2014 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions - Otto

West:

Anaheim vs Dallas: (Season series: Stars 2-1)

The Ducks wrapped up the top spot in the West a few days before the end of the season. Their opponent was still up in the air until Dallas was able to overtake the final wildcard spot from the Mike Smithless Phoenix Coyotes.

Anaheim has been among the trio of California teams batting for the top spot in the Pacific Division all season. The Ducks have been one of the league’s best home teams this season, their 29 home wins are good for second best. They do not struggle to score, however they do not have the scoring depth of some of the teams in this year’s playoffs. They will need to get good goaltending from Jonas Hiller if they are to make a deep run this year.

The stars quietly made their way back into the playoffs for the first time since the 07-08 season despite a loss to the Coyotes in the final game of the season. A balanced scoring attack led by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn is what helped the Stars back to the playoffs.  Steady goaltending provided by Kari Lehtonen didn't hurt their chances either. They will need the same performance that they got in his 33 wins to get past the Ducks in the first round.

While I like to think that the Stars have the ability to grind it out with Anaheim’s top two lines, I think that in the end the Ducks will be able to overpower the Stars.  I’ll take the Ducks in 6.

Colorado vs Minnesota (Season Series: Avs 4-0-1)

Last season, the Colorado Avalanche were near the bottom of the league in virtually every category. Their only major win was the draft lottery, which provided them with the first overall pick. This season has been a complete change in fortune. The Avs were competing for the top seed in the west up until the last game of the season. While that bid came up short, they were able to pass both the Blues and Blackhawks to claim the Central Division title, landing them a date with the Minnesota Wild in the first round. They keys to success for the Avs were outstanding goaltending from Semyon Varlamov  (a team record 41 wins in 63 games played) and unbelievable play from the young stars. They Avs are a threat to score at any point of the game while not sacrificing defense to do so. They speed that the Avs possess doesn't compare to any team I have watched this season.

The Wild put together a nice push at the end of the season to walk away with the top wild card spot. After a quick scare that they might falter like they did to close out the 2012-13 campaign, not counting a lopsided loss to the Predators on the final day of the season, the Wild won their last 4 meaningful games. In that stretch, the wins came against Pittsburgh, Boston, St Louis, and Winnipeg. Healthy goaltenders have been an issue for the Wild this season. 4 goalies have made 10 or more starts, all 4 of them registering at least 5 wins. It appears Ilya Bryzgalov will be the starter for the Wild, though youngster Darcy Kuemper will be ready to go if called upon.

Although I will be rooting for the Wild to win, I have a feeling they have one more year to go before making a playoff run. Qualifying for a second straight year is definitely something to build upon. Overall it’s the speed and goaltending that will allow the Avs to win this series in 5.

San Jose vs Los Angeles (Season Series: Kings 3-1-1)

This battle of California is the series that I am looking forward to watching the most. They Sharks have been sharp all season while battling for the Pacific division title. However, they have struggled this decade (and some of the last) to get their wins when it matters. On paper their team game should be successful, they have a great combination of leadership and youth. They have consistent goaltending which is all that they need when everyone buys in to the system.

The Kings are one of those teams that don’t play their best hockey in the regular season. As long as they are in position to make the playoffs they re content. Their grind it out style game is exactly what is needed for the second season. A healthy Jonathan Quick may be the difference in this series, unless trade deadline Marian Gaborik can shake of his playoff struggles and provide some offensive firepower. If the Kings can start scoring some goals to go along with their team defense, they may become the team to beat in 2014.

Seeing San Jose win this series at home wouldn't surprise me in the least. However, since they have been there before and have proved that they can win, I’ll take the Kings in 6.

St Louis vs Chicago (Season Series: Blues 3-2)

Just two weeks ago, the Blues were looking to knock off the Pacific powerhouses and claim the top spot in the west. Six games, and six losses later, not only did they not get the top spot in the west, they didn't even finish with the top spot in the Central. Ryan Miler has looked average at best, possibly the result of few to many pucks in Buffalo. They Blues haven’t been able to score lately either. They will need both to get back on track to make a run at the Blackhawks, even though the Blues are the higher ranked team.

Chicago might have gotten an odd form of benefit from the injuries to Jonathan Towes and Patrick Kane. Both players are keys to the success of the Blackhawks and were important to their Olympic teams as well. So, given that both return above 90% healthy, the rest could rejuvenate the defending champions. Cory Crawford has been reliable again this season, registering 32 wins.

I don’t know if the Blues can snap out of their slump in time to beat a very talented and experienced Blackhawks team. Chicago in 6 is my pick.

East:

Boston vs Detroit (Season Series: Wings 3-1)

Boston is the most balanced team in the East by a long shot. They can score goals, they have great defense, and their goalie is in the running for the Vezina trophy. The Bruins have been able to take it easy down the stretch, resting a few key players without the threat of being caught by anyone else in the East. The idea that it might have been a bad thing that most of season was played without much competition is concerning for those outside of the Boston locker room. Whether or not they are able to flip the switch to playoff competition will be interested, especially against an opponent like the Wings

The Red Wings simply don’t know how to miss the playoffs. Only a few weeks ago, the possibility of a Detroitless playoffs seemed to be real. As the weeks wound down, the young players took over and the Wings started to get healthy. Datsyuk and Zetterberg returned to the lineup, providing the leadership and experience that was needed to make the playoff push that always seems to happen. They Wings have to like their chances against the Bruins as well given their regular season success against them. They play of Jimmy Howard will be the key to this series. If he can steal a game early, especially on the road, it may swing the momentum enough to change the series.

Of all the wild card teams, I think Detroit has the best chance to move on. However, I think that Boston might just be too good to lose this one. I’ll take the Bruins in 7,

Pittsburgh vs Columbus (Season Series: Penguins 5-0)

Baring another collapse by Marc-Andre Fleury, I believe that this series will be the most lopsided for the first round. The Pens can score with anyone in the league, as long as they are able to stay healthy. While that wasn't the case for most of the year, they are getting most of their key guys back as the playoffs start.

