With the 2011-12 NHL Season dwindling down to just a precious few games, the Playoffs are starting to finally take shape. However, with 3 or so games left, bubble teams will be fighting tooth and nail to either secure their Playoff spot or jump into one, with a heated battle for the final Playoff spot in both conferences. Here are the up to minute Standings:
Eastern Conference:
1. X – New York Rangers * – 107 Pts, 3 GR
2. X – Boston Bruins * – 98 Pts, 3 GR
3. Florida Panthers * – 91 Pts, 3 GR
4. X – Pittsburgh Penguins – 102 Pts, 3 GR
5. X – Philadelphia Flyers – 101 Pts, 3 GR
6. X – New Jersey Devils – 96 Pts, 3 GR
7. X – Ottawa Senators – 92 Pts, 3 GR
8. Washington Capitals – 88 Pts, 3 GR
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9. Buffalo Sabres – 86 Pts, 3 GR
Western Conference:
1. Y – Vancouver Canucks * – 107 Pts, 3 GR
2. Y – St. Louis Blues * – 106 Pts, 3 GR
3. Los Angeles Kings * – 91 Pts, 3 GR
4. X – Detroit Red Wings – 99 Pts, 3 GR
5. X – Nashville Predators – 98 Pts, 3 GR
6. X – Chicago Blackhawks – 98 Pts, 2 GR
7. Phoenix Coyotes – 91 Pts, 3 GR
8. San Jose Sharks – 90 Pts, 3 GR
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9. Dallas Stars – 89 Pts, 3 GR
By far the most interesting part of this set-up is the Playoff battle between the four Pacific Division teams. Not only are they battling for the final two Playoff spots, but also for home-ice in the Playoffs gained with the 3rd seed. With the Sharks and Stars facing off at the end of the season, these standings probably won’t shake out until the very final day of the season. With that said, I think it’s highly unlikely that any of the Coyotes, Sharks, or Stars dethrone the surging Kings, as the Kings have been playing the best and most consistent hockey lately out of the four teams. The Kings will miss Jeff Carter down the stretch, but with good performances from Jonathan Quick and company, the Kings shouldn’t have a hard time holding on to Pacific Division.
Now let’s take a look at the current Playoff matchups:
Eastern Conference:
8. 
v
1. 
Skinny: Familiar foes in the Playoffs in recent years, only this time it’s the Rangers atop the Eastern Conference. The Capitals have been playing decent hockey recently, going a win here, a loss there for a while now, while the Rangers after a recent slide have seemingly gotten back into a groove. However, the Caps are just getting All-star center Nicklas Backstrom back from injury, which could end up making a large impact on their performance. Even so, the Rangers goaltending and defensive structure should have no problem knocking off the once-mighty Capitals.
Prediction: Rangers in 5
7. 
v
2. 
Skinny: Two Northeast Division teams go at it in the 7 v 2 match-up: the Boston Bruins, the returning Stanley Cup Champions, and the Ottawa Senators, the Eastern Conference’s Cinderella story. Many people had the Senators missing the Playoffs entirely, even finishing as low as the Bottom 5 in the league, and here they are in the Playoffs having clinched a spot today in a dominant win over the New York Islanders. The Bruins, however, are no surprise to anyone being where they are. Boston looks poised for another Cup run, having knocked off their mid-season funk, and should be able to knock off the Senators with their superior defense and all-around experience.
Prediction: Bruins in 6
6. 
v
3. 
Skinny: Here we have another surprise team, the Florida Panthers, coming in at the 3rd seed, a place nobody thought they would end up. Their adversaries, the New Jersey Devils, punch their ticket to the Playoffs for the 20th time in the past 22 seasons in the 6th seed. The two teams split the season series 2 wins a piece this season, putting together a good set of 4 games. Both of these teams boast prominent top lines, New Jersey boasting Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Travis Zajac and Florida with Stephen Weiss, Kris Versteeg, and Tomas Fleischmann. Where these two teams differentiate is in their offensive depth and defense. The Devils have a stacked Top 9 in their offense and four solid offensive lines, as well as a better overall defensive roster and structure. Both of these factors will lead to New Jersey moving on in this series.
