2010 NHL Playoff Predicitons

Well it's time for my yearly blog post. About the only time that I post on here anymore is NHL playoff time where I post my predictions. Just like previous years both myself and my wife are making predictions and competing for marital bragging rights. On to the predictions:

Eastern Conference

Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens

Damn damn damn. I was really hoping Philly would finish in 8th in the east, as I wanted Ovie and the Caps to get a bit banged up before moving on. This one is a huge mismatch. Should be short.

My Prediction: Caps in 4
Wife's Prediction: Habs in 7

New Jersey Devils vs Philadelphia Flyers

Not sure about this one. Philly's had an incredibly inconsistent season, but there's still a lot of talent on that team (though no goaltending). I think of all the teams in the east they are probably the most likely to be a dark horse that surprises everyone. Jersey has had a history in recent years of great regular seasons followed by short playoff runs. I'm sure most experts are picking the Devils, but I think this one could be an upset.

My Prediction: Flyers in 6
Wife's Prediction: Jersey in 5

Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins

My candidate for snoozer series of the first round as both teams are extremely defensively-minded. Miller's been awesome all year, and I think in a series where goals will be at a premium, goaltending will be the difference. This could be a series were every game has a final score of 1-0 or 2-1.

My Prediction: Sabres in 6
Wife's Prediction: Bruins in 6

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators

Ottawa has surprised pretty much everyone this season and had a great year. But they're playing the defending champs, and I don't see any reason why the Pens won't play like they're capable of playing. The Sens will be happy just making the post-season this year after everyone predicted disaster at the start of the year.

My Prediction: Penguins in 5
Wife's Prediction: Senators in 7

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks vs Colorado Avalanche

Ahh, April when the playoffs begin and we wait for the annual Shark choke. I don't think it'll happen this round, but I have little doubt that SJ won't be going deep yet again this year. Nabby's been average, and Thornton/Marleau still have yet to show they can get it done when it matters most. Colorado was the Ottawa of the west -- the team that absolutely stunned everyone by making the playoffs. They limped into the post-season, and Anderson's been mediocre since the Olympic break. I think the Avs may surprise the Sharks a bit, but ultimately this is a mismatch.

My Prediction: Sharks in 7
Wife's Prediction: Avs in 5

Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators

As a die-hard Canucks fan it pains me to say this, but Chicago is my pick to win it all this year. They've been outstanding all year long, Toews had an amazing Olympics (as did Kane, Seabrook and Keith), the only question is in goal, but Huet has been very strong in the final stretch. Nashville has had a great season, Renne has surprised many, but I just don't see an upset happening here.

My Prediction: Hawks in 5
Wife's Prediction: Hawks in 6

Phoenix Coyotes vs Detroit Red Wings

Now this is the interesting series of the first round. Phoenix has (arguably) overachieved all year, and finally realized the potential that a lot of people felt was there in the last few years. Bryzgalov is a possible Vezina candidate. Stepniak was a huge pickup for them at the deadline. And in spite of all the adversity over the ownership situation they've gone out and won, week after week, month after month. Detroit had a horrible start to the season, was decimated by injuries, and plagued by underachievement right up until the Olympic break. Then they came back, realized that they are the team that has been perrennial post-season players for almost two decades, and the team that has gone to the Cup finals in both of the last two years. The run they put on in March was magical. The big question mark is whether or not Howard can duplicate his regular season success in the post-season. I think this one's a lot closer than people think, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see either team win it. I'm giving the slight edge to Detroit based purely on experience.

My Prediction: Wings in 7
Wife's Prediction: Yotes in 7

Vancouver Canucks vs Los Angeles Kings

Admittedly I most definitely did not want my boys to meet the Wings in the first round, and of the three possible candidates (LA, Det, and Nashville), LA was definitely my first choice. Having said that, LA has finally come into their own this year, and had a great season. There's a LOT of really, really good young talent on that team (Doughty might have been the best player on the Canadian olympic team, and Kopitar is a definite rising star), complimented by the likes of veterans like Smyth. I really hope my team doesn't underestimate them. On paper, there's no doubt who's the better team, Vancouver has arguably the best goaltender in the playoffs (though he didn't look it going down the stretch), an Art Ross trophy winner in Hank Sedin, and an incredibly balanced scoring attack (6 players with 20+ goals). Defensively there's some concerns (the injury to Mitchell is huge), but if we play the way we're capable, this one should be a nice tune-up for round 2.

