2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Review - Round 1: (4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Tampa Bay Lightning

Series Summary

Well, one team was definitely missing a superstar...but Stamkos showed some sign of life later on. Oh, you thought I was either talking about Crosby or Malkin? Ya, the Pens missed them too. To Fleury's credit, he did attempt to keep Pittsburgh in the series, but 2 blowout losses are costly. On the other end, Roloson was consistent, keeping Pittsburgh to under 3 goals in all games. In the end though, one dirty/clever goal sunk the Pens hopes of moving on.

Games

Tampa Bay Lightning 0
Pittsburgh Penguins 3

Tampa Bay Lightning 5
Pittsburgh Penguins 1

Pittsburgh Penguins 3
Tampa Bay Lightning 2

Pittsburgh Penguins 3
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 (OT)

Tampa Bay Lightning 8
Pittsburgh Penguins 2

Pittsburgh Penguins 2
Tampa Bay Lightning 4

Tampa Bay Lightning 1
Pittsburgh Penguins 0

Three Thoughts About The Series

1. Even at 41 years old, Roloson is still able to backstop a team through a playoff series.
2. The Penguins can hold there own without Crosby and Malkin, but they still need one of them for the playoffs.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Anti-Pronger. They gave the game-winning puck to the Lightning in honour of assistant coach Wayne Fleming's battle with cancer.

Picture of the Series

Like Gretzky: extraordinary skills as a player, left-to-be-desired skills at being a coach.

Play of the Series

Lecavalier and St. Louis...must be 2004 again:

2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Review - Round 1: (3) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Montreal Canadiens

Series Summary

What a time to start taking prozac. The Habs started the series 2-0, with Bruins fans crying that game 2 would have been won if Chara played. My response: We've played without our top defenseman for most of the season, suck it up. Then the Bruins came back with 3 straight wins (2 in OT). Montreal survived game six. Then game seven happened. Boston went up 2-0, Montreal tied it. Boston scored midway through the third, Montreal send it to overtime. Then Nathan Horton scores to win the series for Boston. I'm gonna let that sit for a minutes. Nathan Horton. The guy who played in Florida unless this season (in other words, shouldn't know that there's hockey after the 82nd game) scores in overtime. TWICE! The only bright spot in the series for Habs fans? Boston's special teams were more of a joke then Brad Marchand's nose.

Games

Montreal Canadiens 2
Boston Bruins 0

Montreal Canadiens 3
Boston Bruins 1

Boston Bruins 4
Montreal Canadiens 2

Boston Bruins 5
Montreal Canadiens 4 (OT)

Montreal Canadiens 1
Boston Bruins 2 (OT)

Boston Bruins 1
Montreal Canadiens 2

Montreal Canadiens 3
Boston Bruins 4 (OT)

Three Thoughts About The Series

1. Price's play was near Halakian, so it's hard to put blame on him. Still, it's hard to think what would have happened if Halak was still with the Habs (side note: did we keep the receipt?).
2. Boston really needs a powerplay...and a penalty kill...basically, anything that doesn't involve 5-on-5.
3. As mentioned above: Habs eliminated = Prozac time.

Picture of the Series

What else would it be? Stay Classy, Union Boy, Stay Classy

(Photo courtesy of "Glove Malfunctions" and everyone who has ever worn a hockey glove and knows it takes a decent amount of strenght to lift a finger in it).

Play of the Series

There were a lot of great plays (seriously, if I had more time then I'd make a compilation). Here is Ryder making (and kind of over-selling) a highlight-reel save:

Round 2 Time! Part...uh...Two

Time to judge the two toughest series:

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Washington Capitals

Offensive powerhouse 1 vs. offense powerhouse 2. Really, it's hard to determine how this series will play out. The main difference is definitly goaltending as Roloson goes against a guy who's only experience was the last round against the Rangers. This series goes the distance. Tampa Bay in 7.

Detroit Red Wings vs. San Jose Sharks

This time it's consistency vs. constantly choking. With Zetterberg and Franzen returning, the Red Wings only get better. On the other hand though, the Sharks are a resilient team and have a new goalie. This will be very interesting. If the Sharks win, maybe it was Nabakov holding them back. If they lose, then the Big Three (who are now split up) are maybe the problem. I really want to go with San Jose, but Detroit looks too good to overlook. Detroit in 7.

2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Review - Round 1: (1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (8) Chicago Blackhawks

Series Summary

Well, if that was going to go as horrible as it looked, then we'd be watching the Vancouver Chokers next year. With a 3-0 series lead, it seemed like Vancouver would win the series. Then Torres took out Seabrook, leading the Blackhawks to rally and win game 4...and 5...and 6... all the while getting Luongo pulled in two of those games. Cory Schneider started game 6, and was holding his own (sans his puckhandling) until he got injured. That left Luongo to come in, and give up a goal in overtime. Game 7 was a nail-biter, with Alexandre Burrows getting the first goal, a penalty shot (which was stopped), and the game winner in overtime after Luongo re-lived his time with team Canada in last years Olympics. Oh, Burrows also got a penalty in overtime. So by scoring, he went from potential goat to folk legend in Vancouver.

