Coming into the playoffs I had 3 Stanley Cup contenders that I thought were the favourites: Los Angeles, Chicago and Anaheim. Well they all lost in the first round, with the summer of redemption as the Blues beat the Hawks in 7 and the Sharks beating the Kings in 5. Here's a look at the 2nd round match ups in the West:
#1 Dallas Stars vs. #2 St. Louis Blues
Season Series: St. Louis won the season series 4-1-0
December 12th, 2015: St. Louis Blues 3, Dallas Stars 0
December 26th, 2015: St. Louis Blues 3, Dallas Stars 2 (SO)
December 27th, 2015: Dallas Stars 3, St. Louis Blues 0
February 16th, 2016: St. Louis Blues 2, Dallas Stars 1 (OT)
March 12th, 2016: St. Louis Blues 5, Dallas Stars 4 (OT)
Players to Watch:
Dallas: Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Patrick Sharp, Jason Spezza, John Klingberg, Patrick Eaves
St. Louis: Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Steen, Jaden Schwartz, Colton Parayko, Alex Pietrangelo, David Backes
Series Notes: -Much like round 1, the biggest storyline of this series is the availability of Tyler Seguin who remains sidelined with his achilles injury. He played in game 2 of the 6-game series win over the Wild, but re-aggravated his injury and remains out to start the series.
-With Seguin out, pressure will be on the trio of Jamie Benn-Jason Spezza-Patrick Sharp to lead the way.
-Brian Elliot was perhaps the best goalie in the 1st round playing remarkable against the Hawks, he will need to be at his best to stop the Stars who scored the most goals in the NHL this year.
-Kari Lehtonen will start in net for the Stars, but look for Niemi to play if he struggles.
-The Blues had a huge impact from rookies Colton Parayko and Robby Fabbri in round 1, they are my players to watch in this series.
-the STL (Schwartz, Tarasenko, Lehtera) line was dominant in round 1 and will need to be at their best against Dallas.
-Look for a big series out of both David Backes and Alex Steen
-Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester will log heavy minutes for the Blues in this series.
-Speaking of defenseman, John Klingberg leads the way offensively for the Stars and will need to contribute in this series.
Prediction: This is going to be a fun series to watch between the division rivals. While I like the Stars offense, having Tyler Seguin out is a huge loss. With that in mind plus the Blues with serious momentum in beating the Hawks, I think St. Louis will advance.
(BLUES IN 7) #3 San Jose Sharks vs. WC #1 Nashville Predators
Season Series: Nashville won the season series 2-0-1
October 28th, 2015: Nashville Predators 2, San Jose Sharks 1
February 6th, 2016: Nashville Predators 6, San Jose Sharks 2
April 2nd, 2016: San Jose Sharks 3, Nashville Predators 2 (SO)
Players to Watch:
San Jose: Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau, Tomas Hertl
Nashville: Shea Weber, Roman Josi, Pekka Rinne, Ryan Johansen, James Neal, Colin Wilson
X-Factor:
San Jose: Brent Burns
Nashville: Pekka Rinne
Team Leaders:
Goals: Joe Pavelski (SJS) - 6, Shea Weber/Colin Wilson/James Neal/Mattias Ekholm (NSH) - 2 Assists: Brent Burns (SJS) - 6, Shea Weber/Roman Josi/Colin Wison (NSH) - 3 Points: Brent Burns (SJS) - 8, Shea Weber/Colin Wilson (NSH) - 5 Wins: Martin Jones (SJS) - 4, Pekka Rinne (SJS) - 4
Series Notes: -The Predators beat the Ducks in game 7 on the last game of the 1st round to advance, while the Sharks have been off for almost a week after finally beating the LA Kings in 5 games.
-The Sharks are dynamic on offense lead by the core of Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Brent Burns and Logan Couture. The Predators have a very tough task at slowing them down.
-Speaking of Burns, he was perhaps the best defenseman in the first round with 8 points and will need to keep it up in round 2.
-The Predators have one of the deepest defense groups in the NHL, particularly their top 4 of Shea Weber-Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm-Ryan Ellis. They have a lot of work ahead of them.
-Martin Jones was strong in round 1 against the Kings but was shaky at times, he will need to be better against the Predators.
-The Predators need a big series out of Ryan Johansen and James Neal to win this series.
-Pekka Rinne was fantastic against the Ducks in round 1, he faces a dynamic Sharks offense and needs to be at his best.
-Colin Wilson is my player to watch for the Predators in this series.
Prediction: With the Sharks finally beating the Kings I think they are the team to beat in the West, and they will advance to the Western Conference Finals
(SHARKS IN 6)
This leaves the Western Conference Finals as the following match up: #2 St. Louis Blues vs. #3 San Jose Sharks Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff
I went 3/4 in the Eastern Conference last round, picking the Capitals Penguins and Lightning while taking the Panthers who lost to the Islanders. Here's a look at the 2nd round match ups in the East:
#1 Washington Capitals vs. WC #2 Pittsburgh Penguins
Season Series: Season Series tied 2-2-0 October 28th, 2015: Pittsburgh Penguins 3, Washington Capitals 1
December 14th, 2015: Washington Capitals 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 1
March 1st, 2016: Washington Capitals 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 2
April 7, 2016: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Washington Capitals 3 (OT)
Players to Watch:
Washington: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Braden Holtby, Evgeny Kuznetsov, John Carlson, Justin Williams
Series Notes: -Here we go Sid vs. Ovie for the 2nd time in the playoffs, first since 2009 where the Penguins won in 7 games.
