Playoff Discussion Thread

[FlyersFan]

Wow, this place is a morgue and i am probably the A#1 violator. Just really could never get it going in the regular season. Seems like everytime i went big on a play, the team came out inexplicably flat and lost. Worst season i have ever had on the ice. Which brings me to a question for anyone who wants to answer before i delve into some playoff thoughts:

Anyone think the "new NHL" is a lot less profitable than the "old NHL". I am really going to have to rethink the way i gamble on hockey next year. And a lot of the nice systems are gone because teams no longer travel much across time zones and long road trips are no longer the norm. Seems like everyone is playing 3I4s' now and the lack of travel has made them a lot less tough on teams. My honest thought is that teams really don't value home ice much anymore because there really is no "home ice" advantage like the old days when the rinks were all different and there really was an advantage to playing at home. There really appears to be no rhyme or reason to who plays well each night.


On to some playoff thoughts:

Is DAL going to get out of the first round? Are they going to score a goal in this series? I really like Vancouver with Luongo in this one. If Salo and Ohlund are healthy, they have a great blue line with Bieksa and Willie Mitchell along with those 2. Then you have a nice mix of forwards up front led by the Sedins who had 159 points i believe between them both. I really am wondering where DAL offense is going to come from. Debating a series play on VAN. Also will play VAN in game1 and if they lose come back with them in game2. Can't see them getting swept in both.

PITT/OTT: i like PIT to get 1 in OTT. This series goes 6 or 7 unless PIT can't get any offense going which is a possibility as they have struggled over long stretches of games at times. Debating playing this one UNDER in game1. Wondering how big a factor nerves are for PIT in game1 seeing they have so many guys who haven't been here before.

ANA/MIN: binary code series....1-0, 1-0, 1-0, 1-0. We'll see how Backstrom does in the playoff spotlight. Lot different than playing regular season games.

SAN/NAS: Flip a coin, IMO. Sharks have been playing dumb hockey of late and finding the box wayyyyy too much. Can't do that here. Also, i would like to give a shout out to my old pal Forspussy and congratulate him on doing absolutely nothing since going to NAS. In fact, he sat the bench over the last 4 games of my hockey playoff finals. He has been demoted to the 2nd PP unit and 2nd line, and i think his head is half way to Sweden where i don't expect him to come back. NAS has REALLY struggled to find offense and i am not sure if they can just turn it on. Also, Vokoun hasn't exaclty been Bernie Parent since he came back. I give the series edge to the hotter team in San Jose. I would take SAN in the first one and just keep doubling up until they win. They won't get swept.

DET/CAL: Didn't we just do this a couple years ago. If both goalies are on, the first goal in the SERIES may win it. I am not sure i can pick a series winner here. DET is/has been banged up, CAL finally figured out how to win on the road and are lights out at home.

NYR/ATL: I really like the Rangers here. Avery and Lundqvist down the stretch gave them 2 things they had been missing. Grit/toughness and goaltending. ATL can't score. I am amazed with Kovalchuk, Kozlov, Hossa, Fatchuk, Crapnik and the likes that their PP isn't just amazing. But they struggled to score period down the stretch. With the NYR having a solid 2nd line with Straka, Avery and Shanny...2 good PP units and good goaltending, i really like them to knock out ATL who may just be happy to be here.

BUF/NYI: how can you pick against BUF. But see EDM last year.

NJD/TAM: Goaltending mismatch. The only thing that will keep TAM in this series is that NJD think scoring more than 2 goals isn't the way to play hockey. We'll see with Gionta/Gomez/Elias finally all back at the same time if they can find some form and get it cooking. Broduer kind of came back down to earth a little over the last 20 games, but dang, is TAM goaltending just shiatttt.



I am still looking at the card on Wed/Thur. My thought is this...there are so many series that could go either way, i can't justify laying fat juice in these games much at all. I actually may play a system in a couple of these where i take one team, then if they lose double up. Kind of risky, but man would i be surprised if like the NYR got swept by ATL or the Ducks by MIN. But stranger things have happened. Like PHI and TOR both missing the playoffs. Nice GM job by both those clowns the past couple years.

Thoughts?

GL to everyone!

