NHL 3rd Round Predictions

[Forkboy]

(7-5 though the first 2 rounds, so take these with a grain of salt the size of a house)

Pittsburgh vs Carolina

At first glance one might think that the Canes will be hard pressed to stop the duo of Crosby and Malkin, but the Bruins had the second most goals in the League and Carolina still beat them. The B's offense was spread out, with numerous 20 goals scorers, while Pittsburgh's is mostly concentrated on one or two lines, depending on the coach's lineup. The qualifier is that Malkin and Crosby are far more talented than anyone on the B's offense (with the exception of Savard, who is a great play maker in his own right). If Carolina plays the aggressive checking style they played in their victories in Boston (especially the tenacious backcheck) they could frustrate the Pens.

In goal, neither has been amazing in the playoffs, but both have managed to come up big when needed anyways. Fluery has seemed a touch more inconsistent, but has the offense to cover up his mistakes. Ward has been better, but when he's off the Canes aren't the offensive threat the Pens are to make up for it.

The Canes have a better team defense, and play an tightly controlled, aggressive style of checking up and down the lineup, and Ward has never lost a playoff series.

Until now. The series is a wash in a lot of ways, but I think the Pens will be the eventual winner. Crosby was unstoppable in the last round, and while both teams have had 7 game series already, I have to think the Canes are more beat up after playing NJ and Boston than the Pens are after playing the Flyers and Washington (the Caps especially aren't the most physical team, though Ovie has no problems there lol). A tough one to call, especially as I want the canes to win, but...

Pittsburgh in 6 (sorry mmonk....hope I'm wrong, eh. :) )


Chicago vs Detroit

The Hawks getting by Vancouver surprised me. Though it may have been the most exciting series in that round (I loved the sucker) that was because neither team was very disciplined or consistent, not just from game to game, but shift to shift. That makes for run and gun hockey, which is fun to see. The Hawks have to tighten up defensively against Detroit to stand any chance.

One potential plus for Chicago is Detroit is damn well banged up after playing the Ducks, and if Chicago's offense, which played very well in the Vancouver series, can steal a game in Detroit early and gain even more confidence for that young team, who knows. Kane was a force in the last round, and they got added help from unexpected sources as well.

However, I've been saying since day one that the Wings were the team to beat. They're a better team than they were last year, and I think they took the best shot the West has to offer in that Ducks series. That aggressive, chippy, borderline hockey is pretty much the only way to stop Detroit, and while Chicago can throw the body at you, they don't have that extra edge of grit that the Ducks had. I sense that Detroit must be feeling that if they survived that they can take anything the Hawks throw at them. If Detroit takes the first two games, and I think they will, the series will end early.

Detroit in 5 (and I hope I'm wrong again)

[MrSlayer]

1. Mine.

8-4 in the first two rounds.

I picked against Carolina twice and lost both times. I'm taking them this time in six games. They play tough defense, have a great goalie who has already won a Conn Smythe, have balanced scoring and have winning experience. Pittsburgh is very good and they also have been getting the bounces but they haven't faced a really solid defensive team yet. There isn't going to be a whole lot of room out there for them in this series, scoring is going to be a lot tougher.

I picked Detroit to win it all and I'm sticking to it despite my real desire to see an upset here. Chicago is a good young team who can play it any way you want but the cinderella story ends here. Detroit has the advantage in nearly every aspect. I'm thinking five games but the Hawks can steal one along the line to extend it to six.

[Forkboy]

2. Yeah, I'm torn on the Canes/Pens pick.

I'm certainly not ruling them out, that's for sure. Imagine if they take it to seven and win another one on the road? I wonder if that's ever happened?

[mmonk]

3. I make no predictions (one of my hockey superstitions) but I think

the two conference finals will be exciting and I like the lineups (not withstanding my season ticket status with one of the teams) in that the lineups give the hockey fan interesting matchups. The East appears to be a toss up in my estimation and the West brings back the Hawks for the sentimental against HockeyTown. No one should be bored (except I guess a person or two in that other thread) :-) .

[centristgrandpa]

4. headin to the cup...

Both games will go to 7; the finals could be RW vs Pen, i hope not but...