Кръгла Two Intrigue

Невероятно забавна първия кръг, който се превърна в Източната конференция превръща с главата надолу и на запад видяхме серия господство на никой, но в резултат на което най-вече тебешир втори кръг. Слава на изпълненията простря от Финикс Койотс, Колорадо Аваланш и Ла царе, които извършват повече от чудесно в първия плейофа външен вид на всеки отбор от много години насам. Ла царе и Колорадо Аваланш показаха, че ще бъде жизнеспособна отбор от доста време, тъй като всеки млад група от играчите ще научат само от този опит и да продължи да се получи по-добре и по-добре. Седем от серията осем отиде най-малко шест мача, което означава, кръгли две има ужасно много да живеят до.

Сега, след като елиминира един е в историята, ние с нетърпение очакваме да кръглите две двубои:

Източната конференция

4. Питсбърг vs. 8. Монреал

Канейдиънс направиха това, което повечето хора смятаха, че е невъзможно, след като серията стигна до 3-1 Washington предимство. Смятало се е, че капачките са уязвими за разстроен, но не и по начин, който в крайна сметка Монреал свали удебелението ... с отбраната. Вашингтон не можа да вкара гол и конвенционалната мъдрост ти казва, че ако Монреал може да затвори Washington тогава със сигурност ще бъде в състояние да направи същото нещо в Питсбърг ... нали? Не е вероятно. Първо Канейдиънс разчитали прекалено силно на Ярослав HALÁK да бъде почти перфектен. HALÁK може да има още няколко игри в него като това, но той не може да играе по този начин нощ в и нощ на останалата част от пътя. Освен това, пингвините са много по физическо екип от Вашингтон и като резултат може да ви изтощи много по-ефективно, отколкото на капачките могат. Налице е и винаги присъства Нематериалните пингвините имат и това е техният опит. Вашингтон не беше сигурен дали те биха могли да спечелят, когато нещата тръгнаха на зле, но Питсбърг не разполага с този съмнение в тях, защото те знаят (след върне 2-0 пъти през миналия сезон и загуба с 5-0 в мач от 5 до Ред Уингс в финалите) те имат способността да победим всеки, по всяко време, без значение какви са обстоятелствата. Макар да бъде труден противник за Питсбърг, че е малко вероятно, че Кросби и компания ще бъде свален от упорити Habs отбор Монреал ще се окаже. Питсбърг ще продължат напред.

6. Бостън vs. 7. Philadelphia

Това може да е най-забавното в мач от този кръг на хартия. И двата отбора играят много физическа игра, така ще се търгуват много големи хитове. Освен, че все пак Флайърс имат предимството. Макар и двата отбора разчитаха на вторичния точкуване за да преминете към 2 кръг Флайърс имат много по-добри първични опции точкуване. Това е малко вероятно, че Картър, Briere, а останалата част ще се проведе в шах този път. Бостън показа неспособност да се отбележи (нищо подобно на екипа си мислех, че ще бъде, когато ги вдигна, за да спечели изток предсезонната подготовка) в течение на сезона и че най-вероятно няма да се промени. Поради тази причина аз съм като Фили.

Западната конференция:

1. San Jose vs. 5. Детройт

Поздравления за San Jose за най-накрая се биете тези първия кръг демони и развиване на 2 кръг за първи път в това, което изглежда като завинаги. Lucky за San Jose те успяха да преминете без много точкуване от своя големите три (Марло, Heatley и Thorton). Те определено ще трябва това да се промени, ако искат всяка надежда побеждавайки Ред Уингс. За пореден път можем да говорим за Х и О е по цяла нощ, но когато тя се свежда до това просто не мога да вземем срещу Детройт. Всяка година тя изглежда като те са узрели за бране от и идва екип западната конференция и Детройт винаги доказва всеки греши. Ето защо аз съм бране Detroit да откъсвам San Jose.

2. Chicago vs. 3. Ванкувър

И двата отбора са избягали какво прилича ще бъде първия кръг неразположения от остроумните третия период. За наше щастие те направиха, защото миналата година битка в същия кръг между двата отбора е трябва да видите телевизия и тази година вероятно ще бъде още по-добре. И двата отбора са страхотни отпред с Kane и компания за Чикаго и Sedin близнаци и екипаж за Ванкувър. Ще има обидно шансове в изобилие и за двата отбора, така че това, което търсите в един мач-нагоре по този начин? Goal грижещи разбира се. За да бъда откровен, netminding Чикаго е било ужасно, така че те вече са в неравностойно положение на тази категория; Сега добавете във факта, че те ще се бори Roberto Luongo на другия край и това е още по-трудно за Хоукс. Въпреки това, през миналата година те са били в състояние да стигнем до Luongo и те със сигурност може да направи това отново тази година. All Хоукс се нуждаят от тяхната вратар е да играе адекватно и те ще се справят останалите. Взех Чикаго, за да спечели цялата работа в началото на годината и аз няма да отстъпя сега ... Чикаго печели.

NHL Плейоф Преглед / Прогнози

East преглед:

1. Washington vs. 8. Монреал

Ярослав HALÁK е ключът към тази серия. All HALÁK трябва да направите, е да се запази Вашингтон в шах, ако той може да успее да направи това Канейдиънс ще получите много отбеляза шансове срещу швейцарско сирене отбраната на Вашингтон. Две неща знаем със сигурност: Montreal не могат да спрат Вашингтон от отбелязване на гол и Вашингтон не могат да спрат Монреал от отбелязване на гол. Номер едно ключово както споменах е HALÁK но и че е жизнено важно за Монреал да играе изключително добре дисциплинирана хокей на всяка минута от всеки мач. Технически грешки ще бъдат направени, че е просто естеството на играта, но прави лоши решения (лоши пасове, мързеливи шайба преследване, и т.н.), и като лоши санкции ще бъде в края на плейофите живота на Монреал. Вашингтон има достатъчно талант, за да преодолее грешките той ще направи и липсата на адекватна защита и петна goaltending но Монреал не го прави. Много хора мислят, Вашингтон е узряло за бране и това може да е вярно, но ако Монреал не пази тяхното съотношение грешка в сравнение с Вашингтон много ниски Кепитълс ще ги издухат. Дори когато Монреал казва вземе грешно наказателното те трябва да разчитат на опита плейофа от момчетата в своя списък, за да вземе някой със себе си в наказателното поле, всяко малко въпроси битови. Ако Монреал може да направи тези неща, те ще спечелят; но това казах аз съм като Кепитълс в пет.

2. New Jersey vs. 7. Philadelphia

Филаделфия ще спечели тази серия. Той има много малко общо с умение Флайърс "и по-общо с недостатъци на Ню Джърси. Дяволи разчитат твърде много на вкарвайки първия след това с помощта попада в капана на неутрална зона и Марти Бродюр да задуши другия отбор. New Jersey, не винаги ще отбележи първи и имат олово да защити, нито имат капацитета да се върне да бъдат установени 2 или повече гола трябва Philly получи, че много по-напред. Той вече не е 1995 г. и новата НХЛ не е благоприятна за система на Ню Джърси се получава голямо количество успех след сезон. Те също така се сложи пословичната стена пред най-големия си точкуване заплаха в Иля Ковалчук. Всяка игра най-вероятно ще бъде близо, защото за това как дяволи играят, но това е серия Фили, за да спечели.

3. Buffalo vs. 6. Boston

Райън Милър е най-добрият вратар в света днес и Бостън Бруинс не може да не може да вкара гол. Достатъчно казах, Sabres предприемат серия.

4. Питсбърг vs. 5. Отава

Кросби е бил на края на горещо, но това включва два мача срещу Ню Йорк Айлъндърс, които имат много малък отбраната и което води до един тон от шансовете вкарва и много голове. Пингвините са с мъка спря отбор от отбелязване на гол, като същевременно не се налага най-голямата резултата сами (отпуска Gonchar и Малкин са били боли, така че трябва да си сигурен нагоре) мъжество. Казано е, че пингвините просто необходими, за да стигнем до плейофите и сега, че е дошло времето те ще бъдат по-мотивирани да се събере, за, да се използват опитът от последните няколко години, и да отидете, за да се върнем към най- малко конферентни финалите. Въпреки това, аз мисля, че Отава Сенатърс могат да имат какво да кажат за това. Сенаторите са били един от най-добрите отбори в конференцията през последния месец от сезона и играят невероятно добре като едно цяло. Загубата Алекс Ковальов ще бъде пречка за Отава, но те все още имат Daniel Alredsson, Jason Spezza и Майк Фишър, така че те няма да копнеят за точкуване представя на леда. Техните defensemen са доста големи, така че да съвпадне-сравнително добре с линии пингвините "от горе до долу. Точкуване шансовете ще изискват много повече работа за пингвините срещу Отава, отколкото е било срещу Айлъндърс. Може би най-големият недостатък на Отава е липсата на плейофа опит Брайън Елиът. Докато опит има значение при всички положения това е най-важното за goaltenders освен ако не сте Кен Драйдън или Патрик Рой. Независимо от това, с колко пингвините са играещи (несъвместими) те са узрели за разстроен и мисля, че Отава Сенатърс ще правят точно това.

West Preview:

1. San Jose vs. 8. Колорадо

Като технически анализ на това как аз мисля този мач-нагоре ще отиде вероятно е загуба на време. San Jose е бил тук отново и отново, и Колорадо е отбор, който е преизпълнена през целия сезон. Мисля, че във времето Colorado ще бъде много добре, но той просто не е в картите за тях тази година. Сан Хосе има повече опит, са изцяло по- добър отбор, а просто няма да загубят в Колорадо. San Jose отнема тази серия.

2. Chicago vs. 7. Nashville

Като Нешвил в плейофите винаги е хубаво, защото каквото и да помага хокей растат в нетрадиционни пазари е нещо добро за играта и лигата. Nashville е бил тук и преди, но не успя да мине покрай първия кръг (нищо срамно в това, че след като са играли Detroit във всяка плейофа поява в тяхната кратка история). Какво дава Nashville най-голям шанс при успех в тази серия е, че те не разчитат на всяко едно лице, за да се осигури на всички им престъпление. Стив Sullivan, Patric Hornqvist, Martin Erat, Jason Arnott, JP Dumont и Ший Вебер всички имахме 40+ точкови сезона, което е много положителен знак, тъй като Чикаго, не може просто да се съсредоточи върху един човек, с надеждата за водене на Preds в залива. Проблемът за Nashville е, че от сезона са се отказали, тъй като много голове, колкото те вкара която не предвещава нищо добро, когато играят имена като Патрик Кейн, Джонатан Toews, Патрик Шарп и сътрудничество. в най-добрата серия от четири на седем. Докато аз се изкорени за успех хокей в Нешвил за доброто на играта мисля Чикаго ще бъде твърде много за Preds и ще се движи покрай Nashville по пътя им към финалите за купа както прогнозира в откриването на сезона.

3. Ванкувър срещу 6. LA Kings

Това е страхотно да се види ЛА Кингс обратно в плейофите. I са били каза след offseason, че този отбор е за реално и те със сигурност не го пропусна целия сезон и тук те са в пост-сезон. Anze Копитар е феноменален през цялата година и Джонатан Quick е твърдо вещество с нетно тел до тел. Аз казах преди година започна, че не само ще кралете правят плейофите, но те също ще спечели първата си кръгла серия и аз няма да отстъпи от това. За съжаление на царете (и за мен), те трябва да се изправи срещу може би най-добрата линия в хокея през цялата година, т.е. близнаците Sedin с Алекс Бъроус, а понякога и Райън Kesler. О, и че Roberto Luongo човек не е половината било лошо. Много от хората, че това е годината, за Ванкувър за преодоляване на това, което са изправени в миналото и най-накрая излезе от Запада. Аз ще отида срещу главата ми в бране на това и казват, че царете ще вземат серията, но те по-добре разчитат предимно на чаша спечелване опит Rob Scuderi е от преди една година, тъй като те ще се нуждаят от нея.

