Stanley Cup Finals

After a major lay off the NHL has decided to start the Stanley Cup final. Why didn’t they start it last weekend? No idea but I guess they love playing hockey in June.

Ottawa and Anaheim are the real contenders and everyone else is a pretender. This is what you play your season for a shot at the final. Is it going to go the distance and be a hard fought series or is it going to be short and sweet? We all want it to go 6-7 like the Ed-Car series but what if it’s like the Det-Phil series that was over in 4?

Anaheim Ducks playoff recap:
Beat the Wild in 5
Beat the Canucks in 5
Beat the Red Wings in 6

Ottawa Senators playoff recap:
Beat the Penguins in 5
Beat the Devils in 5
Beat the Sabres in 5

Both these teams have been dominant and have beat great teams. It should be a great, hard-hitting series and hopefully a bunch of overtimes.

Let’s break it down further: Strengths and concerns.

Strengths > Ottawa
1. Obviously it’s the Spezza, Heatley, Alfredsson line. That Hossa – Heatley deal is really paying off. These guys seem to be unstoppable. They have to be the best line in hockey.
2. Mike Fisher is a hard working, get dirty, talented hockey player. Every team needs a guy like that.
3. Goaltending. I hate when goalies get the shaft. I have no idea why the Sens went out this summer and got Gerber and started him. You drafted Ray in the 4th rd #99 overall and he has become a gem by working his butt off for you. Goalies take time to develop. I think Ray Emery deserves to be a #1 wherever he plays. I hope Ottawa wins the cup for Emery’s sake.

Strengths > Anaheim
1. Giguere has to be their best strength. This guy is amazing. He proved it once and he’s back again showing the world that he’s the real deal with a better offensive team in front of him. Didn’t the Ducks start Bryzgalov to start the playoffs? Many said Giggy is the reason they beat the Wings.
2. Selanne, McDonald and Kunitz are an incredible line. Plus they have amazing young talent. I love Corry Perry I think the Ana GM got a steal getting Perry #28 overall in the 2003 draft. What was everyone else thinking the London Knights were incredible???
3. Maybe the best moves Brian Burke did was getting Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. Both these guys are up for the Norris trophy THIS year. Both have won it in the past. If there is anyone who could stop or slow down Ottawa’s top line it’s Pronger and Niedermayer. Oh yeah, don’t forget about Beauchemin either…this guy is solid.
Concerns > Ottawa
1. Ottawa’s other forward lines are decent but can they contribute in the most difficult series yet? I am a Comrie fan but these guy needs to chip in to help his team win.
2. As much as I love Emery is he better than Giguere?
3. Can the defense play together for these series? Buffalo had super speed but Emery bailed out the D.

Concerns > Anahiem
1. Scoring? Can the Ducks not rely on their goaltending to win them the cup? If the D can add scoring on the PP then they got a great shot. If not, it might be a quick series unless the forwards can get it going.
2. Can the young guns produce under the greatest pressure?
3. If they can’t stop the Spezza line they are D O N E.


My prediction:

Ducks in 5 – I think Anaheim has better goaltending, dominant defenseman who will slow down the big guns and their young talent will produce. Plus I picked them to win it all from the beginning. Unlike all you guys who pick the popular teams like Buf and Det. Or are so biased because you are a Canucks fan thinking Luongo will win us the Cup in his 1st year without scoring (Next yr with changes maybe – I hope).

I know this is an unpopular pick because we are ALL cheering for our last available Canadian team. I think many of us will be blinded by the true facts of the match-ups with our Canada 1st lenses.

By the way I am cheering for Ottawa but if I was a betting man or the choice was whether I was wrong or right I got to pick the Ducks. Leave your heart out of it and you will turn to the dark side of the Ducks.

Of course I could be wrong but I HIGHLY doubt it.

NBA Western and Eastern Conference FINALS

So here we are win and you got to the NBA Finals lose and you are forgotten.

