2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1

At long last the wait is over. Every hockey fans favorite time of the year has finally arrived. Yes that's right the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to get underway this week. After a tough 48 game schedule the top 16 teams in the NHL are set and we have the opening round playoff matchups set to go. As has been done in the past on this blog, we will break down each and every playoff series and pick the winners. So on that note here we go with the predictions of the opening round and we start out West.

To start things off we have the #1 Chicago Blackhawks taking on the #8 Minnesota Wild. For the Hawks this is their 5th straight trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the 2nd time in that span they have come in as Central Division Champions. last time the Hawks won their division, they went on to win the Cup in 2010. In team history, Chicago has played in ten Stanley Cup Finals, winning the cup four times. As for the Minnesota Wild, this will be the four playoff appearance in team history. The team went to the Conference finals in 2003 and were eliminated in the first round in 2007 and 2008. This is the first playoff meeting for these two teams. Chicago won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

What got Chicago this far has been a good balance of solid goaltending and a high powered offense. Cory Crawford and Ray Emery had the lowest combined goals against in the league, while Patrick Kane, Jonathan Towes and Marian Hossa each had over 30 points to power the offense. Minnesota has had Zach Parise Mikko Koivu and Ryan Sutter lead the charge on offense, while Niklas Backstrom held down the fort in net. Minnesota will put up an ok fight and may take a game at home but this series looks like a cake walk I'll take the Hawks in five games.

Next up we have the #2 Anaheim Ducks taking on the #7 Detroit Red Wings. This will be the 9th playoff appearance in history for the Ducks and their 6th since the last lockout. Anaheim has been tot he finals twice, loosing in 2003 to the Devils and beating Ottawa in 2007. Interesting note, the last time the Ducks won the Central Division was in 2007 and we know how that year finished for the team. As for the Red Wings, this will be the 22nd straight year that they are making the playoffs. The last time Detroit missed the playoffs was in 1990. Detroit has played in the Finals a total of 24 times, winning the Cup on 11 occasions (their last title coming in 2008). This is the sixth playoff meeting for these two teams, with the Red Wings having won three of the five previous series. The most recent meeting of these teams was in the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals, which Detroit won in seven games. Detroit won two of the three games in this year's regular season series. 

During the Regular season, Detroit had only ten players hit double digits in points, with Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk leading the way with over 40 points each. Anaheim had 15 guys score double digits in points  with Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Cory Perry each scoring over 30 points. Detroit showed during the year that they still have something left in the tank, but it seems obvious to most that the Wings aren't as good or dominant as they used to be. Detroit may take a game at the Joe in this series, but I'll take the Ducks to dispatch them in five.

Now we have a look at the #3 Vancouver Canucks getting set to play the #6 San Jose Sharks. This will mark the sixth time in the last eight years the Canucks have made the playoffs. Ironically every time in that span the Canucks have made the playoffs, they have done so by winning the Northweast division. In every trip to the playoffs the Canucks have had, they have gone as far as the second round every time. Only time they went farther than round two was in 2011 when they lost to Boston in the finals. Vancouver has made three trips to the finals in franchise history (1982, 1994, 2011) and they have lost in the finals every time. As for the San Jose Sharks, in the 21 year history they have only missed the playoffs five times. San Jose has made three trips to the West finals, and have never played in the Stanley Cup Finals. e. This is the second playoff series between these two teams, with the only previous meeting being the 2011 Western Conference Final, where Vancouver defeated San Jose in five games. San Jose won all three games in this year's regular season series.

Vancouver has been lead on offense as always by Daniel and Henrik Sedin, as both guys had over 40 points during the regular season. What has me a little worried about the Canucks is that their goalie tandom of Cory Schenider and Roberto Luongo have been good but not nearly as good as in years past. San Jose has also had a little trouble in that they haven't been as good as in years past. The difference is the Sharks have been getting better goaltending from Antti Niemi and San Jose has a bit more balanced scoring than Vancouver. The Canucks will make it a good series don't get me wrong, but San Jose is the better team and the Sharks will take the series in six games.

