Hockey Shrine - Lost in Skates

The puck drops here

Nhl Playoffs 2010-11 (Round 2)

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First round is in the books for 2010-11 playoffs. Mostly things went without a major upset; two fifth seed teams won out over two 4th place teams, but there wasn’t much daylight between the Ducks/Preds, or the Bolts/Penguins (especially with Pittsburgh missing so many key guys). But how about Tampa Bay, nonetheless? Who’d have thought they’d have the edge in goal with Roloson playing just as he did for the Oilers back in the 2006 Cup run? The Lightning are a complete team with a great coach (and GM) and i think they’ll take the Capitals in this second round.

LA Kings put up a good fight and showed they were a better team than at first glance. Positives for them to build on.  San Jose and Detroit took care of biz more or less as predicted: the wings proving to be even more formidable than thought.  The Bruins did not look all that convincing in prevailing over Montreal. Thomas is mighty good, but can’t win the cup for them all on his own.  Philly looks just now to be coming together as a team and should go by the Bruins without much trouble. And finally the Canucks at last exorcised their big nemesis the Blackhawks. The jolt or wake up call that that series provided (basically telling them that from President’s trophy to the Stanley Cup ain’t no smooth ride) is really just what Vancouver needed.  They left their season hang in the balance on one goal, but were fortunate to prevail. They really are the better team this year.

 

East

 

Washington vs Tampa Bay

 

Can the Bolts maintain their stellar defensive play (against a decent defensive team in Washington) while still getting the offense they clearly possess? I think so. If Roloson doesn’t tire, the Lightning are a balanced team and might, in fact, hold the edge in coaching– and Boudreau ain’t no slouch behind the Caps bench. Take TB in 6.

 

Philly vs Boston

 

As mentioned above, the Bruins didn’t look that impressive in dispensing the Habs and Philly did look a lot better by the end of their series than at the beginning. With Pronger back…I think the Bruins are cooked in 5 games.

 

West

 

Canucks vs Predators

Vancouver and Nashville play tight, low scoring, wear-em-down type games and I’m not sure that if the Predators had’ve been the Canucks’ first round opponent that they wouldn’t have won. But the lift (lesson?) of getting by Chicago I think will help Vancouver immensely. Pekka Rinne: fantastic goalie. Luongo and Sneider: better, certainly with the team playing in front of them. The music stops in the ‘Music City’ this round. ‘Nucks in 5

 

San Jose vs Detroit

 

This is going to be the best of all the second round match ups. The perennially solid and well coached Redwings are capable once again of getting to the cup. They have all the pieces, are getting key players back and have pretty good (under rated) goal tending. They play so methodically and with such determination (sense of entitlement?) that it’s hard to see them failing…

The Sharks however seem superior in their explosive, opportunistic offence and creativity. San Jose has, like Vancouver, some playoff bogeymen to exorcise themselves. They seem a bit more intense this year. And they have a lot of scoring threats.  If Niemi has it together, the Sharks will take hockeytown in 6.

NHL Playoffs 2010-2011 (Round 1)

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Well, that time again. Lost in Skates comes out of hybernation for the ‘real’ hockey season. Herewith the first round match-up predictions and Cup final choices.

 

Eastern conference

Washington (1) vs NY Rangers (8)

By all accounts this one could shape up to be a quick series with a much improved Caps team, defensively, taking care of business over an injury riddled also-ran blueshirts squad that can only hope for ‘king’ Lundqvist’ to steal a game–but only one at best. Caps in 5.

 

Philly (2) vs Buffalo sabres (7)

There has to be an upset (or two) in the post season, right? That’s why we watch. Philly, a preseason cup favorite and still so pegged by many, are also dealing with some injuries (Pronger) and still have question marks in goal. Nevermind the sabres’ inconsistent season; they’ve been hot down the stretch and Lindy Ruff is a great coach. And to top it off they have that most prized of commodities the elite goalie, in Ryan Miller. Sabres in 7

 

Boston (3) vs Montreal (4)

Shouldn’t be a lack of intensity to this match up. Boston finally has a pretty well rounded team with strong defense, impressive goal tending and an ability to score some goals. And they have size. If they play their game (ie, don’t get chasing the darting little guys in red, white and blue around and lay on the big bodies) then there isn’t much even a Halak-like performance from Carey Price can do to stop the B’s. Bruins in 6.

