Pardon My Bias

Ok sure, the second round may have started last night, but it doesn’t fully kickoff until this evening. And seeing how I got six out of eight predictions right, I think Vancouver playing Nashville for one game is something everyone can live with without my incredibly knowledgeable insight. With that being said, here is how the far more manageable four series will shake out (according to me).

Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators

Vancouver got one hell of a scare out of Chicago in their first series, as they nearly blew a 3-0 series lead. Nashville on the other hand handled to the Anaheim Ducks relatively well, and advanced for the first time in franchise history. With all that said, this figures to be a relatively low scoring affair as both teams have outstanding defense and (mostly) reliable goaltending. The 1-0 match to start things would appear to be an indicator of things to come. This series will once again fall though to Roberto Luongo. Pekka Rinne is a far more consistent goaltender, and if Luongo starts coughing up goals again Vancouver’s offense will need to really start playing out of their minds to get around Shea Weber and the rest of the Preds’ defense to even have a chance against Rinne. Nashville’s Achilles’ heel lies with their offense, or their lack thereof. They got some huge contributions from unlikely places in the last series, a la Jordan Tootoo, but Vancouver is a decidedly tighter team than Anaheim. The offense of the Canucks also has a lot more depth, which likely will also be a detriment to Nashville. Shea Weber and Ryan Suter can only play so many minutes.

The Sharks looked vulnerable, and the Wings looked dominant. A short series in store? Photo courtesy of sharkspage.com

Prediction: There likely won’t be a game where either team scores more than three goals, unless Luongo plays sloppy again. There will be exactly one Cory Schneider appearance. Vancouver in six.

San Jose Sharks vs. Detroit Red Wings

Despite a relatively short handed Los Angeles Kings team, the Sharks really had to bust their backs to win the series. Three games went to overtime, and the come from behind victory was less the Sharks winning and more the Kings losing. That being said, San Jose still can win games, but they are going to need a far better performance from goalie Antti Niemi. Niemi looked flat out terrible most of the series against L.A. and Detroit packs far more offensive power than the Kings do.  Detroit has had a lot of time off so it will be interesting to see if there is no momentum or if they are well rested for this series. Detroit did let their guard down at times against Phoenix, but they still managed a sweep. San Jose’s defense isn’t as tight as the Coyote system employed by Dave Tippet but the Red Wings will need to be far more on their toes against the Sharks offense. Speed kills, and the Sharks got loads of it. If Henrick Zetterberg returns though, Detroit has an upper hand. They crush the Sharks if Niemi can’t step up his play.

Prediction: The Wings are rolling, and the Sharks look vulnerable. They may have won their series with a game to spare but they could have easily been bounced against a more mature team. Detroit gets a sweep. Niemi gets chased in the first three games before getting benched for game four. Detroit in four.

Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

The seldom heard Southeastern division round two match up. The Lightning squeaked by the Penguins to give NBC and the league a headache by not having the highly touted Winter Classic rematch, Caps versus Pens series. Though it wouldn’t have mattered as Crosby is still feeling woozy. Anyways, the Lightning won a very tight series, whereas Washington’s series was the epitome of a number one seed against a number eight seed. Which is rare for Washington given their past playoff chokes. Still, both teams had surprisingly strong results in their own end with defense and goaltending, and both also have high octane offenses. The Caps rebounded from being down numerous times, and the Lightning showed they can win tight games and blow you out. One thing to watch for is how Washington will handle a far better offense than that of the Rangers, and how Tampa handles a far deeper team than Pittsburgh. This will likely be the series no one watches, which is too bad because I think this will be one of the closer and more exciting series that will be seen this postseason.

Two very similar teams that saw a lot of each other during the regular season. The problem is that they play in the Southeast so not many people care. Photo courtesy of sportschatplace.com

Prediction: Any takers for a Stamkos versus Ovechkin fight? Despite the high scoring prowess each team possesses, both goalies for Washington and Tampa have shown they can stand on their head at times. However Roloson’s experience however, and the fact the man is a whole different being in the playoffs, is a deciding factor. Roloson gets two shutouts, including another game seven win. Tampa Bay in seven.

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins

You can rest assured that the Bruins do not want anything resembling last season to happen to them again. They showed some real fire though, coming from two games down, losing both at home, to win in seven after Nathan Horton won overtime games twice. Phily however has had some issues  so far. Buffalo, despite not being the greatest team but with an outstanding goalie, had the Flyers on the ropes twice. Still, they survived and get a fresh slate against a far more well rounded Boston squad, who has their own outstanding goalie. The issue though was Thomas was streaky in the first series, but Phily had to replace their chosen starter and went back to goalie roulette, opting for Brian Boucher. Ironically, Boucher has had a few years with Philadelphia before where he struggled in the spotlight, getting booed, and now here he is saving the team. Overall, the Flyers will drastically need to up their game if they want to survive a fired up Boston team, who they know will be out for some revenge over last year’s epic choke. Boston’s defense should step up, and if they do and Phily can’t get it together, this could be a quick series.