The final series in the opening round in the West has the #4 St Louis Blues taking on the #5 Los Angeles Kings. For the Blues this is only the 3rd time in the last eight seasons, and 2nd year in a row, they have made the playoffs. In their first three years of existence, the Blues lost three straight Stanley Cup Finals and they haven't been back since. As for the Kings they are the defending Stanley Cup Champions, and this is their fourth straight year in the playoffs. Los Angeles has played in the finals twice, winning the Cup last year. and losing in 1993 to Montreal. This is the fourth playoff series between these two teams, with St. Louis having won two of the three previous series. The most recent meeting was the previous year's Western Conference Semifinal, in which the Kings swept the Blues out of the playoffs. Los Angeles won all three games in this year's regular season series.

Both teams struggled from the start of the year but have turned things around. Los Angeles got healthy again and are back on the right track. Jonathan Quick is playing like his old self again after a rough start to the season, while Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and Anze Kopitar are leading the offensive charge. St Louis on the other hand struggled a bit more than the Kings did. Despite a goaltending carosel in St Louis, Brian Elliot appears to have taken the lead in net heading into the playoffs. St. Louis has figured out their netminding and defense but I don't feel they have as much offensive punch as they did last year. St Louis will take a couple of games in the series but I'll take LA in six.

So that's how I see the West playing out. Moving along, here are my predictions for the East and we start with the #1 Pittsburgh Penguins playing the #8 New York Islanders. For the Islanders, this marks only the fifth time since 2000 they will have made the playoffs, and the first trip to the post season since 2007. The Islanders haven't gotten out of the opening round of the playoffs since 1993. The franchise has made five appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals, winning four straight cups and losing on the fifth try to the Oilers. Meanwhile this marks the 6th year in a row the Penguins have made the playoffs. Actually since the 1988-989 season the Penguins have only missed the playoffs five times. Pittsburgh has played in four Stanley Cup finals, losing in 2008 to Detroit but winning the cup in 1991, 1992 and 2009.This is the fourth playoff meeting for these two teams, with the Islanders having won all three of the previous playoff series. Their most recent meeting was in the 1993 Patrick Division Final, where New York defeated the Pittsburgh in seven games. The Penguins won four of the five games in this year's regular season series. 

This series is going to be intense and physical. The Islanders have been riding goalie Evgeni Nabakov most of the year and he has played great most of the year. Leading the charge on offense has been John Tavares Matt Moulson and Brad Boyes. If the Islanders want to have any chance at all of pulling off the upset, they need to get their role players going, and secondary scoring has got to come into play bigtime for New York. Pittsburgh has been without its best player in Sidney Crosby for the last month or so due to injury but it looks like he will be back in time for the opener. With him out its been the guys like Brendan Morrow, Jarome Iginla, Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin that have been leading the charge. If the Pens want to move on to the next round then Marc-Andre Fleury is going to have to play like his former self come playoff time or this could be bad for the Pens. The Islanders surprised a lot of people just by making the playoffs. The luck will run out however. New York may pick up a game or two in this series but I'm taking the Penguins in five.

Next up we will look at the #2 Montreal Canadiens taking on the #7 Ottawa Senators. For the Canadiens, the leagues oldest and most storied franchise, this will be the 6th playoff appearance for the team in the last eight years. Montreal has played in 29 Stanley Cup finals winning the crow 24 times (their last one coming in 1993). Meanwhile the Ottawa Senators have missed the playoffs a total of six times since coming into the league in 1993. Since the last lockout Ottawa has missed the playoffs only twice, 2009 and 2011. This is the first playoff series between these two teams, and the first playoff series between teams from Montreal and Ottawa since 1928, when the Montreal Maroons defeated the original Ottawa Senators in the Canadian Division Quarterfinals. Each team won two of the four games in this year's regular season series.

