Final NORTH Standings
1st Toronto Maple Leafs 0 35-14-7 77 29 34 187-148+39
2nd Edmonton Oilers 0 35-19-2 72 31 35 183-154+29
3rd Winnipeg Jets 0 30-23-3 63 24 30 170-154+16
4th Montreal Canadiens 0 24-21-11 59 20 23 159-168-9
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5th Calgary Flames 0 26-27-3 55 22 25 156-161-5
6th Ottawa Senators 0 23-28-5 51 18 21 157-190-33
7th Vancouver Canucks 0 23-29-4 50 17 20 151-188-37
2nd Edmonton vs Winnipeg 3rd
The two teams have never played since the Atlanta Thrashers moves to Winnipeg but played six times against original Winnipeg before they moved to Arizona in the 96-97 season. The regular season record Edmonton 7-2-0, Winnipeg 2-7-0. What I would like to see most is how one of the best goalies in the league in Connor Hellebuyck deals with what is arguably the best player in the planet in Connor McDavid. Connor Hellebuyck is a good goaltender but Connor McDavid can score at will as shown by him getting 105 points in 56 games in the regular season and I would like to see who wins this battle.
Edmonton has advantage offensively
Edmonton has advantage defensively
Winnipeg has advantage on goaltending
My Projected lineups for Game 1
Edmonton
R.Hopkins-C.McDavid-J.Puljujarvi
D.Kahun-L.Draisaitl- K.Yamamoto
J.Neal-K.Turris-A.Chiasson
T.Ennis-J.Khaira-J.Archibald
D.Nurse-E.Bear
D.Kulikov-T.Barrie
S.Koekkoek-A.Larsson
M.Smith
M.Koskinen
Spares
G.Haas-D.Shore-C.Jones-A.Stalock
Winnipeg
B.Wheeler-M.Scheifele-K.Connor
A.Copp-P.Stastny-M.Perrault
K.Vesalainen-A.Lowry-M.Appleton
J.Harkins-N.Thompson-T.Lewis
J.Morrissey-D.Demelo
D.Forbort-N.Pionk
J.Benn-T.Poolman
C.Hellebuyck
L.Brossoit
Spares
D.Gustafsson-D.Toninato-L.Stanley-E.Comrie
My prediction: Edmonton in 6
Reason: easy two words Connor McDavid. The art ross trophy winner was able to score 100 points in 53 games and that is a rare feat. Combine that with Leon Draisaitl’s 31 goal season, Darnell Nurse playing like a number one defensemen and Mike Smith playing at a unreal level it would be quite suprising if the Oilers did not win this series. However I don’t think the Jets are going down without a fight. Connor Hellebuyck is a great goaltender and the forwards like Connor and Scheifele will win them one or two games in this series but Connor McDavid and the Oilers should move on to round two.
1st Toronto vs Montreal 4th
This is the 15TH postseason meeting between the two teams first since 1979 and Montreal won 8 of the 15 series. The regular season record vs the other team: Montreal 3-6-1, Toronto 7-2-1. I am really looking forward to seeing how the Canadiens are going to handle Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs. The Canadiens will get back Carey Price and Shea Weber giving them their best defensemen and one of the league’s best goalies in Carey Price but how will they stop the Leafs offense. Matthews scored 41 goals Marner had over 65 points and their top nine can score at Will so seeing how this plays out will be Interesting.
Toronto has advantage offensively
Toronto has advantage defensively
Montreal has a advantage on goaltending
My Projected lineups for Game 1
Toronto
N.Foligno-A.Matthews-M.Marner
Z.Hyman-J.Tavares-W.Nylander
J.Thorton-A.Kerfoot-A.Galchenyuk
W.Simmonds-R.Nash-J.Spezza
M.Reilly-T.J Brodie
J.Muzzin-J.Holl
R.Sandin-T.Dermott
J.Campbell
F.Anderson
Spares
I.Mikheyev-P.Engval-B.Hutton-D.Riitich
Montreal
T.Tatar-P.Danault-B.Gallagher
T.Toffoli-N.Suzuki-J.Anderson
J.Armia-J.Kotkaniemi-C.Perry
P.Byron-E.Staal-A.Lehkonen
B.Chiarot-S.Weber
J.Merrill-A.Romanov
J.Edmundson-J.Petry
C.Price
J.Allen
Spares
C.Caufield-J.Evans-E.Gustafsson-C.Primeau
My prediction Toronto in 4
Reason: Montreal is a good up and coming team that suprised a lot of teams when they beat Pittsburgh in the play in round and made it a series vs the Flyers last year but let’s be real no team in Canada can beat Toronto right now. The Maple Leafs have a slight avantage in the forward group and with Matthews and Marner playing the way they are and the fact that they are getting body’s like Anderson, Nash, and Hyman back should give them the advantage and even though Montreal will get Price Weber and Gallagher back it is Toronto’s series to lose.
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