Forman Faceoff 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Stanley Cup Finals

It's been a wacky playoffs that has seem all sorts of parity throughout the NHL, but ultimately two of the best teams in the NHL are left standing competing for Lord Stanley in 2019. Both the Bruins and Blues have rode consistent goaltending through 3 rounds of the playoffs, and we got ourselves a rematch of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals with the Blues returning to the finals for the 1st time since that series. Here's a look at everything that's happened in the playoffs until this point, as well as a series preview/prediction. Enjoy!

1st Round Series Scores:

East:

WC #2 Columbus Blue Jackets defeat #1 Tampa Bay Lighting (4-0)

WC #1 Carolina Hurricanes defeat #1 Washington Capitals (4-3)

#2 Boston Bruins defeat #3 Toronto Maple Leafs (4-3)

#2 New York Islanders defeat #3 Pittsburgh Penguins (4-0)

West:

WC #2 Colorado Avalanche defeat #1 Calgary Flames (4-1)

WC #1 Dallas Stars defeat #1 Nashville Predators (4-2)

#3 St. Louis Blues defeat #2 Winnipeg Jets (4-2)

#2 San Jose Sharks defeat #3 Vegas Golden Knights (4-3)

2nd Round Series Scores:

East:

#2 Boston Bruins defeat WC #2 Columbus Blue Jackets (4-2)

WC #1 Carolina Hurricanes defeat #2 New York Islanders (4-0)

West:

#2 San Jose Sharks defeat WC #2 Colorado Avalanche (4-3)

#3 St. Louis Blues defeat WC #1 Dallas Stars (4-3)

3rd Round Series Scores:

East:

#2 Boston Bruisn defeat WC #1 Carolian Hurricanes (4-0)

West:

#3 St. Louis Blues defeat #2 San Jose Sharks (4-2)

Playoff Leading Scorers:

1. Logan Couture (SJS) - 20 GP: 14 Goals, 6 Assists, 20 Points

2. Brad Marchand (BOS) - 17 GP: 7 Goals, 11 Assists, 18 Points

3. Jaden Schwartz (STL) - 19 GP: 12 Goals, 4 Assists, 16 Points

4. Brent Burns (SJS) - 20 GP: 5 Goals, 11 Assists, 16 Points

5. Erik Karlsson (SJS) - 19 GP: 2 Goals, 14 Assists, 16 Points

6. Tomas Hertl (SJS) - 19 GP: 10 Goals, 5 Assists, 15 Points

7. David Pastrnak (BOS) - 17 GP: 7 Goals, 8 Assists, 15 Points

8. Timo Meier (SJS) - 20 GP: 5 Goals, 10 Assists, 15 Points

9. Mikko Rantanen (COL) - 12 GP: 6 Goals, 8 Assists, 14 Points

10. David Krejci (BOS) - 17 GP: 4 Goals, 10 Assists, 14 points

Forman Faceoff Conn Smythe Ranking:

1. Tuukka Rask - 17 GP: 12-5, 1.84 GAA, .942 Save %, 2 Shutouts

2. Jordan Binnington - 19 GP: 12-7, 2.36 GAA, .914 Save %, 1 Shutout

3. Jaden Schwartz - 19 GP: 12 Goals, 4 Assists, 16 Points

4. Brad Marchand - 17 GP: 7 Goals, 11 Assists, 18 Points

5. Alex Pietrangelo - 19 GP: 2 Goals, 11 Assists, 13 Points

6. Patrice Bergeron - 17 GP: 8 Goals, 5 Assists, 13 Points

7. Colton Parayko - 19 GP: 1 Goal, 10 Assists, 11 Points

8. David Pastrnak - 17 GP: 7 Goals, 8 Assists, 15 Points

9. Ryan O'Reilly - 19 GP: 3 Goals, 11 Assists, 14 Points

10. David Krejci - 17 GP: 4 Goals, 10 Assists, 14 points

#2 Boston Bruins vs #3 St. Louis Blues

Season Series: Boston won the season series 1-0-1

January 17, 2019: Boston Bruins 5, St. Louis Blues 2
February 23, 2019: St. Louis Blues 2, Boston Bruins 1 (SO)

Players to Watch:

Boston: Tuukka Rask, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, Charlie McAvoy, Zdeno Chara

St. Louis: Jordan Binnington, Jaden Schwartz, Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O'Reilly, Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko

X-Factor:

Boston: Tuukka Rask

St. Louis: Jordan Binnington

Playoff Leaders:

Goals: Jaden Schwartz (STL) - 12, Patrice Bergeron (BOS) - 8
Assists: Torey Krug/Brad Marchand (BOS) - 11, Ryan O'Reilly/Colton Parayko (STL) - 11
Points: Brad Marchand (BOS) - 18, Jaden Schwartz (STL) - 16
Plus/Minus: Zdeno Chara (BOS) +11, Oskar Sundqvist (STL) +7
TOI/Per Game: Alex Pietrangelo (STL) - 25:33, Charlie McAvoy (BOS) - 24:20
OT Goals: Charlie Coyle (BOS) - 1, Pat Maroon (STL) - 1
Shots: Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) - 64, Patrice Bergeron (BOS) - 63
Faceoff %: Patrice Bergeron (BOS) - 59.3, Ivan Barbashev (STL) - 52.6
Penalty Minutes: Robert Bortuzzo (STL) - 18, Patrice Bergeron/Charlie McAvoy (BOS) - 12
Wins: Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 12, Jordan Binnington (STL) - 12
Shutouts: Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 2, Jordan Binnington (STL) - 1
Goals Against Average: Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 1.84, Jordan Binnington (STL) - 2.36
Save Percentage: Tuukka Rask (BOS) - .942, Jordan Binnington (STL) - .914

Prediction: What a story this is shaping up to be, the Blues return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1970, and wouldn't you know it they are facing the same team in the Boston Bruins. The last time these teams met in the finals a young Bobby Orr flew through the air in a franchise-altering moment for Boston, and the Blues haven't been able to get back to the finals since then...until now. Both teams have been extremely impressive and similar en route to the finals, with each of them having been through a game 7 to get here and both having stellar goaltending in Tuukka Rask and Jordan Binnington. Will be interesting watching the coaching battle between Bruce Cassidy and Craig Berube in this series, both guys seem to have their team clicking at the right time and pulling the right strings to get here. While I think this series is dead even and can go either way, I'm rooting for the Blues to win their 1st Stanley Cup in franchise history.

