NHL Bracket Busting – SabreNoise Style
By Tim Redinger
Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
So this year, the staff here at SabreNoise is having our own little bracket busting challenge. Each writer has submitted to me how they think the Stanley Cup is going to play out.
Below you will see the predictions for each writer – We will keep track as each series ends – and at the end when one team is crowned Stanley Cup Champions at the end of the playoff race – we will have one winner on the staff that has successfully picked the Stanley Cup Champion.
Tie breakers will go to the team that selected the most series correct in route to selecting the Stanley Cup Champion.
Do the Los Angeles Kings have what it takes to repeat? Are the Chicago Blackhawks strong enough to carry their success? Are the Pittsburgh Penguins dream team able to live up to the hype? Here are the picks of the SabreNoise team – who will be the last man standing?
Andrew chimes in with his picks, and at first I wanted to say he went with the safe bet of pitting the Blackhawks against the Penguins – but it could turn out to be that kind of year.
Round 1
PIT def NYI 4-2
OTT def MTL 4-3
WAS def NYR 4-3
BOS def TOR 4-2
CHI def MIN 4-1
ANA def DET 4-1
VAN def SJ 4-3
LAK def STL 4-2
Round 2
PIT def OTT 4-2
WAS def BOS 4-3
CHI def LAK 4-2
ANA def VAN 4-1
Round 3
PIT def WAS 4-2
CHI def ANA 4-2
Coupe De Stanley
CHI def PIT in a thrilling Game 7 OT victory.
Rich went a little out in left – and has the Anaheim Ducks outlasting in the Western Conference? Think someone has a little bit of Gordon Bombay fever – someone may want to see if he is walking around quacking at his boss.
1st Round:
Chicago def. Minnesota 4-0
Anaheim def. Detroit 4-3
San Jose def. Vancouver 4-2
LA def. St. Louis 4-3
Pitt def. NYI 4-1
Monteal def. Ottawa 4-2
NYR def. Washington 4-2
Toronto def. Boston 4-2
2nd Round:
Chicago def San Jose 4-1
Anaheim def. LA 4-2
Pitt def. NYR 4-2
Toronto def. Montreal 4-3
3rd round:
Anaheim def. Chicago 4-3
Pitt def. Toronto 4-2
Stanley Cup
Anaheim def. Pitt 4-3
Kevin is one of our silent partners, creeping behind the scenes cleaning up our editing – but he is no less a hockey fan. He is also going with the top two teams from the regular season, but has the Penguins winning it all.
1st Round:
Chicago def. Minnesota 4-1
Anaheim def. Detroit 4-2
San Jose def. Vancouver 4-2
St. Louis def. LA 4-3
Pitt def. NYI 4-0
Monteal def. Ottawa 4-1
NYR def. Washington 4-2
Boston def. Toronto 4-1
2nd Round:
Chicago def San Jose 4-2
Anehiem def. St. Louis 4-1
Pitt def. NYR 4-2
Montreal def. Boston 4-3
3rd round:
Chicago def. Anehiem 4-3
Pitt def. Montreal 4-2
Stanley Cup
Pitt def. Chicago 4-3
Cory has his votes in – and he has the St. Louis Blues bringing a trip to the Finals to the greatest stage on earth – the Stanley Cup Finals – finally falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Round 1:
PIT def NYI 4-1
MTL def OTT 4-2
NYR def WAS 4-2
BOS def TOR 4-0
CHI def MIN 4-0
DET def ANA 4-2
VAN def SJ 4-3
STL def LAK 4-3
Round 2:
PIT def NYR 4-3
BOS def MTL 4-2
CHI def DET 4-1
STL def VAN 4-2
Round 3:
PIT def BOS 4-3
STL def CHI 4-3
Cup Finals:
PIT def STL 4-1
Bringing his patriotism and snark off Twitter – Travis chimes in and hopes/thinks the Washington Capitals spark lightning in a bottle this year and take it all the way, at least until they reach the finals.
