Final Four

Given the fact that most of the people who post here are Habs fans or Flames fans, there was a lull in the action since those teams were eliminated.

Enough sulking! (I'll save that for a post on the Habs' season later on.) It's time to look at what the final four teams have to offer and to predict who will make it to the final.

EASTERN FINAL

Pittsburgh v. Philadelphia

Even if I still don't fully understand how the Flyers made mincemeat out of the Habs, I have to give them credit. They have a team filled with good, young, talent (Richards, Carter, Umberger, Biron) who are really coming into their own. Biron has been a puck magnet and Umberger is, along with Johan Franzen, a front runner for the John Druce award for most unlikely playoff hero. We can't forget Daniel Brière either. He was great in Round 1.

They key to their success has been their apportunistic goal scoring. In most of the games against Montreal, they were out-shot and out-chanced, sometimes badly. Yet, they kept finding the back of the net whenever they had the chance.

The Penguins, for their part, bring an explosive offense to the table. With all due respect to my beloved Habs, the Flyers D-men and Biron have yet to see an offense like this one. As the Senators and Rangers have learned, even if you can hold on long enough to keep Malkin and Sykora at bay, you then have to face Hossa and Crosby. Ryan Malone has also been great so far.

With all of the firepower that the Penguins have, I still believe that the key to their playoff success has been the stellar play of Marc-André Fleury. It seems we've been waiting a long time for Fleury to mature, but he seems to finally be the goalie that he was touted to be when he was drafted.

Unless Fleury has a total breakdown (which I doubt), I think Pittsburgh should take this series. They won't, however, come out of it without paying a significant physical price.

Penguins in 6


WESTERN FINAL

Detroit v. Dallas

When the Stars got Brad Richards at the traded deadline, I was convinced that they were going to be a team to reckon with in the West. Then, they had a horrible end to the season. As a result, I picked them to lose in both the first and the second round of the playoffs.

Dallas has shown great grit and their top line has been one of the best, if not THE best, in this year's playoffs. Even if it pains me to say it, Mike Ribeiro has been great. I still can't stand him. Look at him! He's got a face only a mother could love. And I don't mean his mother, but rather Mother Teresa.

Over in Detroit, it seems to be business as usual. This is a team that, when they're on fire, play such a dominant game that it's hard for other teams to even get possession of the puck. In the past few years, they seem to have had great seasons but poor playoff performance. It seems that many of their lesser-known players have benefited from a few years experience and are now better payoff performers.

The only question mark for Detroit is, as always, goaltending. Osgood has been good, but not nearly as good as his counterpart, Turco. Detroit has also faced weaker teams that had goaltending issues of their own. They have proven however, that their puck possession has been a very effective way of keeping puck away from their net.

All that being said, I'm going to bet against Dallas for the third straight time. Here's to hopeing that, much like a stopped clock, I'll eventually be right.

Red Wings in 7

Let's Get It On

(shuffle-shuffle-shuffle)

(tap-tap)

Is this thing on? Yeah? Okay.

(burp)

So, the regular season is done and, tomorrow, the 2008 race to Lord Stanley's Cup begins. If that fact doesn't make you positively giddy, then the return of Puck This! will surely make you rejoice. As always, this space is dusted off and taken of the shelf during the NHL's second season.

The first order of business, apart from apologizing for the ragged look & feel (I've lost the old template), is to make predictions for the first round.

Before getting to it, however, I want to remind my fellow contributors that I had a near perfect run in my predictions last year. This year, I will only accept perfection. Here we go...

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Detroit v. Nashville

I was really happy to see the Preds make it to the post-season. I think Barry Trotz, along with Guy Carbonneau, is a lock to be nominated for the Jack Adams trophy. This lineup has virtually no big names and, yet, they persevere.

That being said, the Wings have too much firepower up front for the Preds to upset them. Detroit's goaltending is shaky, but should hold up for one round. All bets are off after that, however.

