Well, April is almost in the books and the first round of the Cup is history. There were a few surprises and a few disappointments, particularly Knowsy’s Rangers getting bounced out in five games. But, the die has been cast and the schedules have been laid out – and that means…..drum roll….. here are my 2011 predictions for Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Washington Capitals (1) Vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (5)
Since Knowsy is a die-hard NYR fan, of course he wants the Lightning to strike the Caps. However, Tampa Bay did not look stellar in their triumph over the Penguins. It should have been relatively easy to beat the anemic Pens with two of their top scorers out. But the Pens gave Tampa trouble, and made it into a series. As much as he detests the Caps, Knowsy has to acknowledge their superiority over the Lightning and takes the Caps in 5.
Philadelphia Flyers (2) Vs. Boston (3)
Wow, what a wild and crazy ride it’s been for New England. The Flyers worked hard against Buffalo and eventually triumphed, and the Bruins tried very hard to lose their series to Montreal, only to finally achieve success with an OT goal by Nathan Horton in Game 7. A tough one to call but Knowsy picks the Bruins in 7.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Vancouver Canucks (1) Vs. Nashville Predators (5)
Vancouver showed grit and determination in their series against the defending Stanley Cup champions. They also showed a lack of discipline and struggled to play a full 60 minutes of hockey. But they managed to persevere against a team that demonstrated significantly more scoring punch. So Knowsy has to tip his hat to Vancouver and take them over Nashville in 6.
San Jose Sharks (2) Vs. Detroit Red Wings (3)
Knowsy has got to go with his gut here. The Sharks demonstrated why they belong in post-season play, but the Red Wings embodied the hard-nosed, flashy style that makes a Stanley Cup champion. Knowsy feels that Detroit’s experience and never-quit attitude will win the day, and he takes the Red Wings in 6.
Knowsy track record actually improved this year for round one – he picked five out of eight winners for just over 62%, better than last year’s horrible three for eight or just over 37%.
Let’s see how well the second round treats us. If he had to make a prediction right now for a Stanley Cup showdown, it would be Boston Vs. Vancouver for the cup. Knowsy just thinks the Bruins have the team and the tenacity to go to the finals this year, and Vancouver has shown a tremendous amount of confidence and cool in their play.
Ya heard it here first.
