COLUMN: Riot no more, Vancouver, a title is coming
In all of the hubbub regarding the end of an all too entertaining NBA season, the start of an all-too-anticipated MLB season, and what is evidently some sort of quarterback frenzy going on in the NFL, we entirely forgot one of the more exciting and storied sporting events of the year – the NHL Playoffs.
Few sports visuals are more caramelized in our minds than a team circling the ice, hoisting a Stanley Cup. It carries a weight and spectacle that no other sport can come close to replicating, even if the six months of nonstop hockey prior to that moment may get immensely overlooked by a mass majority of a football-hungry American public.
Somehow, as it always does this time of year, the playoffs snuck up on us. But that doesn’t mean we are too late to take a stab at what to expect for the NHL playoffs this year and gather some picks on just who may raise the cup for a title.
In the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers are running the roost with the stop spot, vying to maintain a general prominence for a storied franchise that hasn’t seen solid success in almost two decades. New York’s stalwart defense just may be enough to get them a spot in the finals, but the road won’t be easy as they are sure to face rough opponents in each round.
One of those opponents? The defending-champion Boston Bruins, who have brought to life the proverb, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It is argued the Bruins play, overall, the best team hockey in the league, and it shows swimmingly at times. If they play on their mark, they could beat any club four out of seven times, and I think they will.
Eastern Conference Champion: Boston Bruins
Heading over to the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks are riding the Henrik Sedin bus all the way to the top of the league and then some. The Canucks have steamrolled opponents to finish out the season and are at their peak, heading into the playoffs. In my opinion, there is only one team that can match position for position with Vancouver – the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings, who even stole the first game in their series. They will be a tough nut to crack, but expect Vancouver to crack them and speed their way into a second straight finals spot.
Western Conference Champions: Vancouver Canucks
This brings us to an all things exciting; pandemonium-filled Stanley Cup Final – Sedin and the Canucks dueling with Tyler Seguion, Patrice Bergeron and the rest of the defending champion Bruins. This time it’s all about vengeance. Expect Sedin to play big in big moments and for goaltender Roberto Luongo to shut down a power-punching Bruin scoring squad in their tracks. It’s time to bring a cup back to western Canada.
Stanley Cup Champions: Vancouver Canucks.
Riot no more, Vancouver, because a title is coming to your city.
– Steve Schwartzman is a junior studying communication studies. He has had just about every job in sports writing, including blogs, analysis, statistics and fantasy football tips, but especially loves making bold picks. Think you can out-pick Steve? Let him know: steve.schwartzman@aggiemail.usu.edu.