Islanders Show Resolve Against Capitals

Heading into this opening round series, the New York Islanders were looking to do something that hasn't happened in 22 years. Win a playoff series. The division finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, thanks to David Volek's Overtime goal in game seven, was the last time the Islanders won a playoff series. This year the Isles look like they are finally ready to buck the trend and advance in the playoffs. Standing in their way have been the Washington Capitals, a team who many predicted to take the series. But the Islanders have been proving people wrong in this series, managing to turn a few heads as they have played to an even series through the first four games. Through the first four games of the series, the Islanders have proven that they won't be pushed around in this matchup with Washington.

Of course, there are problems the Islanders are going to have in the series. For one the team is the only one in the playoffs that hasn't scored a powerplay goal, going 0 for 10 in the series with the man advantage. Its not just the fact that they haven't scored on the powerplay, its the mere fact that they barley take shots on the powerplay. What the Islander powerplay does too much of is look for the perfect shot or try and set Tavares up for a deflection. Why waste time doing that, just get a body in front of the net and start firing the puck. Even if a Washington defender gets in the way of the shot, at least it creates more havok on the ice and will open up more shooting lanes to get pucks through to the net, which is what your supposed to do on the man advantage. There have been times where they have been badly outplayed by Washington, like in the late stages of game two, and the third period of game three.Then there's the case of the broken stick. It seems that Tavares has had trouble with his sticks in the series. There were a few times I can clearly recall when he had a golden chance to score and his stick would snap in half on him. I know that's seen as being a little to critical but I call it like I see it.

With all that being said, there have been plenty to be happy about to from the Islanders so far in the first four games of the series. One of the big things to take notice of is the physical play in the series. The Islanders have been able to control the play along the boards and in the corners, thus to a degree keeping the Caps on their heels. Despite not having the teams best defender Travis Hamonic out of the lineup, the Islanders have been abel to keep Washington in check. I'll admit Nicklas Backstrom is having a good series with six points in the first four games, but the Isles defensive unit has held Alex Ovechkin to just two goals in the series. That says a lot considering Ovechkin scored 53 times during the regular season.

yes there have been some lacks on offense. Tavares has had a good series but he has the skill to play better, which he will. Okposo is showing he has the ability to perform in the playoffs. Josh Bailey has been playing quite well through the first four games. Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck both have had an impact in this series, both have scored big goals and Cal came a crossbar away from winning game four. Both those two guys especially have been able to get open ice thanks to their physical play opening up space on the ice to be able to operate. Now its time for the Isles to start making adjustments. Now not only is travis Hamonic not in the lineup, but Lubomir Visnovsky is not going to be available to play Thursday, because of the injury suffered in game four on the hit by Tom Wilson. So now its more on Nick Leddy, Johnny Boychuk and a very surprising Brian Strait to hold down the fort and keep Ovechkin in check.

Are there going to be faults in the Islanders? Sure. No hockey team ever plays a perfect game or perfect series. But the Islanders are right there to take this series, they need to win two of the next three games so it is possible. Now they just have to finish the job.

2015 NFL Schedule Announced

Well well well it looks like Sunday's around the Country are now set. The National Football League has announced the schedules for the 2015 regular season. Sure we will get into what the Jets and Giants are doing this season don't worry. That's a little later on in this post. The new schedule announced by the league offers plenty of intrigue for the new season,. with matchups that will keep fans sitting on the edge of their seats all season long. Between the games in London, the new faces in returning places and playoff rematches from last year, there is a lot to talk about from the NFL season.

First up we have the London games this year. First up, is the week four matchup between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins from Wembley Stadium. Its a kickoff at 9:30 AM on October 4th. Then in week seven, on October 25, the Buffalo Bills will play the Jacksonville Jaguars. Finally, in week eight, on November 1, the Detroit Lions will take on the Kansas City Chiefs. Then we have a few playoff rematches. Green bay and Seattle face off week two IN Green Bay. We know what happened between the teams in Seattle back in January in the NFC title game. So now its going to be interesting to see how this plays out in Green Bay. Also in week two, September 20th will have a 4:25 kickoff as Dallas heads to Philly to take on the Eagles. This marks the first chance the Cowboys get to take on former back in DeMarco Murray. Then Murray makes his return to Dallas in week nine on November 8th, which is going to be fun, just based on how well he is going to be received by the Dallas faithful. Moving to week six, October 18th on Sunday Night Football, its the rematch of last years AFC title game. That's right, the Patriots head to Indy to take on the Colts. Here's hoping the Colts don't get blown out in this one, unlike their last meeting in the playoffs. Sticking with the playoff rematch theme, we get another one in week 14. Sunday, December 13th, with a 4:25 kickoff, Green Bay and Dallas face off for the first time since catch-gate, the playoff game that was decided last January by the rule of non-catch for Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant.

But wait there's so much more. Week Eight, Monday Night Football, November 2nd, we will see the Colts head to Carolina to take on the Panthers? Why is this one so intriguing? Well because its Cam Newton going against Andrew. The top overall pick of 2011 facing the top overall pick of 2012. This one should be fun to watch. Of course there is the dealings of one Peyton Manning. He and Brady face off one more time in the regular season, coming on Sunday Night Football in week 12, November 29th. That night Peyton and the Broncos host Brady and the Patriots. This rivalry has lost some of its lust over the last few years, but it's still fun to talk about. Then there's the Broncos game in week nine, Sunday November 8th, Peyton and company head to Indy to take on the Colts. This marks the final time, in all likelyhood, that Peyton will return to Indy to play a game. One final game that really sticks out to me, comes in week five on October 11th at 4:25, the Cowboys play host to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. It's two elite quarterbacks and oh yeah two of the teams that most of the country doesn't like. So it should be fun to watch.

Now lets take a look at the local teams shall we.

Here is the 2015 schedule for the New York Giants:
September 13 8:30 p.m. EDT at Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium NBC
September 20 1:00 p.m. EDT Atlanta Falcons MetLife Stadium Fox
September 24 8:25 p.m. EDT Washington Redskins MetLife Stadium CBS
October 4 1:00 p.m. EDT at Buffalo Bills Ralph Wilson Stadium Fox
October 11 8:30 p.m. EDT San Francisco 49ers MetLife Stadium NBC
October 19 8:30 p.m. EDT at Philadelphia Eagles Lincoln Financial Field ESPN
October 25 4:25 p.m. EDT Dallas Cowboys MetLife Stadium Fox
November 1 1:00 p.m. EST at New Orleans Saints Mercedes-Benz Superdome Fox
November 8 4:05 p.m. EST at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Raymond James Stadium Fox
November 15 4:25 p.m. EST New England Patriots MetLife Stadium CBS
Bye
November 29 1:00 p.m. EST at Washington Redskins FedEx Field Fox
December 6 1:00 p.m. EST New York Jets MetLife Stadium CBS
December 14 8:30 p.m. EST at Miami Dolphins Sun Life Stadium ESPN
December 20 1:00 p.m. EST Carolina Panthers MetLife Stadium Fox
December 27 1:00 p.m. EST at Minnesota Vikings TCF Bank Stadium Fox
January 3, 2016 1:00 p.m. EST Philadelphia Eagles MetLife Stadium Fox

That was the Schedule for the Giants. Here's what the 2015 season looks like for the New York Jets:
September 13 1:00 p.m. EDT Cleveland Browns MetLife Stadium CBS
September 21 8:30 p.m. EDT at Indianapolis Colts Lucas Oil Stadium ESPN
September 27 1:00 p.m. EDT Philadelphia Eagles MetLife Stadium Fox
October 4 9:30 a.m. EDT vs. Miami Dolphins Wembley Stadium (London, England) CBS
Bye
October 18 1:00 p.m. EDT Washington Redskins MetLife Stadium Fox
October 25 1:00 p.m. EDT at New England Patriots Gillette Stadium CBS
November 1 4:05 p.m. EST at Oakland Raiders O.co Coliseum CBS
November 8 1:00 p.m. EST Jacksonville Jaguars MetLife Stadium CBS
November 12 8:25 p.m. EST Buffalo Bills MetLife Stadium NFLN
November 22 1:00 p.m. EST at Houston Texans NRG Stadium CBS
November 29 1:00 p.m. EST Miami Dolphins MetLife Stadium CBS
December 6 1:00 p.m. EST at New York Giants MetLife Stadium CBS
December 13 1:00 p.m. EST Tennessee Titans MetLife Stadium CBS
December 19 1:00 p.m. EST at Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium NFLN
December 27 1:00 p.m. EST New England Patriots MetLife Stadium CBS
January 3, 2016 1:00 p.m. EST at Buffalo Bills Ralph Wilson Stadium CBS

So that the schedule for the NFL for this season. So tell us, what games are you looking forward to the most this season?

