Less than 24 hours after the Washington Capitals proved that I am not sniffing glue or huffing unleaded gas (if you read my earlier predictions, I said that the Capitals weren't that good and were going to exit early) it's time for the second round.
The first round had some of the best and most entertaining hockey I've seen in years. Seven of the eight series went to at least six games and the only one that didn't (Philadelphia beat New Jersey in five) was a pretty big upset. Montreal beat Washington 2-1 in the final game of the first round and that was incredibly exciting. If you really thought that Washington was as good as their Regular Season record, you could almost call it the Miracle On Ice: The Squeakquel. I'm not really a fan of either team and even I jumped out of my easy chair and did a couple of fist pumps as the buzzer sounded. (And if you've read any of my blogs, I get out of my easy chair as often as Sarah Palin says something coherent.) I was happy about the outcome for two reasons. One, another Canadian team has advanced (I still would like another look at that high sticking call the Canadiens took in the last minute and a half, they didn't show a very good replay. I don't think CBC wants to stir the conspiracy pot for some reason), and two, the over-rated Ovechkin gets bounced. It has not been a good year for him (by his standards) after getting blown out by Canada in the Olympics and failing to win the Art Ross or the Rocket Richard trophies. Although I am a fan of Ovechkin, I don't think anybody is as exciting as he is to watch, he is not a team player, and a great system will beat his style more often than not provided they also get the goaltending, and Halak was brilliant. In the desperate dying moments of game 7, there was Ovechkin, head down, trying to crash his way to the net. I'd be pissed if I was a teammate. I certainly don't feel sorry for him though. He now has about five months off to spend some of his $10 Mill annual salary.
As far as my predictions from round one, I was 3 for 4 in the West (I still think Chicago was lucky to advance after Nashville basically gave game 5 away), and in the East I was 1 for 4 (only right about Pittsburgh). In my defense, since the West plays very few games against the East and I rarely watched any games that did not involve the Canucks, well, do the math and you'll figure out that I have no clue what I'm talking about as far as the Eastern teams go. Although I think Gerry Cheevers and Bobby Clarke must've played well for the Flyers and Bruins to advance. (They're still playing aren't they?)
Now for round two, I think it's pretty reasonable to say that there are five teams with a legitimate shot at winning the Cup. All four teams in the West and Pittsburgh. The West is really tough to pick, good thing I'm an expert.
Detroit(5) vs San Jose(1): Detroit is certainly peaking at the right time and will be very tough to beat. San Jose is notorious for choking in the playoffs but it's important to remember that they are not the same team as they were in the past. GM Doug Wilson made some significant changes in the offseason and this team is better than previous ones. They also were the best home team in the league in the regular season and they have home ice advantage. Should be a great series. Detroit in 7.
Vancouver (3) vs Chicago (2): This will likely be the series to watch in the second round. These two teams hate each other. Vancouver has been targeting Chicago since they shook hands with them last Spring after the Hawks beat them in six games. It's a better, faster, much more offensive Canucks team, but I think Chicago is better too. While the Canucks are weaker on the back end, Chicago doesn't have a goalie. If Vancouver's defense can get through the series without an injury to one of their top four, and maybe the refs protect Luongo a little bit with a couple of goalie interference calls, Vancouver will win this series in six and the size of the Canucks bandwagon will immediately double.
Over in the East, who the Hell knows. It's time for my annual coin flip.
Montreal (8) vs Pittsburgh (4): The obvious choice would be the Penguins. They play a better team game and have a better system. Also better goaltending. If Montreal is going to stay in this series, Halak will probably have to play four brilliant games. That's simply too much to ask. Pittsburgh in 5.
Philadelphia (7) vs Boston (6): Okay, seriously now. I have no idea. Heads - Boston. Tails - the Flyers. (drum roll...) Heads it is. Boston in 7. You might not want to put too much money on that one.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Gary Bettman: A Hate Story
Gary Bruce Bettman was born on a stormy Spring morning on June 2, 1952 in Queens, New York to a Jewish, ahh screw it. If you want to know his entire pathetic history, try Wikipedia. I'm more interested in his time as Commissioner of the National Hockey League, which began in 1993 and inexplicably continues to this day. Inexplicably is probably the wrong word. The reason he is still there is because of money. I'm sure if you were to ask him about it he would give you his usual Lawyer jargon and never actually come close to answering the question.
The team owners brought Bettman in to raise revenues, and that he has done. They've gone up from $400 Million to $2.2 Billion. Pretty impressive. What's not so impressive is that he has ruined the game that I have come to love over the last 30 some odd years. He knows as much about Hockey as Sarah Palin knows about the Middle East. (Which isn't much in case you thought I might be a Republican.)
Since he became Commissioner the league has added 6 new teams, all of them in the South. He's also taken teams out of Winnipeg and Quebec City and moved them to Phoenix and Colorado. All of this was done for the sole purpose of getting a major American tv contract. So now we have teams in places like Carolina and Nashville where most people don't care about Hockey, and because they went from 24 teams to 30 teams, they've now watered down what was a great product. I still think I could've made the Columbus team in it's first year if I'd tried out and I can barely skate backwards. None of this mattered to Bettman. Money, money, money.
Of course he insists he has nothing against Canada, and that may well be true. He's the type of person that would sell his Grandmother a Toyota. Canada already has tremendous support from a huge majority of the population and so they don't matter to Bettman. He's much more interested in the people of Dallas and Tampa who've never seen a sheet of ice and don't particularly want to. The fact that no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since Montreal in 1993 (the year Bettman got the job) and since then both Carolina and Tampa have won Stanley Cups makes me sick to my stomach.
One thing that I discovered in my countless hours (kidding) of research, is that the year after Bettman took the NHL job the average ticket price in the US was $35.07. The average ticket price for Canadian teams was $29.93. This year the average for US teams was $46.57 for an increase of $11.50, and the average for Canadian teams was $70.66 for an increase of an incredible $40.73! Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. It's important to remember that we the fans are the reason that the NHL exists and that Bettman even has his job. Without us shelling out the big bucks for a ticket in the nosebleeds, a crappy hot dog and an overpriced jersey made in China, not to mention an overpriced program and $30 for parking, there is no money to pay the players.
