Predictions, analysis, news, and ranting about the 2007 playoffs goes here.

My first round picks:

Buffalo vs NY Islanders: DiPietro is healthy and the Isles finished strong, but Buffalo's offensive firepower cannot be ignored. New York's defense will keep them in the series, but Ryan Miller is solid in net and Chris Drury is always the X-factor come playoff time. Sabres in seven.

New Jersey vs Tampa Bay: This series will be all about defense. Brodeur is coming off maybe his best season ever and the NJ scheme is always difficult to get around. Tampa won't have the horses to stay with them. Devils in five.

Atlanta vs NY Rangers: Despite being the #6 seed, the Rangers had the better record and I think they're the better team overall. Shanahan's recent return should give the team a little extra edge and their 7-2-1 record in their last ten games bodes well. Atlanta goalies Lehtonen and Hedberg will make this a tough one. Rangers in seven.

Ottawa vs Pittsburgh: Ray Emery has been lights-out this year and the Senators have only lost a handful of regulation games since the end of January. The younger Pittsburgh team will have to have Crosby and Fleury excel, but I don't think it'll be enough. Senators in six.

Detroit vs Calgary: Both teams were mediocre down the stretch, but Calgary had more to play for and those last few games may be more telling to their issues. With a much better penalty kill and the Floppinator in net, I don't see Detroit losing in the first round this year. Red Wings in six.

Anaheim vs Minnesota: The Ducks are good, but from what I saw of them this year, had issues with consistency (including blowing one three-goal lead to Columbus earlier in the year and then almost blowing another in the season finale). Minny had the second best PK in the league, and the lowest GA total...and Lemaire seems to get the most out of his players at all times. Wild with the upset in seven.

Vancouver vs Dallas: Should be a very defensive series--the 'Nucks had the best PK in the league and the Stars had the second lowest GA total. So, in the matchup of Luongo vs Turco, I'll take Luongo--Turco hasn't impressed me in previous playoff appearances. Canucks in seven long, grinding games.

Nashville vs San Jose: How deep is the playoff season when your 4-5 matchup is THIS? Tough one to call, but I'd say that given that San Jose finished 7-1-2, and that only *three* of their wins came via shootout or OT (that's 48 regulation wins, and thanks to the CBJ radio guys for pointing that out), I'm picking the Sharks in seven.

A couple of thoughts, too:

-Irritated that the playoffs in the US (much like the regular season) are on Versus, a channel that a lot of cable systems don't carry (my old provider had it on a premium package). If you're trying to grow the brand, put it on a station that people have...

-It warms my heart to see Colorado and Toronto not in the playoffs this year. I dislike how the Nordiques sprinted to Colorado and bought a championship, and then continued to buy up whoever they could to continue it (see: 1-year contracts to Kariya/Selanne)...and the Leafs, well, I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees them as NHL's equivalent to the NY Yankees.

I agree with most of your picks. However I think Atlanta will beat the Rangers, Pittsburgh will take out Ottawa and the Wings will go down to Calgary.

In the Rangers series, I agree with the seven game thing, I just feel that the edge will go to the Thrashers in the end.

The Sens always choke in the playoffs, and this is Roberts time to shine. His experience and the young guns raw talent will be enough to give Emery fits.

I wouldn't count on the poor finish of Calgary to eliminate them quite yet. I think Kronwall's injury is a real hit to the wings and Datsyuk has 15 points in 42 career playoff games, not exactly a playoff performer.


Also, I find it hard to fault a team like Colorado for having the ability to attract free agents like Kariya to sign for less money than they are worth. How is it their fault that players wanted to go there. As well, they would still be in Quebec if the fan base supported them. Sakic is one of the classiest players in hockey and I'm always saddened to see someone who fought so hard to make it get ousted at the end.