2015 NBA Playoffs Preview

It's time. After six long months and over 1,200 basketball games, we have gone from 30 teams down to 16. It came down to the wire on the final day of the regular season, but the teams are set and we have our field. Everybody left standing has their eyes on the prize, the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Some interesting story lines head up this years playoffs. For the 18th straight year, the San Antonio Spurs are in the playoffs. It's the longest active streak in the NBA and the 5th longest streak in the history of the league. Coming into the playoffs as the top seeds are the Atlanta Hawks, who are in the playoffs for the 8th straight year, and the Golden State Warriors, who are in the playoffs for the 3rd straight year. Cleveland has made it back to the playoffs for the 1st time since 2010, in Lebron's homecoming year no less. Despite starting the season in what appeared to be in a rebuilding mode, both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics managed to overachieve, clinching their first playoff berths since 2013. For Bucks head coach Jason Kidd, he became the first coach to lead two teams to the playoffs in his first two seasons as head coach, having led the Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs last year. Now with Kidd in another city, the Nets still managed to make the playoffs under new coach Lionel Hollins.

So lets not waste any more time, here's my predictions for the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.

Western Conference
#1 Golden State Warriors vs. #8 New Orleans Pelicans
Golden State comes into this playoffs with the best record in not only the Western Conference, but the entire NBA with a record of 67-15. This marks the most wins that the franchise has ever picked up in the regular season, making the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row after making the playoffs just once in the prior 18 seasons. New Orleans comes in with a record of 45-37, marking just the 6th time in franchise history that the team has made the post season. The last time New Orleans made the playoffs, they were bounced in the opening round in 2011. This marks the 1st ever meeting between the teams in the post season, while the Warriors won three of the four meetings between the teams during the regular season.

Here are the dates and times for the games in this series:
April 18 3:30 pm New Orleans Pelicans vs. Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
April 20 10:30 pm New Orleans Pelicans vs. Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
April 23 9:30 pm Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
April 25 8:00 pm Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
April 28 TBA New Orleans Pelicans vs. Golden State Warriors* Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
May 1 TBA Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans* Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
May 3 TBA New Orleans Pelicans vs. Golden State Warriors* Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

Golden State has flat out dominated every team that has been put in their path. The Warriors went 39-2 at home this year. 39-2 at home, a flat out SICK number. Head Coach Steve Kerr managed to get the best possible talent out of his basketball team. Lead by the Splash Brothers, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, Golden State has a tight core with few flaws. At certain points this season, Golden State has ranked first in both offensive and defensive efficiency, something that is tough to do. Lets also not forget they have talent all over the court besides the Splash Brothers. There's plenty of talent here with guys like Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut joinging the brothers up front, with David Lee and Andre Iguodala coming off the bench, they pose a tough task for any team to play against. New Orleans got in the playoffs by holding off the Spurs 108-103 in their regular-season finale. The Pelicans maintained their composure and were solid when the stakes were high, and they are deserving of a postseason appearance. New Orleans has a decent starting five being lead by Anthony Davis. But here's something that sticks out to me about this Pelicans team and that's their record on the road. Since the Warriors have home court, the Pelicans have to travel and they are just 17-24 on the road this season. Playing at Oracle Arena is going to be tough to do and this series isn't going to last very long.

Pick: Warriors in 4!

#2 Houston Rockers vs. #7 Dallas Mavericks
Houston comes into the post season with a 56-26 record, which was 11 games behind the Warriors for the top spot in the West. This marks the 3rd straight playoff appearance for the Rockets and the 7th time in the last eleven years for Houston. The 54 wins for the Rockets are the most in a season they've had since winning 55 games back in 2008. Dallas comes in with a record of 50-32. This marks the 2nd straight year Dallas has made the playoffs, in fact since the turn of the century, the Mavericks have missed the playoffs only once in that time frame. This is the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with Dallas winning both previous meetings. The last time they faced off was in the 2005 Western Conference First Round, which saw Dallas win the series in seven. During the Regular season, Houston won three of the four meetings.

Here's the date and times for games in this series:
April 18 9:30 pm Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
April 21 9:30 pm Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
April 24 7:00 pm Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
April 26 9:30 pm Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texasa
April 28 TBA Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets* Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
April 30 TBA Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks* American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
May 2 TBA Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets* Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

Dallas had been an offensive force early this season, but seemed to have fallen to an average basketball team since. Yes they still have a talented basketball team with guys like Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki, Amar'e Stoudemire Charlie Villanueva and Tyson Chandler. Chandler Parsons surely will want to step up against his ex-teammates. Parsons is a key here, though, as he will not have played in more than two weeks by the opener because of a knee issue. Dallas still has a talent lineup, even though Dirk hasn't been quite the same player he once was. Dallas won't be able to matchup against Houston. Rockets have a loded lineup with guys like Jason Terry, James Harden, Trevor Ariza, Donatas Motiejunas, Dwight Howard and Pablo Prigioni coping off the bench. I'm sorry but James Harden is having an MVP type season and will carry the Rockets in this series. Dallas won't be able to have much of an answer for him.

Pick: Rockets in 6!

#3 Los Angeles Clippers vs. #6 San Antonio Spurs
Los Angeles comes into this series after finishing the regular season with a 56-26 record, good enough for 2nd place in the Pacific division, behind only the Golden State Warriors. This marks not only the 3rd straight playoff appearance for the Cluppers, but the 3rd straight season of 50 or more wins. Los Angeles has managed to win their first round matchup twice in the last three years. As for the Spurs, they come into this postseason with a 55-27 record, which was good for 3rd place in a loaded Southwest division. This also happens to mark the 18th straight year that the Spurs have made the postseason, the longest active run in the NBA, and 2nd longest in all pro sports behind only the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL. This is the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the last meeting coming in the 2012 Western Conference Semifinals, a series which the Spurs won in a clean sweep. The teams split the four meetings during the regular season.

Here's the date and times for the games in this series:
April 19 10:30 pm San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
April 22 10:30 pm San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
April 24 9:30 pm Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
April 26 3:30 pm Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
April 28 TBA San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers* Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
April 30 TBA Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs* AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
May 2 TBA San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers* Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

This matchup seems like it should be a Western Conference finals, not something in the opening round, but such is the case and we have it to start off the playoffs. Both teams got off to a slow start to the season, managing to turn it on late. San Antonio has been on fire since the All-Star break. San Antonio ranked first in offensive and second in defensive efficiency. No team has outscored its opponents by more points per 100 possessions than the Spurs. Spurs have a very experienced roster, with talent like Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Tiago Splitter starting, with Boris Diaw and Manu Ginobili coming off the bench. They are the defending champions for a reason. Los Angeles is no pushover. The Clips are streaking into the playoffs, having closed the regular season 14-1 in their last 15 games, with a single close loss to the Warriors during that run. A starting five that consists of Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Matt Barnes, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan make for a solid matchup for the Spurs. Last years series went the distance and so will this one. This is where home court is going to come into play and the Spurs finished the year 33-8 at home during the regular season.

Pick: Spurs in 7!

#4 Portland Trail Blazers vs. #5 Memphis Grizzlies 
Portland won the Northwest division, with a record of 51-31 during the year. They were the only team to make the playoffs, with the Thunder just missing out. This marks the 2nd straight year and 5th time in the last seven years for Portland when it comes to the playoffs. This also marks the 2nd straight season of 50 or more wins for the Blazers. As for Memphis, they come in with a 55-27 record, which was good enough for 2nd place in the tough Southwest division. This marks the fifth straight year the Grizzlies are in the playoffs, and the third straight year of 50 or more wins. This is the first meeting in the playoffs between the Blazers and Grizzlies. Memphis swept the regular season series, winning all four games.

Here's the date and times for the games in this series:
April 19 8:00 pm Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
April 22 8:00 pm Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
April 25 10:30 pm Memphis Grizzlies vs. Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
April 27 10:30 pm Memphis Grizzlies vs. Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
April 29 TBA Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies* FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
May 1 TBA Memphis Grizzlies vs. Portland Trail Blazers* Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
May 3 TBA Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies* FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

Both teams are coming into this series a little bit banged up, Portland more so than Memphis. In fact, nobody is more banged up that Portland. LaMarcus Aldridge has been playing hurt, Wesley Matthews is out for the season, Arron Afflalo will miss time with a shoulder injury, and Nicolas Batum, who hasn't been right all season long, picked up a right knee contusion recently. Had they been healthier, then I would have given the Blazers more of a chance. Don't get me wrong, Memphis is hurting a little too, but should be able to field a full team once the playoffs tip off. A solid starting five of Mike Conley, Courtney Lee, Tony Allen, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol are good enough. Yes they have added in guys like Vince Carter and Jeff Green, but they haven't really bolstered the offense in the way the team might have hoped. Still, the Grizz have a balanced roster that is capable of a deep postseason run.

Pick: Memphis in 5!

