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Predicting 1st round upsets |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
In this edition of the hotstove, we share our favorite upset picks for the 1st round of the playoffs.
Todd Cordell
The Columbus Blue Jackets over the Washington Capitals.
It's not because I think the Capitals are chokers or any nonsense like that. It's because I think the Blue Jackets are the better team.
They control a larger share of the shot attempts and chances at 5v5. Most of every game – especially come playoff time, when refs tend to put the whistles away – is played at 5v5.
With Josh Anderson back in the mix, the Blue Jackets are much deeper up front and on the wings. They have the best defense pairing in the series. They also have the best starting goaltender in the series.
As much as I hate to say it, I expect another early exit for Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals. I just don't think there's enough help around him.
James Tanner
The best chance for upset is for the Leafs to beat the Bruins. However, since the Bruins can hardly be considered a better team (three Atlantic teams finished top six overall) the upset of the 1st round is the Devils beating the Lightning.
The Lightning are a better team, but they aren't good defensively and I think Namestinkov is missed. They also deploy Ryan Callahan and Dan Giradri, and rely on high shooting and save percentages to win. A team like the Devils - sneaky good offense from a ton of underrated players like Zacha and Wood - can upset them if they get halfway decent goaltending.
Let's go Devils.
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