Doesn't look like anyone else is starting this thread - so I will. As is my 8-year (!@$%) tradition, I will be cheering for one of my two "postseason teams": the Habs, since Ottawa shit the bed and killed my hopes of seeing Hemmer in the playoffs. Screw you, Senators. Who are the rest of you cheering for, or are you just going to watch the world burn?

Round 1 Matchups

Colorado (2) vs. Minnesota (7)
St. Louis (3) vs. Chicago (5)
Anaheim (1) vs. Dallas (8)
San Jose(4) vs. Los Angeles (6)

Boston (1) vs. Detroit (8)
Tampa (3) vs. Montreal (4)
Pittsburgh (2) vs. Columbus (7)
New York (5) vs. Philly (6)

*I know NHL used the new division seeding numbers but I like to see where everyone ranked in the conference.

HL's picks:
Colorado in 5 -4
Hawks in 7 -1
Stars in 6 -4
Kings in 7 0

Wings in 7 -4
Habs in 7 -3
Penguins in 6 0
Rangers in 5 -2

Total: -18

Went a little off the board with the Wings but as we know, anything can happen in the playoffs.

What are your picks?

Minny in 5 -2
Blues in 7 -2
Stars in 6 -4
Sharks in 7 -2

Bruins in 4 -1
TB in 5 -7
Jackets in 7 -3
Philly in 6 -3

Total: -24

Avs in 6 (Wild in 7) -3
Chi in 7 (Hawks in 6) -1
Ducks in 6 (Correct) 0
Kings in 7 (Correct) 0

Bruins in 5 (Correct) 0
Habs in 6 (Habs in 4) -2
Pitts in 4 (Pitts in 6) -2
NYR in 7 (Correct) 0

Total: -8

edit: actual results in brackets..

Updated my post with the actual results.. I did pretty good!

I like a "golf score" method, where you get a -1 for every incorrect Win tally for each team. (like golf, the least negative your number, the better ... i.e. -10 is better than -20)

So, for example, if you predicted a 4-2 series win for Colorado, but it was really 4-3 for Wild.. you are 2 off on Colorado's Wins (-2) and 2 off on Minnesota's wins (-2) for a -4.

I was -8, HL -18, M&O -24.


Feel free to double check my math!

I'm off my game. I blame the Oilers.

At least you weren't a complete dud like M&O!

And I really have to pat myself on the back.. -8 is a hell of a score, I think. -18 probably is about average... just I did pretty damn good, if I may say so. I was wrong on one series winner, and then three series I had the games wrong. Bang on for 4 of the series.

Round 2

Anaheim (1) vs. Los Angeles (6)
Chicago (5) vs. Minnesota (7)


Boston (1) vs. Montreal (4)
Pittsburgh (2) vs. New York (5)

Thanks for calculating the Round 1 results, Racki.

Racki wrote:At least you weren't a complete dud like M&O!

And I really have to pat myself on the back.. -8 is a hell of a score, I think. -18 probably is about average... just I did pretty damn good, if I may say so. I was wrong on one series winner, and then three series I had the games wrong. Bang on for 4 of the series.

You did really well! Props.

Normally I'm not perfect - not usually very good with the # of games. But usually pretty darn good, at least with the series winners. Ah well.

I've had pretty good luck with this stuff, myself. Too bad when I bet on it, it doesn't work out!

Wow, this next one will be tough..

Ducks in 6 (-3)
Hawks in 7 (-1)
Habs in 7 (0)
Pens in 6 (-3)

I think I'm going to be pretty off on this one. They will all be close though I think.

edit: -7 this round

Yeah, this one's going to be rough. Hmmmm. I may edit tomorrow prior to games start!

*Kings in 7 (0)
Hawks in 5 (-1)

Habs in 6 (-1)
Pens in 7 (-2)

*Edit: changed my mind (Thursday night!). Originally had Ducks in 7. May live to regret it.


Edit by racki: Much better round.. only -4 this time

Are you cheating off my test?!

Just kidding

No! And I'm going back and forth about Anaheim.... Ack.

I'll check the predictions from round 2 later, but ...

Habs in 7
Hawks in 5

Anthem singer in MTL just finished..

After 2 rounds:

Me: -15
HL: -22

Good 2nd round, HL

Habs in 7
Hawks in 7

Yeah round 2 was definitely better. You're still kicking my butt though Racki.

This round should be exciting. As long as the Habs don't get schooled again. Yikes.

When Price went down & out I immediately thought of the demise of Roloson in 2006. I'm a bit nervous with Tokarski in. Things could be worse...it could be Dubnyk.

Yah, I made a joke on Twitter about that earlier... who replaces Price? Conklin, or Markanen?

Tokarski has been good in his few NHL appearances this year though, so there is that going for him. The Habs are going to have to play their asses off. They had a good first period in game 2, despite being down 2-1 right now.

It is indeed 2006 all over again. Baaaad memories. I have a bad feeling about this though as you say Racki Habs are playing well.

And- hey Apps.

me, a miserable -7 on the round...

-22 after 3 rounds..

HL, -5 on the round, for -27 to date.

Racki: -22
HL: -27

Much closer now...

I'll go with the Rangers in 6 Rangers in 7, somewhat against my instincts that said the West had it in the bag.

Updated my guess on June 2..