Round Two Intrigue

An incredibly entertaining first round that resulted in the Eastern Conference turning upside down and the west saw series domination by no one but resulting in a mostly chalk second round. Kudos to the performances put forth by the Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche and L.A. Kings who performed more than admirably in each team’s first playoff appearance in many years. The L.A. Kings and Colorado Avalanche showed they will be a viable team for quite a while as each young group of players will only learn from this experience and continue to get better and better. Seven of the eight series went at least six games which means round two has got an awful lot to live up to.

Now that round one is in the books we look forward to the round two match-ups:

Eastern Conference

4. Pittsburgh vs. 8. Montreal

The Canadiens did what most thought was impossible once the series got to a 3-1 Washington advantage. It was thought that the Caps were vulnerable for an upset but not in the way that Montreal ultimately pulled off the upset…with defense. Washington couldn’t score and conventional wisdom tells you that if Montreal can shut down Washington then certainly they will be able to do the same thing to Pittsburgh… right? Not likely. First off the Canadiens relied much too heavily on Jaroslav Halak to be just about perfect. Halak may have a few more games in him like that but he cannot play that way night in and night out the rest of the way. Furthermore, the Penguins are a much more physical team than Washington and as a result can wear you down much more effectively than the Caps could. There is also the ever present intangible the Penguins have and that is their experience. Washington was unsure of whether they could win when things got bad, but Pittsburgh does not have that doubt in them because they know (after coming back from 2-0 twice last season  and a 5-0 loss in game 5 to the Red Wings in the finals) they have the ability to beat anybody at any time no matter what the circumstances. While Montreal will prove to be a tough opponent for Pittsburgh it’s unlikely that Crosby and company will be ousted by a tenacious Habs squad. Pittsburgh will move on.

6. Boston vs. 7. Philadelphia

This may be the most entertaining match-up in this round on paper. Both teams play a very physical game so a lot of big hits will be traded. Aside from that however the Flyers have the advantage. While both teams relied on secondary scoring to advance to round 2 the Flyers have much better primary scoring options. It’s unlikely that Carter, Briere, and the rest will be held in check this time around. Boston showed an inability to score (nothing like the team I thought they would be when I picked them to win the east preseason) over the course of the season and that probably won’t change. For that reason I’m taking Philly.

Western Conference:

1. San Jose vs. 5. Detroit

Congrats to San Jose for finally fighting those first round demons and advancing to round 2 for the first time in what seems like forever. Lucky for San Jose they managed to advance without much scoring from their big three (Marleau, Heatley, and Thorton). They will definitely need that to change if they want any hope of besting the Red Wings. Once again we can talk about x’s and o’s all night long but when it comes down to it I just can’t pick against Detroit. Every year it seems like they are ripe for the picking by an up and coming western conference team and Detroit always proves everyone wrong.  Therefore I am picking Detroit to pick off San Jose.

2. Chicago vs. 3. Vancouver

Both teams escaped what look like would be first round upsets by third period comebacks. Lucky for us they did because last year’s battle in the same round between the two teams was must see TV and this year will likely be even better. Both teams are great up front with Kane and company for Chicago and the Sedin twins and crew for Vancouver. There will be offensive chances galore for both teams, so what do you look to in a match-up like that? Goal tending of course. To be frank, Chicago’s netminding has been awful so they are already at a disadvantage in that category; now add in the fact that they’ll be battling Roberto Luongo on the other end and it’s even more trouble for the Hawks. However, last year they were able to get to Luongo and they can certainly do that again this year. All the Hawks need out of their goaltender is to play adequately and they’ll handle the rest. I picked Chicago to win the whole thing at the beginning of the year and I won’t back down now… Chicago wins.

