150 replies to this topic

[Heaten]

I was just looking over the schedule for the top 10 teams in the West and 'my guess' the playoff standings looks like this to end the season:

Nucks - 1st place
Sharks - game in hand from us will out them at 2nd place
Wings - Sharks take 2nd
Kings - Already 45 wins with 4 games in hand
Preds - will tie with Kings in pts, but Kings have more wins
Yotes - tough schedule to end the season
Hawks - 4 games left, I think they score 5 points in 4 games
Ducks - tough schedule to end the season

(You could switch Hawks with Ducks...)

What's your prediction?

[saven]

I'm not sold on the hawks they have a harder road with a weekend series with us dallas while trailing them in points has 2 games with the Avs and one with wild

[Vladimir316]

I guess they will have to face Preds first round,
but time will tell.

[SouthernWingsFan]

I choose the refs, because of, well you know...

[matt198913]

Remember in the good ol days like late 90's early 2000's when ya knew who you were going to play in the first round probaly 2 weeks before the playoffs started...

I have no clue who Detroit is going to play even if they do finish second which I think they will. San Jose has to go to Anaheim on Wednesday night... Tough game for the Sharks there.

I think it ends like this

1.Cannucks
2. Wings
3. Sharks
4. Kings
5. Yotes
6. Preds
7.Ducks
8. Hawks

If we don't have to deal with Hiller we should win this series in 5

[evilzyme]

Remember in the good ol days like late 90's early 2000's when ya knew who you were going to play in the first round probaly 2 weeks before the playoffs started...

I have no clue who Detroit is going to play even if they do finish second which I think they will. San Jose has to go to Anaheim on Wednesday night... Tough game for the Sharks there.

I think it ends like this

1.Cannucks
2. Wings
3. Sharks
4. Kings
5. Yotes
6. Preds
7.Ducks
8. Hawks

If we don't have to deal with Hiller we should win this series in 5

Not to get off subject but i'm going to say almost yours except I would put nashville over phoenix, wings will take third with sharks in 2nd, and ducks over yote; but with or without Hiller the Ducks are still scary with Ray Emery, he's been doing a fine job.

[Shoreline]

At least one, if not two, of those Pacific teams has to drop down. Anaheim, LA, and Phoenix all play within their own division against each other or San Jose. If the Sharks finish strong then the Wings might be looking at a Phoenix matchup. If they don't, then possibly Anaheim or Chicago. Chicago's fate could easily be in the Wings' hands since our team plays them twice more, allowing Dallas and/or Calgary in the playoffs. It's possible in all this mess that every Pacific Division team make the playoffs, though will be rocky since they play so many intradivisional games to finish off.

Edited by Shoreline, 04 April 2011 - 08:02 AM.

[wings_fanatic]

The thing that fears me most about the Ducks is that the refs always seem to favor them in every game against the Wings... especially in the playoffs. Example, Hossa scoring a in 2009 playoffs in Anaheim and the dumb ref waiving it off for no reason. Personally, I would like to play the Hawks in the first round because I do not think that they can match up against a healthy Wings team at all, and more importantly, it is significently less travel. Ideally, the Wings could, and probably would, beat them in 5. But, obviously we will not know until next Saturday or Sunday who we will play in the first round.

[mmamolo]

I was just looking over the schedule for the top 10 teams in the West and 'my guess' the playoff standings looks like this to end the season:

Nucks - 1st place
Sharks - game in hand from us will out them at 2nd place
Wings - Sharks take 2nd
Kings - Already 45 wins with 4 games in hand
Preds - will tie with Kings in pts, but Kings have more wins
Yotes - tough schedule to end the season
Hawks - 4 games left, I think they score 5 points in 4 games
Ducks - tough schedule to end the season

(You could switch Hawks with Ducks...)

What's your prediction?

That's probably a little bit of wishful thinking right there...despite the travel issue, of all the possible playoff match ups the Coyotes have given the Wings the least amount of difficulty this season.

[evilzyme]

Ultimately I would want us to have a huge first round opponent, like Anaheim. This being, I believe if we go against an alright first round going into second round our opponent is going to be better. I would like to see the wings have a tough first opponent to get their mind straight. Last season I think we underestimated Phoenix and weren't taking it so easy. Not to bring up the refs in the second round but if the Wings had their head straight (besides a rough regular season with injuries tiring out players) I think it would've went differently. I just dont want them to have a slow start in the playoffs, I would like to have them go into them arms swinging ready for anything and looking to eliminate opponents quickly.

[wings_fanatic]

That is a good point above; I too think that was a problem last year. However, there is a massive difference between a good opponent to face in the first round and the Ducks. It isn't even that the Ducks are overly good, it is just that they play dirty and get away with it all the time, and even though the Wings would for sure win, it would tire them out. Look back to 2009... that series against the Ducks took a toll on them and, to this day, I believe if not for the Ducks tiring the Wings, they would have won the cup against s***sburg. That is why I also want to face a good team in the first round, but not the Ducks. I would like Chicago for my reasons mentioned above, plus I don't think Crawfard will be consistent for them in the playoffs.

[Nightfall]

There are no favorable matchups in the playoffs. If Vancouver has to play the Hawks in the first round, I would not be surprised to see them pull the upset. In short, the team that wants it more is going to win the series. Just like in any stanley cup playoff series.