-However, there is much more to this match up than simply Sid vs. Ovie, these are the two best teams in the Eastern Conference going head to head
-Battle of the Russian superstar center's with Evgeni Malkin vs. Evgeny Kuznetsov, they will go head to head in this series and it will be amazing to watch
-Braden Holtby was very solid in round 1 against the Flyers, he will need to be much better in this series
-Matt Murray will take the net for the Penguins with Fleury still out with a concussion. He was good in round 1 but has a much bigger test than the NHL-best Capitals
-Defenseman to watch in this series are Kris Letang for the Penguins and John Carlson for the Capitals, 2 extremely gifted offensive players
-Both these teams are deep on forward, we know the talent in the top 6 but its going to be the role players that make the difference. Guys like Matt Cullen, Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino for the Penguins and Jason Chimera, Tom Wilson and Mike Richards for the Capitals
-The Capitals have a tough task at slowing down the Penguins offense, and it starts with the core 4 of Brooks Orpik-John Carlson and Karl Alzner-Matt Niskanen
Prediction: The hype of this series is fantastic, really a great thing for the NHL. It's hard to predict a winner because I think the teams are so even, but for the sake of this prediction I will take the Penguins.
(PENGUINS IN 7)
#2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. WC #1 New York Islanders
Season Series: Islanders won the season series 2-1-0
November 28th, 2015: New York Islanders 3, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
March 25, 2016: Tampa Bay Lightning 7, New York Islanders 4
April 4th, 2016: New York Islanders 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
Players to Watch:
Tampa Bay: Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Ben Bishop, Jonathan Drouin, Victor Hedman, Brian Boyle
New York: John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Thomas Greiss, Nick Leddy, Brock Nelson, Frans Nielsen
X-Factor:
Tama Bay: Nikita Kucherov
New York: John Tavares
Team Leaders:
Goals: Nikita Kucherov (TBL) - 6, John Tavares (NYI) - 6 Assists: Kyle Okposo (NYI) - 6, Jonathan Drouin/Tyler Johnson (TBL) - 5 Points: John Tavares (NYI) - 11, Nikita Kucherov (TBL) - 9 Wins: Thomas Greiss (NYI) - 5, Ben Bishop (TBL) - 4
Series Notes: -Due to the Ducks/Predators series I had to wait a day to write these, so the Islanders won game 1 5-3 last night
-John Tavares single-handedly won the the Islanders-Panthers series with a brilliant 5 goals and 9 points in 6 games, including tying game 6 in the last minute and winning it in OT
-The Lightning dismantled the Red Wings in 5 games with ease, Nikita Kucherov leading the way with 5 goals and 8 points in the series
-Ben Bishop was rarely tested in the Red Wings series, he faces a much grittier Islanders team that puts the puck to the net
-Thomas Greiss continues to start with Halak injured, and he was very solid in round 1 against the Panthers
-The Lightning need a big performance out of Victor Hedman in this series, only 1 point in round 1.
-For the Islanders Nick Leddy was fantastic in round 1, he's a player to watch in this series
-Jonathan Drouin continues to shine in the playoffs for the Lightning, he's my player to watch for the Lightning
-A big reason for the Islanders success is their depth on forward, particularly their 4th line as Don Cherry calls it the "best 4th line in the NHL." This is Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck and they play a big role for Jack Capuano's team.
Prediction: This is another close series and I had a hard time picking a winner because I believe either team can win. With that being said, I think the Lightning will advance.
(LIGHTNING IN 6)
This leaves the Eastern Conference Finals as the following match up: #2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #2 Tampa Bay Lightning Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff
Series Notes:
-Biggest storyline heading into this series is the availability of star forwards Tyler Seguin, who missed the last month of the regular season after slicing his Achilles tendon, and Zach Parise, who is out indefinitely with a herniated disc in his back. Both will likely start the series in the press box but Seguin looks to be returning soon while Parise isn't.
-Jamie Benn lead the Stars to a Central Division Championship this year, after a career-high 87 points last year he had 89 this year (including a career-high 41 goals).
-John Klingberg had a breakout year for the Stars, with 10 goals and 48 points he posted a career-high 58 points.
-The Stars were the only team in the NHL this season with 3 30-goal scorers (Benn 41, Seguin 33, Spezza 33)
-It will be interesting to see who Lindy Ruff goes with in net, Antti Niemi has more playoff experience than Kari Lehtonen but they pretty much split games 50-50 this year.
-Patrick Sharp will bring a great playoff resume to the Stars having won 3 Stanley Cups in 6 years with the Blackhawks previously.
-The Wild head into the playoffs after a fantastic 2nd half, ingnited by the firing of Head Coach Mike Yeo/replacement of John Torchetti.
