Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Detroit wins 3-1 (Detroit leads series 2-0)
After Detroit registered 7 straight shots on goal, the Penguins took over the first period, scoring on the power play via Evgeni Malkin and registering 11 unanswered shots of their own. Then the second period came, and Marian Hossa took over. In his second shift of the game, he and his linemates combined for pure offensive zone domination, which led to an icing by Pittsburgh. Right off the next faceoff, Darren Helm screened Marc-Andre Fleury from a point shot by Ericsson to tie the game 1-1. Then, right as Detroit's first power play died, Marian Hossa threw a puck at the net, which created a lot of bodies flying and crashing in front of Fleury, leading to a ridiculous backhand shot by Filppula that the Pittsburgh goaltender had no chance at with his own defenders flying into him. And Abdelkader, who seems to love scoring against the Penguins, added his second goal of the playoffs and the series early in the third period to seal the win for the Red Wings, even though it was only one of three shots in the period for Detroit. Once again, no Pavel Datsyuk, no problem, as Detroit is winning with great shutdown defense on Crosby and the occassional lucky post.
Detroit is now in a commanding 2-0 lead, and the younger Penguins failed to take advantage of the back to back scheduling by the NHL in the first two games. Based on how well Detroit has played so far in the series, and the fact that Pavel Datsyuk could return for at least one game in Pittsburgh, it's hard to see Crosby, who's been held off the scoresheet up to now, and the Penguins being able to win both at home in games 3 and 4. As a side note, Evgeni Malkin was tagged with an instigator minor and a 10 minute game misconduct at the end of game 2. According to the league's declaration in the beginning of the playoffs, instigating a fight when a game is clearly decided is an automatic penalty. But I'm willing to bet my three Sharks jerseys that the NHL will not suspend Malkin. Partially because he's a superstar, and partially because the league has been way too inconsistent with these suspension calls.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
NBA Finals Match-Up and Prediction
Los Angeles Lakers vs Orlando Magic:
Even though David Stern is probably somewhere in his bathroom crying, this finals match-up is actually very interesting. The Los Angeles Lakers were the hands-down favorites to win it all coming into the regular season and the playoffs, and they have once again made it to the NBA finals. The Orlando Magic are a year ahead of schedule in making it to the finals, as they were able to dethrone the defending champions and the regular season's best team without their All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson, who was a key factor in Orlando's 3rd place finish.
But anyone who has even remotely followed these playoffs knows that this isn't going to be a walk in the park for a Laker team that was blown out of the finals by the emotions of the Boston Celtics last year. Games 5 and 6 of the Western Conference finals were the only back to back games where the Lakers played consistent basketball since the Lakers destroyed a Utah Jazz team that struggled all year with consistency as they dealt with several injuries to their starters. On the other side, Stan Van Gundy claimed he could count, but the Orlando Magic sure treated game 6 like a game 7, taking the lead early in the first quarter and never letting Cleveland near it since. Dwight Howard had a career playoff-high 40 points along with 14 rebounds, and the defense held Lebron James to 25/7/7 following his triple-double in game 5.
But this series won't be close because both teams are playing great basketball going into the finals. On the contrary, it will be a match-up of inconsistency. The Lakers and Phil Jackson have a championship roster working with a championship system. Kobe, Gasol, Bynum, and Odom should all thrive on the triangle offense. Trevor Ariza is the high energy defensive star and Derek Fisher is the veteran leadership in the important point guard position backed up by a rising young star in Jordan Farmar. But throughout the conference semi-finals and finals, the Lakers have not played consistent basketball. One night, they will blow out a team playing spectacular defense and allowing Kobe the opportunity to nail the game-sealing shots early in the fourth quarter. The next night, they won't know how to guard anyone and not even a venemous snake can carry them out of a huge deficit. And let's not forget, if Denver actually knew how to inbound a ball, they could've been up 3-0 in the series and there would've have been no way for the Lakers to come out of that hole. Orlando has been playing the most consistent basketball out of the two teams, but the system itself is inconsistent. All season and all playoffs long, the Magic have lived and died at the 3-point line. But even though the Magic played a very convincing series, their wins overshadowed a lot of things. During the game 4 win, Turkoglu was 1 for 11 from the field. In game 3, Rashard Lewis had not hit a shot until the 4th quarter. Yes, they won both games, but it is the system that they play within that causes them to be so inconsistent (and not to mention Rafer Alston came up huge in both of those games).
On to the team match-ups. Dwight Howard was in foul trouble for 5 of the 6 games against Cleveland, against a very old front court of Big Z, Verajao, and Ben Wallace. He's now going to be matched-up against Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and maybe Lamar Odom. Sure, Bynum has been ineffective throughout these playoffs, but those 3 are a lot younger and more athletic at both ends of the floor than what the Cavaliers have to offer against Howard. The match-ups at small and power forward are very interesting. Rashard Lewis is a small power forward. He's basically the Eastern Conference's version of David West, except he can shoot from anywhere. Hedo Turkoglu is a bit too slow to play point guard, but the offense runs through him even though he's at the 3. Trevor Ariza shouldn't have a problem if he's guarding Turkoglu, nor should Kobe Bryant. But can Gasol defend the perimeter against Lewis? If he does, can the Lakers rely on Bynum to defend Howard one on one down low? If Kobe does end up on Turkoglu, one would think Ariza would guard Lewis and Gasol can help on Howard. That will leave Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston wide open for shots. They aren't the big names you think of when it comes to Orlando's offense, but at least Alston has proven he can come up big when Orlando's big three are struggling. Mikael Pietrus is the best bench player on both teams, but the Lakers have much more offensive balance than Orlando on their bench, so the Lakers win that battle.
I think the X-factor will be Marcin Gortat. You know, the big bald guy who occassionally plays for Orlando when Dwight Howard is taking a rest. Watching game 6, when Howard was on the bench to start the fourth, Orlando almost allowed Cleveland back in the game. The reason: they were so predictable. Everyone on Cavaliers knew that either Lewis or Turkoglu would take a jump shot. There was a point in time when Gortat, a 7 foot 25 year old, was down in the paint one-on-one with Delone West after Verajao switched onto Turkoglu after a screen was set by Orlando, and the Magic refused to give Gortat the ball for an easy two points in the paint. There is no way the Magic will win if they refuse to take advantages of mismatches just because they have better skill players on the floor. Howard will either dominate the big men of the Lakers, as Bynum is struggling and Gasol is soft, or he will be in foul trouble. If it is the latter, which is very possible based on how Howard performed against the less-skilled big men of Cleveland, Gortat will need to deliver. The Lakers are matched-up much better defensively than the Cavaliers against Turkoglo and Rashard Lewis, that they will be covered all day and will need an inside option like Gortat to open up shots for themselves while Howard is on the bench.
In the end, however, Kobe Bryant is the best player in the game. I'm sorry Lebron James and Cavaliers fans, but Bryant just isn't demanded to do as much as Lebron night in and night out, playoff or regular season games. His stats are very misleading for his skill set, and Bryant is not about to miss 35-40% of his free throws in a playoff game. Turkoglu and Lewis are not going to be given as much freedom on the three point line, and although there is no doubt they will make shots, I don't like an offensive system that relies on a shot that is only going to be made 35% of the time, especially in sports where defense wins championships. If the Magic are going to pull off the upset win, and yes, it will be considered an upset, Howard will need to dominate the paint and get Gasol off his game. And even then, Gasol has the ability to be a great outside jump-shooter, and if Lewis is matched-up against him defensively, Gasol will shoot over Lewis all day long. What will ultimately win the game will be bench scoring. Pietrus is not going to outscore the Lakers bench like he did the Cavaliers'. Luke Walton is underrated, Vujacic is struggling but has the ability to knock down the jump shot, and Lamar Odom must demand his space. The Los Angeles Lakers will win this series, it is just a question of whether they win in 5 or 7. Los Angeles wins in 7.
Even though David Stern is probably somewhere in his bathroom crying, this finals match-up is actually very interesting. The Los Angeles Lakers were the hands-down favorites to win it all coming into the regular season and the playoffs, and they have once again made it to the NBA finals. The Orlando Magic are a year ahead of schedule in making it to the finals, as they were able to dethrone the defending champions and the regular season's best team without their All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson, who was a key factor in Orlando's 3rd place finish.
But anyone who has even remotely followed these playoffs knows that this isn't going to be a walk in the park for a Laker team that was blown out of the finals by the emotions of the Boston Celtics last year. Games 5 and 6 of the Western Conference finals were the only back to back games where the Lakers played consistent basketball since the Lakers destroyed a Utah Jazz team that struggled all year with consistency as they dealt with several injuries to their starters. On the other side, Stan Van Gundy claimed he could count, but the Orlando Magic sure treated game 6 like a game 7, taking the lead early in the first quarter and never letting Cleveland near it since. Dwight Howard had a career playoff-high 40 points along with 14 rebounds, and the defense held Lebron James to 25/7/7 following his triple-double in game 5.
But this series won't be close because both teams are playing great basketball going into the finals. On the contrary, it will be a match-up of inconsistency. The Lakers and Phil Jackson have a championship roster working with a championship system. Kobe, Gasol, Bynum, and Odom should all thrive on the triangle offense. Trevor Ariza is the high energy defensive star and Derek Fisher is the veteran leadership in the important point guard position backed up by a rising young star in Jordan Farmar. But throughout the conference semi-finals and finals, the Lakers have not played consistent basketball. One night, they will blow out a team playing spectacular defense and allowing Kobe the opportunity to nail the game-sealing shots early in the fourth quarter. The next night, they won't know how to guard anyone and not even a venemous snake can carry them out of a huge deficit. And let's not forget, if Denver actually knew how to inbound a ball, they could've been up 3-0 in the series and there would've have been no way for the Lakers to come out of that hole. Orlando has been playing the most consistent basketball out of the two teams, but the system itself is inconsistent. All season and all playoffs long, the Magic have lived and died at the 3-point line. But even though the Magic played a very convincing series, their wins overshadowed a lot of things. During the game 4 win, Turkoglu was 1 for 11 from the field. In game 3, Rashard Lewis had not hit a shot until the 4th quarter. Yes, they won both games, but it is the system that they play within that causes them to be so inconsistent (and not to mention Rafer Alston came up huge in both of those games).
On to the team match-ups. Dwight Howard was in foul trouble for 5 of the 6 games against Cleveland, against a very old front court of Big Z, Verajao, and Ben Wallace. He's now going to be matched-up against Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and maybe Lamar Odom. Sure, Bynum has been ineffective throughout these playoffs, but those 3 are a lot younger and more athletic at both ends of the floor than what the Cavaliers have to offer against Howard. The match-ups at small and power forward are very interesting. Rashard Lewis is a small power forward. He's basically the Eastern Conference's version of David West, except he can shoot from anywhere. Hedo Turkoglu is a bit too slow to play point guard, but the offense runs through him even though he's at the 3. Trevor Ariza shouldn't have a problem if he's guarding Turkoglu, nor should Kobe Bryant. But can Gasol defend the perimeter against Lewis? If he does, can the Lakers rely on Bynum to defend Howard one on one down low? If Kobe does end up on Turkoglu, one would think Ariza would guard Lewis and Gasol can help on Howard. That will leave Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston wide open for shots. They aren't the big names you think of when it comes to Orlando's offense, but at least Alston has proven he can come up big when Orlando's big three are struggling. Mikael Pietrus is the best bench player on both teams, but the Lakers have much more offensive balance than Orlando on their bench, so the Lakers win that battle.
I think the X-factor will be Marcin Gortat. You know, the big bald guy who occassionally plays for Orlando when Dwight Howard is taking a rest. Watching game 6, when Howard was on the bench to start the fourth, Orlando almost allowed Cleveland back in the game. The reason: they were so predictable. Everyone on Cavaliers knew that either Lewis or Turkoglu would take a jump shot. There was a point in time when Gortat, a 7 foot 25 year old, was down in the paint one-on-one with Delone West after Verajao switched onto Turkoglu after a screen was set by Orlando, and the Magic refused to give Gortat the ball for an easy two points in the paint. There is no way the Magic will win if they refuse to take advantages of mismatches just because they have better skill players on the floor. Howard will either dominate the big men of the Lakers, as Bynum is struggling and Gasol is soft, or he will be in foul trouble. If it is the latter, which is very possible based on how Howard performed against the less-skilled big men of Cleveland, Gortat will need to deliver. The Lakers are matched-up much better defensively than the Cavaliers against Turkoglo and Rashard Lewis, that they will be covered all day and will need an inside option like Gortat to open up shots for themselves while Howard is on the bench.
In the end, however, Kobe Bryant is the best player in the game. I'm sorry Lebron James and Cavaliers fans, but Bryant just isn't demanded to do as much as Lebron night in and night out, playoff or regular season games. His stats are very misleading for his skill set, and Bryant is not about to miss 35-40% of his free throws in a playoff game. Turkoglu and Lewis are not going to be given as much freedom on the three point line, and although there is no doubt they will make shots, I don't like an offensive system that relies on a shot that is only going to be made 35% of the time, especially in sports where defense wins championships. If the Magic are going to pull off the upset win, and yes, it will be considered an upset, Howard will need to dominate the paint and get Gasol off his game. And even then, Gasol has the ability to be a great outside jump-shooter, and if Lewis is matched-up against him defensively, Gasol will shoot over Lewis all day long. What will ultimately win the game will be bench scoring. Pietrus is not going to outscore the Lakers bench like he did the Cavaliers'. Luke Walton is underrated, Vujacic is struggling but has the ability to knock down the jump shot, and Lamar Odom must demand his space. The Los Angeles Lakers will win this series, it is just a question of whether they win in 5 or 7. Los Angeles wins in 7.
