The Eastern Conference matchups are all set after tonights action. The Rangers will play the Caps in the first round. As far as I am concerned, the matchups worked out about as well as I would have wanted (especially if you asked me a few weeks ago when the Rangers playoff hopes were fading fast).First the Capitals and Rangers. (The 2 vs. 7) The Capitals are a very tough team, with the best player in the NHL (ovechkin), but two things the Rangers can really like about this matchup. 1) Of the 8 eastern conference goaltenders heading to the playoffs, if you had one game to win, who would you choose? I think the clear top two, depending on your bias, are Hank and Brodeur, then Thomas a close third. Biron and Fleury come in 4 and 5 for me, both capable of great nights, but not nearly consistent enough. Cam Ward with his stanley cup probably comes in 6th, leaving Carey Price and Jose Theodore. I think I might give Price the edge. Point is, The capitals goalie, is probably the weakest one in the eastern conference playoffs. 2) The Caps are basically a .500 team on the road. As opposed to a team like boston that played better than .600 hockey on the road. If the rangers can steal game one or two in Washington, then they can really take a strangle hold on the series.
Key to the Series:
1) Ovechkin. This series is all about Ovechkin. The Rangers shut him down, they win rather easily. Ovechkin has his way, and the Rangers won't be able to keep up with Washington's offense.
2) Washington Powerplay (2nd best in NHL) vs. Ranger penalty kill (best in NHL). The rangers need to stay out of the box, but when they can't, it will be power against...power, sort of. Rangers shut down the washington powerplay, and they will win this series.
Nugman Prediction: Rangers steal game a game in washington, and win all 3 at the garden, winning the series 4 games to 2. (Heart Says, Rangers in 6, Brain says Caps in 7....going with the heart baby)
Bruins vs. Montreal (1 vs. 8)
Bruins take the top defense, and statistically goaltender in the league, vs a struggling Montreal team. Montreal has been the worst of the playoff teams in the east the last 6 weeks, and have a goalie I don't trust in the playoffs. Montreal has two things going for them: 1) Nothing to lose, as the 8 seed, there is no pressure. 2) A long history of dominating the Bruins that will be brought up 6,000 times during this series.
Key to series:
1) Marc Savard. He is Boston's best playmaker, they are near unbeatable when he is on. If Montreal can take him out of his game, then every game will be tight, giving the edge to the team feeling less pressure (Montreal).
2) Carey Price. Montreal needs him to realize the pressure is on Boston as the one seed to deliver, and not on him to try and live up to the legend of Roy and Dryden.
3) Alexei Kovalev. The former Ranger has a way of coming up big in the most important games. Montreal lacks a clear sniper capable of dominating this boston defense, but if Kovalev plays his best, he gives them a chance.
4) Can the bruins overcome the mental edge the Canadians have based on their head to head history?
Nugman Prediction: Boston is too fundamentally sound, and has more offense than they did last year when they took montreal (then the 1) to seven games. Boston wins this series in 5. (Heart says....well....Montreal really can't win. If they do, it's in 7, and that means on the road, tough, but my heart is willing to buy into 100 years of owning the other franchise. Brain says Boston is too physical for Montreal and it's over in 5. Gotta go with the Brain on this one)
Devils 3, vs. Carolina 6. This is not only the best chance for a first round upset, I guarantee Carolina upsets. Partially because I hate the devils, but also because it is just a terrible matchup for New Jersey. You have Carolina as arguably the hottest team in the east, and definitely the hottest team at home (Meaning jersey has to win both home games, and jersey has never been an elite home team, due to poor fan support, among other things) If this series is 1-1 heading to Carolina, Jersey is returning to the rock down 3-1. Also hurting the devils is: 1) They aren't playing well as a team, closing the season slumping, 2) Brodeur hasn't been good in the playoffs in about 5 years. When you combine the fact that this carolina team, with Ward in net, beat the devils on their way to a Stanley cup title, I have to like Carolina to pull this out.
Keys to series:
1) Brodeur. If he plays like he did in the playoffs from 1994-2004, then the devils probably win. But not only has he not played like that in recent seasons, he has played NOWHERE close to it.
2) ....that's it. If brodeur plays his best, devils win, if he doesn't, carolina is going to win all 3 at home, meaning they only need one in jersey.
Nugman Prediction: Carolina in 6. (Heart says Carolina in 6. Brain says Carolina in 6. Devils are the better team, but Carolina is just hotter now)
Philly vs. Pittsburgh (4 vs. 5, not yet determined who is who). If Philly gets a point against the rangers tomorrow, they are the 4, if they lose in regulation, Pittsburgh gets home ice. I LOVE this matchup. Very simply, I hate both teams, and I love knowing that if the Rangers get by the caps, one of these two, and the devils, will be gone from the playoffs. Tomorrow's rangers game is enormous. Both Philly and Pittsburgh are excellent home teams, and just average on the road. I honestly believe whoever gets home ice, wins that series, so I will follow up on this prediction tomorrow after the Rangers game.
That's all for now. Dear Torts, rest Hank please. The game means nothing. Please also make sure Drury and Antropov play no more than 10 minutes each, maybe healthy scratches? Those guys are banged up and could use some rest. Roszival also.
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Oh, and taking a quick look at the Western Conference....WOW. If the NHL new how to market themselves AT ALL, what a postseason they could have in the making here. Of the 8 first round series in East and West, I could very easily see 7 of them going 6 or 7 games. The West matchups are great. San Jose vs. St Louis is a total sleeper. St Louis has been on fire of late, and gotten great goal tending, and San Jose is buried under a mountain of playoff choke jobs. I think San Jose wins, but that series goes 7. Detroit and Anaheim will most likely be the best series of the first round. Two great teams. Two veteran teams. Pretty much every player on each team has won at least one cup. Two playoff tested goalies. Detroit is better, Anaheim is hotter. It's going to be great. And Chicago and Calgary might showcase the best young talent in the game (team wise, not for any individual). That is going to be a great series with end to end action for 60 minutes. The only two series of the 8 that could be let downs, are Boston-Montreal, and Vancouver-Columbus.
ReplyDeleteBoston-Montreal because Boston is SOOOO much better. But I think the history there will make those games closer than they should be. But there is nothing that can save Vancouver and Columbus. There is no interest in Columbus hockey, and neither team will win in the second round so who really cares. That series doesn't have a lot to offer. No rivalry, no great fan bases, not much hope for the next round. But the others are all excellent.