-Devan Dubnyk will need to be at his best in this series, the Stars scored an NHL-best 267 goals this season.
-Ryan Suter will be played heavily in this series against the Benn/Seguin line, he has a tough task at hand.
-Watch for the Wild depth forwards to make an impact in this series, particularly Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle and Erik Haula.
-Zach Parise will start the series on the IR with a nagging back injury (herniated disc). If he can't play at all in this series it will be a massive loss for the Wild.
Prediction: This is a very interesting match up between one of the best offensive teams and one of the best defensive teams in the NHL. Interesting to note that the Wild (#2 Wildcard) have upset teams in the 1st round as the wildcard for the past 2 years. While I think it could either way and will be a very close series, I am siding with the Stars as long as Parise remains hurt.
(STARS IN 7)
#1 Anaheim Ducks vs. WC #1 Nashville Predators
Season Series: Nashville won the season series 2-1-0
October 22, 2015: Nashville Predators 5, Anaheim Ducks 1
November 1st, 2015: Anaheim Ducks 4, Nashville Predators 2
November 17th, 2015: Nashville Predators 3, Anaheim Ducks 2
Players to Watch:
Anaheim: Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Ryan Kesler, Jakob Silfverberg, Sami Vatanen, Rickard Rakell
Nashville: Shea Weber, Roman Josi, James Neal, Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, Pekka Rinne
X-Factor:
Anaheim: Ryan Getzlaf
Nashville: Shea Weber
Team Leaders:
Goals: Corey Perry - 34 (ANA), Filip Forsberg - 33 (NSH)
Assists: Ryan Getlaf - 50 (ANA), Roman Josi - 47 (NSH)
Points: Filip Forsberg - 64 (NSH), Ryan Getzlaf - 63 (ANA)
Wins: Pekka Rinne - 34 (NSH), Frederik Andersen - 22 (ANA)
Shutouts: John Gibson - 4 (ANA), Pekka Rinne - 4 (NSH)
Series Notes:
-The Ducks enter this series having been one of the best teams in the NHL in the 2nd half, capping it off with their 4th straight Pacific Division title under Bruce Boudreau.
-As usual, the Ducks will be lead in this series by the dynamic duo of Ryan Getlaf and Corey Perry.
-The Ducks will need a strong offensive showing from their depth forwards, guys like Jamie McGinn, Andrew Cogliano, Jakob Silfverberg to name a few.
-With the Predators focusing on shutting down the Getzlaf line, their will be a lot of pressure for Ryan Kesler to produce in this series.
-Will be interesting to watch the Ducks goalie decisions, I can imagine Boudreau will start with Gibson but Andersen will be ready in needed to be called upon.
-Look for the young Ducks D to be active in the offense in this series, guys like Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm.
-The Predators will rely heavily on Pekka Rinne to weather the storm of the Ducks offensive attack in this series.
-Shea Weber and Roman Josi will need to be at their best in this series, both offensively and defensively. They will be on the ice everytime Getzlaf or Perry is on.
-If the Predators want to pull off an upset in this series, the trio of Ryan Johansen-James Neal-Filip Forsberg will need to outscore the Ducks top guns.
-Look for the Predators to also be active on D, not just Weber and Josi but also Ryan Ellis and Matthias Ekholm as well.
Prediction: The Ducks are too strong and deep to lose in the 1st round, they will be too much for the Predators to handle
(DUCKS IN 5)
#2 St. Louis Blues vs. #3 Chicago Blackhawks
Season Series: St. Louis won the season series 3-2-0
November 4, 2015: St. Louis Blues 6, Chicago Blackhawks 5 (OT)
November 14, 2015: Chicago Blackhawks 4, St. Louis Blues 2
January 24, 2016: Chicago Blackhawks 2, St. Louis Blues 0
March 9, 2016: St. Louis Blues 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (SO)
April 7, 2016: St. Louis Blues 2, Chicago Blackhawks 1 (OT)
Players to Watch:
St. Louis: Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Steen, Jaden Schwartz, David Backes, Kevin Shattenkirk, Colton Parayko
Chicago: Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Artemi Panarin, Brent Seabrook, Andrew Ladd, Duncan Keith
X-Factor:
St. Louis: Vladimir Tarasenko
Chicago: Patrick Kane
Team Leaders:
Goals: Patrick Kane - 46 (CHI), Vladimir Tarasenko - 40 (STL)
Assists: Patrick Kane - 60 (CHI), Paul Stastny - 39 (STL)
Points: Patrick Kane - 106 (CHI), Vladimir Tarasenko - 74 (STL)
Wins: Corey Crawford - 35 (CHI), Jake Allen - 26 (STL)
Shutouts: Corey Crawford - 7 (CHI), Jake Allen - 6 (STL)
Series Notes:
-Here we go again, another rivarly series between the Hawks and Blues who clash in the 1st round for the 2nd time in 3 years. History tells us the Hawks will win, but this matchup is always intriguing.
-Top storyline heading into the series is Duncan Keith being suspended for game #1.
-The top match up to watch in this series is sniper vs sniper, Patrick Kane vs. Vladimir Tarasenko. They were only two of four players in the NHL this season to score 40 goals, look for both to be at their best in this series.