(BLUES IN 6)

CONN SMYTHE: JORDAN BINNINGTON


With much being mentioned about the fact that the Bruins and Blues are facing off in a rematch of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, here's some bonus pictures/video from the two teams during that era.

The most famous picture in NHL history, Bobby Orr becomes a hero in Boston for life

A look at the famous Bobby Orr goal

Despite allowing the most famous goal in NHL history, HHOF goaltender Glenn Hall's NHL-record 502 consecutive starts is one of the most impressive records ever and will never be broken. Fun fact: Hall used to vomit before every single start...meaning he threw-up 502 times during that streak...

The legendary Phil Esposito with Lord Stanley. A year after winning the Stanley Cup, Espo would go on to shatter the NHL goal record, putting up 76 goals in 1970/71 (previous record was 58 by Bobby Hull). The HHOFer was one of the most dominant players in NHL history and maybe the best player of the 1970s (Orr/Lafleur).

HHOF player/coach Al Albour, the first Captain in Blues franchise history, rocking some sweet shades

Blues fans from the inaugural years will remember the legendary Plager brothers (left to right: Barclay, Bill, Bob). While both Barclay and Bill have since passed away, Bob was on-hand Tuesday night in St. Louis to witness history.


Bruins Head Coach Harry Sinden (left) pictured with Bobby Orr and Lord Stanley

Everyone remembers Bobby Orr scoring on Glenn Hall in this iconic moment, but the forgotten guy is Blues defenseman Noel Picard who's the one who sent Bobby flying...

Might not be a more interesting character in all of sports during the 1970s than Derek Sanderson, who's crazy life on and off the ice was that of what movies are made of. For those that have never read his book "Crossing The Line" I highly, highly recommend it. One snippet from that book: when he signed with the Philadelphia Blazers of the WHA in 1972, his $2.65 million contract made him the highest paid athlete on the planet. He lasted 8 games in the WHA...


A young Scotty Bowman looks on during a Blues practice. Bowman, the first coach in Blues history, would take them to the Stanley Cup finals in each of the first 3 seasons in their existence. Despite losing all 3, Bowman would go on to win a whopping 14 Stanley Cups as Coach/Executive to date, the 2nd highest total in NHL history (Jean Beliveau 17, 10 as a player 7 as an executive) and most for a non-player.

Bruins Stanley Cup team picture after sweeping the Blues in 4 games. Interesting to note the Bruins didn't have a Captain at the time, in fact they didn't during the 1972 Stanley Cup win either. 

Forward Ab McDonald would lead the Blues in scoring during the 1970 Stanley Cup Playoffs, putting up 5 goals and 15 points in 16 games. He was one of several NHLers to depart to the WHA (Winnipeg Jets) in 1972.

HHOFer Gerry Cheevers back-stopped the Bruins to 2 Stanley Cups in 3 years before departing for the Cleveland Crusaders in the WHA in 1972, where he signed a massive (at the time) 7-year, $1.2 million deal. His famous goalie mask had the "scars" painted on of all the times he took shots off his mask

A series recap of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals

For those that have been following the Forman Faceoff throughout the season/playoffs, I want to say thank you for reading. This is going to be a great Stanley Cup Finals and it's been fun writing on these wacky 2019 playoffs.


Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Forman Faceoff 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Conference Finals

1st Round Series Scores:

East:

WC #2 Columbus Blue Jackets defeat #1 Tampa Bay Lighting (4-0)

WC #1 Carolina Hurricanes defeat #1 Washington Capitals (4-3)

#2 Boston Bruins defeat #3 Toronto Maple Leafs (4-3)

#2 New York Islanders defeat #3 Pittsburgh Penguins (4-0)

West:

WC #2 Colorado Avalanche defeat #1 Calgary Flames (4-1)

WC #1 Dallas Stars defeat #1 Nashville Predators (4-2)

#3 St. Louis Blues defeat #2 Winnipeg Jets (4-2)

#2 San Jose Sharks defeat #3 Vegas Golden Knights (4-3)

2nd Round Series Scores:

East:

#2 Boston Bruins defeat WC #2 Columbus Blue Jackets (4-2)

WC #1 Carolina Hurricanes defeat #2 New York Islanders (4-0)

West:

#2 San Jose Sharks defeat WC #2 Colorado Avalanche (4-3)

#3 St. Louis Blues defeat WC #1 Dallas Stars (4-3)

Eastern Conference Finals:

#2 Boston Bruins vs WC #1 Carolina Hurricanes

Season Series: Boston won the season series 2-1-0

October 30, 2018: Boston Bruins 3, Carolina Hurricanes 2
December 23, 2018: Carolina Hurricanes 5, Boston Bruins 3
March 5, 2019: Boston Bruins 4, Carolina Hurricanes 3 (OT)

Players to Watch:

Boston: Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask, Torey Krug, Charlie Coyle

Carolina: Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Jaccob Slavin, Petr Mrazek, Justin Williams, Jordan Staal

X-Factor:

