Congratulations to the Boston Bruins: 2011 Stanley Cup Champions!

In a seven game series that changed momentum from game to game, the Boston Bruins proved that they had more nerve and more determination by overcoming the Canucks 4-0 in the deciding game in Vancouver. No easy feat.

They also proved that they had made the right choices during the trade deadline, being one of the more active teams during that time and picking up talents such as Rich Peverley and Tomas Kaberle.

Vancouver will be kicking themselves for not taking their chances early on in the game but more than that, they will be worried at the disappearing act of their biggest stars; the Sedin twins. Henrik and Daniel barely showed up throughout the playoffs, with only the former contributing in a big way at any time. Ryan Kesler faded as the final series went on and Vancouver's best man in the faceoff circle (Manny Malhotra) posted some fairly terrible percentages.

Canuck fans and the media will no doubt be pointing the finger of blame at Roberto Luongo but you cannot lay all the blame at his feet. Yes he had a couple of bad games in Boston, but when the League's best offensive side can't score one goal at home in game seven of the Stanley Cup final, you have more problems that just bad goaltending.

Tim Thomas proved to us all that the regular season had been no fluke as he posted some amazing figures in the final series against Vancouver and throughout the playoffs, winning himself the Con Smythe trophy. Brad Marchand was fantastic for Boston too in his rookie year. He was a pest to Vancouver's better players and he got goals and assists too. Even Tyler Seguin played his part when he was called upon. Patrice Bergeron, Nathan Horton, Rich Peverley...the list goes on. I can't say the same for the Canucks and that was the difference.

Well done to Boston! Commiserations to Vancouver.

Who will lift Lord Stanley's Cup next year? 

Chara lifts the cup for Boston

Game Seven Awaits Us - NHL Stanley Cup Final

Well, here we are, game seven of franchise Hockey's greatest prize. I have been correct up to this point with the Stanley Cup Final going seven games. I also still (sort of) hope that Vancouver will win their first Cup but I'm not really too concerned about the winner, I just want to see amazing Hockey.

So far we have been treated to a fairly schizophrenic series with every game in Vancouver being a closely fought, one-goal-in-it contest in favour of the Canucks and every game in Boston being a complete blowout in favour of the Bruins. It looks like neither team can get the job done away from home but I think game seven will be very different. We will see the Bruins offense turn up but I think Vancouver will match it.

Whoever wins it, this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs will produce a winner not seen in my generation. With that in mind, I look forward to what should be a scintillating final game.

Vancouver or Boston? What do you think?

Vancouver Canucks vs Boston Bruins: The Stanley Cup Final

The Conference Finals are over and we have finally reached the Stanley Cup Final. What a series this promises to be as well with the Boston Bruins taking on the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver defeated the San Jose Sharks in five games and looked very comfortable all over the ice. San Jose, especially Joe Thornton, put in a lot of effort, but they could not compete with Vancouver's determination to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since '94.

The Bruins overcame the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games in one of the best series' of the Playoffs so far. Tampa Bay exploded offensively, like we know they can, several times throughout the series and scored plenty of goals. Their special teams were excellent as always and they were more than a match for the Bruins who probably went into the series as favourites. However, I think the fact that the Bruins are a better 5-on-5 team than the Bolts was the big decider in the end. The size advantage started to tell as the series went on too.

It was almost a fairytale story for 41 year-old Bolts' goalie Dwayne Roloson who put in some fantastic performances throughout these playoffs, perhaps none better than in the last game. Unfortunately for Roloson, another wily veteran in Tim Thomas sat between the pipes for Boston and played just as well.

How do the two teams stack up going into the final?

Well, I would say that Boston are the bigger team, but Vancouver have some heavy hitters too in Raffi Torres and Kevin Bieksa. Vancouver probably have the better (and deeper) defence and have more of a scoring threat from their defence too with Ehrhoff and Edler. Going forward you would also give Vancouver the edge now that the Sedin twins have decided to show up. Horton and Krejci have been fantastic for Boston and I would be surprised not to see them step up again. Kaberle, Seidenberg and Chara have also been as solid as ever and Patrice Bergeron has shown his quality in the faceoff circle too.

I think the one area that Boston are ahead on for sure is goaltending but that isn't to say that Luongo isn't an outstanding goalie on his day. Thomas just has added experience and comes off the back of a particularly amazing season.