Prediction: Boston looked soft to start, but Phily looked soft the entire way through against Buffalo. Thomas will find his groove, as he showed later on against Montreal. The trio of centers for Philadelphia remains relatively cold, while the defense has trouble with the rough and deep offense of Boston. It will be an interesting series to see what team actually steps up their game, as both looked to be playing below what was expected of them. Tipping point will be when Mike Richards is FINALLY suspended for laying out David Krejci. Boston in seven.

Hey, well I got most of the series right, some even within a game. Not impressed? Neither am I. I also haven’t posted in two weeks since I had to go down to North Carolina for a week and am now in the process of wrapping up school (again). So to make up for it, I have haikus. I’m pretty sure most everyone will have left reading this upon that last sentence. Anyways…

New York Rangers

Lack luster roster,

Even with Torts and Lundqvist

Go get Brad Richards.

Buffalo Sabres

Miller out, Buf lost.

Miller back, make the playoffs.

Rest of team…still sucked.

The Kings played it close in the post season without their top gun, but they blew a lot of chances. Photo courtesy of thenewstribune.com

Los Angeles Kings

A promising start

With an embarrassing end.

Dammit Kopitar.

Anaheim Ducks

Powerhouse offense,

Surprisingly solid D,

But who is in net?

Chicago Blackhawks

Roster turnover,

Injured and barely made it in,

Still surprised Canucks.

Phoenix Coyotes

Dave Tippet again

Always finds a way to win

Just not in Detroit.

James Neal has a good reason to be bummed, but hey, at least he's not on Dallas any more. Photo courtesy of post-gazette.com

Pittsburgh Penguins

No Malkin? Big deal!

No Crosby? Don’t need him now!

Except when shutout.

Montreal Canadians

Small yet full of fight,

Chance for revenge on Bruins,

Blow it in OT.

The San Diego Padres are a perfect example of why the MLB needs to create a salary cap system and find a way to give each team an equal opportunity. Just like last year, the Padres come into the season in the bottom 5 for team salaries but unlike 2010, they no longer have the slugging power of Adrian Gonzalez.

The Padres are sitting at 9-16 and are currently have the worst record in baseball. They have amazing pitching, just like last season, but are not having as good of a year. They currently rank 4th for ERA and were just 2nd last week. Their starting rotation along with that stupendous bullpen has been doing their work. Even with the poor start of their ace, Mat Latos, the Padres’ pitching has kept this team afloat and has been to keep most games in reach.

Aaron Harang has started the season HOT! Photo courtesy of bh.heraldinteractive.com.

Now the undeniable problem with this team is their offense. They lacked offense last year and decided to trade away their only offensive star, leaving them with…nothing! They currently rank last in batting average, hitting .211 as a team. They also rank in the bottom 5 for team hits, homeruns, runs, RBIs, on base percentage and SLG. That is obviously not going to work if this teams realistically wants to compete, even for just a wild-card spot.

On a positive note, I do not think this offense can keep this slump going forever. Although they will never be a power hitting team, they should be able to bring up their team batting average. Ryan Ludwick seems to be picking up his offense after a terrible start to the season and hopefully others such as Brad Hawpe, Will Venable, Chase Headley and Orlando Hudson can get into form and put up solid batting averages. On the pitching end, although things have started off well, I am not sure what to expect from Latos. He ended last season in a slump and it seems to have been continuing. All the Padres can do is cross their fingers and hope that he gets back to the level he was at last mid-season.

The San Diego Padres will never be a New York Yankees or Philadelphia Phillies type of team but as long as they keep this lethal pitching, bring their team batting average up to about .260 and have two players that can hit 20+ home runs, this team can definitely cause trouble for other squads. Then again that is easier said than done. We will have to see if the Padres’ offense can step it up or not.

Western Conference

San Antonio Spurs (1) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (8)

This should be an easy pick yet it is not. I have been pretty high on the Grizzlies for a few years now, mainly because I was a big fan of O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley Jr. This is a young but up and coming team and have some very strong pieces. Conley, although not an elite point guard, has definitely stepped up his play after signing a big contract with Memphis and Marc Gasol, although nowhere near the level of Pau, is a quality center. O.J Mayo, a player that I like a lot, actually took a step back this season but that mainly has to do with his reduction in minutes. He has increased his level of play during the end of the season as more minutes opened up with the injury of Rudy Gay. All this added to the veteran presence of Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, Shane Battier and Jason Williams is a scary lineup. The Gay injury is a huge loss for this team but they seem to still be playing strong even without their best player.

Can Manu and the Spurs Stay Healthy? Photo courtesy of www.backseatfan.com.

Spurs are the number one seed so this series should take no more than 5 games BUT it will all depend on their health. It seems as if Manu Ginobili will not play the first game and both Tim Duncan and Tony Parker had some injury issues during the end of the regular season. Although health will play a big part in the Spurs playoff run, this team is too talented and experienced to lose in the first round.

