Около две Интрига

Невероятно забавен първия кръг, който води в Източната конференция, обръща го наопаки и Запада видя серия господство от никой, но в резултат най-вече тебешир втория кръг. Слава за изпълненията простря от Финикс Койотс, Колорадо Аваланш и Лос Анджелис Кингс, който е извършил повече от чудесно в първия плейоф за външния вид на всеки отбор от много години. Лос Анджелис Кингс и Колорадо Аваланш показа, че ще бъде жизнеспособен отбор от доста време, като всяка млада група от играчи, само ще се поучим от този опит и да продължат да получават по-добре и по-добре. Седем от серия осем отиде най-малко шест игри, което означава втори кръг има ужасно много да живеят до.

Сега този кръг е в книгите, ние с нетърпение очакваме да кръглата два мача фирми:

Източната конференция

4. Питсбърг срещу 8. Монреал

Канейдиънс върши това, което повечето мисъл беше невъзможно, след като серия, стигнал до Вашингтон с 3:1 предимство. Смяташе се, че капачките са уязвими за разстроен, но не и в пътя, че Монреал в крайна сметка изтеглен разстроен ... с отбрана. Вашингтон не може да вкара и конвенционалната мъдрост ви казва, че ако Монреал може да затвори Вашингтон тогава със сигурност те ще бъдат в състояние да направи същото нещо в Питсбърг ... право? Не е вероятно. Първо на Канейдиънс разчита твърде силно на Ярослав нагорнището Халак, за да е почти перфектен. Нагорнището Халак може да има още няколко игри в него, но той не може да играе тази нощ на пътя и през нощта от останалата част от пътя. Освен това, пингвините са много повече физическа екип от Вашингтон, и в резултат може да ви носят много по-ефективно, отколкото на капачките може. Налице е също така винаги присъства нематериални пингвините имат и това е техният опит. Вашингтон не е сигурен дали те биха могли да спечелят, когато нещата тръгнаха на зле, но Питсбърг не това съмнение в тях, защото те знаят (след като се върнала от 2-0 пъти през миналия сезон и 5-0 загуба в играта 5 Ред Уингс в на финала), те имат способността да победи всеки по всяко време, без значение какви са обстоятелствата. Докато Монреал ще се окаже труден противник за Питсбърг това е малко вероятно, че Кросби и компания ще бъдат изместени от упорити отбора Habs,. Питсбърг ще продължат напред.

6. Бостън срещу 7. Филаделфия

Това може да е от най-забавните съвпадат в този кръг на хартия. И двата отбора играят много физическа игра, така че много от големите хитове ще се търгуват. Отделно от това обаче Флайърс имат предимство. Докато и двата отбора разчитаха на средно точкуване, за да преминете към 2-ри кръг Флайърс имат много по-добре основната опция за точкуване. Това е малко вероятно, че Картър, Briere, а останалата част ще се проведе в проверете този път. Бостън показа неспособност да вкара (нищо подобно на екипа, мислех, че те ще бъдат, когато взех да спечели предсезонната подготовка изток) по време на сезона и, че вероятно няма да се промени. Поради тази причина аз съм като Philly.

Западна конференция:

1. Сан Хосе срещу 5. Детройт

Поздравления на Сан Хосе за най-накрая борбата с тези първите кръгли демони, и преминаване към 2-ри кръг за първи път в това, което изглежда сякаш завинаги. Лъки за Сан Хосе те са успели да напреднат без много точкуване от големия си три (Марло, Heatley и Thorton). Те определено ще се наложи това да се промени, ако те искат някаква надежда, побеждавайки на Ред Уингс. Отново можем да говорим за Х и О цяла нощ дълго, но когато тя се свежда до това, аз просто не можете да вземете срещу Детройт. Всяка година тя изглежда като те са узрели за бране от едно нагоре и идва от западната конференция екип и Детройт винаги доказва всеки грешен. Затова аз съм бране на Детройт да откъсвам Сан Хосе.

2. Чикаго срещу 3. Ванкувър

И двата отбора избягал това, което изглеждат подобни ще бъде първия кръг разстройства от трети завръщания период. За наше щастие те направиха, защото битката в същия кръг между двата отбора миналата година е трябва да видите телевизия и тази година вероятно ще бъде още по-добре. И двата отбора са големи, отпред с Kane и компания за Чикаго и Sedin близнаци и екипажа за Ванкувър. Ще има офанзива в изобилие шансовете за двата отбора, така че това, което търсите в един мач така? Цел, насочени разбира се. За да бъда откровен, Чикаго netminding е било ужасно, така че те вече са в неизгодно положение в тази категория, а сега се добавят във факта, че те ще се бори на Роберто Luongo на другия край и това е дори още повече проблеми за Хоукс. Въпреки това, миналата година те са били в състояние да стигнем до Luongo и те със сигурност може да го направим отново тази година. Всички Хоукс нужда от вратарят им е да играят адекватно и те ще се справят с останалото. Вдигнах Чикаго, за да спечели всичко в началото на годината и аз няма да отстъпя сега ... Чикаго печели.

NHL Playoff Preview / Прогнози

Изток Преглед:

1. Вашингтон срещу 8. Монреал

Ярослав нагорнището Халак е ключът към тази серия. Всички нагорнището Халак трябва да направите, е да продължат Вашингтон в залива, ако той може да успее да направи това Канейдиънс ще получите много на точкуване шансове срещу швейцарско сирене отбрана на Вашингтон. Две неща, които знам със сигурност: Монреал не могат да спрат Вашингтон от точкуване и Вашингтон не може да спре от Монреал от точкуване. Номер едно ключа, както споменах е нагорнището Халак, но също така е жизнено важно за Монреал, за да играе изключително добре дисциплинирани хокей на всяка минута на всеки мач. Ще бъдат направени технически грешки, това е просто естеството на играта, но лоши решения (лоши карти, Преследване на мързелив шайби и т.н.) и като лоши санкции ще бъде до края на плейофите живот в Монреал. Вашингтон има достатъчно талант, за да преодолее грешките, които тя ще направи и липсата на адекватна защита и петна goaltending, но Монреал не. Много хора смятат, че Вашингтон е узрял за качване и който може да бъде вярно, но ако Монреал не запази съотношението грешката си, в сравнение с Вашингтон много ниска столицата ще ги остави без дъх. Дори когато Монреал се каже направите лоша наказание, те трябва да разчитат на плейофите опит на момчетата за тяхното списък, за да вземе някой с тях на полето, на всеки малки битови въпроси. Ако Монреал може да направи тези неща, те ще спечелят, но това каза, аз съм като столиците в пет.

2. Ню Джърси срещу 7. Филаделфия

Филаделфия ще спечели тази серия. Тя има малко общо с възможностите на флаери и повече общо с неадекватността на Ню Джърси. Дяволи "разчитат твърде много на вкара първото използване на неутралната зона капана и Марти Brodeur да задушат другия отбор. Ню Джърси не винаги ще отбележи първи и да има водеща роля за защита, нито имат капацитета да се върне от 2 или повече гола, трябва да Philly се, че далеч напред. Това не е 1995 вече и новата НХЛ не е благоприятна за система на Ню Джърси получаване на голяма сума на успеха след сезона. Те също са положили пословичен стена в предната част на най-голямата на точкуване заплаха в Иля Ковалчук. Всяка игра най-вероятно ще бъде близо, защото как дяволи "играят, но това е Philly серия печалба.

