By Travis Bromer
The NHL's 2011 playoffs are ready to go and this is the first time in a longtime that I do not see a clear cut favorite. It seems like every year has one team going into the playoffs that is unbeatable. That team typically takes an early exit. However, this season anyone can be beat. I saw flaws in every team around the league. So lets take a close look at everybody and see who should come out on top. We'll break down the east in depth and take a quick look at the west.
1. Washington Capitals - The Capitals have changed their whole system this season and look much more playoff ready. They have been playing much better defensively and have been more focused on keeping the puck out of the net than putting it in. The team still has the most scoring punch in the league though. On top of that players of Ovechkin's skill level all win a Stanley Cup at some point in their career. He may be due. Washington's problem is they do not have the goaltending to win, nor the heart.
Last 10 Games: 7-2-1
Against New York: 1-2-1
2. Philadelphia Flyers - The Flyers maybe the most well constructed roster in the Eastern conference. They have lots of goal scorers like Giroux, Briere, and Carter. They grind it out. Everyone on the team has a grinder mentality, which is how you need to play in the playoffs. A very good veteran defensive unit, led by Chris Pronger. They gained a lot of playoff experience on last years cup run. Outside of the net they are a great team. Thats where the problem is. They have two starting goaltenders, which means you don't have any. Brian Boucher is a solid veteran, but is nowhere near good enough to win a Stanley Cup. Sergei Bobrovsky is a rookie with no playoff experience. They simply do not have the goaltending.
Last 10 Games: 3-4-3
Against Buffalo: 2-1-1
3. Boston Bruins - This is a playoff team; great goaltending, excellent defense, good grinder style forwards. Tim Thomas should win the Vezina Trophy this year, he has been brilliant. The defensemen are big and physical players that love to clear the crease. Offensively they have an excellent mix of power forwards, like Milan Lucic, and skill guys, like Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins may be primed for a run at the Stanley Cup. My only worry is Tim Thomas tends to get hot headed and lose his focus in key moments.
Last 10 Games: 6-3-1
Against Montreal: 2-3-1
4. Pittsburgh Penguins - When healthy they are undoubtedly the best team in the NHL. The problem is they are the most injury prone team. With Crosby and Malkin out of the lineup they were expected to fall out of the playoff race. Instead they buckled down defensively and nearly won the division. With or without Crosby the Penguins can make noise in the playoffs. With him they can win another Stanley Cup.
Last 10 Games: 8-2
Against Tampa Bay: 2-2
5. Tampa Bay Lightning - Tampa Bay is a little bit of an enigma to me. I am not sure what to think about them. The are an experienced, inexperienced team. I mean they have young stars like Hedman and Stamkos that have never seen playoff action, and I am not sure how they will react to it. At the same time they have so many star players that have Stanley Cup Final experience, such as St. Louis, Lecavlier, Gagne, and Malone. Their real shortcoming maybe Dwayne Roloson. Goalies win Stanley Cups and I do not think he is that caliber of goalie. There is nothing that Tampa Bay can do in these playoffs to surprise me. I would not be shocked if the Penguins swept them in the first round and I would not be shocked if they made it to the finals.
Last 10 Games: 7-3
Against Pittsburgh: 2-2
6. Montreal Canadiens - Last year Montreal proved that it does not matter what seed you are. They made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals as an eight seed. Knocking of the two super powers of the eastern conference, Washington and Pittsburgh, along the way. Montreal's system allows them to compete with anybody. They have a lot talent. Good scorers, very strong defensively, and an all-star goalie. Montreal is a team to watch out for come playoff time.
Last 10 Games: 5-4-1
Against Boston: 4-2
7. Buffalo Sabres - The Sabres are on fire going into the playoffs. The best record in the league over their last ten games. They are a well rounded team that plays their system to a tee. Some very good power forwards. Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford both scored over 30 goals this season. Most importantly they have Ryan Miller tending the goal. Miller carried team USA to a silver medal in last years Olympics. So we know he can throw a team on his back and take them places. He seems to be the most reliable goalie in the league. The worry here is if Buffalo's roster has enough playoff experience to make a deep run.
