Drugi krug Intrigue

Nevjerojatno zabavne prvom krugu koji je rezultirao u Istočnoj konferenciji okreće naopako i na zapadu vidio seriju dominacije nitko, ali što je rezultiralo uglavnom kredom drugi krug. Čast da nastupe dići za Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche i LA Kings koji su izveli više od divljenja u svakom timu prvi nastup u doigravanju mnogo godina. LA Kings i Colorado Avalanche pokazali da će biti izvediv tim već neko vrijeme kao i svaki mladi skupina igrača samo da će naučiti iz ovog iskustva i nastaviti kako bi dobili bolje i bolje. Sedam od osam serija otišao barem šest utakmica, što znači oko dva ima strašno puno živjeti do.

Sada taj krug jedan je u knjigama veselimo se okrugli dvije meč-up:

Istočne konferencije

4. Pittsburgh vs 8. Montreal

Canadiensi učinio ono što najviše mislili da je nemoguće jednom nizu dobio 3-1 Washington prednost. Bilo je mislio da Kapice su bili osjetljivi za uzrujati, ali ne na način da se u konačnici Montrealu izdvajali off svađa ... s obranu. Washington nije mogao postići i konvencionalna mudrost govori da ako Montrealu može isključiti Washingtonu tada sigurno će oni biti u mogućnosti učiniti istu stvar za Pittsburgh ... zar ne? Nije vjerojatno. Prije svega Canadiensi oslonio previše oslanja na Jaroslava Halak se samo o savršen. Halak svibanj imati malo više igara u njemu kao da je, ali on ne može igrati na taj način noći u noć, a ostatak puta. Nadalje, Pingvini su puno više fizički momčad od Washingtona i kao rezultat može nositi dolje mnogo učinkovitije nego kape mogao. Tu je i uvijek prisutna nematerijalne Pingvin su i da je njihovo iskustvo. Washington je nesiguran da li su mogli pobijediti kada stvari je dobio loše, ali Pittsburghu nema sumnje da je u njima, jer oni znaju (nakon povratka 2-0 puta prošle sezone, a 5-0 gubitak u igri 5 na Red Wings u finala) oni imaju mogućnost da tuku bilo tko u bilo koje vrijeme bez obzira na okolnosti. Iako Montreal će dokazati da se teška protivnika za Pittsburgh je vjerojatno da Crosby i tvrtka će biti svrgnut s vlasti žilav Habs momčad. Pittsburgh će se kretati dalje.

6. Boston vs 7. Philadelphia

Ovaj svibanj biti najviše zabava utakmicu, u ovom krugu na papiru. Obje momčadi igraju vrlo fizički igra tako mnogo velikih hitova će biti trguje. Osim toga ipak Flyers imaju prednost. Iako su obje ekipe se oslonio na sekundarne bodovanja unaprijed na okrugli 2 Flyers su puno bolje primarne bodovanje opcije. To je malo vjerojatno da Carter, Briere, a ostatak će se održati u provjeriti ovaj put okolo. Boston je pokazao nesposobnost da postignu gol (ništa kao tim sam mislio da će biti kad sam ih pokupila osvojiti istoku predsezona) tijekom sezone, te da vjerojatno neće promijeniti. Iz tog razloga sam uzimajući Philly.

Zapadna konferencija:

1. San Jose vs 5. Detroit

Čestitke za San Jose za konačno borbe te prvi krug demona i napredovanje u 2. kolu po prvi put u ono što se čini kao vječno. Lucky za San Jose uspjeli su unaprijed, bez puno bodovanja od svojih velikih tri (Marleau, Heatley i Thorton). Oni će svakako trebati da se promijeniti ako žele ikakve nade besting Red Wings. Još jednom možemo govoriti o x i o je cijelu noć dugo, ali kada je u pitanju dolje do njega nikako ne mogu odabrati protiv Detroita. Svake godine izgleda kao da su zrela za branje je gore i dolazak tima Zapadne konferencije i Detroit uvijek dokazuje sve krivo. Stoga sam branje Detroit pokupiti od San Jose.

2. Chicago vs 3. Vancouver

Obje momčadi pobjegao kako izgledaju će biti prvom krugu uznemirila je treće razdoblje Comebacks. Lucky za nas su to učinili jer je prošle godine bitka u istom krugu između dvije momčadi bila je mora vidjeti TV-om i ove godine će vjerojatno biti još bolji. Obje momčadi su velike up front s Kane i tvrtka za Chicago i Mahmić blizanaca i posade za Vancouver. Tu će biti uvredljiv šanse u izobilju za obje momčadi, tako što ćete pogledati u match-up kao što je to? Cilj naginjanje naravno. Da budem iskren, Chicago netminding je strašno, tako da su već u nepovoljnom položaju u toj kategoriji, a sada dodati u činjenici da će se borili Roberto Luongo na drugi kraj i to je još više problema za Hawks. Međutim, prošle godine bili su u mogućnosti doći do Luongo i oni sigurno mogu učiniti da i ove godine. Sve Hawks treba iz svojih golman je igrati adekvatno i oni će nositi ostatak. Ubrao sam Chicagu osvojiti cijelu stvar na početak godine i neću odustati sada ... Chicago pobjeđuje.

