Jews in Sports: NHL Playoffs, Summations & Predictions

This is it; what every hockey fan has been waiting for during the long, grueling regular-season: Playoff hockey.

Looking around the Sweet 16 of the NHL, I see fate, hope, revenge and an upset-special.

Of the remaining teams, one is bankrupt; one is aged and three others are from California – the first time that many ever qualified at once from the Golden State.

A word of caution: Scrolling down the Page May Cause for an Increase in Desire to Check Someone into a Car, Whack a Puck through a Window, or Spend More Time in Front of a Hockey Viewing Device.

You’ve been warned.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

(1)WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs (8) NEW YORK RANGERS:

The odds of advancing in this matchup for the Rangers looks very slim; everything has to go right. The team has received superb goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist of late and he’s a rock for the post-season.

The real question marks for the Blueshirts are will the team be able to compensate for the indefinite loss of Ryan Callahan? And what to make of captain Chris Drury and winger Marian Gaborik?

Drury only played in 24 regular-season games, netting one total goal. That being said, the lone tally was in the team’s season finale. Will Captain Clutch be able to prove again that he can still be the pressure-cooker performer, or will his production continue to decline?

Gaborik was also injured for part of the season, and though he’s netted 22 goals (third on the team), that’s a sizeable downgrade from last season’s 42 campaign. He’s looked at times like he’s not skating 100% and, possibly, that’s been the lone culprit. Nonetheless, if the Rangers are to get out of the first round, Gabby will have to produce results.

The Capitals, on the other hand, have a mountain of pressure to overcome as they’ve failed miserably in the playoffs in recent memory. Coach Bruce Boudreau will likely exit Stage Left if his Caps don’t have a long post-season run.

For a talent-laden team as this, it’s Stanley Cup finals or bust.

Sniper Alex Ovechkin saw his points total dip to the lowest numbers of his six-year career, yet, he’s solidified himself as a solid two-way hockey player, concentrating on defense in addition to his natural offensive skill.

The Rangers will be hard to beat but the Capitals harder to stop.

PREDICTION: Capitals in Seven.

(2) PHILADELPHIA FLYERS vs (7) BUFFALO SABRES:

Of all the playoff teams, the Flyers nearly imploded down the stretch, look weaker all-around and don’t either have a clear picture of which goaltender will give them the best performance. Philly will sorely miss big-time defenseman Chris Pronger, who‘s return is questionable (hand surgery).

The Sabres, though, have played quite well under its new ownership and went 8-1-1 over the last 10 regular-season games. Goalie Ryan Miller will likely be well enough to give his team solid performances in net, while Jhonas Enroth [10-2-2 last 14 games] will be waiting in the wings to backup Miller if necessary.

The true genius here is Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff. No knock on Philly bench-boss Peter Laviolette, but Ruff gets more from his players than most of his peers from they’re squads. Buffalo doesn’t have a fifty-goal scorer, first-rate center, or a defenseman adept at deftly quarterbacking the power play. Yet, Ruff and his club won many games due to the mastery of Lindy’s line usage and high hockey IQ.

This has “Upset Special” written all over it.

PREDICITION: Buffalo in Six.

(3) BOSTON BRUINS vs (6) MONTREAL CANADIENS:

Let’s face it; both teams have bad blood dating way back and each want to win badly. The matchups will be interesting as the Bruins sport a big, strong squad that can score, while the Canadiens rely more on their speed and agility to procure goals.

The Habs will go only as far as goaltender Carey Price will take them. Price between the pipes must equal better-than-admirable performance in the spotlight. Too bad for Carey he’s outmatched at his position in this series.

The Bruins want to prove that last year’s playoff meltdown was an aberration, and they will. After all, they’ve got goaltender Tim Thomas, the leading Vezina Trophy (for best goalie) candidate, who’s had a season unmatched in NHL history where he recording an unprecedented .938 save percentage over the duration of the regular-season.

Boston also has the benefit of employing juggernaut defenseman Zdeno Chara and his six-foot, nine-inch hulking mass. Together with his rocket slap shot (see Ryan Callahan’s injury) and Milan Lucic’s emergence as a solid goal-scoring threat, coach Claude Julien has his players performing as a Musketeer mob; all for one and one for all.

