If the 2012 National Hockey League Playoffs were to start tomorrow -NHL Special Part 2
Every year, National Hockey League (NHL) fans around Canada and the United States find it hard to wait for the Playoffs to start despite the regular season just kicking off. This 2011-2012 NHL regular season is no exception to that and fans are desperate
to hear about what they just might expect when the postseason begins.
Just for the fun and thrill of it, we are discussing what the situation would be like if the playoffs were to start from tomorrow. It would definitely be a different state of affairs from the ones we witnessed last season as a number of clubs around the
league have turned themselves around to take the top postseason eligible spots in order to have a chance at Stanley Cup glory.
In the last part, we discussed how the leading team of the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins, would face off against Ottawa Senators, who have managed to slide into the last playoff eligible position at number eight. Then we talked about how the Rangers
and New Jersey Devils would face-off and what possible might the outcome be.
So far, the 1-8 and 2-7 position teams have face-off and moved into round two, the next are the following in the Eastern Conference:
Florida Panthers (3rd Position) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (6th Position)
Florida is one of those teams that have exceptionally improved this season in terms of their game play which shows since they are sitting at number three in the East. Last season, the Panthers were far, far away from the playoff borderline but are now one
of the leading teams.
It looks as if the crucial additions they made in the 2011 offseason finally paid off as they continue to take down big opponents but have still faced some disappointing defeats against a number of other teams.
Toronto on the other hand, cannot be considered weak in any regards. They have always been one of the top ranked teams but last season was a little off for them as well. Their All-Star rookie, Phil Kessel, lead the league in goal scoring which places the
Maple Leafs at number six in the conference at the moment with 40 points, three below the Panthers.
If these two teams were to face off in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, it was be a close contest as both have the ability to play top level defence when needed the most at the same time, score crucial game-winning goals.
Prediction: Toronto Maple Leafs move on into the next round after a game-seven win against Florida Panthers.
Philadelphia Flyers (4th Place) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (5th Place)
The Pittsburgh and Philadelphia contest would surely be one of the most exciting to watch since two of the biggest teams in terms of rivalry would be fighting against each other. Their state rivalry would be at the peak and obviously have the players battling
it out for supremacy.
Pittsburgh would be facing a huge setback playing without their captain, Sidney Crosby, but having Evgeni Malkin ready-to-go on the team would be the factor keeping them alive. The Penguins would not give up easily but as the Philadelphia Flyers are a team
that with all of their players healthy and go to go, Pittsburgh could find it hard to keep fighting.
Prediction: Philadelphia Flyers win series in five games.
To be continued in Part 3....
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: