Sadly, the Rangers fell the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. The Rangers trailed 2-0 heading into the third period and made a valiant comeback. The Blueshirts battled back, but the Penguins would not be denied. The Pens were ready to play in overtime and you could sense the inevitable was going to happen. On a broken play, the puck came on Marion Hossa's stick, and he slid the puck inbetween Henrik Lundqvist's legs. Lundqvist played amazing, he faced over 40 shots and kept the Rangers in it. In the end, it was not meant to be as the Rangers season has come to an end.
Looking back at the season the Rangers had some high hopes for this season. Images of the Rangers holding the cup in May have come to an end. The Rangers do have some bright points though, as their youngsters showed a lot of promise. Dubinsky, Callahan, Staal, Girardi, Dawes, and Koporskwi all showed poise in their first Stanley Cup playoffs. The Rangers will head into the offseason with all out questions. Will Jagr, Shanahan, Straka be back? Will the Rangers resign agitator Sean Avery? What will the Rangers do with head coach Tom Renney? All these questions need to be answered in the offseason. Hopefully the Rangers will find a gem in the draft.
Well even though the Rangers are done, LETS GO RANGERS for next year.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tisk Tisk to the Rangers
Well the Rangers are down 3-0 in the series to the Penguins. It is not impossible to come back from being down 0-3, but it is nearly impossible. In fact, only two teams in the history of NHL have come back from such a hole. The Rangers need to look no further than their own locker room for who to blame. It has been all on them. A quick glance at each game and what they did wrong.
Game 1
How can you go up 3-0 in a game and lose? The first game of the series and the Rangers set the tone. Then they have mental lapses and the Penguins scored two goals in under 20 seconds, not once, but twice. Unacceptable. There is no other way around it. The Rangers lost their composure and deserved to lose this game. If the Rangers playoff run ends in the round, they need look no further to find out where they let it slip away. They looked like a bunch of
VQUZESHUF.
Game 2
This game was a lot different than game one. This one ended up being a 2-0 win for the Penguins. A hard fought effort in both sides, with King Henrik playing amazing. The Rangers ended up getting burned as the Pens scored on the power play. I do not mean to toot my own horn, but one of my keys to the series was, STAY OUT OF THE BOX! The Penguins power play is too good. The Rangers also did not put to much pressure on Marc-Andre Fluery.
Game 3
This one hurt to watch. Rangers go down 3-1 after the first period. Painful to watch. Penguins scored two goals with under 3 minutes to play in the first. Ouch. One of them of course was a power play goal. Rangers come out in the second battle back to tie the game at 3. Penguins call a timeout and they still can not stop the Rangers momentum. This is the one, the Rangers are going to win tonight, the garden is electric. The Ryan Hollweg takes a stupid penalty. EARTH TO HOLLWEG, WHEN A PLAYER TURNS HIS BACK TO YOU....YOU CAN NOT HIT HIM....THAT IS A PENALTY....YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE LEAGUE FOR 3 YEARS....LEARN THE RULES. Penguins power play comes on to the ice and scores. The garden is once again deflated and the Pens win the game 5-3. On top of that, Rangers suffer injuries to Blair Betts (puck to the face), Chris Drury (unknown injury), and after the game Sean Avery (lacerated spleen). The hits just keep on coming for the Rangers.
Well as stated before, the Rangers have dug themselves in a deep hole. Near impossible to get of. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers respond in game 4. Will they be swept by the Penguins in their own building? Game 4, Thursday at 7 P.M.
*Note: The Penguins have one their first 7 playoff games in a row. The last team to do that was the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion, New York Rangers. They say history has a way of repeating itself. We shall see.
Going to be tough, but as always, LETS GO RANGERRRRRRSSS!!!!!
Game 1
How can you go up 3-0 in a game and lose? The first game of the series and the Rangers set the tone. Then they have mental lapses and the Penguins scored two goals in under 20 seconds, not once, but twice. Unacceptable. There is no other way around it. The Rangers lost their composure and deserved to lose this game. If the Rangers playoff run ends in the round, they need look no further to find out where they let it slip away. They looked like a bunch of
VQUZESHUF.
Game 2
This game was a lot different than game one. This one ended up being a 2-0 win for the Penguins. A hard fought effort in both sides, with King Henrik playing amazing. The Rangers ended up getting burned as the Pens scored on the power play. I do not mean to toot my own horn, but one of my keys to the series was, STAY OUT OF THE BOX! The Penguins power play is too good. The Rangers also did not put to much pressure on Marc-Andre Fluery.
