Anyway, back to hockey! It's playoff time for my historical guys, and Season 7 is the first to feature two full rounds of best-of-five play. Sadly, the Millionaires and the expansion Bearcats are heading home, but the other four teams now have their opening-round playoff assignments.
Comets (1st) vs. Thistles (4th)
It was a magical season for the Comets (11-3-6) and many of their players, four of whom finished in the top ten in points: Blair Russell (third), Mike Grant (fourth), Frank Foyston (fifth), and captain George Richardson (seventh). Behind this elite quartet, the league's all-time goals-scored leader, Frank McGee, notched a dozen tallies. If the team has a weakness, however, it's on the penalty kill. The Comets finished dead last with 70.37%. Their first-round opponent, the Thistles, had an uneven year. They were the only playoff team to finish below .500 (6-8-6) and with a negative goal differential (-5). On the positive side, Alf Smith came alive in the second half and finished with 14 goals and rookie Jack Darragh chipped in 10 of his own.
Prediction: Comets in four.
Victorias (2nd) vs. Bulldogs (3rd)
The Vics had the league's best goal differential (+19) and absolutely dominated on special teams, pacing the circuit in both power play (24.62%) and penalty kill (92.16% -- the best percentage in league history). They weren't as strong at five-on-five, but stars Newsy Lalonde and Cyclone Taylor finished first and second, respectively, in the scoring race. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, were carried by veteran netminder Paddy Moran, the odds-on favorite to win his first Goaltender MVP trophy after backstopping the team to a league-low 2.40 goals against per game. His fine work covered for down years (relatively speaking) by Gord Roberts and the Dogs' other stars. Journeyman winger Jack Ruttan, a trade deadline acquisition, exceeded expectations by scoring five goals in eight games to close out the regular season.
Prediction: Victorias in four.
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