NHL Playoff Preview/Predictions

East preview:

1. Washington vs. 8. Montreal

Jaroslav Halak is the key to this series. All Halak has to do is keep Washington at bay, if he can manage to do that the Canadiens will get plenty of scoring chances against Washington’s swiss cheese defense.  Two things we know for sure: Montreal cannot stop Washington from scoring and Washington cannot stop Montreal from scoring. Number one key as I mentioned is Halak but also it is vitally important for Montreal to play extremely well disciplined hockey every minute of every game. Technical mistakes will be made that’s just the nature of the game but making bad decisions (bad passes, lazy puck pursuit, etc.) and taking bad penalties will be the end of Montreal’s playoff life. Washington has enough talent to overcome the mistakes it will make and the lack of adequate defense and spotty goaltending but Montreal does not. Many people think Washington is ripe for the picking—and that may be true—but if Montreal does not keep their mistake ratio compared to Washington’s very low the Capitals will blow them away. Even when Montreal does say take a bad penalty they have to rely on the playoff experience of the guys on their roster to take someone with them to the box, every little bit matters. If Montreal can do those things they’ll win; but that said I’m taking the Capitals in five.

2. New Jersey vs. 7. Philadelphia

Philadelphia will win this series. It has little to do with the Flyers’ abilities and more to do with New Jersey’s inadequacies. The Devils rely too heavily on scoring first then using the neutral-zone trap and Marty Brodeur to stifle the other team. New Jersey will not always score first and have a lead to protect, nor do they have the capacity to come back from being down 2 or more goals should Philly get that far ahead. It is not 1995 anymore and the new NHL is not conducive to New Jersey’s system yielding a great amount of post-season success. They have also put a proverbial wall in front of their biggest scoring threat in Ilya Kovalchuk. Every game will most likely be close because of how the Devils play but it’s Philly’s series to win.

3. Buffalo vs. 6. Boston

Ryan Miller is the best goaltender in the world today and the Boston Bruins cannot CANNOT score. Enough said, Sabres take the series.

4. Pittsburgh vs. 5. Ottawa

Crosby has been hot of late but that includes two games against the New York Islanders who have a really small defense and that results in a ton of scoring chances and many goals. The Penguins have had a hard time stopping team’s from scoring  while also not having the greatest scoring prowess themselves (granted Gonchar and Malkin have been hurt so that should sure itself up). It has been said that the Penguins simply needed to get to the playoffs and now that the time has come they will be more motivated to get their act together, build on the experience of the last few years, and go on to get back to at least the conference finals. However, I think the Ottawa Senators may have something to say about that. The Senators have been one of the best teams in the conference over the last month of the season and are playing incredibly well as a unit. Losing Alex Kovalev will be a setback for Ottawa but they still have Daniel Alredsson, Jason Spezza, and Mike Fisher so they will not be longing for scoring presents on the ice. Their defensemen are all pretty big so that will match-up relatively well with the Penguins’ lines from top to bottom. Scoring chances will require much more work for the Penguins against Ottawa than it was versus the Islanders.  Perhaps the biggest flaw for Ottawa is Brian Elliot’s lack of playoff experience. While experience matters at all positions it is most important for goaltenders unless you’re Ken Dryden or Patrick Roy. Nevertheless, with how the Penguins have been playing (inconsistent) they are ripe for an upset and I think the Ottawa Senators will do just that.

West Preview:

1.  San Jose vs. 8. Colorado

Being technical in analyzing how I think this match-up will go is perhaps a waste of time. San Jose has been here time and time again and Colorado is a team that has overachieved all season long. I think in time Colorado will be very good but it just is not in the cards for them this year. San Jose has more experience, are an overall better team, and will simply not lose to Colorado. San Jose takes this series.

2. Chicago vs. 7. Nashville

Having Nashville in the playoffs is always nice because whatever helps hockey grow in non-traditional markets is a good thing for the game and the league. Nashville has been here before but has not managed to get past the first round (no shame in that since they’ve played Detroit in every playoff appearance in their short history). What gives Nashville the best chance at success in this series is that they don’t rely on any one person to provide all of their offense. Steve Sullivan, Patric Hornqvist, Martin Erat, Jason Arnott, J.P. Dumont, and Shea Weber all had 40+ point seasons which is a very positive sign since Chicago cannot simply focus on one guy in hopes of keeping the Preds at bay. The problem for Nashville is that on the season they gave up as many goals as they scored which does not bode well when playing the likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, and co. in a best four-of-seven series. While I root for hockey success in Nashville for the good of the game I think Chicago will be too much for the Preds and will move past Nashville on their way to the Cup Finals as I predicted at season’s opening.

