:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13116203/168289596.0.jpg)
Here's a quick update of your Mile High Hockey league in the NHL Bracket Challenge. I don't know who some of you people are but some of the scores are fantastic.
- Bryson fletcher
- chazthetaz
- Dalton Doire
- SuperFan87
- Americanario
- Hopfenkopf
- Hazel
- Groans for Jones
- Pyotr09
- Corpklinger
- NARP
- Spencer03
- futureranger19
- Jonathan's bracket
- ColoraDan
- Hobbes Hiltz
- mormaker
- 88mph (me)
- MCCARNEY
- Scyllai
- NamezShawn
- gl avfan
- Jake "aka" Dubin
- NoWayHozay
- Avalanche 318
- siouxavs
- theheretic48
- Andy_Joe
- Ama
- Andidee
- duckfatleaf
- faydout
- PanicWolves
- Dixie Normous
- Ryan O'Ruskies Character Roubles
- Toone_82
- Andy_B
- Brent444
- icemgoal
- DixonW
- Ace O'Dale
- DumpNchase86
- Georgie P
- Ben1226
There's a few other names in there that didn't fill out any answers, and a few of the ones in that list didn't fill out predictions past Round 1 because the NHL decided changing the format was wise for... some reason. Anyway, good lord, what a first round. 17 OT games set a record, according to things people on Twitter said, so it's definitely true. Here's tonight's games.
#7 Ottawa Senators at #1 Pittsburgh Penguins
7:30 Eastern, no television set but presumably NBC Sports, CBC, RDS
The last time we talked about these two teams at the same time it was Eugene Melnyk firing up a forensic investigation and all the good jokes about that have been said already so I'm not even going to try. There's been no word as of yet who's starting in goal for the Pens, whether it will be the sievey Marc-Andre Fleury or the aging yet playoffs-inexperienced Tomas Vokoun. We'll probably hear something from Bylsma on that early this afternoon.
After all the trouble the Islanders gave Pittsburgh, many observers have given Ottawa more than a fighting chance in the series. After all, if it takes you 6 games to beat 5 skaters and a Shooter Tutor, just wait until you're facing a real goalie in Craig Anderson. But from where I sit, I see a Senators team who isn't nearly as quick as the Isles, who defeated Montreal by playing slower, sludgier, and more physical than the Habs, and it was the Isles' speed that caused Pittsburgh more fits than anything. I'm taking the Penguins in this series, in six games.
#6 San Jose Sharks at #5 Los Angeles Kings
10:00 Eastern, probably NBC Sports and those fuckers at TSN
The Kings got off to a tough start against St. Louis in the conference quarters, going down 2-0 early despite not having lost to the Blues since the 2011-2012 regular season. Those were tight games decided by late bounces, and the Kings remembered, oh fuck, this is a Kings-Bruins series! and went on to win the next four games. Meanwhile the Sharks hilariously swept the Vancouver Canucks with some excellent playoffs performances from... Patrick Marleau??? thought Jeremy Roenick, probably. Marleau had 4 goals, while Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski each tallied 8 total points.
San Jose is more rested than LA, which can be both good and bad: the legs are fresher, the bodies less sore, but you're also out of the groove in a way you haven't been since before the season started. In the regular season the home team won each game, so combining those two I have the Sharks winning this one in six games.
The Other Two Series
Starting Not Tonight, the Boston Bruins will take on the New York Rangers (I've got the Bs there, how many games is a mystery to me) and the Chicago Blackhawks will hopefully walk through the detroit Fuck The red wings in five.