NHL 2009 2nd Round Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions
The 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have made it through the 1st round with some surprise upsets and some sound beatings, including the reigning Stanley Cup champs, the Detroit Red Wings manhandling the Blue Jackets in the 1st round. The 2009 2nd Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs should be filled with some great matchups and some exciting hockey. My picks went 5-3 in the 1st round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. I offer my 2009 2nd round Playoff predictions below, and my 3rd round predictions and Stanley Cup Final predictions as well will follow, so we’ll see how well my predictions fare. Stay tuned to updates for the NHL Playoffs as well as NHL draft news by subscribing to the Ultimate Hockey Warrior:
Western Conference 2009 NHL Playoff 2nd Round MatchUps
2. Detroit Red Wings (defeated Columbus 4-0)
6. Anaheim Ducks (defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-2)
A series with some history. Expect a very tight series with two experienced and playoff tested teams. Older defensive stalwarts will be highlighted in this series, with Pronger and Niedermayer for the Ducks and Lidstrom for the Wings. Both teams have the capacity to score big, with Getzlap, Perry, Selanne and Ryan for the Ducks, and Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa and Franzen for the Wings. In the end the Red Wings depth offensively and defensively wins out. Detroit wins the playoffs series 4-3
3. Vancouver Canucks (defeated the Blues 4-0)
4. Chicago Blackhawks (defeated the Flames 4-2)
The Canucks easily beat the Blues behind outstanding goaltending from Roberto Luongo and timely scoring from a number of players. The Hawks beat a good Flames team in 6 games and despite their young team age, they have some veterans that offer solid leadership and playoff experience. The question in this series will be goaltending. Will Lungo be as good as he was in the 1st round, and can Khabibulin carry his team to the next round. Both teams have big, strong and mobile defenseman and good speed up front. This one could definitely go the full 7 games. Chicago wins the playoffs series 4-3
Eastern Conference 2009 NHL Playoff 2nd Round MatchUps
1. Boston Bruins (beat Montreal 4-0)
6. Carolina Hurricanes (beat Devils 4-3)
The Boston Bruins are flying. They ruined the Canadians 100 year anniversary without even blinking. This team is as solid as they come with 4 solid lines, outstanding defense, and a world-class goalie with Tim Thomas. The Hurricanes are a solid team, though not nearly as talented or deep as the Bruins. They are clutch though and know how to turn it on in important situations. The Canes wont quite have enough this time around. Bruins wins the playoffs series 4-2
2. Washington Capitals (defeated the Rangers 4-3)
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (defeated the Flyers 4-2)
The Washington Capitals took 7 games to beat the Rangers in a tough grinding series. The Rangers did a good job of containing Mike Green and Alexander Ovechkin and at times were able to take advantage of a rookie goaltender. The Capitals are fast and gritty and have the best hockey player on their side. The Penguins are loaded up front as well with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. This series should feature some high scoring and physical games. The difference maker will be the goaltender . . . and in this case, Pittsburgh has Marc-Andre Fleury who will end up winning this series for the Penguins. Pittsburgh wins the playoffs series 4-3
Check out the complete 2nd round Playoff Schedule
Stay tuned to updates for the NHL Playoffs as well as NHL draft news by subscribing to the Ultimate Hockey Warrior.
Team Canada 2009 World Hockey Championships Roster Announced
The 2009 World Hockey Championships will be taking place this year in the host country of Switzerland in the summer of 2009 in the cities of Berne and Zurich. This year’s Team Canada’s roster for the World Hockey Championships is composed of a very young but talented group of players, with a very young average age. Look for Steve Stamkos, Drew Doughty and Luke Schenn to contribute in Switzerland.
The 2009 Team Canada World Hockey Championship roster was picked by Team Canadian advisors and will be coached by Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabers. The Canadian World Championships roster is loaded with talent, including stars Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and Martin St. Louis. The World Hockey Championships begin on April 24th and Team Canada may be adding more players to the roster before the World Hockey Championship begins. Also, check out the 2009 United States World Hockey Championship roster.
