NotTheRock Musings

So normally I rail against media-types who mock hockey by saying nobody watches it and nobody cares and it's fallen behind poker in terms of popularity and TV ratings... but still, I can't argue the fact that I'm not paying attention one bit at this point. I haven't watched a hockey game since the Rangers were eliminated.

However, I'm still interested in telling you what's going to happen so that you don't need to watch, either.

Last round, I did say the Anaheim Ducks would make the Finals but I also said the Buffalo Sabres would get there, too, after taking out the Rangers. I was very wrong about that. Apparently, Ottawa is better than anyone realized.

Anyway, so here we are in the Finals and I'm ready to get on with making my pick.

Anaheim Ducks (2, West) versus Ottawa Senators (4, East) -- Well, as I said, Ottawa is clearly better than anybody realized. They took out the upstart Penguins to start the playoffs and then totally manhandled the Devils in the second round and then amazingly plowed through the Buffalo Sabres, nearly sweeping them in the conference finals. It's truly been an impressive performance for them. And now, they'll pretty much have all of Canada on their side since the country to the North tends to pull together when one of their teams makes the Finals. And on that subject, this is not a bad run the Canadian franchises are putting together. This marks the third consecutive Stanley Cup Finals that has featured a Canadian franchise. Given that there are only six teams left in Canada (Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal), this is not too bad. Granted, Calgary and Edmonton have lost the last two Finals, both in excruciating seventh-game fashion, but still, it's good for Canada to be so well-represented. At least the league is flourishing in one country.

As for Anaheim, they were one of the consistently best teams all season long. They had a stretch where they came back to Earth and actually were overtaken by Detroit for the #1 seed in the West, but they've simply been dominant in the playoffs. They've taken some lumps from some good teams but have managed to hit right back and assertively make their way to the Finals. I thought from about February on that the Finals would be Anaheim-Buffalo and I turned out to be half-right.

Anaheim is just too good, I think. They have two of the best defensemen in the NHL in Pronger and Neidermayer together on the same team. It's very hard for any team to deal with this, plus Anaheim's opportunistic scoring and lockdown goaltending from Giugere.

Sadly, I think it's going to be another "almost" Spring for Canada, as the Sens are going to be overtaken by a simply better team. It's not that Ottawa's going to lose, I don't think; I just think Anaheim is that much better.

Ducks in 6.

Labels: NHL, playoffs

Jesus saves... but Pope John Paul II puts in the rebound!!

Okay, that's enough tempting the heavens to strike me down for one day. It's been a while since I posted here, and in that time a lot has happened. We'll keep this post specific to hockey.

The Rangers finally exited the playoffs after giving us a hell of a lot to get excited about this Spring. They bounced the Atlanta Thrashers in four games in the first round and then put up a great fight against Buffalo, the best team in the NHL, in the second round. The series was 2-2 after four games and in Game 5, the two teams battled scorelessly until about 3:16 was left in the game and Marty Straka made it 1-0 Rangers. This would have been huge, to hold on to that lead. Winning Game 5 in Buffalo's building would have finished them, I firmly believe. Lundqvist was already in their heads and if he'd held on to that shutout, Buffalo would have then lost three in a row while scoring a total of two goals in those three games.

Alas, the Rangers getting the breaks did not continue in Game 5. With under eight seconds to go, the Sabres tied the game up and then won it in overtime on the power play. Series over.

I had said after Game 4 that if the Rangers won Game 5 that I thought they'd win the series but that they'd have to do it in Game 6 and not allow the series to go back to Buffalo. And that if Buffalo won Game 5 it was probably over. Game 5s are always pivotal but this one felt even more critical. And then to lose it that way, well, you just knew it hit the Rangers right in the gut.

It showed in Game 6 back at the Garden. The crowd was bonkers but Buffalo had their legs back and their confidence showed. They put five goals past Lundqvist and held on the furious Rangers rally, as New York kept coming back from two goals down, eventually succumbing 5-4. As far as series that don't go the full distance are concerned, this was a very good one. And the Ranger fans repeated last year's classy send-off by staying in the building at the end and saluting the Rangers one more time, even getting the player salute to the fans one last time for a great season. There's a lot to be proud of and this team is definitely heading in the right direction. How much longer the Jagr window is open is a matter of some concern, though. Look for the Rangers to re-sign Shanahan and Nylander and maybe pick up one or two more proven guys to make a serious run next season. I can't wait.

