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Message: [QUOTE="Cowtown, post: 4993296, member: 2350"] The salary cap era has ushered in the demon of "first round vulnerability." There is no NHL team that has consistent second tier scoring, because they've thrown all their salary weight behind their top line. That means any mediocre team can come out in that first round with a hot goalie and simply check the higher seed into the ice. Skill players wear themselves out fighting through all the hooking, holding and interference, post whistle scrums, etc. This is made worse by the fact the NHL brass makes it known they want the officials to "let the players decide" - which is absolute bullshit. Because if the rule book changes for the playoffs, the regular season means almost nothing. Of course the league denies this, but anyone who watches can see it's true. This brings to GM's a conundrum: do you build your team for success over the regular season (fast play: skate, pass, shoot) or success in the playoffs (bigger, slower, keep the puck out of the middle of the ice and more along the boards and in the corners). Does your coaching philosophy excel at playing a different team every second night, or the same team over and over? We don't get to see the eastern teams much out here (2X per year, home & home), so I can't comment on them. Vancouver is currently 1-6(?) which is good for them to go through, with playoffs in about 5-6 weeks? Tocchet will have them ready. Winnipeg is tougher physically and mentally; Edmonton will survive the first round, and McD will be exhausted by the end of of the 2nd (see above). But be careful about dismissing Colorado and LV, who have won both of the last two cups, for both talent pools are largely intact. Just IMHO, of course. :) [/QUOTE]

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