During the regular season Ottawa had the lowest goals against total in the Eastern Conference, mostly on the strength of the outstanding play of Erik Karlson and Craig Anderson. Both guys missed significant playing time during the season due to injury, but they are both back and healthy and the Sens are starting to clicking at the right time. Montreal has been playing steady solid hockey all season. Carey Price has had a few moments where he has played below par, but for the most part he has been playing the way people expect him to. The Habs have been getting pretty balanced scoring throughout the year, and with P K Subban and Max Pacioretty leading the charge Montreal has been rolling most of the year. Ottawa is going to put up a fight and the series goes six easy, but I'll take Montreal in six in the series.

Next up we have the #3 Washington Capitals taking on the #6 New York Rangers.  For the Capitals this will mark the 6th year in a row they have made the playoffs. Sadly in those years Washington has not been able to get past the 2nd round of the playoffs. Washington's best year came in 1998 when they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals before losing in four to Detroit. Meanwhile for the New York Rangers, this is the 7th trip to the playoffs in the last eight seasons. Last year the club went all the way to the East Finals before falling to the Devils in six. In the history of the franchise, the Rangers have played in ten Stanley Cup Finals, winning four times (1928, 1933, 1940, 1994). Aside from winning the Division last year, this is the highest the Rangers have placed in the Atlantic since 1996. This is the eighth playoff meeting for these two teams, and the fourth in the last five years, with the Capitals having won four of the seven previous series. This is a rematch of the previous year's Eastern Conference Semifinal, which the Rangers won in seven games. New York won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

Both teams have really stepped their play up the last few months. They both got off to horrible starts. With Washington, the Caps really started to pick their play up once Alexander Ovechkin got his game going again. Ovie finished the year with 32 goals to lead the League. He didn't do it alone. Nick Backstrom, Mike Rebiro, Mike Greene and Troy Brower all picked their game up late and were able to produce. Braden Holtby struggled at the beginning of the year but found his game at the right time and the Caps have run with him. As for the Rangers, they were a very up and down team this year. Henrik Lundquvist played great again this year in the Rangers net and is a big reason why they are where they are right now. He has lived up to his billing as King Henrik. New York's offense really struggled at the beginning of the year but after the trade deadline have found their game. The offense has become more balanced with secondary scoring chipping in more often. This may be the "upset" of the first round. Washington is good I'll give them that and the Series will go seven games but when all is said and done the Rangers will be moving on to round two.

The final series to look at is the #4 Boston Bruins playing the #5 Toronto Maple Leafs. This will mark the 5th year in a row the Bruins have made the playoffs, and three of the last five have been as Division champions. In franchise history the Bruins have appeared in 18 Stanley Cup Finals, winning the Cup six times (the last one coming in 2010). As for the Maple Leafs this is their first playoff appearance since 2004. With this 3rd place finish in the division its the highest Toronto has had since 2007 (a year in which they missed the playoffs). Toronto has played in 23 Stanley Cup Finals, winning the Cup 13 times (the last title coming in 1967). This is the fourteenth playoff series between these two teams, with the Maple Leafs having won eight of the previous thirteen series. Their most recent meeting was the 1974 Stanley Cup Quarterfinal, where the Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs in four games. Boston won three of the four games in this year's regular season series.

During the Regular season Toronto was actually a higher scoring team than Boston. The Leafs managed 3.02 goals a game while Boston scored only 2.65 a game. The difference though is Boston has the better goaltending. Sorry but Tukka Rask is better than James Reimer at the moment. No knock on Reimer by any means but Rask is just better. Boston has been lead by the likes of Tyler Seguin, Brad Marchand, petrice Bergeron and David Kreci. Throw Jaromir Jagr into that mi as well and it makes for a pretty deadly front line. Toronto's forward lines are no slouch either. Phil Kessel, Nazem Kadri, and James Van Riemsyk are leading the Leafs attack. Toronto seems at the moment to have a somewhat deeper scoring team than Boston does, but the Bruins are the more experienced team come playoff time. This series can go as deep as seven games but in the end experience will win out. Bruins beat the Leafs in seven.

