The NHL playoffs begin tonight as 4 of the 8 first round series get underway. The matchups look like this with the home teams listed first and my predictions to follow:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Boston vs Montreal --- Boston in 6 games

Montreal has history on their side in a big way but not much else. Boston is simply too big, too strong, and too good in every department and possibly a little hungrier as well having been beaten by the Habs last year. That won't happen again! Boston will win the 2009 Stanley Cup!

Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia --- Philly in 7

This will be a very entertaining and intense series to watch and it could be decided by one lucky bounce in the end. In assessing the teams overall, Pittsburgh has the better players in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and they finished with more points than the Flyers, but overall, I'll give Philly the edge because I think their team is just a little better.

Washington vs NYRangers --- Washington in 5

Alexander Ovechkin's first playoff series will be a fairly short one, since his team will prove to be too much for the Rangers to handle, despite the heroic efforts of star goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who might be able to steal one game by himself, but not 4 out of 7.

New Jersey vs Carolina ---- New Jersey in 6

Martin Brodeur makes his return to the playoffs healthy and well-rested for the first time in his great career and that could make the Devils go a long way. First they'll have to beat the Hurricanes, one of the NHL's hottest teams down the stretch. They'll do it but it will be a tough battle ahead.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

San Jose vs Anaheim --- San Jose in 5

The Sharks are on a mission to erase their past playoff failures but they aren't likely to be tested until the next round. If they are to go all the way, the first step will be to dispose of the Ducks quickly and easily which will not be a problem for them.

Detroit vs Columbus --- Detroit in 4

Same deal here. Don't blink or you'll miss it.

Chicago vs Calgary --- Chicago in 6

The roar is back in Chicago as the Blackhawks have emerged from nowhere to become one of the NHL's most talented and dynamic teams. Calgary should give them a great test and will match them step for step in talent, toughness, and hard work. But all in all, I'd say Chicago is hungrier and deserves it more. That will be the difference.

Vancouver vs St. Louis --- Vancouver in 5

Despite the fact I have the Canucks winning easily, this series could still go either way and might take a few unexpected twists and turns along the way. Both teams are exciting to watch but a little unpredictable at times as well. The difference should be in goal. Roberto Luongo is one of the NHL's best and the young, inexperienced Blues should not pose too many problems for him but may make life difficult for some of his teammates. It won't matter because he'll still be there to cover up for their mistakes and that should help them win the series.

What an exciting time of the year. I see some very competitive first round series.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Boston vs Montreal --- Boston in 5 games

Boston simply has too much depth and the advantage at every position. Montreal has traditionally owned Boston in the playoffs but not this season.

Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia --- Pittsburgh in 7

Home ice will be the difference in this series. These teams are pretty much even. I like Fleury more than either of Philly's goalies.

Washington vs NY Rangers --- Washington in 6

Washington simply has too much firepower, although King Henrik should keep the Rangers close. The Rangers simply lack consistent scoring.

New Jersey vs Carolina ---- Carolina in 7

It's hard to pick against Marty Brodeur in the playoffs, but Carolina was on fire down the stretch. Cam Ward outplays Brodeur and the Hurricanes advance.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

San Jose vs Anaheim --- San Jose in 7

Anaheim has been playing playoff hockey for weeks. Anaheim is definitely capable of the upset, but the Sharks have too much speed and depth.

Detroit vs Columbus --- Columbus in 6

Upset special. Columbus has played them tough in the regular season. Steve Mason outplays Chris Osgood. I liked the moves Columbus made at the trade deadline.

Chicago vs Calgary --- Chicago in 5

Great to see the Blackhawks back in the playoffs. I'm not sure I'd say they have emerged from nowhere. Drafting Kane and Toews helps. They were pretty good last season and added a few more pieces this season by spending a ton of money. They are on schedule.

Vancouver vs St. Louis --- Vancouver in 7

As a Canucks fan, I would have preferred Columbus or Anaheim. St. Louis has been playing playoff hockey for weeks. Vancouver has the edge on defense and in goal.

