Jed Ortmeyer...

A job well done to one of the few men who still get cheered at Madison Square Garden even though they are an opponent.

Jed Ortmeyer today had a goal and two assists in San Jose's 9-1 win over Calgary. Don't forget, he also scored the go-ahead goal in San Jose's 7-3 win over the Rangers in mid-October. The Rangers were winning 2-0, the Sharks made it 2-2, and Ortmeyer scored to make it 3-2.

A good guy who deserves nothing but the best.

And I leave you with a video from the penalty shot he scored against Boston in his first game back in 2007 after suffering a pulmonary embolism. He was awarded a penalty shot, got advice from none other than Ryan Hollweg, and scored against Tim Thomas.

A Few Notes on an Off Day...

First off, I would like to thank longtime loyal NY Hockey Rivalry reader Lou for the seat upgrade at Monday's game against the Sharks. Thanks to Lou, who had two extra tickets, me and my friend moved up to Section 94 - the purple seats in the lower bowl, 10 rows from the ice. Lou deftly knocked off a 22 ounce Heineken, a footlong hot dog with kraut, and a pretzel with mustard. Yours truly had his own 22 ounce Amstel Light, a pretzel, and popcorn. Pretzel was tasty (though not Nassau Coliseum-esque). Popcorn was not very good. Actually, of the 4 words on the box of popcorn, only one was true: Fresh Popcorn, Delicious! Crisp!

Second, I want to mention that Cory Murphy was placed on waivers by the New Jersey Devils. A few times in the past, I'd mentioned that I wanted to see Murphy in a Rangers sweater. While it's not a pressing manner, I still think he'd be worth a shot as a 7th defenseman. He is 31, played college in New York (Colgate) and pro in Finland before coming to America in his late 20s. He can lead the power play pretty well but was never given the chance in Florida or Tampa Bay, and the Devils apparently gave up on him after being a -1 in 3 games.

Third, I am making my glorious return to Montreal in early 2010. In February of 2008, right before this website started, I went to a Rangers game at the Bell Centre. It was actually Super Bowl Sunday, the day the Giants beat the Patriots, and it was the only NHL game on the docket. The Rangers were down 3-0 but wound up winning 5-3 in an incredible game.

So this year, I return. January 23. Anyone else going to be there?

Tom Renney Would Be Proud...

It appears I'm alone over on this website as Islanders Writer Bryan celebrates the birth of Baby #2. He doesn't answer any of his texts, no matter how funny I am, or how hilarious the picture I send him is. And no, rumors the baby being named Avery Henrika are greatly blown out of proportion.

Without further ado...

4 Reasons I Think Tom Renney Was Coaching Tonight's Game vs. San Jose Instead of John Tortorella...

1) The first clue I had that Mr. Renney was behind the bench and not Mr. Tortorella was that Steve Valiquette wasn't pulled after the 4th goal was given up. Mr. Tortorella would have put in Henrik Lundqvist at that point, regardless of whose fault the goal was. He would have switched goalies to wake his team up. This inkling that Mr. Renney was coaching tonight was only made stronger when the game became 5-2 and Valiquette stayed in net.

2) The 2nd clue was the Intermission Switch. Classic Tom Renney right there. Mr. Renney doesn't switch goalies mid-period. He waits until the 2nd intermission, then sends the new goalie out. He doesn't like to hurt anyone's feelings.

2) Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden were defensive partners for much of the game, especially at 4-2 and 5-2. Mr. Tortorella would never do that, he has too much sense. However, Mr. Renney still seems to be relying on players' salaries, not players' skills, to win the game.

3) The 4th line was on the ice in the 3rd period. While Mr. Tortorella "shortens the bench" when he wants to win the game. In previous seasons, Mr. Renney often would use Colton Orr, Blair Betts, and whoever else was on the 4th line to "shut down the opposition" while they added no offensive value whatsoever. Notice tonight's 4 shifts in the 3rd period for Donnie Brashear when they needed a goal.

4) Petr Prucha didn't play tonight for the Rangers. That's a staple of Mr. Renney's reign.

No, of course, I jest. There are 3 reasons I know Tom Renney didn't coach the Rangers tonight...

1) He works in Edmonton, and Edmonton won a 2-1 game. If that doesn't scream Tom Renney, I don't know what does.

2) Redden and Rozsival played a grand total of 0 seconds on the power play. If this was a Renney Game, they each would've had time at the point, passing up on shots, missing the net, and letting the puck bounce over their sticks and out of the zone.

3) Jed Ortmeyer scored tonight. He never scored in a Tom Renney game!

* * *

Redden and Rozsival were especially atrocious tonight. Any good that Redden did in those games against Toronto was washed away tonight. He wasn't physical (okay, he did land one check when he fell onto a Shark); he couldn't pass the puck correctly; he let people fly by him. To those who say I'm too harsh on him, were you watching this game?

When either of them are on the ice, I want the Garden fans to chant "AHL! AHL!"

* * *

That said, I did see two firsts at MSG tonight. One was my first Michael Del Zotto #4 jersey - the first of many, no doubt. (I saw my first Matt Gilroy #97 jersey Wednesday against the Kings).

The other first? The first time I ever saw a Wade Redden #6 jersey on a Ranger fan. Don't believe me? Look!

Wade Redden's cousin, or nephew, or some other family member, at Madison Square Garden. 10/19/09

Predictions...

Okay, I'll do them. I'll do some predictions for next year, if only so I can do my yearly look back at preseason predictions to see how good everyone did. For the record, out of 6 last year, I came in 6th, and Isles' Writer Bryan came in 2nd place.

So.

East
1. Washington
2. Boston
3. Pittsburgh
4. Carolina
5. Rangers
6. Philly
7. Devils
8. Atlanta
9. Montreal
10. Ottawa
11. Islanders
12. Toronto
13. Tampa Bay
14. Buffalo
15. Florida

Notes: Let's start with the hometown boys - Why the Rangers over the Flyers? Simple: goaltending. Who would you rather have, 3-time Vezina finalist Henrik Lundqvist or NHL-castaway Ray Emery and career-backup Brian Boucher? Plus, I think Matt Gilroy and Mike Del Zotto can add a lot while limited Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden on the power play can only help. I also think Ales Kotalik and Vinny Prospal are nice compliments to Marian Gaborik, one of the best in the league when healthy (13-10-23 in 17 games last year).

The Islanders? Either way you slice it, Dwayne Roloson and Marty Biron are a solid 1-1A combo. Johnny Tavares is better than people are letting on. Rob Schremp was almost traded to the Isles for a 2nd round pick at the draft and they just got him for nothing. Mark Streit is excellent. Going to be a good team. Playoffs are a stretch, but I had them bordering at 10th or 11th.

Other Teams: NJ can never be counted out; Montreal improved but not that much. Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta were magical one season. Only one season; Tim Thomas and Zdeno Chara can lead you to the top of the conference when you're in a weak division, but then what?; Eric Staal is going to be a monster this year in Carolina; Atlanta! Bryan Little centering Ilya Kovalchuk and Nik Antropov is going to be a sick line; and Florida in 15th because their best player hates the team (Nathan Horton) and the 4,000 fans at every game can't put them in good spirits.

