Stanley Cup

And now we come to the main event, the featured attraction. After three weeks we are now ready for some Stanley Cup action! For some its a dream that started on lakes and ponds in there youth and for some they are trying to add to their legacy.

Stanley Cup Finals (2)Detroit vs (4)Pittsburgh-An exact rematch of last years Stanley Cup final and for those of you who don't know Detroit won it last year. That puts a challenge on for the Redwings as there has not been a repeat Stanley winner in eleven years. In case your wondering it was Detroit that did it last back in 97 and 98. This years playoffs was full of intense action and drama filled games. The conference finals.....were a let down. Carolina came into the Eastern finals having upset 1 seed Boston while the Penguins had a dog fight with Washington. Pittsburgh destroyed the Hurricanes in a 4 game sweep. Carolina could not answer the Pens offensive assault. Crosby and Malkin both are 1 and 2 in goals scored this playoffs, Malkin with 14 and 11 for Crosby. Detroit had a tougher time facing Chicago but where still able to handle them in a easy fashion. This series was more competitive with Detroit and the Blackhawks going into overtime twice in the series. However this series was suppose to be great and it seldom was with only games 2 and 5 being close. Chicago with all of it's offense couldn't score on Detroit. Nicklas Lidstrom and goalie Chris Osgood. Breakdown- Pittsburgh brings the tandem of Crosby and Malkin but in addition to them Bill Guerin is a 400 goal plus veteran and center Jordan Staal can provide great defense. Detroit is anchored by Marian Hossa and Henrik Zetterberg. Pavel Datsyuk was injured in game 4 with Chicago and is already out for game 1. Yet keep and eye on Dan Cleary. Cleary was a big factor in the win over Chicago. Edge-Detroit. Defenseman- Detroit brings Nicklas Lidstrom who in his career has won the Norris trophy 6 times in his career. Backing him up is Niklas Kronwal whose hit on Hawk's ace Martin Havlat is still being talked about. The Penguins bring  Sergei Gonchar who is great at power play kills and Rob Scuderi who has flown under the radar these playoffs but I think the veteran defense of the Redwings will outplay Pitt in the end. Edge-Detroit. On paper Detroit goalie Chris Osgood has the edge but lets take into the factor of Penguins net minder Marc Andre Fleury's opponents. He had to contend with Alexander Ovechkin no easy feat. Osgood was critical in Detroit's success over Chicago. One could even argue that without Osgood Detroit and Chicago could still be going on right now heading into a game 7. Both have similar stats but the one key for both teams will be how they play the power play. Edge-Pittsburgh. Keys- Detroit is a very puck control team. This is their key, by keeping it out of the hands of Crosby and Malkin. Detroit also will need to capitalize on power play opportunities. The Penguins will need to keep the puck away from their third of the ice. Staying on offense will be key for Pittsburgh letting their great offense try to wear out the injury dogged Redwings. Verdict- It will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh has learned anything from last year. Pittsburgh can easily make this a fitness test with Detroit but I still think the Redwings can skate with the Penguins. I believe the injuries that surfaced during the Blackhawks series will come back to haunt Detroit. Penguins in 6.

photo courtesy of Carlos Osorio

Conference Finals

Two stars, only one can go on...
And so we were left with four; one team loaded with star power that held the nations attention, one team an upstart destroying every odd against them, one the defending champs trying to make it a repeat and give their town something to cheer about, and the other the youngest but hottest team right now. One series with one of the stars of the game against the underdog, can do team that everyone, including myself, thought would be done in the first round. The other a rivalry as old as the NHL itself. This is the conference finals....

East

(4)Pittsburgh vs (6)Carolina-With the games two biggest stars in the same series, it was a no brainer that Pittsburgh and Washington would gain the most media coverage. Crosby vs Ovechkin as it was dubbed. And it did not disappoint for the most part. Syd the kid and Alex the great both lead their teams with 12 and 11 goals respectively. 3 games went into overtime with the Penguins taking two of them. The Capitals David Steckel forced a game 7 when he sailed the puck past Pitt goalie Marc Andre-Fleury in overtime. Many thought with all the action that this would be a great game 7. One that would be the big explosive ending for this series. It ended up being a sparkler on the 4th of July. Pitt destroyed the Capitals 6-2 scoring 5 unanswered goals until Ovechkin answered with 2 minutes left in the 2nd. Carolina on paper should not be here. But they are a prime example if when a team gets hot its hot. Whether you think the Canes beating New Jersey was luck they still had the talent to force 7. Then they stun everyone in the room by knocking off Boston. Carolina's Scott Walker sealed it with a goal late in the first overtime in game 7. Walker you might have heard was the guy who dropped Bruin Aaron Ward with a good right hook that many are calling a cheap shot. The win gave Carolina its 4th game 7 win in a row. Now Carolina has a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup just 3 years removed from their 2006 championship. Verdict- The Penguins naturally have the edge heading into this matchup. Carolina has a case for defying the odds but one can't escape the feeling that luck is about to run out. Carolina seems to not matchup with Pittsburghs offense so their goalie Cam Ward will have to carry the load much like he did against New Jersey. The Penguins just need to stay the course and rely on Crosby and Malkin to carry them, Pittsburgh in 6

