The playoffs get underway on Tuesday, July 19 (Detroit at Montreal). Here's a preview of the semi-finals series, with my predictions.
#1 Montreal vs. #4 Detroit
Season series: Montreal, 3-1-0
Overview: Canadiens lost their first two games of the season, then were never headed. They won 10 in a row after the 0-2 start and cruised to first place. Even the loss of Bernie Geoffrion for the season about halfway thru the schedule didn't slow down the Habs scoring machine. They led the league in goals scored and their power play is fearsome.
Red Wings, on the other hand, grossly underachieved. After a 2-0-2 start, Detroit finished 5-10-1 yet still managed to squeak into the playoffs on the final day of the season. The problem with Red Wings is the opposite of Montreal: unlike Canadiens, who get balanced scoring, if Lindsay/Howe/Delvecchio aren't scoring, nobody else is, usually.
Prediction: Montreal, for all its fire power, can also be scored upon. They are vulnerable on the penalty kill, except that they earned far more power play opportunities than they surrendered (70 to 47). Red Wings can only hope that their regular season was a fluke and that the "real" team will show up in the playoffs.
There's little reason to believe, however, that the Red Wings will "flick a switch" and turn into a different team than the regular season version. Canadiens, conversely, have shown no signs of slowing down since the 0-2 start.
Canadiens in five.
#2 Boston vs. #3 Toronto
Season series: Boston, 2-1-1
Overview: These teams battled the last several games for second place, jockeying back and forth. Bruins finally won out, breaking an 0-2-1 slide with a season-ending win against Rangers. Boston overcame an underwhelming season from star scorer Real Chevrefils and some early uncertainty in goal. Terry Sawchuk will start the playoffs, having started the last six games for Bruins and playing a majority of the minutes for Boston.
Maple Leafs fared better than most experts thought. The team was expected to miss the playoffs entirely, but coach Howie Meeker kept them afloat without any major slumps. Maple Leafs excelled on the power play, converting about 31 percent of the time. Ed Chadwick started every game in goal and played all 1200 minutes, posting one shutout. Toronto got well-rounded scoring. They're not explosive offensively, but they scored enough to win 10 games.
Prediction: This should be a good, competitive series. If Boston can stay out of the penalty box, it will help their cause. Toronto must avoid any high-scoring shootouts. If Chevrefils suddenly regains his scoring touch, Bruins will be helped immensely. Home ice should help decide this series greatly.
Bruins in six.
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