Boston: Tuukka Rask

Carolina: Jaccob Slavin

Playoff Leaders:

Goals: David Pastrnak (BOS) - 6, Teuvo Teravainen (CAR) - 6
Assists: Jaccob Slavin (CAR) - 11, Brad Marchand (BOS) - 8
Points: Brad Marchand (BOS) - 13, Jaccob Slavin (CAR) - 11
Wins: Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 8, Petr Mrazek (CAR) - 5
Goals Against Average: Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 2.02, Petr Mrazek (CAR) - 2.22
Save Percentage: Tuukka Rask (BOS) - .938, Petr Mrazek (CAR) - .913

Prediction: No one is taking the Bunch of Jerks from Carolina lightly after they dismantled the New York Islanders in a 4-game sweep, and the Bruins will certainly have their hands full in this series. While I am rooting for Rod Brind'Amour's group, I think the experience on the Boston side pays off and the Bruins head back to the Stanley Cup for the 1st time since 2013.

(BRUINS IN 5)

Western Conference Finals:

#2 San Jose Sharks vs #3 St. Louis Blues

Season Series: San Jose won the season series 2-1-0

November 9, 2018: St. Louis Blues 4, San Jose Sharks 0
November 17, 2018: San Jose Sharks 4, St. Louis Blues 0
March 9, 2019: San Jose Sharks 3, St. Louis Blues 2 (OT)

Players to Watch:

San Jose: Logan Couture, Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Joe Pavelski, Tomas Hertl, Timo Meier

St. Louis: Jordan Binnington, Alex Pietrangelo, Ryan O'Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Colton Parayko

X-Factor:

San Jose: Brent Burns

St. Louis: Jordan Binnington

Playoff Leaders:

Goals: Logan Couture/Tomas Hertl (SJS) - 9, Jaden Schwartz (STL) - 8
Assists: Erik Karlsson (SJS) - 12, Alex Pietrangelo (STL) - 9
Points: Logan Couture//Brent Burns (SJS) - 14, Alex Pietrangelo/Jaden Schwartz (STL) - 11
Wins: Martin Jones (SJS) - 8, Jordan Binnington (STL) - 8
Goals Against Average: Jordan Binnington (STL) - 2.39, Martin Jones (SJS) - 2.72
Save Percentage: Jordan Binnington (STL) - .915, Martin Jones (SJS) - .910

Prediction: As an Avalanche fan I'm still very bitter over that botched video review in the Avs/Sharks game 7 last night, and let's not remember what happened to them vs Vegas in game 7 round 1 too. While I would be happy to see Joe Thornton get a chance at a Stanley Cup, I think the hockey gods return some karma in this series and the Blues march on to their first Stanley Cup finals appearance since 1970.

(BLUES IN 7)

This would have the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues advancing to the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals, with Boston having home-ice advantage as the higher seed

#2 Boston Bruins vs #3 St. Louis Blues

Should be an interesting Conference Finals!

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Forman Faceoff 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Conference Semifinals

Wow! What an utterly ridiculous first round, both of the top seeds in the Conference and all four division winners were eliminated, all four wildcard teams advanced. Just a bonkers 1st round, one that has been entirely full of upsets and the unpredictable. Of the 8 first-round match ups, the only teams that I picked correctly to advance were Colorado and San Jose (2/8). With that being said, here's a look at the 4 Conference Semifinals match ups and how the teams stack up against each other:

1st Round Series Scores:

East:

WC #2 Columbus Blue Jackets defeat #1 Tampa Bay Lighting (4-0)

WC #1 Carolina Hurricanes defeat #1 Washington Capitals (4-3)

#2 Boston Bruins defeat #3 Toronto Maple Leafs (4-3)

#2 New York Islanders defeat #3 Pittsburgh Penguins (4-0)

West:

WC #2 Colorado Avalanche defeat #1 Calgary Flames (4-1)

WC #1 Dallas Stars defeat #1 Nashville Predators (4-2)

#3 St. Louis Blues defeat #2 Winnipeg Jets (4-2)

#2 San Jose Sharks defeat #3 Vegas Golden Knights (4-3)

Eastern Conference:

#2 Boston Bruins vs. WC #2 Columbus Blue Jackets

Season Series: Boston won the season series 2-1-0

March 12, 2019: Columbus Blue Jackets 7, Boston Bruins 4 
March 16, 2019: Boston Bruins 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 1 (OT)
April 2, 2019: Boston Bruins 6, Columbus Blue Jackets 2

Players to Watch:

Boston: Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask, Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy

Columbus: Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, Boone Jenner

X-Factor:

Boston: Tuukka Rask

Columbus: Sergei Bobrovsky

Playoff Leaders:

Goals: Brad Marchand (BOS) - 4, Matt Duchene (CBJ) - 3
Assists: Brad Marchand (BOS) - 5, Matt Duchene/Zach Werenski (CBJ) - 4
Points: Brad Marchand (BOS) - 9, Matt Duchene (CBJ) - 7
Wins: Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 4, Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - 4
Goals Against Average: Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - 2.01, Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 2.32
Save Percentage: Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - .932, Tuukka Rask (BOS) - .928

Prediction: The Blue Jackets enter the second round after their historic upset of the 128-point Tampa Bay Lightning, and you know John Tortorella will have his team fired up for this series. While I think this will be a very close series and could go either way, I give the edge to the Bruins after their grueling 7-game win over Toronto.