Columbus cannot match the offensive output of the Pens so they will be relying heavily on the services of the Bob. Sergei Bobrovski led the Jacket to 32 wins this year, 5 by shutout, while posting a .923 save percentage.  He will need to keep up those numbers just to keep the Blue Jackets in the series.

I think Bobrovski steals one at home but it will be just that. The Jackets get overpowered and the Pens take the series in 5.

Tampa Bay vs Montreal (Season Series: Lightning 3-0-1)

This match-up pairs 2 of the hottest teams in the league headed into the playoffs. Both have registered 7 wins in their last 10. While the season series looks like the Lightning dominated, 3 of the 4 games were decided in a shootout.

Tampa Bay has continued to succeed despite the departure of Marty St Louis. The team play of Ryan Callahan has allowed Steven Stamkos to excel as one as the league’s best players upon his return from injury. Ben Bishop, another potential Vezina candidate, has been important too. An X factor to start the year, his 37 wins kept the Lightning near the top of the division all season.

Montreal has quietly had a good season as well. Olympic goal medalist Carey Price led the Habs to second place in the division. Trade deadline acquisition Thomas Vanek helped solidify a solid offensive group. 

I think Carey Price’s career year continues and he leads the Canadians on to the second round in 6 games.

New York vs Philadelphia (Season Series: Tied 2-2)

This match up is arguably the biggest rivalry of the first round on the eastern side, though Detroit and Boston might not be too far behind for long.

The Rangers battled most of this year with the transition between the old and new style that comes with the hiring of a new coach. Now that they have settled in and added experience in Marty St. Louis, the Rangers have become a formidable opponent for anyone in the East. Brad Richards returned to being a 20 goal scorer, along with Rick Nash, while 5 other players got within 3 of the 20 goal mark. If Henrik Lundqvist can find playoff consistency to match his 2.36 regular season goals against average, this team looks mighty dangerous.

Philadelphia is surprise team in these playoffs given their terrible start to the season. A quick pull of the plug and changing of the coach allowed the Flyers to turn their season around and climb back into the playoff hunt. Another surprise this season for the Flyers is the play of Steve Mason. Written off by many, he returned this season and posted 33 wins. Seven, twenty goal scorers is the key for the Flyers. The Rangers might be able to shut down a line or two but if they can get secondary scoring, the Flyers have a chance to make a run.

I feel that the Rangers are going to have a good post season this year. They have the weapons to score goals and Lundqvist is due for a big playoff performance. In what should be a very intense series, I’ll take the Rangers in 6. 

2012 NHL Playoffs - Round 1 Results & Round 2 Picks

1st Round Results
Otto
5-3
Misses: Vancouver, Chicago, Pittsburgh
Dan 
4-4
Misses: Vancouver, Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh
Josh
3-5
Misses: Vancouver, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Pittsburgh

2nd Round Picks
Eastern Conference
#1 NY Rangers vs #7 Washington
The Capitals got here using a technique that was brand new to them, pound and grind the opponent and outwork them. Evidently Ovie hasn't bought into this and well, the capitals don't seem to care at all. He played around 15 minutes in every game of the series. The Rangers on the other hand have used this style all year. Holtby looked solid in goal for the Caps but was shaky at times, Ill give the goal tending advantage to the Rangers with the King in net. I also think the Rangers big name scorers with the big contracts will start to earn them a little more this round. It wont be easy but I'll take the Rangers in 7 again.

#5 Philadelphia vs #6 New Jersey
Philadelphia proved they can score goals, stopping them is another story. The Devils proved that they can win under pressure, winning games 6 and 7 in OT after falling behind 3 games to 2 to the surprising Panthers. To put it in perspective their were only 5 more goals scored in the Panthers-Devils 7 game series than the Flyers scored in their 6 games. The goal tending is still a major question in Philly since nothing was really proved beyond that they just managed to out power the mighty pens. My theory that Marty will go out with a big bang will be tested this round, the firepower of the Flyers is much greater then that of the Panthers. I think he will do just enough, combined with the inconsistencies of Bryz, to give the Devils the series in 6.

Western Conference
#2 St Louis vs #8 LA Kings
Home ice can make all the difference in the playoffs, then again so can being on a hot stretch. Look at any professional sport the last few years. St. Louis make quick work of a very veteran San Jose team while to Kings make the standings look reversed in their first round win. I'll take the kings in 6, they got rolling at the right time and looked good knocking off the top seeded Canucks.

#3 Phoenix vs #4 Nashville
I think this one will come down to the experience in the playoffs. Nashville continued to build off of their recent playoff history and knocked off the storied Wings in their first round series. Phoenix showed how much they like to play overtime hockey as they battled their way out of the first round versus Chicago. I will take Nashville with their experience in 6 although watch for Smith to steal an extra game and nothing is certain for a team playing a game 7 in front of their home crowd.

Atlantic Divison

Atlantic: Quite possibly the toughest division in hockey is the Atlantic Division. With four teams who could be in the hunt for a playoff spot, there is very little room for error in this highly competitive division.

Penguins:

With or without Sidney Crosby the Pens are number one. With Crosby they are as deep as any team in the league especially down the middle. I don’t have to say much more than Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal. Even without Crosby who is still battling post concussion syndrome, the Penguins can slide Jason Williams into the 3^rd line center slot and still have a very formidable punch. The addition of young power forward James Neal at last years deadline was a brilliant move by GM Ray Shero. Neal in my opinion plays a similar style to former NHL star Bill Guerin who enjoyed a resurgence while playing with Crosby. If Crosby is healthy I look for Neal to have a monster year. Another quiet move that I think will pay off is the addition of veteran winger Steve Sullivan. This guy is always productive when healthy and that was on teams without a lot of support (Nashville, and Chicago before they won the cup). On a side note the Pens went out and signed tough guy and former Amerk Steve MacIntyre to protect the assets. Let me tell you I have never seen such a monster of a man. No steroids here folks just good old fashioned western Canada farm muscle. He also is quite the character. While in Rochester, he asked the owner Curt Styres if he could drive the owners Ford F-650 around town to boost awareness for the team. The truck is bright orange and had the Amerks logo on it. MacIntyre told Styres he would go around town and sign autographs and take pictures with fans that recognized him. Time to get back on track.

