NHL Playoffs: The Manitoba Connection
Posted by Oak and Oar on
The first round of the playoffs have come to a conclusion. The opening series proved to be fairly suspenseful with four of the eight series requiring a 7th game, three of which were in the Eastern Conference. To put that in perspective last year only four series required a game 7 in the entire post season.
Though Chicago did get eliminated in the first round as a result losing 3 Manitobans from the Playoff run (Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith) not to mention the exit of Arron Asham and the Pens tonight -does not mean a Manitoban won’t be bringing home the cup. In fact as long as Tampa Bay doesn’t win 16 post season games this year the cup should appear over the course of this summer. When it all boils down I am hoping to see a Nashville/Detroit Western Conference Final and a Washington/Boston Eastern Conference Final with Detroit meeting Washington in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Curious as to the Manitoba presence remaining going into round 2?
Western Conference Semi Finals
Aaron Rome (Vancouver – 104th overall, 2002) vs. Jordin Tootoo (Nashville – 98th overall, 2001) / Colin Wilson (Nashville – 7th overall, 2008) And yes I know Colin is a Connecticut kid but he still calls Winnipeg home so we’re counting it.
Ian White (Sharks – 191st overall, 2002 ) vs. Darren Helm (Detroit – 132nd overall, 2005)
East Conference Semi Finals
Eric Fehr (Washington – 18th overall, 2003) vs.
Jody Shelley (Philadelphia – Undrafted) vs. Shane Hnidy (Boston – 173rd overall, 1994)
On a side note the AHL Playoffs are alive and well. The Moose advanced into the North Division Final after battling back to beat the Lake Erie Monsters in game 7. Winnipeg homegrown talents Kevin Clark and Steve Christie of the Moose will face off against Nigel Dawes and Dustin Boyd of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Both teams 8 wins away from a Calder Cup appearance.