3. Бъфало срещу 6. Бостон

Райън Милър е най-доброто вратарят в света днес и Бостън Бруинс не може да НЕ МОЖЕ вкара. Достатъчно заяви, Сейбърс серията.

4. Питсбърг срещу 5. Отава

Кросби е горещ на края, но това включва и двата мача срещу Ню Йорк Айлъндърс, които имат наистина малка защита и че резултатите в един тон на голови шансове и много голове. Пингвините са имали трудно спиране екип от нараняване, докато не също като голямата точкуване себе си мъжество (, предоставено Gonchar и Малкин са били боли, така че трябва да сигурни себе си). Казано е, че на Пингвините просто е необходимо да стигнем до плейофите и сега, че е дошло времето те ще бъдат по-мотивирани, за да получите съвместната им акт, се гради върху опита от последните няколко години, и продължи да се върна до най- на последно място в конференцията финалите. Въпреки това, аз мисля, че може да има нещо да каже за това на Отава Сенатърс. Сенаторите са били един от най-добрите отбори в конференцията през последния месец на сезона и играят невероятно добре като едно цяло. Загубата на Алекс Ковальов ще бъде пречка за Отава, но те все още имат на Даниел Alredsson, Джейсън Spezza, и Майк Фишър, така че те няма да копнеж за точкуване подаръци на леда. Техните defensemen са доста голям, така че ще съвпадне сравнително добре с линии на пингвините "от горе на долу. Точкуване шансовете ще изисква много повече работа за пингвините срещу Отава, отколкото е било срещу островитяните. Може би най-големият недостатък за Отава е липсата на опит на плейофите на Брайън Елиът. Докато опитът въпроси на всички позиции е най-важно за goaltenders, освен ако не сте Кен Драйдън или Патрик Рой. Независимо от това, как пингвините са били игра (несъвместими) те са узрели за разстроен и мисля, че ще направи точно това от Отава Сенатърс.

Уест Preview:

1. Сан Хосе срещу 8. Колорадо

Технически анализ на това как мисля, че този мач ще отидат вероятно е загуба на време. Сан Хосе е тук отново и отново и Колорадо е един отбор, който е преизпълнена през целия сезон. Мисля, че във времето Колорадо ще бъде много добре, но това просто не е в картите за тях тази година. Сан Хосе има повече опит, са като цяло по-добрият отбор, а не просто ще се загубят в Колорадо. Сан Хосе се възползва от тази серия.

2. Чикаго срещу 7. Нешвил

Като Нешвил в плейофите винаги е хубаво, защото каквото и помага хокей расте в нетрадиционни пазари е нещо добро за играта и Лигата. Нешвил е бил тук преди, но не е успял да премине през първия кръг (няма нищо срамно в това, тъй като са играли Детройт във всеки вид на плейофите в кратката си история). Какво дава Нешвил най-добрия шанс за успех в тази серия е, че те не разчитат на всяко лице да предостави всички тяхно престъпление. Стив Съливан, Patric Hornqvist, Мартин Erat, Джейсън Arnott, Джей Пи Дюмон, и Шей Уебър, са имали 40 + точка сезона, което е много положителен знак, тъй като Чикаго, не може просто да се фокусира върху един човек с надеждата за запазване на Preds в залива. Проблемът за Нешвил е, че от сезона те дадоха най-много цели, тъй като те вкара което не говори добре, когато играят играчи като Патрик Кейн, Джонатан Toews, Патрик Шарп и сътрудничество. в най-добрите четири на седем серии. Макар че аз корен за успех на хокей в Нашвил за доброто на играта, мисля, че Чикаго ще бъде твърде много за Preds и ще се движат миналото Нешвил по пътя си към финалите за Купата както предсказаха в откриването на сезона.

3. Ванкувър срещу 6. Лос Анджелис Кингс

Това е страхотно да се види на гърба на Лос Анджелис Кингс в плейофите. Са обяснявали, тъй като offseason, че този отбор е за реална и те със сигурност не разочарова през целия сезон и тук те са в пост-сезон. Anze Копитар е феноменален през цялата година и Джонатан Бързо е твърдо в нетната тел жица. Казах преди година започна, че не само ще Kings правят плейофите, но те също така ще спечелят първата си кръгла серия и аз няма да отстъпя от това. За съжаление на царете (и за мен), че трябва да се изправи срещу може би най-добрата линия в хокей цялата година, т.е. Sedin близнаци с Алекс Бъроус и понякога Райън Kesler. О, и че Роберто Luongo човек не е чак толкова лоша. Много хора смятат, че това е годината, за Ванкувър, за да се преодолее това, което бях срещал в миналото и най-накрая излезе на Запада. Срещу главата ми, аз ще отида в бране това и кажете, че царете ще вземат серията, но по-добре да разчитат предимно на чаша печеливша опит Роб Scuderi от преди една година, защото те ще се нуждаят.

4. Финикс срещу 5. Детройт

Poor Финикс. Собственост въпроси, произтичащи обратно към offseason, не знае къде ще играе тази година, преди началото на сезона и дори там, където те ще бъдат през следващата година не е завършен. Въпреки всичко, че играчите се обединили и не само за себе си в плейофите, но у дома лед в първия кръг, голямо право? Грешен. Всички, че усилената работа им се получава наградата на игра на Детройт Ред Уингс в първия кръг, какво награда за голям сезон, нали? Бихме могли да съборят мач и прозорци, докато кравите се върне у дома, но би било глупаво за мен да вземем срещу Детройт. Надявам се,, Финикс дава Детройт голяма борба и дори успява да ги победи, но това е малко вероятно и това е защо давам тази серия на Ред Уингс.

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

Flames умират; Пингвините в беда нови претенденти за Детройт.

Кой би помислил, че в крайния срок за търговия, че придобиването от страна на Калгари Флеймс на бивши играчи Maple Leaf Йън Уайт, Джамал Майерс, Мат Stajan, Никлас Хагман, и Веса Toskala, би довело до в Flames липсващи плейофите? Какво ще кажете за всички с изключение на някой вътре в организацията на Калгари Флеймс, които са имали способността за вземане на решения; честно какво са си мислили? Торонто играе слабо през целия сезон все още някак си като много от играчите от отбора, че слабо ще повиши нивото на Калгари на игра? Захващане на тези момчета е трябвало да бъдат използвани в пламъците, скоринг неволи, вместо да го е направил нищо. Има слухове, които се въртят, че пламъците организация е за огромна промяна в offseason на почти всяко ниво, може би с право. Много от решенията, взети по пътя допринесе за елиминиране на Калгари от плейофите твърдение, но последните ходове имаше много се каже, в тяхната безполезност участък план. Целта за пламъците, които влизат в този сезон е най-сетне да преминем първия кръг ... Странно е как нещата се променят.

