Round Two - The Feast Continues
by Rink Rat
The Rat thinks the time is long overdue. When we plunge into the turgid waters of predicting the outcomes of NHL play-off games, much too little emphasis is given to the impact coaches have on the outcome.
True, assessing a coach is difficult. One of the better indicators is that individual's track record. Glaring incompetence should be a tip-off, as should bright green inexperience. Colorado's Granato, he of the 21 line combinations in one game, registers on both counts. Hockey, rich in axioms, has one for post-season coaching too. During the regular season a coach coaches his own team, in the play-offs he coaches against the other team.
Look at the first round survivors: Burns (Jersey), Martin (Ottawa), Hitchcock (Philly), and Tortorella (Tampa) in the East; Lemaire (Minnesota), Crawford (Canucks), Babcock (Anaheim), and Tippett (Dallas) in the West. Five are superior coaches. Tampa's Tortorella defeated a rookie in Washington, Anaheim's Babcock beat a rookie in Detroit, and Tippett ousted MacTavish (Oilers), who has never been confused with Scotty Bowman. O'Connell in Boston was incompetent, the jury's out on Laviolette (Isles), and Leafs' Quinn is no genius.
The best coach to sink was St. Louis' Quenneville. No-one has yet figured out how to coach against the flu. Armed with our new-found perspective, let's take a look at the round two offerings, first the Eastern Conference.
Ottawa-Philadelphia
This is Martin against Hitchcock. Both were on the staff of the triumphant Canadian Olympic team but rumours abound that Hitchcock was the man who pulled the team together when it floundered early. Goaltending could be important, to the extent which one (Sens Lalime, Flyers Cechmanek) blows up first. Philly has renewed belief after their game seven victory over Toronto, and the Sens are relieved it's the Flyers and not Toronto. Sens defence is better than Toronto's, but Flyers' Primeau is on fire. Sens will have been off eight days, which is too long. Flyers will win game one and the series in seven.
New Jersey-Tampa Bay
This is Burns against Tortorella. Advantage Jersey. The Devils have Stevens and Daneyko on their back line and those two are a misery to play against. Tampa has speed and skill up front and the Devils have oodles of experience. Brodeur outplays Tampa's Khabibulin in the nets. The Rat thinks this series will be low scoring and much of the play will be between the blue lines. Jersey will have been off seven days and Tampa four. Game one could be awful to watch and Jersey being rusty might lose it. However they win the series in six.
Dallas-Anaheim
Rookie (Tippett) against rookie (Babcock). Anaheim are the darlings of the play- offs after blindsiding the defending champion Red Wings. Goaltender Giguere is currently the leading candidate for the Smythe trophy. The Ducks trapped the Wings to a standstill, aided by a soft Detroit team incapable of running over Anaheim. Dallas is a different proposition. Nasty, hard-hitting, and fast with an ability to forecheck, the Stars should pound on the Ducks. Three returning players, Arnott, Guerin, and Turgeon, provides the Stars a boost. Babcock outcoaches Tippett but Dallas have the better team. Dallas in six.
Vancouver-Minnesota
Crawford against Lemaire. This could be the best coaching matchup of the second round as both coaches are Stanley Cup winners. Lemaire imposes a method on his team and sticks to it. He is the calm at the centre of a storm. Crawford can be a wildman but demonstrated against the Blues a flair for adaptability. He changed the team's breakouts, modified the power play, and then after two third period scares, had them playing an airtight third in game seven. The Wild are small and no Lemaire magic can overcome that. The bigger Canucks will beat on the Wild whose goaltending won't stand up to long stretches of play in their own end. Vancouver continues the roll, winning in five.
by Rink Rat
The Rat thinks the time is long overdue. When we plunge into the turgid waters of predicting the outcomes of NHL play-off games, much too little emphasis is given to the impact coaches have on the outcome.
True, assessing a coach is difficult. One of the better indicators is that individual's track record. Glaring incompetence should be a tip-off, as should bright green inexperience. Colorado's Granato, he of the 21 line combinations in one game, registers on both counts. Hockey, rich in axioms, has one for post-season coaching too. During the regular season a coach coaches his own team, in the play-offs he coaches against the other team.
Look at the first round survivors: Burns (Jersey), Martin (Ottawa), Hitchcock (Philly), and Tortorella (Tampa) in the East; Lemaire (Minnesota), Crawford (Canucks), Babcock (Anaheim), and Tippett (Dallas) in the West. Five are superior coaches. Tampa's Tortorella defeated a rookie in Washington, Anaheim's Babcock beat a rookie in Detroit, and Tippett ousted MacTavish (Oilers), who has never been confused with Scotty Bowman. O'Connell in Boston was incompetent, the jury's out on Laviolette (Isles), and Leafs' Quinn is no genius.
The best coach to sink was St. Louis' Quenneville. No-one has yet figured out how to coach against the flu. Armed with our new-found perspective, let's take a look at the round two offerings, first the Eastern Conference.
Ottawa-Philadelphia
This is Martin against Hitchcock. Both were on the staff of the triumphant Canadian Olympic team but rumours abound that Hitchcock was the man who pulled the team together when it floundered early. Goaltending could be important, to the extent which one (Sens Lalime, Flyers Cechmanek) blows up first. Philly has renewed belief after their game seven victory over Toronto, and the Sens are relieved it's the Flyers and not Toronto. Sens defence is better than Toronto's, but Flyers' Primeau is on fire. Sens will have been off eight days, which is too long. Flyers will win game one and the series in seven.
New Jersey-Tampa Bay
This is Burns against Tortorella. Advantage Jersey. The Devils have Stevens and Daneyko on their back line and those two are a misery to play against. Tampa has speed and skill up front and the Devils have oodles of experience. Brodeur outplays Tampa's Khabibulin in the nets. The Rat thinks this series will be low scoring and much of the play will be between the blue lines. Jersey will have been off seven days and Tampa four. Game one could be awful to watch and Jersey being rusty might lose it. However they win the series in six.
Dallas-Anaheim
Rookie (Tippett) against rookie (Babcock). Anaheim are the darlings of the play- offs after blindsiding the defending champion Red Wings. Goaltender Giguere is currently the leading candidate for the Smythe trophy. The Ducks trapped the Wings to a standstill, aided by a soft Detroit team incapable of running over Anaheim. Dallas is a different proposition. Nasty, hard-hitting, and fast with an ability to forecheck, the Stars should pound on the Ducks. Three returning players, Arnott, Guerin, and Turgeon, provides the Stars a boost. Babcock outcoaches Tippett but Dallas have the better team. Dallas in six.
Vancouver-Minnesota
Crawford against Lemaire. This could be the best coaching matchup of the second round as both coaches are Stanley Cup winners. Lemaire imposes a method on his team and sticks to it. He is the calm at the centre of a storm. Crawford can be a wildman but demonstrated against the Blues a flair for adaptability. He changed the team's breakouts, modified the power play, and then after two third period scares, had them playing an airtight third in game seven. The Wild are small and no Lemaire magic can overcome that. The bigger Canucks will beat on the Wild whose goaltending won't stand up to long stretches of play in their own end. Vancouver continues the roll, winning in five.