Kris Letang is an emerging star on defense. 50 points last season is impressive considering he didn’t have Sid the Kid or Geno to feed the puck to while on the mad advantage. Joining Letang to form a solid top four are tough stay at homer Brooks Orpik, Zbynek Michalek, and Paul Martin. The M and M boys both enjoyed their first seasons in steel town. The last pairing will be filled out by a combination of tough guy Deryk Engelland, sophomore Ben Lovejoy who some of you might remember for having a swelled up face during HBO’s 24/7, and Matt Niskanen who came over with Neal at the deadline.

The crease is protected by Brent Johnson’s right cross. Just ask Rick DiPietro how good it is. Anyhow, the number one guy in Pittsburgh is Marc-Andre Fleury. The flower had a slow start last season but managed to turn it around and get his team into the playoffs without Crosby or Malkin.

The biggest reason I think the Pens will be #1 is the man behind the bench. I don’t think there is a coach with a better feel for his team than Dan Bylsma. He knows what buttons to push and when to push them. He will be an annual nominee for the Jack Adams Trophy as the years go by. (1^st Atl, 1^st EC)

Rangers:

Some would fans seem to think that signing the biggest name in the free agency market means you’re going to win the following June. Does that sound like a New York fan for any sport? Want to know where the most outrageous fans in all of sports they are? Look to the Big Apple. One day they think they have the best team in the world, the next day they are a bunch of losers. Anyhow, there is reason for Rangers’ fans to be excited this season. The addition of Brad Richards is huge for a team who’s been looking for a #1 center since Mark Messier left. Though Richards has a bit of an injury history he is a proven leader and playoff performer. Not to mention he has a successful past with Coach John Tortarella. Who by the way cut his teeth behind the bench in Rochester winning the Calder Cup in 1996. Torts is known as a no nonsense coach who demands a high effort level from his players.

No one on the roster exemplifies hard work and determination better than newly elected captain and Ryan Callahan who by the way is from…. you guessed it Rochester! That makes two Rochester natives to be named Captain of Original Six teams. Not failing to mention that Dustin Brown the LA Kings Captain is also from Ithaca, NY. Callahan is the undisputed leader of the Blueshirts and is the correct choice to wear the “C.” To go along with Ricahrds and Callahan the NYR possess Otto’s favorite player, Marian Gaborik who has enjoyed his first two seasons in blue after coming over from Minnesota. The problem with Gaborik is that he is very injury prone. When healthy he can be a top five, point producer in the league and game changer. Joining Richards and Gaborik on the top line will most likely be Wojtek Wolski who didn’t produce as expected in his first season with the club. On the second line will be Callahan, Brandon Dubinksy and most likely second year player Derek Stepan. The rest of the forwards include grinders and guys who put in an honest effort each night.

The biggest concern for the club is the lack of depth on defense. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are a solid top pair but after that it’s pretty rough. Youngsters Michael Del Zotto, Michael Sauer, and Ryan McDonagh look to hold off up and coming prospect Tim Erixon who the Rangers picked up from Calgary after he refused to sign with the Flames.

The Madison Square Garden faithful love to chant “Henry! Henry! Henry!” to show their love for one of the world’s best net minders Henrik Lundqvist. King Henry put up another solid season in the Garden and looks to get back into Vezina contention. Former Amerk Martin Biron will back him up, who by the way is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Even though he hasn’t played in Buffalo for five years he still makes his home in the city and is a regular contributor to many charity functions in the city.

Overall the Rangers will make this year’s playoffs as long as Richards and Gaborik stay healthy. If King Henry can get hot late, this team could be a cup contender. (2^nd Atl, 4^th EC)

Flyers:

Coming to ABC this fall, Extreme NHL Franchise Makeover, starring the Philadelphia Flyers. Gone are franchise cornerstones Jeff Carter and former Captain Mike Richards, in are a boat load of new faces and one super old one.

GM Paul Holmgren grew tired of watching the carousel of goaltenders on his roster not perform to an adequate level and be the main reason his team was knocked out of the playoffs the past two seasons. To fix that problem, Holmgren traded for the negotiating rights to soon to be free agent Ilya Bryzgalov. But since the GM was already bogged down with several long-term deals to skaters he needed to free up some cap space to sign his soon to be franchise goaltender. To start, he sent Carter to Columbus for the #8 pick in the draft who turned out to be Sean Couturier (formerly ranked the top prospect overall by The Hockey News), 3^rd round pick (Nick Cousins) and Jakub Voracek who was a highly touted prospect for Columbus but hasn’t produced at the NHL level. To be honest whom for Columbus has? I mean seriously, has there been a worse team at drafting a developing players than the Blue Jackets? Other than Rick Nash there isn’t a player I can think of and I’ve seen a lot of their prospects play for the Syracuse Crunch. Sorry for the tangent, now back to our original programming…

Not many in the hockey world were shocked when the news of the Carter to Columbus trade broke because everyone kind of assumed he would be the odd man out. But the trade that did surprise the league was the deal that sent Captain Mike Richards to the LA Kings for top prospect in all of hockey Brayden Schenn, power forward Wayne Simmonds, and LA’s next to 2^nd round picks. It was rumored that Carter and Richards were enjoying life away from the rink a little too much and that it became a distraction in the locker room. Other additions to the Broad Street Bullies include Max Talbot (Penguins), Andreas Lilja (Ducks), and 39 year old Jaromir Jagr. Coming back from playing in the KHL the past two seasons, Jagr is looking forward to the opportunity to possible be on a line with Claude Giroux and Danny Briere. Also amongst the forwards in the top six is breakout candidate James VanRiemsdyk, who was the Flyers best skater in last year’s postseason.

