2013 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

In a shocking turn of events on the final day of the Season, The Ottawa Senators knocked off the Boston Bruins 4-2 and have greatly affected the East playoff picture. The Bruins loss means they lose out on winning the division, and Montreal wins it and finishes in 2nd place. Boston then slides to 4th to play 5th place Toronto, and the Senators with a win tonight moved up to 7th place and will face Montreal (they passed the Islanders who finish 8th and face the Penguins). With that being said, here is the first round predictions for the Eastern Conference:

1. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 8. New York Islanders

Pittsburgh won the season series 4-1-0, New York leads the playoff history 3-0 vs Pittsburgh

Players to Watch: PIT - Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Jarome Iginla, Kris Letang. NYI - John Tavares, Matt Moulson, Evgeni Nabokov, Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen

X-Factor - PIT - Sidney Crosby. NYI - John Tavares

Notes: It is hard to overlook the amount of firepower that both teams have in this series, but the fact is that Pittsburgh comes in as the heavy favourites. The Penguins are the best team in the East, and made some serious acquisitions at the deadline getting Jarome Iginla, Jussi Jokinen, Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray. The Penguins will rely on the supporting cast of Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Neal, Kunitz, Dupuis as well as the new additions and role players to lead them in this series, and they will need strong goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury. The Islanders come in as the serious underdogs here, there isn't much they can do besides take that underdog role and play as feisty as they can. The Islanders have a slight chance if 2 things happen: 1. John Tavares takes over the series, and 2. Evgeni Nabokov stands on his head.

Prediction - The Penguins are way too good and too deep to lose in the 1st round this season

(PENGUINS in 6)

2. Montreal Canadiens vs. 7. Ottawa Senators

Both teams went 2-1-1 in the season series, they have never met in the Playoffs before

Players to Watch: MTL - Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Plekanec, PK Subban, Max Pacioretty, Michael Ryder. OTT - Erik Karlsson, Craig Anderson, Sergei Gonchar, Kyle Turris, Mika Zibanejad

X-Factor - MTL - Carey Price. OTT - Erik Karlsson

Notes: The Senators shook-up the playoff picture beating the Bruins on the last day of the season, and they now will face the Montreal Canadiens instead of the Pittsburgh Penguins in round 1. The Canadiens win the division and head into this series as the heavy favourite. Montreal is lead by Carey Price in net, Subban and Markov on D and several good forwards including 2 top rookies in Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens will need solid goaltending from Price and goal scoring from all lines to win this series, as the Sens will be feisty. The Senators rely on Craig Anderson in net, and Erik Karlsson/Sergei Gonchar on D. They have Captain Alfredsson playing with Michalek and Turris, as their best player Jason Spezza has been out all season with a back injury. They also have a rookie line of Silfverberg-Conacher-Zibanejad that will be interesting, especially if they find chemistry in the playoffs.

Prediction - The Montreal Canadiens have much more depth than the Sens and move on to the 2nd round

(CANADIENS in 6)

3. Washington Capitals vs. 6. New York Rangers

New York won the season series 2-0-1, Washington leads playoff history 3-2

Players to Watch: WSH - Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Mike Ribeiro, Braden Holtby. NYR - Rick Nash, Henrik Lundqvist, Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan, Derek Stepan

X-Factor: WSH - Alexander Ovechkin. NYR - Henrik Lundqvist

Notes: Rangers and Capitals, renew the rivalry, 4th time in 5 years these teams have met in the playoffs. The Rangers beat the Capitals 2-1 in game 7 in the 2nd round last year, and the teams are set to meet again in 2013. The Capitals come in as one of the hottest teams in the NHL down the stretch, lead by Captain Alexander Ovechkin fresh off leading the NHL in goals with 32. Ovie looks like his elite self and is ready to explode in the playoffs, with a supporting cast of Backstrom, Ribiero, Carlson, Green, and Brouwer the Caps are primed for a good playoff run. Problem is they meet a strong New York team, lead by one of the the best goalies in the NHL in Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers also have Rick Nash, who only played 4 playoff games in his tenure in Columbus and is absolutely thrilled to get this chance. The Rangers are strong up front with Nash, Richards, Callahan and Stepan and will have a tough task with New York. The Capitals need strong play from Braden Holtby to be successful in the series

Prediction - The Capitals, lead by Alexander Ovechkin, march on to the 2nd round

(CAPITALS in 7)

4. Boston Bruins vs. 5. Toronto Maple Leaf

Boston won the season series 3-1-0, Toronto leads playoff history 8-5

Players to Watch: BOS - Jaromir Jagr, Zdeno Chara, Tuukka Rask, Brad Marchand, Tyler Seguin. TOR - Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, James Van Riemsdyk, Dion Phaneuf, James Reimer

X-Factor: BOS - Jaromir Jagr, TOR - Phil Kessel

Notes: The team that was the most affected by Sundays game was the Toronto Maple Leafs, as instead of playing the Canadiens they now meet the big bad Bruins in round 1. The Bruins dropped the final 2 games of the season to lose the division, and will head into the playoffs as the 4th seed in the East. The Bruins have a very similar roster to the 2011 Stanley Cup Champions roster, the 2 major additions are Jaromir Jagr and rookie D Dougie Hamilton. However the one biggest change is in net, as Conn Smythe winner Tim Thomas is no longer in Boston, the pressure will be on Tuukka Rask to carry the load for the Bruins. The Bruins are lead upfront by Jagr, Bergeron, Marchand, Seguin, Lucic, Horton and Krejci with Chara and Seidenberg running the D. Their opponent in the 1st round will be the Toronto Maple Leafs, who enter the playoffs for the first time in 9 years. The Leafs will be the big underdog in this series, but they are not going to go away easy. Lead by former Bruin Phil Kessel, the supporting cast of Lupul Kadri JVR Phaneuf, and James Reimer in net, the Leafs will look to pull the upset

Prediction - The Bruins are too much for the Leafs, and move on to the 2nd round

(BRUINS in 6)

This would have Pittsburgh (1), Montreal (2), Washington (3) and Boston (4) moving on
The matchups would then look as follows:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 4. Boston Bruins and 2. Montreal Canadiens vs. 3. Washington Capitals

This concludes my first round preview and predictions, I will be back for the 2nd round. The 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs start on Tuesday!

Joel Forman - Stanley Cup Playoffs 2013

2013 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Western Conference Quarterfinals

Its the most wonderful time of the year, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are just around the corner and I am back with my predictions. It has been a strange season in the NHL, with the lockout and shortened season it has made it extremely close and down to the wire. As I wait for the East standings to be complete with the Ottawa-Boston game tonight, I look at the Western Conference Matchups:

1. Chicago Blackhawks vs. 8. Minnesota Wild

Chicago won the season series  2-0-1, they have never met in the Playoffs before

Players to Watch: CHI - Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp. MIN - Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Ryan Suter, Charlie Coyle, Jason Pominville

X-Factor: CHI - Jonathan Toews. MIN - Zach Parise

Notes: The Hawks come into this series as the heavy favourites, having only lost 6 games in regulation and really dominating all of the West this season. The Wild just barely made the playoffs, winning their last game 3-1 over Colorado to clinch the 8th spot. The matchup is certainly intriguing, both teams have heavy firepower on offence and 2 good goalies in Crawford and Backstrom. However, the x-factor for the Wild could be injuries to 2 of their top forwards in Pominville and Heatley. Heatley is already done for the season, and Pominville's recent concussion is definitely an area of concern for Minnesota as they will need some youngsters like Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund to step up. The Hawks on the other hand will have the pressure of being the President's Trophy winners, and are looking to bring their regular season success into the playoffs

Prediction - The Hawks are too skilled for the Wild

(HAWKS in 5)

2. Anaheim Ducks vs. 7 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit won the season series 2-1-0, Detroit leads playoff history 3-2 vs Anaheim

Players to Watch: ANA - Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, Teemu Selanne, Andrew Cogliano. DET - Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Niklas Kronwall, Jimmy Howard

X-Factor: ANA - Ryan Getzlaf. DET - Pavel Datsyuk

Notes: This might be the most intriguing matchup of the 1st round, 2 teams that have won Stanley Cups in the last 10 years not to mention success this season. The Ducks had a phenomenal rebound year after a very disappointing one last season, and they had a very strong first half to secure the division and 2nd spot in the East. The Ducks rely heavily on their first line of Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan as well as the goalie tandem of Hiller/Fasth (although I expect Hiller to start in the playoffs). The Red Wings come in having made their 22nd straight playoffs, a remarkable feat for Mike Babcock's team. The Red Wings are used to being the favourite, and they definitely come into this series as the underdog. Regardless of who wins, this series is going to have some serious skill with both teams having top notch NHL players.