This brings me to the topic of the day, the dreaded conspiracy theory. I love conspiracies. W. Bush was behind 911, Nixon was set up and Elvis is a soccer ref somewhere in South America. Ray Ferraro says it is absolutely not possible for a conspiracy to exist in the NHL and he says that it's an insult to every player who's ever played the game. Since he is a former player, I don't think he really is being objective about the whole issue. If there is a conspiracy, I don't think players and coaches would be involved. It's not like Bettman would be talking to the refs before each game to influence the outcome, but there are many many questionable incidents since Bettman took office. The facts don't lie. I don't think there's any question that the NHL wants Chicago, Washington, Phoenix and LA to win and I have no problem with that. As long as they don't try to influence the outcome. If I'm not mistaken, Bettman has admitted in the past that an NHL final involving two Canadian teams would mean financial disaster for the league. It appears to me that the only way a Canadian team will ever win a Stanley Cup is if two Canadian teams make the final.
If you look at the Vancouver-LA series for example, in game two in overtime the Canucks are called for too many men when Kevin Bieksa gets hit with the puck as he's going off the ice. In the rule book that is clearly not a penalty, yet a linesman makes the call. Normally in overtime, even if he played the puck they would overlook it. They don't want to determine the outcome of a game with a call like that. Very questionable. LA by the way scored on the power play to win the game. In the following game the puck goes off of Daniel Sedin's skate as he was stopping in front of goalie Jonathon Quick. Clearly there was no kicking motion. Distinct or otherwise. Clearly, under the rules that is a goal. The refs on the ice called it a goal. Yet it went back to Toronto for them to review. Eight minutes went by and they overturned the call. First of all if you have to look at that play for eight long minutes to see if it was a distinct kicking motion, there was nothing 'distinct' about it. Second, Sedin had less than a half a second to react to the puck coming across while a guy is pushing him towards the net and he is trying to stop. It's simply not possible to kick it in intentionally. The fact that Sedin wasn't even looking at the puck doesn't seem to have any relevance. What pisses me off is the Bettman press conference the following day. He insists the puck was kicked in and they made the right call. He says what Sedin did was dangerous and somebody could have been hurt. I would suggest to Daniel Sedin that next time he's flying towards the net and being pushed from behind that he doesn't turn his skates to stop because that's dangerous. And when he runs the goalie into the net and through the end boards I hope that Bettman will help the LA goalie with his rehabilitation whenever he comes out of his coma. I mean really. Does he think we're all stupid? He also points to this DVD that was sent out to all the clubs that clears up any confusion on the rules. Rule 49.2 deals with kicked in goals. He claims this DVD will prove that the Sedin goal should not have counted. So I watched it. And it made me even angrier. Three of the goals that they say should count involved more of a kicking motion than the disallowed Sedin goal. Bettman, in typical lawyer fashion, is just trying to save his own ass and hope that this all blows away. He says if there was a mistake on the play (which he's quick to say there wasn't) everyone just needs to move on. Mistakes happen. I disagree. A ref will make a mistake on the ice during a game. Hockey is easily the toughest sport to officiate. But the point of video review is to overturn bad calls and get it right. This did the opposite. When you look at numerous angles of a play for eight long minutes, there should be no mistakes.
The only hockey person I've heard that thought it was kicked in was Kelly Hrudey, but then he's a former goalie and thinks that no goal should count. Even Scotty Bowman said they got it wrong, but of course Gary Bettman knows more about hockey than Scotty Bowman. I mean, what has Bowman ever done? Besides winning eleven Stanley Cups I mean.
Apparently I'm not the only one that thinks Gary Bettman is a waste of space. Just go to Garybettmansucks.com , Firebettman.com or Firegarybettman.com for more information. It must be nice to be so popular.
What the team owners have done is sold their souls to the Devil (Bettman, in case you haven't been paying attention) for the almighty Dollar and screwed it's most dedicated fans. I don't know if they could get rid of Bettman if they tried to. He's here to stay. I wouldn't be surprised if he moved the Oilers to Albequerque and the Flames to New Orleans. Hey, why don't we move the Canucks to San Diego? They already have an Orca in the logo, they could be sponsored by Sea World.
Maybe it's time for us Canadian fans to take back the game that we love. I say let's form our own league and put teams in Victoria, Kelowna, Saskatoon, and Halifax. Maybe even Winnipeg, Hamilton and Quebec City. Go a little smaller. Lower salaries and ticket prices. Probably not possible, but I'd be all for it. Even if it meant that Andrew Alberts was quartebacking the point on the power play.
A conspiracy? You be the judge. It wouldn't shock me but I'm not completely convinced just yet. Just keep an eye on the big market American teams and see for yourself. Especially in game sevens. Are they getting the favorable calls? All I can say is that if Nashville or Phoenix wins the Stanley Cup this year, I'm going to start watching Figure Skating.
The team owners brought Bettman in to raise revenues, and that he has done. They've gone up from $400 Million to $2.2 Billion. Pretty impressive. What's not so impressive is that he has ruined the game that I have come to love over the last 30 some odd years. He knows as much about Hockey as Sarah Palin knows about the Middle East. (Which isn't much in case you thought I might be a Republican.)
Since he became Commissioner the league has added 6 new teams, all of them in the South. He's also taken teams out of Winnipeg and Quebec City and moved them to Phoenix and Colorado. All of this was done for the sole purpose of getting a major American tv contract. So now we have teams in places like Carolina and Nashville where most people don't care about Hockey, and because they went from 24 teams to 30 teams, they've now watered down what was a great product. I still think I could've made the Columbus team in it's first year if I'd tried out and I can barely skate backwards. None of this mattered to Bettman. Money, money, money.
Of course he insists he has nothing against Canada, and that may well be true. He's the type of person that would sell his Grandmother a Toyota. Canada already has tremendous support from a huge majority of the population and so they don't matter to Bettman. He's much more interested in the people of Dallas and Tampa who've never seen a sheet of ice and don't particularly want to. The fact that no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since Montreal in 1993 (the year Bettman got the job) and since then both Carolina and Tampa have won Stanley Cups makes me sick to my stomach.
One thing that I discovered in my countless hours (kidding) of research, is that the year after Bettman took the NHL job the average ticket price in the US was $35.07. The average ticket price for Canadian teams was $29.93. This year the average for US teams was $46.57 for an increase of $11.50, and the average for Canadian teams was $70.66 for an increase of an incredible $40.73! Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. It's important to remember that we the fans are the reason that the NHL exists and that Bettman even has his job. Without us shelling out the big bucks for a ticket in the nosebleeds, a crappy hot dog and an overpriced jersey made in China, not to mention an overpriced program and $30 for parking, there is no money to pay the players.
