Playoff Preview - Round 2
Eastern Conference
Rednex vs Saints
Talk about a Pyrhic victory: the Saints pull off the upset of the tourney by knocking out the 'Canes in seven, only to lose their superstar Jason Spezza for the rest of the playoffs and their #1 goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov, for at least two games. Do you believe? Can the little Saints topple the might Rednex? No. The Nex have too much offensive talent not to take advantage of the Saints spotting them a couple games. However, here is a thought - what if Pascal Leclaire gets called-up and actually plays up to his talent? The Saints may just have a prayer. Rednex in five.
Spirit vs Owls
Well, I won't doubt the Spirit again. Patrick Lalime was solid in the first round and sits behind a team that has a number of gifts - however, Zach Parise will miss the next one to two games, but that shouldn't diminish the Spirit. The Owls got out of the first round thanks to their offence, and Mike Modano was not even that effective. The Owls' problem is in net: can Felix Potvin out-play Patrick Lalime? Spirit in seven.
Western Conference
Wheat Kings vs Ice
Well 'toonians can't complain about the action their gettin'. The Ice quickly dispatched their cross-town rival, the Blades, in four games and now face off against another 'toon-town team, the Wheat Kings. The secret of the Ice success was evident in the first series, allowing on four goals against. The Wheat Kings, a much more two-sided machine, got out of their first series by virtue of their offense. This series is interesting in that it involves two of the most defensive teams in the league, yet the Kings will not be able to play at that level unless their All-World goalie Roberto Luongo starts to perform as he can. On the other side, the Ice have superstar in net with Martin Biron, but their offense is somewhat suspect, especially facing the might of the Kings. This one is a tight call, someone will take it in six, I'll say the Wheaties.
Achaeans vs Pain
The struggle of the Titans and the Olympians ensues - either of these teams could win the cup, but first they must cast the other guy into Tartarus. The Achaeans emerged from a light series against the Renegades and should be well rested. The Pain on the other hand are coming-out of an excrutiating experience battling the Blackhawks. Some might see their long battle with the 'Hawks as a sign of weekness, but the defending champs likely pulled the toughest first round cookie when they had to face-off against them. The Pain are suprisingly well rested and ready to go. An interesting story may be in net, where Dan Cloutier was solid in the first round, while Vezina possibility J-S Giguere was somewhat questionable. Achaeans in six.
Results Round 1:
Rednex vs Colt 45 - Rednex in four --- Rednex in six
Owls vs Clubbers - Owls in five --- Owls in six
Hurricanes vs Saints - Canes in six --- Saints in seven
Spirit vs Aces - Aces in five --- Spirit in five (well at least I had the games right)
Wheat Kings vs Canucks - Wheat in six --- Wheat in five
Achaeans vs Renegades - Achaeans in four --- Achaeans in four
Pain vs Blackhawks - Pain in six --- Pain in seven
Blades vs Ice - Ice in six --- Ice in four
Team Perfect
6/8 1/8
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment