The
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are about through their first round. Tonight's game 7 showdown between the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks will finish off first round play. As usual, there have been a few surprises, though fewer than in some prior years.
For the gamblers out there looking for progress on their Stanley Cup bets, here the recap so far.
EASTERN CONFERENCE1. Buffalo Sabres vs. 8. New York IslandersBuffalo was the top point getter in the East in the regular season. They looked to be the class of the East in the playoffs as well. Buffalo finished off the Islanders in a simple 4-1 series. Buffalo scored 4 goals three times in the series, while scoring 3 goals apiece in the other two games.
It's hard to see Buffalo averaging over 3.5 goals a game through the rest of the playoffs, but I'm interested to see if the other New York City team, the Rangers, can represent better than the Islanders. Michael Nylander and Jaromir Jagr might be able to match the Sabres goal for goal in round two.
2. New Jersey Devils vs. 7. Tampa Bay LightningThe Devils are a playoff mainstay. The longer they hang around the playoffs, the more their experience becomes a factor. New Jersey has enough veterans who know how to win a Stanley Cup. At the top of their list of veterans is Martin Brodeur.
New Jersey came back from a 2-1 deficit to win the series, 4-2. Had the Game Four overtime gone differently, the Devils would have been on the ropes. It didn't, and Brodeur controlled the series after that point. Now the Devils get the Senators, in a matchup of the former champion versus the perennial playoff underachiever.
3. Atlanta Thrashers vs. 6. New York RangersThe Rangers have a recent history of tanking in the playoffs. Not this year, as the #6 seed swept the #3 seed in the biggest upset of this playoffs. Good for the Rangers. Atlanta shouldn't have a hockey powerhouse.
The Rangers take on the potent Sabres lineup in the next round. This is probably where the Rangers' ride comes to an end. But I hope to see one of the storied franchises of the NHL competing again for the Stanley Cup. We're only one series away from another Rangers/Devils conference finals matchups. Anyone remember those classics from the nineties?
4. Ottawa Senators vs. 5. Pittsburgh PenguinsWell, I half-expected the Senators to give it up, like they seem to do so many years in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With hotshot young Sidney Crosby making his first real run at the Cup, I thought the Penguins might pull the upset here. I mean, in a 4/5 series, it's not that big of an upset to see the 5 win.
Not so. The Senators won the series, 4-1, and frankly, most of the games weren't that close. Early in the series, the Penguins defense and goal-tending were suspect. Late in the series, they couldn't find a way to score the puck.
There's always next year. Meanwhile, the Senators get a shot at the Devils. I want to see if this is finally Ottawa's year. Probably not.
WESTERN CONFERENCE1. Detroit Red Wings vs. 8. Calgary FlamesDetroit had a harder time than one might have expected. Of course, Jerome Iginla and the Flames aren't your ordinary #8 seed. This series was marked by some brutal, almost out-of-control skates. Ultimately, the Red Wings simply had too much for the Flames to handle. Though it was tough at times, the Red Wings finished of the Flames, 4-2.
Dominick Hasek is ready to make another run at a Stanley Cup. Even aging as he is, Hasek has tremendous mystique in the net for Detroit. But the Red Wings don't much care for 1st round wins; they want to play hockey in June.
The Wings still await a Round 2 opponent: either the Sharks or Stars.
2. Anaheim Ducks vs. 7. Minnesota WildIn one of the most forgotten series of the first round, the Ducks finished off the Wild in an easy 4-1 fashion. The Ducks doubled up the Wild in goal scoring, with Minnesota only managing 7 goals in 5 games. You aren't going to win many games scoring 1.3 goals per game. There's just no room for error.
Like the Red Wings, the Ducks are awaiting a second round opponent. They will play either the Canucks or the Sharks.
3. Vancouver Canucks vs. 6. Dallas Stars This series finishes up tonight on
ESPN. It's been about as competitive as it gets. There have been three overtime matches, including one which went into 4 overtimes.
Both teams play defensive hockey and have trouble putting the puck in the net. Both goalies have looked awfully good through this series, though it's hard to say if that's all goaltending, or if the teams just aren't very good at scoring.
The Canucks got out to an early 3-1 lead in this series, but the Stars have roared back with 2 straight wins to send the series to a decisive Game 7. Frankly, the Stars look like the deeper team, controlling play for a considerable amount of time in this series. Vancouver has three things going for it, though.
One, Roberto Luonga is a better goaltender than Turco, keeping his team in games when they have been outskated. Two, the Sedin line puts the Stars on the defensive almost any time they are on the ice, though their laborious style has been stifled in all but two games this series. Three, the Canucks have home ice advantage in Game 7.
I don't know if any of those are going to matter tonight. The Stars look like the better, deeper hockey team through most of this series, though Luonga has stood on his head to give the Canucks a chance to win. The Canucks are due a goal or two, as Marty Turco has thrown two scoreless games in a row and hasn't given up a goal in over 130 minutes of hockey.
If Vancouver wins, it gets Anaheim. If Dallas wins, it gets Detroit. Good luck, everybody.
4. Nashville Predators vs. 5. San Jose SharksThis has to be really disappointing for the Predators fans. Nashville battled with the Red Wings into the last week of the season for the #1 seed. When that didn't happen, they fell to #4 behind the other division winners. That forced them into a tough 4/5 match up, and the Predators simply had nothing left in the tank. They lost 4-1 to the Sharks.
The Sharks could play spoiler in the second round. They are rested and ready for whomever they play in the second round. They'll be the decided underdog, getting either the Red Wings or the Ducks. I imagine they are hoping for the Stars to win, so they can wait another round to play the mighty Red Wings.
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NHL Stanley Cups Playoffs on ESPN - Round One Update of Bodog Bets
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