Four rounds, each progressively harder, each one bringing two teams closer and closer to their season long quest.
Wednesday night, the Stanley Cup playoffs get underway, the annual spring time ritual of fast paced action, crushing hits, spectacular saves and urgent coaching decisions which send one team on to claim the Cup and the others home to wonder if they'll ever be this close again.
It's been called the hardest championship to win, the intensity of the play and the do or die nature of each game taking players to the heights of hockey glory and leaving others thirsty for one more game, another chance to bring home the symbol of hockey's greatest achievement.
Wednesday night's action provides four venues with the chance to launch the two month quest for Lord Stanley's Cup, we'll take a look at the series ahead and offer up our humble interpretation of who will move on and who will move out of the way...
New York Rangers and Washington Capitals
The Rangers have befuddled hockey fans for most of the season, expected to be more than just a team that struggled to qualify, the Broadway Blueshirts tossed head coach Tom Renney aside in early 2009, hoping that John Tortorella could turn around the fortunes of one of hockey's most under performing squads. While he had a bit of success in changing the direction and more importantly the attitude of the Rangers, it will take more than a stern word or two to topple the high flying Capitals.
Washington steeped as it is with some of the most exciting players in the game at the moment, may finally reward their fans with a lengthy run into the Spring. Led by the scoring highlight machine Alexander Ovechkin, the Caps should be able to move past the Rangers. While many suggest that the best way to slow down Washington is to take Ovechkin off his game, it's easier said than done. Ovechkin has no shyness for the physical play and at times seems to relish as much in a hit as in a goal. His celebrations upon scoring have raised the ire of the CBC's Don Cherry, who finds Ovechkin to be a bit of a hot dog.
Mr. Cherry had best put in for a full order of Maple Leaf Top Dogs, we suspect that Ovechkin will be figuring prominently in the nightly reviews...
Capitals over the Rangers in Five
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Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils
The Devils like their neighbours in the Big City, also head into the playoffs with a few more questions than answers. They have played rather lethargic over the last month or so, the usually steady Martin Brodeur looking human on more than a few occasions. They at times have appeared to be fully in compliance with coach Brent Sutter's systems and on other nights seem to have gone free form, wandering off their assignments allowing opposition forwards to find far too much time, far too much space and far too much opportunity to score in the Devil end. If they decide to continue in their independent ways, the Hurricanes and their fans may find that hockey will be on the sports pages well into the spring.
The Hurricanes found that someone familiar was the best tonic for a playoff absence, with the return of Paul Maurice to his once place of honour behind the Canes bench. Maurice who was deemed as expendable by the still playoff deprived Maple Leafs, found his follow up assignment more rewarding. Maurice has been able to mix the young with the experienced on the Canes into a hard working crew that are riding their re-entry into the playoffs with some excitement.
The Devils suddenly look very old and very familiar, a team that brought in a number of high profile players who haven't quite clicked. The Canes bring youth and enthusiasm into the first round, a combination that should move them along past round one.
Hurricanes over the Devils in five games
.Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins
Philadelphia had every opportunity to snare home ice advantage for themselves during the last week of the regular season, but they couldn't find the right combination and instead will make the trip cross state to Pittsburgh. A few years ago that wouldn't have really been much of a problem, the Flyers seemed to be on the rise, invincible when it came to key games it seemed. That was however a few years ago, this year defined the struggles of the Flyers of late, where goals seem hard to come by and slowing down the opposition has proven problematic. The stumbling nature of their performances down the stretch combined with a resurgent Penguin squad doesn't bode well for a shot to put their names on the Cup this year.
The Pens while at times suggesting that they weren't as advertised in last years Cup run, found their skates in the latter stages of the regular season. Led by Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby the scoring touch returned, the defensive play tightened up and goal tending once again didn't leave the Pens fans with fears of a total collapse.
