Canucks @ Capitals

Game 3: Canucks 1 @ Capitals 5


10 shots for the Canucks!!! What else is there to say?

Capitals looked great averaging over 10 shots a period.

So glad I didn't pay the $16 for the Pay Per View event.

Flames vs Canucks

When I looked at the NHL schedule I didn't think it was good that Vancouver started the season vs the Calgary Flames. Back to back games vs a hated division rival? We could have easily been 0-2 to start the season. Well the opposite is true.

Game 1 - Flames @ Canucks
Whoever did the planning for the Luc Bourdon tribute should get a raise. That was the best memorial/tribute for a sports athlete. I was tearing up. It’s sad to see a young life gone so fast. He had that motorbike for 2 days?

To the actual game, there is not much good to say on the Flames side as Kipper got lit up like a Christmas tree letting in SIX goals. But on the Canucks end of things it was very encouraging. The question people keep asking is, ‘Where is the scoring going to come from?’ Well all our lines were clicking that night and Luongo was stellar getting the shut out 6-0!

Game 2 – Canucks @ Flames

After a deflating loss like that and coming home I did expect the Flames to come out with some jump and fire. They did just that scoring 3 goals in the 1^st period. I was thinking, ‘Oh no, the Flames are going to win this one with the hard hitting and hard working style as Kipper shuts the door.’ Of course I was saying that will all my confidence in the good ol’ Canucks who have never let me down before (haha). But to my surprise they came out with some jump themselves in the second period and where down 4-3 going into the 3^rd period. I like how Canucks coach Alain Vigneault commented about the game,

"It was typical Vancouver-Calgary game. It was physical, there were a lot of good scraps, it was a good hockey game. … We just stuck to what we needed to do, our guys battled hard. We wanted to win the second (period), we won the second, we wanted to win the third, we won the third, and we were able to get it done in overtime."

It was a good hard fought, never say die effort by the new look Canucks. Before we crown the Canucks the next Stanley champs we need to keep honest. That penalty by Bertuzzi on the boarding call on Ryan Johnson was a dive and a really bad call. But the worst is the non call the officials made when Burrows clearly tripped the Flames player. That non call caused the 2 on 1 break as Burrows went hard to the net and Demitra popped in the OT winner. Yes Flames fans be upset but us Canucks fans often get the shaft so we will take this one.

Other thoughts:

That fight between Mitchell and Iginla was awesome. Great left hand by Iggy when Mitchell was dominating most of the fight. And Rypien owned Prust.

Kipper was not stellar or even good. The fact that the last 2 years his stats have been declining and letting in 11 goals by him in 2 games is not encouraging. Is it time to start finding a replacement?

We can’t ask for a better start for the Canucks as they go into Washington to face the young guns led by Alexander Ovechkin last year’s league MVP. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

NHL 2008-2009 Predictions

Question: Should we even watch the NHL this year???

As a Canadian we have to say yes to this question but hear me out. As the picture shows Lidstrom and the Red Wings with the Stanley Cup, I think they are going back to back. Getting Hossa to reject a 9 yr deal with the Oilers to sign with the Cup champs is amazing. I know anything can happen especially with injuries and the Red Wings win the opener to the Leafs of all people but they will repeat (too stacked not to). Not only do they have Lidstrom, Zetterberg and Datysuk but Franzen and Hossa are great too. Yes Osgood is good enough to win another Stanley Cup. It’s over before it starts.

Let’s get to my other predictions:

Up and comers:

Here are the 6 teams to watch for this year…all these teams seem ready to make noise and earn respect in the league.

West - Chicago, Edmonton, and Phoenix.

Chicago and Edmonton in my books are making the playoffs. The young guns on these teams are talented and have a year under their belts. I was going to select Columbus because of Pascal LeClaire but Nash for some reason chokes most years.

Chicago looks like they are going to be great with the additions of B.Campbell and C.Huet this original six team has high hopes and they should. J.Toews and P.Kane are still the offensive studs on this team and will produce more points than last year.

