2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: First round predictions

First round is done. I'll take a critical look at my own predictions.

Lari wrote:

Traditionally, the best hockey is played in the first round of the playoffs. I don't see any sweeps this time around. But there is going to be some upsets, and at least two division winners eliminated.

Hockey was excellent indeed, but only one division winner got eliminated (Colorado). And there was one sweep.

Lari wrote:

Anaheim - Dallas 2-4
Seguin is having a career year and some of it spills into the playoffs. Kari Lehtonen stands on his head, Antoine Roussel gets under the skin of Getzlaf and/or Perry, we'll see 3 overtime games and it's Jamie Benn who scores the series winner in game six triple OT.

Anaheim won 4-2. Getzlaf and Perry were the best players, and the two scoring leaders. Roussel (and Garbutt) did get under their skins though and played as dirty as I expected them to. Roussel finished with 27pims and Garbutt with 25.

Lari wrote:

San Jose - Los Angeles 4-1
The Queens have been known as a tremendous playoff team, and San Jose is the opposite, but this is the year of the Sharks. They will make it look easy. Too much depth and too much skill. Hertl is back and Logan Couture is the series MVP.

At first, San Jose looked like they were going to steamroll LA, but that first sentence right there was spot on. And the rest was just me being hopeful since I put some money on the Sharks cup win. Logan Couture finished with 1 goal, 2 assists, not good enough.

Lari wrote:

Colorado - Minnesota 3-4
Great regular season, but let's face it - the Avs are overachievers. Avs and their fans are just happy they made it to the playoffs and won the division. But veterans like Parise, Suter, Koivu and Pominville will take this series, and spoil the party. There's still ways to go before the Avs can contend for real, and this will be a big lesson. Game 7 winner goes in off the ass of Ryan O'Reilly.

I got this right, apart from the series winning goal (though O'Reilly was on the ice when Niedderreiter hit that OT winner). Minnesota won 4-3, just as I predicted.

Lari wrote:

St.Louis - Chicago 2-4
Hawks get a great start and win both games in St.Louis. Then guys like Morrow, Tarasenko, Sobotka return from their injuries, and the Blues make it a series. Patrick Sharp breaks a leg, but the Hawks prevail in six.

I went into too much detail for my own good. But I got the score right, Blackhawks win 4-2.

Lari wrote:

Pittsburgh - Columbus 1-4
Sergei Bobrovsky is the new Halak. Ryan Johansen continues his breakthrough campaign and is the best player out there. He has the size, the hands and the smarts all comparable to Malkin. Now he outplays him, to prove he is in fact a better version of Malkin. Pens can't break through offensively and their defense leaks. Jackets in 5.

This one had potential for Columbus, but in the end the Pens just had too much talent. Ryan Johansen looked great though, and so did Boone Jenner. Pittsburgh won 4-2.

Lari wrote:

NY Rangers - Philadelphia 4-2
A great series, with multiple comeback wins. We don't get a game seven, because it'd be too predictable to predict a game seven in an awesome, tight series, ha!   Lundqvist wins the battle of the goalies, Mason gets exposed. Rangers D is still too good, and Vigneault gets some offense out of MSL, Richards and Nash to give the Rags the edge.

I should have just gone with my gut feeling - 7 games, and Rangers prevail! Otherwise I got it right.

Lari wrote:

Boston - Detroit 2-4
The Red Wings do to the Bruins what they did to the Ducks last year (and almost did to the Hawks). A shocker to some. p*ssy puck possession wins over hard hitting and grit, and everyone outside of Detroit throws up a little in their mouths. Franzen scores the empty netter to win game six in Detroit and kisses Zetterberg on the lips in celebration. Gregory Campbell breaks a leg.

Bruins won in 5, and made it look semi-easy. I admit I seemed to have overestimated the resolve of Detroit.

Lari wrote:

Tampa Bay - Montreal 1-4
Habs don't get home ice, but the Bolts are a mess anyway. MSL left after asking for a trade, Vezina-candidate Bishop is injured and Ryan Malone is in jail. The Habs take advantage and Pacioretty lights up that lanky Swedish goalie to get a split in Tampa. The Montreal home crowd, made entirely out of assholes, gets any ordinary contact called as a minor penalty to the visiting team, and the series is 3-1 after four games. Then Victor Hedman gets arrested for possession of cocaine, asks for a trade to New York and Mike Kostka gets drawn in for game five. Pacioretty scores 4 times and Kostka is -5 for the night as the Habs cruise to second round. Stamkos breaks a leg.

Prediction was close enough. Montreal sweeps the series. Pacioretty with one goal, one assist, meh.

Overall I predicted 4/8 correct, so my accuracy is about the rate of a well-balanced coin.

I'm amazed at how the Penguins have been playing this series. After a terrible first period period in the first game, the team has been solid. As critical as I was on Fleury in the first round, I gotta give him props for his play this round. He's been phenomenal and the Rangers are now reeling. One more win to move on.

Yeah, I was thinking they'd lose against the Rags, mostly because of Lundqvist vs Fleury, but also Alain Vigneault vs Disco Dan Bylsma (who has always been incapable to get his team to hold a lead).