More Stanley Cup playoffs predictions ...
| First Round |
| Eastern Conference |
(1) Buffalo Sabres
vs.
(8) New York Islanders |
Ted Nolan's return to Buffalo is a nice story, but the miracle of Wade Dubielewicz - a.k.a Yoda - crashes to a halt. SABRES IN FIVE
|
(2) New Jersey Devils
vs.
(7) Tampa Bay Lightning |
The Lightning has ample firepower, but no team is better at sucking the oxygen out of a team than the Devils, who have goalie Martin Brodeur. The stark difference in goaltending talent will tell.
DEVILS IN SIX
|
(3) Atlanta Thrashers
vs.
(6) New York Rangers |
The Thrashers don't look comfortable playing with a one-goal lead late in games, a recipe for an early playoff exit. RANGERS IN SIX
|
(4) Ottawa Senators
vs.
(5) Pittsburgh Penguins |
The Penguins are the wild card here, capable of four or five goals a night and a four or five-game triumph here. But the guess is the Senators' experience will prevail in the most intriguing first-rounder.
SENATORS IN SEVEN
|
| Western Conference |
(1) Detroit Red Wings
vs.
(8) Calgary Flames |
If the Red Wings don't win this series early, then the Flames will late. With key injuries in Detroit (Zetterberg, Kronwall, Bertuzzi), Calgary could grind down the Wings in a long series.
FLAMES IN SEVEN
|
(2)Anaheim Ducks
vs.
(7) Minnesota Wild |
Pavol Demitra's return -- he and Marian Gaborik might be the NHL's best pair of forwards -- makes the Wild dangerous, but the Ducks' Chris Pronger/Scott Niedermayer-led defense will prevail in a classic series.
DUCKS IN SEVEN
|
(3) Vancouver Canucks
vs.
(6) Dallas Stars |
The Canucks look suspiciously like the 2004 Flames -- a top line and a fabulous goaltender. Netminder Roberto Luongo steals one for the Canucks.
CANUCKS IN SIX
|
(4) Nashville Predators
vs.
(5) San Jose Sharks |
Another wonderful series. Joe Thornton finally asserts himself, physically and on the scoreboard, against a superb Predators team. But if Nashville soldiers on, start sketching out a parade route.
SHARKS IN SEVEN
|
|
| Conference Semifinals |
| Eastern Conference |
Buffalo Sabres
vs.
New York Rangers |
The Sabres glut of speedy, talented forwards will overwhelm a not particularly mobile New York defense, overcoming a first-rate performance by Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.
SABRES IN SIX
|
New Jersey Devils
vs.
Ottawa Senators |
One of these years, the Senators are going to get this thing right. Look for defense pair Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov to shut down the Devils' high-end, smallish forwards.
SENATORS IN SIX
|
| Western Conference |
Anaheim Ducks
vs.
Calgary Flames |
After their upset of the Red Wings, the Flames, who struggled to make the playoffs, will be spent. The Ducks win with superior speed.
DUCKS IN FIVE
|
San Jose Sharks
vs.
Vancouver Canucks |
Two Sharks goalies -- Vesa Toskala and Evgeni Nabokov -- might not equal one Canucks goalie, but Luongo and the Sedin line will carry Vancouver only so far against the balanced Sharks.
SHARKS IN FIVE
|
|
| Conference Finals |
| Eastern Conference |
Buffalo Sabres
vs.
Ottawa Senators |
Assuming they stay healthy, the Sabres are a little quicker and deeper than the Senators. Look for Buffalo's Jason Pominville and Derek Roy to be the surprise stars of this series.SABRES IN SIX
|
| Western Conference |
Anaheim Ducks
vs.
San Jose Sharks |
Pick 'em. (Like most of the Western series.) Goalie Jean-Sébastien Giguère will outplay the San Jose pair in another nailbiter.
DUCKS IN SEVEN
|
|
| Stanley Cup Finals |
Buffalo Sabres
vs.
Anaheim Ducks |
SI picked this in the October NHL playoff preview. You thought we were going to change now? The bigger Anaheim forwards prove to be a problem for the valiant but smaller Sabres defensemen.
DUCKS IN SIX
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MICHAEL FARBER