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With that fate avoided the Pens find themselves in a pretty good spot to make a run for a return to the finals, the first round and its opponent the perfect situation. The Flyers showing signs of a lack of confidence going up against the Pens who now must feel that they have their game back on track, it won't be a cakewalk, things never are against the Flyers, but still it would seem that Western Pennsylvania will have much to celebrate.
Penguins over the Flyers in six
St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks
At the start of the season these were two teams which offered up more than a few worries that things were going off the rails. The long running Mats watch in Vancouver, combined with some unpredictable play had Vancouver fans seeking the head of Alain Vigneault and Mike Gillis prior to Christmas, January didn't seem to offer much relief either, but the tide turned in February and the Canucks went on a tear that took them to the top of the Northwest Division. A situation aided by Calgary's injury riddled lineup problems and sudden lack of scoring. Still it's who wins the division that gets the reward and for Vancouver it's playoff home ice and a reunion with the Blues.
St. Louis appeared destined for another woeful year during the early days of this past season, possible candidates for the John Tavares sweepstakes. Though a funny thing happened in the new year, the Blues found their game. Led by some spectacular goal tending from Chris Mason, the Blues led a remarkable charge up the Western Division standings, grabbing sixth place as theirs. They are perhaps the hottest team heading into these playoffs, matching up against an equally rising squad, making for what many hope will be a thoroughly entertaining series.
While Mason has become one of the more talked about players over the last few months, his counterpart at the other end of the rink isn't exactly a sack of old hockey pucks. Roberto Luongo is at the place where the Canucks had hoped for him to be, leading his team into playoff battle, ready to change a series with that one save that makes the difference. When round one comes to an end for these two teams, it would be safe money to assume that you will be talking about Luongo...
Canucks over the Blues in Five
Thursday night will bring eight more teams into the mix, including a couple of highly anticipated match ups that could more than fill the bill for those looking for their "old time hockey" fix...
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Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins
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Their last game of the regular season was a throwback to the days of the legendary Habs and B's wars, every shift brought a hit, the contempt of familiarity part of the oxygen of the arena. It provided a preview as to what a playoff series should be all about, though you wonder if either team could survive beyond round one after what may be a most intense series.
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All of that of course must be viewed in the arithmetic of the standings, the Bruins far atop the Eastern Conference a team providing such confidence in itself that the Boston media is suddenly pondering the possibilities of all of Boston's pro franchises hoisting championship trophies this season. By far the Bruins were the class of the East, they bring to mind the halcyon days of Bruins hockey, where wins were plentiful and championship runs seemed all but assured.
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Montreal on the other hand have only recently climbed back from the abyss of a missed playoff berth and the unleashing of five months of mourning during a centennial year. They don't quite resemble the swashbuckling squad that we saw at the start of the season and in fact look very tentative, afraid of making any kind of error that would beckon disaster. That is not a great way to head into a do or die playoff series. They showed some spunk in that last game of the year with the Bruins, though you have the feeling that the Bruins weren't quite inclined to return to the days of the Brawlin' B's of Terry O'Reilly. Should the physical play become a feature of this series one might expect that the Canadiens will be coming up on the short end of the time sheets.
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This Bruin team has all the elements you could ask for in a championship calibre team, they have speed and finesse, toughness and defense. They also have confidence on their side, from their fans thankful that hockey has returned to Boston and confidence in themselves to get the job done.
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Bruins in Five
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Detroit and Columbus
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Defending champions are always the measure of the league and Detroit the current holder of the Stanley Cup once again have got to be considered the favourites to be hoisting that cup once again. The Red Wings have set the stage for their quest for a repeat, offensively they are a juggernaut with some of the top names in the game on their roster. Head coach Mike Babcock continues to lay claim to some of the turf of those that have coached the winged wheel in the past, keeping his team on track for success that some might become complacent over, considering the Red Wings long dominance of hockey over the last number of years.
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While they have become one of the legendary franchises of the game, their opposition are but mere debutantes at this ball, making their first trek into the uncharted territory of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Blue Jackets finally delivered on a long held promise to their deceased owner of a run into the Spring. They had hoped to make that jump last year while John McConnell was still alive, missing out on the playoffs just before he passed away in April of 2008.
