Friday, May 15, 2009
Second round wrap-up and conference final predictions
A decent performance: 2 points, plus 1 bonus point, for total of 3. Cumulative score: 8/12, 10 points.
Carolina 4 Boston 3. This was, aside from being a great disappointment, a surprise. The reason, I think, was the collapse of the Bruins power play. Claude Julien is a fine coach and did an excellent job all season with the Bruins, but I can't help thinking that he should have been able to find a way to adjust to whatever it was - collapsing in front of the net, it seemed to me - that allowed Carolina to shut down the Boston power play. I must also admit that I did not realize how solid the Hurricanes are.
Pittsburgh 4 Washington 3. I had this one fairly well handicapped. The problem was certainly not Ovechkin -he played Crosby to a draw - but the secondary players. Malkin played very well for the last five games of the series, while Semin and Green never produced. And of course in the 7th game, Varlamov cracked like a teacup. Again, I think there was a coaching mismatch here. But Scotty Bowman couldn't have taught the Caps to play defence when they haven't really done it all year.
Detroit 4 Anaheim 3. I had this one.
Chicago 4 Vancouver 2. Luongo Shmuongo.
And now, the next round.
Carolina 4 Pittsburgh 3. Pittsburgh has home-ice advantage, but that doesn't seem to matter. I think Carolina is a better team: they beat New Jersey and Boston to get here, Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia and Washington. Fleury can be very good, but Ward is better. He's the best goalie left in the play-offs by quite a margin. Pittsburgh has Crosby and Malkin, and Carolina has not had to face two top offensive players at the same time yet. But they don't panic, and they're much deeper than Pittsburgh.
Detroit 4 Chicago 1. Sorry, Hawks fans, but the party's over. Yes, Chicago has a lot of talent, they're hot, and they're confident. But they haven't faced anything close to the juggernaut that is the Red Wings, who can beat you any way you want to play it. If Chicago steals a game in Detroit they might make it interesting, but I think they'll lose both of the first two and the bubble will have burst - especially if one or both of those games isn't close.
Carolina 4 Boston 3. This was, aside from being a great disappointment, a surprise. The reason, I think, was the collapse of the Bruins power play. Claude Julien is a fine coach and did an excellent job all season with the Bruins, but I can't help thinking that he should have been able to find a way to adjust to whatever it was - collapsing in front of the net, it seemed to me - that allowed Carolina to shut down the Boston power play. I must also admit that I did not realize how solid the Hurricanes are.
Pittsburgh 4 Washington 3. I had this one fairly well handicapped. The problem was certainly not Ovechkin -he played Crosby to a draw - but the secondary players. Malkin played very well for the last five games of the series, while Semin and Green never produced. And of course in the 7th game, Varlamov cracked like a teacup. Again, I think there was a coaching mismatch here. But Scotty Bowman couldn't have taught the Caps to play defence when they haven't really done it all year.
Detroit 4 Anaheim 3. I had this one.
Chicago 4 Vancouver 2. Luongo Shmuongo.
And now, the next round.
Carolina 4 Pittsburgh 3. Pittsburgh has home-ice advantage, but that doesn't seem to matter. I think Carolina is a better team: they beat New Jersey and Boston to get here, Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia and Washington. Fleury can be very good, but Ward is better. He's the best goalie left in the play-offs by quite a margin. Pittsburgh has Crosby and Malkin, and Carolina has not had to face two top offensive players at the same time yet. But they don't panic, and they're much deeper than Pittsburgh.
Detroit 4 Chicago 1. Sorry, Hawks fans, but the party's over. Yes, Chicago has a lot of talent, they're hot, and they're confident. But they haven't faced anything close to the juggernaut that is the Red Wings, who can beat you any way you want to play it. If Chicago steals a game in Detroit they might make it interesting, but I think they'll lose both of the first two and the bubble will have burst - especially if one or both of those games isn't close.
# posted by Stephen @ 4:58 p.m. 