West
1. San Jose
2. Calgary
3. Detroit
4. Chicago
5. Anaheim
6. Minnesota
7. Columbus
8. Dallas
9. Vancouver
10. St. Louis
11. Phoenix
12. Nashville
13. Edmonton
14. LA
15. Colorado

Notes: What has Colorado done to improve themselves from being a lottery pick? David Koci and Craig Anderson? No way. Anderson is good but can't carry a team on his shoulders; I see nothing in Vancouver while others are predicting them to win the Cup. Roberto Luongo gave up SEVEN GOALS with the season on the line last year. And when your 2 biggest acquistions are a player once part of a 4-player package for Alex Kovalev (Mikael Samuelsson) and a goalie even Colorado didn't want (Andrew Raycroft), you aren't going far; Phoenix might be a mess, but they made a few good moves and have a great goalie in Ilya Bryzgalov to fall back on. Plus, Kyle Turris should come into his own this year; Detroit is setting up for a 1st round exit this year but again will dominate in the regular season; LA should actually be good and could surprise, if Dustin Brown bounces back from an awful year and if Jack Johnson plays as good as he could, but they have no goaltending, do they?; Anaheim and San Jose should beat each other senseless in the regular season and if they meet in the Conference Finals, we're in for a treat (the way I have it worked out, they'll meet in the 2nd round and it will be brutal); Minnesota's new system and new coach should help them into the playoffs. Plus, Brent Burns, Marek Zidlicky, and Martin Havlat are in for huge years without the trap to hold them down.

If it all shakes down as it should, I have the Sharks over the Penguins for the 2010 Stanley Cup. Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley are going to be unstoppable together. Danny Boyle and Rob Blake are going to be a great tandem, and Evgeni Nabokov will slam the door shut in goal.

A Fact, An Opinion, and a Mistake...

MISTAKE
I think a lot of people erred when they (me included) predicted the Sharks would sweep the Ducks. I think we overlooked the fact that even though these Ducks aren't the same as they were 2 years ago, they still have Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer on the blueline, and Francois Beauchemin is back from injury. Those are 3 big assets to have on a team, and they can have anyone of them on the ice at any given time. Add in Ryan Whitney, and that's a scary defense that not a lot of people took into account.

They sure shut down Joe Thornton today. His only shot came with like a minute left in the game.

For those who didn't catch the end of the game, it was scoreless going into the 3rd period, but the Ducks scored 2 to win it. The Sharks did hit 2 posts in that period though.

OPINION
Ian LaPierre, the "Sean Avery" of the Montreal Canadiens (albeit with less skill and without Avery's stunningly good looks), should be suspended. Tonight, the Bruins scored an empty-net goal to ice the game 4-2, and LaPierre just went and hit him while he was celebrating.

His back wasn't turned like when Dale Hunter attacked Pierre Turgeon in 1993, but there is no place for crap like that in this game. I know they allow fighting in the game, but that is in the heat of the moment (or should only be) and should deter punks like LaPierre from doing that cheap stuff.

He didn't injure Phil Kessel, but he could have, and it was after the play, after a goal, and with nothing to be gained. A one-game suspension should do the trick, like they gave Dan Carcillo in Philadelphia for a useless cheapshot last night.

FACT
The Rangers have been in 5 playoff serieses since the lockout (not including the current one against the Capitals). In those 5 matchups, the team who won Game 1 wo the series.

They lost to the Devils 6-1 in 2005-06. The next season, they beat Atlanta 4-3 and lost to Buffalo 5-2. (I still maintain that if they won Game 5, there was no way Buffalo would have won Game 6 at the Garden that year.) Last year, they beat the Devils 4-1 in Game 1 and then lost to the Penguins 5-4 in the opening of that series.

Not a stone-cold fact, but it's worth noting. Makes you feel a lot better hearing that stat now that they do have that lead though, doesn't it?

Fedor Tyutin...

The Columbus Blue Jackets clinched a playoff berth today when their game against Chicago went to overtime. They sealed the deal with a shootout win. Rick Nash, Jonathan Toews and Pat Kane missed, but Fedor Tyutin, the second Columbus shooter, scored.

Also, today, I was listening to NHL Home Ice 204 on XM and they were listing the nominations for the Espo Awards, their yearly award ceremony. I highly disagreed with their list for Michel Bergeron Trophy (for Coach of the Year).

They had: Andy Murray (Blues); Barry Trotz (Predators); Claude Julien (Bruins); Brent Sutter (Devils); and Paul Maurice (Hurricanes). Phil Esposito added Ken Hitchcock (Blue Jackets) to the list.

Uh, where is John Tortorella in this list?!

No, kidding, but seriously, where is rookie coach Todd McLellan? The Sharks are far and away the best team in the league this season. While having Joe Thornton, Rob Blake, Danny Boyle, and Evgeni Nabokov helps, are you telling me he doesn't belong in the top six of all coaches this season?

If I had to pick a top 3 to nominate, I would say McLellan, Julien, and probably Hitchcock. All are good choices, and I think Julien would/should win the real award, the Jack Adams Award. He has taken a ragtag group of players and turned them into dominant forces.

Ahh, remember the good ol' days in the year after the lockout, when Lindy Ruff (Sabres), Pete Laviolette ('Canes), and Tom Renney (Rangers) were nominated? After this season, all 3 might not be on those teams anymore, especially if the Sabres miss the playoffs again.

Meet Dean McAmmond...

Last year, the Islanders made a huge mistake in not trading all of their potential free agents - Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Mike Comrie, to be specific. It turned out not to be a big deal with Comrie, because he re-signed on the Island and played this year as well. Satan and Fedotenko were big mistakes. GM Garth Snow needed to realize his team was going to miss the playoffs and he had to sell off the assets.

This year, with injuries to Doug Weight and Mike Sillinger, the "tradeable veteran" pool has quickly dried up. In fact, with Mike Comrie getting traded today, Bill Guerin and Andy Hilbert are the only real names left on that list.

I assume Comrie was traded so early because there was a chance he gets hurt like Weight did (Comrie was already hurt this year a couple of times) and brings his trade-value to Zero.

It should also be noted that Ottawa was the first team to go buying last year, when they were in a slump and make a trade for Cory Stillman from Carolina. This year, Ottawa, on the heels of a 5-game winning steak, thinks they have a shot at the playoffs, so they moved quickly again.

This trade isn't great for the Islanders, to be honest. San Jose's 1st round pick will be bottom 5 (somewhere between 26-30) probably. Yes, Mike Green was picked there, and it's still a nice bargaining chip if they want to trade it on Draft Day to move up, but if I was Garth Snow, I'd have wanted Ottawa's pick instead (I don't know if Ottawa still has it).

I think they could've gotten a 1st round for just Comrie and not have to have given up Chris Campoli also. Granted, that was probably a big sticking point for the Senators, because Comrie won't re-sign there next year (or at least there is a chance he won't) while Campoli is obligated to Ottawa through at least next season as well.

Dean McAmmond is a servicable player. That's my way of saying he isn't bad, he isn't great, but he goes out there and delivers his best every shift. It just so happens his "best" isn't very good anymore - as in 3G, 4A in 44 games, compared to 51 in 73 in 2002. He also has an injury problem, never playing a full season besides the strike-shortened 1994-95 season (81 in 2007 with Ottawa is his most, then 78, 77, 73, and then in the 60s... very poor numbers over a 14-year career). He was hurt during the 2003-04 season with Calgary and didn't play in their run to the Cup Finals that year.

Anyway, I'm not going to sit here and berate the Islanders. They made the move they had to while the iron was hot. Comrie's been playing real well and there is a chance he gets hurt again, a chance Snow couldn't take. I just wish, for Islander fans' sake, that they had gotten a better draft choice and maybe one of Ottawa's few prospects instead of an aging vet with a history of injuries and declining stats.

Two Amazing Returns

We have two excellent, wonderful returns to write about. One you know about, the other you probably don't.

Let's begin with the lesser known of the two. Those of us who watch the NHL Network religiously are very familiar with the wide variety of infomercials shown on the network. Furthermore, those of us who have watched the NHL Network from the network's American debut remember the day when they showed like five commercials. One of those five commercials was an ad for the Furi Ozitech knife sharpening tool. The ad, truly one of the cheesiest ever filmed, disappeared for a while after an initial run. But like any great commercial - and by great, I mean annoyingly catchy, like the Mighty Putty ad and the Darryl Sittler commercial - it made a comeback.

We here at The Rivalry celebrate the return of the Furi Ozitech commercial by wasting two paragraphs discussing it. Here's a link to a far less corny version of the commercial. So tell all your mates - the Furi Ozitech commercial is back! And the next time you think someone's got a sharp set of knives, put those knives to the ultimate test - the ripe tomato. Put that knife through the diamond-encrusted sharpeners at 20 degrees, the ideal angle for getting the perfect edge. Try getting THAT on a steel! (Sharpens knife, then cuts a cucumber) Now THAT'S a sharp knife!

With that out of the way, we move on to the real purpose of this post - to congratulate Claude Lemieux on his comeback.

You will not find two more staunch advocates of Lemieux's Hall of Fame candidacy than Zach and myself. Four Stanley Cups - on four different tours of duty, no less. The ninth-highest goal-scoring total in playoff history. 379 regular-season goals, which aren't too shabby for a player primarily known as a "pest". And if he manages to add a fifth Cup with San Jose? How on Earth could you keep him out of the Hall after that?

You know how these stuffy, pompous baseball writers love to make themselves seem more important than the Hall of Fame by doing things like sending in blank ballots to protest the steroid era and leaving deserving players off ballots because "nobody deserves to get in their first year"? Well, if I were a voter for the Hockey Hall of Fame, I'd send in a ballot with Claude Lemieux's name listed four times in a row. Antagonizers have just as important a place on championship teams as scorers, and if this is the only legacy Claude Lemieux leaves behind, it's more than sufficient evidence of his Hall worthiness. However, it seems as though the only numbers that matter to the Hall voters are goals. Then again, if you look at goals, Lemieux has more goals in the post-season than Jean Beliveau, and he's just two behind Rocket Richard. Again, how do you leave out a guy with this pedigree?

Now, most likely, all Lemieux will be able to bring to the Sharks is his experience and his feistiness. He's not going to score ten goals this playoff. Hell, he might not even play in the Finals, just like Chris Chelios last year. But the Sharks, perennial playoff chokers that they are, need something to get them over the hump and Lemieux could be just what they need. As a Lemieux fan and as a hockey fan in general, I hope these two parties can help each other achieve great things.

***

Isles are bumped to the channel guide yet again. So much for HD tonight. Enjoy the game.

I Love Late Night Games...

:: I said it the other day, I'll say it again. I love these West Coast Ranger games that start at 10 or 10:30 p.m. because I can do whatever I need/want to during the nighttime and still watch the games. Now I know what it feels like to be a baseball fan when the Yankees are playing 3 in Oakland or the Mets are blowing a series in San Diego.

:: Telling commentary on Dmitri "With Some Help, He Could Be as Good as Marek Malik" Kalinin. I was driving home from work, listening to the beginning of the Kings game Wednesday night, and Dave Maloney was doing color commentary. Listen to his stunning endorsement of Kalinin: "This is the first time in a while I can remember Kalinin having two mistake-free opening shifts." That's $1.05M for every mistake-free shift, I guess.

:: Imagine what would happen if the Rangers played every game like they played the last 8 minutes of the San Jose game?

:: For all you - for lack of a better word - "haters" who "hated" on Blair Betts in the offseason (calling for him to not even make the team), witness the first period of the Sharks game and see what happens to the penalty kill when he is in the box. Incase you deleted your Rangers in 60 from your TiVo already, let me recap: Betts is in the box, giving the Sharks a 5-on-3 advantage. Two goals are scored.

That's it for me. It's already late and I have a game or two of NHL 09 to play still before I rake in 6 hours of sleep. Hey, busy shopping day tomorrow.

What is This, October?...

A full 60-minute effort; clean line changes; a low-scoring game; backchecking and forechecking.

The only thing thing that would lead me to believe that I wasn't watching a tape from early October is the fact that Chris Drury scored a goal.

The first period was a little boring, but the next two were exciting, and watching Henrik Lundqvist shut the door was fantastic. Nigel Dawes had a good game even before making the violent criminal Chris Pronger look stupid. No, the Rangers weren't perfect against Jonas Hiller and the Anaheim Ducks tonight, but it's a far cry from letting in 8 against New Jersey or leaving it all up to Henke against Carolina. 

My personal highlight of the night was seeing Nik Zherdev score on one of my favorite rules in hockey: if you are taken down from behind on a breakaway to an empty net, you automatically are awarded a goal, making it a goal where technically a shot is never taken.

Not much to say as it's 2:36 in the morning here in the Eastern Conference, and I have less than 5 minutes left on my laptop battery. I will say, however, that I love these late starting games. I go out and do stuff during the evening and then I get to still watch the game. Today I went shopping for Christmas presents and tomorrow I'll work then get home to watch the game or watch it at my Wednesday night bar. Very exciting stuff. This also would've made a good road trip: 3 games in 2 and a half California cities in 5 nights.

Anaheim was the easy game this week; the Rangers always play them well (who could forget Blair Betts' stunning end-to-end goal in Anaheim in 2006-07?). LA is tough just because they are an unpredictable team and the Rangers traditionally play poorly against poor teams. San Jose is the real test. Beat them - in San Jo, no less - and you are worthy.

Until then the real question is whether Mats Sundin will do what Markus Naslund did and forsake Vancouver for Broadway.

Bryan's 2008-09 Predictions

With the whole world making predictions on the 2008-09 NHL season, The Rivalry is no different. Here are Bryan's picks for the upcoming season.

OK, everyone's going to be doing the same damn preview as everyone else. So let me shake things up a bit. First, we'll go through last year's results and see how these teams compare to how they did a year ago in terms of points - will they have more points, fewer points, or the same number? Next, we'll rank the teams the same way everyone does and do year-end awards. Lastly, we have some random awards that probably won't come true, but why not speculate a bit?

EASTERN CONFERENCE
1) Montreal (104 points in 2007-08): Less points. After struggling in the playoffs last year, the Habs will have trouble overwhelming teams as they did last year. Look for Carey Price to bounce back, though.
- Prediction: 96 points

2) Pittsburgh (102): More. With a full season of Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury, this team should be better than last year. They lost a lot of role players, but did a good job filling in the gaps.
- Prediction: 108 points

3) Washington (94): More. Eighteen games against Carolina, Atlanta, and Florida will help the Caps continue their momentum from last season. The young players will have more experience, and Jose Theodore should provide capable goaltending.
- Prediction: 102 points

4) New Jersey (99): Less. Even though the whole '95 Cup team is back, the fact is that this is 2008. It seems as though the Devils might be a bit more up-tempo this year, but there might not be enough talent to really pull it off.
- Prediction: 92 points

5) NY Rangers (97): More. Assuming Henrik Lundqvist can play at a high level for the whole season, the Rangers should improve on last year's numbers. The team is better than it was last year; their Cup aspriations are legitimate.
- Prediction: 101 points

6) Philadelphia (96): Same. Philadelphia was one of the league's best teams down the stretch last year. Jeff Carter is poised to make The Leap this year, and the Flyers might have finally found a franchise goalie in Martin Biron.
- Prediction: 96 points

7) Ottawa (94): Less. Ottawa was dreadful for the second half of last season and was even worse in the playoffs. Even though there's a lot of talent in Ottawa, it seems like the current team has gone as far as it's going to go.
- Prediction: 90 points

