Playoff Pick ’em – A legend will be made

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqhHgT4mvRQ&w=480&h=360]

Playoff pick ’em time is here!

It would be wonderful if us Oiler fans could be looking at a team primed for playoff destiny… But that CLEARLY isn’t the case so we are doing the next best thing from cheering for your favorite team. Each blogger here at the Rig is picking and cheering for 8 sport orphans.

The closest any of us writers will ever come too becoming one of the greatest hockey minds in Canada *wink wink, nudge nudge* is going 8 for 8 in the first round of the playoffs. We are officially putting our reputations on the line, we’re putting our money where our mouths is, we are going to try and run with the big dogs although someone is bound to pee like a pup.

A legend will be made and hearts will be broken.

There can only be one…

THESE ARE OUR PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICKS!

The West

Anaheim VS Dallas
Jackie: ANA in 5 – ANA is just too strong and DAL has Horcoff. (Jackie must be a Horc hater)
Shawn: ANA in 6 – Lehtonen is good enough that he could be Cujo’s illegitimate, Finish, love child, but Anahiem’s depth is so much greater. Also… Getzlaf/Perry > Benn/Seguin
Dave: ANA in 6 – I’m not completely convinced on this one, but Anaheim improved their defence by adding veteran Robidas (Man I bet Dallas wishes they had him now). I really think the experience of Anaheim’s forwards will be the key factor in the Ducks.
Alex: DAL in 6 – You want bold? Here it is. The Ducks are a highly overrated club. They don’t have a ton of depth up front, their blue-line lacking, and their goaltending has been suspect recently. Add to that how good Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have been this year, and it’s a bad formula for the Ducks. Good luck Horc!
Boris: DAL in 7 – Dallas beat Anaheim 2 of 3 this year and Anaheim rode a high PDO for a chunk of the season. The edge in FF close goes to Dallas (who are a surprisingly good possession team in 1 goal games). Getzlaf and Perry have been wonderful but I think the bubble is about to burst.

LA VS San Jose
Jackie: LA in 7 – This is going to be a tough physical series but LAK are the better team and my playoff team since the Oilers are nowhere to be found.
Shawn: SJ in 5 – Both teams have incredible depth but I have a feeling that San Jose has finally figured out what it takes to win. If San Jose plays the way the have all season right off the bat, they win. If the series goes long, advantage LA. But I don’t think it will.
Dave: SJ in 7 – San Jose has a lot going for them this year as in the most. They were one of the most consistent teams in the league and with the return of Hertl and Torres, not to mention the experience from Boyle, Thornton, Marleau, they are my team to watch these playoffs. (This is going to be the best series of the first round)
Alex: SJ in 7 – Sooner or later, it is bound to happen. The Sharks are the deepest they’ve ever been up front and are firing on all cylinders. Niemi has been great, while the defense is playing at a higher level than ever. The Kings are Taylor-made for the playoffs, but after two deep runs they are bound to stumble.
Boris: LA in 7 – Defense wins championships and no one does it better than the LA Kings.

Minnesota VS Colorado
Jackie: MIN in 6 – If Minnesota can get good goaltending… they could ride their boring trap and a one goal lead to success 4 times.
Shawn: COL in 4 – Colorado outclasses Minnesota in almost every way. They play a high octane, all out game that is so much fun to watch and loads of talent. Suter may play 124 minutes a night and Parise is clutch but… Bring out the brooms!
Dave: COL in 5 – Minnesota isn’t a bad team but they remind me of the Sharks from previous years, touted but disappointing. The Wild’s goaltending will be their demise. The Avalanche will ride their confidence through the first round.
Alex: COL in 6 – I don’t think very highly of either team. The Av’s remind me of the Leafs of last year while something about Minnesota makes me doubt them. That said, Colorado is getting great goaltending and has a better forward group than the Wild. Minnesota isn’t a dominating team. I’m not sold on the Av’s, but this is a series they should win.
Boris: MIN in 6 – Cinderella is about to lose her slipper. Minny has been playing for their playoff lives for the last 2 months while the Colorado Snow Angels have been busy patting themselves on the collective back. It is all smoke and mirrors and the Minny choke hold will be applied tightly.

Chicago VS St. Louis
Jackie: CHI in 6 – STL absolutely died at the end of the season and if they carry that momentum into the post season CHI will eat them alive
Shawn: STL in 7 – This series should end up being absolutely amazing and puts the two best defensive pairings in the NHL up against each other. Chicago could have the edge when it comes to scoring. But St.Louis is just as skilled and has the size advantage. This is truly a battle of Titans. We won’t want it to end!
Dave: CHI in 7 – Many injuries for both teams, but Chicago is healthier. This series is going to be good. I expect Miller to stand on his head but the experience and balance of the Hawks line-up will prevail.
Alex: STL in 7 – My pre-season pick, St. Louis, gets an awful draw here. That said, Miller is a stud of a goalie and the Blues have the best 1 through 7 blueline in the whole league. The Hawks are banged up and have struggled against them all year.
Boris: CHI in 6 – Both teams have been heading in the wrong direction as of late but someone has to win. Hawk’s experience wins out.

