As we move to Round Two of the NHL Playoffs, I must say that I did pretty well with the Round One predictions. I went 7-1, and correctly picking the Red Wings, Rangers, and Bruins in seven games. The only blemish on the mark was the Blues. I’m not sure what the Blues need to do to improve, but a good start would be not playing the Kings in the playoffs.

On to Round Two we go…

#1	Seed	#7
4-1	Playoff Record	4-3
3.40	G/G	2.57
1.40	GA/G	3.00
15.4	PP%	24.0
100.0	PK%	72.0

Series: Detroit leads 2-1

The Blackhawks won the season series 4-0 and outscored the Wings 14-5.

Rivalry matchups like these are usually pretty hard to predict, but this one should be a bit easier.

The Red Wings will certainly give Chicago a tough time, but they just don’t have the firepower to overcome the depth of the Blackhawks.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score: Chicago 70.8

Probability prediction: Blackhawks in four.

My Prediction: Blackhawks in six.

#5	Seed	#6
4-2	Playoff Record	4-0
2.00	G/G	3.75
1.67	GA/G	2.00
13.3	PP%	29.2
88.2	PK%	80.0

Series: Tied 2-2

The teams split the season series 2-2, with the Kings outscoring the Sharks 13-10.

The Kings beat a team that I thought had a good chance of making it to the Final, so that has to count for something, I guess.

The Sharks beat the Canucks pretty handily, but I feel the Canucks just weren’t as good as many thought they were.

This is definitely a very hard series to predict: It could be very high scoring, which gives the edge to San Jose, or it could be low scoring, and played tightly and physically, which is what the Kings would prefer.

I think it falls somewhere in between, with San Jose opening up some games, and the Kings adjusting to play their game in others.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score: San Jose 27.3

Probability prediction: Sharks in six.

My Prediction: Sharks in seven.

And the East…

#1	Seed	#7
4-2	Playoff Record	4-1
4.17	G/G	4.00
2.83	GA/G	1.80
33.3	PP%	24.0
90.0	PK%	84.2

Series: Pittsburgh leads 2-1

The Penguins swept the season series 3-0 and more than doubled the Sens goal total 9-4.

The Senators took advantage of a struggling Canadiens team and literally beat them up in the first round.

The Penguins struggled at times against a young, quick Islanders team, and the Senators could provide the same type of problem.

This series may come down to home ice, and the Penguins have that.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score: Penguins 33.8

Probability prediction: Pittsburgh in six.

My Prediction: Penguins in seven.

#4	Seed	#6
4-3	Playoff Record	4-3
3.14	G/G	2.29
2.57	GA/G	1.71
15.0	PP%	7.1
76.2	PK%	81.2

Series: Boston leads 3-0

The Rangers won two games against the Bruins in the regular season, one in OT and the other in the shootout. The Bruins won a game in regulation. The teams each scored nine goals in the season series.

The Bruins are fresh off one of the greatest Game 7 comebacks ever, while the Rangers cruised through their Game 7 against the Caps.

The Rangers continue to struggle to score goals, with their five goals yesterday bringing their goals/game average up to 2.29, and their 7.1% power play percentage is just awful.

Unless the Rangers can find their scoring touch, this series may be one-sided.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score: Bruins 19.4

Probability prediction: Boston in six.

My Prediction: Bruins in six.

This past Thursday was the first one, and Bruce Driver was the guest.

You can find the full video below.  Make sure to tune in on Thursdays at 1PM for a new Devils alum Q&A.

We’ll start with the Western Conference since those are easier to pick because there’s little to no emotional connection. I’ll write a little about each series, followed by something I’m trying out: my win probability score.

I use various stats and my own formula to come up with this number.

As a reference point, a score of around 75+ would be the most likely to be a series sweep, while a score closer to 0 is most likely to see a seven game series as the teams are almost evenly matched.

I’m just beginning to try this out, but let’s see how it works.

#1	Seed	#8
36-7-5	Record	26-19-3
3.10	G/G	2.46
2.02	GA/G	2.60
16.7	PP%	17.9
87.2	PK%	80.7

Series: Chicago wins 4-1

The Blackhawks won the season series 2-0-1 and outscored the Wild 8-6.

The Wild went 4-5-1 in their last 10, but were also faced with playoff-like games down the stretch to even make it in to the playoffs. This could help, or it could hurt them.

Minnesota was 7th worst in the NHL (0.88) and only one of two teams to make the playoffs (Isles – 0.98) in 5-on-5 goals for/against ratio. Chicago had a NHL best 1.52 ratio.

Chicago is a deep team, and that will be the difference. I see some close games, and the Blackhawks have the type of players that make the difference in those games.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score: Chicago 78.0

Probability prediction: Blackhawks in four.

My Prediction: Blackhawks in four.

#2	Seed	#7
30-12-6	Record	24-16-8
2.79	G/G	2.54
2.40	GA/G	2.29
21.5	PP%	18.4
81.5	PK%	81.7

Series: Detroit wins 4-3

The Red Wings won the season series 2-1, outscoring Anaheim 9-7.

The Ducks were somewhat of a surprising team this season, as were the Wings, for different reasons.

Anaheim got scoring from a wide variety of players this season, but their top line players are still the key for them. Detroit had been in somewhat of a scoring slump towards the end of the season, but picked it up right when they needed it most.

Jimmy Howard is the key as I can see him stealing a game or two and being the difference in this series.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score:  Anaheim 34.0

Probability prediction: Ducks in six.

My Prediction: Red Wings in seven.

#3	Seed	#6
26-15-7	Record	25-16-7
2.54	G/G	2.42
2.40	GA/G	2.33
15.8	PP%	20.1
84.0	PK%	85.0

Series: San Jose wins 4-0

The Sharks swept the season series 3-0 and doubled up the Canucks in goals 10-5.

This might be the most evenly matched of all first round series. The only advantage I see is the Sharks’ slight edge in depth scoring.

While Schneider is the top goalie in Vancouver, the fact that Luongo is there to step right in at the first hint of struggle might not necessarily be a good thing.

If the series goes seven, Vancouver could pull it out as the home team.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score: Sharks 52.1

Probability prediction: San Jose in five.

My Prediction: Sharks in six.

#4	Seed	#5
29-17-2	Record	27-16-5
2.58	G/G	2.73
2.38	GA/G	2.38
19.5	PP%	19.9
84.7	PK%	83.2

Series: Los Angeles wins 4-2

The Kings won the season series 3-0 and outscored the Blues 14-7.

The Kings seem to have the Blues’ number, as they have won eight in a row against them, including a sweep last season’s playoffs.

While that may seem like an advantage, the law of averages says the Blues are due for a few wins.

Goaltending might be the key to this series as both Quick and Elliott have played below their expectations. If one of them can get hot, it will likely be the difference.

St. Louis starting at home might be the slight edge the Blues (and Elliott) need.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score: St. Louis 08.5

Probability prediction: Blues in seven.

My Prediction: Blues in seven.

And now, the Eastern Conference…

#1	Seed	#8
36-12-0	Record	24-17-7
3.38	G/G	2.81
2.48	GA/G	2.83
24.7	PP%	19.9
79.6	PK%	80.3

Series: Pittsburgh wins 4-2

The Penguins won the season series 4-1 and outscored the Islanders 17-9.

It looks like Sidney Crosby won’t be ready for this series, but the Penguins didn’t miss a beat without him. If other key guys like Malkin and Letang can stay healthy, it could be all they need to advance.

The Islanders always seem to play the Pens well, and being able to steal a game on the road might be huge for their confidence. Getting to Fleury early might be the best way to get to the Penguins, and the Islanders special teams might be a good way to do that.

Overall, the Penguins are just way too deep and should win this series against a young Islanders team.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score: Pittsburgh 57.6

Probability prediction: Penguins in five.

My Prediction: Penguins in six.

#2	Seed	#7
29-14-5	Record	25-17-6
3.04	G/G	2.33
2.58	GA/G	2.08
20.7	PP%	15.9
79.8	PK%	88.0

Series: Ottawa wins 4-1

The teams split the season series with each team winning in regulation once, and once in the shootout. Ottawa outscored Montreal 11-8.

Montreal has been struggling lately, and no one has struggled more than Carey Price. If he can’t find his game soon, this series might get ugly for the Habs.

Ottawa won games that they needed to down the stretch, and they won games during the season that many thought they wouldn’t after some big injuries. Getting Karlsson back is huge, and might be just what the Sens need to pull off an upset.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score: Ottawa 27.5

Probability prediction: Senators in six.

My Prediction: Ottawa in six.

#3	Seed	#6
27-18-3	Record	26-18-4
3.04	G/G	2.62
2.71	GA/G	2.25
26.8	PP%	15.7
77.9	PK%	81.1

Series: NY wins 4-3

New York won the season series 2-1 and outscored the Caps 8-5.

Two of the hottest teams coming into the playoffs, and two teams that are very familiar with each other in the playoffs in recent years.

The difference in this one may be special teams, as the Caps have the best PP% of any playoff team, but also the worst PK%. The Rangers come in with the second worst PP% of all playoff teams, and their PK% isn’t exactly near the top either.

If Washington can get solid play from their defense and Holtby can be the same Holtby we saw previously in the playoffs, it might give the Caps an edge. That is a big “if” though…

I see this being one of the most wide open and highest scoring series in round one, and thus pretty hard to get a good idea of just who comes out on top.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score: Capitals 74.0

Probability prediction: Washington in four.

My Prediction: Rangers in seven.

#4	Seed	#5
28-14-6	Record	26-17-5
2.65	G/G	3.02
2.21	GA/G	2.67
14.8	PP%	18.7
87.1	PK%	87.9

Series: Boston wins 4-3

The Bruins won the season series 3-1 and outscored the Leafs 10-7.

The Bruins limped into the playoffs so the hope is they can shake that off quickly. Tuukka Rask put up Vezina-worthy numbers this season, so he can certainly carry the team until the scoring comes around. Their PP%, worst of all playoff teams, is troubling, but Boston has the personnel to turn that around.

While Boston’s experience is definitely a good thing, Toronto’s playoff inexperience, and the pressure that will be put on them, may ultimately be what decides this series. Starting off on the road may be much better for them than starting at home.

Experience matters and I think that’s what ends up being the difference.

Speaking of the Devils win probability score: Toronto 41.5

Probability prediction: Maple Leafs in five.

My Prediction: Bruins in seven.

Lou Lamoriello has already stated that the team will keep this year’s pick, which means they will forfeit next year’s first rounder as penalty for the Ilya Kovalchuk “illegal” contract.

Based on team finish, the percentage chance of being selected in the Draft Lottery was as follows:

Florida Panthers – 25.0%
Colorado Avalanche – 18.8%
Tampa Bay Lightning – 14.2%
Nashville Predators – 10.7%
Carolina Hurricanes – 8.1%
Calgary Flames – 6.2%
Edmonton Oilers – 4.7%
Buffalo Sabres – 3.6%
New Jersey Devils – 2.7%
Dallas Stars – 2.1%
Philadelphia Flyers – 1.5%
Phoenix Coyotes – 1.1%
Winnipeg Jets – 0.8%
Columbus Blue Jackets – 0.5%

When all was said and done with the lottery, the actual draft positioning ended up looking like this, which is identical to the list above except for the part where the Avs took the #1 spot, or the “Seth Jones” spot:

1 ) Colorado Avalanche
2 ) Florida Panthers
3 ) Tampa Bay Lightning
4 ) Nashville Predators
5 ) Carolina Hurricanes
6 ) Calgary Flames
7 ) Edmonton Oilers
8 ) Buffalo Sabres
9 ) New Jersey Devils
10) Dallas Stars
11) Philadelphia Flyers
12) Phoenix Coyotes
13) Winnipeg Jets
14) Columbus Blue Jackets

Stay tuned for my thoughts on who I feel the Devils should pick in the nine slot.

The draft will be held Sunday, June 30th, with all seven rounds being conducted on the same day for the first time since 2006.

The New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center will host the event.

I hope you enjoyed seeing/using them as much as I enjoyed making them. I will, if permitted by the powers that be at SpeakingOfTheDevils.com, definitely love to do it again in the future.

Just to put a nice little bow on this season, I have made a video of all of the wallpapers. Thanks to YouTube it doesn’t have any musical backing, but if you hum to yourself, I am sure it will be just as enjoyable.

If you like what you see in the video, you can check out all the wallpapers here.

Editors Note: These wallpaper posts have been absolutely fantastic and have brought something unique to this site. I thank @StevenWoj for working on them and sharing them on this site. I hope he continues to do his fine work, not only with the wallpapers, but other things he’s working on, and sharing everything with us here.

- @SpeakoftheDevs

The New Jersey Devils have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.

But if you’re like me, you’re a hockey fan first… so you’ll be watching all the way until the last second of the last game of the Stanley Cup Final.

But who should we root for?

Well, here’s who I’ll be watching, and rooting for, when the playoffs start:

Western Conference

I’ll be rooting for the Columbus Blue Jackets to get in. While a Detroit vs Chicago first round matchup would likely be much more exciting, I’ve always kinda liked the Blue Jackets. I need to get this out of my system before they become division rivals next season.

Key Former Devils: None

Reason to Root For Them: BOBROVSKY!

Reason Not to Root For Them: All those former Rangers makes it hard to root for them, but at least they’re players I kinda like.

A team that is (pretty much) already in that I’ve always liked are the St. Louis Blues. I always liked Keith Tkachuk, and the list of names they had in the past is pretty impressive.

Key Former Devils: Jamie Langenbrunner (has not played since February)

Reason to Root For Them: Why not? They have a good group of players that are easy to cheer for.

Reason Not to Root For Them: Langenbrunner kinda counts, but he’s not even on the ice for them now, so it’s easier.

The other team from the west that I’ll be rooting for are the San Jose Sharks. I know: a team that employs Scott Gomez and Raffi Torres is kinda hard to root for, but they aren’t key parts. However, they do get bumped down to #3 for that reason.

Key Former Devils: Gomez

Reason to Root For Them: It would be nice to watch them snatch the Cup away from LA.

Reason Not to Root For Them: Gomez, Torres

Eastern Conference

It’s not so much that I’ll be rooting for certain teams in the east, but more that I can’t possibly root for some other teams. One of the teams I’ll be rooting for are the Ottawa Senators. After all they’ve been through this season, it’s hard not to.

Key Former Devils: None

Reason to Root For Them: Like I mentioned above, it’s hard not to root for a team that lost all of their major players at some point in the season and still fought to make it in.

Reason Not to Root For Them: Chris Neil

The second team from the east that will have my support are the Washington Capitals. I’ve always been an Ovechkin fan and it’ll certainly be fun to see what he can do in the playoffs.

Key Former Devils: Adam Oates (coach)

Reason to Root For Them: Ovechkin, and Jersey youth hockey alum John Carlson.

Reason Not to Root For Them: Mike Green and his Vespa.

The third team that will have my support are the New York Islanders. They’ve been a great story and it’s hard not to like a player like John Tavares. It would also be nice to see them get further than the other NY team.

Key Former Devils: None

Reason to Root For Them: Tavares, and to make Rangers fans all ragey.

Reason Not to Root For Them: A part of my doesn’t want guys like Nabokov or Visnovsky to win anything after whining about playing for the Isles.

In the end, the Devils will not be in it so it doesn’t really matter who wins (as long as it’s not the Rangers or Penguins or Vancouver or Minnesota or LA).

I wouldn’t say the future of the organization depends on the direction these three go, but they can be key contributors if the team is to rebound from this season.

All of the wallpapers can be found on the wallpapers/pics page.

Click on the pics below to get the full size image.
Wallpapers created by @StevenWoj

On February 21st, the Devils were 10-3-4 and looked destined to return to the postseason, where last year they surprised the league and made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. They then proceeded to lose six in a row to enter March. As of April 17, they’ve lost another 10 in a row and have virtually eliminated themselves from playoff contention.

True to their history, the Devils have played a controlling style of hockey all year, attempting to clog the neutral zone and limit turnovers. Even in defeat, they’ve kept games close, never losing by more than two goals during their current winless drought.

That isn’t much consolation to us Devils fans, who’ve taken to deriding the team during its abysmal stretch.

Since top scorer Ilya Kovalchuk went down at the end of March, there has been no one to pick up his slack. The Devils rank last in the league in goals and fourth to last in shooting percentage. Without Kovalchuk’s scoring presence, they haven’t been able to close the gap in tight games.

From today until the end of the season, the Prudential Center in Newark will be a forlorn place to visit. Devils tickets at the Rock, while never expensive like seats at Madison Square Garden for a Rangers game are, will be even cheaper down the stretch. Against the Panthers on Saturday, seats are, on average, $89.34, according to TiqIQ.

That’s down from an opening day average of $99.86, a figure that has dropped significantly throughout the season, TiqIQ reports. Versus the Panthers, get-in rates are available for as low as $29.

For a matchup next week with the surging Canadiens, tickets will be $86.85, with get-in seats available for a measly $22.

Finally, in the team’s last home game against the Penguins, tickets are slightly higher at $115.97. Get-in prices can be had for $38.

TiqIQ has teamed up with ScoreBig to allow you to make an offer on New Jersey Devils tickets. If you’re a new customer, use the code TIQIQ10 to save $10 off your purchase.

The team got out of the gate like world beaters (much to the chagrin of “experts” like Barry Melrose), which helped ignite my flame, but even with their great play early on, I never got up to full ignition.

Couple that with the injuries the team sustained to key members and they got in to a hole that they couldn’t dig themselves out of. We are all left to wonder, if this had been an 82 game season, could they have gotten above water and put another great playoff run together?

Those queries will just have to be something that gets debated over the summer as I think this team will start to take a new shape. Unlike from last season to this season, I think this summer will bring with it a face lift for this team. I think the team will be a lot younger when they break camp next season and I think that it might be time for that to happen.

Sure, Brodeur, Zajac, and Kovalchuk aren’t going anywhere but I think it might end there. Elias, Zubrus, Clarkson, Sullivan Ponikarovsky, Kostopoulos, Zidlicky, and Harrold are all unrestricted free agents after this season. Add to that a buyout or two and that could be as many as 10 new players on the roster.

The game seems to be changing and if you look around the league, most successful teams are on the younger side (with the exception of Boston).

So, it is with an eye towards the future that I present today’s wallpapers:

Reid Boucher
 

 

Jon Merril
 

 

I am not sure if either or both will make the big club out of camp next season but they are two of the names we have been hearing a lot about.

Boucher had a breakout season, breaking records along the way, and Merril has been a player we have been itching to see for at least a season or two.

We else might we expect? Names like Urbom, Pesonen, Tedenby, Gelinas, and Hoeffel stand out to me. Those seem like players that need to show they can play at the next level.

Thoughts?

On February 28th I was fortunate enough to go to the Devils vs Lightning game and sit down low (pictures posted here).

While editing these pictures I thought about a previous game I was offered the same opportunity. I went back in to the archives to find those pictures because I wanted to see if my photography talents had progressed at all. In reviewing my pictures from January 5th, 2010 (it was a Devils vs Stars game) I found a nice shot of Patrik Elias waiting at the face off circle.

After tweaking this photo a little I thought what I came up with might make a nice painting. So, I set out on the project…

(click each pic for the full size image)

1) Original photo:

2) Edited photo:

3) 50″ X 40″ canvas with lines drawn:

4) First coat:

5) Adding in some black:

6) Adding in some accent colors:

7) Some skin for Patrik. It’s taking shape:

8 ) Just about ready to hang.. just a few more touch-ups:

9) And finally, hanging on the wall:

I thought my wife was going to shoot me for putting it in our family room, but when she first saw it she said “I hate that I like the way it looks there,” so it has a home.

Now on to why I think I am a jinx. Over the course of this project, the team is 4-9-6. They have earned 14 of a possible 38 points and they have slipped out of a playoff spot.

Not only that, there is more and more chatter that Elias isn’t happy that Lou won’t negotiate with him during the season and there is a strong feeling he will leave this summer when he is an unrestricted free agent.

So I turn to you – how can I reverse the curse? What can I do to help lift the negative vibe I have bestowed on the team?

And and all suggestions are welcome. Leave them in the comments section below.