8) Boston (94): More. Boston was very impressive in last year's playoffs; their young players gained a wealth of experience in their series with Montreal. Playing in a subpar division, the Bruins should continue to climb the ladder in the East.
- Prediction: 98 points

9) Carolina (92): Less. As much as us Islander fans love Peter Laviolette, he'll soon be fired from his second job. Carolina is just a mess these days, and it's unfortunate. They need to rebuild through the draft, and should have a premium pick next year.
- Prediction: 82 points

10) Buffalo (90): Same. On paper, the Sabres underachieved last year... but let's not forget that they've lost Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, and Brian Campbell over the past fifteen months. It's hard to see how they could improve, but Buffalo always finds good players to field a competitive team.
- Prediction: 90 points

11) Florida (85): Same. Will Florida ever be good? Hard to say. They play in the right division, but they don't have the personnel. Tomas Vokoun is great in net, but who's going to score the goals?
- Prediction: 83 points

12) Toronto (83): More. Even though Toronto pretty much blew for much of last year, they did have a run last year when they played pretty decent hockey. They won't be a playoff team, but they do appear to be on the way to something. They need a goalie desperately, though.
- Prediction: 87 points

13) NY Islanders (79): Less. Sorry to say it, but the Islanders have an extremely inexperienced team in what might be the toughest division in the NHL. Those first overall draft pick predictions are quite appropriate.
- Prediction: 72 points

14) Atlanta (76): More. John Anderson was a great coach in the minors, and should be just as good in the NHL. Unfortunately, Atlanta isn't very talented outside of Kari Lehtonen and Ilya Kovalchuk. The Thrashers should be thankful they play in the Southeast Division.
- Prediction: 82 points

15) Tampa Bay (71): More. Seeing as how the new NHL is more about offense, it's shocking that Barry Melrose didn't get hired years ago. He might not have Gretzky and Robitaille, but he has plenty of offensive talent. And Mike Smith is going to be a tremendous goalie.
- Prediction: 94 points

WESTERN CONFERENCE
1) Detroit (115): Less. It's not that the Wings have gotten significantly worse, just that the other teams in their division have gotten a little better. They're still the team to beat until further notice.
- Prediction: 106 points

2) San Jose (108): Less. The Sharks might struggle to find their way this season with a new coach and tons of expectations after their recent playoff failures. They'll find it in plenty of time, though. Evgeni Nabokov might finally win the Vezina - it's about f'ing time.
- Prediction: 103 points

3) Minnesota (98): Less. The Xcel Energy Center has never had an empty seat for a regular season or playoff game. But that might change if the Wild don't make a playoff run soon. Look for yet another season of boring but effective play.
- Prediction: 94 points

4) Anaheim (102): Less. The Ducks, not unlike the Devils, find themselves in salary cap hell. The Ducks have a ton of quality young players, but with so many older players taking up significant cap space, the Ducks can't truly build around them. As such, the Ducks aren't a serious Cup threat.
- Prediction: 96 points

5) Dallas (97): More. The Stars gave up a lot to get Brad Richards, but they intend to make him the focus of their team along with Brenden Morrow and Marty Turco. Sean Avery only helps to make a strong playoff team even stronger.
- Prediction: 101 points

6) Colorado (95): Less. It's a sad state of affairs in Colorado these days. It's a good thing they brought the Adam Footes of the world back, because the team sure isn't going to be doing very much in the playoffs - if they even get that far.
- Prediction: 88 points

7) Calgary (94): More. Last year's playoff performance was no fluke. Mike Keenan's unorthodox methods work, and he's finally starting to have an impact on this Flames team. They've only improved with the acquisition of Mike Cammalleri.
- Prediction: 97 points

8) Nashville (91): Less. The Nashville Predators have only had one coach in their history so far. Will Barry Trotz finally pay the price for not getting past the first round? Probably not. Still, they need a playoff run to get the fans really invested in the team. That won't happen this year.
- Prediction: 86 points

9) Edmonton (88): Same. Sure, the Oilers are better than they were last year... but they won't get fifteen shootout wins this year, either. So the numbers will cancel each other out, and the Oilers will remain on the verge of a playoff spot. One year from now, they'll be ready to make a run.
- Prediction: 88 points

10) Chicago (88): More. Everyone's on the Blackhawks' bandwagon to start the season. And who can blame them? It's not going to come as easy as everyone things, but the Hawks are a clear playoff team. They remind me of the 2006-07 Penguins - a great regular season team that has to learn to win in the playoffs.
- Prediction: 98 points

11) Vancouver (88): More. The big focus this year is going to be getting the Sedins and Roberto Luongo to buy into the team enough to sign long-term. These are guys the Canucks can build around, but they need to convince the players to stick around. That's more important than losing in the first round of the playoffs, which they may well do.
- Prediction: 91 points

12) Phoenix (83): More. The Coyotes were right in the thick of it until the end last year, and they should be able to improve this season. Wayne Gretzky finally seems comfortable as a coach, and you know the young players are working as hard as possible to please him. The playoffs are a definite possibility.
- Prediction: 93 points

13) Columbus (80): More. Michael Peca claims the Blue Jackets are a 100-point team. Not in a division with the Red Wings and Blackhawks, anyway. Maybe in the Southeast. The Jackets desperately need a playoff berth to show fans that the team is worth their time and money.
- Prediction: 86 points

14) St. Louis (79): More. JD's plan is finally starting to take shape, as the Blues have one of the more enviable collections of young talent in the league. If the Blackhawks are the 2006-07 Penguins, the Blues are the 2005-06 Penguins; by season's end, they'll be a team nobody wants to play.
- Prediction: 87 points

15) Los Angeles (71): More. It's hard to get fewer than 71 points, and the Kings have studs like Anze Kopitar that are ready to become stars. Pick up Brian Boyle in your fantasy league and thank me later.
- Prediction: 82 points

---

So, having said all that, here's how the actual predictions shake out.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
1) Pittsburgh (108)
2) Washington (102)
3) Boston (98)
4) NY Rangers (101)
5) Philadelphia (96)
6) Montreal (96)
7) Tampa Bay (94)
8) New Jersey (92)
9) Buffalo (90)
10) Ottawa (90)
11) Toronto (87)
12) Florida (83)
13) Atlanta (82)
14) Carolina (82)
15) NY Islanders (72)

FIRST ROUND
- (1)Pittsburgh over (8)New Jersey in 6
- (7)Tampa Bay over (2)Washington in 7
- (6)Montreal over (3)Boston in 6
- (4)NY Rangers over (5)Philadelphia in 7

SECOND ROUND
- (1)Pittsburgh over (7)Tampa Bay in 6
- (4)NY Rangers over (6)Montreal in 4

THIRD ROUND
- (4)NY Rangers over (1)Pittsburgh in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE
1) Detroit (106)
2) San Jose (103)
3) Dallas (101)
4) Chicago (98)
5) Calgary (97)
6) Anaheim (96)
7) Minnesota (94)
8) Phoenix (93)
9) Vancouver (91)
10) Colorado (88)
11) Edmonton (88)
12) St. Louis (87)
13) Columbus (86)
14) Nashville (86)
15) Los Angeles (82)

FIRST ROUND
- (1)Detroit over (8)Phoenix in 5
- (2)San Jose over (7)Minnesota in 4
- (3)Dallas over (6)Anaheim in 7
- (5)Calgary over (4)Chicago in 7

