NHL Playoffs: Predictions for April 23rd

Man, that was a long crazy night of hockey last night. Ready for more? Good. Here are the top picks, plays and predictions for this day in the NHL playoffs.

Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.

#3 Rangers vs #2 Penguins: Anyone in the New York market remember that Larry Brooks article that came out in January that proclaimed Zed was dead? The headline was literally “The Rangers are done.” Remember that one and how the Rangers used that as motivation for their next game?

Let’s spell it out one more time for them in hopes of making today’s game at least entertaining: Zed is absolutely dead. Summer has come early for the New York Rangers. The Penguins are going to thrash them tonight.

This series has been the tale of two teams. The Penguins have looked poised and confident on the puck. Their special teams have been operating with ease and success and they have been spreading the wealth scoring-wise up and down the lineup. The Rangers look discombobulated and lost. Their penalty kill is a joke. Their bench looks dead and Alain Vigneault’s changes are either falling on deaf ears or they are nonexistent to begin with.

It has the feel of the 2013 five-game series loss to the Boston Bruins for the Blueshirts. Meaning it is a swift kick in the pants that could very well lead to some sweeping changes.

It may seem like I’m focusing more on the Rangers here, but that’s because there really is not much to talk about right now for the Pens. They have been manhandling New York all series, and all season if we’re being real. Evgeni Malkin has come back from his injury strong. Phil Kessel has been all over the ice. Matt Cullen has been a pleasant surprise this season.

Tonight could very well be the last game as a Ranger for Keith Yandle, Dan Boyle, Viktor Stalberg and/or Dominic Moore. All of them have contracts that are up at the end of the year. Yandle will likely seek a long-term extension that the Rangers just cannot offer in their present situation. Boyle and Moore could very well retire. Stalberg was a cheap one-year signing, like Lee Stempniak and Benoit Pouliot before him.

Remember when I said Vigneault’s changes have been nonexistent? There is one change he made: scratching Kevin Hayes. I’ll just leave this here:

https://twitter.com/brandonco4/status/723284737306009601

Also, maybe it was a miscalculation on the parts of some of the beat writers that were covering yesterday’s practice, but from their reports Eric Staal was not taking line rushes. Both Hayes and Oscar Lindberg skated on the bottom six and there was no overt mention of Staal sliding up to the top six. Take that as you will.

Prediction: Rejoice, Pens fans. You have well-earned this series victory. Celebrate tonight by taking Pittsburgh to win. Play the over.

WC1 Predators vs #1 Ducks: The NHL’s road series heads back to Anaheim tonight tied 2-2. After switching out goaltenders and tightening up the forecheck, the Ducks outscored the Predators 7-1 in Nashville for Games 3 and 4. Nashville looked jittery with the puck, and Pekka Rinne has been hung out to try on more than one occasion.

Frederik Andersen has stopped 57-of-58 shots thrown his way in two starts this series.

The Ducks’ forwards caused a lot of havoc in the attacking zone, and their successes were accentuated by Bruce Boudreau’s lineup shuffling. Chris Stewart has come into his own on the forecheck, forcing a lot of turnovers and creating some prime chances off turnovers for his linemates. He had two points in Game 3 and an assist in Game 4. Jamie McGinn also had himself a nice pair of games. Shawn Horcoff entered the lineup in place of Chris Wagner and did a fine job.

Nashville has reason to be frustrated, especially on the man advantage. They went a combined 0-for-11 on the powerplay in their two home games, peppering Andersen with 16 shots on goal. They are just 1-for-19 in the series. Shea Weber’s powerplay goal in Game 2 proved to be the game-winner.

Anaheim has found a bit of their swagger back, which is the worst possible thing that could have happened for Nashville. They needed to head back home and stomp on the Ducks’ throats and rattle their cage even further. Instead, they have let them escape and now they head back home with all the momentum.

Worse still for Nashville- Craig Smith is questionable for tonight’s game. Smith had 21 goals and 16 assists this season bouncing around the top six. He had a goal and an assist in the first three games of the series.

Prediction: Even though the home team has yet to win a game this series, my money is on the Ducks. Take Anaheim to win. Play the under.

#2 Blues vs #3 Blackhawks: With their backs against the wall, the Chicago Blackhawks managed to escape and live to fight another day. Patrick Kane scored a beauty of an overtime-winner and just like that the Hawks are heading back home for a Game 6.

There’s no way Chicago could drop all three games at the United Center this series…right?

Well, there is the fact that the only reason Kane’s heroics were necessary was because the Hawks blew a two-goal lead in the third period.

Also of note, the Blackhawks only managed to draw one powerplay opportunity in 83 minutes of play. Either the refs are swallowing their whistles or the Blues are very disciplined. Watching this series for more than 10 minutes will tell you it’s a little of column A, little of column B.

Alex Pietrangelo notched three assists in Game 5, giving him five on the series.

The Hawks are now 8-1 in their last nine elimination games. That is absurd. And they will be getting Andrew Shaw back from his suspension.

Prediction: There’s simply no way that Joel Quenneville’s Blackhawks are getting swept at home in a playoff series. Take the Blackhawks to win. Play the under.