As for my prognosticating, I'm doing pretty well. After getting seven of eight series correct in Round 1, I had all four right in Round 2, bringing me to 11-1 in picking series winners correctly. Too bad I had no money on any of this. I'm an idiot, for the record.

So how about those conference finals?

(1) Detroit Red Wings versus (2) Anaheim Ducks -- The Duck franchise's decision to lose the "Mighty" from their name seems to have worked wonders. This team got off to a blistering start at the beginning of the season and kept going strong in the talented Western Conference all year long. They've now plowed through the first two rounds of the playoffs and it doesn't look to me like many teams even have a shot at stopping their outstanding top defensive guys, Chris Pronger and Scott Neidermayer. Those two are just the anchor of a fantastic team. Teemu Selanne up front is still the sniper he always was and J-S Giguiere in net is on absolute fire this postseason. As for Detroit, most people picked the Sharks to upset them in the second round and the Wings were indeed down 2-1 in the series before winning three straight to close out the teal boys from San Jose. If Dominik Hasek is focused and not playing possum, the Wings are near-impossible to beat. They're well-coached, have talent, have solid defensive players and, as mentioned, have an all-world goalie. Only problem is that goalie is 42 and the Wings lost one of their top defenders for the playoffs in Matt Schneider. As a result, 45-year-old Chris Chelios will be getting even more ice time and there's talk of him playing the power play for the first time in probably a decade. While I admire the Wings focus and I think they have one of the best home-ice advantages in all of hockey, I felt since midseason that the Western Finals representative would be Anaheim. Not enough has changed to make me rethink that. The Wings will be tough but in the end they won't have quite enough to overcome a more healthy and equally talented Ducks squad. Ducks in 7.

(1) Buffalo Sabres versus (4) Ottawa Senators -- These teams hate one another. They had one of the best (worst?) brawls all season just a couple months ago. That fight included the goalies going at it, although the Buffalo goalie that night was the since-traded Marty Biron. However, as I said, they hate one another and the bad blood remains. Thing is, this is the playoffs and I think they'll be a little more focused and less interested in taking runs at each other. If the series or a specific game get out of reach, then you'll definitely see some cheap shots. As for the teams, Buffalo just punched in the mouth by the Rangers but remained committed to their game and was able to recover. Ordinarily, I'd say I would be worried about their resolve after seeing how losing those two close ones at the Garden clearly rattled them. However, as I mentioned above, the Sabres seemed to regain their poise, confidence and swagger in Game 6 and took care of business the way championship-caliber teams do. Ottawa, though, has also been methodic in putting away upstart Pittsburgh and perennial power New Jersey. The New Jersey series was particularly interesting since the Sens have a history and reputation of choking in the playoffs while New Jersey is usually a steady winner in the Spring. The Sens seem to have chucked their choker label and are clearly as focused as they've ever been on the big prize. And this is a good year for them, not being the 1-seed, not being expected to win it all. Maybe it's that ability to be under the radar that's helping them. Regardless, I think their ride ends here. The Sabres are just too good and too complete a team. I think they got their one scare in this past round and that they'll run over Ottawa on their way to the Finals. As I said about the Ducks, I felt the Sabres were destined for the Finals months ago. It's an easy pick for me. Sabres in 5.

Labels: me taking sports way too seriously, NHL, playoffs

Well, holy hell, those were two amazing playoff games at Madison Square Garden. While the two home games against Atlanta two weeks ago were fun, they weren't nearly as suspensful or "playoff hockeylike" as these past two against Buffalo.

The Rangers had come in against Atlanta up 2-0 and simply dominated their two home games, sweeping the Thrashers and making us fans deliriously happy with a playoff winner to cheer for. Then, of course, our beloved Rangers drew the top-seeded, tops-in-the-NHL Buffalo Sabres in the second round by virtue of being the lowest seed left and we all felt, well, it was a good season.

I'm not suggesting Rangers fans gave up -- never! But we're also a realistic bunch and we know that last year was a huge leap forward with a terrible finish (being swept by the Devils). And then this year was another step forward in making the playoffs again and then advancing. Losing to the best team in the NHL wouldn't be the worst thing and we'd still be proud of our boys.