(BRUINS IN 6)

#2 New York Islanders vs. WC #1 Carolina Hurricanes

Season Series: New York won the season series 3-1-0

October 4, 2018: New York Islanders 2, Carolina Hurricanes 1 (OT)
October 28, 2018: New York Islanders 2, Carolina Hurricanes 1
November 18, 2018: New York Islanders 4, Carolina Hurricanes 1
January 8, 2019: Carolina Hurricanes 4, New York Islanders 3

Players to Watch:

New York: Mat Barzal, Robin Lehner, Jordan Eberle, Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Ryan Pulock 

Carolina: Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Justin Williams, Jaccob Slavin, Dougie Hamilton, Petr Mrazek

X-Factor:

New York: Mat Barzal

Carolina: Sebastian Aho

Playoff Leaders:

Goals: Jordan Eberle (NYI) - 4, Warren Foegele (CAR) - 4
Assists: Jaccob Slavin (CAR) - 9, Mat Barzal (NYI) - 5
Points: Jacob Slavvin (CAR) - 9, Jordan Eberle (NYI) - 6
Wins: Robin Lehner (NYI) - 4, Petr Mrazek (CAR) - 4
Goals Against Average: Robin Lehner (NYI) - 1.47, Petr Mrazek (CAR) - 2.54
Save Percentage: Robin Lehner (NYI) - .956, Petr Mrazek (CAR) - .899

Prediction: Talk about two teams coming off historic upsets, the Islanders sweeping the Penguins in 4 games and the Hurricanes knocking off the defending champion Capitals in double OT of game 7. This series is built on two stingy teams that seemed to have found another gear come playoff time, there are a lot of similarities between these two. While I think it is a toss-up, I give the edge Barry Trotz and the Islanders

(ISLANDERS IN 7)


This would have Boston and New York advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals:

#2 Boston Bruins vs. #2 New York Islanders

Western Conference:

#2 San Jose vs. WC #2 Colorado

Season Series: San Jose won the season series 3-0-0

January 2, 2019: San Jose Sharks 5, Colorado Avalanche 4 
March 1, 2019: San Jose Sharks 4, Colorado Avalanche 3
April 6, 2019: San Jose Sharks 5, Colorado Avalanche 2

Players to Watch:

San Jose: Logan Couture, Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, Joe Pavelski, Timo Meier

Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, Philipp Grubauer, Cale Makar, JT Compher

X-Factor:

San Jose: Erik Karlsson

Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon

Playoff Leaders:

Goals: Logan Couture/Tomas Hertl (SJS) - 6, Mikko Rantanen (COL) - 5
Assists: Erik Karlsson (SJS) - 9, Nathan MacKinnon/Tyson Barrie (COL) - 5
Points: Erik Karlsson (SJS) - 9, Mikko Rantanen (COL) - 9
Wins: Martin Jones (SJS) - 4, Philipp Grubauer (COL) - 4
Goals Against Average: Philipp Grubauer (COL) - 1.90, Martin Jones (SJS) - 3.20
Save Percentage: Philipp Grubauer (COL) - .939, Martin Jones (SJS) - .904

Prediction: This to me is the most anticipated 2nd round match up, two high-powered offensive teams going head to head in the 2nd round. The Sharks enter as the favourites after defeating Vegas in a thrilling 7-game series (Barclay Goodrow scoring in OT in game 7), but don't count out the underdog Avs. Colorado looked extremely impressive knocking off top seed Calgary in round 1, and if Nathan MacKinnon continues to play as good as he has been I think they pull off the upset yet again here.

(AVALANCHE IN 7)

#3 St. Louis vs. WC #1 Dallas Stars

Season Series: Dallas won the season series 3-1-0

January 8, 2019: Dallas Stars 3, St. Louis Blues 1
January 12, 2019: St. Louis Blues 3, Dallas Stars 1 
February 21, 2019: Dallas Stars 5, St. Louis Blues 2
March 2, 2019: Dallas Stars 4, St. Louis Blues 1

Players to Watch:

St. Louis: Ryan O'Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jordan Binnington, Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden Schenn, Tyler Bozak

Dallas: Ben Bishop, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Alex Radulov, John Klingberg, Miro Heiskanen

X-Factor:

St. Louis: Jordan Binnington

Dallas: Ben Bishop

Playoff Leaders:

Goals: Jaden Schwartz (STL) - 4, Alex Radulov (DAL) - 4
Assists: Alex Pietragenlo (STL) - 6, Jamie Benn/John Klingberg (DAL) - 5
Points: Alex Pietrangelo (STL) - 6, Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin/Alex Radulov/John Klingberg (DAL) - 6
Wins: Jordan Binnington (STL) - 4, Ben Bishop (DAL) - 4
Goals Against Average: Ben Bishop (DAL) - 1.90, Jordan Binnington (STL) - 2.63
Save Percentage: Ben Bishop (DAL) - .945, Jordan Binnington (STL) - .908

Prediction: I think most people expected both the Predators and Jets to advance past the 1st round, but here we are, and both these teams are very deserving to be here. Both Ben Bishop and Jordan Binnington were excellent for their respective teams in round 1, and these teams are extremely well matched throughout the lineup. This is the closest 2nd-round match up and is a toss-up to predict, but I give the edge to the Blues here.