3. Vancouver vs. 6. L.A. Kings

It is great to see the L.A. Kings back in the playoffs. I have been saying since the offseason that this team was for real and they certainly did not disappoint all season and here they are in the post-season.  Anze Kopitar has been phenomenal all year and Jonathan Quick has been solid in net wire-to-wire. I said before the year started that not only would the Kings make the playoffs but they would also win their first round series and I will not back down from that. Unfortunately for the Kings (and for me) they have to go up against arguably the best line in hockey all year—i.e. the Sedin twins with Alex Burrows and sometimes Ryan Kesler. Oh and that Roberto Luongo guy isn’t half bad either. A lot of people think this is the year for Vancouver to overcome what they’ve faced in the past and finally come out of the West.  I will go against my head in picking this one and say that the Kings will take the series, but they better rely heavily on Rob Scuderi’s cup winning experience from a year ago because they will need it.

4. Phoenix vs. 5. Detroit

Poor Phoenix. Ownership issues stemming back to the offseason, not knowing where they were going to play this year before the season started and even where they will be next year has not been finalized. Despite all of that the players banded together  and not only got themselves into the playoffs but home ice in the first round, great right!? Wrong. All of that hard work yields them the reward of playing the Detroit Red Wings in the first round, what a reward for a great season eh? We could break down match-ups until the cows come home but it would be silly for me to pick against Detroit. I hope Phoenix gives Detroit a great fight and even manages to beat them, but that is unlikely and that is why I am giving this series to the Red Wings.

Enjoy the start of the most wonderful time of the year!

Olympics End but Great Hockey Continues

A week ago today the world saw one of the best hockey games in quite some time and certainly the best game of the Olympic tournament. Despite tremendous tenacity expressed by the Americans it was hockey king Canada led by Sidney Crosby who left the Vancouver games with the Gold Medal. Crosby’s overtime goal marked the end of a fantastic two weeks of hockey that produced a plethora of unpredictable moments. While it was the Canadians who climbed to the top of the mountain, in the end the real winners were hockey fans the world over. So I take this time to congratulate the Canadians on their victory, to salute the game of hockey generally, and to bid farewell to what was an awesome two weeks of hockey.

With the Olympics now behind us we transition from one set of great hockey to another as the NHL stretch run goes into full swing. As it stands today spots 6 through 11 in the Eastern Conference are separated by a total of four points while the battle for the 7^th and 8^th spots in the West is an even tighter race. Over the next few weeks we’ll find out who made the right moves at the trade deadline and who should have done more. We’ll see if upstart Phoenix can Colorado (back to glory days depicted above?) can keep their level of play high enough to maintain playoff positions as it is a new concept for both of these teams as assembled today. Can the Detroit Red Wings manage to solidify a playoff spot or will they be left out for the first time since dinosaurs roamed the earth? Did the Pittsburgh Penguins add enough new faces to their lineup to sure up any deficiencies they may have had to put them into the team to beat in the East? Have the Washington Capitals finally addressed their defensive woes enough to catapult themselves into the category of serious cup contenders? Why didn’t Boston—who was top seed in the East last year—not do more to address their inability to score? All the while who will score more goals before season’s end Alex Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby? Each of these questions will be answered over the next month  and that means hockey fans are going to be spoiled from now until the end of the Stanley Cup Finals in June. So gear up puckheads because this is going to be awesome!

Overachieving and Underperforming Teams

A proverbial “attaboy”  to the New York Islanders. There is a fair amount of turmoil plaguing the team off the ice concerning their future and they do not have the best team assembled and people do not expect very much from them. Despite all of that the Islanders are in the midst of a four game winning streak that they and their fans should be very excited about. Not only have they won four-in-a-row but they are beating good teams in the process including a 5-0 thumping of the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. John Tavares is of course expected to be great and so far he has progressed well but he also has help from the likes of Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo accompanied by solid goaltending from both Dwayne Roloson and Marty Biron (who despite a subpar record is putting up some good numbers). A playoff spot is unlikely to be in the Isles immediate future but as I wrote before (see: ) this team is going in the right direction in terms of its on ice play and has a very bright future.