But what's funny is that the Rangers themselves didn't seem to be just happy to be in the second round. They wanted to win. They played a tough first two periods in Game 1 before getting sloppy and losing to a team they aren't fast enough to play a fast style with. Then in Game 2, they let 2-1 in the third before allowing two late goals to let one slip away. They must have believe they should have won that game (and they should have) because they came home ready to outhustle and outplay Buffalo. They had 46 shots in the double-OT game on Sunday to make the series 2-1, Buffalo, and then they controlled the play for most of last night's 2-1 win as well.

Now, suddenly, it's 2-2 and it's almost difficult to believe. We're not used to the Rangers handling adversity this well. And as I said, nobody could blame them if they lost to the Sabres who, when you watch them, you can't help saying, "Wow, this team is good."

But the Rangers clearly have a game plan and it's working. They're playing physical with the less-brutish Sabres, they're not letting them get set up on offense, and they're playing good defense and not letting the Sabres rush up and down the ice. Sure, it means you almost have to play Devils-style hockey (score a goal and hope for a shutout by your goalie) but they seem to have determined that this is the only way to win this series. And do you know what? We're all starting to believe it can happen.

Last night, the Rangers managed to take a 2-0 lead with about 12 minutes to go in the third period an we went bananas. A 2-0 lead with as well as Lundqvist is playing in net? We felt a lot better than the tenuous 1-0 lead. Well, we hadn't even stopped celebrating when, 33 seconds later, Buffalo broke through for a goal to make it 2-1. And then they kept the pressure on and several times nearly tied it up.

The most notable time is evidenced in the picture above, when Henrik Lundqvist had to make an amazing stop on Daniel Briere with less than twenty seconds left in the game. The play went to review because the Sabres thought it went in and the officials weren't sure. The review went on for quite some time, with all of us remaining on our feet as we had been for the final two minutes of this incredibly suspenseful game. As the review dragged on, more and more people began calling friends who were watching on TV. My sister texted me and said it looked like a goal. We heard the same thing from others. We began to think that it was a tie game and we could be looking at another long overtime.

Then, suddenly, the Rangers caught a break. The replays showed the puck almost crossing the line but there was no camera angle that actually showed the puck completely over the line. The screen capture below is what was looked at the most, I think.


You can see the black smudge that is the puck right on the goal line and right against Lundqvist's right pad. That pad continued sliding out from the net and so, for that reason, I think it's possible the puck was never completely over the line. Either way, the officials saw they did not have conclusive evidence to overturn the no-goal call on the ice and gave the signal that it was indeed, no goal.

And the place, once again, went ballistic. I haven't cheered for hockey like that in many, many years. I said to my dad that the whole last ten minutes of the game felt like the Finals in 1994, as the Rangers desperately tried to hold off a furious attack.

So now, as I said, the series is 2-2 and it's now a best-of-three series with Game 5 Friday in Buffalo, Game 6 Sunday back at the Garden and Game 7, if necessary, next Tuesday night in Buffalo.

I did actually say that I thought this would be the case after four games, although I thought each team would split at home while instead each team has held serve at home. This, of course, doesn't bode well for the Rangers since they'll now have to win at least one in Buffalo and then win another home game, too. But it's not nearly as daunting as being in that 0-2 hole to start the series was.

And another interesting thing to me was simply how downtrodden the Sabres sounded after both Games 3 and 4. Admittedly, those are tough games to lose, one in OT and the other on a disputed goal (both 2-1, nailbiters). However, if you're that team you need to look at it as having been so close it could have gone either way. The Rangers coaching staff seems to get the Rangers to believe they can win no matter what the odds are and this is evident in how the team plays and how focused they clearly are. The Sabres just sounded defeated in the locker room after both games and even their coach, Lindy Ruff, has repeatedly said things about how they "have to get [their] feet moving," and things of that nature. It almost sounds like he isn't sure what to do. All season long, the Sabres have rolled four lines successfully, yet in last night's game Ruff changed that and only had three lines going for much of the game. Does this shift in approach impact fatigue? Does it show some minor panic on the Sabres part?