Games

Chicago Blackhawks 0
Vancouver Canucks 2

Chicago Blackhawks 3
Vancouver Canaucks 4

Vancouver Canucks 3
Chicago Blackhawks 2

Vancouver Canucks 2
Chicago Blackhawks 7

Chicago Blackhawks 5
Vancouver Canucks 0

Vancouver Canucks 4
Chicago Blackhawks 3 (OT)

Chicago Blackhawks 1
Vancover Canucks 2 (OT)

Three Thoughts On the Series

1. It's distrubing to know that Corey Crawford had more points then both the Sedins in a 2 game stretch.
2. Got to hand it to Alain Vigneault for starting Cory Schneider in game 6, not that it backfired or nothing.
3. It is the time of year to try and "work the refs", but you've got to hand it to Canucks GM Gillis. He actually had the facts.

Picture of the Series

The inspiration for this section in the recaps:

Play of the Series

Alexandre Burrows exorcises the ghost of playoff failure vs. Chicago with an overtime winner:

2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Review - Round 1: (2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (7) Buffalo Sabres

Series Summary

I'll admit, I didn't watch much of this series. So here is a mailed-in recap:

• Ryan Miller earned two shutouts, and was still unable to advance to the second round.
• The Flyers started the series with Bobrovsky, switched to Boucher, then Leighton, then back to Boucher
• Daniel Brier lead all scorers with 6 goals. Claude Giroux lead with 10 points.
• Pronger was able to return for games 6 and 7, being limited to (mostly) powerplay time.

That about does it...er...I think.
Games

Buffalo Sabres 1
Philadelphia Flyers 0

Buffalo Sabres 4
Philadelphia Flyers 5

Philadelphia Flyers 4
Buffalo Sabres 2

Philadelphia Flyers 0
Buffalo Sabres 1

Buffalo Sabres 4
Philadelphia Flyers 3 (OT)

Philadelphia Flyers 5
Buffalo Sabres 4 (OT)

Buffalo Sabres 2
Philadelphia Flyers 5

Three Thoughts About The Series

1. Mike Richards: a man of respect (examples here and here)
2. Maybe Patrick Kaleta should just shut up
3. If I paid more attention to this round, this might have been a half-decent post.

Picture(s?) of the Series

Goalie Roulette: Philadelphia Style

Play of the Series

Claude Giroux vs. 4 Sabres...I'll take Giroux:

Round 2 Time! Part One

Man, the NHL isn't messing around in these playoffs. Round Two starts tonight in Vancouver with the just-avoided-an-epic-choke Canucks and the second-round-virgins Preds.

Nashville Predators vs. Vancouver Canucks

Now that the Canucks beat the demons of playoffs past, they should be able to cruise to the finals (well, maybe the third round). Not to discredit Nashville, but Vancouver is too talented to lose this early. Nashville does have the potential to win a game or two against the Canucks, but Pekka Rinne needs to play a lot better than he did against the Ducks. And speaking of goalies playing better....Luongo, that is all. Vancouver in 6.

Boston Bruins vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Yes, they don't start until Saturday. No, I won't do a series preview...FINE!...The team that eliminated the Habs last year vs. the team that beat them this year. Also, the team who won four straight after being down 0-3 vs. the team that joined choking infamy last year. If Philadelphia can get their goaltending straight, they'll win. If Boston can get more production from guys like Lucic, Chara, and Kaberle, they'll win. It should be a tight series though. Sensible-side pick: Philadephia in 7. Bitter-side pick: Philadephia in 4)

NHL 2011 Playoffs - Round Two Predictions

Would you look at that, both 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th place teams make it through to the second round.

Eastern Conference - Semi-Finals

(1) Washington Capitals vs. (5) Tampa Bay Lightning

BEK: Tampa Bay Lightning
MDK: Tampa Bay Lightning

(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (3) Boston Bruins

BEK: Philadelphia Flyers (ideally, both should be eliminated, but here's a grudge pick anyway)
MDK: Boston Bruins


Western Conference - Semi-Finals

(1)Vancouver Canucks vs. (5) Nashville Predators

BEK: Vancouver Canucks
MDK: Vancouver Canucks

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (3) Detroit Red Wings

BEK: Detroit Red Wings
MDK: San Jose Sharks


After Round One:
BEK 5-3
MDK 4-4

Showing Some International Love: Now The Championship Begins

Talk about overworking, still only half-way through the Round 1 recaps, Round 2 begins later tonight, and the World Championship starts tomorrow. So lets get this done before more than 5 people in North America realizes this tournament is going on. This year's tournament is hosted by Slovakia, with the host cities being Bratislava and Košice.

