Who comes out of the West?

[Wabit]

SJ and whichever of Chi/MN goalies play better.

Flames would be a PITA to play a 7 game series against, so that's my darkhorse.

 

[Mubiki]

In the Blackhawks series Boudreau had home ice but it was Q that dictated the matchups. So Q took Toews away from Kesler - who was losing the possession battle but limiting legit scoring chances rom Toews and co - and put him up against Getzlaf, who Toews proceeded to eat alive. Boudreau tried to get Getzlaf away from Toews, but he couldn't, which only served to unnerve and throw off Getzlaf, if post-game interviews are anything to go by.

Also, the entire tactic of 'beating up' the Blackhawks and wearing them down was idiotic to start with. Prior to the Ducks series the Blackhawks had beaten the Kings, the Bruins, the Blues, and gone 7 games with the Kings. You really think physicality is some magical, terrifying thing the Blackhawks have never stared down before?

A quick glance at their record in games 1-3 vs 4-7 shows they get stronger as a series goes on, not weaker. The teams that have beaten the Blackhawks in the modern era have all reached 3-1 in the first 4 (except maybe Phoenix....have to check). You don't beat the Blackhawks by wearing them down, you beat them by blitzing them out of the gate before they can adapt. The idea that every hit you're taking yourself out of position to make is going to pay dividends down the road suggests a coach that hasn't done even baseline research into the opposition.

This just seems like a long winded way to say the Blackhawks had better players and somehow pretending like that's Boudreau's fault.

Also, teams play the way they are built more often than not. The Ducks and Kings beat teams up because they had players that were good at beating teams up. The Ducks weren't going to beat Chicago with speed no matter how much they wanted to; they didn't have the team for that.

 

[Aceboogie]

I don't see the Oilers with any realistic shot this year. You have to walk before you run, or whatever that saying is. They obviously have a bright future but winning one round is about as much as I think they could do this year.

This is very true. I do see like a 5% chance they make it out of first round if McDavid and Talbot get red hot at right time. Those guys can win a series by themselves. But thats unlikely it happens

This playoff experience will be a good thing for them. The D core is super young but really coming into its own. I dont think itll be a 3/4 year thing, I think this year theyll get a taste and some good experience and next year if things go right they could make noise

 

[who_me?]

BBs playoff winning percentage is over .500 is it not?

that's good enough for a 2nd round exit on average year after year.