Phoenix is finally doing something. The big news is the arrival of Olli Jokinen helps so much. The one name many people don’t know but will by the end of the season is rookie Kyle Turris. Goaltending will be strong with Ilya Bryzgalov (Anaheim wishes he was still around to back up Giguere or could have traded him to whomever).

Edmonton is a top notch team. They should win the Northwest division. The young guns of Gagne and Cogliano will step it up even more. Adding Visnovsky on the blue line with a healthy Souray will help on nights they need help in the scoring department. Their goaltending is fine and will be solid.

East – Carolina, Buffalo, and Ottawa.

Buffalo is loaded with talent. Their top line of Vanek, D.Roy and Pominville is deadly. And don’t forget about Tim Connolly who played great in the playoffs 2 years ago. This team has 3 good lines and will compete as long as Ryan Miller plays like he can. The Sabres are going to be in the playoffs.

Carolina is a team to take notice off. Led by E.Staal and R.Whitney they will surprise people. I believe Cam Ward will return to his solid play and carry

this team on some nights. Okay I am not sure they will be a lock for the playoffs but in weak Southeast division anything is possible.

What kind of big prediction is Ottawa? I know, it’s not a super reach but they way they ended last year they didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs. I believe when healthy this team has the best line in hockey hands down (Heatley, Spezza, and Alfredsson). Gerber will be great this season because if he isn’t he’s career is over (like Emery) and the city will run him out of town.

Contenders:

East – Montreal, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, and Ottawa.

Montreal is going to go as far as Carry Price will take them.

Philadelphia this team has 3 solid lines and a good goalie and they know how to work and fight to win.

Pittsburgh is not going to slump like many, many Stanley Cup runner-ups.

Washington will be better than last year because Backstrom and Semin will have great years playing with Ovechkin. Theodore is the only question mark for this team.

Ottawa is ready to show up.

West – Detroit, San Jose, Anaheim, Edmonton, and Chicago.

Detroit is the hands down favourite and why wouldn’t they be?

San Jose is stacked and will push Detroit for the President’s trophy.

Anaheim has the experience, the youth and the goaltending to contend again.

Edmonton might be the one that is the least favourite on this list because of Garon and Roloson. If you make the playoffs you never know what can happen.

Chicago might be too young but those youngsters are studs now. Sharp will help and if Havlat is healthy most of the year they got a good shot at being a real contender.

Question Marks:

?Where will Mats Sundin end up? Your guess is as good as mine. I don’t think he’s going to Vancouver (I wish) because if he didn’t sign by now for the money he’s not going to. If Montreal or Ottawa get him that could change things. He’s a consistent 75-80 pt player with bad wing men, imagine if he had good wingers! Will he come back soon, not until near the trading dead line, or stay retired? I don’t think he even knows.

?What Calgary Flames team will show up? Adding Cammalleri and Bertuzzi is definitely better than having Tanguay and Huselius. The guy who no one is talking about that will be a blessing is Rene Bourque. Why this team is a question mark is Kiprusoff. The bottom line is his stats have declined for 2 years maybe he was really great in the cup final run and that was it?

?Will the Canucks make the playoffs? Vancouver fans sure hope so. And management really hopes so because they need to keep Luongo happy and in their uniform to a long term contract. If some of their youth (Raymond, Elder, Hansen, Bernier, Kesler) finally consistently produce then they got a good shot at it.

?What will the LA Kings do? Will they struggle again or will these young kids finally generate the potential they have? Kopitar, Frolov, D.Brown, O’Sullivan and J.Johnson are young and need to step up.

?When will the Blue Jackets stop being BLUE? They got the talent and the goaltending the time is now! Too many ‘what if’s’ for my liking.

?Will the Flyers take the next step to the Cup final? Why can’t they…these guys learned a lot last year and have all the keys to do that but will they?

Hardware winners

Presidents’ Trophy: Hands down it’s Detroit but they will have to earn it because no one will lie down and let them take it.

Hart Trophy winner? Sidney Crosby is going to win it for the 2^nd time in 3 years. I know I am not going out on a limb here but he’s the new Gretzky but is Ovechkin the next Lemieux?

Norris Trophy winner? Lidstrom is the best and will continue to prove he is the greatest defenseman of all time. He will win his 7^th Norris Trophy.