Group A - Host City: Bratislava

World Ranking
1. Russia
8. Slovakia
9. Germany
19. Slovenia

Predictions
1 (Qualifying Round) - Russia
2 (Qualifying Round) - Slovakia
3 (Qualifying Round) - Germany
4 (Relegation Round) - Slovenia

No room for upsets here. Russia is probably cursing Washington for making it to the second round, but will still cruise by this group. Slovakia just got a nice NHL boost. While Germany might put up a fight, they'll be stuck in third. Slovenia is going to hurt with Kopitar not being able to play, leading them to fight through the relegation round.

Group B - Host City: Košice

World Ranking
2. Canada
7. Switzerland
10. Belarus
15. France

Predictions
1 (Qualifying Round) - Canada
2 (Qualifying Round) - Switzerland
3 (Qualifying Round) - Belarus
4 (Relegation Round) - France

Again, no surprises. Canada will finish first in the group. If the rosters were up then I might be higher on Belarus and have Switzerland third, but for now I'm going to go by ranking. If Stephane De Costa takes his NHL experience overseas then France might...oh...wrong experience.

Group C - Host City: Košice

World Ranking
3. Sweden
6. USA
11. Norway
14. Austria
 
Predictions
1 (Qualifying Round) - Sweden
2 (Qualifying Round) - USA
3 (Qualifying Round) - Austria
4 (Relegation Round) - Norway
 
The only roster I seen out of this group was the USA's, and its not looking good, they'll want Ryan Miller over as soon as possible. Sweden will end up in first, USA will finish second. It's crazy to think this, but this year might be the year Austria finishes higher than 13th, at least beating Norway to avoid the relegation round.
 
Group D - Host City: Bratislava
 
World Ranking
4. Czech Republic
5. Finland
12. Latvia
13. Denmark
 
Predictions:
1 (Qualifying Round) - Czech Republic
2 (Qualifying Round) - Finland
3 (Qualifying Round) - Latvia
4 (Relegation Round) - Denmark
 
This group was the toughest to judge. In the end, I think the Czechs will squeeze by Finland for first. On the other end, Latvia and Denmark will fight each other to stay alive. Again, no rosters allow for a wold guess, but Latvia usually has 90% of it's KHL team on it's roster. Judging on that, Latvia is my pick to avoid the relegation round.

2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Review - Round 1: (2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Los Angeles Kings

Series Summary

Well this was one hell of a series. I get that the Sharks have a reputation of choking in the playoffs, and even though they did win in 6, it seemed like they could have continued that trend in this series. They were fortunate to come through in all three overtime games, topped with Joe Thornton suprising pretty much everyone in the last game with the winner. Of course, it's hard to mention this series without that epic Kings collapse. The Kings preformed the "Miracle on Manchester" now they became the victims of the "Fiasco on Figueroa". The only two wins the Kings got were because they had one player that would steal the game form them (Drew Doughty first, then Jonathan Quick with a 51 save performance). Of course, the Sharks had to put Antero Niittymaki in relief for two of the games. The Sharks are onto Round 2 to face the Red Wings, which means they have to start playing way better then they did in this series.

Games

Los Angeles Kings 2
San Jose Sharks 3 (OT)

Los Angeles Kings 4
San Jose Sharks 0

San Jose Sharks 6
Los Angeles Kings 5 (OT)

San Jose Sharks 6
Los Angeles Kings 3

Los Angeles Kings 3
San Jose Sharks 1

San Jose Sharks 4
Los Angeles Kings 3 (OT)

Three Thoughts About The Series

1. Antti Niemi was pulled in two games, allowing Antero Niittymaki to save 28 out of 29 shots and record a win.
2. How about that epic collapse of the Kings?
3. How about Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick stealing a game a piece for the Kings?

Picture of the Series

Joe Thornton doing his "best" Theo Fleury impression:

Play of the Series

I really wanted to avoid using Thornton in both the pic and play segments. So for a change of pace, here's Quick summoning his inner-Hasek:

2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Review - Round 1: (4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Nashville Predators

Series Summary

The series so interesting, no one saw it. Ok ok, people did, but it seemed like it was an afterthought (then again, being paired with the Vancouver-Chicago series 4 out of 6 games didn't help). Nashville did play good despite Pekka Rinne looking below average. The Preds put forth a total team effort, rarely having a player dominate a game (sans- maybe Fisher, Weber, and Tootoo). On the other end, Selanne was on fire, scoring 6 goals in the series. Outside of the top two line, the Ducks couldn't get anything going. Not including their 6-3 win, the only player outside the top six players was Matt Beleskey. Ray Emery was ok, but ok doesn't win you series (note to self: do Kings-Sharks series next). Overall, the Preds depth won the series, making it the first time Nashville will venture into the second round.

