Stanley Cup Finals Preview

To be honest, I should just pop in a DVD of last years finals to show a preview. We all know who won that series. This year however has brought many injustices to the Detroit Red Wings.

First of, the finals were pushed up to "keep fans interested". We all know that the only people watching the Stanley Cup finals are the 1000's of Wings fans, and the 100's of Penguin fans. They will watch no matter what, the rest of the American population doesn't even know who Sidney Crosby is. You would think, o this goes both ways, FALSE....Pitt has young legs and no injuries, the Wings are more "seasoned" and played their last game missing their captain and best player, Nicklas Lidstrom, their top scorer Pavel Datsyuk, top face-off man Kris Draper, and our best defensive rookie Jonathan Ericsson. Chances are that Ericsson and Lidstrom will play, but at what percent?

I would just like to say one thing...Wings fans bitch for a reason, the NHL hates Detroit, they want Sidney Crosby to win a cup more than they want to breathe....Gary Bettman is an ASS!!!

Now to the preview:

Top 2 Line Forwards:

Pittsburgh: It is hard to deny that Pittsburgh is extremely talented up front with their top 2 lines. With Sid and Evgeni Malkin both leading the playoffs in points the NHL realizes the powerhouse we have on the ice. Aside from those two you have Jordan Stall, who has impressed not only me, but many Wings fans (hint hint Ken Holland), he plays gritty and is a great face-off guy and also great penalty killer. Other contributors are more of role players, but Pittsburgh spreads the wealth in their lines....just get the puck to the top 2 and you're good enough.


Detroit: Detroit is talent heavy all over their roster, but it is no more evident then on their first line. When healthy, Detroit has been playing Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom on line 1. On line 2 they have Valterri Fillpula, Marian Hossa, and my favorite, "The Mule" Johan Franzen. Dan Cleary is sometimes thrown in the forray, but this is generally our top two lines. This line doesn't have the firepower of Malkin or Crosby, but they have a more well rounded lineup. Our 2nd line has been amazing in the playoffs and I believe when on top of their games that Datsyuk and Zetterberg are the best duo in the NHL.....Casual fans disagree....


EDGE: W/ PAV - Detroit W/O PAV - Pitt

Defense:

Pitt: The Eastern Conference is not known for their strong defense, and I believe Pittsburgh is no exception to the rule. The top d-man for the Penguins is Sergei Gonchar, and he is great, hell of a point scorer and great defensively also. After him you have goon Hal Gill, Kris Letang whom is prone to mistakes, Phillipe Boucher, Brooks Orpik, Rob Scuderi, and Mark Eaton. These men mostly just fill up space as they cannot contain any offense the Wings throw at them, I promise.


Detroit: What else is there to say about the Wings defense except amazing. Best D-Man ever, Nicklas Lidstrom, linemate Brian Rafalski, a great scorer that is rarely out of position, knocking guys unconscious we have Nicklas Kronwall, scaring forwards world wide, his Bash Bro Brad Stuart, the amazing rookie Jonathan Ericsson (6-4 Giant of a man) and Speedster Brett Lebda. Our Defense is amazing with the puck and keeping you off the puck. This is no contest

EDGE: Detroit by Landslide

Goalie:

Pittsburgh: Marc Andre Fleury played better in last years playoffs and we know how that ended up. In all seriousness though he is a talented goalie. He is the future of goalie in Pitt and will frustrate more shooters than shooters frustrate him. He will have to be sharp because we will sling many pucks at him (Just ask Christobal Huet). He is quick and has the potential to be a difference maker in the finals.


Detroit: The Wizard of Oz has been amazing in this years playoffs, any new news. Osgood scared many fans going into the playoffs, but knows when to turn up the heat apparently. He leads the playoffs in GAA and has made many amazing saves on his way to the top. We will see Ozzie at his finest, or we will go home.

Edge: Detroit

Wings Cruise in Game 1

Cleary a Star in Series Opener

The road to the Stanley Cup for the Detroit Red Wings is taking a stop in Chicago and today marked the first of four victories needed to get into the finals. Welcome to your doom Chicago. A 5-2 victory in game 1 makes all they naysayers realize that there is no beating the Detroit Red Wings.


The action started on a goal from the Blackhawks, but was largely due to an error by Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood. Not to be outdone though Daniel Cleary scored the first of his 2 goals a few minutes later. This goal sparked the Wings and they never looked back.

The scoreboard didn't get lit up in the 2nd, but "The Mule" Johan Franzen did manage to finally poke a puck in the back of the net after many spectacular saves from Hawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. Khabibulin made many saves, but stopping 42 shots from the Wings is a tough task.

The 3rd saw the Hawks close the gap with a power play goal from Kris Versteeg. Although the scoreboard was tied, Detroit was still outplaying the Hawks and put a puck in the back of the net via Mikael Samuelsson on a pretty shot. Next up was a deflection from Daniel Cleary for his 2nd goal. The 5th goal came when Henrik Zetterberg put a puck in the empty net.

This all happened on my birthday...it was an amazing gift. Thank you Mike Babcock and thank you Wings.