Stanley Cup Finals Game 1
Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Detroit wins 3-1 (Detroit leads series 1-0)
The Detroit Red Wings were not distracted by all the injuries on their roster. Captain Niklas Lidstrom came back and skated 24 minutes with a +1 rating, Johan Franzen, last year's top playoff scorer for the Red Wings, scored the game winning goal, and two rookies Justin Abdelkader and Ville Leino combined for the 3rd period put-away score as the Red Wings defeated the Penguins 3-1. Outstanding games by Darren Helm and Chris Osgood led the way, however, as Helm skated hard every shift and took the third star award while Osgood made a key save on a breakaway opportunity by Evgeni Malkin, staying on his feet and getting his glove up to rob the regular season and the postseason's leading point scorer of a potential go-ahead goal in the second period.
This was exactly the kind of effort the Red Wings needed out of their young players with all the injuries, and the fact that game 2 will be tomorrow night to finish off a weekend of back to back games. Datsyuk is probable for game 2 and Kris Draper is day to day, so if those two can get back for game 2 after not having played game 1 and being fully rested, the Red Wings may go up 2-0 and would pretty much set themselves up for a 5 game series if they can steal one in Pittsburgh.
The Detroit Red Wings were not distracted by all the injuries on their roster. Captain Niklas Lidstrom came back and skated 24 minutes with a +1 rating, Johan Franzen, last year's top playoff scorer for the Red Wings, scored the game winning goal, and two rookies Justin Abdelkader and Ville Leino combined for the 3rd period put-away score as the Red Wings defeated the Penguins 3-1. Outstanding games by Darren Helm and Chris Osgood led the way, however, as Helm skated hard every shift and took the third star award while Osgood made a key save on a breakaway opportunity by Evgeni Malkin, staying on his feet and getting his glove up to rob the regular season and the postseason's leading point scorer of a potential go-ahead goal in the second period.
This was exactly the kind of effort the Red Wings needed out of their young players with all the injuries, and the fact that game 2 will be tomorrow night to finish off a weekend of back to back games. Datsyuk is probable for game 2 and Kris Draper is day to day, so if those two can get back for game 2 after not having played game 1 and being fully rested, the Red Wings may go up 2-0 and would pretty much set themselves up for a 5 game series if they can steal one in Pittsburgh.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Stanley Cup Finals Match-Up and Prediction
Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins: schedule can be found here http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/playoffs/finals/pitdet;_ylt=AkKF5z2cqYksu5mdUfro6MR7vLYF
It is a rematch of last year's Cup finals, with Detroit once again the better team in terms of seeding. There can be all kinds of storylines written about this one: Sidney Crosby getting another shot at the Cup, but this time rubbing the Prince of Wales trophy. The Red Wings pretty much have the exact same roster as last year, whereas the Penguins added key members Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz to the wings of Sidney Crosby, which adds much more offensive depth and grit around the skill set of Crosby. But the biggest storyline is Marian Hossa. Detroit fans might have forgotten about it, but Pittsburgh sure hasn't: during the offseason, Hossa took a paycut to sign with the Red Wings after they eliminated his team from the finals last year, saying that he wanted to win a Cup and the Wings had a better chance of doing it than the Penguins. So he pretty much said if it came down to this situation again, Hossa was betting on the Red Wings and abandoned his old team so he can come along for the victory ride. Well Hossa was right about his statement... before the trade deadline. Although they didn't make too many big name moves, the Penguins came out of the month of March a much deadlier team, and it has shown in their domination of the Eastern Conference in the playoffs. All the pressure is on Hossa to back up his bark. He stepped up his game in the Conference finals against the Blackhawks, which is good news heading into a match against his old team in the same scenario. But if Crosby and company end up taking the Cup this year, how big of an idiot will Hossa look?
There are a lot of reasons why you would choose Detroit over Pittsburgh. Obviously, they have the experience. That experience took them over two young, upstart teams in the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks. Chris Osgood, despite all his regular season woes, is once again back in postseason form (he seems to be the opposite of Martin Brodeur, who loses his touch in the playoffs). Pavel Datsyuk is in the running for regular season MVP; Niklas Lidstrom, although probably not retaining his defensive player of the year award due to the rise of offensive defensemen, is still the best defensive player in the game. And in a match-up of the third and fourth lines, Detroit has a slight edge in terms of offensive power. But the Pittsburgh Penguins are not like the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks. If anything they should be compared more to the Anaheim Ducks who took Detroit to a 7 game series. Yes, they are still young, despite the addition of Guerin. But they have as much experience as the Ducks. They were in the finals last year, unlike the Blue Jackets who have never made it in franchise history and the Blackhawks who have been kept out since the 90's. Instead of going for pure offense like they were last year, they added a grinder in Kunitz and playoff smarts in Guerin. And Evgeni Malkin is the leading point score in both the regular season and the playoffs (although there is absolutely no doubt that if the Penguins win the Cup, Sidney Crosby will be playoff MVP). The real pressure will be on the defensive core of the Penguins, who dumped Ryan Whitney to the Ducks for Kunitz. We know Detroit has as solid of a d-core as any team in the NHL, from their first to their third line. How will Pittsburgh's third defensive pairing match-up against the second and third lines of Detroit? But none of that matters if Detroit gets into penalty trouble, as they have the worst playoff penalty kill going up against the best playoff power play in Pittsburgh. In short, there is a very good argument for both teams winning the Cup. But as much as it pains me to imagine Sidney Crosby holding up Lord Stanley's Cup, I'm going to predict Pittsburgh wins in 6, and Marian Hossa is going to wonder where his decision-making went wrong.
It is a rematch of last year's Cup finals, with Detroit once again the better team in terms of seeding. There can be all kinds of storylines written about this one: Sidney Crosby getting another shot at the Cup, but this time rubbing the Prince of Wales trophy. The Red Wings pretty much have the exact same roster as last year, whereas the Penguins added key members Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz to the wings of Sidney Crosby, which adds much more offensive depth and grit around the skill set of Crosby. But the biggest storyline is Marian Hossa. Detroit fans might have forgotten about it, but Pittsburgh sure hasn't: during the offseason, Hossa took a paycut to sign with the Red Wings after they eliminated his team from the finals last year, saying that he wanted to win a Cup and the Wings had a better chance of doing it than the Penguins. So he pretty much said if it came down to this situation again, Hossa was betting on the Red Wings and abandoned his old team so he can come along for the victory ride. Well Hossa was right about his statement... before the trade deadline. Although they didn't make too many big name moves, the Penguins came out of the month of March a much deadlier team, and it has shown in their domination of the Eastern Conference in the playoffs. All the pressure is on Hossa to back up his bark. He stepped up his game in the Conference finals against the Blackhawks, which is good news heading into a match against his old team in the same scenario. But if Crosby and company end up taking the Cup this year, how big of an idiot will Hossa look?
There are a lot of reasons why you would choose Detroit over Pittsburgh. Obviously, they have the experience. That experience took them over two young, upstart teams in the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks. Chris Osgood, despite all his regular season woes, is once again back in postseason form (he seems to be the opposite of Martin Brodeur, who loses his touch in the playoffs). Pavel Datsyuk is in the running for regular season MVP; Niklas Lidstrom, although probably not retaining his defensive player of the year award due to the rise of offensive defensemen, is still the best defensive player in the game. And in a match-up of the third and fourth lines, Detroit has a slight edge in terms of offensive power. But the Pittsburgh Penguins are not like the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks. If anything they should be compared more to the Anaheim Ducks who took Detroit to a 7 game series. Yes, they are still young, despite the addition of Guerin. But they have as much experience as the Ducks. They were in the finals last year, unlike the Blue Jackets who have never made it in franchise history and the Blackhawks who have been kept out since the 90's. Instead of going for pure offense like they were last year, they added a grinder in Kunitz and playoff smarts in Guerin. And Evgeni Malkin is the leading point score in both the regular season and the playoffs (although there is absolutely no doubt that if the Penguins win the Cup, Sidney Crosby will be playoff MVP). The real pressure will be on the defensive core of the Penguins, who dumped Ryan Whitney to the Ducks for Kunitz. We know Detroit has as solid of a d-core as any team in the NHL, from their first to their third line. How will Pittsburgh's third defensive pairing match-up against the second and third lines of Detroit? But none of that matters if Detroit gets into penalty trouble, as they have the worst playoff penalty kill going up against the best playoff power play in Pittsburgh. In short, there is a very good argument for both teams winning the Cup. But as much as it pains me to imagine Sidney Crosby holding up Lord Stanley's Cup, I'm going to predict Pittsburgh wins in 6, and Marian Hossa is going to wonder where his decision-making went wrong.
Game 5 NHL Western Conference Finals
Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks: Detroit wins 2-1 (Detroit wins series 4-1)
It took an extra 4 minutes, but the Detroit Red Wings completed their domination of the Chicago Blackhawks, with Darren Helm scoring 4 minutes into overtime to secure a ticket to the Stanley Cup finals in a rematch against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Red Wings were once again without Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Lidstrom, yet they still managed to unload 46 shots on Cristobal Huet (21 in the first period alone), who actually managed to stop 44 of them. Chris Osgood on the other end was just as good, stopping 30 of 31 shots. The 2nd and 3rd periods were heavily contested, but once overtime came, the Red Wings were too much for the Blackhawks, as Chicago couldn't even register a shot on goal.
And so the feel good story of the Chicago Blackhawks comes to an end, but there will probably be nothing but positives coming out of this postseason. A team that wasn't expected to be a contender for at least another year or two ended up making it to the Conference finals on the backs of their two young superstars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, and their huge multi-million signing of Brian Campbell paid off as well. And who knows what would've happened if Khabibulin wasn't injured in game 2.
It took an extra 4 minutes, but the Detroit Red Wings completed their domination of the Chicago Blackhawks, with Darren Helm scoring 4 minutes into overtime to secure a ticket to the Stanley Cup finals in a rematch against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Red Wings were once again without Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Lidstrom, yet they still managed to unload 46 shots on Cristobal Huet (21 in the first period alone), who actually managed to stop 44 of them. Chris Osgood on the other end was just as good, stopping 30 of 31 shots. The 2nd and 3rd periods were heavily contested, but once overtime came, the Red Wings were too much for the Blackhawks, as Chicago couldn't even register a shot on goal.
And so the feel good story of the Chicago Blackhawks comes to an end, but there will probably be nothing but positives coming out of this postseason. A team that wasn't expected to be a contender for at least another year or two ended up making it to the Conference finals on the backs of their two young superstars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, and their huge multi-million signing of Brian Campbell paid off as well. And who knows what would've happened if Khabibulin wasn't injured in game 2.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Game 4 NHL Eastern Conference Finals
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Pittsburgh wins 4-1 (Pittsburgh wins series 4-0)
I'll be the first to admit I didn't watch the finish of this game because of the Orlando/Cleveland game, but honestly, did I really need to? For the first time this series, Evgeni Malkin was held without a point, and Carolina still couldn't outscore Pittsburgh or prevent them from man-handling Cam Ward. Ward was the only bright spot on a Carolina team that eliminated the two best teams coming out of the East before getting swept away by the Penguins. But because Detroit didn't win game 3, even if the Red Wings win tomorrow, the Penguins will have to wait a week before playing in the Stanley Cup finals.
For the first time in his career, Cam Ward has lost a playoff series. Which is pretty amazing considering how underpowered the Hurricanes were coming into the playoffs, which Pittsburgh fully took advantage. And so the first step has been taken in a rematch of the finals last year.
I'll be the first to admit I didn't watch the finish of this game because of the Orlando/Cleveland game, but honestly, did I really need to? For the first time this series, Evgeni Malkin was held without a point, and Carolina still couldn't outscore Pittsburgh or prevent them from man-handling Cam Ward. Ward was the only bright spot on a Carolina team that eliminated the two best teams coming out of the East before getting swept away by the Penguins. But because Detroit didn't win game 3, even if the Red Wings win tomorrow, the Penguins will have to wait a week before playing in the Stanley Cup finals.
For the first time in his career, Cam Ward has lost a playoff series. Which is pretty amazing considering how underpowered the Hurricanes were coming into the playoffs, which Pittsburgh fully took advantage. And so the first step has been taken in a rematch of the finals last year.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
NHL Game 4 Western Conference Finals
Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks: Detroit wins 6-1 (Detroit leads series 3-1)
Chicago never had a chance since the drop of the puck. Detroit was playing without their two top stars in Niklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk, yet they scored 6 goals, 3 goals sandwhiching Chicago's lone marker. Chicago played a horrible game in front of back-up Cristobal Huet, who was starting in place of the injured Khabibulin, the lone bright spot in this series for the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks took 9 penalties and only received 4 power plays, and the Red wings capitalized, scoring on 3 extra man advantages. Strangely enough, Detroit took the first two penalties of the game, but Marian Hossa scored shorthanded on their first penalty kill. Chicago pretty much imploded in the second period, and there was really they could potentially "build on" heading into game 5, where they will most likely be eliminated.
Talk about a lack of drama in these conference finals. Looks like rematch of Detroit and Pittsburgh in the finals. Like I said in an earlier post, if it comes down to a rematch, the Penguins look a lot stronger and ready to take a championship than they did last year. Which, of course, would make Marian Hossa look like an idiot.
Chicago never had a chance since the drop of the puck. Detroit was playing without their two top stars in Niklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk, yet they scored 6 goals, 3 goals sandwhiching Chicago's lone marker. Chicago played a horrible game in front of back-up Cristobal Huet, who was starting in place of the injured Khabibulin, the lone bright spot in this series for the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks took 9 penalties and only received 4 power plays, and the Red wings capitalized, scoring on 3 extra man advantages. Strangely enough, Detroit took the first two penalties of the game, but Marian Hossa scored shorthanded on their first penalty kill. Chicago pretty much imploded in the second period, and there was really they could potentially "build on" heading into game 5, where they will most likely be eliminated.
