Mid-Round Musings #1
Well, the first series is over, the others well on their way. Here are some thoughts on the playoffs so far:
Biggest positive surprise (team): San Jose Sharks
I wouldn’t have been so surprised had San Jose won the series, but I am very surprised they’ve manhandled the Predators the way they have. I’m particularly surprised that they’ve done so without Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo or their powerplay doing the work. San Jose is just so big and so strong up front, they’ve worn down the Preds at every opportunity. These guys are built for the playoffs. Evgeny Nabokov is proving to be worth his weight in gold, too.
Biggest positive surprise (player): Zach Parise
Wow. Even when the rest of his team isn’t doing so well, this sophomore is tearing it up in the playoffs. That’s a good thing, because the big line has been surprisingly dormant and Martin Brodeur has yet to steal a game for the Devils.
Biggest negative surprise (team): New Jersey Devils
Did the Devils miss the memo on Johan Holmqvist and the Tampa Bay Lightning? Having managed to salvage a split after losing two of the first three games, the Devils have consistently failed to put pressure on the thin Tampa blueline and are making Holmqvist look like an all-star.
Biggest negative surprise (player): Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa, Keith Tkachuk
I’m giving young Kari Lehtonen a full break because of how poorly the goaltending was managed by the Thrashers in this series. The big three needed to perform for Atlanta because the rest of their lineup was iffy at best. They didn’t, and the Thrashers were swept. Anyone surprised?