Anytime you lose consecutive games in the playoffs you have to panic at least a little bit since there's so little time to have slumps, but you really shouldn't let your team, fans and, most importantly, the opposition, see that panic. And I think the Sabres are beginning to wonder why their dynamic offensive team is having so much trouble. And maybe Henrik Lunqvist and his stellar play is starting to get into their heads a little bit.

Buffalo is a disciplined team and, unlike Atlanta, isn't letting the Rangers physical play goad them into penalties or stupid mistakes. They appear focused as well but, as I said, a little more nervous than they were when they were up 2-0. If you want to get all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, you have to be able to overcome this kind of pressure. The Sabres, if they want to advance, need to stop acting and sounding like they're losing this series. They lost in the Eastern Conference Finals last year and felt they got a raw deal and were actually the better team. Many agreed that they were but that it just didn't happen for them. In this series, there's no doubt in anyone's mind that they're the better team once again -- but right now they're showing signs of being mortal.

Stan Fischler said on the Rangers post-game last night that he fully expects the Rangers to win this series now. Some of the other guys were kind of surprised at how confident Fischler now was in the Rangers and he said he thinks he sees it in how both teams are playing and that he thinks it won't matter who has home-ice. That's mighty bold and even I am not willing to go that far.

However, I've said enough for now. Game 5 is Friday and if they can pull out a win in Buffalo, they'll be back home on Sunday playing to move on to the Conference Finals. Just knowing it's a possibility is awesome.

I love hockey.

Labels: me taking sports way too seriously, NHL, playoffs, Rangers

The Rangers finally beat Buffalo yesterday, 2-1 in double overtime, for their first victory against the Sabres in seven tries this season. They had lost four regular season games and then the first two games of this series before finally winning and avoiding going down 0-3 in this series.

The Rangers got robbed on a call earlier in the game when a goal was disallowed that would have made it 2-0 in the second period. Instead, they tried to hold their 1-0 lead and lost it with about seven minutes to play. Then we went to overtime and even Watersyne was on the edge of her seat as she learned what playoff hockey is all about.

It's been while since I saw an overtime playoff game (probably since 1994) in person and I had forgotten how weird it is to have the third period end.... and another intermission to begin. You go out, you pee, you get some more food... and the ice is Zamboni'ed and then they begin another 20-minute period. And then, after the first overtime, there's another intermission, they clean the ice again.... and the scoreboard "Period" indicator clicks to "5" and you wonder how long it might go. This particular game was only three minutes away from heading to a period 6 when it was finally ended. The Garden was quite loud, as you might imagine, with a lot of the cheering being that of relief at still being in the series.

Next game is Tuesday night and with a win we have a brand-new series.

Labels: me taking sports way too seriously, NHL, playoffs, Rangers

Hey, it's the second round of the playoffs and the Rangers are actually still alive! Which means that my predicitions about the East are still subject to major bias. Of course, I did pick them to win their series and win it they did, in dominant fashion. Interestingly (to me, at least), I also picked every other series winner correctly except for one. So 7 for 8 in the first round isn't too bad. Let's see if I know what I'm talking about in the second round.

Western Conference

(1) Detroit Red Wings versus (5) San Jose Sharks - The Red Wings took six games to eliminate the Flamers in the first round but they absolutely dominated the series, outshooting the Flames by more than 20 per game on average. This, coupled with how good San Jose is, is causing many to pick the Sharks for the upset. While I really do think this could happen, I also think Detroit is playing way better than people realize. It'll be a long series and home ice will help. Red Wings in 7.

(2) Anaheim Ducks versus (3) Vancouver Canucks - The Canuckleheads were the only team I had wrong in the first round and they almost proved me right. They had a 3-1 series lead on Dallas and gave it all back and were tied 1-1 in the third period of Game 7 when they finally put it away. Anaheim is a lot better than Dallas. In fact, Anaheim was one of the best teams in the league for most of the season. They'll make quick work of the Canucks but I can see Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo stealing them a game or two. Ducks in 6.