The Bullies defense core is lead by Chris Pronger who was named Captain after the departure of Mike Richards. There are questions about Pronger’s ability to be as effective as he used to be for an entire season. The wear and tear from playing a physical style his whole career seems to be catching up with him. Pronger along with Braydon Coburn, Matt Carle, Lilja, Kimmo Timonen and Andreas Meszaros form a very solid group 1-6. As long as Pronger can keep himself in the lineup the Flyers has the defensive unit to get them back into the postseason.

As mentioned before, the GM Paul Homgren is turning over the crease to free agent acquisition Ilya Bryzgalov. After signing a huge contract for $51 Million over 9 years, Bryzgalov needs to develop tough skin especially if he and the team get off to a slow start. Backing up Bryzgalov will be fellow Russian, Sergi Bobrovsky. Bob as he is known around the league came out of no where last season to become the teams number one goalie earning 28 wins but flamed out down the stretch due to fatigue from not being used to playing so many games. (3^rd Atl, 5^th EC)

Devils:

A new coach, an aging goaltender, and recovering superstar. New Jersey is a very intriguing team to me for many reasons. First they didn’t make any significant moves in the offseason, which to me says the GM Lou Lamoriello thinks his team is better than it showed last season. A healthy Zach Parise will be much like a free agent signing since he missed all but 13 games last season. A top line of Praise, Patrick Elias and Ilya Kovalchuck will be a dangerous one with Elias’ passing ability, Parise’s great two way play and Kovalchuck’s deadly shot. After that trio there isn’t much. Center Travis Zajac could see time with Parise and Kovalchuck but disappointed last season being a -6 and only 44 points despite being Kovalchuck’s main pivot.

As usual, with the Devils there aren’t many big names on defense, just steady as she goes players. Adam Larsson, the #4 pick overall in this years draft might make the club out of camp and has been described as “the Swedish Scott Stevens.” I don’t believe it. Though he may be tougher than most Swedish defensemen, there is no way he is Scott Stevens’ tough. If Larsson can make the roster then he would most likely be paired with Henrik Tallinder who enjoyed his first season in New Jersey. 2^nd pairing of Andy Greene and Anton Volchenkov is an OK pairing but nothing to write home about, and the 3^rd pair is just plain ugly and could be a combination of guy even I haven’t heard of.

The aging Martin Broduer is back for another season. New coach Peter DeBoer has to figure out the right workload for Broduer to be successful and last the entire season. The problem with giving Broduer nights off means that Johan Hedberg has to play and though he is a capable back up, he doesn’t give the team the same chance to win as Broduer. This team is a couple defensemen and a winger away from being a playoff team. (4^th Atl, 11^th EC)

Islanders:

There’s reason for hope on the Island in 2011-2012. Franchise center John Tavares signed a long-term deal as did future Captain and power forward Kyle Okposo and late bloomer Michael Grabner. Grabner enjoyed a breakout season potting 34 goals that Florida apparently didn’t need. Talk about a bonehead move by Dale Tallon. Trade for a guy from Vancouver don’t give him a fair shot to making the roster, place him on waivers and then watch him score 34 goals for the Islanders. Anyhow, these three forwards along with 19-year-old Nino Niederreiter, solid two play pivot Frans Nielsen and sniper Matt Moulson give coach Jack Capuano a potentially potent top six. After the top six there is some work to be done, and GM Garth Snow started to improve that with the addition of Rochester Native Marty Reasoner and veteran winger Brian Rolston (his brother is now the Amerks’ Head Coach). Josh Bailey and Blake Comeau combine with a bunch of grinders and no names to fill out the forward lines.

On defense Mark Streit who was recently named captain is the beginning and the end for talented defensemen on the island. Mark Eaton, Mike Mottau, Milan Jurcina, Andrew MacDonald, and Travis Hamonic fill out the defense. MacDonald and Hamonic showed some potential towards the end of last season and look to build off of that.

The Sad to say but the defense isn’t even the worst part about the Islanders. That distinction belongs to the goaltending department. Owner Charles Wang probably gave away the worst contract of all time when he signed goalie Rick DiPietro to a 15 year deal worth $4.5 million a season. Especially when DiPietro is constantly injured, primarily groin and knee issues until he decided to let Brent Johnson use his face as a punching bag and received a concussion by doing so. Since they are stuck with DiPietro long term the team has brought in two goalies to fill in while DiPietro is injured. Al Montoya who was a highly rated prospect for the Rangers but never got a chance with Lundquvist in town and Kevin Poulin who was serviceable last season until he took a page out of the DiPietro playbook and missed the last 29 games with a knee injury. (5^th Atl, 12^th EC)

2nd round results vs the picks

Here is a recap of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Along with how all of those of us who made picks did. Some clearly much better than others.