Eastern Conference
#1 Atlanta Hawks vs. #8 Brooklyn Nets
Atlanta comes in as the best team in the East, at least record wise, with a 60-22 mark, winning the Southeast division. This marks the 8th straight year for the Hawks making the post season, the first time the team has ever hit the 60 win mark and the first time they have won more than 50 games in a season since they won 53 games back in 2010. As for the Nets, they made the playoffs with a 38-44 record. It marks the 3rd straight year for the Nets in the post season, they have made it every years since they've been in Brooklyn. Their 38 wins is the lowest total the Nets have had since they left New Jersey. This is the first meeting in the playoffs between the Hawks and Nets. Atlanta swept all four meetings between the teams during the regular season.

Here's the dates and times for games in this series:
April 19 5:30 pm Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
April 22 7:00 pm Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
April 25 3:00 pm Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City, New York
April 27 TBA Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City, New York
April 29 TBA Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks* Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
May 1 TBA Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets* Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City, New York
May 3 TBA Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks* Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta had its best season in franchise history, yet somehow they still don't managed to get enough respect. I guess winning 60 games in the East isn't good enough eh? Well I think Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, DeMarre Carroll, Paul Millsap and Al Horford may have something to say about that. The Hawks rank sixth and eighth in offensive and defensive efficiency, respectively, per ESPN, and that shows that they are a balanced basketball team. he Brooklyn Nets managed to squeeze their way into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season but aren't exactly poised for an extended run. They are a below-average team on both ends of the floor and lack the stability of their first-round opponent.

Pick: Hawks in 4!

#2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #7 Boston Celtics
Cleveland comes into the post season with a 53-29 record, good enough for Cleveland to win the Central division. This marks the first time that the Cavs have made the playoffs since 2010 and the first time they have won fifty games or more since that same season. Boston comes in with a record of 40-42, making it the first time ever that the Celtics make the playoffs with a losing record. This is the 2nd time in the last 3 years for Boston in the post season, after missing the playoffs a year ago, and the 6th post season appearance in the last seven years. This is the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Boston winning four out of the first five meetings. The last meeting between the teams was the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals, a series which Boston won 4–2. During the regular season this year, the teams split the four games.

Here are the dates and times for the games in this series:
April 19 3:00 pm Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
April 21 7:00 pm Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
April 23 7:00 pm Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
April 26 1:00 pm Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
April 28 TBA Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers* Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
April 30 TBA Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics* TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
May 2 TBA Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers* Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland got off to a bit of a rocky start, but as the season progressed the team bought into coach David Blatt system and came into the playoffs hot, winning seven of their final ten games. At home this year, Cleveland lost only ten games, which again shows that having home court advantage could be a good think in this series. Plus when you have a starting five composed of Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Timofey Mozgov starting. Then throw in Anderson Varejao and Iman Shumpert coming off the bench, it makes nit tough for teams to play against. Boston came in closing out the season on a six game winning streak and won eight of the final ten games this season, which may make one start to wonder about the hopes of the Celtics in this series. As good as the starting five of Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Evan Turner, Brandon Bass and Tyler Zeller are, they are going to be outmatched by Cleveland.

Pick: Cavaliers in 5!

#3 Chicago Bulls vs. #6 Milwaukee Bucks
Chicago comes in with a 50-32 record, good enough for 2nd place in the Central Division this season. This marks the 1st time since 2012 that the Bulls have won 50 or more games. This also happens to be the 7th straight year in the post season for the Bulls, who last missed the playoffs in 2008. Milwaukee got into the playoffs right at .500, finishing the year at 41-41, finishing 3rd in the Central division. Their 41 wins are the most the Bucks have had since 2010, when they won 46 games. This marks the 2nd time in three years and 3rd time in the last six years that the Bucks are playing Basketball in the spring. This is the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Milwaukee winning two out of the first three meetings. Tghe last time these two clubs played in the playoffs was the 1990 Eastern Conference First Round, a series Chicago won 3–1. Chicago won three of the four regular season meetings between these teams.

Here's the dates and times for the games in this series:
April 18 7:00 pm Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls United Center, Chicago, Illinois
April 20 8:00 pm Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls United Center, Chicago, Illinois
April 23 8:00 pm Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
April 25 5:30 pm Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
April 27 TBA Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls* United Center, Chicago, Illinois
April 30 TBA Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks* BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
May 2 TBA Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls* United Center, Chicago, Illinois

Things didin't look too good for the Bulls earlier this year when Derrick Rose had to go under the knife again with knee surgery. Since then, Rose has come back into the fold and the Bulls are off and running. They won four straight and seven of their final ten games to close out the regular season, so Chicago is coming in hot. They have Rose, Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson coming off the bench to complement a starting five of Aaron Brooks, Tony Snell, Mike Dunleavy, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, its going to be a tough team to play against. Milwaukee has done well under coach Jason Kidd. Despite the midseason turmoil with Larry Sanders and the blockbuster trade that sent Milwaukee's best player, Brandon Knight, packing, the Bucks are a feel-good story this year, yet they are a couple of seasons away from being a legitimate contender. Milwaukee is terrific defensively but simply doesn't have enough offense to threaten the seasoned Bulls in a seven-game series.

Pick: Bulls in 6!

#4 Toronto Raptors vs. #5 Washington Wizards
Toronto won the Atlantic division for the 2nd year in a row, this time finishing the season with a 49-33 record. Those 49 wins were one better than last years 48, making it the first time the Raptors had back to back 40 plus win seasons since 2007 and 2008. It also makes the first time since 2007 and 08 that the Raptors have made the playoffs in back to back years. Washington finished the year at 46-36, good enough for 2nd in the Southeast division. This marks the 2nd straight year in the playoffs for the Wizards and the 2nd straight year of 40 plus wins. Washington hasn't done that since 2005-2008. This marks the first ever playoff meeting between Toronto and Washington. The Raptors won all three of the regular season meetings between the teams.

Here's the dates and times of the games in this series:
April 18 12:30 pm Washington Wizards vs. Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
April 21 8:00 pm Washington Wizards vs. Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
April 24 8:00 pm Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
April 26 7:00 pm Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
April 29 TBA Washington Wizards vs. Toronto Raptors* Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
May 1 TBA Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards* Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
May 3 TBA Washington Wizards vs. Toronto Raptors* Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This is a truly exciting matchup that will feature two contrasting styles, and it could go either way. Toronto swept the season series against Washington and has home-court advantage in the series, but these teams are evenly matched. This one was hard to make the pick, but at the end of the day I'm calling a bit of an upset.

Pick: Wizards in 6!

So there you have it, my predictions for the Opening round of the NBA Playoffs!

2015 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview

It's that time of the year again. The chase is on for the holy grail in professional hockey. Its been a long road to reach this point. Eight months and 1,230 regular season games later, we have reached this point. We started this journey with 30 teams all fighting for the prize, now sixteen are left standing. The second season is about ready to start. Yes that's right, the Stanley Cup playoffs have finally arrived. A few interesting storylines hit up this years playoffs. There will be a new champion crowned this season, as last years Champions the Los Angeles Kings missed the playoffs.The Winnipeg Jets made the playoffs for the first time since they relocated from Atlanta, but how far can they go? Calgary has made the playoffs for the first time since 09, the Islanders have made the playoffs for the 2nd time in 3 seasons but are they going to advance for the 1st time in 22 years? Does the Presidents Trophy mean a whole lot for the Rangers as we have hit the playoffs? So with all this in mind, here's how I see the first round of the playoffs going down.

First up is the Atlantic Division Champions the Montreal Canadiens going up against the Wild Card winning Ottawa Senators. The Montreal Canadiens finished first in the Atlantic division, earning 110 points. This marks the 2nd division title in three years for the Habs. This also marks the 3rd straight year and 10th time since 2000 that Montreal has made the post season. Montreal's 110 regular season points are the most they have picked up since 1988-89, when they rang up 115 points (that year they lost in the Finals to the Calgary Flames). As for the Senators, they finished the regular season as the Eastern Conference's first wild-card, earning 99 points. This marks the 3rd time in the last four years the Senators are playing hockey in the spring. This is the second playoff meeting for these teams; their only previous meeting was in the 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, which Ottawa won in five games. During the regular season this year, Ottawa took three of the four games between the clubs.

Here are the dates and times for each game in this series:
April 15 Ottawa Senators 7:00 p.m. Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre
April 17 Ottawa Senators 7:00 p.m. Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre
April 19 Montreal Canadiens 7:00 p.m. Ottawa Senators Canadian Tire Centre  
April 22 Montreal Canadiens 7:00 p.m. Ottawa Senators Canadian Tire Centre
April 24 Ottawa Senators TBD Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre
April 26 Montreal Canadiens TBD Ottawa Senators Canadian Tire Centre
April 28 Ottawa Senators TBD Montreal Canadiens

Ottawa is coming into this years playoffs red hot, winning six of their last ten games, and Ottawa has come down the stretch going 23-4-4 in their final 31 games. Most of what has gotten Ottawa here is they have been riding the back of Goalie Andrew Hammond, who has been playing out of his mind. Hammond has only one regulation loss, going 20-1-2 in his 24 games this season. It's going to be a very good matchup between Hammond and a guy who I'd go so far as to say might win MVP this season in Carey Price of Montreal. Ottawa has been riding the play of Hammond and its helped get more confidence going in the rest of the team, started getting production from across the lineup, especially from rookie forward Mark Stone, center Kyle Turris and defenseman Erik Karlsson. Stone has picked up points in the final twelve games of the season. As good as the Canadiens have been this year, they are going in at a bit of a disadvantage. Why? They are without the services of Max Pacioretty, who missed the final two games of the season with a concussion. Pacioretty was the Habs leading scorer with 37 goals, 67 points and a plus 30. Don't get me wrong Montreal has been a good team without Pacioretty, but not having him there is going to hurt their chances. Add in the fact that the senators are a red hot team, I'm calling an upset.

