Well, for all hockey fans, it’s that special time of year, the Stanley Cup Playoffs! Me being a die-hard New Jersey Devils fan has me excited for a chance to watch the team compete for the first time in six seasons. I’ll have my take on that series, along with the other playoff series that are to come, in what should be another great run to Lord Stanley.
All statistics and notes were found on NHL.com and the team respective websites.
This year, however, you have seven teams in this year’s playoff push that missed the postseason last year. Along with the Devils, you have the Philadelphia Flyers (M3), Tampa Bay Lightning (A1), Boston Bruins (A2), Las Vegas Golden Knights (P1), Los Angeles Kings (WC1) and the Colorado Avalanche (W2).
It all begins on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 and here are the matchups, my analyses and predictions:
Eastern Conference:
New Jersey Devils (WC2; 97 points) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (A1; 113 points)
Game 1: Thursday, April 12 7:00 p.m. (Amalie Arena)
Game 2: Saturday, April 14 3:00 p.m. (Amalie Arena)
Game 3: Monday, April 16 7:30 p.m. (Prudential Center)
Game 4: Wednesday, April 18 7:30 p.m. (Prudential Center)
Game 5: Saturday, April 21 TBD (Amalie Arena)
Game 6: Monday, April 23 TBD (Prudential Center)
Game 7: Wednesday, April 25 TBD (Amalie Arena)
Statistic Leaders:
NJ:
T. Hall: 39 goals, 54 assists (93 points)
N. Hischer: 20 goals, 32 assists (52 points)
K. Palmieri: 24 goals, 20 assists (44 points)
TB:
N. Kucherov: 39 goals, 61 assists (100 points)
S. Stamkos: 27 goals, 59 assists (86 points)
B. Point: 32 goals, 34 assists (66 points)
Summarization of Seasons:
This series features two teams returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing out last year. The Devils are making their first return to the playoffs since the 2011-12 season, a team that reached the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Kings in six games. Captain Andy Greene and forward Travis Zajac are the only players from that team that are on this year’s playoff team. The Devils underwent a complete transformation, with forward Taylor Hall having an MVP-like season, leading with 39 goals and making a lot of plays to help the Devils win games.
The Devils took the NHL and all hockey fans by surprise, with everyone saying this would be a rebuilding year for the team, but they proved everybody wrong and taking that extra step in the rebuilding process.
Notable trades this season include acquiring D Sami Vetanen from the Anaheim Ducks on November 30 in exchange for forwards Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi. He’s put up quality numbers and made a difference on a Devils defense that appeared shaky, giving them depth and stepping up in quality situations in the tighter games. He’s posted 28 points in his Devils tenure, including three of his four goals on the season. He’s also played around 20-25 and at times, even more than 25 minutes of ice time, as one of the top defensemen on the top pair with Andy Greene.
Michael Grabner was acquired from the New York Rangers on February 22, an interesting move I don’t think anyone saw coming. He’s sort of like the Todd Frazier of the 2017 Yankees, getting quality chances to score and either comes up just short, shots it wide or fans on the chances. His speed and distributing of the assists has been massive for the Devils, so he’s been one decent player, although he hasn’t found the back of net as much.
Patrick Maroon has been the gritty player the Devils have missed the past couple of seasons, coming from the Edmonton Oilers on February 26. He was huge in the game that clinched the Devils a playoff spot. He assisted on both goals in a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Although known majorly for being physical, he’s gotten within the play, made some big plays and proved himself in his tenure in New Jersey.
The Devils were in a playoff spot the entire season, even when their edge in a spot trickled down to one points, which it did a number of times. Their West Coast trip was sort of the Achilles heel of their season, meaning a bad trip could’ve cost them a chance to compete. They defeated the Nashville Predators 5-4 in the shootout before stunning the Las Vegas Golden Knights with an 8-4 win on March 14, handing Las Vegas their worst loss of the season and chasing Marc-Andre Fleury.
Keith Kinkaid is another major reason why the Devils are as good as they’ve been. Since Cory Schneider got injured and was placed on the injured reserve on February 12 with groin and hip injuries, he hasn’t been quite the same and was really off his game. He was chased by the San Jose Sharks on March 20 and hasn’t started since then, if you exclude the regular season finale at the Washington Capitals.