4. Phoenix vs. 5. Детройт

Poor Phoenix. Въпроси за собствеността, произтичащи обратно в offseason, без да знае къде отиват да играят тази година преди началото на сезона и дори когато те ще бъдат през следващата година не е финализирана. Въпреки всичко това играчите направиха заговор и не само себе си се качи в плейофите, но у дома лед в първия кръг, голямо дясно !? Wrong. Всичко това упорита работа ги получава наградата от играта на Детройт Ред Уингс в първия кръг, каква награда за голям сезон нали? Бихме могли да съборят двубои, докато кравите се върне у дома, но би било глупаво за мен да вземем срещу Детройт. Надявам се, че Phoenix дава Detroit голяма борба и дори успява да ги победим, но това е малко вероятно, и това е защо давам тази серия на Ред Уингс.

Насладете се на старта на най-прекрасното време на годината!

Devils + Бруинс = ужасната

Това е възможно, че след като всички развъдни материали са изложени в Бостън и Ню Джърси може да съвпадне-нагоре един срещу друг в първия кръг; Бог ни помага на всички, ако го направят. Това ще бъде един от най-малко забавно плейофа сериал на всички времена. Това повдига въпроса какво би било по-вълнуващо, гледане на площада Бруинс и Devils изключване или гледане на боя изсъхне? Това е трудно решение, наистина. Нито един отбор може да успее да вкара много често или дори да се създаде един куп снимки пред вратата. Във вторник вечер в двата отбора "вълнуващо" 1-0 извънреден труд победа за Бостън отне почти цял 65 минути игра за Ню Джърси, за да събере 21-изстрела към вратата, докато Бостън отбелязаха по-почтени 34 изстрела-всичко-в-всичко в изработени за ужасната игра на хокей. Ако не беше за Патрис Бержерон отбеляза за игра-победител в течение на времето би могъл да направи на аргумента, че има само две звезди, дадени на goaltenders и трета на феновете за действително залепване наоколо, за да гледате на нещо. Аз съм всичко за игра на отбраната, защото със сигурност не може да спечели без него и аз не изискваме всеки мач завърши 5-4, но поне някои забавено обидно налягане ще бъде хубаво. Така че без значение кой ви развесели за Молете се за хокей, че дяволи и Бруинс избягват един друг в първия кръг, а в останалата част на плейофите напълно за този въпрос. Здравия разум на хокей фенове навсякъде зависи от това.

Winter Classic с Mega Success

The 2010 Winter Classic от всички сметки е голям успех време и аз съм съгласен напълно. Магията на деня не е опетнена от нищо; времето беше страхотно, ледът вдигна изключително добре, феновете са били изстреляни нагоре, а самата игра е грандиозно. Три Наздраве за всеки, който помага да се направи тази игра се случи, защото със сигурност това е наслада за всички и поздравления към Бостън Бруинс и Филаделфия Флайърс за пускането на страхотно шоу оставяйки ни всички, които искат повече.

In the meantime the other big news to come out over the holidays was the announcement of the various Olympic team rosters set to take the ice next month. At the moment the easy favorites to win the Gold Medal are Canada and Russia with the Canadians possibly holding a slight edge over Russia because the tournament will be held on the smaller North American size ice along with the fact that the games will be held in Canada which instantly gives them a boost. On the other hand, one might say that the games being held in Canada yields a slight advantage to the Russians because Canadians traditionally have a ton of pressure on them to win the Gold Medal anyway but now that pressure is intensified since Team Canada will be playing on home ice. Although there is a fair amount of pressure on the Russians as well there will no doubt be a lot less on them than on the Canadians which will allow them to simply relax and play hockey without worrying about any other distractions. Despite those factors it is still a virtual toss-up between the two teams in trying to pick the favorite but you can't really go wrong either going for gold and everyone else likely battling for the bronze.

On the rest of the NHL front there are a number of teams streaking in both the right and wrong direction. The San Jose sharks are currently the hottest team in the league as the smoked Edmonton 4-1 on Saturday to improve their win streak to eight. Despite the streak the fans in San Jose are cautiously optimistic as they've been down this road before. In each of the last three years the Sharks have posted over a hundred points—winning the President's trophy last year—and faltered come playoff time. This year's teams is by far the best they've ever had but the question is can they finally carry over this success into the post-season.

Another team enjoying recent success is the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite losing to Boston in the Winter Classic on Friday, the Flyers have won four out of five and have earned at least a point in five straight. There is a long way to go for the Flyers who have dug themselves quite a hole but it seems they have managed to turn things around and make a legitimate push toward the playoffs almost overnight.

The Calgary Flames are also in the midst of a four game winning streak after coming from behind to defeat Toronto 3-1 on Saturday. This is a team in a situation similar to San Jose in that they have had a decent amount of regular season success that they have not been able to translate into the post-season. Strong goaltending has always been there for Calgary but what separates them from last year's squad is a much stronger blueline with the addition Jay Bouwmeester in the offseason who is a plus 13 to date. It is his presence that has helped Dion Phaneuf up his game a bit and also takes some pressure off of Kiprusoff which is why this year is probably Calgary's best chance they've had in years to advance deep into the playoffs.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are streaking as well but in the wrong direction. With their 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon the Penguins have lost four in a row, scored only one goal in two games, and blew a 3-0 lead to the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the week. In a long season there are many ups and downs but the alarming thing for Pittsburgh is the way they've been losing. There is a long way to go and the Penguins have too much talent for such a streak to continue but they've got to find a way to score more consistently and protect leads when they get them.

The worst of the losing streaks belongs to the Atlanta Thrashers who have lost 8 games in a row after a great start to the season. There's really no surprise it's simply Atlanta being Atlanta until they show me otherwise.

Well that's a run around the league a little bit. I hope everyone enjoyed the Winter Classic and have a great time ringing in the New Year! Have a great 2010 everybody!

Winter Classic Ruined by Philly?

Третата годишна Winter Classic е само няколко дни далеч! Има изобилие от свръх около мистиката на Fenway Park с разкази бейзбол история и съединителя, че с връщането на хокей към корените си, като играят открит игра. Сцената ще бъде вълшебно, феновете възбужда в стадиона и отвън, медийната ярост е включено, и играчите са надъхан, тъй като те дни се приближава. Все пак, въпреки всичко, че има голяма вероятност, че самата игра ще флопа голям време. Въпреки Филаделфия Флайърс са направени някои крачки наскоро те все още не са много добър отбор, докато Бостън е доста добре, взети заедно и става малко по-добре като сезонът продължава. Филаделфия има проблеми, които отиват толкова много по-дълбоко, отколкото само тактика и стратегия; това е слух, че някои от момчетата не се разбираме на разстояние от леда и съм склонен да купуват в това, защото със сигурност се проявява в тяхното лошо върху лед игра. Няма съмнение, че много от отборите през годините са играли добре и дори спечелиха шампионата през спортове с група момчета, които по принцип не се разбираме, но изглежда да тече по-дълбоко от това, за Флайърс. Налице е също така въпроса за Флайърс грижат повече за спечелването на борбата, отколкото спечелването игри нощ в и вечер, която също трябва да бъде решен до всеки отделен играч. Може би са се опитали да определят някои от техните изключване въпроси лед и върху лед фокус чрез изпичане Джон Стивънс и наемане Peter Laviolette но това изглежда малко вероятно, че промените треньори ще помогнат това. До този момент една треньорска смяна е направил малка разлика, въпреки някои скорошни успехи; Мисля, че това е вярно, защото проблемите за Флайърс слезли при футболистите зачитат взаимно при хокей условия. Няма никакво съмнение, Флайърс имат един тон от таланта на своя отбор, но всеки играч трябва да вземе правят това, което правят най-добре всяка нощ, докато се отдръпна, в някои аспекти и нека другите играчи, които могат да направят нещо малко по-добре да поведе в тази площ. Но ако играчите не уважават един друг тогава всички те ще се опитаме да направим всичко по своя собствена с пълно безразсъдство и това води до загуба на отбора. Малко вероятно е, че това ще бъде направено очевидно в Winter Classic, защото на толкова много допълнителни елементи, свързани с играта [или поне така се надяваме в името на събитието] но докато гледате играта съхраняват някои от тези неща в ума и да видим дали Flyers са направили някакви крачки в коригиране на ситуацията, или ако те показват защо те са в момента и извън позиция в плейофите на Изток.

Не си падат по триковете на Девълс

Do not be fooled by the success of the New Jersey Devils through the first 34 games of the season. Granted, they are in first place in the East (with a tie-breaker over the Pittsburgh Penguins) but it is not an indication of things to come for New Jersey come playoff time. One must give them credit where credit is due because they are in fact in first place and Martin Bordeur is being his amazing self winning game after game with the incredible play of the likes of Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, Travis Zajac, and Brian Rolston in front of him. Despite their stellar play—as indicated by their record—the problems for New Jersey in recent years have started in the playoffs and quite frankly this season will be no different. From a logistical point of view the rule changes coming out of the lockout have hurt the Devils' style of play greatly since they benefitted greatly from the clutching and grabbing that was a major target of the rule changes. In that sense, it makes it much harder for the Devils to win games because it puts more pressure on them to score more often than to try to protect a one goal lead they might have settled on doing in the past. Not only that but from the perspective of something more intangible is the fact that now teams not only have a bit of a tactical advantage over New Jersey that was lacking in the past but they also have greater hope.

There is no doubt that the Devils talent level is amongst the best in the league but when lesser teams faceoff against them come playoff time New Jersey's style of play does not squash any hopes that a lesser team can beat them. Instead, by trying to protect small leads, the other teams start to believe they can actually beat New Jersey. As a result such teams grow in confidence yielding better on ice play and ultimately the elimination of New Jersey from the playoffs. Last year is a great example of that; all due respect to Carolina they were not on the same level talent wise as New Jersey but for the entire series they were able to just keep hanging around until eventually Carolina ousted the Devils from the playoffs. In contrast to that—after Carolina got by Boston under similar circumstances—when Carolina went to play a highly talented Penguin team that could score Carolina was completely outmatched and swept out of the playoffs. Until New Jersey can figure out a way to put teams away in the post-season by crushing their will a cycle of early round exits will continue indefinitely with this year being no exception.

Overachieving and Underperforming Teams

А пословичната "attaboy" до Ню Йорк Айлъндърс. Налице е справедлива стойност на сътресения изпаднал отборът да излезе от леда относно бъдещето си и те не разполагат с най-добрия отбор сглобен и хората не очакват много от тях. Въпреки всичко това Айлъндърс са в разгара на четири игра победната серия, че те и техните фенове трябва да са много развълнувани. Не само те спечелиха четири в-а-ред, но те се бие добри отбори в процеса, включително 5-0 тропане на Бъфало Сейбърс в събота. Джон Таварес се разбира очаква да бъде велик и досега той напредна добре, но той също има помощ от харесва на Matt Moulson и Кайл Okposo придружени от солидна goaltending от двете Dwayne Roloson и Marty Biron (които въпреки subpar рекорд е слагане някои добри номера). A плейофите е малко вероятно да бъде в Островното близко бъдеще, но както писах преди (виж:) този отбор се движи в правилната посока по отношение на нейната върху лед игра и има много светло бъдеще.

