The DobberHockey Crew: Playoff Predictions

Dobber Sports

2007-04-09

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Some of the chumps that contribute to the site think they can out-prognosticate me. Dobber! Are they for real?

Judge for yourself. The full 2007 NHL Postseason Lowdown below…

 

 

DET vs. CGY

Angus: Detroit in six. Calgary's sloppy defensive play catches up to them and Zetterberg returns with a vengeance.
Notch: Detroit in six. This series is a low scoring affair, with only one blowout.
Burnsy: Calgary in six
Lanky: Detroit in seven. Neither team will want to win if the game goes to overtime (23 OT Losses between them this season).
Bugg: Detroit in seven. League's worst road team starts there, and won't recover. Dan Cleary gets hot again
Gunther: Detroit in six. Hasek will play huge.
Dobber: Detroit in five. The Wings are overrated, but Calgary is even more so.

Panel average: Detroit in six.


ANA vs. MIN

Angus: Anaheim in six. Wild can't match the Ducks physical play, and Giguere shines.
Notch: Minnesota in seven. Very physical series, two fights in Game #1.
Burnsy: Anaheim in six.

Lanky: Anaheim in seven. Best two defenders in the league in Pronger and Niedermayer overwhelm Minnesota's back checking forwards.
Bugg: Anaheim in five. Boogeyman might turn the tide versus softer opponents, but skill with a good degree of toughness should make this an easy series.
Gunther: Minnesota in six. While Anaheim appears to be the easy favorite, the Wild have been playing surprisingly well lately.
Dobber: Minnesota in seven. Backstrom will get the full attention of the hockey world.

Panel average: Anaheim in six.

VAN vs. DAL

Angus: Vancouver in six. Marty Turco plays well, but the Sedins give the Stars fits all series long.
Notch: Vancouver in six. Luongo stumbles a tiny bit, but Turco gives way to Smith.
Burnsy: Dallas in seven.
Lanky: Vancouver in four. Dallas can't score on Luongo or the Vancouver defense enough to win a game.
Bugg: Dallas in six. Most boring series of the playoffs will see Luongo come up short in his first playoffs.
Gunther: Vancouver in five. Turco is a great goalie, but Luongo made it his mission to turn his team around.
Dobber: Vancouver in seven. Turco has something to prove…but hey – it’s Luongo.

Panel average: Vancouver in six.

NSH vs. SJ

Angus: Nashville in seven. Peter Forsberg was acquired for a reason.
Notch: Nashville in seven. Hockey at it's finest; speed, hitting, grit, heart, fights, and tons of goals.
Burnsy: San Jose in six.
Lanky: San Jose in five. Thornton (who isn't injured during the playoffs for once), will take over the series.
Bugg: San Jose in six. Cheechoo Train gets back on track to make the difference in closest matchup.

Gunther: San Jose in seven. I think San Jose's power play will make the difference and will win them this series.
Dobber: Nashville in seven. One of two series that are oh-so tough to call.

Panel average: San Jose in seven.

BUF vs. NYI

Angus: Buffalo in four. With DiPietro, this might have gone to six games.
Notch: Buffalo in five. Buffalo averages five goals a game.  Can they be stopped?
Burnsy: Buffalo in five.
Lanky: Buffalo in seven. The much-improved Islanders get tremendous play from Smyth and Bergeron, stealing a few games from their heavily favored opponents.
Bugg: Sabres in six. Sabres never scored fewer than 3 goals in four regular season meetings and lost once… against DiPietro.

Gunther: Buffalo in five. As great as a story and as inspired as the Islanders will be under Nolan, Buffalo will be too overwhelming.
Dobber: Buffalo in seven. Surprised? I respect Ted Nolan, that’s all.

Panel average:  Buffalo in five.

