Update--The pairings are set, and, hey, whaddya know!
The NHL’s playoff membership is set. With most teams having a single game left, there are a few seeding questions to be resolved, but we know largely what the field will look like. Spring hockey is always fun. Theoretically, though, there’s one combination of winners that would make for a more entertaining two months than any other. How should a neutral fan hope to see the playoffs play out? Assuming seven-game series between mutually hostile teams are the gold standard, let’s start in the Eastern Conference.
Conference Quarterfinals
Boston-Montreal: Fairly self-explanatory. Currently, Sports Club Stats has the Canadiens at 63% to get the eight-seed, while Playoff Status has them at 72%. Boston has won five of the six games this year. Three, including Montreal’s lone win (at home) went to OT.
Uneducated predictions: Montreal wins a few because that’s how they do, but Boston wins 4-2. In game two, an angry Milan Lucic kills five people, sprouts wings, bursts through the roof of the TD Banknorth Garden and returns to his roost on a craggy cliff-face in the Coast Mountains 150 miles northwest of Vancouver.
Washington-NYR: Not much choice here (Montreal’s odds to get the eight are NY’s to get the seven), but luckily it wouldn’t be a half-bad series. The Rangers are a decent 11-7-2 since Tortorella took over, including a very good 8-2-0 at home. During the season series, Washington won both home games 2-1 in regulation (plus an empty-netter), and the teams split OT decisions at MSG. The hype of Ovie on Broadway will be insane, but the games themselves should be decent.
Uneducated predictions: New York steals a few at home, but Washington wins 4-2. NHL marketing guys cream their jeans.
NJD-Carolina: Carolina’s only got a 31% or 25% chance to hit the six, so this isn’t terribly likely to happen. Carolina’s won all three match-ups this year. Carolina knocked the Devils off during both their cup runs earlier this decade.
Uneducated predictions: Brodeur and Ward stage a nice goaltender's battle as Carolina wins in the seventh game of an entertaining series. 23 people tune in to watch.
Philly-Pittsburgh: Again, largely self-explanatory. This has the same chance of happening as Carolina getting the six. In the regular season, the Penguins went 4-2-0, with two of the wins in OT at home. After a bit of an ugly start, Philly’s been consistently good all year; they’ve lost consecutive home games only twice since Nov. 8, by my count. Pittsburgh’s been on a rocket ride up since mid-February.
Uneducated predictions: Pittsburgh wins somehow. The total energy expended by Flyers fans shrieking “Cindy Crosby” alters Earth’s rotation perceptibly.
Conference Semifinals
Boston-Carolina: Well, Boston won all four games this year, by a combined score of 18-6. That said, Carolina’s gone 17-4-2 since these teams last played.
Uneducated predictions: Carolina takes two off the Bruins in a hard-fought series. Confused Raleigh-area bandwagon fans believe Zdeno Chara to be an eastern European basketball recruit taking an official visit to UNC.
Washington-Pittsburgh: The season tally is Caps 3, Pens 1, Passive-Aggressive Statements 45. Again, the hype would be obnoxious, but this really would be fun.
Uneducated predictions: Washington wins in 7. With the spotlight trained firmly elsewhere, Malkin continues with Project Arcturus unmolested.
Conference Finals
Boston-Washington: Not a lot to say here; just a couple supremely talented teams bashing each other around for two weeks. Washington took three of four during the regular season.
Uneducated predictions: If a Washington goalie gets hot, the Caps could definitely win. That said, Bruins in 7. President Obama forced by adviser to mention the Capitals during some function.
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