(BLUES IN 7)


This would have Colorado and St. Louis advancing to the Western Conference Finals:

#3 St. Louis vs. WC #2 Colorado


Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Forman Faceoff 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Conference Quarterfinals

After an exciting regular season that saw many superstars and rising stars hit career years offensively, the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight! This year has a different feel to it, sure you have the Tampa Bay Lightning who finished 21 points ahead of the next team as the favourite, but there are a bunch of other contenders and some extremely interesting first round match ups. With that being said, here's a look at the Eastern/Western Quarterfinals match ups and how I predict they will play out:

Eastern Conference:

#1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. WC #2 Columbus Blue Jackets

Season Series: Tampa Bay won the season series 3-0-0

October 13, 2018: Tampa Bay Lightning 8, Columbus Blue Jackets 2
January 8, 2019: Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 0
February 18, 2019: Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 1

Players to Watch:

Tampa Bay: Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, Andrei Vasilevsky, Anthony Cirelli 

Columbus: Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, Cam Atkinson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Seth Jones

X-Factor:

Tampa Bay: Nikita Kucherov 

Columbus: Sergei Bobrovsky

Team Leaders:

Goals: Steven Stamos (TBL) - 45, Cam Atkinson (CBJ) - 41
Assists: Nikita Kucherov (TBL) - 87, Artemi Panarin (CBJ) - 59
Points: Nikita Kucherov (TBL) - 128, Artemi Panarin (CBJ) - 87
Wins: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL) - 39, Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - 37
Goals Against Average: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL) - 2.40, Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - 2.58
Save Percentage: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL) - .925, Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - .913

Prediction: The Blue Jackets went all in at the trade deadline acquiring Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, while also holding onto pending free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. They just barely made the playoffs on the final weekend of the season, and are against all odds versus a stacked Tampa Bay team. Lightning win this series easily

(LIGHTNING IN 5)

#1 Washington Capitals vs. WC #1 Carolina Hurricanes

Season Series: Washington won the season series 4-0-0

December 14, 2018: Washington Capitals 6, Carolina Hurricanes 5 (SO)
December 27, 2018: Washington Capitals 3, Carolina Hurricanes 1
March 26, 2019: Washington Capitals 4, Carolina Hurricanes 1
March 28, 2019: Washington Capitals 3, Carolina Hurricanes 2

Players to Watch:

Washington: Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Braden Holtby, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, Tom Wilson

Carolina: Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Dougie Hamilton, Justin Williams, Justin Faulk, Evgeny Svechnikov

X-Factor:

Washington: Alex Ovechkin 

Carolina: Sebastian Aho

Team Leaders:

Goals: Alex Ovechkin (WSH) - 51 goals, Sebastian Aho (CAR) - 30
Assists: John Carlson (WSH) - 57, Teuvo Teravainen (CAR) - 55
Points: Alex Ovechkin (WSH) - 89, Sebastian Aho (CAR) - 83
Wins: Braden Holtby (WSH) - 32, Petr Mrazek (CAR) - 23
Goals Against Average: Petr Mrazek (CAR) - 2.39, Braden Holtby (WSH) - 2.82
Save Percentage: Petr Mrazek (CAR) - .914, Braden Holtby (WSH) - .911

Prediction: The Capitals begin their defense as Stanley Cup champions against the pesky "Bunch of Jerks" from Carolina, who have exceeded expectations under 1st year Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour and made the playoffs for the 1st time in a decade. While I think this series will be closer than people expect, I still think the defending champions will march on here

(CAPITALS IN 6)

#2 Boston Bruins vs. #3 Toronto Maple Leafs

Season Series: Boston won the season series 3-1-0

November 10, 2018: Boston Bruins 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
November 26, 2018: Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Boston Bruins 2 
December 8, 2018: Boston Bruins 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 3
January 12, 2019: Boston Bruins 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2

Players to Watch:

Boston: Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Tuukka Rask, Torey Krug, Jake DeBrusk

Toronto: John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly, Freddie Andersen, William Nylander

X-Factor:

Boston: Patrice Bergeron 

Toronto: John Tavares

Team Leaders:

Goals: John Tavares (TOR) - 47, David Pastrnak (BOS) - 38
Assists: Mitch Marner (TOR) - 68, Brad Marchand (BOS) - 64
Points: Brad Marchand (BOS) - 100, Mitch Marner (TOR) - 94
Wins: Freddie Andersen (TOR) - 36, Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 27
Goals Against Average: Jaroslav Halak (BOS) - 2.34, Freddie Andersen (TOR) - 2.77
Save Percentage: Jaroslav Halak (BOS) - .922, Freddie Andersen (TOR) - .917

Prediction: Another year, another Bruins/Leafs 1st round match up. The Leafs come in fully equipped after adding John Tavares in the summer, is this finally the year they can get past Boston? Time will tell what happens, this truly is a toss-up and I can see either team winning. While I believe Boston is the favourite, I think Toronto finally slays the demon and moves on to the 2nd round.

(LEAFS IN 7)

#2 New York Islanders vs. #3 Pittsburgh Penguins

Season Series: Season series tied 2-1-1

October 30, 2018: New York Islanders 6, Pittsburgh Penguins 3
November 1, 2018: New York Islanders 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 2 (SO)
December 6, 2018: Pittsburgh Penguins 6, New York Islanders 2
December 10, 2018: Pittsburgh Penguins 2, New York Islanders 1 (SO)

Players to Watch:

New York: Mat Barzal, Robin Lehner, Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Ryan Pulock, Jordan Eberle

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Matt Murray, Kris Letang, Jake Guentzel

X-Factor:

New York: Mat Barzal

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby

Team Leaders:

Goals: Jake Guentzel (PIT) - 40, Anders Lee (NYI) - 28
Assists: Sidney Crosby (PIT) - 65, Matt Barzal (NYI) - 44
Points: Sidney Crosby (PIT) - 100, Matt Barzal (NYI) - 62
Wins: Matt Murray (PIT) - 29, Robin Lehner (NYI) - 25
Goals Against Average: Robin Lehner (NYI) 2.13, Matt Murray (PIT) - 2.69
Save Percentage: Robin Lehner (NYI) - .930, Matt Murray (PIT) - .9l9

Prediction: The biggest surprise of the 2018/19 season was the New York Islanders, who went from 80 points last year to 103 points (4th highest in the NHL) under new head coach Barry Trotz this year. The Penguins and Islanders have fought in the playoffs several times in the past few years, while Pittsburgh is usually the favourite this series has a different feel with Trotz-coached Islanders stellar defense. I think this series goes the distance and Crosby becomes a hero in game 7.

