Series |
Ken Smyth |
Paul Krill |
Mike Lee |
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TOR vs BOS |
Every eastern Canada writer had
the Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup. When the Leafs lived up to their name,
they bailed and went on to Boston. Such a decision. Will Freddie Anderson stay
healthy for Toronto vs will Brad Marchand keep from gooning it up and getting
suspended? Boston in seven. |
Marleau and Co. are only
getting better. Toronto in 6 |
The Leafs have the youth
movement in progress, but the Bruins have the experience. Bostin in 6 |
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TB vs NJ |
The Devils got hot and Taylor
Hall looked like he was out to prove why he was the wrong guy for Edmonton to
trade. Lightning were fizzling late in the year. NJ Devils in six. |
The Devils have beaten the
Lightning everytime this year and have no pressure on them. Taylor Hall has
been ruling on the ice, lately. Devils in 7 |
The Lightning will represent
the East in the Stanley Cup Finals. Tampa Bay in 5 |
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PIT vs PHI |
Pens are clearly better but
Flyers really want to beat them, up preferably. This might be a
whose-backup-goalie-surprises series. Philadelphia Flyers in seven |
Pittsburgh has to be tired and
the Flyers got a lot better. Flyers in six. |
This series will be quick and
painful for the Flyers. The Pens are still king, and their experience will
dispatch the Flyers quickly. Pittsburgh in 4. |
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WAS vs CBJ |
I dont care much. Caps in
six |
Pittsburgh has to be tired and
the Flyers got a lot better. Flyers in six. |
Alex Ovechkin will cement his
playoff legacy as an under achiver, but it won't happen in this series.
Washington in 6. |
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NSH vs COL |
Who are we kidding? Preds in
five |
Nashville in 5. Nashville is on
a roll. Not sure if anyone can stop them for more than a game or two |
The Avalanche were a nice
reclamation project, but the West will be represented by the Predators come
Finals time. Nashville just has to stay healty. Predators in 5. |
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WPG vs MIN |
Every western Canada writer had
the Edmonton Oilers winning the Stanley Cup. When it was clear this Would Not
Happen, Period, they bailed and went for Winnipeg. The Wild played the Sharks
like they were in a game seven last Saturday, even without Suter they could
last a round. The young Jets have surprised a lot of people this season, but
thats like many Sharks teams that flopped in the first round. My head
says Jets in five, but heart tells me Wild in seven. |
Winnipeg in 6. Winnipeg is
looking good and Minnesota just lost Ryan Suter. |
The Jets will finally recognize
some success in the playoffs, it's too bad the Predators are in the west.
Minnesota doesn't have the firepower. Winnipeg in 6. |
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LA vs VGK |
The Vegas Golden Knights play
fast, the LA Kings are even more of a bore than Darryl Sutter's final years
coaching there. Marc-Andre Fleurys Stanley Cup experience will help here,
Golden Knights in six games |
Benefactors of those great
expansion draft rules, the Knights will eliminate the Kings in 5 |
The NHL will find a way to
allow the Knights to win a playoff series, but then they'll have to play real
hockey against real opponents. The Kings were lucky to qualify for the
playoffs. Knights in 6. |
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SJ vs ANA |
The Sharks improved the team
towards the end of the season, while the Ducks lost Cam Fowler for at least the
first round and goaltender Josh Gibson every other game. The Ducks like playing
the old west-coast bang-em game that wiped the glass with the Sharks in 2009.
The Sharks are hoping to roll four lines against the Ducks this time, vs two
lines and a prayer back then. But the Sharks need to wake up from their nap
this last ten days that allowed the Ducks to gain the home ice advantage in
this series. Sharks in six games |
Tough to call. The Sharks won 8
in a row late, only to cancel out most of it by losing 5 of their last six.
Anaheim pretty much bores me. Let's go with Sharks in 7 |
This is a coin toss. It depends
on which Sharks team shows up. San Jose is more skilled, but the gritty Ducks
have a way of agitating the best of them come playoff time. If Joe Thornton
makes an appearance, the Sharks will dominate. San Jose in 6. |
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