Official Stanley Cup Playoffs MEGATHREAD!

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

It's the most wonderful time of the year, Atlas friends!  The Stanley Cup playoffs are just around the corner, so it's time to chat about the greatest playoff tournament in all of professional sports!

A quick update, most of the playoff spots in the NHL have been locked up.   In fact, the Eastern Conference is set!

METRO DIVISION: Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Columbus Blue Jackets are in.

ATLANTIC DIVISION: Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Detroit Red Wings are in.

In the West, the Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars are fighting for the last wild card spot, and will actually meet on the final day of the season.  As far as the teams that have clinched.

CENTRAL DIVISION: St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, and Minnesota Wild are in.

PACIFIC DIVISION: Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings are in. 

There is a new (and stupid) playoff format in the NHL this year, as the top 3 teams in each division will earn a playoff berth, with the next two best teams in each conference earning a playoff berth via the wild card.  The lower wild card will enter the division bracket with the best division winner, and the higher wild card will enter the division bracket with the lower division winner.  (So, with Boston having clinched the best record in the East, the lower wild card team will enter the Atlantic Division playoffs and play Boston in the 1st round)

As of right now, there are a ton of seedings that have to be worked out in the final few days, so we have no idea what the final tournament is going to look like. 

Thoughts on the upcoming postseason?  Who do you see coming out of the East?  The West? 

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Rangers get flushed in first round 0-4

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Rangers get flushed in first round 0-4

Uncle Gramps?  Do you really want the Flyers to move on and wreck Cindy and the prettyboys again?!

[traininthedistance]

Yawn.  Wake me when Brodeur gets inducted into the HoF.

[Hatman 🍁]

ONE Canadian team in the playoffs. Go Habs Go, I guess.

[Badger]

The Jackets! Who'da thunk? It'd be a small miacle for them to survive the first round (unless they get lucky And pass the Philadelphia Fu%kers in the last couplke games and thus don't have to face the Pens or Bruins). But stlll.

I'm hoping they beat out the Wings for the 7th seed so I can watch a series with the Pens.

[dead0man]

The Blues seem to be cooling off at just the wrong time, hope they can turn it around before the playoffs start.

[Boris]

Can't wait to rage with 2 mil+ in Chicago again!

[The Dowager Mod]

When the final spot in the west is decided as well as the seeding at the top i will have an opinion.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

If I have to pick from the 3 eastern bottom dwellers, I'd rather see Philly get Boston and us get Detroit....I think Boston would beat Philly but it would come at an enormous physical price on their bodies.

[bullmoose88]

If I have to pick from the 3 eastern bottom dwellers, I'd rather see Philly get Boston and us get Detroit....I think Boston would beat Philly but it would come at an enormous physical price on their bodies.

Well you still managed to avoid us in round one. At least we avoid Boston though I'm not sure the Rangers are a good matchup for us and I suspect it's going to be a brutal series no matter how many games.

[Tender Branson]

Not really "Stanley Cup", but today's the final game of the "best of 5" series in the Erste Bank League (Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy).

The final will be played by Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) and HC Bozen/Bolzano (South Tyrol, ITA).

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Hopefully Salzburg wins it, but if Bozen wins they would be the first Italian team to win the majority Austrian Ice Hockey league.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I like our chances against Columbus. 

[Tender Branson]

Here's the trailer for the final game:

Link

[The Dowager Mod]

First round:
Avalanche
Blackhawks
Ducks
Kings
Bruins
Les Habs
Penguins
Rangers

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

First round:
Avalanche
Blackhawks
Ducks
Kings
Bruins
Les Habs
Penguins
Rangers

That's a very good list, TG......I might go with the Flyers though. 

[The Dowager Mod]

First round:
Avalanche
Blackhawks
Ducks
Kings
Bruins
Les Habs
Penguins
Rangers

That's a very good list, TG......I might go with the Flyers though. 

I am physically unable to EVER pick a philly team to win anything.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

First round:
Avalanche
Blackhawks
Ducks
Kings
Bruins
Les Habs
Penguins
Rangers

That's a very good list, TG......I might go with the Flyers though. 

I am physically unable to EVER pick a philly team to win anything.

You're telling a Pittsburgher that?    I do tend to be a realistic Yinzer.

[The Dowager Mod]

First round:
Avalanche
Blackhawks
Ducks
Kings
Bruins
Les Habs
Penguins
Rangers

That's a very good list, TG......I might go with the Flyers though. 

I am physically unable to EVER pick a philly team to win anything.

You're telling a Pittsburgher that?    I do tend to be a realistic Yinzer.

I do have that one going to 7 but Lundqvist gives the Rangers the edge.

[Хahar 🤔]

I can't wait to lose to Los Angeles. What could be more fun?

[bullmoose88]

Don't like Philly teams eh?  You're both on the list.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I would love to see the Blues upset the Blackhawks. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Metro Division Semifinals
(1) Pittsburgh over (4) Columbus in 7
(2) New York over (3) Philadelphia in 5

Atlantic Division Semifinals
(1) Boston over (4) Detroit in 7
(2) Tampa Bay over (3) Montreal in 7


WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division Semifinals
(4) Minnesota over (1) Colorado in 7
(3) Chicago over (2) St. Louis in 5

Pacific Division Semifinals
(1) Anaheim over (4) Dallas in 6
(2) San Jose over (3) Los Angeles in 6

Sets up these division finals:
METRO: New York vs. Pittsburgh
ATLANTIC: Boston vs. Tampa Bay
CENTRAL: Chicago vs. Minnesota
PACIFIC: San Jose vs. Anaheim

[Badger]

You think the Jackets are going 7 games with the Pens? Even Fleury can't wig out that bad.

I'm hoping the Jackets can take one--their first playoff win ever--preferably at home. The Pens can take the other 4 games.

That's about what I predict, actually. Maybe 6 games if Flower flounders.

[Badger]

First round:
Avalanche
Blackhawks
Ducks
Kings
Bruins
Les Habs
Penguins
Rangers

That's a very good list, TG......I might go with the Flyers though. 

I am physically unable to EVER pick a philly team to win anything.

You're telling a Pittsburgher that?    I do tend to be a realistic Yinzer.

I do have that one going to 7 but Lundqvist gives the Rangers the edge.

Agreed.

Part of me would like to see a Pens/Flyers matchup to hopefully see Scotty Hartnell lose some teeth, but the battering would go both ways and leave the Pens weakened for the big series with Boston.