I don't see Detroit taking 2nd place, but it could happen. The issue is that Detroit has to play against 2 teams that need points to ensure they get a playoff spot. Carolina is going to be a tough game. Same goes for both games against the Hawks. Still, they win 2 of their last 3 they could find themselves in that 2nd spot.

My prediction

1. Vancouver
2. San Jose
3. Detroit
4. Nashville
5. Phoenix
6. Los Angeles
7. Anaheim
8. Chicago

Edited by Nightfall, 04 April 2011 - 08:50 AM.

[VM1138]

There are no favorable matchups in the playoffs. If Vancouver has to play the Hawks in the first round, I would not be surprised to see them pull the upset. In short, the team that wants it more is going to win the series. Just like in any stanley cup playoff series.

I don't see Detroit taking 2nd place, but it could happen. The issue is that Detroit has to play against 2 teams that need points to ensure they get a playoff spot. Carolina is going to be a tough game. Same goes for both games against the Hawks. Still, they win 2 of their last 3 they could find themselves in that 2nd spot.

My prediction

1. Vancouver
2. San Jose
3. Detroit
4. Nashville
5. Phoenix
6. Los Angeles
7. Anaheim
8. Chicago

My only disagreement is that I think Detroit finishes second and faces Anaheim in the first round.

[Nightfall]

My only disagreement is that I think Detroit finishes second and faces Anaheim in the first round.

Either way, west coast games which means not much sleep for those of us who have to wake up early in the morning.

Also, if the Hawks and Canucks played in the first round, I would probably say the Hawks would win the series. Am I the only one that thinks Vancouver could find themselves going home after the first round?

Edited by Nightfall, 04 April 2011 - 09:23 AM.

[evilzyme]

Either way, west coast games which means not much sleep for those of us who have to wake up early in the morning.

Also, if the Hawks and Canucks played in the first round, I would probably say the Hawks would win the series. Am I the only one that thinks Vancouver could find themselves going home after the first round?

No you're not alone. I'm pretty sure the only ones that believe they're unstoppable are their growing fans in numbers on HFB. I can't wait to see all those "deal with it" and "do it for manny" avatars gone, want to see a real reason to win a cup? Research "believe" for vladdy back in 98 homos. Grrrrrr win it for manny, such a disgrace. For once in my life i'll root for chicago if that matchup happens.

[Nightfall]

No you're not alone. I'm pretty sure the only ones that believe they're unstoppable are their growing fans in numbers on HFB. I can't wait to see all those "deal with it" and "do it for manny" avatars gone, want to see a real reason to win a cup? Research "believe" for vladdy back in 98 homos. Grrrrrr win it for manny, such a disgrace. For once in my life i'll root for chicago if that matchup happens.

Yea, when I read that, I almost threw up in my mouth. At least they aren't making their own "believe" patch or anything like that. Still, the playoffs are the best month and a half of hockey. I can't wait!

[HankthaTank]

No one on the West coast if at all possible for my sleeping purposes. Ducks-Wings always make a great series and I just have a feeling it is going to be them to really make it a great first round. We do need to keep it up and aside from this Wednesday matchup against the Canes, we won't have an easy last 2 games here with the Hawks fighting for their playoff lives. Should be interesting to see how this winds up.

[Mors]

No prediction, but I'd rather not play Anaheim or Nashville in the first round.

[redwingmachine]

I for one would really like to spoil the Hawks playoff push and beat them these last two games of the year.

[lookalive07]

Theoretically, it could very well happen if we played like we did against Nashville against them.

Right now, the top 3 are obviously clinched, so that gives us

1. Vancouver
2. San Jose/Detroit
3. San Jose/Detroit

If San Jose gains the same amount of points as us in these last four games, we will take 2nd. We have one more ROW than them so as long as they don't get one or more points than us in the last four games and we don't decide more than one game in a shootout, we will still take 2nd.

Now for 7th/8th:

Chicago has 92 points and can potentially gain 8 more points and they play Montreal, St. Louis, and Detroit twice. Anaheim has 93 points and can only gain 6 and they play San Jose once and Los Angeles twice. Calgary has 91 points and can only gain 4 and they play Edmonton and Vancouver.

Chicago can achieve these final totals at 92 points with 4 games remaining
4-0-0 = 100
3-0-1 = 99
3-1-0 = 98
2-0-2 = 98
1-0-3 = 97
2-2-0 = 96
1-1-2 = 96
2-1-1 = 95
1-3-0 = 94
0-3-1 = 93
0-4-0 = 92

Since Calgary can only get to 95, Chicago has to effectively lose at least 3 of their last four games in regulation in order to miss the playoffs, while Calgary has to win out. Anaheim has to essentially have a meltdown to miss the playoffs as well. Dallas on the other hand can still gain 8 points to add to their current total of 89 to hit 97. If three of those are ROW's and Chicago hits 97, Dallas makes it while Chicago doesn't.

tl;dr version:

If Chicago gets 96 points or better, they're most likely in, and if they get 98, they're definitely in. The way I see it though, if they lose to Montreal tomorrow and St. Louis, we could put a dent in their playoff hopes with at least one win in regulation. If Dallas loses more than one game in regulation, they're out, and Calgary plain needs to win out to have any shot in hell.


LGW.

Edited by lookalive07, 04 April 2011 - 12:19 PM.