Pick: Senators in 7!

Next up is the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Detroit Red Wings, in a battle of Atlantic Division teams. The Tampa Bay Lightning finished second in the Atlantic division, earning 108 points, the most the franchise has ever earned in a single season. The previous record for the Lighting had been 106 points, something they did in 2004 the year they won the Stanley Cup. For the 24th straight year, the Detroit Red Wings are in the playoffs, as they got there by picking up 100 points on the season. This is the most points Detroit has picked up since 2012 when they collected 102 points. This is the first playoff meeting for these two teams, while Tampa Bay won three of the four games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the dates and times for the games in this series:
April 16 Detroit Red Wings 7:30 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
April 18 Detroit Red Wings 3:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
April 21 Tampa Bay Lightning 7:00 p.m. Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena
April 23 Tampa Bay Lightning 7:00 p.m. Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena 
April 25 Detroit Red Wings TBD Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
April 27 Tampa Bay Lightning TBD Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena
April 29 Detroit Red Wings TBD Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena

Yes its great to see the Red Wings back in the playoffs again, keeping this long streak going of playoff appearances. But what has to be a bit of a concern going into the post season is the fact that Detroit doesn't have a defined, set number one goalie going in. Most would think Jimmy Howard would have the job locked down, but that hasn't been the case. In fact, Petr Mrazek started the regular-season finale and made 35 saves in a 2-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. He started six of the final nine games of the season. This makes you wonder a bit considering the fact that Mrazek has yet to start a playoff game at this level, while Howard has 45 playoff starts under his belt. They will be going up against a somewhat banged up lighting team. Braydon Coburn missed the final 14 games of the season with a lower-body injury. Jason Garrison and Andrej Sustr missed the last six games of the season each with an upper-body injury. But all are expected back early in the round. Detroit is very very good, but they are going against the best offense in the entire NHL. Its going to be a somewhat close series, but a quick one at that.

Pick: Lightning in 5!

Now we have the Wild Card winners the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Presidents Trophy winning New York Rangers. The Rangers earned the Presidents' Trophy as the league's best regular season team, earning 113 points. Those 113 points the Rangers recorded were the most in franchise history, beating out the 112 points the team earned in the 1993-94 season. Ironically, that was the last time the Rangers won the Presidents Trophy, the very same year they claimed the Stanley Cup. The Pittsburgh Penguins finished as the Eastern Conference's second wild-card, earning 98 points. This is the sixth playoff meeting for these teams, with Pittsburgh having won the first four of the five previous series. Their most recent meeting was in the previous year's Eastern Conference Semifinals, which New York won in seven games. New York won three of the four games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the dates and times for the games in this series:
April 16 Pittsburgh Penguins 7:00 p.m. New York Rangers Madison Square Garden
April 18 Pittsburgh Penguins 8:00 p.m. New York Rangers Madison Square Garden
April 20 New York Rangers 7:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
April 22 New York Rangers 7:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
April 24 Pittsburgh Penguins TBD New York Rangers Madison Square Garden  
April 26 New York Rangers TBD Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
April 28 Pittsburgh Penguins TBD New York Rangers Madison Square Garden

If recent history has been any indication for the Rangers, this series may go the distance, the Rangers have won a series in fewer than seven games once since 2008, which covers six playoff wins. What is going to stand out in this series from a Rangers perspective is how well can Rick Nash actually perform? Nash had three goals in 25 playoff games last season because of a paltry shooting percentage (3.6 percent). He has five goals in 37 games with the Rangers over the past two playoffs and six goals with a 3.6 shooting percentage in 41 career games. He had a slowed scoring pace at the end of the season, which has to leave you worried about how well he can perform during this series. They also need to see some of the same effort from the role players on the team like they saw last year. Martin St. Louis and Chris Kreider are the only guys who scored more than 20 goals for the blueshirts, besides Rick Nash. But because the Defense has been as good as it has, the Rangers shouldn't have much of a problem The problem going into the series with the Penguins is how banged up they are. If they were healthier, then I would give them more of a chance. Yes they still have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but there isn't much else to be happy about. Oh and Marc-Andre Fleury hasn't looked the same in the playoffs since 2009.

Pick: Rangers in 6!

The final matchup in the Eastern Conference is a meeting of Metropolitan Division teams as its the New York Islanders going against the Washington Capitals. Washington finished second in the Metropolitan Division earning 101 points, the first time they have cracked the 100 point mark since 2010-11 when they collected 107 points. After missing the playoffs last year, Washington is back in for the 7th time in the last eight years. As for the Islanders, they also earned 101 points during the regular season, but they finished third in the Metropolitan Division as Washington won the second tie-breaker of head-to-head points. The last time the Islanders were able to pick up 100 or more points was 1984 when they grabbed 104. That year they fell to the Edmonton Oilers in the finals. The Islanders are still looking for their first win in a playoff series since 1993. This is the seventh playoff meeting for these teams, with New York having won five of the six previous series. Their most recent meeting was in the 1993 Patrick Division Semifinals, which New York won in six games. The teams split this year's four-game regular season series, with each team winning twice at home.

Here's the dates and times for the games in this series:
April 15 New York Islanders 7:00 p.m. Washington Capitals Verizon Center
April 17 New York Islanders 7:00 p.m. Washington Capitals Verizon Center
April 19 Washington Capitals 12:00 p.m. New York Islanders Nassau Coliseum
April 21 Washington Capitals 7:30 p.m. New York Islanders Nassau Coliseum
April 23 New York Islanders TBD Washington Capitals Verizon Center
April 25 Washington Capitals TBD New York Islanders Nassau Coliseum
April 27 New York Islanders TBD Washington Capitals Verizon Center

Both teams have been pretty even this season, each team managed to win both games on home ice during the regular season, which is why home ice may be critical in this one. There are some question marks for the Islanders going into this series. Can the Islanders stop the league's top-ranked power play that the Capitals have? The Islanders are near the bottom in penalty killing, which means thay are going to pretty much have to stay out of the box. Also they need to focus in on 52 goal scorer Alex Ovechkin. Braden Holtby is having a stronger season than Jaroslav Halak, which is something that could hurt the Isles. Halak was brought on board to sure up goaltending, which he as to a degree. If the Islanders hope to move on in this series, Halak needs to look like his 2010 self. I just have this feeling that, even though the Islanders are a little banged up, they can pull off the upset. Nobody is giving them much of a chance, and Washington has looked below average in the playoffs their last few times out. If the Islanders really pull this one off, they need a couple things to fall their way. We talked about Halak. The defense needs to get healthy and play up to par. From an offensive perspective, they rest of the team really needs to step up to the level of the teams best player in John Tavares. All of that should fall into place, once the team really gets healthy. Should be a good series.

Pick: Islanders in 7!

First matchup in the West we look at is the Central Division Champions the St. Louis Blues taking on the Wild Card winners the Minnesota Wild. St. Louis finished first in the Central division, earning 109 points. This marks the 3rd time in the last four years the Blues have cracked the 100 point mark in a season, winning the division crown for the 2nd time in the last four years. As for the Wild, they finished as the Western Conference's first wild-card, earning 100 points. This marks the first time in franchise history that the Wild have cracked the 100 point mark during the season, and the 3rd year in a row that the Wild have made the playoffs. This is the first playoff meeting for these two teams. The teams split this year's four-game regular season series, with each team winning once at home and once on the road.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
April 16 Minnesota Wild 9:30 p.m. St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
April 18 Minnesota Wild 3:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
April 20 St. Louis Blues 8:00 p.m. Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
April 22 St. Louis Blues 9:30 p.m. Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
April 24 Minnesota Wild TBD St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
April 26 St. Louis Blues TBD Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
April 29 Minnesota Wild TBD St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center

There a few things that stick out for me in this series, as its going to be a tough series, and a very even series between the two clubs. Minnesota has been the best team in the NHL the 2nd half of the season, a lot of that coming from the play of Devan Dubnyk. Dubnyk has solidified the goaltending position for the Wild, as he has gone 27-8-2 with a 1.73 goals-against average, .938 save percentage and five shutouts in 38 straight starts for the Wild. This performance has given confidence to the rest of the team, allowing it to rise to the occasion and have been one of the best scoring teams in the league. Providing the scoring punch for the Wild would be 20+ goal scorers Mikko Koivu, Chris Stewart and Nino Niederreiter. Throw in the playoff experience of Zach Parise, Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville, and you got yourself some offensive depth and punch. Add up the outstanding play of guys like Ryan Suter (who plays about a half hour a game almost) and Jonas Brodin, Minnesota is going to cause problems for the Blues. With St. louis I don't really trust the goaltending tandom just yet. Brian Elliott and Jake Allen don't really have much experience to run with. Allen was the backup last year to Ryan Miller, and saw just one minute of playing time. Elliott has played 18 games in the post season but that doesn't leave one with much confidence. Elliott would have the starting job because of past playoff experiense. From an offensive upside, with the way Vladimir Tarasenko (37 goals), Jaden Schwartz, David Backes, Alexander Steen ,T.J. Oshie and Paul Stastny have been playing it gives the Blues equal scoring depth with that of the Wild. Minnesota can go, but the depth of the Blues will win out here.

