Prior to the Rumor Chart Launch, here come some predictions and more....If your team isn't playing, don't worry after this blog you will see a ton of rumor blogs...That you can be sure of..
Throughout these playoffs I have been tracking two ways to predict the outcome of the series…let’s see how they did in round 2...
#1. Matchups I have been tracking this for years, so I know it works. The road a team has to the Cup ALWAYS matters. If you base the winner on the teams versus each other over their last 10 games you would beat the pundits more than you would lose.
Results for round 2: Correct 3 (Ducks, Pens, Sens) Wrong: 1 (Blues) Results so Far: Correct: 9, Wrong: 3
#2. Special Teams/Goalies This was one I always wanted to try. I have always believed that in the playoffs, the team with the better goalie and the better power play wins... Results for round 2: Correct 1 (Anaheim) Wrong: 3 Results so Far: Correct: 6, Wrong: 6
#3. Predictions based on my gut This is always the one that you DON'T want to evaluate! Results for Round 2: Correct 2 (Preds, Pens) Results so far: Correct: 5, Wrong: 7
So how about the Conference Finals?
#1. Matchups
Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa The Penguins have won 6 of the last 10. The Sens however won 2 of the last 3, including the last 2 games…both of which they kept the Penguins to only a goal a game. Winner: Penguins
Nashville vs. Anaheim If you count the three games this year and the 7 games last year in the playoffs the teams are 5 and 5 in the last ten games they have played. So you then go to the last 5 games. The Ducks were 2-1 this season, but the Preds won game 6 and 7 in the playoffs last year. So the Preds take 3 of the last 5…The Preds are the winners, but it really couldn’t be more close. Winner: Predators.
Special Teams/Goalies
Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa Goaltending: Ottawa: 10 Pittsburgh: 4 Power Play: Ottawa: 23 Pittsburgh: 17 Penalty Kill Ottawa: 22 Pittsburgh: 20 Total Score: Ottawa: 18.33 Pittsburgh: 13.66 Winner: Pittsburgh
Anaheim vs. Calgary Goaltending: Anaheim: 3 Nashville: 15 Power Play: Anaheim: 17 Nashville: 16 Penalty Kill Anaheim: 4 Nashville: 15 Total Score: Anaheim: 8 Nashville: 15.33 Winner: Anaheim
My Picks:
Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa
The Penguins are largely considered a favorite to run the table now…The Sens however may have a little something to say about that…and they have a shot…The Penguins played the first two rounds against teams that like to attack you…and that plays right into the hands of the Penguins…The Senators are an entirely different animal. They will let the Penguins come at them and frustrated them. The season series this year is very interesting and is the blueprint…The first game, back in December, the Penguins won 8-5. But in January, and at the end of March, the Senators won twice 4-1, and 2-1. The Sens played their 1-3-1 and frustrated the hell out of Pittsburgh. The Power Plays this season were fascinating…The Penguins went 1 for 10 against Ottawa..The Senators went 6 for 12 on the Power Play. The Senators weren’t a great power play team this year, so 50% against the Penguins is interesting…
I am going off the board here…The Capitals series was an emotional one for sure…I just have a feeling here…
Prediction: Sens in 6
Nashville vs Anaheim
These are two teams who are playing GREAT hockey right now. They both love to play high paced and they can score from anywhere. Last year the teams met in an Epic Series and it was FUN to watch. Very Entertaining. The only interesting thing we see in these team’s history when playing each other is they tend to share wins, but the actual games tend to not be too close…The Preds won 5-0 this year, the Ducks won 6-1. In my opinion this will come down to what it did last year.. Pekka Rinne was the clear difference last year. He won this series. He will win it again.
Prediction: Predators in 7
Your turn…
We will discuss all this and more at 3pm with Kevin Allen of USA Today on the Buzzcast…
Watch the Buzzcast to preview the Conference Finals and discuss the Bishop signing at 3pm:
HockeyBuzzcast w/@Eklund, @sportsology & @MikeInBuffalo available on #iTunes https://t.co/yXakLaiyRy & TuneIn https://t.co/Yqbm5JmlvM #NHL
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) December 12, 2016
Rumor Blog and Chart to come!!