NHL Barometer: Postseason Player Rankings

Rankings are based on games played and expected points per game, PPP, +/- and PIMs by skaters and wins/shutouts by goalies. If your quarters, semis and finals differ, adjust the rankings accordingly.

Quarterfinals

EAST (none of the favorites won a season series against their opponents)

Washington defeats Rangers - 7 games

(In a rematch of the series from two years ago when Wash came back from 3-1, they get just enough offense from Ovie and goaltending to beat Henrik Lundqvist, who stands on his head. I could see the Rangers winning this series with Wideman out and Green just getting his sea legs.)

Buffalo defeats Philly - 6 games

(The Flyers late-season cruise into the playoffs hurts them as Buffalo rides a healthy Ryan Miller and playoff-ready team from their three-way battle to make the post-season into the next round. Bobrovsky is replaced by Boucher. The key here may be how much Chris Pronger plays)

Boston defeats Montreal- 7 games

(Tim Thomas against Carey Price from 195 feet. Two Original Six teams with no love lost for each other, add in more controversy following the Chara-Pacioretty incident and you have a powder keg that could explode. The Krejci-Lucic-Horton line is the difference.)

Tampa Bay defeats Pittsburgh- 6 games

(Marc-Andre Fleury played well down the stretch and will do so again here but the absence of Evgeni Malkin and possibly Sidney Crosby, likely not back to at least Game 3, dooms Pitt. Dwayne Roloson plays well enough so that Tampa Bay's snipers make the difference.)

(NOTE: In Scenario B, Wash, Philly, Montreal and TB advance, making it Wash-Mont, Philly-TB, which would change conference semis, finals and Cup finals projections.)

WEST

Vancouver defeats Chicago- 6 games

(Chicago got a mulligan when Dallas lost to Minnesota to make the playoffs. That luck runs out as Vancouver gets revenge on Chicago for their Conference semi-finals losses to them the past two years.)

San Jose defeats Los Angeles - 5 games

(Kings welcome back Justin Williams but are unable to make up for the absence of Anze Kopitar. Antti Niemi proves he is no Evgeni Nabokov leading the Sharks, who ride a balanced offense, past LA.)

Phoenix defeats Detroit- 6 games

(Ilya Bryzgalov remains hot while Ray Whitney and Shane Doan, who missed the last two games of the Coyotes' 4-3 loss to the Red Wings in 2009-10, lead Phoenix past Detroit, who defensive struggles comes to the forefront in the series. Monitor Henrik Zetterberg's availability coming off a knee injury that cost him the last two games of the year.)

Nashville defeats Anaheim - 6 games

(The Predators, the second best home team this year in the West, find a way to win on the road to capture the series. Anaheim's unsettled goaltending situation proves to be the Ducks' downfall as Nashville's defensive first philosophy, led by Suter/Weber, is enough to win the contrast of styles against an offensively superior team led by Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan and Selanne.)

(NOTE: in Scenario B, results are chalk, save for the Nashville series, so it's Van-Nash and Det -SJ)

Conference Semifinals

Washington defeats Buffalo - 7 games

(Secondary scoring from Semin and Knuble help lead Washington the finals. Coach Bruce Boudreau changes goalies, turning either to Varlamov or Holtby, which is the difference over Buffalo, who stay in the series thanks to Vanek and Boyes and Myers' play on Ovie.)

Tampa Bay defeats Boston - 6 games

(Thomas is brilliant but the Lightning come in waves to win a close series. Boston's inability to get scoring beyond the top line and PP led by Chara and Kaberle ultimately dooms them while Lecavalier comes up big to lead Tampa Bay to the conference finals.)

(NOTE: In Scenario B, Wash just gets by Montreal while TB beats Philly, leaving conference finals as same Wash-TB)

Vancouver defeats Phoenix - 5 games

(The Sedins and Kesler provide just enough scoring to defeat the plucky Coyotes. Ilya B outplays Bobby Lu but a deep and now healthy Vancouver blue line shuts down the Phoenix offense.)

Nashville defeats San Jose - 7 games

(Rinne is the difference as the Predators advance to the conference finals. Fisher, Erat, along with a healthy Sullivan get enough offense to defeat Vancouver, who get most of their scoring from the second line as Weber and Suter are on against the Thornton line nearly the entire series.)

(NOTE: in Scenario B, Vancouver beats Nashville and SJ beat Detroit, making it a Van-SJ finals)

Conference Finals

Tampa Bay defeats Washington - 7 games

(Roloson plays well enough and the Lightning's offense is too much for the Capitals' back line as Tampa Bay advances to their first Stanley Cup Finals since winning the Cup in 2004. Green, Wideman and Ovie play well, but lack of scoring from Semin etc results in ouster.)

Vancouver defeats Nashville - 6 games

(The Predators' magic runs out, Ryan Kesler has a big series, and Nashville can't cope with all the offense in Vancouver. Luongo finally helps lead the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals.)

(NOTE: in Scenario B, San Jose rides Niemi to beat Vancouver and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals)

Stanley Cup Finals

Vancouver defeats Tampa Bay - 6 games

(Ryan Kesler wins Conn Smythe Trophy, Luongo outplays Roloson but Stamkos regains his scoring touch, though it's not enough to defeat the Canucks)

(Note - in Scenario B with Tampa Bay-SJ, take SJ in six games with Martin St. Louis as the Conn Smythe winner.)

The Rankings