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.