2013 NHL Awards

1) With the Hawks and Bruins vying on who will win the Cup and the NHL regular season now in the books, and the NHL awards are set to be announced tonight/tomorrow.  Because the the shortened season there won't be the usual Las vegas gala but instead this inane decision to announce some of the "lesser" awards during what they are calling the NHL awards show tonight, and the REAL awards will be announced tomorrow??  Who the hell cares who wins that Messier Trophy!?!  The real awards will be given out tomorrow.  It also will be bizzare that with the season still on-going many of the players will NOT be in attendance. We forsee most winners recieving it with an either recorded or streamed acceptance speach. It really takes away from the excitement of the moment. Oh well, another victem of Bettman's 3rd lockout.

  2) With all of the above in mind, we still figured we'd review who SHOULD win the various awards, and who will probably win.

Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player to his team): Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals), John Tavares, New York Islanders.  Alex Ovechkin both SHOULD and will win this.  His team doesn't break .500, elet alone make the post season without his surge in February/March.  Crosby had an injury shortned season and probably would have won had he stayed healthy, BUT would his team won many more games with him?  Probably not. As for Johnny T; great season and one could argue he was invaluable getting the Isles in, but just slightly less valuable than 8.

James Norris Memorial Trophy (Top Defenseman): Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins), P.K. Subban (Montreal Canadiens), Ryan Suter (Minnesota Wild)  Ryan Suter SHOULD win but since he doesn't have the eye popping ofensive stats we believe that PK Subban will probably edge him out.  With the Karlsson win last year it was quite clear the award should be renamed the Paul Coffey award as best offensive defensemen.  Suter had the better all around season on the backline.  As an example Montreal doesn't  have Subban on the ice in the waning minute of games it has the lead. If he isn't the most valuable defensemen on his won team how can he be the best in the NHL?

Calder Memorial Trophy (Top Rookie): Brendan Gallagher (Montreal Canadiens), Jonathan Huberdeau (Florida Panthers), Brandon Saad (Chicago Blackhawks)  I have little interest in this award because no one rookie had a break through/eye popping season. Albeit it was a short one. Overall Huberdeau had the best stats and will probably come away with the hardware

Vezina Tophy (Top Goaltender): Sergei Bobrovsky (Columbus Blue Jackets), Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers), Antti Niemi (San Jose Sharks)  This will be a tough one to predict. Lundqvist is the favourite but I have a funny feeling that we might see 'Bob" Sergei Bobrovsky come away with the hardware much to the shagrin of Paul Holmgren!  LOL   King Henry had (another) outstanding season, but you can't compare his defense to that of the Bluejackets who made a valient attempt to make the post season.  Witout Bob, Columbus would have been a lottery pick team

Ted Lindsay Award (Most Outstanding Player): Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals), Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning)  This used to be called the Lester Pearson Award, and usually was a rubber stamp on the Hart winner but since this is selected by NHLPA Members I think that we will see a split in that award this time around.  I think Sid The Kid gets the nod with his amazing, albeit, injury shortened season. His points/game was on pace to be one of the most productive in many years.


 

East -VS- West: 2013 Stanley Cup Finals Prediction!

1) Finally, we're down to the Final 2 teams to vie for Lord Stanley's Cup!  Neither are cinderella stories, having both won a Cup in the past couple of years. Both have expirenced, veteren lineups with plenty of talent. These two Original Six teams haven't met in the playoffs since the 1978 quarterfinals. There are loads of similarities between these two teams, starting with the depth up front, along the blue line, terrific goaltending and a veteran coaching staff. Interesting to note that while the Blackhawks and Bruins are returning to the finals after recent Cup wins, they both boast different starting goaltenders.   Rask and Crawford have both been big reasons their teams are here today.  With Crawford there were more than a few questions about his playoff worthiness after a disappointing turn against Phoenix last spring, but he has rarely wobbled this spring and boasts a 1.74 goals-against average and .935 save percentage.  As for Rask, he's turned in an eye-popping .943 save percentage. He shut out the NHL's top offense twice in four games and since the start of the second round has allowed more than two goals in just one game.

2)  Some would say the Blackhawks would have an edge in the skill department with Towes, Kane, Sharp, Hossa, Keith, etc, but the Bruins have been a deceptively dangerous team on offense, led by playoff points leader David Kreji.  He and fellow 1st line mates Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton have combined for 51 points, including 19 goals and five game winners, this spring. Bergeron has found great chemistry with longtime linemate Marchand and a rejuvenated Jaromir Jagr. The good news for the Blackhawks is that they are starting to click at the best possible moment. Kane now has four goals in his past two games. And while Toews might not be scoring goals at his usual pace, he remains a pivotal fixture on both sides of the puck for the Blackhawks, and that will only be magnified in the finals.