Pick: Blues in 6!

Next we have a battle of Central Division teams as the Chicago Blackhawks will travel to Music City to play the Nashville Predators. Nashville finished second in the Central Division, earning 104 points, marking only the 3rd time in team history that the Preds ever hit the 100 point mark (2010-100pts, 2012-104pts). This marks the first time in two years since the Preds last saw the playoffs, coming after three straight years of making it. Chicago earned 102 points during the regular season to finish third in the Central Division. This marks the 6th straight year for the Blackhawks in the post season and the and the 4th time in that stretch the team has hit the 100 point mark. This marks second playoff meeting for these teams, the last time being the 2010 Western Conference Quarterfinals, which Chicago won in six games. Chicago won three of the four games in this year's regular season series.

Here are the dates and times for the games in this series:
April 15 Chicago Blackhawks 8:30 p.m. Nashville Predators Bridgestone Arena
April 17 Chicago Blackhawks 9:30 p.m. Nashville Predators Bridgestone Arena
April 19 Nashville Predators 3:00 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
April 21 Nashville Predators 9:30 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
April 23 Chicago Blackhawks TBD Nashville Predators Bridgestone Arena
April 25 Nashville Predators TBD Chicago Blackhawks United Center
April 27 Chicago Blackhawks TBD Nashville Predators Bridgestone Arena

Had you told me this was going to be the opening round series by the all star break, I would have said I'd take Nashville in the series.  Why? Because at the time Pekka Rinne had been the best goalie in the league. Ever since he got hurt with that knee injury in late January, he hasn't quite been the same. Sure, Rinne finished with a 41-17-6 record, but in the 2nd half of year he was nowhere near as good as he had in the beginning of the season. Sure he's an outstanding goalie but, come playoff time, I trust the Blackhawks Corey Crawford a lot more in the playoffs. Crawford has won two cups with the Hawks and has proven that he can play in pressure situations in springtime. What is going to stand out for both teams is the offense. Chicago is going to have Patrick Kane back for game one of this series, as he has been cleared to play after missing the final 21 games with a shoulder injury. The Blackhawks were 12-8-1 without Kane, who had 64 points in 61 games before the injury. Chicago proved they still had scoring depth without him there. Think about it, they still have Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw and Marcus Kruger. Chicago has been fine without Kane, but with him back, they will be that much better. If Nashville is going to have a chance in this series, they need their scorers to step up and have an impact. Filip Forsberg has been having an outstanding rookie year, and combine that with the play of veterans like Mike Ribeiro, Colin Wilson, Mike Fisher and Craig Smith. This gives the Predators a little bit of balance and depth that can possibly hold its own against the Hawks. But here in lies the problem. Both teams have slumped a little heading into the playoffs. Chicago has come in losing four straight, while the Preds have lost six in a row. Nashville is looking now just like the Blues did a season ago, and it resulted in a first round playoff exit. Combine that with the play of the Blackhawks as a whole, its kind of easy to make the pick here.

Pick: Blackhawks in 6!

Then we have the best team in the West, the Pacific division winning Anaheim Ducks going up against the Wild Card team the Winnipeg Jets. Anaheim finished first in the Pacific division, earning 109 points. This marks the 3rd straight year and the 8th time in the last ten years that the team has made the post season. For the 2nd year in a row the Ducks have cracked the 100 point mark. As for the Winnipeg Jets, they finished as the Western Conference's second wild-card, earning 99 points. This marks the most points the franchise has ever had and the first time they have made the playoffs since the move from Atlanta. This is the first playoff meeting for these two teams. Anaheim won all three games in this year's regular season series.

Here are the dates and times for the games in this series:
April 16 Winnipeg Jets 10:30 p.m. Anaheim Ducks Honda Center
April 18 Winnipeg Jets 10:30 p.m. Anaheim Ducks Honda Center
April 20 Anaheim Ducks 9:00 p.m. Winnipeg Jets MTS Centre
April 22 Anaheim Ducks 9:30 p.m. Winnipeg Jets MTS Centre
April 24 Winnipeg Jets TBD Anaheim Ducks Honda Center
April 26 Anaheim Ducks TBD Winnipeg Jets MTS Centre
April 28 Winnipeg Jets TBD Anaheim Ducks Honda Center

This series is going to be an interesting one to say the least. Winnipeg has a lot of speed to burn. The line of Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler has carried the Jets since the move to Winnipeg four years ago. Those three guys have each bagged 20 or more goals this season, powering this team. They have good role players up front, with guys like Lee Stempniak, Jiri Tlusty, Drew Stafford and Michael Frolik. Coming off the back end is going to be Dustin Byfuglien. Big Buff has played both forward and defense and can hang with some of the big power forwards that the Ducks have. Throw in the size of Tyler Meyers, skills of Toby Enstrom and Jacob Trouba, the Jets have something to work with. What has to be a slight cause for concern here for the Jets is between the pipes. Ondrej Pavelec lost his starting job to rookie Michael Hutchinson. Pavelec was supposed to be THE GUY in the Winnipeg net, but has been a work in progress for a while now. His lack of playoff experience is cause for concern, especially considering what he's going up against in the Ducks Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf are leading the charge, with a little help from experienced forward Ryan Kesler. Anaheim depth up front includes Matt Beleskey, Jiri Sekac, Kyle Palmieri and Andrew Cogliano, will make it tough on the Jets. Sure Winnipeg will have jump and energy to feed off from the home crowd, but its not going to be enough.

Pick: Ducks in 6!

Last is the Pacific Division matchup between the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver finished second in the Pacific Division, earning 101 points. This marks the 7th time in the last decade that the Canucks have made the playoffs, and a bounce back season after missing the playoffs totally a season ago. These 101 points that the Canucks earned mark the 1st time in three years that they hit the mark, this coming after four straight years of 100 or more points. Calgary earned 97 points during the regular season to finish third in the Pacific Division. This marks the first playoff appearance for the Flames since 2008-09, a team that hasn't won a round in the postseason since going to the Finals in 2004. Those 97 points are the most the Flames have picked up since that 2009 playoff appearance. This is the seventh playoff meeting for these teams with Calgary having won four of the six previous series. Their most recent meeting was in the 2004 Western Conference Quarterfinals, which Calgary won in seven games. The teams split this year's four-game regular season series, with each team winning once at home and once on the road.

Here's the dates and times for the games in this series:
April 15 Calgary Flames 10:00 p.m. Vancouver Canucks Rogers Arena
April 17 Calgary Flames 10:00 p.m. Vancouver Canucks Rogers Arena
April 19 Vancouver Canucks 10:00 p.m. Calgary Flames Scotiabank Saddledome
April 21 Vancouver Canucks 10:00 p.m. Calgary Flames Scotiabank Saddledome
April 23 Calgary Flames TBD Vancouver Canucks Rogers Arena
April 25 Vancouver Canucks TBD Calgary Flames Scotiabank Saddledome
April 27 Calgary Flames TBD Vancouver Canucks Rogers Arena

This is probably going to be the most intriguing series of the opening round. Both teams played well down the stretch, and Calgary really surprised people by even making the playoffs this season. Goaltending could be an issue in this matchup. Calgary has a solid tandum in Jonas Hiller and Karri Ramo, but so to does Vancouver with Eddie Lack and Ryan Miller. Millers is the best goalie in this series, but after coming back from his injury, he hasn't been right in net. Lack has done a fine job taking over for him but is nowhere near playoff ready, at least not by comparison to Miller. Calgary is going to surprise a few people and force this series to the distance. Kris Russell, Dennis Wideman and Anton Volchenkov have played outstanding in front of Hiller this year, both from a defensive and an offensive perspective. Providing the Flames offensive punch has been the line of Jiri Hudler, Sean Monahan, and Johnny Gaudreau. The line scored 86 of Calgary's 237 goals and had 202 points. Lance Bouma, Joe Colborne, Josh Jooris and Markus Granlund have all stepped up to provide offensive touch. The difference here is going to be experience. Vancouver still has the Sedin twins, who happen to be the best one two scoring punch in the league. Throw in the likes of Alexandre Burrows, Chris Higgins, Nick Bonino, and Derek Dorsett you got plenty of depth to go around. As tough as Calgary is going to make this series, Vancouver has too much skill.