PREDICTION: Bruins in Five.

(4) PITTSBURGH PENGUINS vs (5) TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING:

The Penguins are playing without top centers Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, making this a much more even series. Pitt still compiled a solid second-half regular-season record and found scoring answers in Jordan Staal, Chris Kunitz and Tyler Kennedy. They also sport a strong defense, led by Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek, while Tampa’s will be exploited regularly.

Tampa’s offensive highlight, Steve Stamkos, has been limited in his production the latter part of the season, but, led by captain Vinny Lecavalier and his side-kick Martin St. Louis, Tampa’s offense is not in question. That title goes to the defense and goaltending.

Marc-Andre Bergeron cannot – I repeat, cannot – play defense and his inability will be exploited the entire series. That said, 41-year old goaltender Dwayne Roloson will have to show he and his aging body are up to task at handling the shot peppering he’ll face backstopping his blueline buddies.

PREDICTION: Pittsburgh in Six.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

(1) VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs (8) Chicago BLACKHAWKS:

The storyline here is Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo. Forever labeled “playoff underachiever,” he will no longer have to worry about carrying his team solo. Vancouver was the best team in the league this year and entertains, perhaps, the best goal-scoring tandem in the league with the Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel. Tough to stop.

The Blackhawks is a solid number eight but losing many key cogs in the off-season won’t help its cause now. The ‘Hawks backed its way into the playoffs and such a mind-set will not bode well for the Windy City Skaters looking for a repeat Cup-winning performance. They’ve shown they don’t want it and, as such, they won’t get it.

PREDICTION: Vancouver in Six.

(2) SAN JOSE vs (7) LOS ANGELES:

I liked the LA Kings’ chances up until the last three weeks of the regular season.

Losing its top-two goal-scorers, Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar, to injury will not help the team’s chances. Where the offense will come from is anyone’s guess. Captain Dustin Brown has skated well of late, and the goaltending duo of Jonathan Quick and Jon Bernier performed with vim and vigor down the homestretch of the season.

San Jose, the perennial playoff choke artist until last year, will continue to perform well and will find ways to exploit LA’s offensive discrepancies. It has a Cup-winner in netminder Antti Niemi and an offensive presence matched by few. Although Joe Thorton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau didn’t duplicate last year’s offensive numbers, collectively, they’re difficult to stop. Strong and aggressive on the forecheck, they can win simply by wearing teams down.

PREDICTION: Northern Californians in Five.

(3) DETROIT RED WINGS vs (6) PHOENIX COYOTES:

Tune into this series early because it may likely be the last time hockey is played in the Grand Canyon State as the Coyotes’ move to Canada is still pending. It will also be a quick battle.

Although many of the players in this first-round re-match were on Phoenix last year (when they lost to a red-hot Detroit) and want revenge, the Coyotes sport too many problems on the ice and distractions off it to be any real threat. Phoenix had one goal-scorer reach the 20-goal plateau and against a defensive presence the Red Wings bring, that, is simply, not enough.

Wings’ goalie Jimmy Howard will play well and the ageless (soon-to-be 41-years-old) Nik Lidstrom will remain the playoff backbone of the Motor City sextet that’s looking to rest its old (and injured) stars for the next round as soon as possible.

PREDICTION: Red Wings in Four.

(4) ANAHEIM DUCKS vs (5) NASHVILLE PREDATORS:

Perhaps the most entertaining of all the matchups, the Ducks’ problem is the Predators’ peg.

True Anaheim has 50-goal scorer Corey Perry and (possible) top defenseman-of-the-year Lubomir Visnovsky, but their question mark is in goal. Jonas Hiller is suffering from Vertigo and hasn’t played NHL-caliber hockey this year and back-up Ray Emery is uncertain to play.

Nashville’s star in net is puck-stopper Pekka Rinne. Flying under the radar with his solid crease play, the Flying Finn – in his third season in Tennessee – is as hot as any goalie, and will be riding his 1.94 goals-against average and .936 save percentage during the final weeks of the year into post-season play.

A first-rate – call it underrated – defense led by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, along with one of the best NHL coaches, Barry Trotz, will assist in Nashville moving on.

PREDICTION: Nashville in Five.

Sit back – or up and be nervous and anxious if you must – and don’t forget to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!