Kinkaid was very deserving of the starting goaltending position and showed all the fans what he is made of. His regular season numbers include a 26-10-0 record in net. He’s anchored down the position that is so important in the game of hockey. In a stretch where the Devils needed to collect wins and as many points as they’ve done, they went 10-3-1, which kicked off with a huge shootout win and two gained points against the Nashville Predators. He won the job and head coach John Hynes continued to start him and give him a chance to lead his team towards a playoff berth. He will be a huge name, along with Taylor Hall and the Devils team when the series starts Thursday night.
On the other side, the Tampa Bay Lightning was back and hungry for the playoffs. After an injury-ridden 2016-17 season, they will be set and ready to go. The Lightning, the 2014-15 Eastern Conference Champions, finished with 113 points and clinched the Atlantic Division with the Boston Bruins losing their regular season finale to the Florida Panthers 4-2 on April 8. They led that division by as much as 21 points before the Bruins surge that came up just short.
They opened up the season by winning nine of their first 11 games, jumping up to 21 points in the month of October. They swept a West Coast swing, capturing quality wins over the Sharks, Kings, Ducks and blowing by the Dallas Stars, putting their future opponents on notice of how gritty of a team they are.
Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point combine for a complete offensive juggernaut, combining for 98 goals and 154 assists on the season. Other major players on Tampa Bay include defensemen Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman, who anchor down a lot of minutes on defense, making the Lightning an elite team in the NHL, even in the seasons where they came up short. They also added defenseman Dan Girardi, whose contract was bought out by the New York Rangers.
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has taken the starting goaltender position and has run away with the chance, after trading Ben Bishop to the Los Angeles Kings last year (was with Dallas Stars in 2017-18). His numbers on the year include setting a franchise record in shutouts this season with eight. His record is 44-17-3 with a 2.62 GAA and a .920 save percentage.
Notable trades at the deadline include acquiring forward J.T Miller and defenseman Ryan McDonagh from the New York Rangers on February 26 (Does that make the Lightning the Tampa Bay Rangers?). The Lightning have five former Rangers on their roster, including Ryan Callahan, Girardi, Stralman, Miller and McDonagh, which gives Tampa Bay a major jolt since a lot of these guys have been to the Finals (2014, the year the Rangers sent Callahan to Tampa Bay for Martin St. Louis).
My Thoughts:
While the Devils did take the season series 3-0-0 (included a 5-4 shootout win on October 17), the playoffs are a completely different animal in terms of competition. The Lightning do have a lot of depth and can give opposing teams trouble with all the firepower they have on offense, but this one will be interesting to watch from Game 1 to the end.
The Devils and Lightning are stacked when it comes to points and goals on the offensive side of the game, while the defensive side has also come up huge. Defense will be a major anchor for both teams this series, especially when a final stop is needed or if it involves late looks towards a goal. I always admired how Tampa Bay built their team and came two wins short of a Stanley Cup championship in the 2014-15 season, with a decent number of those players still on that team (Stralman, Stamkos, Cedric Paquette, Callahan, Braydon Coburn, Hedman, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Andrej Sustr).
I like what I saw from both teams in the meetings and like the upgrades both sides gained through the trade deadline. It appears they’ve gotten some major names to fill in some of those gaps they needed to address to ensure a good run to the playoffs.
However, Tampa Bay lost a 21-point lead and almost lost out on the Atlantic Division, something that concerned me, as I thought they were going to lose out on the top spot in the Eastern Conference, which they were bailed out by the Panthers’ win over the Bruins. I will give the edge to the Devils because they’ve gotten hot with that late-season streak that allowed them the chance to clinch a playoff spot, although I do expect the Tampa Bay Lightning to give them the fight of their season.
