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2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Preview

Apr 14, 2014

RK
Stage· 156 messages
Apr 14, 2014

The greatest playoffs in sports are back! Ryan O'Leary of Bleacher Report and The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy preview each of first round series and breakdown which teams are poised to compete in the Stanley Cup Final. Send your questions and predictions as well!

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Ryan O'Leary · 12:00 AM

Welcome everyone to the Tawkers 2014 NHL Playoff Preview, I'm very happy to be joined by Ryan Kennedy of the The Hockey News
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:00 AM

Happy to he here, fellow Ryan
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:00 AM

Bobby Ryan and Ryan O'Reilly couldn't be here, so it's just us two Ryans
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:00 AM

We are legion
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:01 AM

for sure...RK is the first line talent and I'm bringing the fourth line effort tonight
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:01 AM

Yeah, but my cap hit is awful
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:01 AM

let me ask you first Ryan, do you think realignment and the new playoff structure worked in 2014?
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:02 AM

I do. If anything, it kept things interesting down the stretch, that's for sure.
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:02 AM

yeah, I like to call in the Canucks/Capitals rule
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:03 AM

because no longer can you be rewarded for being in a garbage division and beating up on the Oilers or Panthers and get to the Playoffs
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:03 AM

Very true. Earlier in the season it looked like the Metropolitan was gonna get hammered by the new format, but in the end they pulled it together
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:03 AM

well that's because the Rangers remembered how to score a goal and the Blue Jackets became world beaters
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:04 AM

And the Maple Leafs imploded
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:04 AM

speaking of which, Ryan you're Canadian....
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:04 AM

what is going on up North? Why just one team in the playoffs?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:05 AM

oh and in your avatar, you look like Alexander Radulov...just had to mention that
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:06 AM

Management, really. I don't know if being Canadian had anything to do with it, but most of these teams were in turmoil, whether they meant to be rebuilding or not
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:06 AM

but I always feel that's a byproduct of the immense pressure on those 7 clubs...is that fair?
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:07 AM

I was interviewing Chris Pronger the other day and he pointed out that Philly, Boston, the Rangers - team like that all have pressure on them. I guess management can be more swayed by fans and the media, though really, they shouldn't be.
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:08 AM

first puck drops in Tampa on Wednesday at 7p and we have a ton of great first round matchups...so I'll let you grab this first question
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:08 AM

I'm gonna go with Los Angeles and San Jose. Hawks and Blues great too, but a lot of injuries there. The LA/SJ tilt will be just murderous
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:09 AM

★ Spotlighted from Tom Lorenzo

“Favorite first round matchup?”

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Ryan O'Leary · 12:09 AM

yeah...the battle of California will be amazing, both teams are healthy and playing good hockey down the stretch
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:09 AM

love that SJ got Hertl back, that'll help for sure
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:09 AM

Worst part is, the winner has to go through Anaheim just to get out of the division!
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:10 AM

no love for Boston and Detroit...two original six?
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:11 AM

For some reason I just think Boston is gonna roll there. Even though Detroit was great head-to-head, this seems like a very smart Bruins team. They're not going to be surprised by an underdog
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:11 AM

how can you say that?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:12 AM

Detroit has Datsyuk back...could get Zetta back and they have young players with a ton of experience
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:12 AM

it's not the same team we saw all seasn
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:13 AM

Yeah, but that can also backfire if roles are muddled. Boston knows what they have to do. And who would you rather have in net, Rask or Howard?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:13 AM

Oh, don't get mean about Howie
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:13 AM

he's an Olympic goalie ya know?
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:14 AM

Only one of them is winning the Vezina this year
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:14 AM

haha...fair point on Rask, I'm just saying that Babcock is an excellent coach and he'll have BIG pieces back
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:14 AM

that's a good question Ryan...who is a super overrated playoff player?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:15 AM

★ Spotlighted from Dave Benson

“Who's the most overrated player in the playoffs? Is it Howie??”

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Ryan Kennedy · 12:16 AM

Well, it will be interesting to see what Rick Nash does. I wouldn't necessarily call him overrated yet, because he hasn't has much of a shot, but I would expect a lot from him
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:16 AM

yeah...if NY, you basically reconfigured your team around this guy and he makes a lot of scratch every year...time for him to create a legacy for himself
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:17 AM

besides that incredible flow and his ability to put anyone on his hip and get to the front of the ent
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:17 AM

typo: net
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:18 AM

you know...my patience is wearing thin for Marleau and Jumbo Joe
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:18 AM

at some point...you have to get a Cup...and more importantly actually win the West, which they've never done!
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:19 AM

Indeed. The only bummer about the LA matchup is if San Jose loses, you kinda forgive them again. But with Couture, Pavelski, Burns, Hertl, Niemi, Vlasic and Boyle? Gotta make some noise
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:19 AM

and if they don't...Todd McLellan can put in a big order for moving boxes
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:20 AM

Agreed
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:20 AM

Tom...I think PHI and NYR is going to be intriguing
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:20 AM

★ Spotlighted from Tom Lorenzo

“What about the Rangers-Flyers series? I assume it will get the attention based on market, but any chance we'll get a good series there?”

