I watched TSN's Draft Lottery program yesterday. Some impressive creativity from the producers to fill a half hour of broadcast time!
Disappointing that they only had reps on hand from the bottom five teams. Trev could have really added some zest to the proceedings.
I was suprised when Brian Burke used his interview moment on the broadcast to state that his Flames came together as a team from January 18th onward. That was the day of the line brawl. Bold to actively point this out as a positive turning point for his team.
I can understand why Burke came to Bob Hartley's defense following Torts' comments after Sunday's game. It's important for him to support his coach, especially when the team has shown some growth and it looks like Hartley's job will be secure for awhile. But singling out one of the ugliest black eyes of the entire hockey season as a defining moment certainly makes it sound like the Flames did have every intention of causing a brouhaha when they selected their starting lineup on that Saturday night back in January.
Anyway, back to the lottery itself. As some of you pointed out in yesterday's comments, the total odds of a team above the Canucks winning the lottery and pushing Vancouver back to the seventh pick were actually higher than the chance that the Canucks would move into the No. 1 spot: more than 15 percent, compared to a six percent chance of winning.
So, we should be satisfied that we retained the sixth pick. No matter what you think of the concept, #TankNation succeeded beyond our wildest dreams when the idea was first raised.
Stunning how disastrously this season turned out for Canada's teams as a whole. Here's what I'd like to know as the playoffs get underway tonight:
The series I'm most interested to watch is San Jose/Los Angeles. It was a war last year. Can the Sharks can keep it together this time and get the best of the Kings? I'm oddly satisfied by the idea that one of these rivals will be finished for the season within two weeks.
The NHL playoffs are always unpredictable, and my heart tends to lie with the underdogs, but here goes—my predictions for Round 1. Share your predictions in the comments below:
Detroit at Boston - I'll go out on a limb and take the Wings in seven.
Not sure they have the goaltending to pull it off, but just like last year, I'm impressed by Detroit's late-season surge and I know they have the confidence to do some damage. Boston almost got knocked out last year, and the Wings are no Toronto Maple Leafs...
Columbus at Pittsburgh - Pens in five
With only one previous playoff appearance in their history, Columbus is the definition of a team that's 'just happy to be here.' I hope thy win their first-ever playoff game in franchise history, but I don't think they can knock off Pittsburgh.
Philadelphia at NY Rangers - Rangers in six
With Steve Mason on the shelf, the Flyers are—once again—weak in goal. I think the Rangers will take advantage of home ice to grab the early lead, then ride out the series. I think I might be rooting for AV just a little, too.
Montreal at Tampa Bay - Lightning in six
Though they don't get much exposure, I'm really impressed with how the Lightning have come together as a team this year. Even if Ben Bishop's out of action, they seem to have a never-ending collection of goaltenders to turn to, like that amazing Latvian we saw at the Olympics. I think the Habs are still too small to succeed at playoff hockey.
Dallas at Anaheim - Ducks in five
Dallas is another team that's just glad to be in the playoffs. Jamie Benn and company will gain valuable experience, but the Ducks are dialed in. As long as they use Frederik Andersen or John Gibson in net, not Jonas Hiller, Anaheim should win this series easily.
Minnesota at Colorado - Wild in seven
This will be a fascinating series. Both teams were red-hot down the stretch. I'm giving the Wild the edge because I feel like Ilya Bryzgalov has one more chapter of his redemption story that's yet to be written. After Semyon Varlamov cracked at the Olympics, I'm still waiting to see if he can do the job in a big-game situation.
Los Angeles at San Jose - Sharks in seven
As I said above, this is the series I'm most interested in watching. I'll be liveblogging the first two games for Bleacher Report on Thursday and Sunday, which should be a lot of fun. Both teams have been spotty down the stretch, and I worry that Antti Niemi's goaltending is trending in the wrong direction, but I think the Sharks' desire to avenge last year's loss will trump all else.
Chicago at St. Louis - Blackhawks in five
The Blues have been terrible down the stretch, and I don't see them suddenly reversing the trend. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are expected to be back in the lineup for Chicago, who I expect will step it up now that their title defense is beginning.
Three Canucks to World Championships:
To wrap up today, a note that Kevin Bieksa, Alex Burrows and Jason Garrison have been tapped to join Team Canada at the upcoming World Championships in Belarus. That'll give us some Canucks to watch this spring while we wait to see how Vancouver's new management strategy unfolds.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»