Pick: Devils in 6
Toronto Maple Leafs (A3; 105 points) vs. Boston Bruins (A2; 112 points)
Game 1: Thursday, April 12 7:00 p.m. (TD Arena)
Game 2: Saturday, April 14 8:00 p.m. (TD Arena)
Game 3: Monday, April 16 7:00 p.m. (Air Canada Centre)
Game 4: Wednesday, April 18 7:30 p.m. (Air Canada Centre)
Game 5: Saturday, April 21 TBD (TD Arena)
Game 6: Tuesday, April 24 TBD (Air Canada Centre)
Game 7: Thursday, April 26 TBD (TD Arena)
Statistic Leaders:
TOR:
M. Marner: 22 goals, 47 assists (69 points)
A. Matthews: 34 goals, 29 assists (66 points)
W. Nylander: 20 goals, 41 assists (61 points)
BOS:
B. Marchand: 34 goals, 51 assists (85 points)
D. Pastrnak: 35 goals, 45 assists (80 points)
P. Bergeron: 30 goals, 33 assists (63 points)
Summarization of Seasons:
Well, we have an old-time matchup, something every postseason needs to have and we have it right here. Two Original Six teams ready to duke it out on the ice. The Toronto Maple Leafs, a much-different look team from several years ago, drafting Auston Matthews No. 1 overall in the 2016 NHL Draft and adding a lot of young prospects and talent from the AHL level, took a major step last year towards returning to the playoffs.
When Lou Lamiorello became GM on July 24, 2015 and hired Mike Babcock, it was clear Toronto was going to become a force, with it being a matter of time. They finished last in the league in 2015-16 with 69 points and almost forced a Game 7 in the 2017 playoffs before Washington escaped with an overtime goal to win their series last year in six games.
That was a big first step in what should be a great set of seasons to come for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before last year, their only really good team in recent memory was the 2012-13 team that stood ten minutes away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, before the Bruins scored three goals in that span and won in overtime.
That alone will be motivation for the remaining Maple Leafs players from that team as this series kicks off on Thursday.
Toronto bettered their results from last year, finishing with 105 points and implementing themselves as the third seed in the Atlantic Division.
A lot of their young players have really impressed me, having seen them play on TV a number of times and sort of surprising me, with pulling out a lot of good wins. That core includes Matthews, Marner, Nylander, along with other players such as Nazem Kadri (32 goals, 23 assists), Middletown, NJ native James Van Riemsdyk (36 goals, 18 assists), Morgan Reilly (six goals, 46 assists) and Jake Gardiner (five goals, 47 assists).
On the other side, you have the Boston Bruins, a team that has a lot of their 2011 championship roster there, including captain Zdeno Chara, Marchand, Bergeron, David Krejci, etc. The Bruins exceeded everyone’s expectations with coming close to a division crown, overcoming a 21-point deficit before coming up just short in the regular season finale, losing to the Florida Panthers 4-2 on April 8.
My Thoughts:
This is going to be a great series to watch. You’ve got a tough Maple Leafs team hungry for competition and their first playoff series win since 2004, while you have a Bruins team that is among the elite of the NHL. Having seen some of the last games of the season, the Maple Leafs strung together a series of late wins, although their lone loss in that stretch includes a 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on April 5.
Mike Babcock is a great coach and he’s going to have them ready to go. As for the Boston Bruins, their record is very impressive, with everything they dealt with last season, firing Claude Julien and sticking with Doug Cassidy, but their five-game stretch near the end of the season concerns me. Boston went 1-3-1, including two losses to the Florida Panthers. You don’t want to go into the playoffs on a note like that, you want to go into the playoffs on a winning and good note over any type of stretch.
Toronto’s success is overdue a bit and seeing their speed, skill and defense, I wouldn’t be surprised if they shock a few people this series, so I’m giving edge to the Maple Leafs this series.
Pick: Maple Leafs in 7
Columbus Blue Jackets (WC1; 97 points) vs. Washington Capitals (M1; 105 points)
Game 1: Thursday, April 12 7:00 p.m. (Capital One Arena)
Game 2: Saturday, April 14 3:00 p.m. (Capital One Arena)
Game 3: Tuesday, April 17 7:30 p.m. (Nationwide Arena)
Game 4: Thursday, April 19 7:30 p.m. (Nationwide Arena)
Game 5: Saturday, April 21 TBD (Capital One Arena)
Game 6: Tuesday, April 24 TBD (Nationwide Arena)
Game 7: Thursday, April 26 TBD (Capital One Arena)
Statistic Leaders:
CBJ:
A. Panarin: 27 goals, 55 assists (82 points)
S. Jones: 16 goals, 41 assists (57 points)
P. DuBois: 20 goals, 28 assists (48 goals)
WSH:
A. Ovechkin: 49 goals, 38 assists (87 points)
E. Kuznetsov: 27 goals, 56 assists (83 points)
N. Backstrom: 21 goals, 50 assists (71 points)
Summarization of Seasons:
Here is an interesting matchup on the Eastern Conference side. The Columbus Blue Jackets, who have been a competitive group under John Tortorella, take on the 3-time Metropolitan Division champion Washington Capitals in what should be a good series.
