playoff predictions?

[nj_cup]

first off wow 5 canadian playoff teams? thats pretty impressive!

rangers definitely luck out with this format. they get the cupcake in pitt (when would you say that). then they are lucky because the caps and isles both play one another and those 2 teams are the only teams i think that can give them a run for their money. if they had to face isles in round 1 then caps in round 2 then face tampa in round 3. i wouldn't like their chances now? i think they easily SHOULD come out of the east.

rangers in 5 over pitt
rangers in 7 over caps
rangers in 6 over habs or bolts.

in the west st.louis chicago even nashville are legit threats to win the cup. problem is 2 of the 3 will be gone by the 3rd round. i get the division aspect of playoffs but you can definitely see a situation where one team has a cake walk to the conference finals without reseeding. the ducks definitely have the "easiest" winnipeg calgary and vancouver. easier said then done of course but still a lot easier then facing the hawks/blues or preds imo.

rangers ducks final. dont know who wins....but if the rangers dont get it done this year i dont think they get back here next year. they have to win it this year imo

 

[rp2five]

Rangers in 7. I think the Penguins, even with a depleted defense will put up a fight. They still have Sid and Malkin. I will be rooting for the Pens of course. This series will be a whine fest. By game 2, you will hear the media, both teams and fans cry about the refs and calls. Things will get chippy in this series, and special teams will be huge. If Fleury flat out sucks, then Rangers will win this quickly.

Sens in 7. By far, this will be my favorite series. Speed and skill on both sides. 2 Canadian teams. This is more like a 2nd round matchup and its unfortunate one of the teams has to go. I will pick the upset

TB in 6. Seems everyone is picking TB. I think they are just too talented.

Caps in 6. After watching Halak and the Isles blow the game against the Jackets, I don't see the Isles winning this series. Halak looks shaken. Ovie will be the best player.

Ducks in 6. Pavelec will steal a game or 2, but I think Ducks are too good.

Wild in 7. My second favorite series. This is the toughest one to pick. I see the Wild winning game 7 in OT.

Chicago in 6 - Offense vs Defense. Rinne again will be tough to beat, but chicago has lot of weapons.

Canucks in 7. Flames will put up a fight.

 

[nj_cup]

Watching the Hawks preds in overtime.

Really what the hell is lou thinking with all the 30 year olds. I can't believe the back and forth play in overtime Nashville is beyond fast. Wow great overtime both teams trying to win

 

[rp2five]

Rangers won series quick, but Pens definitely put up a fight and kept this series closer than it seemed.

Price beats the Sens in 6. He was the difference. I was hoping to see the Sens but goaltending won this series.

Detroit has surprised many of us. TB is in trouble but I think series will go 7.

Caps and Isles series is up in the air. I picked the Caps, but have a feeling the Isles win tonight.

Ducks, Hawks and Wild advance in the west.

Flames were a bit of a surprise for me. I knew they would give Vancouver trouble, but didn't think they would win series.

 

[nj_cup]

i did that nhl playoff bracket and i have the flames going to the conference finals against the preds. ugh that team is such a let down. i really thought if they got past the hawks they could've made the finals.

isles or caps? i think the rangers dont want to play either of them to be honest. they probably want the islanders because it really becomes 7 home games for them.

i will say this if people want the rangers to get knocked out it has to happen this round. if they get past this round they will face the habs/wings/bolts the bolts will be the hardest matchup but there is no guarantee of them even getting out of this round.



as for a team beating the rangers? well chicago is the only team i think that can beat them but really how much hockey can they play? to make the finals it would mean chicago has played in 3 straight conference finals and i believe 3 out of the last 5 cups? thats insane!

i'm not sold on crawford at all and darling finally showed his true colors.

if the rangers make the finals i think this is their year

 

[nj_cup]

Gotta like what the caps did yesterday. Physical all the way. Everyone finished their checks if they can keep this up they might just hold them off

 

[rp2five]

Ovechkin's wrist shot is ridiculous. He seems to put all 200+pounds into the shot.
Is it me or do the Caps seem to always hit the post or crossbar against the Rangers? Every playoff series.

 

[rp2five]

Ducks beat Flames 6-1. I know you were mentioning that this could be the rangers year. I don't disagree, as they have a very good team and of course Henrik, but their offense seems to have disappeared a bit. They won quick against the Penguins, but also it was very close. Penguins are a beat up team too.
Caps are better all around.
Even TB and Montreal. With Montreal, you have a goaltender as good if not playing even better than Henrik. That won't be easy if they face either team. Ducks, Hawks, and even the Wild are tough opponents if they make the finals.

