411's NHL Playoff Roundtable - Round 2

Posted by Ken Schmidt on 04.25.2008

The roundtable returns to break down the second series of the playoffs as well as a quick look back at the first.

This is Ken Schmidt reporting to you live from Chester County Hospital! Not very exciting but I have spent about a week here after my appendix ruptured and now I am back after complications. Maybe I blew my stitches celebrating Joffrey Lupul's overtime game-7 goal or maybe it is normal like the doctor says, who knows. Either way we are back for Round 2.

Before we get started since I was in the hospital most of the week, and still am, I will take the time now to comment on a few words from the fans in the forums:

First Kerry writes I think people are grossly over-estimating the Sharks.
Yes, they have an almost obscene amount of talent, but their 'prime-time
players' (Thornton, Marleau, Cheechoo, Nabakov to a degree) have
under-achieved. I think people have gone overboard with the Brian Campbell
love... he isn't capable of doing what Niedermeyer did last year…..

People might be overrating the Sharks but I am sticking with them. Anyone who knows me knows I ride the top goalie and I really think Evgeni Nabokov deserves the Vezina this year. He also deserves his name on the Cup this year.

Darth Mortis writes one point to make about the Flames vs. San Jose that wasn't addressed.
Calgary owned San Jose in the regular season series, beating them 3 of 4
games. San Jose may have been the hottest team headed into the playoffs,
but they are facing the team that has killed them all year. Calgary Flames
move to the second round, regardless of how many games it takes.

Tough call on that one Darth but I respect that you went out on a limb. I didn't expect the Flames to make a series out of this one so I was wrong too.

Zinnigan writes
Great call on the Bruins-Habs series. It's refreshing to see 4 guys (who
apparently consider themselves experts?) can be SO off on predicting the
outcome of a series. The Bruins are not a finesse team; they are however a
tough team with a lot of heart and zero quit in them. Regardless of the outcome
of game 7 (and if I'm a Habs fan, I'm cringing at the thought) this has been an
outstanding year for an up and coming team. Bruins in 7? Don't bet against it.
For a team that is supposed to be 'vastly superior' they sure do flop and dive
and play like a bunch of prima donnas. Figure skates await if you lose this one
boys.

Your sarcasm isn't laid on very thick here is it? First off, all four of us picked the winner of the series so we can't be that far off and I still stand by the Bruins were the worst team in the playoffs, I mean they allowed more goals than they scored. The Bruins stink but the fact that the two were rivals made it a better series than anyone expected, that and the Canadians absolutely letting them up when the Bruins should have been down and out. I mean, the Habs played TERRIBLE in Game 6, they didn't show up at all.

That is enough for comments on the first round, let's get to the table for round 2.


My older brother is back again after having a near heart attack going into game 7. Dan went picked a solid 6 winners in the first series but didn't get any numbers right. At 6-2 (0) it's Dan Schmidt

My new number one enemy is 411's resident Canadians fan. We are butting heads this round as favorite teams clash. He picked an amazing 7 winners in the first round, but he shouldn't have doubted the Flyers. At 7-1 (2) it's Jason Chamberlain

He might be a 411 rookie but he's becoming well known in the roundtables, wrestling and sports. After not sweating the Penguins sweep he is starting to feel a little pressure from the red hot Rangers. At 6-2 (2) it's Robert S. Leighty Jr.

I might short an appendix but I am not short on opinions. Bringing this to you live on a post-surgery floor in Chester County with a 6-2 (3) record, at least I did the best with the numbers, it's the Sports Kid Ken Schmidt

Eastern Conference

vs.

Dan Schmidt Montreal in Six- Poor Scott Burnside and Pierre Maguire lost out on their dream ‘Crosby/Ovechkin' match-up and I couldn't be happier. Hockey is the ultimate team sport, but the NHL seems hell-bent on promoting the stars (like they do in the NBA) over the actual teams. But when most of your stars don't speak English, it's hard to promote them to the ‘casual fan' the NHL is so desperate for. Just another reason why Gary Bettman is the worst commissioner in all of sports (and yes, I know Bud Selig is in that group. Selig just ignored the destruction of his sport; Bettman actively participated in his.) Flyers proved that depth is the key in the playoffs, as the Caps struggled to get goals from guys not named Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, and Green. Montreal nearly shit the bed against Boston and if they take the Flyers lightly, Flyers will make them pay. However, Montreal is the worst match-up for the Flyers in the East. They never have an answer for Kovalev and Koivu. Plus, when it comes to the Flyers, it's hard to bet on them when the opposing team's players have that many vowels in their names. Flyers will do their best to rattle Carey Price, but I'm expecting lots of Montreal PP goals from guys whose names I can't pronounce. (Kostitsyn? Briesbois? Kostopoulus? Pleckanec? ANOTHER Kostitsyn? Can't wait to hear the Versus crew screw those up.)

