St. Louis turned in his second best season in terms of points, and set a new personal record for assists. In terms of Center-Winger combinations they are 2nd only to the Sedins in terms of points, but not by much. Vincent Lecavalier looks like he's finding his game again scoring more goals this season than last season, despite playing in 17 fewer games. He's a long way from his career years, but he knows what it takes to win, so look for him to step his game up in the playoffs. The big question in Tampa is goaltending. Expect Dwayne Roloson to start. At 41, you have to wonder if he has it in him to sustain a long playoff run, but he seems to be ageless between the pipes.
Breakdown: The Penguins are perennial favorites for the division title and conference lead. This year was no different, and they challenged right up until the end for the division. Tampa Bay was leading their division for awhile, but lost it to the Caps. With both teams having a mix of veterans who know what you need to do to hold the cup over your head, as well as young hungry players, it will simply come down to who wants it more. Dwayne Roloson carried the Oilers to the Cup finals in '06, and if not for his injury, it's quite possible they would've won. Can Rollie the ageless goalie do the same for Tampa Bay? The Lightning are a team that can score, but they can also give up as many as they put in. Roloson will have to be his old self and be prepared to steal this series.
Bottom Line: Pens in 7. This should be a back and forth series, but it just seems like the Pens will find a way to pull this one out. Roloson will have to steal a few games in order for the Lightning to be victorious. Tampa has given up the most goals this season, and I don't see that changing in the playoffs.
So there you have it, the east in a nutshell. Yeah i picked all the top seeds, but honestly these series can all go either way. The only series I really see being "easy" to predict is Boston/Montreal. I will be back tomorrow, or Tuesday, with the Western Conference previews. Those should be fun matchups.
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