5/26/2007

Sens Ready to Rumble


They have been resting for quite a while now, too long some might say, favouring the Anaheim Ducks, but the juggernaut that is the Ottawa Senators will surely be ready to keep rolling. So far they have rolled past Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Buffalo, all in five games. Chances are they will give the Ducks the same treatment. Anaheim was dominated by the Red Wings in the conference final but managed to squeeze by to reach their second final in four years.

It's always hard to perdict a final but Senators in five seems like a possibility.

5/23/2007

Ducks off to the Final


In the end the Anaheim Ducks proved to mighty for the Red Wings. Detroit out shot them by 16-3 in the third period, but never got closer than 4-3. Jean-Sebastien Giguere won the goalie fight against Hasek, who was great early on in the series, but lost his edge at the end, and I bet he's smiling when thinking about giving the Senators a good run for their money in the final.

5/22/2007

Crunchtime at the Pond

Just like in 2002, while playing Colorado, the Detroit Red Wings find them selves down 3-2 heading in to Game 6. Can they get out of it once again?
As long as the Wings are confident they are the better team, which the last three games have proved, and just keep bringing a heavy offence on the Ducks they should win. Hasek and Lidstrom, who played 40 minutes in Game 5, are keys, just like Holmstrom who needs to bring his best when it's needed the most. Also, Lang, Bertuzzi and Cleary need give good offensive support to the first line, who will have Niedermayer and Pronger on their backs. They need to do like Franzen and shoot a lot because I have a feeling the pressure of Game 6 is not going to bother a guy like Giguere too much.

5/21/2007

Poor effort by Wings, Giguere heroic

The Anaheim Ducks are just one game away from their second Stanley Cup final. The Wings took three penalties in a row in first period, saved only by the Duck's inabillity to score, then dominated the second period, but then gave the game away to a not so impressive Anaheim Ducks. If not for Giguere, who had 36 saves, the Wings would have won this comfordably by three or four goals.

What was really disapointing about Detroit was how they played the last minute of regulation. No team, especially one about to win Game 5, should never ever give up a goal with less than a minute to go. You play like life depends on it, block shots, push people away, and you do what it takes to prevent anyone from taking a shot. If you don't, you don't deserve to win.

5/20/2007

Sweden vs Canada

The Ottawa Senators are in their first Stanley Cup final since returning to the NHL in 1992. Since they are favourits, regardless who they face in the final, Daniel Alfredsson could be the first Swedish (and the first non-North American ever) captain to hoist the cup. What is really interesting about this years play-off is that Nicklas Lidstrom is giving him a race for his money. Odds are that a Swedish captain will hoist the cup, as Scott Niedermayer is the only Canadian left. Only once in 112 years has a non-Canadian, Michigan born Derian Hatcher for the Dallas Stars in 1999, recieved the cup. Times are a changing..

5/16/2007

Homer Rises to Beat Ducks


Who expected the Detroit Red Wings to win by a near blow out in Game 3? Not that many I think. To be honest, I thought the Ducks would win quite comfordably in Game 3 but then drop Game 4 to a more desperate Red Wings. This of course takes some pressure off the Wings heading into Game 4.

The cheap hit by Niedermayer (I'm not surprised) and Pronger on Tomas Holmstrom says it all of just how desperately they need to stop him. Of course it didn't though, as Holmstrom, who scored two goals before the hit, was stiched up and then returned to assist on another goal.

I think the Ottawa Senators will finish of Buffalo tonight, and then get much welcomed rest before the final.

5/15/2007

A sweep out east?

What looked like it would be a really tight series between the two best team in the east is now just one game away from a sweep by the Ottawa Senators. The Buffalo Sabres are down 3-0 going into Game 4 at Ottawa and it doesn't look good. If it weighed too heavily on them being favourits I'm not so sure, but the well oiled machine, that is the Senators, really have them pinned down as Alfredsson continues to lead the way for his juggernaut of a team. Red Wings or Ducks, look out for Ottawa in the final! They aren't playing around this time.

5/14/2007

Ducks even things

The Anaheim Ducks head back to the Pond having tied the series against Detroit. I'm not sure how the Wings look at that. I am sure they would rather have been upp 2-0 heading out west, but at least they're not down by two against this defensively very strong Anaheim. I am also sure they are confident they can return the favour and steal a game at the Pond. Now the Pond might not sound as intimidating as the Shark Tank, but make no misstake, the Ducks is a way better and more solid team than the Sharks were. And having the upper hand at line changes won't make it easier for the Red Wings as Zetterberg and Datsyuk will constantly have Moen and Pahlsson breathing down their necks. Once again, I think Holmstrom will be the key, along with Hasek, in Game 3.

5/11/2007

Sens impress on Sabres ice


Mostly thanks to their successful special teams the Ottawa Senators managed to steal Game 1 from the Buffalo Sabres. Daniel Alfredsson continues to lead the way with his massive work effort (he really is on a mission) while also racking up the points for his team. Should the Sens strong powerplay continue in Game 2 Buffalo are in trouble. I'm sure the speedy Sabres will come back and take a few games, but, the consistency shown by Ottawa in these playoffs tells me they will reach the Stanley Cup finals at last.

Playoff pick: After the second round I was 9-3, which put me in third against the guys at TSN (Dreger and Pang are tied for first with 11-1, McKenzie and Duthie tied for second with 10-2). I feel pretty confident I will be 11-3 after the conference finals, having picked Ottawa and Detroit, a pick I share with only Darren Dreger, and again, Maggie the monkey.

5/10/2007

Calm before the storm

Tonight the Buffalo Sabres host the Ottawa Senators at the HSBC Arena. It will be very interesting to see who of Chris Drury and Daniel Alfredsson their player/captain match-up. The crowd in Buffalo is another obstacle for the Sens. According to Emery, though, even a rowdy crowd, who is not on your side, motivates him.

5/09/2007

..and then there were four

I must say that I'm really impressed with how the Ottawa Senators have played so far, and especially their captain Daniel Alfredsson. Their blueliner won't have the same problem with the speedy Buffalo offence as the Islanders or the Rangers did. Also, their attack will prove too much for the Sabres.

On paper the Detroit-Anaheim match-up looks great. Schneider gone might be a problem for the Red Wings, and I think Hasek needs to steal one or two games if they are going to win this series. The Ducks defence might be the strongest of the four teams left and they also create a lot up front. With that said, I think the Red Wings will steal this one if they can open strong at home and get momentum going early.

Toppseeds still here

Of the four teams left in the run for the Stanley Cup (4) Ottawa is the lowest seeded. They ofcorse face the number one seed, Buffalo, in the conference final. Out west both (1) Detroit and (2) Anaheim are left. Over the years we've seen a lot of (8) seeds go far, however, this year both the Islanders and the Flames lost in the first round. I'm not sure when that last happened.

Speaking of the Flames; they didn't really impress anyone with their poor effort against the Red Wings. If not for Kiprusoff they would have been swept in four. I don't think I'm alone in thinking the Colorado Avalanche would have made a bigger splash had they gotten the last spot. They are a better team and they had an impressive run at the end, but just fell short of the mark. Next season I am positive the Avs will be a cup contender again.

5/07/2007

May the best goalie win?

Like always in the playoffs the goalies are somewhat the centre of attention. This year is no exception to the rule, however, one thing strikes me as odd as the most celebrated goalies have all lost so far. Marty Turco dazzled the everyone with his .955, even more so than Luongo, up until Game 7. Then Luongo played like a man possessed but still lost in the end to a great playing Giguere (who no one really mentioned). In the east Henrik Lundqvist saved his Rangers several times, by being near impossible to score on, and now he too is out. The teams who have come out winners against them all have great goalies (I include Hasek, though they aren't through..yet), however, none of them have been as pectacular as their losing opponent. In the end, though, I still believe the team with the best goalie will hoist the cup.

5/06/2007

The quiet MVP


I have said it before, and I'll say it again, Tomas Holmstrom is not the flashiest player but he is, along with Hasek, the biggest reason why the Red Wings has turned this series around. He would pull his team to the Stanley Cup final with his teeth if he had to. Since his return the Wings have won two straight and are one game from reaching the conference final. Last night the Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom line racked up eight points and Detroit are really starting to look like they can go all the way.

The Sharks, who are facing elimination, now have to regroup and try to win Game 6 at their Shark tank. Thornton, Cheechoo and Michalek were held off the scoresheet by the Wings, and if they don't produce Monday night I think the chances of San Jose advancing are slim at best.

5/05/2007

Ducks on their way

Despite a heroic effort from Roberto Luongo, ha faced 58 shots, the Canucks couldn't find a way to beat the Anaheim Ducks. Just like against Dallas the problem was the offense. The Sedin twins both had a great season but couldn't reach up to that level in the post season. The Ducks on the other hand are getting plenty of offense from several lines and also from their experienced blueliners, with veteran Scott Niedermayer scoring in overtime in Game 5 to send the Ducks to the Western Conference final.

5/03/2007

Series tied

Mathieu Schneider scored for the Detroit Red Wings in overtime to tie the series agaisnt San Jose at 2-2. Afterwards he spoke of how huge the shift in momentum was; which makes me believe even more that the Wings will win this series. Momentum is huge, we all know it. I think Detroit knew thay had the skill to beat the Sharks but weren't as confident sizewise against a team where just one player is under 6 feet tall. But all that matters little once momentum sets in or shifts. Now, all they have to do is keep it going back in Hockeytown.

Which ever team advances from the western conference, they will have their work cut out for them should they face the Ottawa Senators. The Sens are really rolling and Dany Heatly is looking like a Conn Smyth prospect.

5/01/2007

Sharks getting closer

Nobody thought Game 3 at HP Pavillion, the Shark tank, was going to be a breeze. However, when San Jose started to really push to tie the game the Detroit defense didn't step up like they have to. Holmstrom, who is expected to play, will be a good injection offensively in Game 4, but the blueliners really have to pick their game up for the full ninety minutes or the Red Wings will be returning home down 3-1.

Ottawa won at home. Not a big surprise I guess. I do think this series will go the full seven games, and that New Jersey will win in the end, but right now my all my picks for this round are down.