I think most people will be predicting a Detroit victory because of experience and right fully so. But they are against a smarter and more experienced King. What stands in the way of the Pistons going to the finals again is LeBron James and his supporting cast. The Cavs are better with Hughes, Ilgauskas, and the 3 pt bomber Marshall.

The problem is Detroit is STACKED and experienced. Their top 7 are as good or better than anyone in the game. They know their roles and keep to them. Any given night any one of them can score 20+. They are hard to guard, hard to prepare for and hard to score on. So your thinking I have changed my mind and I am picking the Pistons...no I am just giving them the respect they deserve.

I think the will to win for Lebron will be greater than the whole strategy of the Pistons. I think King James has the best shot of having a career similar to Michael Jordan. Not Kobe, not Nash, not Norwitzki. James will pull all his tricks out of his hat to overcome D-town.

Cavs over Pistons in 7

The other series that is a joke is the Spurs vs the Jazz. Now everyone is hating the Spurs because of what they did to Nash. But basketball is a tough game. I don't agree with what they did to the 2 time MVP but it happened and they won. Horry should have got 2 games and the boys jumping off the bench is stupid on their part...why didn't all the bench jump off and not just Stoudimare and Diaw? These guys got to use their brains. And if you jump off the bench DO SOMETHING! Go get Piatkowski to give Horry a shot in the mouth but don't jump off the bench and pretend to be subbing in. Stoudimare that was the worst acting and lying I have ever seen.

Here's the easiest way to show that the Spurs are going to sweep the Jazz.

PG: Parker vs D.Willams > Parker hands down
SG: Ginobilli vs Giricek > Ginobilli
SF: Bowen vs Kirilenko > AK 47 slightly
PF: Duncan vs Boozer > Duncan
C: Oberto vs Okur > Okur
Bench: Finley, Horry, B.Barry vs ???

2 things the Jazz have going for them:
Boozer and the sweet baby blue uniforms that look like North Carolina's.

Conference Finals

Here we are the NHL Conference finals. The 4 best teams of 2007 are going head to head to compete for the Stanley Cup finals.

Here are the match-ups:
vs

This series will be awesome. I love the line brawl they had earlier in the year. These teams are going to battle starting in game 1. This might be the only time hatred is good.

Both have a ton of scorers but I don't think the games will be high scoring. I feel it's going to go 6 or 7. They way to stop Ottawa is to shut down their top line. Easier said than done. Spezza, Heatley and Alfredsson have combined for 37 pts. Lines 2 and 3 have earned 11 pts each and their 4th line has produced 4 pts.

Buffalo is stacked with amazing talent (Briere, Drury, etc)Miller is great in net but I feel the Sabres are lacking on the defensive end.

Ottawa in 7.

vs
This series is a tough one to call. There are things I could argue for both sides.

Ducks might have the best line in hockey right now (exception Heatley, Spezza, Alfredsson) with the Selanne line. 2 Norris trophy candidates on the blue line. Great goaltending with Giggy.

Detroit on the other hand has some great young talent. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are awesome. Lidstrom is probably the best defenseman in our era. Chelios who won't ever die or retire. Bertuzzi (who knows he might actually try now that he's in the conf finals). Plus one of the greatest goalies to play the game in Hasek.

Ducks in 6.

Ducks - Sens FINAL!

Round TWO > NBA Playoffs

Here we go...half the teams have been eliminated. This is the NBA playoffs where anything can happen but the best teams survive and the others go home.

1st round recap:
SO PUMPED Dallas lost to Golden State. Don't like the Mavs much (except when Nash was there). I was wrong in my prediction but this time I was happy I was wrong.
REALLY TICKED Houston lost game 7 to the Utah Jazz. Come on McGrady get in the game...take it over, dominate. You should have stayed in Toronto with your cousin Vince you might have won a championship or at least been in the finals. But no you had to spread your wings and fly by yourself. Another guy tried that his name is Kobe...since Shaq left he has ZERO titles.
GLAD my boys the Suns destroyed the Lakers. Showtime is no more. Suns WAY too strong. Kobe you need a stud to play with, Lamar Odom isn't the guy.
THOUGHT the Heat would have been better. I am a Bulls fan I just didn't think they could stop Wade. Bulls have tons of weapons.
THE KING is still in the building. LeBron is amazing...enough said.
SPURS KEEP winning. These guys has been here before and will be for a long while.
WHOEVER PICKED the Magic to beat the Pistons is crazy. Pistons showed their magic tricks are too many for Orlando.
SAD the Raptors season end but I knew Carter, Jefferson, and Kidd would be too much for the dinos. Coach Mitchell you did a great job...congrats on coach of the year! The Raps will be back next year in the playoffs winning round 1.

NOW, let's break down these round TWO 4 series.
This should be a good match-up...both teams can score from a variety of players and they can play some tough defense.

As much as I love the Bulls I can't see them beating the mighty Pistons. You see Detroit has as many weapons as Chicago but they are more experienced and better weapons. I am cheering for the Bulls but I can't see them winning.

Detroit in 5

The King is here! Yes Vince and Jason you beat the Raptors but now you face a real superstar in King James. This phenomena is going to show you that the Cavs are the real deal.

Basically LeBron is going to do like this picture tells you, "Get this crap out of here! This is MY kingdom."

Cavs in 5
THIS WILL BE THE BEST 2nd RD SERIES BY A MILE (or where I live a kilometer).

The battle of the big boys...
The Suns who are ready to win a title. The Spurs who have already won a title. Nash vs Parker. Barbosa vs Ginobilli. Duncan vs Stoudimare.

This series is going the distance and home court might not mean as much as both teams can win on the road.

Suns in 7

I am jumping all over the Golden State bandwagon for this series. These guys are amazing. They are quick, can shoot the lights out, and they got tons of talent.

I might be feeling this way because I really don't like Utah but who cares. I believe in Golden State (until next round when they face a great team like Phoenix or San Antonio)

Utah isn't going to know what hit them as J Rich and Baron Davis fly by them for the posterizational plays.

Golden State in 6
Of course I could be wrong but I highly doubt it...leave a comment and prove to the world if you are correct.

DO or DIE

Tonight is game 5. Our beloved Canucks are losing the series 3-1. They haven't played bad (except game 1) but have been on the short end of the stick.

So what you thinking?
Canucks come back and win the series in 7?
Get to game 7 and lose?
Get to game 6 and lose at home?
Get eliminated tonight in Anahiem in game 5?

They will either look like one of these two pictures.

Losing the series?OR
Winning the series?

I think the Canucks DO in Game 5 and DIE in game 6. My buddy Jacob says they lose in Game 7.

Canuck Panic

Listening to Vancouver sports talk radio it's been hard to keep hearing everyone bash the Canucks. Now I need to preface my comments I do believe the Ducks will win the series but I hope not.

Everyone is coming down on the team. Luongo is perfect and can do nothing wrong. Most of the heat seems to be on Naslund. I understand that he is making 6 million a year and he is talented. He hasn't been the same Markus in a while. BUT what about the other Canucks. These guys need to play together as a team. It's not Markus' fault we aren't winning the series. One guy who NO ONE is talking about is Smolinski. We traded for this guy to be the centre to help Naslund. What the heck has Bryan Smolinski done in the playoffs? After the trade Bryan was 4th in scoring on the Canucks roster behind the twins and Naslund because of his play in Chicago. Of course the pressure needs to be on the twins but hockey is a team game. What about Burrows chipping in the odd goal? Morrison has done jack squat. Linden is playing the best hockey in years. Like Cowan is a great addition not that we can't depend on him but his goals are a pleasant surprise. Boy it would be nice to have Cooke and Kelser healthy.

Canuck fans are the worst...they bash the Canucks big time at any sign of struggle. I feel a true fan will support and cheer for the boys no matter what.

Go Canucks go! Win game 4 and you are back in this series!