It should be a great series and I can see it being a very close one. Both teams have been solid at home and I would not be surprised to see both teams win all of their home games, with the Canucks taking home their first ever Stanley Cup in seven.

My Prediction: Canucks 4 – 3 Bruins

Will it be Vancouver's time?

The NHL Conference Finals: Predictions

We are getting to the business end of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and the four teams left are Vancouver, San Jose, Boston and Tampa Bay. I guess the only surprising team there is Tampa Bay because they had to go through both Pittsburgh and Washington to get to the Eastern Conference final. However, they have shown, particularly through their special teams, that they are more than a match for any side.

Let's take a look at the match-ups. 

Eastern Conference:

Boston Bruins (3) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (5)

Right now the series stands at 1-1. Tampa exploded offensively in the first period of the first game, scoring three goals in around 85 seconds. That was too much for the Bruins to contend with and they could not get themselves back into the game, losing it 5-2. However, in the second game, it was the Bruins, led by rookie Tyler Seguin, who exploded offensively, putting 6 past the Lightning who pulled Roloson. The game ended 6-5 to Boston after a late rally from the Bolts.

It is hard to see how the rest of the series will pan out but I can't help but think that Boston's size and defensive ability will swing the series in their favour. Yes the Lightning have huge scoring potential but I am not sure if they can score as freely as they did in the first game for four games. I think the team that wins this series will have to thank their goalie in a massive way.

My Prediction: Bruins 4 – 2 Bolts

Western Conference:

Vancouver Canucks (1) vs San Jose Sharks (3)

The two perennial underachieving franchises in the NHL are clashing in the Western Conference final. Out of the two teams I think Vancouver are the more complete side but you can't count out a team that includes Joe Thornton, Danny Heatley, Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture and the red hot Ryan Clowe.

However, it is defensively where Vancouver are considerably better than their Sun Belt counterparts and I think that will win them the series. Ryan Kesler will also play a huge part, and you have to think that the Sedins will, at some point, heat up and play to their potential. This should be a close series but I think the Canucks will triumph in the end.

My Prediction: Canucks 4 – 2 Sharks

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2

Prediction time! The second round of the playoffs starts tonight, so I hope you're all looking forward to it as much as I am.

Western Conference

Semi-Finals:

Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators

I think the Canucks are going to go forward and get better and better after putting out their biggest rivals. However, the Preds have already shown they can deal with the flair teams. This one could be close but I think the Canucks will take it.

My Prediction: 4-2 Canucks

Detroit Red Wings vs San Jose Sharks

This one should be a fantastic series. The Red Wings dominated the Coyotes in the opening round and San Jose made fairly simple work of Los Angeles. Two sides with plenty of size, strength and skill are going to collide here and I can see this one going on longer than it did last year when San Jose beat Detroit in five. I believe the Red Wings will take this one in seven games.

My Prediction: 4-3 Red Wings

Eastern Conference

Semi-Finals:

Washington Capitals vs Tampa Bay Lightning

The Capitals look very strong this year and should take this series. They out-played and out-fought the New York Rangers in the last round and I think they will do it again against a Tampa side that are just beginning to find their feet in these playoffs.

My Prediction: 4-2 Caps 

Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers

The Bruins are going to want to forget what happened last year against the Flyers at this same stage. Leading the series 3-0 they failed in each of the next three games to go forward. In Game 7 the Bruins were leading 3-0 only to see their lead vanish along with their Stanley Cup hopes as Philly went on to win the game and the series. This year I think the Bruins are better suited to going through and have the excellent Tim Thomas in net. In contrast, the Flyers are currently having major goalie issues. 

My Prediction: 4-2 Bruins

What do you think? Let's hear your predictions!

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:

Torres suspended for four games – Raffi Torres has been handed a four game suspension for his hit on Jordan Eberle.

New stadium for Edmonton Oilers? Alberta Premier expects funding pitch – Exciting news for the Oilers. However, things are at a very, very early stage.

Race for final playoff spots rages on – The last games of the regular season should be fantastic.

Sens' GM Murray signs up for three more years – Fairly self-explanatory headline.

Interesting article discussing the 2010/11 NHL season in numbers – Go read, it's fun.

EPL News:

Chelsea players backing Torres and Ancelotti – John Terry has stated that the Chelsea squad are all behind their manager and star striker.

