Post by bjernagris (PHI) on Sept 16, 2018 10:03:26 GMT -5
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Philadelphia Flyers
The Preview
A familiar playoff matchup in recent years, this is the third time in four seasons that those two teams square off. The Flyers have come out the winners on both occasions and are big favorites this year as well. Despite a strong team, strengthened further by adding star winger Eeli Tolvanen in the offseason, the Blue Jackets machinery has not run as smoothly as expected this season. Competition in the Metropolitan division is fierce and they have often found themselves a number too small, partly because of mediocre goaltending. The Blue Jackets were set to enter the playoffs as underdogs, and seeing star center Sean Monahan go down with a serious elbow injury in the last game of regular season has further dampened hopes of playoff success in Ohio. The only thing speaking in the favor of the Blue Jackets is that they can play completely without pressure. The Flyers are coming off an unparalleled regular season, setting a new record for points and displaying solid play throughout the season without any real slumps. A strong defense has been the Philly trademark for years and this season has been no exception as the Flyers conceded only 159 goals, 51 goals fewer than the Devils who trailed them with second fewest conceded. The trade deadline addition of Matt Duchene further strengthened an already potent offense.
The Storyline
Has the loss of Sean Monahan extinguished the hopes of winning among Blue Jackets players, or will it mean they come together to stage a massive upset?
The Key Player, Blue Jackets
Jakub Zboril – the Czech defenseman is coming off another strong season and will need to elevate his game even further to stop the Flyers attack as well as provide offensive contributions
The Key Player, Flyers
Aidan Dudas – the young center has established himself as a top line center in the league and is coming off his first PPG season
The Prediction
Flyers in five
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils
The Preview
Despite being division rivals and having made plenty of playoff appearances in recent years, this is the first playoff matchup between the Devils and the Hurricanes since 2009. The Hurricanes beefed up considerably last offseason, adding star duo Sidney Crosby and Valeri Nichushkin (later traded to Anaheim for Tyler Seguin), and looked like the top contender going into the season. However, the team has seemed burdened by the lofty expectations, particularly on the road where they posted an unintimidating 20-18-3 record. Still, they have the league’s most star packed offense so the potential definitely is there, and they might have been waiting for playoff action to shift it into top gear. The Devils had a relatively quiet offseason, adding only offensive defenseman Jared McIsaac from the Whalers and replacing other departures internally. It has proven a recipe for success as they are coming off their third consecutive 100+ point regular season, boosted by a strong defense and young offensive talent like Peyton Krebs and Nikita Tarasevich. They have had the ‘Canes number in regular season, going 3-1 with one of the Ws coming in overtime.
The Storyline
Will the strong Devils defense be able to weather Carolina’s offensive hurricane?
The Key Player, Hurricanes
Andrei Svechnikov – the Russian superstar finished second in the league for points and will need to continue producing if the Hurricanes are to reach deep
The Key Player, Devils
Dougie Hamilton – the veteran defenseman is the main piece on a strong Devils blue line, and will be eating big minutes in all situations
The Prediction
Devils in seven
Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
The Preview
Two teams with wildly different levels of success recently square off in this Atlantic division matchup. The Canadiens have ended an eight-season playoff drought, which was tied with the Kings for the longest current drought in the league, but make their return looking strong with a young and exciting core of star players such as Logan Barlage, Xavier Parent and Samuel Poulin. Complementing the young guns is veteran Cup winning tandem Toews/Kane, star winger Mitch Marner and ageless wonder P.K. Subban. Even after adding defensive reinforcements in the form of John Carlson and Ryan McDonagh, the Canadiens have an offensive leaning squad, and as they are now up against one of the league’s highest scoring teams, finding a way to shut them down will be key. Since their dominant 2020/21 campaign, which was crowned by a Cup win, the Sabres have remained highly competitive despite trading away significant star power and this is their fourth consecutive season winning the Atlantic division. With arguably the league’s strongest defense, led by two-way blue liner Jakob Chychrun and skilled offensive Swede Erik Brännström, the Sabres are able to dictate the play on a nightly basis. On offense, a lot depends on superstar Jack Eichel and his sidekick Grigori Denisenko.