Cleary Looks much better in a Red Wings Uniform

Number 18

18) Tim Thomas (Goalie, Boston Bruins)

For those of us in Flint, MI...(All of our readers as of right now) Tim Thomas is as local as they come. He played his high school hockey at Davison High School (The rival school of the high school I graduated from). Tim Thomas was a no-name in the NHL until the 2007-2008 season in which he took over for injured goalie Manny Fernandez and posted some solid numbers (28-19, 2.44 GAA, and a 921 save percentage) and got the attention of coaches all over the league. Thomas was drafted in 94 by the Quebec Nordiques but didn't see his first NHL action until 2002. From 94-02 Thomas played for; Birmingham Bulls (ECHL), Houston Aeros (IHL), HISF Helsinki (Finland), Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL), Detroit Vipers (IHL), AIK Solna (Sweden), and Karpat (Finland). Finally Boston gave him a chance in 2002.

Thomas would not be in the top 20 if it wasn't for his amazing campaign this season. He led the league in the two most important stats for goaltenders (933 save percentage and a 2.10 GAA) and led his Boston Bruins to the 2nd best record in the NHL and the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. In my eyes, he should easily win the Vezina Trophy and will make all Flint hockey players proud.

Number 19

Ryan Getzlaf (Center, Anaheim Ducks)

At number 19 we have a man that no Detroit fan wants to see on the ice for a long time, if ever. Ryan Getzlaf is one of the Ducks young guns, he's big, tough, and knows how to score. He is a scary man to see for any defenseman and gives the opposing coaches nightmares. He is what some might refer to as an "Old School" hockey player, as he is not afraid to drop the gloves, he is overly physical and he knows all the dirty tricks, not to mention he is only 24 years old.

If we look at his stats truthfully you don't need to look hard to find out his dominance, in this year's post-season Ryan Getzlaf has 18 points in 13 games putting him as the 4th most points so far. He also had a career year with 91 points and has managed 39 or more points his entire 4 year career (he only played 57 games his rookie season and still had 39 points).

Statistics do not tell the whole story for a player of Getzlaf's skill set. He also led the Ducks to a cup in '07 and is a giant of a man at 6'4" and 220 lbs. He aggravates and intimidates all those that dare oppose him and has become public enemy #1 in more than a few arenas. As hard as it is to acknowledge a Duck in my top 20, Getzlaf is just too good to deny.

Wings Win...Wings Win

Wings win close one in game 7.

Detroit is moving on to the Western Conference Finals for the third year in a row, but it did not come easy. The Anaheim Ducks never let up for a second, and we had to show the world why we are the defending champions earlier than suspected. Game 7 was no different than the rest of the series as it was a nail biter down to the very last moment of the game. Fortunately, the Wings left the Joe Louis Arena with a 4-3 victory in Thursday's game 7.

The First period was riddled with some penalties, but when Detroit had to kill off a 5 on 3, they shined bright as can be and only allowed 1 shot. Coming back from that, Johan Franzen shot the puck at the net, and an uncovered Jiri Hudler deflected the puck in front of the net to bring the score to 1-0.

The second period started with a bang as Darren Helm showed the world what I already knew...future stud. He used his speed to create a break-away opportunity and put an amazing shot past Jonas. The Wings were looking at a dominant game 7 win and were just not letting up....until Teemu Selanne made a great play off of a rebound to cut the score to 2-1 midway through the 2nd. Not to be outdone though Mikael Samuelsson scored his 3rd goal of the post season 2 minutes later. Detroit was pressing with more shots at Hiller when a bogus penalty was called against Jiri Hudler for goaltender interference (he was hit from behind into Hiller). This led to a Corey Perry goal, which shortened the lead back to 1.

The third started and both teams looked desperate and were both playing their best hockey. The Red Wings got a scare when 7 minutes into the 3rd Bobby Ryan scored to tie the game up at 3. Not to worry because a goal came from....Dan Cleary??? Yes you heard it right, our savior in this series was Cleary as he poked and prodded at a puck until it went by Hiller with 3 minutes remaining, giving Detroit the eventual go-ahead goal.


This series was tight and this game only magnified that. The Ducks are a bunch of goons, but they are damn good at it...too bad they have to play the Wings to get to the Cup. I think we will see them come back strong next season. GO HOME BITCHES!!!

BLSPORTS TOP 20 Players in the NHL #20

The NHL top 20 will kick off with.....

20) Marc Savard (Center, Boston Bruins)

This pick may come as a surprise to some of the “casual fans”, but to the hardcore hockey fan there is no denying what Savard has been able to do for the Boston Bruins in the last few years. In the last four regular seasons, he has accumulated 359 points in 320 games.

The Reason that Marc Savard seems to be overlooked a lot is because he is not that flashy 50 goal scorer that NHL fans love so much, but he is a play maker extraordinaire compiling 60 or more assist in each of his last four seasons. Boston Bruin fans love having him around because he knows how to find that open man, and win games.

So next time you watch a Boston Bruins hockey game, watch for number 91, because he will be on the puck, making defenders look stupid with some of his amazing passes.