Conference Finals
Boston over Pittsburgh in 7
Vancouver over San Jose in 6

Stanley Cup Finals
Vancouver over Boston in 6

It seems like only yesterday that Hockey season started

Since it already started, I'll give my predictions before they started:


1)Boston vs 8)Montreal- Montreal in 6. I'm probably going to be wrong with this matchup, but considering what happened in 2002 and 2004, you'd have to be nuts not to give Montreal a shot. If Carey Price is hot, Boston is in for a good fight.


2)Washington vs 7)New York- Washington in 7. Offense vs defense. I think Washington's offense will be too much.


3)New Jersey vs 6)Carolina- New Jersey in 5. Never go against Martin Brodeur in the playoffs. I learned that lesson the hard way in 2000.


4)Pittsburgh vs 5)Philadelphia- Pittsburgh in 6. It will be a VERY physical series. Pittsburgh is the hottest team in the 2nd half after St. Louis. Malkin and Crosby will be too much.
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1)San Jose vs 8)Anaheim- San Jose in 6. Anaheim can give them problems with their defense, but the Sharks choke in the second round, not the first.


2)Detroit vs 7)Columbus- Detroit in 5. Columbus has no shot, too little experience. I think they'll take a game in Columbus.


3)Vancouver vs 6)St. Louis- Vancouver in 6. St. Louis has been hot and they'll give Vancouver some difficulty. Vancouver is also hot, as they passed Calgary for the division.


4)Chicago vs 5)Calgary- Chicago in 5. Normally, I'd go with Calgary, but they were horrible the last 10 games or so. They also lost the division. Easy win for Chicago.

It seems like only yesterday that Hockey season started

:yeahthat

Detroit is facing two Ohio teams in Hockey and Basketball.

This sound interesting....Go Blue Jackets!

I am a huge hockey fan and in fact that's the only sport I follow and I am a huge Penguins fan (I live in PA.) and I am a huge Bluejackets fan as I am originally from Cleveland Ohio.

Boooooooo Penguins...

GO FLYERS

Sharks have already blown 2 first period leads tonight. They deserve to get swept.

The refs were ****in horrible tonight in the Pens- Flyers game. It's absolute bull**** that the ****in refs are one ****in sided, it's not ****in right, it's not fair to begin with. They let the Pens get away with EVERYTHING, and called the Flyers on everything. Some of the calls tonight I couldn't believe, the announcers couldn't believe. Besides that, Fleury had a hell of a game. Oh and, **** you Crosby- **** your little crying, punk ass in the ass with a dildo, you little ***** bitch. You ran itno Biron, and did you get a penalty for goalie interference? No. Did the refs call no goal cause Biron didn't have a chance to make the save when Sidney, Australia ran into him? No

Dumbass refs ruin the ****in game like that...their goalie stole a game in a good way, but the refs and crosby and malkin are getting on my last motha****in nerves....and it wouldn't hurt to put Malkin in the penalty box for a second, especially when he draws a penalty...and of course doesn't get it..

**** this ****


I apologize to everybody in here including the mods, for cursing and ranting. I'm content now, but wasn't at all during the end of and after the hockey game tonight, so I had to let out frustration, but didn't censor any of my thoughts. Thanks.

Get out your brooms everybody and lets congratulate the Vancouver Canucks who swept the St. Louis Blues in 4 straight games!!!!!!

party: party: party: party:

yeah, st. louis is feeling BLUE Lol...

Sharks are still alive.

So much for Darren J saying "they deserve to be swept."

BTW, Wrecky- what IS that new avatar?

yeah, st. louis is feeling BLUE Lol...
:rofl:

BTW, Wrecky- what IS that new avatar?

It's 2 poar bears plus an albino plus a sarah palin look a like- lol

nah, it's bobby lee, from mad tv, dressed in a fur coat, Eminem, 2 polar bears & a sexy Sarah Palin look-a-like lol.

It's from a music video actually....the polar bears in their randomly is what makes it so funny :lol:

Edit: there's only one polar bear in the pic; my mistake.