С 6-3 тяхната загуба в ръцете на Вашингтон Кепитълс във вторник защитата на Купа Стенли Шампионската падна до комбиниран 0-10 срещу Ню Джърси и Вашингтон през този сезон. Въпреки този запис пингвините са успели да се поставят в позиция да има лед в първия кръг на плейофите и все още имат шанс да спечели отдела на Атлантическия океан. Но този факт настрана това, което върши 0-10 рекорд срещу две от най-добрите отбори на Изток означава за Пингуинс в плейофите? Самите числа не означава един куп, тъй като Редовен сезон главата до главата записи не се пренасят и в плейофите, но това е защо те са загубили толкова много пъти за тези отбори, които е по-голямата история. Вашингтон просто направи пингвините, това, което сте направили за всички през цялата година и това е резултат резултат и резултат още малко. Няма нищо сложно за игра на столици "и много експерти са съгласни, липсата им на защита ще бъде по-скоро вредно, когато дойде време да се опита да играе и да победи отбор в най-добре и седем серии. По-тревожна за пингвините е техните изпълнения срещу Ню Джърси. Дяволи използва неутрална зона капан не само победата на Пингвините, но те доминираха Питсбърг във всеки от шестте мача, те играят. Пингвините успяха само 5 гола в шест състезания, никой от които са близки, включително две shutouts. Изглежда има нещо в капана за неутрална зона, че наистина дава пингвините главоболия тази година изглежда повече от всякога. Този стил им се отразява толкова много, че Тампа Бей Лайтнинг използва същата система срещу пингвините наскоро до съвършенство победи Питсбърг 2-0. Ако дяволи и сега светкавицата са създали син печат за това как да доминират пингвините, тогава е много вероятно, че други добри отбори в плейофите могат също така да използвате една и съща система и всъщност да доведе до пингвините се елиминира като още на първия тур. Първи изключени от капана на три различни поводи срещу два различни отбора не е случайност и затова, че 0-6 рекорд срещу Ню Джърси е страшно за Питсбърг.

И накрая, всичко е свършило, но виковете на Запад! Всеки плейофите място е постави в клинч и сега ние просто чакаме да видим какво ще бъде мача. В конкурса тази година включва няколко различни лица от миналия сезон, като Лос Анджелис Кингс, Колорадо Аваланш, Нешвил Предейтърс и Финикс Койотс всички квалифицирани за игра след сезон, след като са гледали от дома само преди един сезон. Ще бъде страхотно да се види някаква нова кръв в редиците на запад, но не можем да забравим честите флаери в Детройт Ред Уингс да присъства в плейофите за ^19-та поредна година. Може ли някой от новите отбори замени Ред Уингс на върха на Западната конференция Mountain? Търси в следващия път, когато визуализирате на запад и давам причините, поради Детройт ще (или не), на финала за пореден път.

¹⁴ април е почти тук!

Олимпиадата свърши, но голяма Хокей Продължава

Преди седмица Днес светът видя една от най-добрите игри на хокей в доста време и със сигурност най-добрата игра на олимпийския турнир. Въпреки огромна упоритост, изразена от американците, че е хокей цар Канада, водена от Сидни Кросби, който напусна игрите във Ванкувър с златен медал. Целта на извънреден труд на Кросби отбеляза края на една фантастична две седмици на хокей, които произвеждат изобилие от непредсказуеми моменти. Въпреки, че канадците, който се изкачи до върха на планината, в крайна сметка истинските победители бяха хокей на феновете по целия свят. Така че аз се този път да поздравя канадците на победата си, за да поздравят на игра на хокей, и да се сбогува с това, което е страхотно две седмици на хокей.

С Олимпийските игри вече зад гърба ни преход от един набор от голямо хокей към друг, както НХЛ план участък навлиза в разгара си. Както стои и днес петна от 6 до 11 в Източната Конференция, са разделени от общо четири точки, докато битката за ^7-та и 8 петна ^ти на Запад е дори по-строг раса. През следващите няколко седмици ние ще намерим, който е направил точните движения на крайния срок за търговия и които би трябвало да направи повече. Ще видим, ако парвеню Phoenix CAN Колорадо (обратно към славните дни, описани по-горе?) Може да запази нивото си на игра достатъчно за поддържане на позицията на плейофите, тъй като това е нова концепция за двете от тези екипи, и монтирани днес. Може да се управлява от Детройт Ред Уингс да се втвърди място на плейофите, или те ще бъдат оставени за първи път, тъй като динозаври са бродили по земята? Ли Питсбърг Пингуинс Добавете достатъчно нови лица, за да гамата си сигурен всякакви недостатъци, те могат да са имали, за да ги пуснат в отбора да победи на Изток? Вашингтон Кепитълс най-накрая се обърна достатъчно, за да се катапултира в категорията на сериозни претенденти чаша, техните защитни неволи? Защо не Бостън, който е топ семена в Изтока миналата година не направи повече за справяне с неспособността си да вкара? През цялото време, кой ще вкара повече голове преди сезон края Алекс Овечкин и Сидни Кросби? Всеки един от тези въпроси ще бъде отговорено през следващия месец и това означава, че фенове на хокей ще да се развали от сега до края на финалите за купа Стенли през юни. Така че, да ускори темпото puckheads, защото това ще е страхотно!

Вашингтон и Ванкувър дразнят

Докато всички извън лед ходове ("големи сделки") са направени, има няколко отбора, които правят някои големи избутва на леда. Най-доброто от тези скорошни избутва са на Вашингтон Кепитълс, които в момента са натриване в 10 мача и броене, докато Ванкувър Канъкс спечели седем в ред. И двете ивици са доста впечатляващи, разбира се, но аз съм на мнение, че нито жилка е наистина всичко, което голяма сделка. Първо Вашингтон Кепитълс са този път и преди. Не толкова печеливша 10 права, но те са пригодени единствено големите цифри, като отбеляза един тон голове и steamrolling на чрез тяхната дивизия, а също така изхвърлянето на някои доста добри-дивизионни противници, както и. Проблемът за Вашингтон остава същото днес, както беше преди две години и това е липсата на защитна присъствие. Изглежда, че почти всеки на отбора си да вкарвам голове, но когато става въпрос за най-доброто от седем серии, не може просто да outscore другия отбор 7-5 всеки мач в крайна сметка ще трябва да спре добрите отбори от нараняване. Тя е основно обратен Ню Джърси проблем за Вашингтон, т.е., тъй като блокировка Ню Джърси да запазите някой от гол в редовния сезон и се натрупват точките, но дойде време на плейофите те не могат да се вкара достатъчно и да загубят, като има предвид, че Вашингтон може да outscore всеки в на редовния сезон, но дойде време плейофите те не може да спре никого и да се елиминира. Столиците са изградени и се очаква да победи в плейофите, друг ранно напускане кръг няма да го нарежете с фронт-офиса, или на феновете, но докато те започват да играят на отбраната, това е точно какво ще се случи.