This brings me to the topic of the day, the dreaded conspiracy theory. I love conspiracies. W. Bush was behind 911, Nixon was set up and Elvis is a soccer ref somewhere in South America. Ray Ferraro says it is absolutely not possible for a conspiracy to exist in the NHL and he says that it's an insult to every player who's ever played the game. Since he is a former player, I don't think he really is being objective about the whole issue. If there is a conspiracy, I don't think players and coaches would be involved. It's not like Bettman would be talking to the refs before each game to influence the outcome, but there are many many questionable incidents since Bettman took office. The facts don't lie. I don't think there's any question that the NHL wants Chicago, Washington, Phoenix and LA to win and I have no problem with that. As long as they don't try to influence the outcome. If I'm not mistaken, Bettman has admitted in the past that an NHL final involving two Canadian teams would mean financial disaster for the league. It appears to me that the only way a Canadian team will ever win a Stanley Cup is if two Canadian teams make the final.
If you look at the Vancouver-LA series for example, in game two in overtime the Canucks are called for too many men when Kevin Bieksa gets hit with the puck as he's going off the ice. In the rule book that is clearly not a penalty, yet a linesman makes the call. Normally in overtime, even if he played the puck they would overlook it. They don't want to determine the outcome of a game with a call like that. Very questionable. LA by the way scored on the power play to win the game. In the following game the puck goes off of Daniel Sedin's skate as he was stopping in front of goalie Jonathon Quick. Clearly there was no kicking motion. Distinct or otherwise. Clearly, under the rules that is a goal. The refs on the ice called it a goal. Yet it went back to Toronto for them to review. Eight minutes went by and they overturned the call. First of all if you have to look at that play for eight long minutes to see if it was a distinct kicking motion, there was nothing 'distinct' about it. Second, Sedin had less than a half a second to react to the puck coming across while a guy is pushing him towards the net and he is trying to stop. It's simply not possible to kick it in intentionally. The fact that Sedin wasn't even looking at the puck doesn't seem to have any relevance. What pisses me off is the Bettman press conference the following day. He insists the puck was kicked in and they made the right call. He says what Sedin did was dangerous and somebody could have been hurt. I would suggest to Daniel Sedin that next time he's flying towards the net and being pushed from behind that he doesn't turn his skates to stop because that's dangerous. And when he runs the goalie into the net and through the end boards I hope that Bettman will help the LA goalie with his rehabilitation whenever he comes out of his coma. I mean really. Does he think we're all stupid? He also points to this DVD that was sent out to all the clubs that clears up any confusion on the rules. Rule 49.2 deals with kicked in goals. He claims this DVD will prove that the Sedin goal should not have counted. So I watched it. And it made me even angrier. Three of the goals that they say should count involved more of a kicking motion than the disallowed Sedin goal. Bettman, in typical lawyer fashion, is just trying to save his own ass and hope that this all blows away. He says if there was a mistake on the play (which he's quick to say there wasn't) everyone just needs to move on. Mistakes happen. I disagree. A ref will make a mistake on the ice during a game. Hockey is easily the toughest sport to officiate. But the point of video review is to overturn bad calls and get it right. This did the opposite. When you look at numerous angles of a play for eight long minutes, there should be no mistakes.
The only hockey person I've heard that thought it was kicked in was Kelly Hrudey, but then he's a former goalie and thinks that no goal should count. Even Scotty Bowman said they got it wrong, but of course Gary Bettman knows more about hockey than Scotty Bowman. I mean, what has Bowman ever done? Besides winning eleven Stanley Cups I mean.
Apparently I'm not the only one that thinks Gary Bettman is a waste of space. Just go to Garybettmansucks.com , Firebettman.com or Firegarybettman.com for more information. It must be nice to be so popular.
What the team owners have done is sold their souls to the Devil (Bettman, in case you haven't been paying attention) for the almighty Dollar and screwed it's most dedicated fans. I don't know if they could get rid of Bettman if they tried to. He's here to stay. I wouldn't be surprised if he moved the Oilers to Albequerque and the Flames to New Orleans. Hey, why don't we move the Canucks to San Diego? They already have an Orca in the logo, they could be sponsored by Sea World.
Maybe it's time for us Canadian fans to take back the game that we love. I say let's form our own league and put teams in Victoria, Kelowna, Saskatoon, and Halifax. Maybe even Winnipeg, Hamilton and Quebec City. Go a little smaller. Lower salaries and ticket prices. Probably not possible, but I'd be all for it. Even if it meant that Andrew Alberts was quartebacking the point on the power play.
A conspiracy? You be the judge. It wouldn't shock me but I'm not completely convinced just yet. Just keep an eye on the big market American teams and see for yourself. Especially in game sevens. Are they getting the favorable calls? All I can say is that if Nashville or Phoenix wins the Stanley Cup this year, I'm going to start watching Figure Skating.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Canucks Light Up Kings
Our best players have to be our best players. There's nothing better than starting a blog with an overused cliche. However, truer words were never spoken. In an act of desperation Vigneault put Samuelsson back with the Sedin twins in the third period of game 4 and that third period is the turning point in this series thus far. This line has been on fire and Samuelsson is picking corners like he's hitting targets at a skills competition. The Kings simply have no answer for him. 7 goals in 5 games to start these playoffs. That shows you how good the Swedish Olympic team was that he wasn't even good enough to make that team. How did they do again?
Besides the top line, the Bernier, Wellwood, Demitra line had a great game. Good to see Bernier put a couple into open nets. Normally he misses. Hey, the net's only 6 feet across, give him a break.
It's important to not get too excited though. (Well, us fans can get excited as long as the team knows that clinching game will likely be the most difficult to win.) They now have to go back into Staples Centre where they have struggled this year. (Which road building haven't they struggled in?)
The Canucks penalty killing was much better tonight, allowing only one goal that was once again a lucky bounce. Combine that with the fact that Luongo is now outplaying Quick and you have to think that if those trends continue, there is no way the Kings can win this series. Although stranger things have happened.
Speaking of strange things happening, can you believe that Andrew Alberts didn't take a penalty tonight? Sorry, I should have told you to sit down first. He actually played a reasonably solid game which is great news. If this team does go on a run, he is likely going to be a part of it. Thanks for nothing Mathieu Schneider.
Game 6 is Sunday and the Canucks need to keep their foot on the gas pedal. This Kings team appears to be fragile right now and their confidence is shaken. They are a young inexperienced team. This is not the time to let up. Top teams finish off their opponents in these circumstances. It's time for these Canucks to prove they are a top team. It's time to show Gary Bettman that he's going to have to try a lot harder to knock these Canucks out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Besides the top line, the Bernier, Wellwood, Demitra line had a great game. Good to see Bernier put a couple into open nets. Normally he misses. Hey, the net's only 6 feet across, give him a break.
