DAMIEN COX’S PLAYOFF PRIMER
As the battle for the Stanley Cup begins, our columnist looks into his crystal ball to give you his picks for the opening round,
Presumably, this is where the effects of Sochi will kick in. If, indeed, Sochi is to have an effect. No one seems to quite have a handle on this. One school of thought suggests teams that send a lot of players to something like the 2014 Winter Olympics — Chicago, St. Louis — will find themselves paying for that honour when the second season begins.
Then again, the teams that sent the most players did so because, for the most part, they have better players.
While there was shuffling and movement in the standings, nothing really changed terribly much among the teams before and after Sochi.
Only one team that was in a playoff position at the Olympic break failed to make it to the post-season. Sorry to bring that up, Maple Leaf fans. Of these 16 teams that made it, nobody’s like the ’78 Canadiens, and nobody’s particularly weak.
So take the following guesses, folks, for what they’re worth: BOSTON VS. DETROIT: The Daniel Alfredsson/Jarome Iginla storyline will be prominent, as will the fact this is the first playoff collision between these two Original Six teams in 57 years. But what’s
Alfredsson vs. Iginla among compelling storylines in opening round
really interesting is that the Wings beat the Bruins three times this year. Henrik Zetterberg might show up partway through the series, but if Gustav Nyqvist keeps scoring (18 goals since Feb. 2) Detroit might have enough scoring. Jimmy Howard against Tuukka Rask is a compelling goalie matchup. And the winner is: Wings in seven PITTSBURGH VS. COLUMBUS: Only three hours apart, perhaps this is the start of a rivalry. Penguins fans would like to think it will be easy, but having Marc-Andre Fleury in net for recent springs has meant nothing has been easy. Not having Nathan Horton will hurt the Jackets, as will the fact their best two players, Ryan Johansen and Ryan Murray, are 21 and 20, respectively. But Goalie Bob (Sergei Bobrovsky) might be able to steal a couple, and Pitt’s struggles in recent post-seasons might be there just below the surface. And the winner is: Can’t believe Pens will stumble again. They win in six. N.Y. RANGERS VS. PHILADELPHIA: Haven’t met in 17 years? Really? Well, then they’re due, and this could be one of the really entertaining first round series. Alain Vigneault, with his 1-8 playoff record the last two springs, should have an edge over rookie Craig Berube. Then again, the Flyers were 1-7 out of the gate and it was Berube who led them out of it. Well, and Claude Giroux, of course. Goalie Steve Mason might be nicked, which could leaving the ’tending chores to Ray Emery. Marty St. Louis delivered one goal in 19 games after being traded to the Blueshirts.
Rangers have won eight straight against Philly at MSG. And the winner is: King Henry gets N.Y. through in seven. MONTREAL VS. TAMPA BAY: The early story is all about Ben Bishop not being available. But this Tampa team hasn’t been about one or two players all year, not when Steve Stamkos was out, not when St. Louis wanted out. There’s something about Jon Cooper’s coaching that’s almost spooky. That said, Anders Lindback has to be up for the challenge. Montreal needs to get its power play going and the top line of Max Pacioretty, Thomas Vanek and David Desharnais needs to produce. P.K. Subban, suddenly, hasn’t scored in 19. And the winner is: So, so close. Lightning in seven. ANAHEIM VS DALLAS: Each team has a dynamic duo; Corey Perry/ Ryan Getzlaf for the Ducks, Tyler Seguin/Jamie Benn for the Stars. Benn was the perfect linemate for the two Anaheim stars in Sochi. Weirdly, Anaheim captured the west, but Bruce Boudreau’s goaltending isn’t quite settled. Might be Frederik Andersen in the opener. That said, Dallas isn’t a good road team and Teemu Selanne is creating a nice emotional boost in Orange County. And the winner is: Welcome back Stars, but only for five games. COLORADO VS. MINNESOTA: Tough break losing Matt Duchene for the Avs, and maybe in drawing the red-hot Wild as well. Ilya Bryzgalov saved Minny’s season, and now they’ve got a puncher’s chance against a young Colorado team that, don’t forget, won the draft lottery a year ago. It’s going to be fun watching Nathan MacKinnon take on the NHL playoffs a year after he dominated the Memorial Cup. Ryan Suter may have to play more than the 29 minutes he averaged in the regular season, and Minny’s weak penalty killing could be a problem. And the winner is: Avs aren’t quite ready yet. Wild steal one in six games. SAN JOSE VS. LOS ANGELES: So when these teams met last spring, the Kings won in seven and home teams won every game. This time the Sharks have home ice, and it could matter. Last gasp for the Patrick Marleau/Joe Thornton combination? The return of Tomas Hertl gives San Jose a welcome boost. In L.A. Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik seem to be figuring each other out. That said, the Kings lost four of their last five. And the winner is: Sharks have to get to Jonathan Quick this time. They will, but it’ll take them seven games. CHICAGO VS. ST. LOUIS: How, exactly, is this a fair first-round matchup? Somebody very good is going to get knocked out very early, and the Blues are the team that comes in wobbling with six straight losses and a whack of injuries. That said, no team has repeated as Cup champion in 16 years, and Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews were struggling with various woes in the final days of the season. This is what St. Louis got Ryan Miller for. Is he still up to the challenge? And can the Blues score enough to give him a chance? And the winner is: It sure doesn’t look like the Blues are poised to dethrone the champs. Chicago in six.