Help me with my NHL Playoff Pool... please...

[The Shootin Surgeon]

I'm usually pretty damn good when it comes to NHL pools but this year has been cursed for me. Not only am I a Habs fan but I got destroyed in all 7 pools I entered (I won 4 of them last year).

My office pool has the following rules:

10 forwards (2 points for goals, 1 point for assists)
4 defensemen (2 points for goals, 1 point for assists)
1 Goalie (3 points for win, -2 for losses)

Here's what I had so far:

FORWARDS:
Forsberg
Sakic
Shanahan
Naslund
Hossa
Datsyuk
Tanguay
Sundin
Mogilny
Bertuzzi

DEFENSEMEN:
Morris
Lidstrom
Zubov
Schneider


GOALIE:
Roy

Only problem is that all my picks are in the Campbell Conference (I still call it that) and will end up eliminating each other before I get too far... I can't find anyone in the Wales Conference that not only can score, but that's on a team that wil go far enough for them to see action. I wouldn't mind picking Sergei Gonchar or even that lazy bitch Jagr but all the teams in the Wales that can go anywhere are thos boring, defensive teams (NJD anyone?)... any suggestions?

[docholiday_13]

Try not to take more than two players max from any given team. That way if the team gets eliminated in four, your overall totals won't take much of hit seeing as four players are now done.

Try to look for matchups too. Like Ottawa is playing The Isles. A series they should win. And Washington should beat TB. So that would set up a. Ottawa/Washington second round, another series Ottawa should win. Meaning Ottawa can conceivably be in three rounds. Pick up Hossa, Alfredsson and Havlat and you're in good shape.

I noticed that you left out Modano. He should be a gimme.

Try nabbing Hejduk instead of Tanguay. Hejduk will play with Forsberg who is a playoff monster. Which means a lot of cheapy assists.

And you should definitely have Blake in your pool. Oh and take Federov instead of Shanahan. He's been the best playoff performer of the past ten years.

That's my advice. Good luck on your pool!

[The Shootin Surgeon]

Dude, that is excellent advice.
I'm shaken this year because I've finished out of the top 5 in my regular season pool for the first time in years... I'm a mess... good call on Hejduk and Forsberg too.

I like Modano but I don't trust the Stars to put up big numbers, especially against Edmonton, the usually head into overtime tied at 1 for seven games in a row...

GREAT call on Blake too.

[bob]

I think your choices were great at the beginning, but were improved by Doc's advice. I think it's a good choice to pick Roy as goalie, his team's going into the playoffs with the most steam.

However, I'd forget about Alfredsson and Havlat. Even if the Sens do win more games than the West Coast teams, the East Coast style that the other teams play in will probably result in 2-1, 3-1 type games, as opposed to the 6-3 you can get in the West Coast. I'd say it's a safe bet to have Avs Canucks and Wings for most of your forwards.

And how about Brett Hull instead of Pavel Datsyuk? Hull is definitely more experienced and consistent.