NHL Playoff Predictions

[pucknutz78]

Detroit over San Jose in the West
NJ over Toronto in the East

Det. over NJ in 6

[Gongshow]

Detroit doesnt have the Goaltending to do anything, they are gone by the conf. finals!

[double0si]

No way!!

Wings will take it this year..

[hitmansb]

This year is more wide-open than any year in recent memory. For that reason, I'll predict round-by-round. In the first round I like:

Detroit
Colorado (taking a chance here)
Calgary (Van's lack of a tender)
San Jose

Montreal
Ottawa (they're due!)
Philadelphia (too big and too talented for Jersey w/o Stevens)


As for Tampa Bay vs. Islanders, I just can't chose. Isles are a team that have their big guns on a roll and are a candidate for being the dark-horse team of these playoffs. Add that to suspect goaltending for the Lightning as of late, and it's a real coin toss.

[pucknutz78]

Originally posted by Gongshow
Detroit doesnt have the Goaltending to do anything, they are gone by the conf. finals!

how do you figure, even w/o Cujo, Manny Legace is in the top 8 in GAA and Save %. the wings wont need SUPER goaltending this year, just a lil above average...with their D and offfnse all healthy now, who can beat em?

[Tinfish]

1st round East
Leafs
Devils
Canadiens
Islanders

1st round west
Red Wings
Stars
Flames
Blues

2nd round East
Leafs
Devils

2nd round West
Stars
Blues

Conference Champs
Devils
Stars

Stanley Cup Winner
Stars

[Gongshow]

Manny Legace? come on now Pucknutz lol...
hes not battle tested..I dont see him doing well in crunch time, and I see the Wings, the Sr. Citizen team of the league, just wearing down early,and I see them losing in the conf semis.

Originally posted by pucknutz78
how do you figure, even w/o Cujo, Manny Legace is in the top 8 in GAA and Save %. the wings wont need SUPER goaltending this year, just a lil above average...with their D and offfnse all healthy now, who can beat em?

[Gongshow]

For the Record...

Senators over Stars in the final is my guess....


but as hitman said, its wiiiiiiiiiide open

[hitmansb]

Originally posted by Gongshow
its wiiiiiiiiiide open

The teams that are the most laden with talent have been inconsistent this year (Senators, Flyers, Avalanche), or have weaknesses like age (Leafs, Wings) or inexperience (Lightning). It's one of those crazy years without clear-cut favorites where anyone could win it. The last time that happened was 1993, and the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup with a very average team that just happened to have 'St. Patrick' putting on a goaltending clinic every night. A hot goaltender could take someone very far this year as well, regardless of the rest of their roster.

[pucknutz78]

Originally posted by Gongshow
Manny Legace? come on now Pucknutz lol...
hes not battle tested..I dont see him doing well in crunch time, and I see the Wings, the Sr. Citizen team of the league, just wearing down early,and I see them losing in the conf semis.

yer gay :ghey:


LOL

[pucknutz78]

here are my upsets for round 1

NYI over Tampa- Isles have had their # all year and were 3-1 agaisnt the lightning, and tampa has very little playoff experience, plus tampa had the benefit off mopping up points in the worst division in hockey.

NJ over Philly - not really an upset b/c they were only 1 point apart, but it is 3 vs. 6

Calgary over Van. - no Bertuzzi and no goaltending

Dallas over Col. - again, only a few points separate, but Col. picked the wrong time to slump.

[Gongshow]

I like your upsets Puck, however, I disagree on the Tampa Bay one...


just like the wild next year...only 1 guy had played a playoff game, and went up against a team like Colorado and beat them...

Tampa is playing to hungry right now, they are on a mission....

I see them going a long ways