NHL doigravanja Pregled / Predviđanja

Istok Pregled:

1. Washington vs 8. Montreal

Jaroslav Halak je ključ za ovu seriju. Sve Halak mora učiniti je držati Washingtonu na zaljev, ako on može upravljati za to Canadiensi će dobiti puno bodovanja šanse protiv Washingtona švicarski sir obrane. Dvije stvari mi znamo za sigurno: Montreal se ne može zaustaviti Washington iz bodovanja, a Washington se ne može zaustaviti Montrealu od bodovanje. Broj jedan ključnih kao što sam spomenuo je Halak, ali i da je od vitalne važnosti za Montreal igrati vrlo dobro discipliniran hokej svake minute svake igre. Tehnički pogreške će se da je samo priroda igra, ali donošenja loših odluka (loše prolazi, lijeni pak težnja, i sl.) i uzimanje loše kazne će biti kraj Montrealu doigravanju života. Washington ima dovoljno talenta da prevladaju pogreške to će učiniti i nedostatak adekvatne obrane i točkicama goaltending ali Montrealu ne. Mnogi ljudi misle Washington je zrelo za branje i da svibanj biti istina, ali ako Montrealu ne drže pogrešku omjer u odnosu na Washington vrlo niske Kapital će ih otpuhati. Čak i kada ne reći Montrealu se loše kaznu moraju osloniti na playoff iskustvo dečki na popis imena da se netko s njima u okviru, svaki malo stvari. Ako Montrealu može učiniti one stvari oni će pobijediti, ali rekao je da sam uzimajući Kapital u pet.

2. New Jersey vs 7. Philadelphia

Philadelphia će pobijediti ove serije. Ona ima malo veze s Flyers sposobnosti i više veze s New Jersey-a nedostatke. Demoni oslanjaju previše oslanjaju na bodovanje prvi onda pomoću neutralne zone zamku i Marty Brodeur obuzdati druge momčadi. New Jersey neće uvijek postići prvi i dovesti do zaštitu, niti oni imaju sposobnost da se vratim od toga da bude dolje 2 ili više golova Philly bi trebao dobiti da je daleko ispred. To nije više 1995 i novi NHL nije pogodno za New Jersey sustava donose veliku količinu post-sezona uspjeh. Oni također imaju staviti poslovičan zid ispred njihovih najvećih bodovanja prijetnju Ilya Kovalchuk. Svaka igra će najvjerojatnije biti u blizini, jer kako demoni igrati, ali to je Philly je serija za pobjedu.

3. Buffalo vs 6. Boston

Ryan Miller je najbolji golman na svijetu danas i Boston Bruins ne može ne može zabiti. Dosta je rekao, Sabres uzeti serije.

4. Pittsburgh vs 5. Ottawa

Crosby je bio hot u kasno, ali koji uključuje dvije utakmice protiv New York Islanders koji imaju jako mali obranu i da se rezultati u tonu bodovanja šanse i više golova. The Penguins imaju tvrdo vrijeme zaustavljanja momčadi iz bodovanja, a isto tako ne s najvećim bodovanje junaštvo sebe (odobren Gonchar i Malkin su bili povrijeđeni, tako da bi bili sigurni sam gore). On je rekao da je Pingvin jednostavno je potrebno doći do doigravanja, a sada kada je došlo vrijeme da će biti više motivirani da biste dobili njihov djelovati zajedno, graditi na iskustvu u posljednjih nekoliko godina, i ići na da biste dobili natrag na barem konferenciji finale. Međutim, mislim da je Ottawa Senators svibanj imati nešto za reći o tome. Senatori su jedna od najboljih momčadi na konferenciji u posljednjih mjesec dana u sezoni i igraju nevjerojatno dobro kao cjelina. Gubitak Alex Kovalev će biti prepreka za Ottawi, ali oni još uvijek imaju Daniel Alredsson, Jason Spezza i Mike Fisher, tako da neće biti čežnja za bodovanje predstavlja na ledu. Njihova defensemen su svi prilično velika, tako da će utakmica se relativno dobro s Pingvin "linije od vrha do dna. Bodovanje šanse će zahtijevati puno više posla za Pingvin protiv Ottawe nego što je u odnosu na otočani. Možda najveći nedostatak za Ottawi je Brian Elliot je nedostatak playoff iskustva. Dok je iskustvo pitanjima na svim pozicijama je najvažnije za goaltenders osim ako ste Ken Dryden ili Patrick Roy. Ipak, s kako Pingvin su igranje (nedosljedno) su zreli za uzrujan i mislim da Ottawa Senators će učiniti upravo to.

West Pregled:

1. San Jose vs 8. Kolorado

Budući da tehničke analize kako mislim da ovu utakmicu-up će se možda gubljenje vremena. San Jose je ovdje vrijeme i vrijeme opet i Colorado je ekipa koja ima overachieved sve sezone dugo. Mislim da je u vrijeme Coloradu će biti vrlo dobri, ali to jednostavno nije u karticama za njih ove godine. San Jose ima više iskustva, su ukupni bolja momčad, te će se jednostavno ne izgubiti u Colorado. San Jose se ovoj seriji.