Ванкувър Канъкс са в малко на положение, различно от Вашингтон. Проблемът за Ванкувър е, че в миналото те са разчитали толкова много на Luongo, който изпълнява чудесно през целия сезон, че веднъж на плейофите търкалят около той е склонен да се съборят и те просто не разполагат с престъплението, за да го спасят начина, по който той често ги bails,. Така че за момента на победната серия на Ванкувър е нищо повече от една закачка за историята показва, те ще разчитат на Luongo твърде много, за пореден път и ще бъдат премахнати по-късно от втория кръг. X-фактор за Ванкувър обаче (нещо, което Вашингтон няма) е появата на Алекс Бъроус на същата линия с близнаците на Sedin. Всички знаехме, Sedin близнаци може да вкара на който знаеше Алекс Бъроуз ще се развият в такава точкова себе си заплаха? Ако Алекс Бъроуз играе по този начин в пост-сезон и Райън Kesler, играта му само малко Ванкувър Канъкс, които виждате на разстояние седем поредни сега може да бъде един и същ отбор, който издига Купа "Стенли" през юни.

За Овечкин Betters Кросби, Game достъпът е ограничен

Двете най-големи звезди на НХЛ се на леда един срещу друг за първи път, тъй като класическата си Източната Конференция полуфинал на миналата година. Говоря, разбира се на Сидни Кросби и на пингвините срещу Алекс Овечкин и Вашингтон Кепитълс. Това е не само matchup на двата най-големи звезди на лигата, но също и на две от най-добрите отбори в хокея. Играта беше много забавен конкурс, който в крайна сметка се видя, Вашингтон затвори Питсбърг в третия период, за да вземе играта 6-3, но самата игра не е сюжета. За съжаление, по-големият проблем е фактът, че играта не е телевизията на контакт, който може да види хората по цял народ. Разбира се, че се излъчва в мрежата на НХЛ, но се ограничава броят на хората, които имат канал не само в чист номера, но също така ограничава до хора, които вече обичат играта. Тази игра трябва да бъде на една станция, която ще достигне възможният най-голям брой хора и докато в делничен ден игра не би било по NBC и аз приемам това, тя все още може да са били на Versus. Признавам, NHL не е нужно най-добрият договор телевизия, но те дори не използват максимално потенциала на сделката, те имат. Хокей е един фантастичен спорт, но хора като мен трябва не да бъдат убедени от това, тя е на случаен фен, който настроен в плейоф серия от миналата година, които трябва да видите един витрина на най-добрите играчи в играта отново тази година да ги изготвят по-близо до играта, обаче , шансовете са, те не виждат играта, защото причинните фенове вероятно не разполагат с NHL мрежа. In stark contrast to this on the same night the NBA was show casing two of its biggest stars in LeBron James and Kobe Bryant on TNT which many more people have access to. This is simply an example of the NBA doing a much better job of marketing than the NHL. In my opinion at the very least the NHL has a product that is as good as that which the NBA fields every night it's just a matter of better marketing on the part of the NBA. If the NHL wants to keep the game growing and simply take its great product to the masses (who will undoubtedly love what they see) then they have to pay attention to the details; otherwise the league will continue to take one step forward and two steps backwards when it comes to growing its popularity in the US.

In on ice news the Edmonton Oilers are not having the best year. There are many reasons why Edmonton has been struggling but there is also no doubt that no one has lost more heartbreakers than the Oilers. Edmonton's matchup against the Dallas Stars on Friday night is the perfect example of such a heartbreaking loss. With just over a minute to go down a goal the Oilers pulled their goaltender in favor of a sixth attacker and with 1:02 left on the clock tied the game at three. The players were elated, the fans were psyched and it looked like Edmonton was going to at least steal a point from their Western Conference foes. However, not even a minute later heartache struck Edmonton once again as James Neal banged home a rebound with just 23 seconds later to put Dallas ahead for good. Say what you want about the way Edmonton lost and how they've been losing games like this all season, but for one night it seemed like everyone in Edmonton would have reason to celebrate a valiant comeback rather than a last second defeat and yet…it was not meant to be. Feeling bad for professional athletes under any circumstance is hard but in this instance I feel bad for the Oiler organization and their fans, can they buy a victory?

Lastly I would be remiss if I did not mention the incredible amount of the success the upstart New York Islanders are having. Last season this was one of the worst teams in the league on the ice and dealing with a ton of turmoil off the ice in regards to its future on Long Island. Despite the continuing off ice issues the Islanders are putting together quite a season on the ice and are in prime position to make the playoffs. The credit could go to guys like John Tavares who was picked number one overall this past offseason or to hidden gems like Matt Moulson who has exceeded everyone's expectations. There is also the stellar play of netminder Dwayne Roloson who despite his age has performed very admirably all season long. No matter what the answer is the Islanders have put together a team that works hard every game, continues to get better as the season goes on, and use their work ethic combined with their skill to perhaps steal games they should not otherwise win. Stealing a win every now and then is bound to happen with any young and overmatched team. In the case of the Islanders however beating teams like New Jersey and Detroit in very short order in quite convincing fashion (having shut both teams out) is not by accident. You do not win games against top teams but shutting them out unless you're good, and believe it or not people the New York Islanders are a good team. I mentioned last year and early this season that I loved the way this team battles night in and night out and it's finally starting to pay off for them. It's possible that the Islanders will still fall short of the playoffs this year but if they keep playing the way they are the team will have nothing to be ashamed of and have something great to build on for next season. There have been a lot of feel good stories for teams who are seemingly overachieving thus far this season but none better than this New York Islander team. If you get a chance to watch them on any given night check them out, it's a lot of fun.

Enjoy your weekend of hockey everyone!

Хокей на тюрлюгювеч

Няколко случайни мисли за момента:

След като повечето отбори в НХЛ са играли в квартала от осем мача е важно да се отбележи, (като трябва да се каже, че всяка година това време), че няма топ отбор е толкова добър, колкото изглеждат и няма дъно отбори са толкова лоши, колкото изглеждат. So Pens and Rangers fans keep your lids on and Leafs fans it really will get better.

Лос Анджелис Кингс са истински. There has been some debate whether they're ready to be good now or are still a year off. Ами след много силен старт трябва да има никакво съмнение в съзнанието на някого, че те са готови да се конкурират сега. Така че, за тези от вас, на източния бряг, ако не гледате други игри за западния бряг на отбора през цялата година, се уверете, че да хване LA в един домакински мач, ако можете да си струва да гледате екип, просто започват да цъфтят.

Ранните признаци сочат към отдела на Атлантическия океан на изток и от отдела по Тихия океан на запад, като в най-конкурентната деление във всяка конференция. В резултат, те вероятно ще имат най-много отбори в плейофите идват април.

The Washington Capitals are in the bottom third of the conference in terms of goals allowed. Както е вълнуващо, както това престъпление е да гледаш, те могат да забравят за спечелване на нещо различно от разделянето, ако те не играят по-добре защитно (и това не е изцяло върху вратарят).

Отава Сенатърс се играе добре. Радвайте се, че докато тя трае на SENS феновете, защото те са измама.

Кредитът за койот играчи на Финикс, които не са позволени някоя от извън лед драма, от лятото ги засегне. Те играят много добре в момента и отборът ще да е устойчиво през цялата година те могат да останат фокусирани върху хокей. Playoffs? Съмнително, но те не са лесно W за всеки. Слава на играчите и поддържат добрата работа.