My Prediction: Canucks in 6
Wife's Prediction: Canucks 6

Round 2 Predictions

Well, round 1 is now done, so onto the 2nd round predictions:

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals - Gee, do you think Gary Bettman's happy about this matchup? Crosby vs Ovie, the matchup the NHL has wanted in the playoffs for a few years now. It's too bad that both teams aren't playing up to their potential right now. Washington barely squeaked by NY, and if not for the complete collapse of the Rangers in game's 5 and 6 they could've very easily found themselves golfing right now. Even in game 7, it wasn't until the 3rd period that they really stepped it up and took over the game. Pittsburgh managed the win over Philly, but with all due respect to the Flyers, they simply did not bring their A game to that series (not even close). At any rate, kinda tough to call this series. No question that Pittsburgh has the edge in goaltending, and one could argue that they're a more complete team than Washington, but the best player in the series (and the league) is wearing a Caps jersey.

• My prediction: Caps in 6
• Wife's prediction: Caps in 6
  

Carolina Hurricanes vs Boston Bruins - Wow, was that an amazing finish by Carolina, giving NJ a really bitter pill to swallow in this off season. I thought that series could be an upset, but I don't think it's a stretch to say that they barely pulled off that win. Boston looked like, well, Boston in the first round, handling the injury-ridden and not nearly playoff ready Habs in very short order. No doubt for me that Boston's the better team, but I think the layoff combined with the high that Carolina is riding right now might tip things in the Canes favour early.

• My prediction: Bruins in 7
• Wife's prediction: Canes in 7
  

Western Conference

Anaheim Ducks vs Detroit Red Wings - Amazing upset by the Ducks over the Sharks in round 1, but this is easily the biggest mismatch in this round (maybe even this postseason). I think the Ducks might squeak out an early win as the Wings shake off the rust from the long break, but Detroit should be able to coast through this series. The Ducks have always been a team which takes far too many penalties and while the Sharks couldn't capitalize on that, Detroit will.

• My Prediction: Wings in 5
• Wife's Prediction: Wings in 5
  

Chicago Blackhawks vs Vancouver Canucks - My boys. :) Bobby Lou was spectacular in round 1, and the team in front of him played some of their best hockey in front of him. As the series wore on though, St Louis really started to press us, and in all fairness, early on the Blues just didn't play the way they are capable of playing. Chicago is coming off a very physical round against the Flames, where they looked a bit shakey at times early on, but shook off that young playoff nervousness and finished very strong. Khabibulin is getting a lot of credit for the win against the Flames, however, I think this praise has been rather overstated. The Flames simply didn't have a healthy enough lineup to really test him, and in many cases the great saves he made were as much luck as they were skill. No question my team has the edge in goaltending, but the speedy Hawk forwards are going to give the likes of Mitchell and Ohlund fits. This one I think will be really close.

• My prediction: Canucks in 7
• Wife's prediction: Canucks in 7
  

2009 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions

Well it's that time of the year again, time for the 2009 version of my playoff predictions. Just like previous years both myself and my wife are making predictions and competing for marital bragging rights. On to the predictions:

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings vs Columbus Blue Jackets
Interesting series, the BJ's (snicker) are in the post-season for the first time. Too bad it's against the defending Stanley Cup champs as even with rookie sensation Steve Mason, this one's no contest. Detroit's been somewhat underachieving (if you can call a #2 finish in the NHL underachieving) all year, but it'll take a miracle for this one to go past 5 games.