Park Ji-Sung is ready to get back to his best form for United – The hard-working winger is hoping he can play a big part in the Red Devil's remaining games.

Dalglish talks ongoing – Neither the FSG group nor King Kenny are rushing into a decision at Liverpool

Season for over for Liverpool skipper – Liverpool will be without their best player for the rest of the season.

Wenger putting his faith in youth – Wenger is pleading with the Arsenal fans to put their faith in his youthful squad. I think the fans are pleading with Wenger to buy in some experience and grit.

More news next week!

Help promote this blog by "liking" it up there on the right!

Weekly Poll: NHL and EPL

Should video technology be used in the EPL?

Can Vancouver finally win a Stanley Cup?

Home-Stand Success for Desert Dogs

Bryzgalov, Doan and Jovo celebrate a win

The Phoenix Coyotes' recent home stand has been a massive positive for two reasons. First of all, the Coyotes have gotten back to winning ways, playing the same gritty defensive game that served them so well last season. Secondly, they have started to make the Jobing.com Arena a hard place to go. While their home record is still not great, the last few games have started to push it in the right direction.

The Coyotes have played six of their last seven games at home and have won six in a row since receiving that 6-0 battering from Vancouver on the 2^nd of February. That game seems to have given the Coyotes a well needed kick up the backside as they have been excellent since. Phoenix have beaten the likes of the Stars (in Dallas), the Blackhawks and the Capitals during their six game streak and have looked very strong defensively in all of those games.

The home stand has not been without its problems however. It looks like veteran defenseman Ed Jovanovski is going to be out for a significant amount of time after fracturing his orbital bone in a head collision at the end of the second period against the Thrashers on Thursday night. The Phoenix blueline will miss Jovo's leadership skills and his presence on the ice for sure, however, this may be a chance for some of the younger defensemen to show what they can do as they will undoubtedly get more ice-time in the wake of the injury.

Next up for the Coyotes is a ten-day, five-game road trip that looks very, very difficult on paper. While there are plenty of games left in the season, these five games could be crucial to the Coyotes' hopes of making the playoffs. These games will also be a good test for this team, allowing the fans and players a chance to see where the Coyotes rank amongst some of the more elite teams of the NHL.

The first game is against the Nashville Predators who are very similar to the Coyotes in the way they play. I am predicting a low scoring game there. Next up will be the Flyers and then the Lightning, the two best teams of the Eastern conference. The last two games, against the Blue Jackets, and the Blackhawks respectively will be a chance for the Coyotes to take more points off their Western Conference rivals.

The keys to a successful road trip will be:

• Ilya Bryzgalov staying hot between the pipes. Bryz has been the biggest reason behind the Coyotes' recent success.
• Big defensive effort. The Coyotes have simplified their game and gone back to what makes them a successful team. By reducing the scoring chances against, they give themselves a better chance of winning.
• Jovo's replacement stepping up. With such a big player out, whoever it is that steps into his place must have an excellent five games.
• Team scoring. With no true goalscorer, the Coyotes rely on all their forwards to pitch in with goals and assists. This needs to continue.

First game of the road-trip is on Saturday. The puck drops at 8:00pm CST.

Canuck Cup Success Unlikely?

I feel a little bit of a hypocrite as I sit down to write this. Only a couple of months ago I wrote an article discussing how complete the Vancouver Canucks seemed to be, and how they were bringing more to the table this year. They were dominating the Western Conference then and they were finding games very easy to win. I considered them possible favourites to lift the cup. I didn't say they would definitely win but I was certainly singing their praises.

How a couple of months can change things...

I should start by saying that, in appearance, not much has changed. Vancouver are still top of the pile in the Western Conference and are still playing reasonably well. It is safe to say they will reach the playoffs too. Why the pessimism then? Well Vancouver don't look as Cup-ready as they did not so long ago. They are a banged up team with plenty of injuries to their blue-line and their offense is starting to show its lack of depth. Behind the Sedins and Kesler, who do they have who you can consider a game-winning (nevermind a cup-winning) player? Maybe Samuelsson? Maybe Burrows? Maybe not.

