Okay, I have to make the call and have some record of it BEFORE the game.
The Detroit Red Wings play the San Jose Sharks in game 7 of the Western Conference semi-finals tonight (Thursday May 12th, 2011). It will be the 8th time in history that a team that was down 0-3 in the series (Detroit) has come back to force a game 7 by winning 3 straight games. Of the previous 7 times it has happened, only 3 teams were able to complete the comeback. In fact, in the history of 7-game series in North American professional sports, only 4 times has a team managed to come back all the way.
I can come up with a ton of reasons why San Jose can’t win and Detroit can’t lose: goaltending, experience, history, skill, players showing up, players not showing up … but none of it really matters. I want Detroit to win but I am picking the Sharks based on nothing but gut feel. I hope I’m wrong, though. A Vancouver-Detroit Western-final would be one heck of a series.
Check back soon for my 3rd round predictions!