Talk about a lack of drama in these conference finals. Looks like rematch of Detroit and Pittsburgh in the finals. Like I said in an earlier post, if it comes down to a rematch, the Penguins look a lot stronger and ready to take a championship than they did last year. Which, of course, would make Marian Hossa look like an idiot.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Game 3 NHL Eastern Conference Finals
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Pittsburgh wins 6-2 (Pittsburgh leads series 3-0)
Evgeni Malkin once again single-handedly destroyed the Carolina Hurricanes, who are now in a 3-0 hole. Malkin made two beautiful moves in the first period, first to tie the game on the power play, and the second 30 seconds after Sidney Crosby scored and the Penguins took the lead into the second period 3-1, and that really was the end of the game. Cam Ward made spectacular save after spectacular save in all 3 periods to try and keep the game a contest as long as possible, but the Hurricanes just could not pounce on the giant rebounds given up by Fleury. Sergei Samsanov scored a quick goal in the third and Carolina finally found some offensive rhythm, but a beautiful pass by Malkin to Fedetenko sealed the win, giving the Penguins a 4-2 lead. Craig Adams added an empty netter and then Bill Guerin scored on a late power play to add insult to injury.
There is nothing that suggests that the Penguins won't sweep this series. The Carolina forwards are playing like they are tired from the two previous 7 game series, and the defense has absolutely no answer for Evgeni Malkin in any part of the ice, or Sidney Crosby in transition. And if the Penguins do sweep, you would think the extra rest heading to the Stanley Cup finals will get them over the hump that they failed to climb last year if they do end up facing the Detroit Red Wings again.
Evgeni Malkin once again single-handedly destroyed the Carolina Hurricanes, who are now in a 3-0 hole. Malkin made two beautiful moves in the first period, first to tie the game on the power play, and the second 30 seconds after Sidney Crosby scored and the Penguins took the lead into the second period 3-1, and that really was the end of the game. Cam Ward made spectacular save after spectacular save in all 3 periods to try and keep the game a contest as long as possible, but the Hurricanes just could not pounce on the giant rebounds given up by Fleury. Sergei Samsanov scored a quick goal in the third and Carolina finally found some offensive rhythm, but a beautiful pass by Malkin to Fedetenko sealed the win, giving the Penguins a 4-2 lead. Craig Adams added an empty netter and then Bill Guerin scored on a late power play to add insult to injury.
There is nothing that suggests that the Penguins won't sweep this series. The Carolina forwards are playing like they are tired from the two previous 7 game series, and the defense has absolutely no answer for Evgeni Malkin in any part of the ice, or Sidney Crosby in transition. And if the Penguins do sweep, you would think the extra rest heading to the Stanley Cup finals will get them over the hump that they failed to climb last year if they do end up facing the Detroit Red Wings again.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Game 3 NHL Western Conference Finals
Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago wins 4-3 (Detroit leads series 2-1)
It took an extra minute for the Blackhawks to win a game that should've ended in the second period. Instead, Detroit scored 3 goals in the final 5 minutes of the second period to force an overtime, and a miraculous no-look backhand pass by Matt Walker to Patrick Sharp resulted in probably the easiest goal the Blackhawks will have against the Red Wings this series to pump a little bit of life back into Chicago. Both teams were shorthanded, as Pavel Datsyuk was scratched and Nicklas Kronwall was tossed early in the first period for a game misconduct on Martin Havlat, which apparantly injured him as he never returned to the ice. Nikolai Khabibulin was pulled in between the second and third periods after the 3 goal barrage by Detroit, but he didn't return to the bench. Although Chicago is now back in the series, they must win game 4 at home unless they want to give Detroit a chance to eliminate them in game 5 in Hockeytown. And although the Blackhawk penalty kill was good for the most part, it was the third power play that the Red Wings scored on after receiving three straight in a span of 8 minutes, and Detroit almost took the giant momentum swing into a comeback from a 0-3 deficit. Lots of things to work on for the Blackhawks, who still don't have much of an advantage over the Red Wings in this series.
After scoring 3 early goals, including two from power plays (one on the power play and one right after the penalty ended), the Blackhawks were outshot 18-8 in the second period as the Red Wings dominated the final 10 minutes to tie the game up. But a big part of that was 3 straight penalties the Blackhawks took, and it seemed they got kind of lazy in paying attention to the details of the game with a 3 goal lead. Good job by the Blackhawks to put Detroit in a huge hole and hang on to score the overtime winner, but there is no way Chicago can give the Red Wings another chance like that if they hope to tie the series in game 4. And what was up with Cristobal Huet getting his first playoff action since last year? Khabibulin did allow 3 goals in 4 minutes, but none of those 3 goals were his fault. Two were crazy deflections into the corner of the net and one was a perfect screen by Tomas Holmstrom. Maybe it was just a wake-up call move by the coach, but Khabibulin not returning from the locker room in between periods suggests either his team has lost faith in him or there is some sort of injury on the gold medalist goaltender.
It took an extra minute for the Blackhawks to win a game that should've ended in the second period. Instead, Detroit scored 3 goals in the final 5 minutes of the second period to force an overtime, and a miraculous no-look backhand pass by Matt Walker to Patrick Sharp resulted in probably the easiest goal the Blackhawks will have against the Red Wings this series to pump a little bit of life back into Chicago. Both teams were shorthanded, as Pavel Datsyuk was scratched and Nicklas Kronwall was tossed early in the first period for a game misconduct on Martin Havlat, which apparantly injured him as he never returned to the ice. Nikolai Khabibulin was pulled in between the second and third periods after the 3 goal barrage by Detroit, but he didn't return to the bench. Although Chicago is now back in the series, they must win game 4 at home unless they want to give Detroit a chance to eliminate them in game 5 in Hockeytown. And although the Blackhawk penalty kill was good for the most part, it was the third power play that the Red Wings scored on after receiving three straight in a span of 8 minutes, and Detroit almost took the giant momentum swing into a comeback from a 0-3 deficit. Lots of things to work on for the Blackhawks, who still don't have much of an advantage over the Red Wings in this series.
After scoring 3 early goals, including two from power plays (one on the power play and one right after the penalty ended), the Blackhawks were outshot 18-8 in the second period as the Red Wings dominated the final 10 minutes to tie the game up. But a big part of that was 3 straight penalties the Blackhawks took, and it seemed they got kind of lazy in paying attention to the details of the game with a 3 goal lead. Good job by the Blackhawks to put Detroit in a huge hole and hang on to score the overtime winner, but there is no way Chicago can give the Red Wings another chance like that if they hope to tie the series in game 4. And what was up with Cristobal Huet getting his first playoff action since last year? Khabibulin did allow 3 goals in 4 minutes, but none of those 3 goals were his fault. Two were crazy deflections into the corner of the net and one was a perfect screen by Tomas Holmstrom. Maybe it was just a wake-up call move by the coach, but Khabibulin not returning from the locker room in between periods suggests either his team has lost faith in him or there is some sort of injury on the gold medalist goaltender.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Game 2 NHL Eastern Conference Finals
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Pittsburgh wins 7-4 (Pittsburgh leads series 2-0)
The defense for both teams took a night off, but the Carolina Hurricanes don't have an Evgeni Malkin on their team. Malkin scored a hat trick, with his second goal as the game winner, and also provided an assist, as he carried his team through a tightly contested 50 minutes of game 2 before pulling away in the second half of the third period. Carolina has a lot of effort, tying the game twice with two goals scored an average of under a minute of the Penguins', and even taking the lead at the end of the period. Their power play was absolutely atrocious, although they managed to shut down the 7 game postseason power play scoring streak of the Penguins. And even though Pittsburgh had 7 goals (1 empty netter), Cam Ward was probably the best player for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Well through 4 days of conference finals hockey, it looks like it'll be a rematch of last year's championship. Carolina is a very resilient team, as they have proven in the past, but they are getting destroyed in third periods, which may be a product of two straight 7 game series.
The defense for both teams took a night off, but the Carolina Hurricanes don't have an Evgeni Malkin on their team. Malkin scored a hat trick, with his second goal as the game winner, and also provided an assist, as he carried his team through a tightly contested 50 minutes of game 2 before pulling away in the second half of the third period. Carolina has a lot of effort, tying the game twice with two goals scored an average of under a minute of the Penguins', and even taking the lead at the end of the period. Their power play was absolutely atrocious, although they managed to shut down the 7 game postseason power play scoring streak of the Penguins. And even though Pittsburgh had 7 goals (1 empty netter), Cam Ward was probably the best player for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Well through 4 days of conference finals hockey, it looks like it'll be a rematch of last year's championship. Carolina is a very resilient team, as they have proven in the past, but they are getting destroyed in third periods, which may be a product of two straight 7 game series.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Game 2 NHL Western Conference Finals
Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks: Detroit wins 3-2 (Detroit leads series 2-0)
Another tightly contested game that had the Blackhawks coming from behind to tie it and put Red Wings fans at the edge of their seats, but the hometown pulled through in a game 2 overtime as they forced a turnover after taking an icing call, taking advantage of the over-aggressive Blackhawks, and executing a picture perfect 3-on-1 rush to a game winning goal. Osgood and Khabibulin both played spectacular, as the Bulin Wall was only knocked down by odd man rushes (3 on 1 in overtime and a breakaway in the first period), while Osgood's goals against were dirty goals through screens and deflections. The Blackhawks are utilizing their same style against the Canucks and it is making each game a coin-flip. Unfortunately, the coin came up tails twice in a row for Chicago.
Chicago has won 3 in a row playing their physical, goaltender interference-style hockey against the Canucks, who probably people would consider have a better goaltender in Luongo. The series could still go either way given how each game has been played, but the Blackhawks are in a deep hole mentally. If they don't sweep their two game homestand to tie the series, they are going to lose in game 5.
Another tightly contested game that had the Blackhawks coming from behind to tie it and put Red Wings fans at the edge of their seats, but the hometown pulled through in a game 2 overtime as they forced a turnover after taking an icing call, taking advantage of the over-aggressive Blackhawks, and executing a picture perfect 3-on-1 rush to a game winning goal. Osgood and Khabibulin both played spectacular, as the Bulin Wall was only knocked down by odd man rushes (3 on 1 in overtime and a breakaway in the first period), while Osgood's goals against were dirty goals through screens and deflections. The Blackhawks are utilizing their same style against the Canucks and it is making each game a coin-flip. Unfortunately, the coin came up tails twice in a row for Chicago.
Chicago has won 3 in a row playing their physical, goaltender interference-style hockey against the Canucks, who probably people would consider have a better goaltender in Luongo. The series could still go either way given how each game has been played, but the Blackhawks are in a deep hole mentally. If they don't sweep their two game homestand to tie the series, they are going to lose in game 5.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Game 1 NHL Eastern Conference Finals
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Pittsburgh wins 3-2 (Pittsburgh leads series 1-1)
Evgeni Malkin was dominant in this game, and despite a late comeback attempt by Carolina, Marc-Andre Fleury stood his ground to help the Penguins win 3-2 in game 1. But credit should go to the Hurricanes, who were playing without Erik Cole and Tuomo Ruutu late in the third. Outside of the first period, overall play was about even for both teams. The biggest concern for Pittsburgh is the two days break between games 1 and 2. The two days allow the injuries on Carolina to heal and gives the Hurricanes more time to bounce back from this loss.
Pittsburgh has scored a power play goal in 7 straight playoff games, tying a franchise record. But the Hurricanes should be pleased with their penalty kill, as they only allowed 1 such goal in 4 opportunities for the Penguins. Despite the high level of physicality, the game was very disciplined in terms of penalty minutes, which is good news for Carolina heading forward, as they have taken out two higher skilled teams by out-muscling and out-grinding them.
Evgeni Malkin was dominant in this game, and despite a late comeback attempt by Carolina, Marc-Andre Fleury stood his ground to help the Penguins win 3-2 in game 1. But credit should go to the Hurricanes, who were playing without Erik Cole and Tuomo Ruutu late in the third. Outside of the first period, overall play was about even for both teams. The biggest concern for Pittsburgh is the two days break between games 1 and 2. The two days allow the injuries on Carolina to heal and gives the Hurricanes more time to bounce back from this loss.
Pittsburgh has scored a power play goal in 7 straight playoff games, tying a franchise record. But the Hurricanes should be pleased with their penalty kill, as they only allowed 1 such goal in 4 opportunities for the Penguins. Despite the high level of physicality, the game was very disciplined in terms of penalty minutes, which is good news for Carolina heading forward, as they have taken out two higher skilled teams by out-muscling and out-grinding them.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
NBA Conference Finals Match-Ups and Predictions
Eastern Conference Finals:
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (3) Orlando Magic:
Orlando never gave up the lead in game 7 to Boston and won in dominating fashion over the defending champs to move on to the conference finals against MVP Lebron James and the Cavaliers who have not lost a playoff game this postseason. In most sports, there is usually a lot of concern about whether a long break can affect a team mentally while they wait for their opponents, but the Cavaliers are a team that have not been challenged much this year and the regular season probably felt like a long rest (at least for Lebron James, who sat most fourth quarters). The Cavs match up better with Dwight Howard in the frontcourt than the KG-less Celtics, and obviously Lebron James gives them advantages in every part of the offensive zone. I like Orlando's balance better and I'm not convinced the Cavaliers have actually played a "good" team in the playoffs yet, and maybe Orlando can catch the Cavaliers sleeping early to get an early series lead. Still, that's a long shot. Cleveland wins in 6.
Western Conference Finals:
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs (2) Denver Nuggets:
Who would've thought the Denver Nuggets would actually live up to their seeding and play in the conference finals? Charles Barkley is convinced the Nuggets are the best playoff team in the West, and based on their play he may be right. But it isn't like the Lakers have been playing poorly more than they have been playing without motivation against the Rockets. Amazingly, a lot of fan votes and expert picks are going towards the Nuggets in a hard-fought 6-7 game series, but I'm simply not buying it. The regular season match-up (and any team will tell you the regular season doesn't mean anything come playoff time) had the Lakers with a 3-1 edge, with 2 of their wins coming early before Billups and the Nuggets took off late in the season to grab the #2 seed. Billups will be heavily looked at as the X-factor in the series, but the guy I'm watching for is Carmelo Anthony. Not because he is their top scorer and the face of the franchise, but because of this statistic: in the 4 games played against the Lakers, Anthony was held to an average of 14 points a game. If Anthony scores around 14 points a game in this series, the Nuggets are going to get swept. Los Angeles wins in 6.
