by Eric Ahearn
Who’s in? Who’s out?
Who will get the top seeds? Here’s our breakdown:
North East Division –
2 Teams IN. Of course we have to start with predictions on our home town
Bruins. This should come as no surprise, but I see the Bruins fending off the
charging Senators. The reason I feel confident about this pick is that I think
the Bruins finally have a reason to play night in and night out. Before this
late push from Ottawa,
the Bruins were coasting toward a second place finish in the East. Now, the
Bruins are forced to not only look over their shoulder because of Ottawa, but also keep
their eyes on the Florida Panthers, who are fighting to move into the second
spot. A team to watch out for in this division is the Buffalo Sabres. They are
making a real push at the eighth seed in the East…but I see them
coming up a little short.
 |
| Sid the Kid is all smiles back on the ice. |
Atlantic Division – 4
Teams IN: The Atlantic Division is easily the strongest division in the
Eastern Conference. Besides the NY Islanders, every team in this division has
cemented their place in the playoffs. The tricky part right now is picking the
winner. I believe the winner will come down to the Penguins and Rangers. With
the Rangers currently holding a 3 pt. advantage, and the Pens having a game in
hand, the Rangers may be the favorites. My pick? Penguins. Although the Rangers
will hold the tie-breaker in the form of most games won excluding shoot outs, I
feel the return of Sidney Crosby will launch the team into first. The Penguins
are returning the best player in the world (sorry Datsyuk and Malkin) and he
will remind all of us why before the end of the year. This leaves NY in fourth,
Philly in fifth, and NJ in sixth.
South East Division –
2 Teams IN: With the Bruins falling and a Florida
raising its game, Florida
has a chance to jump up into the second slot. Although I see the Bruins
rebounding and turning things around, the possibility is still there. The
Capitals will also lock up the eighth seed in the east, holding off the
Jets, Sabres, and Hurricanes. The reason why I am taking the Caps is because
they hold the most important tie-break, wins in regulation or overtime…as
explained for the Rangers. The Caps, Sabres, and Jets all have 10 games left.
The date to circle is March 27 as the Sabres travel to Washington D.C.
to take on the Caps.
North West Decision – 1 Team IN: It is a little
rare to see a division only take up one playoff spot out of eight. I believe Vancouver is going to be
the only team to get into the postseason out of this sub-par showing from the Northwest. The Colorado
Avalanche are currently in the eighth place but I see them falling (see
below – Race for eighth). To be openly biased, I am really pulling for Calgary to make it this
year but I think there is just too much to overcome…I have always liked Iginla
and I would love to see him venture into the playoffs again.
 |
| Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliot have carried the Blues to the top of the West. |
Central Division – 4
Teams IN: Much like the Atlantic Division in the East, the Central is
easily the class of the West. The surprise team of the year is the St. Louis
Blues who became the first team to clinch a spot in the tournament. They are also the odds-on
favorite to win the President’s Trophy for most points during the regular
season. I have them locked at the #1 seed. Other teams from this division are Nashville at #4, Detroit
at #5, and Chicago at #6. Columbus
is a team still reeling and will have one of the biggest off seasons in a
while.
Pacific Division – 3
Teams IN: This is a tricky division as the winner will get the third seed while the others will fight for the seventh and eighth seeds. Here is a look at each team (points, games remaining, wins in
regulation): San Jose – 82, 10, 29…Dallas – 83, 10, 33…LA
Kings – 82, 10, 30. As of right now, Dallas
has the slimmest of leads and I see them not being able to hold on. Winner? San Jose Sharks. As a
consolation prize, I see LA and Dallas grabbing the seventh and eighth seeds.
Race For 8th
Out West: The race out West is a wild one. Right now the 7th and
8th seeds are up for grabs with Phoenix,
Colorado, San Jose,
LA, Dallas, and
Calgary all
fighting tooth and nail. Here is a breakdown of each team:
Phoenix:
83 points – 9 games remaining – 30 wins in regulation/OT
Key Games: 3/20 - @DAL 3/22
– vs. COL 3/24 - @SJ
3/29
– vs. SJ 2 games with St. Louis
Colorado:
83 points – 8 games remaining – 30 wins in regulation/OT
Key Games: 3/20 – vs. CAL 3/22
- @PHX 3/26 @SJ
3/30
- @CAL 2
games with Vancouver
San Jose:
82 points – 10 games remaining – 29 wins in regulation/OT
Key Games: 3/20 - @LAK 3/24
- vs.PHX 3/26 - vs. COL
3/29
- @PHX 3/31 - vs. DAL 4/3 - @DAL
4/5
- @LAK 4/7 – vs.LAK
LA Kings: 82 points – 10 games remaining – 30 wins in
regulation/OT
Key Games: 3/20 – vs. SJ 3/28
- @CAL 4/5 - vs SJ
4/7 - vs SJ
Dallas:
83 points – 10 games remaining – 33 wins in regulation/OT
Key
Games: 3/20 - @COL 3/24
- @DAL 3/26 - vs. DAL
3/28
– vs. LAK 3/30 - vs. COL
Calgary:
81 points – 9 games remaining – 31 wins in regulation/OT
Key Games: 3/20 – vs. PHX 3/24 – vs. CAL 3/26 - @CAL
3/31
– @SJ 4/3 – vs. SJ
Here are my
predictions for the final standings:
EAST:
1. Pittsburg
Penguins
2.
Boston Bruins
3.
Florida
Panthers
4.
New York
Rangers
5.
Philadelphia
Flyers
6.
New Jersey
Devils
7.
Ottawa Senators
8.
Washington
Capitals
WEST:
1. St. Louis Blues
2. Vancouver
Canucks
3. San
Jose Sharks
4. Nashville
Predators
5. Detroit
Red Wings
6. Chicago
Blackhawks
7. LA Kings
8. Dallas
Stars
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