The East

Detroit VS Boston
Jackie: BOS in 5 – Boston is too big and strong for Detroit to come out of this. It’s Power vs Finesse
Shawn: BOS in 6 – This series is Boston’s to lose. Detroit will put up a good fight. They may have one of the best coaches in the NHL, and a game changer in Datsyuk, but one game changer has no chance against a team full of playoff performers. Boston is every sense of the word team. The best in the NHL.
Dave: BOS in 5 – Boston is the powerhouse of the east, and even though Detroit won the season series between the two the Bruins will be too much for the smaller Detroit team to handle. Not to mention I’m not sold on Jimmy Howard.
Alex: BOS in 7 – If the Wings were healthy, I’d honestly have to consider taking them here, but of course they are not. Detroit will be missing a top three defender in Ericsson and a top forward in Zetterberg. Tough losses. The B’s play like a western team, have unreal scoring depth, and one of the best goalies in the game. It’ll be tough, but I like Boston.
Boris: BOS in 6 – The Wings are too banged up and the B’s are a finely tuned possession machine. If healthy the Wings could take a run at them, but they just don’t have the horses this time around.

Tampa VS Montreal
Jackie: TB in 6 – Stamkos…and I can’t pick Montreal. I just can’t.
Shawn: MTL in 7 – I think this turns out to be the series to watch. Each team has high octane offensive weapons. Both teams have a defense built on a transition game. Price stole the show at the Olympics. That’s the difference.
Dave: MTL in 6 – Tough series to pick. I like Tampa’s offense but the injury to Ben Bishop is devastating. Price will be up to the task, and Gionta, Vanek and PK will lead the Habs to victory.
Alex: MTL in 6 – The Bolts are a good team, but they have a lot of young players carrying major roles. Not just young guys either, rookies getting their first taste of playoff hockey. Add in an injury to goalie Bishop and it’s trouble for Tampa. The Habs are hot, Price looks unbeatable and Vanek is clicking. I just can’t pick against the Habs here.
Boris: TB in 7 – I think one of two things will happen in this series. Stamkos goes bonkers or Price absolutely steals the show. Its the former for me.

Columbus VS Pittsburgh
Jackie: PIT in 5 – CBJ will be jacked up to play…and will be all over the place. Calm cool collected PIT will prevail…and if I had to pick a sweep…this would be the series but I’ll give CBJ a win.
Shawn: PIT in 5 – This could either turn out to be an awesome series, or a dud. This could also be another series dependent on goalkeeping. The Blue jackets could steal it because of Fleury, but I think the Star Power of Crosby and Malkin (if back for game 1) is too much.
Dave: PIT in 6 – I’m happy the BJ’s made the playoffs but I don’t think they are any match for the Pens. It won’t be easy to win but with Crosby, Malkin, Kunitz and Neal, Columbus is going to have a hard time keeping the puck out of their net. Bobrovsky will steal a game or two but Pittsburgh pulls it out.
Alex: PIT in 6 – The Jackets will keep it close, but they won’t stop the Pens. With Malkin likely returning to play in this series, they will be too much to handle for a young Columbus squad. They simply don’t have the guns on defense to slow them down like Boston did last year. They’ll get their first ever playoff wins however.
Boris: CBJ in 7 – Depth will be the Pens undoing as they just don’t have it. Crosby is constantly one hit away from injury, the Pens go as he does, and Fleury cannot be trusted. CBJ has been playing playoff hockey for months. UPSET

Philly VS NY Rangers
Jackie: PHI in 7 – NYR could choke…wouldn’t be the first time and I see PHI coming in and pulling the upset
Shawn: PHI in 6 – This could be another fun series to watch. The Rangers have been pretty good since their slow start and the Flyers haven’t won a game at the garden in a few years but the Rangers are facing the hottest player in the NHL. That’s right. Claude Giroux. The biggest question mark is if Steve Mason will be healthy enough. I say it’s King Henrik’s fall from grace.
Dave: PHI in 4 – The flyers came on strong at the end of the season and I think that continues. Giroux is a leader and has performed in the playoffs before and will again this season. The Rangers haven’t done overly well in the playoffs the last few years and Lundquist has yet to prove that he can be successful in the NHL’s second season. This one is no contest Philly in 4.
Alex: NYR in 6 – The Rangers have owned Philly in the Garden for years, home ice was a huge get for the Blueshirts. Lundqvist is the best goalie in the world and the Rangers blue-line is much better unit in my mind. Philly has the offensive depth, but the Rangers boast some big guns of their own. I like New York to send a statement in this series.
Boris: NYR in 5 – Sanity behind the bench has done wonders for the Rangers. AV has them playing a strong possession game and Henrik will be stellar. Giroux will shine, but once again the Flyers goaltending will ground them.

Check back with us after round 1 to see how we did, and to check out our round 2 predictions. Thanks for reading!