Ducks Drag Series Out

Last Second Save Helps Ducks Win Game 5

Look in the dictionary for the definition of a hockey goon and inside you will see the Anaheim Ducks roster. They are a great team with a ton of talent, but love relying on brute strength and size rather than skill. I am not much a fan of that GOON tactic, especially when playing a skilled team with no enforcer on the roster, like the Wings.

In Game 5 the Wings seemed to be flat for 50 minutes. They seemed uninspired, undetermined, and just zoned out of the game through 2 and ½ periods. The Ducks first got on the board early in the second period when Ryan Getzlaf poked in a rebound 3 feet from the net on the power play. The Wings didn’t seem to want to engage with the big man down low and ended up paying for it The Wings had a couple unsuccessful power plays in the 2nd and could just not seem to put anything past the everlasting bunny Jonas Hiller. The 2nd goal for Anaheim came on yet another deflection in front of the net, this time by youngster Corey Perry. He deflected a shot from Getzlaf to put the Ducks up 2-0 at the end of the 2nd.

The next period belonged mostly to the Wings, but not because the Ducks weren’t trying. Thinking the Ducks would sit back in the 3rd period would have been a mistake. The Ducks stayed aggressive throughout the entire game, and it finally cost them when Johan Franzen scored a power play goal late in the 3rd. Sadly, it was too little too late. The Wings put shot after shot at Hiller in the last 3 minutes but could not seem to break the barrier known as Hiller. With 15 seconds left, the Ducks turned the puck over in the zone and Marian Hossa ripped a laser at the net that Hiller made an amazing save on.

This save ignited a riot on the ice as every player from every team seemed to get into a fight. The most memorable was watching Pavel Datsyuk try to fight Scott Niedermayer, the fight was complete bullshit as Niedermayer still had a helmet with a visor on as he was punching a helmetless Datsyuk. Pardon my French, but FUCK THE DUCKS. Game 7 will be interesting as I expect the Wings to come out hungry, and I pray that the Wings recall Aaron Downey, or Darren McCarty for game 7 to beat the shit out of Chris Pronger. Viva La Revolution!!!

Wings Go Up 3-2

Another Dominating Performance Gives Wings 3-2 Advantage in Series

The Detroit Red Wings are back on track and looking to close out this forsaken series. Tonight the Wings came out hungry and more determined on the ice to coast to a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The first period was relatively slow due to Jonas Hiller in net. The Wings took many shots at him once again, but could not put it in the back of the net. The Ducks seemed a tad tentative in the first for some reason and really looked uncomfortable out there. The second period was one of Detroit's finer periods of the post season as Johan Franzen netted a goal and 39 seconds later Jiri Hudler batted a puck out of mid air to give the Wings a 2-0 lead. Late in the period the Ducks cut into the lead with a power play goal from defenseman Ryan Whitney. The 2nd period ended with a 2-1 score thanks to an amazing glove save from the Wizard of Oz.

The 3rd period started and saw much of the same action throughout, the Wings dominated defensively but couldn't seem to put the game away. Late in the game Darren Helm scored his first goal of the post season, and anyone that knows me knows that I am a gigantic supporter of Helm stating on multiple occassions that he is the hardest working player in the NHL. The game ended with an empty netter from Henrik Zetterberg sealing the 4-1 victory for the eventual Stanley Cup Champions.

P.S. If you are reading this Brian LaBelle this one is for you.

Wings Tie up the series with a 6-3 win

Franzen and Hossa net two goals each to lead the way

The Ducks came out firing and took an early 1-0 lead on a Corey Perry goal. Coach Mike Babcock switched up his lines and the Wings responded. Babcock paired Franzen and Hossa on a line with Valteri Filpulla at center and the Wings caught fire. They led 2-1 after the first period on Franzen's two goals.

The Ducks tied it up on another Perry goal early in the second but then the Wings new line struck again. Hossa scored back-to-back goals to give the Wings a 4-2 lead and their first two goal lead of the series.

Mikael Samuelsson scored on a perfect snap shot early in the third period and the Ducks pulled young goalie Jonas Hiller from the game for J.S. Giguere and it was all over but the crying. Scott Niedermayer scored on a perfectly executed power play before Zetteberg scored an empty netter to close out the game.

Referee cost game for Wings

Game 3 of our series with the Ducks was no easy game for the Wings. Unfortunately the Wings lost a tight game 2-1 largely due to a horrific, game changing, no goal call from the ref. With a little over 1 minute left in the 3rd period, the Red Wings put a puck in the back of the net with 6 men on the ice. The ref supposedly lost sight of the puck and was "intending" to blow the whistle when Marian Hossa poked the puck into the net. This was a non reviewable call and coincidentally lost us the game.

Don't get me wrong about the game itself, for a good portion of the game, the Ducks were just a better team then us, but after Henrik Zetterberg scored a goal late in the 2nd period, the Wings seemed to kick it into gear. Jonas Hiller is standing on his head this post season, and combine that with the Ducks stiff defense it seems impossible to score on them. The Wings had 45 shots on Hiller and only managed that one goal.

