The Conference Finals are here and with them come two more previews and predictions.
#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings. Before I get into the particulars of this series, here’s a look back at the last round for these teams. I had picked the Nashville Predators to beat the Coyotes in the previous round because I felt that it was Nashville’s time. Over the past several seasons, the Preds had gone through the process of learning how to win the playoffs. Last year, Nashville won its first-ever series, then battled closely with the Vancouver Canucks in the second round. It just seemed as if this was the year for the Predators to take that next step. But in the Phoenix-Nashville series, it was the Coyotes who looked like the more-seasoned playoff team. They got tremendous goaltending from Mike Smith (again) and, after netting nine goals in the first two games, received timely offense in the final two wins.
A quick follow-up to last week’s column, in which I gave my Western Conference Semifinal picks. I know I’m cheating a bit, predicting the East after one game has been played in each series, but neither game changed my overall sentiments.
Based on my last column, in which I made predictions for the eight first round series, it’s clear I shouldn’t become a professional prognosticator. Boy, was I wrong about a few of the series! I did get some right, too, however. With the first round ending tonight with the Game 7s in New York and Sunrise, here’s a look back at what happened in the Conference Quarters and a look ahead to the West Semis, which begin tomorrow in Phoenix.
Back in my college days, I had the opportunity to meet an NFL owner. The playoffs were just getting underway and his team had not qualified, missing out in the last week of the regular season. I asked him if he would be rooting for any of the other teams to win the Super Bowl. Chuckling, he quipped that he hoped all the games ended in a tie. “If you can’t win it,” he told me with a smile, “you don’t want anyone else to.”
What a sendoff the Lightning gave their fans in the final two home games of the regular season.
Heading these last two home games, the players were determined to put on a good show for the fans. That they did. On Saturday, the Lightning rallied from a 2-1 third period deficit against the Winnipeg Jets and eventually won in overtime. It was the team’s league-leading ninth victory this year in a game it trailed after two periods. Steven Stamkos netted the overtime winner, setting a new NHL record with five overtime goals in a single season. It was his 56th goal of the year and his 11th game-winning goal. Ryan Malone scored the other two goals, including a highlight-reel coast-to-coast rush; a play in which he chipped the puck over the head of Winnipeg’s Grant Clitsome, barreled around him, regained possession of the puck and scored on a breakaway.
