I see a Detroit/Philly final. Once the brackets are set make your first round predictions,

I see....

Philly Over Toronto
Ottawa over Icelanders
Washington over Tampa
Devils over Bruins.

I will guess the west when it is set. What do YOU think.

I'd love to see the Wings again; hometown pride, ya know!
Tampa won't be there, that's for sure!

Dream on SUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKAAAAA's

Watch out for Vancouver, Brad may and Ohlund are back and ready to eat raw meat.

Vancouver over Ottawa in 6. After all Hockey is a Canadian game eh!

Jets over Nordiques in 4

Go PENS!!! Whoops, the end of another era to the greatest hockey player ever. #66 is going to be calling it quites. Damn, had tickets to the Pens Caps game tonight hoping to see him one last time. I guess he had other plans.

Go Leafs, or is it Go Leaves!!!

Dallas Stars !

how i think it's going to go:
ottawa
jersey
washington
philly

dallas
detroit
colorado
st louis

how i'd like it to go:
ottawa
boston
washington
toronto

edmonton
anaheim
colorado
vancouver

1st round

Philly
Ottawa
Washington
New JErsey

Dallas
Detroit
Colorado
Vancouver.

No Out on the limb at all I guess for me. Except maybe Washington. The best series by far will be Philly/Toronto.

It's a freakin' shame that you can easily pick those 8 every year prior to the season starting. I bet the odds in Vegas are pretty low for any of these teams making the Cup. Good picks by the way, I agree.

But at least there are 6 different teams out of 16 that are in that were not in last year. Dallas, Minnesota, Anahiem, Edmonton, Washington, and Tampa Bay. But I get what you are saying.

Vancouver. All the way.

Wings.....

Here are my predictions:
East: West:
New Jersey Dallas
Ottawa Detroit
Tampa Bay Colorado
Toronto St. Louis

I'd really love Boston to win - afterall, they are my favorite team.
However, with the current Goalie situation (Shields sore, Hackett Hurt, Raycroft and Thomas really unproven in being consistant(and having very little ice time during the regular season), I think that the Bruins are in some serious trouble.

The nJ Boston series is going to be an awesome one to watch

Not yet.

They'll maybe get further than last year, but they won't get to the finals.

Dallas vs. Ottawa.
Dallas in seven.

Graham you going up to Dallas to catch any games. I think my wife and I will try if things pan out. I am sure tickets will be scarce

Nope, not even going to try.

Rather stay home, watch it at my future-father-in-law's (60-inch HD set -- any wonder I'm in love? )

Don't know that I could find tix, and I doubt I could afford them if I could find them . . .

What! and not pay $6 bucks a beer....

I understand. I am not a Stars fan so it will depend on who comes to town.

I'm going with the Avs all the way. As long as Roy doesn't get in a rut again they are unstoppable.

Oh MY GOD!!! I still have one more day to wait until it starts. Hurry it up allready. I have even stopped shaving. Please lets get it on. GO FLYERS!

The west will win once again. I think it will be either the nucks or the stars over the leafs.

Go Stars!!!

Or Colorado . . .
Or Detroit . . .
Or Edmonton . . .
Or St Louis . . .
Or Anaheim . . .
Or Minnesota . . .

Anybody but the motherfucking Leafs! (If I prayed, I'd pray that Philly skins 'em alive in the first round!)

Thanks Graham. I had to double check ESPN to make sure the Wild made it. No one here mentioned them.
IF they can beat the Av's, they have a chance.
Why do I bother? They don't have a chance in Hell. But it has been a good season.

That's a really big IF...

Hell, I'll be surprised if the Wild manage to win a game

The Wild have done well. They done damn good!
Every team has a chance. That's why the playoffs are a separate season. Games just become different . . .

Back in the '94 playoffs, I believe the Canucks were in 8th place, playing the 1st-place Flames in the opening round.

They made it all the way to game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals . . . and lost to the Rangers by one goal.
A hell of a season, I tell ya . . .

I was just glad that the Stars did not have to play the Wild in the first round. Colorado better take them seriously. They are a grind it out, hard playing team.

Now if the Stars can get back a couple of players before the second round we might have a chance. This is assuming we beat Edmonton first of course.