This series is getting ugly and I am sure the Wings will come hungry after being robbed in game 3. Expect a much better outing for the Wings in game 4. O, and expect sparks to fly

Wings Lose in Thriller

My dream of a 16-0 post season has come to an end in a thrilling 4-3 Triple OT loss Sunday to the Anaheim Ducks.

The loss is a little disheartening and I for one hope that it does not flow over to the rest of the series. The reason that I am scared is that the Red Wings outplayed the Ducks in each overtime dominating from blue line to blue line. The fact is that the Wings could not score on Jonas Hiller when it came down to the grind. We sent shot after shot after shot at him (62 to be exact) throughout the game and could not score in overtime for the life of them.

I do believe the Wings will come back hungry in game 3 and I believe that we will score early, but this setback still stings and the only thing that can erase that sting is a W. Love the Ducks or hate them (preferably hate them) they are here to play some hockey. This series just got a whole lot more interesting

5-0

The Detroit Red Wings almost had a hiccup Friday night in a very close 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. As expected, Anaheim played uber physical and Detroit out skilled them.

The scoring started with Corey Perry and the Ducks as he rifled a slap shot past Ozzie. Later in the period Ducks goon (i know they are all goons), Mike Brown, leveled Jiri Hudler in what can only be deemed as a vicious case of interference as he busted Jiri's face up. A 5 minute penalty followed which gave Johan Franzen the chance he needed to score a goal and run Jonas Hiller over. The first period ended in a very tight 1-1 tie.


The second period was extremely fast paced as the Wings ripped shot after shot at Jonas Hiller aka the unknown Jo Bro. The next goal came close to midway through the period when Nicklas Lidstrom ripped a slap shot from the point on the power play...with a screen from Homer of course. The Finnish Flash tied the game at 2 with a power play goal from "his spot". Teemu Selanne always seems to score on us, it must be a curse. Again, the second period ended in a tie.

The third period went back and forth as much of this game went, but when things go back and forth in the playoffs, it is the Wings that always seem come out on top. This could not be more true as Nicklas Lidstrom scored on a dandy rebound, in which the original shot came from...well himself. As Franzen crashed the net the captain was already making his way towards the open puck and a game winning goal.

This game was pretty much what I expected after a long layoff from the Wings and that is that they started a little slow, but really picked up the pace. Also, the game was extremely physical, but what was surprising was the physical play of the defensemen of the future, Jonathan Ericsson. He got in scuffles, played physical on the penalty kill, and just threw his body around the entire game. Look for more head hunting from the Ducks and look for more W's from the Wings.

2nd Round Predictions Eastern Conference (Genius Version)

Well the first round of the best playoff sport around in now in the books and with a few surprises and disappointments we now look forward to round 2.

1) Boston Bruins vs 6) Carolina Hurricanes

How They Got Here: It is not surprising that the Boston Bruins made it to the second round without much resistance from the Montreal Canadiens. The Carolina Hurricanes on the otherhand had to scratch and claw (and pray a little) through their first round series with the New Jersey Devils. The Canes had the most amazing comeback I have ever seen in the playoffs scoring 2 goals with 1:20 remaining on Marty Brodeur to win game seven. CRAZY!!!!

Series Outlook: I believe that the Boston Bruins are going to make it to the Stanley Cup finals, they are just too good defensively with Davison Michigan's own, goalie Tim Thomas. He showed that he can perform in the playoffs in his first series and I don't see him stopping. Not only are they talented on the blue line, but also they know how to score in bunches. Michael Ryder has 7 points in 4 games along with Phil Kessel (6 points), Marc Savard (5) and David Krejci (5).

That being said, I also believed that the Canes had little chance against the mighty Marty in round one. This team is led by perrenial all-star center Eric Stall. He seems to pull this team through thick and thin and just refuses to give up no matter what the circumstances. Stall had 7 points in round one along with Ray Whitney and Chad Larose. Jussi Jokinen seems to come up when the pressure is on and the D-Men like to get involved also. The Canes are well rounded and have had good play from goalie Cam Ward, but I believe that the first round may take a toll on their bodies, certainly not their mentality though. If they are to win they will have to scratch and claw their way through this series also. Expect leaders Eric Stall and Rod Brindamour to rally their troops for this series.

Prediction: Bruins in 6

2) Washington Capitals vs 4) Pittsburgh Penguins

Well the fat cats of the NHL had a celebratory party last night when this series fell into their laps. This is the series the NHL has been dreaming about since both AO and Sid the Kid have been in the league. Now that the dream is a reality we are going to see what happens.

How They Got Here: We are going to start with the Caps, they had a hard fought series with the New York Rangers winning game seven with a goal from Sergei Federov. The good news for them is that their 21 year old goalie Simeon Varlamov ( played as many games in playoffs as he has in his young career) looked amazing. The Penguins series was a physical 6 game series with the Philadelphia Flyers, but the Penguins top 2 seemed too much for the Flyers to handle, as it is hard to contain 2 of the best hockey players in the NHL no matter who you are.

