One of the best things about the playoffs is upsets, and there were some big ones this round. The biggest one was undoubtedly the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins getting knocked out of the race by the Washington Captials. And then there was this little upstart team from Los Angeles that defeated the Presidents Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks, who were also the Western Conference Champions LAST season. That's right, MY KINGS GOT IT DONE.
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| I suck at predictions, but my boys are happy. Totally worth sucking. |
Did I pick the Kings to win? No, I didn't. I tried to consider stats, depth charts, observations from the season -- you know, use my brain to make picks. The one lesson the Stanley Cup Playoffs will quickly teach you is the intangibles a team possesses often mean far more than numbers at this time of the season.
So my first round predictions kinda sucked. Let's have a look at where I was right and wrong.
Eastern Conference - 2 wins, 2 losses
NY Rangers vs Ottawa Senators - RIGHT
My pick - Rangers in 6
What happened - Rangers in 7
I don't think the Rangers could have cut this one any closer, but Madison Square Garden is the best home ice advantage in the NHL and the fans brought it BIG TIME. Kudos to Ottawa for making it a very exciting series, but I'm glad the best team won. And the boyfriend is happy, so I'm even more happy.
Boston Bruins vs Washington Capitals - WRONG
My pick -- Bruins in 5
What happened - Capitals in 7
A lot of OT, fewer minutes for Alex Ovechkin and 7 one goal game differentials later, the Caps somehow managed to upset the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Caps rookie goaltender Braden Holtby was the difference maker in this series. Amazing what playing with no expectations can help you achieve.
NJ Devils and Florida Panthers - RIGHT
My pick - Devils in 5
What happened - Devils in 7
Other than Game 7, I honestly have NO idea what happened in this series. As I mentioned before, I could care less about either team and I didn't watch or listen up until the end. Game 7 made up for it, going into a second overtime period before the outcome finally got decided. It was the VERY LAST SERIES finished to boot, and I was SO ready to move on to the second round it was crazy. I wish I could say the lesser of two evils won, but I'd be lying.
Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers - WRONG
My pick -- Pens in 7
What happened - Flyers in 6
I was right about one thing in predicting this series -- it WAS a must watch. It was nasty, full of high drama, bad behavior and crazy goal scoring. In the end, the Flyers shoved too much offensive at a Penguins team that got inside their own heads and away from their game. My family is also happy they'll get to rub my nose in this one for a while.
Western Conference - 2 Wins, 2 Losses
LA Kings vs Vancouver Canucks - WRONG
My pick -- Canucks in 6
What happened -- Kings in 5
I'd love to lie and say I was using reverse psychology to motivate my team, but I'm too honest for that. The Kings found their mojo at exactly the right time, the Canucks got away from their game plan and Los Angeles Kings hockey history was made in the process. With the Kings advancing beyond the first round for the first time since 2001, I am now a believer in my team - win, lose or draw.
St. Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks - RIGHT
My pick -- Blues in 6
What happened -- Blues in 5
I wrote this -- "The Sharks also knocked the Kings out of the playoffs LAST season, so I'll be happy to see them get the short end of the stick this time." The Hockey Gods listened. All is right with the world.
Phoenix Coyotes vs Chicago Blackhawks - WRONG
My pick -- Blackawks in 7
What happened - Coyotes in 6
My boyfriend is absolutely enjoying me being wrong about this one and it's all thanks to the Coyotes goal tender Mike Smith. True to the Coyotes motto of "Hockey The Hard Way," five of the six games it took to decide this series went to overtime. In the end the Blackhawks just seemed to get tired of fighting, and a long battle of attrition ended with 4 unanswered Coyotes goals.
Nashville Predators vs Detroit Red Wings - RIGHT
My pick -- Predators in 6
What happened -- Predators win in 5 games
As great as the Red Wings are, they quite simply got outmatched by a younger, more powerful team. Russian defenceman Alexander Radulov was a key contributor for the Predators. Nashville fans are cool and I'm happy for them. Red Wings fans will spend the summer wondering if Captain Niklas Lidstrom will finally call it a career.
So now we move to the second round starting tomorrow, and since I haven't given up yet I'll have a new set of predictions for the quarter final games. I have a bet over dinner with a friend on our picks for the entire series and right now he's kicking my ass. But if the Kings can prove people wrong, so can I.
Because It's The Cup.....
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