Over the past few months, we have all been intrigued by the words of two of the greatest men to grace this earth. We cheered when Rick was blessed to see Vampire Weekend, we got emotionally attached to the life and times of Conor "The Sex Machine"
Well, help is on the way...
The NHL Playoff Predictions
(That's right! Matt Goulet has finally found time to make you all appreciate the sport of kings.)
This past year in the NHL was filled with plenty of great games, amazing stories and plenty of George Parros. It was really a great year to be a hockey fan. We saw teams like
All this leads us into the playoffs, where all the stats and records don't matter anymore. Even though the past few years have been completely unpredictable in the playoffs (Edmonton made it to the finals without someone named Wayne or Messier?), I am going to do my best to predict what will actually happen so you guys don't have to watch it (well, lets be honest, not too many of you watch it, either way).
Eastern Conference
First Round
#1 Boston Bruins vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens
Once again, hockey's biggest rivalry has met again in the first round. This year though, we swap positions as the Bruins come in as the top seed in the conference. Montreal has dealt with a lot this year, including a new coach, mafia speculations and the threat of Celine Dion owning the team next year. Boston, on the other hand, has been on cruise control ever since the Dallas game in November, which sparked a 17 game home winning streak and rocketed them to the top. Montreal may threaten the Bruins, but barely.
Bruins in 5
#2 Washington Capitals vs. #7 New York Rangers
This is one intriguing match-up. Washington has one of the most explosive offensives in hockey, lead by 8 the great and Mike Green. The one thing they lack, though is defense. Yes, Green can score, but when he misses the net, he forgets how to back-check. The Rangers are on the other side of the spectrum. Players like Scott Gomez and Chris Drury have been known for years as defensive leaders on the ice and, along with a solid core of blue liners, they can threaten any superstar forward. The Key to this series will be goaltending. Jose Theodore is not the same goalie he was in 2003, when he won the Vezina, but does have experience in the playoffs. Henrik Lundquist really needs to be on top of his game for the entire series, and I think he will. Always remember the #1 rule of hockey; Offense sells tickets, Avery steals games.
Rangers in 7
#3 New Jersey Devils vs. #6 Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina comes into the playoffs hot as of late. The play of Ray Whitney and Eric Staal along with the resurrection of Erik Cole's career really make some teams in the East kind of nervous. Too bad New Jersey has some guy named Brodeur back...
Devils in 5
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Another big rivalry. The cross-penn rivalry has come back again this year, this time in the first round. Pittsburgh comes in packing some heavy hitters like Sid the kid and Evgeni Malkin. Philly got some too named Scott Hartnell and Jeff Carter. Pitt may not have Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone this year, but now they got Bill Guerin to fill in. They also got the better goalie in Marc-Andre Fleury, and I think that will go a long ways.
Cute Birds in 6
#1 Boston Bruins vs. #7 New York Rangers
Here is a series that has the potential to be one to watch. Sean Avery has found a way to get inside the Bruins heads all year, with but has yet to win against him. He will pull off some more antics in this original six series, but Boston has been able to put players like him to the side all year (see Mike Komisarek and Steve Ott). Tim Thomas must stay sharp in this series, and the young guns like Krejci and Kessel have to put some pucks on Lundquist. If they do those two things, along with capitalizing when Avery gets in the box, they should have no problem
Bruins in 6
#3 New Jersey Devils vs. #4 Pittsburgh Penguins
The Atlantic's top two teams face off in a battle of offense vs. defense. The big two in Pittsburgh will need to be at the top of their games to get past the big guys swarming the Jersey blue line. But, for Jersey to win here, Zach Parise needs to show the league why he is one of the top young scorers in the league. When that happens, the igloo will begin to melt.
Devils in 7
Finals
#1 Boston Bruins vs. #3 New Jersey Devils
I'll be honest, I have been wanting to see this match-up since the beginning of the year. Both teams play a similar style of hockey. They use their defensive skills to make offensive chances and both love to spread the wealth around. Plus, we see a great goaltending battle between Timmy and Marty. But Boston has one thing New Jersey doesn't; a great special teams unit. That will carry the B's back to the big stage for the first time since 1991.
