Even though it's a day late, we here at Sports Logic give you our take on the 2009 NHL Playoffs. Shaun and Wayne will go through each series and provide you with our opinions on how things will break down. EASTERN CONFERENCE Boston Bruins (1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (8) Shaun says: The Bruins are the superior team in every aspect of this series, but for some reason Montreal always has their number in the post-season. Having won 24 of 31 playoff matchups against the Bruins, you'd think Montreal has some sort of voodoo doll for the Bruins. Sadly for Montreal fans, I don't think even that will be enough to pull out this series. The Bruins can put 3 solid scoring lines on the ice and have a man-beast up front in Milan Lucic, who I predict will take great pleasure in punishing the smaller Canadiens. If Montreal has any chance in this series, they will need something they haven't had all year, Carey Price to steal them a couple of games. I don't see it happening and this one will be pretty short and to the point. Prediction: Bruins in 5 Wayne says: This first round match-up is taking on the old Stars-Oilers familiarity – except these teams trade being the top seed. This season, however, is not as close as in the past. Up front, Boston has three big lines deep in scoring, able to shutdown the opposition and are a bit nasty. On the back end lurks a beast – and a healthy beast at that – in Zdeno Chara. With Bob Gainey back behind the bench, Montreal will need its many speedy and skilled forwards at their collective best in this series. Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay and Alex Kovalev are capable of carrying the team…but are just as capable of disappearing. In the nets, Carey Price is the great unknown. Will he stand on his head like last year…or fall on his face as he has far too often in 2009? Prediction: Bruins in 6 Washington Capitals (2) vs. New York Rangers (7) Shaun says: With a year of playoff experience under their belts, this should be the year the Capitals take the next step and make a long playoff run. The only problem with that theory is standing in the opposing net, and for that matter in their own. Jose Theodore vs. Henrik Lundqvist isn't a contest, and it isn't even close. Lundqvist is a top 5 goalie in the league, and couple that with a team playing a defensive style, and the Rangers pose a serious threat to the Capitals' run this year. The Capitals are the easy pick given the way the Rangers slumped down the stretch, but upon closer inspection (which I am now doing for the first time) this series may be a long one. The Rangers need to stay out of the penalty box and they actually do have a chance in this series. With that in mind, there's no way Sean Avery can stay in the box. Prediction: Capitals in 6 Wayne says: A classic case of high octane offence meets stellar goaltending. The Capitals feature four players who averaged at least a point a game in the regular season, and the league leading goal scorers at forward (Alex Ovechkin – 56) and defense (Mike Green – 31). New Jersey Devils (3) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (6) Shaun says: So, I need to come up with about 150 words on this series huh? The Devils have quietly added an offensive flare this season, but with that being said, they still have the ability to play like the '95 Devils. The big difference is that John Madden is older, and Colin White and Johnny Oduya aren't exactly Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer. The Devils still have old faithful between the pipes in Martin Brodeur, but he did struggle heading into the playoffs. On the other side of the coin, the Hurricanes are almost a carbon copy of the Devils. They can play up-tempo and offensive, but can also shut it down in a real hurry. This series, as most will, comes down to goaltending, and Cam Ward is 1-0 vs. Martin Brodeur in the playoffs. Expect that record to get better. Prediction: Hurricanes in 7 Wayne says: This matchup is going to be fun to watch. With a no-name defense, the Devils were not supposed to be in the division title conversation at the start of the year…and especially not without Martin Brodeur for the bulk of it. But Brent Sutter's coaching, great netminding by Scott Clemmensen and huge years by Zach Parise and Patrick Elias show the Devils mean business. The Hurricanes took an erratic path to this point. They were on the outside looking in, with only Ray Whitney playing well, to surging onto the Jersey shore thanks to a mid-season coaching change to Paul Maurice. Since then, the veterans woke up and GM Jim Rutherford went 2-for-2 in bringing guys back with Erik Cole. Since his return, he has 15 points in 17 games and invigorating Eric Staal to a 40-goal season. Prediction: Hurricanes in 7 Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (5) Shaun says: In the words of one Terrell Owens, "Get your