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Capitals Collapse, Lots of Games, the top Heavy West and the Upside Down East

EASTERN CONFERENCE
#8 Montreal Canadiens OVER #1 Washington Capitals 4-3
Turning Point: Trailing 3 games to 1 and having been pulled in Game 4, Montreal coach Jacques Martin opted to go back to Jaroslav Halak and he stopped 131 of 134 shots to pull the upset.
Key Stat: Capitals Power Play: 1-33 (#1 during the regular season)
Result: WOW. What a giant collapse by the Capitals. This was a clear 1 vs. 16 matchup. While upsets in the NHL are few and far between, for the Capitals to blow a 3-1 lead is a stunner. A team that lost 5 games in regulation at home during the regular season dropped 3 in this series. For the third straight year the Caps lose a Game 7 at home. Maybe they’re becoming the San Jose Sharks label. The real reason the season ended the way it did was due to Jaroslav Halak. Limiting the Caps to 3 goals in the final 3 games is remarkable. Considering he was lit up in the final period of Game 2 and all of Game 3 to respond the way he did was quite impressive. Montreal dictated the way the games were played and did an amazing job killing penalties.

#7 Philadelphia Flyers OVER #2 New Jersey Devils 4-1
Turning Point: Dan Carcillo buried home a rebound in overtime of Game 3 to win the swing game and take control of the series.
Key Stat: Brian Boucher (1.59 GAA, .940 SV%)
Result: A more predictable upset. Philadelphia, despite being decimated with injuries, was able to continue its domination of New Jersey. The Devils suffered another playoff failure are 3-7 at home since opening the Prudential Center. Brian Boucher outplayed Martin Broduer and Philly outplayed New Jersey in every facet of the game to cruise to an easy series win.

#6 Boston Bruins OVER #3 Buffalo Sabres 4-2
Turning Point: Miroslave Satan beat his former teammate in double overtime of Game 4 to give the Bruins a 3-1 edge in the series.
Key Stat: Home Teams 5-1.
Result: The series everyone expected. Low-scoring, solid goaltending, and close games. The Bruins benefited from the Tomas Vanek injury in Game 2 to rally and steal the one road game either team would win. Tuukka Rask and Ryan Miller went toe-to-toe but Boston was able squeeze out enough offense to advance. Boston who was one game over 500 at home during the regular season won all 3.

#4 Pittburgh Penguins OVER #5 Ottawa Senators 4-2
Turning Point: Down 3-0 in Game 6 Pittburgh fired off a furious rally to seal the game and the series.
Key Stat: Sidney Crosby (5-9-14)
Result: Despite some hiccups at home, the Penguins were dominant on the road taking all three in Ottawa. Sidney Crosby was a force. He was able to wear down and injured Senators team and took over Games 2, 3, and 4. Even though the Sens had injuries they made it a series by winning in triple overtime of Game 5. Now Pittsburgh is the highest seed remaining in the East and the forecast of a third straight Cup appearance looks promising.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
#1 San Jose Sharks OVER #8 Colorado Avalanche 4-2
Turning Point: Down 2-1 in overtime of Game 4 Joe Pavelski beat Craig Anderson glove side to tie the series and the Sharks closed it out in 6.
Key Stat: 100, the number of more shots for San Jose from Games 2-6
Result: After dominating Games 1-3 the Sharks found themselves down in the series thanks to the stellar play of Craig Anderson and the fluke own goal by Dan Boyle. Past Sharks teams might have wilted but thanks to picking up an overtime win in Game 4, the Sharks dominated Game 5 and finished it off in Colorado. More impressive is they did it without much production from the top line of Marleau, Thornton, and Heatley. For Colorado, Craig Anderson was amazing and this was just a taste.

#2 Chicago Blackhawks OVER #7 Nashville Predators 4-2
Turning Point: With the series tied at 2, the Predators held a 4-3 lead when Patrick Kane scored shorthanded with 14 seconds left and the goaltender pulled to the game and the Hawks won in overtime.
Key Stat: 2, Shutouts for Antti Niemi
Result: What a back and forth series. The teams alternated wins in the first four games before Chicago won the maddening Game 5. The Hawks just had too much firepower for Nashville. Antti Niemi answered the bell in net while Chicago’s offensive balance overwhelmed the Predators. Every punch Nashville threw Chicago was able to counter and outlast.