#1 Washington vs #5 Tampa Bay
I thought going into this series that offense was going to be the key, I also thought that Washington's new found defensive style was going to help them out battle the Bolts. Turns out I couldn't have been off by more.  Goaltending turned out to be the key to the series after all. Roloson continued his fantastic play, allowing an average of 2.5 goals a game but more importantly making key stops at key times. On the other end Neuvirth lacked the killer instinct that Roloson has been showing. He averaged just under four goals against per game, conceding untimely goals such as the dagger by St Louis to make it 5-2 with only three minutes to go in the third. The Bolts got timely scoring from their stars and some from those who may have not been expected to contribute on the score sheet. Defensively the Bolts managed to shut down Ovechkin and Semin in a similar way to how Montreal did so in their comeback last year. Washington seemed to lack depth in the series when it came to scoring goals. The Caps scored three goals or less in each game of the series, only tallying two on two separate occasions. The Bolts had enough to make it through each game, including one in overtime, to sweep the Caps out of the playoffs in the minimum of four games. Todd was the only one to make the pick correctly but even he thought it would take longer than it did, picking the Bolts in six games.
Mine - Capitals in 6
JR - Capitals in 5
JB - Capitals in 7
DP - Capitals in 7
JG - Capitals in 7 
TS - Lightning in 6 
GV - Capitals in 6
Poll - by a vote of 6-2

#2 Philadelphia vs #3 Boston
The Flyers made it out of the first round despite the marry go round in goal. In the second round weak goaltending and a lack of offensive power came back to haunt them. Game two was the only one that was close in the entire series. Tim Thomas saved 52 shots in that game while the Bruins won another overtime games in the playoffs. In the other three games in the series the Bruins won by four goals. Totaling 17 goals to the five of the Flyers. On a not so hot side still, it took the Bruins till the final game of the series to finally get a power play goal in the playoffs. It came on a 5 on 3 with a minute to go while the game was already well in hand. Luckily for them it still counts as one and should help take some pressure off of their power play.
The win sets up a match up against the Lightning for the Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals.
The picks:
Mine - Bruins in 6
JR - Bruins in 6
JB - Flyers in 6
DP - Flyers in 7
JG - Flyers in 7
TS - Bruins in 6 
GV - Bruins in 6
Poll - Bruins by a vote of 5-3

#1 Vancouver vs #5 Nashville
With the help of their special teams Vancouver was able to wrap up a series a game shorter than in round one but still much closer than they would have liked. The Canucks claimed three wins in the city of Nashville as well as adding four power play goals on the road on only ten attempts. The win in game six marked the 13th game in 26 games for the overtime, and pressure, tested Canucks. Ryan Kesler registered at least a point in all but game one of the series, seeming to take the Canucks on his back as they were able to out power the Predators in the end. The series was by no means a blowout as I had thought it may be. Only one of the six games was decided by more than one goal, the odd game out being the two goal win, which included an empty net goal, for the Canucks in game four. The Canucks looked far better in their series than they did in the opening round, something they will need to continue with no matter who they face in the next round. In the mean time they will enjoy their two days off and hope that Detroit forces a game seven in the other Western Conference match up.
 Mine - Canucks in 5
JR - Canucks in 6
JB - Canucks in 5 
DP - Canucks in 5
JG - Canucks in 5
TS - Canucks in 4 
GV - Canucks in 6
Poll - Canucks by a vote of 7-1

#2 San Jose vs #3 Detroit
I had started to write up a series summary after game 3, the Wings were looking broken, history tells you that it wont be done. Yet after game 6 I deleted what I had planned to post after a Sharks series win. The Sharks showed many different faces over the course of this series. The first three games they were powerful and resilient to a point. Two overtime wins over one of the perennial powers in the West. Game four showed a few faces all in one game, falling behind 3-0, overcoming that deficit, then losing late in the third. Then the Sharks of the last few years showed up. A solid third period lead was lost in game 5, the doubt began to set in from observers about how the sharks were going to take the pressure. JJR took it the furthest calling Marleau guttless, but we all know about that story already. Another loss in game six set up the ultimate winner take all in sports, Game 7. Normally when a game gets as hyped as this game 7 did, it fails to live up to its expectations. The only thing better this game could have done was go to overtime. A hard fought battle that saw both teams have their share of chances to take control of the game. It took until the final buzzer for the Sharks to wrap up the series with a 3-2 win.  
Mine - Sharks in 7
JR - Red Wings in 7
JB - Sharks in 6 
DP - Red Wings in 6
JG - Red Wings in 6
TS - Red Wings in 6 
GV - Sharks in 7
Poll - vote of 4-4

2nd round results and the picks

The second round results will be posted as they come in, possibly even game by game this round. Also posted are the picks of those who sent them to me so we can either gaze in amazement or laugh at them.
Good luck!

Western Conference
#1 Vancouver vs #5 Nashville
Game 1: 1-0 Canucks
Game 2: 2-1 Predators (2 OT)
Game 3: 3-2 Canucks (OT)
Game 4: 4-2 Canucks
Game 5: 4-3 Predators
Game 6: 2-1 Canucks
The picks:
Mine - Canucks in 5
JR - Canucks in 6
JB - Canucks in 5 
DP - Canucks in 5
JG - Canucks in 5
TS - Canucks in 4 
GV - Canucks in 6
Poll - Canucks by a vote of 7-1

#2 San Jose vs #3 Detroit
Game 1: 2-1 Sharks (OT)
Game 2: 2-1 Sharks
Game 3: 4-3 Sharks (OT)
Game 4: 4-3 Red Wings
Game 5: 4-3 Red Wings
Game 6: 3-1 Red Wings
Game 7: 3-2 Sharks
The picks:
Mine - Sharks in 7
JR - Red Wings in 7
JB - Sharks in 6 
DP - Red Wings in 6
JG - Red Wings in 6
TS - Red Wings in 6 
GV - Sharks in 7
Poll - vote of 4-4


Eastern Conference
#1 Washington vs #5 Tampa Bay
Game 1: 4-2 Lightning
Game 2: 3-2 Lightning(OT)
Game 3: 4-3 Lightning
Game 4: 5-3 Lightning

The picks:
Mine - Capitals in 6
JR - Capitals in 5
JB - Capitals in 7
DP - Capitals in 7
JG - Capitals in 7 
TS - Lightning in 6 
GV - Capitals in 6
Poll - Capitals by a vote of 6-2