Series Outlook: This series cannot fall short of a masterpiece if it is to live up to its hype. While I do believe it will be extremely offensive battle I am not sure it will live up to that hype. Pittsburgh is well rounded on both ends of the ice, even it is moreso on offense, and Washington relies heavily on Varlamov for defense. The big questions are all about how the top players will perform. For this I believe there will be sparks and this series even has me excited. I am not a fan of either team and would love to see AO knock Sidney Crosby's teeth out, but don't expect that kind of grit...just hope for it. Evgeni Malkin, the man that nobody seems to talk about (weird because he will more than likely win the Hart Trophy) has had an amazing playoff series so far and I do not believe that will stop. I do think that this series will be amazing, but maybe not as close as some think.

Prediction: Penguins in 6

Wings vs Ducks

On paper this is a dream matchup for the Detroit Red Wings, but common sense tells me that any 8 seed that can win a series against the 1 seed will be no easy matchup. Contradictory to that statement, I do believe that the Ducks are the least likely of all the teams to beat the Wings. Here is a look at position by position to see who has the edge.


Forwards -

Detroit: As we all know, Detroit is the most talented team in the NHL, which gives them an edge in forwards for sure. The first line of Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa, and Tomas Holmstrom combined for 10 points in the first round (Hossa and Holmstrom 4 each, Datsyuk with only two, but was a crucial part of the defense and the forecheck). Our second line of Franzen, Zetterberg, and Cleary combined for a total of 15 points (top 3 scorers on team). When firing on all cylinders, our top two lines are the best in the NHL.

Ducks: Although I am not completely familiar with the Ducks first line, I know that it involves one of the best player in this years playoffs so far, and that is the 6'4" 221 lb center Ryan Getzlaf. Getzlaf is a lot like Rick Nash, big body, great shot, and a team leader, the glaring difference is Getzlaf's supporting cast. This cast includes rookie Bobby Ryan (4 goals 0 assist) and youngster Corey Perry (3 goals 1 assist). I do believe that is their first line, and that line is great, very productive, but how will they do against the best D-Man of all time in Nicklas Lidstrom? Just ask Rick Nash.

Edge: Red Wings


Defense:

Detroit: While the Wings have had some issues defensively throughout the season, it seemed to be a loss of interest more than a loss of talent. Throughout 3 games the Wings only allowed 2 goals, and the main reason the Jackets scored 5 on us in game 4 was because Osgood was injured. As I mentioned earlier, Nicklas Lidstrom is the best D-Man in the NHL, quite possibly of all time. He will be in charge of slowing down Getzlaf and Ryan with his linemate Brian Rafalski. This line combined for 7 points and a +9 in the first series. Behind them we have the gritty line of Kronwall and Stuart, who can forget the hit Brad Stuart put on R.J. Umberger in the first round...well maybe Umberger forgot...but not me. This line also combined for 7 points and a +2.

Anaheim: It is hard to argue that Anaheim is not talented on the blue line. With aging veterans Scott Neidermeyer and Chris Pronger patroling that area it can be a fearful place to go for some forwards. The top D-Line had 9 points in 6 games with an amazing +9 (thank Jonas Hiller). This line is great and all, but what about after the first line? Well they traded away for Ryan Whitney and he is solid (4 points +2)but after him the D-Men get a lot weaker (James Wisniewski, Francois Beauchemin...c'mon now) The first line is stellar, although old, but our depth will wear this aging defense down.

Edge: Slight to Detroit


Goalies:

Detroit: Ozzie played great in the first 3 games of the series, but a mysterious leg/groin injury hampered his play a great deal for game 4. It is uncertain which Osgood will show up and we can only hope for the best, because he is one of the best playoff goalies I have ever watched. He still posted solid numbers with a 1.75 GAA and a .936 save percentage. Let's hope he is fully healed for this series though.

Anaheim: What can I say about Jonas Hiller that Barry Melrose hasn't already said. I think that the Ducks prayed to the hockey gods to get this kind of play out of an untested rookie goaltender. Hiller has been by all accounts the best goalie in the playoffs so far and the only knock about him is that he hasn't seen that many shots from the Sharks. He posted a 1.64 GAA and a .957 save percentage with 2 shutouts in the first series. If the Ducks have a chance of winning, it's this fella. Anaheim, pray to the hockey gods once more.

Edge: Anaheim


Depth:

Detroit: Detroit got plenty of scoring out of their 3rd line in the first round with Hudler, Samuelsson, and Filppula (9 points). Our 4th line played gritty and did their job quite well, but are not there to score. Our depth is what sets Detroit away from many of the other upper echelon teams in the NHL and so we must play that way.

Anaheim: If you take out the 2nd line for the Ducks, (Sellane, Niedemeyer, Miller) all that you have left are role players. Ryan Carter is decent (2 points) but they just don't have the kind of depth that the Wings do.

Edge: Wings by a landslide.

Playoffs so far....

So the first round is over for the Wings...(On their way to a 16-0 playoffs.) Here is my outlook on the first round so far.