Team Canada 2009 World Hockey Championships Roster
Canada Goaltender
Dwayne Roloson
Josh Harding
Canada Defense
Dan Hamuis
Drew Doughty
Chris Phillips
Luke Schenn
Shea Weber
Ian White
Canada Forwards
Scottie Upshall
Derek Roy
Shawn Horcoff
Mike Fisher
Dany Heatley
Steve Stamkos
Matthew Lombardi
Shane Doan
Colby Armstrong
Martin St. Louis
James Neal
Jason Spezza
Canada Coach
Lindy Ruff
United States 2009 World Hockey Championships Roster Released
The 2009 World Hockey Championships will be taking place this year in the host country of Switzerland in the summer of 2009 in the cities of Berne and Zurich. This year’s United States World Hockey Championships roster is composed of a very young but talented group of players, with a very young average age.
The 2009 United States World Hockey Championship roster was picked by USA Hockey and will be coached by Ron Wilson of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The US World Championships roster doesn’t have any superstars, but rather a young fast team with a little more leadership than last years United States World Hockey Championship roster. The World Hockey Championships begin on April 25th and the US team will be adding more players to the roster before the tournament begins. Also, take a look at the 2009 Team Canada World Hockey Championship roster.
United States (US) 2009 World Hockey Championships Roster
US Goaltender
Robert Esche
Al Montoya
US Defense
Keith Ballard
Zach Bogosian
Ron Hainsey
Jack Johnson
Matt Niskanen
Ryan Suter
US Forwards
Dustin Brown
Patrick O’Sullivan
Drew Stafford
Lee Stempniak
Jason Blake
Nick Foligno
Peter Harrold
Kyle Okposo
Ryan Shannon
Colin Stuart
Colin Wilson
US Coach
Ron Wilson
Craig McTavish Fired by Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have just announced that they will be parting ways with head coach Craig McTavish. Craig McTavish is fired by the Edmonton Oilers after 8 seasons with the team, including a 3 year playoff drought. According the GM of the Oilers, Steve Tambellini, “We both agree that it is time for a change,”.
The Edmonton Oilers narrowly missed the playoffs for the second year in a row. They came into the season as one of the most promising young teams in the NHL, but were never able to put it together consistently this year. McTavish did lead the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals a few years ago, but the team hasn’t been the same since they lost Pronger. Now that the Edmonton Oilers fired Craig McTavish, the next questions is who will replace the Oilers head coach?
2009 NHL Draft Lottery Teams Announced
The NHL 2009 Entry Draft Lottery continues for the bottom 14 teams in the NHL. The NHL entry draft lottery for 2009 will be held this Tuesday, April 14 at 8 pm eastern on TSN, Versus and the NHL Network. The 2009 NHL draft lottery allows the bottom 5 teams a shot at the top overall pick. The consensus number one pick this year is unclear with talented players John Tavares and Viktor Hedman battling for the top spot in the NHL draft this year.
The way the NHL 2009 draft lottery will work is it will give the bottom 5 teams (the Kings, Lightning, Thrashers, Avalanche and Islanders have clinched the bottom 5) a shot at winning the overall #1 pick. However, once the final positions are determined, each team can move up to #1 draft pick, but they cannot move down more 1 overall spot. The NHL draft lottery does protect the team’s positions for their awfulness during the regular season.
The New York Islanders won the Draft Lottery. It is thought that John Tavares will be the #1 overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft held this summer in Montreal.
NHL 2009 Entry Draft Lottery Winners
1. New York Islanders
2. Colorado Avalanche
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
4. Atlanta Thrashers
5. Los Angeles Kings
6. Phoenix Coyotes
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
8. Dallas Stars
9. Ottawa Senators
10. Edmonton Oilers
11. Nashville Predators
12. Minnesota Wild
13. Buffalo Sabers
14. Florida Panthers
Stay tuned for the rest of the draft order for teams 1-14. I will be updating this post with the finalized NHL draft orders as they are announced. You can easily bookmark this page by pressing Ctrl + D on your keyboard.