Jason Chamberlain Montreal in Six- My beloved Habs made it through the first round after the Boston Bruins gave them a mighty scare and forced the series to seven games. Though I picked the Habs to win the series in five, I was never under the impression that it would be a cakewalk and sure enough, the Bruins made plenty of noise, stifled the Montreal offence and arguably outplayed the higher ranked Habs throughout most of the series. The Flyers, like the Habs, squandered a 3-1 series lead only to salvage it with a win in game seven. Eliminating the high voltage offence of the Washington Capitals took the same kind of hard work and defensive mindset that the Bruins employed in round one, and look for more of it here.

Will the Flyers penchant for goonery show itself in this series? It says here it will, especially once the Philly defenders start to get sick of being left in the dust by Montreal's firewagon style. Discipline will be key though, as Montreal had the best power play in the regular season, although it struggled in the Boston series.

Though some will look at Montreal's struggles against Boston and see a team that was lucky to get through and will be easy pickings for a more competitive team, I (with my bleu blanc rouge sunglasses, of course) look at it quite differently. The Habs are a young team that have to lose before they learn how to win, and Boston taught them a great lesson in the first round; that nothing is handed to you in the playoffs. It's a lesson they needed to learn and now that they have, and are still alive, it will only make them stronger.

Robert S. Leighty Jr. Flyers in Seven- The Canadians looked shaky against the Bruins, but to their credit they got the job done. The Flyers knocked off the Caps, but they almost blew that series as well. My reasoning for taking the Flyers (most hated team in hockey) is because I want to see an all PA Eastern Conference Final. Now, as much as I would like to see Pittsburgh vs Philly, I will say that if Montreal can pull this off, I will take great joy in watching the Flyers lose. I will be pulling for the Habs, but I just have a feeling the Flyers may continue their run. Prove me wrong Montreal.

Ken Schmidt Montreal in Seven- First I have a few things that I want to say after hearing Philly be bad mouthed by Chamberlain and Leighty. Washington Capitols fans made me sick and no one is talking about it. They cheered as loud for an injured Flyer (Thoreson's crushed testicle and Hartnell's tweaked knee) as they did for goals and when the Flyers won their players were belted left and right with trash. God forbid anyone talk about that but if it was Philadelphia it would be front page news. Let's conveniently ignore all that because it will be forgotten until a Philly fan appalls someone for something down the road and no one talks about this. Let's talk about the series though, Montreal owns the Flyers and they have for awhile, but this is playoff hockey. The Habs really struggled with the Bruins which was inexcusable and the Flyers have more depth and the best player in the playoffs right now. However, expect Kovalev to do his normal Gretzky impression against the Flyers like he usually does against the orange and the black. There won't be a single game in this series where a team wins by more than two goals in a single game and every contest will be tightly contested. This will be fun to watch for sure.


vs.

Dan Schmidt Pittsburgh in Seven- Tanking their last game worked out for the Pens, as the Senators proved to be a total mess. Of course, it's hard to tell how good the Pens really are after playing a team that quit before the playoffs started. The Rangers made easy work of the Devils in 5 games in a series that was a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be. This one is going to be a war, and series like that usually come down to goaltender. Henrik Lundqvist has risen to the top tier of NHL goalies while Marc-Andre Fleury has quieted a lot of critics with his stellar play since Ty Conklin went back to being Ty Conklin. The Rangers could definitely pull the upset here (and could upset Montreal as well), but I think the Pens will pull it out in seven, if for no other reason than to allow the fair-weather Pens fans at Penn State to keep wearing the Crosby jerseys they bought last year for another two weeks. You know who you are.

Jason Chamberlain Pittsburgh in Seven- Two very dangerous teams meet here and it'll only be a good thing for whichever team survives the Habs/Flyers series. The winner of this set will no doubt have to claw tooth and nail for everything they get. The Rangers are gelling as a team at exactly the right time, as evidenced by their five game ouster of the Devils, while the Penguins barely broke a sweat in giving the Ottawa Senators their walking papers. It's hard to bet against the Penguins with the offensive firepower that team possesses, but the Rangers are hardly pushovers. If there's a goaltending edge it goes to the Rangers, where Lundqvist won the battle over Brodeur in round one.

What viewers are guaranteed here is a hard fought, entertaining series that is likely to go the distance. In the end a winner might be a toss up, but I'm going with the Pens. I see the combined might of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin getting through to the conference finals, at the very least.

Robert S. Leighty Jr. Penguins in Five- These two teams should be well rested, and I think it speaks volumes that the Atlantic Division has 3 of the 4 Eastern teams left in the playoffs. The Pens seem to struggle at MSG, but that all changes this series. The lights are brightest this time of year, and I look for Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury to shine on Broadway. The former Pens won't get enough scoring to stop the new generation of Penguins. I would not be shocked to see this series go past 5 games, but I want another short series for my Pens.

Ken Schmidt Penguins in Six- Youth vs. experience will be the battle here not to mention the old Jagr vs. the new Jagr, Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins advantage here is the fact that the Pens haven't played a tough a real playoff game yet, the Sens laying down for them in four straight doesn't count. This one might be more high scoring than the Rangers hope for and that will be their downfall. Expect power play goals galore too.