The Storyline
Will the Canadiens’ veterans be able to rub off their experience on their younger team mates, or will Buffalo’s playoff routine prove to be too much?
The Key Player, Canadiens
Mitch Marner – the star winger has remained loyal to the Canadiens through the dog years and is now making his playoff debut at age 27
The Key Player, Buffalo
Jack Eichel – the undisputed Mr. Buffalo and arguably the league’s best forward, Eichel will once again look to lead his team deep in the playoffs
The Prediction
Sabres in six
Boston Bruins vs. Ottawa Senators
The Preview
A very familiar matchup in what is the fourth series between the two teams since 2020, these matchups have always meant entertaining hockey as both teams play an offensive, fast paced hockey. Despite having a strong team for years, the Bruins have failed to reach far in the playoffs in a very competitive Atlantic. They remained quiet in the offseason, keeping the core intact and adding mainly depth players through free agency. With a flashy, offensive playing style that is always entertaining to watch, the Bruins have immense star power up front with names like Barkov, Weissbach and Yamamoto along with defensive key pieces Klingberg and Vatanen. The lack of solid goaltending, stretching back to the Grubauer days, has been a concern from Boston fans, but looks to have been solved by the addition of young and promising netminder Adam Åhman. The Senators have had a strong season, bouncing back after missing the playoffs last season for the first time in eight seasons. They effectively replaced one veteran star winger with another during the offseason, as Taylor Hall was sent to the Islanders and Vladimir Tarasenko was brought in from the Blues to replace him. Evan Fitzpatrick has proven very capable of handling a starter job this season, posting the third highest SV% in the league.
The Storyline
Which star center will be able to lead his team to victory in this series, Ryan Johansen or Aleksander Barkov?
The Key Player, Bruins
Aleksander Barkov – the Finnish center has elevated his game after arriving in Beantown and hit a career high 95 points this season
The Key Player, Senators
Erik Karlsson – the future Hall of Famer is showing no signs of slowing down as he is coming off another PPG season
The Prediction
Bruins in seven
The Preview
A familiar playoff matchup in recent years, this is the third time in four seasons that those two teams square off. The Flyers have come out the winners on both occasions and are big favorites this year as well. Despite a strong team, strengthened further by adding star winger Eeli Tolvanen in the offseason, the Blue Jackets machinery has not run as smoothly as expected this season. Competition in the Metropolitan division is fierce and they have often found themselves a number too small, partly because of mediocre goaltending. The Blue Jackets were set to enter the playoffs as underdogs, and seeing star center Sean Monahan go down with a serious elbow injury in the last game of regular season has further dampened hopes of playoff success in Ohio. The only thing speaking in the favor of the Blue Jackets is that they can play completely without pressure. The Flyers are coming off an unparalleled regular season, setting a new record for points and displaying solid play throughout the season without any real slumps. A strong defense has been the Philly trademark for years and this season has been no exception as the Flyers conceded only 159 goals, 51 goals fewer than the Devils who trailed them with second fewest conceded. The trade deadline addition of Matt Duchene further strengthened an already potent offense.
The Storyline
Has the loss of Sean Monahan extinguished the hopes of winning among Blue Jackets players, or will it mean they come together to stage a massive upset?
The Key Player, Blue Jackets
Jakub Zboril – the Czech defenseman is coming off another strong season and will need to elevate his game even further to stop the Flyers attack as well as provide offensive contributions
The Key Player, Flyers
Aidan Dudas – the young center has established himself as a top line center in the league and is coming off his first PPG season
The Prediction
Flyers in five
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils
The Preview
Despite being division rivals and having made plenty of playoff appearances in recent years, this is the first playoff matchup between the Devils and the Hurricanes since 2009. The Hurricanes beefed up considerably last offseason, adding star duo Sidney Crosby and Valeri Nichushkin (later traded to Anaheim for Tyler Seguin), and looked like the top contender going into the season. However, the team has seemed burdened by the lofty expectations, particularly on the road where they posted an unintimidating 20-18-3 record. Still, they have the league’s most star packed offense so the potential definitely is there, and they might have been waiting for playoff action to shift it into top gear. The Devils had a relatively quiet offseason, adding only offensive defenseman Jared McIsaac from the Whalers and replacing other departures internally. It has proven a recipe for success as they are coming off their third consecutive 100+ point regular season, boosted by a strong defense and young offensive talent like Peyton Krebs and Nikita Tarasevich. They have had the ‘Canes number in regular season, going 3-1 with one of the Ws coming in overtime.
