2007 Playoffs!
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2007 Playoffs! (written for Hockeyleaks.com)
2007 Playoffs! Marc Valeri Hockeyleaks.com April 12, 2007
Hey guys. Sorry, I haven’t been able to write anything up lately, I’ve been mad busy from family to Easter and everything, so here it goes.
Islanders vs. Sabres. Buffalo should be the ones coming out of this series as the victors, as the injured $60 million question mark Rick DiPietro will be seeing a neurologist for his head. In the meantime, rookie backstop Wade Dubielewicz (damn, that’s hard to spell) will be starting for Long Island. Now, either Dubielewicz is going to be the next Cam Ward, or, he’s going to be a total flop because of his inexperience. I love how the Devils had that fall against the Isles to force the Buds to watch from the outside looking in, classy move from Lou Lamoriello. Marty Broduer, probably the greatest goalie to ever lace up skates by the time all is said and done, cracked Bernie Parent’s record of 47 single season wins with 48, and was benched in the Devils’ last game of the season so that the Isles would make it in. As Grapes said after the Leafs and Canadiens game (which was phenomenal, except that neither team can play defence), one day, Lou Lamoriello is going to need a favour from the Leafs when (if) they ever switch places in the standings, and he won’t get it. Anyways, Sabres over Isles.
Lightning vs. Devils. Definitely the biggest goalie mismatch in NHL history. Marty Brodeur, the best ever, versus Johan Holmqvist, with likely sightings of Marc Denis. Yikes. But Holmqvist has been confided in by the Bolts organization, and they’re going to go with him, and rightfully so – he’s the future of the franchise. The biggest question for the Bolts is whether or not the Big 3 (St. Louis, Lecavalier, Richards) can perform in the playoffs, and for the Devils, if their young guns can handle the pressure like the Oilers youngsters did in last years’ playoffs. Barring something drastic, I think the Devils are coming away with this one.
Rangers vs. Thrashers. Snore. Atlanta should take this one just because of how iffy Straka, Shanny, and Jagr (96 pts considered an ‘off-year’) have been all year, be it slumps or injuries. Henrik Lundqvist is nothing to bank home about come playoff time, and inexperience is going to play a factor in this series.
Penguins vs. Senators. YES! Nice playoff matchup. The next potential dynasty versus a team that has had talent galore for the past few years, but has been unable to beat the Leafs mentally. All of Ottawa’s problems are subconscious, because the talent and skill is clearly there. As for the Pens, inexperience is their biggest issue, as the team is loaded with youngsters – Crosby, Staal, Malkin, Whitney, Fleury, etc. and have very little postseason experience aside from a few vets. Fleury cannot afford to be inconsistent this year, as the Sens can be taken advantage of if Therien plays his cards right. I want to say Penguins, but I have a feeling that this is the year the Sens overcome the mental block.
Flames vs. Red Wings. With a team many expect to take it all, the Red Wings are either going to get knocked out here and now, or take home Lord Stanley – no middle path. The Wings are built to contend, and assuming Big Bert can play at 100%, they shouldn’t have a problem in front of the net, with Draper and Holmstrom helping out. The Wings’ biggest question is obviously The Dominator, and whether or not his groin can go 16 wins long. I also think that Datsyuk is going to break out of his playoff drought and show that he’s worth the money he’s being paid. By the same token, however, if the Flames can learn to play on the road, they should be able to take the Wings no problem. Like I said earlier, the Wings either lose here or win the Cup, and I think that Calgary is beatable this year, especially with home ice to their advantage.
Wild vs. Ducks. Another snorefest. I think the Wild should take this series just because of the speed they possess, and with Backstroms’ hot hand, they can take the Ducks. I really don’t see the hype about Anaheim – there really isn’t anything very special about their squad this year. Yeah, they’re good, but like Nashville, I don’t think that they’re Cup material. Gaborik, Rolston, Walz, Backstrom, and Demitra are gonna shine brightly.
Stars vs. Canucks. Canucks no problem. Marty Turco is terrible in the playoffs, and the numbers back that up. Giving Modano the ‘A’ doesn’t help, and I even like Morrow. But the issue is Turco – in the postseason, he chokes harder than a hooker on a Friday night. Dallas is going nowhere unless they dump the beachball-misser and put in Mike Smith – at least they’ll stand a chance with a rookie.
Sharks vs. Predators. The best matchup in the playoffs in my opinion. Both teams are evenly matched, but I think the Sharks have the upper hand. Both teams have great goaltending tandems, but I like Thornton coming through this year. Then again, Paul Kariya is golden come playoff time. If the Sharks go on, I think they can seriously contend for the Cup. As can Nashville, but like I said with the Ducks, I just don’t see it happening.
And the rest.
Toronto Maple Leafs. Hahaha. That was great. I loved the Leafs with all my heart back when they rocked – Potvin, Cousineau, Gilmour, Clark, Baker, Murphy, Berezin, Sullivan, Thomas, Yuskevich, Markov. The list goes on. Andrew Raycroft was good, not great, but not terrible. The Leafs defence is the issue – McCabe is flat out terrible. What a bad investment. Kaberle and Colaiacovo are by far the best ‘D’ men the Buds have, but they can’t play every shift. Sundin should have been dealt while his value was really high, but MLSE continues to believe that the Leafs can contend for the Cup every year regardless of who they have lining up for them every year. Pohl, Colaiacovo, Battaglia, Devereaux, Kaberle, and Wellwood were the best players for the Buds, hands down, with props to Tucker and Ponikarovsky. Anyways, the Leafs need defence and a new captain. As for the Habs, they were identical to the Leafs, where goaltending was good when called upon, but like McCabe, Souray is useless, and Andrei Markov has to do everything, much like Kaberle. Why Rivet went, I don’t know. But Halak is amazing, and don’t be shocked to see Aebischer get the boot for a tandem of Hip Hip Huet and Halak. Lastly, the Avs not making it brought a tear to my eye. Burnaby Joe, in the final years of his career, couldn’t make it in, and I’m a huge fan of him, Stastny, who ripped it up with the point streak, and J.M. Liles, both of which have potentially star-studded futures.