Prediction: Devils in 6
5. 
v
4. 
Skinny: The Battle of Pennsylvania is alive and well and will be as heated as ever this season. The Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins have both already punched their tickets for the post-season and seem to be on a collision course for each other in Round 1, and boy will this be a series to watch. As seen in Sunday’s clash between these two teams in Pittsburgh, this is one of the greatest rivalries in the league, and both teams will be fighting tooth and nail to put an end to their hated rivals’ season. The Flyers have gotten the better of the Penguins this season, but the Penguins have the recent Playoff success against the Flyers. This will be the closest of the eight Round 1 series, but I see the Penguins taking this with raw power from Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby and clutch goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury.
Prediction: Penguins in 7
Western Conference:
8. 
v
1. 
Skinny: The San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks met last year in the Western Conference Finals, but as it stands now they will have to settle their differences in Round 1 this season. Vancouver is looking poised to capture a 2nd straight President’s Trophy while the Sharks are still fighting for their Playoff lives. San Jose still has their big players in Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Dan Boyle, added in with offseason acquisitions Brent Burns and Martin Havlat, while Vancouver’s roster looks very similar to last year’s, adding only David Booth and Zack Kassian. That being said, the Canucks offensive depth will smother the Sharks, making short work of this series.
Prediction: Canucks in 4
7. 
v
2. 
Skinny: Here we have the up-and-down Phoenix Coyotes and the goaltending juggernauts, the St. Louis Blues. The Coyotes have had a very unpredictable season, having unparalleled hot streaks and then bouts with cold streaks, ultimately seating them in the thick of the Western Conference Playoff race. St. Louis, after some early season struggles and a coaching change, has been a dominant team in the NHL this season. St. Louis already has their division locked up, let alone a Playoff spot, and is assured to fall no lower than 2nd, and while their season is on cruise control before the Playoffs, Phoenix is fighting for their lives along with the rest of the Pacific Division. Come Playoff time this series will really come down to one thing: goaltending, and St. Louis boasts the best goaltending duo in the league. Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott should make quick work of the Coyotes, surging the Blues further into the Playoffs.
Prediction: Blues in 5
6. 
v
3. 
Skinny: This match-up boasts the 6th seeded Chicago Blackhawks versus the 3rd seeded Los Angeles Kings. Chicago, fighting off mid-season struggles, has returned to their elite form of play, and Los Angeles has been one of the hottest teams in the league recently. This match-up should feature an elite offensive battle, with Chicago putting players like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Marian Hossa against Los Angeles’ Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, and Jeff Carter, however Los Angeles has had difficulty utilizing their top guns this year, finishing near the bottom of the league in goals scored. So, when this battle comes to the defensive side of the puck, it’s clear who has the advantage: Chicago. Chicago boasts one of the best defensemen in the league in Duncan Keith, with a supporting cast of Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson, which should lead to the eventual victory for the Blackhawks.
Prediction: Blackhawks in 6
5. 
v
4. 
Skinny: One of my favorite match-ups this post-season features the Nashville Predators against the Detroit Red Wings. This series will be an absolute grudge match as this match-up features two elite teams that typically play at elite levels come Playoff time. Both teams have great defenses and stellar goaltending, with players like Shae Weber and Pekka Rinne on Nashville’s side and Nicklas Lidstrom and Jimmy Howard on Detroit’s side. Neither side has an absolute potent offense but offenses that get the job done and score timely goals. The only things that differentiate these two teams are star power and experience. Detroit has two bonafide offensive stars in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, and nearly everyone on Detroit’s roster has won a Stanley Cup. These two things will lead to Detroit just barely edging out Nashville in a terrific Playoff series.
Prediction: Red Wings in 7
The NHL Playoffs start April 11th, so be sure to tune in for some of the best hockey you’ll see all year, as every single team will be fighting to the death to step closer to the coveted Stanley Cup.
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