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One year later they finally fulfill all that promise that McDonnell knew was there, it's a step towards the future for a franchise that has been one of the brighter lights in Gary Bettman's expansion blue print.
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But like all steps it is one that will come with setbacks, Detroit is far too strong and far too experienced to slip up against the young guns from one state over, while it's fun to make the playoffs, for Columbus the fun will end in short order.
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Red Wings in four
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Chicago and Calgary
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The Calgary Flames topped a lot of lists in the pre season as the team to watch in 2008-09, they acquired some of the top names to help create some space for captain Jarome Iginla, they had one of the top goaltenders in the game in their nets and on defense forwards wandered into Dion Phaneuf's range of vision at their peril. With Mike Keenan's experienced hand many thought that the Flames were a lock on the Northwest Division title if not a strong candidate for the overall lead in the West.
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Things as they say didn't quite work out as they had hoped, Keenan played Miikka Kiprusoff far too often, leaving him looking weary as the season ended. Injuries took many of those high profile helpers out of the lineup for extended periods of time, at one point leaving the Flames with no recourse but to run a shortened bench during the stretch for the playoffs a situation that highlighted the desperate situation that Calgary found themselves in.
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All in all indicators that don't leave you with a lot of confidence for their chances, and wondering who will be looking for a new job if things don't turn out as hoped.
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With all that on their plates, the Flames match up with the NHL's success story for 2008-09, the Chicago Black Hawks a team mocked not many years ago for its ineptitude on the ice and its lost in the fifties attitudes in the front office. But these aren't Bill Wirtz's Black Hawks, while the team may still be in the family name of Wirtz, these Black Hawks have embraced the new century like no other team. Suddenly playing before sold out houses, the games now broadcast on that newfangled invention the television, Chicago is once again talking about hockey with the same excitement that they did when guys named Hull, Mikita and Magunsson played there.
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With some of the most exciting new players in the league in their line up, the enthusiasm in Chicago for hockey goes far beyond the bench now. The problem may be that their expectations in Chicago so high, that may not quite be able meet that level of success just yet.
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Still combine a young, fast rising team going up against a struggling squad, one feeling the pressure of anticipation and the youngsters with no baggage may be up to the challenge. The Flames by rights should be the favourite, but if you are looking for an upset in the first round, it may come out of the Windy City.
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Chicago over the Flames in seven.
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Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks
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The family feud of California could very well be the most intense series that we see in the opening round. San Jose everyone's favourite pick for the last four or five years, gets one more chance to reward all that belief. A team that has found ways to eliminate themselves from the Stanley Cup quest year after year is back for yet another chance to show that they are worthy of the title of favourite.
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They have many of the same elements that they have had the last few years, solid offense, steady defense and reliable goal tending. They've changed the outlook behind the bench as well, with Ron Wilson having moved on to Toronto, many of those past playoff disappointments will be left to the hockey history books, at least they hope that is the plan.
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Going up against them an old nemesis the Anaheim Ducks, one time Stanley Cup champions and most recently the struggling franchise that only made it into the playoffs thanks to a late season push that brought back some memories of that Stanley Cup year. If but for a few lucky wins and some stumbles from Minnesota, Nashville and Edmonton the Ducks might not even be in the playoff race this year.
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But now in place they may very well prove to be the first test of the Sharks quest for a cup. The series promises to be a very physical one, the two teams frequently seem to show that California isn't big enough for the both of them. It should make for a hard hitting and very intense series, leaving one or the other weary upon conclusion. You have to give all in the Stanley Cup from the very first game, the only question will be if either team has anything left to give when they are finished.
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Sharks over the Ducks in seven
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To review:
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Coming out of round one in the East:
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Boston
Washington
Pittsburgh
Carolina
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Coming out of round one in the West:
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San Jose
Detroit
Vancouver
Chicago
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Our long range thoughts for a Stanley Cup Final:
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Boston and the San Jose Sharks
