Re: NHL Playoffs ...
There, beat ya to it, Bigprairie!
So who out there is delusional and thinks some team other than the new and improved Penguins are going to win Lord Stanley's Cup????
The only thing undetermined at this point is whether the Pens lose to Boston in round 2 , or to Washington in Round 2.
East ~Boston is just a quantum level above everyone else in the East and have no inherent weakness that anyone else in their divison has the ability to exploit.
West, where the action is ~ Lots of discussion about the Sharks choking against a lowly 8 seed in round 1, but that has been the historical norm in recent years in the NHL West.
The West is so tight and the playoff races go down to the wire. The last two teams to make the post-season have been effectively playing playoff hockey, win-or-go-home, for weeks already. They get in to the dance firing on all cylinders and can knock off anyone.
The Oilers 2006 miracle was from the 8th spot...2005 - lockout year....2004, we had the Women of the Red Mile celebrating the Flames run....as an 8th seed....and in 2003, the Ducks only avoided the 8th spot in the last couple of games in the season, and came out of the west from #7.
With the lockout factored in, that makes 4 of the last 6 years that a number 7 or 8 seed has knocked off the #1 or 2 seed in the first round.
Anaheim is anyone's worst nightmare, and have likely already punched their ticket to the final.
It might be a lot of choking, but obviously the term the Wild West doesn't refer only to John Wayne and Audie Murphy movies.
***** Spoiler alert *****
Anaheim over Wings in 6 / VCVR over Chicago in 5/ Ducks beat Canucks in 6
Boston comes out of the East and loses in 5 to the Ducks.