Spurs over the Grizzlies in 6 games

Los Angeles Lakers (2) vs. New Orleans Hornets (7)

The two time defending champs against a not very exciting Hornets team is a pretty simple call. Chris Paul is great but no David West and no real experience on the team dooms trouble in the playoffs.

Lakers over the Hornets in 5 games

Dallas Mavericks (3) vs. Portland Trailblazers (6)

Finally a little more of a tough decision. After the All-Star break, I believed that the Mavericks would make a huge push and wrap up the second spot with no problem but just like many other teams, they seemed to hit some setbacks. This team is not like other Dallas teams of the past and this mainly has to do with Tyson Chandler. He adds a little toughness but the Caron Butler injury may come back to affect this team in the playoffs. I have never seemed to be a big fan of anything Dallas sports related but I did have some high expectations for this team throughout the season. Also during the horrible skid this team went through with Dirk Nowitzki on the bench, I was convinced that Dirk would be a strong contender for the MVP award.

No Longer in the Shadows of Roy. Photo courtesy of www.emptythebench.com.

Now a few months later they come into the playoffs as the third seed and are about to take on a young Trailblazers team. Brandon Roy, the face of this team for the past few years, is no longer a starter and his future is very uncertain after receiving devastating news about his knee. Fortunately for Portland they picked up Wes Matthews in the off season and he has provided some very consistent scoring. Gerald Wallace was a solid pickup at the trade deadline and adding that to the leadership and experience of Andre Miller and Marcus Camby could prove beneficial for the Blazers. The biggest surprise has been LaMarcus Aldridge. He has always been in the shadows of Roy and given the chance to shine, he took it and blossomed into a legit go to guy. I truly believe that he is the reason that Portland stayed afloat and although he has no chance of winning, he should definitely get a vote or two for MVP.

Big expectations for the Mavericks but a lot of grit and passion in the Blazers.

Trailblazers over the Mavericks in 7 games

Oklahoma City Thunder (4) vs. Denver Nuggets (5)

Wow, what a first round match-up! Two teams that I think have the best chance of knocking off the Lakers. Unfortunately only one of them may get the opportunity to do so. I could sit here and discuss how amazing the Nuggets have been since the Carmelo trade but it comes down to one thing, who is going to close the game for them? You cannot do a closer by committee in the NBA and this will be their biggest drawback.

Thunder over the Nuggets in 6 games

Eastern Conference

Chicago Bulls (1) vs. Indiana Pacers (8)

It is nice to see the Pacers make the playoffs and I am glad to see the success of Roy Hibbert but let’s be honest, this team stands no chance. Danny Granger would make a great number 2 but he is not a guy that can carry a team, especially to a championship. I also expected huge things from Darren Collison this season as he finally got a chance to become a full-time starter and move out of the shadows of Chris Paul, unfortunately he did not live up to what I had imagined.

Is an MVP season enough? Photo courtesy of www.thesportsbank.net.

The Bulls, on the other hand, are a very complete team besides the hole of not having somebody other than Derrick Rose who can create and score for themselves. It may be nice to add someone like O.J. Mayo this upcoming off-season…just an idea?

Bulls over the Pacers in 4 games

Miami Heat (2) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (7)

This makes me very sad! I am a Sixers fan and really wanted to see them matched up against the Celtics but unfortunately things did not pan out the way I wanted and they now have to face the steaming Heat. The only positive is that this team seems to be rising and Evan Turner actually began playing well near the end of the season, so fingers crossed.

Heat over the Sixers in 5 games

Boston Celtics (3) vs. New York Knicks (6)

Still not over the fact that it could have been Knicks vs. Heat and Celtics vs. Sixers in the first round! Well seeing I have to analyze this match-up and not the ones that I wanted to, this series will still be entertaining. The Celtics screwed up by trading away Kendrick Perkins and the Knicks are still a year and a few pieces away from being a legit contender. With that being said, this could really go either way but I am going to give it to the old guys and bank on the fact that their experience will count and well, also that Shaq will be able to play more than 6 minutes in these playoffs.

Celtics over the Knicks in 7 games

Orlando Magic (4) vs. Atlanta Hawks (5)

At this point in the article, I really could care less. Both teams are good but not good enough, Orlando is and has been missing a huge piece and that is not Arenas or Turkoglu, and Atlanta overpaid a player who also is just a very good second option. Joe Johnson would of been smarter to take less money and head over to Chicago but his loss.