So there you have it my predictions for the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

NFL Draft: Steals and Busts

So with the opening round of the NFL Draft in the books as of yesterday, I figured now is as good a time as any to take a ll at some of the steals and busts from past drafts. everybody knows that some guys are hits from a draft, and some guys turn out to be bad picks. Well that's what we are going to look at here. In this post we look at the top five steals and busts from the past twenty years in NFL drafts. Why the last twenty years? It makes it easier to narrow down the field. So here now are the top fives steals and busts from the NFL Draft.

BUSTS

5. Lawrence Phillips (Running Back)
Phillips was take 6th overall by the St. Louis Rams in the 1996 NFL Draft. He was snagged highly by the Rams but his career really tanked, and tanked quickly. His career never really got off the ground in the two years he played for the Rams in 1996 and 1997. He played in Miami with the Dolphins in 1997 and ended the NFL career in 1999 with the 49ers. Since then he spent time playing in the CFL. The biggest knock on Phillips was his off the field problems and his character flaws, and that's what got him out of football quickly. Plus the big knock on the Rams for this move was what they did to make room for him on their roster. St. Louis trade Jerome Bettis to the Steelers to make room for Phillips and look what happened there. St. Louis wouldn't get a solid running back in their backfield till Marshall Faulk in 1999.

4. Tim Couch
Couch was taken with the #1 overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Couch had a few good seasons as quarterback of Cleveland but he wasn't good enough to get the Browns out of their slump and into the playoffs. After his time in Cleveland he played for the Packers in 2003 and then the Jaguars in 2007. He basically just plain fell off the planet and turned out to be a total dud at Quarterback in the NFL.

3. Akili Smith
Smith was taken 3rd overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1999 NFL Draft. What is more surprising is that who went in between him and Tim Couch. The Philadelphia Eagles took Donovan McNabb with the 2nd pick in the draft. Also taken in the opening round at Quarterback were Daunte Culpepper to the Vikings at ten. You also had Edgerrin James, Ricky Williams, Torry Holt, and Champ Bailey taken after Smith. Despite showing athleticism in his early games, he failed to grasp the Bengals playbook fully, and never established himself with the team. During the four years he was with the Bengals, he would only start in 17 games and throw just five TD passes next to 13 interceptions, eventually leading to his release in 2002, after riding the bench mostly during the previous two years. His career tanked and he was never able to get it back together.

2. Jamarcus Russell
Russell was taken 1st overall in 2007 by the raiders and I bet its a move the Raiders now regret, especially with the guys who were taken in the first round after Russell. They passed on guys like Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. With Russell the Raiders thought he would be the answer to their prayers at Quarterback and he turned out to be a huge waste. Coming into the draft that year he looked great, but after a long contract dispute at the start of his career, Russell wasn't able to deliver in Oakland. He played three years in the NFL, played horrible and was out of football. For as good as he looked coming out of college, Russell just wasn't able to live up to the hype in the NFL.

1. Ryan Leaf
Leaf went 2nd overall to the Chargers in the 1998 NFL draft, and was picked right after Peyton manning went first to the Colts. Leaf was too much drama and too much of a head case for what he was worth. Leaf related poorly to both the media and his teammates, whom he tended to blame for his poor play. For all the hype lead around him going 2nd in the draft, and all the drama he brought around the team it turned out to be more of a headache than he was worth. Leaf has been sited as by far the biggest flop in the history of the NFL draft and with good reason.

STEALS

5. Zach Thomas (linebacker)
Thomas was picked in the 5th round at 154 overall by the Miami Dolphins in 1996. Granted the 1996 NFL Draft was loaded with talent in the opening round, with the likes of Ray Lewis, Simeon Rice, Joe Horn, Marvin Harrison, and Keyshawn Johnson. Thomas would carve out himself a great career, playing in seven pro bowls and being a 5 time all pro. Plus he was named to the NFL all decade team for the 2000's. What made Thomas so great was that he was just a solid reliable player week in and week out. Zach Thomas has more tackles than any linebacker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, currently ranking fourth all-time behind Randy Gradishar, Jessie Tuggle and Junior Seau. And to show how deep the linebacker position was in the 1996 draft, Ray Lewis went to the Ravens in the opening round of the draft that year. The fact that Miami took a gem in Zach Thomas that late in the draft that year shows that you can find a gem from pretty much anywhere.

