The Phoenix Coyotes won their first division crown ever, home-ice advantage in the first round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs, and a sweeping wave of momentum.
So, naturally, oddsmakers are choosing the Chicago Blackhawks. Continue reading
Momentum can be a fickle thing.
On one hand you have the Phoenix Coyotes, who enter the playoffs as a division champion for the first time and home-ice advantage in the first round.
Then you have their opponent in the opener, the Chicago Blackhawks, who have been, well, eh, most of the year. Continue reading
More than any other sport, the NHL has shown us that just getting into the playoffs is an extremely useful thing. While most sports typically see high-seeded teams advance to the league championship, the NHL is proving that any of the eight teams in each conference has the ability to advance.
Take the Edmonton Oilers, for example, who were within one win of reached the Stanley Cup as an eight seed. Two years ago the Philadelphia Flyers advanced to the Stanley Cup as a seven-seed, topping an even lower seeded Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals. Continue reading