-The Blues will need their top forwards to score in bunches to win this series, especially Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Alex Steen and David Backes.
-Look for the Blues to be very active offensively between Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk and emerging rookie Colton Parayko.
-Brian Elliott will likely get the start in net for the Blues, but Jake Allen is in the waiting if Elliott struggles (as he has in the past). Both goalies had great seasons for the Blues, but the Blackhawks create headaches for goalies and we could see Hitchcock change things up at some point.
-The Blackhawks enter this series having won the Stanley Cup 3 of the lat 6 years, including being the defending champions.
-Patrick Kane was the best player in the NHL this season, leading the NHL with 106 points (career-high 46 goals and 106 points). He's primed for another successful playoff run
-The line of Kane-Artem Anisimov-Artemi Panarin was one of the best in the NHL this season, will be interesting to see their impact in this series.
-With the addition Andrew Ladd the Hawks have a dominant top 6. In addition to the Kane line they have the Ladd-Toews-Hossa line.
-Look for the Hawks depth forwards to make an impact too, particularly Andrew Shaw, Teuvo Teravainen, Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann.
-Once Keith returns from his suspension, look for the reigning Conn Smythe winner and his D-partner Brent Seabrook to have another great playoffs.
Prediction: At this point, after 3 Stanley Cups in 6 years, I can't bet against the Blackhawks. The Blues must be shaking their head for getting the Hawks again, and they will be outmatched in this series.
(BLACKHAWKS IN 6)
#2 Los Angeles Kings vs. #3 San Jose Sharks
Season Series: San Jose won the season series 3-1-1
October 7, 2015: San Jose Sharks 5, Los Angeles Kings 1
October 22, 2015: Los Angeles Kings 4, San Jose Sharks 1
December 22. 2015: San Jose Sharks 5, Los Angeles Kings 3
January 24, 2016: Los Angeles Kings 3, San Jose Sharks 2 (OT)
March 28, 2016: San Jose Sharks 5, Los Angeles Kings 2
Players to Watch:
Los Angeles: Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Milan Lucic, Tyler Toffoli
San Jose: Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau, Joel Ward
Team Leaders:
Goals: Joe Pavelski - 38 (SJS), Tyler Toffoli - 31 (LAK)
Assists: Joe Thornton - 63 (SJS), Anze Kopitar - 49 (LAK)
Points: Joe Thornton - 82 (SJS), Anze Kopitar - 74 (LAK)
Wins: Jonathan Quick - 40 (LAK), Martin Jones - 37 (SJS)
Shutouts: Martin Jones - 6 (SJS), Jonathan Quick - 5 (LAK)
X-Factor:
Los Angeles: Jonathan Quick
San Jose: Brent Burns
Series Notes:
-This is my 2nd most anticipated series, and the series that could be the most physical in the 1st round.
-This series also has my two favourite defenseman in the NHL right now in Drew Doughty and Brent Burns.
-The Kings enter this series lead by goaltender Jonathan Quick, fresh off a career-high 40 wins.
-As always look for Drew Doughty to lead the Kings in this series, he will play top minutes against the Thornton/Pavelski line and offensively as well.
-The Kings will rely on their top 6 forwards of Carter, Kopitar, Lucic, Toffoli, Pearson and Brown to produce in this series. The Sharks are a strong offensive team and they need to match them.
-Jake Muzzin and Alec Martinez both emerged as breakout players during the Kings 2014 Stanley Cup run, look for them to contribute offensively in this series.
-My sleeper in this series is Vinny Lecavalier, he has found his game again under Darryl Sutter and has valuable playoff experience.
-The Sharks enter this series lead by Jumbo Joe Thornton, fresh off one of the best years of his career with 82 points.
-Martin Jones had a career-high 37 wins this season, 3rd in the NHL. He get's a shot at his former team and former goalie-partner in Jonathan Quick.
-Much like the Kings, the Sharks will rely heavily on their top 6 forwards to produce, These are Thornton, Pavelski, Couture, Marleau, Hertl and Ward.
-The Sharks will need a big offensive impact from Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic to win this series.
Prediction: Kings and Sharks will faceoff in a heavyweight clash for the 2nd time in 3 years. We all remember in 2014 when the Sharks went up 3-0, only to lose 4 straight to the Kings who would go on to win the Stanley Cup. As I mentioned with Chicago, very hard for me to bet against LA even though I want San Jose to win. Ultimately, lead by Jonathan Quick, the Kings will move on.