4.  Shannon Sharpe (Tight End)
Sharpe fell all the way to the 7th round at 192nd overall to the Denver Broncos in the 1990 NFL Draft.  Now the 1990 NFL Draft didn't have much to talk about, except for three players: Sharpe, Cortez Kennedy who went to the Seahawks at 3rd, and the Dallas Cowboys taking Emmitt Smith at 17th overall. With Shannon Sharpe, he fell all the way to the 7th round to Denver. IN his career, Sharpe had over 10,000 career receiving yards, won three Super Bowls, was a five time all-pro and eight time pro bowler as a tight end. To put this in perspective, the first tight end taken in the 1990 draft was Eric Green who was taken by the Steelers with the 21st pick in the opening round. Shannon Sharpe a very talented tight end picked late, and turned out to be a good steal for Denver.

3. Terrell Davis (Running Back)
Davis was picked by the Broncos in the 6th round at 196 overall in 1995. With the 199566 draft, there were a few good ball players taken in that draft, such as Warren Sapp, Ty Law, Derrick Brooks and Steve McNair. Even Curtis Martin was taken in the 3rd round by the Patriots. So it was a bit of a surprise when Davis went in the 6th round, but he turned in a good career in seven seasons in the league. The last three years he played in the NFL were filled with injuries due to concussion problems. But the first four years of his career were stellar, rushing for over a thousand yards in every season, and a 2,000 yard year in his 4th year in the league. Davis won two Super Bowls, won the MVP of the 1998 Super Bowl, was a two time offensive player of the year, a three time all pro and three time pro bowler. He may not have had a long career in the NFL but he had a BIG impact in his time in the league.

2. Brett Farve
Farve was taken by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2nd round at 33rd overall in the 1991 draft. Now what makes this such a steal  is that at the time of the pick, nobody knew who he was. The selections of Quarterbacks in the 91 draft wasn't all that deep, and by far the best player in that draft turned out to be him. Farve played one year for the Falcons and then got traded to the Packers in 1992, where his career really took off. He played for the Packers from 1992 to 2007, then spent 2008 with the Jets and then 2009 and 2010 with the Vikings. there are several career records that Farve holds the most notable being 297 straight starts. Other records he holds would include Most pass touchdowns (508) Most pass yards (71,838) Most pass completions (6,300) Most pass attempts (10,169) Most pass interceptions (336) Most starts (298) Most wins (186). He won the Super Bowl once, was an eleven time pro bowler, a is time all pro, three time NFL MVP, and five time player of the year. He is a sure fire hall of famer, and is without a doubt the biggest steal of the 1991 draft.

1. Tom Brady
Brady was picked by the Patriots in the 6th round at 199 overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. The 2000 Draft was loaded with plenty of pro bowl players taken in the opening round, and the only quarterback taken in that opening round was Chad Pennnington to the Jets at 18th overall. Aside from Brady, the only other pro bowl quarterback picked in the draft was Marc Bulger to the Saints in that same 6th round. Tom Brady is by far the biggest steal in NFL Draft history. His numbers speak for themselves. Brady has won three Super Bowls, been a two time Super Bowl MVP, 5 time Player of the year, comeback player of the year, three time all pro and eight time pro bowler. Brady has spent his entire career with the Patriots and got his start in the 2001 season after Drew Bledson got hurt, and he has started ever since. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the game today and is without a doubt the biggest steal in the history of the NFL Draft!

Islanders Clinch Playoff Spot

For the first time since 2006-07 the New York Islanders will be playing post season hockey. With the shootout loss in Carolina last night, coupled with the regulation loss by the Jets to the Caps, the Islanders have clinched a playoff spot for the first time in five years.

As it sits right now the Islanders are sitting in sixth place and are staring at playing the Washington Capitals in the opening round of the playoffs, which would be a rematch of the opening round of the 1993 playoffs. Now there are still two games left in the regular season for the Islanders, and they are only two points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, who at present time sit in 5th place in the East. So their is the potential there for the Islanders to move up in the standings. Personally I would be plenty happy having the Islanders sit right where they are because I would want to face the Capitals in the opening round, as compared to the other teams in the top three.