 

[3riverbabe]

I have Ducks vs. Rangers in my bracket, with Ducks winning the Cup.

 

[Vortimous]

Man, fuck the rangers.... cant believe there BS luck in this series... Get the call on wards goalie interference even though it is clear he was pushed into Queen Lund. that was the game right there... now tonight, .3 seconds left.. yeah you can argue the clock start stop time and there is no time left.... You cant tell me there is not a delay in when the puck hits the ice and when they start the clock, yet .3 seconds and goal??? comeon... Hate the rags so much and they should be done yet here they are, going back home and all the momentum... I would love to see the caps close this out infront of NY, but we know they will choke, they always due.... and what is sad is I think they have a great team and can win it, but they ran into the Rags BS luck that they always get....

FU NY Rags.... hope you lose... big time...

 

[rp2five]

Agreed. Its sickening how lucky they are. Series should have been over game 5. They have a picture in the Washington Post with all the evidence you need that Stepan pushed Ward into Henrik. Of course they don't have that pic anywhere in the NY papers. Imagine if this was the other way around? Those crybaby fans and the ranger loving media would be going nuts. Trautwig would probably have another one of his tantrums on TV.

Henrik also stole the game yesterday. Keep hearing how great Holtby was especially the first few games, but Henrik has been just as good.

 

[nj_cup]

Once they lost game 5 the way they did I knew the Rangers were going to win this thing. Just in such a heartbreaking fashion ugh 2mins away.

Definite shutout by the queen tomorrow. Either 1-0 or 2-0 final

 

[nj_cup]

so far in the conference finals we have

crawford
anderson
bishop
either lundqivst or holtby


hmmmmmmmmm

outside of queenie none of those goalies really strike me as "elite" franchise goalies.

heck crawford got yanked for a few games and without darling bailing him hawks probably wouldn't even be here.

holtby is a solid goalie and some solid stats but again he really isn't in the elite category.

some goes for fredik who? anderson.

look at the forward groups of the teams left

each team has two studs up front.

kane/towes
ovie/backstrom
stamkos/drouin?johnson?callahan?
perry/getzlaf
rangers? meh

defense
outside a few stud guys
duncan/seabrook homegrown
mcdoughnah/garadi/staal homegrown (minus ryan)
orpik/niskanen (free agents)
ducks? fowler? beauchmin? meh
hedman stralman


are we building the team the correct way? did we over pay for that elite goalie? defense first? from the net out?

 

[Nasty_Magician]

so far in the conference finals we have

crawford
anderson
bishop
either lundqivst or holtby


hmmmmmmmmm

outside of queenie none of those goalies really strike me as "elite" franchise goalies.

heck crawford got yanked for a few games and without darling bailing him hawks probably wouldn't even be here.

holtby is a solid goalie and some solid stats but again he really isn't in the elite category.

some goes for fredik who? anderson.

look at the forward groups of the teams left

each team has two studs up front.

kane/towes
ovie/backstrom
stamkos/drouin?johnson?callahan?
perry/getzlaf
rangers? meh

defense
outside a few stud guys
duncan/seabrook homegrown
mcdoughnah/garadi/staal homegrown (minus ryan)
orpik/niskanen (free agents)
ducks? fowler? beauchmin? meh
hedman stralman


are we building the team the correct way? did we over pay for that elite goalie? defense first? from the net out?

You could just as easily look at the Kings who had plenty of offensive talent but in reality it was an elite goaltender and stud blue line that were responsible for their success. Kopitar, Carter etc. are really good players but not in the elite of the league.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

You could just as easily look at the Kings who had plenty of offensive talent but in reality it was an elite goaltender and stud blue line that were responsible for their success. Kopitar, Carter etc. are really good players but not in the elite of the league.

Or the Bruins for that matter. It was clutch goaltending and shutdown D that got them championships. You need talent up front no doubt but you don't need to be top heavy.

 

[nj_cup]

i really do believe that the rangers are the team of destiny to win the cup. i mean it would make for a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge story book ending considering last year. so i really do believe that they will win the cup.


buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut i just have a feeling that their "magical" game 7 at home has to end sometime. all the ranger fans i know are sooooooooo confident just on that fact alone it reminds me in 03 when the red sox came back and won game 7. i remember hearing all this and that about the curse and thats why they weren't going to win.

seeing how close the games were against the caps (2-1) etc...it really was a "coin flip" imo who would win game 7. seeing that the bolts can actually score on the queen gives me a little hope they can get more then 1 by him tonight.


booooooooooooooooold prediction.

4-1 tampa rangers and their fans relying too much on their home game 7 success history and it catches up to them