Game 3
This one hurt to watch. Rangers go down 3-1 after the first period. Painful to watch. Penguins scored two goals with under 3 minutes to play in the first. Ouch. One of them of course was a power play goal. Rangers come out in the second battle back to tie the game at 3. Penguins call a timeout and they still can not stop the Rangers momentum. This is the one, the Rangers are going to win tonight, the garden is electric. The Ryan Hollweg takes a stupid penalty. EARTH TO HOLLWEG, WHEN A PLAYER TURNS HIS BACK TO YOU....YOU CAN NOT HIT HIM....THAT IS A PENALTY....YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE LEAGUE FOR 3 YEARS....LEARN THE RULES. Penguins power play comes on to the ice and scores. The garden is once again deflated and the Pens win the game 5-3. On top of that, Rangers suffer injuries to Blair Betts (puck to the face), Chris Drury (unknown injury), and after the game Sean Avery (lacerated spleen). The hits just keep on coming for the Rangers.
Well as stated before, the Rangers have dug themselves in a deep hole. Near impossible to get of. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers respond in game 4. Will they be swept by the Penguins in their own building? Game 4, Thursday at 7 P.M.
*Note: The Penguins have one their first 7 playoff games in a row. The last team to do that was the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion, New York Rangers. They say history has a way of repeating itself. We shall see.
Going to be tough, but as always, LETS GO RANGERRRRRRSSS!!!!!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
On to the Second Round
Well I did not get all of my predictions right, but I was close to getting all the winners right. Alexander Ovechkin and co. was the only team I picked to advance that did not. Picked all winners in the series, minus the Caps. They fought hard, but the Flyers prevailed. Kudos to Philly. Now to the second round matchups.
In the West we have two outstanding series.
Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche
The Detroit/Colorado rivalries of the late 90's were classic. You could just feel that these two teams hated each other. This matchup should be interesting. The Red Wings struggled in the first round with the underdog Nashville Predators. After benching starter Dominik Hasek, the Wings relied on back Chris Osgood. The veteran goaltender did not disappoint. The Wings played with passion under Osgood and eventually ended the upstart Predators playoff run. The Avs, have also playing with passion. Their veterans, especially Joe Sakic have been stepping up. The more interesting story, is Jose Theodore. The Avs netminder is playing for a contract. He hasn't seemed this inspired since he won the MVP a few years back with Montreal. I think this one goes the distance.
I am going with the Avalanche in 7.
San Jose Sharks vs. Dallas Stars
San Jose had to go the distance with the Calgary Flames. The Sharks look uninspired the whole series. They got hit hard and hit often. Patrick Marleau seemed to be the only Shark playing with passion. Game 7, the Sharks played inspired and it showed, as they won 5-3. They chased one the best netminders in the game in Kiprusoff. In order to beat the Dallas Stars, they will need that effort every game. Dallas on the other hand, just knocked off the defending Stanley Cup champions. They dominated, but could not close out the deal against the Ducks. They won, but they could have won the series a lot sooner. Just like the Sharks, if the Stars played uninspired, they will lose. So is this year that the Sharks finally make it out of the second round? I am betting against them.
Dallas Stars in 6. Break out the VQUZESHUF.
In the East, we also have some great matchups.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers
I owe the Boston Bruins an apology. I said they would be swept, but the Bruins took the Habs to the distance. Montreal rookie Carey Price, had moments of brilliance. He also had some games that I am sure he would like to forget. When it came to Game 7 and pressure, Price shined. The Habs are lethal on the Powerplay, so if Philly ends up in the box, prepare to see the score board light up. On the flip side, Philly cooled down the hottest team and the hottest player in the league. When Philly played puck control, they dominated Washington. They need puck control and discipline play to beat Montreal. Daniel Briere leads all players with 11 points in the postseason and his stellar play must continue in order for Philly to stand a chance. Personally, I do not think Philly's dmen can stand up to Montreal's offense.