It's important to not get too excited though. (Well, us fans can get excited as long as the team knows that clinching game will likely be the most difficult to win.) They now have to go back into Staples Centre where they have struggled this year. (Which road building haven't they struggled in?)
The Canucks penalty killing was much better tonight, allowing only one goal that was once again a lucky bounce. Combine that with the fact that Luongo is now outplaying Quick and you have to think that if those trends continue, there is no way the Kings can win this series. Although stranger things have happened.
Speaking of strange things happening, can you believe that Andrew Alberts didn't take a penalty tonight? Sorry, I should have told you to sit down first. He actually played a reasonably solid game which is great news. If this team does go on a run, he is likely going to be a part of it. Thanks for nothing Mathieu Schneider.
Game 6 is Sunday and the Canucks need to keep their foot on the gas pedal. This Kings team appears to be fragile right now and their confidence is shaken. They are a young inexperienced team. This is not the time to let up. Top teams finish off their opponents in these circumstances. It's time for these Canucks to prove they are a top team. It's time to show Gary Bettman that he's going to have to try a lot harder to knock these Canucks out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Canucks Look To Stop The Bleeding In Game 4
Now is not the time to push the panic button, but for those bandwagoners out there, good to know you. Take care. The Canucks-Kings series has been one that the Canucks have virtually dominated in every aspect except for special teams and goaltending. Unfortunately, those are probably the two most important. If the Canucks don't figure out there penalty killing and Luongo can't raise his game to at least a solid if unspectacular level, the Canucks will not win this series. Where is that panic button again?
If you take special teams out of the equation, this series is probably 3-0 for Vancouver right now. For those of you saying that the Canucks need to stay out of the box, that's not realistic. You can't play aggressively and with intensity in the playoffs if you know that you cannot take a penalty or you will get scored on. They do need to cut down on their stupid penalties, but more importantly they need to kill a good chunk of them off. In game 3 they didn't even make it beyond the first minute. By the third power play goal it was actually becoming laughable. The most successful way to kill a penalty is be aggressive. The PK forwards have to pressure Doughty and Johnson, who don't ever seem to leave the ice on a power play. I don't know why we started to sit back and watch in that last game.
There's no doubt Luongo needs to be better, he will certainly admit to that, but it all starts in front of him. We need to compete better. They played a great first period in the last game and then came out in the second like they were proud of their accomplishments and could sit back and coast. The trouble was it was only 1-1 at that point.
I hate to keep pointing fingers at Vigneault but at some point in that second period (well before the backbreaking fourth goal) he should have called a time-out. The only reason I think he's reluctant to do so is that he has no clue how to motivate his players. He is not a motivating, intense type of coach, and because he's not, they at least need an intense assistant coach. Ryan Walter shows about as much intensity as a small plastic soapdish. There are certain times when a coach needs to lose it. Like in game 2 when we received that phantom too-many-men call. I would have gone ballistic. If a coach shows that he will battle for his team, that he will do whatever it takes, that he will be intense and emotional when need be, then his players will do the same in return. After the infamous Daniel Sedin goal (err non-goal), I would have gone Jim Playfair. And I would probably have become a hero in the eyes of Canuck fans. I know tht the refs on the ice didn't make that awful decision (actually they made the right call) but you've got to show that these inexcusable mistakes will not be tolerated. On the bright side, I strongly believe that if LA goes on to win this series, that Vigneault will be gone. Nothing personal, I actually think he's very likeable and a pretty good coach, the trouble is good coaches generally don't win Stanley Cups. Great coaches do. Nobody will be happier than myself if he proves me wrong.
The other major obstacle that the Canucks will have to overcome is the apparent fact that the NHL does not want Vancouver to win this series. First of all, I would like to say that I don't really care who the NHL wants to win. Bettman can be a Hurricanes fan for all I care. But if they are trying to influence games, then I have a problem with that. I'm still not sure about a conspiracy against the Canucks and all Canadian teams in general, but you can make a pretty good case for it. The best way to tell is to watch some of these series. The NHL would want Phoenix, Chicago, LA and Washington to win. They've already appeared to have some influence in the Capitals-Canadiens series. It will be interesting to see if that continues. In game two of the Canucks series, the too-many-men penalty that Bieksa took in OT was clearly not a penalty. That's a call the refs would generally not make in overtime even if Bieksa has played the puck intentionally. I was furious. (Vigneault just quietly shook his head.) In game three, I believe it was before the disallowed goal, people seem to be forgetting about Steve Bernier's stick being held when he was in front of an empty net with the puck within 10 feet of him. If he gets his stick loose, it's an easy goal. No call. There are two refs out there and neither of them see one of the most obvious calls that you could make? Then the Daniel Sedin goal that was called back. Clearly there was no kicking motion. That should have been looked at for about 20 seconds and then ruled a goal. The fact that they looked at it for about 8 minutes proves that there was no DISTINCT kicking motion. Not to mention that if you watch the play at regular speed you will see that it's simply not possible for anyone to intentionally kick the puck in with less than a half a second to react while a defenseman is pushing you towards the goalie and you are trying to stop to avoid running the goalie and taking a penalty which will lead to an obvious power play goal against. (*catches breath*) Now you can overlook a ref on the ice making a bad call, but you can't overlook 'experts' in Toronto taking 8 minutes to look at the play from several different angles and then overturning the RIGHT call. Inexcusable.
So the Canucks have a lot to overcome in game 4. It won't be easy, they just have to want the puck more than the Kings and hope for better goaltending. I would love to rant some more but Idol Gives Back is coming on. My rush to finish this will also explain any spelling mistakes. I hope I am forgiven.
If you take special teams out of the equation, this series is probably 3-0 for Vancouver right now. For those of you saying that the Canucks need to stay out of the box, that's not realistic. You can't play aggressively and with intensity in the playoffs if you know that you cannot take a penalty or you will get scored on. They do need to cut down on their stupid penalties, but more importantly they need to kill a good chunk of them off. In game 3 they didn't even make it beyond the first minute. By the third power play goal it was actually becoming laughable. The most successful way to kill a penalty is be aggressive. The PK forwards have to pressure Doughty and Johnson, who don't ever seem to leave the ice on a power play. I don't know why we started to sit back and watch in that last game.