Колкото като много puckheads, би мразил да си го призная, Детройт Ред Уингс са фаворити за спечелване на Запада, докато те са официално елиминиран от плейофите твърдение или преобръщането на самите плейофите.

Насладете се на почивните дни на всеки хокей, всички отбори в играта събота, следва да бъде добър.

Новина: Има един хокеен отбор в Атланта

Чрез шест мача в Атланта Трашърс имат девет точки, който ги поставя на второ място в Югоизточна дивизия. Точно хора Атланта Трашърс са само на една точка зад Вашингтон Кепитълс за първото място в Югоизточната дивизия. Може и да не изглежда като много, защото тя е толкова рано през сезона, но през миналата година след шест мача Трашърс има само две победи и пет пункта, която бележи началото на сезона, че не отстъпихме много на успеха за Трашърс, докато те са били елиминиран от плейофите твърдение. Така че големият въпрос е да Атланта запази това ще целия сезон? Графикът на побойник не е заредена с големи имена, различни от Иля Kovalchu, който е до голяма стартиране но тя не се взема екип на суперзвезди, за да ви спечели просто се нуждаят от екип от играчи, които вярват един в друг и да работят добре заедно . За момента нещата изглеждат доста добре, те стават твърди goaltending, води лигата в проценти мощност игра и са в челната десятка в наказание умъртвяване. Всеки ще получи по-добро чувство от това къде Атланта стои в течение на следващите няколко игри, тъй като две от следващите си три състезания са против Алекс Овечкин, както и столиците. Не само Трашърс трябва да бъде най-малко конкурентна в тези игри, но те трябва да открадне две точки, дори ако те не спечелят или конкурс. Кепитълс са каймакът, в югоизточната дивизия и шансовете са само един отбор ще се излиза от това разделение и в плейофите. Ако Атланта иска да докаже на лигата, но по-важното за себе си и феновете си, че те са легитимни екип, те трябва да се появи и за двата мача срещу Вашингтон.

Източната конференция Outlook

Както час доближава, и puckheads продължи да отделя повече слюнка върху закачка, това е хокей на предсезонната подготовка, че е време да допълнят мезета, преди хокей фест започва.

Преглед на Източната конференция:

Ще започна, като предсказване, който мисля, че ще стигне до плейофите (без определен ред), тогава ние ще видим поне за кратко време, където 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, а Вашингтон Кепитълс.

Питсбърг Пингуинс може би трябва да са фаворити, влизащи в сезона, тъй като техният отбор е много по едни и същи и те са шампиони, докато някой друг печели титлата. Те губят Роб Scuderi но като цяло трябва да харесват своите шансове да защити титлата си конференция.

Ню Йорк Рейнджърс загубиха Скот Гомес, но са добавили Мариан Gaborik, които, ако той може да остане здрав, ще добави вкара власт на една доста солидна, но не грандиозно линия. Хубавото на Рейнджърс е, че дори и да не вкара един тон на цели на Хенрик Lundqvist ще продължи да ги в повечето игри, ще открадне няколко, и като цяло ще им даде шанс да спечели най-всеки конкурс, те участват инча като шанс да спечели всеки мач, не е всъщност да ги спечели обаче и това е, където Gaborik ще бъде важно за тях. Ако Gaborik остава здравословен резултати достатъчно цели, за да ги достатъчно точки, за да ги вземем в плейофите. В случай, че Gaborik не се боли, че ще напусне Ню Йорк отвън, гледайки в и ще отвори вратата за Каролина Хърикейнс да се промъкнат в място в плейофите. Каролина също е солиден отбор, но Кам Уорд не може да го направя сам и те няма да могат да разчитат на на Юси Jokkinen да играе през цялата година, както го прави в плейофите. Но ако всеки отбор трябва да падне на всички (т.е. Рейнджърс), който се отваря вратата за Бастуни. Така или иначе, нито един отбор ще бъде сериозен претендент Stanley Cup.

Ню Джърси Девълс са канализиране на тяхната вътрешна 1995 г. от запознаване на Жак Lemaire обратно към капитана на кораба. Нищо не се е променило дяволи ", тъй като 1995 г. и като резултат те могат да продължат като добре смазана машина с техния нов, стар треньор. Ню Джърси е много система отбор, така че с Мартин Brodeur играе зад тази система, която трябва да ги молив в плейофите и претенденти за шампионата. Някои играчи са се променили от първия кръг изход от миналия сезон Каролина, но няма значение, като методическото дяволи "ще се върне отново в плейофите.

Във всяка от последните две години Филаделфия Флайърс много добри екипи на леда, но тичам в товарен влак, се насочва към финалите в формата на Питсбърг Пингуинс. Флайърс има по-трудна от добавяне на ветерана Крис Pronger, но тяхната глупост е може би е в целта, и това е един въпрос, който все още има още да се работи. Филаделфия през езерото, за да привлече Рей Емъри в Северна Америка, така че присъдата все още е на, дали goaltending проблем е фиксиран (може да се твърди, че отношението на Емери, ще предизвика повече проблеми, отколкото ще реши). Линия Bottom, Флайърс талант, ще ги стигнем до плейофите и в този момент всичко, което те ще трябва е солидна (не грандиозно) нетен игра, за да се поставят в състояние да спечели Купа "Стенли".

Бъдещето на Бостън е светло, защото нивото на своя талант е много същите като миналата година. Фил Kessel се търгуваше за някои проекти на кирки, което говори колко уверен Бостън е с екипа си от горе до долу. Те все още имат Чара екипажа blueline и те могат да вкара в капка шапка. Имаше много въпроси за Тим Томас миналата година и той ще трябва да отговори на същите въпроси отново тази година. Ако Томас е в състояние да играе последователно и Бруинс ще се учим от техния опит през миналата година и трябва да се считат за фаворити за най-малко достигат на изток финалите.

Ключът за Бъфало Сейбърс е да сте здрави. Миналия сезон Бъфало е ясно екип плейофите, докато наранявания ги удари като истинска разрушителна бомба и плейофите надеждите им се срине. Така че, ако сте здрави звезди Сейбърс те ще бъдат в сила, ако не го направят след това Buffalo не е сила ... това е толкова просто.

The Washington Capitals can score like none other. In the offensive zone 5-on-5 and on the power play they are just about unstoppable. The Caps are greatly lacking defensively but certainly score enough to make up for that over the course of a long season. The biggest downfall of Washington last year was in net and that is their greatest unknown once again. Semyon Varlamov was certainly much better than anyone could have expected in the playoffs last season but is he the answer long term? There is no doubt that Varlamov has talent but he is still young and with being young come growing pains that every player experiences. If Varlamov grows quickly then there's reason to believe the Caps can win it all, but if he doesn't then it the fans in DC will be “rocking the red” to the second round of the playoffs and no further.

The Montreal Canadiens did three very good things in the offseason: let Kovalev go, picked up Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez, and got rid of Kovalev (did I mention that already). 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 and Gomez provide stability as leaders on the ice and can put points on the scoreboard. Both players spent time in New Jersey so each know how to play a role to perfection. As long as Carey Price can keep his confidence up and the fans give this team a chance they can be very dangerous.

