How the West will be won

The San Jose Sharks are on the road to redemption. Prolonged pains of playoffs past are being erased by each passing victory. After Dan Boyle's unfortunate own-goal in Game 3 against the Avs, the Sharks have gone 7-1. Along the way, the unthinkable happened. The Sharks took out the mighty Red Wings who until then, had taken the Sharks lunch money every day at 1 PM sharp since '95.
Now they are swimming in uncharted waters. Sure the team in '04 made the Conference Finals but they ran out of gas in that series losing all 3 games at home, flaming out to Calgary in 6 Games. Usual suspects Joe Thornton, Evgeni Nabokov and Patty Marleau all started slow this post season, but were at their best against the Wings.
By the time the Sharks and Blackhawks drop the puck this Sunday, the Sharks will have been off for a week. Chi-town finished off Vancouver on Tuesday so they will be rested as well. Rust may be a factor but neither team should have trouble getting the blood flowing. The Tank will be a madhouse (myself included) and both these teams have a lot of post season experience.
Up and down the roster, these teams mirror eachother significantly. But it is the subtle differences between them that will decide the series. For the Hawks, Antii Niemi has played solid in net but not spectacular. If Evgeni Nabokov stays hot like he was against Detroit, the Sharks will have a chance to win every night. Nabby is desperate to shake the label of post season underachiever, not to mention he is an unrestricted free agent after the playoffs.

Sharks need to get off to a hot start. They need to take advantage of that home ice. They got off to a quick start against Detroit and never looked back. All four of their victories in that series were by one goal. This is the type of resilience fans have been hoping for in San Jose for years. Should this trend continue, this team has a legitimate chance to advance to the Finals. It is highly unlikely this series will be over before Game 6 or 7. It will be a war of attrition. Players like Manny Malhotra and Scott Nichol need to come to the forefront and make life hell for the tough Chicago forwards. Some more timely scoring by Pavelski, Marleau, and Heatley would make things easier as well.
These games will be close. Forwards are about even, Hawks have a the edge with their deep and talented defense, but the edge in net has to go to Nabby. This is going to be fun.
Prediction: Sharks in 7.

NHL Stanley Cup playoff preview

The Stanley Cup playoffs are upon us. The Sharks played a solid 8-1-1 down the stretch to secure top spot in the West for a second straight season. Now we all remember how unceremoniously the Sharks departed last year at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks. But this year they face the young and struggling Colorado Avalanche. All the pressure in the hockey universe is on the Sharks right now, as an early playoff exit could also see the exit of Nabokov, Marleau, Head Coach Todd McClellan, and even General Manager Doug Wilson. That is a lot of pressure, but this team has been preparing for this moment since the curtain fell on their season last Spring.
Detroit and Chicago figure to be the other big teams in the West, but watch out for Phoenix. If they can get to the Wings early (Games 1&2 in Phoenix) in the desert, they may be poised for a long run with Illya Bryzgalof leading the way.

In the East, the Washington Capitals won the Presidents Trophy securing home ice throughout the playoffs. They had 20 points more than 2nd place New Jersey. Alex Ovechkin has a terrific supporting cast and the Caps are the favorite to come out of the conference. The Penguins are the defending champs and can ramp up their play at anytime. But 2 deep playoff runs and this years Olympics may have Crosby and co. running on fumes. This is a year that is very top heavy so 1st round upsets may be hard to come by. One thing is for sure, whatever team gets the best goaltending figures to be the last one standing.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 SAN JOSE SHARKS VS #8 COLORADO AVALANCHE

The Avalanche exceeded expectations this year and surprised everyone by qualifying for the playoffs. Chris Stewart and Matt Duchesne lead a good young core as they try to shake up the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Sharks are are a top scoring team but will rely heavily on veteran goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. The Avs need to stay out of the box if they're to have any chance in this series. Joe Thornton is healthy and the Sharks Power Play is lethal. The Sharks still have the bitter taste of their 1st round upset last year. If the Avs can steal game 1, the pressure will be enormous on San Jose. This is a better Sharks team and are playing much more inexperienced opponent than the Ducks were last year. The Sharks need to breeze through this series and they probably will.
PREDICTION: SAN JOSE IN 5.