3) Of course special teams will play a HUGE role in who wins. The fact these two teams are dominant when killing penalties isn't all that surprising, given that they were ranked third and fourth during the regular season. Needless to say, the team that is able to crack the penalty-killing armor in this series is going to have a significant advantage.  The Blackhawks scored just one power-play goal in five games against Los Angeles, while the Bruins somehow managed their sweep of the Penguins without scoring a power-play goal.  Since this is a series that's almost certainly going to be won at even strength, the importance of both teams' depth will be crucial.  Players like Bryan Bickel for the hawks and Torey Krug for the B's exemplify players who have emerged this spring.  Bickell has been a force physically, and his eight goals are tied for the team lead and have him tied for second in the postseason. Two of those goals have been game winners.

4) So who wins you ask? This might be the most difficult series to predict of the playoffs. Both teams boast similar attributes, including patience and experience, and have great depth. In the end, you have to give a slight edge to the Bruins in physicality, and that might be enough to wear down the Blackhawks' defense enough for the series victory.  However we believe the Hawks do posses enough of an edge in the overall talent that they should be able to edge the Brins out in 4 of 7 but there for sure will be a couple of crucial OT games in here along the way that could tilt that either way. For sure will be an entertaining/close playoff series
Black Hawks in 7

2013 Conference Finals

1) A rather interesting unique Conference Finals in that all 4 teams are recent Cup winners. Showing that despite the constrictions of the salary cap, good management CAN result in on ice team excellance to continue more than 1 season. These teams all have good upper management in commin so it shouldn't be a shock to see these as the NHLs Final 4.  As always we will predict the winner of each series and the compenents of the matchup that brought us to that conclusion.

In the East:

Pittsburgh Penguins-VS- Boston Bruins:  No other NHL team features a dynamic duo in the middle like Pittsburgh's.  However while the nightmare of the Penguins' early postseason games may have been highlighted by the awful play of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury,  his struggles were aided and abetted by the guys in front of him. The Penguins have to withstand the pounding from Boston's rugged heavyweight forwards like Milan Lucic and Shawn Thornton, and its combative middleweights, such as Brad Marchand and Gregory Campbell.  The key in my opinion will be Rask and the defensive discipline of the Bruins. If they play 'their game' this actually coould be a short series.  The pens have too many exploitable holes even with Vokun in goal.
Bruins in 5





In West:
Chicago Black Hawks-VS-Los Angles Kings:  The defending Stanley Cup champions are no longer a surprise to anyone. The Kings play an old-fashioned, hard-hitting style in the mold of their coach, Darryl Sutter, and their aim is to dominate the areas along the boards, in the corners, and in front of the net. They have a good amount of high-end skill in their lineup, but that's probably not the side of their game the Hawks will see in this round.  Detroit made a point of targeting Hawks captain Jonathan Toews and there's no reason to believe that the Kings won't continue the abuse. Kopitar is one of hockey's best all-around players, but Mike Richards is nastier and would assume the role that Henrik Zetterberg just played for Detroit.   Patrick Kane is not one of the bigger Hawks and he too may be leaned on. He wasn't explosive against Detroit and could have even less room to move against L.A. Fortunately, others such as Patrick Sharp picked up the slack. Which is why I think the Hawks will prevail.
Black Hawks in 5

2013 Conference Semifinals- Predictions

1) Its the second round of ther NHL playoffs.  Overall we were 5 for 8 in First Round series. Not great, but OK. We hope to do better with this round where 4 series will decide who plays for the Conference Title. As usual we will try to predict the winner and the number of games it may take to achieve the results as well as discuss some of the factors that resulted in our prediction
First The East:

 Pittsburgh Penguins- vs- Ottawa Senators:I believe this series will be an absolute dog fight and would not shock me at all if the Senators do pull the upset . I still believe Pittsburgh finds a way to get it done. This has everything to do with Voukon being able to play half decent in net which is all the Penguins need in order to be a dominating team. If Fleury wasn’t such a sievev in the first round the series could have been over in 4 or 5. The Sens winning  in round 1  had just as much to do with the Canadiens mentally breaking down plus getting a couple of lucky bounces and calls to go there way.  Ottawa is a better more defensively sound team then the Isles which of course is all due to Craig Anderson; who could be the best goalie in the NHL right now. He does have the capability of stealing games on his own. But, I don’t think quite enough to steal an entire series.
Penguins in 6

Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers:  This is a real tough series to predict as these two teams are pretty even.  I do believe Boston is slightly better and warrants being the favorite. Having home ice advantage could end up being the difference for the B's.  Many people have written off the Bruins thinking they played awful against the Leafs and it will now catch up to them. I’m taking the opposite approach to their mindset believing this was a terrific wake up call. This match up suits Boston better then Toronto because New York does not have the same team speed and overall offensive capability.
Bruins in 5

