NHL 2010-11 Season Preview: Stanley Cup Playoffs

Now that my predictions are done for the Eastern Conference and Western Conference it's time to look towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  Last season's playoffs saw incredible drama including the bottom two seeds in the Eastern Conference making the Eastern Conference Finals.  So who will take home sports most prestigious trophy this season?  Here are my predictions for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Eastern Conference

1. Washington
2. New Jersey
3. Buffalo
4. Pittsburgh
5. Boston
6. Tampa Bay
7. Philadelphia
8. Atlanta

Western Conference

1. Vancouver
2. San Jose
3. Detroit
4. Los Angeles
5. Nashville
6. Chicago
7. Anaheim
8. St. Louis

Conference Quarterfinals

Eastern Conference

1 Washington def 8 Atlanta
2 New Jersey def 7 Philadelphia
6 Tampa Bay def 3 Buffalo
4 Pittsburgh def 5 Boston

Western Conference

1 Vancouver def 8 St. Louis
2 San Jose def 7 Anaheim
3 Detroit def 6 Chicago
4 Los Angeles def 5 Nashville

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference

6 Tampa Bay def 1 Washington
4 Pittsburgh def 2 New Jersey

Western Conference

1 Vancouver def 4 Los Angeles
3 Detroit def 2 San Jose

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference

6 Tampa Bay def 4 Pittsburgh

Western Conference

3 Detroit def 1 Vancouver

Stanley Cup Finals

3 Detroit def 6 Tampa Bay

NHL 2010-11 Season Preview: Western Conference

The Blackhawks ended their Stanley Cup drought last season in thrilling fashion taking out the Flyers in six games.  The price was steep though as Chicago dealt with serious salary cap issues in the offseason that resulted in many members of their Stanley Cup team being moved.  Will the Blackhawks be able to repeat as champions after all of their offseason losses? Here are my predictions with each teams' playoff seeding in parentheses.

Central Division

1. Detroit Red Wings (3): Even with all of their injuries last year the Red Wings put together a fine season.  Young goaltender Jimmy Howard came into his own and established himself as one of the game's best.  Now that the team is healthy again, the Red Wings will be back on top of the Central Division.

2. Nashville Predators (5): The team that always seems to fly under the radar in the Western Conference won't do so this year.  Nashville locked up winger Patric Hornqvist and added underrated C Matthew Lombardi to boost their offense in the offseason.  Pekka Rinne will be a strong candidate for the Vezina Trophy this season.

3. Chicago Blackhawks (6): They still have their superstars, but the Blackhawks lost too much to be considered an elite team in the NHL.  Many of their glue guys from last season were moved putting added pressure on Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Marian Hossa to light the lamp.  Replacing playoff hero Antti Niemi with veteran Marty Turco isn't an improvement either.

4. St. Louis Blues (8): Christmas came early for the Blues when the Canadiens traded them G Jaroslav Halak during the offseason.  He may just be the missing piece to get St. Louis back in the playoffs.  If their young nucleus of forwards continues to get better, the playoffs are exactly where they will end up.

5. Columbus Blue Jackets: The Blue Jackets had many problems last season with their main one being goaltender Steve Mason.  After winning the Calder Trophy in his rookie season, Mason had a dismal sophomore campaign with a GAA of 3.05.  He needs to be better for Columbus to have any hope in this deep division.

Northwest Division

1. Vancouver Canucks (1): Vancouver addressed their need for a lockdown defensemen and then some by bringing in Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard.  This team now has everything they need to take home Lord Stanley's Cup.  Roberto Luongo now has his best chance to silence his critics and excel in the playoffs.

2. Edmonton Oilers: With all of their young talent, the Oilers are going to be one fun team to watch.  #1 overall pick Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Magnus Paajarvi represent the strong youth movement and bright future for Edmonton.  The playoffs may not happen this season, but they are not far off.

3. Calgary Flames: The Flames were a major disappointment last season and really struggled to score goals.  Calgary didn't do much to improve its offense either and surprised many people by bringing back Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay.  If the Flames struggle out of the gates, don't be surprised if the Jarome Iginla trade rumors start swirling.

4. Minnesota Wild: Defense and goaltending have always been the backbone for the Wild and both underachieved last season.  Much like the Blue Jackets, the Wild's success this season is greatly based on the performance of their goaltender.  Niklas Backstrom must be better in 2010-11 for the Wild to contend.

5. Colorado Avalanche: Colorado defied the experts last season by making the playoffs with such a young and inexperienced team.  While they definitely have the talent to do it again, the Avs fit the perfect mold of a team having a letdown season.  They lack veterans, have injury-prone forwards (see Paul Stastny and Peter Mueller), and have a below average blue line.

Pacific Division

1. San Jose Sharks (2): Is Antti Niemi the missing piece of the puzzle for San Jose?  Only time will tell.  Until the playoffs come around, expect the same old story and another Pacific Division title for the Sharks. 

2. Los Angeles Kings (4): Even with all of their cap room, the Kings were unable to lure Ilya Kovalchuk to LA.  Their backup signings weren't too shabby though.  Alexei Ponakarovsky is an upgrade over Alexander Frolov and defenseman Willie Mitchell brings another veteran presence to the blue line.  This may be the last season the Kings look up at the Sharks in the divisional standings.