The Columbus Blue Jackets come into the playoffs as the first wild card team in what was a very tight Metropolitan Division, their spot secured with a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on April 7 in their regular season finale. They look to better their results, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round last year in five games, but the Washington Capitals present a challenge that will be fun to watch.
The Blue Jackets season started off strong, coming together with seven wins in their first ten games, one season after posting a 17-game winning streak which established Columbus as a turnaround from a disappointing 2015-16 season where John Tortorella took over on October 21, 2015.
After acquiring Arteri Panarin (known as Breadman) from the Chicago Blackhawks in the offseason in exchange for Brandon Saad, it’s appeared to pay off for the Blue Jackets, with Panarin contributing heavily in the statistics for Columbus.
They also acquired a veteran in Thomas Vanek at the trade deadline from the Vancouver Canucks, adding someone who has been around in the league for a while. They’ve also added defenseman Ian Cole in a trade from the Ottawa Senators. Cole was sent from Pittsburgh to Ottawa in a trade for Derrick Brassard before subsequently going to Columbus.
Sergei Bobrovsky has continued to show why he is one of the league’s most dominant goaltenders since coming to Columbus in a trade from Philadelphia. His record this season includes a 37-22-6 record, a 2.42 GAA and a .921 save percentage.
The Washington Capitals continue to bring teams with a lot of depth into postseason action, but a team looking to get over the curse of the semifinals round. Four times in the past seven seasons have seen the Capitals season come to an end, not being in an Eastern Conference Finals in the Alex Ovechkin era. That only time was the 1997-98 season, where the Capitals made their lone Stanley Cup Finals appearance in franchise history, only to be swept by the Detroit Red Wings.
Alex Ovechkin leads a Capitals team looking to try and get far this postseason. Their lineup is packed with studs in Ovi, Kuznetsov, Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, Lars Eller and Andre Burakovsky. Their defense is also packed with John Carlson, Matt Niskanen, Brooks Oprik, Dmitry Orlov.
My Thoughts:
The Columbus Blue Jackets saw their chances last year get eaten alive by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals present an even bigger challenge. Washington’s forwards are known to really carve down defenses and can shoot really well if left open. For the Columbus Blue Jackets, they have a task to heavily guard the Capitals forwards and find a way to give Bobrovsky a chance to lead for a series win.
The only concern at times, in my opinion, is the Capitals goaltending situation. Braden Holtby is a stud in net and is the anchor of the Capitals force as a team, but has shown some struggles along the way, but they usually find a way to turn the struggles around when the playoffs begin.
Washington did take the season series 3-1-0 and will come through ready to go. With all this considered, the winner is going to take this series in either six or seven games, but I’ll give the edge to Washington taking the series. This can go either way, but I see the Capitals taking care of business in the first round.
Pick: Capitals in 6
Philadelphia Flyers (M3; 98 points) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (M2; 100 points)
Game 1: Wednesday, April 11 7:00 p.m. (PPG Paints Arena)
Game 2: Friday, April 13 7:00 p.m. (PPG Paints Arena)
Game 3: Sunday, April 15 3:00 p.m. (Wells Fargo Center)
Game 4: Wednesday, April 18 7:00 p.m. (Wells Fargo Center)
Game 5: Saturday, April 21 TBD (PPG Paints Arena)
Game 6: Tuesday, April 24 TBD (Wells Fargo Center)
Game 7: Thursday, April 26 TBD (PPG Paints Arena)
Statistic Leaders:
PHI:
C. Giroux: 34 goals, 68 assists (102 points)
J. Voracek: 20 goals, 65 assists (85 points)
S. Couturier: 31 goals, 45 assists (76 points)
PIT:
E. Malkin: 42 goals, 56 assists (98 points)
P. Kessel: 34 goals, 58 assists (92 points)
S. Crosby: 29 goals, 60 assists (89 points)
Summarization of Seasons:
We have the Battle of Pennsylvania in this series, something we’ve seen once before six years ago and now the Philadelphia Flyers and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins meeting for a chance at competing for the Stanley Cup.