As for the Leafs, how can you possibly compare them to the Yankees. The Yankees are perpetually near the top of their league and have won multiple World Series titles in the last 40 years. The Leafs haven't even been good enough to make the playoffs the last two years and have won a grand total of zero Stanley Cups in the last 40 years. Wow, their like twins! :rolleyes:

Well, they try to be like the Yankees anyway--just because they fail at it...

And honestly, I can't imagine that there are a lot of folks outside of Toronto who like them, and probably dislike them just "because they're the Leafs".

Actually, they have quite a following from coast to coast. I am not from Toronto and I bleed blue and white.

Right on. It's also been the seasoning experience for some great players, too. Hejduk, Foote, Tanguay come to mind. Kariya and Selanne were never really here, but just passing through on the swan song tour. Guess we have some great team doctors or something. :rolleyes:

Bourque went out hoisting a Cup.

I've always been a big Sakic fan. He just has that leadership ability that is all too rare.


Flames get my nod whenever the Avs aren't in it. Strange loyalties.

Ray Borque going to the Avs was one of very few class acts that any team's management performs these days. Harry Sinden's total respect for Ray had him put that trade together JUST so that Ray could win a cup before he retired. It was atotal class act for one of the classiest people to ever play the game.

Being a die hard Bruins fan all my life, I wept tears of joy when Ray hoisted that cup. :cry:

bloody h-e-double hockey sticks, putting the sens and pens on saturday afternoon....

cbc pays more than nbc (something versus nothing...), but nbc gets 1st dibs :wall:

:blink:


NBC made Mavenu curse.


*thinks about this for a very long time*

Not a Bruins fan, and my apologies to you on your choice,:P but I felt the same way as you did when he won the Cup. He was one talented and very classy player.
A bit surprised to hear you like Sinden. Impressions I got from the media up here was that he was not well respected by Bruins fans. Maybe that is just Don Cherry brainwashing me every Saturday. :shrug:

Come on Mav, it is more important to sell the game to the tens of hundreds of fans that will watch it stateside than the millions of fans who would kill to see it Saturday night up here in the wastelands of Canada. Bettman knows what he is doing! :rolleyes:

this is what i expect next on about tv ratings....

(yes i know it's from the onion...)

hey, waitaminute... you changed your post!

feel the rage! feel the rage, man!

Here, have some extra curse words so you can use them and blame it on me and NBC.


Hell.

Hell.

Hell.





:wub:

Funny article, but that would have been an absolutely *brilliant* move. The Food Network is actually carried by pretty much every cable system that I know of, and on their basic package...

papa chwanged it to let you have lwess shock :lol:

(sides, isn't it more fitting :P)

:yes:

:D

Round 2 quick picks:

Buffalo vs NY Rangers: Buffalo has proven worthy of their higher seed and they still have Chris Drury. Sabres in six.

New Jersey vs Ottawa: Martin Brodeur. Nuff said. Devils in six.

Detroit vs San Jose: As stated earlier, I like San Jose for a myriad of reasons. They're my current Cup favorite, so Sharks in seven.

Anaheim vs Vancouver: There are so many reasons to pick the Ducks but I still don't trust them. We shall see. Canucks in seven.

I was seven for eight in the first round, not bad at all.

My picks ...

Buffalo in six - They're just too powerful and finally healthy.
Ottawa in five - Brodeur will keep it close, but the Sens will skate through the trap.
Detroit in six - Experience leads the way.
Vancouver in five - I really, really, really hate the Ducks.

Meant to post about this earlier, but holy CRAP was that a terrible non-goal call against Buffalo last night. From the replays I saw, the puck was clearly over the line and didn't disappear under the pad until it had cleared the line. Buffalo should be up 3-1 at this point...

Meant to post this yesterday (and last night's loss makes things tougher but I stand by my picks), but here's my conference finals prediction:

Detroit meets Buffalo for the Cup.

I am kind of leaning towards Anaheim and Buffalo, but it is hard to go against Hasek the way he is playing. Wow, 42, hard to believe!