Games

Nashville Predators 4
Anaheim Ducks 1

Nashville Predators 3
Anaheim Ducks 5

Anaheim Ducks 3
Nashville Predators 4

Anaheim Ducks 6
Nashville Predators 3

Nashville Predators 4
Anaheim Ducks 3 (OT)

Anaheim Ducks 2
Nashville Predators 4

Three Thoughts About The Series

1. First off: Congrats to the Preds for finally winning a playoff series.
2. Add not being able to win a playoff game to the list of Dan Ellis' problems.
3. Saku Koivu almost made me regret not picking him in my fantasy league (almost)
 
Picture of the Series

In honour of Nashville finally making the second round:

Play of the Series

Bobby Ryan goes from blade enthusiast to goal of the playoff candidate:

2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Review - Round 1: (1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) New York Rangers

Series Summary

Hey, look who finally showed up to the playoffs. The Alex's finish with 3 goals each as the Capitals shaked the game 7 monkey off there backs (no word on if the monkey is related to Ovi). The Rangers did keep the games relatively close. Probably the highlight of the series would be Boudreau vs. the Ranger fans. I realized that he mainly said his stuff about MSG in order to take heat off the team - which didn't need a distraction like that yet - but it was entertaining to see the fans respond with "Can You Here Us?" chants (even the Caps fans in game 5 got into it with "We Are Louder"). Now the big questions are can the Caps get past the second round and can the Alex's keep up their production.

Games

New York Rangers 1
Washington Capitals 2 (OT)

New York Rangers 0
Washington Capitals 2

Washington Capitals 2
New York Rangers 3

Washington Capitals 4
New York Rangers 3 (2OT)

New York Rangers 1
Washington Capitals 3

Three Thoughts About The Series

1. First playoff series Bruce Boudreau won that didn't go to 7 games.
2. Speaking of Boudreau, why was he the only coach creating some controversy? I think Torts is getting lazy. If Tort's did do something (outside of a minor exchange with Brooks), then HBO should have "24/7" this series.
3. Was the "Can You Hear Us?" chant the best the Rangers fans can do?

Photo of the Series

Not even Brandon Dubinsky's 'Stache Power couldn't save the Rangers:

Play of the Series

Alex Ovechkin with the series winning goal:

2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Review - Round 1: (3) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Phoenix Coyotes

Series Summary

Honestly, this series wasn't as close as it was expected. Last year, Phoenix was able to push it to game 7. This year: close games, but not enough of a winning effort from the Coyotes. Up until the end they tried, but it wasn't enough to survive the playoffs (and in Phoenix?).

Games

Phoenix Coyotes 2
Detroit Red Wings 3

Phoenix Coyotes 3
Detroit Red Wings 4

Detroit Red Wings 3
Phoenix Coyotes 2

Detroit Red Wings 6
Phoenix Coyotes 2

Three Thoughts About The Series

1. Only sweep in the playoffs (as of now).
2. Bryzgalov seemed less interested as the series went on. See you in the KHL next year Ilya.
3. Poetic Justice: The Jets last opponent: Detroit. The Coyotes last opponent: you've guessed it....Detroit

Photo of the Series

(Photo courtesy of HockeyDB and relocation: when expansion would have solved everything, but you prefer the hard way)

Play of the Series

Showing Some International Love: Division I, II and III Recap

So, the plan was to do a separate post for each Division (possibly group), but with the playoffs going on and the World Championships (top tier) approaching, it makes more sense to combine everything here.


Division I - Group A (Host: Hungary)

Standings (note: Japan not included)
1 (Promoted) - Italy        3W - 1OTW - 0L - 11PTS - +10GD
2 - Hungary                      3W - 1OTL - 0L - 10PTS - +18GD
3 - South Korea               1W - 1OTL - 2L - 4PTS - -7GD
4 - Netherlands                1W - 3L - 3PTS - -2GD
5 (Relegated) - Spain       0W - 1OTW - 3L - 2PTS - -19GD

Italy earns the promotion after a close game with Hungary. Italy won 4-3 in overtime (on a PP goal no less) after blowing a 3-1 lead after the first. South Korea and Netherlands live in Division I for another year. Spain gets relegated after registering their first win (albeit in overtime).


Division I - Group B (Host: Ukraine)

Standings
1 (Promoted) - Kazahkstan        4W - 1OTW - 0L - 15PTS - +15GD
2 - Great Britain                          4W - 1L - 12PTS - +12GD
3 - Ukraine                                  3W - 1OTL - 1L -10PTS - +7GD
4 - Poland                                    2W - 3L - 6PTS - +3GD
5 - Lithuania                                1W - 4L - 3PTS - -15GD
6 (Relegated) - Estonia              0W - 5L - 0PTS - -22GD

Kazahstan gets promoted after winning their final game against Ukraine (in overtime...see a theme here). This game was a lot closer than the other group's game, with each team swapping goals in the 2nd and 3rd. Great Britain finishes second, but almost ended up in first. They lost 2-1 to Kazahkstan earlier in the tournament. Ukraine finishes third after lossing to Kazahkstan and Great Britain. Poland was able to keep the top three teams close (scorewise) but in the end failed to impress, leading to a 4th place finish. Lithuania and Estonia matched each other lost-for-lost (seriously, 3 of both their losses were by the same scores, on the same day). In the end though, Lithuania won the head-to-head 5-3, ensuring their stay in Division I. Estonia gets re-acquainted with Division II next year.


