DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum NHL playoff predictions

here are your matchups... remember, they re-seed after the first round...

Eastern Conference

(1) Montreal Canadiens
(8) Boston Bruins

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins
(7) Ottawa Senators

(3) Washington Capitals
(6) Philadelphia Flyers

(4) New Jersey Devils
(5) New York Rangers

Western Conference

(1) Detroit Red Wings
(8) Nashville Predators

(2) San Jose Sharks
(7) Calgary Flames

(3) Minnesota Wild
(6) Colorado Avalanche

(4) Anaheim Ducks
(5) Dallas Stars

also, who are you rooting for?

seeing as how neither of my fav teams are in there *Jackets and Leafs* i'll have to go with one of my fav players...Let's go Caps!

Go Blue Jackets... wait... Go Leafs... wait, they're not in either. I'll be pulling for the Ducks.

here are my picks...

I've got Montreal losing to Boston in a very, very tight series, this one probably goes 6-7, carey price is playing solid net for montreal, but i don't trust their defense, and they could expose the inexperience of price

Pittsburgh against Ottawa is another tough matchup, Ottawa really took it to Pittsburgh in the first round last year, but now the roles are reversed, and so is home ice, I've got Pittsburgh winning in 6

Washington/Philly, how can you not pick the Caps? they are the best story of the nhl season, they went from being out of the playoffs, to grabbing the southeastern conference, the 3 seed, and home ice in the first round, not to mention they've got the league's best scorer, by far...

Devils/Rangers is the best first round matchup in both conferences, this is one of the nhl's most underrated rivalries, i'm not going against the best goalie in the world though, New Jersey in 5

In the west, I don't really like Detroit at all, but i think they grab the series with nashville in 5 games

I absolutely love the sharks this year, but if i were a sharks fan, this was the one team that i didn't want to face in the first round, calgary is almost always a tough out, they play strong defense, they have an elite goaltender... i like the sharks in 7

I like Colorado to upset Minnesota, I think if Forsberg gives them anything, combined with the play of sakic and stastny, they'll be good enough to beat a strong defensive force in minnesota, should be a good series, 7 games

the last series is the defending champs against the dallas stars, i'd really like to pick the stars to win, but they have always let me down, if goalies are like quarterbacks, then you can apply the same tag to marty turco that was on peyton manning for so long, can't win the big one, and i don't think they will here either, too much pronger and too much giguere for anyone to handle, anaheim in 5

second round...

devils over canadiens, again, don't bet against brodeur unless it's insanely obvious...

the nhl gets their marquee matchup, pittsburgh/washington, crosby/ovechkin, jordan/bird, manning/brady, there is some bad blood with these 2 teams as well... enjoyable series to say the least, the NHL needs this, BADLY...

washington in 7, i love the way they are playing...

in the west, i've got anaheim over detroit, again, detroit has the best record, but i think of them like the atlanta braves of the 90's, first team you pick to make the playoffs, and first team you pick to get knocked out, and i like san jose over colorado, the sharks are just too physical, they remind me a ton of the ducks from last year

conference finals i have washington over new jersey and san jose over anaheim

the stanley cup finals will have san jose over washington in 6 games...

as far as who i'm rooting for, i really like the washington story, they are a fun team with good young talent, and the addition of Huet should take them far

it's too bad the blackhawks didn't make it, they have one of the up and coming exciting teams in this league, they are the browns of the NHL, total excitement

well no blues so,

I gotta go with the pens. closest team to home and watching sidney play with malkin is a sight to see.

By default, I'm a Blackhawks fan (since Cleveland doesn't have an NHL team - although it should). Somehow, the Blackhawks have missed the playoffs in 8 of the last 9 years. Which is insane if you think about how many teams get in and the size of their market.....AND that they are one of the original 6 teams.

I'm rooting for a Montreal and San Jose Cup Finals.

I dislike one NHL team...the Red Wings. As soon as they lose, I'm happy.

Pulling for the Wild. I am not a huge hockey fan by any means, but moving to Minnesota has given me a bigger appreciation for it. St. Paul will be electric tomorrow nite for game one.

I think Wild/Avs will be a good series. I think that either the Ducks or Sharks win the West. I have not paid as much attention to the East, but will be pulling for Washington for obvious reasons.

(1) Montreal Canadiens
(8) Boston Bruins

Montreal in 6. The Canadiens have slapped Boston around all year.


(2) Pittsburgh Penguins
(7) Ottawa Senators

Pens in 6. Ottawa has been devastated by injuries. I will say if they get healthy and get by Pitt, they could go deep.

(3) Washington Capitals
(6) Philadelphia Flyers

Washington in 7. Caps are one of the hottest teams in hockey right now, Flyers are mediocre.

(4) New Jersey Devils
(5) New York Rangers

Devils in 6. NJ has the best playoff goalie in the business and have a wealth of Stanley Cup experience..

Western Conference

(1) Detroit Red Wings
(8) Nashville Predators

Red Wings in 5. Preds not ready for prime time, Detroit is simply too much for them.

(2) San Jose Sharks
(7) Calgary Flames

Flames in 6. Upset special right here. The Flames in Jarome Iginla have one of the best players in the game, and are always better in the playoffs. Kiprusoff, their goalie, is money in the post season.

(3) Minnesota Wild
(6) Colorado Avalanche

Wild in 7. I'll give them the edge for having home ice advantage.

(4) Anaheim Ducks
(5) Dallas Stars

Ducks in 7. In an evenly-matched series like this, I take the defending champions.

I am rooting for Calgary, since the Leafs missed the playoffs for the 3rd straight year. I like Iginla, and the Flames fans are incredible - they are like Browns fans.
If Chicago had made the playoffs I'd have been rooting for them against whoever they played (except Flames).

If Hasek can stay healthy and focused, the Wings over whoever in the East wants it the most. I don't see any of the East teams winning it all.

If not, the Ducks will be hard to beat....unless Calgary gets by San Jose, then the Flames have a legitimate shot. (I'm related to Dion Phaneuf, so I may be a little biased.)

I've been a Wings fan since childhood.

Red Wings.....The one thing that I like about Detroit....Been a wings fan for a long time....started following the Red Wings when the Cleveland Crusaders moved away.


I'm pulling for a Bruins V.S. Wings finals like the old time, or even a Canadian VS Red Wings finals,

yeah, the hawks almost made it, i think they were 3 points out at the end, and they got no help from st louis, who blew 2 games to nashville in one week...

but they dug their own hole, it's just like the browns, you can't blame indy for resting guys...

they played unispired early on, they ran into a ton of injuries, and they finally got it together and it was too little too late...

but they have some really good players, jonathan toews has superstar written all over him (check out his goal against colorado on youtube)

patrick kane is an up and coming player, little guy, but always seems to be in the right place at the right time, and he might be the toughest guy to stop in a shootout, great hands

patrick sharp, duncan keith, brent seabrook...

khabibulin had an off year, dealt with injuries, but if they can get him to the khabby of old next year, look out, the hawks will be a force...

caps/philly

what an awesome game, ovechkin did not dissapoint

scored the game winner with a few minutes left, he owned jeffrey lupul, he just wanted it more than lupul, unbelievable, the guy is special

As much as it would kill me to see Pitt get a championship I am rooting for the Pens to go all the way, Syd the Kid is going to put the team on his shoulders ala the real great one Super Mario.


KING

I will not be watching and I will not care

i love how animated he gets after he scores, i think it's great for the game, it's someone that a casual fan should turn on to watch..

he is not playing a very good game right now, caps are down 2-0 at the second intermission

and lolz @ the ducks, i hope they get swept

There's been some good hockey so far in the playoffs.
The San Jose/Calgary game Sunday night was a good one. San Jose led 3-0 just five minutes in but Calgary came back to win 4-3.

Also nice to see Boston beat Montreal in OT; the Bruins got jobbed in Game 2.

Great pens game so far. Senators showing a lot of heart and intensity. Pittsburgh hasn't had much room to work with. The senators are getting some good offensive chances but Fleury hasn't let anything by yet.

I think they'll go back with Kiprusoff, too. He's been too good for too long.
I see Nashville beat Detroit tonight, good for them... I still think Detroit will win but I'd like to see Nashville make it a long series, would even like to see an upset there.
Right now I'm watching Minne-Colorado. Playoff hockey is great stuff.

Yeah playoff hockey is great,,love it! Too bad my team never is in it lol. So, I'll have to pull for 2 teams. The Red Wings, and anyone who plays Ottawa!

the first round of the nhl playoffs is my favorite time of the sports year, for a week and a half, you get at least 2 games every day

i'd consider the hawks my team to root for, but since they are out, i root for the best story, and that is the washington capitals...

i'm glad anaheim is taking it on the chin, they are a dirty team, and don't have a ton of appeal...

i'd like to see the sharks win, just because jeremy roenick deserves a cup, he's one of the toughest sob's to play the game...

http://youtube.com/v/FsIIWcFN5wI

that's great stuff

That is absolutely classic. They should do a story on that kid for Sportscenter

I don't really watch hockey outside of the Blue Jackets and they collapsed down the stretch. Next year though watch out! Zherdev, Nash, and Pazzy.

But I'll go out on a big limb and take Montreal and Calgary. With Montreal winning it all.

Ottawa is the 1st team out, swept in 4 by Pitt.

Quote:

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If Hasek can stay healthy and focused...

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I'm afraid it's an "if" that's not panning out...the focused part anyway.

Wow... what a crappy way to end an otherwise stellar Game 7 (Philly vs. Washington). Game 7... Overtime... Both teams scrapping and leaving everything they have on the ice and the idiot ref calls a tripping penalty against the Caps that would have been a ticky-tack call during a REGULAR season game. Philly scores on the power play. Game and series over.

C'mon man... you just can't make that kind of call in this situation. Philly may well have won it anyway, but to have it end like it did was a real shame. IMO, the ref ruined a really good game tonight.

I'm in Denver for vacation and got to see my Avalanche take out the Wild in game 6 at the Pepsi Center. It was SWEEEEEET! There are still tickets available for the Avs-Red Wings series and I'm thinking about rocking my Avs gear (maybe with a Tribe hat on) in Detroit.

that was a horrible call to make in overtime...

i didn't like the no-call on philly's 2nd goal either, the guy clearly pushed the washington player into huet, which should have been goalie interference

some people think that's clean hockey, but that's garbage in my opinion...

i know it's a biased opinion, but still

glad to see the sharks survived calgary, i think playing calgary was probably a great thing for them, as close as they did come to losing, they will come into the dallas series locked in, instead of just playing some crap team, calgary is always a tough out in the playoffs...

but dallas is a whole different beast, they really made anaheim look bad...

all 4 of these remaining series' should be good to watch...

So here are the revised 2nd round matchups:

Eastern Conference
(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) New York Rangers

Western Conference
(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche
(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Dallas Stars

Other than San Jose and maybe Dallas, you got some serious hockey cities left in the playoffs. No offense to Anaheim or Tampa Bay but nobody wanted to see you win the Cup in the past few years.

I would have also like to see more Canadian teams but...meh.

With so many of the old faces gone from that late 90's rivalry, is it still a rivalry today?