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Predicting Classic NY/Boston War. +rumors: Canucks To Get Very Busy.. |
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#4 Boston vs. #6 NY Rangers
Regular Season History:
Bruins Wins (Goals Scored): 285 (1,985)
Rangers Wins (Goals Scored): 249 (1,839)
Ties: 97
Playoff History:
Bruins Series Wins (Goals Scored): 7
Rangers Series Wins (Goals Scored): 2
The Ek Bullets:
On the Bruins:
To say the Bruins “survived” the opening round would be an understatement. The Bruins were essentially a tale of two teams. The struggles of the Seguin line for 99.9 percent of the series was pretty epic and yet as happened before Krejci showed he is nothing less of spectacular in big games and at big times. Lucic continued to ebb and flow abit...at times looking slow on the ice only to all of the sudden find his Cam Neely gear. Rask had a very underrated series, but made a few VERY key momentum saves. The Bruins paid a price against the Leafs though and find their defense extremely banged up. Seidenberg, Ference and Redden are all questionable for game 1
On the Rangers:
Are they a great team or not? It is really hard to tell because the Rangers, much like the Bruins, have serious moments of lapse. The Rangers do have the MVP of the playoffs so far in net and that hides a ton of incongruent aspects of their game. Nash and Richards can play like third line players when you consider Lundqvist hasn’t allowed a goal for a week (120 minutes running) King Henry has allowed the Rangers to go 2 for 28 on the power play in the playoffs and make it to the second round! The Rangers have gotten clutch scoring from their second and third liners however. Brassard has nine points and should have Rangers fans asking “Marian who?” The Rangers are also beaten up by the first round series and look like they won’t have Staal or Clowe in game 1 at least
The Ek Playoff Factors
When you look at teams who win playoff series there are 3 Factors that always seem to separate those who have success from those who go down hard: Goaltending, Special Teams, Depth Scoring
Goaltending:
Bruins +2, Rangers +3
Special Teams:
Regular Season
PP: Rangers 23rd, Bruins 26th
PK: Rangers 15th, Bruins 4th
Playoffs:
PP: Rangers 15th, Bruins 11th
PK: Rangers 9th, Bruins 11th
Bruins 0 , Rangers -2
Depth Scoring:
Bruins +2, Rangers +2
more Ek Factors:
Revenge Factor:
None
Health:
Bruins -2, Rangers -2
Experience:
Bruins +2, Rangers 0
Home Ice:
Bruins +1, Rangers +1
Ek Factor Advantage Goes To: Bruins
Bruins +5, Rangers +1 (Both teams with crazy low Ek factors)
Enough Already, What The H-E-Double Hockey Sticks Will Happen?:
These are two teams who are both beat up and who have both been bad on special teams and who are not getting scoring from their stars.....and yet these are two of the final 8 teams in the NHL playoffs and one of these teams will be in the Conference Finals because these are two teams who have shown amazing guts and resiliency to get here. The Rangers won the last two games in their series by not allowing a goal and the Bruins staged perhaps the greatest third period game 7 comeback in NHL history avoiding what would have been a 3-1 series collapse by the skin of their teeth. This series and pairing is truly fascinating but equally hard to predict because in round 1 both teams won a series despite not playing like playoff teams.
I am going to go with the best player in the series in Lundqvist with the caveat that he has has to be so good for so long I seriously worry about Lundqvist breaking down to fatigue...something we have seen happen to him in the past few years. The Rangers need to help this guy out with a quick series if they are to make it in this series and hope to win any games in a next series. The Bruins won’t go down that easy though...
My Pick: Rangers in 7
In the rumor mill....
That's right folks. rumors! Starting today I will be shifting my focus to covering the teams NOT still playing as I cover the playoffs...
This text today from a source...
"The Canucks are putting together a plan to be extremely active in the draft and ufa market and what most people dont seem to be realizing is it goes far beyond the obvious Luongo trade that is coming. Kesler and Edler are very much in play as well...with teams already considering calling on both players."
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