#2 Philadelphia vs #3 Boston
Game 1: Bruins 7-3
Game 2: Bruins 3-2 (OT)
Game 3: Bruins 5-1
Game 4: Bruins 5-1
The picks:
Mine - Bruins in 6
JR - Bruins in 6
JB - Flyers in 6
DP - Flyers in 7
JG - Flyers in 6(7) 
TS - Bruins in 6 
GV - Bruins in 6
Poll - Bruins by a vote of 5-3

My NHL Playoffs Second Round Picks

I did pretty well with my picks in the first round, as did Dan, Joe, and those of you who participated in the poll. The first round records were as follows
Mine: 5-3
Dan: 5-3
Joe: 6-2
Poll: 5-3
Be sure to post your picks for round two in the comments, on my facebook, on twitter, or just pick your four winners in the poll:

Round 2 Match-ups:
WESTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Vancouver vs #5 Nashville
It took till the fourth game but Vancouver finally found a way to close the door on the youthful and pesky Hawks. The Canucks looked strong in the first three games, as well as games 6 and 7. They will need Luongo to find the form that he displayed in the four wins for them to carry on any further. Vancouver will also need their big name players to play bigger. Because of the two blowouts a majority of the Canucks players were minus players for the series. The Sedin twins combined for 12 points, unfortunately Daniel scored all 5 goals that the pair accounted for. A more balanced scoring attack would help as well, only 9 players recorded goals in the 7 games against the Hawks. Nashville found a way to shutdown, if you can count a 3.33 goals against per game shut down, the top line of the Ducks. Even if it required having one of them stomp on a players foot to get him suspended. Rinne wasn't spectacular, with an official 3.29 GAA, it was enough to get the series won but im not sold on it being enough this series. The Preds found scoring from 12 different players including 3 from Fisher, Weber, and Ward. For the Predators to win this series I think they will need to tighten up defensively to help out Rinne and hope for the offense to continue on from the first round. As mentioned before, the Canucks will need Luongo to be a presence in net, hoping that his downfall was a mental block against the Hawks. I also think the Canucks offense will break out in this series. Using solid goaltending, and a more rounded offense, I think Vancouver takes the series in 5.

#2 San Jose vs #3 Detroit
Detroit rolled through their first round series against what turned out to be a significantly inferior opponent. They won the first four games of the series, only one of them was decided by less than 2 goals(no empty netters). The extra time off was extremely beneficial to the Wings, giving Franzen's face time to heal, he took 20 odd stitches and refused a mask early in the series, as well as a chance to get Zetterberg healthy without having to rush him back. San Jose took longer to finish off a team that many thought they would have no trouble with. It took three overtime wins, including a four goal comeback, and a 6-3 win for the Sharks to move on. The Sharks got big numbers out of their rookie Logan Coture, who was behind only Ryane Clowe for the team lead in points so far. Their goaltending will need to be far better, especially against a high scoring Detroit team. Antti Niemi had a GAA of 4 in the first round, with only a .860 save percentage, not up to par for a goalie with a ring in his pocket from last season. I think the veteran loaded Sharks will do a much better job of getting to Howard than the Coyotes did. This, along with a better performance in the net will lead the Sharks to a series win, in seven games. 


EASTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Washington vs #5 Tampa Bay
Both of these teams looked strong in the first round, however they both knocked off teams that were missing pieces. Tampa Bay holds the edge in the goaltending department, Roloson played well in the first series and has playoff experience earlier in his career. For Washington Neuvirth has playoff experience, winning back to back titles, but it was at the AHL level not the NHL. Rest in this series will also come into play with the series starting on Friday. The Lightning finished up their comeback from being down 3-1 in the series on Wednesday while Washington has been waiting to find out their next opponent for nearly a week by the time the puck drops. Both of these teams have very potent offenses, though Washington settled into a defensive strategy that seemed to work against the Rangers in the first round. I also think that the Caps will be able to shut down the weapons of Tampa on a semi regular basis. Im taking the Capitals in 6.


#2 Philadelphia vs #3 Boston
This pick is another difficult one to make, both teams are lacking in areas and strong in others. For the Bruins they will need to find something for their powerplay. Making it through one series without scoring a single goal is lucky as it is, doing it against the Flyers would be near suicide for their playoff hopes. Another key to fix is their discipline. Although I did not agree with some of the calls in the first round, Boston spend way to much time in the penalty box. Two 5 on 3 goals in game six allowed Montreal to stay in the series against them, not to mention two powerplay goals in game seven to keep it close. The Bruins do have the advantage in the defensive zone. Anyone with Chara on their team automatically on the positive side but that is not the only reason. The main reason is that Tim Thomas is in net for the Bruins. They relied  on Thomas a little bit to much in the first round but he stepped up and kept them in it. The Bruins will have to cut down on the number of odd man rushes that they surrender this series, the Flyers offense is better in my opinion then the Canadians. They key for the Flyers is goaltending. Can one of the keepers on the carousel make it stop long enough to win a few games? They did just enough to make it through the series against and undermanned Buffalo offense but what will they do against a higher powered Bruins team. The Flyers will get some goals in this series, Briere can't be shut down for the whole thing and they got goals from unexpected contributors in the first round, something that will continue in the second. This should be an extremely fun series to watch, physical with lots of chances for scoring. In the end I think it comes down to special teams and goaltending, I like the Bruins in 6.

Movember Review

Once again this year many of the Wild players participated in Movember, from the teams website; Movember is an annual charity event held during November that engages men to grow Mo’s (slang for moustache) to raise awareness and funds for cancers affecting men. Last season, Wild defenseman Nick Schultz was one of the first NHL players to embrace the cause after the father of one of his closest friends developed prostate cancer and is currently battling against one of the more treatable forms of the disease. A 501(c)3 non-profit, Movember benefits the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG.

