LBC’s 2020 NHL Playoff Predictions Contest: Qualification Round

Well, no one could have predicted we’d be kicking this thing off in late July, but its time to make your picks for LBC’s annual playoff predictions contest.

Before we get to that, let’s give a big Congrats! to JimboCoppertone for winning the 2019-20 regular season predictions contest. Jimbo picked three division winners (5 points each) Washington, St. Louis and Vegas, and earned three more points by calling Detroit’s last place run in the Atlantic Division to finish with a grand total of 18 points.

Second place honors went to Colonel Bob with 16 points. Panther_fan93, CatatonicCatalyst and SymmGod finished in a three-way tie for third place with 13 points.

Now back to the postseason contest... The contest is done round-by-round and there is an overall winner at the end of the playoffs, so make sure to get in at the beginning if you want to have a chance at ending up top Cat come October.

Make your selections in the comment section. Scoring for the first round is three points for each series-winner plus an additional point if you call the winner in the correct number of games. The tiebreaker will be the total goals scored in the Panthers - Islanders series.

Here are the eight series (in case you’ve somehow missed it) for the best-of-five qualification round:

Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers

Arizona Coyotes vs. Nashville Predators

Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks

Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames

Please enter your picks in the comment section mirroring the example below. Remember, there is a round-by-round winner and an overall winner at the end, so even if you didn’t enter or do so good in the first round, get or stay in the game. Good luck!

Example Picks (these are not my picks)

Penguins (3)

Hurricanes (4)

Panthers (5) total goals: 33

Blue Jackets (3)

Oilers (3)

Coyotes (4)

Canucks (5)

Jets (3)

Please get you picks in by puck drop of the Rangers - Hurricanes game on Saturday.