3. Anaheim Ducks (7): The Ducks are the forgotten team in this division with so much publicity going to San Jose, Los Angeles, and even Phoenix.  The truth is that the Ducks have star power on offense with Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan and a solid netminder in Jonas Hiller.  Anaheim will be back in the playoffs this season.

4. Phoenix Coyotes: If the Avalanche weren't the biggest surprise in the NHL last year it was the Coyotes.  G Ilya Bryzgalov came into his own last season as did many of the Coyotes.  But just like the Avs, Phoenix looks like a team destined for a setback.  The secret is out on the Coyotes and they won't be able to sneak up on teams this season.

5. Dallas Stars: It's a new era in Dallas now that Mike Modano is no longer wearing a Stars uniform.  Unfortunately for Stars fans, the era won't begin successfully.  They don't have the talent to compete with the other teams in the Pacific Division and if they get off to a poor start, there's a good chance that Mike Ribeiro and/or Brad Richards could be dealt.

NHL 2010-11 Season Preview: Eastern Conference

The NHL season is just days away and it is time for some prognosticating for the 2010-11 season.  The Flyers made a miraculous run to the Stanley Cup Finals as the 7th seed last season and are poised to do so again this year.  Will the road to the Stanley Cup go through Philadelphia again?  Here are my predictions for all three divisions in the Eastern Conference with each teams playoff seeding in parentheses

Northeast Division

1. Buffalo Sabres (3): With Ryan Miller in net, the Sabres will be the most consistent team in the division.  However, Thomas Vanek and Tim Connolly will need to stay healthy for Buffalo to win the Northeast.  Look for rookie Tyler Ennis to become a household name by season's end.

2. Boston Bruins (5): Thanks to the acquisitions of Nathan Horton and Tyler Seguin in the offseason, Boston will be much improved offensively even if C Marc Savard misses significant time   The key for the Bruins will be how their blue line performs in front of goalie Tuukka Rask.  Besides Zdeno Chara, the Bruins have many question marks on defense.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs: The Maple Leafs will be deeper, healthier, and more potent offensively this season.  If they find a consistent goalie, this could be the first time post-lockout that Toronto makes the playoffs.

4. Ottawa Senators: Sergei Gonchar was a big signing for the Senators but they should have used their money to resign Anton Volchenkov.  With trade rumors floating around about Jason Spezza, expect the Senators to take a step back this season.

5. Montreal Canadiens: In one of the most puzzling offseason moves in recent memory, the Canadiens traded playoff hero Jaroslav Halak away in favor of the enigmatic Carey Price.  The change between the pipes is enough to keep the Canadiens out of the playoffs and at the bottom of the Northeast Division.

Atlantic Division

1. New Jersey Devils (2): As much publicity as the resigning of RW Ilya Kovalchuk received, the bigger signing may have been D Anton Volchenkov.  The Devils now have the lock down defenseman they need in a division with Crosby, Malkin, Richards, Carter, and Gaborik.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins (4): Like the Devils, the Penguins bolstered up on defense with the signings of Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin.  If they could find a consistent winger to play with Sidney Crosby and/or Evgeni Malkin, this team could be as scary as the Stanley Cup winning team two seasons ago.

3. Philadelphia Flyers (7): Philadelphia sports arguably the deepest offense and defense in the NHL, but they failed to obtain a legitimate #1 goalie in the offseason. Unless the Flyers makes a deal for top flight netminder, they will have trouble keeping up with New Jersey and Pittsburgh.

4. New York Rangers: Outside of star winger Marian Gaborik, the Rangers offense leaves a lot to be desired.  Expect goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to lose a lot of tough 2-1 and 1-0 games.

5. New York Islanders: With all of their young talent, the Islanders aren't far off from becoming a legitimate contender.  But with long-term injuries already suffered by Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit, the Isles will struggle out of the gate.

Southeast Division

1. Washington Capitals (1): After last season's collapse in the first round of the playoffs to Montreal, Alex Ovechkin and Co. better have the goods this time around. Alexander Semin is in the final year of his contract and Semyon Varlamov has yet to establish himself has an elite goaltender so if Washington falls short again, serious changes might be made.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (6): GM Steve Yzerman has this team going in the right direction.  With the offseason signings of G Dan Ellis and LW Simon Gagne, and D Pavel Kubina, the Lightning have what it takes to get back into the postseason.

3. Atlanta Thrashers (8): Atlanta went for a change of pace this offseason by acquiring talent instead of trading it away. In the process they became "Blackhawks East" bringing in Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and Andrew Ladd. But their best signing during the summer was G Chris Mason. His veteran presence in net combined with the young talent up front will be enough to push Atlanta into the playoffs.

4. Carolina Hurricanes: The Hurricanes got off to a wretched start last season but finished strong the last two months.  This team may still be a year or two away, but with a healthy Cam Ward for the 2010-11, Carolina will be in the mix for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.

5. Florida Panthers: They traded away star winger Nathon Horton in the offseason and Tomas Vokoun, David Booth, and Stephen Weiss might not be far behind.  We may be looking at another complete overhaul for the Panthers.