It took 82 games, but the Flyers found their way back into the postseason after missing out last season. Claude Giroux has been playing so well and became the first Flyer to get 100 points in a season since Eric Lindros did during his playing days. A 5-0 win over the New York Rangers on April 7 secured the playoff berth for the Flyers, who managed to jump both the Blue Jackets and Devils in the standings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are seeking to become the first team to win three straight Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders did from 1980-1982. They have an opportunity to join elite company in NHL history as they await their playoff series.
Philadelphia won the last playoff series between the two teams in six games in the 2012 playoffs, but understandably, Pittsburgh presents a challenge with a loaded roster.
The Flyers have an offense that features Giroux, Voracek, Couturier, Wayne Simmonds (24 goals, 22 assists), second-round draft pick Nolan Patrick (13 goals, 17 assists), Travis Konecny (24 goals, 23 assists) and defender Ivan Provorov (11 goals, 13 assists). Provorov anchors down a tough Philadelphia defense which features Shayne Gostisbehere,
On the other hand, the Penguins have the core of Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Patric Hornqvist and Jake Guentzel, who all have 20+ goals and have given opposing teams’ defenses trouble during the season, including in the postseason the past two years, which ended with the Stanley Cup coming to Pittsburgh with their 2016 win over the San Jose Sharks and last year against the Nashville Predators.
Kris Letang is the leader on defense, which also includes Brian Dumoulin, Jamie Oleskiak and lead-power play defender Justin Schultz. I could go on-and-on, but it is clear that the Pittsburgh Penguins have been playing their best year-to-year hockey on the level of the 1990s-dynasty. They will look to wipe away their 2012 playoffs, a first round loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
My Thoughts:
Without a doubt, this is going to be nasty at some point, especially with the rivalry factor coming into play. We saw the fights that occurred in Game 3 of the 2012 series. Teams got physical towards one another, including two Pittsburgh players getting suspended for cross-checking and charging penalties, two major fights and tangling up with one another. Both arenas are tough to play in if you are a visitor, especially in Philadelphia, where the Flyers excel on their home ice in Wells Fargo Center, as we’ve seen this season and in seasons of the past.
While Pittsburgh is the defending champions for the second straight year, I respect all the talent and depth they have. They play tough and have done good since Mike Sullivan came in as head coach in December 2015. The Philadelphia Flyers have managed to overcome tough situations, including an injury to goaltender Brian Elliott, who they got from the St. Louis Blues.
With these two teams also in the same division as the Devils, I think the Philadelphia Flyers could pull this one out, especially if they can win 1-2 games in Pittsburgh since they excel on their home ice in front of their fans, but it will be a tough test and a great series to watch.
Pick: Flyers in 6
Western Conference:
Colorado Avalanche (WC2; 95 points) vs. Nashville Predators (C1; 117 points)
Game 1: Thursday, April 12 9:30 p.m. (Bridgestone Arena)
Game 2: Saturday, April 14 3:00 p.m. (Bridgestone Arena)
Game 3: Monday, April 16 10:00 p.m. (Pepsi Center)
Game 4: Wednesday, April 18 10:00 p.m. (Pepsi Center)
Game 5: Friday, April 20 TBD (Bridgestone Arena)
Game 6: Sunday, April 22 TBD (Pepsi Center)
Game 7: Tuesday, April 24 TBD (Bridgestone Arena)
Statistic Leaders:
COL:
N. Mackinnon: 39 goals, 58 assists (97 points)
M. Rantenen: 29 goals, 55 assists (84 points)
G. Landeskog: 25 goals, 37 assists (62 points)
NSH:
F. Forsberg: 26 goals, 38 assists (64 points)
V. Arvidsson: 29 goals, 32 assists (61 points)
P.K. Subban: 16 goals, 43 assists (59 points)
Summarization of Seasons:
It took only one year to make it a major difference for the Colorado Avalanche. Last year, the Avs were reeling from one of their worst seasons in franchise history, finishing with a 22-56-4 record, the lowest amount of points at 48 points under first-year head coach Jared Bednar, who took over after the unexpected resignation of Patrick Roy on August 11, 2016.
The Avalanche, from the start, made all types of changes, trading Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators on November 5 as a three-way trade involving the Senators and the Nashville Predators. Colorado acquired defenseman Samuel Girard and forward Vladislav Kamenev from Nashville and acquired goaltender Andrew Hammond and Shane Bowers from Ottawa. The Senators sent forward Kyle Turris to the Predators as a part of that trade.
The Avalanche saw production as a team drastically improve from a year ago.
The Avalanche took on the St. Louis Blues on Game 82 with that final playoff spot up for grabs and Colorado wasted no time going to work. Samuel Girard gave Colorado a 1-0 lead and defenseman Tyson Barrie made it 2-0 Avalanche, a call which may have been offsides, but a very close one. After St. Louis cut it to 2-1, Nathan Mackinnon unloaded with a shot to make it 3-1 Avs. Landeskog sailed it with an empty net goal as Colorado clinched the final playoff spot with a 5-2 win over the Blues.
Along with Mackinnon, Rantenen and Landeskog, Colorado’s offense is also powered by forwards Blake Comeau, Matt Nieto and J.T. Comper, giving the Avalanche the jolt that eluded them for the entire 2016-17 season, where nothing went right for the Avalanche as a team. Despite all of that, they are in the competition for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
The Nashville Predators have been a force in the National Hockey League since Peter Laviollette took over for the 2014-15 season and this past season and last season both show why that is the case. The Preds reached last year’s playoffs as the second wild card and stunned the league with what they were able to do. They swept the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks and took out the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Despite a comeback from down 2-0, the Predators lost the series to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games, but put the league on notice that they were going to be the best and showed it this past season. The Predators went 53-18-11, finishing with 117 points and clinching the President’s Trophy for the first time in franchise history.
My Thoughts:
The Colorado Avalanche had a storybook season and showed they were a much better and cleaner team than last season. They had a 47-point improvement and it was one of the best turnarounds in recent history of the National Hockey League. I thought they were going to empty off the team with everything they endured last season and that does not appear it would happen with what they were able to accomplish this year.
The Nashville Predators are out to better their finish of last year, to try and win their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. They went out and traded for Kyle Turris and brought in Nick Bonino and brought back Scott Hartnell to fuel their chance as they began their next season for another chance at the Stanley Cup. Needless to say, Nashville is outright loaded and have a lot of players who can do a lot of great things for this postseason.
As much as Colorado’s turnaround season is impressive, I do respect what they were able to do, but I don’t see things going right for the Avalanche in this series.
Pick: Predators in 5
Minnesota Wild (C3; 103 points) vs. Winnipeg Jets (C2; 112 points)
Game 1: Wednesday, April 11 7:00 p.m. (MTS Centre)
Game 2: Friday, April 13 7:30 p.m. (MTS Centre)
Game 3: Sunday, April 15 7:00 p.m. (Xcel Energy Center)
Game 4: Tuesday, April 17 8:00 p.m. (Xcel Energy Center)
Game 5: Friday, April 20 TBD (MTS Centre)
Game 6: Sunday, April 22 TBD (Xcel Energy Center)
Game 7: Tuesday, April 24 TBD (MTS Centre)
Statistic Leaders:
MIN:
E. Staal: 42 goals, 34 assists (76 points)
M. Granlund: 21 goals, 46 assists (67 points)
J. Zucker: 33 goals, 31 assists (64 points)
WPG:
B. Wheeler: 23 goals, 68 assists (91 points)
P. Laine: 44 goals, 26 assists (70 points)
N. Ehlers: 29 goals, 31 assists (60 points)
Summarization of Seasons:
The Minnesota Wild continue to be a competitive hockey team and always seem to pick up the pace when the games that matter the most come about. This is their sixth straight season in the playoffs, all in the Zach Parise-Ryan Suter era in Minnesota. The Wild got the points and made all the plays necessary to get another chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. The past two seasons finished with the Wild losing the first round of the playoffs, something they are hoping to better as the playoffs begin.