SECOND ROUND
- (1)Detroit over (5)Calgary in 6
- (2)San Jose over (3)Dallas in 7

THIRD ROUND
- (2)San Jose over (1) Detroit in 7

STANLEY CUP FINAL
- (2)San Jose over (4)NY Rangers in 6

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INDIVIDUAL PLAYER AWARDS
- Hart Trophy: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh (130 points)
- Art Ross Trophy: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington (55 goals)
- William Jennings Trophy: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey (2.20 GAA)
- Maurice Richard Trophy: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington
- Norris Trophy: Dan Boyle, San Jose
- Vezina Trophy: Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose
- Jack Adams Trophy: Barry Melrose, Chicago
- Calder Trophy: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay
- Selke Trophy: Brenden Morrow, Dallas
- Lady Byng Trophy: Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit
- Bill Masteron Trophy: Richard Zednik, Florida
- Conn Smythe Trophy: Milan Michalek, San Jose

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RANDOM CATEGORIES
- Most Improved Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
- Least Improved Team: New York Islanders
- Team You Wish You Rooted For: Philadelphia Flyers
- Second-Half Playoff Push Team: Phoenix Coyotes
- Second-Half Out-Of-Nowhere Skater: Eric Nystrom, Calgary
- Second-Half Out-Of-Nowhere Rookie: Claude Giroux, Philadelphia
- Most Underrated Player: Milan Lucic, Boston
- Player Most Likely To Make The Leap: Daniel Carcillo, Phoenix
- Coach That Deserves To Win The Adams, But Won't: Denis Savard, Chicago
- Biggest Free Agent Steal: Andrew Raycroft, Colorado
- Biggest Free Agent Bust: Wade Redden, NY Rangers
- Hot Playoff Goalie: Mike Smith, Tampa Bay
- First Overall Draft Pick Winner: New York Islanders (whoo-hoo!)

Sharks-Stars, Game 6

One more for tonight, then I'm off...

Even though today was my first day back from "paternity leave", I stayed up until 2:30 last night to watch the end of the instant classic that was Sharks-Stars. I have to say, that first overtime period was probably the best period of hockey I've seen since the lockout, if not longer. Just all-out intensity throughout, not to mention maybe the nicest save I've ever seen (Evgeni Nabokov on Brad Richards). I still wish the Sharks had won, if only so I could hear the Dallas fans applaud the effort they had just seen.

Speaking of Dallas fans, people who say the Lone Star State isn't a hockey hotbed would do well to take a look at last night's game. Not only did nobody leave early, but the crowd stood for all four overtimes. I wouldn't be doing that at the Coliseum.

I was impressed by Glenn Healy's analysis on the TSN feed. I'd heard mixed reviews about him (mainly, that he was bitter about the Islanders dumping him after the '93 playoffs and routinely went out of his way to bash the organization), but he did a great job. That said, only one more thing could have made last night's game perfect - Gary Thorne and Bill Clement on commentary. Could you imagine Thorne doing those overtimes? It would have been amazing.

Awesome

I'm trying to watch Sharks-Stars on Versus. It's on the regular channel, but not on the HD feed. Why not? Turns out they're showing some golf tournament that happened earlier today. I know it happened earlier today because it's sunny outside on TV. They've since gone into a rousing telecast of "Golf Central".

Now, I understand that Versus and The Golf Channel share an HD channel, and I understand that Versus has bumped golf programming in the past. I also understand that Versus has done a ridiculously good job with this year's playoffs. But come on! I really wanted to watch this game, but HD is hard to live without when you get to experience it on a daily basis. So, thanks to the transgressions of Versus and/or The Golf Channel, I'm stuck watching the game in a small box on the bottom right hand corner of my screen. The Mets are on the West Coast and in HD; obviously, they get the nod here.

Again, not knocking Versus here. I'm just nitpicking. To prove it, here's a tidbit about Versus that you won't hear reported anywhere - their ratings are better than the ratings ESPN2 got when they broadcast the NHL before the lockout. Given the issues with distribution and Versus' less-than-favorable position on most TV dials, that's a great achievement. Kudos to all involved.

All Is Not Lost

Zach "manned the blog", as he said last night, and wrote a great post after Game 3. Check it out.

Here's the way I see the rest of this series. The Rangers can certainly win tomorrow night in a must-win game. They can win Game 5 in Pittsburgh. They can even win Game 6 at home in front of a boisterous crowd. But Game 7 at the Mellon Arena after winning three straight, against a lineup that stacked? That's a tough one.

But hey, it could be worse. Remember, the Rangers are only the fifth seed in the East. They're supposed to lose, right? Maybe they shouldn't be on the verge of a sweep, but the deck was stacked against the Rangers from the start. It's not as though they're the San Jose Sharks, a team that went twenty straight games without a regulation loss and went into the playoffs as a favorite to win the Cup. Those Sharks, by the way, are in the same predicament as the Rangers, playing a Dallas team that isn't nearly as good as the Penguins. So really, if you think about it, it's not all that bad.

Of course, tell that to a Ranger fan, and you'll hear a different story. And who could blame them? Their team is just one loss away from an early playoff exit. After adding Drury and Gomez, they stand a great chance of finishing exactly as they did last year. Not good.

It's a shame, too. Like Zach said, they were in each of the first three games. In fact, aside from the empty-net goal in Game 2, they were never more than a goal out of it prior to last night's third period. When I heard that stat, I thought about the 1993 Kings - a team that was on the verge of winning the Cup, but lost three games in overtime to the Canadiens. The Rangers haven't been quite as unfortunate - let's face it, they've done their share of gravedigging so far - but they've been right there.

As much as I hate Ryan Hollweg, I hope his penalty doesn't go down as the moment when the Rangers lost the series. Sure, the ensuing power play for Pittsburgh gave them the lead, killed the crowd, and basically ended the game. But the Rangers did lose the first two on the road, they have one power play goal all series, and they haven't exactly gotten stellar goaltending thus far. Unless, of course, you consider five goals on seventeen shots a quality outing.

So, what has to change in Game 4? Simply put, the Rangers need to focus solely on winning Game 4. They can't win four games in one night. The only thing they can do is try to get back to Pittsburgh. Then, once they get there, try to push the series back to New York. It's certainly not going to be easy... but if the Red Sox could do it four years ago, who's to say the Rangers or Sharks can't?

Quick Hits

Just a few random notes from the first round...

- Nice to see Rick DiPietro keeping busy in the Versus studio, rubbing shoulders with luminaries such as Keith Jones and Brian Engblom. DP seemed a bit shaky at first, but I'd chalk that up to adjusting to having someone in his ear telling him what to say. Hard for someone when they're used to shooting from the hip (no pun intended). But in time, DP is going to be a star in the television studio. He's got the look and the charisma; all he has to do now is get comfortable in front of the camera and be his opinionated self. Judging from the Islanders' prospects for the future, it looks as though Ricky will have plenty of time each April to analyze playoff games.

- I can't locate the stat now, but I heard on Versus the other night that the team who scores first is extremely likely to win. At the time, the record of the team who scores first was something like 17-1. Now? Um... the tables might have turned. Sort of.

Last night, Ottawa scored first. They were at home, so you might figure that would get the crowd into a frenzy. However, since Ottawa is a horrendous team, it didn't mean anything. Pittsburgh came back and won the game quite easily. But we saw two instances in recent days when the first goal did mean something.

As we discussed yesterday, Calgary found themselves in a 3-0 hole to San Jose in the first four minutes of Game 3. But Calgary was not to be denied, and they ended up taking the game with a great comeback. Yesterday, Nashville pulled off a similar trick. Detroit scored first, silencing the Nashville faithful (yes, they do exist). However, it wasn't enough. Thanks to a furious third-period flurry, Nashville ended up not only seizing the game, but momentum in the series as well. In the heat of the moment, Zach proclaimed this the greatest game he's ever seen. Whether or not that's true is up for debate. But it does a lot for hockey in Nashville.

