The 2007 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs began today with the eventual Stanley Cup Champion being crowned somewhere around Memorial Day.Here are some predictions on the conference quarterfinals matchups.
West:
#1 Detroit v #8 Calgary: As much as I would like to see the Red Wings go down, I do not think it will happen in the first round against a #8 seed for the second consecutive year...
..............Detroit 4-2
#2 Anaheim v #7 Minnesota: The Ducks have too much firepower and talent for the Wild to pull the upset, but all the games will be close...
.............Anaheim 4-2
#3 Vancouver v #6 Dallas: This should be a very entertaining series between two largely evenly matched squads, but the Canucks edge in the goal will be the difference...
.............Vancouver 4-3
#4 Nashville v #5 San Jose: This should be the best series in the first round in either conference with two excellent complete teams fighting it out in what will be a very close series with probably more than a few sudden death overtime games to occur...
.............San Jose 4-3
East:
#1 Buffalo v #8 New York Islanders: The Sabres should dominate the outmatched Islanders rather easily; a sweep is not out of the question.......
.............Buffalo 4-1
#2 New Jersey v #7 Tampa Bay: This should a close hardhitting low scoring series and I am calling for a Lightning upset because in this round there is always one that happens....
.............Tampa Bay 4-2
#3 Atlanta v #6 New York Rangers: With Colorado and Toronto out of the playoffs, I am holding the torch for my beloved Rangers, my childhood favorite team almost 40 years ago. So I am going to pick the Blueshirts to outlast the playoff debuting Thrashers who are led by Coach Bob Hartley, the former Stanley Cup winning coach for Colorado, whom I met at a Dairy Queen in May 2001....
.............New York Rangers 4-3
#4 Ottawa v #5 Pittsburgh: The playoffs most dangerous darkhorse team, the Senators, will have their hands full with the young and upcoming Penguins, but Pittsburgh is still a year away and the Sens pose the greatest challenge to the seemingly destined Sabres...
.............Ottawa 4-1
My picks for the finals continue to be Buffalo and San Jose, but Ottawa and Anaheim are my second choices and loom as conference finals opponents for the Sabres and Sharks. I am still calling for Buffalo to skate away with the Cup for a first time and somewhat avenge their stolen opportunity back in 1999 when Dallas beat them due to at least one powerfully missed call by the officials in the Finals that Spring.
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