Eastern Conference

(1) Buffalo Sabres versus (6) New York Rangers - Advantages for New York: the season is now a success, having stormed to the second round; being the underdog makes less pressure on them; they're playing the best hockey they've played all season; Buffalo has that pressure of being expected to win it all. Disadvantages? Buffalo is really, really freakin' good. The Sabres took all four games between the two this season, though three went to overtime and the last one between them was December 1. A lot has changed since then, especially for the Rangers. I swore when things started that I would pick honestly and try to use my brain and not my heart. I do definitely think thre Rangers could win this series and it wouldn't shock me if they took it in 5 or 6 with the way they're playing. However, from what I saw of Buffalo, they're just too fast for almost anyone and I said months ago that the only teams I truly feared in the Eastern Conference were Buffalo and New Jersey. I think the two teams will split the first four games, with each winning one on the other's home ice. And I think it'll come down to the Rangers needing one more home game in this series and they won't have it. Sabres in 7.

(2) New Jersey Devils versus (4) Ottawa Senators - The Devils and Marty Brodeur looked somewhat beatable in the first round, even trailing 2 games to 1 to Tampa. However, Marty got his act together and shut down the Lightning for the next three games. I don't know if he can do that against Ottawa. Much like last year, I think the Devils will lose their edge in the second round and I continue to maintain that Brodeur playing 78 games this season was far too many. The Senators took care of the up-and-coming Penguins in the first round and did so fairly convincingly. Let's hope that gave them some confidence. The only problem is, if Brodeur shuts them out in Game 1 and thoroughly frustrates them, this could all be for nothing and the Devils could then run them over. Still, I don't think it'll happen that way. Senators in 6.

Oh, and from the optimism department, I got my Rangers Stanley Cup Finals ticket invoice yesterday. I guess advancing one round in the playoffs justifies preparing for the Finals. Nothing like jinxing yourselves. And, naturally, the tickets for the Finals would be triple my regular season price.

Naturally, I faxed in my payment info first thing this morning. Hey, you never know.

Labels: me taking sports way too seriously, NHL, playoffs, Rangers

Well, last night was awesome again. The Rangers finished off their sweep of the Atlanta Thrashers with a 4-2 victory in a game that was a lot like the first two in that it was close, but different in that the Thrashers actually led. Twice, in fact.

For the first time in a while, I wasn't as nervous as I usually am when watching the Rangers in the playoffs. They had so completely dominated the Thrashers on Tuesday night and the Thrash looked so overmatched that when the game began and the Rangers continued to look focused, I just allowed myself to enjoy the game. Sure, they went down 1-0 and 2-1 but they evened the score both times shortly after falling behind and then scored on a much-reviewed goal two minutes into the third period and that turned out to be the difference.

Over at Boiled Sports, I put up video clips in my post about last night's game. Check 'em out if you're interested. Some good stuff.

Now the Rangers move on to the second round for the first time in ten years and face any of four teams. It's hard to say, since all the other series are still going on and the Rangers are the first team in the playoffs to advance. Man, it's been a while since they looked this good.

I'm obviously still realistic and not expecting a Cup this year. However, in February I wasn't expecting them to make the playoffs. And last week I wasn't expecting them to sweep Atlanta. And last year, I wasn't expecting 8th-seeded Edmonton to make the Finals. So who the hell knows. I do know that I'll be there in a week to ten days, whenever the Rangers next home game is, and I'll be loving it.

Labels: me taking sports way too seriously, NHL, playoffs, Rangers, things that shouldn't take ten years

The Rangers had perhaps their most impressive overall performance ever in a playoff game last night, pummeling the Atlanta Thrashers 7-0 at the Garden and, as you might expect, I was there.

Labels: me taking sports way too seriously, NHL, playoffs, Rangers, tomahawk chop

Well, it's about damn time. The Rangers took Game One of their first-round series last night against the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3. More importantly, they actually won a playoff game for the first time in almost ten years. Ten freakin' years.

It was May of 1997 and I was still in college. Then they didn't make the playoffs again until last year and then, last year, they got swept and I was at all four games. So last night was the first Rangers playoff game I've watched on TV since May of '97, and I remember watching the game from Harry's Chocolate Shop (note: not actually a chocolate shop) in West Lafayette, Indiana because my new apartment didn't have cable yet.

Some perspective? Well, the Rangers current goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, was 14 years old. Wayne Gretzky was on the team, playing alongside Mark Messier for their one year together in New York. Oh, and Gretzky was just 36 and still had a couple more years to go.