Division II - Group A (Host: Australia)

Standings
1 (Promotion) - Australia                             5W - 0L - 15PTS - +21GD
2 - New Zealand                                             3W - 2L - 9PTS - +11GD
3 - Serbia                                                        3W - 2L - 9PTS - +11GD
4 - Belgium                                                    3W - 2L - 9PTS - +5GD
5 - Mexico                                                     1W - 4L - 3PTS - -21GD
6 (Relegation) - North Korea (forfeit)       0W - 5L - 0PTS - -25GD

Almost no surprise Australia get promoted (Mexico was wishful thinking, more on them in a bit). I'm not exactly sure how the other 3 places were decided exactly, but New Zealand ends up in 2nd, which is a very nice surprise. Serbia finishes 3rd and Belgium (who pulled off an upset against Serbia in the first day of games) finishes 4th. Mexico was very disappointing. Their only win was against a forfeited North Korean team. Its hard to classify what there "best" game was since they lost by 5 or more in their 4 losses. North Korea (who didn't compete due to financial problems) is relegated to Division III.


Division II - Group B (Host: Croatia)

Standings
1 (Promotion) - Romania        5W - 0L - 15PTS - +37GD
2 - Croatia                                 4W - 1L - 12PTS - +43GD
3 - Iceland                                 3W - 2L - 9PTS - +6GD
4 - China                                   2W - 3L - 6PTS - +1GD
5 - Bulgaria                               1W - 4L - 3PTS - -25GD
6 (Relegation) - Ireland           0W - 4L - 0PTS - -64GD

Does that ever sting. As with almost all IIHF scheduling, the important games happen on the last day. Romania won 2-1 against Croatia to earn the promotion to Division I. The kicker, Croatia was up 1-0 after the 1st, then Romania scored a PP goal in both the second and third. Bulgaria had a disappointing tournament, falling short of a comeback against Iceland (3-2), then getting beat by China (12-6). Iceland and China stayed in the middle of the pack, with Iceland taking the head-to-head game 5-3. Almost as expected, Ireland got trounced. There only 4 goals of the tournament came against...Croatia. Ireland is going down to Division III for next year's tournament.


Division III (Host: South Africa)

Standings
1 (Promoted) - Israel                    4W - 1OTW - 0L - 14PTS - +48GD
2 (Promoted) - South Africa       4W - 1OTL - 0L - 13PTS - +34GD
3 - Turkey                                      3W - 2L - 9PTS - +4GD
4 - Luxembourg                            2W - 3L - 6PTS - +11GD
5 - Greece                                     1W - 4L - 3PTS - -72GD
6 - Mongolia (forfeit)                  0W - 5L - 0PTS - -25GD

Israel and South Africa move on to play Division II next year. While there wasn't too many surprises, there are 3 thing sthat stood out for me. First off, the IIHF LIVE STREAMED the games. The only downfall was realizing this just as the last day of games happened. The second "surprise" was how bad Turkey was beat by South Africa. One of the promotion spots would be theirs to lose, but an 11-1 lost seems excessive to how this team has performed in previous years. Greece getting shellacked was the last surprise. Since Mongolia had to forfeit, Greece did come in with the greatest odds, but to have your best (using that term very loosely) 16-0 is embarassing. There only win was the 5-0 forfeit by the way.

Obligatory 100th Post Celebration

Since this is our 100th post, it seems almost appropriate to make it a "Best of" post from us. Admittingly its a bit shameful to see that it took almost 2 years for this mark. So here is our "best":

Our first post. A prediction of who would win between Detroit and Pittsburgh.

In what was originally fueled by anger for the KHL, here is the feature that combined insight and rage into one nicely placed spot.

MDK's only two post. Can't wait to see what he says this year.

Our two attempts at live blogging. Both Habs vs. Leafs. Both Price shutouts. Coincidensce?

The only way we can guarantee a weekly post during the regular season? Saturday Night Hockey of course.

Our second (and new-ish) feature taking a look at some of the international tournaments in hockey. World Juniors, Spengler Cup, and World Championship. If we feel up to it, then maybe the Euro Hockey Tournament series...maybe.

Thanks to all (yes, all three of you) who are willing to read us. Here's to the next 100 post, hopefully it will take less time to reach that mark.

Showing Some International Love: It's Division I Time Y'all...Part Deux

Part two of the Division I look. Here is Group B (presented today by the land of perogies):

Division I - Group B (Host: Ukraine)

World Ranking:
17. Kazakhstan
18. Ukraine
22. Poland
23. Great Britain
24. Lithuania
27. Estonia

Predictions:
1 (Promoted) - Ukraine
2 - Kazakhstan
3 - Great Britain
4 - Poland
5 - Lithuania
6 (Relegated) - Estonia

It was tough deciding who was the better team, but after some intense comparison thought, it looks like Ukraine has a slight advantage over Kazahkstan. It seems whenever Great Britain and Poland face off in the same group, they switch 3-4 finishes. This year is probably no exception, this time Great Britain gets to finish higher. I originally had Lithuania as the ones to be relegated, but after seeing Dainius Zubrus (yes, Zubus from the Devils) it was hard not to think that Lithuania would at least win one game.

