the dwfma blog.

Before babbling about specific match-ups (spread out by weeks, a round at a time) it should be noted that my pick for the crusty chalice is New Jersey.  Big surprise.  I see them meeting Detroit and taking the Cup in six games.

Prince of Wales Conference.
1 Boston Bruins v 8 Montreal Canadiens.
Boston is one of the overly disgusting feel-good stories of the year: a loser coach brings together a journeyman goaltender, an ugly captain, and an assortment of unpronounceable has-beens, and rides them to the top spot in the conference.  I do not see Boston going too far after this series, but they will win, and probably big.  Carey Price is not yet the real deal, and if this series is beset by a collection of two-or-more-goal losses, fans in Montreal will have to wonder if he ever will be.
Boston in five.

2 Washington Capitals v 7 New York Rangers.
They say a team is only as good as its goaltender can carry it; the Rangers have a top-five stopper in Henrik Lundqvist, while the Capitals have a twice-has-been in Jose Theodore.  A new coach and the additions of Sean Avery, Nik Antropov, and other assorted bodies near the trade deadline have breathed life into the overpriced heap on Broadway.  Contrast that late scramble with the Chinatown crusade in DC, a pillage attack of the rest of the east has been steamrolling since the season opened.  Theodore will likely be outdueled but will play just well enough to drag the Caps into the second round.
Capitals in six.

3 New Jersey Devils v 6 Carolina Hurricanes.
If I had more free time I would look up exact numbers, but it seems the Hurricanes and Devils meet for a series almost annually, with Carolina winning more often.  The Devils cruised through most of the season with poignant scoring (thanks, Zach Parise) supporting a defense-by-committee and a career backup.  With wins in most of their final games, including the series finale against these same ‘Canes, an earlier Devils losing streak was essentially erased.  The readdition of Erik Cole has brought Carolina back to the vicinity of their Cup glory, but it’s too bad Cam Ward is still an empty reminder and Peter Laviolette is gone.
Devils in six.

4 Pittsburgh Penguins v 5 Philadelphia Flyers.
If the world was a just place, these two teams would collide hard enough that the resulting mixed mess could not limp into round two.  The Penguins have Sidney Crosby, but will be missing Marian Hossa (free agency) and Evgeni Malkin (playoff deserter).  East of the Appalachians, we have the Flyers, stacked with scoring (Jeff Carter, Scott Hartnell, Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, et al) but still saddled with inconsistent goaltending.  Home ice will matter.
Pittsburgh in six.

Clarence Campbell Conference.
1 San Jose Sharks v 8 Anaheim Ducks.
In a few short years, San Jose has gone from perennial playoff spoiler to Presidents’ Trophy. Evgeni Nabokov should be fresh and primed for a long playoff run, what with journeyman Brian Boucher clocking 20 starts starts as a backup goalie throughout the season. Joe Thornton continues to lead a productive offense, with Patrick Marleau, Devin Setoguchi, and a few newcomers combining to offset the disappearing act of Jonathan Cheechoo. The Ducks will try to counter with Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf, but the who’s-who in goal (Giguere, or Hiller?) will keep the Ducks grounded.
San Jose in five.

2 Detroit Red Wings v 7 Columbus Blue Jackets.
It bears repeating: winning a playoff series comes down to great goaltending.  On paper, the Jackets have that goaltending, and the Wings do not. But this is also the first round, and hell, it’s the Red Wings. Sure, I picked Detroit to make the Western final, but that’s only because the west is so wide open (read: I never follow the Western Conference and have no idea who even qualified before checking online). Goaltending woes or not, with Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and the mercenary Marian Hossa up front, the Wings can strongarm at least one series relying on scoring and history alone.
Detroit in five.

3 Vancouver Canucks v 6 St Louis Blues.
St Louis is a nice story: former player (John Davidson) comes back and makes good in the front office, even without a key piece (Jack Johnson). Vancouver, on the other hand, needs to win, and needs to win now. Half the team is slated for UFA after this season, with most of the remaining half headed to the same cloud after next season. I would like to see St Louis advance, but so long as Roberto Luongo pays attention to the game (rather than the referees) he will carry the Ca’shmucks a round or two.
Vancouver in six.

4 Chicago Blackhawks v 5 Calgary Flames.
I made it to the bottom of this missive before linking to a previous post (or two). This is a hard series to pick. It has been fun watching Chicago dig themselves out of W.W.W. ownership obscurity and start walking the road back to Original Six credibility. Calgary boasts one of the true complete players (Jarome Iginla) and is one of the few Canadian teams worth rooting for. Both teams appear to be stacked in goal, if slightly inconsistent and batty the past season or two. Kiprusoff will be good, but Khabibulin has gone 8-1-1 in his last ten games, including a slightly meaningless 3-0 drubbing of Detroit to close his season. (Somewhere, as he is wont to do, George McPhee is smiling that idiot smile of his.)
Chicago in seven.

Last year’s numbers were awful, as per usual, but I will try to dig them up.

Trackback This Post | Subscribe to the comments through RSS Feed