(KINGS IN 6)
This would have Dallas, Anaheim, Chicago and Los Angeles moving on to the next round. The match ups would be as follows:
#1 Dallas Stars vs. #3 Chicago Blackhawks
#1 Anaheim Ducks vs. #2 Los Angeles Kings
To get you pumped up for the playoffs, watch this commercial:
The 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs start on Wednesday night, and with that being said here is a look at the Eastern Conference playoff picture:
#1 Washington Capitals vs. WC #2 Philadelphia Flyers
Season Series: Season series tied 2-0-2
November 12, 2015: Washington Capitals 5, Philadelphia Flyers 2
January 27, 2016: Philadelphia Flyers 4, Washington Capitals 3 (OT)
February 7, 2016: Washington Capitals 3, Philadelphia Flyers 2
March 30, 2016: Philadelphia Flyers 2, Washington Capitals 1 (SO)
Philadelphia: Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, Shayne Gostisbehere, Jakub Voracek, Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier
X-Factor:
Washington: Alex Ovechkin
Philadelphia: Claude Giroux
Team Leaders:
Goals: Alex Ovechkin - 50 (WSH), Wayne Simmonds - 32 (PHI)
Assists: Evgeny Kuznetosv - 57 (WSH), Claude Giroux - 45 (PHI)
Points: Evgeny Kuznetsov - 77 (WSH), Claude Giroux - 67 (PHI)
Wins: Braden Holtby - 48 (WSH), Steve Mason - 23 (PHI)
Shutouts: Steve Mason - 4 (PHI), Braden Holtby - 3 (WSH)
Series Notes:
-This is by far my most anticipated series to watch, I can't wait for it to begin.
-The Capitals enter this series having been the best team in the NHL this season with 56 wins and 120 points.
-Braden Holtby won a career-high 48 wins to tie Martin Brodeur for the single-season NHL record.
-Alex Ovechkin scored 50 goals for the 7th time in his career, and he did it in style with a hat trick in his last game of the season. Only Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy (9) have more 50-goal seasons than Ovie.
-Evgeny Kuznetsov had a career-year for the Capitals with 50 assists and 77 points to lead the Capitals in both of those categories. Look for him to make a big impact in this season.
-The Capitals added some very important forwards this season for the playoffs, guys like Justin Williams, TJ Oshie and Mike Richards.
-Nicklas Backstrom picked up 50 assists in a season for the 6th time in his career.
-The Flyers enter this series as the hottest team in the NHL right now, winning 16 of their last 18 games to make the playoffs.
-Emotions are running high in Flyers, as longtime owner Ed Snider passed away on Monday. Flyers will be playing with heavy hearts for sure.
-Claude Giroux will need to be at his absolute best in this series, and he has a history of excelling in the playoffs. The line of Giroux-Voracek-Simmonds needs to match the Ovechkin line in goal production.
-The Flyers will also need a big series out of their 2nd line of Brayden Schenn-Sean Couturier-Michael Raffl
-The "Ghost" Shayne Gostisbehere will need to keep up his production from the regular season and produce in this series for the Flyers.
-Cool story in this series, Sam Gagner is set to play his 1st playoff game of his career after 9 NHL seasons.
Prediction: This is going to be a lot closer of a series than people realize, the Flyers were the hottest team in the NHL down the stretch winning 16 of their last 18 games. However, the Capitals are built too deep to lose in the 1st round and will ultimately win this series
(CAPITALS IN 6) #1 Florida Panthers vs. WC #1 New York Islanders
Season Series: Florida won the season series 2-1-0
November 27, 2015: Florida Panthers 3, New York Islanders 2 (SO)
December 15, 2015: Florida Panthers 5, New York Islanders 1
March 14, 2016: New York Islanders 3, Florida Panthers 2
Players to Watch:
Florida: Jaromir Jagr, Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Roberto Luongo, Aaron Ekblad, Nick Bjugstad
New York: John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy, Cal Clutterbuck X-Factor:
Florida: Jaromir Jagr
New York: John Tavares
Team Leaders:
Goals: John Tavares - 33 (NYI), Aleksander Barkov - 28 (FLA)
Assists: Jussi Jokinen - 42 (FLA), Kyle Okposo - 42 (NYI)
Points: John Tavares - 70 (NYI), Jaromir Jagr - 66 (FLA)
Wins: Roberto Luongo - 35 (FLA), Thomas Greiss - 23 (NYI)
Shutouts: Roberto Luongo - 4 (FLA), Jaroslav Halak - 3 (NYI)
Series Notes:
-The Panthers enter this series having won the Atlantic Division, lead by the ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr.
-Jagr lead the Panthers in points this season with 66, and is chasing his 3rd Stanley Cup.
-Roberto Luongo had a Vezina-type season this year, he will need to keep it up in the playoffs.
-The line of Jaromir Jagr-Aleksander Barkov-Jonathan Huberdeau was one of the best in the NHL this season, they will be relied upon heavily in this series.
-The Panthers are loaded with depth forwards, guys like Reilly Smith, Jussi Jokinen, Jiri Hudler and Vincent Trocheck to name a few.
-It will be the first playoff experience for many of the young Panthers players, it will be interesting to see how Aaron Ekblad performs on D. The Panthers need him to be at his best.
-The Islanders enter this series as the top Wildcard spot after losing on the last game of the season.
-John Tavares will need to be at his best in this series if the Islanders want to win.
-Look for the Islanders D to be active on offense, especially Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy.
-With Jaroslav Halak likely out for the entire series, a lot of pressure is on backup goaltender Thomas Greiss to perform in this series.
-The Islanders have the best 4th line in the NHL with Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck, look for them to make a big impact in this series.