Canadiens in 6.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers
Out of all the possible matchups for the Rangers in the second round, this is the only one I did not want to see. Pittsburgh just dispatched the Ottawa Senators in 4 games in a relatively easy fashion. Is it Pittsburgh is that good, or is Ottawa that bad? We will find out in this series. Evgeni Malkin has been a force in the playoffs and does not appear to be slowing down. Marc-Andre Fluery is playing the best of hockey of life. Add to that Sidney Crosby, and the Rangers could be in trouble. The Rangers will look to their veterans more than ever in this series. Gomez, Shanny, "Captain Clutch"(Chris Drury), and a revitalized Jagr need to lead the way for the Rangers. The Rangers rookies have been good and show they can handle the playoff pressure. That will need to continue. Henrik Lundqvist will need to continue playing absurd in order to stop Pittsbugh's offense. In my opinion, there are two major keys to this series. 1.) The Rangers need to stay out of the box. Pittsburgh's Powerplay is lethal and taking penalties will doom the Rangers. 2.) Sean Avery. Love him or hate him, the guy is a great hockey player. His antics got in the head of the best netminder of all time. He will need to keep it up to knock Fluery off his game, but at the same time, not become a distraction for the Rangers.
This is going to be a good series. I believe it is going to be a lot closer than most people think. The experts seem to forget the Rangers won the season series between the two teams. Once again, this is a Blueshirts Blog, so I gotta go with my Rangers.
Rangers win this series in 6 games.
In the West we have two outstanding series.
Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche
The Detroit/Colorado rivalries of the late 90's were classic. You could just feel that these two teams hated each other. This matchup should be interesting. The Red Wings struggled in the first round with the underdog Nashville Predators. After benching starter Dominik Hasek, the Wings relied on back Chris Osgood. The veteran goaltender did not disappoint. The Wings played with passion under Osgood and eventually ended the upstart Predators playoff run. The Avs, have also playing with passion. Their veterans, especially Joe Sakic have been stepping up. The more interesting story, is Jose Theodore. The Avs netminder is playing for a contract. He hasn't seemed this inspired since he won the MVP a few years back with Montreal. I think this one goes the distance.
I am going with the Avalanche in 7.
San Jose Sharks vs. Dallas Stars
San Jose had to go the distance with the Calgary Flames. The Sharks look uninspired the whole series. They got hit hard and hit often. Patrick Marleau seemed to be the only Shark playing with passion. Game 7, the Sharks played inspired and it showed, as they won 5-3. They chased one the best netminders in the game in Kiprusoff. In order to beat the Dallas Stars, they will need that effort every game. Dallas on the other hand, just knocked off the defending Stanley Cup champions. They dominated, but could not close out the deal against the Ducks. They won, but they could have won the series a lot sooner. Just like the Sharks, if the Stars played uninspired, they will lose. So is this year that the Sharks finally make it out of the second round? I am betting against them.
Dallas Stars in 6. Break out the VQUZESHUF.
In the East, we also have some great matchups.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers
I owe the Boston Bruins an apology. I said they would be swept, but the Bruins took the Habs to the distance. Montreal rookie Carey Price, had moments of brilliance. He also had some games that I am sure he would like to forget. When it came to Game 7 and pressure, Price shined. The Habs are lethal on the Powerplay, so if Philly ends up in the box, prepare to see the score board light up. On the flip side, Philly cooled down the hottest team and the hottest player in the league. When Philly played puck control, they dominated Washington. They need puck control and discipline play to beat Montreal. Daniel Briere leads all players with 11 points in the postseason and his stellar play must continue in order for Philly to stand a chance. Personally, I do not think Philly's dmen can stand up to Montreal's offense.
Canadiens in 6.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers
Out of all the possible matchups for the Rangers in the second round, this is the only one I did not want to see. Pittsburgh just dispatched the Ottawa Senators in 4 games in a relatively easy fashion. Is it Pittsburgh is that good, or is Ottawa that bad? We will find out in this series. Evgeni Malkin has been a force in the playoffs and does not appear to be slowing down. Marc-Andre Fluery is playing the best of hockey of life. Add to that Sidney Crosby, and the Rangers could be in trouble. The Rangers will look to their veterans more than ever in this series. Gomez, Shanny, "Captain Clutch"(Chris Drury), and a revitalized Jagr need to lead the way for the Rangers. The Rangers rookies have been good and show they can handle the playoff pressure. That will need to continue. Henrik Lundqvist will need to continue playing absurd in order to stop Pittsbugh's offense. In my opinion, there are two major keys to this series. 1.) The Rangers need to stay out of the box. Pittsburgh's Powerplay is lethal and taking penalties will doom the Rangers. 2.) Sean Avery. Love him or hate him, the guy is a great hockey player. His antics got in the head of the best netminder of all time. He will need to keep it up to knock Fluery off his game, but at the same time, not become a distraction for the Rangers.
