Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. Last time, I broke down Major League Baseball and how things would work if the divisions were to be realigned, and promised you a part II to that story. Do not fret, that analysis will come some time during this month, but today the NHL's playoff match ups were determined, and nothing gets me more excited than hockey's post-season. Let's start with a quick recap of what took place today.
The Flyers and Rangers battled out in Philadelphia for the final playoff position in the east, with Philly edging out New York 2-1 in a shoot out, eliminating the Rangers from playoff contention and locking up a #7 seed in the east. The Devils and Sabres faced off for the 2nd place spot in the east, with New Jersey emerging victorious 2-1 and setting up a first round series with the Flyers, while Buffalo will play host to Boston. Also, the Red Wings continued to roll today as they beat the Blackhawks 3-2, giving Chicago the #2 seed while San Jose locked up #1. In Colorado, it was the Los Angeles Kings topping the Avs to move ahead of Nashville in the standings and clinching the #6 seed in the west. LA will take on #3 Vancouver in round one, while the Preds will head to Chicago to face their division rivals, the Blackhawks. When it was all said and done, we finally had our playoff match ups set, and it appears this year's post-season is sure to be a fun one. All the action begins Wednesday night, so what I'll do is break down the match ups in the Western Conference today, and then the Eastern Conference predictions will be up on Tuesday night. So here we go...
#1 San Jose (51-20-11) vs. #8 Colorado (43-30-9)
Head-to-Head: 2-2
Players to Watch:
San Jose: Joe Thornton- Marleau's the big-time scorer for this team, but Thornton needs to step up and lead a team that has struggled in the playoffs over the past few years.
Colorado: Paul Stastny- May be the only shot the Avs have offensively to keep them close against a high-scoring San Jose club.
Anaylsis: Here we are, once again, with the Sharks sitting pretty in the #1 slot in the west with yet another underdog headed to the Shark Tank. And yet, it's very tough to feel any sort of confidence eminating from California, as the Sharks have struggled mightily in the past few post-seasons, regardless of seeding. After an embarrassing performance against the 8th seeded Flames last season, the Sharks are looking to restore some of the respect they've worked so hard to gain. Meanwhile, the Avalanche are back in the playoffs after a rough patch, and looking to make a little noise. The Avs stumbled into the playoffs this year, losing their last three in a row but still managing to clinch a spot regardless. Meanwhile, the Sharks finished rather impressively, winning 8 of their last 10, and gaining at least a point in all but one of those contests.
Winner: San Jose.
I like this match up, and I think it's going to be a great series. However, I don't think the Avs have the goaltending to stop the high-powered Shark offensive attack. I think San Jose avoids a second straight year of embarassment and takes this one in 6 games.
#2 Chicago (52-22-8) vs. #7 Nashville (47-29-6)
Head to Head: 4-2 Chicago
Players to Watch:
Chicago: Patrick Kane- This guy can do it all, and he proved it in the olympics. He might just bee too much for the weakened Nashville defense to handle.
Nashville: Pekka Rinne- The Preds only have one 30-goal scorer this season, and it's safe to say their offense isn't exactly a powerhouse. For that reason, the goaltending is going to have to be top-notch for Nashville to have any chance in this one.
Analysis: Since last year when the Blackhawks re-entered the playoff picture, Chicago has looked very impressive. In fact, they actually accumulated more wins than the #1 seeded Sharks, but fell due to a three less overtime losses. Chicago could well be the #1 seed, and are looking qute good right now. They fell today to the ever-so-quiet Red Wings, but had won six in a row before that. Nashville has won three of their last four, but has not performed well against teams in this year's playoffs.
Winner: Chicago.
I just don't see any way for Nashville to keep up with Patrick Kane, and they don't have the offense to stay in this series. I'll be generous and say this one goes five games since it's a division rivalry, but it won't go past that.
#3 Vancouver (49-28-5) vs. #6 Los Angeles (46-27-9)
Head to Head: 3-1 Vancouver (1 OT Win)
Players to Watch:
Vancouver: Henrik and Daniel Sedin- The main talk in Vancouver is the goaltending of Roberto Luongo, but it's the Sedin brothers who will have to keep playing at a high level to propel the Canuck offense. Between them, they have 197 points, and each has 29 goals on the year.
Los Angeles: Anze Kopitar- You might be asking- who? Kopitar may not be a household name, but the guy leads LA in both goals as well as assists, achieving 34 and 47 in those categories, respectively. He may be the only offensive chance the Kings have.
Analysis: Vancouver has never stood out to me as the strong team they're built up to be, but they still find a way to win their division and play well in the post-season. The Kings have been away from post-season contention for a few years now, and it's tough for me to see them hanging in this one with Luongo in the other goal.
Winner: Vancouver.
I think the Kings will play well enough to get a win out of this series, but the Canucks are the far more experienced team, and I like them to take this one in five games.
#4 Phoenix (50-25-7) vs. #5 Detroit (44-24-14)
Head to Head: 2-2 (Pho: 2 OT Wins)
Players to Watch:
Phoenix: Ilya Bryzgalov- The Phoenix goaltender is going to have to be on his A-game if he wants to knock off the defending Western Conference champions. The Wings are starting to look normal again, and if Bryzgalov doesn't step up, Detroit will run away with this one.
Detroit: Pavel Datsyuk- If this guy gets going early, it could be a long series for the Coyotes. Datsyuk leads the Wings in goals with 27 and in second in assists with 42. Phoenix will need to shut him down if they hope to survive this series.
Analysis: It's been a magical ride for Phoenix thus far, and a lot of people may speculate that it's all but over for the Coyotes now that they've matched up with Detroit. I don't like their chances either, but one truly never knows what can happen when the playoffs come around.
Winner: Phoenix.
Why? Well, for two reasons. #1, I think there will be at least one upset in this Conference Quarterfinals, and despite their seedings you have to label Phoenix over Detroit as an upset. The second reason I like the Coyotes is the passion and energy the crowd is going to bring. A team that appeared to be awfully close to moving back to Canada has suddenly rejuvenated its city, and I think the Coyotes can win this one in 7 games and move onto the second round, even if that's as far as they go.
So there you have it, I'm going with the San Jose, Chicago, Vancouver, and Phoenix in round one of the Western Conference playoffs. Stay tuned on Tuesday as I break down the Eastern Conference and give my predictions as to who will win each series. Until then, keep on reading sportz freaks.
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