NHL Playoffs 2014 – The Quest For The Cup!

The Playoffs Are Coming!

That’s right, in less than 48 hours the puck will drop in Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Anaheim to start the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs… and I’m excited.

I know that many/most Canadian hockey fans are dealing with feelings of disappointment and sadness as their teams are not in the post-season tournament, but as a Habs fan, I’m hyped for more hockey.

To kick off the playoffs I’ve drafted my good friend and great hockey fan Sean to give us his picks for the first round and some thoughts on what we might see.

So, have a look at our picks, agree or disagree as you will (please don’t make too much fun of us) and share your picks for the first round of the 2014 NHL Playoffs!

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) vs Detroit Red Wings (4)

Sean: Original six foes who haven’t had a playoff matchup in three generations. Grand Rapids – sorry, Detroit – took the season series and will make it closer than it ought to be. But I can’t pick against the President’s Trophy winners, and Jarome Iginla’s surprising season.
Boston wins 4-2

Josh: As much as I hate the Bruins, and I really really do (except for Jarome Iginla) I don’t see a way that the undermanned, banged up, skin of their teeth Red Wings can knock off Boston in this series. Look for 5 games.
Boston wins 4-1

Tampa Bay Lightning (2) vs Montreal Canadiens (3)

Sean: Three of the four games between these teams were decided by a single goal in overtime or a shootout., which means this series is all about the goaltending – Tampa losing starter Ben Bishop last week, while Carey Price has seemingly been doing everything right this year.
Mnn… mnh… Montreal wins 4-3 (as a Leafs’ fan, that really, really hurt to say)

Josh: This is a tight match-up with these teams finishing the regular season very similarly. The difference for me right now is goaltending. If Ben Bishop can’t compete for the Lightning the edge definitely goes to Gold Medal winning Carey Price and the Habs. 6 games here.
Montreal wins 4-2

Pittsburgh Penguins (1) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (4)

Sean: The Penguins might be missing Evgeni Malkin, but Columbus is definitely without Nathan Horton. Pittsburgh’s goaltending is always the playoff question mark. However, Pittsburgh had Columbus’ number all season long. That, and the best player in the world, tell me the Pens go through.
Pittsburgh wins 4-1

Josh: Before the season I wouldn’t have picked Columbus to make the playoffs. And now that they’re here I won’t be picking them to beat the Penguins in the first round. As long Fleury can stop a puck the Pens win.
Pittsburgh wins 4-1

New York Rangers (2) vs Philadelphia Flyers (3)

Sean: Patrick Division represent – two very, very evenly-matched teams should mean a close series. Home ice will mean a lot – the home team won each game between these two this season, and Philly has been snakebit in New York for the last few years. Martin St. Louis will be motivated to validate his trade-deadline pickup, and not many teams have found a way to put him on ice.
New York wins 4-3

Josh: I don’t know enough about these teams to be quite honest. But I hate the Flyers and I think that Alain Vigneault can coach the Rangers past Philly in the opening round.
New York wins 4-3

Western Conference

Colorado Avalanche (1) vs Minnesota Wild (4)

Sean: Colorado was the huge surprise of the regular season, bouncing back from a horrible run with a very young team. Meanwhile, if the Wild were an ice cream, they’d be vanilla – I have no line on them, beyond that playoff decision tree that’s floating around telling me they should be my team now. The Avs had the upper hand in a close season series.
Colorado wins 4-2

Josh: The Avs have been a great surprise this season with Patrick Roy leading the young team from behind the bench. The Wild have been a great story and can’t be upset with their season, but I’m looking at the young stars from the Rockies to win here.
Colorado wins 4-3

St. Louis Blues (2) vs Chicago Blackhawks (3)

Sean: Both teams have been bit by the injury bug in recent weeks, putting a late blemish on St. Louis’ amazing year. Chicago looks like it’ll be healthier more quickly, and as the defending champion, have to be taken very seriously. It feels like the Hawks are just too stacked, but Ryan Miller is going to have a lot to prove here and could put the Blues on his back long enough for them to heal up a bit.
St. Louis wins 4-3

Josh: The Blues have had a fantastic season and bringing in Ryan Miller was HUGE for them. But they’re sliding right now and the Blackhawks should be getting Kane and Toews back which gives them scoring, defense and leadership.
Chicago wins 4-3

Anaheim Ducks (1) vs Dallas Stars (4)