Друг "attaboy" към Colorado Avalanche, които са на първо място в Западната конференция, което е шок за всички в света на хокея. На AVS сме екип, съставен от предимно млади момчета, които изглежда да се играе всеки мач с къща пари, защото те не изглежда да се знае, че те не би трябвало да са кой да е добър. Може би в началото на историята в рамките на екипа е изпълнението на началото на сезона MVP кандидат (да го казах) Крейг Андерсън. Андерсън е играл всички 15 игри Колорадо и се публикуване зашеметяващите номера, включително 0,936 спести процент и 2,11 гола срещу средно. Това е малко вероятно, че AVS могат да запазят това става през целия сезон, но за сега феновете в Колорадо трябва да се ползват като на върха те съм бил голям хокеен град тъй като един ден и със сигурност го заслужават.

Основен "tisk-tisk" Тим Томас на Бостън Бруинс, който не играе на всички като властващ победител Vezina Trophy. През годините хората са обезпокоени стил Томас ", защото това е нещо като свободно за всичко, което е довело до него прекарва много време в долните дивизии. Миналата година и отклонение се? Може би, но ако той не го получите заедно Бруинс-вероятно ще отида търси негов заместник, защото очакванията за тази година са много високи в Бостън. Със сигурност ранните борби Бруинс "не попадат единствено на Томас, но той ще бъде лесна изкупителна жертва, ако отборът не успее да се превърне в ъгъла.

Друг основен "tisk-tisk" да Каролина Хърикейнс. Миналата година стигнаха Финали в конференциите, и тази година с по същество същата отбор (ако не и по-добър), както през миналата година те имат 7 точки през 13 мача ... Достатъчно казах.

Thomas Made швейцарско сирене?

Както Тим Томас отива толкова отидете Бостън Бруинс и в момента тази посока е юг ... в класирането е това. Томас е започнала пет от Бруинс игри досега публикуване на запис 2-3 с суб 0,900 спести процент включително една игра, в която той се отказа от шест гола за само 30 изстрела срещу Анахайм Дъкс. Няма никакво съмнение, че Бостън пропуска Phil Kessel (които все още предстои да играе игра, все още за Торонто), но ако те не получават прилична goaltending няма да има значение колко гола те отбележи. Томас е имал съмняващите му през годините, но ги е смълчана малко в новата история; Въпреки това сега всички от същите тези въпроси ще излезе отново, ако нещата продължават те начин те са били става. Има достатъчно време да отида, разбира се, но там не може да бъде цяло много търпение в Бостън за Бруинс имат много високи очаквания. В същото време, ако нещата не се оправят за Бостън може да видите възвръщаемост на известния неутрална капана зона, която просто да отнеме известно налягане на Томас, докато той може да си се върна на пистата. Лично аз не мисля, че Томас ще се получи, деянието му заедно, защото той винаги е бил много хаотично, така че когато тя работи, че е страхотно, но когато това не стане, той няма реална база, за да се върнете към с цел просто да си игра, докато той възвръща доверието си , Ще видим какво ще се случи, разбира се, но не съм бил фен на Томас в миналото и все още не съм. Независимо от това, въпреки недостатъците Томас "Бруинс са достатъчно добри, за да се възстанови и да продължи да бъде много добър отбор, без да го играе добре (или без него изобщо), така че хората в Бостън не е необходимо да се паникьосвайте.

В други новини:

Алекс Овечкин е с невероятен старт на неговата година и е на път да бъде първият, който вкара 70 гола в един дълъг период от време. Без значение какво мислите за Овечкин и капачките той е един от най-добрите играчи в света и със сигурност няма кой по-вълнуващо да гледам във всеки спорт. Дали ще прекъсне рекорд от 92 Грецки в един сезон? Разбира се, че не; но той все още е най-добрият голмайстор в НХЛ в доста време.

Ей Торонто, какво ще кажеш за спечелване на играта нали? Те дори не са били конкурентоспособни на повечето от техните игри управляващи един момент от загуба на извънреден труд на екип от Монреал, който е в средата на пет поредни загуби. Toskala определено е голям проблем, но отбеляза само седем гола в последните пет мача не е добър начин да спечели мача или; Phil Kessel ще помогне, но никой играч може да спаси този отбор.

Западната конференция Outlook

Утре пътуването за купа Стенли започва но за сега ние Визуализация от другата страна на монетата, преди шайбата падне, всички анализи завършва, и започнат игрите.

Добре сълзливо интрота настрана тук ми е предварителен преглед на запад (много, както направих аз за Изтока), последвано от финалите мотика и които мисля, че ще издигне Купа следващата пролет.

Осемте отбора да се класират-в никакъв определен ред-са, както следва: Детройт Ред Уингс, Чикаго Блекхоукс, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, Ванкувър Канъкс, Calgary Flames, Лос Анджелис Кингс и Сан Хосе Шаркс на.

Детройт Ред Уингс са най-добрите от най-добрите отново и въпреки че е загубил Hudler и Hossa те просто ще използвате устройството на система за фермата са създали, за да презареди, без да прескочите и такт. Единственият спорния въпрос в Детройт е редовен сезон игра на Крис Осгуд, които отбелязаха subpar номера миналата година от октомври до март. Показване в плейофите винаги е била MO Осгуд, но ако той е толкова непоследователна тази година, когато той беше миналия сезон възхода на други отбори в дивизия Детройт може да намерите най-силните Ред Уингс, борещи се за място в плейофите.

Нещата се оправят по леда в Чикаго, докато Патрик Кейн може да остане далеч от неприятности извън леда. Kane заедно с Патрик Шарп и Джонатан Toews (между другото) възвръщаемост, докато ветераните Джон Мадън и Marian Hossa са били добавени към вече звездния списък. Голяма като колегите им до единствената реална неизвестен северната Чикаго е в нетно като Николай Khabibulin сега е член на Едмънтън Ойлърс. Най-опитен и може би най-вероятно човек да се осигури стабилност за Хоукс между тръбите е Cristobal Huet който не е показал признаци на величие. Без значение кой в ​​крайна сметка получава и запазва започвайки работа като вратар отива толкова отива Чикаго. Ако им netminder е и последователно добър тогава Чикаго може да спечели всичко, а ако не, то те няма, но така или иначе плейофите са в тяхното бъдеще.

Колумб получава първата си вкус на пост-сезон хокей миналия сезон каране основно на гърба на изненада новобранец netminder Стив Мейсън. Докато Mason няма да се насладите на една и съща сума на индивидуалната успех, тъй като миналата година той е моето твърдение, че отборът ще се справят по-добре като цяло. Рик Неш е на кратък списък от звезди на Блу Джакетс, но това, което Колумб има над другите отбори е сплотеността. Тази група е преминала през много губи заедно и през миналата година са преживели вкуса на победата. Миналогодишният успех чувствах добре на тях и горчивината на не спечелване на игра в пост сезон без съмнение остави горчив вкус в устата си и само ще ги събере на едно място, за да работят по-усилено, за един друг, за да стане по-добър отбор.

Ванкувър качи Roberto Luongo по целия път към пост-сезон миналата година и помита Сейнт Луис Блус на от плейофите на пръчката на Алекс Бъроус. Плейофите са с излизащи страна на видове за Алекс Бъроус (според някои) и фенове Канъкс трябва да се надяваме, че е точно това. Заключване близнаците Sedin беше огромен за всякакви надежди за да бъдеш сериозен претендент за Ванкувър, но последните няколко сезона са показали, че те не могат да разчитат на Sedin за всички им престъпление. Като три плътни линии е нещо, което те са липсваше в продължение на няколко години, причиняващи им успех плейофите да бъде ограничено. Добавянето на опита на Mathieu Schneider значително ще подобри тяхната blueline но тя ще бъде до имена като Райън Кеслър и гореспоменатият Алекс Бъроус да подкрепят този отбор към следващото ниво. Кръгла един е даден, но две кръгли и извън нея е до Ванкувър.

За Калгари Флеймс е кратко и сладко. Те могат да направят това до първия кръг на плейофите (тъй като те ще направя отново тази година), но въпросът за пореден път за пламъците е дали ще има достатъчно дисциплина да вземат своите разочарования от първия кръг изходи и да го превърне в свири повече звук хокей. Това е вече не за умения за Калгари, са се погрижили, че това е сума, като умствената сила на духа, за да се по-добре като отбор.

Лос Анджелис Кингс вероятно ще бъде най-интересната и вълнуваща история на Западната конференция през този сезон. Повечето всички puckheads се съгласяват, че този отбор е във възход, но аз не мисля, че само те са във възход, но че те ще спечели първия си кръг от плейофите серия. Разбира се, че ме поставя в капан, доколкото други прогнози предсезонната подготовка отиват, но аз казвам, че това замества всички други предсказания, които правя с изключение на сценария, при който те играят екипа мисля ще се придвижи до финалите от запад , Като цяло аз съм просто, че уверени в това, което организацията Kings като цяло се справя. Те са взели техните ближе през годините, но са прекарали много време живот от тези бучки и да изведе някои доста талантливи играчи в ключови области. Те имат много добри, млади играчи в Дъстин Браун, Александър Фролов (позиция в разцвета на кариерата си), Джак Джонсън, Джаред Стол (също позиция в този премиер) и Джонатан Quick който беше изключително надежден в гол миналата година и е вероятно само за да получите по-добро. Заедно с този млад талант те са добавили опитни ветерани в Ryan Smyth и Rob Scuderi който току-що излизам на Stanley Cup Championship с Питсбърг Пингуинс. Кралете имат правилните хора на правилните места, в точното време и блокиране контузия този отбор е на път да бъде успешен точно сега.

Накрая се на президента Trophy печеливши Сан Хосе Шаркс, които са направили почти нищо, за да променят своя екип по отношение на количеството на ходове, но качеството на ходове е била звездна. Dany Heatley се качват-за сметка на Jonathan Cheechoo-и ще бъде прекрасно допълнение към този състав. Успех Редовен сезон не е било проблем за Акулите (верни на много западноевропейски отбори изглежда), но Heatley ги поставя през гърбица под сериозно твърдение, за да спечели на запад. Heatley могат не само да вкара много голове, но той се радва на справедлива стойност на успех преди толкова опита си заедно с чип на рамото си, за да покаже тези в Отава, че той все още може да играе ще се премести в Сан Хосе по още една стъпка в правилната посока.

Единственият друг отбор, който можеше да се чуе трябва да те правят на плейофите са Анахайм Дъкс. Техният опит е това, което ги поставя над всички останали, но за съжаление може би най-голямото им предимство е най-голямата им падение. Патиците са отбор остаряване, които са загубили поредната стъпка във всяка позиция и само да се надяваме да останат близо до крайния срок на търговията, където те могат да може да направи ход за по-млада група от играчи с по-свежи сили за дълъг плейофа план. Edmonton не е далеч зад двете, но те не отговаря на мощността на звезда и физическа игра, необходима, за да успее на запад. Goaltending е най-силен аспект Edmonton, но това беше вярно, миналата година, както и това, че няма да се получи тяхното двамата. Никой друг отбор има молитва дори стигне до плейофите камо ли да вдигат шум, след като отида там.

С всичко това каза Мисля Чикаго Блекхоукс ще бъде отборът да го направи от запад, тъй като те ще намерят това, което те се нуждаят в мрежа и ще направи крачка напред в сравнение с миналата година. Чикаго ще поеме Бостън Бруинс, който ще надживее уморен група от Питсбърг Пингуинс да вземат на изток. Това създава едно страхотно оригинален шест мач-нагоре, което ще бъде маркетинг мечта за НХЛ. След невероятна назад и четвърта битка финалите на Купа Стенли отново ще отидат седем мача, в който момент Чикаго Блекхоукс най-накрая ще позволи на Marian Hossa да издигне купа Стенли Стенли Champions Cup на 2009-2010! Насладете се на премиерата на всички!