(PENGUINS IN 7)

This would have Tampa Bay, Washington, Toronto and Pittsburgh advancing to the next round. The match ups would be as follows:

#1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. #3 Toronto Maple Leafs

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #3 Pittsburgh Penguins

Western Conference:

 

#1 Calgary Flames vs. WC #2 Colorado Avalanche

Season Series: Calgary won the season series 3-0-0

October 13, 2018: Calgary Flames 3, Colorado Avalanche 2 (OT)
November 1, 2018: Calgary Flames 6, Colorado Avalanche 5
January 9, 2019: Calgary Flames 5, Colorado Avalanche 3

Players to Watch:

Calgary: Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Mark Giordano, Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund 

Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen, Philipp Grubauer, Tyson Barrie, Erik Johnson

X-Factor:

Calgary: Johnny Gaudreau 

Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon 

Team Leaders:

Goals: Nathan MacKinnon (COL) - 41, Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) - 36
Assists: Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) - 63, Nathan MacKinnon (COL) - 58
Points: Nathan MacKinnon (COL) - 99, Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) - 99
Wins: David Rittich (CGY) - 27, Semyon Varlamov (COL) - 20
Goals Against Average: David Rittich (CGY) - 2.61, Philipp Grubauer (COL) - 2.64
Save Percentage: Philipp Grubauer (COL) - .917, David Rittich (CGY) - .911

Prediction: With Bill Peters behind the bench in Calgary, the Flames had their highest point total in franchise history with 107 to lock up 1st seed in the Western Conference. While this team is extremely dangerous offensively, they have a lot of question marks in net with Mike Smith/David Rittich. The Avs come in as underdogs after squeaking into the playoffs again, and putting my Avs fan bias aside I believe they can upset the Flames here.

(AVALANCHE IN 7)

#1 Nashville Predators vs. WC #1 Dallas Stars

Season Series: Nashville won the season series 3-2-0

November 10, 2018: Nashville Predators 5, Dallas Stars 4 (OT)
December 27, 2018: Dallas Stars 2, Nashville Predators 0
February 2, 2019: Dallas Stars 3, Nashville Predators 1
February 7, 2019: Nashville Predators 3, Dallas Stars 2 (OT)
February 19, 2018: Nashville Predators 5, Dallas Stars 3

Players to Watch:

Nashville: Pekka Rinne, Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Ryan Johansen, Roman Josi, PK Subban 

Dallas: Ben Bishop, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Alex Radulov, John Klingberg, Miro Heiskanen

X-Factor:

Nashville: Pekka Rinne

Dallas: Ben Bishop

Team Leaders:

Goals: Viktor Arvidsson (NSH) - 34, Tyler Seguin (DAL) - 33
Assists: Ryan Johansen (NSH) - 50, Tyler Seguin (DAL) - 47
Points: Tyler Seguin (DAL) - 80, Ryan Johansen (NSH) - 64
Wins: Pekka Rinne (NSH) - 30, Ben Bishop (DAL) - 27
Goals Against Average: Ben Bishop (DAL) - 1.98, Pekka Rinne (NSH) - 2.42 
Save Percentage: Ben Bishop (DAL) - .934, Pekka Rinne (NSH) - .918

Prediction: The series has the potential to be a tough, physical series between two of the biggest teams in the NHL. The key matchup to follow will be in net between Ben Bishop and Pekka Rinne, both goalies capable of stealing a series for their teams. I think if the Seguin/Benn/Radulov line can get hot the Stars can upset Nashville here, but I think the Predators have the edge.

(PREDATORS IN 6)

#2 San Jose Sharks vs. #3 Vegas Golden Knights

Season Series: Vegas won the season series 2-1-1

November 24, 2018: Vegas Golden Knights 6, San Jose Sharks 0
January 10, 2019: San Jose Sharks 3, Vegas Golden Knights 2
March 18, 2019: Vegas Golden Knights 7, San Jose Sharks 3
March 30, 2019: San Jose Sharks 4, Vegas Golden Knights 3 (OT)

Players to Watch:

San Jose: Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Tomas Hertl, Evander Kane

Vegas: Marc-Andre Fleury, Mark Stone, Johnathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Paul Stastny, Max Pacioretty

X-Factor:

San Jose: Brent Burns 


Vegas: Marc-Andre Fleury 

Team Leaders:

Goals: Joe Pavelski (SJS) - 38, Johnathan Marchessault (VGK) - 25
Assists: Brent Burns (SJS) - 67, Johnthan Marchessault/Rielly Smith (VGK) - 34
Points: Brent Burns (SJS) - 83, Johnthan Marchessault (VGK) - 59
Wins: Martin Jones (SJS) - 36, Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK) - 35
Goals Against Average: Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK) - 2.51, Martin Jones (SJS) - 2.94
Save Percentage: Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK) - .913, Martin Jones (SJS) - .896

Prediction: Everyone remembers the historic run the Vegas Golden Knights went on last year in their inaugural season, and no one is going be taking them lightly this year. Certainly not the San Jose Sharks, who lost to Vegas in 6 game in the second round. This series is probably the closest 1st round match up of the 8 series, and believe it's a toss-up that will go 7 games. I give the slight edge to Jumbo Joe and the Sharks.