Sean: The Ducks have a lot to prove after an untimely exit in last year’s playoffs, and a lengthy swoon just after mid-season. Meanwhile, Tyler Seguin seems poised to continue this season’s coming-out party and be a difference-maker. Every first round needs a big upset, and this one feels like the most likely choice to be it.
Dallas wins 4-2

Josh: The Ducks have been lights out for most of the season with a balanced attack and Teemu Selanne who we all love. I think this team is going to try to make a run and the Stars are the first ones to fall along the way.
Anaheim wins 4-1

San Jose Sharks (2) vs Los Angeles Kings (3)

Sean: San Jose has their own bad playoff mojo to overcome, but comes armed with strong team defense and a core group of forwards in Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, and Joe Thornton who’ll be hard to handle. On the other hand – Jonathan Quick? Drew Doughty? The team with a Cup in their recent history brings world-class defense and goaltending.
LA wins 4-3

Josh: The Kings have a ring, the Sharks don’t. And while I don’t think that this is the year Joe Thornton gets to raise the Stanley Cup, I do think that they knock off their California rivals in round 1.
San Jose wins 4-2

There you have it. Round 1 picks in the books!

Stay tuned for more playoff coverage as we make our way towards Lord Stanley’s Cup!

20 Half- Assed Predictions For The 2013-14 NHL Season – The Review

On the first day of the NHL season I wrote a list of predictions… many of them were pretty ridiculous. Some of them were based in real opinion and expectation. And now that we’re inches away from the end of the regular season I’ve run them all down to see just how accurate I was for the season.

Also, if your team isn’t going to the playoffs this season, I feel for you. Here’s hoping you can still enjoy the hockey that is left to be played.

Here we go.

1. I will win my fantasy pool.
Lost in quarter-finals. I’ll get ’em next year.

2. Jarome Iginla will lead the Boston Bruins in scoring.
With 4 games left on the schedule Iginla leads the Bruins with 30 goals and is 2nd in points. This prediction was never supposed to come true and it’s way closer than I ever thought it would be.

3. George Parros will log the most fighting majors of any Montreal Canadiens player in 20 years.
Well that didn’t pan out as planned now did it… especially after opening night.

4. Phil Kessel will play up to the level of his new ($8 million per year) contract. David Clarkson will not.
It’s always debatable as to whether a player is worth $8 million… but it’s not debatable that David Clarkson has not played as well as expected, or up to the standard that his $5.25 million demands with his play this season.

5. The Edmonton Oilers will make the playoffs on the last day of the season.
Hopes were way too high on this one. And with 4 games left the Oilers are 24 points out of the playoffs in the Western Conference.

6. Roberto Luongo will win 42 games in the regular season.
In another weird year for Luongo there are only 23 wins on his stat line. Here’s hoping next season is better for him in Florida.

7. Cory Schneider will win 16 games in the regular season.
With 4 games left in the regular season Schneider has exactly 4 wins…

8. Steven Stamkos will not lead the NHL in goals.
Listen, I’ve been a little worried that I jinxed Stamkos with this prediction. That injury sucked! But still, another correct prediction has been made.

9. Both the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks will make the playoffs with their new coaches.
The Rangers look good to make the playoffs with 3 games left, another win should wrap it up for them. But the Canucks need to win out and to get help. It looks like I was only half right on this one.

10. Jay Feaster will not be fired in Calgary. Until the Olympic break that is.
So the firing came 2 months sooner than I thought it would. Is anyone surprised?

11. Daniel Alfredsson will have 3 goals and 6 assists vs the Ottawa Senators this season.
Alfie only came through with 1 goal and 2 assists vs the Sens this season… he was also a +3 and looks like he’ll be in the playoffs.

12. The Leafs and Habs will meet in the playoffs. 6 games. Montreal wins 4-2.
Unfortunately the Maple Leafs will not be joining les Canadiens in the playoffs this year, so this prediction is a bust.

13. Tim Thomas will make politically insensitive comments and be suspended by the league.
Probably for the best that I was wrong about this one.

14. Jason Spezza will play 76 games and assist on 24 Bobby Ryan goals for Ottawa.
Spezza won’t get to 76 games… and Bobby Ryan only has 23 goals… the math adds up to me being wrong.

15. Danny Briere will score 24 goals for Les Canadiens.
With 3 regular season games left, Briere has 13 goals. So wrong again.

16. The Chicago Blackhawks will make it to the Western Conference Finals. And lose.
We’ll have to wait and see on this one!

