After stumbling out of the gate in the first round of the NHL playoffs, Maggie the Macaque is back and hoping for a 'wheel alignment.'
Finishing the first round with a dismal 2-6 mark, the furry, crab-eating monkey returned to the TSN studios on Wednesday to spin her playoff prediction wheel.
Vancouver fans will be happy to learn that Maggie is sticking by the lone Canadian representative in these playoffs, taking the Canucks to get past the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference semifinals. The Canucks were one of two correct predictions by Maggie in the opening round and it appears she's sticking with a winner.
In the other Western Conference series, Maggie's looking at a match-up that includes two teams that hoisted the Stanley Cup in the last two seasons - the Detroit Red Wings and the Anaheim Ducks.
Maggie's first round selections included a surprising Blue Jackets upset of the Red Wings but the monkey won't make that same mistake again. She selected Detroit to come out victorious in their Conference semifinal series against Anaheim.
In the East, Maggie turned her back on the Boston Bruins in the second round, a team that easily handled the Montreal Canadiens in the Conference quarterfinals. Boston was Maggie's other correct selection in the first round, but her lucky wheel feels the Hurricanes will come out on top.
With her final spin of the wheel, Maggie selected the high-flying Washington Capitals to get past Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. According to Maggie's first round selections, neither club was expected to get past their respective opponents but the monkey's leaning toward a victory by the Capitals.
Maggie the Monkey has been a playoff fixture for TSN since 2003, when she picked the underdog Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to reach the Stanley Cup Final with the spin of a wheel. The Ducks did just that, and Maggie's fame grew.
However, this will be Maggie's last season making NHL playoff picks as she is slated to retire after the Stanley Cup is won.
