Which wildcard team has best chance to upset in the 1st round? (poll)

Which lower seed team has best chance to upset in the 1st round? (poll)


  • Total voters
    478
  • Poll closed .

rocketdan9

Registered User
Feb 5, 2009
20,411
13,210
any of these teams actually beat the top seeded team in all the games played in the regular season??

Why would you bet for the lower seeded team?

please provide realistic answer vs just a hunch or because it's my team. For example, injuries, top team has faltered in the last two weeks, bottom team has been on a hot streak the last two weeks, matchup advantage, historical record advantage, much better goalie etc.
 

Chips

Registered User
Aug 19, 2015
8,308
7,053
Is it an upset if the favorite team isn’t that much of a favorite? I think CBJ is the only option here
 

LucicAndChong

formerly known as Big Sugar
Jan 22, 2018
1,198
792
Ontario, Canada
if columbus can learn how to work as a team with all the skill they have, i can see them beating a lightning team that may be a little too fat and happy after a 62 win season. it would take 7 games because tampa is f***ing tampa but i feel like if cbj can take one from tampa while tampas at home, they can ride that into their home stretch and win both, they just have to get their shit together and learn to play together
 

rocketdan9

Registered User
Feb 5, 2009
20,411
13,210
Honestly Jackets, they are built for playoff hockey and Bob can steal some games if he decides to show up.

Lets see if all those deadline moves can provide an impact. Adam Mcquaid was a nice cheap pickup. He is a solid playoff vet
 

Eternal Leaf

Registered User
Jul 4, 2011
7,594
8,823
Toronto
What kind of special advantage do the Avs have?

Nothing special, but I just feel Calgary's goalie(s) could fold under duress if you apply consistent pressure.

Can the Avs do it?

Probably not, but it's the "best chance" from these four.

Tampa, Washington, and Nashville are way too seasoned for an upset to occur. Don't see it happening at all.
 

rocketdan9

Registered User
Feb 5, 2009
20,411
13,210
Nothing special, but I just feel Calgary's goalie(s) could fold under duress if you apply consistent pressure.

Can the Avs do it?

Probably not, but it's the "best chance" from these four.

Tampa, Washington, and Nashville are way too seasoned for an upset to occur. Don't see it happening at all.

Not sure

Nashville has faltered early.... Rinne was shaky last season
 

Viqsi

"that chick from Ohio"
Oct 5, 2007
53,660
30,951
40N 83W (approx)
Lets see if all those deadline moves can provide an impact. Adam Mcquaid was a nice cheap pickup. He is a solid playoff vet
He's out injured at the moment, unfortunately, due to that Shaw blindside hit that went strangely unpunished.

That said, yeah, I feel obliged to homer-vote simply because the pressure seems to be off the guys now, and that was causing issues. I may have cause to regret said vote very quickly given how the Bolts were picking us apart in the regular season, but hope springs eternal.
 

ljb4

Registered User
Feb 10, 2016
437
342
westminster Co
I will admit I am a biased Avs fan, but this season was a great October and November, a very bad December January and February, and a very good March and April. If the April roll continues they have a good chance. Grubauer' s were among the worst in the league before this stretch,so his season numbers look bad. If the Grubauer from last year's playoffs shows up, the Avs have no chance.
 
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Rometiklan

Registered User
Mar 7, 2009
725
54
Avs. Would love to see as many Canadian teams advance, but the cynic/pessimist/conspiracy theorist in me thinks refereeing will totally favour the Avs.
 
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Cousin Eddie

You Serious Clark?
Nov 3, 2006
40,142
37,285
not by much

Their team SV% on the year is .907, the Flames' is .903, and the Flames have allowed 19 fewer goals (and scored 29 more)
What does team save percentage have to do with anything? Varlamov’s save percentage is irrelevant when Grubauer is their goalie. Grubauer is Colorado’s goalie and is far superior than anything Calgary outs in net. Whether we’re talking recently, this season or all time Grubauer is better.

- Career Grubauer is a .921sv% goalie while Smith is .912 and Rittich is .909

- This season Grubauer is at .917 sv% while Smith is at .898 and Rittich is ..911

- In the last two months (since February 7th) Grubauer has a .955sv%. Smith has a .913sv% and Rittich is at .895

- in the last month (since March 7th) Grubauer is at .955. Smith is at .914 and Rittich is at .911


Whether you base it on recency or over time it’s undeniable that Colorado has the favorable goaltending heading into this series.
 

AvsFan29

Registered User
Mar 15, 2018
17,460
15,589
The Avs are 8-1-2 in their last 11 games (best record leading up to the playoffs). Gruabuer has been the best goalie in the league for the last month.

Landeskog is healthy, and Rantanen looks like he will be back for game one. MacKinnon is a proven playoff scorer.

The Avs record is also extremely misleading.

First 27 games: 16-6-5 37 points .685 point %
Next 27 games: 6-16-5 17 points .315 point %
Last 27 games: 16-7-4 36 points .667 point %

The only team in the league that had a higher point percentage than Colorado in the 1st and 3rd part of the season, was Tampa.

During the middle of the season, our goaltenders were 45th and 46th ranked in the league, and we had the worst point percentage in the league. Despite losing constantly due to goaltending, our team was top 5 in most positive metrics.

The Avs aren't a push over, and are a lot better than their record shows.

I think Dallas is most likely, with the Avs second.
 

DrMartinVanNostrand

Kramerica Industries
Oct 6, 2017
4,508
4,955
Tampa, FL
In this ranking, it probably goes Colorado -> Columbus -> Carolina -> Dallas. Calgary's goaltending isn't the most sure thing, and the Avs can score (at least their top line can). Rantanen's health is a big thing there.

Columbus is the best team on this list and that's why I rank them as high as I do. Carolina and Dallas would really shock me if they pulled upsets.
 

The Moose is Loose

Registered User
Jun 28, 2017
10,344
9,287
St.Louis
The Avs, Calgary has some weakness that the Capitals/Tampa/Nashville don't. Experience and Goaltending being the most notable, also having one of the weaker 1C of the playoff teams- which is highly regarded as the most important position of cup winning teams.
 

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