The 2007 NHL Playoffs are upon us and there is no time like the present for me to bust out my predictions for the first round of matchups. There are some excellent teams involved and some series are more difficult to decide than others. It is also quite notable that Calgary managed to fend off the Colorado Avalanche in their attempt to make the second second, as well as the strange twist of events in the past few days that led to the New York Islanders having a chance to play at least four games against the Sabres rather than the Toronto Maple Leafs (or the Montreal Canadiens). Anyways, on with the picks. Discuss them, debate them, and do whatever other D-word you can think of with them in the comments section below.
Let’s start with the East.
Buffalo Sabres (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
The Islanders snuck their way in there and they have been fighting for their playoff lives for the past couple of weeks anyways, whereas the Sabres have pretty much cruised into the post-season. Will this make a difference? I doubt it. Ryan Miller is sufficiently solid in net and with the high-powered offence led by Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, Maxim Afinogenov and Thomas Vanek, the Sabres are the team to beat this year.
Sabres in five
New Jersey Devils (2) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (7)
As much as I think Martin Brodeur is one of the best goalies ever to grace an NHL rink, the Devils are a little too reliant on that workhorse and don’t bring much else to the table that’ll wow you. By contrast, the Lightning are more spread out and have plenty of goal-scoring power from guys like St. Louis and Lecavalier. This series is actually tougher to choose than on paper, so I might as well just play it safe (though I think it’ll go the distance).
Devils in seven
Atlanta Thrashers (3) vs. New York Rangers (6)
Because of my involvement with the Sportsnet hockey pool, I’ve become all too aware of the points that can be racked up by guys like Marian Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Slava Kozlov. I know it’s boring to go with the favorites every time, but I don’t think the Rangers have a chance, even if Jagr brings his A-game.
Thrashers in five
Ottawa Senators (4) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (5)
Everyone has their eyes locked on Sidney Crosby and for good reason. Wayne Gretzky himself said that Sid the Kid could be the next great player, possibly beating out some of the Great One’s own unattainable records. The trouble is that the Penguins are too inexperienced (it’s Evgeni Malkin’s rookie season, don’t you know) and as much as I’d like to see a Pens-‘Nucks final, I have to go with the experience of Canada’s capital.
Senators in seven
Look for my Western Conference playoff selections tomorrow. You can probably already guess what I have to say about the Canucks-Stars series.
Tampa is the seventh seed, not the third.
It’s not that the Pens are inexperienced since Mark Recchi, Gary Roberts and George Laraque have plenty…it’s that they have horrible defense (freakin’ Gonchar is a liability) and Fleury is too inconsistant. However, their ridiculous offensive power (Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Whitney, Gonchar, Recchi, Roberts, all on the SAME TEAM) might just be enough to overcome how bad they are on their own end.
Thanks for finding the typo about the Tampa. And I’d have to agree that Marc-Andre Fleury is ridiculously inconsistent. I hope I’m wrong, though, and Sidney and crew make it to the finals (against the Canucks, of course).
What? The Penguins have the best goalie in the NHL, how can you say that Fleury is inconsistant? Are you mistaking him for Jocelyn Thibault?