West:

 Chicago Blackhawks vs.  Detroit Red Wings: I believe the Hawks are the most complete and best overall team in the conference if not NHL. Yes I can see Detroit giving them a bit of a test as they are a far superior team then first round opponent Minnesota Wild. But I believe the difference will be the overall team speed of the Hawk.  The only reason I say the Wings have a shot here in this series is how hot they have been down the stretch getting into the playoffs then coming back from down 3-2 to the Ducks meanwhile the Hawks have been on cruise control since there winning streak at the beginning of the regular season and don't see that changing here.
Black Hawks in 5

 Los Angeles Kings vs San Jose Sharks: The Kings are still the better team in this series despite the Sharks coming off a first round sweep over Vancouver. While Niemi has looked great all year for the Sharks I am still not convinced he’s an “elite” goalie like Quick, despite his ring in '10. Most of San Jose’s offensive production in Roud 1 came via the power play as long as the Kings stay somewhat disciplined and the refs allow them to play they will have a huge physical advantage.   I don’t think San Jose is an awful team and should win a couple games I would strongly consider taking them on their home ice as they have been the complete polar opposite all season long, but in the end the defending champs will prevail.
King in 6 

2013 Divisional Quarter Finals- Predictions

1) The most exciting time of year is upon us. The Stanley Cup Playoffs! The premiere tournament in ALL of team sports. We will go through each of the 8 opening round series. Predict the winner and the number of games it may take to achieve the results as well as discuss some of the factors that resulted in our prediction.

First The East:

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins-VS- (8) NY Islanders: Yes, this is a first round bye for the Pens. Sorry Islander fans, despite your teams excellent March /mid April run they are not in the same league as the mighty Pens who were blowing teams away without Malkin/Crosby/Letang/Neal  The pens have been eliminated in the first round the past 2 seasons so they won't be taking this round lightly. With the late season additions of  Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray the Penguins are loaded and will roll over the Isles.  Penguins in 4

(2) Montreal Canadiens-VS- (7) Ottawa Senators: The premiere series of the 4 Eastern sets.  The battle of Canada. Despite the seeding we feel the Senators should be looked upon as  the favourites in this series. However, by no means will it be a cake walk, and if price steps up, it could go the other way. The Sens got the 7th seed despite a rash of injuries that would have sunk most teams. Karlsson, Anderson and Jared Cowen have all healed in time for the playoffs, so we feel that they really are as good if not a better team that the Habs right now who stumbled the last few weeks.  Senators in 6

 (3) Washington Capitals-VS- (6) NY Rangers: Again?!?  Yes.  However, despite the fact that the teams played last season, both teams have a vastly different feel going into this series. Caps are back to the run and gun, and the Rangers are no longer the miserly, block shots and goaltending of The King. They have been quite ordinary(other than Lundqvist) this season and despite adding Nash, they continue to have trouble scoring.  Amazingly Ovechkin quickly resumed his Hart- candidate, Richard type production to propel the caps back atop the South-Least Division.  It will likely come down to one or two OT games, but with the home ice this time around we believe the caps will prevail this time. Capitals in 7  

(4) Boston Bruins-VS- (5) Toronto Maple Leafs:  The only all-Original Six match-up of the first round, although they haven't seen each other in the playoffs almost 40 years.  Unusually, this 4-5 match up will NOT be as close as those sees usually produce. We feel that despite the proximity in the standings, the teams are worlds apart in talent and playoff experience. Also don't discount the 'Kessel trade' factor, as we will see Sequin and Hamilton-vs- Kessel show why the B's won that trade hands down. The Bruins have posted a 15-4-3 record over the Leafs since the two teams completed the trade to send Phil Kessel to Toronto. Although we laud the job Randy Carlyle did to get this team to end nine long years of suffering, we feel they are no match for Claude Julien's teams.  Bruins in 5 


West:

(1) Chicago Black Hawks-VS- (8) Minnesota Wild: The Wild slipped into the final playoff spot on the final day of the season. Their reward?  They get to play the power house Black Hawks who haven't had one bad stretch all season.  It will take a monumental effort from Niklas Backstrom to keep the games and series close, but we don't see it happening. Perhaps the Wild can steal 1, but with their anemic attack and the Hawks tremendous  host of offensive weapons with  Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa, great defense and sound goaltending, this will be the West's version of a First Round Bye.  Black Hawks in 4