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs (3) Orlando Magic:
Orlando never gave up the lead in game 7 to Boston and won in dominating fashion over the defending champs to move on to the conference finals against MVP Lebron James and the Cavaliers who have not lost a playoff game this postseason. In most sports, there is usually a lot of concern about whether a long break can affect a team mentally while they wait for their opponents, but the Cavaliers are a team that have not been challenged much this year and the regular season probably felt like a long rest (at least for Lebron James, who sat most fourth quarters). The Cavs match up better with Dwight Howard in the frontcourt than the KG-less Celtics, and obviously Lebron James gives them advantages in every part of the offensive zone. I like Orlando's balance better and I'm not convinced the Cavaliers have actually played a "good" team in the playoffs yet, and maybe Orlando can catch the Cavaliers sleeping early to get an early series lead. Still, that's a long shot. Cleveland wins in 6.
Western Conference Finals:
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs (2) Denver Nuggets:
Who would've thought the Denver Nuggets would actually live up to their seeding and play in the conference finals? Charles Barkley is convinced the Nuggets are the best playoff team in the West, and based on their play he may be right. But it isn't like the Lakers have been playing poorly more than they have been playing without motivation against the Rockets. Amazingly, a lot of fan votes and expert picks are going towards the Nuggets in a hard-fought 6-7 game series, but I'm simply not buying it. The regular season match-up (and any team will tell you the regular season doesn't mean anything come playoff time) had the Lakers with a 3-1 edge, with 2 of their wins coming early before Billups and the Nuggets took off late in the season to grab the #2 seed. Billups will be heavily looked at as the X-factor in the series, but the guy I'm watching for is Carmelo Anthony. Not because he is their top scorer and the face of the franchise, but because of this statistic: in the 4 games played against the Lakers, Anthony was held to an average of 14 points a game. If Anthony scores around 14 points a game in this series, the Nuggets are going to get swept. Los Angeles wins in 6.
Game 1 Western Conference Finals
Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks: Detroit wins 5-2 (Detroit leads series 2-1)
The Chicago Blackhawks were resilient for the first 45 minutes of the game, tying it up at 2-2 with an early 3rd period power play goal, their first power play of the game. And then the Detroit Red Wings played championship hockey, exposing the youth of the Blackhawks with a relentless offensive attack and not allowing any good shots on goal for Chicago. Pavel Datsyuk, much criticized for his play in the Anaheim series, did not register a point, but with Zetterberg, Franzen, Cleary, and Samuelsson stepping up, it doesn't look like the Red Wings will need much from their superstar.
Chicago cannot afford to go down 2 games to none in this series, especially with the way Detroit manhandled them today. Khabibulin was their only bright spot, but the defense in front of him (the highly praised young defense core) simply got rolled over by the offense of Detroit. Many experts predicted Detroit in 5 or 6, but if the Red Wings don't win game 2, I don't see an easy victory coming to the defending champions. Chicago needs to recognize the magnitude of game 2 and come out playing the dominating hockey defensively that helped them outlast the goaltending of Vancouver and outplay the offense of Calgary.
The Chicago Blackhawks were resilient for the first 45 minutes of the game, tying it up at 2-2 with an early 3rd period power play goal, their first power play of the game. And then the Detroit Red Wings played championship hockey, exposing the youth of the Blackhawks with a relentless offensive attack and not allowing any good shots on goal for Chicago. Pavel Datsyuk, much criticized for his play in the Anaheim series, did not register a point, but with Zetterberg, Franzen, Cleary, and Samuelsson stepping up, it doesn't look like the Red Wings will need much from their superstar.
Chicago cannot afford to go down 2 games to none in this series, especially with the way Detroit manhandled them today. Khabibulin was their only bright spot, but the defense in front of him (the highly praised young defense core) simply got rolled over by the offense of Detroit. Many experts predicted Detroit in 5 or 6, but if the Red Wings don't win game 2, I don't see an easy victory coming to the defending champions. Chicago needs to recognize the magnitude of game 2 and come out playing the dominating hockey defensively that helped them outlast the goaltending of Vancouver and outplay the offense of Calgary.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
NHL Conference Finals Match-Ups and Predictions
Here's the TV schedule: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=422796
Eastern Conference Finals:
(4)Pittsburgh Penguins vs (6)Carolina Hurricanes
This is a hard series to analyze. Pittsburgh has played as the underdog and as the higher seed and have done both poorly and quite well at home and on the road. The Hurricanes don't understand how to put the hammer down on a series until it gets to game 7, and one has to question whether this team is emotionally and/or physically worn out yet. And just like against Washington, Pittsburgh is facing a one-and-a-half line team offensively in Carolina, while they have scoring threats on 3 of their 4 lines. Fleury and Ward tie in terms of goaltending, as both have been stellar when it mattered and lots of playoff experience. And despite what has gone on in these playoffs, I just can't bet that the Hurricanes can pull through in another hard-fought series. Pittsburgh wins in 6.
Western Conference Finals:
(2)Detroit Red Wings vs (4)Chicago Blackhawks
It's hard to argue whether the Ducks were really just that good defensively or if Detroit just played that poorly to have their semifinals series go to 7 games and a last minute finish. I'm leaning towards the first, but Anaheim pushed the Red Wings to their limits physically, while the very young Blackhawks team has been resting up and watching their opponents play with their backs pushed against the walls. It will be a series of a physical advantage versus a mental advantage. The Blackhawks have the youth and athleticism to make anyone look bad, as they proved in a loud statement against the Vancouver Canucks, and Khabibulin is the perfect veteran goaltender to backstop a young team. The Red Wings are aged all around the roster, but they have championship experience dating back to the early 1990's, something that no other team can really boast as much as Detroit can. Just like the Vancouver/Chicago series, even though it looks dead even on paper, I can't imagine the series actually being even, and one team will take out the other in less than 7, even though all the games will probably be the hardest so far in the playoffs. Chicago* wins in 6.
*I am cringing as I type this, but interesting note: out of the 4 teams in the conference finals, Chicago was the only team who actually closed out a series in the semifinals in under 7 games.
Eastern Conference Finals:
(4)Pittsburgh Penguins vs (6)Carolina Hurricanes
This is a hard series to analyze. Pittsburgh has played as the underdog and as the higher seed and have done both poorly and quite well at home and on the road. The Hurricanes don't understand how to put the hammer down on a series until it gets to game 7, and one has to question whether this team is emotionally and/or physically worn out yet. And just like against Washington, Pittsburgh is facing a one-and-a-half line team offensively in Carolina, while they have scoring threats on 3 of their 4 lines. Fleury and Ward tie in terms of goaltending, as both have been stellar when it mattered and lots of playoff experience. And despite what has gone on in these playoffs, I just can't bet that the Hurricanes can pull through in another hard-fought series. Pittsburgh wins in 6.
Western Conference Finals:
(2)Detroit Red Wings vs (4)Chicago Blackhawks
It's hard to argue whether the Ducks were really just that good defensively or if Detroit just played that poorly to have their semifinals series go to 7 games and a last minute finish. I'm leaning towards the first, but Anaheim pushed the Red Wings to their limits physically, while the very young Blackhawks team has been resting up and watching their opponents play with their backs pushed against the walls. It will be a series of a physical advantage versus a mental advantage. The Blackhawks have the youth and athleticism to make anyone look bad, as they proved in a loud statement against the Vancouver Canucks, and Khabibulin is the perfect veteran goaltender to backstop a young team. The Red Wings are aged all around the roster, but they have championship experience dating back to the early 1990's, something that no other team can really boast as much as Detroit can. Just like the Vancouver/Chicago series, even though it looks dead even on paper, I can't imagine the series actually being even, and one team will take out the other in less than 7, even though all the games will probably be the hardest so far in the playoffs. Chicago* wins in 6.
*I am cringing as I type this, but interesting note: out of the 4 teams in the conference finals, Chicago was the only team who actually closed out a series in the semifinals in under 7 games.
Day 15 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
One major upset and the finalization of an original six conference finals highlighted the final day of the conference semifinals.
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Detroit wins 4-3 (Detroit wins series 4-3)
It took a last minute effort and the luck of a non-whistle/interference call for Daniel Clearly to score the game winning goal in the third period, but after the Ducks came back twice to tie the score and seemed to have the Wings back on their heels in the 3rd period, the defending champions continue their quest to repeat as they move on to face the Chicago Blackhawks. Pavel Datsyuk didn't have the breakout game everyone expected after he was cheap-shotted by Scott Niedermayer, but he played a solid game and assisted on the pivotal 3rd goal for Detroit. The Red Wings once again outshot the Ducks by a huge margin, but this time their coach can't simply shrug it off as they now have to contemplate what to do with the top two defenseman in their defensive core that got them this far in the playoffs.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Carolina wins 3-2 (Carolina wins series 4-3)
The Carolina Hurricanes did it once again: upset a top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference in game 7 on the road. It almost took the entire overtime period, but Scott Walker chose a very good time to score his first goal of these playoffs. Everything was even in this game: shots on goal, penalty kills, and the level of play for both teams. The one thing that the Bruins can point a finger at what they did wrong was their inability to convert on 4 power play opportunities, something that will have the Boston community wondering where Zdeno Chara went during these playoffs.
A pretty exciting match-up in the Western Conference and a match-up that nobody saw coming in the East. And although on paper, Pittsburgh vs Carolina, like every other match-up the Hurricanes have faced this postseason, seems like a one-sided affair, well, the past two rounds have shown that Carolina can get it done against the best of them.
A look at my not so amazing prediction skills:
Correct teams advancing: 2 out of 4. Correct number of games in the series: 1 out of 4. Combination of both: 0 of 4. I love upsets.
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Detroit wins 4-3 (Detroit wins series 4-3)
It took a last minute effort and the luck of a non-whistle/interference call for Daniel Clearly to score the game winning goal in the third period, but after the Ducks came back twice to tie the score and seemed to have the Wings back on their heels in the 3rd period, the defending champions continue their quest to repeat as they move on to face the Chicago Blackhawks. Pavel Datsyuk didn't have the breakout game everyone expected after he was cheap-shotted by Scott Niedermayer, but he played a solid game and assisted on the pivotal 3rd goal for Detroit. The Red Wings once again outshot the Ducks by a huge margin, but this time their coach can't simply shrug it off as they now have to contemplate what to do with the top two defenseman in their defensive core that got them this far in the playoffs.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Carolina wins 3-2 (Carolina wins series 4-3)
The Carolina Hurricanes did it once again: upset a top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference in game 7 on the road. It almost took the entire overtime period, but Scott Walker chose a very good time to score his first goal of these playoffs. Everything was even in this game: shots on goal, penalty kills, and the level of play for both teams. The one thing that the Bruins can point a finger at what they did wrong was their inability to convert on 4 power play opportunities, something that will have the Boston community wondering where Zdeno Chara went during these playoffs.
A pretty exciting match-up in the Western Conference and a match-up that nobody saw coming in the East. And although on paper, Pittsburgh vs Carolina, like every other match-up the Hurricanes have faced this postseason, seems like a one-sided affair, well, the past two rounds have shown that Carolina can get it done against the best of them.
A look at my not so amazing prediction skills:
Correct teams advancing: 2 out of 4. Correct number of games in the series: 1 out of 4. Combination of both: 0 of 4. I love upsets.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Day 14 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
The series that brought the NHL back on the North American map ended in a surprisingly one-sided finish.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh wins 6-2 (Pittsburgh wins series 4-3)
The Pittsburgh Penguins scored 2 goals 8 seconds apart in the first period, their second fastest two goal franchise time differential, and the Capitals never had a chance since Alexander Ovechkin's early breakaway opportunity that was robbed by Fleury. Ovechkin was the only Capital who came to play: Varlamov was pulled after allowing 4 goals in 18 shots, and Washington gave up 4 penalties to the Penguins and received 0 in return. They were outshot 30-21, and their 2 goals were just to make things look better than it really was, as they were already down 5-0 when they scored the first. Turnovers and lack of defensive support in the Washington zone epitomized all the problems that the Capitals had to overcome coming into the playoffs if they wanted to become a championship team, and instead they made those mistakes more often and more blatantly than any other time in these playoffs.
Not a bad first game seven for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who combined for 2 goals and 3 assists. Sergei Gonchar returned from injury and much to the delight of the Penguins coaching staff, having a huge lead meant he rarely took a shift in the third period, logging in a grand total of 15 minutes of ice time. With Crosby leading the NHL playoffs in goals scored and Evgeni Malkin in points, the Penguins have to be feeling very good heading into their second consecutive conference finals.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh wins 6-2 (Pittsburgh wins series 4-3)
The Pittsburgh Penguins scored 2 goals 8 seconds apart in the first period, their second fastest two goal franchise time differential, and the Capitals never had a chance since Alexander Ovechkin's early breakaway opportunity that was robbed by Fleury. Ovechkin was the only Capital who came to play: Varlamov was pulled after allowing 4 goals in 18 shots, and Washington gave up 4 penalties to the Penguins and received 0 in return. They were outshot 30-21, and their 2 goals were just to make things look better than it really was, as they were already down 5-0 when they scored the first. Turnovers and lack of defensive support in the Washington zone epitomized all the problems that the Capitals had to overcome coming into the playoffs if they wanted to become a championship team, and instead they made those mistakes more often and more blatantly than any other time in these playoffs.
Not a bad first game seven for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who combined for 2 goals and 3 assists. Sergei Gonchar returned from injury and much to the delight of the Penguins coaching staff, having a huge lead meant he rarely took a shift in the third period, logging in a grand total of 15 minutes of ice time. With Crosby leading the NHL playoffs in goals scored and Evgeni Malkin in points, the Penguins have to be feeling very good heading into their second consecutive conference finals.