popcorn ready." This could be the best series of the playoffs. Pittsburgh really turned their season around when they fired Michel Therrien. It was obvious the players weren't having fun under Therrien, but now under new coach Dan Bylsma, the Penguins are rolling. (I wanted to make a Penguins flying joke there, but I'll hang onto that one) With 2 very good offensive lines, the Penguins have the potential to blow out the Flyers, especially with the Flyers' lack of physical defensemen and questionable goaltending. With that in mind, I could also say the Flyers have 3 solid scoring lines and could cut through the Penguins' D as well. Again, it comes down to goaltending in Fleury vs. Biron. If Biron is on his game, it's an even matchup there as well. The Penguins won the series between these teams last year, but the Flyers were missing their 2 best defensemen. Will it make a difference? I think so. Prediction: Flyers in 7 Wayne says: Hold onto your hats, here is the highlight series of the first round. Not only do these two teams hate each other, their virtually identical in every category. Pittsburgh's scoring comes from Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz, Petr Sykora and Bill Guerin. The Flyers top six forwards (Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, Scott Hartnell, Mike Knuble, Joffrey Lupul) all had at least 25 goals and combined for a ridiculous 192. This big, strong team can skate and plays typical tough Philly hockey. The blue line doesn't chip in many goals, but with Matt Carle, Braydon Coburn and Kimmo Timonen, they can skate with the opposition's forwards. Prediction: Penguins in 7. WESTERN CONFERENCE San Jose Sharks (1) vs. Anaheim Ducks (8) Shaun says: Anaheim has become a sexy pick recently, and if you look at the top 5-6 players it makes perfect sense. The truth is that the Ducks' 2nd line will be Drew Miller-Andrew Ebbett-Teemu Selanne. That doesn't strike fear in many hearts. Combine that with the fact that the Ducks lost Sammy Pahlsson and Travis Moen, the latter to the very Sharks they are playing no less, and depth becomes a real concern for the Ducks. On the flip side, depth is no concern at all for the Sharks. If the Ducks have any chance in this series, it will be by relying heavily on their defence. Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Whitney and perhaps Francois Beauchemin are going to have to play at the top of their game and hope for Anaheim's offensive players to score a couple of goals along the way. Unless Anaheim wins 1-0 or 2-1, I don't think they have a chance. Prediction: Sharks in 6 Wayne says: The Sharks drew arguably the toughest #8 seed possible in hockey. But they didn't win the President's Trophy without beating many good teams. San Jose is as deep and balanced a team as there is in the playoffs. Up front is the 1-2 punch of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau along with big, fast wingers in Devin Setoguchi, Ryan Clowe and Milan Michalek. Running the defense are savvy veterans Rob Blake and Dan Boyle, along with four good young players. In net, is Evgeni Nabokov who does nothing but win. Anaheim is an ornery bunch. They bring size and a mean streak that no top seed wants to face. Scoring might be an issue after Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selanne – so the Ducks hope they can carry the mail. Their back end is what should worry the Western Conference. Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, François Beauchemin, Ryan Whitney and James Wisniewski will make life tough for opponents with their blend of speed, skill and nastiness. The goaltending is a question mark with Jonas Hiller playing well, but J-S Giguere with the playoff credentials. Prediction: Sharks in 6 Detroit Red Wings (2) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (7) Shaun says: This is a mismatch on paper without a doubt. The playoff tested Red Wings against a team making their first playoff appearance in franchise history. Detroit has the edge in offense, defense, power play, penalty killing, coaching, experience and pretty much every intangible you would require – except one. Detroit's goaltending is a mess right now, and it could very well be their undoing. On the flip side, all Columbus has in their net is a Vezina candidate and a commitment to "team defense." The Blue Jackets remind me a lot of the 03-04 Calgary Flames. They have one star, a bunch of grinders and a goalie playing out of his mind. The one question they have will be on defense. Their rear guards are a bunch of no-names, and against a potent Detroit offence, that could be their undoing. I don't know why I feel this way, but…Prediction: Blue Jackets in 7 Wayne says: Unstoppable force meets immovable object. The Red Wings led the league in scoring. Blue Jackets' rookie goalie led the league in shutouts. The Red Wings – who could easily change their name to the Red