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THE EAST ACCORDING TO GARTH |
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The East has been a turkey shoot all season long.
My take:
#1 Montreal vs. #8 Boston:
Those that cover the Montreal Canadiens on a daily basis this season have told me that Bob Gainey was never sold on Huet as a money goalie. Carbo seconded that emotion. Huet was good, however, he wasn't Championship-level good. Huet was sent to Washington on 2/26, and the Canadiens immediately began their upward ascent up the eastern mountain. Enter Carey Price. The kid closed the show in the A last season for Don Lever's Hammer Bulldogs. Price won the Calder and he earned himself the starting job in Montreal. Carey Price was 12-3-0 as a starter.
If you would have told me last July 1 that the Habs' PP would thrive this season without Sheldon Souray's weapon of mass destruction on the point, I'd have told you to put down your bottle of hooch and to give your head a good shake.
Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Markov, Alex Kovalev, Mark Streit, Saku Koivu, Chris Higgins, et al are the best PP unit in the NHL- bar none. Fast hands, fast feet, quick catch-n-release, great D to D action up top, wonderful half wall play.
Boston will try to hook, hold, water-ski upon and Trap the high octane Canadiens. They will sit two minutes or less, and the Habs will make them pay for the transgressions.
Montreal will beat Boston in 5.
****
#2 Pittsburgh vs. # 7 Ottawa:
I absolutely love Geno Malkin. It was in this space in September 2005 that I proclaimed Geno one of my top 3 players in the world. Per usual, I took heat for stating my opinion on #71-- most detractors alledged that Geno was a soft Euro with more Yashin in him than Iginla. He's Cam Neely and Peter Forsbergh rolled into one perfect player.
How wrong the near sighted critics were!
Were it not for the brilliance of Ovechkin this season, I'd give my NHL MVP vote to Malkin. The guy was a Tower of Power in the absence of Sidney Crosby, Geno is the Vlad Guerrero of the NHL. He's a 5 tool guy. He'll kill you 5 on 5 with power and passion; he'll impale your heart with daggers on the PP; he'll eat up your time and space on the PK; he'll call your Mum a diesel mechanic and punch your teeth down your throat; and he'll pass the puck like a magician, he'll beat you in tight spaces and deny you the puck, and he'll score 3 goals on you before you know what hit you.
There's this guy named Sidney who's pretty good himself. Ryan Malone, Petr Sykora, Jordan Staal, and Marian Hossa will light it up as well, to say nothing of a talented offensive-minded D corps led by Gonchar and Orpik.
If I have to hear one more cliche about " Ottawa started 15-2, were the best team in hockey, and then, suddenely, they went .500 for the rest of the regular season.....", I'm going to scream! The Sens' were a team distracted for much of the season, and it wasn't until Bryan Murray seized the reigns, that law and order were restored in Kanata. Gerber started hot, was turfed for Emery, then, was given his job back when Murray took control.
My take: John Paddock allowed Ray Emery to pout, snivel and smolder in the Ottawa room for what seemed an eternity. Murray didn't do much to help his coach to untangle the knots that Emery had mentally tied in the skate laces of his teammates. Those that know the Sens, know that their former staring goalie casts a long shadow in the Ottawa room. Those that like him, like him a lot. Those that don't, don't. Emery's circus sideshow, complete with fisticuffs and projectile goal sticks into the stands was enough to rip the in-seams on the Sens trousers.
Alfie and Fish will hurt the Sens as they sit out the first round.
The Ottawa D are porous and give up huge slabs of ice. The Pens will make them pay.
Penguins in 6.
****
#3 Washington vs. # 6 Philadelphia:
Before I gush all over Ovechkin, Mike Green and Backstrom, let me start by propping Paul Holmgren for re-building his proud team on the fly.
I love the Hartnell, Upshall, Parent deal for Forsberg. I love the Bryadon Coburn for Zhitnik pick pocket. I love the Marty Biron trade. I love the Danny Briere signing.
Holmgren deserves applause because he sure took his lumps when he took over the reigns from Clarkie. Lets not throw #16 under the bus, though. He was largely responsible for drafting the two key pieces to Philly's success this season:
Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.
I told Eklund last September that I thought that Richards should wear the "C" in Philly. I knew what this kid was capable of. Great season by Richie! No coincidence that the Flyers were on their backs while Richards was out of the lineup. Carter is a beast, and I love his maturity and his poise, despite being the object of relentless trade rumours all season long.
Having said that.....
I have to put my money on Gabby Boudreau and his Hershey Bears...errr...Capitals!
George McPhee fired Glen Hanlon on US Thanksgiving and the rest is history!
Boudreau, having coached his Bear cubs in Chocolate Town, pumped confidence into Mike Green, Brooks Laich, Fleichman, Erskine, et al and away they went.
It certainly didn't take a cardiologist to put Ovechin-Backstrom-Kozlov togther as a line!
Gabby will roll his lines and he'll ride Huet as far as he takes them. If Huet fails, Zilla gets the cage.
Washington in 7.
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#4 Devils vs. #5 Rangers:
Talk about UGLY hockey!
Trap, Trap, Trap!!!!
In the end, Brodeur will win out over Hank The Bank.
This series is a veritable push when you compare forwards and D.
Parise, Elias, Gionta will get their chances. Drury, Shanny, Dubinsky, and Jagr will stay in their D-first system and try to create off of turnovers.
The Devils will kill more penalties and they will score 5 on 4 and 5 on 3, morseso than the Rangers.
Marty Brodeur will win this series for the Devils.
Devils in 6.
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Buffalo Sabres news:
Jason Pominville and Paul Gaustad will play for USA at the IIHF Worlds in Halifax and Quebec City. Ryan Miller may play for his country. We'll know more shortly.
Pommer is a dual citizen and he has chosen to play for the Red White and Blue.
Thomas Vanek will play for his native Austria.
Al Kotalik will play for his Czech Republic team.
Derek Roy will play for Canada,
***
Thats my story and I'm stickin to it..................
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