• My prediction: Detroit in 5
• Wife's Prediction: Detroit in 7
  

San Jose Sharks vs Anaheim Ducks
San Jose's been at or near the top of the standings all season long, and are arguably the favourites to win it all this post-season. The Ducks had a very slow start, kinda picked it up midseason, then hobbled into the playoffs nearly losing their playoff spot late in the season. Again, this one doesn't look like much of a contest, though given San Jose's history of underachieving in the post-season maybe this is an upset waiting to happen. Yeah right.

• My Prediction: San Jose in 6
• Wife's Prediction: San Jose in 5
  

Chicago Blackhawks vs Calgary Flames
This is the matchup to watch in the west, as the other 3 are likely going to be snoozers. Chicago's got a youthful, enthusastic, and very skilled team with a solid goaltending duo. Calgary has (when healthy) one of the best defensive cores in the NHL, the goaltender who (IMHO) should win the Vezina this season, and arguably the best power forward in the game in Iginla. Should be a hell of a matchup. If both teams were completely healthy I'd give it to Calgary for their experience, but given cow-town's injuries and the fact that they nearly had a complete collapse in the month of March, this one should be close.

• My Prediction: Calgary in 7
• Wife's Prediction: Calgary in 6
  

Vancouver Canucks vs St. Louis Blues
Never would've predicted this one at the end of February. How my boys managed to catch Calgary and how St Louis managed to not only make the post-season but finish in 6th is beyond me. My boys are playing some fine hockey right now, and Luongo is looking like, well, Luongo with 2 shutouts to finish off the season. The addition of Sundin really helped balance the scoring, giving us a bonafide #2 scoring line for the first time in what seems like forever. St Louis has been hot down the stretch, but I just don't see them putting up much of a fight in this series. We simply have more to play for and far more skill than they do.

• My Prediction: Vancouver in 5
• Wife's Prediction: Vancouver in 6
  

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens
This one has the potential to be a legendary series. It's arguably the most well-known rivalry in the NHL, and with Montreal being in their centennial season makes things extra special. Boston has looked like a powerhouse this season and although they cooled off a little bit late, they're still a hell of a hockey team. Montreal is an inexperienced, arguably soft, and very injured team right now, and who isn't playing with a lot of confidence. This one should be fun, but short.

• My Prediction: Boston in 5
• Wife's Prediction: Montreal in 7
  

Washington Capitals vs NY Rangers
Ovie-mania! Washington's played great all season, and given the dissapointment over their loss to Philly early in last year's playoffs should be hungry to go farther. I do think Washington is the most overrated of the division winners though, feasting on a rather weak Southeast division (though Carolina did their best to change that division's reputation down the stretch), and while Theodore is capable of being amazing (we saw that some time ago when he was in Montreal), he's also capable of choking (we saw that in Colorado last year). New York had an amazing start to the season, then struggled as the season went on. Torts was a great coaching change though, and is a proven playoff coach winning the Cup with Tampa a few years back. If Avery can play hockey and not be such a dumbass, this would has upset written all over it.

• My Prediction: NY in 6
• Wife's Prediction: Washington in 6
  

New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes
Tough one to call. At points this season NJ looked so solid, with such great balanced scoring and solid defensive play. They're littered with veteran experienced players who know how to win (Shanny being the best example). Then Marty came back and they looked near unstoppable in the first few games after his return. They cooled off in recent weeks though. Carolina looked so-so all season until late, and after they re-picked up Eric Cole went on a huge run, finishing the season as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. This could be an upset, but I still think that NJ will pull it out.

• My Prediction: NJ in 6
• Wife's Prediction: NJ in 7
  

Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins
This is it. The series to watch. Playoff hockey at it's finest. Two rivals that absolutely hate each other battling it out in a 7 game series. Philly will be hungry to avenge their loss to the Pens last season, and truth be told, Pittsburgh is lucky to find itself in the post-season given how inconsistent they were throughout most of the season. Should be a bloodbath, and I think either team could win, but I'll go with Philly on this one.

• My Prediction: Philly in 7
• Wife's Prediction: Philly in 6
  

And there you have it. I honestly don't know who I think will win it all, this season more than most in recent memory has a feel of "anyone is beatable", so it could be a year of the upset or the dark horse. If push came to shove I'd go with Detroit as my pick to repeat, simply because they are arguably the most skilled team in the NHL, and have the experience to back it up.