(2) Anaheim Ducks-VS- (7) Detroit Red Wings: Many are  predicting an 'upset' here, but would it really be?  Had we said in the preseason that the Wings would beat the Ducks in the 1st round who would have been shocked? That being said we don't think the Wings have that mystique they once possessed. While we're not big Boudreau fans, he has his team playing well and probably good enough to survive a first round. It doesn't hurt when you can boast one of the strongest goaltending tandems in the NHL with Viktor Fasth and Jonas Hiller. We think the combo of Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan will out duel Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Franzen.  Ducks in 6

(3) Vancouver Canucks-VS- (6) San Jose Sharks: HERE is where we expect an upset(if it can be called one.  Two teams that usually underwhelm in the post season(especially SJ).  We believe with the Luongo/Schneider situation still simmering. To muddy the waters more Schneider may not be healthy propelling Luongo as the starter. Would be interesting if Roberto played stellar and won the series.However we don't foresee that and more importantly the Sharks play better as the under dog so we expect to see the 3rd seed in the West disposed of early.  Sharks in 5

(4) St. Louis Blues-VS- (5) Los Angles Kings: A typical 4-5 match and should be the closest of the 4 West series. Just one point separated the two teams in the standings, and the teams' goals-for and goals-against totals  differed by four and three respectively After rough starts the Blues and Kings came on the last 2 months to grab the 4th and 5th seeds.   The Blues will look to exact revenge as the Kings swept the Blues last season in the second round. Both teams well coached, with Ken Hitchcock squad of course  playing responsible, two-way hockey and Sutter's crew  has a line-up that is nearly identical to the 2012 Champions so probably it will come down to an OT or even 2 to decide the fate of this series.  We give the nod to the Blues only because of the home ice advantage.  Blues in 7

The Reward For Sucking!?!

1) The NHL will conduct its Draft Lottery today, Monday, April 22nd. The lottery will take place in-studio with NHL deputy-commissioner Bill Daly revealing the results live on-air. This will be the 6th time the draft lottery will been aired live on television since the 'Crosby Draft' of 2005, and for only the 7th time in 17 years. The 2013 Newark, NJ NHL Draft Lottery, live at 8pm The lottery will also be simulcast live on the TSN.ca, NHL Network, NHL.com.

2) The bottom 14 (non-playoff) teams in the NHL will be eligible for the lottery, where odds are weighted by least amount of regular season points. Unlike previous years when the winning lottery team can move up no more than four spots in the draft and no team could move back more than one, tonight's lottery will feature the new format where EVERY non playoff team could potentially WIN the lottery and the top overall pick. Representatives from each of the 14 teams eligible to win the first overall pick will be in attendance:

3) Here's the breakdown: •The five lowest-finishing teams that have the best crack at the No. 1 pick: The 30th place team has a 25% chance of winning the drawing, followed by 18.8% for the 29th place team, 14.2% for 28th, 10.7% for 27th and 8.1% for 26th. •The other nine non-play-off teams also have a diminishing chance of winning the lottery.  Can we be frank in hoping someone other than Edmonton wins it this year!!
4) Here's are a few odd facts:

•In 16 draft lotteries since its inception in 1995, the team finishing 30th has been rewarded with the first pick just six times.


•The team finishing in third-last has been promoted to the first pick four times, even though the odds of that happening are just 14.2%.


•The second to worst finisher has NEVER won the draft lottery! Not only has the second-worst team never won the draft lottery in 16 attempts, but on four occasions it is has been pushed back one drafting spot when the third-worst team won the lottery. If we were betting folks we'd say that this will be the year the second suckiest team wins the lottery.

5) Of course we will renew our objection to the whole lottery process. Our position, though radical and controversial, would eliminate all possible doubt, and no longer reward failure/incompetence. That is do what was done in the 'Crosby sweepstakes' (2005 draft). Have ALL teams' draft order determined equally by a lottery. It would be a great/exciting show, like then, to have every team a chance at the 1st pick, and it eliminates once and for all any chance that teams would be disincentivized from playing their best/best players at all times!  It forces GM's/teams to improve by making good decisions, not by tanking a season or two to rebuild and getting good picks. It eliminates ANY notion that teams aren't playing their best each and every night. Also, and as importantly, it stops once and for all the idiotic notion of reward for failure. While we're a it stop the 'loser point' in games. You lose, you get zero points for your effort!

Week 15 Results

1) All but one NHL game remains to be played in the 2013 season. Yesterday was our Final day of picks on the season, and on the day/night we went 8-5 to bring out Final Season Long total to 96-60 for a final and impressive .615 winning %. We also got the Lock correct to bring that stat's final total to 12-3 or an impressive 80% correct rate!!   

2) Of course stay tuned all playoffs long for our predictions and as we usually do, post something before the draft Lottery!  As always keep it here for all the latest!!