[vazman05]

Loving the Sabres....ML is -280 for game 1.....but, like you said,anything can happen, Islanders coming in with third string goalie...Buffalo has everyone except Paul Gaustad back, they are firing on all cylinders....rested some guys before the playoffs....Love the Devils to move on...All the other series IMO are toss ups....Should be one hell of a playoff this year!



LETS GO BUFFALO!


SABRES ON A WARPATH OOOOOOOOOOOH AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

[HabsFan99]

i'm looking at a couple series bets

Rangers to beat Thrashers odds 1.83
Canucks to beat Stars odds 1.72
Sharks to beat Preds odds 1.90

what do you guys think? i think all 3 win their series

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

I like Buffalo, Jersey, Atlanta & Ottawa in the East. Buffalo in 4....a big-time mis-match...I guarantee they wanted to see NYI and not Toronto. Jersey in 5 with a huge goaltending mis-match. Atlanta gets it done, IMO...nice mix of goalscoring talent, veterans and toughness on D. Ottawa wins the best first round series in 7, with experience being the difference there.

In the West, I like Vancouver, Nashville, Anaheim and Detroit. Vacnouver in 6 with Luongo winning his first ever series. Nashville has the depth to get it done in 7. Anaheim too deep for Minny as well, winning it in 6. And sigh...Detroit in 5. I know I called an Alberta team to upset them last year, but not two in a row.

Stanley Cup:

Well...at the "other" board I picked Buffalo/Nashville for the finals, so I will stick to my pre-season picks....with Buffalo beating Nashville in 7.

GL these playoffs all...I'll be around.

[CuseFan10]

I'm a casual fan and bettor of the NHL but my picks for the series would be Sabres, Devils, Rangers, and Penguins in the East. No real surprises there except Pittsburgh in a mild upset. Ottawa has a history of playoff shenanigans and choking so I'll ride that train HOME. In the West, I like San Jose, Vancouver, Minnesota, and Calgary in the West. The Wild have been good to me all season long so I can't get off of them now especially since they light came on and they figured out to win on the road a bit. Same applies to Calgary.

Sabres vs Devils and Sharks vs Canucks

Sharks over Sabres

[flmmkrz]

Good to see you in here FF,

as for the new nhl I found it very profitable the last couple seasons, I did well prior as well but my numbers have gotten much better with the new nhl. I've never been one for systems but I did notice I do a lot more prep work these days than in the past, like 3 times as much and I've always done a lot of dd.

On to the playoffs.

I love Van over Dallas. Minny and Anaheim are match up problems for the nuckers, minny cause of the speed and system while anaheim cause they're so physical. Dallas isn't quick or physical. They are solid but with Turcos playoff yips I couldn't have found a match up for my nuckers I would've liked more than this one. Here's hoping for a big playoffs from the captain as he could be a huge difference maker if he's on.

Pitt/Ott - I can't go against the sens here. They've been there before tho they haven't done a hell of a lot but pitt is suspect on d and you aren't going to shut down Heatley and Spezza with a questionable back end. Will be a great series

ANA/MINNY - another great series, I hope these 2 beat the holy hell out of each other cause I don't want my nuckers near either one of them when they're healthy. In the end I don't trust that Minny will get enough secondary scoring to bail out the top line thats gonna be facing off against Niedermeyer or Pronger all series long.

SJ/NASH - Nash is gonna need Foppa to step up huge but this one should come down to which tender can keep his team in it. I don't like either teams goalies but if SJ is physical they could make life hell on the preds. The sharks pp is nasty I wouldn't want any part of that right now.

Det/Calgary - Seems like everyone likes the flames, playoff performers in Iginla and Kipper with good team toughness while the wings have some players who haven't lived up to their regular seasons but I like the wings. If Bert and Zetterberg are back they are tough up front and that back end is solid. The flames put it together a bit towards the end of the season but they aren't convincing me they're a good road team or that d is back to where it was even a year ago.

Rangers/Atl ... Hard to fade the rangers the way they're coming in. I don't love the team make up but until the thrash can make use of that talent on pp they'll be in trouble.

Tbay/ NJ - I'd like to see tbay take care of biz and they have plenty of talent who know how to get it done but no Bhulin wall this time around. Could see it going 6 but that''d be about it I would think.

Buffalo/Isles - Go isles, but yeah prolly done in 5 if they play their best hockey of the season lol, total mismatch.

[Angelus]

Originally Posted by JohnnyMapleLeaf

I know I called an Alberta team to upset them last year, but not two in a row.