Detroit's sweep of Columbus made it 3 sweeps in the first round, including Boston sweeping Montreal, and Vancouver sweeping St.Louis (I realize that i picked St. Louis as my upset pick, o well, i was wrong).

Chicago and Calgary are tied 2-2 in an extremely tight series. I sill believe the Hawks will come out on top, but expect it in 7. Anaheim is shocking the world and destroying the Sharks 3 games to 1. The Rangers are winning their series with the Caps 3-2, and the Devils are winning their series w/ the Canes 3-2.

Pittsburgh just won their series with the Flyers in six games today, but I am still skeptical about the Penguins team this season.

It looks like the Wings will be playing the Ducks in the 2nd round and I couldn't be happier, we will overwhelm the young team with the young goalie. Expect the goons in Anaheim to be sent packing after they make the blockbuster upset.

Wings complete sweep of Blue Jackets

Franzen nets game winner with 57 seconds left on controversial power play.


Two keys in the Stanley Cup Playoffs are staying healthy and getting rest. Closing out an over-matched opponent becomes the key in these two things. The Wings managed to do just that tonight in a back and forth battle against the nothing-to-lose Blue Jackets.

The Wings led 3-1 after the first period on goals by Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom, and Dan Cleary. The Blue Jackets came out of the locker room and played with fire in the second period. They tied the game up, but Marion Hossa proved why he is a star by scoring back-to-back goals to go up 5-3. Columbus fought back, tying the score once again before the second period ended.

The third period was a fast paced, hard hitting microcosim of why the NHL Playoffs are under appreciated. Both teams had multiple chances to take the lead but the Wings best chance came late in the period when, with 1:34 left in the game, Columbus was called for a Too Many Men on the Ice penalty. The Wings capitalized when Franzen hammered home the the winner off of a rebound.

Red Wings roll through Blue Jackets in Game 2

Honestly, Ken Hitchcock needs to find a way to rally his troops, or this will be a short, short series. The Detroit Red Wings made their game 2 victory seem effortless, making Columbus look like an AHL squad in a 4-0 win.

Unlike game 1 the Red Wings got off to an early start with a power play goal from Brian Rafalski. Again the Wings always have a man in front of the net pestering Steve Mason. At the end of the 1st the Wings had a 1-0 lead.

The Second was a lot like the 1st game in which we completely dominated with goals from Pavel Datsyuk on a redirect and Henrik Zetterberg on a sick wrist shot. The game was well out of reach by the time we got goal number 4 from Jiri Hudler. The rest of the third period showed the Wings shut down the Jackets.

I realize that we have not played on the road yet, but this series seems to show why the Red Wings will repeat as champions, and if the next few seasons go the way i think they will, we're looking at a 4-peat minimum...maybe i shouldn't get ahead of myself.

Wings Dominate Game 1

The Detroit Red Wings started their Championship defense with bang Thursday Night. Just as I had predicted, the Blue Jackets were just outmatched, and out played.

The Game started as most have in this years playoffs, heavy on the penalties. Referees seem to be calling everything this year and it is watering down the game.The Red Wings were on the penalty kill for 6 minutes in the first period alone, thanks to an amazing penalty kill largely due to Niklas Lidstrom and the immortal Chris Osgood. Ozzie had a so-so season and was a question mark going into the series, but after only 1 game, I can say that he is on his game, and i know those that watched the game will agree.

The second period started slow, but 10 minutes into it Jiri Hidler hooked up with Valteri Fillpula to score the game's first goal. 50 seconds later however, RJ Umberger tied it up for the Jackets on a give-away in front of the net. After that fluke goal though, it was all Wings as they scored two more goals in the Second (Niklas Kronwall Jonathan Ericsson) to lead the Jackets 3-1 at the break.

The 3rd period started with a flash, and it's a familiar sight to us Red Wings fans, that is "The Mule" Johan Franzen scoring yet another playoff goal (13 goals in 16 games last post season). After The Mule raised the difference to 3 it was smooth sailing for the next 17 minutes.


Off Note, I would like to thank the Ducks for shutting out the Sharks in their game 1 matchup.

Western Conference Playoff Outlook (1st Round)

So, now that i got that other conference out of the way, it's time to get down to business. The Western Conference, much like in the NBA, is the powerhouse of the NHL. With the two most talented teams in the NHL, an 8 seed that has a legit shot at an upset, and supporting teams that will knock your teeth out, the Western Conference is primed for another Stanley Cup Champion.

1) San Jose Sharks vs 8) Anaheim Ducks

Preview - The President trophy winners of 2009, the San Jose Sharks. Although they have been extremely talented for the last 3 seasons or so, the Sharks have always flopped in the playoffs. I am not convinced that this year will be any different. This season has been an amazing season for the Sharks behind all star forward Joe Thornton and his impressive 61 assist. The biggest key to this team has to be the goalie Evgeni Nabakov. Nabakov went 41-12-8 with a 2.44 GAA. His play will have to stay high for the Sharks to win a cup. The Ducks on the other hand are a talented team that has had troubles for almost the entire season....until the end that is. The Ducks were one of the hottest teams in the last couple months of the season going 11-5-2 in the last 2 months. With a young team it will be hard for the Ducks to make a serious run, but if they catch fire early, watch out.

