Calgary Flames Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan celebrate after a goal by Jiri Hudler against the Anaheim Ducks during NHL hockey in Calgary, Alta. on Monday February 15, 2016. Al Charest/Postmedia

The NHL Playoffs are finally upon us and we will breakdown each matchup.

Image: Al Charest/Postmedia



Sign up with MyBookie here and get a 50% bonus on your first deposit!



Flames: 50-25-7, 107 points, 1st in Pacific

Avalanche: 38-30-14, 90 points, 2nd Wild Card in Western Conference

Season series: CGY 3-0-0; COL 0-2-1



The Calgary Flames entered this season not knowing what to expect with a new coaching staff and a few new players added over the offseason. After 82 games they find themselves atop the Western Conference facing the Colorado Avalanche who snuck into the Western Conference 2nd Wild Card spot. The first round series kicks off Thursday night and has a few storylines we’re tracking here at theBRKDWN. Who will start in goal for Calgary? Will the Avs top line be enough to get past the Flames?



Schedule

Game 1: Avalanche at Flames, Thursday April 11th

Game 2: Avalanche at Flames, Saturday April 13th

Game 3: Flames at Avalanche, Monday April 15th

Game 4: Flames at Avalanche, Wednesday April 17th

*Game 5: Avalanche at Flames, Friday April 19th

*Game 6: Flames at Avalanche, Sunday April 21st

*Game 7: Avalanche at Flames, Tuesday April 23rd

*If necessary



Who starts between the pipes Game 1 for Calgary?

The Flames have deployed a two-goalie system this year, splitting the starts and it has worked flawlessly throughout the regular season. Smith has been the better goalie in the second half of the year and was called upon in the most important game of the year for the Flames when they played the Sharks last week. In that game Smith came through and the Flames locked up first place in the Western Conference. This leads me to believe Smith will get the go ahead game one, but overall, David Rittich has put up better numbers than Smith posting a 27-9-5 record, a 2.61 GAA and .911 Sv %. Smith’s season stats come in at 23-16-2, 2.73 GAA and a .898 Sv %. Not since the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks has a Stanley Cup winning team entered the playoffs starting a goalie with a sub .900 save percentage when Cristobal Huet put up a .895 Sv % in 48 games.



Smith has made 19 playoff appearances, with most coming during the Arizona Coyotes’ impressive run to the 2012 conference final. David Rittich, meanwhile, is still looking for his first minute of postseason action in the NHL. It appears that Mike Smith is the clubhouse leader for who gets the start in game one. That being said, I think Smith will be on a very short leash and anything after the first 60 minutes of the series is up in the air.



Keys to Success:

For the Flames to win they will need an all-star effort from their goalie tandem in net. Why change what worked all year? I believe both Smith and Rittich will get starts in this series and they will both need to be consistent for the Flames if they are to advance to the second round.



Mark Giordano is the lifeblood of the Flames. Everything runs through him at both ends of the ice at any situation. Giordano will have to spring life back into the Flames’ power play, which has faltered down the stretch, for Calgary to be successful.



Colorado’s top line of MacKinnon, Rantanen and Landeskog carried the Avalanche into the playoffs this season (special shout-out to Philipp Grubauer). The top line contributed 106 of the team’s 258 goals (41.1%). The Avalanche are a slow-starting team with only 59 goals in the first period. They do come on strong to close out games having scored 93 in the second period and 103 in the third.



In order for the Avs to win this series the Avs top line needs to take advantage of Smith’s low save percentage and pepper the Flames netminders with as many shots as possible, as early as possible. The Flames give up the least shots per game in the NHL at 28.1, so it will be a tough task.



Colorado also needs to win the special teams battle in this series. They were seventh in the NHL converting at a 22% rate. If Colorado can hold a struggling Calgary powerplay to minimal damage they should be able to find some success.



Series Prediction:

Rantanen missed the final eight games of the season and has been skating in a non-contact jersey earlier this week. Currently it’s unclear if he will play in game one. Pair this with a solid effort from the Flames’ goaltending and I think the Flames take this series easily in five games. Calgary’s shutdown line of Tkachuk, Backlund, and Frolik will take care of Colorado’s three-headed monster in Mackinnon’s line. We didn’t even mention the firepower the Flames have up front as Gaudreau put up a career year with 99 points.

Pick: Flames in five games

Related