NHL Playoffs To This Point

The Playoffs in the NHL have been fantastic. There has been so much drama in the match-ups. All of the games have been exciting. This might be the beginning of the greatest playoffs in NHL history. I think it has all the characteristics of a great playoffs, nail biters, great goaltending, outstanding play, and a little edginess and fighting. 

Pittsburgh and Philly played some intense games
Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI

In every playoff game, you want to see the players wanting to win, anyway they can. Just look at the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3. Captain Sidney Crosby made some attempts to get his team pumped. The result, a couple a fights and brawls. Pittsburgh may have done better in the fights, but they lost the game 8-4. The intensity didn't help the Pens as they lost the series 4-2.


The best series is definitely the 7 game series between the defending Stanley Cup champions Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals. This series was one for the ages. In every game, the points differential was just 1 goal. Four of the games went into overtime, while 1 went into double OT. Every game seemed to keep the fans on the edge of their seat seeing who will take the game. Game 7 was a exciting game. Only 4 penalties throughout out the game really showed they were there to play. And when the power play showed up, there was so much pressure to either stop any shot there is or not to waste the advantage. When the game went into overtime, the drama intensified. The game ended when after Boston failed to clear the puck, Mike Knuble took the puck down the ice and took a shot. Tim Thomas saved the shot, but Joel ward got the rebound and put in the back of the net for the game-winner.


Two other series went to a 7th game, the New York-Ottawa series and the Florida-New Jersey series. New York was the best team in the East in the regular season. They had some trouble with the Senators. They were down 3 game to 2, but came back in Game 6 and won, 3-2. In Game 7, the Rangers went up 2-0 and didn't let the lead go, winning 2-1. The Game 7 of the Florida-New Jersey was a real thriller. The Devils took a 2-0 lead going into the 3rd period. But, Florida didn't die and tied it up. The Game went into OT and then Double OT, where Adam Henrique scored his 2nd goal of the game to send Florida packing.


The big upset series was no doubt Los Angeles over the President Trophy winning Vancouver. Los Angeles won the series surprisingly in 5 games. Starting goalie Roberto Luongo was replaced by Cory Schneider after Game 2 and didn't return. Like in the Stanley Cup last year, Luongo didn't come up clutch. However, Kings G Jonathan Quick played exceptionally well in goal. The Kings might be the sleeper team of the playoffs.

Pekka Rinne making a save vs. the Red Wings
Photo by Dave Reginek/NHL

In the other Western Conference games, the main story was the play of the goalies. Mike Smith of Phoenix was superb, stopping 43 shots in Game 1, 46 in Game 2, 35 in Game 3, 30 in Game 4, 36 in Game 5, and 39 in Game 6. In Game 5, he shutout the Blackhawks after playing 4 straight OT games. The Coyotes won the series 4-2. Nashville's Pekka Rinne played really well, as he did all season. D Francis Bouillon had a +/- of 6 in the 1st round. The Predators beat the Red Wings 4 games to 1. The San Jose Sharks won Game 1 against the Blues. However, that's how many they would win. The Blues then beat the Sharks in the next 4 games to win the series. 


The Conference Semi's start tonight with Nashville and Phoenix. The West is wide open this year with #1 Vancouver out. All 4 teams have gotten great production in net. The East is just the same. The Rangers may be the favorites but they struggled vs. Ottawa. Philadelphia played their hearts out against Pittsburgh and I expect them to do the same. New Jersey has the greatest goalie in history in net. Washington has that chip on their shoulder that cannot perform in the playoffs.

The 2012 Frozen Four

Tampa is hosting the 65th Frozen Four. This year's Frozen Four looks like it will have some really good final games. Here are reports on the 4 teams in the Frozen Four, Union, Ferris State, Boston College, and Minnesota. 


Union Dutchman


This is the Dutchman's 1st ever appearance in the Frozen Four. They are in the ECAC and also won their 1st ECAC Tournament in Atlantic City this year. The team is captioned by D Nolan Julseth-White. F Jeremy Welsh scored a team-leading 27 goals and 16 assists. Senior F Kelly Zajac leads the team in 34 assists. G Troy Grosenick has a great save percentage at .936 and a .783 win percentage. They have the best defensive team.  They gave up an average of 1.67 goals per game. Union beat Michigan State 3-1 in the 1st round and U Mass-Lowell 4-2 in the next. 


