2009 National Hockey League Semifinal Prognostications.

Well, it's come down to the Final Four hockey teams in the NHL playoffs.

Last round was not good for my reputation as an expert hackie analyst. I finished, haphazardly, with a .500 record of success. Suffice to say, the act of flipping a coin in the prognostication process may have yielded a similar or better result.

Hence, for the following semifinal predictions, I will complement my words of wisdom with the results the tossing of Maggie, BTOG's magical loonie (and Canada's favourite one dollar coin).

Shall we proceed?

Detroit Red Wings versus Chicago Blackhawks.
Again, the classic match up between the experienced team versus the young and restless team.

The youthful Blackhawks have cast off the more "experienced" Flames and Canuckleheads with little effort. However, may I say "experienced" in these cases really meant old and decrepit and little to do the talent required to advance in the playoffs.

In the Red Wings, the Hawks will be playing not only an experienced, playoff-hardened team, but a very deep, talented team. The only chink in the Red Wings' armour in their series with the Ducks may have been their slumping number one line of Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Holstrom but the three other forward lines just picked it up a notch.

These young Blackhawks have indeed exhibited the necessary talent, moxie, savvy, and depth to win the precious Stanley Cup. I'll give them a 71 percent chance of an upset.

It will be an extremely close series.

But on the basis of depth of talent and true experience,

Red Wings in 7.

Red Wings being heads. Hawks being tails.

What say you, Maggie the BTOG loonie (and Canada's favourite dollar coin)?

Tails it is. Good job Maggie!!

Maggie prognosticates a Hawk victory.

Pittsburg Penguins versus Carolina Hurricanes.
This will be another difficult series to predict.

At a glance it would seem to be the Pens' Sidney Crosby versus the Carolina Hurricanes.

He will need help though, particularly from his friend and goaltender Marc Andre Fleury. (I'm sure he has given up on fellow superstar Evgeny Malkin. Apparently Gene only showed up for one game in the last series against the Washington Capitals.)

Will Crosby and Fleury be enough to defeat the Canes?

The Canes will be formidable. They have their own superstars in Staal and Cam Ward.

I predict Cam Ward will outplay the Pens' last goal tending foe, Capitals' Joe Varlamov and his glove made of Swiss cheese.

Penguins heads. Canes tails.

I'll give Maggie, BTOG's coin of prognostication, a toss.

Heads.

I'll agree with Maggie on this one. Crosby will be a monster.

But it will be a squeaker as well.

Penguins in seven.