As for the rest of the conference there is very little to talk about. The New York Islanders are clearly rebuilding so the best anyone can hope from them is that John Tavares and company just improve from game to game. In my estimation the Islanders have far more problems off the ice (on the business end) than they do on it. The isles know they are rebuilding and are taking steps toward becoming a good team in time. 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. Ottawa keeps changing coaches, do not gel as a team, have lost one of their best players in Dany Heatley, and decided that adding Kovalev was the best way to stabilize/improve their team (very dumb). Toronto cannot decide whether they want to try to win now or build for the future. Last year they had enough talent to stay at the top of the non playoff teams for most of the year and this year they are in about the same spot. Lastly are the Florida Panthers who do not have a whole lot of talent (after having lost bouwmeester ) do not get much fan support which makes for a very bad situation.

So that's the east in a nutshell (believe it or not). Tune in next time for the west preview as well as my Stanley Cup Finals pick and winner.

Seasons Greetings (Hockey Season That Is)

Well it has been a long time coming for but finally the NHL season is upon us and as such so is the return of the NHL section of sportsroids.com. I am just as excited as anyone for the season to rev up again so let's get right to it.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are back to defend their title and with the exception of the loss of Rob Scuderi the team is about the same now as they were on the day they won the cup. Despite that, repeating is going to be a daunting task because not only are they the defending champs but in order to repeat they will have to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for a third year in a row. At the same time they still have two of the best players in the world on their team so it will be interesting to see how the story develops in Pittsburgh.

As for the rest of the league there are a lot of intriguing stories to keep an eye on including some old faces in new places (for example Dany Heatley to San Jose, Marian Hossa to Chicago) as well as the return of a few from their disappearing acts (Ray Emery in Philadelphia, Theo Fleury in Calgary). There are also plenty of questions to be asked about both up and coming teams as well as those who have been on the cusp but have not quite made that next big step:
In the East, can Washington play just enough defense this year to get them into the Conference Finals and possibly make their first finals appearance in the Ovechkin Era? Will Philadelphia finally get the consistent play in net they have lacked the last two years that will likely get them over the hump? Does the Southeast Division continue to be a two horse race or can Tampa Bay finally put their talent together well enough to become serious playoff contenders? And what is actually going on in Montreal and Ottawa, have they finally got their respective acts together?
Out west, will Chicago seize this opportunity to dethrone the Detroit Red Wings in the Central Division? Is Dany Heatley the answer to San Jose finally translating their regular season triumphs into post-season glory? Are the LA Kings poised to translate their young talent into a playoff appearance? Is Calgary ready to kick their first round exit habit of the last few years? What is the deal with the Coyotes, are they moving or what?

Of course along with all of the aforementioned questions there are to two major events on the horizon this year in both the Winter Classic (January 1 at Fenway Park) and the Olympic hockey tournament in Vancouver this February. There is so much to talk about and look forward to this season. Over the next few days I will go through a preview of each conference, give you not only who will win each but what other stories to watch out for like what teams will overachieve and those that will disappoint.

So much to do and talk about, it's great to be talking puck again. We here at sportsroids.com are very excited to start year two of hockey blogging, it's great to have you with us!

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 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.

Norris Trophy Nominees are Zdeno Chara (BOS), Mike Green (WSH), and Nicklas Lindstrom (DET). Mike Green had a wonderful season for Washington but he was more of an extra forward when he was playing than a good defensemen. Green scored with regularity and played a major role in Washington taking the two spot in the Eastern Conference but his defense is lacking compared to the other two nominees. Nicklas Lindstrom is back once again trying to win the Norris for the 7 ^th time in his career and is nominated for the umpteenth time. Lindstrom has been a major part of Detroit's success over the years as the face of the team changes over the years Lindstrom remains a constant and it seems like his game never diminishes. I do not think Lindstrom is going to win this year but once again his presence on the ice and leadership on and off of it is second to none. Last but not least is who I think will win the award and that is Zdeno Chara. A major part of the turn-around for Boston from 8 ^th to 1 ^st was the play and leadership Zdeno Chara exhibited this season. He has always been a good player but he stepped up majorly this year not only scoring timely goals but also asserting himself physically to help dominate a number of teams over the course of the season. As a result of those things I think Zdeno Chara will be awarded the Norris Trophy.

Vezina Trophy Nominees are Niklas Backstrom (MIN), Steve Mason (CBJ), Tim Thomas (BOS). Niklas Backstrom has a wonderful season for the Wild but two things that hurt his chances are A. that he plays for a team that did not make the playoffs, and B. that he played in the Jacques Lemaire neutral zone trap that has a reputation for making a goalies life much “easier” on a goaltender whether that's fair or not. As a result a person who is probably deserving of winning this award will be left out in the cold. It's a similar story for Steve Mason in that he is definitely deserving of winning the award but since he will in all likelihood win the Calder Trophy the odds that he wins the Vezina trophy are not good. Of the three in the running Mason probably did the most for his team and as a result should probably win the award but it is doubtful that he will take the trophy home. That leaves Tim Thomas who may win the award just by process of elimination but despite that Thomas certainly deserves to win the award and his nomination was well earned. Thomas led the league in GAA at 2.10 as well as save percentage at .933 and was under a lot of pressure to perform in Boston because many felt he could not be a top goaltender. He proved everybody wrong with his consistency this season and should be awarded accordingly. While it may be true that Thomas will win as the last man standing of the three up for the award Thomas could win the award up against any other goaltender in the entire league which is why he'll be given the award at the show on June 18 ^th .

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.

Malkin's Masterpiece

Game two of the Eastern Conference Finals had a bit more intensity than the first and the contest was much closer than the 7-4 final indicates. The result of this game gives Pittsburgh a 2-0 series lead but the big story on Thursday night was the play of Evgeni Malkin. The Pittsburgh superstar took over the game in the third period scoring two goals in a row including a magnificent backhanded top-shelf goal right off of the face off deep in Carolina's zone that broke this otherwise tight game wide open. These are the things that separates superstars from the other great players; not only did Malkin break the game open, he stole momentum away from Carolina almost completely and scored his third goal unassisted and in an incredible manner. Nothing should be taken away from the rest of the team—including Marc-Andre Fleury who looked a little rattled early on but made some key saves at the end of the game—but this night belonged to Evgeni Malkin who helped make Cam Ward look human. Now the Penguins have a chance to smother Carolina by taking a 3-0 series lead as the teams shift to Raleigh for game three. Pittsburgh is not likely to take the series for granted at this point as the Canes have been resilient all season long and the Penguins won the previous round after going down 2-0 to Washington. On Saturday night the fans will be rocking the RBC Center and the Canes will not go away without a fight.

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.

