Scout
03-20-2007, 07:40 PM
This Play-off predicition i received via e-mail from another forum i belong to. This other forum is frequented and posted on by alot of media and play by play guys from around the league. Playoff time is here, so let's see who everyone thinks will win the first
round matchups. I'm always wrong at this stuff so I'll put mine out first so
that everyone will know what NOT to pick....
Prince Albert vs Brandon:
Season notes: Brandon won season series 5-3, with one Brandon win in a
shootout. Home ice was important, with the home team winning all but one game
(a Brandon win in P.A.). Wheaties outscored the Raiders 32-27 overall.
Pick: Raiders have been in a swan dive for a month while the Wheaties enter
the playoffs on a hot streak. If this series was played in January it might
be interesting but I can't see the Raiders pulling this one off. Wheat Kings
in five.
Swift Current vs Regina:
Season notes: Regina won season series 6-2 including last four straight.
Pats outscored the Broncos 32-22 but its worth noting that one Bronco win was
a 9-0 affair so if you take that one out of the picture it was 32-13 for the
Pats in the other seven games. Pats were 4-0 at home.
Pick: That 9-0 pasting (which was avenged the next night) notwithstanding, the
Pats are a better team in almost every area and showed it this year in their
head-to-head meetings. Broncos need Kyle Moir to steal them some games but I
don't think that's going to be enough. Pats in six.
Red Deer vs Medicine Hat:
Season notes: Tigers won season series 6-2, with one OT win apiece. Tigers
outscored the Rebels 30-16. Tigers were 3-1 both at home and away.
Pick: I hate betting against Sutter teams but there isn't a single position
where the Tigers do not have a decided advantage. It won't be a sweep and the
games will be close but the Tigers will take it in five.
Calgary vs Kootenay:
Season notes: Kootenay won season series 6-2, with one Ice win in OT and four
other games (including one Hitmen win) decided by one goal. Kootenay was 4-0
at home and outscored the Hitmen 32-24 overall.
Pick: many pundits are picking this as the potential best series of the first
round, and it might be that although I think KAM/PG and TRI/SEA are good
matchups too. Fact is here though, the Ice are all-around better than the
Hitmen. Not a lot in any category, but enough. The games should all be close
and the big crowds expected in Calgary should help but they still gotta win a
game in Cranbrook and they've only done that twice in the last three years.
Ice in six.
Chilliwack vs Vancouver:
Season notes: Giants swept season series 8-0 with one win in OT. Giants
outscored the Bruins 44-11.
Pick: pretty much a no-brainer that the Giants can sleepwalk through this
one and still take it in four games. Bruins are probably just happy to be
here (and should be) and aren't going to be much of a test.
Prince George vs Kamloops:
Season notes: Season series was tied 5-5 with one Cougar win in OT. Cougars
won the last three meetings and four of the last five. Each team won four of
five games at home. Blazers outscored the Cougars 35-33.
Pick: this is my upset pick. After playing so-so hockey most of the year, the
Cougars have looked pretty good the last 4-6 weeks while at the same time the
Blazers have floundered a bit after flirting with first place most of the
year. Cougars have won 4 of last 5 meetings and have oustcored the Blazers
25-13 in that span. Should be a good series and the Cougars will take it in
seven games.
Spokane vs Everett:
Season notes: Season series was tied 4-4 with Spokane winning one in a
shootout. Everett won the last three meetings though. Silvertips outscored
the Chiefs 19-14 and each team was 3-1 at home. Everett home loss was the
shootout game.
Pick: Much has been made of Spokane's 4 wins over the Tips (which amounts to
nearly 1/4 of all Silvertip losses this year) but at the same time it is
really hard to pick against a team with 54 wins and 31 more points than their
opponent. It would be one of the WHL's biggest upsets ever if the Chiefs won
the series. Plus down the stretch when Everett had nothing to play for and
Spokane did, the Tips still won the last three games. I just can't see the
upset here. Everett in five.
Seattle vs Tri-City:
Season notes: Americans won the season series 5-3. Ams won two shootouts and
one OT game while Seattle got one win in OT. Overall six of the eight games
were decided by one goal. Home ice wasn't much of an advantage for either team
as the Americans won 3 of 4 in Seattle and the Birds won 2 of 4 in the Tri-
Cities. Scoring was even at 24-24.
Pick: Should be another good series here with a couple fairly evenly matched
teams who are both playing well lately. The deciding factor here could be
goaltending where the Americans have probably the best goalie in the league
in Carey Price. They also have (IMO) more depth at forward and on defence and
should win the series. Americans in six.
And lastly, just for fun....here's how the playoff would look if the league
used the 1 vs 8 conference setup instead. Division winners get #1/#2 seeds
and the next six best teams get slotted #3-#8:
East:
(1) Medicine Hat vs (8) Swift Current
(2) Brandon vs (7) Lethbridge
(3) Kootenay vs (6) Red Deer
(4) Calgary vs (5) Regina
West:
(1) Everett vs (8) Chilliwack
(2) Vancouver vs (7) Prince George
(3) Tri-City vs (6) Spokane
(4) Seattle vs (5) Kamloops
The only change to the playoff/non-playoff teams would be Lethbridge making
it in and Prince Albert being out. Not a single first-round matchup would be
the same, although three of the eight series would still feature divisional
opponents taking each other on.