The last time the Islanders made the playoffs was 2006-07, where they got into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. That year they played the top seeded Buffalo Sabres in the opening round and were eliminated in five games. 1992-93 was the last time the Islanders managed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. The following year, 1993-94, the Islanders made the playoffs again but were swept by the Rangers in the opening round. After that year the Islanders would not make the playoffs again until 2001-02 when they lost to Toronto in seven games. 2002-03 was another playoff year for the Islanders, and it lead to another opening round playoff exit, this time in five to Ottawa. Then in 2003-04 the Islanders again found themselves in the playoffs, and again they were out in five games thanks to the Tampa Bay Lightning. So with all the things that have gone down in the playoffs the past few times out for the Islanders, they are due for a playoff win.

With the type of year the Islanders have had this season, the playoffs are a very welcome sight for this hockey club. There were some flashing during the early portion of the year, where it looked like the Islanders of the past few years. There were bad bounces, unlucky breaks, and no secondary scoring.  Over the past month however, the Islanders have really stepped their play up. Evgeni Nabakov has played incredibly well in net this year, carrying the bulk of the work in net. He has not disappointed this year. At times this year the Islanders blue line has looked weak. Some goals went in off Islanders defenseman, sometimes defenseman would miss their assignments, and it would end up costing them hockey games. During the last month or so of play, the Islanders blue line has really stepped their play up and have become a solid group in helping out Nabakov.

As for the scoring, their had been a problem over the past few seasons of not having much in the way of secondary scoring. It seemed as if it was only the John Tavares line was the only one producing on offense. This year the 2nd line of Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey and Frans Neilsen, have been stepping up their play. Michael Grabner too has stepped his play up as of late and has been scoring a bit more in the past few weeks.

If the Islanders hope for a deep run in the playoffs, or even expect to get out of the opening round of the playoffs, there are a few things that need to happen. Evgeni Nabakov is going to have to play great for the Islanders to have a chance. It wouldn't surprise me if over the final two games of the season, Nabakov gets one or both of those games off to make sure he is rested for the opening round. Also come the opening round, the defense is going to have to be tight, they can't be making some of the mistakes they made earlier in the season. If that happens it will be another quick playoff exit for the team. Finally the Islanders are going to need that secondary scoring to keep on rolling like they have. Two guys I'm looking for to start stepping their play up on offense would be Colin McDonald and Keith Aucoin. both of those guys have been kinda quiet over the last few weeks, and they really need to start heating up again.

What may be helping out the Islanders this year is how well they have played on the road this season. They have turned it on lately at home, but for a good chunk of this season, home hasn't been too kind to the Islanders. Their strength has been playing on the road, so being the lower seed could be a helping factor for the Islanders in the playoffs.

No matter what happens in the playoffs this year, the fact that the Islanders are even there speaks volumes as to how far the team has come this year. This years playoffs should be fun to watch for sure!

Jets Trade Revis to Bucs

In a somewhat surprising move, the New York Jets have traded star cornerback Darelle Revis to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for the 13th overall pick in Thursday's Draft and a conditional pick in the 2014 Draft. The Buccaneers announced the deal on Sunday, saying Revis agreed to a new six-year contract. The deal is worth $96 million, making Revis the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history, but includes no guaranteed money, according to sources close to the Pro Bowl cornerback. The deal would make Revis one of the NFL's two highest-paid defensive players along with Mario Williams. With no money guaranteed to Revis by the Bucs, it gives Tampa room to work with financially if the contract doesn't work out the way they want.

Now with the trade and signing of Revis with the Bucs, its a double edge sword from my point of view. One the one hand the Jets are losing their best defensive player in sending Revis away. Now more of the pressure is going to be on Antonio Cromartie to be that shutdown guy with Revis being out of the equation. Revis had put plenty of fear into opposing wide receivers and made him even more dangerous.