Източната конференция Outlook

Както часа доближава и puckheads продължават да текат лигите над закачка, която е предсезонната подготовка хокей, че е време да се допълнят мезета преди началото на хокей феста.

Източната конференция Preview:

Ще започна с предсказване, които мисля, че ще го направи на плейофите (без определен ред), след това ние ще разгледаме най-малко за кратко време при която всеки отбор стои. Така че тук са най-добрите осем отбора в никакъв определен ред:
Питсбърг Пингуинс, Ню Йорк Рейнджърс (Каролина Хърикейнс?), Ню Джърси Девълс, Филаделфия Флайърс, Бостън Бруинс, Бъфало Сейбърс, Монреал Канейдиънс и Вашингтон Кепитълс.

В Питсбърг Пингуинс вероятно ще трябва да бъдат бележник навлиза в сезона, защото отборът им е много еднакви и те са шампиони, докато някой друг печели титлата. Те се губят Rob Scuderi но като цяло трябва да се харесва на шансовете им да защитят своите конференция заглавието.

Ню Йорк Рейнджърс загубиха Скот Гомес, но са добавени Marian Gaborik които-, ако той може да остане здрав, ще добави точкуване мощност до доста солидна, но не зрелищно линия-горе. Хубавото на Рейнджърс е, че дори и ако те не вкара един тон на цели Хенрик Лундквист ще ги задържим в повечето игри, ще открадне няколко, и като цяло ще им даде шанс да спечели най всяко състезание те участват инча като шанс да спечели всеки мач не е реално да ги печели обаче и това е, когато Gaborik ще е важно за тях. Ако Gaborik остава здрави той резултати достатъчно голове, за да ги получите достатъчно точки, за да ги получите в плейофите. В случай, че Gaborik прави да се нарани, че ще напусне Ню Йорк от външната търсите в и ще отвори вратата за Каролина Хърикейнс да се промъкнат в зоната на плейофите. Каролина също е твърд отбор, но Cam Ward не мога да го направя сам и те няма да могат да разчитат на Jussi Jokkinen да играе цяла година така, както си направил в плейофите. Но ако всеки отбор трябва да падне изобщо (т.е. Рейнджърс), която отваря вратата за бастуни. Така или иначе, нито един отбор ще бъде сериозен претендент Stanley Cup.

Ню Джърси Девълс се канализиране тяхната вътрешна 1995, като приведе Jacques Lemaire обратно към капитана на кораба. Нищо не се е променило за демоните от 1995 г. и в резултат те могат да продължат като добре смазана машина с новия си, стар треньор. Ню Джърси е много екип система, така с Мартин Бродюр играе зад тази система трябва да имате молив тях в плейофите и като шампионски претенденти. Някои играчи са се променили от първия миналия сезон кръг изход към Каролина, но това не е важно, тъй като методически дяволи ще се върне в плейофите отново.

Във всяка от последните две години Филаделфия Флайърс са вложили много добри отбори на леда, но са се вливат в товарен влак начело на финалите във формата на Питсбърг Пингуинс. Флайърс дойдоха строги чрез добавяне на ветерана Крис Pronger но тяхното безумие е безспорно били в цел и това е въпрос, който все още предстои да бъде разработена. Филаделфия отиде от другата страна на езерото, за да привлече Рей Емъри обратно към Северна Америка, така че присъдата е все още върху това дали проблема с goaltending е фиксиран (може да се спори, че отношението Емери ще предизвика повече проблеми, отколкото ще реши). В крайна сметка, на таланта Flyers ще ги стигнем до плейофите и в този момент всички те ще се нуждаят е твърдо вещество (не грандиозно) нетната играта да поведе в състояние да спечели купа Стенли.

Бъдещата Бостън е светло, защото нивото на своя талант е много същите като миналата година. Phil Kessel се търгуваше за някои проекти на кирки, което говори за това как уверени Boston е с отбора си от горе до долу. They still have Chara manning the blueline and they can score at the drop of a hat. Имаше много въпроси за Тим Томас миналата година и той ще трябва да отговори на тези същите въпроси отново тази година. If Thomas is able to play consistently well the Bruins will learn from their experience last year and should be considered favorites to at least reach the east finals.

Ключът за Бъфало Сейбърс е да сте здрави. През миналия сезон Buffalo е ясен отбор в плейофите, докато наранявания ги порази като разчистване топка и техните плейофите надежди рухна. Така че, ако звезди на Сейбърс "остават здрави, те ще бъде сила, ако не го направят след това Buffalo не е сила ... това е толкова просто.

Вашингтон Кепитълс да вкарат като никой друг. В обидно зона 5-на-5 и по пиесата властта те са просто за да бъде спрян. Капачките са в голяма степен липсва в защита, но със сигурност вкарат достатъчно, за да компенсирате, че в течение на дълъг сезон. Най-големият провал на Вашингтон миналата година е в мрежа и, че е най-голямото неизвестно отново. Семьон Варламов със сигурност беше много по-добре, отколкото някой е можел да очаква в плейофите миналия сезон, но той е в отговор дългосрочен план? Няма никакво съмнение, че Варламов има талант, но той все още е млад и с това да си млад идват болките на растежа, че всеки играч преживявания. Ако Варламов расте бързо след това има основание да смята, капачките може да спечели всичко, но ако не го направи след това го феновете в DC ще бъдат "разклащането на червено" за втория кръг на плейофите и не се колебайте.

Монреал Канейдиънс направиха три много добри неща в offseason: нека Ковальов отиде, взе Brian Gionta и Скот Гомес, и се отървах от Ковальов (Споменах ли, че вече). Alexi Kovalev is a very talented player but he was too inconsistent and caused too much drama in a place that creates enough drama on its own. Gionta и Гомес осигури стабилност като лидери на леда и да сложите точки на срещата. И двамата играчи прекарал известно време в Ню Джърси, така че всеки знае как да играе роля до съвършенство. Докато Carey Цена може да запази доверието си и феновете дават шанс те могат да бъдат много опасни този отбор.

As for the rest of the conference there is very little to talk about. Ню Йорк Айлъндърс са ясно възстановяването е така най-доброто което някой може да се надява от тях е, че Джон Таварес и компания просто се подобри за всяка игра. В моя преценка Айлъндърс имат много повече проблеми извън леда (В края на бизнеса), отколкото в него. Островите знаят, че са възстановяването и предприемаме стъпки станем добър отбор във времето. This is in contrast to the Lightning, Thrashers, Senators, Maple Leafs, and Panthers.

Tampa has a lot of talent but did nothing with is last year and do not have a goaltender that can take them anywhere. Atlanta is just plain bad and probably will not improve very much in all likelihood. Отава продължава да променя треньори, не желира като екип, са загубили един от най-добрите си играчи в Dany Heatley, и реши, че добавянето на Ковальов е най-добрият начин да се стабилизира / подобрим отбора си (много тъпо). Toronto cannot decide whether they want to try to win now or build for the future. Миналата година те са имали достатъчно талант, за да остане на върха на отборите извън плейофите за голямата част от годината, а тази година те са в приблизително същото място. На последно място са Флорида Пантърс, които нямат и един куп таланти (след като е загубил bouwmeester) не се получи голяма подкрепа фен, което прави за много лоша ситуация.

Така че това е на изток в орехова черупка (вярвате или не). Tune в следващия път, за западната визуализацията, както и моите финали Купа Стенли вземете и победител.

Bruins-Flyers In; Caps and Ovechkin Out

The NHL has announced that the 2010 Winter Classic will be held at Fenway Park between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers. Generally speaking I could care less who is playing in this game because as a fan of the sport and of the unique nature of this game I will be watching and will enjoy it from start to finish. That said, I cannot understand why the NHL and NBC have decided that a Bruins-Flyers match up will have a better draw in the US than say a Bruins-Capitals showdown. It is true that both teams have large television markets and that will result in a huge draw from the two participating cities alone. However, there is no bigger star in the NHL today than Alexander Ovechkin; no matter what you think of him I think all fans agree that he is one of the most exciting hockey players in the whole world from his on ice performance to his off-ice personality. Not only would people in the DC and Boston area be excited about this game, but hockey fans throughout the country and casual sports fans alike would go out of their way to watch Ovechkin play in a game as special as the Winter Classic has become. Not only should Ovechkin and the Caps be playing this game instead of the Flyers for star power but also because Philadelphia playing in this game against Boston pushes away the idea of a Penguins-Flyers Winter Classic at Beaver Stadium for many years. That makes deciding to put Philadelphia in this match-up a double whammy of blunders on the part of the NHL and NBC. The ratings will suffer this year because Ovechkin is not in it (and should be) and because a potential future contest that could also result in huge ratings and fan turnout in person has been push back indefinitely. So again, while I will be watching this game no matter who is playing in it–and it is possible that this match-up will still get a huge draw and be largely entertaining–I still think the NHL and NBC have hurt the potential of the Winter Classic not only for 2010 but for the near future as well.

NHL Winter Classic Doubleheader?

The Winter Classic has been one of the best thing to happen to the NHL perhaps ever but certainly one of the highest points of the post-lockout era. So should there be two Winter Classics making for a New Year's Day outdoor game doubleheader? The idea is this: first off it has already been determined that this year's Winter Classic will be held at Fenway Park between the Boston Bruins and a team yet to be determined. What some within the game are lobbying for is a second outdoor game to be played in Calgary at the conclusion of the Fenway park version of the game. Among the supporters of this potential second game are Canadian fans and the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) because the first two Winter Classics have included US based teams and it is unlikely the plans include a Canadian based team in Boston because NBC's rating would most likely suffer. The NHL's competition committee would have to approve of this second game and they will likely vote it down.

As a matter of practicality it is probably unwise to field more than one Winter Classic because part of its allure is how unique the event is. However, the underlying theme is an important one that should be well considered by the NHL and that is if this trend continues Canadian based teams will always be excluded from the yearly Winter Classic and that is an abysmal prospect. Hockey is by far the most popular sport in Canada, most of the players on NHL rosters are Canadian born, and the support of all six Canadian based teams is second to none. The passion with which they support their teams by using their hard earned money to buy game tickets along with merchandise (both very expensive) among a plethora of other things makes them deserving of at least having a team in the Winter Classic. Sure the name of the game is money and the best way for NBC to do that is to increase ratings which will likely reach their greatest potential by having two American based teams in the game. But in the long run as a matter of principal these fans cannot be shut out forever. It isn't fair to take one of the biggest contingency of fans and completely disregard them when considering what has become one of the game's most sacred events. Even if there is ones team from each country in the game it is unlikely that the ratings will make a major decline since the novelty of the game still exists. As Sir Isaac Newton taught us for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction and if the NHL does not work to include Canada in the Winter Classic somehow it will surely comeback to bite them somewhere along the way.

NHL Awards Show Upon Us

As the Pittsburgh Penguin organization and fans continue to celebrate their club's victory and people in Detroit continue to lick their wounds the rest of the hockey world looks to the future. The NHL awards dinner is Thursday June 18, the NHL entry draft on June 26 and of course NHL free agency starts July 1 ^st . With the NHL awards first up we'll take a look at three of the biggest awards (according to me) up for grabs and my prediction for who will win; those awards are the Calder Trophy (Top Rookie), Norris Trophy (Top Defensemen), Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender), and the Hart Trophy (League MVP).

