Eastern Conference Breakdown
The NHL playoffs start tomorrow evening with 4 matchups (3 on in the Western Conference). So today, we break down the 4 Eastern Conference matchups.
1) Buffalo vs 8) Islanders
Season Series: Sabres win 3-1
Buffalo has had a miracle season, coming in with one of their highest point totals ever. They have played their best hockey this season, setting a club record for wins. Meanwhile, the Islanders - who have been running hot and cold all season - are coming off a season-ending win streak and are looking forward to the return of Rick DiPietro for this opening round matchup. The Isles have a chance, albeit a slim one, to move forward if they can get some strong defense and keep Buffalo off the board. The Sabres led the league in goals during the regular season, ending with 308 goals (20 more than the next highest team and significantly higher than the league average of 241 goals). The Sabres, for their part, just need to keep playing the way they have all season if they want to walk into the next round.
My pick: Sabres in 5
2) Devils vs 7) Lightning
Season Series: Lightning win 3-1 (1 overtime win)
On paper, the Devils should win this one pretty easily. The Southeastern conference is one of the weakest in the entire league and the Lightning are not a team that everyone is picking to go very far. But here’s the thing with Tampa Bay: they have two of the best offensive players in the league with St. Louis and Lecavalier. The Devils are a one-dimensional team this year, so if Tampa can light up Brodeur, they might actually have a chance. I’ll pick them for the upset, just to make things interesting.
My pick: Lightning in 6
3) Thrashers vs 6) Rangers
Season Series: Atlanta wins 3-1
See above; the Southeastern Division is weak. Atlanta and Tampa fought each other and no one else to get here. The Rangers have a team that can get very hot and perform well. They have quite a few future Hall-of-Famers on the team and they are playing like they want to go all the way. But the team is old and streaky. This will be their only playoff win this year.
My pick: Rangers in 6
4) Senators vs 5) Penguins
Season Series: Ottawa won 3-1 (2 Shootouts)
This is the series that EVERYONE is looking forward to. Ignore the season series results, Ottawa is nowhere near as dominant as it would appear. Sidney Crosby is one of the best hockey players ever and the team is well-prepared for a long series with a young team that can skate rings around everyone else. As for Ottawa, Dany Heatley has come into his own since the fatal accident in Atlanta. Everyone said that moving away from Atlanta would be good for him and they have been right. Add him to Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson, players who have been the backbone to a dominant Senators team and they might be unbeatable.
I need to pick someone but this is a hard series to nail down.
My pick: Senators in 7
Technorati Tags: NHL, Stanley Cup, Playoffs, Hockey, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins
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