2. Chicago vs 7. Nashville

Nakon što je Nashville u doigravanju je uvijek lijepo, jer ono što pomaže hokej rastu u ne-tradicionalnim tržištima je dobra stvar za igru ​​i ligi. Nashville je bio ovdje prije, ali nije uspio dobiti prošlosti prvog kruga (nema srama u tome jer sam se igrao Detroitu u svakom playoff nastup u kratkoj povijesti). Što daje Nashville najbolje šanse za uspjeh u ovoj seriji je da se ne oslanjaju na bilo jedna osoba za pružanje svih svojih djela. Steve Sullivan, Patric Hornqvist, Martin Erat, Jason Arnott, JP Dumont i Shea Weber imali 40 + točka sezona koja je vrlo pozitivan znak jer Chicagu jednostavno ne mogu usredotočiti na jedan tip u nadi da će zadržati Preds na zaljev. Problem za Nashville je da je ove sezone su odustali što više golova postigli su što ne slutiti dobro kada igrate voli Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, i co. u četiri najbolje-od-sedam serije. Dok sam korijen za hokej uspjeh u Nashvilleu za dobro igre mislim Chicagu će biti previše za Preds i da će potez prošlosti Nashville na putu do kupa kao što sam predvidio na otvaranju sezone.

3. Vancouver vs 6. LA Kings

To je sjajno vidjeti LA Kings natrag u doigravanja. Ja sam bio rekao jer offseason da ovaj tim je za pravi i da sigurno nije razočarao sve sezone, a ovdje su u post-sezoni. Anze Kopitar je bio fenomenalan tijekom cijele godine, a Jonathan Quick je solidan u neto žice do žice. Rekao sam prije početka godine koji ne samo da bi Kraljevi napraviti doigravanja, ali oni će također osvojiti svoj prvi krug serije i neću odustati od toga. Nažalost, za kraljeva (i za mene) da moraju ići na nedvojbeno najbolji redak u hokej tijekom cijele godine, tj. Mahmić blizanaca s Alex Burrows, a ponekad i Ryan Kesler. Oh i da je Roberto Luongo momak nije loša ni. Puno ljudi koji misle da je to godina za Vancouver da prevlada ono što ste suočeni u prošlosti i konačno izaći na Zapadu. Ja ću ići protiv moje glave u branju ovaj i reći da su kraljevi će se u seriji, ali bolje se uvelike oslanjaju na Rob Scuderi pehar osvojio iskustvo iz prošle godine jer će vam trebati.

4. Phoenix vs 5. Detroit

Loše Phoenix. Vlasništvo pitanja proizlaze natrag na offseason, ne znajući kamo idu igrati ove godine prije početka sezone počela, pa čak i gdje će se iduće godine nije finaliziran. Unatoč sve to igrači povezan zajedno, a ne samo sebe dobio u doigravanje, ali doma leda u prvom krugu, veliki desno! Pogrešno. Sve da je teško raditi donosi im nagradu igrati Detroit Red Wings u prvom krugu, što je nagrada za sjajnu sezonu eh? Mogli bismo razbiti utakmicu-up sve dok se krava doći kući, ali to bi bilo glupo za mene da pokupiti protiv Detroit. Nadam se da Phoenix daje Detroitu veliku borbu, pa čak i uspijeva ih pobijediti, ali to je vjerojatno i zato dajem ovaj serije Red Wings.

Uživajte u početku od najljepših doba godine!

Devils + Bruins = Strašno

Moguće je da nakon što seedings sve postavili Bostonu i New Jersey bi utakmica protiv jedan drugoga u prvom krugu, Bog nam pomaže da sve ako im je činiti. To će biti jedan od najmanje zabavni doigravanju serija svih vremena. To navodi na pitanje što će biti više uzbudljivo, promatrajući Bruins i Demoni trg off ili promatranje boja suha? To je teška odluka, istina. Nijedna momčad može upravljati postići vrlo često ili čak stvoriti puno snimaka na gol. U utorak navečer u dvije ekipe "uzbudljiv" 1-0 prekovremeni pobjeda za Boston je trebalo gotovo puna 65 minuta za New Jersey skupiti 21 udaraca na gol, dok Boston postavio više respektabilna 34 snimaka-sve-u-sve to u su za strašno hokej. Da nije bilo za Patrice Bergeron bodovanje igra-pobjednik u tijekom vremena jedan mogao imati je napravio argument da samo dvije zvijezde dati goaltenders i treća ljubiteljima za stvarno pridržavaju oko gledati stvar. Ja sam sve o igranju obrane jer se sigurno ne može pobijediti bez njega i ne zahtijevaju da svaka igra završiti 5-4, ali barem neki stalni pritisak uvredljiv bi bilo lijepo. Dakle, bez obzira tko vam navijati za moliti za hokej bogovima da Demoni Bruins i izbjegavati jedni druge u prvom krugu i na ostatak doigravanja potpuno za taj tvar. Sanity hokej obožavatelji svugdje ovisi o tome.

Winter Classic Mega uspjeh

U 2010 Zimske Classic po svemu sudeći je bio veliki uspjeh vrijeme i slažem se u potpunosti. Čarolija dana nije potamnio od ništa, vrijeme je bilo super, led održava se iznimno dobro, navijači su ispaljene prema gore, a sama igra je spektakularna. Tri živjeli za svakoga tko pomaže da ova igra se dogoditi, jer to je svakako poslastica za sve i čestitke za Boston Bruins i Philadelphia Flyers za stavljanje na veliki show ostavljajući nas sve koji žele više.