West-

(2)Detroit vs (4)Chicago-The Anaheim Ducks turned the post season on its head by beating 1st seed San Jose. Anaheim fought hard, game 2 went into triple overtime and fell in favor of the Ducks. The Ducks followed up with a game 3 win but Detroit then showed why they're the defending champs. The Redwings outscored the Ducks 10-4 over the next two games. Goalie Jonas Hiller forced a game 7. But in the end Dan Cleary's goal cemented that there was more hockey to be played in Joe Louis arena. Chicago had something to prove against a talented Vancouver side. Heading in it was a question on if the Blackhawks offense can get past Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo. The answer was a dramatic yes. There were times it seemed as though the Hawks could score on will. Vancouver had its moments but they couldn't contend with the fact that all 4 Hawk lines can score, and they did. Chicago's young talent, youngest team in the NHL, showed the critics that they were not phased by the postseason atmosphere. The team put a exclamation mark on their series clinching win in game 6. Scoring 7 goals including a hat trick from Patrick Kane against one of the premier goalies is nothing to sneeze at. Verdict- This is an "Original 6" matchup pitting two of the oldest hockey teams against each other. You could argue this is the NHL version of the Red Sox and Yankees. The Blackhawks are officially back from obscurity. The past decade has not been kind to Hawk fans who had to deal with poor play and the owner refusing to air games on TV. The Hawks success has done something rare in Chicago, they have stolen the spot light from the baseball teams. The Hawks will try to advance to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1991 were they lost to Pittsburgh. Detroit is the veteran, with players like Marian Hossa, Cris Osgood, and Nikolas Lidstrom. They are the champs and seeing the Hawks growing better with each game gets their attention. Detroit fans are hoping for one last ride out of their players. In tough economic times the Redwings mean a lot right now to the city of Detroit. And what better way then to battle with a familiar foe. Detroit's experience is what will win this series for them. The Hawks need to keep wave after wave of offense at Detroit's defense to have a chance. In some respect this could be a passing of the torch game for both sides. The roar may be back in Chicago but Detroit is still Hockey town. Detroit in 7 to set up a rematch with Pittsburgh.

image courtesy of Bruce Bennett 

Round 2

Devils look on in disbelief as game 7 slips away

And then there were 8. After an upset and two series goin 7 its time for the second round. I accurately predicted most of the outcomes of the series but as with most playoffs this one has had plenty of surprises. First lets take a look east.

(1)Boston vs (4) Carolina- Boston, as predicted, swept through Montreal and did it with relative ease. Every game was won by two or more goals anchored by leading scorers Michael Ryder and David Krejci. Bostons depth carried them easily over the Habs. Simply put the Habs were just completely out matched. Carolina played in one of the game 7 series. Carolina meant trouble for New Jersey from the start. Games 2 and 3 went into over time with each team taking one game. Carolina goalie Cam Ward helped shut down the top line of New Jersey to help push a game 7. Then things got weird. In game 7 the Devils at home took the lead in the first period with goals from captain Jamie Langenbrunner to tie the goal from Carolina center Tuomo Ruutu. Followed by a goal from winger Jay Pandolfo. The Devils extended their lead with a powerplay goal from Brian Rolston. Carolina would pull with in one heading into the third. Future hall of famer Martin Broudeur shut down Carolina completely........until the last two minutes. With a buck 20 on the clock Carolina's Jussi Jokinen one timed a goal right past Brodeur to tie it. With the series third overtime game on the horizon the crowd at New Jersey was silent. Then with time winding down Chad LaRose floated a pass to Eric Staal and shot the goal with 31 seconds left to send Carolina to the next round. Brodeur, the all time goalie with wins, could simply stand with his team mates stunned. Boston has not lost against Carolina this season. Boston is riding on a few days rest while the Canes are still catching their breath. Verdict-Carolina will put up more of a fight than Montreal did but Boston is rolling, Boston in 6.

