NHL Playoff Thread-Mania...

[Imran Siddiqui]

MWAHAHA... Toronto lost!

[SlowwHand]

Dallas won.

[Ben Kenobi]

Warz:

when you have a lead like 4-1 why not keep trying to score...the dump it out and let them attack us approach that most teams take does win some games....but man o man.....if a team continuously attacks...your at a disadvantage...

That style of play is called 'Kitty-bar-the-door,' where the team with the lead will dump the puck down the ice and sit back, trying to keep the puck out of the Vancouver end.

There are several reasons to employ this strategy over the one you list.

First of all, you can avoid injuries.
Second, you avoid humiliating a foe.

Granted, there is a risk, in that a passive approach allows a team to get back in the game. However, St. Louis knew they were beaten after the shorthanded goal by Trevor Linden.

[Sava]

I will cease to be an NHL fan if it's Ducks Vs Lightning. Toronto did lose though... always a plus

[Ben Kenobi]

The story so far:


All first round series have been wrapped up.

In the East:

Ottawa over NY Islanders 4-1
New Jersey over Boston 4-1
Tampa Bay over Washington 4-2
Philadelphia over Toronto 4-3

In the West:
Dallas over Edmonton 4-2
Anaheim over Detroit 4-0
Minnesota over Colorado 4-3
Vancouver over St. Louis 4-3


Setting up the second round of the NHL playoffs:

Ottawa Senators vs. Philadelphia Flyers
New Jersey Devils vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Dallas Stars vs. Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild

Winners go on to the Conference FINALS!

Please list your predictions below.
:doitnow::doitnow:

[Sava]

Predictions do you say?(although I'm not sure they are worth anything considering less than half my pics were right...) statistically I should have at least gotten 50/50.

Philly over Ottawa (payback for last year)
NJ over TB (if Tampa goes any farther I might just die)
Dallas over Anaheim (ditto me dying)
Vancouver over Minnesota (ditto)

I shall not predict any more so to save myself from further prediction embarassment.

[SlowwHand]

Katy bar the door, Canuk. Not kitty.

[Sava]

<----- huh smiley

[Ben Kenobi]

A Texan explaining hockey to a Canuck?

/me raises eyebrow

[Sava]

or anything else that doesn't have to do with getting drunk or putting a gun rack in your pickup truck for that matter
CALM YOURSELF SLOWWY, JUST A JOKE

[SlowwHand]

I'm not explaining hockey to you, I'm explaining American slang.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Ottawa Senators vs. Philadelphia Flyers
New Jersey Devils vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Dallas Stars vs. Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild


New Jersey Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Dallas Stars vs. Vancouver Canucks


New Jersey Devils vs. Vancouver Canucks

[reismark]

I'll make things simple and take the favorites in the East and the underdogs in the West.

(I said in my initial post that Vancouver would have all kinds of problems against Minnesota, and I haven't seen anything out of them to change that perception. As for Dallas/Anaheim, I'm going with the hot backstop.)

So, Ottawa against New Jersey and Minnesota against Anaheim for the conference finals...

[Hot Mustard]

Using Imran's format, my predictions:

Conference Semi-Finals:
Ottawa Senators vs. Philadelphia Flyers
New Jersey Devils vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Dallas Stars vs. Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild

Conference Finals:
Ottawa Senators vs. New Jersey Devils
Dallas Stars vs. Vancouver Canucks

Stanley Cup Final:
Ottawa Senators vs. Vancouver Canucks

[Guynemer]

Weird first round. Gary Bettman's nightmare--instead of Detroit vs. Colorado, he has Minnesota vs. Vancouver.

EAST
Ottawa vs. Philadelphia, or "Choker's Revenge"--I woulda laid the odds of either one of these teams making the conference finals at slightly less than Senator Santorum coming out as a drag queen. But one of 'em has to do it. I stand by my earlier statements--if Keith Primeau is your captain, you've already lost. OTTAWA IN 6

New Jersey vs. Tampa Bay, or "Hellhole Invitational"--These are the kinds of teams the Devils have fits with. The Canes whupped 'em good last year, and the Bolts are way better than the Canes ever were. However, the Devils have Martin Brodeur. He will win this series. NEW JERSEY IN 5

WEST
Dallas vs. Anaheim, or "It's Too ****ing Hot For Hockey Classic"--Hockey in Texas. Jesus Christ. Anyway, this is how good Giggy was in round one: if he had let in twice as many goals as he did, he'd still be one of the top ranked goalies in the playoffs, but the Red Wings would have swept the Ducks. Yikes. He'll have the play like that all over again if the Ducks have a shot. It says here he does play like that all over again... but not for the whole series. DALLAS IN 7

Vancouver vs. Minnesota, or "Just Happy To Be Here Invitational"--A couple teams that came back from 3-1 deficits. On paper, the Canucks ought to wipe the rink with the Wild--of course, the Avs ought to have too. The Wild have proven that they are a tough playoff team, and they will continue to prove it. Cloutier will use the experience of winning the first round... but it won't come in handy 'til next year. MINNESOTA IN 6