Vezina Trophy winner? Brodeur should win it but it could be Lundqvist. The ballot will be Luongo, Lundqvist, and Brodeur.

Rookie of the Year? The ballot will consist of Stamkos, Turris and possibly Giroux (Philly if he is able to crack that stacked line-up). I am going with Turris in Phoenix.

The top five in scoring will be:

1. Crosby 121 pts

2. Ovechkin 114 pts

3. Heatley 105 pts

4. Zetterberg 102 pts

5. Ignila 98 pts

Of course I could be wrong but I doubt it.

My NFL 2008 predictions

Here's my predictions how the divisions and playoffs will end up in the NFL this season.

NFC

NFC East
Dallas- with the addition of Pacman and Zach Thomas this defense was good last year now it's great. Romo, Owens, Witten, Barber, Crayton, Felix, are all weapons that will produce BIG time.

Washington- This team is on the rise. They will struggle in a few games but they will be led by Campbell and Portis. Adding Jason Taylor to the defense doesn't hurt either. You will all be shocked to know that the Redskins will win a wild card birth into the playoffs. It's not how you start but how you finish.

Philadelphia- McNabb has no one to throw to. McNabb won't stay healthy. They won't make the playoffs. What's new?

NY Giants- These Superbowl champs will start the year off at 3-0 then after the bye week lose 4 of 5. In the last half of the season they will continue to lose 6 of their final 8 games. 6-10 isn't good enough. No Strahan, no Umenyiora = no chance.

NFC North
Green Bay- For all your haters out there this is a wake up call. This team even though better with Favre isn't that bad without him. Rodgers will be fine he's been getting ready for 4 years. They have a running game, a good WR core and a GREAT defense. The Pack will shock the football world by winning their division without #4 at QB. 10-6 is good enough here. I understand that QB's who replace superstars are terrible but I can't get Steve Young out of my thinking. What's the chances??? One in a million. So you're saying there is a chance!

Minnesota- Overrated, kind of. They have beefed up their defense (which was already good) and have a great O-line. But AP will not stay healthy and won't dominate like last year for a full season. When it counts AP won't be the Saviour. But they will win the wild card getting their revenge on the Packers with a win in Lambeau Field.

Detroit- The Lions are the Lions. Loaded with offensive talent but can't put it together. Megatron should be good but what else is a guarantee? In Detroit the only thing that could be guaranteed is that their defense is terrible and they don't make the playoffs.

Chicago- What is good about Chicago? Devin Hester and their defense when healthy. But this will not be enough to stay out of the NFC North cellar. The only way they could compete is if they get Culpepper to leave retirement and play QB for them.

NFC South
New Orleans- Oh when the Saint go marching in! I am not sold on Reggie Bush or Duece McAlister. I do like their aerial attack with Shockey, Colston, Meachem and Bush. I think this is a weak division and they will win it with a record of 9-7.

Tampa Bay- A close second this team overachieved last season. Garcia won't stay healthy and their defense is too old to keep up.

Carolina- Suspension of Steve Smith will in the end hurt them too much. I think they will be lovin' the running back duo of D.Williams and J.Stewart.

Atlanta- I do think putting Matt Ryan as the starter is making a statement to be the new face of the new Falcon era but this isn't college. Michael Turner will be solid but they will be behind in too many games to use him his full potential.

NFC West
Seattle- this division is truly flip a coin but you can't disagree with the Seahawks here. Hasselbeck is a top 10 QB without good WR cores year after year. Their defense is the best in the division and opponents have a tough time playing well at Qwest field. Julius will be a big upgrade for a bad running game last year.

Arizona- if Kurt Warner stays healthy and the starter this team will fight for the division title but will fail at the end.

St.Louis- These guys are finally healthy but I don't think they have enough to compete with the Hawks. Stephen Jackson will return to form, Bulger will be solid and Holt will continue to dominate but their defense is still really bad.

San Francisco- It doesn't matter who's the QB there (A.Smith, O'Sullivan, or S.Hill) their O-line is brutal. Superstar Frank Gore will want out. And the overhyped defense is going to be on the field way too much to be truly effective.