Ferris State Bulldogs


Ferris State had the best regular season in their conference, the CCHA. The Bulldogs head coach is Bob Daniels. He has coached Ferris for 20 years. This is his 2nd time leading a team to the Tournament. The team is led by Senior C Jordie Johnston who had 20 goals and 16 assists this season. Fellow Senior and Co-Captain, D Chad Billins had 22 goals. Ferris State defeated Denver and Cornell, both by the same score of 2-1, in the 1st 2 rounds of the tourney. 


Boston College Eagles

Chris Kreider
http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnhlexperts/A_KREIDER06PC_12_.jpg

The Eagles are on 17 game winning streak and are ranked number 1 in the USCHO Poll. They were a number 1 seed in the tournament and were champs in the Hockey East tournament for the 3rd straight year. They have best record in the Division 1 with 31-10-1 and the 2nd winningest coach in college hockey history, Jerry York. Parker Milner has a great goalie winning percentage of .844. Chris Kreider has 23 goals and 21 assists which adds up to 44 points. Johnny Gaudreau has 20 goals and 22 assists. BC shutout their 2 opponents they faced in the tournament to this point, 2-0 vs Air Force and 4-0 against Minnesota-Duluth.


Minnesota Golden Gophers


The Golden Gophers are led by Don Lucia, who is in the top 10 in career wins by a college hockey head coach. They have a two really good sophomore forwards, Erik Haula (20 goals, 28 assists) and Nick Bjugstad (25 goals, 17 assists). D Nate Schmidt may only have 3 goals, but he has 38 assists on the year. They have the best goals per game average with 3.67. Minnesota blew out the opposition in their 2 games to this point in the tournament. They beat Boston University 7-3 and North Dakota 5-2.


All of these teams have a chance to win. Boston College is the favorite but that doesn't mean anything. Union is a team that I think can make a run at the championship because of their good D. If we are looking at patterns in deciding the winner, Minnesota, last years champs have a good chance to win it all. Another pattern can be found in Ferris State's nickname and school colors, the bulldogs and red and yellow which are the same as last year's winners, Minnesota-Duluth. But, check out the games between Union and Ferris State and BC and Minnesota.

9 Innings of MLB Preview

Even though the MLB had it's 1st games in Japan between Oakland and Seattle, I decided to do my season preview before most of the other teams start their seasons.


Inning 1: Kansas City Royals

Billy Butler and Alex Gordon are key players
on the Royals
http://www.i70baseball.com/wp-content/uploads/BillyButlerAlexGordon.jpg

For the last couple of years, Kansas City has been described as a team that is a few years away from success. This year might be the year for success. The Royals have 5 of their 6 1st Round Draft Picks from 2005-2009 on the team (Alex Gordon, Luke Hochevar, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, and Aaron Crow). Alex Gordon led the team in WAR with 5.9. That also put the 2nd pick in 2005 Draft at 7th in the WAR category. Both Hosmer and Butler had 19 home runs. Moustakas had 89 hits in 89 games. 


Pitching might keep them from being in the playoffs for the 1st time since 1985 (They won their only World Series in '85). Closer Joakim Soria is out for the year. Aaron Crow was an All-Star as a reliever. They signed a good starter in Jonathan Sanchez. Hochevar was 11-11 last year and is likely to improve on that. They have Jonathan Broxton and Greg Holland. This Royals team might not make the playoffs but it may be a big year for their development. I think that they might have their 1st winning season since 2003. The improvement of the record, team and  hosting the All-Star Game, means success for Kansas City.


Inning 2: Houston's Last Year in the National League

The Astros were terrible last year. They got rid of their best players and won 56 games. Of their top 3 RBI producers, Carlos Lee led the team with 94, Hunter Pence had 62 before being traded, and Chris Johnson had 42. Carlos Lee is the only good hitter on this roster. Wandy Rodriguez is a good pitcher that will get them double-digit wins. The team gave up an average of 4.91 runs per game an had an a 4.51 ERA. 2011 is Houston's last season in the National League. It may be a season that will want to quickly forget.


Inning 3: The Twins


Last year, the Minnesota Twins dropped from 1st Place in the AL Central to last place in not only the their division, but in the entire AL. They were injury plagued. Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, the Twins best players, were injured for a good part of the season. And it wasn't just those stars, Denard Span and Tsuyoshi Nishioka each played less then 70 games while Jason Kubel played less then 100. For the Twins to be successful, they must stay free from injury and play like they did when they made the playoffs in 2010 and 2009. 