(SHARKS in 7)

#2 Winnipeg Jets vs. #3 St. Louis Blues

Season Series: Winnipeg won the season series 3-1-0

October 4, 2018: Winnipeg Jets 5, St. Louis Blues 1
October 22, 2018: Winnipeg Jets 5, St. Louis Blues 4 (OT)
November 24, 2018: Winnipeg Jets 8, St. Louis Blues 4
December 7, 2018: St. Louis Blues 1, Winnipeg Jets 0

Players to Watch:

Winnipeg: Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien, Patrik Laine, Connor Hellebuyck, Kyle Connor

St. Louis: Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O'Reilly, Jordan Binnington, Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko, Brayden Schenn

X-Factor:

Winnipeg: Mark Scheifele 

St. Louis: Jordan Binnington

Team Leaders:

Goals: Mark Scheifele (WPG) - 38, Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) - 33
Assists: Blake Wheeler (WPG) - 71, Ryan O'Reilly (STL) - 49
Points: Blake Wheeler (WPG) - 91, Ryan O'Reilly (STL) - 77
Wins: Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) - 34, Jordan Binnington (STL) - 24
Goals Against Average: Jordan Binnington (STL) - 1.89, Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) - 2.90
Save Percentage: Jordan Binnington (STL) - .927, Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) - .913

Prediction: The Central Division is loaded with big, talented teams and this Jets/Blues 1st round series is proof of that. Much like the Vegas/San Jose series above, this is two evenly matched teams that makes for a very exciting series. While I do believe the Blues have what it takes to pull off the upset, I'm giving the slight edge to the Jets.

(JETS IN 7)


This would have Colorado, Nashville, Vegas and Winnipeg advancing to the next round. The match ups would be as follows:

#1 Nashville Predators vs #2 Winnipeg Jets

#2 San Jose Sharks vs WC #2 Colorado Avalanche

Here is a look at the full playoff bracket:

Playoffs begin at 7pm tonight. Best time of the year!

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

The Forman Files: World Juniors - Canada's Unrealistic Expectations and Reactions

Let me start off by stating that I absolutely love the World Juniors, always have since I was a little kid. Watching the World Juniors is a holiday family tradition in the Forman household, and some of my fondest hockey memories growing up happened at this tournament. There's something about the level of intensity and passion that these 16-19 year old kids bring, some on the cusp of their own professional careers, all trying to bring home a gold medal for their country. As I have grown up my passion for the tournament remains, but my attention has shifted towards identifying future NHL talent on all teams rather than just solely focusing on Team Canada. Ofcourse every year the entire nation wants and expects Canada to win Gold, sometimes at at unhealthy rate, and that was created some controversy over the last few years that really casts a negative shadow on the tournament. Before I dive into this, just want to go back and list my favourite World Juniors memories:

2003 World Juniors: At 12 years old my earliest memories of the tournament was watching a guy by the name of Jordin Tootoo buzzing around the ice for Team Canada. The "Tootoo Train" as he was dubbed in that tournament sent fans in a frenzy with his bone-crushing hits and he became an instant favourite for my younger brother Kyle and myself. Canada would lose a close 3-2 game in the Gold Medal to Russia.

2004 World Juniors: Canada loses 4-3 to USA in heartbreaking fashion, with USA coming back from 3-0 down including Marc-Andre Fleury shooting the puck off Patrick O'Sullivan and into his own net for the tournament-winning goal. I remember being in Grade 7 English class and our teacher had a portable radio and gave us live score updates on the chalk board, safe to say we were all devastated.

2005 World Juniors: The Dream Team. With the NHL on lockout Hockey Canada assembled perhaps the best team that you will ever see at this tournament. The names speak for themselves: Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron, Jeff Carter, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Mike Richards, Shea Weber, Dion Phaneuf and Brent Seabrook to name a few. Canada went 6-0 and outscored their opponents 41-7 in the tournament, including a 6-1 stomping of Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and the Russians in the Gold Medal game. I remember being on my Grade 8 dog-sledding trip in Algonquin park and watching this game in the hotel the night before our trip started with a few of my buddies. This was the first of 5-straight gold medal wins for Canada and one of my fondest memories of the tournament.

2007 World Juniors: The tournament where Jonathan Toews made a name for himself on the big stage, well before he was winning 3 Stanley Cups in 6 years in Chicago. Canada again went undefeated in the tournament at 6-0 including beating the Russians 4-2 in the Gold Medal game, but it was Toews heroics in the semifinals that stands out 10+ years later. With the score tied 1-1 after OT Canada and USA headed to a shootout, Jonathan Toews went 3 for 3 on his attempts and Carey Price stopped Peter Mueller in round 7 to send Canada to the finals. Here's a look at Toews heroics:

2008 World Juniors: Canada wins its 4th straight World Juniors gold in dramatic fashion, as Matt Halischuk scored in OT of the finals to beat Sweden 3-2. While not as stacked as the 2005 Dream Team, the 2008 group was underrated and loaded with future NHL talent: Drew Doughty, Claude Giroux, PK Subban, John Tavares, Brad Marchand, Steven Stamkos, Wayne Simmonds and Kyle Turris to name a few.

2009 World Juniors: The Drive for Five. Probably the peak of my World Juniors obsession, Jordan Eberle became an instant Canadian hockey hero. Canada went undefeated at 4-0 in the preliminary round and outscored their opponents 35-6, but in a tight game with Russia in the semifinals found themselves down 5-4 with under a minute remaining. With just 5.4 seconds left Jordan Eberle sends a backhand into the net and the crowd in Vancouver into a frenzy, with Gord Miller saying his now iconic "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?" quote after the goal (still gives me goosebumps). Canada would go on to win the game in a shootout and defeat Sweden 5-1 in the finals to win their 5th straight Gold. Here is the famous Eberle goal:

2010 World Juniors: With rivals Canada and USA going head to head for the Gold medal, Jordan Eberle is at it again as Canada comes back from down 5-3 with under 3 minutes left with Eberle scoring both goals. Eberle went on to hit the post in overtime which would have given him a hat trick and the golden goal, but luck didn't go Canada's way and minutes later on an odd-man rush John Carlson ripped one past Martin Jones and USA would end Canada's 5-year gold medal streak in dramatic fashion. What would have been if Eberle had scored in OT...

