1) Sharks vs. 8) Ducks
My prediction for this series:
Sharks in 7
How the series went:
Ducks in 6
Defending my pick:
I couldn’t make up my mind on this pick, but I had a good feeling that this series would go 6+. I thought the Sharks beat themselves by losing the first 2 at home.
Three Stars of the Series:
1. Jonas Hiller, ANA (4-2, 1.64 GAA, .957 SV%)
2. Scott Niedermayer, ANA (1 goal, 4 assists, +3, 0 PIM)
3. Ryan Getzlaf, ANA (2 goals, 6 assists, +5)
Why Anaheim won…
This series win was a tremendous group effort by all 18 skaters + Hiller. The defensemen were close to dominant, the top line of Perry/Getzlaf/Ryan was almost unstoppable, Hiller was a wall between the pipes, and the role players did their job. The Ducks’ special teams should also be commended. The PK on the road was sensational, killing off 14 of 15 at HP Pavilion. This will go down as an 8 versus 1 upset, but it really doesn’t feel that way.
Why San Jose lost…
Like I said above, they lost this series in the first 2 games. They weren’t ready to play, the Ducks were. And I think that 0-2 deficit was just too much for even the best team in the regular season to climb out of. Joe Thornton would show up, and then completely disappear. Nabby wasn’t clutch in net when the team needed him the most. Overall, a very disappointing postseason for the Presidents’ Trophy winners.
2) Red Wings vs. 7) Blue Jackets
My prediction for this series:
Red Wings in 5
How the series went:
Red Wings in 4
Defending my pick:
A popular upset pick was Columbus over Detroit… I wasn’t buying it one bit! I expected the Wings to flip the switch, but didn’t think they’d sweep the Jackets.
Three Stars of the Series:
1. Johan Franzen, DET (2 goals, 4 assists, +4)
2. Daniel Cleary, DET (2 goals, 3 assists, +6)
3. Chris Osgood, DET (4-0, 1.75 GAA)
Why Detroit won…
I’m beating a dead horse here – the Wings flipped the switch. It was hard picking those 3 stars above because they had so many. They got scoring from everyone in this series. The power play was lethal. Ozzie returned to his form from last spring. And they also got a pretty good draw with Columbus… no travel, Jackets’ first playoff appearance… yada, yada.
Why Columbus lost…
They were lost in the first 3 games of this series. Hitchcock’s gang did not look like a playoff team. They improved their effort in Game 4, but it was obviously too little, too late. Steve Mason was going in circles in his crease, the offense couldn’t generate any consistent pressure, and Detroit was just flat out 10-times better.
3) Canucks vs. 6) Blues
My prediction for this series:
Canucks in 6
How the series went:
Canucks in 4
Defending my pick:
I really thought St. Louis would be able to push Vancouver in this series. The Canucks are still my Cup pick (barely), so I was glad to see them finish it off in four.
Three Stars of the Series:
1. Roberto Luongo, VAN (4-0, 1.16 GAA)
2. Daniel Sedin, VAN (2 G, 3 A, +4)
3. Andy McDonald, STL (1 G, 3 A, +1)
Why Vancouver won…
Luongo and special teams. ‘Bobby Lu’ played like the world-class goaltender like he is, turning away 126 of St. Louis’ 131 shots. When the Canucks would lose momentum in a game, Luongo would step up big-time and take it right back from them. Also, the special teams were huge for Vancouver. They killed off 23 of the Blues’ 24 power plays, including 3 or 4 5-on-3’s. And on the power play, the Canucks went 4/17.
Why St. Louis lost…
The team that played in Games 3 and 4 looked 5-times better than the one that showed up in Western Canada for the first 2 games. At no point in Games 1 or 2 did I think they would come away victorious. St. Louis could’ve easily won either game at home, but just could not convert on the power play. Special teams obviously bit them in the rear, and they were probably just gassed from their remarkable late-season run.
4) Blackhawks vs. 5) Flames
My prediction for this series:
Blackhawks in 7
How the series went:
Blackhawks in 6
Defending my pick:
I thought long and hard about this pick… I actually lost a bit of sleep over it, to tell you the truth. This series went about as I expected – close and physical.
Three Stars of the Series:
1. Patrick Sharp, CHI (3 goals, 3 assists)
2. Kris Versteeg, CHI (2 goals, 5 assists)
3. Jonathan Toews, CHI (2 goals, 4 assists, +3, won 61% of face-offs)
Why Chicago won…
I think we all had a good idea the ‘Hawks had the upper hand in this series after showing great maturity in the first 2 games of the series; you could almost see them grow up together. The special teams were awesome, as they converted over 20% of their power plays, and did a masterful job on the PK. And I’m not gonna move on until I mention bench boss Joel Quenneville. He did a great job of adjusting and shutting down Iginla & Jokinen with certain defensive matchups.
Why Calgary lost…
Special teams played a big role in their 4th straight 1st round exit… so did the inconsistencies of Iginla, Jokinen, and Kiprusoff. But IMO, the biggest reason why they failed to beat the ‘Hawks was injuries. They were way too banged up. Regehr didn’t play in the series. Sarich, Langkow, and Conroy were just a few that played through injuries. That was too much for the Flames up against a healthy and hungry Chicago team. Even if Calgary was healthy, I don’t think the result would’ve been different here.
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