Not Much New this Year
Do the Kings have what it takes to regain their WCHL Cup?
After a first round that failed to produce even one game seven matchup, the second round is set to begin, and many familiar faces remain in the hunt for a WCHL crown.
Of the eight teams still playing, five have already won at least one WCHL title. The three who haven't, the Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators, figure to be underdogs in their series.
Odds are, we will see another repeat winner in the WCHL, which happens when you're in your 16th playoff. But then again, it wouldn't be the first time a team went on a Cinderella run.
Here are my predictions for round two of the WCHL playoffs. ACHL predictions are at the bottom:
Western Conference
(1) Calgary Flames vs. (7) Los Angeles Kings - The Kings face an uphill battle, as the Calgary Flames look to be rolling in high gear.
Usually victims of poor first round performances, the Flames rolled over the Blue Jackets in five games, and are likely to be the favorite to make the finals out of the Western Conference, even more than before thanks to the Kings defeating the second ranked Ducks in the first round.
The Flames will be all over the Kings. Can Los Angeles stave off the pressure?
The Kings will be gearing up to prove that was no fluke. Paul Stastny was near unstoppable in the first round, scoring 10 points in six games. Tim Thomas however made plenty of pucks look unstoppable as well, as the rogue netminder posted just a .853 save percentage. Only even worse netminding by Anaheim enabled the Kings to get through to round two.
If Thomas shows up, the Kings have a chance. If not, the Flames are just to talented and to deep to be stopped. Flames in six.
(3) Edmonton Oilers vs. (4) Colorado Avalanche - The Oilers took a big step forward for the franchise, as the long-term rebuilding plan enacted by GM Keith Foster finally begins to take shape. The reward was a high seed and a first round victory over the Minnesota Wild, however a much larger test remains in round two, as the two-time WCHL Cup champion Colorado Avalanche bring their veteran skills to town.
They'll be fighting for every inch of ice in the Colorado-Edmonton series.
Once again the Avalanche rolled out slowly before gearing up down the stretch and used that momentum to push through the San Jose Sharks in six games in the opening round. Claiming he now has the right mix on his team to make a run for another cup title, GM Ryan McClanahan is expecting nothing less than a berth in the conference finals.
Edmonton has been a hardwork, plucky team all season and that was especially true in the opening round. They will likely be undermatched against the Avalanche, but a weak series by Ilya Bryzgalov could give the Oilers an in. Avalanche in seven.
Eastern Conference
(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) New York Islanders - Two long-time top tier teams tangle in the second round of the playoffs once again.
Pittsburgh crushed the competition in the regular season and though they were slumping down the stretch, the Penguins rebounded to oust the Washington Capitals in just five games in round one. The Islanders will provide a more stiff challenge, but it remains to be seen whether the Penguins will be stopped by their only true nemesis; themselves.
Islanders fans already have a message for the Penguins' Sidney Crosby
For the Islanders, they are one of the few teams that has the horses to run with Pittsburgh. While Pittsburgh has more depth, the Islanders has the top flight talent to push the Penguins to the brink and beyond. But only if they show up; no team has been more egnimatic in recent years than the Islanders. Penguins in six.
(3) New York Rangers vs. (5) Ottawa Senators - The Rangers may have been the third seed in the Eastern Conference, but only because the divisional leaders get the top two seeds. The Rangers were the third best team in the entire league in the regular season, and are huge favorites in any series, simply because they are the defending WCHL Cup champions. Though the Philadelphia Flyers gave them a little push, the Rangers pushed them out of the playoffs in round one in six games.
Expect this to be a physical series.
For Ottawa, getting the first win is huge. Falling behind the Rangers doesn't bode well for any team, and the Senators are no exception. Ottawa is playing the Rangers for the second straight playoffs after meeting up with them in the third round last year. One round earlier and a little more playoff experience should help the Senators in this one.
The Senators should make this series closer than they did last year, but the Rangers should be able to hold them off again. Rangers in six.
ACHL
Western Conference
(1) Norfolk Admirals vs. (6) Lake Erie Monsters - Norfolk in five.
(2) Peoria Rivermen vs. (5) Abbotsford Heat - Abbotsford in six.
Eastern Conference
(1) St. John's Ice Caps vs. (4) Binghamton Senators - St. John's in six.
(2) Conneticut Whale vs. (3) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in seven.