Another “attaboy” to the Colorado Avalanche who are in first place in the Western Conference, which is a shock to everyone in the hockey world. The Avs are a team made up of mostly young guys who seem to be playing every game with house money because they don’t seem to know that they aren’t supposed to be any good. Perhaps the top story within the team is the performance of early season MVP candidate (yes I said it) Craig Anderson. Anderson has played all 15 of Colorado’s games and is posting staggering numbers including a .936 save percentage and 2.11 goals against average. It’s unlikely that the Avs can keep this going all season, but for now the fans in Colorado should enjoy being on top they’ve been a great hockey city since day one and certainly deserve it.

A major “tisk-tisk” to Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins who is not playing at all like the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. Over the years people have worried about Thomas’ style because it is kind of a free-for-all that resulted in him spending a lot of time in the minor leagues. Was last year and aberration? Perhaps, but if he does not get it together the Bruins will likely go looking for a replacement because expectations for this year are very high in Boston. Surely the Bruins’ early struggles do not fall solely on Thomas but he will be an easy scapegoat if the team fails to turn the corner.

Another major “tisk-tisk” to the Carolina Hurricanes. Last year they reached the Conference Finals, and this year with essentially the same team (if not a better one) as last year they have 7 points through 13 games… Enough said.

Joe Sakic to Retire

One of the league’s top players for the greater part of the last twenty years is calling it quits. It has been reported that long time Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic will make it official Thursday. Sakic was the first round pick (15^th overall) of the then Quebec Nordiques in 1987, played a full season in 1988-1989 and never looked back. He eclipsed the 100 point mark six times in his career including 120 points in 1995-1996 and 118 points in 2000-2001, both seasons resulted in Stanley Cup Championships for the Colorado Avalanche. Not only was it a pleasure to watch him perform on the ice, but it was even greater to see him do it year in and year out for the same organization the whole time. It is especially rare in the age of free agency to see one person stay with one team throughout his career in any sport so it was refreshing that Sakic did that. Sakic’s two Staley Cup rings, 13 all-star team selections, and Olympic Gold Medal will surely land him in the Hockey Hall of Fame once he’s eligible in a few years; but staying on one team all those years is as good an accomplishment as any of those mentioned. It is too bad that injuries hampered him the last two years but he and his teams gave us a lot of great memories before that and some very entertaining hockey which was an honor to watch. Hopefully he stays close to hockey in his post-playing career for the NHL can certainly use someone like him as an ambassador for the game. So congrats to Joe Sakic and good luck to him in retirement.

Roy Eyes NHL Headcoaching Job

Rumor has it that Patrick Roy is interested in a headcoaching job in the NHL RIGHT NOW. How Roy would be as a coach at the top level no one really knows but it would be a lot of fun. His personality as a player added a flashiness that was uncanny. Generally speaking Roy’s affinity for the spotlight in showtime did not interfere with his on ice play; in fact it probably caused him to raise his game. Imagine that same pizzazz and energy behind the bench. A glimpse of that was seen in his endeavors as a coach at the junior level but with some controversy. At the NHL level that style will in all likelihood create little if any controversy to the extent it did at his junior gig. In fact, that style will probably energize players and fans alike leading to some very entertaining nights whether it’s midseason or in the thick of the playoffs. Roy will probably coach in either Montreal or Colorado and no matter which city he lands in there will be storylines-a-plenty. If he ends up in Montreal the media will have a field day with the return of a living legend to where it all started for him in 1986. A love-hate relationship with the fans and media in Montreal will surely develop as the hockey crazed city that defines success by two words and two words only “Stanley Cup.” Roy will know what to expect in that situation and I think he’ll thrive on the pressure that will definitely be placed square on his shoulders. So between the fans, the media, (not to mention the unceremonious way in which he left the team as a player)and all of the ghosts of the old forum that are bellowing in the hallways of the Bell Centre, Patrick Roy in Montreal would be anything but dull.