On the other hand the move makes plenty of sense to let Revis go. At the end of this season he would have been a free agent and, depending on his play, who knows how much it might have ended up costing the Jets. They could have spent too much money trying to bring him back into the fold. They could have lost him to free agency and gotten nothing of value at all in return. Tampa Bay was the perfect fir for Revis and the Jets to be able to make this kind of move. Tampa Bay had plenty of cap space to be able to sign Revis to the big contract he wanted. And the Jets were able to get draft picks out of the deal so they would be able to rebuild.

As a Jets fan I hate so see Revis leave, because he has been so good in the secondary for the team. He has made a lot of key plays for the club at the right times and has been a big reason why the Jets were a success a few years back. At the same time though, he has also caused quite a few headaches over that same time span with contract disputes and holdouts. At times he looked like he would be more trouble than he's worth. So now he's Tampa's headache.

There are two interesting things that have come out of this story. One will be the reaction Revis gets when he is announced in the Tampa Bay lineup on kickoff weekend when the Bucs are in the Medowlands playing the Jets first game of the season. Also a little bit of interesting trivia to come out of this trade. The last time the Jets and Bucs made a deal was in 2000. Tampa Bay sent over their two first round pics in the 2000 NFL draft in order to pick up wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. So the Jets and Bucs are not strangers when making deals with each other. This Revis trade looks to be helpful to both ball culbs not only now but in the future as well.

NBA Playoffs Preview

That time of year has finally arrived. The NBA Playoffs are set to get underway and we got great matchups in this years playoffs to open things up. The Miami Heat are the defending NBA Champions and once again have the best record in basketball. One thing of surprising note about the teams in the playoffs is that the 8th seed in the east the Milwaukee Bucks were under 500. Milwaukee finished the year 38-44. So with that thought in mind lets now look at the playoff matchups for the opening round of the playoffs.

First up is the #1 seed Miami Heat vs #8 the Milwaukee Bucks. For the Bucks this is their first trip to the playoffs since 2010. Milwaukee has been in the NBA finals twice, winning a title in 1971 and losing to Boston in seven in 1974. As a franchise, the Bucks are 105-113 all time in the playoffs. With the Heat, they are the defending NBA Champions, the 2nd title in team history (the first one was in 2006), In the history of the franchise the Heat are 87-75. These two teams have never faced each other before in the playoffs, and during the regular season Miami won three of the four meetings. This series may be the easiest one of them all to predict. Milwaukee may get lucky to pick up a win at home but the Heat are going to dominate and take the series in four straight.

So next up in the east is the #2 New York Knicks vs #7 Boston Celtics. Boston has won 17 NBA Crowns, their last one coming in 2008. Last year Boston lost to the Heat in the East finals. Celtics are 8-6 all time against the Knicks in the Playoffs.Boston is 339-245 in post season play. As for the Knicks, this is the third straight year in the playoffs for them, and two time NBA Champions, winning titles in 1970 and 1973.All time the Knicks are 180-179 in the playoffs. This is going to be one of the tighter series in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks took three of the four meetings during the regular season, and that trend will continue in the playoffs. Boston is going to make things a tight series, that will not be a question. Boston is going to put up a pretty good fight but the Knicks take the series in six games.

Next up we look at the #3 Indiana Pacers vs the #6 Atlanta Hawks. This is the sixth straight year for the Hawks in the NBA playoffs. Atlanta is 2-2 all time in the playoffs against the Pacers, with  the Hawks winning the last meeting in 1996 in five games. All time the Hawks are 145-187 in playoff basketball. As for the Pacers they are making the playoffs for the 3rd straight year, and the 7th time winning their division. Indiana is 3-2 all time in the finals, their last appearance being a loss in 2000 to the Lakers. During the regular season this year, the Hawks and Pacers split the series at 2-2. Interesting to note is that during the season, the home team won every game played between the two clubs. If that trend is going to continue during the playoffs then the series favors the Pacers, who have home court advantage. Indiana is going to take the series and they will do so in seven tough games.