 

Pitts (4 vs Tampa Bay (5)

This series will be tight and will go the distance, I think, to 7 games. Am tempted to take theBolts with all their fire power, but Bylsma is by now a well seasoned coach, has configured his team to carry on with the loss of some key guys (Malkin, Crosby…) and will have his team ready to grind it out playoff style. Plus the pens have the edge in goal, which is always crucial at this time of year. Pittsburg in 7

 

 

Western conference

 

Vancouver (1) vs Chicago (8)

It really is poetic justice that the road to the cup, for the Canucks, should go through Chicago. Not that it’s going to be easy for Vancouver. But if they do win it all, it’ll be all the sweeter for having slayed the Blackhawk dragon en route.  Chicago has simply lost too many of it’s decisively gritty players, and Vancouver has stocked up well in all departments, especially defense, for this series to go the way it has the last two seasons. There will probably be more jitters early for Vancouver than the Hawks, but finally the Canucks will prevail. Vancouver in 6.

San Jose (2) vs Los Angeles (7)

Along with the Washington/Rangers series, this will be a short one. The Sharks are pretty solid looking and with Niemi in goal are set for a pretty good run this year. Maybe because the spot light has been off them a bit this year, but they have quietly gone about their business: they are a physical club, a scoring club and, again, have the goal tending. LA unfortunately hasn’t got the fire power to match (especially with Kopitar out) and can’t have their goalie stop everything. Sharks in 5.

 

Detroit (3) vs Phoenix (6)

Experience is again the huge intangible in this series, even though the two teams met last year. Detroit is too well coached and has too much experience together and in the playoffs to not get the job done. Phoenix will give them fits, especially if Bryzgalov is solid. The desert dogs have some wiley vets themselves to be sure: Whitney, Jovo, Fiddler, Vrbata, Doan.  Belanger is a good pick up, and Yandle can score…so it won’t be a cake walk. Wings in 6

 

Anaheim (4) vs Nashville (5)

This series, along with the Flyers/Sabres one, is ripe for an upset. If you can call the Preds winning an upset since both teams finished with the same number of points. You’d figure Nashville would be due to win their first playoff series; they’ve been in the post season a number of times. And if they do, it’s going to be largely because of goal tending–again. Pekka Rinne is a superb net minder. Add that to a team that plays to win 2-1 almost everytime they hit the ice and you’ve got one defensively tough opponent.  Nashville’s coach Barry Trotz fashions his teams  on a playoff-style-of-play template year after year, so why wouldn’t they finally see some successs? I’m tempted to pick the Preds, but I’ll still have to go with the Ducks, mostly because of their size, but also because they have 6 guys who pose a major scoring threat. Anaheim also has a decent veteran back end, if, albeit, some question marks in goal. Still, Ducks in 6.

 

Cup final prediction:

Sorry Vancouver fans, but that President’s trophy is probably going to be too much of a jinx. Something tells me that San Jose will finally reach the promised land and win in the final against….what?….Buffalo!  Hey why not? Don’t you think something unusual has to happen? Sharks over Sabres in 6.



 

Stanley Cup Final 2009-2010

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Game 6 tonite.

Looking to see Philly even things up (3-3) at home.  Defensively the Flyers have been good, no worse really than the Hawks -they missed a couple of wide open nets that could have tied things up in game 5 before it got away on them- it’s just been a shoot-out-the-lights kind of series. We’ll see how long Leighton lasts in net. He usually plays fine at the Wochovia centre. If they win, maybe go with Boucher in Chitown…

Offensively, no one before the series started would have compared the two clubs in terms of fire power, but the Flyers have held their own with Chicago. Leino has impressed immensely, making things happen every time he is on the ice and should be key again in this game. He works well with anyone he’s paired with. Scott Hartnell, another key player, is a concern because of his health and would significantly diminish Philly’s effectiveness if he’s not 100%. Otherwise, Gagner, Briere, Richards, Carter and Giroux simply all have to have a nose for the net and they should be fine….!

For the Hawks, pretty hard to nail ‘er down when you know you have a retry next time at home if all fails tonite. I haven’t sensed that peddle-to-the-metal, killer instinct from the Hawks this cup run and it may be the missing ingredient that lets it slip away from them. Hossa, always a threat to be a game breaker, could be a liability if he gets in the box once or twice in this game. Look for Madden to be particularly nasty tonite. Hope we see a game 7.

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