Inning 4: The Washington Nationals

Gio Gonzalez was a big acqusititon for the Nationals
http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_404h/2010-2019/Washington
Post/2012/03/07/Sports/Images/TLS_3851a_1331099040.jpg

The Nationals finished last season in 3rd place. This finish was their best in their 1st 7 seasons. It may not seem like a big jump but they came close to a winning record, 80-81. The Nationals gained 21 wins in the last 3 years. They upgraded their pitching staff in all type of ways. They will have 2 #1 starters in Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez. Last year, Strasburg, the number 1 pick in the 2009 Draft, was recovering from Tommy John and Gio Gonzalez was received in a trade. Jordan Zimmerman, Edwin Jackson, and Chien-Ming Wang are all decent starters. They have a two good set-up in Tyler Clippard and Brad Lidge. The Nats closer, Drew Storen, had 43 saves last year.


The are also very powerful in the hitting department. DC's most consistent player, Ryan Zimmerman, signed on for 6 years over the winter. Last season, Jayson Werth had an off year and he continues to struggle, the Nationals will a tough year. 2B Danny Esponsa had a great rookie season and will look to prove it was no fluke. Micheal Morse was the team leader in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) last year. Ian Desmond led the team in steals with 25 in 2011. Phenom Bryce Harper is starting the season at Triple A and when he get's to the Big Show, everyone's expectations are going to be through the roof. The record of the Nationals will be not be a good example of how well they will play, because of their division. The Phillies, Braves, and Marlins are all top teams in the NL, while the Nationals are a middle of the pack team. 


Inning 5: The Wild, Wide Open West 


During the last 3 seasons, a different division champ has risen from the NL West. The Dodgers in 2009, the Giants in 2010, and the Diamondbacks in 2011. This year might be as crazy as it has ever been. The Diamondbacks are looking to prove that their 2011 campaign was no fluke. The Giants are healthy and with Buster Posey back behind the plate and in the line-up, they are looking to return to the World Series. The Dodgers have new ownership that could spark the team. The Rockies are like foxes. They sneak into the playoff hunt and then make a run. The Padres are not likely to do anything. 

Each team has a player that will be an x-factor. The Diamondbacks is Aaron Hill. He needs to bounce back from an off year and hit like he has in previous seasons. The Giants have Pablo Sandoval. If Sandoval can hit 25 home runs for the Giants, they will be in good position for a run at the title. Los Angeles needs a good year out a Andre Either to make him and Matt Kemp a great duo. Colorado's x-factor is Jhoulys Chacin who is going to be the team's number 1 starter. They need 12+ wins from him this year.

Inning 6: Uniform/Logo Differences 

The new Blue Jays uniforms with the new logo in the backround
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FRtX35TGsdQ/TsbZDzO2TtI/AAAAAAAAE1c/
WVSTplYvpPA/s1600/800_blue_jays_new_uniform_cp_11118.jpg

The big uniform/logo news of the offseason was the rebranding of the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins. With the city/state name change, they also got all new logos, uniforms, and color scheme. They new colors are yellow, blue, orange, white, and black. The Toronto Blue Jays also made a cool change to their logos and uniforms. Their new logos are like the original logo from 1977. San Diego also changed their logo and uniforms. The home plate logo is gone and has been changed to a circle which has an interlocked SD is inside. The Dodgers slightly changed their logo. The lines are larger and the font is slightly different. The Orioles went retro in their new cap with the smiling Oriole. The Diamondbacks took away the team name of their logo so it is just the big A. There were many other additions and changes but these were the more notable. 


Inning 7: The 2nd Wild Card


The 2nd Wild Card will be in place for the 1st time ever this season. The 2 Wild Card teams will play a winner take-all game at the end of the season to see who will make the next round of the playoffs.


The American League looks to have 6 great baseball teams, the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Tigers, Angles, and Rangers. Not to mention the other 8 teams that could sneak up and take a spot away from these teams. Every team has a chance to make the playoffs. But, they have 1 game to really make it. Just imagine, a winner-take-all Rangers-Rays or Angles-Yankees, or even Red Sox-Yankees. There might not be a better game. Those are only a few of the great game options for the AL. 