There's no doubt Luongo needs to be better, he will certainly admit to that, but it all starts in front of him. We need to compete better. They played a great first period in the last game and then came out in the second like they were proud of their accomplishments and could sit back and coast. The trouble was it was only 1-1 at that point.
I hate to keep pointing fingers at Vigneault but at some point in that second period (well before the backbreaking fourth goal) he should have called a time-out. The only reason I think he's reluctant to do so is that he has no clue how to motivate his players. He is not a motivating, intense type of coach, and because he's not, they at least need an intense assistant coach. Ryan Walter shows about as much intensity as a small plastic soapdish. There are certain times when a coach needs to lose it. Like in game 2 when we received that phantom too-many-men call. I would have gone ballistic. If a coach shows that he will battle for his team, that he will do whatever it takes, that he will be intense and emotional when need be, then his players will do the same in return. After the infamous Daniel Sedin goal (err non-goal), I would have gone Jim Playfair. And I would probably have become a hero in the eyes of Canuck fans. I know tht the refs on the ice didn't make that awful decision (actually they made the right call) but you've got to show that these inexcusable mistakes will not be tolerated. On the bright side, I strongly believe that if LA goes on to win this series, that Vigneault will be gone. Nothing personal, I actually think he's very likeable and a pretty good coach, the trouble is good coaches generally don't win Stanley Cups. Great coaches do. Nobody will be happier than myself if he proves me wrong.
The other major obstacle that the Canucks will have to overcome is the apparent fact that the NHL does not want Vancouver to win this series. First of all, I would like to say that I don't really care who the NHL wants to win. Bettman can be a Hurricanes fan for all I care. But if they are trying to influence games, then I have a problem with that. I'm still not sure about a conspiracy against the Canucks and all Canadian teams in general, but you can make a pretty good case for it. The best way to tell is to watch some of these series. The NHL would want Phoenix, Chicago, LA and Washington to win. They've already appeared to have some influence in the Capitals-Canadiens series. It will be interesting to see if that continues. In game two of the Canucks series, the too-many-men penalty that Bieksa took in OT was clearly not a penalty. That's a call the refs would generally not make in overtime even if Bieksa has played the puck intentionally. I was furious. (Vigneault just quietly shook his head.) In game three, I believe it was before the disallowed goal, people seem to be forgetting about Steve Bernier's stick being held when he was in front of an empty net with the puck within 10 feet of him. If he gets his stick loose, it's an easy goal. No call. There are two refs out there and neither of them see one of the most obvious calls that you could make? Then the Daniel Sedin goal that was called back. Clearly there was no kicking motion. That should have been looked at for about 20 seconds and then ruled a goal. The fact that they looked at it for about 8 minutes proves that there was no DISTINCT kicking motion. Not to mention that if you watch the play at regular speed you will see that it's simply not possible for anyone to intentionally kick the puck in with less than a half a second to react while a defenseman is pushing you towards the goalie and you are trying to stop to avoid running the goalie and taking a penalty which will lead to an obvious power play goal against. (*catches breath*) Now you can overlook a ref on the ice making a bad call, but you can't overlook 'experts' in Toronto taking 8 minutes to look at the play from several different angles and then overturning the RIGHT call. Inexcusable.
So the Canucks have a lot to overcome in game 4. It won't be easy, they just have to want the puck more than the Kings and hope for better goaltending. I would love to rant some more but Idol Gives Back is coming on. My rush to finish this will also explain any spelling mistakes. I hope I am forgiven.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
My 40th Annual The Vancouver Canucks Will Win The Cup Blog
It seems like only yesterday that my team, the Vancouver Canucks, suffered a complete collapse and were swiftly booted out of the rink and onto the golf course. It was actually last Spring. And the Spring before that. And the Spring...well, you get the message. It's never been easy being a Canucks' fan. I guess there's a reason why Prozac is a bigger seller in BC than any other Province in Canada.(Allegedly) I guess there's a reason why my Mother (the self-proclaimed number one Canucks' fan) has black Lungs, an enlarged Liver and no fingernails. I have a feeling in the next few weeks, she may need a Pacemaker.
I will leave the sordid history of the Canucks (the Gilbert Perrault fiasco (wipes tear), Dale Tallon, Bill Laforge, Mark Messier, Chuck & Bobby, Cam Neely, the Canuck Duck, Lars Lindgren, Todd Bertuzzi etc...) for another time and another blog. Right now let's focus on this season and more importantly, this post-season.
For the first time in Canucks' history, we actually have a team that can score goals in bunches AND a great goalie. (I know some of you will disagree, but more on Luongo a bit later. One thing at a time, sheesh.) Unfortunately we are seriously lacking on defense, that is unless Willie Mitchell makes a miraculous comeback. Andrew Alberts is not a replacement for Willie Mitchell, and he is the sole reason my Mother might need that Pacemaker I was taking about.
Looking at the 16 teams in the Playoffs this year, I would say that Vancouver is the only team that you could not only make a really good case for them winning the Cup, but you could also make a pretty good case for them getting swept in the first round. The glass is half full guy would say Luongo is the best goalie in the league and he knows he has to prove it in the Playoffs, not in the regular season. The Sedins are much, much better than last year and they are unstoppable. No team can match our speed. Our defense has held up reasonably well down the stretch and will get the job done, kind of bending without breaking. Kesler and Burrows have had career years. Samuelsson has won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic Gold Medal and a World Championship. Demitra was the top scorer in the Olympics in Vancouver and an all-star. These 4 will step it up in the playoffs and we'll have a big parade down Robson in June. Again, that's coming from the glass is half full guy.
Now the glass is half empty guy would say Luongo is mentally tired and has lost confidence and cannot just flick a switch and play well in the Playoffs. The Sedins do not show up in the Playoffs and can be shut down over a 7 game series. Salo has had a great season, but he's a ticking time bomb. He won't make it through the first round without an injury or a sore throat or a hangnail. The defense is way too thin. You can't expect guys like O'Brien and Edler to play top 4 minutes. And Andrew Alberts is quite possibly the worst defenseman in the playoffs. The glass is half empty guy predicts they will get swept by LA and Vigneault will be fired. I'm not really sure who is more accurate, maybe somewhere in between, but as my Mother always says I don't care if the glass is half empty or half full, as long as it contains some Grey Goose.
