(1) Washington Capitals
Last Stanley Cup win: NA
Last Stanley Cup Final: 1998
Last Post-season Appearance: 2010
Players With Bling: Mike Knuble, Jason Arnott
(8) New York Rangers
Last Stanley Cup Win: 1994
Last Stanley Cup Final: 1994
Last Post-season Appearance: 2009
Players With Bling: Chris Drury, Ruslan Fedotenko
Unlike in the NBA, the 8th seed has defeated the conferences top seed almost 30% of the time. The Capitals know this stat all to well, they suffered a TKO by Montreal last post-season. As shocking as that upset was it was done thanks to a hot goalie, that is usually the sticking point to most hockey upsets. If a goalie stands on his head even a cast of 10 hall of famer won't have a shot (Giguere beating & the 2003 RedWings). With this lead in, you guys are probably thinking, is he going to do it..? To get that out of the way now, no. I absolutely love Henrik Lundqvist and think he is a future hall of fame guy, who will eventually lead his team towards a cup run (he already led Sweden to a gold medal). However, despite another stellar season by the King, the Rangers just do not have enough for that to be this year. Marion Gaborik has been able to keep his career on track by going to New York, so much so he has become the best player on a playoff team again. Unfortunately the Rangers realize this almost too much and rely heavily on Gaborik. This team has a great budding defenseman, Mark Staal (from a great hockey family too), a fabulous goalie still in his prime, a cup winning head coach, yet, does not have enough consistent offense to win a best of 7. Drury is back, and he is one of the two with a ring....that's all he has earned for me to say about him. Maybe he will turn back the clock and rekindle his Avs days, he was once a key role player that soared Colorado to a title. Most likely he will not, even when rarely healthy he is averaging far below a point a game during his NYR tenure.
The Caps on the other hand appear on paper poised to finally go the distance. Ovechkin has had a down year based on the standard he previously set, but, still blasted over 30. Alexander the Great is a super-star scoring sensation who commands the opponents attention at all times. He can explode at a moments notice, don't be shocked. The other Alexander, Semin, has had the Robin to Ovechkin's Batman written all over him since joining the squad. Semin and company will need to play to form (secondary scoring wins in the playoffs), the Rangers have written the script of what happens when you say I got one great guy go win it for us on your own. The Caps have two Robin's, Backstrom was their second leading scorer this season, the Rangers have none.
I fully believe New York's original six team is one top forward away from a deep run. Brad Richards could very well be that guy withe Torterella Tampa 2004 cup connection. Richards is on the tail end of his career, but, he may be all Gaborik needs to truly make them elite. Gotta love another Ovechkin V.S. King Lundqvist battle. I'd love to see Henrik stone the NHL's best pitchman, I just don't see it happening.
Pick: Capitals in 6 (Henrik gets you a game at least)
(2) Philadelphia Flyers
Last Stanley Cup Win: 1975
Last Stanley Cup Final: 2010
Last Post-season Appearance: 2010
Players With Bling: Nick Boynton, Sean O'Donell, Chris Pronger, Kris Versteeg
(7) Buffalo Sabres
Last Stanley Cup Win: NA
Last Stanley Cup Final: 1999
Last Post-season Appearance: 2010
Players With Bling: Scott Niedermayer
This series may be one of the best to watch in the entire first round. It pits U.S. Olympic netminder, Ryan Miller, against a team one game away from snapping a title drought last year. Miller, like Lundqvist with the Rangers, is the straw that stirs the drink in Buffalo. He is an absolute beast and has stepped up when the pressure was on (remind you of another Sabres goalie about a decade ago..). Unfortunately, the reason Buffalo is still without a cup after 5 decades in the league, they never surrounded Hasek with enough (NY please don't let history repeat itself). Hasek got them close (yes, Hull's foot was in the crease..no you didn't win the cup), however, if any goalie can dethrone the reigning East champions it is Miller. The Sabres do have some talent around him, don't get me wrong. Vanek, Roy, and Pominville all can provide a needed goal and are true play makers. Injuries have hampered Roy's career, the rest have underachieved at times. The Gaborik of this team has become Thomas Vanek. His 73 points this season led the team by double digits over the next guy and he is one of the best at creating space for his teammates. Will the defense be enough in front of Miller? That is one of the biggest questions around Buffalo. If Miller is not asked to stand on his head every night and pick up 40 saves, the Sabres could be dark horse, if he is, they could be golfing by mid April.
