The Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers look like they could go far again in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Gary Pearson predicts who will advance to the final for BetMGM.
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Ooh, I’m gonna go Tampa, Ryan.
Ooh, I’m gonna go Tampa, Ryan.
And they’ve got a game in hand on Buffalo and Montreal, and I almost feel like Buffalo is happy to finish second and play Montreal in the first round.
And they’ve got a game in hand on Buffalo and Montreal, and I almost feel like Buffalo is happy to finish second and play Montreal in the first round.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
‘Cause if you don’t If you win the division, it’s not like you’re playing like an easy team.
‘Cause if you don’t If you win the division, it’s not like you’re playing like an easy team.
Like, as we’re talking about it now, every team that’s in, on the bubble right now has to win to get in.
Like, as we’re talking about it now, every team that’s in, on the bubble right now has to win to get in.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And if you’re gonna be playing an Ottawa Senators team that right now has a second wildcard spot or potentially the New York Islanders that has, you know, is getting a coaching bump, and then has Sorokin in net, you know, I’ll take the Montreal Canadiens right now, as good as Montreal is.
And if you’re gonna be playing an Ottawa Senators team that right now has a second wildcard spot or potentially the New York Islanders that has, you know, is getting a coaching bump, and then has Sorokin in net, you know, I’ll take the Montreal Canadiens right now, as good as Montreal is.
So- Yeah I think Tampa wins it, and then Buffalo is happy to take the number two seed.
So- Yeah I think Tampa wins it, and then Buffalo is happy to take the number two seed.
Devin, quick sidebar on that.
Devin, quick sidebar on that.
I’ve When you’re heading into the playoffs, and you’re like a higher seed, you know, a, a team that might have clinched like a week or two before, do you fear an underdog that had to like play all the way to game 82 and, and scrap their way and, you know, win like five of their last six games?
I’ve When you’re heading into the playoffs, and you’re like a higher seed, you know, a, a team that might have clinched like a week or two before, do you fear an underdog that had to like play all the way to game 82 and, and scrap their way and, you know, win like five of their last six games?
Like, is that something that teams are aware of?
Like, is that something that teams are aware of?
well, in the East there’s not really underdogs.
well, in the East there’s not really underdogs.
That’s the thing, right?
That’s the thing, right?
Is like, if you look at the points, it’s, it’s not I think the fear comes from if you’re, you know, 115-point team versus an 80-point team, then you’re, you know- Yeah I wouldn’t say it’s a fear, but it’s more of like, “Hey, we should win this.”
Is like, if you look at the points, it’s, it’s not I think the fear comes from if you’re, you know, 115-point team versus an 80-point team, then you’re, you know- Yeah I wouldn’t say it’s a fear, but it’s more of like, “Hey, we should win this.”
But if you’re talking about Tampa, or Montreal, I think, I, I, I do think Tampa’s gonna take it.
But if you’re talking about Tampa, or Montreal, I think, I, I, I do think Tampa’s gonna take it.
I think if anything, Montreal sneaks in and grabs it because they’ve been hot as anything right now.
I think if anything, Montreal sneaks in and grabs it because they’ve been hot as anything right now.
Buffalo’s cooled off a little bit, compared to what they were before.
Buffalo’s cooled off a little bit, compared to what they were before.
But I think Montreal’s got a sneaky chance other than they might run out of runway- Mm-hmm here, the way they’re playing.
But I think Montreal’s got a sneaky chance other than they might run out of runway- Mm-hmm here, the way they’re playing.
But, you look at those teams, and then, and then what you got That, that group probably has the Boston Bruins, in the first round, assuming Carolina ends up, ’cause I Carolina’s first in the East right now.
But, you look at those teams, and then, and then what you got That, that group probably has the Boston Bruins, in the first round, assuming Carolina ends up, ’cause I Carolina’s first in the East right now.
They’d be getting the second wildcard spot- Yeah matchup.
They’d be getting the second wildcard spot- Yeah matchup.
But there’s not really Like especially in the East, there’s just no You know, if you look at the West, Colorado’s gonna grab whoever scrapes their way into that second wildcard spot.
But there’s not really Like especially in the East, there’s just no You know, if you look at the West, Colorado’s gonna grab whoever scrapes their way into that second wildcard spot.
I mean, that should be one of those Darryl Sutter moments, like, “We just extended our season for two weeks-” Right ” is all we did.”
I mean, that should be one of those Darryl Sutter moments, like, “We just extended our season for two weeks-” Right ” is all we did.”
But not in the East.
But not in the East.
And so I don’t think any team is gonna be fearful or, or really approaching it like, “Hey, we should win this and we can’t, we can’t throw this away.”
And so I don’t think any team is gonna be fearful or, or really approaching it like, “Hey, we should win this and we can’t, we can’t throw this away.”
This is, th- this is gonna be absolute battle zone, in every single playoff matchup from puck drop.
This is, th- this is gonna be absolute battle zone, in every single playoff matchup from puck drop.
It, it’s not, I wouldn’t say 50/50, but you know, when you I, I bet you look at the odds, it’s not, they’re not that far dipped in the, in the, in the home advantage team.
It, it’s not, I wouldn’t say 50/50, but you know, when you I, I bet you look at the odds, it’s not, they’re not that far dipped in the, in the, in the home advantage team.