The refs were ****in horrible tonight in the Pens- Flyers game. It's absolute bull**** that the ****in refs are one ****in sided, it's not ****in right, it's not fair to begin with. They let the Pens get away with EVERYTHING, and called the Flyers on everything. Some of the calls tonight I couldn't believe, the announcers couldn't believe. Besides that, Fleury had a hell of a game. Oh and, **** you Crosby- **** your little crying, punk ass in the ass with a dildo, you little ***** bitch. You ran itno Biron, and did you get a penalty for goalie interference? No. Did the refs call no goal cause Biron didn't have a chance to make the save when Sidney, Australia ran into him? No

Dumbass refs ruin the ****in game like that...their goalie stole a game in a good way, but the refs and crosby and malkin are getting on my last motha****in nerves....and it wouldn't hurt to put Malkin in the penalty box for a second, especially when he draws a penalty...and of course doesn't get it..

**** this ****


I apologize to everybody in here including the mods, for cursing and ranting. I'm content now, but wasn't at all during the end of and after the hockey game tonight, so I had to let out frustration, but didn't censor any of my thoughts. Thanks.



Let me guess. You want the Flyers to win. :lol:

Either that or you're trying to quote Martin Brodeur. Talk about getting hosed! But he'll bounce back. He always does. Now if that was Game 7, you would have seen a riot.

Meanwhile, the Habs got swept last night and I couldn't be more overjoyed. They deserved to get beaten and beaten badly.

Happy 100th Anniversary, Losers!!!

One other thing: Those of you watching the Rangers and Caps are watching an outstanding goaltending battle between Henrik Lundqvist and Simeon Varlamov which looks to be a battle for the ages. Unfortunately, it threatens to be overshadowed by the continuing antics of Sean Avery. Now there's something to really ***** about! Enjoy the games tonight everyone!

Mark my Words- the Flyers will win tonight...

And I don't like Australia, if you know what I mean...

Let me guess. You want the Flyers to win. :lol:

Either that or you're trying to quote Martin Brodeur. Talk about getting hosed! But he'll bounce back. He always does. Now if that was Game 7, you would have seen a riot.

Meanwhile, the Habs got swept last night and I couldn't be more overjoyed. They deserved to get beaten and beaten badly.

Happy 100th Anniversary, Losers!!!

One other thing: Those of you watching the Rangers and Caps are watching an outstanding goaltending battle between Henrik Lundqvist and Simeon Varlamov which looks to be a battle for the ages. Unfortunately, it threatens to be overshadowed by the continuing antics of Sean Avery. Now there's something to really ***** about! Enjoy the games tonight everyone!

Yup I'm a big flyers fan....what team do you like? Yeah Brodeur was pissedd last night lol. that was crazy what Carolina did with .2 left in the game, pretty awesome though. I hope for a good game tonight in Pittsburgh and hope I am right about the outcome but I'm probably not haha.

YES I was right...1/1...FLYERS WIN.

yeah!!!!!!!!

**** crosby, you little bitch

YES I was right...1/1...FLYERS WIN.

yeah!!!!!!!!

**** crosby, you little bitch


That Flyers sH*T is over. Better Luck Next Year

That Flyers sH*T is over. Better Luck Next Year

you said you don't watch hockey and weren't going to post, so don't.

and **** you

you said you don't watch hockey and weren't going to post, so don't.

and **** you


I said I'm not qualified to START a thread about Hockey, but I am qualified to go in someone else thread-lol I thought the Flyers won though because they were up 2-0 and I arrived to the restarunt and saw they lost 5-3.

I said I'm not qualified to START a thread about Hockey, but I am qualified to go in someone else thread-lol I thought the Flyers won though because they were up 2-0 and I arrived to the restarunt and saw they lost 5-3.

You still no nothing about hockey, except the basic facts about it..you thought a puck was a PUC and no it was a 3-0 lead...you're still not qualified to talk about a sport you don't watch or no nothing about....and last night you said you only wanna talk about basketball & football....

yeah that's what i thought...another lie :lol:

You still no nothing about hockey, except the basic facts about it..you thought a puck was a PUC and no it was a 3-0 lead...you're still not qualified to talk about a sport you don't watch or no nothing about....and last night you said you only wanna talk about basketball & football....

yeah that's what i thought...another lie :lol:


3-0??? Oh I know Angelo is going to SNAP on Monday.

3-0??? Oh I know Angelo is going to SNAP on Monday.

yup. and i don't care anymore. sports is becoming worthless to me, as time passes.

When I watch Penguins games, I'm really confused as to whether to cheer for them or against them. They have my favorite player(Malkin) and the player I hate the most(Crosby).