The Yankees had won only one World Series since 1978; they had yet to go on their three-in-a-row run from '98-'00.

I was 21 years old. I've been to probably 75-100 games in person in between playoff wins.

As though I didn't have enough stress on me watching them in the playoffs, I added some wages to the night. One was whether or not Michael Nylander would have an assist in the game for the Rangers. I was getting good odds and I was confident he would come through...and he did, with one goal and two assists. I also took the "over" on goals scored in all NHL playoff games last night. There were four games and the over/under was 22.5 -- 25 were scored. So yeah, go me.

Game 2 is Saturday afternoon and then Games 3 and 4 are back to back on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the Garden. You know where I'll be for those.

Labels: gambling, me taking sports way too seriously, playoffs, Rangers, things that shouldn't take ten years

Sure, so nobody who reads my site cares all that much about the NHL playoffs. I do, and that's what matters.

As I've done in years past, I'll be breaking down the NHL playoffs and offering my brilliance on what might happen. Last year, I was not so hot but in other years, I've gotten the finals teams right and won money for it, so there.

So here we go, whether you're interested or not.

Western Conference

(1) Detroit Red Wings versus (8) Calgary Flames – A few years ago, I bet on the Flamers, then the #7 seed in the West, to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals (at 14-1 odds) and they did! This team is better than most 8-seeds you typically see, as they finished with 96 points and a 43-29-10 record. But Detroit was boringly, systematically good…again, finishing tops in the West with 113 points and a 50-19-13 record. They only lost once in their last ten games so they even have the whole, hot-at-the-right-time thing in their favor. Believe me, I really want to pick the Flames to upset the Wings in round one because I think Calgary is good – but Detroit lost to another eighth-seeded Alberta team in round one last year (the Oilers) and I don’t think they’ll let it happen again. Red Wings in 6.

(2) Anaheim Ducks versus (7) Minnesota Wild – The Ducks were the best team in the league for most of the first half, even staying ahead of the Sabres out East. They came back to the pack and ended up not evening winning their conference but it’s hard to see this team falling anytime early in the playoffs. With Chris Pronger and Scott Neidermayer on the blue line and Teemu Selanne up front (among others), they’re just too good. The Wild should be proud of their 100+ point season but the ride will end here. Ducks in 6.

(3) Vancouver Canucks versus (6) Dallas Stars – The Canucks were projected to be a pretty terrible team but Roberto Luongo has been amazing in goal. And that’s the reason they’re here. He won 47 games and just had a out-of-his-mind season. The Canucks also have the Sedin twins who provide offense but the Stars just feel like a team on a mission to me. I know that’s nondescript but this seems like one of those seasons where a team that’s been good in the past and is kind of overlooked storms back to surprise people. The Stars had a very good year in the talented West and actually wound up with 50 wins – usually good enough for a top seed. They actually have two more points than Vancouver (but the Canucks automatically get the higher seed because of winning their division) and are definitely a better team. Assuming goalie Marty Turco doesn’t melt down in the playoffs, the Stars are moving on. Stars in 6.

(4) Nashville Predators versus (5) San Jose Sharks – The Predators were a solid team last year and then lost their starting goalie, Tomas Vokoun right before the playoffs began. Chris Mason was good but not good enough. The Sharks have some fluid goaltending issues of their own to deal with but they also have Joe Thornton. This might be the best series of the first round and many are saying it’s critical to Nashville’s viability as a hockey city. I don’t know about that since this team had 110 points this year – if that’s not enough to make the city care, then they don’t deserve a franchise. And it’s not like the Predators are coming out of the West anyway. Sharks in 7.

Eastern Conference

(1) Buffalo Sabres versus (8) New York Islanders – The Isles snuck in with Wade Dubielewicz between the pipes. They had to win their final four games to slip in and pushed out clearly better teams in the Maple Leafs and Canadiens. And good for them – they now get the right to be absolutely flattened by the Sabres. Sure, there’s an interesting subplot in Isles coach Ted Nolan going against his former club but will that really matter? No chance. The Sabres are too good and if they do happen to smoke Dubie in the first game, where do the Islanders turn? There’s plenty I could analyze to amplify my point but it’s not even worth it. The Sabres will run over the Isles in a sweep. Sabres in 4.