U međuvremenu je druga velika vijest da se preko blagdana bila je najava različitih olimpijskih ekipa rosters postavljen da se led sljedećeg mjeseca. Trenutno lako favorite osvojiti zlatnu medalju su Kanada i Rusija s Kanađani eventualno drži malu prednost nad Rusijom jer Turnir će se održati na sjevernoameričkom manje veličine led zajedno s činjenicom da su igre će se održati u Kanadi što odmah daje im poticaj. S druge strane, moglo bi se reći da se igre se održava u Kanadi daje malu prednost za Ruse, jer Kanađani tradicionalno tona pritisak na njih osvojiti zlatnu medalju, ali sada ipak da je pritisak je intenzivirana jer tim Kanada će se igrati na domaćem ledu. Iako je sajam iznos od pritiska na Ruse, kao i da će bez sumnje biti puno manje na njih nego na Kanađani koji će im omogućiti jednostavno opustiti i igrati hokej, bez brige o bilo drugih distractions. Unatoč tih čimbenika to je još uvijek virtualni bacanje novčića između dvije momčadi u pokušaju da odaberete omiljenu ali stvarno ne možete pogriješiti niti ide za zlato i svi drugi vjerojatno borili za brončanu.

Na ostatak NHL prednji postoji veliki broj timova streaking iu pravo i pogrešnom smjeru. San Jose Sharks su trenutno najtoplijeg momčad u ligi kao dimljena Edmonton 4-1 u subotu kako bi poboljšali svoju pobjedu pruge do osam. Unatoč niz navijača u San Joseu su oprezno optimistični kao što su bili dolje ove ceste prije. U svakoj od posljednje tri godine Sharks objavili su preko stotinu bodova, osvojio predsjednika trofej prošle godine i faltered dolaze playoff vrijeme. Ovogodišnji momčadi je daleko najbolji su ikad imali, ali pitanje je mogu li konačno nositi više ovaj uspjeh u post-sezoni.

Druga momčad uživa nedavni uspjeh je Philadelphia Flyers. Unatoč gubi u Boston u Winter Classic u petak, Flyers su osvojili četiri od pet i zaradio barem bod u pet ravno. Tu je dug put to ići za letaka koji su se iskopali dosta rupa, ali čini se da su uspjeli okrenuti stvari oko i učiniti legitimnim pritiskom prema doigravanju gotovo preko noći.

Calgary Flames su također usred četiri utakmice pobjednički niz nakon što dopire iza poraziti Toronto 3-1 u subotu. Ovo je momčad u situaciju sličnu San Jose u tome što su imali pristojan iznos od regularne sezone uspjeha koji nisu bili u mogućnosti prevesti na post-sezoni. Snažan goaltending je uvijek bio tu za Calgary, ali ono što ih odvaja od prošle godine momčad je puno jači blueline s dodatkom Jay Bouwmeester u offseason koji je uz 13 do danas. To je njegova prisutnost koja je pomogla Dion Phaneuf svoju igru ​​malo i traje neki pritisak off Kiprusoff koji je razlog zašto ove godine vjerojatno Calgary najbolju priliku su imali u godinama koje unaprijed duboko u doigravanja.

Pittsburgh Penguins su crtice kao dobro, ali u pogrešnom smjeru. Sa svojim 3-1 poraz na rukama Tampa Bay Lightning je u subotu popodne Pingvin su izgubili četiri u nizu, zabio samo jedan gol u dvije utakmice, te raznio 3-0 dovesti do Buffalo Sabres je ranije ovog tjedna. U duge sezone ima mnogo uspona i padova, ali alarmantna stvar za Pittsburgh je način na koji ste bili izgubili. Tu je dug put to ići i Pingvin su previše talenta za takav niz nastaviti, ali oni 'je dobio kako bi pronašli način da se rezultat više dosljedno i zaštititi vodi, kada su ih dobili.

Najgore od gubitka crte pripada Atlanta Thrashers koji su izgubili 8 utakmica u nizu nakon što je veliki početak sezone. Tu je stvarno ne čudi da je jednostavno Atlanta Atlanta se dok su mi pokazati na drugi način.

Pa to je trčanje oko ligi malo. Nadam se da svatko uživa Zimski Classic i imati velik vrijeme zvoni u Novu godinu! Imati veliki 2010 svima!

Winter Classic uništene Philly?

Treći godišnji Winter Classic je samo nekoliko dana daleko! Postoji puno hype o mističnost Fenway Park sa svojim pričama baseball povijesti i spojke koje uz povratak hokeja svojim korijenima, igrajući na otvorenom igre. Pozornica će biti čarobna, navijači uzbuđeni u stadionu i van, mediji bijes na, a igrači su psyched kao što su dan približava. Međutim, unatoč sve to postoji velika mogućnost da se sama igra će se flop veliki put. Iako su Philadelphia Flyers napravio neki napredak nedavno su još uvijek nisu vrlo dobra momčad, a Boston je prilično dobro staviti zajedno i uzimajući malo bolje kako sezona ide dalje. Philadelphia ima probleme koji idu tako daleko dublje nego samo taktika i strategija, to je glasine da su neki od dečki ne slažemo off led i ja imaju tendenciju da se kupi u to, jer sigurno je da se očituje u njihovim siromasima na ledu igra. Nema sumnje da su dosta timova tijekom godina igrali dobro, pa čak i osvojio prvenstvo preko sport sa skupinom dečki koji su općenito ne slažu, ali čini se da pokrenuti dublje od toga za letaka. Tu je i pitanje Flyers brigu više o osvajanju borbi od pobjede igara noć i noć koja također treba biti upućena do svakog pojedinog igrača. Možda su pokušali popraviti neke od svojih off led pitanja i na ledu fokus plamena John Stevens i zapošljavanje Petar Laviolette, ali malo je vjerojatno da promjene trenera će pomoći da. Dosad treniranju promjene je napravio malu razliku, unatoč nekim nedavnim uspjeha, mislim da je to istina, jer su problemi za Flyers doći do igrača poštivanja jedni druge u hokej uvjetima. Nema sumnje Flyers imaju tonu talent za njihovu ekipu, ali svaki igrač ima kako bi se učiniti ono što rade najbolje svaku noć, a stepping stranu u nekim aspektima i neka ostali igrači koji mogu nešto učiniti malo bolje da preuzmu vodstvo u tom područje. Ali ako igrači ne poštuju jedni druge onda svi oni će pokušati učiniti sve što je na vlastitu sa kompletnom nesmotrenost i rezultate u gubljenja tima. Malo je vjerojatno da će to biti vidljivo u Winter Classic, jer toliko dodatnih elemenata koji okružuju igre [ili tako nadamo zbog događaja], ali dok gledate igru ​​zadržati neke od tih stvari na umu i vidjeti ako je Leci su napravili bilo napredak u ispravljanja situacije ili ako su pokazati zašto su trenutno daleko izvan playoff pozicije na Istoku.