Magic over the Hawks in 6 games

The NBA regular season is coming down to the last few games and the playoff teams are all set. There have been some surprises and many givens as we see the teams that are entering the playoffs this year, with the success of the Chicago Bulls being the biggest surprise. They are in a battle with the San Antonio Spurs to get the best record in the NBA and Derrick Rose is having an MVP year. On the Western end, the Spurs shocked the NBA world by grabbing the number 1 seed in the Western Conference even with the “old age.” Last year’s finalist, the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics, are back in the playoffs but both have been struggling as of late. The Lakers of course could turn it on at any time and although the Celtics pulled it off last year, the loss of Kendrick Perkins seems to be playing a huge factor in their team chemistry and success. There have also been some nice stories such as the Philadelphia 76ers and the Memphis Grizzlies, who both seem to be heading in the right direction, and of course the New York Knicks, who once again make the NBA Playoffs after aquiring Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.

With all these talented teams in the playoffs, the big question is who will be the last two teams standing. The Lakers, Spurs and Celtics have veterans players with tons of playoff experience and then there are teams such as the Bulls, Heat and Thunder, who are new to the playoff scene with their current rosters. There are many teams with the ability to reach the finals but my gut has me thinking that it is not as open as we all believe.

The Spurs have the best record in the West, the Lakers are said to be the “best team” in the West, but I believe the Oklahoma City Thunder will be representing the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. They are a very young team, yes I know this, but I had been saying for a while now that the Thunder were a legit center away from being a true contender. Well thanks to the Celtics, they got their legit center. Kendrick Perkins adds a huge defensive force in the middle and teamed up with the 7 foot Sergi Ibaka, that is a scary front court. Most people say that the Lakers’ biggest advantage is their big men, well the Thunder have big men who can match up pretty well with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. Thabo Sefolosha is a lock-down defender who can match up against the opposing team’s best scorer, aka Kobe Bryant. Also with the departure of Jeff Green, James Harden has become to 3rd option on this team and he is definitely stepping into the role. He has been averaging almost 15 points per game over the past month and that added to the firepower of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook is a scary thought for opposing teams. Speaking of the two Thunder stars, Westbrook has raised his game to an all-star level this year and with the FIBA World Championships, Durant has proven that he has what it takes to lead a team to the championship.

Can the Miami Heat live up to expectations? Photo courtesy of www.sneakernews.com.

The East representative is not as easy to pick as I am at a toss-up between the Bulls and the Heat. Although I picked the young Thunder team to get through the West, I am just not as sure about the Bulls. Derrick Rose has been playing like a complete beast this season and it is terribly difficult to pick against such a complete team but their youth and lack of playoff experience worries me. For this reason I am going with the most talked about team this year, the Miami Heat. With Boston giving away Perkins, the Bulls being too inexperienced and no other real legit contender (in my opinion), the Heat have the best opportunity to make the NBA Finals. They obviously have the two big guns in LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, and receive great consistency with Chris Bosh. Along with the aggressive offense, they have a scary defense that has the ability to stop any team. For the Heat, it all comes down to team chemistry. It seems as if they have figured it out BUT the playoffs are a whole new arena. These games are bigger and there is more on the line. Even with LeBron and Wade having years of playoff experience, team chemistry may feel a shake as the playoffs arrive. Who will be the prime player in the playoffs? Who will take the final shot? What role will each star play? Everything changes in the playoffs and it will all depend on how quickly the Heat can figure themselves out in these big games.

But there we have it, a Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat match-up in the NBA Finals. Of course I am sure many people disagree but this is what my gut is telling me. Let the playoffs begin!

New York needs to prove they aren't a fluke by sneaking into the playoffs, and the Caps will provide a more than adequate test. Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com

Washington Capitals (48-23-11) vs. New York Rangers (44-33-5)

Last year the Caps were the number one seed then as well, but ran into a wall in the opposing net and got dismissed in the first round by a team that on paper they had dead to rights. A lot of it was also attributed to a light defense and a goalie that was out of his league. Well déjà vu. The Capitals’ defense is better this year with Karl Alzner and John Carlson stepping up, but injuries to Mike Green, Dennis Wideman, and Tom Poti is a problem still. The goaltending went from one inexperienced goalie to three inexperienced goalies, so while there is a chance of one of them taking over it is still a best of seven series so the Caps can’t wait to figure out the carousel. As for the Rangers, they made the playoffs this year after Carolina choked away their postseason berth (as reparation for New York’s absence from last year’s playoffs due to the shootout) but really on paper the Rangers look like they should have been a better team. Injuries popped up though, and up and down the roster the Blue Shirts were just flat out inconsistent. If they up their focus, and, more importantly, Henrik Lundqvist turns into a super human this postseason the Rangers do have a legitimate chance. But it will also require Marc Staal and Dan Giradi to play out of their minds and shut down the Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin line along with the rest of the Caps offense that is frankly far deeper than that of the Rangers’ blueliners. Also hindering New York is the removal of Ryan Callahan, a big part of their offensive machine, which means it is time for Marian Gaborik to finally show up. Given that Lundqvist also has had some rather spotty performances throughout his playoff career the Caps may escape the first round this time.

Prediction: Washington’s offense is deeper than the Rangers’ defense and that is really all that it comes down to. The Caps will struggle though finding their man in net for a playoff run. The bold prediction for this series is the goalie that will step up for the Capitals will be (drum roll) Seymon Varlamov, who got the playoff jitters out of him from last year. Washington in five.

