WHL Playoffs Offer Plenty of Parity

[Larry Fisher]

My hot takes on the WHL heading into the final week of the regular season and looking ahead to what should be a wildly entertaining playoffs thanks to unprecedented parity: http://thehockeywriters.com/whl-playoffs-offer-plenty-of-parity/

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[Larry Fisher]

Time permitting, I'll weigh in with my playoff predictions next week before the puck drops on the first round, but who do you guys (and gals) see coming out on top this year?

 

[denominator]

The west looks to be a war while the east is much more of a scramble.

I'd be curious to compile the actual stats, but my gut tells me that Regina, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge have stacked up more points against weaker teams than the powerhouse west.

Calgary/Saskatoon, Brandon, Red Deer, and even Swift Current aren't that great and don't look like contenders. Basically the top-4 teams should have relatively easy first-round series, compared to the west.

Compare the central to either of the west divisions - it's not a huge advantage for Medicine Hat or Lethbridge to finish first as they'll play Red Deer/Calgary/Saskatoon in the first round. The only real advantage there is home-ice for the later rounds. Whereas in the west, the difference between playing Kamloops and Victoria/Tri-City is much more pronounced.

Right now, I like Seattle out of the west and Medicine Hat out of the east.

 

[billybobjoe2112]

The West is anybodys to take. P.G., Kamloops and Kelowna are all teams that could make an impact, and Victoria has Griffen Outhouse in net who I could see stealing a series or two. Then there are Everett and Seattle in the U.S. division, who are both playing some of the best hockey we've seen all year.

The West is a war.

 

[The Nemesis]

As a Giants fan right now, "parity" looks like nothing more than "there are a lot of teams out there that can blow your doors off without really trying."

 

[Larry Fisher]

Hey, your Giants did beat Victoria last night. Glass half full! That team could be decent if Benson is back and healthy next season. Bowen Byram was sure impressive here in Kelowna despite another lopsided loss on the weekend. He's going to be a stud.

I agree that the West is a war. I think that Moose Jaw-Swift Current series could be a war too. I think it goes a minimum of six games. Whoever gets Brandon, be it Medicine Hat or Regina, will have a fairly tough out too. I don't think Brandon gets swept. Red Deer and Calgary maybe.

Everett played its game to perfection tonight in Kelowna and special teams proved to be the difference. Fun times ahead!

 

[n00bxQb]

Anyone can come out of the West. Should be entertaining.

East boils down to 2-3 teams barring a major upset.

 

[Juniorhockeyguru]

Time permitting, I'll weigh in with my playoff predictions next week before the puck drops on the first round, but who do you guys (and gals) see coming out on top this year?

Predictions

Round 1

Eastern Conference

Lethbridge over Rebels in 6
Regina over Calgary in 4
Moose Jaw over Swift Current in 7
Medicine Hat over Brandon in 5

Western Conference

Everett over Victoria in 5
Prince George over Tri-City in 5
Kamloops over Kelowna in 7
Seattle over Portland in 7


2nd Round

Regina over Moose Jaw in 6
Medicine Hat over Lethbridge in 7
Prince George over Kamloops in 6
Seattle over Everett in 7

Conference Finals

Regina over Medicine Hat in 6
Seattle over Prince George in 6

WHL Finals

Seattle over Regina in 7

 

[billybobjoe2112]

Tri-City is down by a goal with 7 minutes left If they come back, then P.G. will most likely play Portland. You might be early on your predictions.