3rd Round Predictio thread

Welcome to the main forum of our site. Anything and everything to do with the Vancouver Canucks is dicussed and debated here.

Moderator: Referees

User avatar
tantalum
CC Hall of Fan Member
Posts: 1911
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2004 3:41 am
Location: Carl Junction, MO

3rd Round Predictio thread

Post by tantalum »

Ottawa vs Buffalo

As with all final 4 mathcups they are usually very difficult to call. I have liked how Ottawa has looked this playoff season. Spezza and Alfredsson have come to play this year and while not spectacular, Emery has looked solid. It's interesting that after all the talk this past summer of who the Sens should keep Redden or Chara? that the important guys would turen out to be Phillips and Volchenkov.

On the other hand, there is a lot NOT to like about how the Sabres have played this playoff season. Lots of run and gun and no defence. Terrible PK and medicore PP. I would say soft and undisicplined play at times.

I think Ottawa takes it in 6.

Detroit and Anaheim

As with buffalo there is a lot NOT to like about Anaheim's game. Pronger and Neidermayer have not been spectacular and against Vancouver looked poor at times. Both of there offensive lines have been inconsistent and they do have a lack of depth up front and on the blueline as they can not really play the fourth line and third pairings that much. Marchant is supposed to be back so that helps them upfront.

Detroit has at times looked powerful this playoff year. Controlling the play and generating chance after chance. However, they haven't gone up against Norris calibre D-men yet, and they have significant injury concerns. Still, I like what I see in Detroit that they have simply looked dominant for long periods of time in the first two series.

I think Detroit takes it but it goes 7.
User avatar
nucks_girl
CC Veteran
Posts: 160
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2004 8:45 am
Location: Vancouver

Post by nucks_girl »

well i pretty much feel the same as tant. i've liked how ottawa has played in the few games i've been able to see of theirs. i'm not sold on emery, but i think he will outplay miller in this series because of the defensive coverage if nothing else. buffalo has been unable to show any passion IMO from the games i've seen. they showed it a bit too late in both series.

ottawa in 6.

anaheim have been playing a sloppy game. i didn't know that marchant was supposed to be back soon, so that should be good for their depth, but i don't know if he can add more spark to the lineup. i've liked how detroit has been playing. they're confident, everyone is coming together.

detroit in 6. would this be an upset? hmm...
User avatar
Cornuck
Moderator & MVP
Moderator & MVP
Posts: 14969
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2004 11:39 am
Location: Everywhere

Post by Cornuck »

Considering that Anahiem didn't dominate against a decimated Canucks team, I have to go with Detroit. They also know how to win.

Detroit in 5

Ottawa Buffalo is tougher. I'd love to see Ottawa win (just to see Bettman cry), but don't think it's going to happen. Buffalo has been building up to this for the past couple of years.

Buffalo in 6
Doc: "BTW, Donny was right, you're smug."
User avatar
mattola
Moderator & MVP
Moderator & MVP
Posts: 1853
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2004 11:44 am

Post by mattola »

nucks_girl wrote: i've liked how ottawa has played in the few games i've been able to see of theirs.
ottawa in 6.

detroit in 6. would this be an upset? hmm...

Im starting to agree with Detroit.

Ottawa to me is the darkhorse of the NHL. so many count them out for their lack of success in the post season and with Toronto staying within a point or two of the playoffs the whole season there was NO attention on them at all. this I think allowed them to fine tune their game and kinda sneak in as the true favorite to win it all. They are stacked top to bottom with Emery the difference (good or bad) I think they are the only team to beat Buffalo and will do it in 7 Games.

on the subject of Detroit.

I decided to make a list of things I wont do again after this last season

- I wont doubt the Canucks making as good a push as they did.
- I wont doubt the Canucks could win a game 7 against a team that shut them out 2 straight games and 3 in one series
- I wont doubt that JS Gigure is a solid high calibre goalie
- I wont doubt that Chelios and Bertuzzi can co-exist
- I wont doubt that Hasek's style always works when it matters most..

and finally

- I wont doubt that Detroit will always be an elite team time and time again.

They have proved everytime that they can compete every season without the likes of Yzerman, Shanahan and others.

Wings in 7
Last edited by mattola on Wed May 09, 2007 1:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Meerschaum
MVP
MVP
Posts: 492
Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2004 5:50 pm
Location: Vancouver, B.C.

Post by Meerschaum »

Senators vs. Sabres.

No contest. Ray "Zoolander" Emery's wardrobe will utterly clock Miller's conservative styling. The "Jailbird" is the tipping point, to my mind.

http://www.tsn.ca/tsn_talent/columnists ... ?id=207023

Project Runway aside, I also think this is finally Ottawa's year. Defeat a youthful, offence-loaded team like Pittsburg? Check. Defeat a veteran defence-oriented team like the Devils? Check. Heart displayed by Ottawa vets like Alfredsson et al? Check.

So, just how do you beat these guys?

I certainly don't think you do it with Buffalo's defence or PK.

Expect a repeat of the Pens series.

Ottawa in six.

Red Wings vs. Ducks

The Ducks really didn't look stellar in downing a beaten-up and virus-ridden 'Nucks in five. Yeah, their checking line is brilliant, but their last three wins were uncomfortably close. Even with Marchant returning, the Ducks depth is suspect. It's tough to see a team winning it all in this day and age when they're effectively only playing three lines and two defence pairings.

