2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Day 17
We've just finished the playoff quarterfinals last night (in double overtime no less) and we're ALREADY going onto the 2nd round tonight, starting with the Western Conference. Let's just say that all my previous prognostications were...completely wrong and move on, shall we?
Here's the 2nd round:
The scan's a little blurry (I already tried to sharpen it as much as I could but this was the best that would show up for some reason) but you can still read enough of it to know who's playing in the 2nd round (as I've stopped posting the eulogies as well...).
Eastern Conference
#1 New York Rangers vs. #7 Washington Capitals: in all the recent years, the Capitals were the only team to beat the Rangers in a game 7 and these 2 teams will have met 3 out of the last 4 years in the playoffs, but this is their 1st meeting in the 2nd round. Lundqvist was lights out in the 1st round, which was the main reason why the Rangers were able to move on (the Senators really gave them a run for their money, pushing to game 7, so it really did come down to goaltending for them). Washington themselves made it into the 2nd round, not because of their superstars and such, but because they have another miracle goalie in Braden Holtby, that and secondary scoring. Both teams really didn't rely on their superstars much in the 1st round but hey, it's another round and really, they'll probably need ALL of them to show up if they actually want to make a series out of this. They've met before, so the "hate factor" will be there but because both teams don't really possess the "agitator-type" on their roster, there might not be as much "hate" or such, but you can never really be sure in a 7-game series. If I'm not completely mistaken, this series will, again, come down to goaltending and seeing which goalie cracks first. And personally, I know who I'd want in a tight pinch. --> Prediction: NY Rangers in 6. (I really do think Lundqvist will be better, I mean, it's not everyday that you're a Vezina AND Hart trophy finalist right?)
#5 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #6 New Jersey Devils: the Flyers have had almost a week off since dispatching the Penguins in 6 games, so they should be a well-rested team that maybe has finally found some decent goaltending (maybe....). The Devils just came off an emotional game 7 that went into double-overtime against the Florida Panthers, so they maybe still riding that high and greatly appreciates starting again so soon. The Flyers really rely on their forwards to score as much as possible because when you look at how well Bryzgalov REALLY was during the 1st round, well, you have rights to be concerned. The biggest reason why this team can win is because the forwards are able to score enough to make up for the goals-against. On the other hand, the Devils have good goaltending in Brodeur and good forwards in Parise and Zajac and Kovalchuk and hey, good defense! If there's yet another evenly matched series, this one might be it. It's a 5-6 match-up between 2 Atlantic division rivals that were separated by 1 point, so hey, this is one-series is going to be close. --> Prediction: Philadelphia in 7. (I went back and forth with this one for a long time just because they are so evenly matched. I just think that Philly's offense would prevail)
Western Conference
#2 St. Louis Blues vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings: ugh, the one series that everyone is wondering about. It's the lowest scoring team in the league versus the best goaltending tandem in the league. Basically that means we're going to get nowhere and these games are all either going to go 50 million overtimes or be EXTREMELY low scoring affairs. It's not like both teams don't have the offensive talent to actually get something going but for some reason, neither team seems particularly interested in making much a goal-scoring splash. LA has the likes of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter and Anze Kopitar and Jarrett Stoll but for some reason, that just never meant scoring any number of goals and the biggest reason they've made it this far might just be because of goaltending. Now comes the biggest question so far, can Jonathan Quick stand up to the mighty Halak/Elliott combination? Because this looks like another one of those series where goaltending will be the biggest storyline and biggest reason why either team would actually win a game (to the point where I can't even tell you who the offensive stars of the Blues are). --> Prediction: St. Louis in 7. (I'm buying the Halak/Elliott tandem than Quick alone, with his team unable to score).
#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #4 Nashville Predators: this marks the 1st time that the Phoenix franchise has made it into the 2nd round of the playoffs and the 2nd time the Nashville franchise has made it into the 2nd round. Geez, talk about lack of experience from this point onwards. Phoenix has their upstart goalie in Mike Smith while Nashville has the impenetrable wall that is Pekka Rinne (who did manage to stymie the almighty Detroit Red Wings) so really, it's not going to come down to goaltending (for once). It's all about the forwards and the defense, which, are both an interesting mix of players. Neither team really boosts any big names nor are they particularly flashy players by any means. Nashville has Shea Weber and Mike Fisher while Phoenix has....Ray Whitney? Sorry, but really, it's all about the secondary scoring and just...scoring. --> Prediction: Nashville in 6. (I really don't know on this one either but I just think that Nashville will want it more, maybe? But this series is one that can definitely go either way, so I wouldn't be surprised if Phoenix ended up winning).