Alan
round matchups. I'm always wrong at this stuff so I'll put mine out first so
that everyone will know what NOT to pick....
Prince Albert vs Brandon:
Season notes: Brandon won season series 5-3, with one Brandon win in a
shootout. Home ice was important, with the home team winning all but one game
(a Brandon win in P.A.). Wheaties outscored the Raiders 32-27 overall.
Pick: Raiders have been in a swan dive for a month while the Wheaties enter
the playoffs on a hot streak. If this series was played in January it might
be interesting but I can't see the Raiders pulling this one off. Wheat Kings
in five.
Swift Current vs Regina:
Season notes: Regina won season series 6-2 including last four straight.
Pats outscored the Broncos 32-22 but its worth noting that one Bronco win was
a 9-0 affair so if you take that one out of the picture it was 32-13 for the
Pats in the other seven games. Pats were 4-0 at home.
Pick: That 9-0 pasting (which was avenged the next night) notwithstanding, the
Pats are a better team in almost every area and showed it this year in their
head-to-head meetings. Broncos need Kyle Moir to steal them some games but I
don't think that's going to be enough. Pats in six.
Red Deer vs Medicine Hat:
Season notes: Tigers won season series 6-2, with one OT win apiece. Tigers
outscored the Rebels 30-16. Tigers were 3-1 both at home and away.
Pick: I hate betting against Sutter teams but there isn't a single position
where the Tigers do not have a decided advantage. It won't be a sweep and the
games will be close but the Tigers will take it in five.
Calgary vs Kootenay:
Season notes: Kootenay won season series 6-2, with one Ice win in OT and four
other games (including one Hitmen win) decided by one goal. Kootenay was 4-0
at home and outscored the Hitmen 32-24 overall.
Pick: many pundits are picking this as the potential best series of the first
round, and it might be that although I think KAM/PG and TRI/SEA are good
matchups too. Fact is here though, the Ice are all-around better than the
Hitmen. Not a lot in any category, but enough. The games should all be close
and the big crowds expected in Calgary should help but they still gotta win a
game in Cranbrook and they've only done that twice in the last three years.
Ice in six.
Chilliwack vs Vancouver:
Season notes: Giants swept season series 8-0 with one win in OT. Giants
outscored the Bruins 44-11.
Pick: pretty much a no-brainer that the Giants can sleepwalk through this
one and still take it in four games. Bruins are probably just happy to be
here (and should be) and aren't going to be much of a test.
Prince George vs Kamloops:
Season notes: Season series was tied 5-5 with one Cougar win in OT. Cougars
won the last three meetings and four of the last five. Each team won four of
five games at home. Blazers outscored the Cougars 35-33.
Pick: this is my upset pick. After playing so-so hockey most of the year, the
Cougars have looked pretty good the last 4-6 weeks while at the same time the
Blazers have floundered a bit after flirting with first place most of the
year. Cougars have won 4 of last 5 meetings and have oustcored the Blazers
25-13 in that span. Should be a good series and the Cougars will take it in
seven games.
Spokane vs Everett:
Season notes: Season series was tied 4-4 with Spokane winning one in a
shootout. Everett won the last three meetings though. Silvertips outscored
the Chiefs 19-14 and each team was 3-1 at home. Everett home loss was the
shootout game.
Pick: Much has been made of Spokane's 4 wins over the Tips (which amounts to
nearly 1/4 of all Silvertip losses this year) but at the same time it is
really hard to pick against a team with 54 wins and 31 more points than their
opponent. It would be one of the WHL's biggest upsets ever if the Chiefs won
the series. Plus down the stretch when Everett had nothing to play for and
Spokane did, the Tips still won the last three games. I just can't see the
upset here. Everett in five.
Seattle vs Tri-City:
Season notes: Americans won the season series 5-3. Ams won two shootouts and
one OT game while Seattle got one win in OT. Overall six of the eight games
were decided by one goal. Home ice wasn't much of an advantage for either team
as the Americans won 3 of 4 in Seattle and the Birds won 2 of 4 in the Tri-
Cities. Scoring was even at 24-24.
Pick: Should be another good series here with a couple fairly evenly matched
teams who are both playing well lately. The deciding factor here could be
goaltending where the Americans have probably the best goalie in the league
in Carey Price. They also have (IMO) more depth at forward and on defence and
should win the series. Americans in six.
And lastly, just for fun....here's how the playoff would look if the league
used the 1 vs 8 conference setup instead. Division winners get #1/#2 seeds
and the next six best teams get slotted #3-#8:
East:
(1) Medicine Hat vs (8) Swift Current
(2) Brandon vs (7) Lethbridge
(3) Kootenay vs (6) Red Deer
(4) Calgary vs (5) Regina
West:
(1) Everett vs (8) Chilliwack
(2) Vancouver vs (7) Prince George
(3) Tri-City vs (6) Spokane
(4) Seattle vs (5) Kamloops
The only change to the playoff/non-playoff teams would be Lethbridge making
it in and Prince Albert being out. Not a single first-round matchup would be
the same, although three of the eight series would still feature divisional
opponents taking each other on.
Alan