#3 Vancouver Canucks OVER #6 Los Angeles Kings 4-2
Turning Point: Trailing 2-1 in the series and 3-2 in Game 4, the Canucks rallied for 4 goals in the 3rd period including the winner by Henrik Sedin with 2.5 minutes remaining to regain control of the series.
Key Stat: 17-5, Vancouver’s advantage at even strength
Result: The Kings were 29-0-2 when leading after two periods. The Canucks led the league with 11 come-from-behind 3rd period victories. Advantage Vancouver. The Canucks took Games 4 and 6 in Los Angeles after trailing at the end of two periods to salt away the series. The Sedin twins did their thing but it was Mikael Samuelsson’s 7 goals the sparked Vancouver. Los Angeles stayed in the series because of their dominant power play which was converting at nearly 70% through the first four games. Drew Doughty had an unbelievable series but it was not enough for the young Kings.

#5 Detroit Red Wings OVER #4 Phoenix Coyotes 4-3
Turning Point: Detroit showed up for Game 7.
Key Stat: 5-2, the record for road teams
Result: Great series. In the end, the experience of Detroit was too much for the Coyotes. Phoenix showed great heart and grit by winning Game 6 in Hockeytown when it looked like a foregone conclusion the series would end. The Yotes validated their season by going toe-to-toe with two-time Western Conference champs but Game 7 was too much Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Lidstrom.

I’m writing this six beers deep and pissed off my Kings were just eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs so we’ll see how this goes…

Again, the Stanley Cup playoffs are the most entertaining pro sports playoffs of them all. Look at the overtime games, parity, and intensity of a long series is just not matched in any other sport. Get into it…

For your NBA playoff preview, I’m taking home court…

Thanks to everyone who blasted my phone with text messages. I’m well aware that Tim Tebow is a Bronco. My question for you is why the hell would you watch the draft?…

That South Park 200 and 201 episodes were awesome. Memo to Seinfeld, it is possible to bring all the characters back…

I wonder if I get a good enough tan this summer that when I drive back to Arizona in September if I’ll be asked to show my immigration papers?…

I’m impressed Ben Roethlisberger was suspended. Roger Goodell again proves his has the iron fist…

Congrats Vancouver…

The stage is set. Is it finally Ovechkin’s time? Will the Sharks finally get over the hump? Can the Blackhawks end the 43-year cup drought? What about the excitement in cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix? Without further ado my first round previews and predictions:

WESTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 San Jose (51-20-11, 113) vs. No. 8 Colorado (43-30-9, 95)
Special Teams: Sharks 21.0%-PP (4th), 85.0%-PK (5th); Avalanche 18.1% (15th), 80.2% (21st)
Impact Players: Sharks: Joe Thornton (20-69-89), Patrick Marleau (44-39-83), Dany Heatley (39-43-82); Avalanche: Paul Stastny (20-59-79), Chris Stewart (28-36-64), Craig Anderson (38W, 2.63, .917, 7 SHO)
Outlook: All of the pressure is on the Sharks. This franchise has not made the Stanley Cup Finals despite five division titles and has been bounced as a favorite in 5 of the last 6 seasons including last season in the 1-8 matchup. The whole season has been a countdown to this stage. Colorado came out of nowhere to emerge in the postseason. The young core took off and are now they are way ahead in the rebuilding process. Anything for them is a bonus and although the Sharks won’t admit it they were thrilled Detroit beat Chicago on the final Sunday to avoid a first round matchup with the Red Wings. The Sharks should win this series easily on a talent basis but that’s been a bugaboo in the past. If Craig Anderson could steal Game 1, the pressure will build and the Sharks could press.
Pick: Sharks in 6

No. 2 Chicago (52-22-8, 112) vs. No. 7 Nashville (47-29-6, 100)
Special Teams: Blackhawks 17.7% (16th), 86.3% (4th); Predators 16.4% (24th), 28th (77.1%)
Impact Players: Blackhawks: Patrick Kane (30-58-88), Duncan Keith (14-55-69), Jonathan Toews (25-43-68); Predators: Steve Sullivan (17-34-51), Shea Weber (16-27-43), Pekka Rinne (32W, 2.53, .911, 7 SHO)
Outlook: The Blackhawks earned a franchise-record 112 points. They’re fast and deep and their defense is as mobile as any led by Norris Trophy candidate Duncan Keith. The questions remain in goal with Antti Niemi. The Predators gave up as many goals as they scored (225), the worst differential in the West. They don’t possess a difference maker on the ice but balance up and down. They’ll rely heavily on Pekka Rinne in net. They have yet to win a playoff series in their franchise history. This should be a fast and clean series with two of the least penalized teams in the league.
Pick: Blackhawks in 6