The Storyline
Will the strong Devils defense be able to weather Carolina’s offensive hurricane?
The Key Player, Hurricanes
Andrei Svechnikov – the Russian superstar finished second in the league for points and will need to continue producing if the Hurricanes are to reach deep
The Key Player, Devils
Dougie Hamilton – the veteran defenseman is the main piece on a strong Devils blue line, and will be eating big minutes in all situations
The Prediction
Devils in seven
Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
The Preview
Two teams with wildly different levels of success recently square off in this Atlantic division matchup. The Canadiens have ended an eight-season playoff drought, which was tied with the Kings for the longest current drought in the league, but make their return looking strong with a young and exciting core of star players such as Logan Barlage, Xavier Parent and Samuel Poulin. Complementing the young guns is veteran Cup winning tandem Toews/Kane, star winger Mitch Marner and ageless wonder P.K. Subban. Even after adding defensive reinforcements in the form of John Carlson and Ryan McDonagh, the Canadiens have an offensive leaning squad, and as they are now up against one of the league’s highest scoring teams, finding a way to shut them down will be key. Since their dominant 2020/21 campaign, which was crowned by a Cup win, the Sabres have remained highly competitive despite trading away significant star power and this is their fourth consecutive season winning the Atlantic division. With arguably the league’s strongest defense, led by two-way blue liner Jakob Chychrun and skilled offensive Swede Erik Brännström, the Sabres are able to dictate the play on a nightly basis. On offense, a lot depends on superstar Jack Eichel and his sidekick Grigori Denisenko.
The Storyline
Will the Canadiens’ veterans be able to rub off their experience on their younger team mates, or will Buffalo’s playoff routine prove to be too much?
The Key Player, Canadiens
Mitch Marner – the star winger has remained loyal to the Canadiens through the dog years and is now making his playoff debut at age 27
The Key Player, Buffalo
Jack Eichel – the undisputed Mr. Buffalo and arguably the league’s best forward, Eichel will once again look to lead his team deep in the playoffs
The Prediction
Sabres in six
Boston Bruins vs. Ottawa Senators
The Preview
A very familiar matchup in what is the fourth series between the two teams since 2020, these matchups have always meant entertaining hockey as both teams play an offensive, fast paced hockey. Despite having a strong team for years, the Bruins have failed to reach far in the playoffs in a very competitive Atlantic. They remained quiet in the offseason, keeping the core intact and adding mainly depth players through free agency. With a flashy, offensive playing style that is always entertaining to watch, the Bruins have immense star power up front with names like Barkov, Weissbach and Yamamoto along with defensive key pieces Klingberg and Vatanen. The lack of solid goaltending, stretching back to the Grubauer days, has been a concern from Boston fans, but looks to have been solved by the addition of young and promising netminder Adam Åhman. The Senators have had a strong season, bouncing back after missing the playoffs last season for the first time in eight seasons. They effectively replaced one veteran star winger with another during the offseason, as Taylor Hall was sent to the Islanders and Vladimir Tarasenko was brought in from the Blues to replace him. Evan Fitzpatrick has proven very capable of handling a starter job this season, posting the third highest SV% in the league.
The Storyline
Which star center will be able to lead his team to victory in this series, Ryan Johansen or Aleksander Barkov?
The Key Player, Bruins
Aleksander Barkov – the Finnish center has elevated his game after arriving in Beantown and hit a career high 95 points this season
The Key Player, Senators
Erik Karlsson – the future Hall of Famer is showing no signs of slowing down as he is coming off another PPG season
The Prediction
Bruins in seven