The whole team takes more dives then Michael Phelps

The whole team takes more dives then Michael Phelps


Crosby is the worst when it comes to that. That's why I hate his guts. Mario Lemieux probably gets physically ill when he watches him. You heard this from me:


Malkin > Crosby

Crosby is the worst when it comes to that. That's why I hate his guts. Mario Lemieux probably gets physically ill when he watches him. You heard this from me:


Malkin > Crosby

Yeah that's very true. The refs made A LOT of horrible calls and no-calls in this series too...

i hope somebody steamrolls Bing Crosby

Yeah that's very true. The refs made A LOT of horrible calls and no-calls in this series too...

i hope somebody steamrolls Bing Crosby


Crosby is the modern Wayne Gretzky. You can't touch him. NHL wants a Crosby/Ovechkin matchup.

Crosby is the modern Wayne Gretzky. You can't touch him. NHL wants a Crosby/Ovechkin matchup.

gretzky wasn't a p*ssy bitch or a little wussie, like this piece of ****..

it's not fair...the refs call in favor of that little hoe....dive here, dive their...let them PLAY THE GAME...Mike Richards skates and they give him a penalty cause Fleury sticks his foot out and DIVES...it was no where near a penalty and i hate the refs, and what they've done to hockey...it almost makes me lose complete interest in the sport i've come to love and support..i don't know

gretzky wasn't a p*ssy bitch or a little wussie, like this piece of ****..

it's not fair...the refs call in favor of that little hoe....dive here, dive their...let them PLAY THE GAME...Mike Richards skates and they give him a penalty cause Fleury sticks his foot out and DIVES...it was no where near a penalty and i hate the refs, and what they've done to hockey...it almost makes me lose complete interest in the sport i've come to love and support..i don't know


Gretzky didn't play that way, but you couldn't touch him. Bill McCreary got banished by the league because he laid him out on a perfectly legal hit. Crosby gets the same treatment. Crosby is lucky he isn't going against Bob Probert, Tie Domi, Darius Kasparaitis, or Cam Neely.

Gretzky didn't play that way, but you couldn't touch him. Bill McCreary got banished by the league because he laid him out on a perfectly legal hit. Crosby gets the same treatment. Crosby is lucky he isn't going against Bob Probert, Tie Domi, Darius Kasparaitis, or Cam Neely.

Yeah, I wish Kasparitus was around still solely for this purpose...

The Flyers coach looks like a GENERAL MANAGER-lol

He has that-"FRONT OFFICE" look-lol

I am a huge hockey fan and in fact that's the only sport I follow and I am a huge Penguins fan (I live in PA.) and I am a huge Bluejackets fan as I am originally from Cleveland Ohio.

Well...the Blue Jackets are out, so I'll root for a Pittsburgh team...The Penguins!

I'll root for the Penguins to lose..

The Flyers coach looks like a GENERAL MANAGER-lol

He has that-"FRONT OFFICE" look-lol

John Stevens is the man. I really like him, and he's a great coach. People get on him before cause his first season as flyers coach was bad, but we had a bad team and were rebuilding, it wasn't his fault. the year after he took us to the final four in hockey- the conf. finals- he leaves a remarkable impression.

gretzky wasn't a p*ssy bitch or a little wussie, like this piece of ****..

it's not fair...the refs call in favor of that little hoe....dive here, dive their...let them PLAY THE GAME...Mike Richards skates and they give him a penalty cause Fleury sticks his foot out and DIVES...it was no where near a penalty and i hate the refs, and what they've done to hockey...it almost makes me lose complete interest in the sport i've come to love and support..i don't know

Hey Wreakless, chill out dude, take it easy, I think you need a beer or 2 man.

Hey Wreakless, chill out dude, take it easy, I think you need a beer or 2 man.


Well in defense of Wreckless, it's not too often a hockey team loses a 3-0 lead in a home playoff game. So I can understand his frustration

The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is over and it produced some great hockey literallly right to the end. Now the second round is nicely underway which features at least one matchup which is sure to be a classic. Here's how my predictions shape up:


Western Conference

Detroit vs Anaheim --- The Ducks pulled a big upset vs the San Jose Sharks, who were picked by many to possibly win the Cup this season but instead fell horribly short. The Ducks will attempt a similar miracle against the defending champs, and they'll push the Wings hard, but not enough to stop them.

