As people are jumping all over the bandwagons with the Sharks, Capitals, Penguins, and Red Wings there are 2 teams playing great hockey that might surprise those 'favourites'. The Penguins are done, when was the last time the Caps did anything in the playoffs?, the Sharks always seem to choke. The Red Wings even with their bad goaltending seem to be the best bet to win the Cup again. Especially with the addition of Hossa.
The 2 teams I am talking about are in the West. It's the Flames and the Canucks. The last time these 2 teams faced each other was in Calgary and it was one of the best games of the year. The Flames have done it right by signing Kipper, Phaneuf and Iggy to long term deals. They added the right pieces to the puzzle with Cammalleri, Bourque and gave Bertuzzi a chance to reemerge. The Flames look great and ready to win the division. On the flip side, the Canucks have surprised everyone. Not the greatest record but they are playing better as a team. Luongo is back to form from his injury that sidelined him for 2 months. The RPM line is being lead by Demitra. The defensemen are finally healthy. The twins finally found their guy with Burrows who can play with the big boys and annoy the heck out of the opposition.
I am hoping these two teams will meet up this playoffs and give us the best hockey of the year. Who wins the series, who knows?
The east is a crap shoot but the team that will give most people a run for their $ is the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter and Richards are kicking butt. Gagne is finally healthy and Briere is coming back any day. Biron is playing much better after a slow start. Lupul, Hartnell, etc are playing hard every night. I personally think the Flyers will take out the Capitals in the playoffs.
