Speculation: If the playoffs started today...

[Mister Ed]

The Red Wings would be playing against the Bruins. Who would win and why?

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[Outl4w]

Detroit the magic is in the air and now the league has been paying attention to the Boston ******** in Lucic and Marchand.

 

[newfy]

The Bruins arent the team that eliminated Detroit last year and Detroit is much better tha last season. Detroits team speed can exploit that Boston D that is increasingly less mobile it seems.

It would be a tight series I think and Boston could definitely win but the wings could definitely take Boston in a series

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

With this defense, I would say the Bruins would be the favorites (probably in 7). We add a puckmoving defenseman and I think it could be the difference.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I think the Wings squeak out a 7 game series win on the back of home ice and preferred matchups. Yes the Bruins are playing better hockey again, but they are not as fast as the Wings and they offer actually middle of the road special teams. Like Newfy said these are not the same Bruins of old. I think the Wings would be favored in this series to move on. Any playoff team in the east can beat the other, securing home ice and the matchups you want in these series is going to be a big deal.

 

[8snake]

Boston in 6 or 7, though this would be a much closer series that Detroit could realistically win. Still a bad match-up though, especially with the Bruins size and forecheck.

 

[rx7dryver]

7 games. Flip a coin.

 

[8snake]

I think the Wings squeak out a 7 game series win on the back of home ice and preferred matchups. Yes the Bruins are playing better hockey again, but they are not as fast as the Wings and they offer actually middle of the road special teams. Like Newfy said these are not the same Bruins of old. I think the Wings would be favored in this series to move on. Any playoff team in the east can beat the other, securing home ice and the matchups you want in these series is going to be a big deal.

Boston wasn't as fast as Detroit last year and they dominated that series and had ground Detroit into dust by game 5.

 

[Actual Thought*]

Boston wasn't as fast as Detroit last year and they dominated that series and had ground Detroit into dust by game 5.

How is that important? Wings would run circles around them. Wings in 5.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Boston wasn't as fast as Detroit last year and they dominated that series and had ground Detroit into dust by game 5.

This version is even slower. They ground a Detroit team with young guys playing in their first series and a hobbled Datsyuk and Zetterberg. I also don't think Babcock had a particularly good series and would expect him to have tweaked some ideas.

Boychuk and Iginla going away is a big deal. Chara is another step slower this year. I am not saying the Bruins don't have a significant chance of winning, but how Detroit distributes their depth is a bit different this year. Say you are Boston and you want to take away Datsyuk with Chara, sounds good in theory right? Putting Chara out against Helm and Tatar doesn't sound good at all. The matchups should come out a little different and as of yet the Bruins are not playing specialty teams hockey well enough either, something they ate us alive at last year and the Wings have been probably the best team in the league at this year. It will look like a very different series, the Wings are a lot better and the Bruins are not quite as good.

The Bruins could play that style because we couldn't make them pay. Their D will not stand up the zone quite the same way with the team speed, they want to engage in post-whistle shenanigans after the second or third PP goal they will have to cut it out. It is on them to talk them out of it, but Montreal did just that and we aren't built phenomenally different than them. Plenty for Babcock to chew on and take advantage of should they meet again.

 

[The Geelee]

Series would go to 7 games. Roll a dice on who wins, 1,3,5 DET. 2,4,6 BOS.

Two very even teams. Would be a great matchup

 

[BamaWing]

I'd love to get another matchup to start the playoffs. If our younger guys can play another team and produce a winning series. I have no doubt that confidence can carry them to a series win against Boston.

I'd love another dman to help out as well but I'm not selling the farm for it.

 

[Hckytwn]

Detroit in 6. There are a few key differences, this year to last:

• The Bruins have lost key personnel and aren't nearly as good.
• Howard is playing better than last year, Rask is playing worse.
• The Wing's chemistry and consistentcy is significantly improved due to better health.
• The "kids" were a little overwhelmed by playoff hockey. They should be better prepared this year.
• Home Ice Advantage.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Wings would win. More hungry.

But its a joke that even if Wings having such a good season they would play against Bruins already in the first round.

Its not fair.

 

[PullHard]

I don't like the Bruins D nearly as much as I did last year

Chara has looked extremely human and it is obvious Boychuk was a bigger piece of that puzzle than fans gave him credit for

 

[Sentinel]

I think Boston wins this series. Yes, we are better than last year, but our defense can still be exposed. Plus, nobody knows how good post-injury Howard will be.

