Sunday was the final day of the regular season, and heading into Sunday 15 teams were assured of playoffs spots. Still to be decided was whether the Flyers or Rangers would earn a spot in the East. The teams were tied in points going into the final game of the season, and as was appropriate, the teams played one another in the final regular season game. The game was a hard fought, low scoring game which required a 5 minute overtime period and then a shootout to decide the winner. Claude Giroux scored in the shootout to give the Flyers the advantage, and the Rangers were forced to make their next shot to extend the shootout. Flyers goalie Brian Boucher made the stop on Olli Jokinen’s final attempt to seal the victory and the playoff appearance for the Flyers, who earned the 7 seed in the East.
Here are the playoff matchups, some of which will begin Wednesday:
EAST
1] Washington Capitals vs. 8] Montreal Canadiens
2] New Jersey Devils vs. 7] Philadelphia Flyers
3] Buffalo Sabres vs. 6] Boston Bruins
4] Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 5] Ottawa Senators
WEST
1] San Jose Sharks vs. 8] Colorado Avalanche
2] Chicago Blackhawks vs. 7] Nashville Predators
3] Vancouver Canucks vs. 6] Los Angeles Kings
4] Phoenix Coyotes vs. 5] Detroit Red Wings
Some things to look out for as the playoffs begin:
In the East:
The Flyers have had much success against 2nd seeded New Jersey this season.
The Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins will face off in a battle of hated rivals, and the teams have already exchanged some “bad blood” this season.
Ryan Miller will be on the national stage again for the first time since the Olympic Gold Medal Game. How will he handle the increased attention?
The Capitals will need to prove if they are really that much better than everyone else, as was indicated by their extremely wide points gap in the East.
Will the Penguins and Crosby be able to advance far enough to face Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in what has become the most hyped player rivalry in hockey?
In the West:
All 8 teams are within 18 points of one another. Which team will be able to cause an upset in the first round?
Will young teams like Chicago have the advantage with its speed and youth, or will experienced teams like Detroit who made a late run have the advantage with its wealth of experience?
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Stay tuned for my predictions, which will be released very soon.
great article bob. i couldn’t have said it better myself. all i know is that it will be one hell of a post season.