I should quit now, but only one round to go (round 4 predictions)

Okay, admittedly my predictions this year have been less than stellar, but only one more series to go:

Detroit vs Pittsburgh - Tough series, both teams are on huge rolls right now. Both are looking extremely impressive, and both have been dominating the competition thus far. They match up very well too, both have great offense, solid goaltending, and solid defence. I'd give the slight edge in defence to Detroit, and the slight edge in offense to Pittsburgh, and goaltending I'd say they're about equal (Osgood has been much better than his stats indicate, and Fleury hasn't quite been as spectacular as his stats would indicate). Tough series to call, but I'll give the edge to the Wings for two reasons: home ice and experience. My prediction: Detroit in 6.

Round 3 predictions

I don't even want to think about my round 2 results (LOL), so I'm going straight to round 3 predictions. Hopefully I'll do better (I suppose I couldn't do any worse....)

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers - Interesting matchup. So far the Pens have absolutely dominated the competition, whereas the Flyers barely squeaked by the Caps, and then had a relatively easy go against the suddenly inconsistent Habs. This will be a much different test for Pittsburgh, as neither Ottawa nor New York had anywhere near the physical presence or defensive mindset of the Flyers. As well, Biron is simply playing outstanding. Really tough one to call, but I can't see the Pens completely falling apart given their outstanding start. My prediction: Pittsburgh in 6.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings vs Dallas Stars - Holy crap is Marty Turco a goaltending god or what? I watched all 4 OT periods of that last Sharks/Stars game and he was simply amazing. Looking extremely calm and confident right now. The team playing in front of him looks pretty good too, they looked a bit shaky at times vs the Sharks, but managed to persevere and come through. Detroit OTOH completely obliterated Colorado in round 2, and is simply on a roll right now. Really close matchup, in many ways this matchup was destined to happen -- the two teams were #1 and #2 in the Western conference for a good chunk of the season until Dallas slipped a bit in the later going. Flip a coin, but I really like Dallas's experience, and even though Osgood is playing about as well as he ever has, there's no doubt which team has the better 'tender. My prediction: Dallas in 6.

Round 2 - My wife's predictions

My wife's turn:

Eastern Conference

Detroit vs Colorado - Colorado in 6
San Jose vs Dallas - Sharks in 6

Western Conference

Pittsburgh vs New York - Pittsburgh in 6
Montreal vs Philly - Montreal in 7

Round 2 Predictions

Okay, now that round 1 is over and it's already official I won't do as well this year as last year (I was wrong with only 1 series in all of last year's playoffs), it's time to move on to round 2. Here's my pics:

Eastern Conference

Montreal vs Philadelphia - I watched a good chunk of the Flyers/Caps series, and in particular that game 7 in which the Capitals were flat out robbed by some absolutely horrible officiating. The Flyers were clearly outplayed by a younger, more enthusiastic Capitals team, but found themselves on the winning side of the series due more to luck than anything else (IMHO). And that was against an (at-best) average Capitals team. Montreal looked rock solid in all but 2 of the games against Boston (the execptions being #5 and #6 where they really looked tentative). They're young, but unlike the Capitals they are a much more complete team, and are coming off of a very strong performance in game 7 against Boston. I don't think this one's even going to be close. If there's a sweep in round 2, this will be it. My prediction: Montreal in 4.

Pittsburgh vs New York - Wow, how about that Malkin guy eh? Sidney who? ;) Okay okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but right now the Pens look like the team to beat in the East. Everybody knew the offense would be there, but Fleury looked absolutely rock-solid in net and goaltending was the biggest question mark about this team going into the post-season. If Fleury can keep it up, the Pens could very easily go all the way this year. New York played very well against a completely flat New Jersey team, but they are an aging team, and I don't think they have the depth, enthusiasm, or determination to get past the Pens. My prediction: Pittsburgh in 6.