Pick: Canucks in 7!

The Blue Devils Rule College Hoops

For the fifth time in the history of the program the Duke Blue Devils were able to cut down the nets as National Champions. This title comes after a 68-63 win over the Wisconsin Badgers at Lucas Oil Stadium. This national title game had a little bit of everything. There were 13 lead changes in the first half alone, there were freshman leading the offensive charge. Oh and Duke overcame a nine-point second-half deficit and foul trouble to its two biggest stars to pull away with the crown. Of course, what would a title game be without a controversial call thrown in there too.

Duke freshmen guards Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen led the Blue Devils with 23 and 16 points, respectively. Duke held the largest lead of the opening half at six points. Wisconsin did not shoot well early, but managed 11 second chance points as they erased the deficit. At the half, the game was tied 31–31, marking the such tie since 1988. Wisconsin, which lead the nation in fewest committed fouls per game, recorded just two first half fouls. Duke meanwhile committed seven fouls. Jones and Allen really stepped up their game, mostly because Jahill Okafor sat the final 4:47 of the first half after picking up two fouls. Okafor had 10 points despite spending most of the second half on the bench, with foul issues. Okafor was outplayed by Badgers senior center Frank Kaminsky. Kaminsky finished with a double double, with 21 points and 12 rebounds. He played quite well, helping keep this Badgers team in this basketball game all night.

When the 2nd half started, Wisconsin came out hotter than Duke. Wisconsin scored first in the second half and held the lead for most of the half. Both Okafor and Justise Winslow spent extended periods on the bench due to foul trouble, which put Duke at their disadvantage, allowing the Badgers to grow their lead. By the time the game hit the 13:25 mark, Wisconsin had grown the lead to its largest of the day at nine points. Duke woke up at that point and began to narrow the gap. Even as Wisconsin was building a lead, the foul situation was reversing itself – by the 11:43, game fouls were even at 9 for each team. However, Okafor picked up his fourth foul at the 9:18 mark, sending him back to the bench. Duke looked to be in trouble with their best player sitting on the bench. This is where Tyrus Jones really started to pick up the slack and take the game over. Jones had 19 points in the second half as the Blue Devil guards got more aggressive in driving to the basket. This hard charging offense by Duke started to throw Wisconsin off their game, as the Badgers started getting called for more fouls. Jones wasn't the only Blue Devil who asserted his will in the 2nd half, Grayson Allen did the same thing. Hell at one point Allen had outscored the Badgers 8-3 in the 2nd half.

Then we got hit with a little controversy. With 1:53 left, a loose ball went out of bounds and the officials initially ruled that Wisconsin’s Bronson Koenig touched it last, awarding the ball to Duke. After a length replay review, the officials announced that the call would stand even though it appeared that the ball may have been last touched by Duke's Justise Winslow instead. Here's the picture proof (Courtesy of USA Today Sports). You can clearly see in the picture hitting the ball going off Winslow's finger. The vine and videos that have shown this same shot online have backed up the opinion that the call was wrong. According to reports from Yahoo! Sports, many were perplexed (and rightfully so) by the officials explanation of the call that "they just couldn't see anything." How could you not see anything. the video shows the ball going off his finger? Human fingers don't bend that way on their own. I understand that the officials are humans and that they are going to make mistakes, its human nature. But come on this was obvious that the ball hit off Winslow and the ball should have gone back to the Badgers. The ball went back to Duke and on the ensuing possession, freshman Tyus Jones drilled a three-pointer to extend Duke’s lead to eight and all but put an end to the Badgers’ title dreams.

This championship win is the fifth in nine trips to the title game for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and his third championship won in the city of Indianapolis. Duke had done it twice before, beating the Kansas Jayhawks in 1991 and then beating the Butler Bulldogs in 2010. Mike Krzyzewski just broke a tie with legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp, who won four NCA titles at Kentucky and is now second only to John Wooden, who won the tournament 10 times at UCLA. The Blue Devils are now tied with Indiana and archrival North Carolina with five championships, trailing only Kentucky (eight) and UCLA (11) in college basketball history. Wisconsin was playing in its first championship game since winning the title in 1941, the third year of the NCAA tournament's existence.

When the tournament was over, the all tournament team was named. Sam Dekker of Wisconsin, Frank Kaminsky of Wisconsin, Andrew Harrison of Kentucky, Justise Winslow of Duke and the Most Outstanding Player of the entire tournament in Tyus Jones of Duke were named to the all tournament team.

Congratulations to the Duke Blue Devils for winning their 5th National Title in the sport of basketball in school history!

2015 MLB Season Preview

The time has arrived, Major League Baseball is set to go with the 2015 season. This marks the first full season with Rob Manfred as Commissioner of Baseball. We're coming off a season last year in which the Giants knocked off the surprising Kansas City Royals in the World Series. Kansas City beat a surprise Baltimore team in the ALCS. Going into this season, we have some new faces managing teams in Houston (A.J. Hinch), Texas (Jeff Banister), Arizona (Chip Hale), Minnesota (Paul Molitor), Tampa Bay (Kevin Cash) and the Chicago Cubs (Joe Madden). Baltimore, Detroit and the Angels are all trying to reclaim their division crowns, while Kansas City and Oakland are looking to get back into the playoffs as well. same can be said for Washington, St. Louis and the Dodgers winning their divisions. Pittsburgh and San Francisco want to get back in as well. Some teams, like Seattle, Boston and San Diego got a lot better. Then you have teams like Philadelphia, Texas and Arizona who either didn't improve at all or got worse. So there's a lot that has changed around the game heading into the new season.

Spring training is done. Rosters are now set. Teams are ready to rock and roll. With all that being said, here's our predictions for the 2015 Major League Baseball Season.

AL West
1. Seattle Mariners *
Here's a team who just last year missed the playoffs by one game. Just one game. This year will be a much different story. Kyle Seager, Robinson Canó and Dustin Ackley had powered the offense a season ago. Now you can add in the home run champion from a season ago in the form of Nelson Cruz, who by the way is coming off a 40 home run 108 RBI season last year. I know Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a little more of a hitter friendly park than Safeco Field, but he still adds more of a pop to that batting order. And throw in a solid starting rotation that has guys like Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton, Taijuan Walker, and J.A. Happ, it makes for a tough rotation to go against. Seattle will look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001 when they won 116 games.

2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim* (WC)
The Defending AL West champs are going to be right in the thick of things again in 2015. Things may look a little different for the Angels this year, because Howie Kendrick isn't on the club anymore, Josh Rutledge will now be playing 2nd base. Throw in the fact also that Josh Hamilton isn't available at the moment because he has some off the field issues he has to take care of and it makes for some interesting dynamics for this Anaheim team. This team can still hit despite those guys not being there, they do have the AL MVP in the lineup in Mike trout, who may be the best player in the game right now.Even though he is nearing the end of his career, Albert Pujols can still be very productive, he had 28 homers and 105 RBI last year. They have a solid pitiching staff with Jered Weaver, Garrett Richards, C.J. Wilson, Matt Shoemaker, and Andrew Heaney. They are a good team but it won't be enough to overtake Seattle.

3. Oakland Athletics
GM Billy Beane did quite a job rebuilding his baseball club from a season ago. there are only 12 guys left from last years opening day roster that are on the team right now. The teams heavy hitters of Brandon Moss and Josh Donaldson are both no longer in Oakland. So Beane tried to replace that production by bringing in guys like Ike Davis, Brett Lawrie and Billy Butler will need to play to their potential if the offense is going to bounce back. Pitching is going to play a factor for the A's as well. Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir, the teams two aces from last year, are back at the top of the rotation, which is great news for the A's. Its the back end of the rotation, with Jesse Hahn, Drew Pomeranz and Kendall Graveman that have me worried about Oakland. The offense still has some pop to it but not enough to stay alive in this division.

4. Houston Astros
It's been a bit of a rough go for the Astros, who haven't had a winning season since 2008. last year looks like a step in the right direction for the Astros who won 19 more games than they did the year before. This year's club looks a little better than last years did. Chris Carter lead the team in the power department with 37 homers and Jose Altuve was the best hitter in the AL, winning the batting crown. Add in Evan Gattis and Jed Lowrie to this offense and it could lead to a few more wins. Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh and Brett Oberholtzer are going to lead a decent pitching staff that will help Houston Improve.