Anyway. So what's the big deal about two games? Well, in both instances, the road team jumped out to an early lead, eliminating the well-documented effect of the crowd on the home team. Common sense dictates that scoring early on the road puts the visiting team at a distinct advantage because it allows them to control the game. But there's no shutting up these crowds. Not in the playoffs, and not in Game 3 - the first home games of both Nashville and Calgary. We saw the Rangers came back on Sunday after letting up the first goal against the Devils thanks in large part to a bloodthirsty crowd. Just because they didn't close the deal doesn't diminish the crowd's impact on coming back from an early deficit.

- Speaking of the Rangers, everyone's been talking about Sean Avery lately. We may as well throw our hats into the ring here. Let's just get one thing out of the way before getting started - I hate Sean Avery's guts. At the same time, I think he does a hell of a job. Islander fans who knock Avery for his dirty play ought to look in the mirror and think back to fifteen years ago. Without Darius Kasparaitis knocking Mario Lemieux around at every opportunity, the Islanders didn't stand a chance against Pittsburgh. Somehow, it was fine to see him level Lemieux behind the play, but it's not okay for Avery to do what he does? Go figure.

Say what you want to about Avery's taunting Martin Brodeur, but you can't deny that it worked. And while it wasn't Brodeur who left Avery open in the slot, it's hard to focus with all that going on. People love to call Avery a pest, and he certainly fills that role, but he's also a very talented offensive player. He also seems to have a sense of the moment; in a very small sample size of thirteen career playoff games, he has nine points. The list of agitators in the history of the NHL is endless, but the great ones saved their best for the playoffs. Esa Tikkanen and Claude Lemieux were average players during the regular season, but each found another level in the post-season. Coincidentally enough, Tikkanen won five Cups and Lemieux won four. And this writer feels very strongly that Claude Lemieux deserves to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Maybe Tikkanen should join him there. Avery will probably never be enshrined in the Hall, but he's earning himself a lot of money these playoffs - both through his play and the attention he's drawing.

Anyway. Once again, lots of pests, lots of agitators. How many have prompted the NHL to modify its rulebook in the middle of a series? Even though Avery was probably over the line, it's ridiculous that the league can just change a rule on a whim without going through the proper channels. Sure, it's a minor rule, but it sets an awful precedent. If rules can be changed that easily and with no approval from the NHLPA, why the hell aren't face visors mandatory yet? Seriously. Maybe it's time the NHL stops reacting to the media and start making some smart decisions without being prompted.

NHL Playoffs, Day 1: Unbiased Thoughts

Finally, the second season has begun. And even the hockey haters at ESPN have taken notice... sort of. Next to the humongous ad for The Masters (which just happens to be on ESPN for the first time this year), a tiny box appears with links to tonight's scores. Better than nothing, I guess.

Anyway, these are unbiased thoughts. Why? Because apart from my desire for the Devils to fall flat on their faces as soon as possible, I'm watching these playoffs as a neutral observer. Honestly, it's more fun this way... though I suspect an Islanders playoff run might be more enjoyable. I also suspect I won't be finding out anytime soon.

Let's take a trip through the games. At every arena, an NHL logo appears behind each goal and the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo is just inside of both blue lines, where we saw "Thank You Fans!" just two years ago. I guess this is clarification for those fans who thought they were watching the Super Bowl. Away we go...

- Rangers 4, Devils 1. I got to see all of this game. While it wasn't pure, beautiful playoff hockey, it was entertaining to watch. And I was very impressed with this Rangers team.

Once they settled in, the Rangers played a very smart game. They did everything they needed to do. They were physical, but not overly tough like the Devils tried to be. They were aggressive on special teams - both on the powerplay and shorthanded. Most of all, though, it seemed apparent that the Rangers just wanted it more.

On the Devils' first power play, the Rangers had four shorthanded shots, while the Devils didn't get a single shot on goal with the man advantage. That was a sign of things to come. Sean Avery and Scott Gomez were literally all over the ice. Martin Straka, of all people, lost his stick on a penalty kill and was flopping all over the ice to block the puck. That the Devils scored their only goal seconds later doesn't take away the effort, which was there all night.

Devils fans are going to say the Rangers got lucky tonight, and they have a pretty good argument. The Devils hit the crossbar three times. The Rangers' second goal was scored because Martin Brodeur was too busy counting sheep to cover up the puck when Ryan Callahan came charging in. The third goal bounced off Sergei Brylin's skate and to Sean Avery, who just happened to be crashing the net at the right time. It also didn't hurt that Gomez blew right by four Devils, all of whom just waved at Gomez instead of trying to stop him. In the end, you make your own luck, and the Rangers got themselves into a position to take advantage of the lucky breaks they received. The Devils can't say the same.

If I were a Devils fan - and I'm not, thank goodness - I'd be embarrassed. The breakdown of The Rock tonight was at least 50-50, and if the fans favored one side over the other, the Rangers had more supporters. The Devils didn't show up in their first home playoff game in their new arena. There's no excuse for that. They will probably put forth a better show on Friday, but is it going to be enough to trump a motivated and inspired Rangers team? That's a tough one.

- Penguins 4, Senators 0. Thanks to a solid effort by the Mets, I didn't have to check in on their game, which meant I could focus my attention on this game. Versus HD had been screwy during the first two periods, so I couldn't check in very often. Of course, by the time I got to this game, it was already over.

However, I did get to see Ottawa's failed attempts at flexing its "muscle". First, one of the Senators (maybe Wade Redden) dumped Crosby in the corner. The Senator went down... Crosby emerged with the puck. After the whistle, Crosby and this unidentified Senator were throwing haymakers with their gloves on. Seconds later, Ryan Whitney absolutely pummelled Redden (yes, it was definitely him) in a mismatch. Three minutes later, Gary Roberts dumped Chris Neil into the boards. Now, we all know Roberts is no stranger to drilling opposing players head-first into the boards (remember Kenny Jonsson?), but Neil is an abhorrent player. Roberts got a fighting major and a game misconduct by the time the ensuing scrap ended, but he was yapping all the way off the ice. Ottawa tried its best to intimidate Pittsburgh physically... and it didn't work. Let the record state - Pittsburgh owns Ottawa in every way.

Oh, and Marc-Andre Fleury got the shutout.

- Avalanche 2, Wild 0 (2nd intermission). This game wasn't even advertised on the channel information for Center Ice - not exactly a ringing endorsement. This is a unique series - and by "unique", I mean that I'm curious to see how it plays out, but I don't actually want to watch any of it. Admittedly, I've seen very little of this game, but I'm not too curious to watch any more of it. Maybe it's because it's not available in HD and the first two games were. I think I'm just inclined to avoid the Wild because Jacques Lemaire coaches them. Lemaire is wearing a pretty nice suit tonight, though - he looks like the Russian politician guy in Rocky IV.

- Flames 2, Sharks 1 (1st intermission). Now this is a game I can sink my teeth into. The Sharks have been one of my favorite teams to watch all year, and the Flames are a good match-up for them. Unfortunately, we don't get the excellent Sharks broadcast on CSN, but instead we're stuck with the CBC feed. Oh well.

It didn't take long for this game to get going. Calgary scored first on a deflection, then scored a second shortly after. Within ten minutes of the opening faceoff, the Sharks had pulled within one. The Sharks seem to have controlled play for the most part, but Calgary isn't out of any game with Mikka Kiprusoff in goal. They're not going to be intimidated by the Sharks - that's one thing Mike Keenan will always give you.