You need a healthy team to win a Cup and Vancouver do not have that. While they do have depth on their blue-line, they are currently being stretched very thin. Andrew Alberts was the latest casualty to Vancouver's defence after he broke his wrist in the second period of a 3-2 loss to St. Louis. He joins teammates Alexander Edler (back surgery), Dan Hamhuis (concussion), Keith Ballard (sprained knee), and Lee Sweatt (broken foot) on the injured reserve. Only Ballard and Sweatt have not been placed on long-term injury reserve.

Can Luongo be a cup-winning goalie?

Beyond the lack of offensive depth and the crippled blue-line, Vancouver may have another issue. Roberto Luongo is a great goalie and has proven that in the regular season. However, he has yet to prove his pedigree in the playoffs. He has never been past the second round and while some of the blame lays at his team-mates' feet for not protecting him enough and not scoring enough, it also lies at Luongo's feet for not repeating his regular season form when it really matters.

There are plenty of issues facing the Vancouver Canucks right now and, at least in recent years, they have shown themselves to be a team that doesn't face adversity particularly well. We haven't seen a Canadian Stanley Cup-winning team since Montreal back in 1992/93. Maybe this year is a bridge too far as well.

Thoughts?

Coyotes' Roller Coaster Season

The Phoenix Coyotes are having a very up and down season. Just when things seem to be picking up, it all starts to go wrong again. This is especially the case at home where Phoenix have only managed a 10-10-5 record. With another 16 games to go at the Jobing.com Arena, the Coyotes have to turn home ice into an advantage if they want to reach the playoffs. After an awful December, Phoenix got themselves playing well again in January after finding that pack-mentality once more and picked up some much needed wins.

Unfortunately, towards end of the month, the roller coaster ride took another dip as Phoenix lost four games in a row at home, although they did end the month with a 5-2 win over the Avalanche before the All-Star Game. The weekend break gave the Coyotes a much needed five day rest after a gruelling schedule. However, if the Yotes fans thought that might help their team, they were wrong. Since their return from the break Phoenix have gone 0-2-0 with losses to San Jose and Vancouver. Both defeats were bitter pills to swallow as Phoenix blew a 3-0 lead against the Sharks to lose 5-3 and were shut-out against Vancouver, at home, as the Canucks stormed to a 6-0 victory.

Dave Tippett is of the belief that the Coyotes are just not skating hard enough.

"...We’ve got some things to sort out. You have to realize how hard it is to win; we don't have enough players playing hard enough to win."

Defensively the team looks very weak. Other than Keith Yandle, no defenseman can claim to have had a great year so far, which is not a good thing as the team enters the business end of the season. There is enough quality in the team and the coaching staff for the Coyotes to turn this slump around but they also need new faces in the franchise.

The Coyotes' next 2 games are at home and the first is against the Minnesota Wild, who are riding a wave of momentum at the moment. They then play the Colorado Avalanche before heading to Dallas for an important Pacific Division clash. Phoenix need to turn the Jobing.com Arena into a fortress and they need to do it in the next game against a team who have enjoyed scoring against the Coyotes this year. The Wild have won two of the three meetings against Phoenix this season so the Coyotes will be looking to even things up in their final game against each other. Puck drops at 6:00pm Saturday February 5^th.

The race for the playoffs in the Western Conference is still agonisingly tight so the Coyotes need to start putting some daylight between themselves and the chasing pack.

Shuffling the Pack

The trade deadline is fast approaching and we are bound to see some big names moving around and switching franchises. The way things have panned out so far this season, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a mass exodus of players from New Jersey all looking for new homes.

The Devils have been utterly terrible this season and have zero cap space left after acquiring Ilya Kovalchuk for stupid money last year in a deal that really has not worked out. Kovalchuk is a skilled player who puts up points but I sometimes wonder about his work ethic and his ability to be a team player.

After a fantastic season last year, the Phoenix Coyotes are finding things a little more difficult this year. They are struggling for consistency and are crying out for someone to take the initiative up front and start putting up some serious points. Shane Doan has had a decent month and a half and even Lee Stempniak has started scoring again, but, while there are several Coyotes who have reached the 10 goal mark, none of them have managed to get to 15. They are a team in the truest essence of the word but that hard work and pack mentality alone is not going to win them a Stanley Cup.

What can the Coyotes do during this window of opportunity to keep the team in the playoff hunt?

Well first of all, it should be pointed out that since Hulsizer took over as owner of the franchise, GM Don Maloney will have much more of a say, money-wise, during this trade window than the Coyotes had last year. Phoenix will not be struggling for cap space, that much is certain.