#2 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS VS #7 NASHVILLE PREDATORS




The Blackhawks just missed winning the west by way of their OT loss to Detroit in their season finale. The 'Hawks are extremely talented up and down their lineup. They gathered some much needed experience with their playoff run last year. The one question mark the past 2 seasons has been the goaltending. Enter Anti Niemi, who solidified his role as starter with a 2.25 GAA and a .912 save percentage, along with 7 shutouts. Brent Seabrook and Norris Trophy candidate, Duncan Keith will log big minutes on the blueline. They will need Patrick Kane to focus on helping Marian Hossa tow the line offensively and Jonathan Toews to lead them in the locker room. Nashville continues to send a quality product on the ice year in and year out. However, they are still a franchise in search of their first playoff series win. They finished the year 18 games over .500, but scored the same amount of goals as they allowed (225). Their leading scorer was Steve Sullivan who recorded 51 pts, the lowest total for any player who led his team. They have similar home and road records as well. Goalie Pekka Rinne has been spectacular some nights and dreadful the next. They will need All-Star D-men Shea Weber and Ryan Suter to shut down the 'Hawks top line if they are going to have a chance. Sorry Preds fans, you're still going to have to wait for that first series win.
PREDICTION: CHICAGO IN 6.

#3 VANCOUVER CANUCKS VS #6 LOS ANGELES KINGS


The LA Kings are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2001. They have a nice young core led by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Doughty is their top blueliner and after only 2 seasons in the NHL is already among the top D-men in the league. This was validated by his Olympic selection to the loaded Canadian roster that took home the Gold. The Kings will need to match the Canucks offensive attack. Vancouver is led by Henrik Sedin who had his finest season leading the entire league in points with 112. Roberto Luongo is the unquestionable leader of Vancouver. He ranked among the elite NHL goalies with 40 victories and a .913 Save Pct and a 2.57 GAA. The Canucks have not performed well in the playoffs under Luongo and he desperately wants to shake that moniker. The Kings may just be happy to be here, but if Jonathan Quick can steal a game or two, this could be a long and difficult series. The Kings have a chance but will need their power play to be lethal. Doughty could begin to build his legend even more if he can guide this upstart team to places Kings fans have dreamed of since "The Great One" left.
PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES IN 7.

#4 PHOENIX COYOTES VS #5 DETROIT RED WINGS



This is the most intriguing first round match-up. The Coyotes battled through bankruptcy, the threat of relocation and a small payroll to amass a staggering 107 points. Head Coach Dave Tippet has done a masterful job of implementing a successful system. They also made moves at the deadline and this team believes they can beat anyone. They are led by goalie Illya Bryzgalof who's regular season has him in Vezina Trophy contention. They will need to be at their best because they have a tall order. The Red Wings have played in the last 2 Stanley Cup Finals, winning in it all in 2008. They had an injury plagued regular season but got healthy just in time for the stretch run. They are now healthy and ready to ride rookie goalie, Jimmy Howard all the way into the postseason. Howard won the job from veteran Chris Osgood and hasn't looked back. HE has probably been the best netminder in the NHL, post Olympics. Coyotes really have nothing to lose, but in the end Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Franzen and Daytsuk may just be too much. However, this won't be a cakewalk for Detroit.
PREDICTION: DETROIT IN 7.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 WASHINGTON CAPITALS VS #8 MONTREAL CANADIENS

No first round matchup appears to be more of a foregone conclusion than this one. The Capitals mopped up the competition in the Eastern Conference and only got better at the deadline. Role players like Mike Knuble and Eric Belanger compliment the league's top offense. This group features Alex Ovechkin (50 goals, 109 pts), Nicklas Backstrom (68 assists, 101 pts) who had a breakout year, and sniper Alex Semin (40 goals, 84 pts)who has one of the best snap shots in the game. The main concern for the Caps is goaltending. Jose Theodore will get the nod in game one, but Simeon Varlamov is waiting in the wings. For the Habs, Jaroslav Halak supplanted Carey Price as the starter in net. Montreal overhauled their roster after last years failures. Newcomers Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez, and Brian Gionta who along with Thomas Plekanec will be relied upon for offense. They will need to play at a level we have not yet seen this group play at if they are to have any chance against the Capitals. This just may be Ovechkin's year, and this is just the first step.
PREDICTION: WASHINGTON IN 4.

