The Price is (Mostly) Right: Ted's Snapshot of the NHL Season

My brother-in-law and hockey guru Ted Price, who has written several columns in this space, is back with his look back at the HNL season that just concluded, and his look ahead to the first round of the playoffs. I, as you migh6t guess, have a comment or two along the way.
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Wow. I mean, WOW! What a finish for the NHL regular season. I must admit, living on the West Coast, I don't pay that much attention to the Eastern Conference, but you gotta love how the season came down to the last games on the last night. Only one team - the Buffalo Sabres - were guaranteed their position in the playoffs (4th). The other seven had to play out and wait of other results to see if they were 6th, 3rd, 1st, etc. And fittingly for the NHL, the battle for the Atlantic Division crown came down to the New York Rangers, the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Rangers limp into the playoffs loosing their last 5 including a stinker on the last night against the eventual number one seed Ottawa Senators. This left the door open to the Flyers who took care of business against the NY Islanders. And it seemed for a while that they would walk away with the division and the #3 seed. The Devils were losing 3-0 in the 3rd to the Montreal Canadiens. But then, the Devils remembered they were the Devils and proceeded to score 4 unanswered to take the Atlantic and the #3 seed - leaving Philly at #5 and the Rangers at #6. All of this happened in the space of about an hour. ESPN actually led with the NHL Tuesday which hasn't happened all season - unless you count the gambling ring investigation (which incidentally turned out to be nothing). So, some really good momentum heading into the playoffs.

This year's Stanley Cup playoffs are set up to be really exciting - with no clear-cut favorite and plenty of intriguing story lines (and I may add, unlike another league that shall remain nameless - but it's initials are NBA - no teams under .500 are in). I love the NHL playoffs - there truly is nothing else like it in sports. The games that go 5 overtimes, the team from nowhere with the hot goalie going all the way, watching local sportscasters jump on bandwagons like they've been there all along and mis-pronounce every name on the roster - good times!
And so, because you demanded it, here are my post-season predictions and awards:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Ottawa vs. #8 Tampa Bay
The Lightning are the defending Stanely Cup champions (still doesn't sound right), but they have the "just happy to be here" vibe and no Khabibulin between the pipes (boy, he sure did light it up in Chicago this year, didn't he? Maybe someday, the NHL will put a team in Chicago - it's a shame the nation's number three market doesn't have a professional hockey team). Besides, many think this is Ottawa's year.
Ottawa in 4

#2 Carolina vs. #7 Montreal
Carolina had dibs on the number one seed until Ottawa made a late-season run, and they are the trendy pick out of the East. Besides, I think the new collective bargaining agreement states only one Canadian team from the east can go all the way.
Carolina in 4

#3 New Jersey vs. #6 New York Rangers
THE marquee matchup of the first round. I guarantee if NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was as strong as NBA commissioner David Stern, he would mandate this series be for the conference crown. Each team really has only one effective scoring line (Elias for the Devils - Jagr for the Rangers) - so whoever can shut down the other team's one line will take this one. Like I mentioned above, the Devils are hot - 11 wins in a row hot and they have Martin Brodeur.
New Jersey in 5

#4 Buffalo vs. #5 Philadelphia
This one could be a lot of fun depending on which Flyer team Ken Hitchcock has available to him. And the Sabres have to be the quietest 52 win 110 point team in the League. Buffalo is the proverbial "team no one wants to play." And so, even though this is Dils blog, I'm going...
Buffalo in 6
(Dils note: Ted talks about the schizophrenic Flyers, but what about Buffalo? This is the team that won 8 in a row, then lost 6 in a row, then won 5 in a row to close out the season. This team has had more ups and downs than Oprah's battle against the bulge. I think the key to this series is special teams. If the Flyers can play Buffalo, who I think led the league in power play and penalty killing, to a draw, they can beat this team. Another unknown is Buffalo's goalie who has never played in a playoff series before. Forsberg's health is of course key for the Flyers, and Esche's ability to play as well as he did two years ago in the playoffs is the other key for Philly. Buffalo has had a great, great season, but I think this Flyer team has been waiting for the playoffs to turn it up a notch. Sometimes teams cannot do that, I say in this case they can. The score will be identical to 1975 when the Flyers beat this Sabres franchise for their last Stanley Cup. Philadelphia 4, Buffalo 2).


WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Detroit vs. #8 Edmonton
124 points, only 16 losses, Steve Yzerman's "final" season, it takes a braver man than me to pick against the Red Wings
Detroit in 4

#2 Dallas vs. #7 Colorado
Three years ago this would have been the marquee matchup in the West. But now... the Avs still have Sakic, but he won't be enough. And even though I hate, hate, HATE the Stars...
Dallas in 5

#3 Calgary vs. #6 Anaheim
This is the only first-round series I think has the potential to go seven. Kiprusoff vs. Giguere should be a classic. Both teams can score, both teams can play stifling defense. Gut check time
Calgary in 7

#4 Nashville vs. #5 San Jose
Thornton, Cheechoo, Thornton, Cheechoo, Thornton, Cheechoo, Thornton, Cheechoo, Thornton, Cheechoo, Thornton, Cheechoo, Thornton, Cheechoo, Thornton, Cheechoo, Thornton, Cheechoo, Thornton, Cheechoo, Thornton, Cheechoo, Thornton, Cheechoo. When it comes to the Sharks, I throw all reason out the window and route unabashedly for my boys. Besides, the Predators are without their starting goalie and did I mention the league's points leader and the league's leading goal scorer on the same line?
Sharks in 5

FINALS
Carolina vs. Detroit

CHAMPION
Detroit
(NOTE: I reserve the right to change my choices as the tournament rolls along - Dils set the precedent already)

POSTSEASON AWARDS

Hart Trophy (MVP)
Who Will Win: Jaromir Jagr - New York Rangers - second in the league in points and scoring and fourth in assists. Jagr took an inept franchise in the largest market in its back and led them to the playoffs with a legitimate chance to win it all.
Who Should Win: Joe Thornton - San Jose Sharks - led the league in assists and points. Before the Joe trade, the Sharks were the most disappointing teams in the league, and in the midst of a 10-game losing streak. After the trade, the Sharks are a strong #5 seed in the playoffs and have the label of the team no one wants to play. Plus, he made everyone on the team (especially Johnathan Cheechoo) better.

Norris (Best Defenseman)
Who Will/Should Win: Nicklas Lindstrom - Detroit Red Wings - Detroit was supposed to be a team in transition under the new CBA with a purging of salaries and an influx of new players. Lindstrom probably had his best season anchoring the blue line well on his way to his 4th Norris Trophy. In fact, they should rename it the Lindstrom when he retires.

Vezina (Best Goaltender)
Who Will/Should Win: Miikka Kiprusoff - Calgary Flames - I can't believe this guy was third on the depth chart for the Sharks. Anyway, Kipper led the league in shutouts and goals against average - hands-down winner. But I must give a shout-out to Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils. Just having him between the pipes means you have a chance to win every night. And with a low-scoring offense, he is the main reason the Devils are coming into the postseason on a 11-game win streak and the main reason they have a chance to go all the way.

Calder (Rookie of the Year)
Who Will Win: Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh Penguins - Well, the kid lived up to the hype. 19 years old, more than 100 points on a team that had absolutely nothing to play for since November. The future is bright for this franchise no matter where they move to.
Who Should Win: Alexander Ovechkin - Washington Capitals - third in the league in points and goals and the winner of the Dils "Best Goal I Have Ever Seen" award, what more does a kid want?
(Dils note: I disagree with Ted here; I think Ovechkin will win this award over Crosby)

Jack Adams (Coach of the Year)
Who Should/Will Win: Lou Lamoriello - New Jersey Devils - The Devils have a knack of replacing a coach in the middle of a season and turning things around. And it's even less likely that you can replace your coach mid-season with the GM and go from out of it to a #3 seed in the playoffs. Imagine if Matt Millen went to the sidelines after firing Mooch. Amazing.

Game On!!!