2011 NHL Playoff Predictions: The Finals

With the NHL Stanley Cup Finals kicking off tonight, it's time for me to make my prediction. While the Flyers have long been eliminated, the NHL Playoffs have been as good as ever, with several entertaining series, especially the Eastern Conference Final. Given that we definitely have the two best teams squaring off for the Cup, we could be in for one more good matchup.

Stanley Cup Finals
Boston vs. Vancouver
Vancouver in 6
On paper, the Canucks look like the better team in nearly every facet. They have more depth, speed, scoring ability and are at least as good in net, plus they have a power play that actually scores now and then. The Bruins have those pesky intangibles, though, including tenacity and toughness, and they won't give away any games to the Canucks. Couple those intangibles with a goaltender who regularly steals games and a surprising amount of depth and you have a team that can beat just about anyone. Unfortunately, the Canucks are just too good at every position and on every line to be denied the Stanley Cup. When you couple their high-end skill with a handful of solid defensemen and you have a team that is almost unbeatable. Expect a good series but the better team will win.

That is my pick for the Stanley Cup Final. Let me know if you agree or disagree!

2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Second Round Predictions

Even if you aren't a hockey fan, you have to be excited with the NHL Playoffs after all that went down in the first round. From the defending champs almost pulling off a huge upset to a handful of seven game series to amazing in-game comebacks, hockey has never been more entertaining. With how closely matched the second round series appear to be, things could get even better. After going a perfect 8 for 8 on my first round picks, here are my picks for the second round:

Eastern Conference:
(1) Washington vs. (5) Tampa Bay
Washington in 6
While the Capitals are much better defensively now, this series could still be a shootout since both teams have a ton of top-line scoring talent and neither has a shutdown goaltender. If the Lightning can continue to get goals from their 3rd and 4th lines, they will be very difficult to stop, even for a Capitals team that has more responsibility in their own zone. With fairly even offenses, goaltending and special teams, this series likely will come down to defense, something the Capitals don't suck at anymore.

(2)Philadelphia vs. (3) Boston
Philadelphia in 6
Here we go again! Right off the bat, if the Flyers play like they did in Game 7 against the Sabres, this could be a quick series. While the Bruins take pride in their depth at forward and on defense, the Flyers are still the deeper team, especially now that Chris Pronger is back full-time. The biggest edge the Bruins have is in goal, and while that could be a huge edge if the Flyers continue their goaltender carousel, the Flyers have already beaten one world-class goalie in the playoffs. With things (hopefully) stabilizing in net with Brian Boucher, the Bruins might not even have that big of an edge. Both teams struggled on the power play in the first round, so this series could hinge on which team is better with the man advantage. Bottom line: if the Flyers get even average goaltending and aren't terrible on the power play, they will win this series.

Western Conference:
(1) Vancouver vs. (5) Nashville
Vancouver in 5
The Canucks got a big scare in the first round but things should be a little easier for them against the Predators. Not that Nashville should be taken lightly, but they don't bring with them the playoff experience that the entire Blackhawks team had. The Canucks appear to be the better team in nearly every facet of the game, from their incredible depth on defense and forward to their top-notch special teams. Where things are a little closer is in net, where Robert Luongo is a talented headcase and Pekka Rinne can be unbeatable but also inconsistent. I liken this series to the Heat/Sixers series in the NBA Playoffs as the Predators will make the Canucks work in every game but they will have a hard time actually closing the deal and getting wins.

(2) San Jose vs. (3) Red Wings
Red Wings in 7
This series is a tough one to call, especially after how good the Red Wings looked in the first round. Are the Sharks finally over their playoff ineptitude after conquering the Kings with three overtime wins? Or, despite their age, do the Red Wings have one last run in them? These teams are pretty even down the line, with the Red Wings getting the slight edge on defense and in goal. Given their playoff histories, it's hard not to lean towards the Red Wings. Prove me wrong, Sharks.

Those are my picks for the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Check back tomorrow for a more complete breakdown of the Flyers/Bruins series.