Pens-Caps Game Seven Bound

What else should anybody have expected but to see Pittsburgh and Washington go to a seventh game. After an intense back and forth battle Monday night both teams will have to retool and focus their energies on playing what is all but certain to be another incredible match-up. The difference in the game will likely not be Washington having home ice advantage, or superstar play from Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Semin, etc, but it will come down to the goaltenders. Sure it seems obvious that the last line of defense will determine who wins and who loses but it is more than the obvious. Which of the two will make the big save at the right time and who will make the easy save when it's necessary? Which will push the play up the ice when the puck comes into his respective zone or make a simple play when a simple play is required rather than trying to be a hero with the puck? Smart play from the netminders, not just great saves, will be the difference in game seven. As the games have gone on Varlamov has been the one people are waiting to fall apart, and it was believed that finally happened in game four. But he has stood his ground and been able to battle back from the adversity he faced. The series is six games old and he has not caved yet and he won't—quite frankly neither will Fleury. Varlamov has played well but Fleury has another level to take his game to, it's a level we saw last year in game five of the finals and it's a level we'll see Wednesday night. Because of Fleury kicking it into another gear he will simply outduel Varlamov and the Penguins will head into round three.

PS This is my 100 ^th entry. Thanks very much to everyone who reads these and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. Here's to the next 100!

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. Питсбърг Пингуинс
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. Каролина Хърикейнс
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.

Западна конференция:

2. Detroit Red Wings VS 8. Анахайм Дъкс
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. Чикаго Блекхоукс
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.

Ovechkin Wins Round One; Luongo Can't Carry Weight Himself

Round 1 of Crosby versus Ovechkin goes to Ovie as the Washington Capitals outlasted the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 Saturday at Verizon Center. Based on the flow of the game this should be a pretty long series that goes back and forth. The difference in the game (aside from an incredible save by Simeon Varlamov) was Washington's stellar power play outdueling a “headscratchingly” bad power play for the Pittsburgh Penguins. If the Penguins want to win the series they have to get their power play to at least be mediocre. Right now they have an enormous amount of talent on their power play unit but they are wasting it by setting it up poorly. Set up two power play lines that splits up Malkin and Crosby and better utilizes Kunitz and Guerin so that there is a line with say Crosby and Guerin and another line with Kunitz and Malkin. Splitting up the time certainly can't hurt nor could making any change to it really because it hasn't worked. The Penguins are really only one power play goal per game away from being a completely unstoppable team offensively. The Capitals on the other hand just have to keep doing what they've been doing. Keep dominating on their power play while playing fairly strong at even strength. Their speed and skill cannot be stopped with the man advantage (let alone a two-man advantage) so as long as they have that going and Varlamov holds up they are going to win the series. Another luxury the Caps have right now is being able to be aggressive without fearing being penalized. It isn't that the refs aren't calling penalties on them it's just that the Penguins are not making Washington pay for their mistakes. Bottom line, if Pittsburgh's power play gets going they win the series, if it continues the tract it is on now Washington will win no matter what else happens.

Out West, the Chicago Blackhawks made another comeback against the Vancouver Canucks Saturday night erasing Vancouver's early two goal lead. Only this time the Hawks were able to make the comeback stick and went on to defeat the Canucks 6-3 tying their series at one heading to Chicago. Saturday's loss was the first for Vancouver in these playoffs and won't be their last as they are on a collision course with elimination. Sure they have been able to get off to a quick start the first two games—barely hanging on to win game one—but Vancouver relies way too much on Luongo to bail them out on a nightly basis. Relying on Luongo worked well enough in the first series against a more inferior opponent but it will not work against Chicago. Vancouver needs to get a whole lot more from their big guns if they want to survive. If Roberto Luongo has to be Vancouver's best player for them to win they will be eliminated before the end of this round.

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. Каролина Хърикейнс
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. Питсбърг Пингуинс
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 Washington Capitals sprung back to life Monday night entering Madison Square Garden down 0-2 but leaving with a 4-0 shutout and their first win of this post-season. Alexander Semin led the way with the first two goals of the game and the Caps never looked back. Alexander Ovechkin finally made his presence known by assisting on the first two goals by Semin and making an unbelievable back-checking play to prevent a possible breakaway goal for New York. The stars stepped up for Washington on Monday but they weren't the story; instead rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov stole the show stopping all 33 Ranger shots to post his first career shutout. Coming into this series many felt the glaring weakspot for Washington was between the pipes but if Varlamov can keep this up the Rangers fast start in this series may be negated by the weekend. The Caps may have lost the first two games at home, but after their performance in game three we may have the makings of a very long and entertaining series.

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:

Eastern Conference

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. Ню Йорк Рейнджърс
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. Филаделфия Флайърс
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.

Western Conference

1. San Jose Sharks VS 8. Анахайм Дъкс
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. Калгари Флеймс
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. Монреал Канейдиънс
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. Каролина Хърикейнс
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).

Top-Notch Theodore is Caps Only Prayer

Monday night the Washington Capitals were defeated 5-1 by the Atlanta Thrashers who, although are much improved from earlier in the season and won their sixth in a row, are way out of playoff contention. There is no doubt the Capitals have a lineup that can make a lot of noise in the playoffs with incredible talents Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Mike Green. They are fantastic in 5-on-5 play, absolutely dominating on the power play, and have ok penalty killing that is made to look much better because of how good the power play is. Donald Brashear gives them size and toughness which added to the rest of the equation would seem to put them in great position to make a run at the Stanley Cup… and then there's goaltending. Jose Theodore's numbers do not appear to be all that bad (GAA 2.81 and .902 save percentage) but he seems to give up goals in spurts and cannot manage to make the big saves consistently enough. He also has a tendency to give up some soft goals which the forces the offensive talent of the Caps to bail him out. Once their first playoff series starts the Capitals cannot afford to have Theodore go through stretches where he doesn't make big saves, gives up soft goals, and yields goals in spurts. When those things happen it spells disaster for any team and an early exit from the playoffs no matter who they play. The bottom line is this; if Theodore can clean up his game just a bit the Capitals are a legitimate threat to not just come out of the east but to win the Stanley Cup. IF Theodore does not then the guys in front of him will be forced to carry too heavy a load and the Capitals immense talent will be wasted because of bad goaltending.

The critics have ridden Theodore all year long because of his streaky play. If Theodore can step up when it counts then all will be forgiven, but if not then the Capitals and all of their talent will be eliminated early and Theodore will more than likely be the one who gets the brunt of the punishment.

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.

Mid-Season Reflection

Every team in the NHL has now played at least 41 games which means the halfway point has officially been surpassed so sort of mid-season review is in order to see where things have gone and where we are headed as the stretch run approaches. Boston, Detroit, and San Jose are clearly the three best teams in the league each achieving high marks each by adding their own flavor. The second tier of teams includes the likes of the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers who can all make a ton of noise in the playoffs and should not be forgotten about.

The halfway point's biggest disappointments have to be Edmonton, Pittsburgh, and Dallas in no particular order. Edmonton was picked to win the Northwest division by many and now sit tied for last place with 45 points. Their expected top players are underachieving not scoring very much and although defensively they aren't terrible, good is not a good adjective either. Last year's East champions are floundering in Pittsburgh currently sitting in the 8 ^th spot and are losing players like crazy seemingly on a nightly basis. The Penguins have suffered a number of injuries this season (and even before the season began) including superstar Sidney Crosby who is out with a knee injury (see http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/injuries?teamAbbrev=pit for a complete list of their injuries). This has resulted in a large number of AHL players having to skate for Pittsburgh but nevertheless they are not playing well and look far from last year's finals form. As for Dallas, well last season's conference finals appearance and subsequent thrashing by Detroit seems to be having a lasting effect. To follow the 4-2 series loss the Stars signed trouble free agent Sean Avery (who has been dismissed by the team), are getting unusually poor play from Marty Turco with subpar defense in front of him and oh by the way they are in 12 ^th in the West.