2011 World Juniors: A year later Canada again finds itself in the Gold Medal game (for the 10th consecutive year) and lead Russia 3-0 after two periods. In stunning and shocking fashion, Russia went on to score 5 unanswered goals in the 3rd and steal the gold medal from Canada. Russia's top line of Vladimir Tarasenko-Evgeny Kuznetsov-Artemi Panarin was absolutely lethal in that comeback and no shock that all 3 guys are NHL stars now.

2015 World Juniors: After 10 straight trips to the Gold Medal game, Canada fails to reach the finals from 2012-2014, picking up just 1 bronze medal in that time. With the boost of phenom Connor McDavid, Canada would go 7-0 and outscore their opponents 39-9 in the tournament, with a close 5-4 win in the Gold Medal game vs Russia. After 5 straight years without a gold medal, Canada finally returned to the top of the hockey world.

2018 World Juniors: After a frustrating tournament loss to Patrik Laine and Finland in the quarterfinals in 2016, followed by a shootout loss in the Gold Medal game to USA in 2017, Canada returned on a mission in the 2018 tournament. In the first ever outdoor game at the World Juniors, Canada would lose 4-3 in a shootout to USA but that would be their only loss of the tournament. Canada would defeat Sweden 3-1 in the finals with Tyler Steenbergen scoring the game-winning goal with under 2 minutes left, the only Canadian forward who hadn't scored yet in the tournament.

While I do have a lot of fond memories of this tournament, the main purpose of this post is to also highlight some of the negative activity surrounding it the last few years, with particular emphasis on this year. After losing to Finland in the quarterfinals, Canadian Captain Max Comtois was sent death threats and hurls of insults on his Instagram and Twitter accounts for missing a penalty shot in OT. There are so many things wrong with this situation I don't even know where to begin, but at it's core people often forget that these are just kids competing in the World Juniors. I truly believe that Canadian hockey fans have been spoiled with talented teams of the past (as mentioned above) and it has grown to the point of unrealistic expectation that Canada HAS to win the Gold every year. For the purpose of this post, I have broken this down into three categories which cast a negative shadow on the tournament:

"These are Kids"

People often forget with how exciting the hockey is that the World Juniors is an UNDER 20 tournament. These are kids who grow up dreaming of representing their country and having a chance to win a Gold Medal, you can imagine the pressure and nerves that they already have to begin with. It's why every year you see such genuine reactions of heartbreak of players when their country doesn't win, something that most people are able to sympathize with. But in recent years with the influence of social media, players have been the targets of harassment and bullying and quite frankly its pathetic.

Any parent would be appalled if their own kid was treated this way, just because these are kids who are training to become professional athletes that doesn't entitle people to threaten and insult them like this. The social media influence on professional sports has enabled "fans" to say whatever to whoever they want, often times can be pretty horrible stuff. Which is why it makes me sad as a Canadian to think that people would send Max Comtois death threats because he missed a penalty shot, the kid played the tournament with a separated shoulder and laid everything he had on the line for his country. Let's also not forget that hockey is a just game...

Keyboard Warriors/Cyber Bullying

As I mentioned above about social media, often times the negative stories outweigh the positive ones in the sports world. With this Comtois situation, what in any way, shape or form does this kid (who's 19 years old!) deserve to be threatened and treated like this? Individuals who hide behind their computer screens anonymously are some of the scummiest people on earth, and my guess in this situation the people threatening Max are probably people who haven't played a second of hockey in their lives and would never think of saying anything in person.

It's a pathetic culture that we live in today where people believe they have the freedom and are entitled to say whatever they want online, often times without realizing the potential consequences. Whether it be a professional athlete or a teenager at the World Juniors, being in the spotlight doesn't enable fans to say whatever they want, and it's quite sad where it's gotten to that point. There's a fine line between being critical and being threatening, fans are allowed to be disappointed but making it personal and attacking players for not winning is not right. Period.

Competition and Unrealistic Expectations

When Canada won 5-straight gold medals, appearing in the finals 10 straight years, it reached a point in Canada where we expect to win every year. While there's no question we field the most talent year in year out, it's fairly obvious how significant some of the other countries have improved over the last 10 years. While it would be nice for Canada to win every year, the reality is that its not possible anymore as the talent level continues to rise in other countries:

-USA has grown into a powerhouse with the help of their National Development program, pumping out elite high-end prospects like Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Jack Hughes in recent years
-Sweden has won 48 straight preliminary games (12 years) at the tournament and has produced elite defensive talent the past few years in Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Brannstrom, Timothy Liljegren and Adam Boqvist.
-Finland reached the finals for the 3rd time in 6 years, and has developed elite high-end talent like Aleksander Barkov, Patrik Laine and Kappo Kakko in recent years.
-Russia seems dangerous every year and has produced high-end goalie talent the past few years with Ilya Samsonov, Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shestyorkin.
-Switzerland is competing for their 1st medal since 1998 this year and their program has really seen a resurgence in the past few years under eccentric coach Christian Wohlwend.
-Czech Republic had the top line at the tournament in 2018 with a trio of 1st round picks Martin Kaut, Martin Necas and Filip Zadina leading the way.

I think that as ugly as the Comtois situation is, this is a great learning experience for Canadians to lower their expectations and maybe take the World Juniors just a notch less serious. It's also important to note that these "keyboard warriors" don't speak for all Canadian fans, there are many more good then bad ones but it reflects poorly on us as a country when these things happen. Hockey is our in bloodline as Canadians and we are allowed to be passionate, but we must not allow our emotions to get the better of us and realize that these are still just kids every year...


-Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff