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2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Quarterfinal Predictions!


Dark Qiviut

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In other words, the most exciting playoffs of the four major sports is back! :D

 

From 1994 to last year, the NHL playoff format was one through eight. Very often, you can see a Quarterfinal upset or even a lower-seeded team reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Two years ago, the LA Kings became the first non-division champion in the West (and lowest seed: eighth) to win the Cup.

 

This year, it's a little bit different. Instead of three divisions per conference, it's two: Pacific and Central in the West, Atlantic and Metropolitan in the East. Three teams in each division qualify for the postseason, along with two Wild Cards (either one per division, or two from one), totaling up to eight each. The teams to qualify are:

 

Eastern Conference:

Atlantic:

  1. Boston Bruins (Presidents' Trophy winner [best record in NHL])
  2. Tampa Bay Lightning
  3. Montreal Canadiens
  4. Detroit Red Wings (Wild Card #2)

Metropolitan:

  1. Pittsburgh Penguins
  2. New York Rangers
  3. Philadelphia Flyers
  4. Columbus Blue Jackets (Wild Card #1)

 

Western Conference:

Pacific:

  1. Anaheim Ducks (Best record in West)
  2. San Jose Sharks
  3. Los Angeles Kings

Central:

  1. Colorado Avalanche
  2. St. Louis Blues
  3. Chicago Blackhawks
  4. Minnesota Wild (Wild Card #1)
  5. Dallas Stars (Wild Card #2)

 

Instead of #1 vs. #8 and so on, the playoffs are split into #1 vs. #4 and #2 vs. #3 per division.

 

The division winners face the Wild Cards. The team with best record face the Wild Card with the least amount of points, while the other division winner faces the Wild Card with the most amount of points. Here's how this year's playoffs are stacked.

 

Eastern Conference:

  1. Boston Bruins (A1) vs Detroit Red Wings (WC2)
  2. Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) vs. Montreal Canadiens (A3)

  1. Pittsburgh Penguins (M1) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (WC1)
  2. New York Rangers (M2) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (M3)

Western Conference:

  1. Anaheim Ducks (P1) vs Dallas Stars (WC2)
  2. San Jose Sharks (P2) vs. Los Angeles Kings (P3)

  1. Colorado Avalanche (C1) vs. Minnesota Wild (WC1)
  2. St. Louis Blues (C2) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (C3)

The new SCP format is similar to the NBA's and NCAA Basketball Tournaments. You must advance through your own "division" before reaching the Conference Finals and then Stanley Cup Finals. Previously, there was no hard bracket to determine where teams advance, meaning you could have the #8 seed wait for #2 vs. #7 matchup and either face the #2 seed or another team in another Quarterfinal matchup. The new format removes this confusion.

 


So, my quarterfinal predictions? Time to get on with it already! :lol:

 

Predictions:

  1. Detroit Red Wings in seven.
  2. Montreal Canadiens in six. With the Canadiens being the only playoff team in Canada, I think MTL will use it to its advantage. (I don't expect many fans from the other Canadian fanbases to follow suit, though. :P)
  3. Pittsburgh Penguins in seven. I expect Marc-Andre Fleury to perform after two horrid playoffs.
  4. Philadelphia Flyers in six.
  5. Stars in seven.
  6. Sharks in six.
  7. Avalanche in six.
  8. Blackhawks in five.

  • Brohoof 3

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As a Bruins fan... man, am I worried about this series. I would have much preferred that we had gotten matched up with Columbus.

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