No. 3 Vancouver (49-28-5, 103) vs. No. 6 Los Angeles (46-27-9, 101)
Special Teams: Canucks 20.9% (6th), 81.6% (18th); Kings 20.8% (7th), 80.3% (20th)
Impact Players: Canucks: Henrik Sedin (29-83-112), Daniel Sedin (29-56-85), Roberto Luongo (40W, 2.57, .913, 4 SHO); Kings: Anze Kopitar (34-47-81), Drew Doughty (16-43-59), Jonathan Quick (39W, 2.54, .907, 4 SHO)
Outlook: Good series. The Canucks led the West with 272 goals and boast the NHL scoring champion in Sedin. Alex Burrows usually played alongside the twins and scored a team-high 35 goals. The weird thing is the concern is in net as Roberto Luongo suffered a bit of a letdown following the Olympics. However, goaltending will be a question for the Kings since Olympian Jonathan Quick was winless in his last 8 starts and pulled in two of those contests. The Kings will try to establish their cycle and bang the Canucks to wear them down in this series. Both of these teams will mirror each other in speed, depth, and physical play.
Pick: Kings in 6

No. 4 Phoenix (50-25-7, 107) vs. No. 5 Detroit (44-24-14, 102)
Special Teams: Coyotes 14.6% (28th), 84.5% (6th); Red Wings 19.2% (9th), 83.9% (10th)
Impact Players: Coyotes: Wojtek Wolski (23-42-65), Shane Doan (18-37-55), Ilya Bryzgalov (42W, 2.29, .920, 8 SHO); Red Wings: Pavel Datsyuk (27-43-70), Henrik Zetterberg (23-47-70), Jimmy Howard (37W, 2.26, .924, 3 SHO)
Outlook: This is the underdog versus the hated storied franchise. The Coyotes overcame bankruptcy, a coaching change, and rumors of relocations to their first postseason in 8 years. The credit goes to coach Dave Tippett’s tight checking defense and the stout goaltending of Bryzgalov. He who happens to posses a career 1.68 playoff goals-against average in 16 games with the Ducks. The Red Wings were the hottest team after the Olympics losing only three games in regulation. Goalie Jimmy Howard has no NHL playoff experience but that probably won’t matter given the experience of his teammates in front of him. This is the first time since 1990-91 the Red Wings will not have home ice in the first round.
Pick: Red Wings in 6

EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Washington (54-15-13, 121) vs. No. 8 Montreal (39-33-10, 88)
Special Teams: Capitals 25.2% (1st), 78.8% (25th); Canadiens 21.8% (2nd), 83.0% (12th)
Impact Players: Capitals: Alexander Ovechkin (50-59-109), Nicklas Backstrom (33-68-101), Mike Green (19-57-76); Canadiens: Tomas Plekanec (25-45-70), Andrei Markov (6-28-34), Jaroslav Halak (26W, 2.40, .924, 5 SHO)
Outlook: The Capitals led the NHL with 318 goals and a +85 goal differential. The Caps possess a ridiculous amount of offense with 8 guys who scored 19+ goals. We all know about Ovechkin but his complementary players give the Capitals the deepest team the franchise has ever had. Jose Theodore gets first crack at solving those goaltending questions. Last year he didn’t make it to Game 3 of the 1st round. The Canadiens are the opposite of the Caps with a negative goal differential (217 for, 223 against) and will ride goalie Jaroslav Halak, whose .924 save percentage ranked in the top 5. The biggest thing will be 5-on-5 where Washington was the league’s best at even strength while Montreal ranked dead last.
Pick: Capitals in 5