Calder Trophy Nominees are Steve Mason (CBJ), Bobby Ryan (ANA), and Kris Versteeg (CHI). Bobby Ryan made an unbelievable impact on the Ducks this year and will certainly big a major force in Anaheim for years to come but he's not taking home this trophy. Kris Versteeg is an important part on a very young team that will be fantastic for years to come with guys like Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and Duncan Keith (among others) but it's not his trophy to win either. The winner in my view has to be Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets because if not for him the Blue Jackets would not have made the playoffs let alone a decent seed at sixth. Mason led the league in shutouts with 10 and first in Goals Against Average (GAA) in the Western Conference at 2.29. They have some talent in front of Mason in Columbus but he was the backbone of the team and if he plays like this in the years to come as the talent improves with time the Blue Jackets can make a lot of noise but without Mason they won't go anywhere. So as far as I'm concerned the 2008-2009 Calder Trophy winner will be Chris Mason.

This year's Hart Trophy nominees are Pavel Datsyuk (DET), Evgeni Malkin (PIT), and Alexander Ovechkin (WSH). This is probably the most anticipated award of the whole show and is definitely one of the most hotly contested award up for grabs. Each nominee is as deserving of the award as the next and that makes it one of the hardest awards to call because each player is so important to the success of his respective team that so little separates them. Pavel Datsyuk had an unbelievable year finishing 5 ^th in assists (65) and 4 ^th in points with 97. He is one of the best two way players in the world and has played a large part in the amount of success the Detroit Red Wings have experienced in the last few years in particular. Datsyuk's play in both the offensive and defensive is something that every team craves to get out of their players to at least be adequate at doing let alone excel the way Datsyuk does. To stand out on a team of superstars the way Datsyuk does really says a lot about his game and makes him a deserving Hart Trophy candidate.

Next is Evgeni Malkin who had an unbelievable season in Pittsburgh leading the league in assists with 70 and overall points with 113. Malkin has the ability to take games over when the going gets tough and does just that time and time again carrying the team on his back. He's a player who is great at scoring goals when he needs to be also in making players around him better while he's on the ice. Malkin is a pretty good two-way player—although not as good as Datsyuk—who can back-check with the best of them and turn a rush for the other team into a great counter-attack for Pittsburgh. Leading by example is a strength for Malkin and is a top reason why the Penguins went from a team on the outside looking in on the playoffs to home-ice advantage in the first round in a very short period of time.

Last but not least is Malkin's fellow Russian teammate Alexander Ovechkin. What Ovechkin can do on the ice is clear as he led the league in goals with 56 and finished second in points with 110. Ovechkin is an explosive player who helps make Washington's power play one of the best in the league by far, and can help keep the Caps in a game by scoring big goals in games Washington probably should not be in otherwise if they're being dominated in their own end. Perhaps Ovechkin's biggest weakness is that he is not very good in the defensive zone and has a tendency to disappear if the other team is controlling the puck in the Washington zone while also disallowing the quick breakout counter attack. Nevertheless the energy Ovechkin brings to the game feeds off on other players and certainly makes them better offensively than they might be in other situations. So in terms of value to a team there may be no one who means more to their team than Ovechkin means to the Capitals because he is the lifeblood of that organization. All that said it is hard to say who will win the award by just looking at these three guys on paper. However, it may come down to the fact that Malkin plays with another star in Sidney Crosby and Datsyuk has a bunch of guys around him who are superstars in their own right. Ovechkin on the other hand does not have the stand out superstar around him and as a result Alexander Ovechkin will be your 2008-2009 NHL MVP.

It has been a wonderful season and the NHL awards are a great way to reflect on how wonderful the season has been even including the playoffs despite these being regular season awards. I hope everyone enjoyed this season as it was one of the best for the NHL in recent history which is something they can certainly build on. Now that the season is over it's a fresh start for everyone and so there should be a fair amount of things to talk about this summer as teams prepare to make a cup run of their own next season. Thanks for reading this season everyone and I hope you continue to follow along right here on sportsroids.com as we cover the happenings of the offseason and into training camp come September.

Pens-Canes Battle for Eastern Conference Title

The Eastern Conference Finals start tomorrow night between the defending Eastern Conference Champion Pittsburgh Penguins and the last team to win the Stanley Cup out of the east in the Carolina Hurricanes. These two teams may not have the natural rivalry Pittsburgh had with Washington but there is plenty to keep us entertained. Most notably is the sibling rivalry that puts Eric Staal (Carolina) against brother Jordan Staal (Pittsburgh) for the first time in the playoffs. While there no doubt the utmost respect between the brothers anyone who has a sibling knows that there's nothing like beating a sibling and claiming bragging rights in the family. There is also the Pittsburgh connection that Hurricanes assistant coach Ron Francis has as he won two Stanley Cup titles with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992. But the best motivation for each team is the fact that this series is for a chance to play for the Stanley Cup! No professional hockey player needs any more motivation than that. So let's take a look at each team, their respective keys to victory and my prediction of how this series will turn out. [After going 4-4 in round one the sportsroids.com predictions are now at 7-5 and looking to improve!]

The Carolina Hurricanes are only three years removed from hoisting the Stanley Cup and still have a number of members from the 2006 team on the 2009 version which is an invaluable asset. The most important of that group is Conn Smythe winning goaltender Cam Ward. Ward has been the key to Carolina's success all year long; he has been the reason they qualified for the playoffs and why they were able to advance past both New Jersey and Boston, two teams who many had going to the Finals. In order for Carolina to have any chance of defeating Pittsburgh Cam Ward must be top-notch. Carolina simply does not have the fire power to outmuscle Pittsburgh in an offensive shootout so it is imperative that Cam Ward shuts them down. Aside from Ward the Hurricanes will have to make use of their speed and grit to be victorious. The Canes do not have a whole lot of size so they will have to use their speed to create scoring chances and make sure they get optimal scoring performance from Eric Staal and Jussi Jokinen just as they have thus far in these playoffs. Carolina will also need to use their speed to be gritty down low in both zones and be the first to loose pucks in the neutral zone and in the defensive zone. But even if Carolina does all that if Cam Ward isn't almost perfect they still won't win.

The key for Pittsburgh? Surprise Surprise, it's get to Cam Ward! We know the star power that exists on the Penguins and their ability to get secondary scoring from people all over the line-up. Generally speaking the Penguins simply need to keep playing the way they've been playing throughout the playoffs and also need to have Fleury return to the form he was in against the Philadelphia Flyers. One can talk about strategy from the Penguins' prospective all day long but the bottom line is they need to get to Cam Ward. If Pittsburgh makes Cam Ward look human they will advance in the series with little trouble; if they don't the series will go a long way, Pittsburgh will start to get frustrated and before you know it Carolina will be headed to the Stanley Cup Finals. Despite all that, barring major injury, I don't think Carolina matches up well with Pittsburgh and although the games will be very close it will be Pittsburgh advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals defeating Carolina in five games. And so for the second it will be the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Detroit Red Wings for the right to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.

NHL Round Two a Treat for All

Round two came to a close Thursday night and what a round two it ways. With three series going to game seven and the other an incredibly entertaining six game series the NHL should hold its head high tonight. Detroit/Anaheim and Boston/Carolina put the icing on the cake with two incredible game seven performances culminated with a game seven overtime won by the Canes over the Bruins. As much as I love hockey it has fallen from the graces of many people since the lockout in 2004, but this round has put the NHL back on the national map. Casual fans are tuning in and that base is continuing to grow as the ratings have skyrocketed as a result. Sports fans across the board have soaked up every moment of round two with many hoping the stage isn't set for the Conference Finals to be a letdown. But with the stakes getting higher as we move onto round three it seems highly unlikely that something like that will happen. The time will come in short order to look forward to the next round but now is the time to reflecting upon round two and simply appreciate what we saw.

The Pens and Caps stole the headlines with plenty of star power, the incredible story of rookie netminder Simeon Varlamov, and six unbelievably entertaining games including three overtime contests and at least one lead change in every game. The Pens and Caps not only put on a great show but they further escalated a rivalry that will be sensational for years to come. The other second round series in the east did not have nearly the amount of drama as the Pens-Caps until game seven.

The Bruins and Canes gave us everything one hopes to get out of a game seven. Each team had a lead at one point in the game with the Bruins taking the early 1-0 lead before Carolina battled back to net two in a row only to see Boston send it to overtime. In the extra period there were chances aplenty stifled by tremendous goaltending by both Ward and Thomas. And just as it seemed like the game was destined for double overtime Scott Walker buried a rebound behind Tim Thomas to score his first career playoff goal… and boy what a time to do it.

In the West the headliner was the battle between the last two Stanley Cup Champions in Anaheim and Detroit. Despite Anaheim being seeded eighth many felt the Ducks had a chance to put away the defending champs. The two teams battled game to game until the series finally culminated in a game seven that went the way of the rest of the series. Both goaltenders put on a great show combined with a lot of heavy hitting and lots of drama with both teams getting ticked at the referees at one point or another. In the end however the defending champs showed their grit by scoring the series winning goal with three minutes remaining in the third period.

Lastly we'll mention the upstart Blackhawks put away Roberto Luongo and the high-flying Vancouver Canucks. In their respective first round series the Hawks and Canucks traveled very different paths. Vancouver steamrolled St. Louis while Chicago had to battle to put away a banged-up but resilient Calgary Flames squad that had high expectations; as a result many felt the experienced Canucks would be able to dispose of a good but young Blackhawks squad whose “time was yet to come.” The people in Chicago—fans and players alike—had different plans as the young squad played each game like they had been there before withstanding early leads by Vancouver and eventually busting through the brick wall that is Roberto Luongo to advance to the Conference Finals.

Perhaps one of the best playoff rounds in any sport ever… and we've still got two rounds to go. See you in the Conference Finals everybody!

Bruins-Canes Game Seven… Why Should You Watch?

Yet another series is game seven bound in the Eastern Conference after Boston's 4-1 thrashing of Carolina Tuesday night. Unlike the Pens-Caps series however, this series has lacked any drama from the prospective of the casual fan. Each goaltender has been hot in some games while the other was hot in others but never at the same time and aside from a 3-2 overtime win by Carolina in game three there has been nothing to write home about. Perhaps the most exciting thing about the series generally is that Carolina took a 3-1 lead on the seemingly high-flying top-seeded Bruins who some thought my cruise into the Conference Finals. The Canes certainly showed their worth having taken a 3-1 lead over the mighty Bruins, a Bruins team that has since flexed its muscle to force game seven. So why should anybody watch the Bruins-Canes finale Thursday night? Because both teams will be pressing hard, the energy from the fans will be high and you better believe both netminders will be fired up and on their respective games. Because Boston could be yet another one seed that fails to reach the finals and be eliminated by a sixth seeded team to boot. Because no matter how good the game is Thursday night the Bruins fans will not be satisfied and although they may applaud their team at the game's conclusion they will NOT be so kind in the time to follow. The Boston sports teams have been so successful in recent years that the Bruins losing will be quite gratifying for follows of sports generally outside of New England. But if none of that appeals to you then there's always the fact that game sevens generally consists of some of the best hockey you'll ever see so if you pass on this one you'll be kicking yourself for some time to come.

NHL Round Two Extremely Entertaining

Round two of the playoffs has been the best round of the post-season by far to this point and the excitement continues to build. Let's take a brief look at each series up to this point.

