By Kat
We’re just one more sleep away from the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs and the start of another two months of hockey drama. Last year’s playoffs were laden with rivalries, upsets, near-comebacks and Game 7s for the ages; parity in the league has only grown since then, so I would nothing less than the excitement from last year to repeat itself.
Yesterday, NHL.com amalgamated the first-round predictions of its staff writers into one convenient graphic:
Sidney Crosby’s return to the Penguins has many picking Pittsburgh to win it all this year. However, the Penguins are in tough against their cross-state rivals the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers edged the Penguins in their regular season series, winning four of six games played. However, those results could mean little in a best-of-seven series.
My Picks:
Western Conference
Vancouver Canucks (1) vs. Los Angeles Kings (8)
Prediction: Canucks in 7
Los Angeles’ offence has been sputtering all year; Jonathan Quick may steal some games but he still can’t score for them. The Canucks are a year wiser, have added depth to their roster and have been winning tight games all year.
St. Louis Blues (2) vs. San Jose Sharks (7)
Prediction: Blues in 6
The Blues were the top defensive team in the league, backstopped by the lights-out tandem of Brian Elliot and Jaroslav Halak in net. They won out of a tough Central division and remained in the race for 1st place in the West until the last day of the season. One has to wonder whether the Sharks have enough in the tank to fight through a stifling defensive team after scrambling to make the playoffs in the last week in the regular season.
Phoenix Coyotes (3) vs. Chicago (6)
Prediction: Blackhawks in 7
The Coyotes won out of a rather mediocre Pacific Division on the back of the stellar play of goalie Mike Smith, who recorded three straight shutouts in the last week of the season. Smith should give the Coyotes an edge in net, but Chicago retains many players from their 2010 championship roster. The Coyotes’ roster as a whole contains little star power and playoff experience save for Ray Whitney and Raffi Torres, and finished with fewer points than the Blackhawks. Unless Mike Smith puts together another shutout streak, the Blackhawks’ impact players – Kane, Hossa, Keith and Seabrook to name a few – will be the difference in the series.
Nashville Predators (4) vs. Detroit Red Wings (5)
Prediction: Predators in 7
They split their season series and finished within two points of each other in the standings. Detroit has more proven – if aging – offensive talent, but the addition of Alexander Radulov will boost Nashville’s scoring depth. It will be a tight one, but Detroit does not have home ice and their inability to win on the road record will catch up to them.
Eastern Conference
New York Rangers (1) vs. Ottawa Senators (8)
Prediction: Rangers in 6
Save for a stumble at the very end of the regular season that ultimately cost them the President’s Trophy, the Rangers have been consistent all year, starting with star netminder Henrik Lundqvist. While both teams are capable of scoring, the defensive edge goes to New York. The Senators are a surprise team this year that can’t be counted out (they won the season series against the Rangers), but they’ll have to pull another rabbit out of the hat to make it out of Round 1.
Boston Bruins (2) vs. Washington Capitals (7)
Prediction: Bruins in 5
The defending Stanley Cup champions have virtually the same roster as last spring, so there’s no reason why anyone should doubt that this group is capable of winning it all again. The Bruins play a punishing style that plays directly to what Washington has been criticized for in past years – that the Capitals’ stars are too soft. While Alex Ovechkin seems to be heating up again, Nicklas Backstrom is nowhere near his pre-concussion form. In net, Tim Thomas proved he can steal a series in last year’s final, while the Capitals may have to lean on third-stringer Braden Holtby in goal with both of their regulars out with injuries.
Florida Panthers (3) vs. New Jersey Devils (6)
Prediction: Devils in 6
Being on the West Coast means I’ve seen little of either team, but I can’t see the Florida Panthers making much of a splash this post-season. The Panthers had only 38 wins this season – the lowest amongst the 16 playoff teams and 1 fewer than 9th-placed Buffalo – and their roster has few standout players. While the Panthers have many players with deep playoff experience, I doubt it will be enough to overcome the top-tier talent the Devils have in Parise, Kovalchuk and star rookie Adam Henrique.
Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (5)
Prediction: Penguins in 7
The Penguins have the best offence in the NHL and it just got better with the return of Sidney Crosby. The only question mark on whether the Pens are a championship team lies in goal; Marc-Andre Fleury is a streaky goalie. If he’s spectacular, his team will go deep; if not, he will be a liability. The Flyers have a balanced attack and Ilya Bryzgalov seems to be finding his game. Injuries to key players (Meszaros, van Riemsdyk) may be too much to overcome. There will be plenty of hate to make this series a must-watch.
For the record, I’m calling a Vancouver-New York rematch in the Finals for nostalgia’s sake.
What are some of your predictions?
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