Western Conference

vs.

Dan Schmidt Detroit in Seven- This was THE money match-up in the West for a decade before the lockout. Some faces are new, but many veterans like Nic Lidstrom, Kris Draper, Chris Chelios, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Adam Foote got to know each other VERY well over the years. Hasek looked like an old man vs. Nashville and Chris Osgood needed to replace him. Meanwhile, Jose Theodore was bombarded by the Wild and stood firm, posting a .940 save percentage. Theodore had one of the best series' of his career and will need to match that effort against Detroit, as Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg can fill the net in a hurry. This series will feature at least two overtime games, which bodes well for Captain Clutch Joe Sakic. However, Detroit has the smartest player in the league patrolling the blue line and if Osgood can be as consistent as he was in closing out Nashville, Detroit will be tough to beat 4 times.

Jason Chamberlain Colorado in Seven- I always love the underdogs, and I'm going with them in this series. As the runaway Presidents Trophy winners in the regular season, it wouldn't be a stretch to favor the Wings all the way to the Cup. But aside from that being boring, I do have my doubts about the club and they start in net, where a faltering Hasek and an aging Osgood are yet to prove (in recent years) that they can survive the playoff grind. Often the results of a hockey game and series comes down to the men between the pipes, and in Colorado there are no question marks. Jose Theodore has returned to his Hart and Vezina winning form of 2002, leading the Avs past the Wild with a streak of sterling performances. Complementing him were the reunited pair of Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg, who no doubt made the fans in Colorado reminisce about old times with their play in the first round. These teams always put on a show when they meet in the playoffs, and with a new generation of stars as well as old standards on both sides, it should be an interesting one.

Robert S. Leighty Jr. Detroit in Six- I had the 'Lanche losing in the last round, so I'll go against them this series two. This is a great rivalry series being revisited. Don't know how much bad blood still exists from the playoff wars of years past, but this should still be fun. The Wings big question is in net, but I still think their overall talent is enough to get past Colorado and into the Western Finals.

Ken Schmidt Colorado in Six- Just when I thought this rivalry was losing some steam they meet in the conference semi-finals where all the lost bad blood should come back to life. I expect the Hasek/Osgood combo to falter, which isn't unexpected. It is strange to see the Red Wings come in as the younger team in this playoff showdown with the young stars but the way Forsberg played in the first series it seems clear he is poised for the playoffs this year while Sakic, Statsny, and Smyth all played decent as well. Finally the MVP of the series will be Jose Theodore, as most expect, and this should be very fun to watch.

vs.

Dan Schmidt Dallas in Six- These two teams had very similar opponents in the first round. While the Stars looked pretty good against the defending champion Ducks, San Jose really had their hands full with Calgary. Seven games against monsters like Iginla, Phaneuf, and Rehger will take a lot out of anyone. The Stars limped into the playoffs, but dominated the Ducks for long stretches during that series. I couldn't believe how wrong I was in that one, after two games, I wished I could've changed my pick. Dallas outshot Anaheim in every game except one (a 3-1 Stars win). On the other hand, Calgary had San Jose on the ropes a few times, but let them back up. If Dallas can stay out of the penalty box, they might be able to put enough pucks behind Nabokov to win. Turco will need to top his performance against Anaheim, but I'm calling the Stars in an upset. San Jose was the trendy pick, the Stars flew under the radar, and we all know how that story ends.

Jason Chamberlain Dallas in Six- Give me another underdog! I picked the Stars over the Ducks and was right there, and I picked the Sharks to have an easier time with the Flames than they eventually did. Now that the victors are facing off against each other, I'm giving the nod to Dallas. Call me stupid (second thought don't - I'm sensitive!), call me superstitious, but I don't feel 'the magic' from the Sharks. Both teams are a few years overdue for a real good showing in the playoffs, and everyone seems to be picking the Sharks to go all the way, even to lift the Cup. But they weren't entirely convincing in knocking the Flames aside and Dallas had the greater challenge in ousting the defending champs. I see Marty Turco continuing to lock things down in the Stars net.

Robert S. Leighty Jr Sharks in Five- It took longer than I thought, but the Sharks came through and kept my Sharks/Pens Stanley Cup Finals prediction alive for another round. The Stars were extremely impressive in dethroning the Ducks, but they won't get bast the trip to No Cal. San Jose prevails in 5, but I would not be shocked if the Sharks get caught again and are pushed to 7. Still, I see the Sharks winning this series.

Ken Schmidt Sharks In Six- I still am not hearing Evgeni Nakobov getting the talk he deserves. He will be the best player in this series and he will be the reason the Sharks move on to the Conference Finals. The think the Stars overachieved against the Ducks and the Sharks underachieved but in San Jose's defense Miika Kipersoff played amazing. Sharks will handle the Stars in this one and I think they will break less of a sweat than they did with Calgary.