Day 13 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
Two game sevens forced Tuesday night.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Boston wins 4-2 (Series tied 3-3)
Boston came into Carolina with one thing in mind: force a game seven to take advantage of home ice. Despite being heavily outshot once again, Boston made their shots count and Cam Ward look bad, as they scored 4 goals on 19 shots, while Tim Thomas made 31 saves. For the first time in the series, Boston actually began to show their depth offensively, although Zdeno Chara once again failed to register a point in a game. Boston played the season for home ice and one would think they have the momentum, but Carolina was in this situation two weeks ago as well.
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Anaheim wins 2-1 (Series tied 3-3)
As Anaheim has often done during these playoffs, Jonas Hiller stole a game for the underdogs. The Getzlaf line scored 2 goals, including one on the power play, and despite being outshot 18-6 in the third period, the Ducks held on to win 2-1. It was the low scoring, defensive-minded game that Anaheim loved to play in, despite almost 40 shots allowed to the Red Wings. It was a disciplined game until the 60 minute mark, where a brawl broke out between the two clubs, with 46 penalty minutes handed out at the end of the game, including 17 to Corey Perry. It is unlikely that the NHL will suspend anyone out of the incident, given the magnitude of game 7, but a one game suspension could be huge considering it was Anaheim's first line that was on the ice at the end of the game.
Two game sevens for the top seeded teams in both conferences, and there is no sure favorite in either of them. Boston is the top remaining overall team in the NHL playoffs, but they're probably more nervous than Detroit because of their youth and the fact that Carolina ousted New Jersey in game 7 in New Jersey. But Detroit knows that they have to worry, since this is a Ducks team with most of their core championship roster in tact and the fact that they eliminated San Jose in similar fashion: allowing lots of shots on goal but playing a grinding, defensive battle that eventually wears you down in the course of a game, let alone a series.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Boston wins 4-2 (Series tied 3-3)
Boston came into Carolina with one thing in mind: force a game seven to take advantage of home ice. Despite being heavily outshot once again, Boston made their shots count and Cam Ward look bad, as they scored 4 goals on 19 shots, while Tim Thomas made 31 saves. For the first time in the series, Boston actually began to show their depth offensively, although Zdeno Chara once again failed to register a point in a game. Boston played the season for home ice and one would think they have the momentum, but Carolina was in this situation two weeks ago as well.
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Anaheim wins 2-1 (Series tied 3-3)
As Anaheim has often done during these playoffs, Jonas Hiller stole a game for the underdogs. The Getzlaf line scored 2 goals, including one on the power play, and despite being outshot 18-6 in the third period, the Ducks held on to win 2-1. It was the low scoring, defensive-minded game that Anaheim loved to play in, despite almost 40 shots allowed to the Red Wings. It was a disciplined game until the 60 minute mark, where a brawl broke out between the two clubs, with 46 penalty minutes handed out at the end of the game, including 17 to Corey Perry. It is unlikely that the NHL will suspend anyone out of the incident, given the magnitude of game 7, but a one game suspension could be huge considering it was Anaheim's first line that was on the ice at the end of the game.
Two game sevens for the top seeded teams in both conferences, and there is no sure favorite in either of them. Boston is the top remaining overall team in the NHL playoffs, but they're probably more nervous than Detroit because of their youth and the fact that Carolina ousted New Jersey in game 7 in New Jersey. But Detroit knows that they have to worry, since this is a Ducks team with most of their core championship roster in tact and the fact that they eliminated San Jose in similar fashion: allowing lots of shots on goal but playing a grinding, defensive battle that eventually wears you down in the course of a game, let alone a series.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Day 12 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
For the first time since 1995, the Chicago Blackhawks have reached the Western Conference finals, and that may not be the biggest story coming out of Monday night.
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago wins 7-5 (Chicago wins series 4-2)
In an elimination game, the Canucks were involved in the last thing they wanted to be a part of: a high scoring shootout. Patrick Kane got a hat trick and Jonathan Toews scored 2 of his own to combine for 5 of the 6 necessary goals to secure a win. Vancouver put up a fight, scoring 5 goals, but it was likely that they would have rather had Roberto Luongo play a bigger part in the game, especially since they were leading 5-4 with 8 minutes to go in the third. But Kane and Toews scored 3 unanswered a little over 3 minutes apart, and the suddenly very experienced Blackhawks team is going to get much more as they advance to the Conference finals to face the winner of Detroit and Anaheim, both whom boast many times more championship-winning players than Chicago.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Washington wins 5-4 (Series tied 3-3)
And suddenly the NHL is going to get more than they had ever dreamed. A game 7 in a series involving their two superstars, with the last two games having to be decided through an overtime (and game 7 probably will too). All the superstars were putting up points, as Ovechkin had 3 assists, Crosby combined for a goal and an assist, and Evgeni Malkin, the regular season scoring leader, had 3 helpers of his own. But it was once again Simeon Varlamov who stole the show, and the young third line of Brooks Laich and Dave Steckel who provided the game winner to force a game 7 in Washington. Pittsburgh's loss of Sergei Gonchar seems to be minimal, as they went 2 for 5 on the power play, which is very good news heading forward.
Regardless of who comes out of the Detroit/Anaheim series, would anyone bet for the upstart Blackhawks to do what Crosby and the Penguins did last year and drag a relatively young and inexperienced team to the Stanley Cup finals? Anaheim may be the 8th seed, but if they win that would mean they have ousted the President's Trophy winners and the defending Stanley Cup champions in San Jose and Detroit respectively. And Detroit... well, they're the defending champions. It's hard to judge just what kind of Eastern Conference championship we'll see, so I'm not even going to try. But Carolina against Washington or Pittsburgh against Boston would probably be the most even match-ups. Not to say that Carolina can't hang with the Pens or Washington with the Bruins, but you'd have to give the edge to the more experienced Penguins and the depth of the Bruins over the Caps. We'll see.
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago wins 7-5 (Chicago wins series 4-2)
In an elimination game, the Canucks were involved in the last thing they wanted to be a part of: a high scoring shootout. Patrick Kane got a hat trick and Jonathan Toews scored 2 of his own to combine for 5 of the 6 necessary goals to secure a win. Vancouver put up a fight, scoring 5 goals, but it was likely that they would have rather had Roberto Luongo play a bigger part in the game, especially since they were leading 5-4 with 8 minutes to go in the third. But Kane and Toews scored 3 unanswered a little over 3 minutes apart, and the suddenly very experienced Blackhawks team is going to get much more as they advance to the Conference finals to face the winner of Detroit and Anaheim, both whom boast many times more championship-winning players than Chicago.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Washington wins 5-4 (Series tied 3-3)
And suddenly the NHL is going to get more than they had ever dreamed. A game 7 in a series involving their two superstars, with the last two games having to be decided through an overtime (and game 7 probably will too). All the superstars were putting up points, as Ovechkin had 3 assists, Crosby combined for a goal and an assist, and Evgeni Malkin, the regular season scoring leader, had 3 helpers of his own. But it was once again Simeon Varlamov who stole the show, and the young third line of Brooks Laich and Dave Steckel who provided the game winner to force a game 7 in Washington. Pittsburgh's loss of Sergei Gonchar seems to be minimal, as they went 2 for 5 on the power play, which is very good news heading forward.
Regardless of who comes out of the Detroit/Anaheim series, would anyone bet for the upstart Blackhawks to do what Crosby and the Penguins did last year and drag a relatively young and inexperienced team to the Stanley Cup finals? Anaheim may be the 8th seed, but if they win that would mean they have ousted the President's Trophy winners and the defending Stanley Cup champions in San Jose and Detroit respectively. And Detroit... well, they're the defending champions. It's hard to judge just what kind of Eastern Conference championship we'll see, so I'm not even going to try. But Carolina against Washington or Pittsburgh against Boston would probably be the most even match-ups. Not to say that Carolina can't hang with the Pens or Washington with the Bruins, but you'd have to give the edge to the more experienced Penguins and the depth of the Bruins over the Caps. We'll see.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Day 11 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
Boston fought off elimination while Detroit began to play the dominant hockey that cruised them to a Stanley Cup last year.
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Detroit wins 4-1 (Detroit leads series 3-2)
The Red Wings outshot Anaheim 38-17, and despite Jonas Hiller's best efforts, Anaheim could not get any offense going save the second period, where they scored on the power play and put up their highest single period shot total of 9. Zetterberg got a goal and 2 assists, and Chris Osgood made 16 saves, and the Red Wings had a rather easy game 5 despite going 0-4 on the power play. Although it looks like the Ducks are at the end of the road, the Red Wings probably want to fix their special teams heading forward.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Boston wins 4-0 (Carolina leads series 3-2)
After going down 1-3 in the series, the Bruins took full advantage of home ice to get themselves back into it, at least for now. Tim Thomas posted a shutout, but he rarely had to do anything as the Bruins outshot Carolina in every period, including doubling up the Hurricanes in shots in both the first and second period. Boston went 1 for 11 on the power play, but that number is very misleading as Carolina imploded in the second half of the third period, taking penalty after penalty and causing several altercations, epitomized by Scott Walker's one-sided fighting, game misconduct, and instigator penalties all at 17:13. But as long as Carolina doesn't allow those end-game emotions to cloud their play in Carolina for game 6, they'll probably shrug off this loss as a stumble in their dominating strides toward the conference finals.
It's hard to judge who should be in a bigger panic, Boston or Anaheim. Detroit came out and played championship hockey, while Boston, with a commanding win, still has to go back to Carolina for game 6, where they lost in both previous visits this series. I'll have to give the nod to the Ducks in terms of who is in more trouble; when Detroit plays the puck-possession game, as they did so effectively in game 5, there really is not a lot one can do to counter it, except hope they take stupid offensive zone penalties (which Detroit is the least likely team to do so).
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Detroit wins 4-1 (Detroit leads series 3-2)
The Red Wings outshot Anaheim 38-17, and despite Jonas Hiller's best efforts, Anaheim could not get any offense going save the second period, where they scored on the power play and put up their highest single period shot total of 9. Zetterberg got a goal and 2 assists, and Chris Osgood made 16 saves, and the Red Wings had a rather easy game 5 despite going 0-4 on the power play. Although it looks like the Ducks are at the end of the road, the Red Wings probably want to fix their special teams heading forward.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Boston wins 4-0 (Carolina leads series 3-2)
After going down 1-3 in the series, the Bruins took full advantage of home ice to get themselves back into it, at least for now. Tim Thomas posted a shutout, but he rarely had to do anything as the Bruins outshot Carolina in every period, including doubling up the Hurricanes in shots in both the first and second period. Boston went 1 for 11 on the power play, but that number is very misleading as Carolina imploded in the second half of the third period, taking penalty after penalty and causing several altercations, epitomized by Scott Walker's one-sided fighting, game misconduct, and instigator penalties all at 17:13. But as long as Carolina doesn't allow those end-game emotions to cloud their play in Carolina for game 6, they'll probably shrug off this loss as a stumble in their dominating strides toward the conference finals.
It's hard to judge who should be in a bigger panic, Boston or Anaheim. Detroit came out and played championship hockey, while Boston, with a commanding win, still has to go back to Carolina for game 6, where they lost in both previous visits this series. I'll have to give the nod to the Ducks in terms of who is in more trouble; when Detroit plays the puck-possession game, as they did so effectively in game 5, there really is not a lot one can do to counter it, except hope they take stupid offensive zone penalties (which Detroit is the least likely team to do so).
Day 10 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
Two very tight wins puts two teams a win away from advancing to the conference finals.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh wins 4-3 (Pittsburgh leads series 3-2)
After a thorough defeat of the Capitals the night before, the Penguins walked into Washington and capitalized on a rare overtime power play opportunity to steal a win on the road and take a 3-2 series lead. Alexander Ovechkin and Simeon Varlamov, the two stars absent in game 4, found their game back, as Varlamov made 38 saves and Ovechkin had 2 goals and an assist, including a third period goal with less than 5 minutes remaining to send the game into overtime. But Evgeni Malkin got a power play opportunity early in the third period, and the Penguins didn't even allow a shot on goal for Washington in overtime, and they won in a little over 3 minutes into extra time.
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago wins 4-2 (Chicago leads series 3-2)
The Chicago Blackhawks are not intimidated by the lack of home ice that helped them get past Calgary. The Blackhawks won their second game in Vancouver, and had to come back from a 1-2 deficit before scoring 2 unanswered and a third empty netter to secure the win to send the series back to Chicago for a chance to eliminate the Canucks. Vancouver's penalty kill continues to stall the Blackhawks, as Chicago went 1 for 5 with the man advantage. Luongo is getting a bit physical in the crease, shoving Blackhawks that are crashing the net late. However, the Sedin twins were absent on the scoreboard, and the brothers will need to step up if Vancouver is to tie the series and force a game 7.
Two big surprises in game 5's as both road teams won to attempt to eliminate their opponents at home for game 6 in a couple of days. Who would've thought that the young and inexperienced Blackhawks would make a push for the conference finals, while a Sergei Gonchar-less Penguins would upset the Capitals in overtime, on the power play no less. If Anaheim beats Detroit tomorrow, the NHL would be in position to have a complete underdog conference finals. Pittsburgh's win does have a huge astericks on it: Washington missed a wide open net for the game winning goal in overtime due to a bouncing puck. But the Penguins outplayed the Capitals throughout the game, so they probably deserved that luck.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh wins 4-3 (Pittsburgh leads series 3-2)
After a thorough defeat of the Capitals the night before, the Penguins walked into Washington and capitalized on a rare overtime power play opportunity to steal a win on the road and take a 3-2 series lead. Alexander Ovechkin and Simeon Varlamov, the two stars absent in game 4, found their game back, as Varlamov made 38 saves and Ovechkin had 2 goals and an assist, including a third period goal with less than 5 minutes remaining to send the game into overtime. But Evgeni Malkin got a power play opportunity early in the third period, and the Penguins didn't even allow a shot on goal for Washington in overtime, and they won in a little over 3 minutes into extra time.
