Brett's 2013 NHL Conference Finals Predictions

Well, it's time for a new round of predictions for the NHL playoffs. I was 4/4 in the second round, bringing my total to nine correct out of the 12 series so far.

Now to the interesting part. The previous four Stanley Cup winners will meet each other to determine who reaches the Stanley Cup Final. The 2009 and 2011 champions meet in the East, with the 2010 and 2012 champs meeting in the west. Which two recent champions will meet for another chance to raise the Cup? It's prediction time!

Eastern Conference Final
(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (4) Boston Bruins

Image from Yahoo! Sports

Heading into the playoffs, this was probably the most expected outcome for the Eastern Conference. Both teams made moves mid-season to bolster their team for a long run in the playoffs. After both teams only took five games to dispose of their semi-final foes, they played the waiting game while the dust settled in the Western Conference.

For Pittsburgh, things seemed to click once they put Tomas Vokoun between the pipes. Since he has taken over the starting job, the team has allowed 2 goals per game. Contrast to an offence that is hitting its stride with the Sidney Crosby rounding into form, the Penguins will be a tough out.

As for Boston, they have been a tale of two teams to this point in the playoffs. They looked extremely vulnerable in the first round, almost dropping the series despite leading 3-1. However, the second round resembled the Bruins team most people expected to see all along.

So, let's figure this series out. The emotions will be interesting, with both Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow picking the Penguins over the Bruins. It will also be a return for Jaromir Jagr, playing a playoff series against his former team. Last year, the Penguins showed their frustration in a series against the Flyers and I expect the Bruins to play in a similar fashion. Led by super-pest Brad Marchand, the Bruins have a roster that will get under the skin of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, and the other stars in the line-up. While both teams have a lot of experience, I believe it will be the Penguins who pull out the series in again. The added leadership of Morrow and Iginla will be a calming influence on the team. Plus, they have the ability to put out three lines that score effectively. They were never in danger of that with the Rangers. It will be a long, hard-fought series, but Pittsburgh wins it in the end.
Pittsburgh wins the series in 4-3.
Western Conference Final
(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (5) Los Angeles Kings

Image from Fox Sports West

Back in January on my Sports Journalism radio show, I said the Kings would have a very strong chance to repeat as champions. They have a young, physical core and an extremely talented goalie. One of my classmates said a team to watch out for would be the Blackhawks, looking to rebound after a first round exit in the 2012 NHL Playoffs. Almost half a year later, it looks like we were both right.

The Blackhawks survived the Detroit Red Wings, coming back from a 3-1 series deficit. It was a tight series between two divisional foes, pushing Chicago to the brink multiple times.

The Kings were also tested during the second round, facing an elimination game for the first time during these last two playoffs. They responded with a true Game 7 performance, aided by Jonathan Quick.

The series will come down to whether the Kings can keep up with the high-octane offense of the Blackhawks. Chicago has shown flashes of what they are capable of during the playoffs, but nothing consistent. Los Angeles has been able to dominate teams with their defence, bolstered by the strong play of Quick in net. He will be able to keep Los Angeles in every game of the series, but will he get enough goal support? In the long run, I don't think that will matter. I'm sticking with my pick from January. Los Angeles will be able to frustrate Jonathan Toews and the rest of the Blackhawks during the series. They will have a hard time scoring, and Quick will be able to erase any mistake the Kings make in their own zone. Plus, the Kings haven't lost a game at home during this year's playoff. I see that trend continuing.  Los Angeles will have a chance to defend their title in the Finals, marking the first time a team has reached back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals since the Red Wings and Penguins both did it in 2008 and 2009.Los Angeles wins the series in 4-2.

So, those are my picks. I'm sticking with the team that I picked back in January. Do you agree or disagree? Sound off in the comment section below.

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Why John Tavares Should Win the NHL's Hart Trophy

The NHL released the nominees for the Hart Memorial Trophy, given each season to the "player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team", this past Friday. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin - two former winners of the award - were both nominated this year. The third player? Fourth year forward and New York Islanders alternate captain John Tavares. While the easy choice is to give the award to Crosby or Ovechkin, the right choice is Tavares.

John Tavares (Photo from lastwordonsports.com)

It's very easy to make a case for either Crosby or Ovechkin, and both are deserving candidates. When Crosby had his jaw broken by a Brooks Orpik slapshot at the end of March, he led the league with 56 points. After missing the rest of the season, he still finished tied for third in the league. While those were impressive numbers, it helped negate his campaign for the Hart. With Crosby out of the lineup for April, the Penguins won eight of their final 12 games. His absence showed the depth Pittsburgh has in their organization. So, while he is arguably the best player in the world and valuable to his team, he isn't the MOST valuable.

A similar case can be made for Ovechkin, except he has a stronger claim for the Hart. Washington was floundering during the first half of the lockout-shortened season. The same could be said for Ovechkin, who many thought he wasn't the same player that won two previous Hart trophies. Then, he caught fire and quickly closed the gap in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy, awarded to the player with the most goals in the league. As he closed that gap, the Capitals closed the gap on the Winnipeg Jets for the division crown. Both eventually overtaking the leader, with Ovechkin leading the league in goals (32 - the only player in the league to reach 30 goals) and the Capitals winning the Southeast Division title.

So, if I make a case like that for Ovechkin, how can I say that Tavares deserves the Hart?

To start, most  preseason predictions found the Islanders in the bottom third of the NHL. There were questions whether they could compete with the rest of the powers in the Atlantic Division. John Tavares made the team relevant this season, leading to their first playoff appearance in six years.

In terms of numbers, the Mississauga-native put some up. Tavares lit the lamp 28 times this season. During his three 82 game seasons, he scored 24, 29, and 31 respectively. While he only had 19 assists this year, he made his line mates better. He assisted on 8 of Matt Moulson's 15 goals. That's not counting all of the goals that Tavares scored assisted by Moulson or other winger Brad Boyes. Taking his offense off of the Islanders would mean they miss the playoffs. Not taking away anything from Moulson or Boyes, but they wouldn't have come close to their numbers without Tavares either setting them up for finishing off their pass.

Now, you might make a similar argument about Ovechkin. But, he has legitimate help on the team. With  Mike Riberio, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Green to name a few, the Capitals can still make the playoffs with the roster they have. The Islanders would be in the bottom five without Tavares.

So, when the 2013 NHL Awards take place, John Tavares deserves the Hart Trophy. Whether he wins it or not, that's another matter all together.