Detroit in 6 games.

Vancouver vs Chicago --- Canada's last team standing faces a group of hungry 'Hawks that are sure to be in for some great seasons ahead, but not yet. Not when the best goalie in the world is at the other end of the ice. This should be a very rough and chippy series with plenty of skill tossed in for good measure.

Vancouver in 6

Eastern Conference

Boston vs Carolina --- Both teams are jokingly calling this the 'forgotten series' or words to that effect since it will be heavily dwarfed by the Caps and Pens. Another good reason could be that it won't last very long. Carolina was extremely lucky to win 2 of their 4 games vs Jersey but their luck will quickly end here.

Boston in 4

Washington vs Pittsburgh --- Let the hype begin! And let there be lots of it! It's Sidney Crosby vs Alexander Ovechkin and lots of elite talent on both sides including Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, Jordan Staal, and Marc Andre Fleury on Pittsburgh facing Alexander Semin, Mike Green, Sergei Fedorov, and rookie sensation Simeon Varlamov of Washington. But it will be the 2 superstars who will be under the most scrutiny. Their personal rivalry, which has already been compared to Gretzky vs Lemieux and even Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird, has become heated at times in the past but now it threatens to develop into full out war. Whether they try to beat each other through skill or muscle, hockey fans everywhere are sure to be clear winners. For me, the bottom line is this: Crosby is a better individual player than Ovechkin in my opinion, but Ovechkin just might have the better team in front of him.

Washington in 7

Go Canucks Go

I gotta disagree with all this hype about the Was/Pit series from the media and some fans.

I am interested in all 4 playoff series and not just a couple of players. Personally, I am sick of hearing about Sidney Crosby. No player is rammed down our throats by the media like he is.

I gotta disagree with all this hype about the Was/Pit series from the media and some fans.

I am interested in all 4 playoff series and not just a couple of players. Personally, I am sick of hearing about Sidney Crosby. No player is rammed down our throats by the media like he is.


Well, no, not unless it's Alexander Ovechkin.

But so far, I'd say it's all been worth it. Too many times, in all sports, we get hype upon hype regarding certain players and teams hoping that we'll watch and then there's a big letdown. But last night the hype turned into pure entertainment. Washington won a close and exciting game 4-3 in which BOTH Crosby and Ovechkin scored 3 goals each, marking only the 4th time in playoff history that opposing players have scored hat-tricks in the same game. So at least they're doing their part and the fans are loving it. (NBC's ratings for Game 1 are 40% higher than last year at the same time.) Now would be a good time for the rest of their teammates to join the fun, particularly Pittsburgh's Evgeny Malkin, the NHL's regular season scoring leader, who is getting a lot of the blame for his team trailing 2-0 in the series. Now that might seem to be unfair, but then again, it could just be hype...:lol:

Well...The Pen-goo-ins are losing the series to Washington, but I'd like to see the Blackhawks win it.

They have the longest Stanley Cup drought in the NHL.

Damn, they're like the Cubs of the NHL.

Hey Wreakless, chill out dude, take it easy, I think you need a beer or 2 man.

i probably do lol and if your in canada, i know you got some- got one for me?? :lol: im just kidding...but crosby is a p*ssy bitch and gets every call his way. its unfair to give him and the pens everything....ovechkin gets on my nerves with his babyish attitude and accessive celebrating...but i'm rooting for them

f*ck the penguins- and f*ck it, their is not ONE penguin within pittsburgh AT ALL- lol....doesn't even make sense..

and f*ck the bruins, and I hope detroit gets eliminated as well..

only team im rooting for since my fly guys got cheated and couldn't win in Game 6, is the Canes..

Go Carolina!!!

in defense of Wreckless

I have to frame that post by you- lol..it's a first.

but yeah, i know this is old but f*ck the pens...and the flyers were pathetic, giving up a 3-0 lead, in a playoff game at that.

and pens are losing the series 2 games to 1!!!!
F&ck a Pittsburgh Penguin...

I saw Ovechikin and Australia both had hat tricks last game...in Game 2 I should say cause the last game was tonight...but the Genie hasn't knotched a wish like Crosby has, yet..