Showing Some International Love: It's Division I Time Y'all

That's right, time to move on up...all the way to the tier below the actual championship. I'm going to two-part this, so here is Group A.

Note: Since the earthquake that hit Japan last month is still showing effects, Japan has withdrawn from competition.

Division I - Group A (Host: Hungary)

World Rankings:
16. Italy
20. Hungary
25. Netherlands
30. Spain
33. South Korea

Predictions:
1 (Promotion) - Hungary
2 - Italy
3 - Netherlands
4 - South Korea
5 (Relegated?) - Spain

More hope than going by stats, but I can see 2 possible upsets (if you want call them that). Just comparing the rosters, and with a relatively weak group, Hungary might be able to earn a promotion back to the top tier. It wouldn't be surprising though if Italy earns it instead. Netherlands is a middle of the pack team, highly unlikely there will be any surprises. South Korea might be able to play well enough to stay up another year. Not going to put anything past Spain though, they might be able to pull off a win or two but I see them going down to Division II.

Playoffs Start NOW! Part 2

A bit late due to an ill-timed exam, but I'm back now. Here is part 2:

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

Where to being (seriously, there's too many to choose from). On paper, Bruins out-match the Habs everything thats not special teams. I'm still sticking by my team though. I realized that picking the Habs is bold enough, but I'll go a bit further (in this case less?) than just saying it'll be a 7 game series. Montreal in 6.

Buffalo Sabres vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Maybe it's the Flyers losing record going in to the playoffs, maybe it's because Sabres go in with an 8-1-1 record in their last 10. Either way, I get the feeling Philadelphia won't make it out of the first round this year. It still won't be without a fight though. Buffalo in 7.

Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks

Just the Kings: no Kopitar, Williams isn't 100%, and their still an unproven playoff team. Not to get too down on them, I wouldn't be surprise if they took a game or two, but the Sharks are a been-there done-that-unless-it's-the-Finals team. San Jose in 4 (it's the only series I see being a sweep).

Playoffs Start NOW!

Lock up the razors and grab a beer, the playoffs are underway. Here are just a quick summary of the games tonight and who I think will win (the series).  Tonight games:

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Everytime I here analysis about this series, it seems the more I regret picking the Lightning (and  having Fleury as my Playoff Pool Goalie doesn't help). I'm wafering on this, but I originally picked T-Bay so I'll ride out with them. Its gonna be a nail-biting series, especially if Crosby isn't back. Tampa Bay in 7.

Winnipeg Jets Phoenix Coyotes vs. Detroit Red Wings

Unlike the last time these teams meet, I like the Wings being able to close out the Coyotes early. Pheonix might be able to steal a game or two though, so no sweep is anticipated. Detroit in 5.

New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals

The newly-defensive Capitals vs. the shot-blocking Rangers. Another worrysome pick now that I heard the high priase the Rangers get, but with Callahan out and Gaborik slumping, I'm still liking the Capitals to win it. Washington in 6.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vancouver Canucks

Is the third time a charm? Only after the third game we'll know. This year though, Vancouver does seem to have the edge this year now that Canuck-busters Byfuglien and Ladd are gone. Vancouver in 6.

Nashville Predators vs. Anaheim Ducks

As pointed out by a few experts, this is a series of a hot-goalie no-team vs. a team with no goalie. It took a lot of second guessing, but I'm willing to say that Anaheim will be the winner of the series (ok, I just want Koivu to win a cup). Anaheim in 7.

NHL 2011 Playoffs - Round One Predictions

Another year, another chance of guessing who will end up moving on in the playoffs. Here is who we think will make it.

Eastern Conference - Quarter Finals

(1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) New York Rangers

BEK: Washington Capitals
MDK: New York Rangers

(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (7) Buffalo Sabres

BEK: Buffalo Sabres
MDK: Buffalo Sabres

(3) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Montreal Canadiens (now with 50% more cars on fire)

BEK: Montreal Canadiens
MDK: Boston Bruins

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Tampa Bay Lightning

BEK: Tampa Bay Lightning
MDK: Tampa Bay Lightning


Western Conference - Quarter Finals

(1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (8) Chicago Blackhawks

BEK: Vancouver Canucks
MDK: Vancouver Canucks

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Los Angeles Kings

BEK: San Jose Sharks
MDK: San Jose Sharks

(3) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Phoenix Coyotes

BEK: Detroit Red Wings
MDK: Phoenix Coyotes

(4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Nashville Predators

BEK: Anaheim Ducks
MDK: Anaheim Ducks

Showing Some International Love: There's a Division III As Well

Yes, the World Championship runs this deep. The lowest of the tournaments will be held in South Africa this year. Mongolia has pulled out due to financial concerns, despite already submitting a roster. While not 100% sure on remembering it, but I think there was talk about the United Arab Emirates joining the World Championship competition within the next few years.

