This feature has quickly gone to the dogs
After a less than impressive first-round effort, one Tely’s playoff forecaster puts his picks on paws
When it comes to accuracy, The Telegram’s NHL playoff predictors were not covered in glory after the first round of the National Hockey League postseason.
You might say they were gloriously awful.
Yes, just about everyone in the hockey world was shocked by the Nashville Predators’ firstround sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks, but that upset was but a partial contributor to the sorry 3-5 first-round prophecy records of Brendan Mccarthy and Kenn Oliver. Telegram Sports Editor Robin Short hit .500 in the first round, going 4-for 8.
Kenn feels his first-round performance makes it clear that his absence from the Tely sports department the last number of months has left him unqualified to make any second-round predictions. As such, he employed his version of TSN’S Maggie the Monkey, and had his dogs Patches and Stella make his selections.
The methodology wasn’t complicated. Pieces of paper with the names of the secondround opponents in each series were laid out and the canines were monitored to see which ballot first attracted their attention.
Neither dog was baited towards a particular team with treats of any sort.
Patches made the Eastern Conference picks, while Stella did the Western Conference selections.
Although just as desperate as Kenn, Brendan could not employ a similar method because he is not a dog owner. Two cats occupy his house (they would tell you they own it), but they lost almost all interest in the NHL once the Florida Panthers were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. They do have some leanings towards the Predators, however, and think both the Ducks and Penguins look tasty.
Here are all our (or our pets’) second-round selections:
Kenn Oliver Eastern Conference Ottawa-new York
Patches, my 10-year-old part Jack Russell, part Labrador Husky, parts unknown, was hesitant to pick either team. She’s not very curious in her advanced age. She eventually settled on Ottawa.
Senators in 6
Pittsburgh-washington
I like to think Patches was tuned into my desire to never see Ovechkin hoist a Stanley Cup, but more likely it was the Penguin in the team’s logo. Either way, this good girl earned extra belly scratches for her pick.
Penguins in 7
Western Conference Anaheim-edmonton
Stella, out three-year-old Border Collie-blue Heeler cross, didn’t know what to make of this game. It was no surprise that she chose Anaheim as she has an insatiable desire to chase ducks when we walk around the lake.
Anaheim in 7
Nashville-st. Louis
Stella, like most hockey fans this side of Toronto and north of the 49th parallel (with the exception of diehard Blues fan Seamus O’keefe) didn’t care about this one. Ultimately, she veered her sizeable snout towards Nashville.
Predators in 5
Robin Short Eastern Conference Pittsburgh-washington
Washington’s Ovechkin will carry his team on his back. Neither will collapse.
Capitals in 6
New York Rangers-ottawa
New York’s Henrik Lundqvist will stone Senators’ Erik Karlsson in a matchup of MVPS.
Rangers in 6
Western Conference Anaheim-edmonton
The experience of Oilers’ Getzlaf and Perry will be too much for the Oilers’ kids.
Anaheim in 5
Nashville-st. Louis
Flip a coin, but the momentum Nashville that carries into the series after sweeping Blackhawks may provide the edge.
Predators in 7
Brendan Mccarthy Eastern Conference Pittsburgh-washington
So much has been made of the Crosby-ovechkin rivalry, but it wasn’t forged in the playoffs. Even though they play in the same division, Penguins and Capitals have only met twice in the post-season since Crosby and Ovechkin entered the league together in 2006. Pittsburgh prevailed in both meetings to date and will do so again.
Penguins in 7
New York Rangers-ottawa
Even though he was reportedly playing injured, Senators’ captain Erik Karlsson looked very much a superstar in firstround ouster of Boston. But he won’t be enough of a difference in this series. There will be no national capitals in the conference finals.
Rangers in 6 Western Conference Anaheim-edmonton
Between them, Oilers forwards Ryan Nugent-hopkins and Jordan Eberle had one point in Edmonton’s six-game, first-round win over San Jose. That’s too much of an anvil, even for a team with the best player in hockey.
Ducks in 6
Nashville-st. Louis
I had Chicago winning the Stanley Cup. How could I not go with the team that KO’D the Blackhawks so quickly in the opening round?
Predators in 5