While the LA Kings are a good young, talented team and not to be taken lightly, that is the team the Canucks wanted to play in the first round. Flying to LA is a lot easier than flying to Detroit or Nashville. Not to mention, I think Detroit and Nashville are better teams. On paper the Canucks are a better team, plain and simple. Unfortunately that was true against the Black Hawks last year and we all know what happened there. The Canucks are a much faster team with a lot better goaltending. On paper. If Luongo plays even just average for him, I think this series is over in 5. Of course he didn't play average most of the year. He's had a little bit of time to rest now which is a good thing. Not very often do the Canucks get a chance to cruise through the end of the regular season and rest some players so that is always a great bonus. I do wish that Vigneault had played Raycroft more after the Olympic break though. Luongo played the equivalent of 4 game 7's in a row and that has to take a toll mentally. I would have called up Schneider from the Moose to back up Raycroft and told Luongo to stay home for a week or so. Raycroft was playing well enough and with a rested Luongo who knows, maybe we could've won the Western Conference. Not that that matters anymore. It's all about winning one thing. The Hart Trophy. (Kidding)
At the forward position it's great to see that Vigneault actually has some options. If Burrows is struggling with the Twins he can bring in Samuelsson. If the Kings are having trouble with our speed, he can dress Grabner and put him with Raymond and Kesler. If they are playing tough, he can bring in Hordichuk. Options are only good if you are a good bench coach though, and I'm still not sold on Vigneault. I probably never will be until this team goes all the way. I think he was badly outcoached by Quenneville last season against the Hawks. (Why do I keep bringing that series up? I think I may need counselling.) Either way we have 3 solid lines that can score and a pretty good checking line although we will miss Ryan Johnson's shot blocking and penalty killing.
Our defense is the biggest concern. People have been freaking on Luongo since the Olympic break, but really I blame our defense the most. Of course when Luongo loses his trust in his defense, then he looks like the bad guy. I'm just glad Mike Gillis was able to steal Ehrhoff from the Sharks or we would likely not have even made the playoffs. If Salo can stay healthy (I wouldn't bet 2 cents on that happening) and Rome, O'Brien and Alberts can just keep it simple, they might be able to keep the puck out of their own net just enough to outscore their opponents. I would expect that no matter how far the Canucks go, there will be the odd blow out against them. And then my Mother will hit the bottle yet again.
I'm picking the Canucks to win in 5 games and of course they will go on to beat Detroit, San Jose and then the New Jersey Devils. I just want to see them play to their potential and give it their best. If they are beat by a better team, I can live with that. Though I will still be bitter for the whole Summer. It's an exciting time right now to be a Canucks' fan and it should be very exciting hockey. We've been spoiled this year with the play of the Sedins. Hard to believe that Luongo did anything but carry the team this year and they still won their division. If he gets hot, lookout.
For game one I will be putting on the authentic Jersey, wearing my Canuck touque, flying the Canuck flags, waving the Canuck towel and I'll have my Coke Zero and Baked Cheezies for good luck. With all of that how could they possibly come up short? I know I know. For 40 years they've found a way. But it's time to look ahead, not behind. It's time to go all the way for the first time in our history. Or my Mother just might end up in intensive care.
I will leave the sordid history of the Canucks (the Gilbert Perrault fiasco (wipes tear), Dale Tallon, Bill Laforge, Mark Messier, Chuck & Bobby, Cam Neely, the Canuck Duck, Lars Lindgren, Todd Bertuzzi etc...) for another time and another blog. Right now let's focus on this season and more importantly, this post-season.
For the first time in Canucks' history, we actually have a team that can score goals in bunches AND a great goalie. (I know some of you will disagree, but more on Luongo a bit later. One thing at a time, sheesh.) Unfortunately we are seriously lacking on defense, that is unless Willie Mitchell makes a miraculous comeback. Andrew Alberts is not a replacement for Willie Mitchell, and he is the sole reason my Mother might need that Pacemaker I was taking about.
Looking at the 16 teams in the Playoffs this year, I would say that Vancouver is the only team that you could not only make a really good case for them winning the Cup, but you could also make a pretty good case for them getting swept in the first round. The glass is half full guy would say Luongo is the best goalie in the league and he knows he has to prove it in the Playoffs, not in the regular season. The Sedins are much, much better than last year and they are unstoppable. No team can match our speed. Our defense has held up reasonably well down the stretch and will get the job done, kind of bending without breaking. Kesler and Burrows have had career years. Samuelsson has won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic Gold Medal and a World Championship. Demitra was the top scorer in the Olympics in Vancouver and an all-star. These 4 will step it up in the playoffs and we'll have a big parade down Robson in June. Again, that's coming from the glass is half full guy.
Now the glass is half empty guy would say Luongo is mentally tired and has lost confidence and cannot just flick a switch and play well in the Playoffs. The Sedins do not show up in the Playoffs and can be shut down over a 7 game series. Salo has had a great season, but he's a ticking time bomb. He won't make it through the first round without an injury or a sore throat or a hangnail. The defense is way too thin. You can't expect guys like O'Brien and Edler to play top 4 minutes. And Andrew Alberts is quite possibly the worst defenseman in the playoffs. The glass is half empty guy predicts they will get swept by LA and Vigneault will be fired. I'm not really sure who is more accurate, maybe somewhere in between, but as my Mother always says I don't care if the glass is half empty or half full, as long as it contains some Grey Goose.
While the LA Kings are a good young, talented team and not to be taken lightly, that is the team the Canucks wanted to play in the first round. Flying to LA is a lot easier than flying to Detroit or Nashville. Not to mention, I think Detroit and Nashville are better teams. On paper the Canucks are a better team, plain and simple. Unfortunately that was true against the Black Hawks last year and we all know what happened there. The Canucks are a much faster team with a lot better goaltending. On paper. If Luongo plays even just average for him, I think this series is over in 5. Of course he didn't play average most of the year. He's had a little bit of time to rest now which is a good thing. Not very often do the Canucks get a chance to cruise through the end of the regular season and rest some players so that is always a great bonus. I do wish that Vigneault had played Raycroft more after the Olympic break though. Luongo played the equivalent of 4 game 7's in a row and that has to take a toll mentally. I would have called up Schneider from the Moose to back up Raycroft and told Luongo to stay home for a week or so. Raycroft was playing well enough and with a rested Luongo who knows, maybe we could've won the Western Conference. Not that that matters anymore. It's all about winning one thing. The Hart Trophy. (Kidding)
At the forward position it's great to see that Vigneault actually has some options. If Burrows is struggling with the Twins he can bring in Samuelsson. If the Kings are having trouble with our speed, he can dress Grabner and put him with Raymond and Kesler. If they are playing tough, he can bring in Hordichuk. Options are only good if you are a good bench coach though, and I'm still not sold on Vigneault. I probably never will be until this team goes all the way. I think he was badly outcoached by Quenneville last season against the Hawks. (Why do I keep bringing that series up? I think I may need counselling.) Either way we have 3 solid lines that can score and a pretty good checking line although we will miss Ryan Johnson's shot blocking and penalty killing.
