1. Is this finally the year for the San Jose Sharks?
Within the past five seasons, the Sharks have advanced past the second round just the moment – the 2003-04 months. Of individuals 5, the Sharks won 3 Pacific Divison titles plus a President’s Trophy, and every April, they turn out becoming the warm decide on to win the Stanley Glass, only to wind up disappointing. While using the addition of Dany Heatley and the contract year performances by Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose is once again amongst the favorites. There will probably be lots of fans and specialists, nonetheless, who will refuse to select the Sharks as their Mug winner with no last but not least seeing them live as much as their hype from the postseason.
There is pressure on everybody inside the organization to go the distance this period. It may perhaps be “Cup or bust” for GM Doug Wilson, who’s about the warm seat if things fall apart, and with eight unrestricted free of charge agents this summer, this may very well be the last likelihood for this group to make a operate.
2. When typical goaltending happens to really great teams
There’ll be an abundance of inquiries surrounding the goaltending with the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks and no matter whether or not it will knock them off track towards the Stanley Cup.
For your President’s Trophy-winning Capitals, Jose Theodore was great for them posting a 30-7-7 record by using 2.81 goals-against typical and .911 save percentage inside frequent period. But standard months accomplishment hasn’t followed Theodore in the playoffs with his 19-27 career record. A year ago, he was replaced in favor of Semyon Varlamov throughout their opening round sequence with all the New York Rangers and didn’t play once more. With Varlamov healthful, Bruce Boudreau won’t be slow to generate the identical move again need to Theodore falter early on towards the Montreal Canadiens.
In Chicago, Cristobal Huet was supposed to become the man there, but when he started out to turn out to be overshadowed by rookie backup Antti Niemi, he was replaced. Niemi has owned the job considering that taking above starters’ duties and heads into the playoffs a winner in his final six begins. Varlamov may perhaps be a strong backup strategy in Washington, but there may be not very much confidence in Huet’s abilities if Niemi cannot handle the grind of a seven-game sequence.
3. The Cinderella story of the Phoenix Coyotes
No question, the story on the 2009-10 NHL year or so will be the Phoenix Coyotes. Following their tumultuous summer and additional queries surrounding their future staying asked while in the season, the staff surprised anybody posting 107 points to finish second inside Pacific Division and earning home-ice versus the Detroit Red-colored Wings as the No. 4 seed within the West. Entering the playoffs for the first time due to the fact the 2001-02 months, the diverse creation all through their lineup and stellar goaltending by Ilya Bryzgalov cannot take a night off with an experienced Red-colored Wings staff currently on 10-1-1 within their previous 12 games.
The Coyotes have defied the odds all period and heard all in the preseason talk about how they would struggle. They’ll likely do a similar throughout the future two days as several will most likely predict that Detroit’s encounter will probably be what does from the Coyotes’ months.
4. The prospect of Pittsburgh repeating
No staff has repeated because the 1997-98 Detroit Red-colored Wings, so the odds are towards Pittsburgh from spending one more summer with Stanley. Getting played deep in the postseason each and every from the preceding two years, the Penguins and their young legs have played lots of hockey – 208 typical and postseason game titles to get exact. They enter the playoffs with all the should discover consistency in their game and concerns about irrespective of whether or not they can flick the “on” switch the moment the playoffs begin Wednesday night. The expectations all over the group are a far cry from their 8-2-1 finish to close out the ’08-09 year or so soon after Dan Bylsma was installed as head coach final February. Sidney Crosby has become Sidney Crosby and far more, but Evgeni Malkin may be slowed by injury and seen his creation dip 36 things. Marc-Andre Fleury’s numbers are comparable to a year ago, but he’s won consecutive begins only twice due to the fact the end of January. Is he capable of turning it up like he did a year back?
Pittsburgh’s lack of a victory around both the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals is also alarming considering the route towards Stanley Cup Finals could go by way of either of all those teams.