Wings in 6


San Jose v. Calgary

The Sharks have been that favored team since opening day and they have had a great regular season. And, if you trust the simulation of EA Sports' NHL '08, they should make it all the way.

San Jose has a very well balanced team and seem to be firing on all cylinders at the right time. They also have a reputation for underachieving in the playoffs and a captain that usually goes MIA at this point in the year.

Calgary had a strong finish and will come at the Sharks with a lot of toughness. This will be a war in the trenches. In the end, the only thing that can save the Flames is Kipper and I don't think he's at his best.

It will be close.

Sharks in 7


Colorado v. Minnesota

I don't think there are two teams in the league that I have seen less of in the past year. Not knowing the character of a team makes predicting difficult.

The Wild have a team that is well-coached and is also tough. They play a great system and stick to it. The Avs, on the other hand, have tons of experience and a rejuvenated Theo.

I have a feeling that the likes of Sakic, Smyth and Forsberg will rise to the occasion and lead the way.

Avalanche in 6


Anaheim v. Dallas

This season, the Ducks were more like sharks. Not like their rivals to the South, but rather like pool sharks. I really get the feeling that they coasted through the regular season while waiting patiently for Selanne and Scott Niedermayer to return (and also to wait for Pronger's suspensions to be over). Then they went on a tear.

For their part, Dallas made a big move at the trade deadline in the hopes of getting to the level of the Sharks and Ducks. The payoff has yet to come. Brad Richards, however, always plays his best in the playoffs.

This is a tough one, but I think the Dirty Ducks will pound their way through this one.

Ducks in 7


EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Montreal v. Boston

It will be tough for the surprising Habs to take the Bruins seriously. Even if the entire organization is talking about being prudent, it's tough not be be confident when many players on the roster don't remember a time when Boston beat them.

Boston will come out hitting hard in the hopes of thwarting Montreal speed. They will also focus on Kovalev, especially in game 1.

The key to this series, however, will be officiating. If the referees call the games as they did in the regular season, then the Habs will have enough powerplay chances to nail the Bruins' coffin quickly. If they "let them play" (barf!), then the Habs will have to get creative.

I think the refs will suck, but that Les Glorieux will easily beat Boston's weak goaltending.

Canadiens in 5


Pittsburgh v. Ottawa

I don't care what anybody says, the Pens totally threw that last game in order to play the Sens in the first round. Why wouldn't you?

The Sens have been one of the worst teams in the league since the half way point of the season and they've just lost Alfredsson and Fischer. Their goaltending is bad and, apparently, there are huge issues in the dressing room.

They won't go quietly, though.

The Pens will need Fleury to stay on his hot streak in order to win. As has been the case in the final stretch, Pittsburgh has struggled when Sidney returned to the lineup. There will be an adjustment period, but nothing that will stop them from going through.

Penguins in 6


Washington v. Philadelphia

This is a series that I really want to watch.

Washington has been on fire since they acquired Huet and Fedorov. Ovechkin has been nothing short of amazing and has pretty much given himself the Hart trophy (Malkin's snub of the Calder makes him a long shot).

Philly has a great cast of characters, but can't seem to follow a script. They seem lost out there and can't generate any offence. For a team that has a weak defense, that's a problem.

Also a problem for Philly, the players let their wives hang out with Beeg. WTF is up with that?

Capitals in 6


New York v. New Jersey

This will be a goaltending battle.

The Rangers have been good of late and Jagr seems to have come out of his funk. They have a great core of verterans and some good young guys as well. Lost of scoring to go around.

The Devils, on the other hand, have had a terrible time putting the puck in the net and Brodeur has seemed human on some nights. They will need him to be in top shape in order to take this series.

I don't think that will happen. Sean Avery will crash Brodeur's net with impunity and will succeed in getting the future hall of famer to lose it.

New York in 4

I’m a genius. Let’s move on to round 2

Who knew? It seems that I’m an NHL playoff prediction machine. 8 for 8. 100%. El Perfecto. I didn’t get the number of games right, but that’s just a detail.

