Official Stanley Cup Playoffs MEGATHREAD!

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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? 

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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?!

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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

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Dominating performance by New York in Game 1.  36-15 in shots and just mauled Philadelphia in the 3rd.

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I really want St. Louis to win their series.  I fear the Kings are toast and won't last long.

Afraid of being sniped this June?

Actually, no, I think the Blues are a very good team who hasn't sniffed the Cup in far too long.  I'd be thrilled to make it to the finals no matter who we would play. 

When and how bad does Fleury meltdown this year, Uncle Gramps?

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I really want St. Louis to win their series.  I fear the Kings are toast and won't last long.

Afraid of being sniped this June?

Actually, no, I think the Blues are a very good team who hasn't sniffed the Cup in far too long.  I'd be thrilled to make it to the finals no matter who we would play.  

When and how bad does Fleury meltdown this year, Uncle Gramps?

At any time, and probably bad.   They trust him so much Vokoun is back on the regular roster.  I do think we'll get by Columbus.  We were 5-0 against them in the regular season.

If he does, it's curtains for Bylsma as head coach.

Yep. RIP

I wouldn't.  I mean... they run away with a playoff spot every year.  Where have you seen the Caps ever since they panicked and fired Boudreau, who has only gone on to turn the Ducks from a last place team when he got there to a 1st place Cup contender.  How the hell do you blame him for a goalie absolutely falling off a cliff.  I mean... the pucks Fleury was letting in last year were pitiful.  An obvious case of a player completely losing his head out there.  

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Game 4, CBJ vs. PIT.  Classic Fluery meltdown.  What the hell is he thinking leaving the net like that with 20 secs to go?  And then the softie to lose it..... 

We go up 3-1 against Philly tonight.  Mark it down. 

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Hokey's Rangers might be out of gas after tonight.

Momentum is not something that exists in our world.  Last night will have no bearing on what goes does tonight.  To me, we are still the better team and we have Game 7 in our house. 

The Blueshirts will be ready to play and it is my prediction that we will win.

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Would've been 8 for 8 in the first round had San Jose not blown a 3-0 lead.  Truly unbelievable that franchise hasn't found it's way into the Final with all these years of great regular season success.  As for the Conference Finals, I have this:

New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Los Angeles Kings

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I mean, wow. I knew that Montreal's luck would run out, but yikes. There was no way that the Bruins were going to keep bouncing them off the pipe, the corner of the post and out, off someone's thigh and out, off a skate and out, and so on. Now take it to Montreal!

That series is going 7.  I think Montreal will pull it out. 

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SoCal hockey is absolutely insane. Has totally overtaken the Battle of Alberta, battle of Ontario (which I guess was never that great), and NYR-NJD.

Oh stop.  The atmosphere at Kings-Ducks is great an all, but it doesn't even compare to going to Flyers-Penguins, Rangers-Islanders, Rangers-Flyers, etc.

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LETS GO RANGERS!!! 

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This playoff season has been exceptional for the NHL up to this point.  I've heard people all over the Interwebs and IRL talking about how the hockey games have been just destroying their NBA parallels.  Whoever comes out of the SoCal Series and plays the Hawks will put on a great series, and NYR/MTL should be just fantastic (USA vs. Canada, Original 6, two teams that can play a speed game, spectacular goaltending, etc.) 

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Yeah, I haven't watched any of the NBA playoffs. Just hard to get into, I guess.

I think Blackhawks vs. Rangers looks most likely, and that would be an incredible final, I have to admit.

Ftfy

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EVERYTHING.  IS.  HAPPENING!!!

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Speed kills.  Rangers in 5.