Division III (Host: South Africa)

World Ranking:
35. Turkey
39. Israel
42. South Africa
44. Luxembourg
45. Greece

Predictions:
1 (Promoted) - Israel
2 (Promoted) - Turkey
3 - South Africa
4 - Luxembourg
5 - Greece

Flat out, this competition 99.999% of the time goes by the world ranking, but after comparing the Israeli and Turkish rosters, its hard not to go with Israel ending up in first. That said, I wouldn't mind seeing an upset or two, just to mix things up over more-then-likely 12-1 games.

Sunday Night Hockey: The Playoffs Are Here(-ish)

Playoff Time!

As of an hour ago (as of writing this) the playoff seeds have been decided. With Dallas losing it in the 3rd, Chicago survives after their lost today and end up against...oh, really...well, it looks like the fine folks in Vancouver will be hearing this again.

Eastern Conference
(1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) New York Rangers
(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (7) Buffalo Sabres
(3) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Montreal Canadiens
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Tampa Bay Lightning

Western Conference
(1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (8) Chicago Blackhawks
(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Los Angeles Kings
(3) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Phoenix Coyotes
(4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Nashville Predators

Picture(s) Of The Week

Remember when I said it was International WTF Day? I meant to say Week. Pictured is Magdalena (Magda for one head, Lena for the other) who is suppose to be the IIHF's version of Paul the Octopus, for the upcoming World Championship in Slovakia. Although it would be interesting to place bets on the turtle(s?) picks. And speaking of bets...

Thanks to Marty Turco for providing the best fan story of the year - or the opposite of a Rick Rypien.

(Photos courtesy of AP and Team 990/Marty Turco's Awesomeness, respectively)

Quote of the Week (Year?) - Non-Ron/Don Division

From the 1st intermission of the Chicago/Detroit game today:

Pierre McGuire: "So if you were a General Manager..."
Mike Milbury: "Don't even talk about it"

Showing Some International Love: Croatian Edition

After seeing how the first group was going (review soon…maybe), I realized one mistake that I won’t make again: not seeing the rosters. I realize that one player rarely dominants a game and wins it for their team, but seeing where some of the players play might help judge how competitive the team may end up being. Some teams (mainly Latvia at the top tier) have their roster 90% filled with guys from the same team (in Latvia’s case, their sole KHL team). While that would give the team an edge in chemistry over a team just thrown together, it’s a relatively small factor in helping a team succeed. While this theory doesn’t work for top teams like Canada and the U.S., seeing lower-division teams with players in higher leagues than their own countries can tell which team might have – at least on paper – a competitive advantage over others. But I digress…

Well how awesome is that, Croatia's hosting the damn thing (bias alert), even after being demoted from Division I last year. Now before I get depressed about that, here's the overview:

Division II - Group B (Host: Croatia)

World Ranking:
26. Croatia
28. Romania
31. Bulgaria
37. China
38. Iceland
41. Ireland

Prediction:
1 (Promoted) - Croatia
2 - Romania
3 - Bulgaria
4 - Iceland
5 - China
6 (Relegated) - Ireland

Bias aside, Croatia looks like the stronger team. Outside of Romania, there doesn't seem to be any real challengers. Bulgaria is a strong enough team to stay in the middle of the pack. It was tempting to pick Iceland as a dark horse (despite disappointing me before) but I took the safer bet and picked them to end up in the lower half of the group. China and Ireland will battle to stay in the Division. China gets the nod since they are more use to the competition at this level, but Ireland might be able to pull off an upset. The big reason that I’m not big on Ireland is that they had almost half the roster listed as playing for “Ireland”, meaning either they have a travelling national team, or they are all free agents (and I only say this as a guy who’s played way too much NHL EHM.)

Saturday Night Hockey

I'll write something for later (damn Ottawa had to play an early game!) so here is the important stuff first.

Lineup Notables

Ottawa Murrays Senators vs. Boston Bruins

Ottawa: Glass-cal Leclaire, Daniel Alfredsson, Erik Karlsson, Sergei Gonchar, Peter Regin, Matt Carkner, and Marek Svatos are all out. Craig Anderson is expected to start.

Boston: Just Trent Whitfield and Marc Savard are out. Tim Thomas will start.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto "There's Always Next Year" Maple Leafs

Montreal: The Right Knee Gang (now just Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges), Max Pacioretty, and Alexandre Picard are out, Jeff Halpern is questionable. Carey Price is in nets.

Toronto: Colton Orr and Colby Armstrong are out, Tim Brent is doubtful for tonight. James "The Saviour 2012 Edition" Reimer will start.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flame(out)s

Vancouver: Lee Sweatt, Dan Hamhuis, Andrew Alberts and Manny Malhotra are out, Raffi Torres is suspended. Roberto Loungo is expected to start.

Calgary: Raitis Ivanans, Adam Pardy, Niklas Hagman, Brendan Morrison, David Moss, and Fredrik Modin are all on IR. Miikka Kiprusoff is going to start.

Leafs Last Chance and International WTF Day

A non-Saturday non-Preview post? My god I've gone mad! Here are a few things:

Toronto On The Edge

Tonight is literally do are die with the Leafs, and it all depends on them winning AND the Sabres losing. After seeing the Bruins blow a 3-0 lead last night (must have thought it was the playoffs), the Rangers are out of the Leafs reach. AS the standing are, Buffalo has 90 points to Toronto's 84, and both teams have 3 games left. Buffalo faces Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Columbus, while Toronto must beat Washington, New Jersey, and Montreal. Not exactly a cake walk but not impossible either. So if this all goes well for the Leafs (they go 3-0 while the Sabres go 0-3), who would get that all important 8th and final spot for the playoffs? Well after extensive research in a highly classified lab about 2 minutes figuring out how exactly the tiebreaker works, I've found the answer. The first tiebreaker is "point percentage", but since both team would have 90 points and played 82 games, this tiebreaker is useless. Next up is the total number of wins minus any that came from shootout. And again, both teams are tied with 5 wins apiece. #3 in the tiebreaker is the head-to-head point totals. Here are the results from their match-ups with points for it included (left side Sabres, right side Leafs):

November 6          Buffalo 3 - Toronto 2 (SO)          2-1
November 26        Toronto 1 - Buffalo 3                   4-1
February 5             Toronto 2 - Buffalo 6                  6-1
February 16           Toronto 2 - Buffalo 1                  6-3
March 12              Buffalo 3 - Toronto 4                   6-5
March 29              Buffalo 3 - Toronto 4                   6-7

So Toronto will get by because of an earlier shootout lost to the Sabres. So the "Bettman Point" doesn't look so bad now does it Leaf fans? (note: I'm indifferent to it). Well, I'll cheer for the Leafs, until that last game against the Habs...Then I want vengeance for 2007 (the ONE time witnessing a Habs-Leafs game live, and Toronto would win it).

Those Picks Went To Hell

As previously mentioned, the Division II Group A tournament kicks off the World Championship schedule, and there are upsets to be had. I didn't think the Belgium would be a threat. Even though it was a 3-2 win, I still call that an upset over freshly-relegated-from-Division-I Serbia. Mexico also let Australia walk all over them, losing 11-1. It was 5-0 after 2 and then the onslaught happened. I haven't seen a goal-scoring parade in the 3rd period like that since...well...the Bruins-Rangers game last night. Well, it's early, but...Congrats Australia, enjoy Division I next year.

Showing Some International Love: World Championships Officially Beings

Ok, not like anyone in North American (er...excluding Mexico in this case?) cares about the World Championships, and maybe its just Division II* but still, nice to recognize the lower nations once in a while. In this case, the whole month. So here's a rundown of the beginning tournament.

*For some reason, just Group A is playing, Group B is next week. Also, North Korea pulled out due to financial reason, so the ranking will be adapted to exclude them.

Division II - Group A (Host: Australia)

World Ranking:
29. Serbia
32. Mexico
34. Australia
36. Belgium
40. New Zealand

Prediction:
1 (Promoted) - Mexico
2 - Serbia
3 - Australia
4 - Belgium
5 (Relegated?) - New Zealand

Out of the top 3 ranked, only Mexico hasn't been promoted. This year might be that year they break though. Serbia is bound to challenge for promotion though. Australia has a chance too. The 2nd game scheduled is Australia-Mexico, so whoever wins will more than likely earn a spot in Division I. Belgium and New Zealand will battle for who is last. I'm going on a limb that because of having to forfeit, North Korea will be automatically relegated. Just incase though, had to put the relegated tag there, but I'm sure that every team (minus the top one of course) stays in Division II for another year.

Saturday Night Hockey

Screw it, had a post somewhat written then stuff happened and I wasn't able to complete it...I'll post it independently.

Lineup Notables

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators

Toronto: Colton Orr and Colby Armstrong are out. James Reimer is expected to start.

Ottawa: Glas-cal Leclaire, Daniel Alfredsson, Peter Regin, Sergei Gonchar, Erik Karlsson, and Matt Carkner are out. Craig Anderson might start tonight.

Montreal Canadiens vs. New Jersey Devils

Montreal: Max Pacioretty, the Right Knee Gang, and Jeff Halpern are out, Alexandre Picard is questionable. Carey "Please for the love of god don't start choking" Price is in net.

New Jersey: Bryce Salvador is out, Zach Parise and Colin White are questionable. Martin Brodeur gets the start.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Vancouver Canucks 

Edmonton: Ryan Whitney, Shawn Horcoff, Ales Hemsky, Taylor Hall, Sam Gagner, and Taylor Chorney are out, Kurtis Foster is probable for tonights game. Devan Dubynk may start tonight.

Vancouver: Dan Hamhuis, Alexander Elder, Andrew Alberts, Lee Sweatt, and Manny Malhotra are out, Mikael Samuelsson, Tanner Glass, and Christopher Tanev are all questionable for tonight, Roberto Loungo is starting.