Niklas Backstrom, Mikko Koivu, Marty Havlat, Nick Schultz

As for the month of November in terms of hockey it was a hot and cold one to say the least. They compiled six wins in the first eight games of the month only to close it out with a single win in the last five. The hot start was much to the credit of Niklas Backstrom, stealing a few games that the Wild didn't have a whole lot of business being in. The Wild were outshot by 80 shots though the first eight games, barely outscoring opponents while putting together their wins. In every one of these wins Wild opponents had at least ten more shots, in the wins over San Jose and Tampa Bay they were outshot by twenty but still managed one goal wins. On the other hand, in their two losses the Wild were outshot by a combined five shots. For the first half of the month the power play was converting on a quarter of their chances. The high spot of the month was the win over Detroit, who is number one in the west, even though the box score shows the Wild getting out played. Any time you can knock off one of the top teams in the league it does wonders for team confidence.

The second half of the season was another story for the team. In five games, they allowed 23 goals, eleven more then they scored despite scoring five in the win against Nashville and 4 in the loss to Colorado. The trend continued with shots as well as the Wild were outshot by 32 in the five games. The power play has struggled as well converting on just over six percent of their chances in the last series of games. The low spot is tough to pick for the month, the 6-1 loss to the Flyers hurt a lot but the 7-4 loss to division rival Colorado is embarrassing considering how well the goaltending has played this year.

So what does effect does November have on the Wild in terms of the season? Without factoring in today's games, on the last day of the month, the Wild sit in third place in the Northwest Division only 3 points behind both Vancouver and Colorado. Despite being that close to the division lead they sit only 2 points ahead of Calgary after their shutout loss to them earlier this week and surprisingly only 6 points ahead of last place Edmonton. The 24 points that the Wild have is good for only 12^th place in the Western Conference; however, they sit four points out of the number four spot in the conference.

In my October recap I said that a record of four games over .500 would be very nice for the month, they only went one game over. The result is essentially remaining stationary in the standings, the same in the division and only a one position drop in the conference. The Wild need to work on keeping shots closer as well, the game against Calgary on Monday was the first time they have outshot the opponent since Edmonton on October 14^th and only the third time all season.

December is a tough month for the Wild, they play four division games and of the 14 games this month all but one is against Western Conference opponents. A winning month would be extremely beneficial in the standings though I expect them to once again hang around the .500 level maybe just a game or two over. This should keep them in the playoff race but still on the outside looking in at a time that I would like to see them work their way up.

Origin of my odd sports followings

I have been questioned many times as to how I ended up following such an odd variety of sports teams, so I have decided to let you all know exactly who I follow and how it got to be that way. I have an extreme anti-New York team bias which I've never fully been able to explain but I credit most of it to my high dislike of bandwagon fans. I suppose living in the state with the team you see many more of them then rooting for a team outside the state, so I stay away from anything in New York. As far as my favorites I'll start with my biggest passion, hockey, and work my way though.

Hockey:

NHL: I was never really a huge single team fan as a kid, always more of a fan of the players. Initially it was Pavel Bure when he played for the Canucks so I followed them closely, then I became a fan of Eric Lindros and therefore the Philadelphia Flyers. I went and saw the Flyers play against the Hartford Whalers and was one aggressive move away from getting my jersey signed by Lindros. Once his career headed downwards I didn't really follow anyone until the Minnesota Wild. We were on a family vacation in the mid west during the summer of 2000 right before their opening season. We went and saw the arena but weren't able to get a tour but the energy in the entire city for the team was amazing. This sparked my interest in the Wild along with watching Marian Gaborik play. I have been to 2 Wild games so far, both in Buffalo. The first was while Gaborik was still there, I was 2 rows from the ice and it was one of the most amazing experiences ever and the other was last year toward the end of the season. I still follow Gaborik now that he is in New York but the Wild are still my team. Overall I am just a hockey fan in general, ill turn on any hockey game that's on TV regardless of who is playing just to watch some hockey. I have been to a few other Sabres games on occasion since the prices can be reasonable and nothing is better than live hockey regardless of your seats or the level.

AHL: The Rochester Americans are my adopted hometown hockey team. Being from Utica, we have had our share of semi-pro hockey teams pass through. My junior year of college at Brockport I began going to Amerks games with my roommate and got hooked. My senior year all of my roommates were hockey fans with an AHL team at home so I used Rochester as mine. I go to about twenty games a year but always keep track of how they are doing when I'm not there or they are on the road.

College: Being a student at Brockport, the Golden Eagles are naturally my favorite team. I am part of/one of the creators of the Eagles Nest Crazies, the student section for the home games. I travel across the state to support the team with my friends, causing as much trouble as we can for the opposing teams. I would love to write about the games but until I graduate and am not friends with the players anymore I will not be doing so. As far as D-I hockey goes I don't have a personal favorite team, I pull for the Bemidji State beavers since my dad taught there but once again ill watch any game that happens to be on TV. The college tournament leading up to the Frozen 4 however is like a holiday. I have been known to set up 2 TVs and a computer and watch every available game during the day.

Football:

NFL: I'm not sure when I became a football fan but I credit my dad's friend in Iowa for getting me to be a Green Bay Packers fan. Once I started following them my passion grew, I had tickets thought Brockport to see the Packers play in Buffalo my freshman year but the transportation never showed up. Obviously I started following the packers while Favre was there and loved him as a Packer. I was ok with the trade to the Jets and Favre playing there because I understand the desire to play and the teams decision to move on but the move to Minnesota crossed the line, now that he is playing there I could not like him less. I've never been to an NFL game but do hope to get to one someday soon, even if it's going to see the Bills play at some point.

College: As I'm sure you have noticed if you have read just about any blog so far I am also an avid Hawkeyes fan and hope dearly to go to a game in Iowa City at some point in my life. I have seen them play in Syracuse; some of you may remember the 4 stops inside the 4 yard line with under 2 minutes to play. This one again goes to my dad's friend who bought me an Iowa jersey when I was first born but also to my grandfather who always has an opinion about how they are playing. I was in Iowa for their Orange Bowl win over Georgia Tech last year which was an experience by itself.