Western Conference

Detroit vs Colorado - DING! Fight! This should be the best series of round 2. These two teams have history going back a long ways, and it's the first time they've met in the post-season in a long time. A lot of people are looking at Detroit as the clear favourite, but I actually think this series is quite close. Colorado looked very good disposing of Minnesota, and Detroit looked quite shaky at times vs Nashville. This one may very well come down to goaltending, and I don't think there's any question that the Avs have the edge in that regard. Should be close, but my prediction: Colorado in 7.

San Jose vs Dallas - This one's also pretty tough to call. San Jose looked very vulnerable against a gritty Calgary team in round 1, and Joe Thornton played well in game 7, but was almost invisible for the rest of the series. Dallas on the other hand surprised many with their "upset" of the defending Stanley Cup champs. Really close series, but San Jose is still my pick to go all the way. My prediction: San Jose in 7.

Round 1 - Comparison With TSN

Another thing I commonly do is compare my predictions with those of the "experts" at TSN. For those unfamiliar, they have a panel of hockey people who make predictions along with a monkey who spins a wheel to randomly pick a winner for a series. What's interesting is that oftentimes the monkey does better than the experts. :)

The picks from the people at TSN for this year can be found here.

So how did I do? Here's the breakdown:

Bob McKenzie 6-2
Mike Milbury 5-3
Darren Pang 5-3
James Duthie 5-3
Maggie the Monkey 5-3
Adam "Pedle Zelnip" 5-3
My wife 2-6

So basically I was about the same as the people at TSN. Here's hoping I can improve in round #2.

Round 1 Results

Okay, round 1 is now over, time to summarize.

Also as well, I didn't mention this in the blog post relating to my initial predictions, but every year my wife and I compete to see who has the better predictions. To resolve this argument we needed some sort of quantifiable, mathematical evaluation scheme. In the past what we've done is we awarded 1 point for predicting the correct winner of a series, and another point for predicting the correct number of games. Thus each series was worth a maximum of 2 points.

However, this year we're changing the formula, now predicting the winner is 2 points, and predicting the correct number of games is 1 point, for a total of 3 possible per series.

So, how does this play out with this year's round 1? Well, I had two perfect predictions (Colorado in 6 and San Jose in 7), and 3 where I predicted the correct winner (but not the correct number of games) so I have:

2 x 3 + 3 * 2 = 12 points

She had two perfect predictions (Colorado in 6 and Montreal in 7), and 4 where she predicted the correct number of games (but not the winner), so she has:

2 x 3 + 4 x 1 = 10 points

So yes, that's right, I'm currently whooping her. :)

And it is over

Well it was a good run for Ottawa, but the Ducks just would not be stopped. Great playoff season this year, and of course I'm quite pleased as I managed to predict 14/15 of the series this year. Not too shabby. :)

More importantly though I won my "bet" with my wife, which makes two years in a row that I've whooped her sorry NHL predictions. ;)

Round 3 Results

Okay, round 3 is now over, time to summarize. If the point scheme doesn't make sense, see this blog entry: http://pzelnip.blogspot.com/2007/04/round-1-results.html

Since my wife and I had identical round 3 predictions my lead is unchanged. I'm still ahead by one point going into the final round. And if you see our final predictions here, you'll note that there is the possibility we could be tied after the playoffs are over. Of course as anyone who is married knows, you cannot have any bet, game, or competition ever end in a tie with your significant other. Thus in the event we are tied, the tie-breaker will be whoever predicted the winning team in the final round.

IOW, if Anaheim wins, I get to brag over my wife. If the Sens win, she'll hold this over me until next year's playoffs. :)

At any rate, click the link below for the breakdown of the results from round 3:

Round 3 results

Round 3 - Comparison with TSN

So the so-called "experts" are bowing before my greatness, as they are all doing worse than I am so far in the playoffs (and if not for those losers from San Jose I'd be perfect on my predictions this year....). Click the link below for the breakdown:

Round 3 comparision with TSN

Final Predictions

Y'know it's so very hard to be humble when you're as good as I am at predicting how series are going to go. ;) 2 for 2 in round 3, and so far I'm 13/14 overall. So it's time for the final predictions of the year.