Don't Fall for the Tricks of the Devils

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

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

Overachieving and Underperforming Teams

A proverbial “attaboy” to the New York Islanders. There is a fair amount of turmoil plaguing the team off the ice concerning their future and they do not have the best team assembled and people do not expect very much from them. Despite all of that the Islanders are in the midst of a four game winning streak that they and their fans should be very excited about. Not only have they won four-in-a-row but they are beating good teams in the process including a 5-0 thumping of the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. John Tavares is of course expected to be great and so far he has progressed well but he also has help from the likes of Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo accompanied by solid goaltending from both Dwayne Roloson and Marty Biron (who despite a subpar record is putting up some good numbers). A playoff spot is unlikely to be in the Isles immediate future but as I wrote before (see: ) this team is going in the right direction in terms of its on ice play and has a very bright future.

Another “attaboy” to the Colorado Avalanche who are in first place in the Western Conference, which is a shock to everyone in the hockey world. The Avs are a team made up of mostly young guys who seem to be playing every game with house money because they don't seem to know that they aren't supposed to be any good. Perhaps the top story within the team is the performance of early season MVP candidate (yes I said it) Craig Anderson. Anderson has played all 15 of Colorado's games and is posting staggering numbers including a .936 save percentage and 2.11 goals against average. It's unlikely that the Avs can keep this going all season, but for now the fans in Colorado should enjoy being on top they've been a great hockey city since day one and certainly deserve it.

A major “tisk-tisk” to Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins who is not playing at all like the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. Over the years people have worried about Thomas' style because it is kind of a free-for-all that resulted in him spending a lot of time in the minor leagues. Was last year and aberration? Perhaps, but if he does not get it together the Bruins will likely go looking for a replacement because expectations for this year are very high in Boston. Surely the Bruins' early struggles do not fall solely on Thomas but he will be an easy scapegoat if the team fails to turn the corner.

Another major “tisk-tisk” to the Carolina Hurricanes. Last year they reached the Conference Finals, and this year with essentially the same team (if not a better one) as last year they have 7 points through 13 games… Enough said.

Thomas Made of Swiss Cheese?

As Tim Thomas goes so go the Boston Bruins and at the moment that direction is south… in the standings that is. Thomas has started five of the Bruins games so far posting a 2-3 record with a sub .900 save percentage including a game in which he gave up six goals on only 30 shots against the Anaheim Ducks. There is no doubt that Boston misses Phil Kessel (who has yet to play a game yet for Toronto) but if they don't get decent goaltending it won't matter how many goals they score. Thomas has had his doubters over the years but has silenced them a bit in recent history; however now all of those same questions will come up again if things continue they way they have been going. There is plenty of time to go of course but there might not be a whole lot of patience in Boston for the Bruins have very high expectations. In the meantime if things don't turn around for Boston you may see a return of the famous neutral zone trap that just to take some pressure off of Thomas until he can get himself back on track. Personally I do not think Thomas is going to get his act together because he's always been very erratic so when it works it's great but when it doesn't he has no real base to return to in order to simply his game until he regains his confidence. We'll see what happens of course but I haven't been a fan of Thomas in the past and still am not. Nevertheless, despite Thomas' shortcomings the Bruins are good enough to recover and still be a very good team without him playing well (or without him at all) so people in Boston need not panic.

In other news:

Alex Ovechkin is having an incredible start to his year and is well on pace to be the first to score 70 goals in a long time. No matter what you think about Ovechkin and the Caps he's one of the best players in the world and certainly there is no one more exciting to watch in any sport. Will he break Gretzky's record of 92 in a season? Of course not; but he is still the best goal scorer in the NHL in quite some time.

Hey Toronto, how about winning a game eh? They haven't even been competitive in most of their games managing one point in an overtime loss to a Montreal team that is in the midst of a five game losing streak. Toskala is definitely a big problem but scoring only seven goals in the last five games is not a good way to win games either; Phil Kessel will help but no one player can save this team.

Western Conference Outlook

Sutra putovanje za Stanley Cup počinje ali za sada smo pregled s druge strane, novac prije pak kapi, sve analize završava, i igre počnu.

Ok banalan uvesti osim ovdje je moj pregled zapad (puno kao što sam učinio za istočno), a nakon finala pokupiti i koji mislim da će dizalicom kupa sljedećeg proljeća.

Osam momčadi plasirati u ne posebno naručiti, su kako slijedi: Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings i San Jose Sharks.