Our defense is the biggest concern. People have been freaking on Luongo since the Olympic break, but really I blame our defense the most. Of course when Luongo loses his trust in his defense, then he looks like the bad guy. I'm just glad Mike Gillis was able to steal Ehrhoff from the Sharks or we would likely not have even made the playoffs. If Salo can stay healthy (I wouldn't bet 2 cents on that happening) and Rome, O'Brien and Alberts can just keep it simple, they might be able to keep the puck out of their own net just enough to outscore their opponents. I would expect that no matter how far the Canucks go, there will be the odd blow out against them. And then my Mother will hit the bottle yet again.
I'm picking the Canucks to win in 5 games and of course they will go on to beat Detroit, San Jose and then the New Jersey Devils. I just want to see them play to their potential and give it their best. If they are beat by a better team, I can live with that. Though I will still be bitter for the whole Summer. It's an exciting time right now to be a Canucks' fan and it should be very exciting hockey. We've been spoiled this year with the play of the Sedins. Hard to believe that Luongo did anything but carry the team this year and they still won their division. If he gets hot, lookout.
For game one I will be putting on the authentic Jersey, wearing my Canuck touque, flying the Canuck flags, waving the Canuck towel and I'll have my Coke Zero and Baked Cheezies for good luck. With all of that how could they possibly come up short? I know I know. For 40 years they've found a way. But it's time to look ahead, not behind. It's time to go all the way for the first time in our history. Or my Mother just might end up in intensive care.
My 2nd Annual NHL Playoff Hockey Predictions
After going a perfect 15-0 during last years playoffs I thought I'd really go out on a limb this year and make my predictions BEFORE the playoffs start. I know it's a little risky, but I'm going to try to be brave. I'm going to write a blog tomorrow on the odds of my Vancouver Canucks winning the Stanley Cup. (I only call them 'my Vancouver Canucks' when they actually make the playoffs). Since I have done endless research (Google) and extensive scouting (NHL.com) I'm recommending that after reading this, you head to Vegas to make a whole crapload of money. (Can I say 'shit' on here?) So here are my first round picks, followed by the rest of my playoff predictions. Enjoy. If you can stay awake.
We will start off in the much stronger Western Conference. In fact we'll call the Western Conference the NHL, and the Eastern Conference the AHL. Now that may piss off a few East Coasters, but I don't care. If you want to drop the gloves, I'm sure I could find somebody who would fight you.
Starting with the San Jose Sharks (1) against the Colorado Avalanche (8), I think this is one of the easiest series to predict. While San Jose is notorious for choking in the post-season, Colorado faded big time down the stretch and their goalie Craig Anderson, who played great most of the season, really started to tire down the stretch. Look for a quick exit by the Avalanche. I'll pick San Jose in 5.
My favorite match-up of the first round is definitely Chicago (2) vs Nashville (7). Okay so maybe I'm still a little bitter that the Hawks beat my Canucks in the second round last year but I think this is going to be a lot closer than people expect. Nashville is my dark horse this year. I'm shocked at all the 'experts' that are picking Chicago to win the Stanley Cup. You read it here first, it's not going to happen. There's a little something called goaltending that tends to be pretty important come playoff time and the Hawks simply don't have it. Their so-called number one goalie going into the playoffs is Antti Niemi. Auntie Em would do a better job keeping pucks out of the net and she can't even skate. (For those of you under 40 that is a Wizard Of Oz reference.) Their backup Cristobal Huet, who is likely to play a game or two in this series, has been absolutely horrible as of late. For the Predators Pekka Rinne has been great in net this year. While he is unproven in the playoffs, I think he will be solid in this series. He's going to have to outplay the opposing goalie, which is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel. Let's go with Nashville in 6.
Since I'm writing a Canuck Blog tomorrow (hopefully the first of many this postseason) I won't go into detail about the Vancouver (3) - LA (6) series. Let's just say Vancouver in 5 and move on.
Another great match-up is Phoenix (4) against Detroit (5). Who would've thought going into this season that these two teams would meet in the playoffs and Phoenix would have home ice advantage. Now that's just crazy talk. There were two reasons for the Coyotes success this year. One, they gave Gretzky the boot. Sure he was a brilliant player blah blah blah, but what the Hell does he know about coaching a team with very little offensive talent? Judging from the results during his time in Phoenix, not much. Two, the amazing play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. They also have a solid team with some depth and are well coached. They are in tough against a healthy and hungry Detroit team however. I had the opportunity to watch the Wings practice in Kelowna a few weeks ago and they looked fast and confident. That Red Wing swagger is still there and they are also very well coached. This is the toughest series to predict. I'm going to pick Detroit in 6. For Phoenix to pull off an upset, and it's certainly not outside of the realm of possibility, Bryzgalov will have to steal at least a couple of games.
Over to the AHL err Eastern Conference, the number one team (not to mention the first team overall in the league) is the Washington Capitals. It's important to mention that they play in by far the weakest division in the league. They are the only team in their division to make the playoffs. Why does that matter? Because they play more games against their division rivals than any other teams. And seriously, if the Eastern Conference is the AHL, you could consider the SouthEast Division Bantam C. I'm not saying that they aren't a good team, I'm just saying well, okay yeah I'm saying they aren't a good team. At least not really a serious contender at this point. I'm sure some of you are thinking that I've been smoking too much hash (do people still smoke hash these days?) but I think the Capitals are due to be upset early in the playoffs. It's just not going to be in the first round against the Montreal Canadiens (8). I will pick the Caps in 5.
New Jersey (2) against Philadelphia (7) could also be a tough series. While I would normally pick the Devils to win this series, the Flyers did win 5 of 6 against them in the regular season. But since the Devils have Marty Brodeur, I think that he will probably be the difference. I think he may feel he has something to prove since he sat on the bench and watched Roberto Luongo steal the spotlight and strike Gold in Vancouver. Now is his time to do just that (steal the spotlight, not strike Gold in Vancouver). New Jersey in 6.
