Playoffs Predictions

Now the final regular season games have been played and all 16 playoff spots have been secured the predictions on who will make the Stanley Cup finals and who will eventually win the whole thing can begin.

East
1 Capitals vs 8 Rangers
The Caps made a late surge to take the top seed off Philadelphia and the Rangers clinched the 8th seed with a final day win at MSG vs the Devils and Carolina losing to Tampa.

Prediction: Caps win in 6 games.

2 Flyers vs 7 Sabres
The Flyers lost in the Cup finals against the Blackhawks and led the conference from January until a week ago. The Sabres made it in comfortably eventually and finished 3 points ahead of the Rangers.

Prediction: Flyers win in 7 games.

3 Bruins vs 6 Canadiens
Divisional rivals and Original 6 rivals, both made it in comfortably.

Prediction: Canadiens win in 7 games.

4 Penguins vs 5 Lightning
The Penguins finished level on points with the Flyers but lost out on the Atlantic title and 2nd seed on ROW tiebreaker.

Prediction: Pens win in 5 games.

West
1 Canucks vs 8 Blackhawks
The Canucks won the Presidents Trophy, the Blackhawks are the defending Stanley Cup champions and scraped into the playoffs with Dallas losing to Minnesota.

Prediction: Canucks win in 5 games.

2 Sharks vs 7 Kings
The Sharks won the division, which boasts 4/5 participants in the playoffs. The Kings came close to being placed higher but capitulated once they secured a spot in the post season.

Prediction: Sharks win in 6 games.

3 Red Wings vs 6 Coyotes
The Wings won the Cup in 08 and made it to the finals in 09. The Coyotes made it in level on points with the Ducks and Predators.

Prediction: Red Wings win in 7 games.

4 Ducks vs 5 Predators
Anaheim made an extremely late surge to go from 9th and missing out all the way up to 4th seed, whilst the Predators made it in comfortably.

Predictions: Predators win in 7 games.

Conference Semi's
East
1 Capitals vs 6 Canadiens - Prediction: Canadiens win in 7 games.
2 Flyers vs 4 Penguins - Prediction: Penguins win in 7 games.

West
1 Canucks vs 5 Predators - Prediction: Canucks win in 6 games.
2 Sharks vs 3 Red Wings - Prediction: Red Wings win in 7 games.

Conference finals
East
4 Penguins vs 6 Canadiens - Prediction: Canadiens win in 6 games.
West
1 Canucks vs 3 Red Wings - Prediction: Canucks win in 5 games.

Stanley Cup final
W1 Canucks vs E6 Canadiens - Prediction: Canadiens win in 7 games.

EAST
1. caps win 4-1
2. Flyers 4-3
3.Bruins win 4-3
4.penguins win 4-2

West
1. Blackhawks upset win 4-2
2. Sharks win 4-2
3. red wings win 4-3
4. ducks win 4-3

Semi
east

capitals - Bruins - 4-2 caps
flyers-pens - flyers win 4-3

west

Blackhawks-ducks - blackhawks win 4-3
sharks-red wings - red wings - 4-1

con finals

East

caps - flyers - caps win 4-3

west

blackhawks - red wings - red wings win 4-2

final

caps - red wings - 4-3 caps win

I'm confused, wouldn't the winner of Caps v Rangers play the winner of Pens v Lightning?

I always thought that it was the seeded tie that mattered and not the seed at the end of the regular season? For example, if the Rangers beat the Caps they would 'become' the number 1 seed as they won the number 1 seed tie?

In NHL the highest seed remaining always plays the lowest seed, the #1/#8 vs #4/#5 rule is only in the NBA.

Cool, thanks for clearing that up!
In that case:

East
Capitals to win in 4 (1)
Flyers to win in 5 (2)
Canadiens to win in 6 (6)
Penguins to win in 5 (4)

Semi's
Capitals to beat Canadiens in 6
Flyers to beat Penguins in 7

Conference Final
Flyers to beat Capitals in 6

---

West
Canucks to win in 5 (1)
Sharks to win in 5 (2)
Red Wings to win in 6 (3)
Ducks to win in 6 (4)

Semi's
Canucks to beat the Ducks in 6
Sharks to beat the Red Wings in 7

Conference Final
Sharks to beat the Canucks in 6

---

Stanley Cup Final
Flyers to beat Sharks in 6

And it all starts tonight! Can't wait.

East First Round
Caps beat Rangers
Flyers beat Sabres
Bruins beat up Habs
Bolts beat Pens

East Semi
Caps beat Bolts
Bruins beat Flyers (revenge!)

East Final
Caps beat Bruins
(But my heart says Bruins beat Caps)

West First Round
Canucks beat Hawks
Sharks beat Kings
Wings beat Yotes
Preds beat Ducks

West Semi
Canucks beat Preds
Sharks beat Wings

West Final
Canucks beat Sharks

Final
Canucks beat Caps
(But my heart says Bruins beat Canucks)

Go Bruins!

You're lucky you're in Boston calamity, we've got Pens-Bolts & Nucks-Hawks over here and I'm gonna be up until 5am if I watch both games.

Yep, I'm about to log off and go and watch the Pens/Bolts game. Really looking forward to it. I'm a huge fan of Stamkos.

Boston's series starts tomorrow night, and thanks to Rush and Lady Gaga, if the series goes to seven games, then games six and seven will be back to back rather than having a day off in between.

(I really hope it doesn't go to seven; it's not good for my nerves)

Calamity, good call on your playoff picks above, by the way, but did you see Jack Edwards on NESN last night? Strange. I dont know if it was a dig at the British royal family, for the week thats in it, or just how much he hates Montreal.

http://www.boston.com/sports/blogs/thebuzz/2011/04/jack_edwards_po.html

("The free and independent states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts", brings a tear to my eye)
Strange stuff indeed, but not a patch on his "200 hundered years ago, a rag tag band of farmers and school teachers...." speech.

He's some guy, after doing game 6 the night before, he drives 300 miles for about 6 hours and still is fine and fresh for game 7, now thats Hockey Tough!

I'm now going for Nashville as a fan of country music. But I think it'll be the Canucks vs Caps in the final.

Blackhawks went out

Hi HHealer. Yep my predictions were pretty good weren't they? I've got a feeling I might lose my 100% record in the next round though.

Jack Edwards. What can I say? The man is completely barking, but there's no denying his passion for the game as a whole and the Bruins in particular. He's been hauled over the coals a few time for getting over-excited and saying stupid things in his commentary (the 2008 game against Dallas being a prime example), but you can't deny his enthusiasm.