17. Ryan Miller will play the entire depressing season in Buffalo.
Thank goodness for Miller that I was wrong here. That Blues team looks like it could be the one to knock off the Blackhawks in the conference finals.

18. Alexander Ovechkin will finish the season with 87 points. Sidney Crosby will have 99.
Ovie has 74 points with 4 games left in the season and Sid has 102 points with 4 games left as well.

19. The Phoenix Coyotes will make the playoffs. The Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators will not.
As I write this Dallas sits in 8th, Phoenix in 9th and Nashville is 10th with a few games left before it’s all said and done. I could end up right here.

20. Patrick Roy will prove to be a great coach for his young team. But the Colorado Avalanche will finish 9th in the West.
Saint Patrick has done a great job coaching his young team… and they will be in the playoffs. I’m glad to be wrong.

Enjoy the end of the season and the playoffs.

It should be awesome!

Maybe Ridiculous NHL Trade Rumours

Now that the NHL is on Olympic break and the roster freezes have set in, it seems like a great time to start looking hard at the NHL rumours that are bound to come up as we come out of the break and move closer to the March 5th.

I’ve put together 7 rumours that could be completely ridiculous… but they could also not be so ridiculous depending on how desperate or charming certain General Managers can be on the phone in the next month.

Ready? Ok!

Toronto Maple Leafs get: Nail Yakupov – Edmonton Oilers get: Nazem Kadri
Calm down Leaf fans. I know you love Nazem, and I don’t blame you. But there have been frustrations and who knows what’s coming in the next contract talks – and the truth is that Coach, Randolph Robert Carlyle isn’t a huge fan of the young man. And in Edmonton, Yakupov’s troubles have been well documented. That team is stacked with young talent that needs to put it together. Maybe both of these players just need to be transplanted for their own good, and the good of their current teams.

Buffalo Sabres get: 3 draft picks, Michal Neuvirth & Brandon Segal – Washington Capitals get: Ryan Miller
Fact: Miller is 99% out the door in Buffalo. Fact: New GM Tim Murray doesn’t want to lose him for nothing. Fact: Washington could improve their team with a veteran goaltender with Ryan Miller’s skill set and ability. This deal would see Buffalo retool and Washington prepare for a playoff push. Win/win?

New York Islanders get: 2 draft picks, Mika Zibanejad, Shane Prince and a Beavertail – Ottawa Senators get: Thomas Vanek
Almost every hockey expert in the world says that Vanek wants to land in Minnesota to start next season. But the Islanders want to move him now. So why not Ottawa? They could use some more goals. And Jason Spezza would love another sniper to try and gel with.

Buffalo Sabres get: 2 draft picks & Curtis McKenzie – Dallas Stars get: Matt Moulson
Much like Vanek, Moulson needs to be moved. It was probably the plan all along when Buffalo brought him in. Dallas needs a push to get into the playoffs… they don’t want to stay in the current tie for 8th. Moulson is a good player and this deal would see Buffalo add a 23 year old winger and 2 more draft picks.

Calgary Flames get: 1 draft pick & Colton Sissons – Nashville Predators get: Mike Cammalleri
The Flames are a mess, this we know. And Cammalleri needs to be somewhere else, sooner rather than later. Nashville doesn’t score much and maybe the plucky forward would fit in well in the Country Music Capitol. The Flames can’t expect to get much back in this deal – I think a pick and an AHL player might be as good as it gets.

Winnipeg Jets get: 2 draft picks, Douglas Murray, Christian Thomas – Montreal Canadiens get: Evander Kane
Rumour has it that Kane is available. Rumour also has it that Montreal is looking for a top six forward that can put the puck in the net. It seems like a perfect match to me. Maybe Douglas Murray isn’t the guy they want to take, but Thomas could turn into something and draft picks are always available on trade deadline day.

Side note: As a Habs fan I would welcome Evander Kane with open arms.

Montreal Canadiens get: a bag of pucks & a 3rd-5th round draft pick – Any team in the NHL gets: Rene Bourque
Honestly, someone make an offer. Please.

We all know that more rumours are coming. Hell, SportsNet has been running the trade tracker for what seems like 2 months… and there’s nothing happening yet.

The best thing that we can do is keep our eyes and ears open and hope that our favourite teams make the best moves possible for now and the future.

The countdown is on!

My Team Canada Includes…

The official Team Canada Olympic Men’s Hockey roster will be announced this Tuesday, and Canadian hockey fans and pundits are already buzzing with what-ifs and who-shoulds.