Beards – come in to the playoffs anxious to try to repeat as league champs. The offence got better with Marian Hossa joining the likes of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg and the defense still has Niklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski holding down the fort. Their question mark, as always, is in net. Chris Osgood's has a handful of Stanley Cups rings, but his numbers do little to inspire confidence. Over on the Blue Jackets side is a team making its first ever playoff appearance. The offense is decent with goal machine Rick Nash, vets Jason Williams, Antoine Vermette, RJ Umberger, Kristian Huselius and a bevy of young forwards. On defense sits playoff warrior Mike Commodore and a host of stay at home guys. The biggest factors for Columbus, however, are Steve Mason and coach Ken Hitchcock. Prediction: Red Wings in 6 Vancouver Canucks (3) vs. St. Louis Blues (6) Shaun says: I will make no bones about it; I don't appreciate the way the Canucks play. I think they can outplay 25-27 teams in the league when they are losing a game. The problem is when they take the lead, they make absolutely no effort to extend that lead, unless they get a power play or a goal accidently goes in. That being said, the Canucks were one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs and they do have one of the best goalies in the world in their net. That, combined with their "Win 1-0" mentality makes them a dangerous team in the playoffs. For St. Louis to have a chance in this series, they will have to have excellent special teams. Vancouver doesn't take a lot of penalties, but they do draw a lot, so St. Louis will have to be disciplined and take advantage of their chances when they get them. If St. Louis can steal a game in Vancouver, they definitely have a chance to take the series because St. Louis has become one of the toughest buildings to play in. Prediction: Canucks in 7 Wayne says: The Canucks caught Calgary for the division during the final week of the season. Vancouver's forwards are balanced, but not in the category of San Jose or Detroit in terms of pure scoring. The Sedin twins have not been particularly effective in the playoffs to date and will need to produce for the Canucks to make a deep run. The defense is about as balanced as you'll find anywhere. Kevin Bieksa, Willie Mitchell, Sami Salo, Mattias Ohlund and Alex Edler are all capable of big minutes against top lines. And of course, they have Roberto Luongo. If he's at his best, that's trouble for the rest of the West. The Blues surprised a lot of people by getting into the playoffs. And they did it in shocking fashion – by claiming the sixth seed. GM Larry Pleau filled many holes in a hurry through trades and drafting to build the best team in the NHL in the second half. Up front is Brad Boyes, Andy MacDonald, David Backes, David Perron, TJ Oshie, Patrick Berglund and Keith Tkachuk…and Paul Kariya could be back soon. Prediction: Blues in 6 Chicago Blackhawks (4) vs. Calgary Flames (5) Shaun says: As has become a yearly tradition, the Flames backed into the playoffs by coughing up a 13 point lead in their division. What is their reward for doing so is a first round meeting with the up-and-coming Blackhawks. The very same Blackhawks team who won all 4 games against the Flames this season, and 3 in very emphatic fashion. To be fair to the Flames, they coughed up the division lead while being decimated with injuries. Most of those injuries have now healed, except for one key cog. Shutdown defenseman Robyn Regehr has a knee problem and will possibly miss the entire series for the Flames. That could spell a problem for the Flames. The Blackhawks are going into the playoffs for the first time, and no one really knows what to expect from them. Will they be ignorant to what's going on around them and just play their game, or will they be nervous and timid? The Flames are going to try to run the Hawks through the boards, and it could be their only chance at victory, to punish the Hawks to the point of submission. Sadly for Flames fans, I don't think the Hawks will bend but not break, especially without Regehr there to punish them. Prediction: Blackhawks in 6 Wayne says: The Blackhawks almost slipped into the playoffs last season with a pair of stud rookies. This year, they get home ice advantage in the first round thanks to a high scoring team and a new coach in Joel Quennville. The Hawks feature a forward corps with size, skill and grit to burn. After only four goals in his first twenty games, captain Jonathan Toews exploded for 30 in his final 52 games. Patrick Kane is shifty and nifty, Martin Havlat found another gear and big bodies like Dustin Byfuglien make life miserable for the opposition. The defense is incredibly mobile with Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Cam Barker. Despite losing the division title in the final week due to a mess of injuries and a surging Canucks team, the Flames are folding like a tent. Up front they have a wealth of scoring and grit with Jarome Iginla, Mike Cammelleri, Rene Bourque, Curtis Glencross and playoff virgin Olli Jokinen. Along the blue line, the Flames have a few injuries, but are still punishing with Dion Phaneuf, Cory Sarich, Jim Vandemeer, Adrian Aucoin and, if he gets healthy quick, the incredibly nasty Robyn Regehr. Despite question about playing too much, Miikka Kiprusoff is the kind of goalie you can trust in the playoffs. He may not have the best numbers, but he has the Grant Fuhr quality of shutting the door when it matters. Prediction: Flames in 7