Last 10 Games: 8-1-1
Against Philadelphia: 2-2
8. New York Rangers - They got lucky and were the last team to make the playoffs. After last season you would think they would learn they need to take care of their business early. However, they seem to be a team that plays to their opponent. So in that sense I guess they are lucky they got the last seed. They play very well against the top teams in the east. New York is an outstanding team in the defensive zone. Very strong defensemen and an outstanding goalie. They glaring hole I see in New York is their scoring punch. Some games its there and some games its not. When Gaborik is out of the lineup they really do not have a goal scorer. Inconsistency kills you in the playoffs.
Last 10 Games: 6-3-1
Against Washington: 3-1
Round 1 Matchups
Washington vs New York
Yet again Washington is the top seed in the east. Again I am not sure that benefits them. The Rangers play the Capitals very well. They have excellent defensive forwards to match up against Ovechkin and Backstrom. Marc Staal is a guy Ovechkin will not want to be matched up against. The Rangers can minimize the impact of the Capitals top scorers. The Rangers have a winning record against the Capitals this season, I see that continuing in the playoffs. I think Rangers in 6.
Philadelphia vs Buffalo
Philadelphia is the only eastern conference team going into the playoffs with a losing record in their last 10 games. That cannot happen. Especially when their opponent is the hottest team in the league. The Flyers major issue is they probably still don't know who they want to start in the playoffs. While the Sabres have maybe the best goalie in the league. All this adds up to a tough series. The Flyers were certainly the better team over the course of the season. However, right now Buffalo might be the best team in the league. I am picking Buffalo in a very tough 7 game series.
Boston vs Montreal
This is an outstanding matchup. Divisional rivals, both original six teams, it should be a lot of fun to watch. I believe these are two of the most playoff ready teams in the league. Both have great goaltending, excellent defense, and very skilled forwards. Bad blood always makes a playoff series even more fun. We all know Montreal still wants revenge for Chara's hit on Pacioretty. This is really a toss up, but I will say Boston in 7. I honestly think whoever wins this series has a very good shot representing the east in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Pittsburgh vs Tampa Bay
These are the two toughest teams in the league to get a grip on. No one knows how Tampa Bay's star players will react to playoff hockey. No one knows if Crosby will play at all in the playoffs. The Penguins are such a playoff tested team I think they can win a playoff series without Sid. I also think Stamkos will not show up big in his first playoff series. Really this series boils down to Fleury against Roloson. If thats the case I am taking the Penguins in 5 games.
Western Conference
A month ago I was thinking there are only 3 teams out of the west that I thought had any shot at winning the Stanley Cup. They were Vancouver, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Since then the Kings top two forwards have had serious injuries so they will be out in the first round. Detroit is going into the playoffs with a losing record in their last 10 games. If you have not noticed by now I put a lot of stock in how a teams plays in the final playoff stretch. I also scratched Vancouver because they just do not feel like a playoff type team to me. Their scoring seems to always disappear come playoff time. I also feel the Sedin twins are little soft to thrive in the playoffs.
So I began to think about who has the type of team to make a real playoff run. To me that team is the Nashville Predators. Nashville is an outstanding defensive team. Led by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter they can matchup against any team. In net they have a candidate for the Vezina Trophy, Pekka Rinne. The only question mark on this team is scoring ability. Their leading scorer only has 50 points. That does not worry me though. They get scoring from all over the place. Two of the last 3 seasons they have had the unlucky matchup against the team that represented the west in the Stanley Cup. They have playoff experience, a roster bulit for playoff hockey, and are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
Stanley Cup Finals
So out of the west I have Nashville. Picking the east was very tough. I have a lot of trouble picking against my hometown Penguins. I also hate to go against the Buffalo Sabres. Sadly I had to pick with my brain. I am going with the Boston Bruins. The Bruins play playoff style hockey all year long. They have maybe the perfect roster for playoff hockey. Picking between these two teams is difficult. They only played each other once during the regular season, Nashville won 4-3 in overtime. I think over the course of a series Boston's superior offensive fire power and goaltending will prove too much for Nashville. I say Boston wins in 6 games.
