Today the journey begins. These NHL playoff 'hype' images scare the pants off me, because of their jinxiness.
Lundqvist on the cover
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All the 'experts' at NHL.com are picking the Rangers in the first round. #scary
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Former New York Rangers player Adam Graves watches kids drink from a 21 Foot, 6,600 pound replica of the Stanley Cup in Times Square in New York City on April 11, 2012. The Stanley Cup replica also serves as a working fountain so NHL fans can drink from the famous trophy
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NHL fans and pedestrians stand around the 21' replica of the Stanley Cup in Times Square in New York City on April 11, 2012.
At the start of the year, when other people thought this team was a marginal playoff team, I went on record as saying they would get around 105 points and finish 4th. I was off by 4 points. And, if they were at 105 points they would have finished 4th. Not bad. Been pretty damn close the past few years too.
Now, we start the playoffs. Again, time for predictions. The playoffs are harder to predict. As Billy Bean would say, the sample size is too small. The law of small numbers creeps in to play. A hot goalie or hot scorer can swing a short series.
So, my prediction is that this is a very good team, but seriously flawed. However, everyone is seriously flawed. Still, they are among the top 8 teams in hockey, and maybe the top 4.
If the King gets hot, they will win it all. After this round, he needs to steal a game or two a series.
The motto for this run to for 16 wins is simple - protect the King! Keep the lanes and the crease clear and he will carry you to the promised land.
PROTECT THE KING!