(2) New Jersey Devils versus (7) Tampa Bay Lightning – As you probably know, I hate the Devils. And it starts at the top, with alien-looking GM Lou Lamoriello, who fired his coach, Claude Julien, with three games to go in the season and the 2-seed locked up. Why? Who the hell knows? Probably so he (Lou) could coach the team to what he sees as a chance for a Cup as coach. I hate him so much I can barely see straight. And I hope the Devils cohesiveness suffers as a result. Marty Brodeur was on talk radio on Tuesday and he even admitted it made little sense to him and the other players. The other thing working against the Devils is that they played Marty 78 of 82 games this season. I don’t understand how they think this makes sense for their 34-year-old goalie as we enter the toughest playoff grind of all the sports. Will he hold up for another two months and as many as 28 more games? That would be more than 100 games on the season. I say no way. But will he have enough to get out of the first round against the scrappy Lightning. I think so. Devils in 7.

(3) Atlanta Thrashers versus (6) New York Rangers – Well, we all know I’m biased and there’s no way you should consider my thoughts on this matchup sane. After all, last year I picked the Rangers to beat the Devils in seven games in the first round. I was delusional and swore then that I would make my predictions with what I really thought was going to happen. (And no, I really didn’t think the Rangers would win last year but went with my heart.) So what do I really think will happen? I think the Rangers should win. The Thrashers are a good team, no doubt, with Keith Tkachuk and Ilya Kovalchuk very dangerous up front and Kari Lehtonen between the pipes. But they’re rather inexperienced in the playoffs and Madison Square Garden can impact teams like that. The Rangers are flying right now, as opposed to last year’s terrible finish, with Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Lunqvist playing as well as they have all season. They have Brendan Shanahan back and other players on the defensive side, such as Fedor Tyutin, back from recent injuries. This team is extremely hungry and will not go so meekly this year. While last year’s sweep hurt, it was still acceptable to just have made it back to the playoffs. This year, I fully expect at least a trip to the second round. Rangers in 6.

(4) Ottawa Senators versus (5) Pittsburgh Penguins – This is another outstanding 4/5 matchup and probably the toughest pairing for me to decide on in the first round. I can see the Senators cleaning out the young Pens in a short series and I can also see the Penguins getting on a roll and totally rattling the Senators. The Sens have been labeled playoff chokers for years now and every story about the team seems to mention it and this has got to be getting into the players’ heads, too. The Penguins overachieved greatly this year, going from one of the worst teams in the league to a 105 point scoring machine. They also have some veteran leadership in the form of Mark Recchi, Sergei Gonchar and recent pickup Gary Roberts. However, all that said, the Pens seem to me to be one of those teams that racked up points against weaker teams and had trouble with the more solid teams. I think the Sens are able to withstand the youthful Pens and move on. The Pens will be incredible next year, though. Senators in 6.

Labels: me taking sports way too seriously, NHL, playoffs

Few people in my life understand how amped I get for the NHL Playoffs. I get even more boisterous when my Rangers are in them since it has only happened twice since 1997. And last year, the first time in nine springs that they'd made it, they were unceremoniously dumped by the Devils in four straight. Blech.

This year, they are actually playing well entering the playoffs so I'm even more excited. And I'm lucky to be marrying a woman later this year who puts up with my insanity around this team. Example? Well, we're out of town this coming weekend and before the schedules came out I was worried I might miss one of the Rangers home playoff games and she actually made a comment about me not coming with her because she felt bad for me missing a game. Now that's love and understanding. (Naturally, for the record, while the Rangers are very important to me, they're not more important than my future wife.)

So this blog may very well become a Rangers blog for the next couple of weeks. They're not playing the Devils in the first round this year, which is probably a good things. They're facing the Atlanta Thrashers and I plan to do my annual playoff prediction post very soon. You know, the one that none of my readers care about. Oh, I could post it over at our sister site, Boiled Sports, but my co-authors there wouldn't know a hockey puck from a hamburger and would bash me mercilessly.

So here is where you'll hear about it. All about it.

Labels: hamburgers, me taking sports way too seriously, playoffs, Rangers