#2 NEW JERSEY DEVILS VS #7 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS


The Flyers sneaked into the post season with a shootout victory over their rival Rangers in the regular season finale. Brian Boucher has taken over in net for a Philly team ravaged with goalie injuries this year. Captain Mike Richards will lead the way on offense along with Jeff Carter, Dany Briere, and Simone Gagne. The blueline is led by grumpy veteran Chris Pronger who has the ability to shutdown New Jersey's top line. Daniel Carcillo will be relied upon to aggravate Illya Kovalchuk and pester Martin Brodeur. And speaking of Brodeur, he is seeking his 4th Stanley Cup. He was solid again this year leading the NHL in wins (45) and shutouts (9). The Devils are challenged offensively and rely heavily on Brodeur night in and night out. They need Zach Parise to continue building chemistry with Kovalchuk if they are going to have a deep run. I think Philly can match-up decent against Jersey, but I just can't take Brian Boucher over Marty Brodeur in a 7 game series.
PREDICITON: NEW JERSEY IN 6.

#3 BUFFALO SABRES VS #6 BOSTON BRUINS

The Buffalo Sabres are led by Vezina Trophy and MVP candidate Ryan Miller. He gained national attention for his performance in net for Team USA in the Olympics. Miller has been at the top of his game for some time now and you get the impression something special might be happening in Buffalo. In his two previous trips to the playoffs, he has led the Sabres to the East Finals both times. The main problem for this squad is a lack of consistent scoring. If this team can't turn on the lamp and relies too heavily on Miller, the Sabres could go out early. But they do have a favorable matchup. The Bruins didn't achieve the level of regular season success they had hoped. Incumbent Vezina trophy winner Tim Thomas had to make way in net for Tuukka Rask who led the NHL with a microscopic 1.97 Goals against average. This team will need him to play well since they too are offensively challenged. I love Marco Sturm as much as the next guy but if he is your leading goal scorer (22), then you have some series issues. Zdeno Chara will need to log huge minutes and also be a force on the power play. The team who wins the special teams battle will win this series.
PREDICTION: BUFFALO IN 7.

#4 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS #5 OTTAWA SENATORS


The Penguins return to the postseason to defend their Stanley Cup championship. Sydney Crosby has had a magical year from winning the Cup last June to scoring game winner in OT, to deliver Olympic Gold to Team Canada in front of Canadian fans. Pittsburgh didn't have a great regular season by their standards, and haven't played their best hockey of late. They went winless in the regular season vs the Capitals and the Devils. They could be a little fatigued. Power play point man Sergei Gonchar has battled health issues all season along with 2009 Finals MVP, Evgeni Malkin. Marc-Andre Fleury has been very average in net for Pitt this year and he will need to play at a higher level than he has been if the Penguins are going to repeat. For the Senators, another year, another first round matchup with the Penguins. Mike Fisher had a breakout season for the Senators and Milan Michalek fit in nicely which helped them get over the loss of Dany Heatley. Daniel Alfredsson leads an offense which didn't feature a 30 goal scorer. Their offensive shortcomings may be too much to overcome against a high scoring Pittsburgh team. Brian Elliot had some quality starts down the stretch and he will get the start in Game 1. The Senators appear to be a bit overmatched in this series. Penguins may have a date with the Capitals in the second round.
PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH IN 5.