Now that it took forever, so let the semi-finals begin!
Here's the 2nd round:
The scan's a little blurry (I already tried to sharpen it as much as I could but this was the best that would show up for some reason) but you can still read enough of it to know who's playing in the 2nd round (as I've stopped posting the eulogies as well...).
Eastern Conference
#1 New York Rangers vs. #7 Washington Capitals: in all the recent years, the Capitals were the only team to beat the Rangers in a game 7 and these 2 teams will have met 3 out of the last 4 years in the playoffs, but this is their 1st meeting in the 2nd round. Lundqvist was lights out in the 1st round, which was the main reason why the Rangers were able to move on (the Senators really gave them a run for their money, pushing to game 7, so it really did come down to goaltending for them). Washington themselves made it into the 2nd round, not because of their superstars and such, but because they have another miracle goalie in Braden Holtby, that and secondary scoring. Both teams really didn't rely on their superstars much in the 1st round but hey, it's another round and really, they'll probably need ALL of them to show up if they actually want to make a series out of this. They've met before, so the "hate factor" will be there but because both teams don't really possess the "agitator-type" on their roster, there might not be as much "hate" or such, but you can never really be sure in a 7-game series. If I'm not completely mistaken, this series will, again, come down to goaltending and seeing which goalie cracks first. And personally, I know who I'd want in a tight pinch. --> Prediction: NY Rangers in 6. (I really do think Lundqvist will be better, I mean, it's not everyday that you're a Vezina AND Hart trophy finalist right?)
#5 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #6 New Jersey Devils: the Flyers have had almost a week off since dispatching the Penguins in 6 games, so they should be a well-rested team that maybe has finally found some decent goaltending (maybe....). The Devils just came off an emotional game 7 that went into double-overtime against the Florida Panthers, so they maybe still riding that high and greatly appreciates starting again so soon. The Flyers really rely on their forwards to score as much as possible because when you look at how well Bryzgalov REALLY was during the 1st round, well, you have rights to be concerned. The biggest reason why this team can win is because the forwards are able to score enough to make up for the goals-against. On the other hand, the Devils have good goaltending in Brodeur and good forwards in Parise and Zajac and Kovalchuk and hey, good defense! If there's yet another evenly matched series, this one might be it. It's a 5-6 match-up between 2 Atlantic division rivals that were separated by 1 point, so hey, this is one-series is going to be close. --> Prediction: Philadelphia in 7. (I went back and forth with this one for a long time just because they are so evenly matched. I just think that Philly's offense would prevail)
Western Conference
#2 St. Louis Blues vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings: ugh, the one series that everyone is wondering about. It's the lowest scoring team in the league versus the best goaltending tandem in the league. Basically that means we're going to get nowhere and these games are all either going to go 50 million overtimes or be EXTREMELY low scoring affairs. It's not like both teams don't have the offensive talent to actually get something going but for some reason, neither team seems particularly interested in making much a goal-scoring splash. LA has the likes of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter and Anze Kopitar and Jarrett Stoll but for some reason, that just never meant scoring any number of goals and the biggest reason they've made it this far might just be because of goaltending. Now comes the biggest question so far, can Jonathan Quick stand up to the mighty Halak/Elliott combination? Because this looks like another one of those series where goaltending will be the biggest storyline and biggest reason why either team would actually win a game (to the point where I can't even tell you who the offensive stars of the Blues are). --> Prediction: St. Louis in 7. (I'm buying the Halak/Elliott tandem than Quick alone, with his team unable to score).
#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #4 Nashville Predators: this marks the 1st time that the Phoenix franchise has made it into the 2nd round of the playoffs and the 2nd time the Nashville franchise has made it into the 2nd round. Geez, talk about lack of experience from this point onwards. Phoenix has their upstart goalie in Mike Smith while Nashville has the impenetrable wall that is Pekka Rinne (who did manage to stymie the almighty Detroit Red Wings) so really, it's not going to come down to goaltending (for once). It's all about the forwards and the defense, which, are both an interesting mix of players. Neither team really boosts any big names nor are they particularly flashy players by any means. Nashville has Shea Weber and Mike Fisher while Phoenix has....Ray Whitney? Sorry, but really, it's all about the secondary scoring and just...scoring. --> Prediction: Nashville in 6. (I really don't know on this one either but I just think that Nashville will want it more, maybe? But this series is one that can definitely go either way, so I wouldn't be surprised if Phoenix ended up winning).
Now that it took forever, so let the semi-finals begin!