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This year more than any in
the recent past, upsets could be the rule rather than the exceptions.
Projecting upsets is what wins Playoff Pools. What we're going to do is
give you an idea of the upsets that could take place and the odds of them
happening. (8)
Vancouver over (1) Detroit: The Canucks are one of the hottest teams
since Christmas. They finished the season with a nine game unbeaten streak
and boast two of the NHL's top three scorers. Couple that with the fact
that they are expected to lose and they are playing a team significantly
older than them and this has all the makings of a classic David vs.
Goliath battle. To pull this off the 'Nucks need two things: unbelievable
goaltending from Dan Cloutier and great special teams play. If they can
exploit Detroit's age with an upbeat style of play and constant pressure,
they could do this. Odds of it happening: 5 to 2 (7)
Los Angeles over (2) Colorado: This is a little less likely, but with
a little luck it could happen. The likelihood increases dramatically if
both Milan Hejduk and Peter Forsberg miss the first round due to injury.
The Kings were the other exceptionally hot team since Christmas, but their
goaltending is suspect. Felix Potvin has always had problems winning the
big game, and against Colorado this could be the kiss of death. Odds of
it happening: 6 to 1 In
the other two games, the chances of an upset are less likely. San Jose
seems to be playing a solid team concept with amazing goaltending. This is
hard to play against, especially when you're a young team like Phoenix. In
the final first round series, St. Louis is just starting to click. Doug
Weight is back and everything seems right. In
the West the underdogs likely won't make it past the second round so don't
invest in them hoping for a Stanley Cup run.
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