That having been said, the loss of Kronwall and Schneider makes the Red Wings depth on the blue-line even more suspect.

Even though the Wings have surprised me in each of the last two series with their great puck-control game, I'm still not a believer.

Ducks in seven.
Modo vincis, modo vinceris.
User avatar
*CanucksForLife*
CC Veteran
Posts: 165
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:39 pm
Location: Surrey

Post by *CanucksForLife* »

Sens vs Sabres

I think Buffalo is the better team and should be. Ottawa can't handle Buffalo's speed. This whole series falls into the hands of Emery. If they can get to him early, it'll be smooth sailinf from there.
Buffalo in 6.


Detroit vs Anaheim

This will be a very interesting matchup and it can easily go both ways. Detroit comes in with more confidence beating SJ. I'll flip a coin and say Detroit in 7,
I Hart Luongo.
User avatar
gordorama
MVP
MVP
Posts: 99
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 8:21 pm

Post by gordorama »

Hmmm I'm going to buck the trend here in the west:
Ducks in 6.
Detroit's back end isn't up to snuff, compared to the Ducks.
Don't think the Dominator's floppy style will work very well if the Ducks crash the net in the next series as they have in the first 2 rounds.

East?
Ottawa in 7.
Miller is the better goalie, and both teams have the fire power, but the Sens look more like a team on the ice to me this year.
They seem to have something to prove and have most of the tools to do it, unless they get let down by goal tending.
User avatar
levelheaded
MVP
MVP
Posts: 1345
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 8:25 pm
Location: Toronto, but heart's in Vancouver

Post by levelheaded »

SABRES AT SENATORS

Tough call, this will be an incredible series. One for the ages. Ottawa has the top flight talent, but Buffalo has the depth. Ottawa has the defense, but Buffalo has the goaltending. This one will almost certainly go to seven. So I say Sabres in 7 but it could easily go either way.

RED WINGS AT DUCKS

People are writing off Anaheim too quickly. I don't think their average second round against us was a result of poor play on their behalf, but rather a strong showing by the Canucks (especially Luongo). This should be a cakewalk for them. Anaheim in 6 but I don't think the series will ever be close.
Kel
MVP
MVP
Posts: 658
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2005 1:26 pm

Post by Kel »

Ottawa and Anaheim, both could go to 7 games but I'd say 6 more likely, given that the predicted winners have home ice in game 6. Buffalo appears to have problem defensively and Ottawa shows that they can defend as well as score. I don't see how Detroit can handle Anaheim's big forwards or score enough against Pronger, Niedermayer and Giguere. Other than game 1, the Canucks (esp Luongo) made the Ducks look worse other than really are. Hasek is not going to perform at the same level as Luongo did. Unless Bertuzzi wakes up and takes out one of Pronger or Niedermayer with a big hit (like he did to MacInnis in 2003), Detroit is not going to win 4 against the Ducks.
User avatar
tuzzi44
CC 2nd Team All-Star
Posts: 429
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2006 11:39 am
Location: Medicine Hat, Alberta

Post by tuzzi44 »

I was totally hoping for a Buffalo Ottawa series to come out of the playoffs this year. its gonna be a battle! The way the sens offense has looked im thinkin theyre gonna take it in 5 games.... 5 exhausting, high tempo style games. gonna be the best series in the playoffs this year.

as far as the Detroit Anaheim series... I think its a tough call. I think its a matter of which team "keeps it together the longest" to get 4 wins. its gonna be a close series... a 7 game winner for the Wings....
BELIEVE.

"we did a fucking great job"
Jonathan Toews
User avatar
Mozy
MVP
MVP
Posts: 420
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 11:18 am
Location: Vancouver
Contact:

Post by Mozy »

Im excited for the Ottawa Buffalo series. Especially after that sick bench clearing brawl. It going to be one damned fun series to watch and I'm going to go out on a limb here and say its going to get even more physical and exciting to watch when buffalo wins in 4. Thats right im calling the Senators choke. AGAIN.

Detroit and Anaheim. hmmm, I dont want teh wings to win, but it seems almost inevitable with their amount of scoring, solid defense and seemingly inpenatrable goalie. Detroit managed to deal with the size of San Jose so I dont think they should have a problem dealing with anaheim and with the number of penalites that anaheim takes i think Detroits powerplay should put them away easily. Detroit in 6
Did you see the pool? They flipped the bitch
cerios
CC Veteran
Posts: 58
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2004 11:43 am

Post by cerios »

Ottawa in 6.
Anahiem in 5.
User avatar
mband
CC Veteran
Posts: 79
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:08 am
Location: Sidney

Post by mband »

OTT in 6
DET in 7
User avatar
Madcombinepilot
MVP
MVP
Posts: 7093
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2004 9:54 am
Location: Saskatoon, Sk.

Post by Madcombinepilot »

there is still people watching hockey?!?!?

I thought hockey was over untill training camp opened???
The 'Chain of Command' is the chain I am going to beat you with until you understand I am in charge.
User avatar
tuzzi44
CC 2nd Team All-Star
Posts: 429
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2006 11:39 am
Location: Medicine Hat, Alberta

Post by tuzzi44 »

Madcombinepilot wrote:there is still people watching hockey?!?!?

I thought hockey was over untill training camp opened???
im not watchin it.... just doin predictions 8-)
BELIEVE.

"we did a fucking great job"
Jonathan Toews
Post Reply