This is going to be a good series. I believe it is going to be a lot closer than most people think. The experts seem to forget the Rangers won the season series between the two teams. Once again, this is a Blueshirts Blog, so I gotta go with my Rangers.
Rangers win this series in 6 games.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Rangers Win Series 4-1
On to the second round baby!!! As the Rangers await to see who they play in round 2, let me just say, bring them on. I was at game 5, and the atmosphere was indescribable. From the drop of the puck, that place was rocking. It felt good to see the New York and New Jersey rivalry back to form.
When I walked into the arena, it was outstanding to look around to see die-hard blueshirts such as myself. I would have to say the arena was filled with 60% Devils fans and 40% Ranger fans. Before the puck dropped, there was Lets Go Devils chants, followed by Lets Go Rangers chants, and vice versa.
The Devils came out quick and scored the first goal. The Devil fans erupted, with cheers of profanity I can not say, followed by heckling the Rangers goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist. It was short lived. 20 seconds after the Devils scored, the Rangers struck back tying the game at 1. The Devils announcer hadn't even announced the Rangers goal yet. The Ranger fans went nuts, including myself went crazy. Then the fans started to chant "Marty, Marty!", heckling Devils goaltender, Matin Brodeur. The chants would only get louder, as the Rangers scored two more goals to go up 3-1. After the first, the Ranger fans were insane and the Devils fans were silent.
The second period started out with more of the same, as Chris Drury scored to put the Rangers up 4-1. At this point, it looked like smooth sailing. The Devils finally caught a break in the second. The luck would come from a shot from Bryce Salvador. The Devils defensemen, took a slap shot from center ice to dump the puck in. The shot hit Rangers foward Brandon Dubinsky in the glove, hit the ice, hit the post, and then hit Lundqvist's back and went in. After that, the Devils would score on a 5 on 3 powerplay to make the game 4-3 heading into the third. Another bad break for the Rangers, as the puck went in off defensemen Fedor Tyutin. None the less, the were down 3 goals, but entered the third trailing by 1.
The Devils fans were back and chanting to start the 3rd. However, the could not silence the chants of "Let's Go Rangers!!!" and "Henrik!" from the Ranger fans. The Devils were playing with desperation, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the Rangers. The Rangers stood tall though, weathering every storm. Then a mistake by the Rangers, led to a penalty shot for the Devils. John Madden was tripped on a breakaway by Rangers defensemen, Dan Girardi with 7:08 seconds left. Madden went backhand on Lundqvist who stopped him cold. The Ranger crowd chanted "Henrik!" until it felt the very foundation of the building was coming down. The Rangers held on to win, as Brandon Dubinsky netted an empty netter to put the game out of reach. The Rangers won the game and the series.
Afterwards the traditional NHL post series handshake took place. Of course, there was drama. Martin Brodeur shook every players hand, except for 1. Sean Avery extended his hand to Brodeur, who just skated away. Avery would later say this about Brodeur," "Everyone talks about how much class I don't have, well it's the end of the series and men go to war against each other," Avery said. "I guess he forgot to shake my hand. I don't know if anyone saw that. Of course I was going to shake his hand." (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=280418011). Nothing like adding a little more fuel to the fire for next year. I personally would have called him a VQUZESHUF.
Well the Rangers are now waiting for an opponent in Round 2. Nothing feels better than taking out your arch-rivals in their arena. All I can say is bring them on, and as always, LETS GO RANGERSSSSS!!!!!!!
Article used for reference: http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=280418011 from ESPN.com
When I walked into the arena, it was outstanding to look around to see die-hard blueshirts such as myself. I would have to say the arena was filled with 60% Devils fans and 40% Ranger fans. Before the puck dropped, there was Lets Go Devils chants, followed by Lets Go Rangers chants, and vice versa.
The Devils came out quick and scored the first goal. The Devil fans erupted, with cheers of profanity I can not say, followed by heckling the Rangers goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist. It was short lived. 20 seconds after the Devils scored, the Rangers struck back tying the game at 1. The Devils announcer hadn't even announced the Rangers goal yet. The Ranger fans went nuts, including myself went crazy. Then the fans started to chant "Marty, Marty!", heckling Devils goaltender, Matin Brodeur. The chants would only get louder, as the Rangers scored two more goals to go up 3-1. After the first, the Ranger fans were insane and the Devils fans were silent.