Bruins in 7
Western Conference
First Round
#1
The California rivalry. North vs. South. Fineness vs. Strength. Setoguchi vs. Getzlaf (couldn't you see those two being Pokemon names...). This series is going to be a lot closer than most think. The Ducks are a rough-and-tough team who relies on their top lines for points and the bottoms to clean up the garbage. This is the type of team who can slow up the skills of Sharks players like Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. But, the key player who will determine this series is Sharks forward Ryane Clowe. Watch for him to counteract the birdies.
Sharks in 7
#2
The Wings come in as heavy favorites, and for good reason. The playmaking skills of Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetteberg and Marian Hossa will lead this team in the series. Yes, the play of rookie goalie Steve Mason has been terrific but, let me remind you, he is just a rookie. He can't carry this lackluster team too far.
Red Wings in 4
#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 St. Louis Blues.
St. Louis is another one of those great stories coming out this year. Through all their injuries and mishaps, the team has still found a way to make it this far. Goalie Chris Mason went from bad to good in the span of three months, and also helped guide the team to this point. Vancouver, though, will test him, and a lot. The twins Sedin work well together and, for the first time, are on a threatening team in the playoff. With help from Roberto Luongo in net, this will be a cake walk.
Canucks in 5
#4 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #5 Calgary Flames
Everyone seems to like the youth of the Hawks here. Patrick Kane and Johnathan Toews have lead the young team to a great season and hope to carry the momentum into the postseason. The only problem is, Calgary is good. I love Michael Cammalleri and Jarome Iginla up front, along with Mr. Sloppy Seconds Dion Phaneuf. The goalie battle is interesting here. Nikolai Khabibulin is a skilled veteran, but he will be no match for the Flames Miikka Kiprusoff.
Flames in 7
Semi-Finals
#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #5 Calgary Flames
One thing San Jose is good at is losing in the playoffs when their team is so good. No different here. Love the battle here between Evegni Nabakov and Kiprusoff, but I think once again, Kip wins. Calgary just has so many weapons in their arsenal.
Calgary in 7
#2 Detroit Red Wings vs. #3 Vancouver Canucks
The one problem Vancouver has here is they are playing the Red Wings. Vancouver is a great team who will test the iffy goaltending situation in Chris Osgood and Ty Conklin (UNH represent!), but the Canucks would need an almost flawless performance from Luongo. They won't get it.
Wings in 6
Finals
#2 Detroit Red Wings vs. #5 Calgary Flames
Ooo what a prime matchup here. Both teams feature a slew of great forwards, defensemen and goalies. Detroit is great at putting the puck in the net on the powerplay, but are really weak in the penalty kill department. Calgary are the exact opposite. Not-so-good powerplay and a terrific penalty kill. But, since the pick up of Sam Cassell's brother Olli Jolkien, Calgary has shown some life on the man advantage. That will be key in the close games, and will lead them back to the finals.
Calgary in 7
THE STANLEY CUP FINALS
#1 Boston Bruins vs. #5 Calgary Flames
Ok, so this may be a little bias. Everyone reading this knows I am a major Bruins fan, and it was pretty predictable that I picked them to go to the finals, but what is not to love about this team? They have all the making of a great team; Strong, talented forwards, one of the best blue-line-crew in the league and one of the most terrific goaltenders in the league. Here, though, they will be challenged thoroughly. Calgary has done a great job of taking this team and building it to win championships. With a great backstop guarding the net and a core group of players who fit the system, Calgary scares a lot of teams in the league. The series will be a great one but in the long run, the team with the most heart will win. It will go 7 games and would not be surprised if the finale goes into overtime but...
Bruins in 7
So there ya go. That's the way it will all pan out. If anyone says otherwise, don't believe them. Whether the cup goes like this or not, we all pray that this years playoffs were just as good as last years.
And, in the long run, the Bruins will be back on top for the first time in 37 years.
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