No. 2 New Jersey (48-27-7, 103) vs. No. 7 Philadelphia (41-35-6, 88)
Special Teams: Devils 18.7% (11th), 82.8% (13th); Flyers 21.4% (3rd), 83.0% (11th)
Impact Players: Devils: Ilya Kovalchuk (41-44-85), Zach Parise (38-44-82), Martin Brodeur (45W, 2.24, .916, 9 SHO); Flyers: Mike Richards (31-31-62), Jeff Carter (33-28-61), Chris Pronger (10-45-55)
Outlook: Kovalchuk averaged a point per game after the Devils acquired him from Atlanta, producing 10 goals and 26 points in 26 games to help team with Zach Parise. However, the Devils still finished near the bottom in goals scored. Martin Brodeur won his fifth Jennings trophy as the Devils allowed the fewest goals in the NHL, 191. The Flyers did their best to give away their playoff spot but won a shootout over the Rangers in their season finale to sneak in. They’ve been a huge disappointment, and not just because they can’t solve their eternal goaltending question. We’ll see if Brian Boucher answers the bell. Philly won 5 of 6 from New Jersey this year.
Pick: Devils in 7

No. 3 Buffalo (45-27-10, 100) vs. No. 6 Boston (39-30-13, 91)
Special Teams: Sabres 17.6% (17th), 86.6% (2nd); Bruins 16.6% (23rd), 86.4% (3rd)
Impact Players: Sabres: Derek Roy (26-43-69), Tim Connolly (17-48-65), Ryan Miller (41W, 2.22, .929, 5 SHO); Bruins: Patrice Bergeron (19-33-52), Zdeno Chara (7-37-44), Tuukka Rask (22W, 1.97, .931, 5 SHO)
Outlook: I hope you like 2-1 playoff hockey games. The Bruins ranked 29th this season with 206 goals and these two teams have the NHL’s top two goalies in save percentage and goals-against average. The Sabres possess a better offense which I think will probably be the difference here. However, if Boston is able to dictate the pace and limit Buffalo’s deeper scoring prowess it can stratch out some wins and extend this series the distance. We’ll see how Tuukka Rask responds to playoff hockey. If not, expect a quick hook and Tim Thomas to step in. Are you un-American if you go against Miller?
Pick: Sabres in 6

No. 4 Pittsburgh (47-28-7, 101) vs. No. 5 Ottawa (44-32-6, 94)
Special Teams: Penguins 17.2% (19th), 84.1 (9th); Senators 16.9% (21st), 84.3% (8th)
Impact Players: Penguins: Sidney Crosby (51-58-109), Evgeni Malkin (28-49-77), Jordan Staal (21-28-49); Senators: Daniel Alfredsson (20-51-71), Jason Spezza (23-34-57), Brian Elliot (29W, 2.57, .909, 5 SHO)
Outlook: Crosby finished second to Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin in points and hit 50 goals for the first time, sharing the goal-scoring lead with Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos. The defending champs Penguins have had an up-and-down season and have struggled mightly against the top teams, including going 0-10 against Washington and New Jersey. Marc-Andre Fluery has had a down season but he gets the benefit of the doubt with two finals appearances. The Senators lost winger Alexei Kovalev to knee surgery and will be hard pressed to match Pittsburgh offensively. The Sens will rely heavily on their top line. They’ve been a streaky team all year and will look to get on a roll starting Wednesday.
Pick: Penguins in 6

Regular Season Recap, Awards, Draft Needs, and the Playoffs

The Playoffs Start Wednesday. Nothing better than the Stanley Cup Playoff. Here are my regular season awards:

• Hart (MVP)- Henrik Sedin, VAN- Oveckin? Crosby? Nope the leading scorer in the NHL this season is a Swedish twin in the greater Northwest. Sedin finally reached the 100 (112) point plateau and did it despite missing his brother for a quarter of the season. Sedin took his game to a new level and helped Vancouver capture another Northwest Division Title. Runners Up: Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Bryzgalov
• Vezina (Goalie)- Ilya Bryzgalov, PHX- This is a tough one. Frankly I think Ryan Miller is going to win it given his outstanding season and what he did for Team USA in the Olympics. The numbers are comparable. However I go with Bryzgalov based on the surprise that the Phoenix Coyotes were. Given the circumstances of the entire season, Phoenix was picked to finish at the bottom and finished 4th in the Western Conference, making the playoffs for the first time in 8 years. Runners Up: Ryan Miller, Martin Brodeur
• Norris (Defensemen)- Duncan Keith, CHI- You could go with Mike Green but his numbers are part of the byproduct that is the Capitals machine. Keith has emerged as one of the top defensemen in the game while assuming more offensive responsibility with down years from Brian Campbell and Brett Seabrook as the Blackhawks finished near the top of the West. Runners Up: Mike Green, Drew Doughty
• Jack Adams (Coach)- Dave Tippet, PHX- This is the easiest of them all. The Coyotes were without an owner, facing financial bankruptcy, their coach stepped down a week before the season, and they came off another horrible season. Enter Tippet. Phoenix thrived playing his defensive zone trap and the Yotes finished with 107 points about 30-40 more than people figured. Runners Up: Terry Murray, Joe Sacco
• Calder (Rookie)- Tyler Myers, BUF- The 6’7” force ranks 10th overall amongst defensemen scoring and finished 3rd amongst all rookies. His presence has in front of Ryan Miller and killing penalties helped propel Buffalo to the 4th lowest GAA in the league. Runners Up: Jimmy Howard, Matt Duchene
• Selke (Defensive Forward)- Alex Burrows, VAN- Burrows scored 35 goals, 5 of them shorthanded, which led the league, while finishing with a +34. Runners Up: Michal Handzus, Pavel Datsyuk

Eastern Conference:
Atlantic
* New Jersey Devils (48-27-7, 103, 2nd): Just another year, another 100 points, another division title, and another Vezina worthy season for Martin Brodeur. The trade for Ilya Kovalchuk added the additional offense the Devils were looking for. The question remains for New Jersey is can they get it done in the postseason. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2003 New Jersey has not made it past the 2nd round and three times have been eliminated in the first round as a higher seed.
* Pittsburgh Penguins (47-28-7, 101, 4th): For the third straight year the Penguins finished 4th in the East. Will it translate into three straight Stanley Cup Finals appearances? Sidney Crosby finally reached the 50-goal plateau and had his best individual season in his five years.
* Philadelphia Flyers (41-35-6, 88, 7th): It took to the very last day to solidify a playoff spot. They dealt with injuries to top players, a new coach, and goaltending issues but held on just enough to make the playoffs. We’ll see if they can do anything.
* New York Rangers (38-33-11, 87, 9th): Henrik Lundqvist and Marion Gaborik did what they could but it wasn’t enough to get back to the postseason. This team is inbetween. It’s needs a puck moving defensemen and one more quality forward. You have to wonder if they spoiled a healthy season from Gaborik?
* New York Islanders (34-37-11, 79, 13th): John Tavares was worth the hype and brought with him the reason for hope. It’ll be interesting if Rick DiPietro returns healthy next year. This team is in the middle of about a 3-year rebuilding process of 20 years if you ask Islander fans.

Northeast
* Buffalo Sabers (45-27-10, 100, 3rd): Ryan Miller put together a season for the ages and led Buffalo back to the top of Northeast. This is a deep playoff experienced team with a goalie that is the kind of difference maker to go all the way. They’re two years removed from making it to consecutive conference finals.
* Ottawa Senators (44-32-6, 94, 5th): In my preseason preview I felt this was a team that could go either way finishing high or low. They finished high and have the offense to score goals but postseason hockey is about goaltending and we’ll see if Brian Elliot is the answer.
* Boston Bruins (39-30-13, 91, 6th): They made the playoffs with smoke and mirrors. They really don’t much have offense but were able to do enough to sneak in the last month of the season. They’re built around defense and goaltending the question is who will be in net? Do you go with Tim Thomas last years Vezina winner or Tuukka Rask, the leader in GAA?
* Montreal Canadiens (39-33-10, 88, 8th): They were really an enigmatic average team most of the season. They were able to channel momentum from a mid-March surge and make it in. They’re heavy underdogs against the Capitals and will be forced to ride either Carey Price or Jaroslav Halak as far as they go.
* Toronto Maple Leafs (30-38-14, 74, 15th): A rebuilding process Toronto style. Their lottery pick will go to Boston as part of the Phil Kessel deal but Brian Burke swung a deal for a goalie in J.S. Giguere and defensemen Dion Phaneuff. It’ll be another weird offseason full of dealing in Toronto.