 

[Marky9er]

Detroit in 6. There are a few key differences, this year to last:

• The Bruins have lost key personnel and aren't nearly as good.
• Howard is playing better than last year, Rask is playing worse.
• The Wing's chemistry and consistentcy is significantly improved due to better health.
• The "kids" were a little overwhelmed by playoff hockey. They should be better prepared this year.
• Home Ice Advantage.

Howard isn't playing at all, his recovery and level of play are not a given unfortunately.

 

[Sheriff Bert]

This would be a very close series. Boston has lost personnel, but look what they still have. A 3 center punch of Bergeron, Krejci, Soderberg, a healthy Seidenberg, and defensive anchors Chara and Rask. This and Boston is likely to add another scoring winger at the deadline.

However Detroit has these advantages:

1. A healthy team
2. Better special teams
3. Howard's bounce back play
4. Home ice advantage
5. More experienced kids (Speed and scoring)
6. Better faceoff team

Boston may be dangerous, but our depth play has improved as well as our PP. Boston scored a lot of goals last year from the PP, so we need to match that. Plus, our defense will be much better. Ericsson is healthy (yes that's a good thing), Quincey is playing much better, and Kindl will be benched in favor of a kid or deadline acquisition.

I really couldn't predict who would win, but it would be a close series. Hopefully we can get an easier matchup like NYR first round. I feel like once the Wings get moving and some momentum in the playoffs they will be pretty dominant.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

Boston has less top 6 depth, less top 4 depth, and Chara is older and slower. Our CF% is better which is most important. But maybe Rask plays lights out, who knows. I like our odds though. A lot more then last year, at least.

 

[RedWingzz]

I know you never want to choose your opponent, and you have to get through everyone eventually to win it all, but I would feel more comfortable opening up against Montreal or Tampa. (or Capitals/Islanders/Rangers)

Yes, this Bruins team is not quite as good as last year, but I would still rather not get them right off the bat.

 

[Frk It]

I know you never want to choose your opponent, and you have to get through everyone eventually to win it all, but I would feel more comfortable opening up against Montreal or Tampa. (or Capitals/Islanders/Rangers)

Yes, this Bruins team is not quite as good as last year, but I would still rather not get them right off the bat.

Would not feel comfortable going up against Price off the bat at all. He is a brick wall this year.

Feel A LOT better about potentially facing Boston this year... but we need to not get pushed around again this year. We have the speed advantage, but we had that last year and it didn't matter. Young guys need to step it up in the play-offs this year, like they have in the regular season, and we need to deal better with the game tightening up. Regardless of who we face.

 

[Pavels Dog]

If that series started right now, assuming Howard is good to go, I think the Wings would take it.

It would be a tough series, Boston is a not an easy team in the playoffs. But we have better health than last year, better defense (healthy Ericsson, Marchenko/XO instead of Kindl), and many forwards have improved. The team overall looks hungry.

When the playoffs do start the main thing I will be looking for is contributions from our young players. Tatar, Sheahan, Nyquist etc. went MIA against Boston last year, this season they need to prove they can do in the playoffs what they do in the regular season.

 

[Actual Thought*]

Would not feel comfortable going up against Price off the bat at all. He is a brick wall this year.

Feel A LOT better about potentially facing Boston this year... but we need to not get pushed around again this year. We have the speed advantage, but we had that last year and it didn't matter. Young guys need to step it up in the play-offs this year, like they have in the regular season, and we need to deal better with the game tightening up. Regardless of who we face.

We were nowhere near as fast last year. You can compare the roster on paper but that is where the similarities end.

 

[RedWingsForPresident]

I wonder how many times a 1 seed has played an 8 seed with reversed seeds the following year? I remember Boston and Montreal did it in 08-09 seasons', but never seen it other than that

I really would not like to play Boston first round though, reminds me of the 8th seeded Ducks in 09. That team was not an 8 seed. Would much rather play any of NYR, Florida or Philadelphia (assuming Detroit wins the Atlantic). If not, I'd hate to start on the road in Montreal as 3rd in the Atlantic

 

[Henkka]

Wouldn't mind trying to find a way win our own division and be a bit lucky to face the Islanders on the first round. They don't know nothing about playoff hockey yet and have the weakest starting goalie of eastern playoff teams. And there's no potential kid backup to jump in if the starter fails like we and the Lightning will have.

Regular season SV%:

1. Price .932
2. Holtby .925
3. Rask .923
4. Fleury .922 (has worst playoff SV% of all starters after 2005 lockout...)
5. Lundqvist .922
6. Howard .920
7. Bishop .912
8. Halak .910