Update from my playoff predictions post now that the 1st Round has ended.
What went right
- Correctly guessed the winner in 7 of 8 matchups (87.5%)
- Sharks did end up beating the Ducks despite being the lower seed. Not only that, they swept.
What went wrong
- Boston (2) vs
Toronto(3). I wanted Toronto to win this one despite being the lower seed. Series ended up going 7 games and Toronto fell apart in the last period of game 7. - I was all over the place in my predictions for how short/long series would last. Some examples: In both the Kings vs Golden Knights and the Sharks vs Ducks series, I predicted they would last a full 7 games. In both cases, the winning team went undefeated and finished the series early at 4. My predictions for series length were only correct in 2 of the 8 matchups (25%)
- Joe Thornton did not make an appearance as I predicted.
Thoughts on next matchups
Nashville (1) vs Winnipeg (2)
Again, I find Nashville to be the dominant team. I’d say Nashville in 4 but Colorado took 2 games from them in the previous round so I’ll adjust my prediction to Nashville in 6.
Las Vegas (1) vs San Jose (3)
Uhhh Las Vegas is spooky but I underestimated how San Jose would do in the last round. Scattered thoughts: San Jose never once beat the Golden Knights during the regular season. Sharks have more depth (IMO) than they have ever had in recent memory so if they are going to win this one, it might take 7 games.
Tampa Bay (1) vs Boston (2)
Boston knocked out my Round 1 prediction so I want Tampa Bay to win to fix my bracket. Boston looked like a strong playoff team against Toronto but Tampa Bay has had plenty of time to rest whereas Boston’s series went 7 games. Tampa Bay in 6.
Washington (1) vs Pittsburgh (2)
Oh boy! Big matchup. I’m not as familiar with the Capitals’s top lines/pairings as well as I am with the Penguins’s, but I know the Penguins’s top lines/pairings are scary. Pittsburgh in 6.