5. Texas Rangers
Last year was a rough one for the Rangers, as they finished dead last in the AL West. In fact, last year was the worst finish for the Rangers in the West since they finished 4th in 2007. Prince Fielder was hurt last year with the neck injury, limiting him to just 42 games. So having him back and healthy this year will be a big boost to that Rangers lineup. Throw in his pop plus the offensive punch of Adrian Beltre, Shin-Soo Choo and Mitch Moreland, you might have some offensive punch to work with. The problem here is going to be the pitching. Yu Darvish will miss the year because he has Tommy John Surgery. Bringing in Yovani Gallardo and Ross Detwiler may provide some stability but it doesn't look like much else for Texas, which is why the Rangers are going to have a rough year again this season.

AL Central
1. Detroit Tigers*
This will be the 5th straight year that the Tigers win the division. Offensive production won't be a problem with this Tigers baseball team. Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez will once again be powering the team. Throw in a good hitter, and very solid defensive outfielder in Yoenis Cespedes, it will make for a good Tigers ballclub. The question marks with Detroit is going to be the pitching staff. Losing Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello will hurt the Tigers, but the trio of David Price, Anibal Sanchez and Justin Verlander still has a chance to be formidable. The big problem here is again going to be the bullpen. Yes they have a full season of Joakim Soria, but Joe Nathan looked shakey at times last year and don't even get me started with Joba Chamberlain. Still even though this team is getting older, and with so many other teams in the division on the rise heading into this year, it'll be the toughest division to play in but I think Detroit has enough to squeak out another division title.

2. Chicago White Sox* (WC)
One team that really made a splash, and a big one at that, in the offseason was the Chicago White Sox. Here's a club who finished 2nd to last in the Central a year ago, and they're looking to rebuild and try to win now. Jose Abreu and Alexei Ramirez lead the power department for the White Sox last season, both of whom will be counted on to come up big again this year. Now you can add into the mix the pop in the bats from Adam LaRoche and Melky Cabrera and it gives Chicago something to build off from an offensive perspective. The front end of the pitching rotation is rock solid, being lead by Chris Sale, Jeff Samardzija and John Danks. After that though, its a bit of a toss up. That back of the rotation is the big question mark, the eventual arrival of Carlos Rodon could possibly help sure that up. Till then who knows. They have a decent closer in Dave Robertson and it could give the Sox something to build off of.

3. Cleveland Indians
Last year, the tribe had a sparkling month of August and managed to climb their way back into the playoff race, coming up just short of their goals. The starting rotation in Cleveland of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Gavin Floyd and Danny Salazar is going to be a tough one to go up against. What Cleveland really needs to happen this year is have the offense step up. They did get solid production last year from Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley, but Nick Swisher had a down year a season ago. Swisher played in just 97 games last year, well below what he normally plays in a given season. So this year he has to be able to come back healthy and be productive. Same thing goes for Jason Kipnis too. But adding a decent bat like Brandon Moss will make an impact on this baseball team.

4. Kansas City Royals
Talk about a team really coming out of nowhere. Last year, Kansas City came within a game of beating Detroit for the Division and rode that all the way to an American League Pennant. Despite the fact that they hit thew fewest home runs in the American League, it was speed and overall hitting that got them all the way to the fall classic. What got the Royals to the big dance was defense, base-stealing and a dominant bullpen. What still going to end up hurting the Royals is the lack of offensive punch, which some thought would hurt them last year too. The starting rotation of Yordano Ventura, Jason Vargas, Edinson Volquez, Danny Duffy and Jeremy Guthrie, which makes up a fine rotation. I think, even though he didn't pitch very well late in the season last year, James Shields not being there is going to be felt a bit. Don't get me wrong the Royals are a good team but its just the other teams around them have gotten just that much better.

5. Minnesota Twins
Once again the Twins will be bringing up the rear in this division. Sure Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier will again pack some offensive punch. Sure bringing back Tori Hunter to play right field will be a lift for this Twins franchise. What's going to kill them is their starting rotation. That rotation was the weakest in the entire division. I know Ervin Santana was brought in to help out but it won't do much, the Twins still finish in dead last.

AL East
1. Boston Red Sox*
A rough go of it last year in beantown. Coming off their 2013 World Series title, the Red Sox had a major dropoff, going 72-90. David Ortiz was the only one powering the Boston offense last year, with 34 homers and 104 RBI's. Nobody else hit more than 20 homers or drove in more than 70 runs. This year will be a different year. I know the starting rotation doesn't have a true ace, but their five starters of Rick Porcello, Clay Buchholz, Wade Miley, Justin Masterson and Joe Kelly are more than capable of being able to shut other teams down. Not having a true ace isn't going to kill this Red Sox pitching staff. On Offense, Boston can hang with anybody in the AL this year. Sure they still have Big Papi, even though Orttiz is 39 years old, he can still be productive, we saw that last year. This years club has retooled and has talent around him in the lineup. The additions of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, as well as a full season from Mookie Betts, could give them the highest-scoring offense in the league.

2. Baltimore Orioles
Last years AL East Champions didn't do much this offseason. In fact, the Orioles didn't do ANYTHING this offseason. Hell they lost players. Yes they did bring in Travis Snider and Everth Cabrera, but it wasn;t enough to offset the losses of talented players like Nelson Cruz, Nick Markakis and Andrew Miller. They will get Manny Machado and Matt Wieters back, same thing with Chris Davis. The solid starting rotation of Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen, Bud Norris, Miguel Gonzalez and Kevin Gausman is going to be pretty good. Wqhat may cost the Orioles this season is the fact that they stayed pat over the winter by comparison to other teams in their division. They still have enough talent to squeak out ahead of the Jays in this division

3. Toronto Blue Jays
I can see this team being really on the rise this season, so much so they may even possibly move past the Orioles in the division this season. Toronto has talent on this team that's for sure. From an offensive perspective, the Jays have a solid lineup headed up by ose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Reyes. Now they added more pop to their bats by bringing in Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin. Putting Devon Travis at 2nd base will be an upgrade over last year, that I have no doubt. The starting rotation of Drew Hutchison, R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris has some promise to it. If Norris and Sanchez can pitch up to expectations then it should be alright. The big weakness for the Jays is still there bullpen and from all indications they haven't done much of anything to address the issues, so that could still hold them back this season.

4. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays stumbled badly a season ago, this coming after making the playoffs in 2013 and having a fine year. Leading the charge for the Rays was Evan Longoria, who had 20 homers and 93 RBI, by far the most productive hitter in the Tampa lineup. Rene Rivera is replacing Jose Molina behind the plate. Logan Forsythe was added at second and so was John Jaso as the DH. The biggest problem for Rays is that they don’t have the backup plans to deal with worst-case scenarios effectively. They have an OK rotation that consists of Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly, Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, and Nathan Karns. By comparison to the rest of the teams ahead of them in the division, Tampa has real long odds. They'll be luck to finish around 500 this season.

5. New York Yankees
It's surprising to see the Yankees down this far in the division but that's the way it is. They could pass the Rays in the standings depending on how well they. The problem is this division is so weak that any team has an outside chance to walk away with the crown. From an offensive perspective, the Yankees don't have the firepower anywhere close to what they used to have. The top power hitters were McCann and Texiara who each had over 20 homers. But the problem here with the Yankees offense is that they are all a year older and are getting slower. Sure Alex Rodriguez is back in the lineup and they have added Chase Headley to the mix, but even Chase isn’t enough to save an offense that was comfortably below-average last year. The Yankees pitching rotation is nothing to be feared either. Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and Adam Warren do leave a lot to be desired in the Bronx this year. Lets face facts there are too many question marks surrounding a team that doesn't appear to be getting any younger. Sorry but its another year of missing the playoffs in the Bronx.

Cy Young: Chris Sale, White Sox

MVP: Mike Trout, Angels

ALCS: Mariners over Red Sox

NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers*
This will mark the 3rd year in a row that the Dodgers will claim the NL West crown. The last two years, they have been ousted by the Cardinals in the playoffs. This year may be a different story. Adrian Gonzalez will once again be counted on to power the offense in LA. Gone are Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, Dee Gordon, Dan Haren and a number of relievers. But they added new pieces to keep on plugging away. Carl Crawford will have a bigger role. Jimmy Rollins is now the new shortstop and Howie Kendrick was brought in to play 2nd base. Throw Yasmani Grandal behind the plate to catch, while Joc Pederson is going to be counted on to hold it down in Center field. Oh and did we mention the fact that they have a hell of a starting rotation. Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu (hurt), Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson make up a pretty good rotation. Sure there are still a few questions that surround the bullpen, but this team is still good enough to take the division.

2. San Diego Padres* (WC)
This is a club, who much like the Chicago White Sox, made a lot of noise in the offseason adding players. San Diego had only one player a year ago drive in more than 50 runs, that being Jedd Gyorko. Now the outfield has totally be retooled, adding in the likes of Justin Upton, Will Myers and Matt Kemp. You can also add in new faces like Derek Norris behind the plate and Will Middlebrooks over at 3rd base. Lets also not forget about the pitching staff that consists of James Shields, Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, Ian Kennedy, Brandon Morrow/Odrisamer Despaigne. Adding a guy like Shields bolsters that staff tremdously, but Shields may not show up in a big game situation when you may really need him to come through, we saw that in the playoffs last season. This team will be vastly improved to the point where they could see postseason baseball for the first time since 2006.

