First Round Matchups

[IE]

Boston vs Montreal

San Jose vs Anaheim

Washington vs NY Rangers

Detroit vs Columbus

New Jersey vs Carolina

Vancouver vs St. Louis

Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia

Chicago vs Calgary

_________



Defending Champions' Playoff Performance
YEAR DEFENDING CHAMPION ll FOLLOWING YEAR LAST PLAYOFF SERIES
2008 Anaheim Ducks Conference Quarter-Final
2007 Carolina Hurricanes Out of Playoffs
2006 Tampa Bay Lightning Conference Quarter-Final
2004 New Jersey Devils Conference Quarter-Final
2003 Detroit Red Wings Conference Quarter-Final
2002 Colorado Avalanche Conference Final
2001 New Jersey Devils Final
2000 Dallas Stars Final
1999 Detroit Red Wings Conference Semi-Final
1998 Detroit Red Wings Won Cup
1997 Colorado Avalanche Conference Finals
1996 New Jersey Devils Out of Playoffs
1995 New York Rangers Conference Semi-Final
1994 Montreal Canadiens Conference Quarter-Final
1993 Pittsburgh Penguins Division Final
1992 Pittsburgh Penguins Won Cup
1991 Edmonton Oilers Conference Final
1990 Calgary Flames Division Semi-Final
1989 Edmonton Oilers Division Final
1988 Edmonton Oilers Won Cup
1987 Montreal Canadiens Conference Final
1986 Edmonton Oilers Division Final
1985 Edmonton Oilers Won Cup
1984 New York Islanders Final
1983 New York Islanders Won Cup
1982 New York Islanders Won Cup
1981 New York Islanders Won Cup
1980 Montreal Canadiens Quarter-Final

 

[ROQQIN RIQ]

:director: BYE BYE FLYERZ!!! :director: GO PENZ !!

 

[IE]

2009 NHL Playoffs - Series Prices

4/16/2009 6:05 PM Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens
361 Boston Bruins -360
362 Montreal Canadiens +280
4/15/2009 6:05 PM Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers
363 Washington Capitals -280
364 New York Rangers +210
4/15/2009 6:05 PM New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes
365 New Jersey Devils -135
366 Carolina Hurricanes +115
4/15/2009 6:05 PM Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins
367 Philadelphia Flyers +140
368 Pittsburgh Penguins -165
4/16/2009 9:35 PM San Jose Sharks v Anaheim Ducks
369 San Jose Sharks -300
370 Anaheim Ducks +240
4/16/2009 6:05 PM Detroit Red Wings v Columbus Blue Jackets
371 Detroit Red Wings -650
372 Columbus Blue Jackets +450
4/15/2009 9:05 PM Vancouver Canucks v St Louis Blues
373 Vancouver Canucks -280
374 St Louis Blues +210
4/16/2009 7:35 PM Chicago Blackhawks vs Calgary Flames
375 Chicago Blackhawks -155
376 Calgary Flames +135

 

[IE]

1st games wed and thursday:

Team Name MoneyLn Total Spread T1 Total T2 Total
Apr 15 6:05 pm NHL Playoffs first round
51 New York Rangers +155 -185
52 Washington Capitals -175 5? -1? +165
Apr 15 6:05 pm (VER) NHL Playoffs first round
53 Philadelphia Flyers +135 +100 -225
54 Pittsburgh Penguins -155 6 -120 -1? +185
Apr 15 6:35 pm NHL Playoffs first round
55 Carolina Hurricanes +125 -125 -235
56 New Jersey Devils -145 5 +105 -1? +195
Apr 15 9:05 pm (VER) NHL Playoffs first round
57 St Louis Blues +160 -120 -180
58 Vancouver Canucks -180 5 +100 -1? +160

Thursday, April 16, 2009 Game 1stP 2ndP 3rdP American Decimal

Team Name MoneyLn Total Spread T1 Total T2 Total
Apr 16 6:05 pm NHL Playoffs first round
59 Montreal Canadiens +175 -105 -170
60 Boston Bruins -210 5? -115 -1? +150
Apr 16 6:05 pm (VER) NHL Playoffs first round
61 Columbus Blue Jackets +200 -105 -140
62 Detroit Red Wings -240 5? -115 -1? +120
Apr 16 7:35 pm NHL Playoffs first round
63 Calgary Flames +145 -120 -210
64 Chicago Blackhawks -165 5? +100 -1? +175
Apr 16 9:35 pm (VER) NHL Playoffs first round
65 Anaheim Ducks +175 +120 -170
66 San Jose Sharks -210 5? -140 -1? +150

 

[IE]

Here's a quick look at the opening round matchups in the NHL playoffs:

Eastern Conference

Boston (No. 1, 53-19-10) vs. Montreal (No. 8, 41-30-11): The old rivals meet in a playoff series for the second straight year and 32nd time overall. This series is a reverse of last spring, when the top-seeded Canadiens edged eighth-ranked Boston in seven games. Expect goaltending to be a storyline here as Montreal's Carey Price embarks on his second NHL post-season against Boston's Tim Thomas - the league's regular season leader in goals-against average and save percentage.

Washington (No. 2, 50-24-8) vs. N.Y. Rangers (No. 7, 43-30-9): Alex Ovechkin takes Broadway. The league's most dynamic goal-scorer couldn't really get a much better playoff stage than Madison Square Garden. It's the second straight year the Caps have qualified for the Stanley Cup tournament and they'll be expecting a little bit more this time around. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist could be a difference-maker in this series and Sean Avery is sure to get plenty of attention as well.

New Jersey (No. 3, 51-27-4) vs. Carolina (No. 6, 45-30-7): Many had the Devils pegged as Eastern Conference favourites until they limped to the finish. However, no team with Martin Brodeur can ever be counted out during the post-season. Don't overlook the recent play of Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward, who is 13-2-2 since the start of March. Carolina has won two of the three playoff series between these teams and reached the Stanley Cup both of those years - 2002 and 2006.

Pittsburgh (No. 4, 45-28-9) vs. Philadelphia (No. 5, 44-27-11): A rematch of last year's Eastern Conference final for the bitter rivals from Pennsylvania. The series opens at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh because the Flyers lost their season finale on Sunday. Sidney Crosby's Penguins might be the NHL's hottest team heading into the playoffs after compiling an 18-3-4 record under coach Dan Bylsma. They'll be hoping to build on the experience gained during last year's run to the Stanley Cup final.

Western Conference

San Jose (No. 1, 53-18-11) vs. Anaheim (No. 8, 42-33-7): The first playoff series between two NHL teams from California since the Los Angeles Kings beat the Oakland Seals in seven games in 1969. San Jose was at the top of the league for almost the entire regular season and will be looking to shed its underachiever label from post-seasons past. Don't expect it to be easy against surging Anaheim, which faces a tough decision in goal. One-time backup Jonas Hiller has been carrying the load down the stretch and might see his first career playoff action in front of former Stanley Cup winner J.S. Giguere.

Detroit (No. 2, 51-21-10) vs. Columbus (No. 7, 41-31-10): Detroit's quest for another Stanley Cup starts with an intriguing matchup against a division rival. Not only are the Blue Jackets appearing in the playoffs for the first time ever, they're doing so with a rookie goaltender. Steve Mason turned 20 just weeks ago and had a league-leading 10 shutouts this season. By comparison, the Red Wings have all kinds of experience and will once again lean on the likes of Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidstrom.

Vancouver (No. 3, 45-27-10) vs. St. Louis (No. 6, 41-31-10): The Canucks did well to reel in Calgary and capture the Northwest Division title. Now they'll want to put that home ice to good use. Roberto Luongo's team faces the Cinderella story of the NHL after St. Louis climbed from last place in the West at the all-star break to an unlikely playoff position. The Blues struggled on the road early in the year but won five of their last seven away from Scottrade Center to secure a playoff berth.

