This report for the Western Conference discusses the results for games between March 19 and 25th. The point predictions are for the week March 26 to April 1st.
Period of Analysis 19-Mar-06 to 1-Apr-06| Seed | Team | Current Points | Last 10 Points | Predicted Points |
|---|
| 1 | Detroit | 103 | 16 | 109 |
Detroit picked up points in all their games this week. The Wings lost two shoot outs: one to Nashville and one to Columbus. This week the Wings travel to St Louis and Nashville. They return home Friday for a match up with the Blackhawks. The Wings continue to roll. Expect another six points this week.
My percidtions for Dallas last week were bang on. Then again it isn’t hard when the Ducks are red hot and the other two opponents were Minny and Chicago. Dallas will host Calgary tonight. Mid week will see a home and home pair with Anaheim. The Stars end the week in LA facing the Kings. Calgary has been alternating Wins and Loses. They are schedule for a win. I figure the games with Anaheim to be split – home ice wins. I’d suspect the floundering Kings will not right themselves under new coaching in just one week. Give the Stars two wins and four points.
As mentioned above Calgary has gone into a pattern of Win-Loss-Win-Loss. The Flames lost in Minny and Columbus. Both games they should have won. This week brings four games. First is wind up of their long road trip with a win in Dallas. LA visits Calgary mid week followed by Colorado on Friday. LA is a win and Colorado is a loss. Next Saturday night will feature another battle of Alberta for the late game on HNIC. The Oil needs the win more and is on home ice. This week the Flames will pick up four points.
Nashville had an up and down week. They lost in Anaheim and LA but they won in Detroit. They blew a few leads in LA so look for the Preds to come out hard in Scottsdale on Tuesday. The remainder of the week features visits from Detroit and St Louis. Detroit will win. St Louis will not. Give the Predators four points this week.
No your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Yes your red hot Anaheim Mighty Ducks are the west’s fifth seed at this point. The Canard have taken flight with six wins in a row and nine of their last ten. March, to date, they’ve had points in eleven of thirteen games. Their PP has gone nine of fifteen in their last three games. Their PK has given up two goals in the same stretch. This week the Ducks move from Phoenix to Colorado but like have spent time at home between. Later in the week a home and home pair with Dallas is on tap. Colorado has some injuries, so I’ll predict a Anaheim win on the road. With Dallas let’s assume a split. Give Anaheim four points this week.
Colorado lost Svatos and Tanguay. Svatos is done for the year. Tanguay is out for two to three weeks with a strained wheel. Budaj has played all games since Aebischer’s exile. He has posted a very average 4-3 record in seven starts. This week will see both Edmonton and Colorado travel to the mile high city for a Sunday game. Both are coming off wins. Maybe the only difference is the Oil travel east while the Av’s travelled west. Those of you who travel a lot know ‘west is best.’ For those who don’t it is a gain or loss of time zone thing. So Avs win tonight. Mid week is a Ducks visit. I’ll given that one to the Ducks. Friday is a visit to Calgary. I’ll given that one to the Av’s. Total four points for the Av’s this week.
The Canucks didn’t start the week with a lost to Detroit. They started the week by being embarrassed big time by a vastly superior Detroit team. The only thing good to say about the night was that Igor Larionov was in the building signing copies of his DVD. Likely old Igor mentioned he used to play for the Wings without mention of the team he broke into the league with. The expected hand wringing and player’s meetings followed. And surprise it worked; almost. You’d think with three games against your closest rival that this little back to back to back affair with Edmonton would have meant something. Well thanks to these idiotic three point games Vancouver started the week on point behind Edmonton and ended the week tied with them. Edmonton played poorly in the first game. Vancouver played poorly in the third game. The middle game was the most excitement with a come from behind tie and SO win. I will admit that the Shoot Out was exciting – we were all glued to our Pay Per View or CKNW for about ½ an hour while they got that over with. I could rant about three point games until I’m blue in the face. However, on to the week ahead. So did the team meetings really work? We find out on Monday when the Kings come to town. Maybe a PP that is 1 of 17 in it’s last three games isn’t a worry. Maybe all the odd man rushes Edmonton had on Saturday, including a shorthanded goal, are not a concern. Maybe the team is all pulling on the right end of the same rope. After LA we in Vancouver get the treat of two home games with those damn Minnesota Wild. Who knows how it will go? The maximum anguish would be a loss to LA and a split with Minny. On the other hand if they win over LA, I can see them winning both over the Wild. Optimistic six points. Pessimistic two points. Let’s say realistic four points. Sorry Nucks 86 points will be good enough for ninth spot come April 1.
For analysis of how Edmonton’s game went just see Vancouver. They picked up three of six points. Vancouver picked up four of six. Edmonton started the week one up on Vancouver. They end the week tied in points but Vancouver ahead in the seeds with three additional wins. Edmonton travels from Vancouver to Colorado for a game tonight. I’ve given that one to the Av’s. The Oilers return home to face the Wild, Kings and Flames. I’ll give all those games to Edmonton. Six points this week will hold Edmonton back in eighth seed.
Outside looking in.LA had a win over Nashville under new coach John Torchetti. However Pavol Dimitra is out for nasal surgery and JR broke his ankle in the Nashville game. I do not see the Kings going anywhere but down. Sorry LA no points in the death triangle – order Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton or when you return home to face the Stars.
With LA in trouble and with four games against bottom feeders this week it is time to start to watch the Sharks. In their last ten the Sharks have picked up points in nine including seven wins. The Sharks have Chicago and the CBJ’s on the road. They return home to face the Desert Dogs twice. There is no reason to expect that the Sharks wouldn’t win all of these. Eight points will put the Sharks into the post season dance. If tied at 88 points with Edmonton the Sharks get the advange from having one more win.
Current Dance Partners.
If the playoff were to start on April 2nd my predictions for match ups are as follows:
Detroit – Edmonton
Dallas – San Jose
Calgary – Colorado
Nashville – Anaheim
Bert - Nassy - Trevor six points this week or:
Capilano Golf & Country Club
420 Southborough Dr., West Vancouver, BC V7S 1M2 Canada
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Ciao,
Tags: hockey; Detroit+Red+Wings; Dallas+Stars; Calgary+Flames; Nashville+Predators; Vancouver+Canucks; Los+Angles+Kings; Edmonton+Oilers; Colorado+Avalanche; Anaheim+Ducks; San+Jose+Sharks
Calgary's predicted point total should be 90 not 100. I'll not fix it.
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