My predictions were, shall we say, less than stellar. I went 0 for 4 in every series and turned out to be everything I didn't expect it to be. My bad.
Detroit v. Edmonton:
My pick: Wings in 5
Winner: Oil in 6
Though I knew the Oilers could skate with the Wings, I didn't believe the team had confidence in Roloson. Obviously, that wasn't the case. Chris Pronger was the better of the two elite defensemen in the series and is the team's MVP to date.
Dallas v. Colorado:
My pick: Stars in 4
Winner: Avs in 5
Even experts who thought the Avs would defeat the "most well-rounded team in the NHL" didn't expect a complete collapse of the entire organization, from Turco on out. I felt sorry for them. Damn.
Calgary v. Anaheim:
My pick: Flames in 7
Winner: Ducks in 7
To quote myself, "If it's a disciplined, tight-checking affair, go with the Flames."
Oops.
Nashville v. San Jose:
My pick: Preds in 6
Winner: Sharks in 5
The loss of Vokoun effected Nashville more than I had anticipated, and the team didn't rally around Chris Mason. Such is life.
The Sharks were not led by Joe Thornton as much as by captain Patrick Marleau, who is picking up where he left off from the 2004 playoffs.
Predictions (in case anyone wants to hear them):
San Jose v. Edmonton:
I still don't think that San Jose has been challenged in the playoffs and that Thornton has yet to prove he can perform under pressure. If he can thrive against who is currently the best defenseman in the game, I'll give San Jose a chance.
I don't think he will. Oil in 6
Anaheim v. Colorado
The mighty Mighty Ducks of Anaheim from Anaheim were able to shut down the Flames by playing their game. Calgary, on their part, were quite successful doing the same to the Avalanche during the course of the season. Ergo, the Ducks should win this series, right?
I'm not so sure. Sakic is not Iginla. He won't get shaken up by a rookie defenseman looking to harass his ass. He's also surrounded by a talented and hard-working attack and will be difficult to shut down. Anaheim, however, has this year's Kipper in Ilya Bryzgalov.
It'll be close. Ducks in 7