Following an average start, the Wild put together a five-game winning streak in late February on an East Coast trip and gathered wins in good stretches as the season went along to sustain the positive momentum coming along. Minnesota is also a powerful force on offense, seeing Staal post his first 40-goal season together since his days with the Carolina Hurricanes. Zach Parise started to heat up after missing a decent portion of the season due to back surgery. Nino Niederreiter posted numbers of 18 goals and 14 assists, giving him 32 points, while captain Mikko Koivu, Matt Dumba and Charlie Coyle have been key figures throughout the Wild offense in the goals and assists.
Their defense consists of key players such as Ryan Suter (more thoughts below), Matt Dumba, Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, Nate Prosser and Ryan Murphy.
The Winnipeg Jets, once a mess last year, are now a hockey team that is hungry to achieve much more than a normal playoff appearance in the 2014-15 season, ending with a sweep at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks. They are another team that has drastically improved from last season, as they collected 112 points this season, as compared to last season, where they narrowly missed out on the playoffs, finishing as the ninth seed and fifth in the Central Division.
Patrik Laine is absolutely ridiculous and has continued to show throughout the season that he will be one of the best players in the game for a long time.
My Thoughts:
Overall, I look at both of these times and I say this will be a fantastic series to watch, the two teams full of studs to give a playoff series everything it would ask for. Overall, I look at the statistics and everything on paper appears to make this series an evenly matched force.
However, my opinion immediately swayed when the Wild lost defenseman Ryan Suter for the season due to a broken fibula he suffered in the final week of the regular season. After having surgery, he should be ready for next year, but it leaves a major hole for the Minnesota Wild, as Suter is relied upon to play 25-27 minutes of ice time per game. They do have other guys who can step in, but someone is going to really need to step up their game to give Minnesota a chance.
Therefore, I like the Winnipeg Jets in this series, I expect them to win, with the Minnesota Wild giving them a scare and a good run for their money.
Pick: Jets in 6
Los Angeles Kings (WC1) vs. Las Vegas Golden Knights (P1)
Game 1: Wednesday, April 11 10:00 p.m. (T-Mobile Arena)
Game 2: Friday, April 13 10:00 p.m. (T-Mobile Arena)
Game 3: Sunday, April 15 10:30 p.m. (Staples Center)
Game 4: Tuesday, April 17 10:30 p.m. (Staples Center)
Game 5: Friday, April 20 TBD (T-Mobile Arena)
Game 6: Sunday, April 22 TBD (Staples Center)
Game 7: Tuesday, April 24 TBD (T-Mobile Arena)
Statistic Leaders:
LAK:
A. Kopitar: 35 goals, 57 assists (92 points)
D. Brown: 28 goals, 35 assists (63 points)
D. Doughty: 10 goals, 50 assists (60 points)
VGK:
W. Karlsson: 43 goals, 35 assists (78 points)
J. Marchessault: 27 goals, 48 assists (75 points)
D. Perron: 16 goals, 50 assists (66 points)
Summarization of Seasons:
This is a series that involve quite different storylines, but incredible starts and a rebound from a rough year for the teams. First, the Los Angeles Kings had an off year last season, stripping Dustin Brown of the captaincy and naming Anze Kopitar their captain, following a five-game loss to the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2016 playoffs. The Kings finished last season with a 39-35-8 record and 86 points, missing the playoffs for the second time in a three-year span.
The Kings fired head coach Darryl Sutter and general manager Dean Lombardi shortly after the season ended. They named Rob Blake the new general manager and named assistant coach John Stevens their new head coach and some of the players from last year’s team continued to turn it around and have better seasons.
The Kings offense has been fueled by the likes of Kopitar, Brown, Tanner Pearson, Tyler Toffoli and Trevor Lewis, a lot of guys from the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup championship rosters that look to give the postseason a go and hoping
Drew Doughty has also experienced a bounceback season, along with other defenders Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez,
On the other hand, you have the Las Vegas Golden Knights and what a story they have been this season. Storming out of the gates with eight wins in their first nine games and doing a lot of great things, going into the 2018 portion o the season with a 26-9-2 record, accounting for 54 points and appearing to be unstoppable against any team they would go up against.
