How the Pool Shapes Up Through Two Rounds

We are now at the halfway point of these 2011 playoffs and it sure has been a good show of hockey thus far, wouldn't you say?  I would definitely say so.

In the pool, we have a couple of teams running away with the standings, as Superstar and Tryst'n'Grant are the only two teams to eclipse the 200-point barrier through two rounds, both in very good shape to take a run at the pool record in points at 283, set in 2009 by two teams.  Superstar sits with 209 points through the Conference Semi-Finals, while Tryst'n'Grant has 202 points, both teams with 12 players on their squad.

Rounding out the money spots in the pool are the Langdon River Dogs, 199 points with 12 players, Don't Call Me Ray, 195 points with 11 players, and seaherwet, 190 points with 12 players left.  That's a solid top five teams with most of their players remaining, so it could be very tough to knock them out.

Leading the pool in points through two rounds is Roberto Luongo, who has all 8 wins for the Canucks and 2 shutouts for 20 points, taking a 2-point lead into the Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks.  Luongo was the most popular goalie in the Western Conference, taken 44 times out of 76 teams, far and away the most popular, followed by his Conference Final opponent, Antti Niemi, who has 15 picks.

Working out the best team possible in the pool through two rounds sees some interesting picks through the boxes.  Thornton, Datsyuk, Kesler, Clowe, Filppula, Couture, Cleary, Keith, Edler, Franson, Klein and Luongo in the West, while there is Bergeron, Krejci, Lecavalier, Horton, Downie, Arnott, Versteeg, Green, Timonen, Subban, Meszaros and Roloson in the East, all together racking up 246 points.  That'd be quite the runaway win, if this team was picked this year.

In the game-winning goals race, it's a pretty good one.  Vincent Lecavalier and David Krejci lead all pool players with 3 GWGs through the first two rounds of the playoffs and it should be no surprise that both of their teams are still in the playoffs at this point in time.  Eight players currently have 2 GWGs, only four of them are still in the playoffs, Ryan Kesler, Joe Thornton, Nathan Horton and Daniel Sedin.

As for teams in the pool, two teams lead the bonus points race.  The Kings Don't Pay Their Bills and Headfirst both finished the second round with 14 GWGs to their name, holding a 1-goal lead over three other teams in the pool.  Neither team are really in the race today, as they are currently 21st and 24th in the standings and both teams have only nine players left going into the second half of the playoffs.

So, stay tuned for the Conference Final previews, which will be popping up here right away.  It should be good.