Hockey Thoughts: Preds and Hawks in the Quarterfinals

It’s now official—the first post on hockey and I get to announce the Nashville Predators will play the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals.  The first game will be this Friday, April 16 at the United Center in Chicago. 

I am actually pleased with this matchup.  I know Chicago is one of the top teams in the league.  I know Nashville only won two of six meetings this year against the Hawks.  However, all the previous games between Nashville and Chicago this year were in 2009.  Two of those games were in October, when the Preds looked like they were going nowhere but the bottom of the Western Conference heap.  The Preds are a much stronger team than they were the first part of the season, and Chicago is a slightly weaker team now than at the start of the season.  And anyone's better than San Jose or Detroit.  All other reasons aside, I was eager to play someone different for a change!

Further, all previous matchups took place during the period when Nashville had no starting goalie, just a “1A and 1B” in Coach Trotz’s idiotic words.  Both 1A and 1B were performing poorly as a result.  Rinne and Ellis split the season series at three games apiece and were each in net for one of the two Nashville wins.  Rinne is a much stronger, more confident goalie now and unless he suffers a somewhat-common playoff-related mental breakdown, I think he’ll do much better against Chicago now than in the regular season.  Rinne does best when facing strong teams and alot of shots.  He'll definitely get that from Chicago.

I am concerned about Chicago’s goaltending, though.  Both Nashville wins this year came against Huet.  We were completely shut down by Niemi and all indications are that he is going to be the starting goalie leading into the Playoffs.  I'm not as much worried about our ability to defend against Chicago as I am worried about our ability to score against them.  Random but relevant for my sanity and general work productivity is that playing Chicago, as opposed to Vancouver, San Jose or Phoenix, is that all games will take place in an actual Time Zone.

All in all, I’m not sure Nashville can make it past the first round this year, but I don’t feel that way because of a deficiency in our team or strength in Chicago’s team.  It is my complete lack of faith and confidence in our coaching staff.  Still, I think we have the best shot this year than ever before.  I pegged Chicago early this season as the sure-bet for the Stanley Cup this season.  Too much has changed since the beginning of the season, though, and I no longer think they are going all the way.  I’m fairly certain they won’t even go to the Finals for the Western Conference.  I base this mainly on two things.  First, whoever the moron is that came up with this classic piece of artwork:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Blackhawks-fans-snort-in-disgust-at-Toews-pig-no?urn=nhl,231193

Second, Marion Hossa—who is and will forever remain a curse to any team he joins.  If Chicago does not, in fact, win the Cup this year I think Hossa may have to retire.  Any team that would be willing to take him isn’t worth playing for anyway.

As for who will win the Cup or even the West this year, I’m reserving judgment right now.  I’m not ready to make a prediction.  I may not make a call until after I’ve watched the first games.  Regarding the East, my beloved Caps/Ovechkin, and Cindy “Cheater” Cryby…another blog is in order.  I’m going to try and keep my jubilation over the Predators separate from my vitriol over the situation in the East.

Also, we will be attending the first Nashville home game on April 20 (as well as the potential Game 6).  This is wicked exciting for us, because it was after the Game 5 loss to San Jose on April 20, 2007 that Kirby and I met.  The following year, on April 20, 2008 we celebrated our “one year anniversary” at yet another Preds Playoff game, this time against Detroit.  A few weeks later we decided to “officially” move in together and a few weeks after that we got engaged to be married.  Unfortunately, last year in 2009 the Preds did not make the Playoffs so we were not able to celebrate the “anniversary” of us meeting with a game.  But now we will be able to commemorate the night we met with yet another Playoff game!  So happy!

***Finally, just a note as we begin the Playoffs: I pick non-Predator/Capital teams based on a variety of factors.  Mainly it is determined by how much I dislike them during the regular season, and past or recent incidents that increased my dislike, or made me like them more.  I often end up rooting for a team I really don’t prefer because they are the lesser of two evils.  Frequently, my teams will change after each round as I revisit my criteria and sometimes events in the Playoffs warrant a different interpretation of a team than the regular season requires.  For example, I rooted AGAINST Detroit all through the Playoffs last season until they reached the Finals.  As much as it pained me, I dislike the Penguins and Cindy Cryby more than Detroit as a whole.  So, I had to root for Detroit in the Finals.  So, don’t be confused as we march through these series.  I may hop all over and I may root for teams I normally despise.

A random, drunk stranger was talking to me at Red Door East Saturday night, and we were talking about football and I mentioned I am a Redskins fan.  He asked me about the McNabb trade, of which I’m not happy about, and he told me, “If you are a Redskins fan who can honestly feel that the Donovan McNabb trade is bad, then you think about sports too much with your heart.”  After just a few sentences of conversation, this intoxicated sports fan who did not know me from Adam had me figured out.  I always watch sports with more heart than head.  This is the main reason I resist betting on sports……heart doesn’t win you a lot of money, but it sure makes for one exciting and passionate ride!***