5. New Jersey’s added dimension of Ilya Kovalchuk
Due to the fact staying dealt from the Atlanta Thrashers on February 4th, Kovalchuk has posted 10 objectives and 15 assists in 27 game titles while using Devils. He brings a dimension to the brand new Jersey lineup that could make fans forget about their early departure very last months next to Carolina. Obtaining played just four playoff games in his eight-year career, Kovalchuk is entering new territory staying component of the staff which has a reasonable opportunity to win a Stanley Cup. Devils head coach Jacques Lemaire is still functioning to find the correct fit for Kovalchuk inside the lineup, but given that he’s been almost a point-per-game player as a Devil, the line tinkering hasn’t impacted his production.
There may be also the reality that Kovalchuk will be an unrestricted no cost agent on July one and this really is his opportunity, with an extended playoff operate, to demonstrate that he is usually a cash player and raise his cost tag with a strong showing.
6. Redemption for underwhelming teams
The Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers had been expected by several to get among the Eastern Conference’s elite teams this year or so. Injuries for your Bruins and a different period of goaltending woes to the Flyers observed both teams wait until this weekend to clinch playoff spots.
Now within the playoffs, it’s a totally new year or so and each and every team begins a fresh slate. If the Bruins can upset the Buffalo Sabres or the Flyers knock out the brand new Jersey Devils in the initial round, the ugliness of equally teams’ seasons may very well be wiped away, no less than for a little although.
If there may be one sliver of hope for Philadelphia, it is that the previous two road teams inside Winter Traditional have gone on towards Stanley Cup. They might have ended up losing inside Finals, but an appearance there would adjust the present mood around the group drastically and also mean they lastly got some decent goaltending for a change.
7. When will Stanley return to Canada?
These have been a question every postseason given that the Montreal Canadiens won it all in 1993. Four teams have fallen short because plus the pressure will now be for the Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks. Most gurus will most likely have the Canucks proceeding furthest with the 3, with some (Wyshynski), believing that they is going to be the ones to return the Pot to Canada. Then once more, there are 3 Canadian teams in comparison towards 13 American franchises vying with the title of Stanley Cup champion, so the odds aren’t precisely inside their favor.
8. The post-Olympic impact
San Jose (8), Detroit (8), Vancouver (7), Nashville (6), Chicago (6), and Boston (6) are the leaders between playoff teams while using most players who participated from the Olympics. Will the condensed NHL routine together with the two weeks of Olympic be a factor in the health of some players?
9. How often will the Wheel of Justice spin?
The NHL is going to be spraying its Wheel of Justice in WD40 throughout the upcoming two days to obtain it prepared to the playoffs. With the amount of times Colin Campbell had to spin it in the course of the regular months, you may be assured it will likely be put to use inside the playoffs. Very last twelve months we noticed Dan Carcillo get dinged for an online game following butt-ending Pittsburgh’s Max Talbot off a faceoff. Mike Cammalleri of the Calgary Flames would punch Martin Havlat with the Chicago Blackhawks square inside the jaw and didn’t miss any games
The scrutiny on the NHL’s disciplinary process was at an all-time high this period and now using the headshot rule a suspendable, but non-penalized offense, how many occasions will we be questioning the legality of a hit or stick-infraction throughout the subsequent two months? If there is a set line in Las Vegas, consider the “over”.
10. The ratings game
Is there a possible Stanley Cup Finals match up not which includes Pittsburgh or Detroit that could even arrive near towards the massive ratings we observed final June? Video game seven in between the Penguins and Red Wings alone drew 7.5 million viewers for NBC within the United States and about 3.5 million in Canada on CBC. Other than the Winter Traditional, 5 on the six highest rated Sunday game titles on NBC engaged the Red-colored Wings or Penguins.
A Canadian team would throw a massive monkey wrench into the NHL’s and NBC’s ratings hopes must the Senators, Canucks or Canadiens achieve the Stanley Cup Finals. A third Pittsburgh-Detroit would bring strong ratings, but seeing NBC’s Sunday Game with the Week schedule for this year or so, if individuals two teams or Washington, Philadelphia, Boston or Chicago aren’t involved, there are going to be some worrying heading on within the offices at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.