Maloney is going to want to look at his current players very carefully. Several of them are in the final year of their contracts and it will be up to Maloney to decide whether or not they are worth keeping around.

Players such as Ed Jovanovski and Adrian Aucoin (not in his final year), who have been great servants of the franchise but are coming rapidly towards the end of their careers could be moved to struggling teams for picks or young prospects. Petr Prucha and Andrew Ebbet will probably also leave. Bryzgalov is also in his final year but he is one Coyote that should certainly be resigned. Great goaltending is the first step towards a great team and, with Bryzgalov between the pipes, Phoenix undoubtedly have great goaltending. Fiddler should also be resigned as players such as he, who bring 100% every game, are invaluable.

The Coyotes have already picked up Michal Rozsival from the Rangers in exchange for struggling forward, Wojtek Wolski, who has not been the player Maloney hoped he would have been when he signed for Phoenix in the latter half of last season from the Colorado Avalanche. Rozsival is a solid, if unspectacular, acquisition who will be a good addition to the Phoenix blueline.

Another younger defenseman for Phoenix in the mould of Zbynek Michalek (who the franchise let go last year for nothing) would be a great pick-up for this team. As mentioned in a previous article, I think Carolina's Joni Pitkanen would be the best bet. Kevin Bieksa will no doubt be resigned in Vancouver but he too would be a great choice. There are several more options available but what is definitely the case is that Phoenix need strengthening at the back.

91 Turris: one for the future.

A top centre should also be high on Maloney's list. Let's look at who Phoenix already have in that position. With Turris and Hanzal, there is potential for the future. Turris, with his stick skills, speed and shot could become a great second or third line centre, whereas Hanzal's size and strength on the puck make him a great candidate for the fourth line centre. Fiddler brings a hard working and physical side of play to his game and could easily be shifted out to the wing on the fourth line. Belanger, who has a great technical game, could also be moved out to the wing on the potential Turris line which would free up two spots to fill with players who have the ability to hit over 60 points a season.

Available to fill those slots are Tomas Fleischmann and Brad Richards, who are both coming to the end of their contracts. Richards is having another great season for Dallas and Fleischmann, since his move from the Capitals to the Avalanche has been putting up major points. David Backes should also be on the radar.

Hard work ahead for Maloney

Maloney is going to have to work hard to acquire even one of those players mentioned, but things are looking far more positive down in Arizona than they have in recent years. The team is on the up and, with a new owner in place, the money issues are gone. The desert doesn't seem like such a bad place to go anymore.

If Phoenix manage to get their targets, assuming Maloney's targets are the same as the ones outlined here, then the desert dogs might find getting to the playoffs (and maybe past the first round) a little easier.

Canucks Going Strong

Could this be the year for the Vancouver Canucks? Much like San Jose, the Canucks are perennial under achievers in the post-season, with last year being another good example of that. In the conference Semi-Finals, the Canucks took game one of their series against eventual Stanley Cup champs Chicago by a score of five to one. After that first game you wouldn't have been alone if you had thought that Vancouver could have gone at least one stage further last year. Instead they lost the series 4-2.

So what makes me think differently this year? Well it is hard to say really because, aesthetically, not much has changed in Vancouver. The same big name players are producing great form while the rest of the team is working hard. There has not been a massive personal change like we have seen in Toronto and Calgary and they still have the same coach.

At the time of writing (19/01/11) the Vancouver Canucks sit at the top of the Western Conference and lead the League along with the Flyers. They are scoring goals at one end (ranked 3^rd in the NHL in goals for) and doing a great job of keeping them out at the other end (ranked 4^th in the NHL in goals against). The latter stat is due, in no small part, to Roberto Luongo, who is looking as solid as ever between the pipes.

But the Canucks did well in the regular season last year as well. That is true, but there is something different about Vancouver this year. Perhaps it is that they finally have someone other than the Sedin twins doing something up front. Ryan Kesler is having a fantastic season so far and has scored 25 goals, just one short of his best ever total in an NHL season.

Can Kesler keep his hot streak going?

Indeed, five of those goals have been game winners so the Canucks can thank Kesler for an extra ten points this year that puts Vancouver on 65 points instead of 55, the latter of which is only good enough for 6^th in the Western Conference. He is well on the way to a 30 or 40 goal season and is spending the more time on the ice than any other Canuck forward.