Enough doom and gloom there are some brighter points to perhaps balance these sob stories and they are the reemergence of the Chicago Blackhawks and the stellar play of the sleeper Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes may be in financial trouble by they are playing like a team bound for the playoffs and ready to ruin another team's cup chances. Meanwhile the Blackhawks have evolve into quite a formidable team who can certainly do more than spoil the cup dreams of other teams come mid April. There is so much more to talk about and so little time but sit back and buckle up ladies and gentlemen for the second half of the season is sure to entertain men, women, and children alike. Just sit back and enjoy the ride as we watch the world's greatest athletes charge toward sports' most coveted trophy.

Flyers Soaring in Philly

Everything this is clicking right now in Philadelphia as the Flyers have won 7 of 9 including a 7-1 waxing of the formerly white hot Washington Capitals Saturday afternoon. A great part of their success has been impeccable special teams play; over the last nine games the Flyers are 16 of 40 on the power play (an unbelievable 40%) and have killed 34 of their opponents' last 44 power play chance (an equally impressive 77.3%). They Flyers are also showing they can win tough one-goal-games battling to the last minute as well as being able to protect a leads by turning games into blow-outs. Goaltending has been a bit inconsistent so if you're looking for a chink in this team's armor that is where to look. Overall this is a complete team that looks like they can make a lot of noise come playoff time. Philadelphia has great size at all five positions on the ice which is important come playoff time to not only wear down the other team but to be able to stand tough against a team trying to return the favor. Clearly this team can score as they have nine players in double-digits in points and six with double-digit goal totals. Special teams numbers mean more now in the playoffs with the rule changes than ever before so in yet another category advantage Flyers. What can put Philly over the top is not only last year's playoff experience but this time they have Simon Gagne healthy and will in all likely hood have Kimmo Timonen for the duration of their playoff quest. Barring a disaster it may be about time the powers that be learn there are two “L”s at the end of Hartnell and that Timonen is spelled with only one “M” if you get my drift.

Sundin Back, Sharks Lose, Caps Roll and More

Lots of news, little time, let's go around the league in a flash.

- Mats Sundin has finally decided on a team, he's going to Vancouver. Great, now can we please stop talking about him?

- Detroit put a hurting on San Jose Thursday night 6-0. Be not afraid, the game means little because San Jose is still better than Detroit in the long run. I picked San Jose to win the Stanley Cup and I am not backing down now.

- My other finals pick (Montreal) ended Philly's five game winning streak on Thursday in convincing fashion. Despite a few hick-ups the Canadiens' season is going well so far. If Kovalev ever gets his scoring woes in order they will be in very good shape.

- The Pittsburgh Penguins scored 6 goals to defeat Atlanta by three on Thursday after a long lay-off. Any win for the Penguins right now is a good win but their defensive troubles continue to be a thorn in their side.
- Yes Boston has 22 wins and 48 points good enough for first in the east; however come playoff time it will be hard for their overachieving players to keep playing at this high of a level. Kudos to their play so far though.

- The Washington Capitals are on fire, winning their fifth in a row Thursday night and looking tremendous in every facet of the game: special teams, offense, defense, and goaltending. Washington is rolling… remember them come playoff time.

Hurricanes Spoil Captials' Visit

The Washington Capitals had a chance to really separate themselves from the bulk of the Southeast Division Sunday as the Carolina Hurricanes welcomed Alex Ovechkin and company to town. Going into the game the Hurricanes had not exactly been world beaters riding a three game losing streak and were losers of 6 of their last 7 earning only three points with a coaching change thrown in their to boot. The Capitals were better en route to Raleigh winning 4 of 6 before Sunday but had only won four of the last nine. Despite their struggles the Capitals had a chance to take an 8 point lead on second place Carolina and although it is early they would have established themselves as the solid Southeast Division frontrunners. Then the puck dropped and save for Ovechkin the Capitals more-or-less did not show up. The Canes outclassed the Caps and if it was the first time watching both teams one might think the Canes were the division leaders. Michael Leighton was outstanding in goal stopping 38 or 39 shots including 10 of 11 from Ovechkin alone who was also turned away on a penalty shot. Despite having only 25 shots themselves the Canes were more efficient putting three pucks behind Jose Theodore two from leading scorer Ray Whitney and one from a struggling Eric Staal. Carolina showed they are not going anywhere and are not conceding the division to Washington but if they want to win Eric Staal has to score more. It is great that Ray Whitney is scoring goals, if Staal does not get going the Canes will find themselves watching the playoffs from home yet again.

Surprising Stretch for Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers have been mediocre at best and unbearable at worst so far this season. Their power play ranks 22 ^nd in the league accompanied by a better but still very average penalty kill coming in at 16 ^th in the league. Although they are giving up a respectable 2.75 goals per game which is 13 ^th overall they are tied for 25 ^th in goals scored. Tomas Vokoun and Craig Anderson have put up very good numbers both posting save percentages north of 90% but have been given very little support in front of them. With these numbers, opening the month of December against top teams like the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres was surely not going to bode well for the struggling Panthers. To borrow a line from Lee Corso, not so fast my friend. The Panthers defeated all three teams outscoring them 10-4 including a shutout of the then east leading Rangers at MSG; a team they had lost to only two days prior at home. While this only improved the Panthers record to 11-11-3 on the season they are at least showing some signs of life and finally scoring goals to accompany stellar goaltending. I would hardly expect Florida to keep up this sort of streak because they do not exactly have the talent to sustain it over the course of the season. However, if the Panthers can manage to keep up the scoring both Anderson and Vokoun have shown they are consistently good between the pipes which means they could be viable contenders in a very weak Southeast Division.

Do Not Sleep On Ovechkin and Capitals

Alexander Ovechkin tallied 5 points (a goal and 4 assists) Wednesday night as the Washington Capitals defeated the Anaheim Ducks 6-4. Many people in the league have talked about: how well the Bruins are playing in front of Tim Thomas, the Penguins are off to their best start since 1995, San Jose rolling, Marian Hossa gelling with another great Detroit Red Wings team, Minnesota's fantastic defense, and of course year 100 pour Les Canadiens de Montreal—but do not sleep on the Washington Capitals. The defending Southeast Division champions are once again leading a fairly mediocre pack of teams with a quarter of the season gone. Most will focus on Ovechkin but the Capitals have a more complete team surrounding their superstar this year. Alexander Semin is racking up the points thus far and although the defense is nothing to write home about they absolutely do an adequate job in front of the goaltending duel of Brent Johnson and Jose Theodore who have preformed more than admirably through the first 18 games of the season. Washington will be a very scary team come playoff time because they can score enough to beat anyone on any given night, have a great home ice advantage where they have yet to lose a game in regulation, and now have a team with a full tank of playoff experience. Although I think the Caps need more of a physical presence to be a championship contender (sorry but Donald Brashear cannot do it all himself) they can certainly make a lot of noise nonetheless come April.