2018 iNHL Playoff, Round 1 Preview: Pt 1, Western Conference
Aug 28, 2016 8:49:54 GMT -5
Rob, Beans (BOS), and 1 more like this
Post by bjernagris (PHI) on Aug 28, 2016 8:49:54 GMT -5
St Louis Blues – Anaheim Ducks
The Preview
One of the dominants of the iNHL for the past three seasons goes up against a team that has missed two straight playoffs, were outright terrible last season and barely slipped into the playoffs as team #16 after a fierce battle right down to the wire against no less than three division rivals. Could it go more than one way? We dare say yes. The Blues look formidable and has the league’s best record since the much debated Dauphin acquisition, while the Ducks have a young and somewhat inexperienced team with key players Kevin Roy and Tanner Pearson injured, but they still have an underestimated core of players that could cause problems for the Blues if they are not playing their best game. The teams matched up 2-1 Blues in regular season, with one of Blues’ wins coming in a shootout.
The Storyline
Will Sergei Bobrovsky claim revenge on his former team for trading him last offseason?
The Key Player, Blues
Jaden Schwartz – after exploding in the Blues’ cup winning season two years ago, Schwartz offensive production has declined and he will be looking to prove those who dub him a “one hit wonder” wrong
The Key Player, Ducks
Sergei Bobrovsky – the star goaltender needs to be on the absolute top of his game against the more skilled Blues team
Prediction
Anaheim Ducks in six
Colorado Avalanche – Minnesota Wild
The Preview
This divisional matchup will see a star packed Avalanche take on the well-oiled team machine that is Minnesota. This is a series of star power versus organizational depth – Colorado relies on their star players for a lot of their offensive production, whereas Minnesota has better depth options. The Wild have been mediocre on the road this season, and only just slipped past a freefalling Predators in the last game of regular season to secure this matchup. The regular season matchup ended 4-1 Colorado, and with the amount of star power in Denver, we do not see this series going differently.
The Storyline
Will Kyle Palmieri be in the Avalanche lineup? Reportedly healthy, he has been kept outside the team since beginning of March
The Key Player, Avalanche
Nathan MacKinnon – the offensive dynamo is having a career year that he will want to carry with him into the playoffs
The Key Player, Wild
Devan Dubnyk – on a team that lacks superstar power, Dubnyk will have to build on his impressive regular season to give his team a chance
Prediction
Avalanche in five
Vancouver Canucks – Nashville Predators
The Preview
A revived Canucks, full of elite talent and injected with superstar power in the form of Evgeni Malkin, take on a slumping Nashville team that has not looked like itself since starting goaltender Pekka Rinne got injured last month. The Predators are 1-8-4 in their last 13, an unacceptable record that made them from safe ground into wild card territory in the final games of the season. The lack of a true top center is becoming evident, and the re-acquisition of Mike Fisher does not fill that hole. Vancouver, on the other hand, dress a well-balanced team, filled with young talent in the form of Vannelli, Draisaitl, Virtanen and Horvat and older leaders such as Crawford, Malkin and Nash, and we believe that they will be able to defeat the faltering Predators comfortably.
The Storyline
Can the Predators find back to the game that brought them to last season’s Conference Finals?
The Key Player, Canucks
Evgeni Malkin – the trade to Canucks meant a bigger role for the Russian superstar, and he has not had a better season offensively since 2011/2012
The Key Player, Predators
Filip Forsberg – unless the Predators get unexpected assistance from their secondary scoring, they will have to rely on Forsberg to orchestrate their offense
The Prediction
Vancouver in four
Calgary Flames – San Jose Sharks
The Preview
After reaching the Cup Finals last season, the Sharks went on an unexpected restructuring spree in the offseason, moving out some of the skill that brought them far last season and replacing it with toughness and grit. This is a rematch of last season’s conference semifinal, which ended 4-2 San Jose, but this season’s matchup tell a different story; Flames have a flawless 5-0 record against Sharks. The aging San Jose team had a terrible start to the season, recovering from their cup run hangover, but seems to have found their game lately. The Flames, however, have been solid all season, and have a relatively young core that has already gained plenty of playoff experience. The only question mark surrounding them is goaltending, but we expect Calgary to show the Sharks that there is a new order in the Pacific.
The Storyline
Will veterans Thornton, Marleau and Burns dig deep to find the form for one last (?) playoff dance?