Stanley Cup Final

Anaheim vs Ottawa
This is actually a really tough one to call, as these teams are very evenly matched. I think goaltending is a tossup (I don't think Emery gets enough credit), scoring is pretty close (although slight edge to Ottawa), and both are defensively strong (although of course with the twin towers of Niedermeyer and Pronger the Ducks get the slight edge here). I really want the Sens to pull this one off so that we can finally have a Canadian champ, but I think the extra experience that the Ducks have combined with the extra long layoff the Sens have had will tip things in favour of hockey's favourite fowls. I hate to say it, but Anaheim in 6. Wife's prediction: Ottawa in 6.

Round 3 Predictions

Well round 2 is now over, my boys (the Canucks) are gone, and we're down to the final four. Next round of predictions:

Western Conference

Anaheim vs Detroit
The Sharks broke my heart when they collapsed against the Wings (even more so than when the Canucks did the same vs the Ducks). They must go down for this. ;) Anaheim in 6. Wife's prediction: Anaheim in 6.

Eastern Conference

Buffalo vs Ottawa
This is it. THE series of the '07 playoffs. The two most exciting teams in the NHL squaring off for the Eastern Conference title. Should be an awesome series, and close, but the Sens looked very impressive vs the Devils whereas Buffalo squeaked past New York. Besides Ottawa is the only Canadian team left, so I gotta pull for them. Ottawa in 6. Wife's prediction: Ottawa in 6.

So there you go, I'm predicting an Anaheim/Ottawa final. When I was still thinking the Sharks would make it past the Wings I was predicting them to take the Cup, but now I'm starting to think that maybe, just maybe this might be Canada's year, and Ottawa will be the first Cup champs north of the border since Montreal so many years ago (wasn't it '93 that they last won?)

Round 2 - Comparison With TSN

So I'm still doing pretty well, only one wrong prediction so far so I'm doing as well as the best TSN guys (Darren Dreger and Darren Pang).

Click the link below for the breakdown:

Round 3 comparision with TSN

Round 2 Results

Okay, round 2 is now over, time to summarize. If the point scheme doesn't make sense, see this blog entry: http://pzelnip.blogspot.com/2007/04/round-1-results.html

So my wife and I broke even on this round which means I'm still ahead by 1 overall. Click the link below for the breakdown:

Round 2 results

Round 2 Predictions

Okay now it's time for the round 2 predictions for this years NHL playoffs. Without further ado:


Western Conference

Anaheim Ducks vs Vancouver Canucks
As I write this my boys from Vancouver just finished off the Dallas stars. So I'm still riding the high of winning game 7. Having said that, Anaheim looked like the best team in the west for most of the season, they're well-rested, and as great as Bobby Lou is, he's gotta be getting a bit tired with all the hockey he's played. I hate to pick against my team, but I don't think the 'Nucks will be able to get past the Ducks. Anaheim in 6. My wife's prediction: Vancouver in 7.

Detroit Red Wings vs San Jose Sharks
Well, I still like the Sharks in the west. They played well, and the time off I'm sure will help to heal some of those wounds incurred during the Nashville series. At times Detroit looked extremely impressive vs the Flames, but at other times seemed to struggle. Should be a very close series, but I think the Sharks have the grit to put them over the edge. Sharks in 7. My wife's prediction: Sharks in 6.

Eastern Conference

New Jersey Devils vs Ottawa Senators
This one should be interesting, the high flying Sens vs the defensive Devils. Certainly the edge in goaltending will go to New Jersey although Emery has proven to be a very capable goalie. I hate to admit it, but Daniel Alfredson was pretty impressive against the Pens and if he keeps it up Ottawa could go far. Tough one to call, but I'll go with the Canadian team: Ottawa in 7. My wife's prediction: Ottawa in 7.

Buffalo Sabres vs New York Rangers
Remember what I said in my round 1 predictions about the Atlanta/New York series? That it didn't matter who won, as they'd be out in the second round? Well, I'll stick with that. This one shouldn't even be close. Buffalo in 5. My wife's prediction: Buffalo in 5.

