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Playoff Races


dmac

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The 2008 Race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs looks to be really tight coming into the last 20 games of the season. Give your thoughts on who will make it and who won't.

Heres my prediction:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1.) Ottawa Senators* - should bounce back

2.) Pittsburgh Penguins* - when Crosby returns, should be an unbelievable team

3.) Washington Capitals* - in such a crappy division, I'm hoping the Caps will pull through

4.) New Jersey Devils - the Penguins will barely beat them out for 2nd seed

5.) Boston Bruins - doing very good

6.) Montreal Canadiens - might lose a few, win a few, end up 6th

7.) New York Rangers - could come down to the last few games to decide if the Blueshirts make it or not

8.) Buffalo Sabres - with a healthy team, my team from the East should snatch the last playoff spot in the East. It'll come down to the last game of the season for the Sabres

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1.) Detroit Red Wings* - a bit of a losing streak, but they'll come back as usual to win the presidents trophy

2.) Dallas Stars* - looking like a Cup bound team with the acquisition of Richards

3.) Vancouver Canucks* - It is very tough to decide who will take home the NW crown, but I think the Canucks will beat the Flames on the last game of the season to win the Northwest Division (I'm going to that game :)).

4.) San Jose Sharks - the addition of Brian Campbell should make the all ready skilled Sharks that much more skilled

5.) Anaheim Ducks - the Ducks just keep getting better, could go far into the Playoffs

6.) Minnesota Wild - the extremely tight NW division possible winner, but my guess is 6th for now..

7.) Calgary Flames - another Northwest Division team making it to the playoffs, should be a great battle with Canucks if they happen to meet in the Playoffs

8.) Phoenix Coyotes - kind of a surprising pick, I think The Great One will rally his guys to win the final playoff spot in the West over the Nashville Predators

So this is pretty much what the standings are like now, and I think they will stay like that. The surprising teams that could go far and surprise some people in the Playoffs will be the Bruins from the East and the Sharks from the West. I guess the Sharks aren't that surprising though..

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As I write this...carolina has 73 points....and buffalo is in 9th with 71 points and three games in hand on carolina.

It's possible that carolina could make the playoffs just because they won their crappy division but have less points than 8 other teams in the same conference....how lame would that be.

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Yeah Montreal has really turned it on as of late. They have a pretty good chance of actually winning the East this year if they keep it up.

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As I write this...carolina has 73 points....and buffalo is in 9th with 71 points and three games in hand on carolina.

It's possible that carolina could make the playoffs just because they won their crappy division but have less points than 8 other teams in the same conference....how lame would that be.

yeah the NHL's system is terrrible. its possible for 1st place to have less points then an 11th place team

i cant believe you put overachieving boston ahead of mtl

mtl has tough west conf road trip this week, ottawa too

Montreal is better on the road then at home...yeah it will be tough. but they are pretty strong and we just got first in the east. (w00t! party!)

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yeah the NHL's system is terrrible. its possible for 1st place to have less points then an 11th place team

Montreal is better on the road then at home...yeah it will be tough. but they are pretty strong and we just got first in the east. (w00t! party!)

On the other hand, it's good for the Northwest teams (VAN/CGY/EDM/MIN/COL) since their division is so competitive, so one of them automatically gets 3rd and home ice.

Still, this Carolina situation is pretty ridiculous. Maybe they should just get to leapfrog a team or two in the standings instead of going straight to 3rd.

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I take the Ducks AT LEAST over the Sharks. Maybe I'm being a little bias being a Ducks fan. The Ducks are 9-1-0 in the last 10, which is current the NHL best last 10 game record. They are going on a late season run, maybe a little far behind to catch the Stars. What concerns my prediction though is that the Sharks trail Anaheim by only one point and have two games in hand over the Ducks. I do believe though the Ducks will beat the Sharks down the remaining stretch, the Ducks have battled out to win a majority of the games against San Jose so far this season, and the Ducks will be fired up more than ever to knock off the arch-rival Sharks late in the season. The Ducks have struggled with Dallas in their last two or three meetings though. But one thing we can all agree on is, the Pacific Division is no doubt the toughest division in the NHL this year with three teams that currently have over 80 points.

-Vinnie

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  • 2 weeks later...

With that HUGE win tonight over Tampa Bay, and the Washington Capitals loss, the Buffalo Sabres seem to have a pretty good shot at getting 8th seed for the Playoffs. Every game is key for them to make it.

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OLAYYYYY, OLLAYYY OLAY OLAYYYYYYYYYYYY

5.) Boston Bruins - doing very good

6.) Montreal Canadiens - might lose a few, win a few, end up 6th

ollllayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, olay olay olayyy, olayyyyyyyyyyyy, olayyyyyy

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OLAYYYYY, OLLAYYY OLAY OLAYYYYYYYYYYYY

5.) Boston Bruins - doing very good

6.) Montreal Canadiens - might lose a few, win a few, end up 6th

ollllayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, olay olay olayyy, olayyyyyyyyyyyy, olayyyyyy

:lol: I knew I shouldn't have put the Habs at 6th.