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago wins 4-2 (Chicago leads series 3-2)
The Chicago Blackhawks are not intimidated by the lack of home ice that helped them get past Calgary. The Blackhawks won their second game in Vancouver, and had to come back from a 1-2 deficit before scoring 2 unanswered and a third empty netter to secure the win to send the series back to Chicago for a chance to eliminate the Canucks. Vancouver's penalty kill continues to stall the Blackhawks, as Chicago went 1 for 5 with the man advantage. Luongo is getting a bit physical in the crease, shoving Blackhawks that are crashing the net late. However, the Sedin twins were absent on the scoreboard, and the brothers will need to step up if Vancouver is to tie the series and force a game 7.
Two big surprises in game 5's as both road teams won to attempt to eliminate their opponents at home for game 6 in a couple of days. Who would've thought that the young and inexperienced Blackhawks would make a push for the conference finals, while a Sergei Gonchar-less Penguins would upset the Capitals in overtime, on the power play no less. If Anaheim beats Detroit tomorrow, the NHL would be in position to have a complete underdog conference finals. Pittsburgh's win does have a huge astericks on it: Washington missed a wide open net for the game winning goal in overtime due to a bouncing puck. But the Penguins outplayed the Capitals throughout the game, so they probably deserved that luck.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Day 9 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
Huge upset and comeback in the making.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh wins 5-3 (Series tied 2-2)
Niklas Backstrom scored 30 seconds into the game, and then the Penguins responded with 3 unanswered goals in the first period while shutting down Alexander Ovechkin throughout the game, and eventually won 5-3. In 25 minutes of ice time, Ovechkin got 1 assist, 2 shots on goal, and took a tripping penalty. Crosby doubled that point total and shots on goal in 18 minutes. Not the best day for the superstar of Washington, and Varlamov wasn't sharp either. Obviously we won't see a performance like that from Washington everyday, but game 5 is the second of a back to back, and I predict the team to come out of that on top will win the series.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Carolina wins 4-1 (Carolina leads series 3-1)
Carolina is laying a similar beat down they did to New Jersey, except this time they're doing it more consistently. They swept on home ice, giving themselves a 2 game series edge over the top team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. Slight line changes found the re-emergence of Eric Staal, and an offensive outburst from Jussi Jokinen. Boston's offense is lagging, as they were outshot 31 to 21 despite having 3 power play opportunities. Cam Ward mdae 20 saves on 21 shots, but that stat is misleading as he wasn't really tested after the second period.
If the Hurricanes defeat the Bruins in 5 or 6, they may be the favorites to win the East, regardless of who wins the Washington/Pittsburgh series. As for Washington and Pittsburgh, the Penguins probably have all the emotional momentum right now, but the Capitals get to play game 5 at home as they finish the back to back. Game 5 is a coin flip in terms of the outcome, and I expect the game to be played like that, with no team holding more than a 1 goal lead (until maybe the third period if there is an empty-netter). Key factor: Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh's top defenseman, is out for several weeks with a knee injury after Ovechkin collided with Gonchar.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh wins 5-3 (Series tied 2-2)
Niklas Backstrom scored 30 seconds into the game, and then the Penguins responded with 3 unanswered goals in the first period while shutting down Alexander Ovechkin throughout the game, and eventually won 5-3. In 25 minutes of ice time, Ovechkin got 1 assist, 2 shots on goal, and took a tripping penalty. Crosby doubled that point total and shots on goal in 18 minutes. Not the best day for the superstar of Washington, and Varlamov wasn't sharp either. Obviously we won't see a performance like that from Washington everyday, but game 5 is the second of a back to back, and I predict the team to come out of that on top will win the series.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Carolina wins 4-1 (Carolina leads series 3-1)
Carolina is laying a similar beat down they did to New Jersey, except this time they're doing it more consistently. They swept on home ice, giving themselves a 2 game series edge over the top team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. Slight line changes found the re-emergence of Eric Staal, and an offensive outburst from Jussi Jokinen. Boston's offense is lagging, as they were outshot 31 to 21 despite having 3 power play opportunities. Cam Ward mdae 20 saves on 21 shots, but that stat is misleading as he wasn't really tested after the second period.
If the Hurricanes defeat the Bruins in 5 or 6, they may be the favorites to win the East, regardless of who wins the Washington/Pittsburgh series. As for Washington and Pittsburgh, the Penguins probably have all the emotional momentum right now, but the Capitals get to play game 5 at home as they finish the back to back. Game 5 is a coin flip in terms of the outcome, and I expect the game to be played like that, with no team holding more than a 1 goal lead (until maybe the third period if there is an empty-netter). Key factor: Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh's top defenseman, is out for several weeks with a knee injury after Ovechkin collided with Gonchar.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Day 8 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
The two Western Conference semi-finals series are tied up at 2-2.
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago wins 2-1 (Series tied 2-2)
Vancouver had 3 minutes left before they would take a 3-1 series lead heading back for a potential series clincher at home. But then three Chicago Blackhawks rewrote the script, as Martin Havlat, Andrew Ladd, and David Bolland each got a point from each of the next two goals Chicago would score: one with less than 3 minutes in the third period and the game winner under 3 minutes into the first overtime. It was a tough win to steal for Chicago, but it was well-deserved, as they thoroughly outworked the Canucks but simply couldn't find a way to beat Luongo until the dying moments of the game. This series is a lot tighter than most people expected, which benefits the Blackhawks more than the Canucks. We'll see how it plays out in the end, but game 7 is suddenly a very real possibility.
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Detroit wins 6-3 (Series tied 2-2)
Detroit tied the last franchise record they probably wanted to tie: the quickest allowed goal in a playoff game. Corey Perry scored 22 seconds in, and Anaheim began unraveling the Red Wings in the first half of the third period. Then Mike Babcock made the line change he wanted to avoid as much as possible: he paired Datsyuk and Zetterberg while putting Franzen, Hossa, and Filppula together. It worked, as Hossa and Franzen got two goals each to put the Wings up 4-2 at the end of the second, and despite a nasty third period, Zetterberg scored the sixth goal for Detroit into the empty net to secure the win with two minutes left in the game. Jonas Hiller was pulled after allowing the fifth goal 2 minutes into the third period, and Giguere stopped all 6 shots he faced in 18 minutes of action. Getzlaf was nowhere to be seen, and Hiller gave up 3 bad goals and looked as if he had no idea that the puck was being shot at times. Beauchemin thoroughly won a fight midway through the third period to try and get his team energized, but he forgot one thing: they were already short a defenseman after game 3.
Both series have been back and forth in terms of games won and lost, but I still say the Red Wings are still working within their game plan. Vancouver, on the other hand, has some issues to work out, as they found out today that relying purely on Roberto Luongo isn't a good way to win games. With Hiller showing weaknesses for the first time in the playoffs, Anaheim has a lot to worry about, as their offense is a one-line wonder.
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago wins 2-1 (Series tied 2-2)
Vancouver had 3 minutes left before they would take a 3-1 series lead heading back for a potential series clincher at home. But then three Chicago Blackhawks rewrote the script, as Martin Havlat, Andrew Ladd, and David Bolland each got a point from each of the next two goals Chicago would score: one with less than 3 minutes in the third period and the game winner under 3 minutes into the first overtime. It was a tough win to steal for Chicago, but it was well-deserved, as they thoroughly outworked the Canucks but simply couldn't find a way to beat Luongo until the dying moments of the game. This series is a lot tighter than most people expected, which benefits the Blackhawks more than the Canucks. We'll see how it plays out in the end, but game 7 is suddenly a very real possibility.
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Detroit wins 6-3 (Series tied 2-2)
Detroit tied the last franchise record they probably wanted to tie: the quickest allowed goal in a playoff game. Corey Perry scored 22 seconds in, and Anaheim began unraveling the Red Wings in the first half of the third period. Then Mike Babcock made the line change he wanted to avoid as much as possible: he paired Datsyuk and Zetterberg while putting Franzen, Hossa, and Filppula together. It worked, as Hossa and Franzen got two goals each to put the Wings up 4-2 at the end of the second, and despite a nasty third period, Zetterberg scored the sixth goal for Detroit into the empty net to secure the win with two minutes left in the game. Jonas Hiller was pulled after allowing the fifth goal 2 minutes into the third period, and Giguere stopped all 6 shots he faced in 18 minutes of action. Getzlaf was nowhere to be seen, and Hiller gave up 3 bad goals and looked as if he had no idea that the puck was being shot at times. Beauchemin thoroughly won a fight midway through the third period to try and get his team energized, but he forgot one thing: they were already short a defenseman after game 3.
Both series have been back and forth in terms of games won and lost, but I still say the Red Wings are still working within their game plan. Vancouver, on the other hand, has some issues to work out, as they found out today that relying purely on Roberto Luongo isn't a good way to win games. With Hiller showing weaknesses for the first time in the playoffs, Anaheim has a lot to worry about, as their offense is a one-line wonder.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Day 7 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
The Penguins saved their season, but the biggest story could be in Carolina.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh win 3-2 (Washington leads series 2-1)
Alexander Ovechkin had a goal and an assist, and Varlamov made 39 saves, but the Penguins outshot the Capitals 42-23, and scored the overtime goal to get their first win of the series at home. The Penguins did a lot of things right offensively, but this win shouldn't have been this close. Pittsburgh drew 7 power plays but only scored once whiel allowing a power play goal on two attempts for Washington. They still can't solve Ovechkin and Varlamov, the top two stars in the playoffs for the Capitals. The series has been tight in all 3 games thus far, so the critical game 4 can go either way.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Carolina wins 3-2 (Carolina leads series 2-1)
Suddenly the Boston Bruins are the underdogs. Carolina won their second straight game to take the 2-1 series lead. The Hurricanes outshot the Bruins 41-23, and although Thomas stopped 38 shots, he needed a lot more offensive help. Carolina also limited their penalties while drawing 3, scoring on the power play once. It was a tough win for the Hurricanes, but they probably didn't expect any win to come easy against Boston, and they executed well. The Staal line was a bit quiet for a bit under 20 minutes averaged between the 3 forwards, combining for an unassisted goal by Staal, which may be good news or bad for the Hurricanes heading forward.
Boston is probably the only two of the top seeds in the East to worry about their situation. Washington needs to find a way to stay disciplined, which would have limited the Penguins offensive opportunities and their gigantic shot advantage. Other than that, their top players are still performing so it's all systems go for the Capitals. The Bruins, on the other hand, were thoroughly matched-up and even out-played by the Hurricanes in game 3, and they can't rely on Tim Thomas all day to try and steal a win. They lost home ice advantage in game 2 and now lost the game advantage in game 3. Interestingly, the top seed in the East and West are both down in their series 1-2.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh win 3-2 (Washington leads series 2-1)
Alexander Ovechkin had a goal and an assist, and Varlamov made 39 saves, but the Penguins outshot the Capitals 42-23, and scored the overtime goal to get their first win of the series at home. The Penguins did a lot of things right offensively, but this win shouldn't have been this close. Pittsburgh drew 7 power plays but only scored once whiel allowing a power play goal on two attempts for Washington. They still can't solve Ovechkin and Varlamov, the top two stars in the playoffs for the Capitals. The series has been tight in all 3 games thus far, so the critical game 4 can go either way.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Carolina wins 3-2 (Carolina leads series 2-1)
Suddenly the Boston Bruins are the underdogs. Carolina won their second straight game to take the 2-1 series lead. The Hurricanes outshot the Bruins 41-23, and although Thomas stopped 38 shots, he needed a lot more offensive help. Carolina also limited their penalties while drawing 3, scoring on the power play once. It was a tough win for the Hurricanes, but they probably didn't expect any win to come easy against Boston, and they executed well. The Staal line was a bit quiet for a bit under 20 minutes averaged between the 3 forwards, combining for an unassisted goal by Staal, which may be good news or bad for the Hurricanes heading forward.
Boston is probably the only two of the top seeds in the East to worry about their situation. Washington needs to find a way to stay disciplined, which would have limited the Penguins offensive opportunities and their gigantic shot advantage. Other than that, their top players are still performing so it's all systems go for the Capitals. The Bruins, on the other hand, were thoroughly matched-up and even out-played by the Hurricanes in game 3, and they can't rely on Tim Thomas all day to try and steal a win. They lost home ice advantage in game 2 and now lost the game advantage in game 3. Interestingly, the top seed in the East and West are both down in their series 1-2.
Day 6 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
The #8 seed in the Western Conference upsetting the top two teams in the conference in back to back series? It is happening right before our eyes...
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Anaheim wins 2-1 (Anaheim leads series 2-1)
The Ducks had the NHL's best record when taking a lead into the third period, and going into game 3, they were 3-0 in the playoffs, including a victory in game 2 against the Red Wings in Detroit. Thus, Anaheim had to be feeling good taking the series's only multiple goal lead, up 2-0, going into the third. But they probably felt even better when they heard the referee's whistle with the puck dancing on the goal line, with Jonas Hiller completely oblivious as to where it was. But despite Marian Hossa's best efforts, the whistle came before his stick pushed the puck over the goal line, and the Ducks held on to win 2-1 at home to take a 2-1 series lead. The Ducks are just 2 wins away with a potential 4 games left to pull off back to back 8th seed upsets against the #1 and #2 seeds in the Conference. But heading forward, the Ducks have another thing to worry about besides numbers: James Wisniewski was taken off the ice in a stretcher after taking an elbow in the face from Tomas Holmstrom, seconds after blocking a shot with his ribs.
Although Wisniewski is as key of a member on the defensive depth chart as Todd Marchant is with the forwards, the Ducks still hold arguably the best starting 4 defensemen combination in the playoffs. With that said, it will be unfathomable to Detroit fans if their team goes down 1-3, so look for game 4 to be one of the hardest fought matches in the playoffs this year.