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Ryan O'Leary · 12:21 AM

Philly is a nasty team with the likes of Hartnell, Coutourier and others...and they just want to beat the crap out of people in general
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:21 AM

and the Rangers don't take a lot of crap...there's still some Tortorella left in them
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:22 AM

I just realized about two hours ago that Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St-Louis are gonna face each other in a playoff series and that's awesome.
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:22 AM

Steve Mason vs. Henrik Lundqvist will be key, since 'The King' has usually been the second-best goalie in most NHL playoff series he's been in
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:23 AM

that's a great point...both guys with Cups already and a lot of experience...I like that a lot
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:23 AM

yeah Lundqvist is the difference...although I think this is Claude Giroux's big change
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:23 AM

sorry, chance
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:24 AM

he was snubbed for Team Canada, started slow and thrown on the scrap heap in a lot of ways
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:24 AM

now he'll end up in the top five in scoring in the league...and he plays with a lot of fire...just ask Sidney Crosby
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:25 AM

I definitely like how Giroux has responded to adversity. That's a team with a lot of character. You mentioned Hartnell and Couturier - I'd add Simmonds and Read as well. Lots of fight in the Flyers. Having said that, the Rangers go pretty deep.
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:26 AM

by the way, you never responded to my Radulov comment...haha
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:26 AM

not a fan of being compared to a turncoat?
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:26 AM

I missed that one, what was it?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:26 AM

I said your avatar makes you look like Radulov
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:26 AM

there's a guy who screwed up his playoff opportunity
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:26 AM

Ha ha! I WISH I could be in a Russian rap video
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:27 AM

don't we all...and the hype video put out by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation where he's singing with Malkin, Ovechkin and Kovalchuk
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:28 AM

so we talked about the Sharks needing to take care of business or "get off the pot"
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:28 AM

but I'll give you three other teams, you tell me who needs to bring the cup home more
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:28 AM

Montreal, St. Louis or Pittsburgh
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:29 AM

Pittsburgh. If the Pens don't do it this year (or come real close), then you need to do something drastic. Blues would rank second - no excuses anymore. But on the other hand, losing to Chicago is no embarassment
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:30 AM

They'll riot in Montreal, but they do that anyway...
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:30 AM

another strike about some political issue?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:30 AM

or I guess the Canadiens are political
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:30 AM

for me, it's Pittsburgh
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:30 AM

a friend of mine brought this up the other day and I agree (although that's my childhood team)
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:31 AM

Malkin, Crosby and Fleury only have one Cup
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:31 AM

that's embarrassing really...
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:31 AM

Toews and Kane have two
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:32 AM

Yeah, plus one final. As my colleague Matt Larkin blogged the other day, maybe you trade Malkin if things go sideways again. Because you're not gonna get a ton for Fleury
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:32 AM

I look at Letang as the trade bait
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:32 AM

Michael...who is "we" so we can talk about it
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:33 AM

★ Spotlighted from Michael Hauptman

“We want the cup!!”

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Ryan O'Leary · 12:33 AM

despite the stroke...can't believe I just typed that...you know GMs salivate when they see 58 skate with the puck and quarterback the PP
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:33 AM

oh no...join us for our preview in 2021
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:33 AM

hahah
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:33 AM

True, but that health issue would really put a damper on trade talks.
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:34 AM

★ Spotlighted from Michael Hauptman

“Sadly..I'm an islanders fan”

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Ryan O'Leary · 12:34 AM

I agree with that...but if you're Shero...I have no idea how you would let 71 leave town
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:34 AM

you might as well leave with him
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:35 AM

you're more on the inside of scouts and GMs than I am, but don't most people think he might actually be a better talent than Crosby? I've heard that from tons of people...the only difference is Sidney's drive
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:35 AM

Sid's the franchise either way. Ask him who he wants on his wing and trade Malkin for that guy
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:36 AM

is Rocket Richard still available?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:37 AM

but you're right, I don't think Bylsma needs to worry about anything...but the players might in Pittsburgh...and Boston is going to be extremely difficult to get past this season
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:38 AM

back to the West...why do they own the East right now?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:38 AM

I looked it up today, the West was 246-150-52 against the East this year
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:39 AM

Big centers. The West has nearly all of them - Getzlaf, Thornton, Kopitar, Backes, Toews (not quite as big but still a devastating talent).
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:39 AM

and you know what they do?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:39 AM

they play in all three zones, play the body and their physical in front of opponents nets
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:39 AM

it's old school hockey and it's really effective
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:40 AM

that Backes-Oshie-Steen line must be a friggin nightmare for d-pairs
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:40 AM

Exactly, And most of those guys have a great winger - Perry, Kane, Burns/Hertl, Oshie...
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:41 AM

true...but Perry is a Gordie Howe hat trick threat every night
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:41 AM

and besides being America's greatest hero, TJ Oshie first made his name by thumping guys every night
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:41 AM

here's a good one:
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:42 AM

★ Spotlighted from Dave Benson

“which matchup (potential matchup?) has the most bad blood?”

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Ryan Kennedy · 12:42 AM

Probably LA and San Jose, though Philly and the Rangers would be pretty close - Philly tends to have that effect on opponents.
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:43 AM

well if it's on potential...it's Philly and Pittsburgh
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:43 AM

no doubt...you can book it
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:43 AM

but in the first round, I think the Sharks are over the Kings knocking them out every year and becoming California's team
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:44 AM

too bad we don't get as much fighting in the playoffs
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:44 AM

The first round can get pretty chaotic.
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:44 AM

and that's what makes these the best playoffs, in all sports, worldwide
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:44 AM

you really can't match it...anywhere
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:45 AM

who's your breakout star Ryan? Who's gonna get Ville Leino dollars for putting up an unexpected performance?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:46 AM

(that'll be the last time you hear Leino + playoffs in the same sentence by the way)
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:46 AM

I'm gonna go with Nick Bonino. There's a guy thriving on a team that brought him along the right way.
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:46 AM

and if you haven't seen the no-look goal yet from him this weekend, you need to see it
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:47 AM

you know you're not doing anything the rest of the night anyway
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:47 AM

I like Gustav Nyquist...not sure if it's technically a breakout, but we've seen him capable of big things
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:48 AM

now, time to do it in the playoffs and take the pressure off his older and injured teammates
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:49 AM

I said it before, Detroit is fast, and Boston struggled with that up until about 5 minutes left in their first round series last year against Toronto
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:49 AM

The dynamic of that Detroit team will be interesting once Datsyuk comes back. Nyquist has been so good without him - how does it affect the team's mindset? That's what I meant earlier about the Wings getting muddled.
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:49 AM

Boston was sleep walking the entire season and Detroit had to make sure it kept its postseason playoff streak alive
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:50 AM

For their sake, I hope they don't subconsiously assume Datsyuk will carry them
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:50 AM

I actually asked Marchand about that very thing last week - they're well aware of matching intensity
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:50 AM

okay we'll do predictions in a second...but first, which injuries will have the biggest effect on the playoffs?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:50 AM

the Little Ball of Hate with something smart to say? wow
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:51 AM

Ryan McDonagh would be the biggie for me. If he can't log huge minutes, the Rangers are toast. And I assume Philly will target that shoulder
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:51 AM

obviously the Blues are completely diminished, but if we're talking about a singular injury...it's Ben Bishop
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:52 AM

he was in Vezina discussion...and I don't know if Tampa is the same team if he misses significant time
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:52 AM

okay....predictions...Ryan give me rapid fire of the first round...who moves on?
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:53 AM

Boston, Pittsburgh, Philly, Montreal, Anaheim, Colorado, St. Louis and San Jose
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:53 AM

I'm sensing chalk?
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:53 AM

haha
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:54 AM

okay...Boston, Pittsburgh, Montreal and the Rangers
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:54 AM

Colorado, Anaheim, Chicago and LA Kings
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:54 AM

I can't bet against my boy Jonathan Quick who is also from Connecticut
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:55 AM

alright then...who comes out of the east and the west?
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:55 AM

Boston in the East and I'll say Anaheim in the West. St. Louis too banged up already to pick right now
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:56 AM

who gave you my script
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:56 AM

well at least the Ryans are in unison...which is how we started off this whole thing
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:56 AM

Exactly
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:57 AM

yeah...Corey Perry is one of the most underrated and unappreciated hockey player on the planet
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:57 AM

Tuukka Rask is the Vezina winner and Boston pummels people this time of year
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:57 AM

okay...only one can win it? is the Cup headed back to the beach?
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Ryan Kennedy · 12:58 AM

No, I'll stick with Boston. Like I said before, they'll be fresher by the end
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:59 AM

I wonder what the good people in places like Northern Manitoba think of people from Orange County being able to welcome the Stanley Cup
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Ryan O'Leary · 12:59 AM

that can't go over very big? can it?
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Ryan O'Leary · 1:00 AM

well...just to spite you...I'm going with Anaheim...I like what they've done for two seasons now and quite frankly I'm afraid of Ryan Getlzaf and his prematurely balding head and 6'4" frame
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Ryan Kennedy · 1:00 AM

Fair enough.
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Ryan O'Leary · 1:01 AM

and what do you have to say for the folks of Northern Manitoba?
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Ryan Kennedy · 1:01 AM

Someone who plays for the Cup winner will bring it to you - tons of Canadians on those teams anyway
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Ryan O'Leary · 1:02 AM

Ryan, this has been fun, I could go on for hours, but I think the folks need to get to Mad Men...
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Ryan Kennedy · 1:02 AM

No doubt, thanks for having me. Ryan out!
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Ryan O'Leary · 1:02 AM

look forward to a few months from now when we talk prospects and the 2014 Draft...you're sweet spot
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Ryan O'Leary · 1:02 AM

and that was typo number four for me...that's at least a match penalty
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Ryan O'Leary · 1:03 AM

on that note...thanks everyone for joining us and enjoy the greatest playoffs in the sporting world!!