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(New) Atlantic Division
Remember that the NHL now has “divisional” playoff series, although that’s really only true for the middle seeds, since the wild card throws everything into chaos.
Thus, we have...
Canadiens (1) vs. Rangers (WC)
Who’s the favorite? The Canadiens (5/7), who have home ice advantage and {whispers} the better goalie.
Who should Isles fans root for? Obvious question is obvious.
Random wild card variable: Does Chris Kreider take out Carey Price because he’s “still learning his own size and strength”?
Poll
Canadiens vs. Rangers 2017: Who wins?
This poll is closed
-
14%
Canadiens in 7
(17 votes) -
44%
Canadiens in 6
(52 votes) -
9%
Canadiens in 5
(11 votes) -
5%
Canadiens in 4
(6 votes) -
1%
Smurfs in 4
(2 votes) -
3%
Red-pants in 5
(4 votes) -
17%
Rags in 6
(20 votes) -
4%
Ex-Oilers in 7
(5 votes)
Senators (2) vs. Bruins (3)
The very low-event, Guy Boucher-led Senators somehow ended up with home ice advantage, which I guess should give us pause. They have Craig Anderson, capable of standing on his head just as his counterpart Tuukka Rask is.
The Bruins tried to hand the Islanders a playoff spot, then took it back through one March week we’d all like to forget.
Who’s the favorite? The Bruins (10/17), despite being the lower (barely) seed and road team.
Who should Isles fans root for? A long series? I have no strong feelings here.
Random wild card variable: Does Brad Marchand get suspended for doing something stupid? Does Rask’s second-half dip continue into the postseason?
Poll
Senators vs. Bruins: Who wins?
This poll is closed
-
16%
Senators in 7: Boucher over that Butch Cassidy guy
(18 votes) -
21%
Senators in 6
(23 votes) -
0%
Senators in 5
(1 vote) -
0%
Senators in 4
(0 votes) -
0%
Bruins in 4
(1 vote) -
15%
Bruins in 5
(16 votes) -
30%
Bruins in 6
(32 votes) -
14%
Bruins in 7: Claude who?
(15 votes)
Metropolitan Division
The division with three of the best teams in hockey will eliminate all but one of them within two rounds. Great format there, NHL.
Islanders are compelled to ask, why not eliminate all three of them in the first round?
Alas, they must play, and someone must win.
Capitals (1) vs. Maple Leafs (WC)
If the Leafs did us any favors by finally winning a game in the last week of the season to bump the Isles from the playoffs, it’s that they prevented us from watching another Isles loss to the Capitals. (Man, for longtime fans, “another loss to the Capitals” is still a really weird thing to say.)
The Leafs are young and exciting and Mike Babcock has a great sneer.
The Capitals are deep, perhaps the best they’ve ever been, and this is probably their best-ever shot at finally winning the Cup.
So naturally they’ll blow a 3-1 series lead somewhere in the next month or so. But not in this one. The Leafs are screwed.
Who’s the favorite? The Capitals (4/15), by a whole whole whole lot.
Who should Isles fans root for? Meteor?
Random wild card variable: Does Don Cherry become the story based on something really stupid and tangential to the on-ice product?
Poll
Capitals vs. Maple Leafs: Who wins?
This poll is closed
-
1%
Capitals in 7
(2 votes) -
14%
Capitals in 6
(16 votes) -
65%
Capitals in 5
(73 votes) -
13%
Capitals in 4
(15 votes) -
0%
Maple Leafs in 4
(1 vote) -
0%
Maple Leafs in 5
(0 votes) -
0%
Maple Leafs in 6
(1 vote) -
2%
Maple Leafs in 7 (after overturning a 3-1 deficit, naturally)
(3 votes)
Penguins (2) vs. Blue Jackets (3): Metro War
Pittsburgh and Columbus could be one of the more entertaining series of the first round. Not only is it the dreaded 2 vs. 3 series where two of the conference’s top three teams are forced to face each other in the first round, but also there are some fun narratives at work:
- It’s a rematch of their 2014 series, when upstart Columbus was overmatched but still gave the Pens a good fight.
- It features firebrand coach John Tortorella against his former assistant, Stanley Cup-winning Mike Sullivan.
- The Blue Jackets are coming in having finished their season with six losses in their final seven games, including losses to their fellow Metro monsters Washington and Pittsburgh.
- The Penguins supposedly have a healthy Evgeni Malkin, but they are without Kris Letang.
- Sidney Crosby vs. Brandon Dubinsky, who loves to try to drive Crosby nuts.
Who’s the favorite? Penguins (10/17)
Who should Isles fans root for? Ugh...old captain Mark Streit?
Random wild card variable: Full network coverage means never having to hear the horrible, terrible, no good very bad Penguins announcers!
Poll
Penguins vs. Blue Jackets: Who wins?
This poll is closed
-
16%
Penguins in 7 (boo)
(18 votes) -
30%
Penguins in 6 (boo)
(33 votes) -
10%
Penguins in 5 (boo)
(11 votes) -
3%
Penguins in 4
(4 votes) -
0%
Blue Jackets in 4
(0 votes) -
0%
Blue Jackets in 5
(0 votes) -
10%
Blue Jackets in 6
(11 votes) -
29%
Blue Jackets in 7
(32 votes)
Alright, make your picks in the polls in this post. (Note: If you’re reading on Google AMP or Apple News mobile, you might not be able to see the polls. You can still weigh in via comments.)
Meanwhile...
Which series are you looking forward to in the East?
Who do you see prevailing all the way to the final?
How much does it suck that the Islanders aren’t part of this?