Prediction - Sharks in 5. I think the Ducks have a chance here, but i believe the Sharks will win 2 at home and rattle the youthful Ducks. This could be a sweep, or a seven game series.

2) Detroit Red Wings vs 7) Columbus Blue Jackets

Preview - The Columbus Blue Jackets have made their first playoff appearance in franchise history, the bad news is that they are stuck against the Red Wings. Detroit seemed uninspired at the end of the regular season, but experience will be key here in the first round. With the best offensive team in the league this against a rookie goalie (albeit a stud rookie goalie) The Red Wings may make short work of the Blue Jackets. Expect the Red Wings to start with a bang Thursday night and not look back.

Prediction - Wings in 5. While I am expecting the Jackets to be outmatched, expect Rick Nash to light us up in at least one game. Other than that one game expect to hear Johan Franzen's name a lot as he will frustrate the rookie goalie with his big body in front of the net.

3) Vancouver Canucks vs 6) St. Louis Blues

Preview - Well I never thought that the Blues would be in the playoffs, let alone the 6 seed. The Blues obtained the best record in the NHL post All Star Game and have surprised many. While many were surprised with the Blues success, none were too surprised with Vancouver's success. With the acquisition of Mats Sundin and one of the most talented goalies Roberto Luongo (2nd best goalie in NHL) the Canucks have stars in their eyes. They better not overlook the Blues though, with Brad Boyes, David Backes, and the ever crafty veteran Keith Tkachuk the Blues want to be the cinderella of the NHL Playoffs.

Prediction Upset Alert, Blues in 7. While this scenario seems unlikely to many, i believe as long as Luongo doesn't stand on his head the entire series that the Blues will just be more hungry for the win. Expect the Blues to play the Sedin twins extremely physical and just wear out the 'Nucks. Sorry Mats, try again.

4) Chicago Blackhawks vs 5) Calgary Flames

Preview - Well here is the final matchup of the Western Conference, and it's a good one. The Blackhawks have surprised many and actually had the 3rd best record in the Western Conference. The Flames were picked to win their division, but lost it due to a lackluster March and April. Calgary is still the most physical team in the NHL and picked up some great goal scorers in Mike Cammalleri and newly acquired Olli Jokinen. The Blackhawks have a very young talented team anchored by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The Hawks defense has stifled many though and is relatively unknown anchored by Duncan Keith and Brian Campbell. Both teams' goalies have been amazing down the stretch, so expect this series to be tough for both teams.

Prediction - Blackhawks in 7. I like the Hawks because their defense can score points and will have a little more firepower than the Flames. Expect a tough physical series.

2009 Playoff Outlook Eastern Conference 1st Round

It's that time folks, let the beards grow and your interest in your girlfriend drop. That's right, the playoffs are here and the NHL has to be ecstatic with some of the first round match pairings. It's the time of year where legends are made, stars are born, and dreams become shattered, and I'll be here to take by the hand step by step through this years spectacle on ice. For all the gambling men out there get ready to call your bookies, because these are my expert picks.

Eastern Conference

1) Boston Bruins vs 8) Montreal Canadiens

Preview - This series was thought to happen much later in the playoffs at the beginning of the season. The Montreal Canadiens were predicted to stay at the top of the Eastern Conference as they did last season, but failed to do so in a sub par year for them. The Bruins however played well beyond what many expected of them and were a head above the rest of the conference for the majority of the season. This match up is a rematch of the 2008 playoffs in which the Canadiens won in 7 games. However, the tables are turned this year and the Habs happen to be the underdog. Tim Thomas (out of Davison HS in Davison, Michigan) may be this years recipient of the Vezina Trophy, and has already won the Bill Masterton Award (Best Goals Against Average as a team). With a stud defensemen like Zdeno Chara in front of him it is hard to imagine that his production will slide in the playoffs.

Prediction - Bruins in 6, behind strong defense and great goal tending. Boston will overpower the Habs in this series and Montreal fans will be praying for Vinny Lecavalier shortly thereafter.

2) Washington Capitals vs 7) New York Rangers

Preview - The Washington Capitals have one of the most impressive offenses in the entire NHL, it's no surprise that Alex Ovechkin is the leader of that offense. With 268 goals (3rd in NHL, 56 from AO) the Capitals will be looking to crack the tough defense that the Rangers possess. NYR has one of the top goalies in Henrik Lundqvist and are 6th in the leagues allowing only 212 goals. With a young defense, and an underachieving set of forwards (Scott Gomez and Chris Drury among others) the Rangers are going to have trouble keeping up with the offensive minded Caps. Stranger things have happened though and maybe experience will become a factor.

Prediction - Caps in 7
While I am not all that impressed with the still one trick pony Caps, I just don't believe that the Rangers have the firepower to keep up with them. Nor do i believe that the Rangers defense is good enough to stop Ovechkin. Look for a long series here with a possible upset only if Lundqvist turns in an MVP performance.

3) New Jersey Devils vs 6) Carolina Hurricanes

Preview - The New Jersey Devils are once again in the top 3 in the Eastern Conference. The only team to even come close to rivaling the Red Wings when it comes to consistency. I have become a big fan of the Devils for one reason and one reason only...Martin Brodeur, best goalie ever. Without Brodeur, nobody is talking about the Devils as a sucessful franchise and nobody cares about Jersey. Carolina is a team that i am skeptical about. Yes they did win a Stanley Cup, but i believe it was a fluke (One of the worst Stanley Cups of all time, IMO). The Hurricanes like to prove me wrong though, and i wouldn't be completely shocked if they play the Devils better than most people expect.

Prediction - Devils in 5. Marty Brodeur....Enough Said

4)Pittsburgh Penguins vs 5) Philadelphia Flyers

Preview - The Series that the higher up are salivating over. The Pittsburgh Penguins w/ the Prodigal Child Sidney Crosby, and the Art Ross Trophy winner (Most Points) Evgeni Malkin. Unfortunately for them, their goaltender is as streaky as Todd Jones. The Flyers are qute possibly my favorite team in the East due to the fact that they are so well rounded. Their goalie Marty Biron caught fire at the right time of the season and this series will more than likely be the best of the first round.

Prediction - Flyers in 7. This series could really go either way, but i believe the difference will be the goalies. Whichever one gets hot should win the series.



Western Conference coming in a couple of hours

2009 Season Recap

As we all know the 2009 NHL regular season has come to an end today. Although there were a few surprises, the better teams are still on top of the standings, and the familiar faces of the playoffs are all there.

The biggest surprise of the season in my eyes has to be the emergence of the Central Division in the Western Conference as major contenders. Cha-town went from 10th in the western conference in 08 to 4th in 09. (They are the 3rd best team in the west, but a technicality forces them into the 4th seed) St. Louis went from 14th out of 15 teams to the 6 seed, and Colombus made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history as the 7 seed, moving up from 13th the year before.

The biggest disappointment is a tie for me between the Ottawa Senators (7 seed in east to 11th) and the Montreal Canadiens (1 seed to 8 seed). Montreal was a favorite for the cup early on and has only been on a downslide since.




The 2008-2009 season has had its ups and downs for Red Wings fans, but as we all know, our best hockey is up ahead in the playoffs. The Wings are the 2 seed in the west with 112 points and are pitted against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 1st round. The big addition in the offseason was obviously Marian Hossa, and he lived up to all the expectations us fans had for him. A big physical forward on the 1st line with Datsyuk and Holmstrom, Hossa netted 40 goals to lead the team and also had 31 assist, making his point total at 71 points (3rd on the team). The Individual Stats look something like this

	Player	Team	Pos	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW		OT	S	S%	TOI/G	Sft/G	FO%
1	Pavel Datsyuk	DET	C	81	32	65	97	34	22	11	1	3		0	248	12.9	19:12	25.0	56.0
2	Henrik Zetterberg	DET	L	77	31	42	73	13	36	12	2	5		0	309	10.0	19:52	25.5	53.3
3	Marian Hossa	DET	R	74	40	31	71	27	63	10	0	8		1	307	13.0	17:47	23.4	21.0
4	Johan Franzen	DET	C	71	34	25	59	21	44	11	1	8		1	246	13.8	18:06	23.4	56.0
5	Nicklas Lidstrom	DET	D	78	16	43	59	31	30	10	0	4		1	180	8.9	24:49	28.8	0.0
6	Brian Rafalski	DET	D	78	10	49	59	17	20	5	0	1		0	141	7.1	23:10	27.7	0.0
7	Jiri Hudler	DET	C	82	23	34	57	7	16	6	0	2		0	155	14.8	13:39	18.2	44.8
8	Niklas Kronwall	DET	D	80	6	45	51	2	50	4	0	1		0	121	5.0	22:53	29.3	100.0
9	Mikael Samuelsson	DET	R	81	19	21	40	0	50	7	0	1		0	257	7.4	15:22	20.6	25.0
10	Daniel Cleary	DET	R	74	14	26	40	0	46	3	0	3		0	163	8.6	16:56	23.9	55.4
11	Valtteri Filppula	DET	C	80	12	28	40	9	42	1	0	1		0	129	9.3	16:06	22.9	52.1
12	Tomas Holmstrom	DET	L	53	14	23	37	18	38	8	0	1		0	75	18.7	15:15	20.5	37.5
13	Tomas Kopecky	DET	R	79	6	13	19	-7	46	1	1	2		0	110	5.5	10:24	15.3	45.6
14	Kris Draper	DET	C	79	7	10	17	-13	40	0	1	2		0	93	7.5	11:58	19.4	60.3
15	Brett Lebda	DET	D	65	6	10	16	9	48	0	0	1		0	69	8.7	13:38	18.2	100.0

As you can see, the Red Wings are still the most talented team in the NHL.

So this is the first post on BLSPORTS NHL BLOG. Keep reading because soon i will post my playoff outlook.