"Round 1:PIT def NYI 4-3MTL def OTT 4-2WAS def NYR 4-3TOR def BOS 4-2CHI def MIN 4-1ANA def DET 4-2SJ def VAN 4-2STL def LAK 4-3Round 2:PIT def TOR 4-2WAS def MTL 4-2CHI def SJ 4-1STL def ANA 4-3Round 3:WAS def PIT 4-2CHI def STL 4-1Cup Finals:CHI def WAS 4-2"
Caitlin – flubbed in her picks slightly because she forget to reseed a couple of teams properly, but the end result is the same – and thinks the Kings have what it takes to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions for the first time since Detroit in the 90s.
Pittsburgh def. the Isladers in 5 games
Montreal def. Ottawa in 7
Washington def Rangers in 7
Boston def Leafs in 6
Chicago beats min in 5 games
Detroit beats Anadeim in 7
San Jose beats Vancouver in 6 games
LA beats St. Louis in 6 games
Rd 2.
Boston def. Pittsburgh in 7
Washington def Montreal in 5
LA Beats Chicago in 7
Detroit beats San jose 6
Rd 3.
Boston defeats Washington in 6
LA beats Detroit in 6
Finals
LA vs. Boston
LA wins in 6
Pittsburgh def. the Isladers in 5 games
Montreal def. Ottawa in 7
Washington def Rangers in 7
Boston def Leafs in 6
Chicago beats min in 5 games
Detroit beats Anadeim in 7
San Jose beats Vancouver in 6 games
LA beats St. Louis in 6 games
Rd 2.
Boston def. Pittsburgh in 7
Washington def Montreal in 5
LA Beats Chicago in 7
Detroit beats San jose 6
Rd 3.
Boston defeats Washington in 6
LA beats Detroit in 6
Finals
LA vs. Boston
LA wins in 6
Honest – AJ and Andrew are different people, but again a Chicago over Pittsburgh seven game Stanley Cup Series – how awesome would that series be.
Round 1:
CHI def MIN 4-0
DET def ANA 4-2
SJS def VAN 4-3
LAK def STL 4-1
PIT def NYI 4-1
OTT def MTL 4-3
WSH def NYR 4-2
BOS def TOR 4-1
Round 2:
CHI def DET 4-2
LAK def SJS 4-1
PIT def OTT 4-2
BOS def WSH 4-3
Conference Finals:
CHI def LAK 4-2
PIT def BOS 4-3
Cup Finals:
CHI def PIT 4-3
I have got to hand it to another one of our newer writers – Mark has gone outside the box, and stands proud to say that he thinks this is the year the Washington Capitals bring the Stanley Cup to the Nation’s capital, not just for a presidential visit, but for a parade.
Hawks over Wild 4-1
Ducks over Wings 4-3
Sharks over Canucks 4-2
Kings over Blues 4-2
Hawks over Sharks 4-2
Ducks over Kings 4-3
Hawks over Ducks 4-2
Pens over Isles 4-1
Leafs over Bruins 4-3
Caps over Rangers 4-1
Ottawa over Canadians 4-2
Pens over Ottawa 4-2
Caps over Leafs 4-1
Caps over Pens 4-3
Caps over Hawks 4-2
And me, not sure where I stand – I don’t really pick my favorites and my rooting interests until the second round when the Sabres are not involved, but here goes.
Round One
Pittsburgh defeats NYI 4-1
Montreal defeats Ottawa 4-2
NYR defeats Washington 4-1
Boston defeats Toronto 4-0
Chicago defeats Minnesota 4-0
Anaheim Defeats Detroit 4-3
San Jose defeats Vancouver 4-2
Los Angeles defeats St. Louis 4-2
Round 2
Chicago defeats Los Angeles 4-2
Anaheim defeats San Jose 4-3
Boston defeats Pittsburgh 4-2
New York Rangers defeat Montreal 4-2
Round Three
Chicago defeats Anaheim 4-2
New York Rangers defeat Boston 4-3
Stanley Cup
Chicago defeats NYR 4-2
Whose got the right bracket?