Prediction - The Red Wings are capable of pulling off the upset, but I believe the Ducks played too good this season to lose in the 1st round

(DUCKS in 7)

3. Vancouver Canucks vs. 6. San Jose Sharks

San Jose won the season series 3-0-0, Vancouver leads playoff history 1-0 vs. San Jose

Players to Watch: VAN - Ryan Kesler, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Derek Roy, Alexander Edler. SJS - Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Antii Niemi

X-Factor: VAN - Ryan Kesler. SJS - Logan Couture

Notes: The Canucks and Sharks have only met once in the playoffs before, with the Canucks beating the Sharks en route to the Stanley Cup back in 2011. The Sharks dominated the Canucks this season, winning all 3 games (3-2, 3-2, 4-1). The Canucks come in as the higher seed, but they have a lot of question marks and it starts in net, who plays? Cory Schneider has certainly made the case to be the starter, and will be given the nod for game #1, however the pressure will be on him to keep it because if he plays bad Roberto Luongo is waiting patiently like he has all season. The Canucks are not as dominant as they once were, and the goalie situation makes it harder on them to figure it out for the playoffs and avoid another 1st round loss. The Sharks have had an up and down season, but everyone knows the firepower they have on offence. The x-factor for the Sharks becomes Antii Niemi, who led the Hawks to the Cup in 2010 and had a Vezina-worth season this year, it will be up to him to carry the load for the Sharks

Prediction - For the 2nd straight year, the Vancouver Canucks are upset in the 1st round

(SHARKS in 4)

4. St. Louis Blues vs. 5. Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles won the season series 3-0-0, St. Louis leads playoff history 2-1

Players to Watch: STL - Alex Pietrangelo, David Backes, Chris Stewart, Alex Steen, Jay Bouwmeester. LAK - Dustin Brown, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar, Jon Quick

X-Factor: STL - Alex Pietrangelo. LAK - Jon Quick

Notes: This might be the most exciting playoff series in the 1st round, certainly in the Western Conference. Simply put these teams hate each other; the Kings swept the Blues last year in the playoffs and there was some serious bad blood throughout the series. This carried over into this season, where the teams met 3 times and all 3 games you could tell how much each team hated the other. The Kings have had big success against the Blues, winning 7 straight games back to last years playoffs. The Kings have the tough task of defending their Stanley Cup of last season, and no one will be taking them as underdogs this year. They will rely heavily on the goaltending of Jon Quick as well as their top 6 of Kopitar-Brown-Willliams and Penner-Carter-Richards to take them back to the finals. The Blues are just looking for some revenge, they had a great season once again but find themselves with a tough matchup against a team that has dominated them. The Blues have the goalie tandem of Elliot/Halak, and it looks like Elliot will be the starter at first. The Blues need strong play from the pairing of Pietrangelo/Bouwmeester (Bouwmeester's first playoff game in 10 years), as well as contributions from all 4 lines to beat the Kings

Prediction - Either team could win, but I believe the Kings are too strong for the Blues once again

(KINGS in 6)

This would have Chicago (1), Anaheim (2), Los Angeles (5) and San Jose (6) moving on
The matchups would then look as follows:
1. Chicago Blackhawks vs. 6. San Jose Sharks and 2. Anaheim Ducks vs. 5. Los Angeles Kings

These are my 1st round predictions in the West, I will be back with the Eastern Conference preview as soon as the standings are set after Boston-Ottawa tonight

-Joel Forman - Stanley Cup Playoffs 2013

Break and Playoffs

I will be taking a break from posting until the Stanley Cup playoffs, but I will be back with my 1st round predictions and more. With the Avs in the position they are with 6 games left, I have no reason to write about the games anymore (but I'm still watching the games). I am hoping the Avs get a top 3 pick in the draft. Thanks

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #40 - Colorado 4, Anaheim 1

The Avs responded to goalie J.S Giguere's criticism from a few nights back, and they played their best hockey game in over a month. Will Giguere's criticism cost the Avs the 1st pick? Maybe, but for now that isn't the most important they are obviously trying to establish something in the last 8 games. The Avs finally played a complete 60 minute game, against the 2nd place Ducks as well. The Avs got goals from Mitchell Landeskog Duchene and McGinn while Selanne scored the lone goal for Anaheim. The stats were as follows: Shots 28-22 Avs, Ducks won 34 of 64 faceoffs, Avs outhit them 31-20, and Ducks had 16 shot blocks to the Avs 15. Overall it was a great game for the Avs, one of the best this season, but almost too little too late at this point. I would rather them lose all the games and guarentee a top 3 pick then win the lat few games and get a worse pick, but obviously its hard for a team to completely shut down regardless of the their position.

Three Stars
3. PA Parenteau - One of the few consistent players this season, Parenteau had 2 assists
2. Matt Duchene - Duchene had a goal and an assist, and was the best Avs forward once again
1. J.S. Giguere - No one player stepped up more then Giguere, who backed up his harsh comments with 21 saves on 22 shots

Game #41 - The Avs play the 2nd of back to back games Thursday night vs. the LA Kings (@1030pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #39 - Calgary 3, Colorado 1

Another bad game for the Avs, and goaltender JS Giguere let his team have it in the post-game interview (http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/). Really not a lot to write about, the Avs had their chances but made backup goalie Joey MacDonald look like an allstar goalie. The Avs got the first goal in the game during the 2nd period (for the first time in so long) with Brad Malone tipping home his 1st NHL goal, but after that they stood still defensively and couldn't score. The Flames got 2nd period goals from Cervenka and Cammalleri and Alex Tanguay iced late with a SH goal in the 3rd. Stats were as follows: Avs outshot the Flames 40-34, Avs won 38 of 61 faceoffs, Avs had 26 hits to the Flames 12 and both team had 13 shot blocks. Giguere had a lot to say in criticism of his teams play infront of him, and I back him 100%. The veteran goalie is not happy losing consistently, and he is sick with teams poor defensive play.

Three Stars:
3. Brad Malone - Got the lone goal for the Avs, and had a game-high 5 hits
2. Mike Cammalleri - Cammalleri was the best Flame forward, getting the GWG
1. Joey MacDonald - 39 saves for the win, Macdonald was the difference

Game #40 - The Avs play next in Anaheim against the streaking Ducks on Wednesday night (@10pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #38 - Phoenix 4, Colorado 0

It is getting very hard to write about the Avs these days, as much as I am dedicated to being an Avs fan this year has been a big disappointment and its hard to watch them lose time and time again. On the bright side, only 10 games left in this shortened season and every loss brings the Avs closer to the 1st overall pick and a chance at drafting Seth Jones. This loss puts the Avs on a 4-game losing streak, and they are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games. Phoenix got goals from Mikkel Boedker, Martin Hanzal, Boyd Gordon and Shane Doan, while Mike Smith played solid in net making 24 saves for the shutout. The starts were as follows: Coyotes outshot the Avs 28-24, each team won 25 faceoffs, the Avs outhit the Coyotes 44-28 (Bordeleau a game-high 8, Malone 6 and Barrie Johnson and Landeskog 5 each) and the Coyotes had 11 shot blocks to the Avs 10

Three Stars:
3. Martin Hanzal - 1 goal and 1 assist for Hanzal
2. Oliver Ekman-Larsson - 2 assists for OEL, who was +2 with 7 hits in 23:11 of icetime, most for his team
1. Mike Smith - 24 saves for his league-leading 5th shutout of the season

Game #39 - The Avs play next vs. another struggling Western Conference team , as they play the visiting Calgary Flames on Monday night (@9pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #37 - Detroit 3, Colorado 2 (OT)

It seems that every game is ending the same for the Avs, no matter how much an effort they put in they can't seem to win 2 points, and at this point with 10 games left it isn't that bad of a thing. The Avs outplayed Detroit in this game, and a couple defensive lapses led to a few Detroit goals or else the Avs would have won. The Red Wings got things started in the first, as Pavel Datsyuk scored on the PP to make it 1-0. A few minutes later, the Avs 4th line would get it back as Marc Olver took a nifty pass from David Van Der Gulik and came in all alone, deking to his backhand and beating Howard. The tie would only last 13 seconds, as a Matt Duchene turnover led to Gustav Nyquist scoring to make it 2-1. The game would remain 2-1 through 2 periods, and the Avs really pushed the pace in the 3rd to try and tie it up (outshooting the Wings 16-6 in the period). The Avs would tie it up over 6 minutes into the 3rd, as PA Parenteau tipped a pass from McGinn out of mid air for the goal. The period would end tied at 2-2, but not before a massive hit by Niklas Kronwall on Jamie McGinn in the "Kronwalled" fashion (http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=72&id=236431&navid=nhl:topheads). In OT both teams had their chances, including 2 good ones by Matt Duchene, but Datsyuk would put the game away with 15 seconds left. Hunwick lost him in coverage and as Zetterberg put it to the net Datsyuk poked it past Giguere. It was a great effort from the Avs team, at this point thats all you can ask for is to play good hockey, and as they keep losing it puts us closer to one of Jones Drouin or Mackinnon