Flyers vs. Sabres: First Round Breakdown

What a difference a year makes for the Flyers. Last season, expectations were low for a Flyers team that barely squeaked into the playoffs. This season, expectations are sky high for a Flyers team that was the best in the Eastern Conference until they coasted for the final month of the season. We all know what ended up happening last season as the Flyers went on an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals, so what lies in store for the Flyers this season?

The biggest question facing the Flyers will be whether they can flip the proverbial switch. Having shown little effort in losing 5 of their last 6 regular season games, it's fair to wonder whether the Flyers can ratchet their play back up to elite level simply because the playoffs have started. While the Sabres don't present a huge threat to the Flyers, they still have great goaltending and are a difficult team to score a bunch of goals against. The key for the Flyers in the series will be to get an early lead in each game and force the Sabres to push the issue offensively, opening them up for a number of odd-man rushes. Of course, if the Flyers play with the amount of effort they've shown in the last few weeks, getting that early lead will be difficult. Read on for a closer look at how these two teams matchup.

Offense: Nobody in the Eastern Conference can match the depth the Flyers have at forward. With 7 players with at least 19 goals and 6 with at least 49 points, the Flyers can beat you with any of their top three forward lines. While they don't have the best top-end talent in the league, the Flyers have more weapons than most teams can handle, even boasting a little-used player like Nikolay Zherdev who can strike at any time. This group also has a ton of playoff experience, as a handful were huge contributors on the Flyers run to the Cup Finals last year and they've even added Kris Versteeg, who was a solid role player for the Blackhawks team that downed the Flyers in the Finals.

As for the Sabres, they don't come anywhere close in matching the Flyers forward depth, though they do have 4 players that chipped in 20 or more goals. Their top two lines are pretty strong, with Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford leading the scoring attack, but things drop down from there, as most of their depth players are muckers and grinders and they aren't big threats with the puck. Because the Sabres simply can't match their depth, I have to give the big edge at forwards to the Flyers.

Defense: While the Flyers will be much, much better with Chris Pronger in the lineup, they still have plenty of depth without him to survive at least one round. The Flyers biggest issue in their Cup run last year was their third defensive pairing that got exposed anytime they stepped out on the ice. With Pronger out, that third pairing is Sean O'Donnell and Nick Boynton or Oskars Bartulis, not a great pair but certainly a solid one. Buffalo once again can't match the Flyers depth, though they are solid in their own end. Tyler Myers is a beast, but he alone isn't enough to slow down the Flyers attack. Give the Flyers the edge on defense, too.

Goaltending: Finally, we get to the one aspect of the series where the Sabres have an advantage. We all know about Olympic hero Ryan Miller and his talents, though he hasn't put up great numbers this season. Still, Miller is capable of getting hot at any time and carrying the Sabres through a few rounds of the playoffs. The Flyers once again have more questions than answers in goal, as Sergei Bobrovsky will be given first crack as the starter. Luckily, the Flyers are strong enough defensively in front of Bobrovksy that he shouldn't have to stand on his head every night to get a win. The Flyers are also fortunate to have one, and possibly two, other goalies to turn to should Bob falter. Regardless, the Sabres have a comfortable edge in goaltending over the Flyers.

On paper, the Flyers are the better team in this series. Sure, the Sabres have a pretty big edge in net, but the Flyers depth at every position just can't be matched. We know that doesn't always translate to the ice, but if they play anything like they did for the first few months of the season, the Flyers should win the series in 6 games. Should Chris Pronger come back early in the series, I would even be tempted to bump that up to 5 games. While Buffalo is no pushover, the Flyers talent should be enough to carry them out of the first round.

2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs: First Round Predictions

Forget March Madness; for my money, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most exciting tournament in sports. When it comes to non-stop excitement, nail-biting finishes and unpredictable upsets, it simply can't be beat. While my in-depth look at the Flyers series is coming tomorrow, here are my picks for the first round of the playoffs:

Eastern Conference:
(1) Washington vs. (8) N.Y. Rangers
Washington in 6
It must be pretty rough being a Rangers fan, having to wait until the last game of the season the last two years to find out if your team is making the playoffs. Despite being the 8th seed, the Rangers have by far the better goaltending, meaning they actually have a decent shot at knocking off the always susceptible Capitals. Unfortunately, I think this might finally be the year that the Capitals make that deep playoff run we've been talking about for years.