Eastern Conference:

3. Washington Capitals VS 4. Pittsburgh Penguins
This has been the keynote series since the second round draw came out and it has not disappointed. Four of the five games have been decided by one goal and two were decided in overtime. The big stars Ovechkin and Crosby have stepped up to the plate and have excelled in the spotlight as all of North America looks on. There has also been plenty of drama to boot with both sides making complaints about the officiating at one point or another and Ovechkin hitting Sergei Gonchar knee-on-knee which has created plenty of controversy across the airwaves. The series has been the perfect showcase for the NHL as hardcore and casual fans alike tune in and are NOT disappointed. As of the writing of this article the Penguins have taken a 3-2 series lead after dropping the first to in Washington. Pittsburgh finally got some secondary scoring in game five and it proved to be the difference between the two teams as the big stars continue to cancel each other out. Penguin fans would love for this series to finish in six, but for the rest of the world how could this series culminate any better than if it comes down to game seven on Wednesday at Verizon Center?

1. Boston Bruins VS 6. Carolina Hurricanes
For many this has been the shocker of the three Conference Semi-finals as the high-powered Bruins were seemingly going to steam roll the Hurricanes right into the Conference finals. However, since the end of game one it has been all Carolina. Cam Ward, Eric Staal and Jussi Jokinen have been unbelievable leading the Canes to an unlikely 3-1 series lead. The difference in the series comes down to Carolina's best players performing at the highest level while the Bruins have not been able to rely on their studs as much as they have all year. Zdano Chara in particular has not been the same since game one where he shut down Eric Staal. For the Bruins to get back into the series they have to better utilize their size to create offense and continue to put pressure on Cam Ward. Boston cannot win by simply getting frustrated when Ward plays well and by trying to fall back into their defensive style when they're only up by one or when the game is tied, playing not to lose rather than to win. There is a lot of speed on the Canes and the Bruins need to neutralize that speed with some pace of their own. But don't think this is a fluke because the Canes have plenty of talent and have been to the promised land before winning the Cup in 2006.

Western Conference:

2. Detroit Red Wings VS 8. Anaheim Ducks
Jonas Hiller had been playing extremely well until Thursday night when he was pulled for veteran netminder JS Giguere. Overall the Ducks have played incredibly well making use of their size and skill to stick with the same attributes as Detroit. Much has been written about this series on sportsroids in recent days which you can see by clicking HERE . The only difference at this point is that whoever plays in net for Anaheim has to be almost flawless while the rest of the Ducks do what they've been doing all along. Detroit will probably end up winning this series but the Ducks have show a ton of grit which has made for a very entertaining and suspenseful series.

3. Vancouver Canucks VS 4. Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks have shown that they are not simply content with making it to the second round of the playoffs and that they feel they have a chance to go much further with their team's make-up. With the stars that Chicago has there's no reason to believe that they can't get into the Conference Finals and maybe beyond that. The Canucks on the other hand have needed to rely way too much on Roberto Luongo to win games for them and they are playing on barrowed time if they keep that up. As this article is being written the Canucks have a 2-1 lead in the second period after finally getting a goal from Mats Sundin. Guys like Sundin, Kesler, the Sedin twins and Burrows have to play at the highest level possible every minute of every game in order for the Canucks to get beyond just round two. Luongo alone can only carry them but so far. Regardless of the outcome however the series has been quite entertaining (much like the other three) and perhaps they will treat us to a game seven which every fan loves.

Dream Match-Up Highlights Round Two

Round one could not have gone out on a better note with two game seven's ( Devils-Hurricanes and Caps-Rangers ) that did not disappoint in drama and excitement. I couldn't possibly say anything to sum the two games that are surely both instant classics; as a result we'll just turn to round two now that we know the match-ups. So far the sportsroids predictions have yielded a 4-4 record which I'll be looking to improve upon in round two.

Eastern Conference:

1. Boston Bruins vs. 6. Carolina Hurricanes
The Bruins breezed through the first round sweeping the hated rival Canadiens right out of the playoffs. Despite picking Montreal to win (in the interest of not flip-flopping from my preseason Eastern Conference Champ) I had serious doubts about their performance down the stretch and how they would fair in the playoffs and sure enough they laid an egg. Although Boston swept the series the lame duck Canadiens probably would have made any team look like juggernauts. Nevertheless, the Bruins are very well rested and do have a lot of fire power, enough to have swept the season series from the Hurricanes anyway (not to mention the top seed in the East). So far Tim Thomas has continued his stellar play despite the doubts surrounding his style of play and his lack of consistent success in his career before this year. In front of Thomas are the likes of Zdano Chara who has been unbelievable for the Bruins all year and it continued in round one. Pair Chara's dominance at the blue line with a very strong core of forwards and the Bruins have all the makings of what could be a very special playoff run.
Opposite the Bruins are the Carolina Hurricanes who are very much a different team today from the one Boston saw in the regular season. Ryan Whitney, Chad LaRose, and Eric Staal have played incredibly well thus far in the post-season each with at least five points against the best goalie in the game today in Martin Brodeur. The Canes also have a world class netminer of their own in Cam Ward who came up huge for them all season and certainly in the playoffs keeping them in game seven in particular. This team has a lot going for it on the ice with their talent but also their experience with key members from their Stanley Cup winning team of a few years ago still around. So what can we expect from this series? Well the goaltending for both will most likely be stellar but beyond that the comparisons end. Boston is more of a big bruiser type club that loves to slug it out and play a hard hitting, defensive type game. Whereas the Canes are a smaller, quicker club who will generate a lot of offense and as a result rely heavily on Ward defensively. Carolina is on an emotional high at the moment by they just finished a grueling back-and-forth seven games with New Jersey. The Canes experience will keep them in the series but the Bruins will simply out class the Canes and send them packing in six.

3. Washington Capitals vs. 4. Pittsburgh Penguins
From one rivalry to another for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they plan to travel to Washington not long after deposing of the much hated Philadelphia Flyers in six. This is certainly the dream match-up for hardcore and casual hockey fans alike with both teams possessing an enormous amount of talent—namely Malkin and Crosby for Pittsburgh and Ovechkin and Semin for Washington among many others for both. So what can we expect from this series? Well the Caps took the season series from the Penguins 3-1 but three of the four contests were very close and filled with lots of intensity. The spotlight will certainly be on the Ovechkin/Crosby rivalry but those two alone will not determine the series. Both teams are going to need to get a lot out of their third and fourth lines as well as goaltenders. The top players for both teams will in all likelihood neutralize one another as they match up pretty well player for player both up front and on the blueline. So we turn to the third liners and it's the Penguins who have the advantage in that regard as they are the deeper team by far. Guys like Tyler Kennedy and Jordan Staal create a lot of energy for the Penguins as third liners and have been known to generate a lot of offensive zone action and that Caps simply don't have an answer for them. Washington had the advantage in the “toughness”category before Donald Brashear was suspended for six games and will not be able to play for Washington until game six of this series if there is one. There will certainly be a lot of up and down play in this series with a lot of passion coming from both teams and their fans. The buildings will be rocking, the media will be buzzing, and the tension/excitement amongst all parties involved should make this one of the best series of the playoffs. In the end the Penguins depth advantage will lead them to a six game series victory over the high flying Capitals.

Tune in next time (Thursday) for a preview of the Western Conference Semis.

Hello Caps, Au Revoir Canadiens

The story is a bit different for the Montreal Canadiens who followed a poor performance in game two with a fast start but slow ending in game three against Boston. The Canadiens fed off of the home crowd energy to take a 1-0 lead (their first of the series) but that was neutralized soon thereafter. As the game settled in it unfolded more like game one with the Canadiens hanging in there until the very end with a chance to tie and/or win late. The Bruins however stayed the course and showed why so many people picked them to steamroll the Canadiens. Boston is by far the superior team with stellar skill accompanied by dominating size. Montreal tried to get bigger in the offseason but as the season unfolded they ended up once again relying on skill and speed to carry them to success. That philosophy did not work last year and is not working this year. Boston may not be heads and shoulders ahead of all the competition in the Eastern Conference but they are proving that to be so when it comes to the Canadiens.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Make Grand Entrance

Well the playoffs are now in full swing as every series will have played two games by the end of Saturday. So let's take a look and how the respective series are unfolding:

Източната конференция

1. Boston Bruins VS 8.Montreal Canadiens
The final score of game one was about what everybody expected but the level of competition between the two clubs was probably higher than most thought. Boston roared out to a 2-0 lead but the Canadiens battled back to tie the game at two before ultimately going down 4-2. But the rivalry is hot and despite the perception of a major mismatch it doesn't seem likely to be over anytime soon. Game 2 is tonight before the series shifts back to Montreal so we'll see what surprises are in store for us.

2. Washington Capitals VS 7. New York Rangers
Jose Theodore didn't make it past the first game as he was benched for rookie back up netminder Simeon Varlamov after Washington's 4-3 loss at home to the Rangers. Again many people felt the Rangers were completely outmatch by the fire power of the Capitals and that the only chance the Rangers had offensively is if Theodore didn't play well. Theodore did not play all that well in game one and the Rangers stole one from Washington but surely things would be different now that Theodore was benched. Varlamov did indeed play very well in net for Washington Saturday afternoon as the Rangers were only able to net one behind the rookie netminder. Unfortunately for the Caps Henrik Lundqvist was up to the challenge and shut Ovechkin and company out. Now the series shifts back to New York with the Rangers having a commanding lead and looking for the sweep. Sportsroids when against the grain in predicting a Rangers win in this series and so far the Rangers have no disappointed.

3. New Jersey Devils VS Carolina Hurricanes
In a series that many felt would be evenly matched has surely turned out to be that way. After game one the Canes looked to be greatly overmatched; but after Carolina took game two in overtime we've got ourselves a series. The two teams are so similar in every aspect of the game and that makes the series a virtually toss up on paper. Sportsroids said Carolina in five and although that seems unlikely now we are sticking to our guns! Regardless of what happens there is a lot of great hockey ahead of us in this series.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins VS 5. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers seemed greatly outmatched after game one but game two was an entirely different story. Philly took the earlier lead but Pittsburgh battled back to tie. Then the Flyers took another lead only to see penalties allow the Penguins back into a game seemingly headed to the win column for the Flyers. But take nothing away from Pittsburgh, they dominated game one and although were largely outplayed in game two they took advantage of Flyer mistakes and now have a strangle-hold on the series. Don't expect the Flyers to quit though as they move home to play in front of their rowdy and very unforgiving fans at Wachovia center. Sportsroids told you this would go seven games, and although that is still possible if Pittsburgh wins either of the games in Philadelphia the Flyers will be in serious trouble. The Flyers won't fold but don't expect Pittsburgh to take their proverbial foot off the gas.

Западната конференция

1. San Jose Sharks VS 8. Anaheim Ducks
People were wondering if the Sharks were finally ready to take it to the next level or if the same old Sharks would show up again in the playoffs. One game does not a series make but for at least one night it's the same old Sharks. Granted, the Ducks are not far removed from a Stanley Cup Championship but the Sharks at least need to score a goal. There is still a long way to go but if San Jose continues to play like they did in game one they will be making an early exit.

2. Detroit Red Wings VS 7.Columbus Blue Jackets
As I write this post the Red Wings are leading the Blue Jackets 3-0 at the second intermission, this after winning game one 4-1. The Blue Jackets have been a great story all season but the playoffs are too much for them and so they are done.

3. Vancouver Canucks VS 6. St. Louis Blues
The Blues were another good story going into the playoffs but after making a pretty good showing in game one they were completely shut down by Vancouver in game two losing 3-0. Like Columbus, St. Louis is an up and coming team with great goaltending but they appear to be severely overmatched by the Vancouver Canucks.