3. San Francisco Giants
It really is hard to go against the defending World Champions, but if history has shown in their last two reigns as world champs, they have missed the playoffs the following years. The infield is basically the same as it was a season ago, with one change in that Casey McGehee is now at 3rd, with Pablo Sandoval now in Boston. Norichika Aoki was brought in to split left field duties with Michael Morse. The offense doesn't scare anybody like some of the other teams so it will be interesting to see what happens in this regards. San Francisco's pitching staff has been one of its strengths, but this year, it looks like a serious enough question to doubt them. Madison Bumgarner is a stud, but Jake Peavy and Tim Hudson are another year older, Matt Cain is a wild card coming back from a pair of surgeries, and Tim Lincecum is a shell of what he once was.

4. Colorado Rockies
Health has been an issue for this baseball team for quite a while. Colorado can just never seem to stay healthy at all. Troy Tulowitzki, Justin Morneau, Carlos Gonzalez and Nolan Arenado make a fearsome middle of the order, and they have worthwhile hitters at the top of the order, too. Health again stands to be the issue with this baseball team. One thing that worries me is this pitching staff in Denver. Jorge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, Jordan Lyles, Tyler Matzek and Eddie Butler make up a poultry pitching staff out in Colorado. Here's the big problem with the Rockies, they're all offense and a team that is all offense, no-pitching won't be a contender. It's as simple as that.

5. Arizona Dimaondbacks
Much like the Rockies, the Diamondbacks have a lack of offense. Paul Goldschmidt and Mark Trumbo are the big offensive threats in this lineup, but that's about it. Their offense has a chance to be a plus, but they don't have the pitching to contend. While Josh Collmenter had a nice year last year, he's not an ace. Jeremy Hellickson, Josh Collmenter, Rubby De La Rosa, Chase Anderson and Archie Bradley head up a staff that leave a lot to be desired.

NL Central
1. St. Louis Cardinals *
I don't know how they manage to do it but year in and year out the Cardinals always find a way to be tops in the division. They had enough talent on offense to stay the course and be in the fight for the title all season long. Then the Cards go out and add Jason Heyward to the mix and the guy can hit. Their batting order is one of the more balanced in all of basebally, which explains why the Cards have missed the playoffs only four times since 2000. They have the offense and they have the pitching. Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, John Lackey, Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez make up an intimidating pitching staff. There are two question marks with the pitching staff. One is the health of Adam Wainwright. He started to faulter a little bit towards the end of last season. St. Louis kept an eye on him during spring training, so he could be good to go. The other question is the stability of Carlos Martinez as the 5th starter, as he hasn't really proven himself yet. Still this team is deep enough to be able to rock and roll over the Central.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates* (WC)
Pittsburgh is coming off back to back playoff years, hoping to make it for the 3rd straight season. What makes the Pirates dangerous is their core players, guys like Josh Harrison, Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen. Not only do they have that solid core in place, the influx of young talent like Gerrit Cole, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco should help offset the loss of Russell Martin will be a big help. To complement that solid batting order, the pitching staff is just as good looking. Its comprised of Francisco Liriano, A.J. Burnett, ace in waiting Gerrit Cole, Jeff Locke, and Charlie Morton, Pittsburgh is going to have a tough lineup to go against for anybody else in the league.

3. Chicago Cubs
This team is right on the doorstep of finally breaking out of a playoff drought and making it to the next level. The core is in place on the North Side of Chicago. Anthony Rizzo is the anchor of the offense, as he hit 20 homers in 2013 and 32 last year, so he is hands down the big bat in the lineup. So to is star shortstop Starlin Castro, who is a three time all star. Both guys are just 25 years old. Dexter Fowler is a fine leadoff hitter, Jorge Soler is getting set to become a star, and they have depth with the likes of Tommy La Stella and Miguel Montero. That's just the offense, there's pitching to go along with it. The biggest name in that staff is the newly added John Lester, who they forked over #155 million for. He joins a solid staff that includes Jake Arrieta, Travis Wood, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks. This team is going to have blips, that's expected for a very young club. But they are heading in the right direction and are going to be a bigtime threat very, very soon.

4. Milwaukee Brewers
This is a team who seems to be on a slight decline, but have talent on this baseball club. What happened to this Brewers team a year ago is a bit surprising, as they lead the Central from opening day right till August 31st, when they were overtaken by the Cards. Milwaukee has a good offensive lineup, powered by Jonathan Lucroy, Carlos Gomez and Ryan Braun. They have an OK pitching staff, comprised of Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza, Wily Peralta, Mike Fiers and Jimmy Nelson, with Francisco Rodriguez closing games. But K-Rod gave up 14 homers in 68 innings last season, so hopes aren't very high. Then the Brewers traded away mainstay starters Marco Estrada (for Lind) and Yovani Gallardo (for prospects), and they lost key lefty reliever Zach Duke to free agency. There's not too much depth on this team, and the three teams ahead of them in the Division race got better while the Brew Crew didin't do too much.

5. Cincinnati Reds
It was a tough 2014 season for the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds offense was hit hard by injuries and overall ineffectiveness from star players like Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips. Sure Todd Fraser had a good year with 20 homers and 89 RBI, but having him be the only hitter on the team won't cut it this year, not in this division. Cincinnati does have a quality pitching staff that consists of Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Anthony DeSclafani, Jason Marquis and Raisel Iglesias. They still have some guy named Aroldis Chapman closing games for this team, and the guy is very very good when healthy. This Reds team is very capable of winning around 90 games and contending in the division, but based on what happened last year, there isn't much hope for the Reds this season.

NL East
1. Washington Nationals*
Here we have probably the most balanced team in all of the National League, outside of maybe the Dodgers. What is going to carry this baseball has that nobody else can bolster is a dominate starting rotation. This rotation consists of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister. How often do you get a strikeout king ion Strasberg and a pair of twenty game winners in Max Scherzer and Gio Gonzalez? Yes Washington has the best ipitching staff, on paper at least, in the league. Offensively, a healthy season from Ryan Zimmerman would provide a shot in the arm, and it still seems like only a matter of time before Bryce Harper turns in a monster year. They're an easy pick to win the division here.

2. Miami Marlins
Here's a surprise team this year in the East. Miami had a good run last year in the 2nd half before falling just short.   is still THE threat in this lineup, finishing last year with 37 homers, most of them moon shots, and 105 RBI before he got hurt when he was hit by a pitch. Stanton, when healthy, is worth every penny of the 14-year, $325-million contract he got over the winter. But with Miami, there is more to really like about this baseball team. They added depth in the outfield, with Marcell Ozuna in center and Gold Glove winner Christian Yelich in left. Michael Morse, Dee Gordon, Martin Prado and Ichiro Suzuki were added to the mix offensively. Throw in the fact that they have a decent pitching staff with the likes of Henderson Alvarez, Jarred Cosart, Mat Latos, Dan Haren and Tom Koehler, this could be a good team. And the pitching staff doesn't even have their best pitcher in Jose Fernandez. Imagine how much better they will be with him back.

3. New York Mets
This team drives me crazy but it will be an improved baseball team with a little bit of hope. This pitching staff in Queens gives Mets fans a lot of hope. Bartolo Colon, a returning Matt Harvey, Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom, Jonathon Niese and Dillon Gee make up a pretty damn good pitching staff. Not having Zach Wheeler around could be a bit of a problem, as Wheeler is done for the year with the same Tommy John Surgery that cost the Mets Harvey last year. Still I think this pitching staff may be the only one in the division that can stay on par with that of Washington, or come close to it anyway. What has me worried with the Mets is the offense. yes they added Michael Cuddyer but I don't know if its going to be enough. There are quite a few question marks with this team. Will David Wright return to form? Can Michael Cuddyer stay healthy? Is Wilmer Flores the answer at shortstop? They still look to be a year away at this point, but they could surprise.

4. Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves had the second-worst offense in baseball last season, and after trading off the likes of Justin Upton, Jason Heyward and Evan Gattis, things figure to get worse before they get better. The trio of Julio Teheran, Alex Wood and Shelby Miller should anchor the rotation for years to come, and their wheelings and dealings this winter brought in a ton of young talent, but 2015 could be a long year.

5. Philadelphia Phillies
At one point in the not-too-distant past, having Ryan Howard at first base and Chase Utley at second was a decided advantage. But oh how the landscape has changed in Philadelphia. The Phillies went from 2003-12 without a losing season. Now, with an aging and injured core, they are coming off back-to-back 89-loss seasons – with the very realistic possibility that this year will be worse.

Cy Young: CVlayton Kershaw, Dodgers

MVP: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins

NLCS:  Dodgers over Nationals

Finally World Series: Dodgers over Mariners

There you have it our predictions for the 2015 Major League Baseball Season!