In this special edition of the Puck Podcast we preview the second round of the NHL playoffs with complete breakdowns of each matchup including injury information, season series analysis and what the key to success will be for each team. We’ll also give our predictions of which teams will advance and which teams will go home, we’ll talk to our Penguins fan correspondent Brian Estat to get his thoughts on Pittsburgh’s chances against the Rangers as well as answer your e-mails on the Sean Avery incident and a whole lot more.
* Doug has already revised his predictions! Check the “comments” section of this post for more information.
What a dolt I am! I predicted the Penguins to reach the Cup Finals at the beginning of the season and at the beginning of the playoffs, then I predicted that the Rangers would beat them in this series! I revise the prediction you hear in this episode and go back to my original prediction that the Penguins will reach the Finals. I’ll go with the Penguins in seven games.
Doug
Thank you. Doug is the first one in months to state that Chris Osgood has won a Stanley Cup. The goalie controversy in Detroit is that there is no controversy. If you want to see Hasek again, you’ll have to probably visit the Czech Republic because Doug’s right, he’s all done and an awful lot is going to have to happen to Osgood to get taken out. Hasek hasn’t had his famous intensity all year and doesn’t have the drive anymore. Further, Doug is right once again–anyone that predicts any team to win in 7 games has no opinion. Eddie says the Red Wings have not impressed him yet? What? They won the President’s trophy, won the Jennings trophy, have 2 of the top scorers in the league, probably a 6 time Norris trophy winner and 2 of the top 4 goalies in the league in GAA. Doug’s right, in the end, all of those stats matter. If you ask me, this could be a much shorter series than anyone is predicting because the Red Wings woke up when playing Nashville and shouldn’t doze off again.
sorry eddie but marty turco has won a playoff series before. 2003 western conference quarterfinals. he and the stars beat the oilers 4-2. however, it has been quite a dry spell since then.
Ditto to what Mark said about Osgood – and about the Wings being impressive. But a lot of what Mark pointed out might not be enough to convince Eddie, since Detroit has folded in the playoffs before with equally impressive individual stats. So I’d like to add that he should be impressed with their improved team play and depth this year. Most important – it seems like they are getting twice as many shots on goal this year, it seems like – Babcock has fixed them up good.
Dave:
I guess we need to let Eddie off the hook. After all, let’s remember who his favorite team is and what he’s used to watching out there in L.A. Related to folding in the past, I loathe the ridiculous stats that get brought up in every series (Doc Emerick quoting how teams that are winning in the 2nd period, on a Thursday, with a half-moon, with outside temperatures over 60 degrees, have won the game 39.65% of the time)just to fill air time. I like discussing the current season and the current season only–far too much changes from week to week let alone year to year. Colorado is a different team than years ago and so are the Wings. Babcock is a different kind of guy and different than he was in Anaheim. The only player that truly impresses him and that he states in public is the perfect player is Lidstrom. All other players have to earn it every day, that’s important at this time of year. It should be entertaining and I hope, competitive.
Mark, I agree, it will will be shorter than anyone thinks. And I will probably be at the game when the Avs finish the Wings off (Game B).
Kris:
Go easy on the Vicodin. When you come out of it, you really should replay the game tonight in which Detroit schooled Colorado–I’m guessing the first period was embarrassing for you. Congratulations on scraping up $50 to attend a playoff game, very impressive.
I guess you guys will get the honor of watching the Avs win on Saturday and then again a week later on Saturday, and you will get to watch the traditional handshake, although I’m not sure your guys will want to do that after getting beat 4 straight. I am not going to lie, the Avs were not that good during the 1st period, but a lucky bounce for the Cleary and a miscommunication by McLeod gave you guys the win, and you still barely held it. And just so we are on the same page, 4 tickets on the glass are a little bit more than $50, more like $190… per ticket, for 41 regular season games, and then another 12 or so games in the playoffs, with ticket prices increasing, not all that cheap of a venture.
Kris:
Thanks for the details. Your excuses for Colorado’s embarrassing loss are normally referred to as a “game summary” and as they say, that’s hockey–you make your own luck and your own chances, or in your team’s case, don’t. Thanks too for the math lesson on ticket prices, I guess I improperly assumed it would be a very cheap ticket to attend an Avs game. Being a Wings season ticket holder for 11 years, I’m unfortunately very aware of ticket prices to watch the best team in hockey in person.
The Avs played a disappointing 2nd half of the 1st period, there is no denying it. But you can fabricate luck. I wouldn’t call it an embarrassing loss. The Avs were down 4-1, yes that is embarrassing, but that was from just over 10 minutes of play. The Avs found a way to get a comeback going against “the best team in hockey”. While Detroit is the best team in hockey during the regular season, none of that matters once you are in the playoffs, and I think have such an easy season is why Detroit has struggled in the playoffs for the past few years. As Eddie and Doug mention, they haven’t played a meaningful game in so long, they can’t just flip a switch and be at top performance.
LOL Mark! Well said on Doc! Ugh…
I think Detroit will win this series in five games. I’m not just saying that because they won tonight, but Theodore doesn’t scare me despite his recent run. Detroit will torch him like they did tonight every game. Even if they choose to play Budaj, it’s not going to really matter.
The rivalry between the two teams is not there. Like Mark said, mostly different players and a different time. They are just rivals because they’ve played in the postseason a lot. But this series won’t even be close to how they were from 1996-2002ish.
Supposedly Theodore was “sick”. He reportedly went to the hotel after he was pulled because he was sick. hopefully by the time we get back to colorado he will be fully recovered. But while he is gone I think Budaj can hold down the fort, statistically Detroit won’t score on him Saturday, as hel allowed 0 goals on 20 shots. Even if he had allowed 1 goal, he would have a .950 save %, which is very respectable. Avs in 6.
Your guys’ arguing back and forth is hilarious. Kris: There is absolutely no way Colorado will win this series. Theodore has improved this year but we all know he’s just one missed save away from falling into another nose dive like when he first joined colorado. Detroit pelts goaltenders with rubber on a nightly basis and are just way too deep. Peter Forsberg is a non factor!!! I think it’s funny when people say he’s a leader in the locker room, have we all forgotten that this guy quit on hockey? Mark/Kris: Cleary’s goal was very lucky based on the bounce but what the hell was theodore doing with the rebound? That was theodore’s fault end of story. SIDE NOTE: How was the call against Richards a penalty in the Montreal game? He went for the hit, Kovalev moves, Richards doesn’t stick out his knee and they make incidental knee contact. That was ridiculous, i understand protecting star players’ knees but come on, that lost them the game.
We’ll see. Avs will win, its just a matter of 6 games or 7.
Kris:
I’m blown away, well said.
Great stuff, Kris & Mark! It was very entertaining to read the back and forth between the two of you…and the series has just begun! I can’t wait to see what you two have to say to each other after another week of games!