4. Chicago Blackhawks VS 5. Calgary Flames
Game one of this series was probably the most entertaining game of the first round so far. Game one had everything you could want in a playoff hockey game: lead changes, scrums, great individual battles, fantastic goaltending and overtime! Sure Martin Havlat ended the party early by scoring only 12 seconds into the overtime period but if game one was any indication of how the rest of the series will go then this and the Carolina-New Jersey series have the potential to become classics.

Like you, we at sportsroids will be watching intently to see how the rest of round one unfolds. Enjoy the ride hockey fans!

Sportsroids.com's NHL Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

The playoff match-ups are all set and read to launch Wednesday evening. To start the first of two playoff previews I will take a look at the Eastern Conference match-ups, give you some notes about them and make a pick. This is the BEST part of the year by far so let's get right to the previews.

1. Boston Bruins VS 8. Montreal Canadiens
Well it's a year later and the seedings have been swapped but the first round match-up is the same as the Canadiens and Bruins throw more gasoline on the burning rivalry between the two. The teams are slightly different but the key pieces have gone unchanged. Carey Price and Tim Thomas are both back and bring with them playoff experience which neither of them had last year. Each netminder had stretches of brilliance and ineptitude in the series last year and with that experience under their respective belts they should each be relatively solid in net. Zdano Chara had a fantastic year on defense while Marc Savard, David Krejci, and others showed that you can score a lot of goals in a Claude Julien system. Montreal lost Mark Streit and last year's version of Alexi Kovalev but they gained some size and toughness in Ryan O'byrne and Georges Laraque (something they desperately needed against Philadelphia last season). There are plenty of other things to consider and we can talk all day and night about this series… so who has the advantage? The Bruins had a great season but really sputtered toward the end including a 6-1 loss to a Sabres team spending another April on the golf course. Montreal did not have the best end of the season either but despite falling so far so quickly they are in and that's what separates them from the Bruins, despite all odds the Canadiens end up where they want to be. Series outcome: Montreal in six.

2. Washington Capitals VS 7. NY Rangers
This is a battle of goaltenders, plain and simple. Despite the Caps star power when it comes down to a shooting contest I'll take Henrik Lundqvist over Jose Theodore any day. Washington can score so they'll steal a game or two but in the end the Rangers will advance in five or six.

3. New Jersey Devils VS 6. Carolina Hurricanes
How far can Martin Brodeur take the Devils? New Jersey did so well without him and once he returned it's like the team reverted back to the old days of play defense and rely on Brodeur to win 1-0. Those days are over, and if they play that against one of the league's hottest teams and a Conn Smythe winning goaltender they will lose. Ward has been unbelievable and with Eric Staal and Erik Cole in front of him the Devils are in serious trouble. All-in-all it's an even match-up on paper, but once you reach the playoffs if Pittsburgh taught us anything last year you go with the hot team. The hot team is Carolina, therefore the Canes take it in five.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins VS 5. Philadelphia Flyers.
It's the battle of Pennsylvania, division rivals, and the home of the “Crosby is a diver!” Tie that in with revenge on the minds of the Flyers after last year's playoff thrashing at the hands of the Penguins what else could you want in a series? Crosby and Malkin more than likely have to play well for the Penguins to advance but it's possible to see Pittsburgh in round two without top-notch play from their two stars. What the Penguins can't afford to have is inconsistent play from netminder Marc-Andre Fleury. When Fleury is on he's one of the best goaltenders in the league and shows flashes of what made him such a highly touted amateur player. But when Fleury is off the rest of the team is usually not good enough to bail him out. The same goes for Marty Biron on the other side of the ice. Even if Richards, Carter, Knuble, etc. are amazing if Biron is off the Flyers are done. So the key to this match-up is the goaltending; whoever wins the battle of the goalies will lead their team to round two. So who wins? Marc-Andre Fleury won last year and will win again this year. Both teams will have their moments but the Penguins will win in seven…(the Flyers will be kicking themselves for having lost home-ice on the last day of the season).

Flames and Hawks Sputtering; Carey Price Sighting in Montreal

A few stories of note as the season comes to a close concerning the races for playoff positioning:

1. The Chicago Blackhawks have played well virtually all season, but the last few weeks they have encountered some pretty hard times. Including their loss to Montreal Tuesday night the Blackhawks have lost nine of their last 13 and are in danger of falling out of fourth position and losing the first round home-ice advantage that goes with it. Perhaps it's the fatigue of a young team going through a long year of high-level performances culminating in a losing stretch as they anticipate the commencement of the playoffs. The dip in play by Chicago is understandable but just because they haven't made it to the post-season in a while doesn't mean the fans will be at all forgiving if their late season struggles turn into a first round exit.

2. Tuesday night was a good one for Montreal Canadiens fans everywhere for not only did they down the Blackhawks 4-1 but Tuesday finally marks the return of the good Carey Price. Facing 29 shots, Price stopped 28—giving up only a flukie goal by Patrick Sharp in the third period—price shut down Chicago pretty well. But moreso than simply stopping shots, Price finally looked comfortable again in net; he was standing his ground, staying poised, and didn't seem like he was overplaying every shot. This is a great sign for the Canadiens who need top-notch play from all positions but especially in net if they plan on making the playoffs and making noise once they get there. At the moment the Canadiens will likely take whatever position they can as long as they qualify for the playoffs but if they stay in 8 ^th as they are now the hated Boston Bruins would be on tap first…and the plot thickens.

3. The trade deadline moves by the Calgary Flames have not had the desired effect as they have lost eight of 13 since March 4 ^th . At first the Flames were having some issues with defense and goaltending but now that those have sured up a bit Calgary is having a hard time finding the back of the net. Calgary has scored only four goals in the last four games and were shutout two games in a row by Pittsburgh and Columbus respectively in back-to-back contests. Much like Chicago, the Flames have played well all year but are now in danger of losing the top spot in their division and may actually end up qualifying for the post-season without first round home-ice advantage. Meanwhile the Vancouver Canucks have really hit their stride and are quickly gaining on Calgary and may in fact pull the division right from under the feet of the Flames.

Бруинс Bittersweet Victory; The Blues Sound Sweet в Сейнт Луис

Despite their 7-5 win Saturday night the Boston Bruins have a lot of questions to ask/problems to address. Първо и най-важно е goaltending. Много хора наистина не вярвам в Тим Томас е в състояние да доведе до Бостън купа Стенли, но Томас все още не ги разочарова и все още може да излезе голям в плейофите. Въпреки това, един въпрос, който е отговорил на някои събота беше дали Бруинс могат да разчитат на Мани Фернандес трябва Thomas излезе кратко в плейофите или се контузват. Фернандес отказа пет гола на 38 изстрела, но в един момент се бе отказал четири гола за само 26 изстрела към TORONTO . Повечето биха се съгласили, че Лийфс са конкурентен отбор и са били играят страхотно хокей като на края, но четири гола на 26 изстрела от вратаря на плейофа екип е неприемливо. В един протест с изпълнението Фернандес е, че Бруинс та ужасно защитата пред него. Boston still has a legitimate shot at winning the President's trophy but this shaky defensive play and poor goaltending might make the President's trophy their only reasonable shot at hardware this season.

В други новини, екип прави обратното на Бостън Бруинс е в Saint Louis. The Blues have played amazingly well as of late and have battled back from deep in the standings into a tie with Edmonton for the final playoff spot in the west after defeating Columbus Saturday night. Той е бил ужасно дълго време, тъй фенове Блус са имали нещо поводи за радост така че може би са били дължими. Saint Louis was awful at the all-star break as they were below .500 and seemed destined to only seek further at the commencement of the league's second half. Instead, the Blues have rallied behind new number one netminder Chris Mason and despite having seasoned veterans like Keith Tkachuk but have been getting the most production from youngsters like Brad Boyes and David Perron. Сините не могат да направят на плейофите, след като всичко е казано и направено, и могат да направят малко шум дори и ако го направят. Това заяви, сините са дали феновете нещо поводи за радост, както и с нетърпение очакваме да. Бъдещето на лед в Saint Louis е много светъл и да се надяваме, че може да reenergize град с големи фенове, които наистина са придобили зад сините в миналото и бъдещето вероятно ще бъде по-различно. Те са един забавен екип, за да гледат и си струва да държи под око тази година и в продължение на много години напред.

Bruins Can't Handle Success?

What has happened to the Boston Bruins ? That may seem like a weird question to be asking about a team that just posted their 100 ^th point Thursday night but it is a legitimate one to ask. After spending most of the season shredding everyone in the league the Bruins have experienced a bad case of the hick-ups as of late. They have lost 11 games in the last month alone, and with a total of 27 losses for the year 11 is an awful lot to suffer in a relatively short period of time. Generally speaking it's not as of Boston is doing one thing in particular wrong that simply needs to be corrected before the playoffs hit. Some nights their goaltending lets them down and they lose 6-4 and others they can't find the back of the net and lose 2-0. There is plenty of blame to go around and the solution to the problem may be complicated but the end result is simple: if the Bruins don't fix their issues they will not enjoy the playoffs for very long no matter who they play. Perhaps it's a leadership issue since most of the guys on the team have not been very far into the playoffs—maybe the addition of Mark Recchi can help with that. It may be a coaching issue or simply a problem of execution, but whatever the reason it needs to be fixed and fast. Granted, the Bruins may have been a little disinterested with the end of the regular season since they were so far ahead of the team behind them. That is no longer the case however as the Devils have put themselves within striking distance of the Bruins for top honors in the east. No matter the reason the Bruins need to figure it out and quickly. With their early season success the expectations for the Bruins have only gone up and in a city where every other major sport has experienced a championship within the last four years the fans will not be very patient. As far as New England sports fans are concerned, going deep into the playoffs will not be enough for the Bruins, they need to win and they need to win RIGHT NOW.

Brodeur Ties Record; Devils Eye Bruins

Saturday night, with Patrick Roy in attendance, Martin Brodeur tied the all-time wins mark for a goalie and is now even with the aforementioned Roy with 551 wins. Brodeur has already accomplished just about everything else a goaltender can accomplish and now the all-time wins record will soon be his as well as the shutout record. He's won championships and broken records with nothing but class and dignity. All those who know him whether in the media or on the ice (perhaps except Sean Avery) have always had nothing but high praise for the way he handles himself in every aspect of life. And if all of that weren't enough, his New Jersey Devils have a very good team assembled in front of him. The Devils will certainly make a lot of noise come playoff time, but meanwhile they are in prime position to overtake the once high-flying Boston Bruins for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. So not only can Brodeur claim two major records—after being out for most of the season only to return to the ice in top form—but he may be able to add another division title, regular season conference title, and most of all perhaps another Stanley Cup. Whether you're a fan of the Devils or not, watching Brodeur operate is a real treat for hockey fans everywhere. And as he goes on to break the all-time wins record and soon thereafter the shutout record, appreciate that you're watching a very special player, the type that doesn't come around every day and one we may never see again.

NHL Eastern Conference Stretch-Run Mayhem

Unlike the West, the Eastern Conference is a much tighter race top to bottom with the exception of the Boston Bruins who have all but officially secured the top spot as they are 12 points ahead of their closets challenger. But looking beyond Boston a very colorful picture is painted as Washington and New Jersey battle for the second spot separated by only one point and the difference between 4 ^th and 10 ^th spot is only 9 points (essentially 3 games). That's right ladies and gentlemen the difference between home ice advantage in the first round and being out of the playoffs altogether is merely 3 games. So you may be asking yourself how all this will end up, who's in and who's out? Well look no further folks, we've got it broken down for you right here.