(2)Washington vs (4) Pittsburgh- Washington played in one of the more chippy series so far this playoffs. Even the coach for the Rangers was wielding a stick at the Washington fans. Rangers staying in the series to 7 can mostly be attributed to goalie Henrik Lundqvist fantastic play. This series had tough checks, both legal and illegal. But when all the smoke cleared the Caps advanced off of veteran Sergei Federov scoring the game winner in game 7. Of course having the great duo of Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin helps also. Despite the Flyers winning 2 games the Penguins where in control. Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin led the way combing for 8 goals. And that is what the media is paying attention to. Rather than its Washington vs Pittsburgh; it's portrayed as Sydney Crosby vs Alexander Ovechkin. These are the two top stars right now in the NHL. Having them in the same series is huge for TV. Verdict- This is another tough matchup that I think potentially will go 7. Washington and Pitt have equal the amount of offensive potential. This will come down to the goalies play and I like the Caps Simeon Varlamov, Capitals in 7.

Western Conference

(2) Detroit vs (8) Anaheim-Detroit breezed into the second round playing a Columbus team that was inexperienced and really just happy to have made the playoffs. Detroit crushed the young Blue Jacket team. Columbus rallied a bit in game 4 but it was all Detroit. I missed the San Jose prediction but I did say that if one of the number 1 seeds were to fall it would be the Sharks. Anaheim was the worst opponent for San Jose due to all of the home games San Jose had, Anaheim won the most. Anaheim silenced the loud crowd of the shark tank with stellar goalie play from Jonas Hiller and wing Bobby Ryan. Detroit lead the series in the season 3-1 with one win coming close. I can definitely see Anaheim winning a few games but I don't see them winning the series.Verdict-Detroit still has too many weapons for Hiller to handle, the Red Wings will score eventually, Redwings in 6.

(3)Vancouver vs (4)Chicago-As I write this game one has just wrapped up with Vancouver taking the first game at home. Vancouver had a similar route like Detroit with the Canucks sweeping St. Louis. Their success can be measured due to goalie Roberto Luongo. Vancouver and Chicago split the season 2 games a piece. Chicago delt with Calgary well winning in 6 as expected and I expect a similar series from the Black Hawks against another decent Canadian opponent. Vancouver is a stronger team than Calgary however. Verdict-This series could easily go to 7 games but the inexperienced Hawks could slip early and not recover. Vancouver in 7

photo courtesy of Bill Kostroun

Playoff time!

April means for some that baseball has started but for others its the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 16 teams will enter but only one will hoist the famed trophy. So I'll lay down my predictions for the first round.

Eastern Conference

(1)Boston vs (8) Montreal- Boston won the season series 6 games to 2 and Boston was the first team to break 100 points as well. It doesn't help the Habs that Boston has nearly twice as few losses as them. Montreal barely made the playoffs and with a 4 game losing streak are in a dead skid while Boston has coasted the past month. At the time of this article Boston has taken the first game 4-2. Verdict- Sweep, Boston can easily take this in 4 games and they will.

(2)Washington vs (7) New York R- The Rangers axed their coach about 2 months back after seemingly collapsing from the top of the East. Rangers had a great start but fizzled due to injuries around January. Washington owns the season series 3-1 but the games were close. The Rangers have taken the first game in surprising fashion. Thanks to the goal tending of Henrik Lundqvist the Rangers held star Alexander Ovechkin and co off to win. The air around the Caps though is calm. Verdict- Rangers can win but not this series, the Capitals in 6.

(3) New Jersey vs (6) Carolina- On paper this was the worst opponent the Devils could get. The Hurricanes own the series 3-1 and were on a roll into the playoffs despite dropping the last two games of the season. Yet the Devils took the first game with no trouble. Goals by captain Jamie Lagenbrunner and others stopped the Canes 4-1. Carolina answered right back earlier tonite with an overtime victory with Tim Gleason scoring the game winner. Verdict- This one is gonna come down to the wire, The Hurricanes in 7.

(4) Pittsburgh vs (5) Philadelphia- Ah the old Pennsylvania rivalry. Pittsburgh with its stars facing off against it's in state rival should provide for some great games. The Penguins lead the season with a 4-2 record. Phily unfortunately is now in a hole. They've dropped the 1st two games of the series and now need to bounce back at home on Sunday. Verdict-Pitt is too strong for Phily to contend with, Penguins in 6.