NJ vs. TB

Angus: New Jersey in five. Langenbrunner and Parise step up offensively for the Devils.
Notch: New Jersey in five. Tampa forwards make this series exciting.  Tampa goalies…not so much.
Burnsy: New Jersey in six
Lanky: Tampa Bay in six. The only reason it takes them two extra games to win the series is Brodeur's play.
Bugg: Tampa Bay in six. Bad offence and stellar goalie versus stellar offence and bad goalie. Normally, pick the goalie, but TB blitzed Brodeur for 10 in just four meetings.
Gunther: New Jersey in five. With their star players back and Lou Lamoriello behind the bench, the Devils will be very tough.
Dobber: New Jersey in four. Unfortunately. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

Panel average: New Jersey in five.

ATL vs. NYR

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Angus: Atlanta in six. Tkachuk proves his worth, while both goalies shine.
Notch: Atlanta in seven. Goals, goals, goals.
Burnsy: New York in six.
Lanky: New York in five. Jagr, Straka, Nylander, Poti, Shanahan blow the rather inexperienced (playoff-wise) Atlanta players away.
Bugg: Atlanta in seven. Lundqvist King at times, but no match for deep Atlanta squad.
Gunther: New York in seven. While the Rangers do have some momentum going into the playoffs, they always seem to play inconsistent.
Dobber: New York in six. Atlanta lacks experience and I suspect Kovalchuk will be a bust.

Panel average: New York in seven.

OTT vs. PIT

Angus: Ottawa in six. Pittsburgh has no match for Heatley and Spezza.
Notch: Ottawa in six. Best hockey in the playoffs, until the Cup final.
Burnsy: Pittsburgh in seven

Lanky: Pittsburgh in six. Ottawa chokes once again, with less depth than they had last season.
Bugg: Pittsburgh in six. Sid the Kid starts playoff career with a bang, wills Pens to upset.
Gunther: Ottawa in six. The Senators who historically have not been a great playoff team, will surprise everyone. Heatley will shine.
Dobber: Pittsburgh in seven. I’ve been back and forth on this one all weekend.

Panel average: Pittsburgh in seven.

Western Final

Angus: Vancouver vs. Anaheim
Notch: Nashville vs. Minnesota
Burnsy: San Jose vs. Anaheim
Lanky: Vancouver vs. San Jose
Bugg: Anaheim vs. San Jose.
Gunther: Detroit vs. San Jose
Dobber: Nashville vs. Vancouver

Panel consensus: Either Vancouver/Anaheim vs. San Jose.

Eastern Final

Angus: Buffalo vs. New Jersey
Notch: Ottawa vs. New Jersey
Burnsy: Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh
Lanky: Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh
Bugg: Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh
Gunther: New Jersey vs. Ottawa
Dobber: Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh

Panel consensus: Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh

Stanley Cup Final

Angus: New Jersey vs. Anaheim
Notch: Ottawa vs. Nashville

Burnsy:Buffalo vs. San Jose
Lanky: Pittsburgh vs. San Jose
Bugg: Buffalo vs. Anaheim

Gunther: New Jersey vs. San Jose
Dobber: Pittsburgh vs. Nashville

Panel consensus: Either NJ/PIT/BUF vs. San Jose

Champs

Angus: Anaheim
Notch: Ottawa
Burnsy: Buffalo
Lanky: Pittsburgh
Bugg: Buffalo
Gunther: San Jose
Dobber: Nashville (funny how they were last in the poll)

DobberHockey consensus: Buffalo

Playoff Scoring Leader

Angus: Scott Niedermayer
Notch: Dany Heatley
Burnsy: Joe Thornton
Lanky: Joe Thornton
Bugg: Daniel Briere
Gunther: Joe Thornton
Dobber: Sidney Crosby

DobberHockey consensus: Thornton

 

Jeff Angus authors the Wild West every Tuesday.

Steve "Notch" Johnson gives his winning picks every Saturday.

Chris Burns writes Third Degree Burns every…well…when the mood strikes!

Tim "Lanky" O'Brien authors Leprechaun's Gold every month.

Matt Bugg pens Bugg Bytes every Saturday

Jim Gunther writes Sticks and Stones every Thursday.

Darryl Dobbs runs DobberHockey.com and contributes to several enterprises, including The Hockey News, PoolExpert.com, The Fourth Period and the Forecaster.

 

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