Now, some of you will say that Shaky was also perfect in his predictions, but, since he posted after me, it’s clear that he simply copied me. Or, maybe he and I were separated at birth.

Now, bragging time is over. It’s time to move on to round 2. Regardless of my superb predicting talent, I have to admit that the 2nd round will be difficult to predict. I will, however, give it a shot.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Detroit v. San Jose

The Wings may have had a relatively easy time in the first round, they have a much bigger challenge ahead of them. San Jose is one of the only teams that has really benefited from their trade deadline acquisitions (Guerin and Rivet). They really impressed me in the first round and play a tough, physical, game.

Detroit, on the other, may be the best “system” team in the 2007 playoffs, By that, I mean that all four lines play their respective roles to perfection and they can easily shut down the opposing offense.

The wild card element in this series is Hasek. If he stays healthy and on his game, Detroit has a great chance to win. If his groin lets him down, the Wings will go down. I think he’ll be fine.

Wings in 7


Anaheim v. Vancouver

Last night, I was really happy that the Sedin sisters woke up in time for game 7 and it was great to see good ‘ol Linden come through in the clutch. Also, the win made me 8 for 8 for my first round predictions (did I say that already?).

Although the Canucks played a great game and closed out the series on a high note, I think things will go downhill from here. Unfortunately, they are not producing enough offense to move on past the second round. The fact that Markus Naslund has disappeared doesn’t help. At this stage, they could replace him with Mats and things would improve.

As for Anaheim, I do think that they peaked earlier in the season, but they are still a better balanced team that Vancouver right now. They are strong up front and have the best defense in the world (on paper, at least).

Luongo can only save the Canucks for so long.

Ducks in 6


EASTERN CONFERENCE

Buffalo v. New York Rangers

This, for me, will be a great series to watch. As I said in my first round post, I really think that the Rangers are a better team than their regular season record indicates. Oddly enough, they seem to have been re-energized by the presence of Sean Avery, aka The Mouth.

For Buffalo, this will be a “make it or break it” series. The Rangers are going to come out hitting, hard. Last year, Buffalo lost most of their better players to injury and they have to prove that they can take the heat in the playoffs. If they can’t deal with the physical aspect of the game, they will not make it through this series.

I think that they learned from last year.

Sabres in 6


New Jersey v. Ottawa

In my first round post, I said this: “I think the Sens will actually break the curse this year.” After what I saw in the first round, I am more confident than ever in that prediction.

IMHO, the Sens were probably the most impressive team in the first round. They came out really hard and never let up for even one period. Unlike last year, they show absolutely no signs of a meltdown.

Now, I don’t want to discount the Devils. Any team with Martin Brodeur is almost automatically a contender. He may have seemed semi-human in the first two games of the first series, but he later showed that he is still a freak that is only built to stop pucks.

In the end, this will be an incredibly tight series. The outcome will depend on Ottawa’s ability to get to Brodeur and for Ray Emery to stay solid. They will and he will.

Senators in 7

Get your puck on!

So, Puck This! Was born a year ago and has enjoyed its most productive period during the second season. On the start of the first round of the 2007 playoffs, I hope that there is a flurry of activity on PT this spring.

As you have surely noticed, we have a new member of the team. I’m happy to welcome Debido, an Avs fan recently returned to Western Canada from the Land of the rising sun. From his first two posts, I think it’s fair to say that he’ll be pushing the rest of the team to write more.

That being said, I’m confident Huck and Shaky will contribute, but I’m calling out Ballzov and Beeg. Much like Alex Kovalev in Montreal, they need to step up.

To follow in Debido’s footsteps, here are my predictions for the 2007 edition of the NHL playoffs:

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Detroit v. Calgary

The West is a crapshoot. I can’t say that enough. That being said, picks need to be made.

In this series, goaltending and injuries will play an important role. Kipper has been hot and cold and so have the Flames. He needs to be hot for the Flames to have a shot. Hasek, needs to stay healthy for the Wings to have a shot. Also, Zetterberg may not be fully recovered and Bertuzzi is out. On the Flames side, it looks like they Regehr won’t suit up start the series.

All this will make for an interesting series, but in the end, given that the Flames can’t win on the road, the Wings will take it.

Wings in 6


Anaheim v. Minnesota

Even if these teams are technically closer in the standings, I think the series will be more one-sided than the Detroit-Calgary series.

Although I love what Jacques Lemaire has done with team, I don’t think that they have the grit or the intensity to compete here. Also, as impressive as the young Niklas Backstrom has been, he lacks experience and that will show in the 2nd season. Anaheim has better defense and a more experienced roster.

The only aspect that may make me regret my pick is that the Wild are strong up front and can be quite explosive offensively.

Ducks in 5


Vancouver v. Dallas

This will be a great series to watch. I predict a fast pace and great goaltending at both ends.

Although I didn’t call the Canucks’ resurgence, I am happy that they had such a great season. I do think they’re for real and, clearly Luongo is the main reason. Now that the Sedin sisters have matured, they are a force to be reckoned with. I also foresee that Naslund will have his own resurgence in the playoffs.

I can’t bring myself to think that any team that depends on Lindros and Ribeiro for offence is doomed in my view.

Canucks in 6


Nashville v. San Jose

This will, no doubt, be one of the series that will go down to the wire.

The Predators did all they could to get ready for the post-season and, with the addition of Forsberg, they seem to have it all. I don’t, however, think they do. Their defence is still quite young and they are a little less explosive up front. San Jose, on the other hand, is just revving up and they’ve been hot of late.

In the end, Forsberg’s experience is not a replacement for his diminished skills.

Sharks in 7


EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Buffalo v. New York Islanders

If the 1 v. 8 series is a crapshoot in the West, it will be the exact opposite in the East. This will be a cakewalk for the Sabres.

I was a happy man when the Islanders made sure the Leafs would miss the playoffs, but in the end, they only won the right to be swept by Buffalo. Last year was a great learning experience for the Sabres and they may just use that experience to propel them tot the championship. I’m not making that call just yet, but let’s just say that I wouldn’t be surprised to see them win it all.

Sabres in 4


New Jersey v. Tampa Bay

For some reason, I have a feeling that this series will be boring as hell. I have great respect for the Devils organization, but man, their style of play puts me to sleep.

In this series, the Lightning have the edge on offence. Vinny and the gang can light it up with the best of ‘em, but I don’t think that’ll cut it here. New Jersey’s strong team defense and superior goaltending is no match for Tampa Bay’s one-two punch of Lecavalier and St. Louis. In addition, Tampa Bay’s goaltending is less than stellar.

Devils in 6


Atlanta v. New York Rangers

As I said in my post yesterday, I really thought the Rangers would be a powerhouse this year. Deep down, I still think they can play better than their rank indicates.

Admittedly, I don’t know much about the Thrashers and I don’t have much interest. Obviously, with Hossa, Kozlov and Kovalchuk up front, they can make you pay for any defensive lapses. On the back end, Lehtonen has been strong all year and there is no reason to think he can’t be good enough to win them a series or two.

The Rangers, on the other hand, may have the hottest goalie in the league right now and bring a combination of grit and firepower that, on paper, should give them a good shot. If Renney can pull it all together and if Jagr can stay healthy, I think they have a shot at upsetting the Thrashers.

Rangers in 7


Ottawa v. Pittsburgh

This is the series everybody wants to watch. These are two truly gifted offensive teams that showed give us a great show.

The Pens have been one of the most exciting teams to watch this season and they have played much better than everyone expected them to. Some might say that they’re punching above their weight, but I think that we’re witnessing the start of something special.

For their part, Ottawa is not the heavy favourite this year and there is less talk of them being Cup contenders. Let’s not be fooled by Brian Murray’s asinine comments, there is a tonne of pressure on the Senators organization to move past the second round. IMHO, his head will roll if they have an early exit in ’07. All that being said, I think the Sens will actually break the curse this year.

Senators in 6