Predictions ahead of the 2011 National Hockey League Play-offs - Part 9
Boston Bruins will take the nastiest series in the play-offs against the Montreal Canadiens:
The Bruins have a very tough road to the Conference and then the Stanley Cup Final. However, the level of experience and talent they have in their squad, make them one of the favourites to take their series. The winner of this tie has a very good chance
of making it all the way due to the fact that they will endure a lot during the series, both physically and in terms of skill.
Some of the experts say that the series has been over-hyped, which they support by saying that the Bruins are a very experienced unit in terms of play-off experience and how to upset a team’s mental level.
This will surely play an important role in the series. Both teams are eager to win the series as they want to build up on the performance of last season. The Bruins were heart-broken after suffering a semi-final loss to the Flyers even though they had a
3-0 advantage in their favour. On the other hand, the Canadiens were unable to make their way into the Conference Finals even though they defeated the top seed, Washington Capitals in one of the historic come-backs in the National Hockey League.
The series will offer a lot of excitement and a tough battle between the two teams, but the Bruins have a high probability of emerging as winners after six games in the series.
The Vancouver Canucks will win the Western Conference title and make their way into Stanley Cup Finals:
The Canucks will be under a lot of pressure right from the start of the play-offs. There first round tie is not only against a team that is the defending champion, but also the team that has knocked them out of the play-offs for the past two consecutive
seasons.
However, things have changed quite a lot in the two camps with the Hawks struggling to find a way into the cut. On the other hand, the Canucks were the dominating force in the regular season as they broke all records to finish with the best season. The Canucks
are well on road for the very first Stanley Cup in the history of the franchise.
However, it doesn’t mean that the Canucks have an easy road to the Finals. Actually it never is, but the fact of the matter is that they are in good shape and very well prepared due to the consistency they have shown so far.
History will surely play its’ part, but the Canucks are well on course for writing the history for themselves.
Boston Bruins will take centre stage after winning the Eastern Conference:
Though it is still early to say that the Bruins will make it to the very top of the ladder which they failed to do last season.
The fact of the matter is that the Eastern Conference is very open especially after the close Game 1 between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals. However, the Bruins physical play and the skill coupled with the play-off experience will surely
make them a strong contender to win the Conference title.
The collapse they have gone through at the crucial stages finally looks to be over and this is the season where the Bruins can beat the odds.
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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