The second period started out with more of the same, as Chris Drury scored to put the Rangers up 4-1. At this point, it looked like smooth sailing. The Devils finally caught a break in the second. The luck would come from a shot from Bryce Salvador. The Devils defensemen, took a slap shot from center ice to dump the puck in. The shot hit Rangers foward Brandon Dubinsky in the glove, hit the ice, hit the post, and then hit Lundqvist's back and went in. After that, the Devils would score on a 5 on 3 powerplay to make the game 4-3 heading into the third. Another bad break for the Rangers, as the puck went in off defensemen Fedor Tyutin. None the less, the were down 3 goals, but entered the third trailing by 1.
The Devils fans were back and chanting to start the 3rd. However, the could not silence the chants of "Let's Go Rangers!!!" and "Henrik!" from the Ranger fans. The Devils were playing with desperation, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the Rangers. The Rangers stood tall though, weathering every storm. Then a mistake by the Rangers, led to a penalty shot for the Devils. John Madden was tripped on a breakaway by Rangers defensemen, Dan Girardi with 7:08 seconds left. Madden went backhand on Lundqvist who stopped him cold. The Ranger crowd chanted "Henrik!" until it felt the very foundation of the building was coming down. The Rangers held on to win, as Brandon Dubinsky netted an empty netter to put the game out of reach. The Rangers won the game and the series.
Afterwards the traditional NHL post series handshake took place. Of course, there was drama. Martin Brodeur shook every players hand, except for 1. Sean Avery extended his hand to Brodeur, who just skated away. Avery would later say this about Brodeur," "Everyone talks about how much class I don't have, well it's the end of the series and men go to war against each other," Avery said. "I guess he forgot to shake my hand. I don't know if anyone saw that. Of course I was going to shake his hand." (http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=280418011). Nothing like adding a little more fuel to the fire for next year. I personally would have called him a VQUZESHUF.
Well the Rangers are now waiting for an opponent in Round 2. Nothing feels better than taking out your arch-rivals in their arena. All I can say is bring them on, and as always, LETS GO RANGERSSSSS!!!!!!!
Article used for reference: http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=280418011 from ESPN.com
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Avery's "Antics"
Well the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils series has started, and it has not disappointed. Each game has been hard fought and come down to the wire. Right now though, the Rangers lead the Devils 2 games to 1. On a side note, Sunday nights Devil's win added more history between Sean Avery and Martin Brodeur. On a 5 on 3 powerplay, Sean Avery went to the front of the net and turned his back to the play. Standing directly in front of Martin Brodeur, Avery stood there waving his stick in front of Brodeur's face to distract him. This has never been done before and therefore not a penalty. Brodeur would whack Avery with his stick, but Avery would get the last laugh on the shift. Avery ended up scoring powerplay in a traditional method. He recieved a pass from Scott Gomez in front of the net and banged the puck home. The Rangers would end up losing the game, but the NHL would act on "Avery's Antics". In a statement by Colin Campbell, the NHL director of hockey operations, he said,"An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty will be interpreted and applied, effective immediately, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender's face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play." Here is the link to see what Sean Avery was doing to Martin Brodeur, VQUZESHUF
The Rangers and Devils drop the puck for game 4 tonight at 7 P.M. I am also attending game 5 on Friday.
As always, LETS GO RANGERS!!!!
Article used for reference: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3346729
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Playoffs Baby...Eastern Conference Predictions
Here are my prediction for the Eastern Conference. I feel the East is a little more wide open than the West and that anyone can reach the cup finals.
#1. Montreal vs. #8. Boston
Here is one of the best rivalries in hockey. Expect to see some hard hitting in this series. Don't however expect this one to last to long though. Boston played Montreal 8 times this year, and did not win a single game. They playoffs is a completely different season, but Montreal has owned the Bruins. Therefore I am going with the sweep on this one.
Montreal in 4, break out the broom.
#2. Pittsburgh vs. #7. Ottawa
At the beginning of the season this series would be regarded as an exciting series. With so much offensive firepower on both sides, one would expect this one to go 7 games. However, Pittsburgh has been on fire of late and Ottawa is slumping to say the least. Not to mention, Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson and Miek Fischer are hurt. A healthy Sidney Crosby and a confident Marc-Andre Fleury send Ottawa into the offseason.
Pens in 5.
#3. Washington vs. #6. Philadelphia
This is going to be great series. Washington has been of the hottest teams in the NHL going into the playoffs abd Alexander the Greats legacy continues to grow. Alexander Ovechkin is the best player in the NHL and something tells me his intensity is going to give Philadelphia a lot of problems. Philly on the other hand was out of the playoffs and then made a run of their own to move into 6th place in the east. A healthy Daniel Briere is a big advantage for Philly. Expect this one to go the distance. I flipped a coin on this series and then changed my mind. I can not go against Ovechkin right now.
Washington in 7.
#4. New Jersey vs. #5. New York Rangers
The fun between these two teams continues. The Rangers and Devils have had some memorable series, with the Rangers usually coming out on top. They have played each other 4 times in the playoffs, with th Rangers winning 3 of those. This season the Rangers took 7 out of 8 against the Devils, but 4 of those wins were in shootouts. In playoff hockey, there aren't any shootouts. Expect these teams to beat the living Hell out of each other. Rangers need there big time players to step up. Drury, Gomez, Shanahan and Jagr need to provide leadership to the Ranger youngsters. The Devils need Elias and Parise to get hot, because without them, the Devils offense does not go. Then there is Martin Brodeur. Arguably the greatest goaltender of all time, his game always shifts to another level in the postseason. On the other side of the ice, expect Henrik Lundqvist to step his game up as well. Lundqvist lead the league in shutouts this year with 10. When Lundqvist is on, he has the ability to steal games just like Brodeur. Expect both netminders to put on a show. This series is going to take a toll on whoever advances. This one could end up having multiple OT games. I personally cannot wait until the puck drops in game 1. Being this is Rangers blog, I got to show my love to the Broadway Blueshirts.
Rangers in 6.
These are my picks and I am sticking to them. If you don't like it, go kiss a VQUZESHUF.
As always, LETS GO RANGEERSSSSSS!!!!!!
#1. Montreal vs. #8. Boston
Here is one of the best rivalries in hockey. Expect to see some hard hitting in this series. Don't however expect this one to last to long though. Boston played Montreal 8 times this year, and did not win a single game. They playoffs is a completely different season, but Montreal has owned the Bruins. Therefore I am going with the sweep on this one.
Montreal in 4, break out the broom.
#2. Pittsburgh vs. #7. Ottawa
At the beginning of the season this series would be regarded as an exciting series. With so much offensive firepower on both sides, one would expect this one to go 7 games. However, Pittsburgh has been on fire of late and Ottawa is slumping to say the least. Not to mention, Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson and Miek Fischer are hurt. A healthy Sidney Crosby and a confident Marc-Andre Fleury send Ottawa into the offseason.
Pens in 5.
#3. Washington vs. #6. Philadelphia
This is going to be great series. Washington has been of the hottest teams in the NHL going into the playoffs abd Alexander the Greats legacy continues to grow. Alexander Ovechkin is the best player in the NHL and something tells me his intensity is going to give Philadelphia a lot of problems. Philly on the other hand was out of the playoffs and then made a run of their own to move into 6th place in the east. A healthy Daniel Briere is a big advantage for Philly. Expect this one to go the distance. I flipped a coin on this series and then changed my mind. I can not go against Ovechkin right now.
Washington in 7.
#4. New Jersey vs. #5. New York Rangers
The fun between these two teams continues. The Rangers and Devils have had some memorable series, with the Rangers usually coming out on top. They have played each other 4 times in the playoffs, with th Rangers winning 3 of those. This season the Rangers took 7 out of 8 against the Devils, but 4 of those wins were in shootouts. In playoff hockey, there aren't any shootouts. Expect these teams to beat the living Hell out of each other. Rangers need there big time players to step up. Drury, Gomez, Shanahan and Jagr need to provide leadership to the Ranger youngsters. The Devils need Elias and Parise to get hot, because without them, the Devils offense does not go. Then there is Martin Brodeur. Arguably the greatest goaltender of all time, his game always shifts to another level in the postseason. On the other side of the ice, expect Henrik Lundqvist to step his game up as well. Lundqvist lead the league in shutouts this year with 10. When Lundqvist is on, he has the ability to steal games just like Brodeur. Expect both netminders to put on a show. This series is going to take a toll on whoever advances. This one could end up having multiple OT games. I personally cannot wait until the puck drops in game 1. Being this is Rangers blog, I got to show my love to the Broadway Blueshirts.
Rangers in 6.
These are my picks and I am sticking to them. If you don't like it, go kiss a VQUZESHUF.
As always, LETS GO RANGEERSSSSSS!!!!!!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Playoffs Baby...Western Conference Predictions
It's playoff time boys and girls. The best time of year for any hockey fan. Be prepared for some old time hockey. There are no more shootouts if a game goes to overtime, its back to 5 on 5, until a team scores. Here are my predictions for the Western Conference. These teams are going to beat each other s
#1. Detroit vs. #8. Nashville
Give Nashville credit for somehow making the playoffs after the fire sale they had this offseason. They have had quite the season, but Detroit looks focused this year. Too much fire power in the motor city for the Predators.
Detroit in 5.
#2. San Jose vs. #7. Calgary
Is this the year San Jose finally gets out of the second round? In order to make it to the second round, they need to beat the Flames. San Jose was experts pick at the beginning of the season to win the Stanely Cup, but do not count off Iginla and co. With Kipper in net and Iron Mike Keenan behind the bench, expect a hard fought series. The Flames will make it a series, but San Jose will come out of this one.
San Jose in 6.
#3. Minnesota vs. #6. Colorado
This is one of the more interesting matchups in the West. Minnesota seems poised to go deep into the playoffs, but Colorado has veteran leadership. Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth, and Peter Forsberg know what it takes for a long playoff run. On top of that, Jose Theodore has revived his play. I am a huge fan of the Wild, but for some reason I can not turn my back on Sakic.
Colorado in 7.
#4. Anaheim vs. #5. Dallas
Just like Minnesota and Colorado, I feel this is going to be great matchup as well. Anaheim is looking to defend it's title and have the players to do so. Selanne, Niedermeyer, Pronger, Getzlaf, Perr, and many others. Not to mention, they have Jiggy playing his best hockey of his career. However, the Stars aren't going to be pushed around. The stars aquired clutch playoff performer Brad Richards at the trade deadline. He just seems to step up his game when the spotlight is on him. Marty Turco exorcised his demons last season with a spectacular playoff performance. I feel his confidence level will be through the roof. I am going again with the lower seed here.
Dallas in 6.
These are my Western Conference predictions and I am sticking to them. If they are all off, feel free to call me VQUZESHUF. Tomorrow I will have my Eastern Conference predictions.
As always, LETS GO RANGERS!!!!
#1. Detroit vs. #8. Nashville
Give Nashville credit for somehow making the playoffs after the fire sale they had this offseason. They have had quite the season, but Detroit looks focused this year. Too much fire power in the motor city for the Predators.
Detroit in 5.
#2. San Jose vs. #7. Calgary
Is this the year San Jose finally gets out of the second round? In order to make it to the second round, they need to beat the Flames. San Jose was experts pick at the beginning of the season to win the Stanely Cup, but do not count off Iginla and co. With Kipper in net and Iron Mike Keenan behind the bench, expect a hard fought series. The Flames will make it a series, but San Jose will come out of this one.
San Jose in 6.
#3. Minnesota vs. #6. Colorado
This is one of the more interesting matchups in the West. Minnesota seems poised to go deep into the playoffs, but Colorado has veteran leadership. Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth, and Peter Forsberg know what it takes for a long playoff run. On top of that, Jose Theodore has revived his play. I am a huge fan of the Wild, but for some reason I can not turn my back on Sakic.
Colorado in 7.
#4. Anaheim vs. #5. Dallas
Just like Minnesota and Colorado, I feel this is going to be great matchup as well. Anaheim is looking to defend it's title and have the players to do so. Selanne, Niedermeyer, Pronger, Getzlaf, Perr, and many others. Not to mention, they have Jiggy playing his best hockey of his career. However, the Stars aren't going to be pushed around. The stars aquired clutch playoff performer Brad Richards at the trade deadline. He just seems to step up his game when the spotlight is on him. Marty Turco exorcised his demons last season with a spectacular playoff performance. I feel his confidence level will be through the roof. I am going again with the lower seed here.
Dallas in 6.
These are my Western Conference predictions and I am sticking to them. If they are all off, feel free to call me VQUZESHUF. Tomorrow I will have my Eastern Conference predictions.
As always, LETS GO RANGERS!!!!
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