Prediction: Many people are writing off the Panthers as a fluke and giving them no chance, but I like their mix of youth and veterans and I think they could surprise people. With the Islanders battling several big injuries, the Panthers (lead by Roberto Luongo) will take the series.
(PANTHERS IN 7) #2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #3 New York Rangers
Season Series: Pittsburgh won the season series 3-1-0
February 10, 2016: New York Rangers 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 0
March 3, 2016: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, New York Rangers 1
March 13, 2016: Pittsburgh Penguins 5, New York Rangers
March 27. 2016: Pittsburgh Penguins 3, New York Rangers 2 (OT)
Players to Watch:
Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury, Patric Hornqvist, Nick Bonino
New York: Henrik Lundqvist, Eric Staal, Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Keith Yandle, Mats Zuccarello
Series Notes:
-The 3rd year in a row that these two teams will meet in the playoffs.
-The Penguins enter this series as one of the hottest teams in the NHL down the stretch, lead by an MVP-type season by Sidney Crosby
-A big storyline of this series is the injury of Evgeni Malkin, who won't play at all unless the Penguins move on.
-The line of Kunitz-Crosby-Hornqvist will need to lead the way for the Penguins
-The best line in the NHL the last month was Carl Hagelin-Nick Bonino-Phil Kessel, it will be interesting to see how they perform in this series.
-Kris Letang was one of the best offensive defenseman in the NHL this season with 67 points in 71 games. He will be relied on heavily to produce
-Marc-Andre Fleury needs to be at his best to beat the Rangers, and he's coming off a concussion so there's reason to worry for the Penguins.
-The Rangers enter this series after finishing 3rd in the Metropolitan division with 101 points.
-Henrik Lundqvist, as always with the Rangers, will be leaned on a ton to carry the load in this series.
-It will be interesting to see how Eric Staal does in his first playoffs for the Rangers, he hadn't been in the playoffs much with the Hurricanes.
-Rick Nash seems to always take his game to another level in the playoffs, after a slow season it will be interesting to watch #61.
-Look for forwards Mats Zuccarello, Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard and Chris Kreider to carry the load offensively for the Rangers.
-With Ryan McDonagh out with a broken bone in his hand, the Rangers will need a big performance out of Marc Staal, Keith Yandle and Dan Boyle in this series.
Prediction: This will be the 3rd straight year the Rangers/Penguins face off in the playoffs, with the Rangers winning both the previous series. However, even without Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins are playing too good right now and will overpower the aging Rangers
(PENGUINS IN 5) #2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. #3 Detroit Red Wings
Season Series: Season series tied 2-2-0
October 13, 2015: Detroit Red Wings 3, Tampa Bay Lightning 1
November 3, 2015: Detroit Red Wings 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 1
February 3, 2016: Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Detroit Red Wings 1
March 22, 2016: Tampa Bay Lightning 6, Detroit Red Wings 2
Players to Watch:
Tampa Bay: Ben Bishop, Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Victor Hedman, Jonathan Drouin
Detroit: Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Dylan Larkin, Brad Richards, Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar
X-Factor:
Tampa Bay: Ben Bishop
Detroit: Pavel Datsyuk
Team Leaders:
Goals: Steven Stamkos - 36 (TBL), Dylan Larkin - 23 (DET)
Assists: Victor Hedman - 37 (TBL), Henrik Zetterberg - 37 (DET)
Points: Nikita Kucherov - 66 (TBL), Henrik Zetterberg - 50 (DET)
Wins: Ben Bishop - 35 (TBL), Petr Mrazek - 27 (DET)
Shutouts: Ben Bishop - 6 (TBL), Petr Mrazek - 4 (DET)
Series Notes:
-The biggest storyline heading into this series (and probably in the NHL right now) is the recent injury to Lightning Captain Steven Stamkos, who will miss 1-3 month with a blood clot in his arm. Stamkos is likely done for the season and possibly in Tampa Bay for good.
-With the injury to Stamkos, the Lightning will rely heavily on the Triplets line of Ondrej Palat-Tyler Johnson-Nikita Kucherov.
-Not only is Stamkos hurt, but Anton Stralman is out with a broken leg too. That means Victor Hedman needs to lead the way on defense.
-The Jonathan Drouin saga was one of the weirdest in the NHL this season, and even weirder when he was called up after the Stamkos injury. Will be interesting to watch his impact in this series, I'm definitely rooting for him.
-Ben Bishop was one of the best goalies in the NHL this season and will likely get nominated for the Vezina. He needs to be at his best for the Lightning to win
-The Red Wings enter this series having extended their playoff streak to a ridiculous 25 years.
-Biggest storyline to watch for the Red Wings is the final playoffs for Pavel Datsyuk in the NHL, as he will return to Russia and join the KHL next year. This has been rumoured for years and isn't a surprise, but it's definitely sad to see the Magic man leave.
-The Red Wings need Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg to be at their best in this series.
-Look for the young Red Wings forwards to make an impact, especially Dylan Larkin, Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist.
-The Red Wings added Brad Richards to bring experience for the playoffs, it will be interesting to see how he performs.
-The Red Wings need offense out of Niklas Kronwall and Mike Green to match the Lightning defense.