*Edit*
Whoops, missed a game.
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Vancouver wins 3-1 (Vancouver leads series 2-1)
After Luongo got shelled for 6 goals in a game 2 home loss, he returned strong, stopping 23 of 24 shots to slow down the Blackhawks offense and give Vancouver back the series advantage. The Sedin twins are re-writing their playoff history and have begun performing at the high scoring levels that was expected of them for the past 3 years. And if anyone wants to brush off this loss for Chicago as no big deal, it was their first home loss in the playoffs this season, and despite winning in Vancouver in game 2, the game 3 loss at home negates all advantages that they received from winning game 2, and now the Canucks are once again in control of the series mathematically.
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Anaheim wins 2-1 (Anaheim leads series 2-1)
The Ducks had the NHL's best record when taking a lead into the third period, and going into game 3, they were 3-0 in the playoffs, including a victory in game 2 against the Red Wings in Detroit. Thus, Anaheim had to be feeling good taking the series's only multiple goal lead, up 2-0, going into the third. But they probably felt even better when they heard the referee's whistle with the puck dancing on the goal line, with Jonas Hiller completely oblivious as to where it was. But despite Marian Hossa's best efforts, the whistle came before his stick pushed the puck over the goal line, and the Ducks held on to win 2-1 at home to take a 2-1 series lead. The Ducks are just 2 wins away with a potential 4 games left to pull off back to back 8th seed upsets against the #1 and #2 seeds in the Conference. But heading forward, the Ducks have another thing to worry about besides numbers: James Wisniewski was taken off the ice in a stretcher after taking an elbow in the face from Tomas Holmstrom, seconds after blocking a shot with his ribs.
Although Wisniewski is as key of a member on the defensive depth chart as Todd Marchant is with the forwards, the Ducks still hold arguably the best starting 4 defensemen combination in the playoffs. With that said, it will be unfathomable to Detroit fans if their team goes down 1-3, so look for game 4 to be one of the hardest fought matches in the playoffs this year.
*Edit*
Whoops, missed a game.
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Vancouver wins 3-1 (Vancouver leads series 2-1)
After Luongo got shelled for 6 goals in a game 2 home loss, he returned strong, stopping 23 of 24 shots to slow down the Blackhawks offense and give Vancouver back the series advantage. The Sedin twins are re-writing their playoff history and have begun performing at the high scoring levels that was expected of them for the past 3 years. And if anyone wants to brush off this loss for Chicago as no big deal, it was their first home loss in the playoffs this season, and despite winning in Vancouver in game 2, the game 3 loss at home negates all advantages that they received from winning game 2, and now the Canucks are once again in control of the series mathematically.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Day 5 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby squared off for game 2 Monday night, and a pair of hat tricks for the superstars completed what was another tight and closely-contested game that lived up to and then blew away all expectations of the series.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Washington wins 4-3 (Washington leads series 2-0)
Alexander Ovechkin scored a hat trick, with his third goal proving to be the game-winning, as it put the Capitals up 4-2 with less than 5 minutes left in the third before Crosby netted his third of the night with less than a minute remaining in the period to make it 4-3. But it was a game that the Penguins had full control of until the dying minutes of the second period, when David Steckel scored a tying goal to lead up to Ovechkin's second and third goals of the night. Varlamov was once again spectacular, and Crosby's 3 goals were him finding very small rebounds in front of the net, where the Capitals defense should have cleared the Kid out of the crease in the first place. Marc-Andre Fleury, however, was not spectacular, as all three of Ovechkin's goals were one-time blasts from above the faceoff circles, with no screens in front.
Two tight games resulted in two 1 goal wins for the Capitals, so although the series is led by Washington 2-0, it is a very likely possibility the Penguins will tie it up in Pittsburgh 2-2. Even if Washington leaves the Igloo with a 3-1 series lead, game 5 will be critical, as it will be the second of a back to back, with travel between the games as well. The scheduling so far by the NHL for the Washington vs Pittsburgh series has been genius, as the first two games have been the only games of the day and both produced fantastic, edge-of-the-seat dramatic results. But the game 4 and game 5 transition is one of the poorest decisions in playoff history in terms of scheduling, and the team to survive that may end up taking command of the series and eventually winning it.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Washington wins 4-3 (Washington leads series 2-0)
Alexander Ovechkin scored a hat trick, with his third goal proving to be the game-winning, as it put the Capitals up 4-2 with less than 5 minutes left in the third before Crosby netted his third of the night with less than a minute remaining in the period to make it 4-3. But it was a game that the Penguins had full control of until the dying minutes of the second period, when David Steckel scored a tying goal to lead up to Ovechkin's second and third goals of the night. Varlamov was once again spectacular, and Crosby's 3 goals were him finding very small rebounds in front of the net, where the Capitals defense should have cleared the Kid out of the crease in the first place. Marc-Andre Fleury, however, was not spectacular, as all three of Ovechkin's goals were one-time blasts from above the faceoff circles, with no screens in front.
Two tight games resulted in two 1 goal wins for the Capitals, so although the series is led by Washington 2-0, it is a very likely possibility the Penguins will tie it up in Pittsburgh 2-2. Even if Washington leaves the Igloo with a 3-1 series lead, game 5 will be critical, as it will be the second of a back to back, with travel between the games as well. The scheduling so far by the NHL for the Washington vs Pittsburgh series has been genius, as the first two games have been the only games of the day and both produced fantastic, edge-of-the-seat dramatic results. But the game 4 and game 5 transition is one of the poorest decisions in playoff history in terms of scheduling, and the team to survive that may end up taking command of the series and eventually winning it.
Day 4 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
A couple of upsets on the road evened out two supposedly mismatched series.
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Anaheim wins 4-3 (Series tied 1-1)
It took 3 overtimes and 59 saves, but Jonas Hiller held off an onslaught of shots from the Red Wings since the third period, allowing 1 goal on 34 shots, and Todd Marchant scored the game winning goal 1:15 into the third overtime to tie the series 1-1 before it went to Anaheim for games 3 and 4. The Ducks needed all the keys of pulling off their second major upset in the playoffs in this one game, getting 3 points from Getzlaf, two power play goals, and superstar goaltending from Hiller. Detroit will obviously be hurting more from the triple overtime since they lost, but one has to wonder how long Anaheim can keep this level of play up (and Detroit nearly won as well).
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Carolina wins 3-0 (Series tied 1-1)
After a no-show in game 1, Eric Staal once again found his offensive game, putting up a goal and an assist to help Cam Ward shutout the dangerous Bruins in Boston, as the Hurricanes won 3-0 to tie the series heading into Carolina. The key for the victory was the Hurricanes killing off 4 Boston power plays, much of which was due to the work of Cam Ward. Heading forward, Carolina would like to be more disciplined, as they can't give the Bruins offense too many chances if they want to somehow pull off the upset. They also know that they won't be getting too many pucks past Tim Thomas, so being able to win 3-0 (with one goal coming from an empty-netter) should be very encouraging to Carolina heading forward.
I still say Boston should blow out Carolina in this series, but the two games played in Detroit so far has me and a lot of people wondering if Anaheim can actually go the distance. Detroit was hanging by a thread in both games, as it took a last minute goal to win game 1, and they ended up looking like the San Jose Sharks, putting puck after puck at Hiller but not being able to find any sort of daylight in game 2. And of course, the biggest problem for Detroit was their penalty kill, and they allowed 2 power play goals in their overtime loss.
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Anaheim wins 4-3 (Series tied 1-1)
It took 3 overtimes and 59 saves, but Jonas Hiller held off an onslaught of shots from the Red Wings since the third period, allowing 1 goal on 34 shots, and Todd Marchant scored the game winning goal 1:15 into the third overtime to tie the series 1-1 before it went to Anaheim for games 3 and 4. The Ducks needed all the keys of pulling off their second major upset in the playoffs in this one game, getting 3 points from Getzlaf, two power play goals, and superstar goaltending from Hiller. Detroit will obviously be hurting more from the triple overtime since they lost, but one has to wonder how long Anaheim can keep this level of play up (and Detroit nearly won as well).
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Carolina wins 3-0 (Series tied 1-1)
After a no-show in game 1, Eric Staal once again found his offensive game, putting up a goal and an assist to help Cam Ward shutout the dangerous Bruins in Boston, as the Hurricanes won 3-0 to tie the series heading into Carolina. The key for the victory was the Hurricanes killing off 4 Boston power plays, much of which was due to the work of Cam Ward. Heading forward, Carolina would like to be more disciplined, as they can't give the Bruins offense too many chances if they want to somehow pull off the upset. They also know that they won't be getting too many pucks past Tim Thomas, so being able to win 3-0 (with one goal coming from an empty-netter) should be very encouraging to Carolina heading forward.
I still say Boston should blow out Carolina in this series, but the two games played in Detroit so far has me and a lot of people wondering if Anaheim can actually go the distance. Detroit was hanging by a thread in both games, as it took a last minute goal to win game 1, and they ended up looking like the San Jose Sharks, putting puck after puck at Hiller but not being able to find any sort of daylight in game 2. And of course, the biggest problem for Detroit was their penalty kill, and they allowed 2 power play goals in their overtime loss.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
NBA 2009 Playoffs Second Round Predictions
Eastern Conference:
(1)Cleveland Cavaliers vs (4)Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Miami Heat in seven games, somewhat redeeming Josh Smith's embarrassing missed dunk. However, the main concern moving forward for a team who proved themselves to be legitimate playoff contenders last year was the fact that their 3 losses were all blowouts. The Hawks need to find some sort of consistancy if they are going to be defending Lebron James, who has a much better team than Dwayne Wade. Atlanta needs to take full advantage of home court, much like they did the past two years, but Cleveland has more than enough to steal a game or two in the South. Cleveland wins in 6.
(2)Boston Celtics vs (3)Orlando Magic
The Celtics needed seven overtimes to defeat the young and athletic Chicago Bulls, and the only reason they won was probably because Chicago didn't have an established force in the center position to take full advantage of the void left by Kevin Garnett. Well, Orlando does have that force in the form of Dwight Howard. Turkogolu found his stroke in the final two games of the series, so you know their X-factor will be confident moving forward. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have still shown they know how to play championship basketball, but a lack of depth on both benches hurts the Celtics more than the Magic. Orlando wins in 6.
Western Conference
(1)Los Angeles Lakers vs (5)Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets advance to the semi-finals without their superstar Tracy McGrady, which leaves the media wondering more about what T-Mac's future is with the franchise more than what the Rockets will do about the Lakers. Which pretty much sums up how much chance everyone is giving Houston in what would be pulling off one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. The Lakers manhandled the Jazz, and even the one loss was by a very slim margin, a game they could've easily stolen if Kobe hadn't decided to miss 60% of his shots. Yao Ming poses a huge threat defensively for the 3-headed monster in the middle of Gasol, Bynum, and Odom. But Kobe has a huge match-up advantage over Ron Artest, and it is doubtful even the defensive work of Shane Battier can stop the reigning MVP. Should be a close match on paper, and it will go to 6 games, but the Lakers will have control of the series the entire time. Los Angeles in 6.
(2)Denver Nuggets vs (6)Dallas Mavericks
Amazingly, the Mavericks upset the dynasty of the San Antonio Spurs, who apparantly did not know how to play basketball without Manu Ginobli. Now, the Mavericks get to face the red-hot Denver Nuggets, who know how to play better basketball without Allen Iverson. Chauncey Billups is bringing the experience, the leadership, and the all-around skill level required for a deep playoff run, all factors that the Nuggets were not getting with Iverson. Carmelo Anthony, like all his other Olympian teammates, is showing that all the skills he learned to win the gold medal is translating directly on to the court. Nene Hilario did a masterful job in shutting down Tyson Chandler, while Dirk Nowitzki found his stroke (something he had been missing since the 2006 NBA Finals loss to Miami) and did a decent job of limiting the damage that Tim Duncan did. Those two will be the key match-up, but history has shown that Dirk will choke eventually. Denver wins in 6.
(1)Cleveland Cavaliers vs (4)Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Miami Heat in seven games, somewhat redeeming Josh Smith's embarrassing missed dunk. However, the main concern moving forward for a team who proved themselves to be legitimate playoff contenders last year was the fact that their 3 losses were all blowouts. The Hawks need to find some sort of consistancy if they are going to be defending Lebron James, who has a much better team than Dwayne Wade. Atlanta needs to take full advantage of home court, much like they did the past two years, but Cleveland has more than enough to steal a game or two in the South. Cleveland wins in 6.
(2)Boston Celtics vs (3)Orlando Magic
The Celtics needed seven overtimes to defeat the young and athletic Chicago Bulls, and the only reason they won was probably because Chicago didn't have an established force in the center position to take full advantage of the void left by Kevin Garnett. Well, Orlando does have that force in the form of Dwight Howard. Turkogolu found his stroke in the final two games of the series, so you know their X-factor will be confident moving forward. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have still shown they know how to play championship basketball, but a lack of depth on both benches hurts the Celtics more than the Magic. Orlando wins in 6.
Western Conference
(1)Los Angeles Lakers vs (5)Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets advance to the semi-finals without their superstar Tracy McGrady, which leaves the media wondering more about what T-Mac's future is with the franchise more than what the Rockets will do about the Lakers. Which pretty much sums up how much chance everyone is giving Houston in what would be pulling off one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. The Lakers manhandled the Jazz, and even the one loss was by a very slim margin, a game they could've easily stolen if Kobe hadn't decided to miss 60% of his shots. Yao Ming poses a huge threat defensively for the 3-headed monster in the middle of Gasol, Bynum, and Odom. But Kobe has a huge match-up advantage over Ron Artest, and it is doubtful even the defensive work of Shane Battier can stop the reigning MVP. Should be a close match on paper, and it will go to 6 games, but the Lakers will have control of the series the entire time. Los Angeles in 6.