Note: The additional buzz added because of Team USA’s shenanigans is just icing on the cake for anyone who wants to make something out of, what is at this point, nothing for Team Canada.

However, there are some controversial picks to be made or not made when General Manager Steve Yzerman makes the Team Canada roster announcement on January 7th.

We know that this is a team decision that has fallen on Doug Armstrong, Ken Holland, Kevin Lowe, Bob Nicholson, and Brad Pascall as well. It’s not an easy job… there are going to be people that question this team selection. That’s what Canadian hockey fans do.

Now we’re not talking about picks like forwards Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews or John Tavares. Or even defencemen like Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Shea Weber.

We’re talking about the bubble players. The guys who people can’t agree on for one reason or another. The players who have all-world skill and are stars in the NHL… but may or may not get a chance to wear the maple leaf on their chest in Sochi this February.

For some reason there isn’t 100% consensus about Patrick Sharp. I don’t understand this at all. Sharp was invited to the ball hockey practice in Calgary last summer. He’s an All-Star forward who has familiarity with Toews, Keith and Seabrook. And he’s one of the hottest hockey players on the planet right now with 13 points in his last 10 games, 24 points in his last 20, and he’s a +22 through 44 games with Chicago this season.

This dude needs to play for Team Canada in Sochi. End of story.

Another player who can’t seem to get the country’s hockey lovers to agree on his place on Canada’s Olympic Men’s Hockey Team is Pernell Karl Subban.

P.K. is coming off a Norris Trophy winning shortened season. He’s a plus player on D. He regularly plays against the top forwards in the NHL. And so far this season he sits 3rd in the league in scoring by defencemen. The only Canadian d-man he trails… Duncan Keith. How do the 2 match-up? Keith has 13 more assists, but 4 fewer goals. Keith is +18, Subban is +13. Keith plays 24:21 a night, Subban plays 25:10. I’d say that P.K.’s numbers fair pretty well against a dude everyone agrees needs to be on this team.

Am I more passionate about Subban because I’m a Canadiens fan? Probably. But if he’s not one of the top 7 defencemen in Canada, I’m a fool.

The last roster spots that even the experts can’t seem to agree on belong to Team Canada’s goalies. We know that 3 men will get the call to join the Olympic contingent in Sochi, Russia from February 7 to 23.

Many of us expect that there will be a change from the trio of Roberto Luongo, Martin Brodeur and Marc-Andre Fleury that wore the maple leaf in Vancouver 4 years ago. In fact, 2 of those 3 goaltenders could be left off of the 2014 roster.

Who will go and who will start? Those are the 2 most important questions that need to be answered. Yzerman will answer the first one on Tuesday. The 2nd one won’t be answered until the tournament starts and the coaches, led by Mike Babcock, make their decision. But for my money the starter in goal for Team Canada this winter has to be Carey Price.

Again, maybe I’m a little prejudice because of the Habs fan thing. But I don’t really think I’m alone in thinking that it’s Price’s turn to take the ball and run with it. Luongo has been streaky in the last 4 years and Price has only improved since the Halak trade that officially gave him the crease in Montreal. Price also has experience winning gold for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. Carey gets my vote.

So, if Carey Price is the starter and Roberto Luongo returns to Team Canada as the 2nd goalie, who gets the 3rd spot on the roster?

I’ve got it as a 3 man race for that 3rd and final spot. We know that Chicago’s Corey Crawford and Phoenix’s Mike Smith were both invited to the orientation camp in Calgary and both have endeared themselves to various hockey people across the country. And while I don’t think that either of them have made a rock solid case to be a lock for Team Canada, I do think that they both deserve to be discussed.

My 3rd guy is coming from off the board. Jonathan Bernier has had a very sturdy start to the season in Toronto with the Maple Leafs. And Team Canada management made it clear that they were going to look at who was playing the best hockey when it was time to go to Sochi. With that in mind I think that Bernier also deserves to be part of this conversation. Heck, he has a better GAA and Save Percentage than both Smith and Crawford.

I think it’s fair to say that whoever goes as the 3rd goalie is going to sit in the press box most nights, but I don’t think any of them would turn the opportunity down.

No matter which names get called on Tuesday morning you can be sure that there will be outrage and second guessing and upset fans scattered throughout the country.

The best that we can do is trust that Steve Yzerman and his team know what they are doing and get ready to cheer with our hearts on our patriotic sleeves.

There are only 34 days left until we start the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

Get ready!