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 Washington Capitals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington Capitals. Show all posts
Sunday, September 18, 2011
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.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
deadline is almost here
no waxing philosophically to start. the deadline is just around the corner and there are some teams that absolutely have to do something, so let's talk about them.
LA Kings: This team appears to be over the hump and fighting to hold on to a playoff spot, but at the same time challenging for the division lead. They are four points back of Phoenix for the division lead (yeah you read that right) and only 3 points ahead of 8th in the conference. A few games in either direction can either make or break this team. Marco Sturm was claimed off waivers today, giving LA even more cap space. They need a top line winger to play with Kopitar and add depth to their scoring. Rumors are saying possibly Hemsky from Edmonton but who knows what Lombardi is thinking. I think that's part of the problem, as no one seems to know what anyone is thinking. The Kings have a good crop of younger players and a respectable veteran presence, but it's not enough to go deep in the playoffs, especially in the West.
Washington Capitals: I love the fact that for once a team with goaltending issues being discussed ISN'T the Philadelphia Flyers, although they do have some of their own. Hell, it wouldn't be a season if they didn't. Having said that, McPhee needs to do something to sure up the goaltending. The Caps need to choose between Neuvirth and Varlamov and then go for a possible trade. With Giguere injured, I don't see Voukun as a bad choice, albeit an expensive one. The Caps can still move Semin, and with his $6mil+ cap hit, it would be a wash in terms of money. Both players are set to become free agents at the end of the season, so it't a win win. The Caps could always use the space freed up by Semin to potentially re-sign Voukun too, thus giving their young goaltenders a chance to develop with one of the better goalies in the game today. McPhee has repeatedly stated that he's comfortable with the goaltending as it is in Washington, but given the decrease in offensive production coupled with some lopsided losses as well as injuries, you have to wonder if the Capitals are in for another early playoff exit.
Buffalo Sabres: Thanks to the new owner's green light to spend, it'll be interesting to see how fast the Sabres can spend. More importantly however, it's important that they spend to win. You also have to wonder if they will have to give up draft picks and prospects right now to get a return. The Tylers are far too good to trade for the short term, but out of any team in the east that has a chance to make it right now, I believe the Sabres have the best shot, with two games in hand of Carolina and only two points back. I'm looking for them to be busy, or at least in the running right up until 3pm monday, but how successful they are remains to be seen.
New York Rangers: If the Brad Richards rumors are true, Glen Sather has to be busy to get him in under the cap. The Rangers have needed a true number one center for awhile, but the addition of Marian Gaborik has only made it more imperative. The goaltending combination of Lundqvist/Biron is more than enough to get them through, providing they can play solid defense and get solid leads. The young crop of defensemen for the Rangers looks to be good for years, but right now they're still a little green, and will need all the help they can get from both their forwards scoring goals and their goalies stealing games. If Lundqvist has shown us anything in his tenure with the league, it's his ability to do just that. Well that and give up the odd angle goal now and again.
OK, that's all for now. I'm still here, just hard to focus on all these trades. Maybe after the deadline I will have a winners and losers run down or something. We'll see. In the meantime, just keep your eyes peeled on your favorite hockey news sources.
LA Kings: This team appears to be over the hump and fighting to hold on to a playoff spot, but at the same time challenging for the division lead. They are four points back of Phoenix for the division lead (yeah you read that right) and only 3 points ahead of 8th in the conference. A few games in either direction can either make or break this team. Marco Sturm was claimed off waivers today, giving LA even more cap space. They need a top line winger to play with Kopitar and add depth to their scoring. Rumors are saying possibly Hemsky from Edmonton but who knows what Lombardi is thinking. I think that's part of the problem, as no one seems to know what anyone is thinking. The Kings have a good crop of younger players and a respectable veteran presence, but it's not enough to go deep in the playoffs, especially in the West.
Washington Capitals: I love the fact that for once a team with goaltending issues being discussed ISN'T the Philadelphia Flyers, although they do have some of their own. Hell, it wouldn't be a season if they didn't. Having said that, McPhee needs to do something to sure up the goaltending. The Caps need to choose between Neuvirth and Varlamov and then go for a possible trade. With Giguere injured, I don't see Voukun as a bad choice, albeit an expensive one. The Caps can still move Semin, and with his $6mil+ cap hit, it would be a wash in terms of money. Both players are set to become free agents at the end of the season, so it't a win win. The Caps could always use the space freed up by Semin to potentially re-sign Voukun too, thus giving their young goaltenders a chance to develop with one of the better goalies in the game today. McPhee has repeatedly stated that he's comfortable with the goaltending as it is in Washington, but given the decrease in offensive production coupled with some lopsided losses as well as injuries, you have to wonder if the Capitals are in for another early playoff exit.
Buffalo Sabres: Thanks to the new owner's green light to spend, it'll be interesting to see how fast the Sabres can spend. More importantly however, it's important that they spend to win. You also have to wonder if they will have to give up draft picks and prospects right now to get a return. The Tylers are far too good to trade for the short term, but out of any team in the east that has a chance to make it right now, I believe the Sabres have the best shot, with two games in hand of Carolina and only two points back. I'm looking for them to be busy, or at least in the running right up until 3pm monday, but how successful they are remains to be seen.
New York Rangers: If the Brad Richards rumors are true, Glen Sather has to be busy to get him in under the cap. The Rangers have needed a true number one center for awhile, but the addition of Marian Gaborik has only made it more imperative. The goaltending combination of Lundqvist/Biron is more than enough to get them through, providing they can play solid defense and get solid leads. The young crop of defensemen for the Rangers looks to be good for years, but right now they're still a little green, and will need all the help they can get from both their forwards scoring goals and their goalies stealing games. If Lundqvist has shown us anything in his tenure with the league, it's his ability to do just that. Well that and give up the odd angle goal now and again.
OK, that's all for now. I'm still here, just hard to focus on all these trades. Maybe after the deadline I will have a winners and losers run down or something. We'll see. In the meantime, just keep your eyes peeled on your favorite hockey news sources.
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