On Saturday night I found myself at a resturant in East Boston about to chow down on a delicious plate of Shrimp Fra Diavolo. If you don't know what that is it's basically a spicy shrimp pasta dish. At this particular resturant it also included lobster which really enhanced the meal and made for an all around pleasurable dining experience.
Before the food was brought out to the table I decided to go use the restroom. Upon my return I noticed a younger kid at the table next to me, drinking a beer. He looked so familiar to me. In fact he appeared to be the twin of the Boston Bruins left wing, Jake DeBrusk. Next to him there also appeared to be twins of two of Boston's great defensemen, Torey Krug and Charlie McAvoy. It then dawned on me that they weren't twins at all and that I had in fact been sitting next to three of the young stud Bruins the entire time I had been at the resturant. I was speechless and distracted when my Fra Diavolo came. It was delicious but all I could focus on were the future Stanley Cup Champions that were sitting next to me.
I'm taking this as a sign of good things to come. The playoffs are here and the Bruins are in it once again! Buckle up.
I know I'm bias but I truly believe that the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the best post season in sports. It's two months of guys going as hard as they can night after night. It's violent, fast, and heart attack inducing.
To put into perspective just how much these guys give during the playoffs just look at what shape Patrice Bergeron was in after the 2013 Stanley Cup Final loss to Chicago. He had a broken nose and a punctured lung. He looked like he had been hit by a truck and he still played every game of that series.
The first games of this start this Wednesday, April 10 at 7PM. I'm going to give first round predictions only right now.
1. The New York Islanders Vs. The Pittsburgh Penguins
The Islanders shocked everyone this year with how good they turned out to be. They had a rough off season when the face of their franchise, John Tavares decided to leave the island to join his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. One of the bright spots of the offseason for the Islanders however was signing former Capitals coach and Stanley Cup Champion, Barry Trotz to head the team. With how the Islanders ended up playing this year I could easily see Trotz taking home the Jack Adams award as the Coach of the Year.
On the other side of the matchup you have Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins won back to back cups in 2016 and 2017 but had to fight hard to grab a playoff spot this year. Crosby is still as good as ever and it's hard to bet against him in any post season matchup.
In the four meetings these two teams had in the regular season they each managed to win two and each of those wins was home and away.
I'm super excited for this matchup and expect it to go seven. I'm picking the Islanders just because I'm sick of the Penguins and Islanders fans haven't seen very much playoff hockey in the past twenty years.
Islanders in 7.
2. The Columbus Blue Jackets Vs. The Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa is going to win this series.
The Blue Jackets certainly aren't a bad team. They went all in at the trade deadline. It would have been an absolute disaster for their GM, Jarmo Kekäläinen if the team didn't make the playoffs. Their goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky had an insane run at the end of the season (minus the game where he was shelled by our Boston Bruins). I might have picked this team to win against other teams in the east but unfortunately for them they're playing Tampa.
Tampa is good. Very good. They have three players this year who have scored 40 goals or more. They are a stacked team in an era where a salary cap is supposed to prevent a stacked team. They had one of the most successful regular seasons in the history of the National Hockey League.
They're going to blow the doors off the Blue Jackets. I can feel it.
Lightning in 5.
3. The Washington Capitals Vs. The Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes finally made the playoffs after ten years. They got a lot of shit this year for their elaborate post win celebrations, but the fans down there love it and they've backed it up with results. This is one of these teams that is hard to hate. Their last playoff appearance was in 2009 where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion, Penguins.
The Capitals are the defending champions. They have perhaps the greatest goal scorer in history in Alex Ovechkin. The team itself doesn't look all that different from the team that won in Vegas last June. I wouldn't be surprised if they repeated. As much as I'm pulling for our boys down in Carolina I just don't see it happening.
Washington in 6.
4. The Boston Bruins vs. The Toronto Maple Leafs
I'm nervous. Our fans have been talking about playing Tampa Bay after this series which is never a good thing. You should not look ahead to future rounds and you should not overlook this Toronto Maple Leafs team.
Last year this series went to seven. I believe the leafs are a better team this year. Their defense still isn't all that great but they have a very talented team offensively between guys like Tavares, Matthews, and Marner.
The Bruins, however, have the ability to grind teams down. They're no longer a one line team. DeBrusk is having an incredible sophomore season and Marcus Johansson and Charlie Coyle have been great new additions to this lineup.
The Bruins have also received impressive play from rookie, Karson Kuhlman who appears to be playing in Game one.
One down side right now is that Kevan Miller will not be available for the start of the playoffs, thus continuing the Bruins tradition of losing a defensemen before the post season begins.
I fear Toronto but I don't fear them enough to pick them.
Boston in 6.
5. The Winnipeg Jets Vs. The St. Louis Blues
Holy shit St. Louis turned their season around. This team was dead four months ago, finding themselves at the bottom of the NHL and now they are coming into the playoffs third in their division, ready to take on the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jets finished second in the Central Division, tied in points with the Blues. It's going to be a great first round matchup.
Back in September I picked the Jets to win it all. After the trade deadline I was still feeling pretty good about that pick. The Jets acquired Kevin Hayes from the New York Rangers. They have an elite scorer in Patrick Laine and a great captain in Blake Wheeler.
Having said that, there is something truly special about this Blues team and I just can't find myself picking against them. Get it done Blues.
St. Louis in 7.
6. Nashville Predators Vs. The Dallas Stars
Hey look! Nashville is still good! They finished the regular season with 100 points and won the Central Division. They have one of the best defensive lineups in the NHL and their goalie Pekka Rinne won the Vezina Trophy last season...although he shit his pants in the playoffs.
On the other side your have Dallas. It's felt like this team has been in limbo for years. They're either making the playoffs by the skin of their teeth or they're missing the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. I don't see them beating a team as good as the Preds.
Nashville in 6.
7. San Jose Sharks Vs. The Vegas Golden Knights
Remember the Golden Knights? They're that expansion team that everyone said would suck and then went on an incredible run to the Cup Final last year. Well guess what? They're back in the playoffs again. Sure they didn't finish as high as last year but they're still third in the Pacific Division, taking on the second place, San Jose Sharks.
Vegas acquired Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators at the deadline. I wanted him to come to Boston but you can't always get what you want I guess. Stone has 33 goals this year and also agreed to an eight year extension with the Knights.
The Sharks are what the Washington Capitals used to be. They're a team that's been so good for so long but couldn't stop themselves from chocking in the playoffs. If there's one player who deserves a cup it's Joe Thornton.
The Sharks once again finished strong in the regular season at second in the west. They'll win this series but they won't win the cup.
San Jose in 7.
8. The Colorado Avalanche Vs. The Calgary Flames
Calgary is good. They managed to finish first in the west and are the second best team in the NHL. I don't watch a ton of Flames hockey but I know they have great players in Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. The Flames haven't won a cup since 1989 and last appeared in one in 2004 against the Tampa Bay Lightning...which we could see a rematch of this year.
Colorado snuck into the playoffs for the second year in a row. They, much like the Bruins used to be, are mainly carried by their powerhouse top line of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen. That line is exceptional, but I don't think it's going to be enough to win this series.
Calgary in 6.
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