Chicago (No. 4, 46-24-12) vs. Calgary (No. 5, 46-30-6): Which Flames team will show up when the playoffs get started? Calgary has been among the more unpredictable teams this season, looking brilliant during some stretches and awful during others. Most eyes will be on goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, who might not be fresh after appearing in 76 games during the regular season. There should be plenty of enthusiasm in this series as playoff hockey returns to the Windy City for the first time since 2002. Chicago has fallen back in love with its Blackhawks in the process.

 

[Woodson]

IE,

I really would like to coat tail you in the play offs. If you have a solid play, please post...

Thanks,

B

 

[IE]

IE,

I really would like to coat tail you in the play offs. If you have a solid play, please post...

Thanks,

B

will do...

 

[IE]

Drury in doubt for playoff opener




Chris Drury once again was the missing man today, and now there's some question as to whether he'll be able to reappear come Wednesday's playoff opener in Washington.

Drury last skated on Thursday night in the game against Philadelphia, and while he's taken a general beating over the last couple weeks, it's unclear what specific injury is keeping him out. He appeared to take a shot in the hand during the third period of that Flyer game at the Garden, but was also seen hobbling to the bench and taking a few circles during a TV timeout, apparently testing his legs.

It's the playoffs, the time when teams scrupulously hide injuries (as if they weren't doing that this year during the regular season - is my thumb part of my lower body if it hangs below my waist?), so don't expect much info from John Tortorella, other than this today on Drury: "Day-to-day. He's hurt, it's day-to-day. I really don't know how that's all gonna work out."

"He's our leader, he's our captain," Henrik Lundqvist said. "I hope he's going to play, everybody does. We're going to have to deal with it if he can't."

What he missed in the Ranger room today in Greenburgh was the word "Ovechkin" uttered so many times that I think we might have opened a portal to a fourth dimension. Better get used to it, because that's going to be the focal point, and rightly so, of the Rangers' first-round series. He'll certainly be that for Marc Staal, who should see plenty of No. 8 over the next week to week and a half.

"We've had our run-ins in the past, but he's a good competitor, he competes hard," Staal said. "So it should be interesting.

"The amount he shoots and where he can shoot it from, and how hard he does it - from anywhere - is unique to anybody I've played against. Just how hard he shoots it and how quick he can get it off, before you even react or before you even think he's going to shoot, it's pretty unique."

It remains to be seen whether Torts will match forward lines, at home or on the road, with Ovie's, though Drury's status should have a lot to do with that. Tortorella dabbled in line matching in the third-to-last game of the regular season, putting the captain's line, with Ryan Callahan and Markus Naslund, plus Staal and Dan Girardi, against Alex Tanguay-Saku Koivu-Alexei Kovalev, and that red-hot Canadiens line combined for one shot on goal in the game. The Rangers had the benefit of being at home in that one.

"I like it," Callahan said today. "Going out there against the other team's top line, trying to shut them down, it's enjoyable to get that challenge - and even more when you're successful at it."

Of course - as was said here a hundred thousand times today - Ovechkin is not the only Cap who can hurt the Rangers in this series.

Alexander Semin had 34 goals in 62 games, for cryin' out loud. Mike Green had 31 from the blue line. Nicklas Backstrom, 21 years old, had 22 goals and 88 points.

"I don't think it's just going to be Staal, and I don't think it's just going to be Ovechkin," Torts said. "I think that's a pretty good hockey club."

 

[IE]

played..

played..

these series picks, good luck if you play them...


Carolina Hurricanes (Series) +115
St Louis Blues (Series) +185
Chicago Blackhawks (Series) -150
Anaheim Ducks (Series) +240

 

[IE]

4/15/2009 - 4/16/2009 games:

played:

Carolina Hurricanes +130
St Louis Blues +160
Anaheim Ducks +190

good luck if you play them...