The Flyers made it to the finals last year as the number seven seed, and look to keep Buffalo from emulating that success. Photo courtesy of zimbio.com

Philadelphia Flyers (47-23-12) vs. Buffalo Sabres (43-29-10)

In terms of momentum this a large reversal in terms of seeding. The Sabres have been rolling as of late, and the Flyers, well, have looked something between rotten and mediocre. Still, if it comes down to basic talent against talent the Flyers are still the front runner in the east. Except in one category. Sergei Bobrovsky has been a stabilizing factor for Philadelphia all season, something they haven’t had in god knows how long, but he has zero big game experience seeing how the Flyers were first to clinch a playoff berth in the east and Bobrovsky is only a rookie. His counterpart, Ryan Miller, however is one of the best in the business at what he does and Buffalo’s playoff losses certainly weren’t his doing. If Phily can get their act together and remember that the playoffs started the series should still go their way with the likes of Jeff Carter, Danny Brier, Claude Giroux, and Mike Richards outweighing a Derek Roy-less Sabres squad. The blueline isn’t even a comparison if the Flyers play to their full ability. The issue may be that coasting too much is going to bite the Flyers in the butt. They should be familiar to that seeing how they were in the same spot doing that to New Jersey last year.

Prediction: The Flyers have the talent, but Buffalo has the goaltending and momentum, so unless Philadelphia spent the last month resting they may be in trouble. Stealing an early game on the road for the Sabres could prove to be the tipping point. This is my bold prediction…Sabres in six.

This feud is something akin to medieval lords, or rap lords. So of course you should watch. Photo courtesy of newyork.cbslocal.com

Boston Bruins (46-25-11) vs. Montreal Canadians (44-30-8)

Original Six teams…Division rivals…And a load of bad blood. Oh yeah, this will be a fun one to watch though it may be a good idea to tell the kids to go to sleep, less their eyes are tainted with the blood of hockey players. While that may be a tad over the top the Habs and Bs are bound to have a pretty physical series similar to that of the Kennedys in the early sixties on St. Patrick’s Day. In terms of winning a physical matchup it is hardly a contest as Boston possess size and grit aplenty with the likes of Nathan Horton, Zdeno Chara, and Milan Lucic. Montreal is a team looking like they play more for the Lollipop Guild as it is hard to find a forward on their team over six feet or two hundred pounds. But when it comes to special teams Montreal has been better on the penalty kill and power play while Boston has been middle of the road at best in both categories. The skill up front overall though does tip more in favor of Montreal, but the defense has been a patchwork behind Hal Gill and P.K. Subban while the Bruins hold two of the top defenders in the league with Chara and Tomas Kaberle, with a very solid shutdown core behind them. So as for goaltending…Tim Thomas has been playing out of his mind while getting plenty of relief from Tuuka Rask. Carey Price hasn’t been so fortunate despite playing very well, though he has been called upon 72 times, second in the league only behind Cam Ward (and then you wonder why he looked shaky in the last game for the Hurricanes). Added that Price in the postseason is equivalent to sticking a high schooler in net and, well, you get the idea.

Prediction: If the play gets scrappy, Boston will need to avoid the penalty box. Montreal has a deadly power play and they can entice the Bruins into some needless penalties with a few penalties of their own and easily afford them. The series though will ride on Price. He has been awful so even if Montreal can exploit the special teams gap the Canadians may be undone. Bold prediction is Karma strikes Zdeno Chara in the form of, wait for it, Brian Gionta. Just kidding, Price will fold like a lawn chair. Bruins in four.

No Crosby or Malkin against Stamkos, Lecavlier, and St. Louis? Time for Dan Byslma to earn his cash. Photo courtesy of fresnobee.com

Pittsburgh Penguins (49-25-8) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (46-25-11)

Despite all logic, the Penguins are succeeding quite well in the absence of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. And their odds of winning this series sky rockets if Crosby comes back. Until then, he will be tortured with the fact knowing that he now has wingers capable of scoring with James Neal and Alex Kovalev. Tampa Bay however knows they can light things up in a hurry if need be with Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavlier, Simon Gagne, and Martin. St. Louis. On the flip side the Lightning can’t keep pucks out of their own net if they paid the other team, while Pittsburgh has completely turned into a shutdown lineup anchored by Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik, Paul Martin, Zybnek Michalek, and Jordan Staal who should be up for Selke consideration. With that being said, defense wins championships and the Penguins have more than enough offense with what they got. So unless Marc-Andre Fleury reverts back to his garbage play from early this season, or Dwayne Roloson turns back the clock and puts on a performance mirroring his success he had with Edmonton back in 2006 Pittsburgh has the upperhand. Plus they have home ice advantage and the Bolts have yet to win in Pittsburgh this season.

