NHL Playoff Predictions - Stanley Cup Final

The end of the season is almost upon us but not before a battle between two teams looking end long droughts and finally sip from Lord Stanley's Cup.

First, a look back at last rounds predictions:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

SAN JOSE #1 vs CHICAGO #2
Prediction : San Jose in 6 - $45 - LOSS

Once again San Jose fell short of the ultimate goal. When it came down to it, most of the stars were not the biggest players on the biggest stage. Thorton had a miserable +/- and Heatley was almost non-existant. When Nabakoov makes his next timely save, it'll be his first and likely happen in another teams uniform. Chicago came to play and worked hard throughout the series. Niemi proved to everyone he is more than capable of delivering a Stanley Cup to Chicago. Chicago's secondary players did a much better job than San Jose's and essentially made the difference in the series. It'll be interesting to see how the offseason plays out in San Jose.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

PHILADELPHIA #7 vs MONTREAL #8
Prediction : Philadelphia in 6 - $50 - WIN

I really wasn't surprised by the outcome in this series. I think Philly has way more talent than Montreal does and the Canadiens good luck was bound to run out. The fact that Gagne and Carter were able to return to the Flyers lineup made the task that much more difficult for the Habs. With their goaltending back to normal levels and with little scoring depth they were overwhelmed. The most disappointing aspect of the series is that each game was pretty much a blowout. Only a couple minutes of the entire series were played with the score close. The Flyers did a better job of grinding it out in the corners at both ends of the ice and that paid big dividends. The Montreal team that somehow shutdown the Capitals and Penguins skilled players wasn't capable of the same against a team determined to play into coach Laviolette's philosophy.

This round I went 1-1 (50%) with my predictions and $50 of $95 wagered (53%). Overall I'm 9-5 (64%) and $455 of $740 wagered (61%).

Now for the finals prediction

CHICAGO #2 vs PHILADELPHIA #7
Prediction : Chicago in 6 - $80

Two teams who took two widely different paths to the final. Chicago started on the season as a Stanley Cup favorite and gave no reason throughout the season or playoffs to doubt that. They easily won the Central Division and were at or near the top of the West all year. The dispatched each of their playoff opponents with relative ease despite facing some tough opponents.

Meanwhile in Philadelphia it was a story of streaks. For every long winning streak, a similarly long losing streak was soon to follow. A team that looked like a Cup contender had problems all year with injuries to significant players. A question mark at goalie coming in became a sideshow during the season as injuries ravaged the position. But just when everything was coming apart late in the year a castoff goalie grabbed from the waiver wire got the Flyers back in the hunt. It took them a shootout victory on the last game of the season to make the playoffs but with it they were given an opportunity to reclaim their season.

Frankly, I liked the makeup of this Flyer squad from the beginning of the season. Just the right mix of youth and experience and plenty of grit. There were some questions about leadership and chemistry but the playoffs have brought out their best. Like many my biggest question mark was goaltending. Was it enough?

The Flyers have had some good fortune in these playoffs. They manage to avoid the two offensive juggernauts in the East (Capitals & Penguins) and faced a couple of overacheivers (New Jersey, Montreal). This test will be a completely different magnitude. While I think the Flyers will be far more competitive than a lot of people expect, I think their goaltending will finally be victimized against a damn good offensive opponent.

Chicago may not have the experience of the Flyers but they present huge matchup problems. With high level skill 3 lines deep, the Flyers will be chasing them a lot. This is precisely the type of team that tends to victimize Pronger. While a big body in front of the net or at the point, one thing Pronger isn't is swift of foot. It the Hawks can get him chasing, it'll lead to mistakes and penalties.

The Hawks aren't short on grit and Byfuglien will give them fits in front of the net. While the defense is chasing the likes of Kane, Towes, Sharp and Hossa, grinders like Bolland, Ladd and Versteeg will sneak in on net. Chicago is also more dynamic on defense. More depth at the blueline and the capability to turn it around on offense may expose some of the Flyers less disciplined skaters.

But all is not lost for the Flyers. They possess a very good powerplay and a dangerous penalty kill. If Chicago makes poor decisions and winds up in the box the series could turn into a toss up. The Flyers cannot take bad penalties. If this means keep Carcillo on the bench, then it must be done.

The Flyers best chance lies with jumping to early leads, building confidence and keep the Blackhawk fans quiet. The Flyers must win on home ice and hope they can steal an early game in Chicago.

Here's hoping it is a great series and we can end the season with a bang. One team will get to raise the cup for the first time in 35 (Philly) or 49 (Chicago) years. To rapid fan bases are ready to explode.

NHL Playoff Predictions - Round 3

Just realized I hadn't made predictions for this round when I turned to watch the first game. I'll quickly get the predictions out there and try to fill in the blanks as time permits.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

SAN JOSE #1 vs CHICAGO #2
Prediction : San Jose in 6 - $45

EASTERN CONFERENCE

PHILADELPHIA #7 vs MONTREAL #8
Prediction : Philadelphia in 6 - $50