2016 NHL Playoffs, Rite of Spring: "You thought God was an architect"

[Kramerica Industries]

If I'm being fully honest with myself, then I'm figuring Florida/Pittsburgh in the ECF, and...hahahaha...LA/Chicago in the WCF.

 

C'mon, you guys. That one has never failed me. Always gonna go to that old standby prediction if it's available.

 

(I reserve the right to be wrong about the ECF and be happy about it, though.)

[FiddySicks]

Panthers over Wild in 7 just because I want the world to burn. 

[ninersdd]

I've seen this movie before; probably Kings in 6 with the Sharks offense disappointed again with less to 2 goals a game.

[chcarlson23]

3 hours ago, BringBackTheVet said:

 

I'm not a big hockey fan anymore, but I live in the city and have friends that are and I'm just generally pretty observant and sensitive to the "pulse" so to speak.  That being said, things just "feel" different now with the Flyers.  There's a sense of optimism that simply hasn't been there for years, and people have rallied around the team like I haven't seen since that series against Pittsburgh a few years ago when there was all the fights.  In years past, this would be a disaster and people would be calling for blood for just making the playoffs.  But now, like you said, people are genuinely happy and "proud" of the team.

 

I think it was the retread coaches and the sense that they would never change from the Carke / Holmgren era that really dragged everyone down.  Hextall has come in and changed all of that, and while people were very skeptical of the coaching decision, I think that they're really coming around and seeing why they went with a guy with a college background. 

Especially a very good college, (Even though Sioux's a girls name! ) 

 

Even just watching the highlights from the Philly-Pitt game, the Flyers are psyched out of their minds about the playoffs are so are the fans. I think Philly is going to make it an awful series for Washington, or at least a lot closer than Washington wants it (and expects it) to be. And if Washington makes it past the Flyers, the Upset is going to Pittsburgh. I just think that Washington is going to get upset somewhere. It's not that Washington isn't the strongest team, or that they don't have playoff experience, or even that they're cocky, they just seem like that upsetable team. They really seem like that team that's ready to go somewhere, but there's been almost no emotional willpower behind them. They most notable thing that happened to them this year was Holtby ALMOST breaking a record. (Dick move, Trotz...)  There are other team that people want to see upset, or almost win all the time so they deserve to be upset. But these Caps just feel like a team that will get upset... 

[Alex Houston]

10 minutes ago, ninersdd said:

I've seen this movie before; probably Kings in 6 with the Sharks offense disappointed again with less to 2 goals a game.

 

I think this one goes the difference, though I'm still feeling the better matchup would've been Anaheim. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something that makes me think the Ducks would be the easier out. Maybe it's been the Kings recent success, or the reverse sweep, but if they managed to knock out L.A., I do think the road for the Ducks and Hawks gets much easier. 

 

Anyways, here's what I see happening. 

 

 

[Sodboy13]

4 hours ago, the admiral said:

 

Beat St. Louis, beat Minnesota, lose to Anaheim.

 

Not only do I think the Stars lose to the Wild, I want them to. Stars fans have gotten far too mouthy for a team that hasn't won a series since George W. Bush was president.

 

I am of the mind that a fanbase that can't be arsed to show up for the marquee regular-season game they've demanded for half a decade because it happens to fall on the weekend of high school regionals deserves to have its collective dick kicked in by the team that left town because the same fanbase couldn't be arsed to show up for them, either.

[rams80]

4 minutes ago, Sodboy13 said:

 

I am of the mind that a fanbase that can't be arsed to show up for the marquee regular-season game they've demanded for half a decade because it happens to fall on the weekend of high school regionals deserves to have its collective dick kicked in by the team that left town because the same fanbase couldn't be arsed to show up for them, either.

 

I like your style.  Let us hope for this outcome.

[T-ROY]

For those who didn't see it, 

 

I started a Bracket Challenge for the forums here. If you join, make your bracket name your username.

 

League name: CCLSC

Password: purple

[zpqmaowl]

I can't believe that the tournament with 13 of 16 teams in the Central and Eastern time zones can't start every single game at 7:00 PM local. 

[The_Admiral]

 

42 minutes ago, rams80 said:

I like your style.  Let us hope for this outcome.

 

I know cold-weather cities have become the new whipping boys of hockey's enlightened, but I have no desire to see the Stars succeed at anything. Don't wanna hear about what a genius Jim Nill is for falling ass-backwards into a drunk and an adulterer like some cowboy-hatted Los Angeles Kings. If not for players' bad decisions and their respective general managers' worse decisions, he'd still be sitting there with Trevor Daley and Alex Chiasson finishing 9th in the conference year after year.

[HedleyLamarr]

9 minutes ago, zpqmaowl said:

I can't believe that the tournament with 13 of 16 teams in the Central and Eastern time zones can't start every single game at 7:00 PM local. 

TV.

 

It's not uncommon for have playoff games begin at 8pm or 8:30 for the home team.  I guess a bit of an inconvenience, but think of it as extra time for fans to get there.

[Still MIGHTY]

Looks like Panthers/Islanders is our national TV coverage winner with games on CNBC, NHL Network, AND USA network.

 

Ducks/Perds close behind with the added fun of FX Canada on the schedule.

 

---

 

For predictions, I'm going to go with the theme in the league this season of a big middle finger to Canada (what with the no Canadian playoff teams and the first American Art Ross winner)

 

Anaheim Ducks over Florida Panthers for the Cup. 

 

 the haters.  

[FGM13]

Stars over Wild in 5

Blackhawks over Blues in 6

Ducks over Predators in 5

Kings over Sharks in 6

Capitals over Flyers in 4

Rangers over Penguins in 7

Panthers over Islanders in 7

Red Wings over Lightning in 6

 

Blackhawks over Stars in 6

Ducks over Kings in 7

Rangers over Capitals in 7

Panthers over Red Wings in 7

 

Ducks over Blackhawks in 6

Rangers over Panthers in 4

 

Ducks over Rangers in 6

 

Conn Smythe: Corey Perry

 

[Cujo]

5 hours ago, Magnus said:

 

Check yo Pacific bracket

[ninersdd]

1st round predictions:

Kings in 6

Ducks in 7

Hawks in 7

Stars in 5

Caps in 6

Penguins in 5

Panthers in 7

Wings in 7

[The_Admiral]

Minnesota in 7

Chicago in 6

Los Angeles in 6

Anaheim in 5

Philadelphia in 7

New York in 4

Long Island in 7

Detroit in 5

[Cujo]

SEMIS

Kings def. Mighty Ducks

'Hawks def. don't care

Flyers def. Rags

Pick any Florida team

 

CONF FINAL

Kings def. 'Hawks in 7½

Flyers def. FL winner

 

SC FINAL

Kings def. Flyers in 4

[The_Admiral]

1 minute ago, Cujo said:

Hawks def. don't care

 

Making it from the CCSLC to the second round of the Stanley Cup? That is a poster to watch!

[Cujo]

6 hours ago, the admiral said:

Making it from the CCSLC to the second round of the Stanley Cup? That is a poster to watch!

 

I like you better when you post as Purple.

[Morgan33]

I predict the Capitals finally get over the hump, making the finals for the first time since 1998...  Ultimately though, it is the Anaheim Ducks who get the last laugh as they overpower Ovechkin's team in six games.  Anaheim/Chicago goes the full seven games 7, where exhaustion finally catches up to The Blackhawks and they are soundly routed.  Change the Sharks winning, in round one, to the Kings.