New Think Tank: Week 7, 10/14/09

Big Papa and I welcome back Chinwe Nwadike for another week of in depth sports talk. We run down ballers and fallers, and review the week that was in the world of sports. We also preview the NLCS and ALCS, the upcoming weekend in the NFL, and College Footballs big time match-ups. The data from the top of the 2nd hour got corrupted, so the second half is a little short. We also do our football picks for the weekend in the NFL. So far on the year it reads: Rydaddy 7-2, and BPKO 5-4. This week BPKO takes Tampa, Seattle, and Cincinnati. I took Philly, NY Giants, and Minnesota. Let's see if BPKO can close the gap. Scroll down below these posts to hear my interview with KNBR's Patrick Connor. Thanks for listening!

Part 1



Part 2

2009 STANLEY CUP FINALS

Well it's like dejavu, all over again! In a re-match from last years finals, the Detroit Red Wings look to make it two straight Stanley Cup Championships. The Pittsburgh Penguins are back for another shot at the champs and are playing terrific hockey. Evgeni Malkin spent the Eastern Conference Finals playing in another universe and pummeled the Hurricanes into more of a light coastal breeze. He has now matched the level that has been played by Sidney Crosby since the puck dropped on the playoffs. Crosby has shown up literally every game and these two guys playing at this high a level can give the Red Wings a real test.
Speaking of the Red Wings, this team is playing about as well as I have ever seen a team play. They move the puck with a crisp efficiency that looks downright artistic at times. The Wings play with complete lines with many inter-changeable parts. You have the scoring snipers in Hossa, Zetterberg, and Sammuelson. Next are the power forwards led by Johan Franzen, Holmstrom and Cleary. So who gets these guys the puck? How about Datsyuk, Fillpula, and even Jiri Hudler. This team is very deep and totally complete. Chris Osgood has silenced all his critics while getting stronger as the playoffs have gone on.
The key to this series would appear to be the health of Captain, Niklas Lidstrom. When he is healthy, the rest of the Wings D, Brian Rafalski, Brad Stuart and Niklas Kronwall can assume their regular roles in the line-up. Oh yeah, and 63 year old Chris Chelios can assume his role of press box analyst. If Lidstrom can slow down Malkin and Crosby and leave it up to the rest of the Penguins to have a big series, Detroit is the clear favorite. Home ice advantage is huge for Detroit as Joe Louis Arena seems to affect the psyche of the visitor seemingly every game. Detroit plays a high paced, well thought out attack and wears down the opponent with quick passing that leads to a barrage of scoring chances.
For Pittsburgh to win the series, they need to win at least one, if not both games this weekend. If Detroit goes up 2-0, Pitt won't win the series, even if they tie it eventually. A split is critical for the Penguins. Marian Hossa has stepped up his contribution in light of the injuries to Datysuk, Draper and Lidstrom. The former Penguin came to Detroit to win a cup and now is just 4 wins away. Marc-Andre Fleury shut the red hot Hurricanes down and must carry that over. Pitt shunned tradition and handled the Prince of Wales trophy upon winning the East. Lemiuex and company pulled that same move when the Pens won it all in '91. Crosby and Co. didn't handle the trophy last year and lost. It was time to try a new approach.
The bottom line is that Detroit is playing as well as I have ever seen a team play. I told many hockey fans I felt even though the Sharks had more points, Detroit is still clearly a better team. Detroit is at the top of the NHL food chain. This team appears to be headed for back to back titles. If Pitt can get back to the Igloo at 1-1 at the very least, they will have a shot. However, it seems like Detroit is destined to win it all again.

Player to watch: Marian Hossa

Possible sleeper hero: Ruslan Fedotenko

Likely series scoring leader: Evgeni Malkin

Prediction: Detroit in 6. (Just like last year)