Prediction: With or without Crosby the edge goes to the Pens. Their defense will face a huge test up against the juggernaut offense Tampa sports but they have proved time in and time out they can handle the job. The only real question will be if Fleury falls back into his subpar play, which he has done in the past in the playoffs, but he also has been a wall before as well. The bold prediction is Crosby returns, doesn’t record a point, and winds up benched. Penguins in seven.

Chicago has been the problem team for the Canucks. Winning here may mean no stopping the Canucks anywhere else. Photo courtesy of canucks.nhl.com

Vancouver Canucks (54-19-9) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (44-29-9)

Once again the Vancouver Canucks will match up against the Chicago Blackhawks in the postseason though this is a very different Chicago team. Chicago has suffered a lot of turnover from last season, and barely squeaked into the playoffs but for some reason everyone still has the Hawks as the team most likely to knock off Vancouver. Probably because the Hawks knocked off the Canucks twice in a row in the playoffs that past two years. My guess is however that for the Canucks the third time is a charm, and not having half your roster from the seasons prior doesn’t help either. Added that the Canucks are first in goals scored, goals against, power play conversion, and in the faceoff circle while also being the fourth best penalty killing team in the league means that Chicago certainly has their work cut out for themselves. Chicago certainly proved last year they know how to bring it come crunch time, which may be the one thing they have going in their favor compared to Vancouver, as I think it is fair to say the Canucks are deeper on offense and defense. The Hawks have the talent on the top end to hang with Vancouver but little beyond Toews, Sharp, Kane, Hossa, Keith, and Seabrook. The Nucks however have about six lines of offense that are dangerous, two Art Ross winning Sedins, and a defensive corps enviable of the NHL. The turning point is Roberto Luongo. Putting it that way Chicago stands a chance.

Prediction: It’ll likely be more of a struggle than Vancouver would like to be, but they are still the better team. Even if Luongo blows a game and Corey Crawford stands on his head. Bold prediction is Cory Schneider sees some starts after Luongo gets lit up in game four. Canucks in six.

San Jose may have gotten their choking habit out of the way earlier this season, though the Kings are really hoping not. Photo courtesy of nhl.com

San Jose Sharks (48-25-9) vs. Los Angeles Kings (46-30-6)

A perfect series considering the bad blood between northern and southern California going on currently after the Giants and Dodgers opening series. This is however the first time the Sharks and Kings have met up in the postseason. In fact, it’s the first time the Kings have run into a fellow California team in the postseason. Sadly for them they will be shorthanded as leading scorer Anze Kopitar is done for the year, and Justin Williams will be playing with a bum shoulder at best. Given that the Sharks have three centers with Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Logan Couture that could be number one guys LA is in a spot of trouble. But while San Jose has the clear edge in offense, the nod for defense goes to the Kings. SJ’s isn’t bad by any extent with Dan Boyle and Douglas Murray but the Kings simply have more weapons and shutdown guys with Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson backed up by a very underrated trio of Willie Mitchell, Rob Scuderi, and Matt Greene. The issue will be scoring goals for LA though. The Sharks caught fire the second half of the season, and the Kings squandered home ice down the stretch so momentum could very easily be another factor. The wild card will yet again be goalies. Jon Quick can be inhuman at times, and Antti Niemi has shown what he can do when he gets going so that duel will be interesting to watch. The Kings have the better depth though with the other Jon (Bernier) but again it won’t amount to squat if the Kings can’t score.

Prediction: Defense wins championships, but goals win games. Added that the Kings only beat the Sharks in regulation once out of six games, have been in a skid lately, and aren’t healthy gives the clear advantage to San Jose. The bold prediction is both sides make a vow that however wins HAS to beat the Ducks (if they make it) and has the backing of the other’s fan base. Sharks in five.

Once again it looks like the Wings may keep Phoenix from seeing the second round. Photo courtesy of coyotes.nhl.com

Detroit Red Wings (47-25-10) vs. Phoenix Coyotes (43-26-13)

A repeat of last year’s opening round, but with the home ice advantage switched in favor to Detroit, the matchup on paper seems to be more clearly in favor of Detroit as well. Up front it will be Henrick Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, and Pavel Datsyuk against…Shane Doan. Defensively the Wings have Nicklas Lidstrom, likely to get another Norris trophy, while Phoenix has Keith Yandle, who will likely get snubbed for the Norris in favor of Lidstrom. Goaltending is relatively the same as last year. Jimmy Howard is no slouch but the Coyotes have the great consistency of Ilya Bryzgalov between the pipes, and there is likely going to be a few games where Bryz is going to need to shoulder the load himself. Phoenix is not as good as they were in the season prior, whereas the Red Wings are (mainly due to their roster being completely healthy, or thereabout) so this could be a quick series. However, Detroit has scuttled down the stretch, but still showed they can win the important games (important as in screwing over Chicago), but they have struggled with stifling games that teams like the Coyotes use. Phoenix’s ultimate undoing though will be there struggling penalty killing against the high octane Red Wings. Doesn’t help either that Phoenix can’t score on the power play also. Dave Tippet will achieve god-like status as a coach if he can sneak the ‘Yotes past Detroit.