Detroit Red Wings su najbolji od najboljih i opet usprkos izgubio Hudler i Hossa oni će jednostavno koristiti stroj farmi sustava da ste stvorili za ponovno učitavanje bez preskakanja pobijediti. Jedino izvrsne pitanje u Detroitu je regularnom dijelu sezone igraju Chris Osgood koji su stavili do subpar brojeva prošle godine od listopada do ožujka. Prikazuju u doigravanju je uvijek bio Osgood je MO, ali ako je kao nedosljedno i ove godine bio je prošle sezone uspon drugih momčadi u Detroitu podjele mogao naći moćni Red Wings u borbi za playoff mjesto.

Stvari su u potrazi gore na ledu u Chicagu dok je Patrick Kane može ostati izvan nevolja izvan leda. Kane zajedno s Patrickom Sharp i Jonathan Toews (između ostalog) dok je povratak veterana Johna Maddena i Marian Hossa je dodao da je već za zvijezde popis imena. Slično kao i njihove kolege na sjeveru Chicaga jedini pravi nepoznati je neto kao Nikolaj Khabibulin je sada član Edmonton Oilers. Najviše iskusni i možda će najvjerojatnije osobi osigurati stabilnost za Hawks između cijevi je Cristobal Huet, koji je pokazao neke znakove veličine. Bez obzira tko u konačnici dobiva i drži početkom posao kao golman ide tako ide u Chicagu. Ako njihov netminder je consistenly dobro onda Chicagu može pobijediti sve, a ako ne onda neće, ali ni način na koji su doigravanja u svoju budućnost.

Kolumbo je dobio svoj prvi okus post-sezona hokeja prošle sezone vožnje uglavnom leđa iznenađenje rookie Steve Mason netminder. Iako Mason neće uživati ​​istu količinu pojedinačnih uspjeha kao i prošle godine mi je tvrdnje da je tim će boljem ukupnom poretku. Rick Nash je na kratki popis zvijezda na Blue Jackets, ali ono što Columbus je u odnosu na druge momčadi kohezije. Ova grupa je prošla kroz mnogo gubitka zajedno i prošle godine su imali okus pobjede. Prošlogodišnji uspjeh osjećala dobro da ih i gorčina nije pobijedio igri u post sezona bez sumnje ostavio gorak okus u ustima i samo će ih okupiti raditi jedni za druge da postanu bolje momčadi.

Vancouver jahali Roberto Luongo sve do post-sezona prošle godine i pomesti St. Louis Blues iz doigravanja na stick Alex Burrows. Doigravanja su izlazi iz stranke sorti za Alex Burrows (prema nekim) i Canucks fanovi su se nade da je upravo to. Zaključavanje se Mahmić blizance je bio ogroman za bilo nade da je ozbiljan kandidat za Vancouver, ali u posljednjih nekoliko sezona su pokazala da oni ne mogu osloniti na Mahmić je za sve svoje djelo. Nakon što je tri pune linije je nešto što su imali za nekoliko godina uzrok njihove posezoni uspjeh biti ograničena. Dodavanje iskustvo Mathieu Schneider će uvelike poboljšati svoje blueline ali to će biti do voli Ryan Kessler i spomenuti Alex Burrows za podbočiti ovaj tim na novu razinu. Okrugli jedan je dano, ali oko dva i dalje je do Vancouvera.

Za Calgary Flames je kratko i slatko. Oni mogu učiniti da se oko jednog od doigravanja (kao što će to učiniti i ove godine), ali je pitanje opet za Flames je da će oni imati dovoljno discipline da se njihove frustracije iz prvog kruga izlazi i to prevesti na više igrati hokej zvuk. To je više o vještini za Calgary, oni 'je dobio da, to je iznos koji mentalne snage da se bolje kao momčad.

Los Angeles Kings će vjerojatno biti najzanimljivija i uzbudljiva priča o Zapadne konferencije ove sezone. Najviše sve puckheads se slažu da ovaj tim je u porastu, ali mislim da ne samo da su u porastu, ali da će osvojiti svoj prvi krug playoff serije. Naravno to me stavlja u vezati što se tiče drugih predsezona predviđanja ide, ali želim reći ovo nadmašuje sve ostale predviđanja sam napraviti s izuzetkom scenarija u kojem igraju tim mislim da ide do finala iz zapadne . Općenito sam jednostavno da je uvjeren u ono što kraljeva organizacije kao cjeline radi. Oni su se svoje liže tijekom godina, ali su proveli puno vremena učeći od onih lumps i stavili neke prilično talentiranih igrača u ključnim područjima. Oni imaju puno dobrih, mladih igrača u Dustin Brown, Aleksandar Frolov (tarifni broj u premijera njegove karijere), Jack Johnson, jarred Stoll (također ide u ovom premijera) i Jonathan Quick koji je iznimno pouzdan u cilju prošle godine, a vjerojatno da će samo biti bolje. Uz ovaj mladi talent su dodali iskusnih veterana u Ryan Smyth i Rob Scuderi koji je upravo ispasti prvenstvo Stanley Cup s Pittsburgh Penguins. Kraljevi imaju pravo ljudi na pravim mjestima u pravo vrijeme i zabranu povrede ovaj tim je spreman da budu uspješni sada.