Southeast
* Washington Capitals (54-15-13, 121, 1st): They scored 318 goals, 46 more than the next team, possess two 100 point scorers, two 40 goal scorers, and the games most dynamic player. They are deep and ready for a cup run. This is the year for Ovechkin to shine. We’ll see if they can take the next step.
* Atlanta Thrashers (35-34-13, 83, 10th): They traded Ilya Kovalchuk and flirted with making the playoffs without him. Despite the overhaul the franchise is still on the outside looking in.
* Carolina Hurricanes (35-37-10, 80, 11th): They got off to a horrible start due to massive injuries and could never catch up. It’s a trend for this franchise. Make the playoffs then miss it the next year.
* Tampa Bay Lightning (34-36-12, 80, 12th): This franchise has a ton offense led by sophomore sensation Steven Stamkos and his 51 goals. Yet, despite all of the marquee talent, they still can’t find goaltending and defense. That needs to change at some point.
* Florida Panthers (32-37-13, 77, 14th): This season brought expectations and ended with an 8th straight season out of the playoffs. Granted the concussion to David Booth set the team back but there is enough young talent to have had a better season.

Western Conference:
Central
* Chicago Blackhawks (52-22-8, 112, 2nd): This season is about the next step. They dethroned Detroit for the division title and just missed capturing the top seed in the West. After a run to the conference finals last season, it’s Cup or bust going into the playoffs. The offense will be there but like Washington will the goaltending hold up.
* Detroit Red Wings (44-24-14, 102, 5th): It looked as though the injuries and departed depth was about to do in Detroit. After the Olympic break, the Wings got healthy and started rolling climbing all the way up to 5th heading into the postseason. It won’t be Chris Osgood this time. Rookie Jimmy Howard will get the call. This is the team nobody wants to play.
* Nashville Predators (47-29-6, 100, 7th): The scrappy Predators clawed their way back into the playoffs for the fifth time in 6 seasons. Now can they finally win a playoff series? There isn’t a real difference maker on this team but the balance and speed the team possesses will be the difference.
* St. Louis Blues (40-32-10, 90, 9th): Similar to last season the Blues got off to a slow start and made a late push for the playoffs. Unlike last season, a deeper Western Conference prevented a duplicate performance. The Blues and league say goodbye to Keith Tkachuk, one of the five best American born players in NHL history, and will have to decide if they spend money on the open market or go to their deep farm system. Next season could be another tweener season for St. Louis.
* Columbus Blue Jackets (32-35-15, 79, 14th): Fresh off of their first playoff appearance in franchise history, the Jackets took a giant step backwards. Steve Mason experienced a sophomore slump after a stellar rookie campaign, Ken Hitchcock was fired, and the team resorted back to Rick Nash and 19 guys. Expect a front office house cleaning. This team desperately needs somebody to complement Nash.

Northwest
* Vancouver Canucks (49-28-5, 103, 3rd): The team that was defense and goaltending for so many years became an offensive juggernaut this season, leading the west in goals. The Sedin twins took their games to a whole new level, with Henrik leading the league in scoring. Luongo had a decent season but not one of his better ones. The pressure will be on to finally get out of the second round.
* Colorado Avalanche (43-40-9, 95, 8th): Last season this team finished last in the Western Conference and some (me included) thought they’d be worse off this season. The young core of players and solid goaltending of Chris Anderson propelled this team back into the postseason and ahead of schedule. This is the case of happy to here. Even if they’re swept in the first round it’s been a great season.
* Calgary Flames (40-32-10, 90, 10th): Overall a disappointing season that saw the departure of Dion Phaneuf and Olli Jokinen. Some thought this team could play for the Stanley Cup (Noonan) and it’s likely to see massive turnover. Some rumors have them trading Jerome Iginla but that would take a lot of balls and job security, which nobody has at the moment.
* Minnesota Wild (38-36-8, 84, 13th): Some thought this team should’ve made the playoffs but I thought they ended up where their talent had them. This was the first season out of Jacques Lemaire’s defensive system so they need players for the new one. Fans have to be disappointed with the season Martin Havlat had while Marion “Made-of-Glass” Gaborik put up a career year in New York.
* Edmonton Oilers (27-47-8, 62, 15th): A season from hell. The injuries to Ales Hemsky and Nikoli Khabibulin buried this team but it might be for better. They got to play some young inexpensive talent and will have the best odds of winning the draft lottery.