Western Conference

(1) San Jose vs (8) Anaheim- San Jose owned the west and even earned the President's Trophy. Drawing rival Anaheim assures the first all California series since 1969. San Jose with Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi anchor the first line and hopes the loud home ice advantage of the Shark Tank will propel them towards the Stanley cup. Anaheim, 2007 Stanley Cup Champs, are 7-2-1 their last ten games including a win at the Shark Tank. Anaheim stunned the San Jose crowd in the first game with a 2-0 win. Verdict-Unlike other playoffs, in hockey it is not uncommon that an 8 seed can knock off a 1 seed. This could happen but San Jose should hold their own with the home ice advantage, San Jose in 6.

(2)Detroit vs (7) Columbus- Detroit has rocked all year. The team is stacked with Zetterberg, Hossa, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Pavel Datsyuk. The team won 50 games this season for the 4th year in a row. Columbus is an underdog. This is their first postseason appearance ever. To be fair the team isn't even 10 years old but still. Their goalie Steve Mason has carried the load the whole season combined with smart play from the whole team. The only chance Colubus has realistically is to play every game perfect. So far that hasn't happened, they dropped game one 4-1. Verdict-No need for a bailout in Hockey Town, Detroit in 5.

(3) Vancouver vs (6) St. Louis- The Canuks had a stretch where they only lost 7 games in regulation. Having star goalie Roberto Luongo helps too. Vancouver had to hold off a stubborn Calgary much of the last have of the regular season. Thus the team is ready for the playoffs. St. Louis had been hit with injuries the whole season. There also young, four of their top scorers are under 26. This team kicked into gear at the perfect time to just get into the playoffs. Experience has shown, St.Louis is down 2 games in the series. Verdict-St.Louis has a bright future but not right now, Vancouver in 5.

(4) Chicago vs (5)Calgary- Chicago is returning after a 7 year absence of the playoffs. This team is lead by forwards Johnathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, and Martin Havlat. Combine that with the wall that is Nikolai Khabibulin and you have yourself a dark horse in the west. Calgary has experience on their side. Anchored by Olli Jokinen and Jarome Iginla and NHL leading goalie Mikka Kiprusoff and you have a decent playoff match up. Verdict-Chicago just has more weapons offensively, Hawks in 6.

Check in when the 2nd round is about to take off for my analysis. 

image credited to Darryl Dyck, The Canadian Press

When we last left the NHL

Nick Russ here to report on the events of hockey. Normally in the world of sports a visit to your championship is good in terms of job security as a coach. Even if you lose your championship they want you back to finally get the final push. Apparently in hockey this is not the case. The Pittsburgh Penguins who are the current defending Eastern conference champs fired coach Michel Therrien. Pittsburgh despite its talent with Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin the Penguins find themselves struggling at 4th in the Atlantic. They sit on the outside looking in, if the season ended now Pitt would miss the playoffs. The Penguins have gone 4-4-2 in their last 10 games. Some of those wins came against the Rangers and San Jose yet they dropped games against Toronto. Firing their coach has come off as a drastic move as we are now about two months away from the playoffs. Pittsburgh has Montreal tonight and rival Philadelphia on Saturday. 

One of the hottest teams on the ice right now has to be the Washington Capitals. Winning seven of their last ten against teams like New Jersey and the Rangers and twice against division contending Florida. Powered by Alexander Ovechkin and the defensive efforts of Mike Green, Washington is starting to stake its claim as one of the best in the East. Washington has some true tests down the road for them with a still dangerous Pittsburgh followed by the Flyers. The last of their home game stretch ends with Atlanta before visiting Boston to wrap up the month.

Out west Detroit continues with their impressive season. They kicked off February with a 6 game winning streak. However they had a hick up with games against Columbus and a shoot out with dismal Colorado. Detroit keeps winning yet the teams they are beating are not exactly blue chip caliber. Some of their wins came at the expense of Nashville, St. Louis, Minnesota, and Phoenix all but Minnesota are bellow 500. and most are at or near the bottom of their divisions. The only real threat on the radar for Detroit is San Jose next week but they can't take it easy with their opponents due to the fact that Chicago has kept up with Detroit. 

That'll do it for this time hockey fans!

Image courtesy of Haraz N. Ghanbari