Of all the games we've seen tonight, this is the one game that has a chance of coming down to the wire. This looks like a fun one. You sort of wish Calgary had more offensive firepower so we could see a real barnburner, but this game is going to be all sorts of intense as it progresses.

Maybe this hasn't been the greatest night of playoff hockey we've ever seen. But I sure am glad the playoffs are here. Who knows what the rest of tonight has in store for us?

Bryan's Playoff Predictions & Year-End Awards

The second season - the real season is about to begin. And even though the Islanders will be spending their spring working on their golfing skills, I can do without seeing them if it means watching the most intense action available in any sport. Bring on the playoffs!

But, before we get to that... let's take a minute to remember the events that got us here.

Most hockey writers post their awards ballot in June, which makes no sense to me. The awards are supposed to based off the regular season, not the playoffs. In theory, they're no more relevant than they are today. So why not get a head start and give out the proverbial hardware now?

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NHL Awards
Hart Trophy: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington
- Honorable Mention: Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh

Vezina Trophy: Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose
- Honorable Mention: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey

Norris Trophy: Dion Phaneuf, Calgary*
- Honorable Mention: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit
(Note: Everyone knows Lidstrom is going to win this. But Phaneuf at least deserves to be considered.)

Adams Trophy: Bruce Boudreau, Washington
- Honorable Mention: Wayne Gretzky, Phoenix

Selke Trophy: Mike Richards, Philadelphia
- Honorable Mention: Patrick Sharp, Chicago

Calder Trophy: Patrick Kane, Chicago
- Honorable Mention: Nicklas Backstrom, Washington

Miscellaneous Awards
Best GM: Bob Gainey, Montreal
Most Improved Player: Mike Ribeiro, Dallas
Best Arena Snack: Pretzel Twists, Nassau Coliseum
Best TV Telecast: San Jose Sharks
Best Moment: Winter Classic
Worst Moment: Mike Milbury comparing Sidney Crosby to Bobby Orr after his fight in December
Best Development: The emergence of Alexander Ovechkin as a legitimate superstar
Worst Development: The rash of violent attacks by NHL players

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Now that we've gotten that out of the way... time for the playoffs. The first-round picks are followed by brief explanations. The rest of the hypothetical matchups will be explored at a later date.

Eastern Conference
Montreal (1) over Boston (8) in 6. Boston's better than people realize... but so is Montreal. It won't be an easy series, but the superior talent of the Habs should shine here. Look for the Bruins to put on a good enough show to land the one free agent they need to make a run next year.

Pittsburgh (2) over Ottawa (7) in 4. Ottawa is falling apart, while Pittsburgh is one of the league's hottest teams. You'd like to see Ottawa win at least one game, but with Marc-Andre Fleury on top of his game, it's not likely. The fans might not want to admit it, but a thrashing is exactly what the Senators need to refocus and get hungry.

Philadelphia (6) over Washington (3) in 7. I know, I know... everyone loves Washington right now. However, let's not forget that Washington played 24 of their games against the likes of Tampa Bay, Florida, and Atlanta. Also, keep in mind that Philadelphia actually scored more points than the Caps this year, all while playing in a much tougher division. I love this Caps team, but they remind me of last year's Penguins - they'll put forth a good show, but fall just short.

Rangers (5) over New Jersey (4) in 6. Martin Brodeur can't score the three or four goals per game the Devils are going to need to win this series. The Rangers have too much firepower, not to mention an elite goalie of their own in Henrik Lundqvist.

Western Conference
Detroit (1) over Nashville (8) in 6. Detroit is clearly the class of the league, but Nashville gets up for their games agains the Red Wings. This series won't be nearly the cakewalk it looks like, mainly because Detroit's goaltending shuffle won't work in the playoffs. Still, the Wings are too good to lose in the first round.

San Jose (2) over Calgary (7) in 5. Calgary's got a pretty good team down there, but they can't score against most teams. How are they going to score against Evgeni Nabokov? That said, even if Nabokov were off his game, the Sharks have the firepower to beat Calgary pretty easily.

Colorado (6) over Minnesota (3) in 7. This pick depends solely on Peter Forsberg's ability to stay healthy for all seven games. Colorado is a different team with Forsberg in the lineup. Now that they're getting quality goaltending, they can make a run. Minnesota is a fine team, but they're going to have a hard time scoring enough goals to win.

Anaheim (5) over Dallas (4) in 7. People say the Ducks can't score, and they didn't this season. But they certainly have the capacity to score in large numbers. If Corey Perry can come back in this series, that only bolsters the Ducks' chances. The Stars have put together a great team, but I don't think they can keep up with the Ducks for seven games.

Future Rounds
Conference Semi-Finals
Montreal over Philadelphia in 5
Rangers over Pittsburgh in 7
Detroit over Colorado in 6
San Jose over Anaheim in 7

Conference Finals
Rangers over Montreal in 6
San Jose over Detroit in 5

Stanley Cup Final
San Jose over Rangers in 6

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Will any of these predictions come true? Probably not. But I can't wait to find out!

Playoff Predictions...

NHL POST by ZACH

Ah, time for my yearly playoff predictions (yes, I know we've had this blog for a month and a half), which hold about as much salt as a pepper shaker (nice imagery, I know). Take these for what you will, as I remember that in 05-06 I had both Carolina and Edmonton losing in the first round (and Calgary over Ottawa in 6 games never did pan out). Last season, I had Ottawa losing in the first round and Anaheim winning it all over Buffalo.

So...

East

(1) Montreal over (8) Boston in 5

(7) Ottawa over (2) Pittsburgh in 7

(3) Washington over (6) Philadelphia in 7

(5) Rangers over (4) Devils in 7

Ottawa over Montreal in 6

Rangers over Washington in 4

Rangers over Ottawa in 6

West

(1) Detroit over (8) Nashville in 5

(2) San Jose over (7) Calgary in 5

(6) Colorado over (3) Minnesota in 7

(4) Anaheim over (5) Dallas in 6

Colorado over Detroit in 4

San Jose over Anaheim in 7

San Jose over Colorado in 6

Finals

Rangers over San Jose in 7

It might look like I'm a homer - the Ranger fan picking the Rangers to win. Well, unlike Islander fans, I have logic to back me up. 

See, I think any team from the East can emerge as conference champions, with the exception of Philly and Boston. So, if the Rangers can beat NJ - which they can, but it will be a brutal series - they can beat anyone. Washington is good but they are inexperienced and the Rangers play very well against them historically (of course, Huet is the X factor there). The Rangers would be able to beat Ottawa, especially with home ice advantage and if the Senators have to fight through the Penguins. And Marty Gerber is an awful playoff performer (ask Conn Smythe winner Cam Ward) and Ray Emery cares about his team like I care about cricket (the sport... and the bugs).

The Rangers were awful against the West, as in 1-7-2 awful. The Ducks and Kings beat them in back-to-back games, the Coyotes dismembered them, they got 1 point on the Canadian trip. 

The 1 win: 3-1 over San Jose. 

Playoff Prognostications - Volume I

With the Isles' hopes looking dimmer than ever - the team's prayers rest on the shoulders of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers - now is an appropriate time to look at the rest of the league. Who's going to win the Cup this year? Who's for real? Who's going to choke in the first round?

Glad you asked.

Thanks to the wonders that are Center Ice and the NHL Network, I'm better equipped than ever to answer these questions. Let's face it - the league is kind of hard to follow. It's not easy to keep up on all the goings-on in the NHL, particularly out West, where we might see one game a week if we're lucky. Sometimes, the standings don't tell the whole story. Not that I'll be able to fill in the blanks or anything, but it's fun to speculate.

We all know what wins in the playoffs. Great goaltending. A favorable schedule. Balance between scorers and role players. These are the things that have traditionally separated the great from the good and, while we don't know everything about the Cup contenders yet, we have a much better idea than we did before the trade deadline.

With that in mind, let's look at who's out there and what their chances are at hoisting the Cup in June. These are just guesses as to what could happen, so don't take the predictions too seriously.

Eastern Conference
1. New Jersey (71 GP, 88 points). The Devils always seem to have the same type of season every year - they're right at the top of the conference, they fire their coach right before the playoffs, then they crap out in the first two rounds. To me, the Devils are a better version of the Islanders. Their main strength is the goaltending, but they can't always score the goals they need to win every night. The Devils have the second-worst power play in the East (guess who has the worst). That won't cut it in the playoffs.
Prediction: Second-round exit

2. Ottawa (72 GP, 87 points). Ottawa has been pretty much horrendous since the first quarter of the season ended. They're truly befuddling. You look at this team and think all the pieces are in place. Nobody in the East can match their personnel. They've got every kind of player you could possibly want, and the Big Three are obviously beyond compare. The only problem - and it's a huge problem - is their goaltending. As good as Martin Gerber has been this year, do you really trust him in a big game? When the alternative is Ray "Sorry I'm Late" Emery, you could be in trouble. Not to say they can't make a run, but they seem a good candidate to fall short.
Prediction: Conference finals exit

4. Pittsburgh (71 GP, 87 points). The wet dream of every NBC and NHL executive is for Pittsburgh to make a deep playoff run. Unfortunately, it's not going to happen. Call it instinct more than anything. There are two things working against Pittsburgh here; believe it or not, neither of them are named Ty Conklin. Their biggest concern is Sidney Crosby and his continuing health problems. Ask anybody who's ever played fantasy football - high ankle sprains linger for a very long time. Not only do you have a player whose health can't be relied upon, but also a player who will mess with Pittsburgh's line combinations and gameplans. He won't be as big a distraction as Eric Lindros in 2000, but he won't have a seamless transition into the lineup. Their second issue is that they haven't had one of those gut-wrenching, character-building playoff losses yet. This is an extremely young team, one that doesn't know what it takes to win it all. It's a shame, too, because their opportunity window will never be higher than it is with Marian Hossa in the lineup. But this isn't their year. If you're looking for a big-ticket upset in the first round, look no further than the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Prediction: First-round exit

5. Montreal (72 GP, 87 points). On the other hand, if you're looking for a Cinderella team, Montreal could very well be who you'd want to go with. If the Stanley Cup is going to come back to the East, it'll either be Ottawa or Montreal. No other team even comes close to being able to compete with the West offensively. Everyone knows Montreal can score and that they have a ridiculous power play, but they're also pretty underrated defensively. And Carey Price seems like he has what it takes to make The Leap in these playoffs. More than anything, what a team needs to advance is a hot goalie, and Price seems like he's up to the task. He's going to need it - Montreal plays six of its remaining ten games against Boston, Ottawa, and Buffalo. Odds are good they won't receive a favorable seed. Price is going to need to be huge early and often... but the Habs are for real, and this could be their year.
Prediction: Stanley Cup Finals

6. NY Rangers (71 GP, 83 points). The Rangers have performed significantly under expectations for much of this season; however, they seem to have found their legs for the stretch run. Good timing. As Zach said the other day, the Rangers will go as far as their seeding will take them. They're currently sixth, which is great, but should they slip any further than that, they could be in trouble. Hell, even if they move up, they could still end up playing the Canadiens or Penguins. It's tough to say what to expect for the Blueshirts in the playoffs, especially because Henrik Lundqvist has been extremely human over the second half. Still, this Rangers team has enough firepower to win at least one round, but a deep playoff run might be out of the question at this point in time.
Prediction: Second-round exit

Sleeper: Buffalo (9th in East, 72 GP, 77 points). No, the Sabres aren't going back to the conference finals. But they could make life very difficult for anyone they play in the first two rounds. Ryan Miller is capable of stealing a game if he has to, while their offense hangs 7's and 8's on other teams seemingly once per week. If they get in - and that depends largely on getting back the half of their team that's injured - they're going to stretch at least one series to seven games.

Western Conference
1. Detroit (71 GP, 100 points). For much of the season, Detroit has been the league's best team by a long shot. They gave us a bit of a scare in February, including a stretch where they earned just four out of a possible 24 points, but it looks like they're back now. After winning their last five straight, they're ten points ahead of San Jose, and that's including their horrid February. Not bad, eh? On paper, it's hard to take the goaltending tandem of Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek seriously, but they've been great so far. Will they finally be exposed in the playoffs? Not in the first round, anyway. But Detroit has to be careful not to get too complacent - aside from one game against Colorado, all of their remaining games are against non-playoff teams (though three are against Nashville, just two points out). The Wings would be smart to not do anything stupid, like rest all their players once they lock up the President's Trophy - we've learned countless times in the NFL that it never works. Detroit is certainly beatable... I just can't think of any team who can beat them four times out of seven.
Prediction: Stanley Cup Finals

2. San Jose (70 GP, 90 points). I'm watching the Sharks on Center Ice as I write this, and they're just toying with St. Louis. Just 13 minutes into the game, they were up 4-0. The Sharks make me wish I lived out West; they're easily my favorite Western team to watch. The problem with the Sharks has nothing to do with their talent, or their goaltending, or anything else. Sure, they're a step behind Detroit, but they could certainly give the Wings a run for their money. The real issue is that they may have already peaked. Assuming they polish off the Blues, that'll be eleven straight wins. As we all know, it's most important to be at your best in April and May than it is to be unstoppable in February and March. I'm extremely high on this Sharks team... right now. I just get the feeling we're seeing their best hockey right now and they'll be ripe for an upset in the playoffs.
Prediction: Second-round exit

4. Dallas (73 GP, 89 points). A lot of people are loving Dallas and spouting off their Stanley Cup qualifications, but I'm not seeing it. I haven't seen a ton of Dallas this year, but I don't see what makes them better than any of the other West contenders. Brad Richards doesn't put this team over the top in my eyes; a healthy Sergei Zubov will do more for the Stars than Richards down the stretch. What it comes down to for Dallas is Marty Turco. He was awesome last year in the playoffs, but he'll have to show it wasn't a fluke. Dallas could very easily draw a team like Anaheim in the first round, and in that case, Turco is going to have to steal it for Dallas to advance. Call me crazy, but I don't see it happening.
Prediction: First-round exit

5. Anaheim (73 GP, 88 points). It's been a tale of two seasons for the Ducks - they were awful before Scott Niedermayer came back, and they've been good since he returned. Now that Teemu Selanne is back and playing to his highest capabilities, the team is getting ready to peak in the playoffs. The Ducks would do very well to secure home-ice advantage for at least one round; while they're under .500 on the road, they've got the best home record in the league. It never hurts to play at home, even under the worst of circumstances, let alone when you've only lost eight regulation games there. While the Ducks have plenty of guys who can score, they're also an above-average team on defense... and, as the cliche says, defense wins championships. However, if Chris Prongers ends up missing significant time due to suspension, they could be in trouble.
Prediction: Conference finals exit

Sleeper: Calgary (7th in West, 71 GP, 82 points). Phoenix is one of the most fun teams to watch in the West, and Nashville might be a better team, but Calgary is the one team that can make something of a run. They've been there before, they have a goalie very capable of getting hot, and Mike Keenan can convince this team that they can do the impossible. They're not going to beat a Detroit or anything, but if they end up meeting Dallas or Colorado... don't say you weren't warned.