RD 1: Western Conference: #1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. #8 Chicago Blackhawks

[pilldoc]

I will post series dates and times as soon as it is available.

 

 

This will be the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Vegas won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

Edited August 21, 2020 by pilldoc

[yave1964]

Knights in five. Chicago snuck up on the Oilers, it wont happen here.

[mojo1917]

Knights are a team that I feel thinks they have some unfinished business, the way they lost to St Louis was the kind of thing that galvanizes a team or folds it. Watching them in the round robin, they look galvanized. I think they whip the "hawks who will be game but over-matched. 

[pilldoc]

Chicago snuck up on the Oilers.  The Knights won't let that happen and are better prepared.  The Knights also have better goaltending than the Oilers.  This is a good well coached team with speed on defense.  Robin Lehner started two of the three games while Marc-Andre Fleury started one but struggled. I would still start Fleury, as he can shine in the playoffs. Vegas might not score five goals per game, but Chicago has a suspect defense, so they should still put up some points.

 

Chicago was matched against an inept defensive team in Edmonton and won't nearly have space or chances they had in that series. If they can draw penalties, they are still a danger as their power play even though it struggled during the regular season, can and still should be potent with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, emerging rookies Kirby Dach and Dominik Kubalik and Duncan Keith. Corey Crawford is not what he used to be and will struggle to win this series all on his own.

 

The Hawks might get a game or two but that is it.

 

Vegas in 6

Edited August 11, 2020 by pilldoc

[HockeyLdy]

Going with VEGAS to WIN this series... GO !

[FD19372]

Vegas can hit Chicago, and wear them down. They are better defensively, and although Chicago has Toews and Kane... who have had a lot of playoff success, and young snipers like DeBrincat...they don't have the physicality, or depth to beat a team like Vegas. Vegas will be tested at times, but they'll prevail in 6.

[Math]

Goalies: 

Defense: 

Offense: 

Special teams (PP/PK): 

Coaching: 

Mental: 

Experience: 

Robustness: 

Depth: 

[HockeyLdy]

11 minutes ago, Villette/Lavaux said:

Goalies: 

Defense: 

Offense: 

Special teams (PP/PK): 

Coaching: 

Mental: 

Experience: 

Robustness: 

Depth: 

The majority above which is my team will WIN this series...

[OccamsRazor]

I had Vegas in 6.

 

Talk about a underrated move/trade Vegas picking up Alec Martinez. He has been very very good.