This is the time of year where the matchups are spread out just a little extra. There has been a playoff game everyday since the beginning of the playoffs over two weeks ago. Round 2 gets underway tonight as the Nashville Predators face the Phoenix Coyotes. First off, here is our list of previews…..please read these fantasy hockey and hockey fans alike.
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SCRIBES IN THE BATTLEFIELD:
Buddy Oakes — Preds On The Glass
Ryan Porth — Smashville 24/7 (podcast)
Five For Howling — PP, D, F, Season Review, G
Sarah McLellan — Coyotes, Preds Have Much In Common
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FANTASY MEETS REALITY:
Well this has the makings of being a series of the unknown. Why is that? Sinply there is no true way to gauge how this may go at times. The regular season series was split as the teams combined to score nine goals in the last meeting and there was seven in the first one. Therefore, goals can be had but this is the playoffs! Antoine Vermette has four goals for Phoenix while Gabriel Bourque has three tallies for Nashville. Keith Yandle and Alex Radulov both have five points each for their respective squads.
We have not even begin to touch the goaltending either. The quick goaltending impression seems to simply be both goalies can steal a series and we could be in for some low scoring, long, and drawn out games. That is not necessarily the case. Both teams do have the ability to provide unexpected depth scoring. We saw it between these two during the regular season. The key is going to be which goalie weathers the storms best. The goalie that makes the most second and third saves on specialty situations is likely going to win this series. That makes for quite the clash.
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SCHEDULE TIME:
Friday, April 27, 2012 |
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| Teams | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | at | Phoenix | 9:00 PM | ||
Yes all seems ready to roll for Round 2 and this Game 1. There is still a part of me that thinks it should all be reseeded but this is how it is. Phoenix has the home ice and Nashville must find a way to strike first to take home ice advantage away. Phoenix is going to have to avoid playing with fire in this series as they blew several leads and the propensity for overtime needs to stop also. It will be even more fun to see how both teams play the first 20. That may give us some answers
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HOW THIS MIGHT PLAY OUT:
Game 1 is the toughest game to even try and figure out. Mike Smith and Pekka Rinne were awesome in Round 1 with just about similar GAA and very good save percentages. Smith has been the hottest fantasy player over the last two months but Rinne is no slouch. Remember Rinne is the one who stopped 80+ shots in two games in Detroit. Little more honestly needs to be said there. Both goalies do have a tendency to give up a couple in bunches. That is what will make this series a good bit less predticable. The key again is simply going to be the three phases combined with the unknown fator of a Gee 2. Early on, it will have some twists and turns similar to a novel. Now we present our three stars.
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Our Three Stars:
1. Mike Smith
2 Pekka Rinne
3. Shane Doan
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Good luck everyone and welcome to Round 2. Thanks for reading and the night cap for Saturday will be up before one knows it.