It's already happened twice in a row. This would be a third straight time... However, like you, I don't think the Flames do it this time.

I already have series bets on San Jose and Anaheim. Still debating a few others. I like the Rangers goaltending more than the Thrashers. I think the Sens take care of the Pens. Canucks/Stars is a toss up in my mind. If Dallas can shutdown the twins, they'll win that series.

[emv01]

If they Flames do it this time I am selling my season tickets...LOL..

[FlyersFan]

Just some updates in case people didn't see them:

DET: Bertuzzi is VERY doubtful for Game1, but Zetterberg will be back and should skate with Holmstrom and Datysuk on the first line.

NYR: Hossa is most likely going to play in game 1 on the NYR #1 line with Jagr and Nylander. Avery, Shanny and Straka would skate in the 2nd line.

NYR: Lundqvist hasn't practiced all week and is battling a really bad cold/flu. Will play in game1 but may not be all that sharp.

NAS: Erat was back at practice and will skate in game1 vs. SAN, most likely with Kariya again.

SAN: Guerin is 99 percent to play in game1 after sitting out 3 of the L4 games.

TAM: Looks like Holmqvist will start in game1 for TAM, while Denis may very well not even be on the roster and will be the #3 emergency goaltender.

NJD: Matvichuk is expected to play in the playoffs for NJD after missing all but 1 game this season. Should be a huge lift on the blue line for them if he is effective.

ANA: Todd Marchant will not play in the series.

VAN: Kevin Bieksa had X-rays on his foot and were negative, but it is very sore. He will play in game1, but his effectiveness will be a game time thing.

DAL: Jere Lehtinen should rejoin DAL for game1

DAL: Sydor is expected back in the lineup for game1

NYI: Ricky D skated for the first time with the team this week, but from all indications will not play in game1 vs. Buffalo

Please post any other relevant updates if you have them.

GL to everyone!

[vazman05]

Tim Connolly will skate with Drew Stafford and Adam Mair on the 4th line....Max Afinogenov Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek will be the 3rd line...Dan Paille is the odd man out....

[The Evil Empire]

Sabres-Isles -Sabres in 6 i think the isles could make this a little interesting.This team has alot of heart

Atlanta-Rangers Rangers in 6

Pitt-Ottawa Pitt in 7

Nj-Tbay Devs in 6

ana-Min Min in 7

SJ-Nash Nash in 5

Det-Calgary Det in 6

Dallas-Nucks Dallas in 7

See the trend No canadian teams move on.I know I have nothing to say about each series .I never do That is just what I see.

Moving on..

buf-Rangers-Rangers in 7
Devils -Pitt devils in 5

Det-Min- Min in 6
Dallas-nash-nash in 5

devils-rangers devs in 4
min-nash min in 5


Stanley cup

Devils vs. Wild Lamiere vs. Lamorillio

Devils in 7
just a little day dreaming fellas...LOL

[Benrik]

Ang -- tonight might be a perfect night to test out the OT strategy again?

Van/Dallas -- 4.10
Minny/Ana -- 4.33
SJ/Nas -- 4.22
Pitt/Ott -- 4.55

Am I right in that if you put one unit on each all you'd need is for one to hit and you'd break even?

[CuseFan10]

This has nothing to do with the playoffs persay, but more with the stupidity of Gary Bettman and the NHL as a whole. The NHL got all three teams from the biggest market in the world into the playoffs, and what does a sport struggling with ratings and attracting fans do? They put all three of them in the SAME TIME SLOT for Game 1 of their respective series. Brilliant commissioner!!! The Devils, Rangers, and Islanders all play tomorrow night with games starting between 7 and 8pm. Pure genius.

Someone explain to me the good for the NHL in all those teams playing at the same time (ratings wise)? I, a Devils fan, would gladly watch the Rangers game had it not been on at the same time as the Devils because I would root my ass off against NYR. I would also like to watch the Isles/Sabres because of the local flavor as well, but the commissioner has had yet another brain fart.

Pretty stupid, IMHO.... Considering they need every eyeball possible that they can get.

[The Evil Empire]

I agree thats hockey for ya.would it be something if the isles move on.

[CuseFan10]

Playoffs off to a rousing start, 7 penalties in the 1st period of the 1st game.... Jesus, let them play.