Wildcards- Washington & Minnesota

NFC Championship: Dallas beats New Orleans

AFC

AFC East
New England- I think these guys will dominate this year because they are great and because they have an easy schedule. Best strength of schedule in the last 15 years the Pats will finish 15-1.

NY Jets- Improved O-line, Brett Favre, improved defense, Richardson as their fullback, and a rejuivated Thomas Jones this team will bounce back. Not only will they bounce back but they squeak their way into the playoffs! Is Brett Favre that good? YES! Only 3 time MVP.

Buffalo- This team lost the most close games last season. I didn't see much for improvement in the offseason. Can't see them even getting back to where they were last yr.

Miami- the Dolphins are bad. Better with Chad Pennington but he's got no weapons other than Ted Ginn Jr. Ronnie Brown is hurt every year. In Ricky we trust? Not a chance. Losing Jason Taylor hurts too. This is the second worst team in the NFL.

AFC North
Pittsburgh- Strength of schedule not in their favour but these teams got to beat the Steelers. Big Ben is a top QB and his WR's are healthy and deadly. Parker will return to form. And they defensive will be good enough to win the division.

Cleveland- Lots of hype for this team but they can't beat the big dawgs when it counts. I can't see Jamal Lewis doing a repeat performance. Derek Anderson will he play all year if not Quinn doesn't have enough experience to win the division.

Cincinnati- They should have trade traded #85 when they had the chance. This team will struggle and they can't stop anyone. They might be last in the division.

Baltimore- Flacco gets the start but Troy Smith is the true starter here. McGahee is hurt and will be frustrated. This team is BAD. The best thing about it is Ray Lewis. They will compete in games but won't be able to get over the hump to actually put the nail in the coffin and win.

AFC South
Indianapolis- How many people are saying it's time for a new AFC South division champ? Well as long as Indy's defense is this good and with all these offensive weapons how can they be dethroned by the Jags? These guys are going to the Super bowl.

Jacksonville- Frustrated that they don?t win the division Garrad and the Jags will make the playoffs regardless. The best running tandem in football will pound the rock and be successful. This team is tough defensively and will make every offense earn every point.

Houston- The Texans have some promise but without a good run game or a good defense this team will not be able to string together enough victories to compete with the big boys. They will finish 7-9. Maybe the Texans are a good fit for Shaun Alexander?

Tennessee- Aggravation will be the result of this year as Mike Fisher is fired.

AFC West
San Diego- The Chargers will be super. Easily winning the division again they will go to the Super bowl and WINNING a championship.

Oakland- Russel, McFadden, and Curry will have good chemistry and compete in most games. In this bad division, the Raiders will emerge as the #2 team.

Denver- Culter can fire the ball and Brandon Marshall can catch but what else do they have? Defensively who are they going to stop? Too many questions not enough answers.

Kansas City- this is the worst team in football. 2-14 will win them the #1 overall pick. LJ is done, Croyle isn't good enough and their d is horrific especially without J.Allen the NFL sack leader.

AFC Wildcards > Jacksonville, NY Jets

AFC Championship: San Diego beats Indy

Super Bowl: San Diego beats Dallas

Hype & Disappointment

Finally after much waiting the NFL season is HERE!
So I got the HD on the BIG screen. The jersey's are up, the NFL McFarlane figurines are out, the food is prepared and the guys are over. Washington at NY Thursday night opener. This is a can't miss successful event.

What a disappointing game. The Giants come out of the gates looking great. Eli Manning has ALL day to make a good decision as the O-line dominated. Jacobs looked awesome as he knocked over defenders play after play. Manning runs on into the end zone for a rushing TD (who is starting Manning any way? Throw it to Plax!)

Washington on the other hand, looked bad. They couldn't get pressure on Eli in the 1st half. They could not get a 1st down if their life depended on it. Couldn't run the ball effectively. The Giants D looked relentless. Last drive in the in the second quarter Washington strung 3 1st down carries together and S.Moss gets in the end zone. Finally some life out of the Skins.

Half time - way shorter than the Super Bowl.