Round 1 - Comparison With TSN

Another thing I commonly do is compare my predictions with those of the "experts" at TSN. For those unfamiliar, they have a panel of hockey people who make predictions along with a monkey who spins a wheel to randomly pick a winner for a series. What's interesting is that oftentimes the monkey does better than the experts. :) I had originally put the results in a table in this blog, but unfortunately Blogger seems to choke on embedded HTML tables, so click here for the results. I did quite well, going 8 for 8 in my round 1 predictions. :)

Round 1 Results

Okay, round 1 is now over, time to summarize.

Also as well, I didn't mention this in the blog post relating to my initial predictions, but every year my wife and I compete to see who has the better predictions. To resolve this argument we needed some sort of quantifiable, mathematical evaluation scheme. How this works is we award 1 point for predicting the correct winner of a series, and another point for predicting the correct number of games. So each series is worth a maximum of 2 points. There has long been disputes between us (as is often the case in marriages....) as to this scoring, she thinks predicting the number of games should count for more points (of course because she lucks out on the number of games more than I do) whereas I think they should count for less (as it's basically a crapshoot predicting the correct number of games). Click here for a breakdown of the results, but to summarize, I got 12 of a possible 16 points, and my wife scored 11. So I'm off to a good start, leading the way by 1 point.

It's about that time of the year...

Well, it's about that time of the year, NHL playoffs are here. Traditionally every year I post my predictions on my homepage, but since I've now joined the world of blogging, I thought I'd post my (& my wife's) predictions on here. Here goes:

Western Conference:

Detroit vs Calgary - I'll go with the masses and agree that if there is going to be an "upset" then this will be the series. However, it's difficult to think of a team as strong as the Flames as an underdog (even if they limped into the playoffs). I think this one's actually very close, but I'm going to go with the Wings in 6. My wife's prediction: Calgary in 6.

Anaheim vs Minnesota - This is one of the series I'm really looking forward to. I really like the Ducks, and the Wild are a much more fun team to watch this season than seasons past. I really think Anaheim will be very tough to beat with the strong defence, goaltending, and tenacity the team has. Ducks in 5. My wife's prediction: Anaheim in 5.

Vancouver vs Dallas - Ahh, finally my homeboys get to return to the postseason. As much as I like the Nucks, this is going to be a tough series. Turco's got a lot to prove this year, and Dallas is a very strong team. I think this one will be the closest in the west, Vancouver in 7. My wife's prediction: Vancouver in 7.

Nashville vs San Jose - San Jose was my pick at the start of the year to win the Stanley Cup. Thornton is an awesome player, and (like Turco in Dallas) has a lot to prove in regards to playoff performances. The Sharks went far last year and I think they're on the verge of having a breakout year and winning it all. Still to early to crown them the champs, but I'm definitely picking them over the less experienced Preds. San Jose in 6. My wife's prediction: San Jose in 6.


Eastern Conference:

Buffalo vs New York Isles - Buffalo is the best team in the East. Nuff said. Buffalo in 4. My wife's prediction: Buffalo in 5.

New Jersey vs Tampa Bay - Brodeur is the best goalie in the game today (sorry Bobby Lou), and goaltending makes all the difference in the playoffs. Tampa's got a lot of scoring and experience, but goaltending is still a question mark for them. New Jersey in 6. My wife's prediction: New Jersey in 5.

Atlanta vs New York Rangers - This one's tough to call. Both are pretty evenly matched. Either way, I think whichever team wins this series will be knocked out in the 2nd round. I'll go with the Rangers, but you could flip a coin on this one. New York in 6. My wife's prediction: New York in 6.

Ottawa vs Pittsburgh - This should be the best series of the first round. Crosby vs Heatly. Malkin vs Spettza (sp?) Fleury vs Emery. What a series this should be. I'll go with Ottawa as they should be the hungrier team, but it really could go either way. Ottawa in 7. My wife's prediction: Ottawa in 7.