With the Islanders' win over the Devils today in a shootout, the final spot is clinched and the matchups are set:
West: Calgary Flames (8) at Detroit Red Wings (1) Minnesota Wild (7) at Anaheim Ducks (2) Dallas Stars (6) at Vancouver Canucks (3) San Jose Sharks (5) at Nashville Predators (4)
East: New York Islanders (8) at Buffalo Sabres (1) Tampa Bay Lightning (7) at New Jersey Devils (2) New York Rangers (6) at Atlanta Thrashers (3) Pittsburgh Penguins (5) at Ottawa Senators (4)
As the Red Wings have proven in the past, this isn't the NBA Playoffs and no # 1 seed is safe in round 1. Don't think the Sabres are all that worried though.
I love my Rangers chances against Atlanta and I don't care that the last two CUP champs have come out of the Southeast Division.
Pens/Sens, Canucks/Stars & Sharks/Preds are 3 great first round matchups. Tampa may be the one #7 seed that the devils did not want to face.
Drop the puck ! We have trains to catch !
EDIT for Predictions - 4/10
Eastern Conference
Buffalo(1) over Fishstix(8) in 5 Tampa Bay(7) over devils(2) in 7 Rangers(6) over Thrashers(3) in 6 Sens(4) over Pens(5) in 7
Buffalo(1) over Tampa(7) in 5 Rangers(6) over Sens(4) in 7
Rangers(6) over Buffalo(1) in 7
Western Conference
Detroit(1) over Calgary(8) in 5 Anaheim(2) over Minnesota(7) in 6 Vancouver(3) over Dallas(6) in 7 San Jose(5) over Nashville(4) in 7
San Jose(5) over Detroit(1) in 7 Vancouver(3) over Anaheim(2) in 7
Vancouver(3) over San Jose(5) in 7
STANLEY CUP FINALS
Rangers over Canucks in 7 - I think I have seen this before.....
(edited by dunkndollaz on 10.4.07 1142) I'm Blind Jimmy Winthrop, Blues singer for the Rich.
I'll stick with my pre-season prediction of a Buffalo - San Jose final, but part of me would still like to see the Islanders take out the Sabres.
Here in Calgary, people are relying too much on the "Detroit stinks in the playoffs" phenomenon over the past couple of seasons, yet the Flames are hardly any great wonder right now.
Ladies and gentlemen, the following public service message is brought to you by your friends from D-Generation X, who would like to remind each and every one of you that if you're not down with that, we've got two words for you... This first-round is going to be beautiful. The only series that looks like a mismatch is Sabres/Islanders; any of the other series could go either way and could go the distance. With that said:
EAST [1] Sabres def. [8] Islanders in 5 [2] Devils def. [7] Lightning in 7 [6] Rangers def. [3] Thrashers in 6 [5] Penguins def. [4] Senators in 6 ----- [1] Sabres def. [6] Rangers in 5 [5] Penguins def. [2] Devils in 6 ----- [1] Sabres def. [5] Penguins in 6
WEST [1] Red Wings def. [8] Flames in 7 [2] Ducks def. [7] Wild in 6 [3] Canucks def. [6] Stars in 7 [4] Predators def. [5] Sharks in 6 ----- [1] Red Wings def. [4] Predators in 7 [3] Canucks def. [2] Ducks in 6 ----- [1] Red Wings def. [3] Canucks in 6
STANLEY CUP [E] Sabres def. [W] Red Wings in 6
Gotta go with the sentimental matchup with the Dominator (who singlehandedly made me foresake the NY-area teams to cheer for the Sabres) facing his old team, even if it's the chalk. I know I took a lot of high seeds, but I could easily see two Edmontons making it to the end this year.
smark/net attack Advisory System Status is: Elevated (Holds; June 18, 2006) While the switch from Cena to RVD should alleviate some complaints, the inevitability of the belt's return to Cena (note where Summerslam is this year) and the poor initial showing by the new ECW are enough to keep the indicator where it is for now. The pieces are in place, though, especially on RAW, for improvements to be made to the IWC's psyche in the near future.
This is going to be fun!! Lots of possibly great series in the first round...
EAST [1] Sabres def. [8] Islanders in 5 [2] Devils def. [7] Lightning in 6 [6] Rangers def. [3] Thrashers in 6 [5] Penguins def. [4] Senators in 6 ----- [1] Sabres def. [6] Rangers in 5 [5] Penguins def. [2] Devils in 7 ----- [1] Sabres def. [5] Penguins in 6
WEST [1] Red Wings def. [8] Flames in 7 [7] Wild def. [2] Ducks in 6 [6] Stars def. [3] Canucks in 6 [4] Predators def. [5] Sharks in 7 ----- [1] Red Wings def. [4] Wild in 7 [4] Predators def. [6] Stars in 6 ----- [4] Predators def. [1] Red Wings in 6
STANLEY CUP [E] Sabres def. [W] Predators in 6
There's a World Container with your name on it, and a billion ways to go bezerk!!
East: BUFFALO SABRES def. NEW YORK ISLANDS 4-0 NEW JERSEY DEVILS def. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 4-1 NEW YORK RANGERS def. ATLANTA THRASHERS 4-2 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS def. OTTAWA SENATORS 4-1
West: DETROIT RED WINGS def. CALGARY FLAMES 4-0 ANAHEIM DUCKS def. MINNESOTA WILD 4-3 DALLAS STARS def. VANCOUVER CANUCKS 4-2 SAN JOSE SHARKS def. NASHVILLE PREDATORS 4-1
I think the Islanders are going to give Buffalo problems. The Islanders are playign great hockey now and are riding an emotional high. I think they take game 1 in a shock over an over confidnet Buffalo and go to the Island with a split. If they can take two at home, I think they can stun the Sabres and the NHL.
of course, I am picking the Sabres in six.
Fry crack corn and I don't care Leela crack corn I still don't care Bender crack corn and he is great Take that you stupid corn!
"just because you ARE a character does not mean you HAVE character.."