The Skins make some adjustments and finally start getting pressure on Manning. Not out of it they have a shot to make a few plays and get back into this game. The problem is they could not score. A few dropped balls and terrible play calling on 3rd down (pass it over the 1st down line on 3rd down not under!). And 2 int's that didn't get caught the Skins had their chances but couldn't get it done.

Overall,
Burress looks great 10 catches for 133 yds. 6-4, 260 pound monster Jacobs punished people for 116 yds. 1st half Giants looked playoff bound and in the 2nd half they couldn't get anything really going. They need some work. But a win is a win no matter how ugly.

Washington didn't give up the run game so that is a good sign for Portis. Who got the rock 23 times but only busted out 1 run for 23 yds but he averaged just 2.8 yards on his other 22 rushing attempts. Randle El looked great even though he had a broken hand (7 rec for 73 yds).

Here's the spin:
I believe not only will Washington turn it around but NY will not be good this season. Week 1 means nothing it's the next 15 weeks that mean everything.

I am just thankful there are another 15 games this weekend that won't all be like this one.

Fantasy Football is HERE!

I am SO jacked about this year's football year. I am stoked to see how my Packers will do this year under Aaron Rodgers. Definitely will miss my favourite player in Brett Favre but it's time to see what this new team with an awesome defense will do.

I am a bit of a fantasy football junkie as well. I have 6 leagues I am in and look to win championships in most of them (hopefully 6 for 6 lol).

My friend and I are going on a THE Ultimate Football Vacation:
We are flying down to SD for the Sunday Nighter then to New Orleans for the Monday nighter and finally to Dallas to watch the Thurs Thanksgiving game.
Colts vs Chargers
Packers vs Saints
Seahawks vs Cowboys.
Week 12 & 13 are going to be stellar for us.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!! I am.

Stanley Cup Finals: Penguins vs Red Wings

Here we are…THE FINALS. What every team’s goal is at the beginning of the year (or should be because some are just a business). All the regular season, signings, flights, warm-ups, training camps, trades, and playoff battles to find out who is in the final.

Here’s a question for you: Is it only a successful year if you don’t win the Cup? Think about it,

There are many goals each team has like make the playoffs, win their division, get home ice advantage, make it past the 1^st or 2^nd round or the conference finals and make the Cup final. Look at Philly last year, they were dead last. After great signings, trades and management they made the top 4. I think that is a successful year. Now the Canucks, Flames and Wild had what I would consider unsuccessful years. Lots of expectations and not many results. Most Oiler fans, even though they didn’t make the playoffs, felt they had a successful year and have much optimism going into next season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins vs The Detroit Red Wings

What a match-up! The NHL can’t be happier to have these two teams colliding for Lord Stanley’s Cup. The biggest name in hockey against the best team in hockey.

I would imagine that most of Canada would be cheering for the Penguins in this series. And why wouldn’t they? This team is fun to watch, it has the super stars and they finally are living up to the hype.

Let’s break this series down:

Who’s got better goaltending? Really who knows; it’s debatable. I think Marc-Andre Fluery is on fire. This kid had lots of hype when he was drafted and until now hasn’t lived up to it. Finally he looks great for more than a game or two. His lateral movement is quick and he isn’t out of position much.

Osgood on the other hand is old faithful. I feel this guy has never gotten the love he’s desired. There has to be something said about a goalie that won a cup already and beat out future hall of famer D.Hasek for the job in the playoffs. He is proving many, many people wrong. Chris seems to be making very few mistakes and is a great positional goalie. I know you can argue that he has a great team in front of him but can’t you do the same for many Cup goalies like Roy in Colorado, Fuhr in Edmonton, Vernon in Calgary.

If I had to make a choice I would go with experience over youth.

These line combinations that the Pittsburgh Penguins are putting out night after night is amazing. It looks like they have 2 #1 lines. Crosby has Dupuis and Hossa with him. Malkin is with Malone and Sykora. On any given night they can put out some sick lines on the Power Play units.

What I like about Pittsburgh is that they have incredible speed and they hit so well. Not to fail to mention, that these guys are super talented. The last time a team had two superstar players like Malkin and Crosby was probably back in Pittsburgh with Lemieux and Jagr. And then the Penguins go and add a super talent in Marian Hossa from Atlanta. Hossa has 19 pts in the playoffs. WOW! Staal and Rutuu are causing head aches to all opposing players and coaching staffs.

