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Tuesday, April 8, 2008
NHL Playoff Bracketology
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK kids… time to plunge into the playoffs. The seedings and schedules have been set and now we can delve into a little prognosticatorial opining. (Prognosticatorial, yes I just made that one up…like it)?
Anyway, here is my attempt at NHL bracketology…let’s have yours as well.
FIRST ROUND
East
#1 Montreal vs. #8 Boston: The Habs are monsters right now and Montreal took all eight games between the two. Boston deserves a great deal of credit for landing in the post season after losing Patrice Bergeron early last fall to injury and Marc Savard hasn’t played in a couple of weeks. The only real chance Boston has is to stay out of the sin-bin and play mistake free.
Montreal in 5, (This might be generous to Bah-ston).
#2 Pittsburgh vs. #7 Ottawa: Can there be two teams heading in opposite-er directions right now? This series could see more than it’s fair share of scoring if it goes deep but the Sens chances weren’t helped any when their captain Daniel Alfredsson and forward Mike Fisher were hurt last Thursday playing in Toronto. OK, Hossa…here’s what you’ve been wanting, we’re watching!
Pens in 6…maybe 5.
#3 Washington vs. #6 Philadelphia: Quite possibly could be the most fun of the eight series to watch. Philly finished 7-1-1 in their last nine and Washington won the last seven to surge to the Southeast Division crown and the 3rd seed in the east. Flyers finished one point better than did the Caps, but I don’t know too many people outside of southeastern Pennsylvania who are going against Ovie and Co. now.
Capitals in 7 wild games.
#4 New Jersey vs. #5 New York Rangers: The Devils won their one and only game in eight versus the Blueshirts just this past weekend to gain home ice in the Hudson River series. Scott Gomez’s first playoff series as a Ranger comes against his former team. This is really a “pick-‘em” match-up to me, but in the end I’ll take the Devils defense and Marty Brodeur against a team that has struggled offensively at times this year…as if New Jersey’s offense is much better?
Jersey in 6 low-scoring games.
West
#1 Detroit vs. #8 Nashville: Low and behold the southeast region of the U.S. will be represented in the post-season. Nashville, having played the Wings eight times, will have familiarity of the Red Wings to help them…and that could be worth a game or possibly two. But it will only prolong the inevitable. Detroit is stacked and going deep in the playoffs barring something just shy of the supernatural.
Detroit wings by in 5.
#2 San Jose vs. #7 Calgary: Augh! I’m torn here. The Sharks are my pick to make the finals from the left coast, but I hate going against the old hometown boys. And what’s not to like about Iginla, Phaneuf, Kiprusoff and that ilk. However, I will take logic over emotion here. Brian Campbell adds to an already impressive Sharks defense. But Calgary is not without playoff-tested talent, a few former Sharks, (can you say “motivation” boys and girls? I knew you could…) and has the ability to swing the upset here…but won’t.
San Jose in 6 physical games.
#3 Minnesota vs. #6 Colorado: A few weeks back you could have been blindfolded and thrown darts at the logos of 4 teams in the Northwest and had a good a chance of picking the eventual winner. But the Wild got hot at the right time and have no problems playing in, and winning, close games. Peter Forsberg wasn’t able to do a lot for Nashville this time last year but the Avs are hoping for the return of his past glory in Colorado this spring. Get out the Ben-Gay.
Minnie-SOOooo-tah in 7 entertaining games.
#4 Anaheim vs. #5 Dallas: Again, two teams that were heading in diametrically opposed ways of late. The Ducks finished with the third best record in the west, and tied for fourth best in the league with Pittsburgh. Brad Richards should help Dallas, even though he tended to fade down the stretch after his 5-point debut and Sergei Zubov’s absence will be felt. In the end, I think the Ducks blueline…anchored by the likes of Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Mathieu Schneider and Francois Beauchemin…will be too much for Dallas. Oh, and there is this guy named J.S. Giguere, too.
Duck waddle their way through in 6.
SECOND ROUND
We’ll break these series down in a few weeks when the first round is over, but to complete my bracket…
East
Montreal over Devils
Pittsburgh over Washington
West
Detroit over Ducks
San Jose over Minnesota
CONFERENCE FINALS
Habs over Pens
Sharks over Wings
STANLEY CUP WINNERS
San Jose Sharks
And now, your turn in 5…4…3…2…1….(wait for it)….GO!
