Paul McCann: Playoff Picks

Of course everyone is picking Carolina. They should be picking Carolina. It's alright to say the Canes are probably going to win the series, and hope the Preds pull it out. That's what the rest of us are doing. I will give you credit for finally admitting you're a homer. I do find it interesting to see how people are predicting a sweep and talking like this series won't be the least bit competitive. I'd like to see the Preds prove everyone wrong on that front at least.

If the Preds do win this series, Saros is going to have to be brilliant, and he will need help from somewhere. It would be nice to see the Preds bust everybody's bracket for the second time in half a decade.

Note: I'll take back half of the bad things I ever said about Hynes if he has the balls to bench the Duche.

The Preds will be lucky to take one game from the Canes.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
Carolina comes in with the weight of expectations, Nashville is playing with house money. A four seed in the Central, the 13th ranked team in the playoffs. Nashville has no chance…

Should have stopped right about here.

Should have stopped right about here.
- Only_A_Ladd

Lol

I like how the Preds resuscitated their season... I think this will be an interesting serie.
However, the other picks, probably a half of them will be wrong.

Cedric Paquette and Jaccob Slavin skated in the morning skate today but Paquette is out and Slavin is a game time decision.

Canes going with:

Nino Niederreiter - Sebastian Aho - Teuvo Teravainen
Warren Foegele - Vincent Trocheck - Martin Necas
Andrei Svechnikov - Jordan Staal - Jesper Fast
Jordan Martinoon - Steven Lorentz - Brock McGinn

Brady Skjei - Dougie Hamilton
Jake Bean - Brett Pesce
Jake Gardiner - Jani Hakanpaa

Alex Nedeljkovic starts.

If Slavin is good to go, (which I suspect he will be), Gardiner drops out and Skjei and Bean both drop down a pair.

Dushene is useless

anybody here or......?

anybody here or......?
- BINGO!

Eh, Paul's run almost everybody who was here off. There's a lot of names I don't see anymore. That's what happens though when you blog twice a month, and even those are basically copy-pasted from previous blogs. His idea of 'analysis' for opposing teams doesn't stretch much further than the previous games box score, or the last time he saw that team play in person.

The only reason I'm still here is because our main site won't let me create an account... Not sure why, but I want to blame Duchene for some reason. Oh, and of course EK's epic rumors and the Buzztron keep me coming back for more.

0-7 on the pp! That’s getting it done. Pathetic. POILE needs to go! I said it and I still say it, he should have have been a seller at the deadline!

Eh, Paul's run almost everybody who was here off. There's a lot of names I don't see anymore. That's what happens though when you blog twice a month, and even those are basically copy-pasted from previous blogs. His idea of 'analysis' for opposing teams doesn't stretch much further than the previous games box score, or the last time he saw that team play in person.

The only reason I'm still here is because our main site won't let me create an account... Not sure why, but I want to blame Duchene for some reason. Oh, and of course EK's epic rumors and the Buzztron keep me coming back for more.
- Squatchy

👍

That last goal was a real "choke on it" moment.

Also what's got into Haula? I know he was disliked by the guys in Raleigh but sheesh.

0-7 on the pp! That’s getting it done. Pathetic. POILE needs to go! I said it and I still say it, he should have have been a seller at the deadline!
- Polecat

Since Paul is highly unlikely to blog after two straight loses, I'll just assume he'll go with his predictable, the Preds deserved better stich. No they didn't. You spend almost a full period on the powerplay and can't score once, you deserve to lose.

That last goal was a real "choke on it" moment.

Also what's got into Haula? I know he was disliked by the guys in Raleigh but sheesh.
- BINGO!

Yeah, I was kind of wondering what the story was there. I know he used to play for the Canes, but you don't usually get booed by the fans of your former team without a good reason.

Yeah, I was kind of wondering what the story was there. I know he used to play for the Canes, but you don't usually get booed by the fans of your former team without a good reason.
- Squatchy

His international soccer player style flop on Aho's high sticking call did nothing to endear himself. I don't understand the criteria for embellishment when McGinn gets called on Monday night and that hack acting job by Haula was let go.

His international soccer player style flop on Aho's high sticking call did nothing to endear himself. I don't understand the criteria for embellishment when McGinn gets called on Monday night and that hack acting job by Haula was let go.
- Barbecued Hockey

I'm sure, but he was getting booed from almost the moment he took the ice. There's a ton of ex-Predator players but only two or three that get booed when they come back, but there are stories attached to those guys. You don't usually tend to boo someone just because he used to play for you. Made me wonder if that split was less that amicable, trade or not.

I'm sure, but he was getting booed from almost the moment he took the ice. There's a ton of ex-Predator players but only two or three that get booed when they come back, but there are stories attached to those guys. You don't usually tend to boo someone just because he used to play for you. Made me wonder if that split was less that amicable, trade or not.
- Squatchy

There were always rumours that he had confronted Brind'amour openly in the locker room about his ice time, yelling at him and such. He was a healthy scratch for two games leading into the all-star break after that alleged incident.

There's a photo from that season from Justin Williams' first game back where he scored the shootout winner. Everybody else is cheering and excited on the bench, Haula just looks kind of disappointed that he even had to be there.

Then last night on the broadcast Shane Willis let slip that the reason Haula was the guy included in that Trocheck deal wasn't skill-related, and Aho just kind of avoided the question when he was asked if he was surprised Haula was playing the villain in the series.

Overall, I don't know how much is true, but there does seem to be some bad blood between him and the rest of the team. Dude is simply not well liked.

Poile’s loyalty to the players is a big problem.
Trade deadlines come and go season after season and everyone can see the results.

The team has the same problem it has always had,no finish,no power play.

Dushene is useless.

Poile’s loyalty to the players is a big problem.
Trade deadlines come and go season after season and everyone can see the results.

The team has the same problem it has always had,no finish,no power play.

Dushene is useless.
- up-n-ya

Give the Duche a break! 13 points this season... Averaging 3.4 points for every million he's made on that contract so far... Come on, if that's your definition of useless then... You're absolutely right.

Paper tigers!

Give the Duche a break! 13 points this season... Averaging 3.4 points for every million he's made on that contract so far... Come on, if that's your definition of useless then... You're absolutely right.
- Squatchy

Never use Poile as your stock picker. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. He has a portfolio full of bad picks!!

The DUCHE!!!!!

Does this mean we get a new blog now?