Do the Kings have what it takes to regain their WCHL Cup?
After a first round that failed to produce even one game seven matchup, the second round is set to begin, and many familiar faces remain in the hunt for a WCHL crown.
Of the eight teams still playing, five have already won at least one WCHL title. The three who haven't, the Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators, figure to be underdogs in their series.
Odds are, we will see another repeat winner in the WCHL, which happens when you're in your 16th playoff. But then again, it wouldn't be the first time a team went on a Cinderella run.
Here are my predictions for round two of the WCHL playoffs. ACHL predictions are at the bottom:
Western Conference
(1) Calgary Flames vs. (7) Los Angeles Kings - The Kings face an uphill battle, as the Calgary Flames look to be rolling in high gear.
Usually victims of poor first round performances, the Flames rolled over the Blue Jackets in five games, and are likely to be the favorite to make the finals out of the Western Conference, even more than before thanks to the Kings defeating the second ranked Ducks in the first round.
The Flames will be all over the Kings. Can Los Angeles stave off the pressure?
The Kings will be gearing up to prove that was no fluke. Paul Stastny was near unstoppable in the first round, scoring 10 points in six games. Tim Thomas however made plenty of pucks look unstoppable as well, as the rogue netminder posted just a .853 save percentage. Only even worse netminding by Anaheim enabled the Kings to get through to round two.
If Thomas shows up, the Kings have a chance. If not, the Flames are just to talented and to deep to be stopped. Flames in six.
(3) Edmonton Oilers vs. (4) Colorado Avalanche - The Oilers took a big step forward for the franchise, as the long-term rebuilding plan enacted by GM Keith Foster finally begins to take shape. The reward was a high seed and a first round victory over the Minnesota Wild, however a much larger test remains in round two, as the two-time WCHL Cup champion Colorado Avalanche bring their veteran skills to town.
They'll be fighting for every inch of ice in the Colorado-Edmonton series.
Once again the Avalanche rolled out slowly before gearing up down the stretch and used that momentum to push through the San Jose Sharks in six games in the opening round. Claiming he now has the right mix on his team to make a run for another cup title, GM Ryan McClanahan is expecting nothing less than a berth in the conference finals.
Edmonton has been a hardwork, plucky team all season and that was especially true in the opening round. They will likely be undermatched against the Avalanche, but a weak series by Ilya Bryzgalov could give the Oilers an in. Avalanche in seven.
Eastern Conference
(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) New York Islanders - Two long-time top tier teams tangle in the second round of the playoffs once again.
Pittsburgh crushed the competition in the regular season and though they were slumping down the stretch, the Penguins rebounded to oust the Washington Capitals in just five games in round one. The Islanders will provide a more stiff challenge, but it remains to be seen whether the Penguins will be stopped by their only true nemesis; themselves.
Islanders fans already have a message for the Penguins' Sidney Crosby
For the Islanders, they are one of the few teams that has the horses to run with Pittsburgh. While Pittsburgh has more depth, the Islanders has the top flight talent to push the Penguins to the brink and beyond. But only if they show up; no team has been more egnimatic in recent years than the Islanders. Penguins in six.
(3) New York Rangers vs. (5) Ottawa Senators - The Rangers may have been the third seed in the Eastern Conference, but only because the divisional leaders get the top two seeds. The Rangers were the third best team in the entire league in the regular season, and are huge favorites in any series, simply because they are the defending WCHL Cup champions. Though the Philadelphia Flyers gave them a little push, the Rangers pushed them out of the playoffs in round one in six games.
Expect this to be a physical series.
For Ottawa, getting the first win is huge. Falling behind the Rangers doesn't bode well for any team, and the Senators are no exception. Ottawa is playing the Rangers for the second straight playoffs after meeting up with them in the third round last year. One round earlier and a little more playoff experience should help the Senators in this one.
The Senators should make this series closer than they did last year, but the Rangers should be able to hold them off again. Rangers in six.
ACHL
Western Conference
(1) Norfolk Admirals vs. (6) Lake Erie Monsters - Norfolk in five.
(2) Peoria Rivermen vs. (5) Abbotsford Heat - Abbotsford in six.
Eastern Conference
(1) St. John's Ice Caps vs. (4) Binghamton Senators - St. John's in six.
(2) Conneticut Whale vs. (3) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in seven.
