NHL Stanley Cup 1st Round

The first round threw up only a couple of surprises as most of the teams I expected to progress went on to the second round. Below you can see all the final scores and how they matched up to my earlier predictions.

Western Conference:

Detroit beat Phoenix 4 - 0

My Prediction: 3 - 4 (Phoenix win)

Well I was miles off with this one. I thought that Phoenix would be able to push Detroit just as far this year as they did last but, when their best player (Bryzgalov) doesn't play well, the Coyotes don't win, despite the brilliance of Shane Doan throughout the series and the emergence of Kyle Turris from his season-long slumber. Detroit were by far the better side and deserved to go through.

San Jose beat Los Angeles 4 - 2

My Prediction: 4 – 1

I wasn't too far off with this one. San Jose proved to be too much for LA, as we all thought they would. The Kings played some great hockey and, had they defended their 4-0 lead in Game 3 of the series, things might have turned out differently. Thornton, Marleau and Heatley were fairly non-existent to begin with but they are building up a head of steam right now and march on.

Nashville beat Anaheim 4 – 2

My Prediction: 1 – 4 (Ducks win)

Again, my predictive powers failed me. Despite a great series for Ryan, Getzlaf, Perry and Selanne, the hardworking Nashville Predators had too much grit and determination for the highly skilled Anaheim Ducks. Despite being knocked out, Bobby Ryan can find some solace in having scored one of the best goals in Stanley Cup history.

Vancouver beat Chicago 4 – 3

My Prediction: 4 – 3

Spot on for this one. Probably the best series out of them all. Vancouver went 3-0 up and the Blackhawks came right back to tie it. Vancouver had goalie issues and even let in a short-handed goal at the end of Game 7 to take the game into overtime before they finally overcame the team that has put them out of the last two Stanley Cup playoffs. Vancouver have shown they have more about them this year and I fancy them to go far.

Eastern Conference:

Washington beat New York 4 – 1

My Prediction: 4 – 2

Washington proved to be too much for the Rangers who simply could not match the speed and power of the Capital's forwards. The Rangers did push Washington hard and, had a couple of bounces gone their way in overtime, we could have been looking at a much closer series. However, the better team did go through. Washington look dangerous.

Tampa Bay beat Pittsburgh 4 – 3

My Prediction: 4 – 2

At one point I thought that the Bolts were on their way out. They were 3 – 1 down to the Pittsburgh Penguins after four games and that usually means only one thing. However, Steven Stamkos finally found his game in his first NHL playoffs and sparked a remarkable turnaround that ended with Tampa going through after a 1 – 0 win in Game 7. Pittsburgh will be wondering how this series got away from them.

Boston beat Montreal 4 – 3

My Prediction: 4 – 3

Nailed this one. With the history between these two sides, how could this series not have gone seven games? It would have been a travesty. It was another memorable seven games in the Bruins/Canadiens saga and, in the end, the better team went through for sure. The Bruins, now they have put out their biggest rivals, look very well placed to reach the Conference Final and even the Stanley Cup Final.

Philadelphia beat Buffalo 4 – 3

My Prediction: 4 – 0

I was way off with the series score, but not with the eventual winner. Philadelphia were without Chris Pronger for the early part of this series and it showed. However, on his return, the Flyers found their game and ground out some hugely important wins including a pivotal overtime win in Game 6 that allows them to move on. They will have to resolve their goaltending issues if they are to go as far as they did last year. Buffalo will be kicking themselves for letting this opportunity to progress to round 2 slip away.

I'll be back later to preview the next round!

NHL Playoff Match-ups.

It took all 82 games, but we finally have the 16 teams that have qualified for this season's Stanley Cup playoffs. As per usual, the first round has thrown up some juicy ties so read on, find out who plays who and then give me your opinion on who will beat who.

Eastern Conference:

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

It is hard to look beyond the Washington Capitals in this series, especially considering the quality of players they have on their roster coupled with the fact that the Rangers recently lost Ryan Callahan to injury. However, The Caps threw away a 3-0 series lead against the 8^th placed Montreal Canadiens last year proving that anything can happen.

Prediction: Caps 4 – 2 Rangers

Philadelphia Flyers (2) vs (7) Buffalo Sabres

Philly have been very strong this year and the Sabres have not. Philly are bigger and more skilled than Buffalo so I can see this being a very one-sided series. Ryan Miller is going to have to be as good as he ever has been to get the Sabres through this one.

Prediction: Flyers 4 – 0 Sabres

Boston Bruins (3) vs (6) Montreal Canadiens

One of the most heated rivalries in Hockey comes to the fore here with probably the best first round match-up. Boston will be the favourites going into this one but that rarely matters when it comes to rivalries. Both teams will be pumped up for this one and I can't wait.

Prediction: Bruins 4 – 3 Habs

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

There still is no set date for Crosby's return so it looks like Pittsburgh might have to play one or two more games without their star player. However, they have been doing just fine without both Crosby and Malkin in recent weeks so they should be ok. Tampa will be looking to secure as many wins as they can before Crosby returns and, with Lecavalier, St. Louis and Stamkos in the team, there is no reason why they can't knock the Penguins out in the first round.

Prediction: Penguins 2 – 4 Bolts

Western Conference:

Vancouver Canucks (1) vs (8) Chicago Blackhawks

Vancouver have simply dominated this year, even with all the injuries to their blue-line. Led by Kesler and the Sedins, Vancouver stormed their way to the President's Trophy and look set to finally destroy their reputation as perennial under-achievers in the playoffs. Luongo looks solid in net and the Canucks have a great back-up in Cory Schneider. Despite all that, the Blackhawks are the defending Stanley Cup champs and they have dumped the Canucks out of the playoffs in the last two years so this will not be easy.