Perhaps Vancouver are mentally and physically stronger this year as well. They seem to be killing off teams when they get the lead and they are chasing down pucks hard for the full 60 minutes. I wouldn't say that last year's team was lazy by any means but the work ethic of the Canucks seems to have risen by another 20%.

Whatever the reason is, I am sensing something different about this team. I feel like they really do have it in themselves to lift the Cup. Of course, there is a fair way to go and who is to say that they will keep up their current form?

However, if they do...

NHL Predictions:

As we have reached the halfway point in the NHL season (or thereabouts) I thought it might be time for some early predictions. Who is going to make it to the Stanley Cup playoffs?

Eastern Conference:

1. Washington Capitals – After bouncing back from their awful slump, I can see this team going from strength to strength and forcing their way back to the top of the Eastern pack. Possible favourites for the Stanley Cup? I think so.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins – I think Crosby and the Penguins will have their work cut out for them fending off the Flyers, but they might just be able to do it and hang on to the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

3. Boston Bruins – It`s a straight race between Boston and Montreal for top spot in the North East Division and I reckon it will be Boston who grab it. Tim Thomas is having a great season for them in net and they are proving to be consistent all over the ice.

4. Philadelphia Flyers – The Flyers are continuing on from where they left off last season and look like they should make the playoffs with ease this year. I'm not sure they will go as far as they did last year however.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning – Stamkos and St. Louis are leading the charge for the Bolts and will see their team into the playoffs without too much of a problem. If Stamkos can keep scoring at the rate he is, Tampa could be the surprise package of the East.

6. Atlanta Thrashers – The Thrashers are looking like a solid team this year. Both Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom are playing very well for Atlanta and should help keep the team on course for a playoff appearance.

7. New York Rangers – The Rangers will be desperate to get into the playoffs this year after missing out so narrowly last season. With Lundqvist in net they look like they should have enough to get there too

8. Montreal Canadiens – The Canadiens are going to find it tough to hold on to that last playoff spot but I think they will manage it. They have cooled down recently but still look better than most of the teams below them. I can't see them going too far in the playoffs though.

Well its plainly obvious that I think the eight teams that are in the playoff spots now will still be there at the end of the season. Carolina could break in if they find some consistency but I'm fairly confident in my choices.

Western Conference:

1. Detroit Red Wings – The Red Wings are back to their best this season and are looking very strong indeed. I'm not sure any more has to be said about them.

2. Vancouver Canucks – The Canucks are looking very dangerous this year. They are scoring freely and have the best defence (statistically) in the Western Conference. With Luongo in net as well, this could be Vancouver's year.

3. San Jose Sharks – The Sharks have been going about their business quite quietly after a rather poor start. They are marching up the table and racking up wins in a confident and professional manner. I think they will take back the top spot in the Pacific Division, but whether or not they can win the Cup is another thing.

4. St. Louis Blues – Another team that have been going about their business quietly are St Louis. They are proving to be very hard to beat this year without scoring a ton of goals. Currently on a five game winning streak, I think they will finish very strongly in the second half of the season.

5. Dallas Stars – If the Dallas top line keeps playing as well as it has so far, they could prove to be the most dangerous opponent to face in the first round of the playoffs. Cup contenders? They could be a great outside bet.

6. Los Angeles Kings – The Kings have cooled down a little since their fantastic start to the season but they still look dangerous and have more than enough quality to secure themselves a playoff berth.

7. Chicago Blackhawks – While they don`t look as good as they did last year, the Blackhawks are still far too good to miss out on the playoffs and they should find some form soon enough. If anything is going to keep them out of the playoffs, it will be their injury troubles.

8. Colorado Avalanche – The acquisition of Fleischmann from the Washington Capitals has proved to be a great deal for the Avalanche so far. He bagged himself a hat-trick not too long ago and has been putting up points solidly since his arrival. Anderson is playing well between the pipes too. For those reasons, they may have just that little bit more than their rivals to sneak into the last playoff spot.

So there we have it, my predictions are done. I really wanted to put the Coyotes in that last playoff spot but they have just been making far too many mistakes. Perhaps they will sort themselves out and mount a serious challenge but I just can't see how they are going to do it with the squad they have. I hope they prove me wrong.