Buffalo (3) vs Boston (6): Ryan Miller has easily been one of the top 5 players in the league this season and a serious contender for the Hart Trophy as league MVP and I think that he alone will win this series against the Bruins. The rest of the team can stay home and rest. Sabres in 5.
And finally we have Pittsburgh (4) against Ottawa (5). While there are some question marks concerning the Penguins, namely goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and last year's league MVP Evgeny Malkin, I think they will cruise against a pretty weak Senators team. Let's go with Pittsburgh in a 4 game sweep.
On to the 2nd round. In the West we have San Jose vs Nashville. I'll pick the Sharks. Vancouver vs Detroit. I'll pick the Canucks. (Hey, I've picked them to win the Cup for 40 miserable years, I can't stop now.)
In the East, Washington vs Pittsburgh will obviously be the big match-up. I feel pretty confident that the Penguins will win that series. For New Jersey against Buffalo, it's going to come down to goaltending. I hate to bet against Ryan Miller but I'll pick New Jersey to pull through. I also think New Jersey will beat Pittsburgh in the Conference finals where they will meet and lose to(you guessed it) my Vancouver Canucks.
Lastly, I predict that Luongo will hand off the Cup to Henrik Sedin and I will cry like a little baby after doing laps around my living room in my Canuck jersey and slippers while waving my Canuck flag.
Those are my predictions, free of charge. Now enjoy your trip to Vegas.
We will start off in the much stronger Western Conference. In fact we'll call the Western Conference the NHL, and the Eastern Conference the AHL. Now that may piss off a few East Coasters, but I don't care. If you want to drop the gloves, I'm sure I could find somebody who would fight you.
Starting with the San Jose Sharks (1) against the Colorado Avalanche (8), I think this is one of the easiest series to predict. While San Jose is notorious for choking in the post-season, Colorado faded big time down the stretch and their goalie Craig Anderson, who played great most of the season, really started to tire down the stretch. Look for a quick exit by the Avalanche. I'll pick San Jose in 5.
My favorite match-up of the first round is definitely Chicago (2) vs Nashville (7). Okay so maybe I'm still a little bitter that the Hawks beat my Canucks in the second round last year but I think this is going to be a lot closer than people expect. Nashville is my dark horse this year. I'm shocked at all the 'experts' that are picking Chicago to win the Stanley Cup. You read it here first, it's not going to happen. There's a little something called goaltending that tends to be pretty important come playoff time and the Hawks simply don't have it. Their so-called number one goalie going into the playoffs is Antti Niemi. Auntie Em would do a better job keeping pucks out of the net and she can't even skate. (For those of you under 40 that is a Wizard Of Oz reference.) Their backup Cristobal Huet, who is likely to play a game or two in this series, has been absolutely horrible as of late. For the Predators Pekka Rinne has been great in net this year. While he is unproven in the playoffs, I think he will be solid in this series. He's going to have to outplay the opposing goalie, which is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel. Let's go with Nashville in 6.
Since I'm writing a Canuck Blog tomorrow (hopefully the first of many this postseason) I won't go into detail about the Vancouver (3) - LA (6) series. Let's just say Vancouver in 5 and move on.
Another great match-up is Phoenix (4) against Detroit (5). Who would've thought going into this season that these two teams would meet in the playoffs and Phoenix would have home ice advantage. Now that's just crazy talk. There were two reasons for the Coyotes success this year. One, they gave Gretzky the boot. Sure he was a brilliant player blah blah blah, but what the Hell does he know about coaching a team with very little offensive talent? Judging from the results during his time in Phoenix, not much. Two, the amazing play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. They also have a solid team with some depth and are well coached. They are in tough against a healthy and hungry Detroit team however. I had the opportunity to watch the Wings practice in Kelowna a few weeks ago and they looked fast and confident. That Red Wing swagger is still there and they are also very well coached. This is the toughest series to predict. I'm going to pick Detroit in 6. For Phoenix to pull off an upset, and it's certainly not outside of the realm of possibility, Bryzgalov will have to steal at least a couple of games.
Over to the AHL err Eastern Conference, the number one team (not to mention the first team overall in the league) is the Washington Capitals. It's important to mention that they play in by far the weakest division in the league. They are the only team in their division to make the playoffs. Why does that matter? Because they play more games against their division rivals than any other teams. And seriously, if the Eastern Conference is the AHL, you could consider the SouthEast Division Bantam C. I'm not saying that they aren't a good team, I'm just saying well, okay yeah I'm saying they aren't a good team. At least not really a serious contender at this point. I'm sure some of you are thinking that I've been smoking too much hash (do people still smoke hash these days?) but I think the Capitals are due to be upset early in the playoffs. It's just not going to be in the first round against the Montreal Canadiens (8). I will pick the Caps in 5.
New Jersey (2) against Philadelphia (7) could also be a tough series. While I would normally pick the Devils to win this series, the Flyers did win 5 of 6 against them in the regular season. But since the Devils have Marty Brodeur, I think that he will probably be the difference. I think he may feel he has something to prove since he sat on the bench and watched Roberto Luongo steal the spotlight and strike Gold in Vancouver. Now is his time to do just that (steal the spotlight, not strike Gold in Vancouver). New Jersey in 6.
Buffalo (3) vs Boston (6): Ryan Miller has easily been one of the top 5 players in the league this season and a serious contender for the Hart Trophy as league MVP and I think that he alone will win this series against the Bruins. The rest of the team can stay home and rest. Sabres in 5.
And finally we have Pittsburgh (4) against Ottawa (5). While there are some question marks concerning the Penguins, namely goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and last year's league MVP Evgeny Malkin, I think they will cruise against a pretty weak Senators team. Let's go with Pittsburgh in a 4 game sweep.
On to the 2nd round. In the West we have San Jose vs Nashville. I'll pick the Sharks. Vancouver vs Detroit. I'll pick the Canucks. (Hey, I've picked them to win the Cup for 40 miserable years, I can't stop now.)
In the East, Washington vs Pittsburgh will obviously be the big match-up. I feel pretty confident that the Penguins will win that series. For New Jersey against Buffalo, it's going to come down to goaltending. I hate to bet against Ryan Miller but I'll pick New Jersey to pull through. I also think New Jersey will beat Pittsburgh in the Conference finals where they will meet and lose to(you guessed it) my Vancouver Canucks.
Lastly, I predict that Luongo will hand off the Cup to Henrik Sedin and I will cry like a little baby after doing laps around my living room in my Canuck jersey and slippers while waving my Canuck flag.
Those are my predictions, free of charge. Now enjoy your trip to Vegas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)