It's Time To Get Cup Crazy!
April 21, 2002

Courtesy of On The Wall
Story By: Navin Vaswani

April is upon us once again and that only means one thing; it's time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The madness is about to begin.

In the Eastern Conference, it has been a tight race all year. Toronto, Philadelphia and Boston have all spent time at the top, but it looks like Boston will finish as the #1 seed. However, any team can come out on top. All three sport deep, talented veteran line-ups.

It looks like another chapter will be written in the Battle of Ontario, and I think it'll be much like the first two. The heartless Senators will put up a better fight this year, but in the end, it will always come down to Patrick Lalime versus Curtis Joseph. It doesn't matter that Cujo is coming off the injured list; Toronto still has the advantage.

Look out for the Leafs. If they can get everyone healthy, this team can easily come out on top in the East. They took nine out of a possible 10 points against Boston and held their own against teams like Philly and New Jersey.

The New York Islanders will be going to the dance for the first time in nine years. They'll be eager to restore the winning tradition Long Island used to be known for.

Speaking of the Devils, they can't be counted out either. Since firing Larry Robinson, they have been on quite a roll. Joe Nieuwendyk has ignited their offence, and Martin Brodeur has been spectacular since winning Olympic gold.

Thanks to the heroics of Jose Theodore, the Montreal Canadiens will make their first playoff appearance in four years, likely against the rival Bruins. I like Montreal in this series; the Habs, who will be welcoming back captain
Saku Koivu from cancer, could ride Koivu's emotional lift and Theodore's Hart Trophy-type play to a major upset.

Overall, the East is totally up for grabs. The Devils will probably finish 7th, but have just as good a shot as Philadelphia or Boston, to make a trip to the Finals. The favourites would have to be Boston, Toronto and Philly, but with a little luck, it could get really interesting.

In the Western Conference, Detroit is still a heavy favourite, along with the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado is playing sensational hockey after a slow start, thanks to team leaders Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic. The acquisition of bruising blue-liner Darius Kasparaitis will no doubt help the Avs, and if they can get Peter Forsberg and Milan Hejduk back, beware. The real Stanley Cup final might be a series between Colorado and the Red Wings.

The rest of the Western Conference is rather even. Chicago came out of nowhere this season and has surprised everyone with its consistency. However, I don't picture Jocelyn Thibault as a big-game goalie able to steal a series. The Hawks will need a lot of things to go right in order to advance.

San Jose and Los Angeles are two solid teams, with strong offence, steady defence and good goaltending. Both teams could cause some damage, as Los Angeles did last year. I really like L.A.'s mix of grit, skill, youth and size. As for the Sharks, Owen Nolan will have to lead the way, and they'll need better production from guys like Teemu Selanne and better goaltending from Evgeni Nabokov.

The St. Louis Blues have a payroll double that of the Phoenix Coyotes, but heading into the last week of the regular season, only one point separates the two clubs. If St. Louis had a legitimate number one goaltender, they would be one of the strongest teams in the NHL. But Brent Johnson and Fred Braithwaite have both been suspect, and in the playoffs, goaltending is everything.

Speaking of goaltending, the Coyotes and goalie Sean Burke have been marvellous all year. Burke has only lost four games since the All-Star break. However, they will miss Danny Markov's presence on the blue line. He has developed into a solid two-way defenseman, and his broken foot will likely keep him out of the first round at least.

Vancouver and Edmonton could still yet miss the playoffs, but if they make it, they could be one of the teams causing an upset. Vancouver has triumphed despite a slow start; they've been the NHL's best team in the second half. The Canucks have a powerful offence, led by Markus Naslund and the NHL's most improved player, Todd Bertuzzi.

Edmonton is led by hometown hero Mike Comrie, Olympian Ryan Smyth and budding star Anson Carter. Netminder Tommy Salo has recovered nicely since his unfortunate Olympic experience. The Oilers could surprise.

The Stars have had a horrendous season. It doesn't look like they'll make the playoffs and that will be very surprising for a franchise that made the Stanley Cup final two straight years (1999-2000). It looks like more changes are due in Big D; can you say "bye bye Eddie Belfour?"

Other than the Red Wings, there really is no clear cut favourite to take home Lord Stanley. I'm sure Colorado will put up a strong fight in their quest to repeat, and the Leafs are desperate to end their 35-year drought. It will be interesting to see which lower seeds can make it to the second and maybe third round, in both conferences.

I don't know about you, but April 17th can't come soon enough. GO LEAFS GO!!