Detroit is not going to lay down and let the kids win the Cup. These guys are playoff warriors and have won the cup a few times themselves. Let’s start with their foundation and that is Nicklas “I might be the best defenseman ever” Lidstrom. This guy is a rock. He’s amazing and he’s 38. He won’t be fooled by these kids anytime soon and you better believe he’s been playing against the best players in the world since before this super kids were born. Speaking of old, will Chris Chelios ever retire? He is solid. His experience alone will add depth to this Cup run. We can’t forget that this Red Wing team has some young guns themselves in Datysuk and Zetterburg. These kids can play! They have been torching the league all year long. Can the Penguins D handle these guys? The thing about Detroit is that they are stacked as well. Adding Ralafski to this defensive core gives them more championship rings experience. Draper and Holmstrom might be the two best shut down players in the business.

So to say this series could go either way is an understatement.

Of course I could be wrong but I doubt it. Here’s the prediction everyone and you might be surprised with my winning and the amount of games I am picking.

Detroit wins the Stanley Cup in only 5 games. Remember experience over youth.

2008 NFL DRAFT Analysis

The NFL draft has now come and gone. Most drafts are filled with anticipation and predictions. No matter what the experts predict most don’t have a clue what’s going on in the war rooms of each NFL team. This year was a great year of trades and unexpected selections. Who will be the next Peyton, LT, Ray Lewis, Reggie White, or Ryan Leaf?

I will go through the 1st 5 picks and then comment about what teams I think did really well in the draft and some that didn’t.

With the 1^st pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the Miami Dolphins select from the University of Michigan, Jake Long. There was no surprise here because Miami signed him to a 5 yr deal worth $57.5 million (that's a ton of $). This was the safest pick in the draft as OL Jake Long should be around for 10+ years. The 'Big Tuna' Bill Parcels is dreaming that Long will turn into a new Jumbo Elliot but who really knows. This will help John Beck’s development and Ronnie Brown’s health. I wonder if John Beck really is the answer here and if they should have selected Matt Ryan. What if Matt turns into the next Peyton? But they did select QB Chad Henne in the 2^nd round out of the same school as J.Long. Maybe McFadden would be the best pick for this team because of Ronnie’s terrible injury record and Ricky Williams as the back up. The problem with the Dolphins is they have so many wholes that could have drafted anyone in the 1st 5 picks and improved.

With the 2^nd pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the St.Louis Rams select from the University of Virginnia, Chris Long. No relation to Jake Long but this kid seems to have a lot of upside. Most people where thinking they would select Glenn Dorsey but they thought Howie Long’s son will be better. He looks fast and ferocious.

With the 3^rd pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the Atlanta Falcons select from Boston College, Matt Ryan. I really like this pick. I believe it was a statement saying the Michael Vick era is now over in A-town. Ryan looks to be the new face of the franchise. It doesn’t hurt that they signed coveted Free Agent RB Michael Turner either. Some where thinking Atlanta would take Dorsey here and select different QB in the second round but Ryan was the best QB option and they weren’t going to pass on him. They also drafted OT Sam Baker (6’5 312) to help Ryan and Turner. Barker allowed just 4.5 sacks on his last 889 pass plays at USC so he should help.

With the 4^th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the Atlanta Falcons select from the University of Arkansas, Darren McFadden. The rumours before the draft were GM Al Davis LOVED McFadden and with the chance would select him. They were right. I think Davis and all Oakland fans hope McFadden will be the second coming of BO JACKSON. He might. This kid is big and very fast. Many said he will is the best player coming out of this year’s draft. The biggest comparison is that he will be like Adrian Peterson but they both have a lot of football to play to prove their hype. In three years at Arkansas, McFadden carried 785 times for 4,590 yards and 41 touchdowns. Question, why would they be selecting McFadden when they had 3 other RB’s? Because they were ready to release Rhodes and they did just that. Now Indy picks Rhodes back up and both Oakland and Indy win with that pick. The Raiders are trying to turn a corner with this selection and with last year’s 1^st overall pick QB Russell. Trading for Deanglo Hall helps big time as well. I don’t think they will beat SD to win the division this year but at least they are on the road to recovery.