That is the great thing about the NHL playoffs it is almost impossible to pick who will win it all. That is what makes the Stanley Cup the greatest trophy in all of sports.
1. Washington Capitals - The Capitals have changed their whole system this season and look much more playoff ready. They have been playing much better defensively and have been more focused on keeping the puck out of the net than putting it in. The team still has the most scoring punch in the league though. On top of that players of Ovechkin's skill level all win a Stanley Cup at some point in their career. He may be due. Washington's problem is they do not have the goaltending to win, nor the heart.
Last 10 Games: 7-2-1
Against New York: 1-2-1
2. Philadelphia Flyers - The Flyers maybe the most well constructed roster in the Eastern conference. They have lots of goal scorers like Giroux, Briere, and Carter. They grind it out. Everyone on the team has a grinder mentality, which is how you need to play in the playoffs. A very good veteran defensive unit, led by Chris Pronger. They gained a lot of playoff experience on last years cup run. Outside of the net they are a great team. Thats where the problem is. They have two starting goaltenders, which means you don't have any. Brian Boucher is a solid veteran, but is nowhere near good enough to win a Stanley Cup. Sergei Bobrovsky is a rookie with no playoff experience. They simply do not have the goaltending.
Last 10 Games: 3-4-3
Against Buffalo: 2-1-1
3. Boston Bruins - This is a playoff team; great goaltending, excellent defense, good grinder style forwards. Tim Thomas should win the Vezina Trophy this year, he has been brilliant. The defensemen are big and physical players that love to clear the crease. Offensively they have an excellent mix of power forwards, like Milan Lucic, and skill guys, like Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins may be primed for a run at the Stanley Cup. My only worry is Tim Thomas tends to get hot headed and lose his focus in key moments.
Last 10 Games: 6-3-1
Against Montreal: 2-3-1
4. Pittsburgh Penguins - When healthy they are undoubtedly the best team in the NHL. The problem is they are the most injury prone team. With Crosby and Malkin out of the lineup they were expected to fall out of the playoff race. Instead they buckled down defensively and nearly won the division. With or without Crosby the Penguins can make noise in the playoffs. With him they can win another Stanley Cup.
Last 10 Games: 8-2
Against Tampa Bay: 2-2
5. Tampa Bay Lightning - Tampa Bay is a little bit of an enigma to me. I am not sure what to think about them. The are an experienced, inexperienced team. I mean they have young stars like Hedman and Stamkos that have never seen playoff action, and I am not sure how they will react to it. At the same time they have so many star players that have Stanley Cup Final experience, such as St. Louis, Lecavlier, Gagne, and Malone. Their real shortcoming maybe Dwayne Roloson. Goalies win Stanley Cups and I do not think he is that caliber of goalie. There is nothing that Tampa Bay can do in these playoffs to surprise me. I would not be shocked if the Penguins swept them in the first round and I would not be shocked if they made it to the finals.
Last 10 Games: 7-3
Against Pittsburgh: 2-2
6. Montreal Canadiens - Last year Montreal proved that it does not matter what seed you are. They made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals as an eight seed. Knocking of the two super powers of the eastern conference, Washington and Pittsburgh, along the way. Montreal's system allows them to compete with anybody. They have a lot talent. Good scorers, very strong defensively, and an all-star goalie. Montreal is a team to watch out for come playoff time.
Last 10 Games: 5-4-1
Against Boston: 4-2
7. Buffalo Sabres - The Sabres are on fire going into the playoffs. The best record in the league over their last ten games. They are a well rounded team that plays their system to a tee. Some very good power forwards. Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford both scored over 30 goals this season. Most importantly they have Ryan Miller tending the goal. Miller carried team USA to a silver medal in last years Olympics. So we know he can throw a team on his back and take them places. He seems to be the most reliable goalie in the league. The worry here is if Buffalo's roster has enough playoff experience to make a deep run.
