NHL Playoffs 2011: Western Conference Teams With No Chance at the Cup
The National Hockey League regulation season has come to a close after 82 thrilling games. Some teams have remained on top throughout the season and many have been fighting for those final playoff spots, until the last game.
16 teams have geared up for the quarterfinals which kickoff on Wednesday but making a few predictions can help fans make up their minds on who to support this postseason.
Your team might have not made it this time, but you can always have a backup team in order to enjoy the playoffs.
Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars fans were utterly disappointed since after a surprising post All-Star Game season, it did not appear as if they would be eliminated.
Calgary made a great run and even reached the fourth spot in the conference at one time, but due to an unfortunate series of events, it was eliminated in the second last game.
Nevertheless, there are still a number of teams, especially from the Western Conference that show great prospects.
Canadian fans are united this time to bring home the cup through Vancouver Canucks which has performed marvellously.
There are three teams which really have no future in the playoffs this year. It can be based on a number of reasons like, injuries, overall performance, and team chemistry. If your team is mentioned, do not feel bad, but just take it as a critic’s point
of view.
Phoenix Coyotes
Coyotes has a pretty good chance going into the quarterfinals against Detroit, but going deep into the playoffs, perhaps even the finals, is a big question for the team.
Phoenix has the advantage of playing against Red Wings, but if they face a team like Vancouver or even San Jose later on in the semifinals, it will be tough for them.
Another reason for its teams’ undeniable failure later on or even in the quarterfinals is that it lacks lead scorers except captain, Shane Doan.
It might have an extremely talented goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov, but that is not enough when there’s not any goals’ being scored.
Doan is Phoenix’s only player with 20 or more goals this season, making him the only one suitable to take on the tension that comes with participating in the playoffs.
Los Angeles Kings
It came as a bit of a surprise when Los Angeles Kings made it to the playoffs since it was something totally unexpected.
When its main players, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams, went out with a broken ankle and dislocated shoulder, respectively, all Kings’ hopes seemed to go down the drain.
Williams is hopeful about returning during the playoffs, but without Anze it would not be the same.
Kopitar is a guiding light for LA and in his absence LA is just a bunch of players playing in the dark.
It faces San Jose Sharks in the first round and as both teams are highly dependent on their offence, Kings could be facing a hard time playing against Sharks.
Chicago Blackhawks
Luckily, Blackhawks was able to make it to the playoffs after Dallas lost its last game against Minnesota Wild.
Being the 2010 Stanley Cup champions, it deserves respect but the way it has played this season is just out right pathetic.
Chicago has a team which consists of some immensely talented players like its captain, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane and Brent Seabrook.
The main problem it will have in the postseason is in the first round in which it has to face Vancouver Canucks.
Not many people would say that Hawks has a chance against Vancouver, mainly because Canucks led the league in every way possible and at least making the finals this time around is not something that seemed difficult for the Canadians.
Vancouver is expected to easily throw Chicago out of contention for the cup in five games instead of taking it all the way to seven.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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