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OLAYYYYY, OLLAYYY OLAY OLAYYYYYYYYYYYY

5.) Boston Bruins - doing very good

6.) Montreal Canadiens - might lose a few, win a few, end up 6th

ollllayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, olay olay olayyy, olayyyyyyyyyyyy, olayyyyyy

That's one of the more irritating cheers in all of the league. However, I am cheering for the Habs. Well, anyone but Ottawa really. At least Habs fans have a little bit of class (I mean hell.. they're from MONTREAL, they know what winning in this league is like! They have die hard fans, not bandwagon fans like what Ottawa has...) I love when TOR and MTL hit overtime, it's always so damn exciting, and their fans are very classy, win or lose. Ottawa fans are just arrogant meatheads. I feel so sorry for them, every year their fans get a bit of a high and then they crash. Last year was as close as they're gonna get for a long time. They needed a decent goalie, and have never ever had one, and now it's just too late. The only reason emery appeared to be good last playoffs is because of volchenkov blocking so many shots. He sure looks good when he doesn't have to make any saves!

Go Leafs Gooooo.....

If they win both vs boston this week AND get some help, it could get VERY interesting in the East in the last week. The biggest problem is going to be that florida and washington play each other twice i believe.

Too bad they couldn't have started earlier... even if they had won 3 more of their 10 overtime losses, theyd be in 8th. Playing Stajan and Kubina more recently has really done wonders, and Toskala is playing amazingly well.

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Yeah and Buffalo is also pretty much out of it for sure now. Everything that was possible to go wrong did, as the Sabres broke down and gave up 6 goals in the third, the Flyers won in OT, and the Bruins won against the Leafs. Washington looks like they are the only contender now in the East.

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Yeah and Buffalo is also pretty much out of it for sure now. Everything that was possible to go wrong did, as the Sabres broke down and gave up 6 goals in the third, the Flyers won in OT, and the Bruins won against the Leafs. Washington looks like they are the only contender now in the East.

I don't mind washington, I'm curious to see how Ovechkin holds up in the playoffs. Montreal and Pittsburgh are the teams to beat in the East though. I don't think brodeur can win a cup by himself, as amazing as he is. And Ottawa... well.. with no goalie and only one line they're as good as done.

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I don't mind washington, I'm curious to see how Ovechkin holds up in the playoffs. Montreal and Pittsburgh are the teams to beat in the East though. I don't think brodeur can win a cup by himself, as amazing as he is. And Ottawa... well.. with no goalie and only one line they're as good as done.

Since Buffalo is pretty much out of it in the East I would like to see the Caps make it. Ovechkin would be nuts in the playoffs I think. But then again, can he get any better?

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yah I'd love to see caps make playoffs with that run and gun team.. would be a great series vs mtl. A scarey one though, as Huet could make us pay.

Best matchup for mtl would be boston (8-0), or even philly (4-0).

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woah montreal 6th!! dream on :P

Capitals will take Canes place tommorow

they rocking with huey!!

+ Avalanche with Theodore back in form could be hard to beat in the playoff..

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I'm not a real fan of Washington or anything, but I really hope they make the playoff! They're a young cool team! I could really do without the boring Bruins.. Sigh. Has anyone ever heard of a person cheering for Boston?

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I'm not a real fan of Washington or anything, but I really hope they make the playoff! They're a young cool team! I could really do without the boring Bruins.. Sigh. Has anyone ever heard of a person cheering for Boston?

yeah since my canucks are out...ill be pulling for the caps to get in..and rooting for the pens to win the cup.

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yeah since my canucks are out...ill be pulling for the caps to get in..and rooting for the pens to win the cup.

i couldn't agree with you more halifax....i am also a canucks fan... fuckkkkk, and also a crosby fan haha so GO PENS GO!

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Well, I'll sure be cheering for my Red Wings. :P It's pretty much do or die for the Capitals tonight. Should be a rather intense game, hope they can pull it off! Would be great if they knocked out Carolina along with securing playoff spot! :D

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C'mon Caps. I want OV in the playoffs.

I think we all do. Man, that would be such a sight. Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Huet, all in the playoffs, they could go far. The score is 1-1 at the moment.

GO CAPS GO!

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What a run for the Caps! So glad to see them make it. Goodluck trying to predict any playoff series this season.

-Evan

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Wow what an incredible story for the Washington Capitals. Halfway through the season they are 14th place in the East, and now they won their division. I can't wait to see them play in the playoffs. Go Caps!!

20080403-caps-450.jpg

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glad my two teams (BOS, NYR) made it. here's hoping they get a series together by beating MON and NJD (and anybody else they may need to beat in order to meet). will the two matchups be close or will the shutouts continue (both season series totals have been zero wins for Devils and Bruins)? Bruins have been improving against Montreal, but it doesn't look good. Bueller?

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