Prediction: Usually for the Red Wings to choke they have to play a California team and try as they might, Phoenix isn’t California. Phoenix will play tough close games, but winning those is a completely different series. I will boldly (BOLDLY I SAY) predict that each game goes to overtime, and Phoenix wins one giving us another great Doan-Face. Red Wings in five.

Teemu Selanne has more goals than most of the Preds do combined showing that being a dinosaur isn't a problem. Photo courtesy of predators.nhl.com

Anaheim Ducks (47-30-5) vs. Nashville Predators (44-27-11)

The purest battle of offense versus defense in this series. The Ducks stack up with Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Teemu Selanne while Nashville counters with Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and the guy I used to play against (ok, sorry I went back to that) Jonathan Blum. Nashville has plenty of forwards but not much offense, while the Ducks have a top heavy scoring machine, again providing a nice contrast. Goaltending will be where this series is decided though. The Ducks have Jonas Hiller, Ray Emery, and Dan Ellis while Nashville uses the unsung Pekka Rinne like the work horse he is, showing off another battle of quantity versus quality. Sadly for Anaheim you can have only one goalie play at a time, though the chances of one catching fire is a lot better. The question then becomes how many games does it take to find that goalie for Randy Carlyle. Nashville’s shutdown play will be asked to do a ton (much like Phoenix’s against Detroit, and Los Angeles’s against San Jose. Sensing a pattern?) but they have the tools to do so, and the offense is there just enough to keep games close if Anaheim can get on the board. The Ducks’ blueliners aren’t a bad bunch either but are far more offensively minded, and if Nashville can apply pressure Anaheim may be in trouble. That or Hiller’s vertigo is contagious.

Prediction: Again, defense wins championships. Or in this case series. Anaheim has the offensive firepower to bring down some of the better defenses so it will be up to Nashville to at least score a few. They will get chances with the Ducks’ suspect penalty killing and love of visiting the sin bin. That being said, the crazy prediction will be Sergei Kostitsyn blowing up the score sheet while Weber and the Preds’ defense keeps Perry goalless. I did say crazy. Predators in seven.

This has been the year of the sleeper pick for the Norris trophy. None of the three nominees are likely to be mentioned this time around, and only one name I think that will crop up is a prior winner. Not surprisingly it’s Nicklas Lidstrom once again. And there stands to reason a very large chance that he will likely win it again. But there are some surprising new names being kicked around, all of which deserve serious consideration since it is most likely a few of them may not ever be up for the Norris in their career again. Not because they aren’t talented but nobody really pays attention to their teams.

The snubs

Shea Weber, Nashville (16 G, 31 A, +9)

On this list, Weber may be the most defensively sound player (currently that is). He checks a lot, blocks shots, and has a shot of his own that terrifies goaltenders and puts nets out of commission. He has been overlooked for a few seasons now, and it doesn’t really stop here either. So even though he doesn’t have the most points out of the defenders in the league, Weber has

One of the more deserving defensemen in the league for his all around play, Yandle suffers from playing for a borderline fictional hockey team. Photo courtesy of redflagfantasy.com

been Nashville’s best skater (Pekka Rinne is still my Nashville MVP) and has carried a team with essentially no offense to the postseason (most likely) having the second most points on the Preds.

Keith Yandle, Phoenix (16 G, 46 A, +11)

Another obscure defenseman largely in part because of the team on which he plays, Keith Yandle has been proving himself to be the heart and soul of the Phoenix Coyotes (outside of Shane Doan who is really more of the weird screaming face of the Coyotes) this year, as he leads the team in points, is second in penalty minutes, and is fourth for +/-. Plus he doesn’t have the support that Christian Erhoff has (who he has more points than) nor has the atrocious +/- of James Wisniewski (-15? Flawed stat or not that isn’t good). Yet Yandle will be a snub this year. Largely because of…

The nominees

Dustin Byfuglien, Atlanta (20 G, 33 A, -3)

Yep, Dustin Byfuglien. He’s second on the Thrashers in points, and second in points only behind fellow former Blackhawk, Andrew Ladd. Now while Yandle actually has more points, and, in my opinion only, seems to have played better year round Byfuglien has got the goals, the most among blueliners with 20 and with another top scoring defenseman going down due to an injury Big Buff seems to have the goal scoring title amongst D in the bag. One thing that is really interesting to point out with Buff has been his defensive play. He’s been throwing his weight around and leads takeaways amongst defensemen by a landslide. For me the one knock on him has

Arguably the best defenseman this season, and inarguably the most likeable Duck by a landslide. Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com

been not blocking enough shots. Plus, he has extra recognition from his Chicago days so those who relatively follow hockey have at least heard of him, something the other two guys haven’t had a

chance to benefit from.