Na kraju su predsjednika trofej osvojio San Jose Sharks koji su učinili malo promijeniti svoju momčad u smislu količine poteza, ali kvaliteta poteza je zvijezda. Dany Heatley je pokupila-na štetu Jonathan Cheechoo i bit će prekrasan dodatak na ovu momčad. Regularna sezona uspjeh nije problem za Sharks (vrijedi i za mnoge zapadne momčadi čini se), ali Heatley stavlja ih preko grba u ozbiljne tvrdnje da pobijedi na zapadu. Heatley ne samo da može postići puno golova, ali on je uživao sajam iznos od uspjeha prije tako da njegovo iskustvo uz čip na njegovo rame pokazati onima u Ottawi da on još uvijek može igrati će se kretati San Jose uz još jedan korak u pravom smjeru.

Jedini drugi tim koji bi mogao napraviti bilo kakve buke bi oni čine doigravanja su Anaheim Ducks. Njihovo iskustvo je ono što ih postavlja iznad ostatka, ali, nažalost, možda njihova najveća vrijednost je njihov najveći pad. Patke su stari tim koji su izgubili još jedan korak u svakom položaju i mogu se samo nadati da ostane zatvoriti dok trgovina roka u kojem su možda mogu napraviti potez za mlađe grupu igrača s svježiji nogama za dugih vožnji doigravanju. Edmonton nije daleko iza, ali oni ni pada kratke zvijezde moći i fizičke igrati potrebne za uspjeh na zapadu. Goaltending je Edmonton je najjači aspekt, ali to je istina prošle godine, kao i da oni neće dobiti njihov bilo. Niti jedna druga momčad ima molitvu i dobivanje doigravanja samo neka što buku nakon što se tamo.

Uz sve to, rekao sam da je Chicago Blackhawks bit će momčad za to napraviti iz zapada kao i oni će naći ono što im je potrebno u mrežu i da će otići korak dalje nego prošle godine. Chicago će se na Boston Bruins koji će nadživjeti umorna skupina Pittsburgh Penguins da se na istoku. To postavlja strašan izvornih šest utakmica-up koji će se marketinški san za NHL. Nakon što je nevjerojatno leđa i četvrti bitku Stanley kupa opet će proći sedam igara u kojem trenutku Chicago Blackhawks napokon će omogućiti Marian Hossa za koplje Stanley Cup kao 2009-2010 Stanley Cup prvaka! Uživajte premijera svima!

Istočne konferencije Outlook

As the hour draws closer and the puckheads continue to salivate over the tease that is the hockey preseason it is time to supplement the appetizers before the hockey fest begins.

Eastern Conference Preview:

I'll start by predicting who I think will make it to the playoffs (in no particular order) then we'll look at least briefly at where each team stands. So here are the top eight teams in no particular order:
Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers (Carolina Hurricanes?), New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and the Washington Capitals.

The Pittsburgh Penguins should probably be the favorites going into the season because their team is a lot the same and they are the champs until someone else wins the title. They did lose Rob Scuderi but overall you have to like their chances to defend their conference title.

The New York Rangers lost Scott Gomez but have added Marian Gaborik who—if he can stay healthy—will add scoring power to a pretty solid but not spectacular line-up. The nice thing about the Rangers is that even if they do not score a ton of goals Henrik Lundqvist will keep them in most games, will steal a few, and will overall give them a chance to win most every contest they are involved in. Having a chance to win every game is not actually winning them however and that's where Gaborik is going to be important for them. If Gaborik stays healthy he scores enough goals to get them enough points to get them into the playoffs. In the event that Gaborik does get hurt that will leave New York on the outside looking in and will open the door for the Carolina Hurricanes to sneak into a playoff spot. Carolina too is a solid team but Cam Ward cannot do it alone and they will not be able to rely on Jussi Jokkinen to play all year the way he did in the playoffs. But if any team should fall off at all (ie the Rangers) that opens the door for the Canes. Either way, neither team will be a serious Stanley Cup contender.

The New Jersey Devils are channeling their inner 1995 by bringing Jacques Lemaire back to captain the ship. Nothing has changed for the Devils since 1995 and as a result they can continue like a well-oiled machine with their new, old, coach. New Jersey is very much a system team so with Martin Brodeur playing behind that system you have to pencil them into the playoffs and as championship contenders. Some players have changed since last season's first round exit to Carolina but it matters not as the methodical Devils will be back in the playoffs again.

In each of the last two years the Philadelphia Flyers have put very good teams on the ice but have run into a freight train headed to the finals in the form of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flyers got tougher by adding veteran Chris Pronger but their folly has arguably been in goal and that is an issue that still has yet to be worked out. Philadelphia went across the pond to lure Ray Emery back to North America so the verdict is still out on whether the goaltending problem is fixed (one might argue that Emery's attitude will cause more problems than it will solve). Bottom line, the Flyers talent will get them to the playoffs and at that point all they'll need is solid (not spectacular) net play to put themselves in a position to win the Stanley Cup.

Boston's future is bright because their talent level is a lot the same as last year. Phil Kessel was traded for some draft picks which speaks to how confident Boston is with their team from top to bottom. They still have Chara manning the blueline and they can score at the drop of a hat. There were a lot of questions about Tim Thomas last year and he'll have to answer those same questions again this year. If Thomas is able to play consistently well the Bruins will learn from their experience last year and should be considered favorites to at least reach the east finals.

The key for the Buffalo Sabres is to stay healthy. Last season Buffalo was a clear playoff team until injuries struck them like a wrecking ball and their playoff hopes came crashing down. So if the Sabres' stars stay healthy they will be a force, if they do not then Buffalo is not a force… it's that simple.

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.