(2)Denver Nuggets vs (6)Dallas Mavericks
Amazingly, the Mavericks upset the dynasty of the San Antonio Spurs, who apparantly did not know how to play basketball without Manu Ginobli. Now, the Mavericks get to face the red-hot Denver Nuggets, who know how to play better basketball without Allen Iverson. Chauncey Billups is bringing the experience, the leadership, and the all-around skill level required for a deep playoff run, all factors that the Nuggets were not getting with Iverson. Carmelo Anthony, like all his other Olympian teammates, is showing that all the skills he learned to win the gold medal is translating directly on to the court. Nene Hilario did a masterful job in shutting down Tyson Chandler, while Dirk Nowitzki found his stroke (something he had been missing since the 2006 NBA Finals loss to Miami) and did a decent job of limiting the damage that Tim Duncan did. Those two will be the key match-up, but history has shown that Dirk will choke eventually. Denver wins in 6.
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Time for a very rare video game post.
I just pre-ordered a new fighting game coming out on June 30th. BlazBlue, which has already been released in Japan and has American cabinets, is a 2-D fighting game made by Arc Systems, the creators of the Guilty Gear video game series. The engine is very similar to Guilty Gear, but also mixes in it's own brand of uniqueness.
The two biggest differences at first glance would be BlazBlue's guard meter (known as Barrier) and the lack of a flying dash that Guilty Gear XX employed. The guard meter basically acts as a shield: as long as you block, the meter will be depleted, and if you take any damage, it will be drained faster. Not blocking will slowly regenerate the bar overtime. If the bar is depleted to 0, you get stunned, similar to the Street Fighter series.
Cabinet play is extremely fast paced and most characters have variation of 20+ hit combos, chaining attacks in the air, off the ground, or a combination of both (similar to juggling).
What I'm most excited about is the soundtrack, which is being composed by Daisuke Ishiwatari, the same composer of the full rock Guilty Gear XX OST. Special Editions are already on sale, and the 2-disc soundtrack, along with an artbook and a video disc that helps players learn the game (both basics and character-specific combinations), will be included in the set. Currently it is being sold for $59.99 USD at gamestop.com.
It will be released on the XBox 360 and Playstation 3.
The one glaring downside is that the character roster is very limited in size: 12 to be exact. The small roster opens up room for a character that can be, generally speaking, better than all the others when matching up strengths and weaknesses. All fighting games impliment some sort of rock-paper-scissors matching between characters for balancing purposes (obviously skill and gameplay mechanics negate this factor at professional tournament levels), but a smaller roster size may impede or limit the effectiveness of the balance. Still, there has already been several competitions played in Japan, and obviously there have been no major complaints since the game is being released on the console.
I haven't found a better version of the story than what Wikipedia offers, mainly because it was originally a novel which either hasn't been translated, or hasn't been popular enough to come up on Google searches. There has also been a manga series released, but it was based off the video game itself and thus does not hold true to the original storyline.
Here's a gameplay video:
I just pre-ordered a new fighting game coming out on June 30th. BlazBlue, which has already been released in Japan and has American cabinets, is a 2-D fighting game made by Arc Systems, the creators of the Guilty Gear video game series. The engine is very similar to Guilty Gear, but also mixes in it's own brand of uniqueness.
The two biggest differences at first glance would be BlazBlue's guard meter (known as Barrier) and the lack of a flying dash that Guilty Gear XX employed. The guard meter basically acts as a shield: as long as you block, the meter will be depleted, and if you take any damage, it will be drained faster. Not blocking will slowly regenerate the bar overtime. If the bar is depleted to 0, you get stunned, similar to the Street Fighter series.
Cabinet play is extremely fast paced and most characters have variation of 20+ hit combos, chaining attacks in the air, off the ground, or a combination of both (similar to juggling).
What I'm most excited about is the soundtrack, which is being composed by Daisuke Ishiwatari, the same composer of the full rock Guilty Gear XX OST. Special Editions are already on sale, and the 2-disc soundtrack, along with an artbook and a video disc that helps players learn the game (both basics and character-specific combinations), will be included in the set. Currently it is being sold for $59.99 USD at gamestop.com.
It will be released on the XBox 360 and Playstation 3.
The one glaring downside is that the character roster is very limited in size: 12 to be exact. The small roster opens up room for a character that can be, generally speaking, better than all the others when matching up strengths and weaknesses. All fighting games impliment some sort of rock-paper-scissors matching between characters for balancing purposes (obviously skill and gameplay mechanics negate this factor at professional tournament levels), but a smaller roster size may impede or limit the effectiveness of the balance. Still, there has already been several competitions played in Japan, and obviously there have been no major complaints since the game is being released on the console.
I haven't found a better version of the story than what Wikipedia offers, mainly because it was originally a novel which either hasn't been translated, or hasn't been popular enough to come up on Google searches. There has also been a manga series released, but it was based off the video game itself and thus does not hold true to the original storyline.
Here's a gameplay video:
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Day 3 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
Day 3 of the semifinals put out some very interesting results.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Washington wins 3-2 (Washington leads series 1-0)
The Penguins outshot Washington 36-26, and had a 5-2 power play advantage. Yet Washington won, shutting down Pittsburgh's deadly power play, capitalizing on a 5 on 3 opportunity, and rookie Fleischmann scored his second career playoff goal to give the Capitals the 3-2 win over Pittsburgh in game 1. Varlamov, the rookie goaltender who saved the Capitals in round 1 against the Rangers, looked spectacular again, making 34 saves and not allowing a power play goal. Not a huge surprise in terms of how close the game was, but a fairly surprising result.
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago wins 6-3 (Series tied 1-1)
After a 2-0 lead in the first 7 minutes, Vancouver thought they would hand the young Chicago Blackhawks their 4th road loss of the playoffs. But Patrick Sharp scored two straight goals to start a chain of 5 unanswered for the Blackhawks, and Chicago never allowed Vancouver to tie it again and defeated the Canucks 6-3 in Vancouver. It's hard to say which is more surprising, the Blackhawks winning on the road or Roberto Luongo allowing 6 goals. Not surprisingly, the third period was more of a war than a hockey game, with 62 penalty minutes handed out, including 4 game misconducts; all of them after the 10 minute mark.
Given how close the first game was, I fully expect Pittsburgh to tie the series in game 2, or at least take it into a double overtime. As for Chicago and Vancouver, we'll see how the end-game emotions affect both teams moving forward, but for now it has to be believed that the Blackhawks have all the momentum after tying the series on the road and taking it back to Chicago for 2 home games, where they were undefeated in round 1 against the Calgary Flames.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Washington wins 3-2 (Washington leads series 1-0)
The Penguins outshot Washington 36-26, and had a 5-2 power play advantage. Yet Washington won, shutting down Pittsburgh's deadly power play, capitalizing on a 5 on 3 opportunity, and rookie Fleischmann scored his second career playoff goal to give the Capitals the 3-2 win over Pittsburgh in game 1. Varlamov, the rookie goaltender who saved the Capitals in round 1 against the Rangers, looked spectacular again, making 34 saves and not allowing a power play goal. Not a huge surprise in terms of how close the game was, but a fairly surprising result.
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago wins 6-3 (Series tied 1-1)
After a 2-0 lead in the first 7 minutes, Vancouver thought they would hand the young Chicago Blackhawks their 4th road loss of the playoffs. But Patrick Sharp scored two straight goals to start a chain of 5 unanswered for the Blackhawks, and Chicago never allowed Vancouver to tie it again and defeated the Canucks 6-3 in Vancouver. It's hard to say which is more surprising, the Blackhawks winning on the road or Roberto Luongo allowing 6 goals. Not surprisingly, the third period was more of a war than a hockey game, with 62 penalty minutes handed out, including 4 game misconducts; all of them after the 10 minute mark.
Given how close the first game was, I fully expect Pittsburgh to tie the series in game 2, or at least take it into a double overtime. As for Chicago and Vancouver, we'll see how the end-game emotions affect both teams moving forward, but for now it has to be believed that the Blackhawks have all the momentum after tying the series on the road and taking it back to Chicago for 2 home games, where they were undefeated in round 1 against the Calgary Flames.
Day 2 Round 2 NHL Playoffs 2009
Nothing surprising about the results of a couple of semifinals series, but...
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Detroit wins 3-2 (Detroit leads series 1-0)
Niklas Lidstrom scored his second goal of the night in the final minute of play to give the Red Wings a 1 goal lead and the victory for the night. But nobody expected it would take that kind of effort for Detroit to hand Anaheim their first loss of the series. Jonas Hiller made 34 saves, and the coveted Getzlaf line did all the damage for the ducks. Suddenly, Anaheim's upset over San Jose doesn't seem like the Sharks's fault. Still, the defending champions got it done when it was needed. Mike Brown was shown an early exit to the game after taking a game misconduct in the first period, which crippled the grind lines for Anaheim.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Boston wins 4-1 (Boston leads series 1-0)
After sweeping the first round against Montreal, the Bruins looked better than they ever have after coming off an extended break. The penalties were called liberally, and as a result there were only 4 power plays total, with none of them capitalized on. But it didn't matter, as Boston took full advantage of a 5 on 5 play, and scored a couple of goals off of turnovers created in their own zone to start an odd-man rush. The dangerous Staal line that unraveled Martin Brodeur was nowhere to be seen, as Tim Thomas made 26 saves on 27 shots. The Hurricanes were blown out in game 1 against the Devils as well, so don't expect them to be eliminated quietly.
So far, the second round is playing exactly to the script. Detroit and Anaheim had a tough battle, but the better team won in the end (despite another spectacular goaltending night from Hiller), while Boston blew out Carolina. If Vancouver and Chicago end up beating each other up, one would assume Boston and Detroit will walk into the Cup finals.
Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks: Detroit wins 3-2 (Detroit leads series 1-0)
Niklas Lidstrom scored his second goal of the night in the final minute of play to give the Red Wings a 1 goal lead and the victory for the night. But nobody expected it would take that kind of effort for Detroit to hand Anaheim their first loss of the series. Jonas Hiller made 34 saves, and the coveted Getzlaf line did all the damage for the ducks. Suddenly, Anaheim's upset over San Jose doesn't seem like the Sharks's fault. Still, the defending champions got it done when it was needed. Mike Brown was shown an early exit to the game after taking a game misconduct in the first period, which crippled the grind lines for Anaheim.
Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes: Boston wins 4-1 (Boston leads series 1-0)
After sweeping the first round against Montreal, the Bruins looked better than they ever have after coming off an extended break. The penalties were called liberally, and as a result there were only 4 power plays total, with none of them capitalized on. But it didn't matter, as Boston took full advantage of a 5 on 5 play, and scored a couple of goals off of turnovers created in their own zone to start an odd-man rush. The dangerous Staal line that unraveled Martin Brodeur was nowhere to be seen, as Tim Thomas made 26 saves on 27 shots. The Hurricanes were blown out in game 1 against the Devils as well, so don't expect them to be eliminated quietly.
So far, the second round is playing exactly to the script. Detroit and Anaheim had a tough battle, but the better team won in the end (despite another spectacular goaltending night from Hiller), while Boston blew out Carolina. If Vancouver and Chicago end up beating each other up, one would assume Boston and Detroit will walk into the Cup finals.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Day 1 Round 2 NHL Playoffs
Two teams got the fortunate early start to the conference semifinals, and produced a classic game 1 match.
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Vancouver wins 5-3 (Vancouver leads series 1-0)
The Canucks dominated the first two periods, starting the third with a 3-0 lead. Then Patrick Kane scored 2 straight goals in what seemed to become a Chicago comeback, as the Blackhawks tied the game 3-3 with less than 6 minutes to play. But then, Chicago, who played so well defensively against the Flames, broke down in the neutral zone, and the Canucks found themselves with a 4 on 1 rush. It didn't take long for Vancouver to capitalize, scoring a goal to put them up 4-3 and adding an empty netter to secure the first win of the series. Kyle Wellwood was the most effective player for the Canucks, drawing 5 penalties and putting up two assist (and leading the decisive 4 on 1 rush, although not getting credit for a point from it). But the true problem for the Blackhawks is their inability to win on the road. Jonathan Toews, coming off an injury, only skated 14 minutes and was -2. Vancouver didn't have a lot to complain about game 1, but they were an average 1 for 5 on the power play.
Looking forward, the Blackhawks are holding their breath for Ben Eager, who might be suspended for multiple games following an elbow to the head of Rick Rypien. Although there were not a lot of penalties called, the game was full of nastiness, exemplified by the face of Kyle Wellwood at the end of the game, where he was bleeding, lost a tooth, and had a swollen lip. Even though the Canucks won, is there worry about the fact that Roberto Luongo gave up 3 goals in the third period?
Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Vancouver wins 5-3 (Vancouver leads series 1-0)
The Canucks dominated the first two periods, starting the third with a 3-0 lead. Then Patrick Kane scored 2 straight goals in what seemed to become a Chicago comeback, as the Blackhawks tied the game 3-3 with less than 6 minutes to play. But then, Chicago, who played so well defensively against the Flames, broke down in the neutral zone, and the Canucks found themselves with a 4 on 1 rush. It didn't take long for Vancouver to capitalize, scoring a goal to put them up 4-3 and adding an empty netter to secure the first win of the series. Kyle Wellwood was the most effective player for the Canucks, drawing 5 penalties and putting up two assist (and leading the decisive 4 on 1 rush, although not getting credit for a point from it). But the true problem for the Blackhawks is their inability to win on the road. Jonathan Toews, coming off an injury, only skated 14 minutes and was -2. Vancouver didn't have a lot to complain about game 1, but they were an average 1 for 5 on the power play.
Looking forward, the Blackhawks are holding their breath for Ben Eager, who might be suspended for multiple games following an elbow to the head of Rick Rypien. Although there were not a lot of penalties called, the game was full of nastiness, exemplified by the face of Kyle Wellwood at the end of the game, where he was bleeding, lost a tooth, and had a swollen lip. Even though the Canucks won, is there worry about the fact that Roberto Luongo gave up 3 goals in the third period?
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