If the playoffs started after Friday’s games: Jets at Ducks, Wild at Blues, Hawks at Preds, Flames at Canucks; Pens at Rangers, Sens at Canadians, Wings at Lightning, Islanders at Caps. Hoping for a Blues win and a little help from Arizona. That would put us against the Jets no matter what else happens. I want home ice all through the Conference playoffs rather than hoping for a specific opponent in the first round.

Ottawa v Philadelphia. Ottawa – hoping the Hamburgler has one last steal.

NY Rangers v Washington. Washington – hoping for the Rangers slide to begin right out of the playoffs.

Calgary v Winnipeg. Calgary – you have to admire what the Flames have done minus Giordano and hoping the Flames can take Vancouver out in the first round. Would love a Blues-Flames WCF.

San Jose v Los Angeles. Don’t care – loser meets loser. Well, actually I’m rooting for the Kings and hoping that they finish two points behind the Jets so they can beat themselves up all summer long over “winning just one more game.”

Minnesota v St Louis. St. Louis – let’s get Steen and Tarasenko rolling for the playoffs AND show that we can beat a hot goalie.

Detroit v Carolina. Carolina – let’s prime the pump for the Wings flushing out of the playoffs in the first round.

Montreal v Toronto. Montreal – I would normally root for Toronto to give the Lightning a shot at winning the Atlantic; however, see my Boston-Tampa Bay write-up below.

New Jersey v Florida. Florida – Is this Jagr’s last roundup?

Columbus v NY Islanders. Islanders – Isles locked up third in the Atlantic and could grab second; expect a great series with the Caps if the Isles can get back to form.

Pittsburgh v Buffalo. Buffalo - I used to like Sidney; he’s still a great player but he must be the whiniest captain in the NHL.

Boston v Tampa Bay. Boston – 1. I like Bruins more than the Pens and would rather see Boston in over Pittsburgh. 2. My dream SCF is the Blues and the Lightning and a Lightning loss gives the Blues home ice if a Blues-Lightning SCF comes to pass. 3. A Lightning loss still keeps them in 2nd in the Atlantic where they can take care of business against the Wings.

Nashville v Dallas. Dallas – Preds have come back to earth but hoping for them to win a brutal four-game series with the Hawks.

Chicago v Colorado. Colorado – want the Hawks to lose and to lose ignominiously then lose in straight sets to the Preds in a rough-and-tumble, slash-and-gash, blood-on-the-ice series.

Anaheim v Arizona. Arizona – come on Coyotes, win one for pride.

Edmonton v Vancouver. Edmonton – a Flames win and Canucks loss puts the Flames in 2nd with home ice over the Canucks.

See’ya early next March with about 20 games left next season.

Nice to see Ottawa get in, rather than one of Boston or Pittsburgh. Nice also to see that my home town team, Winnipeg won and gets the extra home game in their series.

2-0 w/ less than minute to go in 2nd, Ducks up.

I really like our chances vs either the Jets or Wild, but I see us coming out healthier and quicker vs the Wild. Jets are just a tough, and dirty, team.

Looks like Winni it is. 2-1 ducks.

StL Dan wrote:Looks like Winni it is. 2-1 ducks.

We'll play the Wild, not the Jets.

And I'm thankful of that!

HockeyFan85 wrote:

StL Dan wrote:Looks like Winni it is. 2-1 ducks.

We'll play the Wild, not the Jets.

And I'm thankful of that!

That Winnipeg/Anaheim series could be brutal. The winner of that series probably won't get much further.

I hope The Jets can beat The Ducks (or, if not, at least soften them up!).