The Key Player, Flames
Johnny Gaudreau – “Johnny Hockey” is the primary offensive weapon for the Flames, and it is easy to forget that the small speedster is only 24 years old
The Key Player, Sharks
Michael Brodzinski – the young two-way defenseman has taken a big leap this season, establishing himself as a threat on the Sharks blue line
The Prediction
Flames in five
The Preview
One of the dominants of the iNHL for the past three seasons goes up against a team that has missed two straight playoffs, were outright terrible last season and barely slipped into the playoffs as team #16 after a fierce battle right down to the wire against no less than three division rivals. Could it go more than one way? We dare say yes. The Blues look formidable and has the league’s best record since the much debated Dauphin acquisition, while the Ducks have a young and somewhat inexperienced team with key players Kevin Roy and Tanner Pearson injured, but they still have an underestimated core of players that could cause problems for the Blues if they are not playing their best game. The teams matched up 2-1 Blues in regular season, with one of Blues’ wins coming in a shootout.
The Storyline
Will Sergei Bobrovsky claim revenge on his former team for trading him last offseason?
The Key Player, Blues
Jaden Schwartz – after exploding in the Blues’ cup winning season two years ago, Schwartz offensive production has declined and he will be looking to prove those who dub him a “one hit wonder” wrong
The Key Player, Ducks
Sergei Bobrovsky – the star goaltender needs to be on the absolute top of his game against the more skilled Blues team
Prediction
Anaheim Ducks in six
Colorado Avalanche – Minnesota Wild
The Preview
This divisional matchup will see a star packed Avalanche take on the well-oiled team machine that is Minnesota. This is a series of star power versus organizational depth – Colorado relies on their star players for a lot of their offensive production, whereas Minnesota has better depth options. The Wild have been mediocre on the road this season, and only just slipped past a freefalling Predators in the last game of regular season to secure this matchup. The regular season matchup ended 4-1 Colorado, and with the amount of star power in Denver, we do not see this series going differently.
The Storyline
Will Kyle Palmieri be in the Avalanche lineup? Reportedly healthy, he has been kept outside the team since beginning of March
The Key Player, Avalanche
Nathan MacKinnon – the offensive dynamo is having a career year that he will want to carry with him into the playoffs
The Key Player, Wild
Devan Dubnyk – on a team that lacks superstar power, Dubnyk will have to build on his impressive regular season to give his team a chance
Prediction
Avalanche in five
Vancouver Canucks – Nashville Predators
The Preview
A revived Canucks, full of elite talent and injected with superstar power in the form of Evgeni Malkin, take on a slumping Nashville team that has not looked like itself since starting goaltender Pekka Rinne got injured last month. The Predators are 1-8-4 in their last 13, an unacceptable record that made them from safe ground into wild card territory in the final games of the season. The lack of a true top center is becoming evident, and the re-acquisition of Mike Fisher does not fill that hole. Vancouver, on the other hand, dress a well-balanced team, filled with young talent in the form of Vannelli, Draisaitl, Virtanen and Horvat and older leaders such as Crawford, Malkin and Nash, and we believe that they will be able to defeat the faltering Predators comfortably.
The Storyline
Can the Predators find back to the game that brought them to last season’s Conference Finals?
The Key Player, Canucks
Evgeni Malkin – the trade to Canucks meant a bigger role for the Russian superstar, and he has not had a better season offensively since 2011/2012
The Key Player, Predators
Filip Forsberg – unless the Predators get unexpected assistance from their secondary scoring, they will have to rely on Forsberg to orchestrate their offense
The Prediction
Vancouver in four
Calgary Flames – San Jose Sharks
The Preview
After reaching the Cup Finals last season, the Sharks went on an unexpected restructuring spree in the offseason, moving out some of the skill that brought them far last season and replacing it with toughness and grit. This is a rematch of last season’s conference semifinal, which ended 4-2 San Jose, but this season’s matchup tell a different story; Flames have a flawless 5-0 record against Sharks. The aging San Jose team had a terrible start to the season, recovering from their cup run hangover, but seems to have found their game lately. The Flames, however, have been solid all season, and have a relatively young core that has already gained plenty of playoff experience. The only question mark surrounding them is goaltending, but we expect Calgary to show the Sharks that there is a new order in the Pacific.
The Storyline
Will veterans Thornton, Marleau and Burns dig deep to find the form for one last (?) playoff dance?
The Key Player, Flames
Johnny Gaudreau – “Johnny Hockey” is the primary offensive weapon for the Flames, and it is easy to forget that the small speedster is only 24 years old
The Key Player, Sharks
Michael Brodzinski – the young two-way defenseman has taken a big leap this season, establishing himself as a threat on the Sharks blue line
The Prediction
Flames in five