Who should win: Lubomir Visnovsky, Anaheim (18 G, 48 A, +15)

Lubomir Visnovsky had a season quite worthy of Norris consideration before. He didn’t win it however, and it will be déjà vu all over again for Lubo this time around as well. Statistically speaking Visnovsky has been the best defenseman in the league with the most points, a respectable +/-, and defensively it has been one of Lubo’s best years in his career. He still doesn’t hit a ton, but his giveaway-to-takeaway is drastically improved and he has well over a hundred blocked shots. Additionally, Visnovsky has been logging a ton of minutes, on average logging over a minute nearly more ice time than Dustin Byfuglien or Nick Lidstrom. The Ducks’ defense was in turmoil and their biggest weakness going into the season and Visnovsky has been the offensive force they sorely needed, and isn’t a defensive liability for Anaheim either. Pairing him up with Toni Lydman has certainly helped also. Unfortunately for him and the Ducks, Douglas Murray got away with one, and now Lubo may not be playing too much more this season. And did I mention that he is the best living actor?

NHL All-star, Stanley Cup winner, Norris trophy winner, and Detroit's oldest fossil. Photo courtesy of nhlsnipers.com

Who will win: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit (16 G, 46 A, -1)

Why will he win? Because it’s Nicklas Lidstrom, that’s why. The veteran is second in points amongst defensemen in the league, and he has already proven he doesn’t need to lead the category to win the Norris also. Which he already has won six times before anyways, so you know the NHL is prone to handing him the hardware. But while the big Swede has slowed down a bit over the years, his defensive prowess is still sharp. He may hit less, block fewer shots, and be on the negative side of +/- for the first time in his career, but Lidstrom game in and game out is always one of the sharpest defensemen in his own zone. Plus he has the poise of a grizzled quarterback patrolling the blue line when the Wings are on offense. Just not Brett Favre. The creepy phone stuff is for the Chicago boys.

It sure has been an exciting March Madness thus far. We’ve had plenty of game winning shots and athletic dunks that got anyone and everyone excited. We saw freshmen like Brandon Knight, Kyrie Irving, Jared Sullinger and Harrison Barnes step up on the big stage but all fall short of the ultimate goal. We’ve witnessed upper class men like Kyle Singler, Jimmer Fredette, Nolan Smith, and Ben Hansbrough all end their college careers with bitter disappointment. Other players like Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb,  Matt Howard, and Shelvin Mack have stepped up big on the national stage and have their teams just one win away from that National Title. Teams like VCU and Butler shocked the nation by making it all the way to the Final Four while powerhouses like Louisville, Georgetown, and Michigan State weren’t able to make it past the round of 64. When most of the nation made chalk-filled bracket, it was the lower seeds that ultimately prevailed. In fact, this was the first time in 32 years (the first time seeding was done by a committee was in 1979) that neither a #1 or a #2 seed was in the Final Four. Without further adieu, here is a brief preview of the 2011 Men’s National Championship Game.

Butler (8) Vs. UConn (3)

Both programs and coaches are not strangers to this game. Jim Calhoun of UConn won it 7 years ago and Brad Stevens had this Butler team here just last year. Both teams had similar struggles through the regular season; strumbling through conference play and searching for their identity. UConn limped to a 9-9 record in the incredibly tough Big East and Butler went 13-5 in the relatively weak Horizon league (this includes a 3 game losing streak in early February capped off by a loss to a 9-21 Youngstown State).  Both teams are currently riding 9 game win streaks and UConn is now gunning for its third Tournament Championship this season (following the Maui Invitational and Big East tournament). Both teams usually operate well in a half-court set and do it extremely well but in different ways. UConn penetrates and kicks when necessary while Butler feeds their big man down low, Matt Howard. UConn lives and dies with Kemba Walker while Butler seems to control the pace no matter who they play and they often win in an ugly manner. So who is my pick to cut down the nets?

While both teams are well coached and all the players play their roles to near perfection I have to go with star power. I can’t pick against Kemba, he will simply be too much for Butler to handle. Let’s face it, Butler had the easiest road to the championship game of any Final Four team and they continuously faced fast paced, 3-point shooting teams(sans Wisconsin, who wasn’t that great to being with). Butler was able to slow the game down to their own pace and control the ball. But what happens when they face a team that can effectively play in a half-court set and doesn’t live and die by the 3-pointer?  My prediction is that they will come up short just like last season’s championship game. Duke was a half-court team with enough star power to carry them over Butler and I feel the same will happen this year as both Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb will give Butler plenty of fits.  Kemba and Lamb will get their points but the key for UConn is to hold their own on the glass. They will be undersized against Butler and Alex Oriakhi will need to grab every board he can. While Butler’s players are more experienced, UConn has the more experienced coach and I have a feeling that will play a big role in gameplanning for this game. Let’s also not forget that UConn is 21-0 this season in games outside the Big East regular season and 13-0 in tournament play. UConn wins 71-63.