(2)Philadelphia vs. (7) Buffalo
Philadelphia in 6
It's been pretty shocking to see just how many "experts" are picking the Flyers to get knocked out in the first round. Yes, the Flyers have been playing poorly down the stretch. Yes, it is difficult to just flip the switch now that the playoffs have started. Yes, the Sabres finished the season on a nice little roll. Look past all of that and examine the talent on these two teams and, besides goaltending, the Flyers are the much, much better team. No one in the league can match the tremendous depth of the Flyers, as they legitimately have three scoring lines and arguably the best 6 defensemen in the league if/when Chris Pronger is healthy. The Sabres have a few nice players, like Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford, but I don't see any way they can keep up with the Flyers offense. Sure, they have their problems in net, but if the Flyers simply get average goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky, they should win this series.

(3) Boston vs. (6) Montreal
Boston in 5
After taking the year off last year, one of the great Original 6 rivalries is back at it in yet another playoff series. On paper, this matchup doesn't seem that close, with the Bruins having the advantage in nearly every facet of play. With the Bruins also determined to erase the memory of their collapse against the Flyers, I wouldn't count on this being a very long series. Unless, of course, Carey Price steps in and does his best Jaroslav Halak impression and carries the team on another magical run.

(4) Pittsburgh vs. (5) Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay in 7
Maybe this is just wishful thinking on the part of this Flyers fan, but the Penguins appear ripe for the picking by the Lightning. With Evgeni Malkin already out for the year and it not sounding like Sidney Crosby will be healthy enough to contribute, the Penguins offense looks incredibly weak. Contrast that with the Lightning, who have tremendous offensive players on the top two lines, and you wonder if the Penguins will be able to keep up. Yes, the Lightning have their holes, like their goaltending (Dwayne Roloson has to be what, like 50?), and their lack of depth, but I think they are going to give the banged up Pens more than they can handle. Of course, if Sidney Crosby is suddenly healthy, everything changes and the Lightning's lack of playoff experience could become an issue.

Western Conference:
(1) Vancouver vs. (8) Chicago
Vancouver in 7
Wow, this one should be fun. With how good the Canucks have been this season, they deserve a much easier first round opponent than the defending champs. Fortunately for Vancouver, this isn't the same Chicago team as last season since they had to jettison the majority of their depth. While the Canucks, like the Capitals, have had their fair share of playoff blunders, they are just too talented to get ousted in the first round. I expect a long, grueling series, but Vancouver's special teams should help them come out on top.

(2) San Jose vs. (7) Los Angeles
San Jose in 5
Even if the Kings had Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar, I'd have a hard time picking them to knock off the Sharks. San Jose actually has some depth this year, something that they haven't had in recent playoff flameouts. While I like the Kings defense, I don't think they have what it takes to shut down the big scorers on the Sharks top line.

(3) Detroit vs. (6) Phoenix
Detroit in 5
In a rematch from last season, I look for a similar result in fewer games. While the Red Wings are getting up there in years, they still have a ton of guys who know what it takes to win in the playoffs, plus they are the only team that can rival the Flyers in forward depth. The Coyotes do have the better goaltender in this series in Ilya Bryzgalov, but the Red Wings are better in every other facet of the game.

(4) Anaheim vs. (5) Nashville
Nashville in 7
I can really go either way in this one. The Ducks have a tremendous first line but not much in the way of depth. Nashville has their usual tremendous defense coupled with a top-notch goalie in Pekka Rinne but not much offense. I'll lean towards the Predators to finally make it out of the first round based solely on Rinne, though I don't feel strongly about it. The Ducks have plenty of experience and could easily make a playoff run this year.

Those are my picks for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Check back tomorrow for a more complete breakdown of the Flyers/Sabres series.