Three Stars:
3. Henrik Zetterberg - The Red Wings captain set up both of Datsyuk's goals tonight
2. PA Parenteau - Was the best Av on the ice, had the tying goal in the 3rd
1. Pavel Datsyuk - What more can you say about #13? He scored the first goal of the night and the last, and was the best player on the ice no question

Avalanche Misplay of the Game - Hunwick losing Datsyuk in coverage on the OT winner, just a horrible defensive play

Avalanche Play of the Game - PA Parenteau's goal gets it, his 15th of the season, it was just a great tip out of mid air

Game #38 - The Avalanche play the 2nd of back-to-back games, against the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday night (@9pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #36 - Nashville 3, Colorado 1

Another good effort but not enough scoring for the Avs, and they lose a tough one 3-1 to Nashville. The game featured 2 goalies playing well, as Rinne or Giguere wouldn't let a goal through the first 2 periods. Matt Duchene got the scoring started in the third, just blowing past all the Predators for a breakaway and beating Rinne. However, the Predators would go on to tie the game 8 minutes in on the PP as Hornqvist scored. The game was tied close to the end of the 3rd, but Legwand would put the Predators up 2-1 with 1:14 left. Paul Gaustad would ice the game into the empty net, and another tough loss keeps the Avs in dead last and close to a top draft pick. Stats were as follows: Shots 37-26 Predators, Predators won 35-60 faceoffs, Avs outhit them 25-14 and Nashville had 16 blocked shots to the Avs 14

Three Stars:
3. Matt Duchene - Scored the lone goal for the Avs, and along with Parenteau Landeskog and O'Reilly seems to be the only players playing consistent for the Avs this season
2. Pekka Rinne - Rinne made 25 saves on 26 shots, and really kept the Predators in this game with several big saves especially when down 1-0
1. David Legwand - Legwand had a goal and an assist, including the game winner late in the 3rd

Game #37 - The Avs play next against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night (@9pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News

Game #35 - Detroit 3, Colorado 2

Another case of a slow start and late push but the same result, a loss for the Avalanche. At this point it really doesn't frustrate me like it did earlier in the season, at this point how far out they are with only 13 games remaining I am cheering for them to finish in position to get a top 3 pick. The only positives for the Avs this point is the play of their core of young forwards, Matt Duchene Gabriel Landeskog PA Parenteau and Ryan O'Reilly. From a goaltending point neither Varlamov or Giguere has been that good, but they haven't had much help from an Avs D that might be the worst in the NHL right now. The first 15 minutes of the game were pretty even, the Avs actually outshot the Red Wings 10-9 in the first, but Abdelkader put the Avs down 1-0 early first knocking a puck out of mid air. The Red Wings would go on to score 2 times in the 2nd chasing G Semyon Varlamov after only 13 shots, as Cleary then Brunner would score. The Avs would get goals from McGinn and Duchene in the 3rd, and had several chances right at the end of regulation to tie it, but end up losing 3-2. Overall not a bad performance, and it must be very frustrating to be in the Avs locker room right now, but this season is winding down and they need to look to the future before the trade deadline (move Hejduk or Stastny?). The bottom line is that Coach Sacco is not getting through to his players, and I think that whether it is now or at the end of the season he needs to be fired.

Three Stars:
3. Johan Franzen - Franzen set up 2 goals and was strong all game for the Red Wings, as he continues his mastery of the Avs
2. Matt Duchene - Once again the best player on the ice for the Avs, he scored a goal, had 2 hits, 2 takeaways 2 shots in a team-high 23:35 of icetime for the Avs. Duchene continues to mature as a player, logging serious minutes and looking great for the future of this team
1. Jimmy Howard - 22 saves on 24 shots, the reason the Red Wings won the game as he made some big saves early

Game #36 - The Avs play the 2nd of back-to-back games against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night (@8pm)

-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News