-Petr Mrazek looked like he was the #1 goalie for the majority of the season, but he struggled down the stretch and Jimmy Howard found his game again. Looks like Howard will get the start initially, but I wouldn't be surprised if Mrazek get's in the net at some point.
Prediction: For the 2nd year in a row the Lightning and Red Wings face off in the first round. Even with the injury to Steven Stamkos, I feel the Lightning are the better team here and will beat the Red Wings in this series
(LIGHTNING IN 6)
This would have Washington, Florida, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay moving on to the next round. The match ups would be as follows:
#1 Washington Capitals vs. #2 Pittsburgh Penguins
#1 Florida Panthers vs. #2 Tampa Bay Lightning
With the regular season over and the playoffs just a few days away, it's time to look at the 2015-2016 NHL season and what players made an impact. The NHL awards aren't until June 24th, but if I were the one giving out the awards my choices would be:
Hart Memorial Trophy:
Winner: Patrick Kane
(82 GP: 46 G, 60 A, 106 P, +17)
There really is no argument here, start to finish Patty Kane has been by far the best and most dominant player in the NHL this season. He lead the NHL with 106 points, 17 more than the next closest player, becoming the 1st American-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy. He scored 46 goals and added 60 assists, both career-highs and lead the NHL with 37 PP points. Kane also scored 9 game-winning goals, 2nd in the NHL to Joe Pavelski (11). In a season where scoring has seemed to go down, Kane has risen above the rest and become the best player in the NHL right now.
Runner Ups:
Braden Holtby (66 GP: 48-9-7, .922 Save %, 2.20 Goals Against Average)
I'll talk more about Holtby in the section below, but what a fantastic season for the Capitals goaltender. He tied Martin Brodeur for the most wins in a season with 48 wins, and lead the Capitals to an NHL-best 120 points this season.
Sidney Crosby (80 GP: 36 G, 49 A, 85 P, +19)
Through the first few months of the season, there wasn't a chance that Crosby would be in MVP talk the way the Penguins were play. He couldn't seem to get anything going under Mike Johnston, and ultimately Johnston was fired on December 12th. Under Johnston he had just 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points in 28 games. Mike Sullivan replaced Johnston it seemed to light a fire under the Penguins, especially Crosby. He responded with 30 goals and 36 assists for 66 points in 52 games and finished 3rd in the NHL with 85 points. Crosby has the Penguins playing some fantastic hockey heading into the playoffs, and he deserves to be in the MVP race with his ridiculous second half.
Vezina Trophy:
Winner: Braden Holtby
(66 GP: 48-9-7, .922 Save %, 2.20 GAA)
Much like Patrick Kane in the MVP race, Holtby is the unanimous choice for the Vezina Trophy for a number of different reasons. To start, as I mentioned above, Holtby tied Martin Brodeur for the most wins in a season with 48 this year. In 66 games this year he had a .922 save percentage and a 2.20 goals against while picking up 3 shutouts. He really established himself as one the elite goalies in the NHL this season and he was a big reason that the Capitals were able to win the Presidents Trophy. Hotlby has played his way into starting goalie conversation for Team Canada at the World Cup of hockey in September.
Runner Ups:
Jonathan Quick (68 GP: 40-23-5, .918 Save %, 2.22 GAA)
While Holtby had a great season, Jonathan Quick had one of the best in his career himself. Quick won a career-high 40 games this season, with a .918 save percentage and a 2.22 goals against average while picking up 5 shutouts. Quick was a big reason the Kings bounced back and made the playoffs this season, they could be in for another long playoff run if Quick gets in Vezina mode.
Ben Bishop (61 GP: 35-21-4, .926 Save %, 2.06 GAA)
Joining Holtby and Quick in the Vezina talk is Ben Bishop, who has had 35+ wins in each of his last 3 seasons. Bishop won 35 games this season with a .926 save percentage and 2.06 goals against average and adding 6 shutouts. The Lightning have dealt with big injures all season (Stamkos, Johnson, Stralman etc) and Bishop remains a big reason why they are in the playoffs.
James Norris Memorial Trophy:
Winner: Drew Doughty
(82 GP: 14 G, 37 A, 51 P, +24)
I'll take some heat for this one for sure, and let me start off by saying I understand how good of a season Erik Karsson had. While Karlsson certainly deserves it and could very well win the award, in my personal opinion I believe Doughty has been the best defenseman in the NHL this season. I've said it so many times but I'll say it again; it's almost a shame he's never won a Norris before because he certainly deserves it year after year. You watch the Kings play and #8 controls the game, man is he fun to watch and I'm sure fun to coach from Darryl Sutter's perspective. Doughty logs an impressive 28:01 ice time per game, 3rd in the NHL to Suter and Karlsson. Karlsson definitely deserves it from an offensive point of view, but I strongly believe in the value of a 2-way guy like Doughty and I think this has to be his year. The determining factor to me is the Senators missing the playoffs while Doughty leads the Kings on another Stanley Cup run.
