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NHL Playoff Time – 1st Round Edition

Its time for Stanley Cup Playoff and will bring some of the most intesnse hard fought games of any post-season in any sport, so here’s a quick look at the teams looking for Stanley Cup glory.

Eastern Conference
(1) Buffalo Sabres v. (8) New York Islanders
The Islanders put together a strong finish to be the last team to make the playoffs thanks to a shootout victory, while greatly improved with the acquisition of Ryan Smyth will suffer greatly without #1 goalie Rick DiPietro. The only risk to Buffalo would be losing goalie Ryan Miller, with the offensive talent the team has goaltending is the only portion of the team that could hurt them.
Prediction: The offensive assault will be too much for the Islanders, Buffalo in 5

(2) New Jersey Devils v. (7) Tampa Bay Lightning
This series comes down to Devils Goalie Martin Brodeur vs. Lightning Forwards Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier. While Brodeur has the ability to carry a team on his back, but after playing 78 games this season he could breakdown at some point, the key for the Lightning will be making him work hard every game.
Prediction: Lecavalier and St. Louis come through, Lightning in 7

(3) Atlanta Thrashers v. (6) New York Rangers
A talented team, deep bench, playoff experienced players, and experienced coaching make the Thrashers a dangerous team these playoffs. Ranger’s Sean Avery can get under anyone’s skin as well as a playoff experienced goalie can help the Rangers down the stretch. The question for Atlanta is if their playoff rookie goalie can stand up to the pressure.
Prediction: Sean Avery does more harm than good, Thrashers in 6

(4) Ottawa Senators v. (5) Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins come in with some of the best young players in the game and a young goalie. The Senators bring in a veteran skilled team with a history of playoff failures to over come.
Prediction: Old age and guile beat youth and good looks, Senators in 5

Western Conference
(1) Detroit Red Wings v. (8) Calgary Flames
The Flames have the best home record in the league, but finished 8th in the Conference cause they can’t win on the road, not a good sign when you don’t have home ice advantage. Despite having on of the top players in the league and solid defense they lack what ever it takes to win at the other guy’s place. The Red Wings again put together one of the best teams in the league (even though the Cap was supposed to bring them back to erath). The Red Wings playoff hopes rest on the shoulder of Dominik Hasek and Todd ‘Sucker-Punch’ Bertuzzi.
Prediction: The Dominator does it again with some offensive help from his friends, Red Wings in 7

(2) Anaheim Ducks v. (7) Minnesota Wild
While the Ducks were the early favorite this season some of the luster off their shine is gone (especially when you lose to the Kings 4 times). However the ducks are backed up by 2 solid goaltenders, 3 forward lines that can hurt you, and 2 of the best defensemen in the game. Minnesota can throw some great offensive talent and goaltending back at anyone, they just don’t have enough to match up every shift against the Ducks
Prediction: With great pain in my gut, Ducks in 6

(3) Vancouver Canucks v. (6) Dallas Stars
Solid lines and improved defense help the Stars, but playoff history hold a dark cloud over goaltender Marty Turco’s head. Vancover plays a disciplined game and can exploit errors; however they will lean heavily on the Sedin Twins for offense while Roberto Luongo will danc eon his head to keep them in games.
Prediction: I go with goaltending and that will be Roberto Luongo, Canucks in 6

(4) Nashville Predators v. (5) San Jose Sharks
The Predators will lean heavily on Paul Kariya and Peter Forsberg (who is one of the best playoff performers in history) to guide the fortunes of the team, which includes staying healthy. The Sharks are one of the best power play teams in the league and one of the best at holding a lead when scoring first, to win Nashville will have to score early and stay out of the box. However, both team’s fortunes will rest on who finds the right goal tender to ride through the series.
Prediction: The power play will prove to be too much for Nashville, Sharks in 7

My advice…grab a chair and a beer sit back and enjoy what should be some exiting playoffs thanks to the ‘New NHL’.

 

NHL History Made

With Carolina’s 3-2 Loss to Tampa Bay, the Hurricanes became the first defending Stanley Cup winner to miss the playoffs the next season since New Jersey in 1996. However, that is not this history… Thanks to the Edmonton Oilers collapse since the NHL Trade Deadline, this will be the first season ever where both teams that played in the previous season’s Stanley Cup Finals will fail to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the following season.

This raises an interesting question is this a case of parity or was last season a fluke?

 

Will the real Florida Panthers please stand up

The South Florida NHL team, winners of four in a row, is playing at Atlanta tonight.

The Panthers, who have won four straight and lost only once in their past 10 games, were a modest but confident bunch Monday as they wrapped up a 45-minute workout at the BankAtlantic Center and headed out on a two-game trip that concludes Thursday in Philadelphia.

The modesty is understandable. Despite closing the gap on a bunch of teams for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, Florida remains at the bottom of that pack, 13th overall and six points behind eighth-place Carolina.

“We’re still not in the playoff picture,” Jokinen admitted. “Probably nobody even knows we’re six points out with two games in hand, because there’s so many teams between us. But sooner or later they’ll find out.”

Breaking through against Atlanta, which has won all five meetings against Florida this season, might persuade some doubters. The Panthers are 0-6-1 at Philips Arena over the past two seasons and have been outscored 20-6, including two shutouts.

However, since Dec. 2, the last time the teams met, Florida is 19-11-8, and Atlanta is 17-17-6.

Tonight is a big game as they try to make the playoffs. They were very impressive in a 6-2 thrashing of The Tampa Bay Lightning last Saturday night. There was other notable facts about that game.

SUNRISE — Wayne Gretzky, who at one point pursued Jacques Martin for the Phoenix coaching job that he ultimately filled himself, led off the video tribute marking Martin’s 1,000th NHL coaching appearance Saturday night.

Panthers owner Alan Cohen has said that both Phoenix and the New York Rangers were pursuing Martin before Cohen hired him to coach the Panthers in May 2004. After the lockout ultimately canceled the 2004-05 season, Gretzky, a part-owner of the Coyotes, took the Phoenix job.

Also featured in the tribute was Panthers broadcaster Denis Potvin, who played youth hockey with Martin when both were growing up in Ottawa. A team picture featuring both was displayed on the scoreboard at the BankAtlantic Center.

The 12th coach to reach the milestone, Martin tied his longtime mentor, Roger Neilson, on the all-time list.

Coach Martin joins Goalie Ed Belfour in hitting milestones this year.

There was also this odd fact about Saturday’s game.

Ville Peltonen squelched any hope of a Lightning comeback, stretching the lead to 5-1 with the team’s first-ever successful penalty shot at home with 12:06 left in the third period.

“It was about time, I guess,” Peltonen joked of the milestone.

Isn’t it weird they never accomplished this in team home history. I hadn’t seen a successful penalty shot in 20 years either. Then I almost entirely stopped watching Hockey. So at least I have an excuse.

At present the Panthers are trailing by six points for the last playoff spot.

It’s March, and the Panthers are streaking. If that sounds familiar, it should.

It was only last March that this team put together a six-game win streak, went 10-4-1 and raised its fans’ hopes before losing five of its last nine games and finishing seven points behind eighth-place Tampa Bay.

Saturday’s 6-2 romp over Tampa Bay stretched the current winning streak to a season-best four straight and produced positive vibes in the post-game locker room.

But it was with the understanding a daunting task looms.

“We put ourselves in a big hole,” captain Olli Jokinen said.

*****

While Florida remains 13th in the East and must climb over five teams in their final 16 games, there are reasons to believe this quest can succeed where last year’s failed:

*****

When Martin set 90 points as this year’s goal in mid-February, it seemed unreachable. Now, if the Panthers can duplicate their 7-1-2 run during their past 10 games, they would need only seven points in their final six games of the season to get there.

*****

The task begins Tuesday in Atlanta, where the Panthers are 0-6-1 during the past two seasons, including 0-3 this season.

“We’ve given them 10 points already. That’s enough,” Jokinen said, referring to the Panthers’ 0-5 mark against the Thrashers, whom they last played Nov. 30.

I’m not convinced the Panthers are ready to be a playoff team. A win against Atlanta tonight may change my opinion.

 
 


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