The New York Rangers are loaded…on paper. They spent big money in the last couple of years to get Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Markus Naslund and Wade Redden. The paycheques are cashed, but the production doesn't quite match. A mid-season swoon meant a coaching change to John Torterella, with mixed results. The Caps offence will test Mark Staal and Dan Girardi and Henrik Lundqvist will need to be kingly to have any chance. Prediction: Capitals in 5
In a mere two weeks, barbeque covers all across the country will be removed in anticipation of the 2009 NHL Playoffs. So what should you expect in two weeks? I think I have the answers. I have looked at all the schedules for the rest of the season and mapped out how I think each game will end. I have then added those points to the current standings and here is what I have come up with. Eastern Conference Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens For what seems like the 30th year in a row, these two teams are almost set to face each other in the playoffs. No matter who the favourite is in this series, it seems that Montreal always wins, but I have a feeling the streak will end this year. Montreal's small and somewhat timid forwards will be no match for Boston's bruising defence and hard hitting forwards. It should be Boston in a walk, but at least CBC executives will be able to step back off the ledge with one Canadian team from the East making the playoffs. New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers How do I adequately express my feelings on the potential of seeing these two teams play again in the playoff? Let's try "zzzzzz". I think that sums it up nicely. Of course the media will beat us over the head with another Sean Avery vs. Martin Brodeur confrontation, but that alone won't get me to watch this series. Maybe if TSN has Gord Miller and Pierre Maguire cover this series, and inject some life into the commentary I could stomach it, but depending on how the NHL schedules their games, this one is looking like the odd series out for me. Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes Nothing gets me more pumped for a playoff series than a bitter rivalry or maybe teams with a storied playoff history against each other. This would be neither of those, but it still intrigues me because each game could be 6-5. This series could come down to who plays worse, Carolina's defence or Washington's goalie. Philadephia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Every year there is always that one series that is so much better than the rest you almost don't want to see it so early in the playoffs and I have a feeling we're looking at it. These two teams don't like each other, and the best part is that there's no clear cut favourite in this series. I'd lean towards Philadelphia in this series because of their depth, but as is always the question in Philly, is their goaltending good enough? Western Conference San Jose Sharks vs. Anaheim Ducks If there's a matchup San Jose doesn't want to have in the first round, this may be it. A big physical team with solid defence and a ton of playoff experience. This series could have upset written all over it, especially if San Jose isn't healthy come playoff time. Detroit Red Wings vs. St. Louis Blues Unlike the series above, this would be the perfect matchup for the Red Wings to build confidence. St. Louis will eventually be a Stanley Cup contender, but that isn't this year, and they would probably be nothing more than a speed bump for the Wings. Vancouver Canucks vs. Columbus Blue Jackets There are two ways a series like this could go. It could be a physical series of two grinding teams with excellent goaltending, or it could go the way of the Vancouver vs. Dallas series from the 2007 playoffs. I can safely say I am hoping for the former, but I am expecting a two team trap-fest. Calgary Flames vs. Chicago Blackhawks Much like the 4 vs 5 matchup in the East, this series could be very entertaining, and a long drawn out series. Both teams have been hitting the skids lately and if there is a plus side for the fans of these teams, it's that one of them will actually make the 2nd round.
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