Last 10 Games: 8-1-1
Against Philadelphia: 2-2
8. New York Rangers - They got lucky and were the last team to make the playoffs. After last season you would think they would learn they need to take care of their business early. However, they seem to be a team that plays to their opponent. So in that sense I guess they are lucky they got the last seed. They play very well against the top teams in the east. New York is an outstanding team in the defensive zone. Very strong defensemen and an outstanding goalie. They glaring hole I see in New York is their scoring punch. Some games its there and some games its not. When Gaborik is out of the lineup they really do not have a goal scorer. Inconsistency kills you in the playoffs.
Last 10 Games: 6-3-1
Against Washington: 3-1
Round 1 Matchups
Washington vs New York
Yet again Washington is the top seed in the east. Again I am not sure that benefits them. The Rangers play the Capitals very well. They have excellent defensive forwards to match up against Ovechkin and Backstrom. Marc Staal is a guy Ovechkin will not want to be matched up against. The Rangers can minimize the impact of the Capitals top scorers. The Rangers have a winning record against the Capitals this season, I see that continuing in the playoffs. I think Rangers in 6.
Philadelphia vs Buffalo
Philadelphia is the only eastern conference team going into the playoffs with a losing record in their last 10 games. That cannot happen. Especially when their opponent is the hottest team in the league. The Flyers major issue is they probably still don't know who they want to start in the playoffs. While the Sabres have maybe the best goalie in the league. All this adds up to a tough series. The Flyers were certainly the better team over the course of the season. However, right now Buffalo might be the best team in the league. I am picking Buffalo in a very tough 7 game series.
Boston vs Montreal
This is an outstanding matchup. Divisional rivals, both original six teams, it should be a lot of fun to watch. I believe these are two of the most playoff ready teams in the league. Both have great goaltending, excellent defense, and very skilled forwards. Bad blood always makes a playoff series even more fun. We all know Montreal still wants revenge for Chara's hit on Pacioretty. This is really a toss up, but I will say Boston in 7. I honestly think whoever wins this series has a very good shot representing the east in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Pittsburgh vs Tampa Bay
These are the two toughest teams in the league to get a grip on. No one knows how Tampa Bay's star players will react to playoff hockey. No one knows if Crosby will play at all in the playoffs. The Penguins are such a playoff tested team I think they can win a playoff series without Sid. I also think Stamkos will not show up big in his first playoff series. Really this series boils down to Fleury against Roloson. If thats the case I am taking the Penguins in 5 games.
Western Conference
A month ago I was thinking there are only 3 teams out of the west that I thought had any shot at winning the Stanley Cup. They were Vancouver, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Since then the Kings top two forwards have had serious injuries so they will be out in the first round. Detroit is going into the playoffs with a losing record in their last 10 games. If you have not noticed by now I put a lot of stock in how a teams plays in the final playoff stretch. I also scratched Vancouver because they just do not feel like a playoff type team to me. Their scoring seems to always disappear come playoff time. I also feel the Sedin twins are little soft to thrive in the playoffs.
So I began to think about who has the type of team to make a real playoff run. To me that team is the Nashville Predators. Nashville is an outstanding defensive team. Led by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter they can matchup against any team. In net they have a candidate for the Vezina Trophy, Pekka Rinne. The only question mark on this team is scoring ability. Their leading scorer only has 50 points. That does not worry me though. They get scoring from all over the place. Two of the last 3 seasons they have had the unlucky matchup against the team that represented the west in the Stanley Cup. They have playoff experience, a roster bulit for playoff hockey, and are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
Stanley Cup Finals
So out of the west I have Nashville. Picking the east was very tough. I have a lot of trouble picking against my hometown Penguins. I also hate to go against the Buffalo Sabres. Sadly I had to pick with my brain. I am going with the Boston Bruins. The Bruins play playoff style hockey all year long. They have maybe the perfect roster for playoff hockey. Picking between these two teams is difficult. They only played each other once during the regular season, Nashville won 4-3 in overtime. I think over the course of a series Boston's superior offensive fire power and goaltending will prove too much for Nashville. I say Boston wins in 6 games.
That is the great thing about the NHL playoffs it is almost impossible to pick who will win it all. That is what makes the Stanley Cup the greatest trophy in all of sports.
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