RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Sports and Wrestling NHL 2006 Playoffs

On to the semifinals!

I had seven of eight correct predictions in the last round, and if I was not such a homer I might have had all eight called right. Oh well, I never could vote against my home team.

What is most interesting is how the bottom four seeds all advanced in the West, and the top four seeds all advanced in the East. Of course, that doesn't mean the current top seeds in either conference still have a chance. Or does it?

Western Coference Predictions

5 San Jose vs. 8 Edmonton

Edmonton did everything right in the first round against Detroit. Rolosson played better than Legace (who choked). Pronger played better than Lidstrom (I have no idea what happened to the real Nick Lidstrom who will probably win the Norris Trophy this year, age maybe?). But most importantly, as a team, Edmonton won all the one on one battles for the puck, something Detroit wasn't willing to pay the price to do. Looking at San Jose, the Sharks may not look nearly as dangerous as the Red Wings did. And that's what will help the Sharks eliminate the Oilers.

The Sharks are led by Marleau, a solid playoff performer who has the best player in the NHL taking all the pressure and attention off of him. It was the trade for Joe Thornton and the willingness to sit the more expensive Nabokov for the better Toskala that got San Jose to where it is. They would not have made the playoffs without those two moves. Thornton hasn't don't much in the playoffs, and looks to be disappearing as he was criticized for doing in Boston. However, Marleau is hot. If the Oilers sick their best defense pair on Marleau that will open Thornton up for the kill. And if they do what everyone else does and sick their top defense pair on Thornton, Marleau will do what he does and keep scoring big goals.

The Sharks should have won their division, but the Thornton deal came too late. Now they appear to be the Western Conference favorites. The Sharks will win this series in six.

6 Anaheim vs. 7 Colorado

Anaheim looked great in game seven against Calgary. The Flames just did not have enough offense to shoot the Ducks. But the Ducks don't have a goalie. Giguere seemed to have fallen apart through the first five games of the series, and it was Bryzgalov who started games six and seven to backstop the Ducks past the Flames. That was great playing a team with little pop, but Colorado is loaded with fire power, and they are led by the top clutch captain in the NHL right now, Joe Sakic. How many OT winners did Sakic have against the Stars?

Theodore may have finally come around in the final game against the Stars, and if he is back in form, this should be a short series for the Avalanche. I don't want to call sweep, because the Ducks are very good, but I think Colorado will win this in five.

Eastern Conference Predictions

1 Ottawa vs. 4 Buffalo

This is a difficult series to predict. If the rumors are true about Hasek ready to start, Buffalo doesn't stand a chance. Hasek is the missing piece for Ottawa right now. Without him, the Sabres can not only skate with the Senators, they can beat them. Buffalo is built around young, fast, hard working, tallented players. This team is all heart, and Miller is quite possibly the second best goalie in the playoffs right now. After losing two straight games to Philadelphia to tie the series, Miller showed he has what all great playoff goalies need by coming back to win the next two games. But he's not Hasek, and if the '99 Sabres could ride Hasek to game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, then the '06 Senators can ride him to victory.

If Hasek can't play, Buffalo wins in seven. If Hasek can play, he might win every game he starts, and if he starts four games, that's all the Senators need.

2 Carolina vs. 3 New Jersey

Carolina is another team with a goalie problem. Gerber fell apart after two games, and Ward became the hero. On the other end of the ice is the best goalie in the playoffs. Brodeur has more offense on this team than ever before, and he can still win games by himself. People thought losing Stevens and Neidermayer would destroy the Devils, but all they've done is walked all over the Jagr led Rangers in four games. Sure, Jagr was hurt, and we all knew the Rangers could not win without him, but there was a lot of doubt that they could win with him, too. Carolina is deep, and they'll play their hearts out, but Brodeur will be intimidating at the other end, and in the end, New Jersey will take this series in six games.