Patrick Roy in Denver would also work out quite well. With the energy he’ll bring to the bench (as discussed above) he can reinvigorate a city that has been an unbelievable hockey town since they moved there from Quebec City almost 15 years ago. The team did not have a good year and for the first time in a long time some of the seats at the Pepsi Center remained unoccupied. Putting Roy behind the bench will certainly put fans back in the seats and give the Avalanche some much needed national attention (from both Canada and the U.S.). Of course it wouldn’t only be the fans who would be excited about Roy’s return to Denver but also the players who would feed off of Roy’s fire and passion for the game. And last, but not least, is the hype that would inevitably be created leading up to the four meetings between Patrick Roy and Wayne Gretzky. Two living legends leading their teams against one another is sure to add an extra intangible element to that match-up. As of right now there is really no rivalry between Colorado and Phoenix but with these two guys behind the bench, their respective competitive natures are sure to spill over onto the ice which is a very exciting prospect.

Love him or hate him no matter where Roy ends up his presence will have nothing but a positive effect on his team, the city, and the league as a whole.

Win or Lose It’s All About Passion

One of the greatest things about sports generally is the passion every person associated with any sporting event brings to the table. Whether it’s the fans, players, front office, media, etc. there is something intangible about the passion brought out in people via sports. That being said, that passion is one thing that has made this NHL season one of the best I have ever seen. A lot of that has to be contributed to the tight playoff races in both conferences. It seems like every game is of the utmost importance toward determining who will be where at night’s end as every point makes a WORLD of difference. But going beyond the teams vying for playoff spots there are a number of teams who have been virtually eliminated for quite some time but are still putting up an incredible fight night in and night out. For example, the New York Islanders have been out of having a legitimate shot at a playoff spot for quite some time. The Isles have traded some of their better players away (namely Bill Guerin) and have played most all of the season without their star goaltender Rick DiPietro. They have every reason in the world to pack it in, simply show up every night to take their spanking then move on. Instead the Isles are playing some of their best hockey right now which includes wins against teams in the playoff race including a 7-3 trouncing of the New Jersey Devils. This is great not only for the fans in attendance but for the future of the Islanders on Long Island. They are continuing to fight for a new arena with city officials and that has put their future in doubt; but by winning they are showing their frustrated but passionate fans that there can be brighter days and that the team is worth fighting for.

In a similar manner the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Thrashers in the east along with the Colorado Avalanche and Phoenix Coyotes in the west are competing hard every single night. Those teams aren’t all playing their best hockey right now but they are giving it their all every night and a few have stolen more than a couple games from teams who are very much in the thick of things. To see these teams work so hard is very reassuring. To know that teams who are not Stanley Cup playoffs bound still battle hard along the boards, get into scuffles to protect star players and goalies, and they still get so frustrated when the take penalties. There is still incredible joy when they score goals and win games along with equally intense feelings when they do the opposite. To see guys still playing hard for each other and their fans and to see the fans still getting just as into some of the games now as when the playoffs were still a possibility is so reassuring. There’s something special about moments like those and it only makes me enjoy each game that much more.

Roberto Luongo Raises Bar

Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo set a new team record for consecutive shutout minutes at 242 minutes 36 seconds. The mark was set after Luongo’s streak came to a close in a 2-1 shootout loss to Colorado. Shutout streaks are pretty hard to come by in this new NHL and yet this is the second time in as many years that Luongo has posted such a streak. A goaltender playing at such a high-level is huge for any team but it is especially big for Luongo because he is the team captain. I know many hockey insiders have not only questioned this move but outright criticized the team doing it. Generally speaking there is some truth to these criticisms but for Vancouver maybe different is better. At the moment the Canucks sit atop arguably the most competitive division in hockey with an offense that can be described as good on its BEST day. So to all who question having Luongo as the Canucks’ captain, if it works for them then what difference does it make who the captain is? At the end of the day the object is to win and so far so good for the Roberto Luongo led Vancouver Canucks.