Sunday, April 12, 2015

Slowflake predicts the NHL playoffs

Just so you can point and laugh when Ottawa beats Minnesota in the finals.

NY Rangers def. Pittsburgh
Washington def. NY Islanders
Montreal def. Ottawa
Tampa Bay def. Detroit
Anaheim def. Winnipeg
Vancouver def. Calgary
St. Louis def. Minnesota
Chicago def. Nashville

NY Rangers def. Washington
Tampa Bay def. Montreal
Anaheim def. Vancouver
Chicago def. St. Louis

NY Rangers def. Tampa Bay
Anaheim def. Chicago

Stanley Cup champions: New York Rangers

Yes, I realize I have mostly favorites winning. But hey, they're the favorites for a reason.

14 comments:

  1. I am going to have to disagree with you on Anaheim. They have an inflated record due to being in a fairly inferior division. Not saying Chicago will be the one to go to the WCF necessarily (though I hope), but I think Minnesota/Chicago/STL can beat them (Nashville has been on fumes so I doubt them). Actually, I don't even really think Anaheim will make it to the WCF, they always seem to find a way to get out despite their record and team makeup. I'll predict Calgary getting out of that division. Regarding the EC I'm less familiar with it but it's all plausible, although as we know Ottawa is the favorite choice for dark horse contender. (I'd choose them over Minnesota to make it further if one of them had to make a good showing).

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    1. I understand where you're coming from, and the Central division is uber-stacked on top of the Pacific being weak. Problem is, I don't trust any of those teams. As you said, Nashville doesn't have much in the way of momentum, but I also don't trust St. Louis to get far (they never do, the only team they beat in the playoffs recently is the eternal chokemeisters from San Jose), and as far as I'm aware Patrick Kane's done for the season (though they've still been playing well enough for me to pick them). That's why I went with Anaheim to come out of the West instead, and over the last who knows how many years, in inter-conference match-ups the Western team is often the safer pick, hence why I ended up with them as champions. But let's be honest here, at least half the teams that are left can win the cup. There's really no awful pick, things are so even in the NHL that neither the reigning champions nor the last regular season champions made it into the playoffs this year. Though I probably wouldn't bet my house on the Penguins, mind you.

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    2. But you know what? Digging some numbers up, it'd make sense for the Rangers to beat the Ducks if they met, the latter lost horribly both times they played each other this season, and Anaheim struggled a lot against Eastern teams in general - but not against the really stacked Central division. So I'm going to change my pick for the Rangers. Besides, it'd be really jerkish to predict them losing in the finals two years in a row.

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    3. Speaking of Kane, he's been cleared to play, so all bets off there. But you're right, outside of picking a huge Pens upset (they lots to the Rangers last year when they were the better team....) there aren't too many bad bracket choices. Though I'm picking Rangers to lose in the ECF. I'd think either Ottawa will be hot or Montreal wants revenge for last year. *shrugs* But I don't trust Anaheim to make it out of their division for some reason. No good reasons per se, just a hunch.

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    4. If Kane can play, I'm feeling a lot better about picking Chicago to get in the conference finals.

      Anyway, unless Tampa Bay loses to Detroit Montreal isn't getting past round 2. They have a lengthy history of folding like a cheap suitcase against the Lightning in recent years, they're the team they just can't beat no matter how hard they try. Ottawa has a better shot against them, but I wouldn't trust a team carried by rookies to get far in the playoffs.

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  2. One day the Flyers will be good again, but not this year. I'm hoping the Rangers win the whole thing too.

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  3. I sure hope the Rangers bring it home this year but I have my doubts. The James Dolan curse will put an end to them. I think Tampa Bay will win it all this year, I hope I'm wrong though.

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  4. I'm just honestly surprised to see a post seriously implying you care about all of this. :P

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    1. Hey, I'm Canadian as well. I just remember Slowflake clearly stating 1 or 2 years ago that he didn't care one bit about hockey.

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    2. I know it's probably the case, I just wanted to poke fun at him. :P

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    3. I said that? Huh, weird. It's not like I'm obsessed with it in the sense that suicide rate goes up during a Canadiens losing streak, but I still enjoy a good game every now and then.

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    4. IIRC you said you were a Nordiques fan until they moved to Colorado and since then you were more of a casual watcher without strong ties to any team.

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    5. That's much closer to the truth, yes.

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  5. Intresting, well I watch the uh KHL, playoffs just ended with Ak Bars from Kazan and Saint Petersburg facing off with an amazing win by Petersburg, yeah Russian Hockey, there's quite a few Canadians in the League too, I think there was a Canadian Belorussian this year who got player of the month

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