Monday, April 10, 2006
I Hate Mondays: The Canadian Sweet 16
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To Americans, the Sweet 16 is the second weekend of the Madness. To 15-year-old girls, it's a once in a lifetime party.
But to Canadians, their version of the Sweet 16 is a combination of both the insanity and the euphoria from the above events, and it lasts longer. As the 16 NHL seeds align themselves for the second season, one fact that remains strikingly evident is that there is no clear-cut favorite.
All along, the Ottawa Senators were supposed to be the untouchable titan, that was until goaltender Dominik Hasek tweaked his groin in the Olympic hockey tournament. Then the injury bug nipped their defensive corps and the Senators are now reeling, having won only two of their last eight games.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings, who have all but clinched the Presidents' Trophy, may be head and shoulders above the rest of the league when it comes to standings, but they are not without questions themselves.
For starters, goaltender Manny Legace is not playoff-tested. Furthermore, this is not a typical Red Wings team of the past, one who could roll four lines of high-powered forwards. Mikael Samuelsson and Jason Williams have been effective in the regular season, but they aren't exactly Luc Robitaille and Igor Larionov.
With the favorites not being so favored, that opens the door for the rank and file.
The Calgary Flames and the Dallas Stars, who don't have similar goaltending trepidations, figure to benefit the most in the West. The Stars have been one of the least talked 100+ point teams in recent memory and they are one of the soundest squads in the West, but they don't overwhelm in any one area. The Flames, on the other hand, lead the league in goals against, but have had their share of problems finding the back of the net and they have truly missed the presence of a top line center.
Speaking of unheralded teams, the Nashville Predators should headline that list and they have the goaltending and the players to represent the West in the Finals, but a lack of confidence has plagued them lately.
While the Preds may be short in self-assurance, there has been no team more loose and relaxed than the Anaheim Mighty Ducklings. What was supposed to be a rebuilding year after a fire sale has turned into momentous run into the playoffs. You can classify them as a hot team and an unattractive first-round playoff opponent.
Last and least, at this point anyways, are the San Jose Sharks and the Edmonton Oilers. They have the ingredients to become a threat, but they have yet to piece the whole puzzle together.
In the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers both have been unexpected surprises this season and figure to be the top contenders if the Senators were to stumble. But every hockey pundit is still speculating — somewhere in the back of their minds — if goaltenders Martin Gerber and Henrik Lundqvist can continue to be stout in the playoffs.
And that seems to be the theme in the East, as virtually every team from top to bottom has backstop anxiety.
Can Antero Niittymaki perform well enough for the Philadelphia Flyers to compete or will Robert Esche have to step in? Can the Tampa Bay Lightning rely on either Sean Burke or John Grahame? Will Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller regain his confidence this season or do the same have to try Martin Biron again?
One team who doesn't have to face those types of questions is the New Jersey Devils, but even with Martin Brodeur at the back end, they have numerous other deficiencies.
And with every team encompassing some sort of an Achilles' heel, playoff parity should be at an all-time high.
A Hurricanes/Flames final is just as likely as a Rangers/Stars and without much disparity between the top seeds and the bottom seeds, expect many of the series prolong through six to seven contentious games.
Now as long as the officiating doesn't get in the way...
Parity and the hockey playoffs mix like Mondays and me.
"Love is always a stranger in the house of avarice." — Andreas Capellanus
Great edition of I Hate Mondays! Then again, I am a little biased, as hockey is my first love. You make some fantastic points. I agree that Ottawa just won't pull it off, despite looking like one of the hardest teams to beat. The Dallas Stars will raise a lot of hell and seemingly come out of nowhere....but they've been there all along. In one of my blog entries, I pinpoint Turco and OT shootouts as the core of the Stars' success this season. Turco has been absolutely solid, and the Stars have won all but one shootout. Nashville is too young, but this year's postseason will be an excellent learning experience for them. Anaheim *will* be dangerous. So will the Red Wings.
I could go on forever, but I think I've made my point. You really nailed some great points. The playoffs should be very exciting (and unpredictable!) this year.