-Ryan Covay

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE MATCHUPS AND PREDICTIONS

#1 BOSTON BRUINS VS #8 MONTREAL CANADIENS
Much like in the West, the East's 1 vs 8 is a battle of bitter rivals. Boston has returned to relevance with a bang. Behind the stellar net-minding of Tim Thomas (my choice for the Vezina trophy)and the twin towers of power on the blue-line, Zdeno Chara and Dennis Wideman, it will be hard to score on the B's. Up front they have a nice combo of set-up men Marc Savard and David Krejci. Those two will be dishing to finishers Phil Kessel, Michael Ryder, and Chuck Kobasew. Up in Montreal, the 100th anniversary season that started with so much promise ended with them barely making the playoffs and possible wholesale changes if they exit quickly. Captain, Alex Kovalev did lead the team in scoring but his season overall was a let-down. The Canadiens didn't have a 30 goal scorer and only three players with 20+. Goalie Carey Price's 2.83 gaa is below the standard of what is expected from the young keeper. Andrei Markov will log a ton of ice time and look for the Habs to try and keep the scoring down. With Boston's high powered attack, that is going to be a tall order. Player to watch: Boston's Milan Lucic.
Prediction: Bruins in a sweep.

#2 WASHINGTON CAPITALS VS. #7 NEW YORK RANGERS
The Capitals have the most dynamic player in the game in Alex Ovechkin. He is a lock for MVP in my opinion. His sheer determination on both ends of the ice will serve the Caps well. Defenseman Mike Green is a power play phenom and has an ability to jump into the rush that reminds me of Paul Coffey. Niklas Backstrom, Alex Semin, and crafty veteran, Sergei Fedorov will be key factors in the Caps playoff run. If Jose Theodore can be steady if not spectacular, this team can go a long way. For the Rangers, they had a great start to the regular season but faded. They acquired Nik Antropov from the Leafs and still have a talented group of forwards like Drury, Gomez, Zheredev, Naslund and Dubinsky. Wade Redden will need to focus his efforts on slowing Ovechkin and Henrik Lundquist will need to play at a VERY high level if NY has any chance in this series at all. I think the Caps are just too strong and they have a date in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Player to watch: Capitals Brooks Laich.
Prediction: Capitals in 5 (maybe 6).

#3 NEW JERSEY DEVILS VS. #6 CAROLINA HURRICANES
This series features the red hot Hurricanes and the roller coaster Devils. However, anytime you have Martin Brodeur in net in the post-season, you are the favorite. The Devils are led by 40 goal scorer, Zach Parise who was consistently dominant all season. The addition of the aging Brendan Shanahan will pay dividends late in close games as Shanny has a knack for timely goals. Captian, Patrick Elias has a ton of playoff experience, along with Jamie Langenbrunner and John Madden. The knock on the Devils is they lack a consistent scoring threat from the Blue-line. As for the 'Canes, they rode the red hot Cam Ward all the way to the postseason. The ageless wonder, Ray Whitney led the charge down the stretch. Brining back Eric Cole who was an instrumental part of their Cup win a few years back payed off. Eric Staal is the real deal and this post season could be his coming out party. The health of Rod Brindamour is something the 'Canes will monitor (he finished the year -23). If possible, they will try and keep his minutes down. Player to watch: 'Canes center, Eric Staal.
Prediction: Hurricanes in 7.


#4 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VS. #5 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Let the battle for Pennsylvania begin! These two teams have a very similar approach. Both have high flying offenses and have defensemen wiling to take chances by jumping in the rush. The Penguins are coming off a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals and they have taken steps to improve their club. They landed Chris Kunitz from the Ducks and Bill Guerin (who seems to get traded every year) at the deadline. Evgeni Malkin is certainly an MVP candidate and on most nights, was the best player on the ice. Sydney Crosby gets a lot of negative publicity but the kid can flat out play hockey. If he can take that negative attention and turn it into a positive in his game, then this team is more than capable of a return to the East Finals. The Flyers have a ton of scoring punch up front with Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter, Joffrey Lupul, Mike Knuble, Mike Richards and Scott Hartnell all scored at least 25 goals. The big question mark is can they get enough goaltending from Martin Biron. You have to give the Pens the edge in net with Marc-Andre Fleury and it will take Biron really elevating his game for the Flyers to have success in this series. Player to watch: Penguins, Jordan Staal. He played some great hockey down the stretch and his game is on the rise.
Prediction: Penguins in 5.