"Kent"
feel free to leave the discussion whenever you want, this was meant for someone else, who called me a moron -BooBoo997, ON • Canada • 2013 Years Old • Male
Round 1 Predictions: Western Conference
Posted 2:49 PM ET | Comments 8
Western Conference
1. Detroit vs 8. Nashville
Detroit dominated throughout the season, with a rough patch where many of their key defencemen were injured. Nashville made a comeback to clinch the final playoff spot due to clutch goaltending by Dan Ellis. The main concern for both teams will be in the net. Does Hasek have it in him? I say yes.
Winner: Detroit
2. San Jose vs 7 Calgary
Sharks have been hot in the past twenty games. Calgary, like the other teams in the North West, have had both hot and cold stretches. Both teams have great goal tending, physical defense, and a plethora of offensive power. Will Nabokov have the energy to play a grueling 7 game series? Will Calgary be able to match the oversized Shark forwards? Call me crazy, but its going to be an early exit for a team from California.
Winner: Calgary
3. Minnesota vs 6 Colorado
This could be a very exciting first round. With Andrew Brunette killing the Avs stanley cup dreams a few years ago in a game 7 with the Wild he has now changed sides and is looking to move on with Colorado. Jose Theodore has had a comeback season in a contract year, but will he stay in his groove come playoff time? Can Gaborik and Demitra produce in the playoffs? Will Sakic, Forsberg, Smyth, Svatos, Wolski, Hejduk be too much to handle for Niklas Backstrom? This will be a grueling series, and will hopefully go the full 7 games. Colorado has too much offense and an experience defense with Foote in the ranks for Minnesota to come out on top.
Winner: Colorado
4. Anahiem vs 5 Dallas
Just when you thought the Ducks weren't going to make the playoffs, grey beards selanne and neidermayer returned. Combined with a young talented offence, and a deep blueline with Pronger, Beauchimin and Schnieder the ducks are poised to make another run. Dallas has cooled off in this last stretch, but Turco can be a difference maker come playoff time as he had 3 shutouts last playoffs in a 7 game series. With a bolstered offence in the form of Brad Richards comes the loss of a puck moving defenseman Sergei Zubov. This series has the possibility to be quick and done with to potentially one of the most exciting series to be played in either team's history.
Winner: Anahiem
This would cause the second series to look as follows:
1. Detroit vs 7. Calgary
4. Ducks vs. 5 Colorado
1. Detroit vs 8. Nashville
Detroit dominated throughout the season, with a rough patch where many of their key defencemen were injured. Nashville made a comeback to clinch the final playoff spot due to clutch goaltending by Dan Ellis. The main concern for both teams will be in the net. Does Hasek have it in him? I say yes.
Winner: Detroit
2. San Jose vs 7 Calgary
Sharks have been hot in the past twenty games. Calgary, like the other teams in the North West, have had both hot and cold stretches. Both teams have great goal tending, physical defense, and a plethora of offensive power. Will Nabokov have the energy to play a grueling 7 game series? Will Calgary be able to match the oversized Shark forwards? Call me crazy, but its going to be an early exit for a team from California.
Winner: Calgary
3. Minnesota vs 6 Colorado
This could be a very exciting first round. With Andrew Brunette killing the Avs stanley cup dreams a few years ago in a game 7 with the Wild he has now changed sides and is looking to move on with Colorado. Jose Theodore has had a comeback season in a contract year, but will he stay in his groove come playoff time? Can Gaborik and Demitra produce in the playoffs? Will Sakic, Forsberg, Smyth, Svatos, Wolski, Hejduk be too much to handle for Niklas Backstrom? This will be a grueling series, and will hopefully go the full 7 games. Colorado has too much offense and an experience defense with Foote in the ranks for Minnesota to come out on top.
Winner: Colorado
4. Anahiem vs 5 Dallas
Just when you thought the Ducks weren't going to make the playoffs, grey beards selanne and neidermayer returned. Combined with a young talented offence, and a deep blueline with Pronger, Beauchimin and Schnieder the ducks are poised to make another run. Dallas has cooled off in this last stretch, but Turco can be a difference maker come playoff time as he had 3 shutouts last playoffs in a 7 game series. With a bolstered offence in the form of Brad Richards comes the loss of a puck moving defenseman Sergei Zubov. This series has the possibility to be quick and done with to potentially one of the most exciting series to be played in either team's history.
Winner: Anahiem
This would cause the second series to look as follows:
1. Detroit vs 7. Calgary
4. Ducks vs. 5 Colorado
man i hate that 1st prediction
Gaborik has already proven he can score in the playoffs (23 GP, 21 Pts, 5). Rolston and Demitra are the ones that the Wild need to step up in order to win the series.
Will Nabokov have the energy to play a grueling 7 game series? He played 77 games this year without any signs of fatigue
Right Sharks_12! Not only is Nabokov not fatigued, he's not likely to get much work in this series. Other than Iginla, the Flames don't have scorers. Huselius and Langkow have gone cold in the last 10-15 games. On the flip side, Cheechoo and Marleau have heated up. Both had lousy first halves but after Cheech got healthy and Paddy stopped worrying about being traded, they have both been on a tear. The turnaround wasn't all Brian Campbell. Although Soupy has been great, especially on the power play. Also, puck possession style of the Sharks won't give Calgary many chances.But the fun thing is the message that Sharks players sent to the Flames via the last regular seaon game. The boys took 93 min of penalties in the 1st period! Major fighting to Michalek and Thornton among others. Whoa! Everyone and anyone on this team is going to bring it, even the skill guys. Sharks are feeling that it's their year. Let's hope they're right!!!
I do think San jose on paper and regular season wise would destroy calgary, but like the sharks the management is under the same pressure to win now. I haven't seen many SJ games and with Nabokov having played77 games its a valid point. Nonetheless should be a great series.
Really, Detroit dominated huh? That's not the recollection of this fan who actually saw those games.....
Sorry they only won the presidents trophy and besides their interdivision play they have a fairly good record. Zetterberg and datysuk were the best duo for the better part of the season and I'm pretty sure lidstrom led the league in plus minus. I guess those aren't the signs of a dominant team, my bad....
Just one small, quick correction-Svatos is out with a torn ACL. Poor Svatty. But the Avs still have a potent offense(Forsberg-Stastny-Hejduk line anyone? plus Sakic and Wolski and Brunette and Smyth...even McLeod scores big goals). By the way sorry about the 'Nucks, I have to say they disappointed me though.