As of last night, all but one first round series in the NHL playoffs was underway. If the opening games are any indication of how the other rounds will play out, this postseason should prove among the most exciting ever. A look at some of the match-ups:
The Colorado Avalanche are ranked number one in the league and expected to win the Stanley Cup. After dominating opponents throughout the year, the Avalanche strengthened their squad even more by adding All-Star Los Angeles Kings defenseman Rob Blake near the trading deadline.
The Avalanche opened up their 2001 playoff run last night against the eighth-seeded Vancouver Canucks, who don't appear primed for an upset. The Canucks backed into the playoffs, winning only two of their last 17 games. During this skid, they were passed by the Kings in the standings and almost lost the last seed to the Phoenix Coyotes.
This drought was partially due to the ankle injury that sidelined the teams' second-leading scorer, Andrew Cassels, for the final few weeks of the season. Cassels tried to work out on Tuesday and though he hoped to be back for the playoffs, he has now pushed his return back to Game Three.
Colorado excels in all aspects of the game. Starting in the back, the Avalanche arguably have the league's best and most feared goalie, Patrick Roy. Though his statistics have taken a small dip from past years, his name alone brings anxiety to opposing teams. He has manned the net for 40 of Colorado's 52 wins, second-best among goalies this year.
Roy also has a formidable supporting cast, including seasoned veteran Ray Bourque, who joined Colorado last year after a storied 20-year career with the Boston Bruins. Bourque is struggling with lower back pains, but is probable for Game One.
Prediction: Boasting such offensive talent as Joe Sakic, second in total points in the NHL with 118, Peter Forsberg, and Milan Hejduk, Colorado looks to steam roll through the Canucks on their way to the finals. Colorado in four.
The New Jersey Devils, the number one team in the East, started their series with the Carolina Hurricanes last night. The Hurricanes should be accustomed to the playoff atmosphere after their fierce battle with the Bruins for the final playoff spot.
Carolina is a strong squad that lacks any standout athletes - and the team functions best when it keeps that in mind and works together. The Hurricanes are not a scoring team, ranking last among playoff contenders in goals scored, meaning they often must rely on limiting their opponents' offensive production. This places much of the pressure on goalie Arturs Irbe, who will have the duty of stopping the Devil's effective starting line of Jason Arnott, Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora.
This group has produced a total of 232 points, 96 of which come from Elias. Add this output to that of second-liner Alexander Mogilny and New Jersey appears to be able to score at will.
In the net, the Devils have Martin Brodeur - a consistent nine-year veteran who has missed only ten games this season. Brodeur gives up only 2.32 goals per game, which spells trouble for Carolina. In front of Brodeur, the Devils also have experienced, talented defensemen Scott Niedermayer and his +14 plus/minus ratio.
Prediction: The Devils are the defending champs, and played just as strongly this season as they finished off last year. They are the heavy favorite to face Colorado in the finals, and the Hurricanes should not pose any threat in knocking off the number one seed in the east. Devils in four.
The Pittsburgh Penguins finished the year with 42 wins and 96 points. The Washington Capitals had 41 wins and 96 points. Yet, the Capitals achieved the third seed in the East by winning the Southeast Division, the weakest division in the league. In a tougher division, the Penguins had to settle for third place and a sixth seed.
The Penguins started the year slowly, but Mario Lemieux's return from retirement sparked them to 25 wins and 14 losses in 43 games, plus some momentum heading into the playoffs. Lemieux was also reunited with his long time partner-in-scoring, Jaromir Jagr, who won his fourth consecutive Art Ross Trophy, given to the player with the most points.
The Capitals' front line includes high scorers Adam Oates and Peter Bondra, who rank 16th and 17th, respectively, in total points. With evenly matched, high-scoring first lines, the winner of this series could be the team with the stronger second line. That distinction belongs to the Penguins, who have Martin Straka, Alexei Kovalev, and Robert Lang, all potential goal creators.
In the nets, Washington will be starting Olaf Kolzig, a fairly consistent goalie who has won 37 games in his 72 starts.
The Penguins, meanwhile have taken a different route in the goaltending department. They have started four different goalies over the year and are hoping that Johan Hedberg - who has only played in nine games - can stabilize their goaltending.
Prediction: Even with the goaltending advantage going to Washington, the Penguins have the Super Mario factor. This should be a high-scoring series and, in the end, even Hedberg's consistency will not be enough to stop the Penguins' attack. Pittsburgh in six.
The Ottawa Senators finished close behind the Devils in the Eastern Conference and face the seventh-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs. The two teams faced off to finish the regular season on Saturday, and Ottawa took the victory. More than that, the Senators won all of five of their games against the Maple Leafs this season. Ottawa outscored Toronto in 20-10 in the season series and, in their final match, the Senators were playing without the services of nine players.
Swedish center Mats Sundin and goalie Curtis Jones appear to be the only bright spots for the Maple Leafs. Sundin, a 30-year old veteran, has scored a team-leading 74 points, ensuring throughout the season that the Leafs did not stray from the playoff path.
The Senators enter the playoffs with a 9-2-1-1 record over their last 13 games. They also won the Northeast Division by 11 points over the Buffalo Sabres and finished 13 points ahead of the Capitals, the Southeast Division champions.
The Senators are led by forwards Alexei Yashin, Marian Hossa, Shawn Mceachern, and Daniel Alfredsson, all of whom have 70 points or more. Along with their offensive talent, the Senators start Patrick Lalime in the net. Lalime was an unproven goalie going into this year, but posted impressive numbers which should continue into the playoffs.
Prediction: Most of the Senators' injured players will be back for the series, and the Leafs' mediocre play will not be enough to handle the all the power Ottawa will bring at them. The playoff series will end much like the regular season did, in a sweep for the Senators. Ottawa in four.