With the 5^th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the Kansas City Chiefs select from Louisiana State University, Glenn Dorsey. Some were predicting the Dolphins picking this kid. Supposedly he is the most NFL ready. This might be the best steal in the draft. But they must have been thrilled when Dorsey was available especially after trading NFL sack leader J.Allen to Minnesota. The Chiefs need MUCH help and they selected 12 players on draft weekend. Why didn’t they select a QB like Flacco or Brohm or Henne…is Croyle the real deal? We will see.

Surprises at the draft:

1. There were some big surprises at the draft this year. All the trades were surprising and exciting. Many teams were really active moving up and down all weekend.

2. No WR’s taken in the 1^st round? I think that is the 1^st time that has happened since 1990. Are the WR’s in this draft that weak? I guess teams felt that way or the other players were just too hard to pass up on. Actually if the Jets didn’t trade up to get TE Dustin Keller out of Purdue it would have been they 1^st time ever no WR or TE was selected in the 1^st round of any draft.

Who drafted really well:

Most people feel that the Kansas City Chiefs drafted the best but I wonder if that is accurate. Yes Dorsey was a steal at 5 and yes they made some good picks but their team is so bad that there is no where but up for this team. Last year they were 3-13 and I wonder if they will finish the same or worse. Maybe in 3 years this draft will really prove itself for KC. Here’s some teams I thought did well drafting.

Dallas Cowboys – I think Felix Jones will replace Julius in BIG D nicely. That kid is quick and the load isn’t on his shoulders as Barber is a work horse and amazing. Taking CB Jenkins is a good pick as well.

Washington Redskins – say what you will but this team needed help at WR…they got it in selecting Devin Thomas AND Malcolm Kelly.

Pittsburgh Steelers – I don’t know why they needed a RB with Fast Willie Parker on the roster but selecting Rashard Mendenhall out of Illinois has to be good. Also they picked up Limas Sweed from Texas which will add to H.Ward, S.Holmes and N.Washington. Thinking Pittsburgh might be a force this year.

Baltimore Ravens – Flacco was the next guy on their draft board once Ryan went to Atlanta. Plus they traded down to 18 and still got Flacco. With McNair finally retired Flacco should be the starter in Baltimore with Boller having too many opportunities with not much success. They also drafted highly touted RB Ray Rice from Rutger University.

Green Bay Packers – I got to comment on my Packers. Love that they picked up a WR and a QB. Actually they selected quite a few draft picks. This team is solid and these guys hopefully help. WR Jordy Nelson out of Kansas State supposedly has track speed and great hands. Selecting QB Brian Brohm out of Louisville is a great move after the Brett Favre era has ended (sob! Sob!) Some think this kid is the best option after Matt Ryan. Aaron Rodgers is definitely the starter but we needed some help if Rodgers is injured. What surprises me though is why they drafted 2 QB’s this draft? Is Matt Flynn really a good selection? That might not help Rodgers confidence.

Who can’t draft:

Tennessee Titans – What is this team doing? They have Lendale White and drafted Chris Henry high last year and now they select a RB in Chris Johnson from a ‘great’ school in East Carolina. Wow. Don’t you think you could have helped your team with a WR or OL?

Detroit Lions – in the past they have drafted WR Charles Rodgers, QB Joey Harrington, WR Mike Williams…history might repeat itself. Ouch!

Chicago Bears – Maybe just maybe you should be picking a QB, Rex Grossman doesn’t seem to be ‘the’ guy. And Matt Forte, who is that? Benson is still their best RB in the windy city. Is Earl Bennett from Vanderbilt the answer to Bernard Berrian and Mushin Muhammad’s FA departure from Soldier Field?

