THE playoff story to watch

I still think San Jose wins. Detroit has been downright awful at times this season. I guess if they slip into that 7 or 8 seed it means they've been hot, so that could be the difference.

As good as a San Jose/Detroit matchuo would be, can anyone imagine a Chicago/Detroit matchup? That would be sick.

stempniaksen wrote:I still think San Jose wins. Detroit has been downright awful at times this season. I guess if they slip into that 7 or 8 seed it means they've been hot, so that could be the difference.

As good as a San Jose/Detroit matchuo would be, can anyone imagine a Chicago/Detroit matchup? That would be sick.

We all know the team that is hot going into the playoffs has the best chance. Happens every year (Anaheim, Edmonton, Carolina, Pittsburg 2009, OTtawa 2007...)

Detroit last 10 : 7-2-1
SJ last 10: 4-5-1.

^^.

marakh wrote:

stempniaksen wrote:I still think San Jose wins. Detroit has been downright awful at times this season. I guess if they slip into that 7 or 8 seed it means they've been hot, so that could be the difference.

As good as a San Jose/Detroit matchuo would be, can anyone imagine a Chicago/Detroit matchup? That would be sick.

We all know the team that is hot going into the playoffs has the best chance. Happens every year (Anaheim, Edmonton, Carolina, Pittsburg 2009, OTtawa 2007...)

Detroit last 10 : 7-2-1
SJ last 10: 4-5-1.

^^.

I'm disappointed in you marakh Being the GM of St. Louis you should know that St. Louis was by far the hottest team heading into the playoffs and they got swept.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

marakh wrote:

stempniaksen wrote:I still think San Jose wins. Detroit has been downright awful at times this season. I guess if they slip into that 7 or 8 seed it means they've been hot, so that could be the difference.

As good as a San Jose/Detroit matchuo would be, can anyone imagine a Chicago/Detroit matchup? That would be sick.

We all know the team that is hot going into the playoffs has the best chance. Happens every year (Anaheim, Edmonton, Carolina, Pittsburg 2009, OTtawa 2007...)

Detroit last 10 : 7-2-1
SJ last 10: 4-5-1.

^^.

I'm disappointed in you marakh Being the GM of St. Louis you should know that St. Louis was by far the hottest team heading into the playoffs and they got swept.

one or two exceptions is not out of the question

TBH though, Luongo was unbelievable in that series. I recall a game where he single handedly pwned the entire ST louis team, when they completely dominated the 3rd period.

It will likely be a tough match-up. Offensively, they are both quite explosive. Defensively, also pretty close.

Even though Nabby's struggling, he's got playoff experience, and while that is not a huge factor, and given the season Howard is having, this could be close too.

Oilers beat Detroit; loser point keeps them in 8th. Still think they are a powerhouse? Detroit is simply not the same team they were last year. And Howard is an unknown quantity in the playoffs. I still don't like their chances against Vancouver or Chicago. San Jose? Who knows.

wprager wrote:Oilers beat Detroit; loser point keeps them in 8th. Still think they are a powerhouse? Detroit is simply not the same team they were last year. And Howard is an unknown quantity in the playoffs. I still don't like their chances against Vancouver or Chicago. San Jose? Who knows.

Of course they aren't.

They are minus Hossa, Kopeky, Samuelsson (who's got 30+ goals in Vancouver), and Chelios. Osgood isn't the same and Howard has stepped in there. That's not even considering major injuries they've had to guys like Franzen.

Detroit is the one team no other team wants to meet up with. They'll be in the playoffs for sure. The Lames are too inconsistent to pass the Wings. The Wings have been there and done that, and are starting to heat up at the right time.

hemlock wrote:

wprager wrote:Oilers beat Detroit; loser point keeps them in 8th. Still think they are a powerhouse? Detroit is simply not the same team they were last year. And Howard is an unknown quantity in the playoffs. I still don't like their chances against Vancouver or Chicago. San Jose? Who knows.

Of course they aren't.

They are minus Hossa, Kopeky, Samuelsson (who's got 30+ goals in Vancouver), and Chelios. Osgood isn't the same and Howard has stepped in there. That's not even considering major injuries they've had to guys like Franzen.

Detroit is the one team no other team wants to meet up with. They'll be in the playoffs for sure. The Lames are too inconsistent to pass the Wings. The Wings have been there and done that, and are starting to heat up at the right time.

You forgot Hudler and his 57 points. They lost a butt load of talent this off season

Michallica wrote:
You forgot Hudler and his 57 points. They lost a butt load of talent this off season

Good point on Hudler, I had forgotten about that.

Still, would anyone want to face Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Cleary, Holmstrom, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall in the first round of a playoff series?

"Starting to heat up" and "losing to the Oilers" are kinda opposites, no?

SpezDispenser wrote:

Michallica wrote:
You forgot Hudler and his 57 points. They lost a butt load of talent this off season

Good point on Hudler, I had forgotten about that.

Still, would anyone want to face Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Cleary, Holmstrom, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall in the first round of a playoff series?

Probably not. Perhaps that's why San Jose is struggling so they can drop to 2nd

SpezDispenser wrote:

Michallica wrote:
You forgot Hudler and his 57 points. They lost a butt load of talent this off season

Good point on Hudler, I had forgotten about that.

Still, would anyone want to face Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Cleary, Holmstrom, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall in the first round of a playoff series?

I still maintain they have not been very good this season, even after getting most (all?) of their injured players back. Their Swedes were very ordinary in the Olympics, same as Datsyuk.

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Michallica wrote:
You forgot Hudler and his 57 points. They lost a butt load of talent this off season

Good point on Hudler, I had forgotten about that.

Still, would anyone want to face Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Cleary, Holmstrom, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall in the first round of a playoff series?

I still maintain they have not been very good this season, even after getting most (all?) of their injured players back. Their Swedes were very ordinary in the Olympics, same as Datsyuk.

It's hard to create chemistry with that much turnover, not to mention the injuries. Even with the Wings fabulous player development they haven't had the kind of time most teams have had to had to build 4 solid lines and keep them together for any period of time.

Dismissing the Red Wings at this point is almost ridiculous. Especially when the only team that looks poised to overtake them is a perennial choker in the Flames. We'll see once the playoffs arrive but I think the only team that the Wings couldn't handle in the first round is the Hawks, and even then, I wouldn't count out Babcock and Co.

Yes, I did miss Hudler.

Yeah, I think they'll start to gel after losing Franzen for the season. He was a key piece for them to be lost for so long, Lidstrom is back into form. I would say that if they got in in 8th, SJ would lose and Chicago would win - but it would be a crazy series.

Here's my prediction: St.Louis comes on hard like last season to take 8th, leaving Calgary and Detroit on the outside looking in.

That's hard to imagine, they have 6 points to make up on Detroit and Calgary. Can't see that personally.

The freakin Blues would be comfortably in the playoffs if they had at least a .500 record at home. I can't believe that they are so much better on the road then at home.

The Blues may have also had a collective 'sophomore jinx', I wouldn't count them out from having a massive bounce back year with the young bucks they have. Tkachuk is off the books I think and definitely Karya's 6 million is off. Plus, if they made Boyes available, they might trade him in the summer and use their young nucleus + perhaps a couple of new, more attractive vets and try to compete a la Phoenix, Colorado etc.