Inning 8: Big Names, Big News

Both Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder left the NL to
go to the AL
http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/
tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/f7/4f7ddda5-0aca-5634-9568-\9112ba9bc5da/
4e9da73ae5a82.image.jpg

Ryan Braun won the NL MVP last year. But, he was given a 50 game suspension for PED usage. The suspension was later taken away due to the sample being mishandled. Braun is going to get a lot of media attention that could affect his season. Ichiro had a career low year last year. For the 1st time ever in his MLB career, he didn't get 200 hits or a .300 average. He also didn't make the All-Star Game and win a Gold Glove. He's getting up there in age (38) and wants to have one more good season. Yu Darvish is coming over from Japan and is looking to prove he is worth the big buck he is earning. Yoenis Cespedes is a Cuban defector looking to prove himself in Oakland. He hit is 1st 4 bagger in the 2nd game of the year in Japan. Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder both got big contracts and left the teams they were on your team last year. If they don't produce, they are going to get some heat.


Inning 9: Playoffs


Last season, 4 teams that missed the playoffs in 2010 made the playoffs. Those teams were the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals. The teams that were replaced were the Atlanta Braves,  Cincinnati Reds,  Minnesota Twins, and San Francisco Giants. The teams that made it both years are the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers. All of these team and a few more, like the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, and Miami Marlins, have a chance of making the playoffs. The extra wild card has made the race wide open. Thats means a great year of baseball. 

NCAA Tournament Final Four

The Final Four finished up last night in The Big Easy. Both games were very good games to watch. They were exciting and electrifying. The Superdome had it's green court that was bright to the eyes. Here's a Final Four report. 

LOUISVILLE vs KENTUCKY

Anthony Davis Slams It Home
Chris Steppig-Pool/Getty Images

The 1st game of the doubleheader was between rivals Louisville and Kentucky. for most of the 1st half, Kentucky held a good lead over Louisville, even though Michael Kidd-Gilchrist out for most of the period in foul trouble. At the start of the 2nd half, Louisville got on a role and tied the game at 49 with 9:31 left on the clock. Kentucky, however, couldn't be stopped as they won 69-61. Player of the Year Anthony Davis led the Wildcats with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. 






OHIO STATE vs KANSAS

Tyshawn Taylor steals the ball in the last minute
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

In the 2nd Game, Ohio State started off hot while Kansas couldn't make a shot. For most of the last 8 minutes of the 1st half, Ohio State held a double digit lead over the Jayhawks. At half time, it was 34-25. Kansas came out of half time rolling. The Jayhawks tied the game a few times but they didn't take the lead until about 2 minutes were left. The lead wasn't long but they got it back retook the lead with 1:08 left in the game. With about 8 seconds left and Kansas up by 3, Ohio State passed the ball in and Tyshawn Taylor stole it but threw it away trying to pass the ball to teammate Elijah Johnson who was driving to the basket. Kansas fouled Aaron Craft. He made the 1st shot. He purposely missed the 2nd, got the rebound, and put up a shot. But, the referee called a lane violation. Kansas ran the clock out and won 64-62. Thomas Robinson had 19 points and Jeff Withey had 8 bounds and 7 blocks.


CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW


This is the 4th time in history that 2 teams with the same 1st letter in the college name are facing off in a NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final. The previous times were between Oregon and Ohio State in the 1st ever tourney in 1939, Wisconsin and Washington State in 1941, and Kentucky and Kansas State in 1951. 


Kentucky is the definite favorite being the number 1 overall seed in the Tournament and having defeated Kansas earlier in the year by 10. They have Davis, who is expected to be the number 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.  Davis averages 14.4 points per game, 10.2 rebounds per game, and 4.6 blocks per game. Kidd-Gilchrist averages 11.9 and 7.5 rebounds per game. Terrence Jones averages 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Those 3 make up a great front court. The backcourt is just as good with Marquis Teague, Doron Lamb, and Darius Miller. This might be the team that gets John Calipari his 1st NCAA Tournament. 


Kansas's last championship game appearance was in 2008, where Bill Self's Kansas team defeated Calipari's Memphis team in OT. This year's Jayhawk team is lead by Thomas Robinson and Taylor. Robinson averages 17.7 points per game and 11.7 bounds per game. Taylor averages 16.8 points per game and 4.8 assists per game. Withey is having a great tournament. He had 10 blocks vs. NC State and 15 points vs UNC. In last night's game, Travis Releford played really well without much notoriety. He played 38 minutes, had 15 points and 6 rebounds. We can't forget Elijah Johnson, who has had 10+ points tin every game in the Tournament, and also had 10 rebounds vs. OSU.


I believe that Kentucky will beat Kansas tomorrow in the Mercedez-Benz Superdome. Kansas has played really bad in the 1st half in the Tournament and then go on to play a great 2nd half. Against Kentucky, you can't do that. That is a recipe for a loss.