TWIOT: Playoff Hockey Is Here

Chris Pronger: The Key to a Long Flyer Playoff Run?
Photo Credit: The Slapshot

The second season for the NHL arrived last night. Yep, the playoffs have begun, and for anyone who even has a passing interest in hockey, it's the start of one of the best times of the year. This year, everyone seems to be on the Vancouver Canucks bandwagon, and why not? They ran away with the regular season and they have a roster that is loaded with talent at every position. However, that doesn't play out all the time for the playoffs. Just ask the Sharks and the Capitals, who in years past wrangled the regular season and choked in the playoffs to teams that on paper shouldn't have been in their leagues. While the cream does rise to the top some years - look at the years that the Red Wings won it all and recently, the Penguins when all their stars were healthy - I think the allure of the Stanley Cup playoffs is that they elevate teams' performances to the occasion.

That's why there's hope for my Flyers. You see, our squad stumbled through the last month or so of the regular season, abandoning the defense that had carried us to the top of the Eastern Conference and ignoring the home ice advantage we had at the Wells Fargo Center and playing like it belonged to the other team like they were the Canadiens of an era long gone. However, even as the second season starts for us tonight, at home, against a Buffalo Sabres team that beat us a week or so ago, there are certain players on the Flyers who, to use a wrestling term, Hulk up during the playoffs.

One of them is Danny Briere, who turned in a fine regular season this year. If his production skip-up is proportional to how it was in the last few playoffs, then he'll be entering a Beast Mode that really hasn't been seen here since Keith Primeau retired or even further back, since the Broad Street Bullies were still in town. His roommate Claude Giroux has produced some memorable postseasons, and now that he's entering his prime, he'll be counted upon to make plays and to elevate the team when he's on the ice. Hell, with the exception of Jeff Carter, who turtles up past game 82 it seems, the playoffs seem to bring out the best in this team. Even Danny Freaking Carcillo got in on the action last year, scoring a game winner in the first round against the Devils during our improbable run to the Cup Finals.

Of course, none of that points to our defensive failings in the last month or so. Chris Pronger will be back for this series, but he won't be back tonight. That's bad news. Even when he does come back, how effective will he be? And furthermore, how short of a leash will Sergei Bobrovsky have? After starting the season hotter than the hood of a black car on a summer's day in Death Valley, he cooled off and developed a habit of letting in soft-as-cashmere goals at the most crucial of times, goals that turned out to be backbreakers in key games. Even if BOB is yanked, can Brian Boucher really be the answer? What about last year's playoff hero, Michael Leighton? There are so many questions that I see why the Orange and Black are such a trendy upset victim pick.

However, I still believe in the power that the playoffs have in transforming our players from good to great, great to epic and epic to LEGENDARY. I believe the Flyers have another run in them, and I will hope against all hope that yeah, it will be Mike Richards hoisting the Cup for us when this is all said and done, not one of the Sedin twins for Vancouver or Alexander Ovechkin for the Caps or Henrik Zetterberg for the Red Wings or even that shit-stached punk Sidney Crosby (if he ever gets healthy) for the scary Penguins. Do I necessarily think it's going to happen though? Well, I fear not, but hey, stranger things have happened. And with that, here are my grossly undereducated, throw-shit-to-the-wall-to-see-what-sticks picks for the NHL and as a bonus, for the NBA as well (since I have opinions about that yet don't have the wherewithal to actually write a preview for their playoff frame):

NHL

East
Capitals over Rangers in 5
Flyers over Sabres in 7
Bruins over Canadiens in 7
Penguins over Lightning in 6

Penguins over Capitals in 5
Bruins over Flyers in 6

Bruins over Penguins in 7

West
Canucks over Blackhawks in 6
Kings over Sharks in 6
Red Wings over Coyotes in 5
Predators over Ducks in 6

Canucks over Kings in 4
Red Wings over Predators in 6

Canucks over Red Wings in 7

Cup Finals
Canucks over Bruins in 5

BONUS NBA PICKS

East
Bulls over Pacers in 4
Sixers over Heat in 7 (UPSET SPECIAL HOMER PICK, BITCHES)
Celtics over Knicks in 6
Magic over Hawks in 5

Bulls over Magic in 6
Sixers over Celtics in 6 (I JUST CAN'T BE STOPPED WITH MY HOMER LUNACY, BITCHES)

Bulls over Sixers in 5 (Not even I'm that stupid)

West
Spurs over Grizzlies in 7
Lakers over Hornets in 4
Blazers over Mavericks in 5
Thunder over Nuggets in 7

Thunder over Spurs in 5
Lakers over Blazers in 6

Thunder over Lakers in 6

NBA Finals
Bulls over Thunder in 6

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!