The second round of the playoffs begins on Tuesday night with the Battle of the Florida Men.
Just under the wire, here come our predictions, plus guesses from a coin named Keith who outperformed Peter and Ian in the first round.
And returning to give us some semblance of dignity is the real Keith Aucoin.
Keith, a Coin, is a 2002 quarter minted in Pennsylvania. He knows nothing about hockey but somehow he guesses right about half of the time. That’s the bit. Well, two bits to be precise.
Special guest predictor Keith Aucoin played 145 NHL games across nine seasons. He was the Joe Thornton of the AHL, racking up 613 assists in 769 nice games. Also he’s a very good sport for hanging out with us here.
Our results appear below, using the universally understood š½/š® score-keeping system.
| First Round | Peter | Ian | Keith1 | Keith2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLA beat WSH | š® | š½ | š® | š® |
| TBL beat TOR | š½ | š® | š½ | š® |
| CAR beat BOS | š® | š½ | š½ | š½ |
| NYR beat PIT | š½ | š® | š® | š½ |
| COL beat NSH | š® | š® | š® | š® |
| STL beat MIN | š½ | š½ | š½ | š½ |
| CGY beat DAL | š® | š® | š® | š® |
| EDM beat LA | š½ | š½ | š® | š® |
| Second Round | Peter | Ian | Keith1 | Keith2 |
| TBD | ||||
| TBD | ||||
| TBD | ||||
| TBD | ||||
| Third Round | Peter | Ian | Keith1 | Keith2 |
| TBD | ||||
| TBD | ||||
| Finals | Peter | Ian | Keith1 | Keith2 |
| TBD |
- human
- coin
Florida š± (A1) vs. Tampa Bay ā” (A3)
Peter: For some reason, Florida all of a sudden seems less fearsome to me. If the Capitals came so close to beating them, I’m not sure why Tampa would have trouble. Unless Carter Verhaege becomes John Druce out of nowhere. Tampa in 6.
Ian: Florida found a way to eke past the Capitals, who I thought took it to them most of the series. Meanwhile, Tampa did the same with Toronto. Part of me thinks the defending 2x champs are going to mollywhop Florida. The other part of me thinks the Panthers will take their game to another level after getting the confidence of winning a series and surviving Washington. Florida in 7.
Keith, a coin: Tampa in 7.
Keith Aucoin, actually: This is going to be fun series to watch with a lot of offense. I predicted Tampa would run out of gas in the first round and lose, but I was wrong. But I still have Florida coming out of the East and going to Cup Final. Jumbo Joe and Florida in 6.
Carolina š (M1) vs. New York š§ (M2)
Peter: I’m surprised the Rangers downed the Penguins, and I think this is as far as they go. Carolina really impressed me against Boston, and they’re down only Jordan Martinook. Carolina in 6.
Ian: I’m a big believer in this New York Rangers team. Going down 3-1 to the Penguins, they found their postseason mettle and won three straight. Carolina is a great team, but the Rangers have the real game-breakers in Igor Shesterkin, Mika Zibanejad, Derek Stepan, and Artemi Panarin. The Hurricanes can and will be contained. New York in 6.
Keith, a coin: New York in 5.
Keith Aucoin, actually: I was really impressed the way Carolina played against Boston. No matter who they play, Canes would be a tough out. Canes are a very hard to beat once they get the lead. Their home ice advantage will be the difference in the series. Carolina in 7.
Colorado ā (C1) vs. St. Louis šµ (C3)
Peter:Ā This will be a stomping. Goalie Jordan Binnington saved .943 in his three appearances, which is (checks notes) a billion miles better than he’ll be able to sustain, especially against a team as offensively gifted as the Avs. Colorado in 5.
Ian: The Colorado Avalanche will lose its first game of the postseason in this series but that’s it. Colorado in 5.
Keith, a coin: Colorado in 6.
Keith Aucoin, actually: The Blues surprised me in their first round win against the Wild. IĀ really thought Wild would win that series. Meanwhile, the Avs are the team to beat of the eight remaining. They just have too much offense. MacKinnon and Makar will lead the way. Colorado in 5.
Calgary š„ (P1) vs. Edmonton š¢ (P2)
Peter: Yay, this will be such a good series. Not because of the hockey —Ā Calgary is way better — but just because the Alberta-ness of it all. McDavid will steal a game or two, but I think we’re gonna see Colorado/Calgary in the WCF. Calgary in 6.
Ian: Edmonton’s defense is so bad I’m shocked they won Round One. But that highlight of Connor McDavid throwing a big hit’s gave me the tingles. Edmonton in 7.
Keith, a coin: Edmonton in 7.
Keith Aucoin, actually: This is going to be a fun series to watch. Flip a coin on this one š. Iām going to go with McDavid and the Oiler in this one. I think McDavid takes the series over. Edmonton in 7.
Please share your predictions below. Say the team city and the number of games. Then make fun of our picks.
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