If you are still reading at this point I applaud you. When it comes to the draft there is so much hype. Many are overrated and underrated. Hindsight is 20/20 but there is a reason these teams and scouts get paid the big bucks. Many will be wrong but the people who were right will make a ton of $ and a lot of fans happy. Some teams don’t need the draft to be amazing this year as they already have a great team. I am sure that New England didn’t mind getting LB Jerod Mayo from Tennessee though 10^th overall thanks to the 49ers. Even though Indy didn’t need much this year they sure did a few years ago when they selected Peyton Manning. So what happens remains to be seen but the draft sure helps the off season go by a bit quicker, gives terrible teams some hope, and me something to right about other than hockey.

NHL Playoffs: Conference Finals

So I am currently 11 for 12 in my predictions. The 2^nd round held many surprises. 1^st surprise was how many teams had the chance to sweep. 2^nd surprise was the play of unsung hero’s like R.J. Umberger and Johan Franzen. 3^rd surprise was all the Colorado injuries. What team can really compete with all those broken bones, wrecked knees and unspoken injuries?

Eastern Conference Final

Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins

This will be a blood bath. This rivalry is perfect. Hatcher started it all by roughing up Crosby and that will continue as Hatcher and Coburn are going to lay the smack down. Philly has the best fore checking in the playoffs and their forwards hit a ton too.

I think the best story of the playoffs has been the Flyers. Think about it, last year the Flyers were DEAD last in the league. With key additions like F Briere, D Jason Smith, F Lupul, and G Biron they have done a 180 degree U-turn. Added to it is the incredible play of the young guns in Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. The biggest surprises have been the superb play of RJ Umberger and Scotty Upshall. And all this without Simon Gagne and the now injured Mike Knuble. These guys are fun to watch and they broke Canada’s back taking out the Habs in 5 games.

I don’t think Philly can match the speed of the Penguins (even though real Penguins are SLOW). Malkin, Hossa, and Crosby seem to be ready to take this team to the next level. Don’t forget they have solid 2 liners in Sykora and R.Malone as well.

Here are the questions to be answered in this series that will determine the winner:

- Who will be the better goaltender in this series? Will Fluery do enough to win or will Biron shut the door on the young guns?

- Can the Penguins handle the hard hitting of the Flyers?

- Can the young guns of the Flyers produce if this series gets into a shoot out?

- Can the Penguins keep showing their grit with the solid play of Rutuu and Malone?

As much as I love my Flyers and want them to win I think the Pittsburgh Penguins advance and in an convincing style. Pittsburgh in 5.

Western Conference Final

Dallas Stars @ Detroit Red Wings

I keep going back and forth with this series and really could go either way. This should be a close hard fought battle as well. Which team will stand when the dust (or I should say ice) settles? Here’s some pros and cons:

Detroit – pro

This team is on fire! They have the experience and goaltending to go all the way (Osgood is 6-0). They have the best defensemen in the league in Lidstrom and seem to have the scoring to win games. They seem poised to win the Cup. These guys are well rested as they have destroyed their opponents in the playoffs.

Dallas – pro

The Stars seem to be built for the playoffs. Brendan Morrow is not only leading his team in scoring but in hitting too. He’s an incredible leader and Captain. Turco is proving the critic’s wrong and putting up the best playoff run of his career. They have beaten two tough teams to get here and are ROLLIN’. This team is a blue collar hard working and hard hitting team.

Detroit – negatives

They really haven’t played anyone good yet. Colorado was decimated by injuries and didn’t even really compete. Nashville wasn’t that great and Detroit walked all over them. As good as Osgood has played can we trust him to out play Turco? Will Franzen have the room out there to work his magic with the likes of the Dallas in your face style?

Dallas – negatives

After playing game six which basically turned into game 7 and into game 8 in length, will they have any more in the gas tank to get to the Stanley Cup final? Will Osgood’s experience and hot play shut down the hard working Stars? Not sure they have enough scoring to win the series. My biggest concern is that they are tired after fighting with the Ducks and Sharks.

My prediction has changed 3 times over the last couple of days. My heart says Dallas and my head says Detroit. I am going with my heart and Dallas will win in 6.

Of course I could be wrong but I doubt it. And the way I am on fire right now I would be surprised if I was wrong.

For the NHL I think they are hoping for a Pittsburgh – Detroit final. But I am cheering for a Flyers – Stars final with my Flyers winning the cup.