The Flyers have almost everyone back from last years Stanley Cup final game 7 loss. The only difference in the lineup are few extra pieces. Look at the last 10 or so finals teams, I dare you to find me one without an elite shutdown defenseman. Chris Pronger embodies that phrase and has been that guy on 3 different finals teams, including the 2010 Flyers. Pronger's health has been an issue all year and probably cost them the East top seed. The reason this pest is going to the Hall of Fame someday can truly be seen by his play the last few seasons. He may no longer be the league MVP and Lidstrom like scorer, but, Pronger just knows what it takes to win. He has size, physicality, and can completely get in the head of every opponent, with just a stare. While he may lack class at times, everything he does is calculated. The Flyers will go as far as Pronger takes them. His help comes from Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, Mike Richards, and Jeff Carter. This trio has traded off as the leaders of the offense over the years, either way they all are notable. The Flyers can win because they not only have the elite scorers, they also own tons of secondary weapons. Ville Leino's game has matured every year and now that he has been given a chance to play every night (came up with a loaded Detroit team) he has taken the league by storm. Leino put up 53 points in 81 games and has been nothing but awesome in each of his post-seasons with Detroit and Philly (both finals losses). In addition to Leino, Hartnell, Carle, and Versteeg would be top lone guys on most other teams. Versteeg is also a key asset. Philly acquired him from Toronto at the deadline based on what he did against them breaking Chicago's drought instead of that of the city of brotherly love. Can the Flyers catch lightning in a bottle again and not let the lack of a star goalie prevent 1975 from being an after thought?
Pick: Flyers in 7
(3) Boston Bruins
Last Stanley Cup Win: 1972
Last Stanley Cup Final: 1990
Last Post-season Appearance: 2010
Players With Bling: Mark Recchi (2), Shawn Thornton
(6) Montreal Canadiens
Last Stanley Cup Win: 1993
Last Stanley Cup Final: 1993
Last Post-season Appearance: 2010
Players With Bling: Scott Gomez (2), Brian Gionta, Travis Moen, Hal Gill, Brent Sopel
The NHL's oldest rivalry will meet for the 34th time in the post-season. Out of those previous 33 series, Montreal has won 24. Ironically enough they have also captured 24 Stanley Cups to only 4 earned by Boston. I wouldn't call this series star powered by any means and with the exception of Tim Thomas, the casual fan probably can't name 5 guys who will have skates on. None the less, it is always must see TV when two original six teams meet, especially these two.
Last year the Habs turned the hockey world upside down thanks to Halak literally playing out of his mind. In order to advance this time they will need Carey Price to do the same and then some. Price was touted as the Next great Montreal goalie when he first came up, he faltered, lost his job, the organization backed him, and now he has repaid that support. Price posted a Vezina type campaign and is primed to finally be that all-star he was first thought to be. Outside of Price, Montreal does have secondary scoring! The issue is....that's all they have. The Canadiens lineup makes the Rangers look like muderers row. As shockingly as this is Montreal failed to post a 60 point man. Thomas Plekanec lead the team with 57 points and grizzled vet Brian Gionta somehow has a 29 next to his goal total. They were able to manufacture goals and advance off of just garbage tallies last year, this season that will not be nearly enough.