Montrealski Canadiens učinio tri vrlo dobre stvari u offseason: neka Kovalev otići, pokupila Brian Gionta i Scott Gomez, te je dobio osloboditi od Kovalev (jesam li spomenuo da je već). Alexi Kovalev je vrlo talentirani igrač, ali on je bio previše nedosljedno i zbog previše drame u mjestu koje stvara dovoljno drame na svoju vlastitu. Gionta i Gomez osigurati stabilnost kao vođe na ledu i mogu staviti točke na semaforu. Oba igrača proveo neko vrijeme u New Jersey tako da svaki znate kako igrati ulogu do savršenstva. Kao čeznuti kao Carey Cijena se može zadržati svoje povjerenje i navijači daju ovog tima šanse da može biti vrlo opasno.

Kao i za ostatak konferencije postoji vrlo malo govoriti o tome. New York Islanders jasno obnovu tako da svatko može najbolje nade od njih je da je John Tavares, a tvrtka je samo poboljšati od igre do igre. U mojoj procjeni Otočani imaju daleko više problema od leda (na poslovne kraju) nego na njemu. Otoci znaju da su obnovu i poduzimaju korake ka postaje dobar tim u vremenu. To je u suprotnosti s Lightning, Thrashers, senatori, Maple Leafs, i Panthers.

Tampa ima puno talenta, ali nije učinio ništa s je prošle godine, a nemaju golman koji ih može odvesti bilo gdje. Atlanta je jednostavno loše i vjerojatno neće puno poboljšati u svim vjerojatnost. Ottawa se mijenja trenere, ne gel kao tim, izgubili jedan od njihovih najboljih igrača u Dany Heatley, i odlučio da dodavanje Kovalev je najbolji način da se stabilizira / poboljšati svoje momčadi (vrlo glupo). Toronto se ne mogu odlučiti žele li pokušati osvojiti sada ili graditi za budućnost. Prošle godine su imali dovoljno talenta da ostanu na vrhu ne doigravanju ekipe za većinu godine, a ove godine su u oko na istom mjestu. Na kraju su Florida Panthers koji nemaju puno talenta (nakon što je izgubio bouwmeester) ne dobiti puno ventilatora podršku što ga čini vrlo lošem stanju.

Tako da je na istoku u malom (vjerovali ili ne). Tune in next time for the west preview as well as my Stanley Cup Finals pick and winner.

Bruins-letaka u, kape i Ovechkin Out

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

NHL Winter Classic Doubleheader?

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

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

NHL Awards Show Upon Us

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

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

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.

Pens-Canes Battle for Eastern Conference Title

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

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

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

NHL Round Two a Treat for All

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bruins-Canes Game Seven… Why Should You Watch?

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

NHL Round Two Extremely Entertaining

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

Eastern Conference:

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

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

Western Conference:

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

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

Dream Match-Up Highlights Round Two

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

Eastern Conference:

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

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

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

Hello Caps, Au Revoir Canadiens

The 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:

Istočne konferencije

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

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

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

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

Western Conference

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

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

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

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

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

Sportsroids.com's NHL Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

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

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

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

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

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

Flames and Hawks Sputtering; Carey Price Sighting in Montreal

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

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

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

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

Bruins Bittersweet Victory; The Blues Sound Sweet in St. Louis

Despite their 7-5 win Saturday night the Boston Bruins have a lot of questions to ask/problems to address. First and foremost is goaltending. A lot of people don't really believe in Tim Thomas being able to lead Boston to the Stanley Cup, but Thomas has yet to let them down and can still come up big in the playoffs. However, one question that was answered for certain Saturday was whether the Bruins could rely on Manny Fernandez should Thomas come up short in the playoffs or get injured. Fernandez gave up five goals on 38 shots but at one point had given up four goals on only 26 shots to TORONTO . Most would agree that the Leafs are a competitive team and have been playing great hockey as of late but four goals on 26 shots by a goalie on a playoff team is unacceptable. The one caveat to Fernandez's performance is that the Bruins played awful defense in front of him. Boston still has a legitimate shot at winning the President's trophy but this shaky defensive play and poor goaltending might make the President's trophy their only reasonable shot at hardware this season.

In other news, a team doing the opposite of the Boston Bruins is in Saint Louis. The Blues have played amazingly well as of late and have battled back from deep in the standings into a tie with Edmonton for the final playoff spot in the west after defeating Columbus Saturday night. It has been an awfully long time since Blues fans have had something to cheer about so perhaps they were due. Saint Louis was awful at the all-star break as they were below .500 and seemed destined to only seek further at the commencement of the league's second half. Instead, the Blues have rallied behind new number one netminder Chris Mason and despite having seasoned veterans like Keith Tkachuk but have been getting the most production from youngsters like Brad Boyes and David Perron. The Blues may not make the playoffs once all is said and done, and may make little noise even if they do. That said, the Blues have given their fans something to cheer about as well as look forward to. The future on ice in Saint Louis is very bright and hopefully that can reenergize a city with great fans who have really gotten behind the Blues in the past and the future will likely be no different. They are a fun team to watch and worth keeping an eye on this year and for many years to come.

Bruins Can't Handle Success?

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

Brodeur Ties Record; Devils Eye Bruins

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

NHL Eastern Conference Stretch-Run Mayhem

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

IN:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OUT:

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

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

Devils Roll, Canadiens Tumble

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

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

Four Important NHL Lessons to Learn

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great holiday everybody.

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

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

Rutuu Bites, Wild Patient, Caps Finish

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

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

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

Patience Needed in NHL

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

The Mighty… Bruins?

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

Short Blurbs From Around The League

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

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

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

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

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

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