Although they would lose a few games, they were a force, piecing together their roster from the NHL Expansion Draft, where the Knights took Jon Merrill from the Devils, Oscar Lindberg from the Rangers and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare from the Flyers, for example, a few instances. Their goaltending situation from the start was quite rocky, seeing some of their goaltenders go down with injuries and they found a way to remain on top despite whatever was thrown at them along their season.
William Karlsson has had some turnaround season. He only scored six goals with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2016-17 season and when the next season rolled around, he was picked in the NHL Expansion Draft and suddenly saw a massive spike in his production. It is amazing how one season can turn a lot around.
My Thoughts:
The Las Vegas Golden Knights are quite loaded with multiple weapons who can strike whenever given the chance to do so. The Los Angeles Kings have their work cut out for themselves, as you can see how the Knights have done all season long. I would have to say, without contest on this one, I am going with Las Vegas on this one, they have shown all season that they can handle whatever comes along their path.
Pick: Golden Knights in 5
San Jose Sharks (P3) vs. Anaheim Ducks (P2)
Game 1: Thursday, April 12 10:30 p.m. (Honda Center)
Game 2: Saturday, April 14 10:30 p.m. (Honda Center)
Game 3: Monday, April 16 10:30 p.m. (SAP Center)
Game 4: Wednesday, April 18 10:30 p.m. (SAP Center)
Game 5: Friday, April 20 TBD (Honda Center)
Game 6: Sunday, April 22 TBD (SAP Center)
Game 7: Tuesday, April 24 TBD (Honda Center)
Statistic Leaders:
SJS:
B. Burns: 12 goals, 55 assists (67 points)
J. Pavelski: 22 goals, 44 assists (66 points)
L. Couture: 34 goals, 27 assists (61 points)
ANA:
R. Rakell: 34 goals, 35 assists (69 points)
R. Getzlaf: 11 goals, 50 assists (61 points)
C. Perry: 17 goals, 32 assists (49 points)
Summarization of Seasons:
The San Jose Sharks lost in the first round of the 2017 playoffs to the Edmonton Oilers in six games, a loss that left a dent in a franchise who just one year prior to that, came two wins short of the Stanley Cup championship under the tenure of head coach Peter DeBoer. In the offseason, San Jose retooled their team, bringing in Jannik Hansen in free agency and acquiring forward Evander Kane from the Buffalo Sabres.
The Sharks maintained their ground throughout the season, finishing third place in a very-stacked Pacific Division. They’ve been without forward Joe Thornton for most games, sidelined due to a knee injury that’s pretty much sidelined him from the regular season’s 35 games. He’s been working on back, although he might not be 100% ready when the series begins.
The Anaheim Ducks looked to get better on the roster and wasted no time, acquiring forwards Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi from the New Jersey Devils for defensemen Sami Vetanen on November 30. In his Ducks tenure, Henrique has posted numbers of 20 goals and 16 assists, putting him at a total of 24 goals and 26 assists on the season. Henrique has been a major piece for Anaheim’s offense, much like Vetanen has been a crucial piece for the Devils.
They brought back veteran defenseman Francois Beauchemin, goaltender Ryan Miller and physical players in J.T. Brown and Jason Chimera to add to their push as they prepare for the start of the playoffs.
My Thoughts:
Both teams come into the postseason looking to make a statement in their push in the playoffs. After seeing what these teams bring to the table, I am impressed with what the Anaheim Ducks bring to the table. They have always been stacked and their players have won a Stanley Cup in 2007, ironically enough, under current head coach Randy Carlyle.
I respect what Peter DeBoer and his staff have been able to do, coaching these guys well and having them ready for the games and practices, along with morning skates. They do have the roster that can attack in the tank, as their place is called the “Shark Tank.” They have an energized crowd of passionate fans who stick by their team.
This one is sort of like a coin toss for me, with both teams knowingly being very competitive in the big games that come along for both sides. However, I think the Anaheim Ducks will be the ones who have just enough to squeak by and reach the next round of the playoffs.
Pick: Ducks in 7