Baseball:

MLB: My passion for the Diamondbacks comes from my other grandfather who lived in Arizona and took me to a bunch of games when I was younger. My first game was their inaugural season and I believe it was against the Giants. I have also seen them play the Rockies, Padres, and during their World Series winning year I was them play the Astros. Chase Bank Stadium is the only MLB level field I have ever been to, thought I have never seen a game with the roof open. I am also a fan of anyone that beats the Yankees, this goes back to the bandwagon fan concept. I do acknowledge a few actual Yankee fans, but it's not very hard to be a fan of a team that finishes in the top 2 in the league year in and year out with a payroll that could pay off multiple teams' rosters.

Minor Leagues: I have attended a few Syracuse Skychiefs, and Buffalo Bison games as well as one Rochester Red Wings game but I do not follow any of them with any interest.

Miscellaneous:

I refuse to follow NBA basketball at all, though thanks to over coverage on ESPN I can name many more starters off a variety of teams then I would like to admit. I will watch some college basketball from time to time but that is usually limited to UNC/Duke games (in which I root for UNC) for the rivalry and the March Madness tournament. Most of my interest in the tournament is based on pools as well, not in the actual basketball itself. Syracuse basketball I refuse to root for…ever…because the only time you hear about a Syracuse basketball fan is when they are ranked or making a run in the tournament. I would like to see their football team do well but that is only because they don't have any bandwagon fans at the moment, I'm sure if they start winning it will fill right back up again.

A sport I would like to follow more closely is indoor lacrosse. I played lacrosse in high school and enjoyed it but never followed it a whole lot. I've been to multiple Rochester Knight Hawks games which I have enjoyed but never followed them outside of what I see at the game. I have attended multiple Rochester Rhinos games and enjoyed each one more than I expected to, since I was not previously a soccer fan. I watched as much world cup action as I could this summer as a result of the interest in the Rhinos game and nationalism. I recently found out about the Rochester Raiders indoor football team and will have to make seeing that a priority, I witnesses the AF2 championship in Iowa one year and the intensity of arena football is amazing.

I have yet to be offered an opportunity to watch a new sport that I have turned down. I'll watch anything once and generally return if given that chance. Sports have always been part of my life and will be for a long time to come. This blog is a chance for me to express my views and at the same time increase my knowledge of sports and current events in them. I hope you enjoy what I have to say and even if you don't let me know what would make it more enjoyable for you.

The NHL Playoffs

            With the conference finals underway let’s take a look back at the playoffs so far this year. First Philadelphia makes the playoffs in the final game of the regular season by winning a shoot out against the Rangers. The first round brought us plenty of upsets, in the east only the defending champion Penguins managed to beat the lower seeded team. In the west the Red Wings “upset” the young and upcoming Coyotes in 7 games while the higher seed prevailed in 6 games in the other 3 series.

The second round brought a few more surprises in the east and more of the expected in the west. Montreal went the distance against the Penguins beating them on the road in seven games, selling out their home rink to watch the game on the big screen. The Flyers made history coming back from a 3-0 series deficit to beat the Bruins in 7 games, only the second NHL team ever to do so. Making this story even better for the Flyers is that they lost their starting goalie, Brian Boucher, in game 5 and relied on backup Michael Leighton to get their final 3 wins of the series. The top seed Sharks took care of Detroit while number 2 Chicago took care of the 3 seed Vancouver. This set up exact opposites for the Conference Finals, the #1 and #2 seeds playing for the Western Conference championship and the #7 and #8 seeds playing for the Eastern Conference title.

The surprise stories for me are the Sharks in the West and too many to mention in the East but probably the Flyers and Canadians. Coming into the playoffs the talk was about whether or not the Sharks could overcome the choke tag that they had earned the past 2 years. A slow start to the series, losing the first game at home and leaving the ice to audible boos after a 2-1 loss put more pressure on the teams. They bounced back in the second game in a high scoring game then lost the third game on a bizarre play where Dan Boyle appeared to have the puck go in his own net. The Sharks bounced back however and won the series in 6 games. In the second round they jumped out to a 3-0 series lead against the Red Wings, missing only a beat when they lost game 4, then finished off the series at home in game 5. The Coyotes would have been the best story had they been able to finish off Detroit at home in game 7. Phoenix was a team that no one knew about or expected to succeed coming into the season, a 4^th place finish in the highly competitive west was needless to say a great story.

Personally my favorite story in the east was the Montreal Canadians beating Sidney Crosby and the Penguins in Pittsburgh in game 7. Hail Gill and company did such a great job of shutting Crosby down it prompted the coach about the type of game the Canadians were playing. Both the Flyers and Canadians have strong arguments for being the best story, when is the last time you saw a seven seed have home ice advantage in the second to last round? Jaroslov Halak has been the story for the Canadians, as they have been outshot in both of the series so far, shutting down Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby each for 7 games is no small task. For the Flyers once again how they made the playoffs, the loss of their starting goalie, or missing 3 of their leaders for at least part of the playoffs (Gagne, Laperriere, Carter). Either way you look at it the 2010 Playoffs have been great entertainment.

As for the third round I’m rooting for the Canadians, I would love to see a Canadian team make it to the finals the history and fan support there is unreal. If you haven’t yet tune in for the beginning of a game where they show the national anthems, at any point during the Canadian or American song the singer can stop singing and the crowd carries on for as long as asked, it gives me the chills every time. Out of the west I am rooting for Chicago, they are a very young team that no one really knew what to expect. Patrick Kane’s mullet is in full effect (his equivalent of the playoff beard) and they are just a fun team to watch. For the finals of course ill be rooting for the US teams we want to have some kind of pride to hold onto after the Olympics.