Pacific
* San Jose Sharks (51-20-11, 113, 1st): A fantastic regular season. #1 seed in the west. Great individual seasons from their top players. Where have we seen this before? Bottom line: Unless they make the Conference Finals at a minimum, it’s another wasted season.
* Phoenix Coyotes (50-25-7, 107, 4th): The story of the season. A team that didn’t have an owner, didn’t have a coach, and were possibly waiting to move at moments notice, turned in one of its finest seasons in the history of its franchise. Led by Ilya Bryzgalov’s stout goaltending and gritty defense Phoenix’s youth movement took full swing and as a result the White Out will take full effect in Glendale. For the better part it might have saved hockey in the desert.
* Los Angeles Kings (46-27-9, 101, 6th): Similar to Phoenix, the youth movement took full swing and the city of Los Angeles will get to experience playoff hockey for the first time in 8 years. Led by Anze Kopitar, goalie Johnathan Quick, and future Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty, the Kings finally saw it all come together. With size and grit they’re built for the playoffs but it’ll be interesting to see how the young team reacts.
* Anaheim Ducks (39-32-11, 89, 11th): A bad start and an Olympic hangover led to a disappointing season in Anaheim. The team needs to improve its defensive play. The futures of Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne will be the biggest offseason question. The core of youth will help either way the franchise goes.
* Dallas Stars (37-31-14, 88, 12th): Pretty average team all year. They didn’t win three in a row all season and this team looks to be in limbo. Will Mike Modano retire? Will Marty Turco be back? There is some good youth on this team but it seems like they need to experience a few bad seasons and get some Top 5 impact picks to build around.

I fucking hate moving…but love my place…and what a sports week…

What a championship game. This might have been the best overall NCAA tournament this decade. Every round had at least one close game and the finale was a thing of beauty. The game between Butler and Duke was a defensive battle that Butler was able to hang in and dictate. First things first, Butler is not a mid-major. They are a legitimate top college basketball program. Should Gordan Heyward decide to stay they will be a preseason Top 5 team. Look for them as a potential #1 seed next year…

Speaking of Heyward you can’t ask for a better opportunity for Butler to win it. Your best player had two shots at a game-winner and that heave from center court looked so good…

Now to the champs. Love em or hate em Duke is the National Champion for the first time since 2001. This is one of Coach K’s best coaching jobs. This is clearly the least talented of his championship teams which is more impressive. Kyle Singler was on and deserving of the MVP of the tournament. With 12 Final Fours and 4 Championships it’s fair to say Coach K is now behind John Wooden among the list of greatest college coaches. Let the hatred build up until November…

So anybody want to throw in the towel after the first week of the baseball season?…

Tiger is back. He’s still who he is and amazingly/not surprisingly, finished 5th at Augusta after a 5-month layoff. What’s going to happen at the U.S. Open?…

Now for the opposite of Tiger. Lefty was masterful. He played a flawless round of golf, going -16 for the tourney to capture his 3rd green jacket and 4th major. Of course adding to the opposite of Tiger is embracing his wife at the end of tournament after sticking by her through her health issues. Congrats Phil!…

Stanley Cup Playoffs start on Wednesday. Look for the preview. I love this time of year. How about the cities of Phoenix and Los Angeles getting to experience playoff hockey for the first time in 8 years? It should be fun. I can’t wait to finally watch some L.A. Kings playoff hockey. I haven’t seen a postseason game since high school…

Two mirrors in the bedroom…

What a tournament it has been. Obviously Butler is the darling and America’s new favorite team for their inevitable ride to the Championship game playing 7 miles from campus. Obviously being the first mid-major to play for it all is quite an accomplishment in itself, but how about the reality that they’re the most stable program in basketball rich Indiana. Where are IU, Notre Dame, and Purdue?…

Obviously everybody that isn’t a Duke fan will be rooting for Butler in the classic battle between tradition and underdog. While it’s a compelling matchup it means Duke is favored to win another national championship…

Opening Day is today and I’m sorry but I can’t get into baseball mode until the hockey playoffs are finished. Anyway, my postseason picks are as follows: AL: Yankees, Twins, Angels, Rays; NL: Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, Rockies

I want to buy the new EA Sports Tiger Woods 2011. Give me that pre-nup power up…

Speaking of Tiger, the more interviews he gives, the more of ass he looks. Just get back on the course and throw some clubs to show that more mature side…

Let’s go Butler! Why the hell not?…