Runner Ups:
Erik Karlsson (82 GP: 16 G, 66 A, 82 P, -2)
In all likelihood Karlsson will win the Norris Trophy for the 3rd time in his young career, and this won't be a surprise to me even though I have Doughty winning. There's no denying Karlsson had the best season of his career, finishing 5th in the NHL in scoring with 82 points. In fact with those 82 points this year, Karlsson had the most points by a Swedish defenseman in one season in NHL history (Lidstrom had 80 in 2005/06). Karlsson also averaged the most icetime in the NHL this season with 28:58 per game. While he has taken significant strides in becoming a better defensive player too, the Senators had a bad year and missed the playoffs.
Brent Burns (82 GP: 27 G, 48 A, 75 P, -5)
Ever since Brent Burns was moved back to defense last season he has taken his game to another level, and he has become a crucial part of the offense in San Jose. Last season he had a career high 60 points, and he followed that up with a career-high 27 goals and 75 points while playing every game this season.The Caveman as they call him in San Jose, Burns has turned into one of the best two-way defenseman in the NHL and has really established himself among the elite group of defenders in the game. He logged the 7th most icetime in the NHL with 25:51 per game this season.
Calder Memorial Trophy:
Winner: Artemi Panarin
(80 GP: 30 G, 47 A, 77 P, +8)
This has probably been the most-debated trophy in the NHL this season, there are honestly 5+ quality candidates that in other years could all win the Calder. The fact of the matter is, had Connor McDavid not broke his collarbone he would likely be my choice for the Calder trophy (as well as everyone else). However, let's not take away the fantastic year that Artemi Panarin had in his first season in North America. Panarin scored 30 goals and added 47 assists for 77 points, good for 9th in the NHL, It was the most points by a rookie in the NHL since his linemate Patrick Kane had 72 in 2007/08. The numbers are overwhelming and Panarin has been the best rookie in the NHL for the entire season. The only argument against Panarin is that he really isn't a rookie, in fact he's 24 and was playing in the KHL since 17.
Runner Ups:
Connor McDavid (45 GP: 16 G, 32 A, 48 P, -1)
There's no question about it that Connor McDavid has been the best rookie in the NHL this season. Had he not broken his collarbone he would have been the clear-cut choice for rookie of the year, but he missed 37 games and that's some significant time. When he was healthy he was one of the most dominant players in the NHL, including the only rookie to average over a point a game. The Oilers had a miserable season, but with #97 in the lineup they were an exciting team to watch. He scored 16 goals and had 48 points in 45 games, including 5 game-winning goals. McDavid is primed to be one of the best players in the NHL very soon, and hopefully he can stay healthy going forward.
Shayne Gostisbehere (64 GP: 17 G, 29 A, 46 P, +8)
Probably one of the biggest surprises in the NHL this season, The "Ghost" as they call him in Philadelphia didn't even start the season in the league. In fact he missed almost 8 months recovering from a torn ACL and had to work his way up from the AHL and into the Flyers lineup. However, once the Ghost was called up he made an immediate impact and worked his way up to the Flyers #1 D. He had an incredible 15-game point streak, the most by a defenseman in over 20 years since Chris Chelios had a 20-game streak in 1995. In fact it was the 3rd longest streak for a rookie in NHL history behind Teemu Selanne (17) and Paul Stastny (20). He scored 17 goals and had 46 points in 64 games, including 4 OT winners.
Jack Adams Trophy:
Winner: Barry Trotz
Trotz is the type of Coach who could get nominated every year, but he has really done a fantastic job since he arrived in Washington last season. He lead the Caps to an NHL-best 56 wins and 120 points including the Metropolitan Division and the Presidents Trophy
Runner Ups:
Gerard Gallant
Gallant has really done a fantastic job in Florida since he took over as Head Coach last season, in fact they probably miss him in Montreal big time. He lead the Panthers to a 47-win, 103 point season including winning the Atlantic Division (only the 2nd division championship in Panthers history). Bruce Boudreau
An interesting choice for this list considering that many people called for him to get fired after the Ducks terrible start. However, as any smart hockey fan would have guessed, the Ducks rebounded and were the best team in the NHL in the 2nd half of the season. Boudreau lead the Ducks to a 46-win, 103 point season including winning his 4th straight Pacific Division title.
Bill Masterton Memorial Award:
Winner: Pascal Dupuis
(18 GP: 2 G, 2 A, 4 P, -1)
Dupuis was forced to retire this season after his battle with blood clots, but he attempted a comeback this season after missing most of last year as well. Dupuis is my choice for the trophy
Runner Ups:
Mats Zuccarello (81 GP: 26 G, 35 A, 61 P, +2)
Zuccarello had a freak injury in the playoffs last year when he took a Ryan McDonagh slapshot to the head and fractured his skull. Many questioned if he would play hockey again, but Zuccarello was ready for the season opener and responded with a career-high 26 goals and 61 points for the Rangers.
Jaromir Jagr (79 GP: 27 G, 39 A, 66 P, +23)
Jaromir Jagr continues to show his unbelievable dedication to hockey as he competes at such a high level despite being 44 years old. Jagr is such a treat to watch and is defying old age myths in the NHL by scoring 27 goals and and 66 points to lead the Panthers this season.