Prediction: Canucks 4 -3 Hawks

San Jose Sharks (2) vs (7) LA Kings

The San Jose Sharks will want to go one step further than they did last year and reach the Stanley Cup final. They are up against a tough first round opponent but they definitely have the edge. The Sharks' top line will be key in this series and I can't see how LA can match them offensively without Kopitar.

Prediction: Sharks 4 – 1 Kings

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

A rematch from last year's first round sees the Red Wings go up against the Coyotes again. Last year the series went seven games (with Detroit prevailing) and I see no reason why this year won't be the same. The Red Wings and the Coyotes shared two wins each against each other this year during the regular season and every game they play is a close one. The Coyotes will be out for revenge for sure and, as a fan, I have to believe they can do it.

Prediction: Red Wings 3 – 4 Coyotes

Anaheim Ducks (4) vs (5) Nashville Predators

The class and skill of the Ducks' top line will go up against the hard working Nashville Predators and I can't see past a series win for Anaheim. With Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan in such great form, the Ducks should progress to the second round despite the fact that Nashville took three of the four games between the two this year.

Prediction: Ducks 4 – 1 Preds

Agree?

Disagree?

Give me your opinions.

Comment below!

Daily News: NHL and EPL

 NHL NEWS:

Ovechkin ready and Arnott close to return – Alexander Ovechkin feels that he is ready to return to action for the Caps, while Jason Arnott should be back very soon. Good news for the Caps.

Selanne proving age doesn't matter – At 40 years old, Teemu Selanne is proving to the NHL world that he still has the ability to be a top player. He scored 5 points in last night's win over the Avalanche and has 75 points on the season.

Bertuzzi ejected from game, could face suspension – Todd Bertuzzi's reckless hit on Ryan Johnson last night earned him a 5 minute penalty and a game misconduct call. With the NHL clamping down on bad hits, I wouldn't be surprised to see Bertuzzi get a suspension.

Alfredsson practices for the first time since February - Sens' forward, Daniel Alfredsson has finally returned to practice. He has been out with an injured back since February the 9^th.

Penner returns to Oil City, Kings lose Kopitar til next season - Dustin Penner is returning to Edmonton for the first time since he was traded from the Oilers to the Kings. News has also come out that Anze Kopitar will not return this season. 

EPL NEWS:

Ibrahimovic to City? - AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is cooling any rumours that he will be moving to Manchester City in the summer. I don't see the point in City buying another striker, especially one who is nearing the end of his career.

Neymar dreaming of Blues – 19-year-old Brazilian sensation Neymar has revealed he would love to play for Chelsea. I think this guy could be a player Chelsea really need. They have an ageing squad and could do with some youthful talent.

Gallas staying at Spurs – William Gallas has signed a new deal at Spurs and with that, will probably end his long career at White Hart Lane.

Bale in race to be fit to play Real – Gareth Bale is desperate to be fit for Tottenham's Champion's League clash with Real Madrid. He suffered a minor hamstring injury training with the Welsh squad last week.

Pardew is confident of summer spending – Alan Pardew is hoping that he will have some money to spend this summer. Newcastle received 35 million pounds for the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool and Pardew is confident he will be able to use it all to strengthen the Toon squad. 

More news tomorrow!

Thursday Poll: NHL and EPL

 

Who will win the Premier League?

Who will win the Pacific Division?

Pacific Division: Watch This Space...

A couple of months ago I wrote an article about the Western Conference and how close the race for the playoffs was. Today that is still the case with teams from fourth to 11^th only separated by a handful of points. Why do I mention that again? Well, it would appear the same thing is happening, on a much smaller scale, in the Pacific Division. Dallas, San Jose, Anaheim, Phoenix and LA are all separated by five points. Five points! That is insane. It is the most closely fought division in the NHL and one where the lowest ranked team (LA) has six more points than the lowest ranked team in any other division.

Just a few games ago it looked like Dallas (65pts) were well on their way to capturing the Division title but they have hit a slump of late and lost their last three. San Jose (62pts) have finally found some form and are closing in on the Stars. Anaheim (62pts) and Phoenix (61pts) continue to have inconsistent seasons but find themselves in the hunt regardless and even LA (60pts) who have looked very poor at certain stages are still in with a shout should they go on a winning streak.

I would consider all five of these teams to be buyers during this trade window so it will be interesting to see who they pick up and who they move on. A quick word regarding what each of these teams might need follows:

Dallas Stars (30-18-5): Keeping a hold of Brad Richards past the trade deadline will be a massive bonus to the Stars who will need their number one centre to continue his goal scoring form if they want playoff success.

San Jose Sharks (28-19-6): Slowly generating some momentum, the San Jose Sharks look to be finally playing the sort of hockey we expect from them. If the Sharks' roster plays like we know they can, then they are Stanley Cup favourites, despite the fact that they suffer from post-season stage fright every year.

Anaheim Ducks (29-21-4): Getting Getzlaf back at some point will feel like the Ducks just acquired a top forward, so his return will give them an offensive boost (not that they have done badly since his injury). Where the Ducks do need to strengthen is in their defence.

Phoenix Coyotes (26-19-9): The Coyotes would make the playoffs with a legit 30+ goals a year man and a quick two-way defenseman. They also need to re-sign Bryzgalov and Yandle to long-term deals.

L.A. Kings (29-22-2): Offensively, other than Anze Kopitar, the Kings are fragile. If they improve in that area, without giving up too much, then they would see their chances of reaching the playoffs increase.

The Stars, Sharks and Kings have played 53 games and the Yotes and Ducks have played 54, so there is no massive advantage to be had from games in hand. The race is so close that we could see all five of the Pacific teams in the playoffs come the end of the season, which would be remarkable. This one is going to go right down to the wire. To borrow a line from the Desert Dogs: “Don't blink or you might miss something.”