NHL 2009 1st Round Playoff Matchup Predictions
The 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin this Wednesday. I will offer my 1st round Stanley Cup hockey playoff predictions. I will be also offering my 2nd round predictions and my 3rd round predictions as they come along. I will do 2009 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions for each round and see how well my picks fare. Stay tuned to updates for the NHL Playoffs as well as NHL draft news by subscribing to the NHL Apparel Blog:
Western Conference NHL Playoff First Round MatchUps
1. San Jose Sharks (53-18-11)
8. Anaheim Ducks (42-30-10)
This matchup will be a great one. These teams know each other well and match up very evenly. I can easily see this one going 7. San Jose wins the playoffs series 4-3
2. Detroit Red Wings (51-20-10)
7. Columbus Blue Jackets (41-31-10)
The Detroit Red Wings are still one of the most dominant teams in the NHL. They are consistent and strong and they have not lost any pieces from their Stanley Cup team from a year ago. If the Jackets stand a chance, it will be up to rookie goalie Steve Mason to carry the team to victory. Detroit wins the playoffs series 4-1
3. Vancouver Canucks (45-27-10)
6. St. Louis Blues (41-31-10)
The Vancouver Canucks have a solid all-around lineup anchored by goalie Roberto Luongo. The St. Louis Blues caught fire the second half of the season to make the playoffs. This should be a very even matchup overall. St. Louis wins the playoffs series 4-3
4. Chicago Blackhawks (45-24-12)
5. Calgary Flames (46-30-6)
Youth goes up against experience in this great first round playoff matchup. The Chicago Blackhawks have been solid all year long with a good mix of offense and a strong defense anchored by a set of young defensemen. The Calgary Flames have a number of guys injured and faded a little towards the end, but they do have a lot of offensive weapons and a great goalie in Mikka Kiprusoff. Chicago wins the playoffs series 4-2
Eastern Conference Hockey Playoff First Round MatchUps
1. Boston Bruins (52-19-10)
8. Montreal Canadians(41-30-11)
The Montreal Canadiens barely made it into the playoffs after playing a great first half of the season and a horrible second half. The Boston Bruins have led the Eastern Conference all-year long and are a very balanced team. Can Montreal get their swagger back or are they in for a beating? Boston wins the playoffs series 4-1
2. Washington Capitals (50-24-8)
7. New York Rangers (42-30-9)
The Washington Capitals are a scoring machine, with Ovechkin, Semin and Mike Green leading the way. Their only real weak spot is in net, but they should be able to light up Lundqvist. The Rangers have a good defense, strong goaltending and no offensive firepower. They need Lundqvist to stand on his head. Washington wins the playoffs series 4-2
3. New Jersey Devils (51-27-4)
6. Carolina Hurricanes (45-30-7)
This is going to be a great first round NHL playoff series. Both teams have outstanding goaltending, high scoring players and strong defenders. I see this one going 7. Carolina wins the playoffs series 4-3
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9)
5. Philadelphia Flyers (44-26-11)
The battle of Pennsylvania continues in this even matchup. Lots of stars on both sides, including Malkin, Crosby, Carter and Richards to name a few. Both teams are strong in both ends and have reliable goaltending. Flyers wins the playoffs series 4-2
Stay tuned to updates and predictions for the 2009 NHL Playoffs as well as NHL draft news by subscribing to the Cool Hockey Blog and also check out my 2008 Stanley Cup Playoff 2nd Round Predictions when they come out and feel free to comment below with your picks.
Photo: Wikipedia
Winter Classic 2010 in Boston at Fenway Park Just Announced
The Winter Classic for 2010 has now been set. The 2010 Winter Classic will be played in Boston at Fenway Park with the Bruins matching up against a team to be decided upon later. The 2010 Winter Classic in Boston will be played on New Years Day and is expected to sell out as soon as tickets go on sale, regardless of the opponent. The last Winter Classic was played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and the year before that the game was played in Buffalo. Stay tuned for the Boston Bruins opponent in the 2010 Hockey Winter Classic.
Here are my NHL Playoff Team Predictions
Update: View my First Round NHL Playoff Predictions!
With less than 5 games left in the NHL’s regular season, it is time to look at who has the best chance of making the playoffs and my predicted order with matchups. I will be basing my 2009 NHL playoff team predictions on record and remaining schedule, including number of games and level of competition. Feel free to leave your NHL playoff team predictions in the comment below and we can see who comes closer as the regular season nears its completion.
In the Eastern Conference, my predictions on playoff teams and seeding are below:
1. Boston Bruins
2. Washington Capitals
3. New Jersey Devils
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. Carolina Hurricanes
6. Pittsburgh Penguins
7. New York Rangers
8. Montreal Canadians
9. Florida Panthers
The Wastern Conference is a little trickier, with a lot of teams fighting for playoff spots and my predictions on playoff teams and seeding are below:
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Detroit Red Wings
3. Calgary Flames
4. Chicago Blackhawks
5. Vancouver Canucks
6. Columbus Blue Jackets
7. Anaheim Ducks
8. St. Louis Blues
9. Nashville Predators
These are my 2009 NHL Playoff Team Predictions, which I will update once teams have clinched or been eliminated. Feel free to give me your playoff predictions in the comments section.