May 01, 2013

NHL Playoff Preview

Matt Krombach
Sports Editor



The NHL Playoffs are the one thing this season that will be the proper length.  Seven game max series, one team must win four games.  For hockey fans clearly this is the best time of the year


Western Conference

Seed1: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Seed 8: Minnesota Wild

Chicago started off the season with a point in 24 straight games, setting a new league record.  The Hawks only lost seven games in the regular season with a record of 36-7-5.  With the additions of Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, and Jason Pominville this season, the Wild are bound to put up a fight.  Unfortunately, they took a hit in early April as Dany Heatley will be out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.  As much as we might want to see an upset, the Blackhawks will probably take the series

Prediction: Blackhawks in 6

Seed 2: Anaheim Ducks vs Seed 7: Detroit Red Wings

Detroit barely squeaked into the playoffs after beating the Columbus Blue Jackets, who had an incredible final season stretch, and kept the 21 season playoff streak alive.  However, with many new young additions and a lack of team chemistry, the post season for the Red Wings appears that it will be short lived.  Anaheim took a steep incline of success after Bruce Boudreu took control of the head coaching job mid-way through last season.  However, the Detroit Red Wings are known to be one of the deadliest teams in the playoffs regardless of their placement. 

Prediction:  Ducks in 7

Seed 3: Vancouver Canucks vs. Seed 6: San Jose Sharks

San Jose has made the playoffs for eight consecutive years, yet has not managed to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.  The Sharks have yet to really make their mark in the NHL and until they do so they’re going to be the team that everyone forgets.  Roberto Luongo was supposed to be the backup goaltender for the Canucks, but instead he earned himself the starting job.  If the Canucks can stay healthy, they can definitely go far in the playoffs.

Prediction:  Canucks in 5

Seed 4: St. Louis Blues vs. Seed 5: LA Kings

Los Angeles won the Stanley Cup last season as the eighth seed and they haven’t made many roster changes since then.  The Kings just need to remain calm and not get ahead of themselves considering last years’ result, since St. Louis should be an easy win.  St. Louis has a decent team, but even with their additions from this season and Jaro Halak’s goaltending, they’re not ready to withstand a berth in the second round of the playoffs. 

Prediction: Kings in 5

Eastern Conference 

Seed 1: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Seed 8: New York Islanders 

Now this is going to be fun.  The two teams played a game two years ago on February 11, 2011that resulted in a total of 346 minutes in penalties.  If you would like to view this brawl, type in Islanders Penguins Brawl into YouTube.  Yes, goalies are involved in the fights.  Who had the upper hand in that game?  No, it wasn’t Pittsburgh for once.  The Islanders actually had complete control the entire game winning 9-3.  In light of the fact that Pittsburgh is currently one of the best teams in hockey right now, this is a good playoff experience for the Islanders but don’t count on them to be out of any game.  This series will be filled with playoff intensity that hockey fans love.  Pittsburgh Captain, Sidney Crosby, hopes to make a return from his broken jaw injury early into the series.

Prediction: Pittsburgh in 6

Seed 2: Montreal Canadiens vs Seed 7: Ottawa Senators

Canada versus Canada games are always intense.  Now, this may not be as intense as a Montreal and Toronto match up we had hoped for, but it will be interesting.  Ottawa’s star defenseman Erik Karlsson recently returned to the lineup after having his Achilles tendon cut and surgically repaired.  Montreal has had one of their best seasons in a while.  Carey Price is one of the most impressive goalies in the league and could possibly lead the team to the conference finals.

Prediction: Canadiens in 7

Seed 3: Washington Capitals vs Seed 6: New York Rangers

Red, white, and blue represents both teams’ colors, which is only one of many similarities of New York and Washington.  Washington emerged from the bottom of the conference to the top of the Southeast Division while New York scratched and clawed to clinch a playoff berth after bouncing between being in a playoff spot and not.  This could end up being a long series considering these are both high scoring teams with great goaltending, but Washington doesn’t have a good playoff resume.

Prediction: Rangers in 6

 Seed 4: Boston Bruins vs Seed 5: Toronto Maple Leafs

This is the first time the Maple Leafs have made the playoffs since the 2003-2004 season and they haven’t raised the Stanley Cup since 1967.  Toronto had a decent season last year, placing ninth in the conference and have now been entitled to a playoff series.  Nazem Kadri was the golden boy this season for the Maple Leafs.  Kadri was back and forth between the minors last year and was finally given a well deserved opportunity to play in the NHL, and he did not disappoint with 44 points this season.  However, the Bruins possess one of the deepest lineups in the NHL.  If Toronto can match up well in opposition to all lines against the 2011 Stanley Cup Champions, they might have a chance in the next round. 

Prediction: Leafs in 7