Boston got to experience a comeback from a 3-0 series deficit again, just unlike the 2004 RedSox the Bruins were on the wrong side of the coin. They had their first finals trip in 20 years all but sealed up before blowing it. I will give credit where it's due, instead of letting one of the worst collapses in sport history linger, The Bruins stayed the course and were one of the best teams in the NHL. This was due in part to the eventual two time Vezina trophy winner Tim Thomas throwing the team on his back all year. Thomas posted a 35-11 record, a 2.00 GAA, and a .938 save % in 57 games. Despite how great Thomas was, he was not alone in in the Boston net. The Bruins are probably the only team that is comfortable with both the starter and back up seeing action. Tuuka Rask, the Bruin starter during an injury plagued Thomas 09-10, was 3 games under .500 record wise, but, appeared in almost 30 games and owns a .918 save clip. Talk about a two headed monster. The Boston weakness, much like Montreal, they do not have any elite scorers. Fortunately for the Bruins, they received the best possible matchup in the first round. Not only is Montreal the only team with less offensive fire power, Boston has the wildcard....Zdeno Chara has the body of an NBA center (With the way things are going he might have a shot at cracking a roster too), Datsyuk like stick handling, and a goon like mentality. Chara created a storyline that doesn't rely on history for this series just a few months ago. While it certainly will make things interesting, it won't affect the outcome. Chara usually shutdowns the opposing top man, if he does that here the Habs may not score at all. Zdeno has a running mate on the bluline too, Tomas Kaberle is a fellow all-star to add to the Boston defensive effort. The Bruins are at the bottom of the pack offensivly, but, may be the best defensive team in the playoffs. You know what they say? Offense wins game, defense wins championships.
One extra reason to watch....there is a rumor Chara may actually be arrested on site at the first game in Montreal. Now if he's in jail during the series I may change my pick.
Pick: Bruins in 5
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins
Last Stanley Cup Win: 2009
Last Stanley Cup Final: 2009
Last Post-season Appearance: 2010
Players With Bling: Chris Kunitz (2), Craig Adams (2), Marc-Andre Fleury, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Alex Kovalev, Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke (Ass Clown), Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik, Tyler Kennedy, Michael Rupp, Max Talbot, Eric Godard
(5) Tampa Bay Lightning
Last Stanley Cup Win: 2004
Last Stanley Cup Final: 2004
Last Post-season Appearance: 2007
Players With Bling: Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Pavel Kubina
It's almost a shame, this series would look so different if Crosby played. I do not think he will and I wouldn't play him to get that out there. Not having to deal with the best in the world is certainly going to be a bonus for Tampa. This would be the equivalent to Kobe Bryant sitting out last years first round against the Thunder. OKC was in their first playoff series with a young group and is now the next up and coming contender in the NBA. I see the Lightning as that in hockey. Normally I would feel a quick exit and then making a run next season. Without Crosby, the Buzz-saw has to sit and ponder their fate a little further.
Tampa has veterans, top line players, a Hall of Fame GM who knows how to win the post-season (Yzerman), and a young sensation that has already once beat out Sid for the league scoring title. Sounds like a recipe for success to me. The Lightning will send out the likes of St. Louis and Lecavalier, two guys that have been there and done that. These two guys can both carry a team at any time and were very clutch during the 2004 championship. While those two are great (St. Louis still lead team in points, 99), neither are the future. The future is now in Tampa and that comes in 21 year old, 200 LB, beast. Steven Stamos had Crosby level hype when he was drafted and has fully earned that praise. Unlike Sid and Alex, he waited until his sophomore year to have his coming out party. Once he was allowed to turn it on, the off button broke off all together. Forty goal seasons are a lock and there is not a goalie alive who looks forward to seeing Stamkos wind up. This guy has mentors all around and is a guarantee success story and perennial All-Star.
Will Tampa's lack of a true starting goalie cost them a deep run they seem destined for? TB has two back ups, Mike Smith who was originally the guy and is very inconsistent, and Dwayne Roloson, the new starter and former playoff 2010 Halak type.
As for the Pens minus their captain, which Fleury will walk through that door. Fleury has proved he can lead a team to the finals, did so twice, and win a cup, see 2009, yet, he has also shown he can give up bone headed rebounds and appear average. He HAS to outplay whoever is between the pipes for Tampa for the Pens to win. The Lightning are a better team on paper with Crosby not in the mix, if they get equal or better goaltending this could be ugly. Yes, Malkin is there, Jordan Staal, is one of the best faceoff men and third line centers in the league, and Letang is a true Norris candidate, but, TB has every piece Pittsburgh does outside of the net.
Pick: I'm nervous to do this....I just have a gut feeling about this one. Lightning in 7
written by Mike Asti
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