IN:

Washington – The Alexes (Ovechkin and Semin) provide the Caps with enough scoring to hang with anybody from either conference and at any level of the playoffs. Добавка that with great defensive play by guys like Mike Green, outstanding goaltending by Jose Theodore and the toughness of the likes of Donald Brashear needed to wear teams down in the playoffs, you've got a team that can go a LONG way.

New Jersey – No Brodeur? Няма проблем. Scott Clemmensen has been great, Parise, and Elias combine skill with leadership, and of course New Jersey always plays amazing defense. Add in Brendan Shanahan as the proverbial cherry on top and you've got yourself an irresistible sundae—ie a team that can rely on its core not only to get to the playoffs, but deep into the second season.

Montreal – Sure they lost Robert Lang for the season (a major blow indeed since he led the team in goals scored overall and power play goals) but now Kovalev and Price and company need to step up their play. They were picked by many (yours truly included) to represent the East in the finals and you better believe they'll be there.

NY Rangers – Everything they expected to get from Wade Redden but haven't has been more than adequately made up for by the play of Henrik Lundqvist. However, his play can only get them to the playoffs so do not expect them to get very far. A lot of their games have been won in shootouts and in case you didn't get that memo there aren't any shootouts in the post-season. Scott Gomez is great too but they miss Jagr and Shanahan so enjoy the Rangers while they last because it won't be long for them in the playoffs.

Philadelphia – They are huge and can score. Big teams who can score make it to the playoffs, and as long as Biron stays solid they will be in excellent shape.

Florida – Netminder Craig Anderson has been fantastic and somehow this team has learned how to score on a more consistent basis. They have a lot of guys who are overachieving and it doesn't look like that will stop anytime soon; however, as Anderson goes so go the Florida Panthers. In my estimation a 2.47 GAA and .930 save percentage are no accident, the Panthers are for real.

Pittsburgh – They have not played well as of late and have a lot of injuries to boot. Despite all that the Penguins have an incredible amount of talent and are becoming a grittier team as they realize they cannot win on talent alone. Losing Malone, Laraque and Hossa (among others) has hurt them more than most realize but regardless the team refuses to quit and their new 1-2-2 trap will help them win enough games to make reservations for post-season play.

OUT:

Carolina – Cam Ward has been too inconsistent and the Hurricanes don't score enough goals to bail him out every night.

Buffalo – They run Ryan Miller into the ground and he will start to wear down before the playoffs arrive. Thomas Vanek and company can certainly put the puck in the net and that will help their push toward the playoffs but they will fall short by “that much.”

Devils Roll, Canadiens Tumble

The New Jersey Devils downed the Boston Bruins Thursday night 4-3 in overtime despite blowing a 2-0 third period lead. That makes seven in a row for the Devils increasing their Atlantic Division lead to three points over the Rangers and allows them to slip past Washington for second in the East. This win streak is probably not an indication of what New Jersey will do in the playoffs but it says a lot about their team. When future hall-of-fame goalie Martin Brodeur went out for the season with an elbow injury early in November many wondered how the Devils would react to such a major loss. Scott Clemmensen has been quite impressive after a bumpy start to life without Brodeur in which the Devils lost 5 of 6 including a 4 game losing streak. Fans in New Jersey are now saying “Marty who?” well, not quite but so far so good for the Devils, but what happens in the playoffs is what matters.

On the other side of the spectrum are the Montreal Canadiens who, despite all the good will created from the all star game festivities this past week, are losers are 4 in a row and have questions about second year netminder Carey Price. Price has made three starts after returning from injury and has loss three games yielding 5 goals in each of those starts. The Canadiens and Price had some high expectations coming into this season, and many of those expectations can still be reached but it will take a much better effort from Price and from their once dominating power play. It is important to remember, however, that Price is just a second year player and not every goaltender can have the success so early in his career the way Patrick Roy did; but don't tell Canadiens' fans.

Four Important NHL Lessons to Learn

There was a lot of action in the NHL this past weekend as there is every weekend but there are four big things we learned and should keep in mind the rest of the year:

1. The Washington Capitals are for real. They have been on a roll lately but nothing like Saturday when they beat the East leading Boston Bruins 2-1 at Verizon Center. And after defeated the new trap playing penguins (more on that later) and the similar defensive style of the Bruins who supplement that with great goal-scoring the Caps showed they can beat anybody and play any style. Their team speed breaks that trap better than any other team in the East and they can win high scoring AND low scoring games… the rest of the league should be on high alert.

2. The Pittsburgh Penguins have finally figured out that with all their injuries a change in strategy is necessary and the trap is just what the doctor ordered. In casual conversation with a friend on December 12 ^th I mentioned the Penguins need to run a trap if only temporarily to keep themselves in games until they get some guys healthy and sure enough a month and a day later they run it and win against the Flyers. Now they have won two of three and despite all the injuries are in a playoff position. The Penguins are now a team to worry about again and once they get guys healthy the teams at the top of the standings should worry… just ask the Flyers and Rangers.

3. The San Jose Sharks beat Detroit 6-5 on Saturday. They are not going to fade away… the Western Conference has been warned.

4. The Phoenix Coyotes (yes Phoenix) is a viable team and WILL make the playoffs.

Have a great holiday everybody.

A Bruins-Sharks Finals? Don't Count On It

Monday night the Boston Bruins defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 to improve their East leading point total to 68. Later Monday night the Sharks improved their league leading total to 69 which might lead some to believe that San Jose and Boston are on a Stanley Cup Finals collision course. While clearly possible it is not going to happen, or at least I don't think it will. San Jose still has to get by the Detroit Red Wings which will not be an easy task for a number of reasons namely their experience and goal-scoring ability. Chris Osgood has struggle a bit so far despite his good record and seems to be a weakness for Detroit at the moment but if last season is any indication come playoff time that weakness will morph into a strength. The Bruins seemed to lack a weakness; they play great defense, are scoring like crazy, have great size and will probably have fresh legs come playoff time because the trap they run helps to keep players from exerting too much energy by allowing them to simply stand in the neutral zone to clog it up as the other team comes to them. But two important pieces are missing for the Bruins: one is that their coach Claude Julien has experienced very little playoff success in the NHL. Secondly, Tim Thomas has one year of playoff experience and that was last year against Montreal in a series that he did not play particularly well, enough so that the Bruins brought in Manny Frenandez because they felt Thomas could not be trusted. Not having experience in other positions hurts but when the coach and goaltender both had very little success in the playoffs it is very detrimental to a team and in this case will keep Boston from even reaching the finals. So despite the looks of things now don't count on a Bruins/Sharks finals, but Boston will make a lot of noise nevertheless in the playoffs.

Rutuu Bites, Wild Patient, Caps Finish

Tuesday night Jarkko Ruutu of the Ottawa Senators apparently bit Sabres' defensemen Andrew Peters in the thumb. It is awful that Ruutu did that and hopefully he is severely punished, but it is the hope of hockey fans everywhere that the casual fan will not once again only see hockey in this light (since ESPN eats stuff like this up) and think that's all that goes on in hockey. If all they did in NFL coverage was show guys getting poked in the eye or really bad facemask penalties and quarterbacks getting knocked out or guys getting paralyzed it would give football a bad name for sure but we all know that stuff does not happen frequently and the NHL should be given the same consideration. So please, if you have casual fans as friends and think this is how it is all the time please just get them to follow a number of games and they will quickly see it is not an every game occurrence.

Now to the better side of hockey and that would be two great match-ups Tuesday night between the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild, and the game of the night between Washington and Philadelphia. Boston was defeated 1-0 by Minnesota making it two in a row for Boston cooling off the then hottest team in the league. What is to be learned from that game is Minnesota is simply better at running the dreaded neutral zone trap than the Bruins head-to-head. Boston has been able to open up the ice to score more goals now but if other teams are paying attention Minnesota taught them a great lesson. If you slow the game down and play most of it at center ice Boston will get so frustrated because they are so hungry to score that they end up skating in circles and don't get anything going. Patience is the best way to beat Boston not trying to outscore them.

As for Washington and Philly, all that needs to be said about that at the moment is that if you're looking for the anti-Ruutu game, this was the one to watch. That game was everything that makes hockey such a great game to watch.

Patience Needed in NHL

The Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and San Jose Sharks are the only three teams in the NHL that have shown any amount of consistency all year. The Pittsburgh Penguins once upon a 6 game winning streak, and now it looks like they cannot play defense or hold a lead for the life of them. At times Toronto has looked very strong at times and at others look very much like the young team they are. The New York Rangers started hot out of the gate and since have settled down a bit but are still playing well. Anaheim started pretty sluggish but now they look great and Phoenix was awful at one point but have seemed to put it together to become a much better team since the beginning of the year. Ottawa was up and down for a while got hot for a moment and now they are looking to have a fire-sale. The list of teams and stories to accompany them goes on and on, the point being, save for the three teams mentioned in the first sentence above we don't know anything about anybody. There is Panic in Pittsburgh with how the team has stumbled, there are rumblings in Montreal with how poor their power play is and how well the Bruins are playing. Bottom line is for players, coaches, front office managers, analysts and fans alike what is needed most in the NHL is to have patience with a team and that's what there seems to be the least of. See where your team is come late January early February and then start to Panic.

The Mighty… Bruins?

Don't look now but the trap-playing great defense of the Boston Bruins is now accompanied by an offense that can score. The rest of the Eastern Conference needs to be on notice that the Bruins have both given up the least and scored the most goals in the league. Over the last few years the Bruins have felt a certain amount of pressure in the Boston area since they were the only team who had not won a major title and even more troubling was they were not even in contention. Head coach Claude Julien and company knew defense alone would not take them to the next level and were called upon to score more goals; boy have they ever answered that goal. With a win over division rival Montreal on Saturday the Bruins have moved into a tie for the conference lead with 32 points after only 21 games played—the Rangers also have 32 points but have played three more games than Boston. The Bruins have also been red-hot as of late winning 9 of their last 10 and are unbeaten in regulation. It is doubtful that Boston will be able to keep up this run and continue to post such big numbers, however the Bruins have proven that they are not going anywhere but up. The Northeast Division is now very much a fight between Boston and Montreal and no matter what happens no one will want to play this new-and-improved Bruins team come April.

Short Blurbs From Around The League

I want to talk about a number of things in short order so a few blurbs on league wide news:

- Do not let Tuesday's 7-2 loss fool you, these are not the same Columbus Blue Jackets from years past. People make pre-judgments about the team based on reputation only but they will make you bite your tongue when they beat your team.

- Yes, the Boston Bruins are that good. They may not dazzle you night in and night out but they play very good defense in front of Tim Thomas who is having an incredible start to the season. The Bruins will absolutely be a force throughout the season and I would NOT want to face-off against them in a best 4 of 7 series come playoff time.

- Brian Burke resigned as Anaheim Ducks GM ( shocker… ). Despite his denials he will most likely end up in Toronto and help their already ahead of schedule rebuilding process. Burke and Ron Wilson may knock heads but it will probably result in victories.

- The Chicago Blackhawks are once again relevant, THANK GOD. Not only is this great for the US since Chicago can be a great hockey town if they have a winner to support but it also serves the league well since the Winter Classic will more than likely be a competitive and intriguing game.

- The Minnesota Wild have played the fewest number of games of all teams in their division and yet they are in first place. Minnesota plays very slow-paced methodical defense that puts teams to sleep, reminds me a lot of the Devils of the mid to late 90s and early part of this decade. All New Jersey did was win 2 cups in a 4 year period and 3 in 8 years; that's good news for Wild fans.