Now we look at the final series in the East as the #4 Brooklyn Nets take on the #5 Chicago Bulls. For the Bulls, this is the sixth straight years they've made the playoffs, with their third straight division title in the bag. The Bulls have played the Nets only once in the playoffs, with the Bulls coming out on top in 1998. Chicago has won six NBA crowns, with their last title coming in 1998.As for the Nets this is the first appearance in the playoffs since 2007, and first one in Brooklyn. The Nets are 89-96 all time in the playoffs, with two ABA crowns, but no NBA titles. Since moving to the NBA the Nets have made the finals twice, losing in both 2002 and 2003. This series is going to be a fun one to watch and a back and forth battle. Chicago will put up a good fight, but I'll take the Nets to win in six games.

Now we shift our focus over to the Western Conference and start it off with the #1 Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the #8 Houston Rockets. For the Rockets, this is their first playoff appearance since 2009. The franchise has made it to the NBA Finals twice, winning the crown in both 1994 and 1995, but the Rockets haven't made it out of the 2nd round of the playoffs since 1997. All time the Rockets are 115-121 in the playoffs. As for the Oklahoma City Thunder, this is the fourth straight year that the club has made the playoffs, and third straight division title. The last time the Thunder were the best team in the West before this year, was back in 1996 as the Seattle Supersonics when they lost to the Chicago Bulls in the finals. As a franchise the Thunder have played in four NBA finals, all while they were still in Seattle, and once while in Oklahoma City. They lost in 1978 to the Washington Bullets, beat the Bullets in 1979 and lost to the Bulls in 1996, while losing in last years finals to the Miami Heat. In the playoffs the Thunder franchise is 131-129. Head to head the Thunder hold the edge in the playoffs, winning five of the six meetings in the post season. The only series the Rockets won, was the last meeting between the two in 1997. As it relates to this season, the Thunder won two of the three regular season meetings. If the past has shown anything for the Thunder/Sonics franchise its this: only one time when the team has won their division have they failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs. The only time they have won the division and been bounced in the first round was 1994. That will not happen this year. Houston is going to put up a fight, and this series will go at least five games but I'll take the Thunder to handle their business and they will move on to round two.

Next up in the West we have the #2 San Antonio Spurs taking on the #7 Los Angeles Lakers.  For the San Antonio Spurs, this will be the 15th straight year they have made the playoffs. The last time the Spurs missed the playoffs was 1997. San Antonio lost in the conference finals last year, and have played in four NBA finals winning all of them (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007). In the playoffs, the Spurs have a record of 170-144. As for the Los Angeles Lakers, this is the 7th straight year in the post season. The team has played in 29 NBA finals, winning the championship fifteen times (their last title coming in 2010). All time in the playoffs the Lakers are 437-293. Head to head, the Lakers are 9-2 all time against the Spurs in the playoffs. San Antonio has beaten the Lakers in 1999 and 2003. During this years regular season, the Spurs took two out of three from the Lakers. LA is going to have a tough go of it in the opening round without the services of Kobe Bryant, but even with him in the lineup the Spurs would have been too much. LA may get a game at home but I'll take the Spurs in five in this one.

Next we look at the #3 Denver Nuggets taking on the #6 Golden State Warriors. This is the tenth year in a row the Nuggets have made the playoffs. During that span, only once (2009) have the Nuggets made it out of the first round of the playoffs. Every other year it has been one and done for the Nuggets. Denver has never made it to the NBA finals in their history, and have an overall playoff record of 115-162. As for the Golden State Warriors, this is the first time since 2007 they have made the playoffs. Golden State has played in the finals four times, winning the title twice (last title coming in 1975). In the playoffs the Warriors are 104-121. Head to head the Nuggets and Warriors haven't played each other in the playoffs, so this should make things a little interesting.m During the regular season Denver won three of the four meetings between the two. Golden State surprised a few people this year by picking up the 6th seed in the West. I think their luck is about to run out. Their a good team, there's no denying that, but Denver is just better. Golden State may pick up a game at home but I'll take Denver in five.

Finally we take a look at the last playoff series, the #4 Los Angeles Clippers going against the #5 Memphis Grizzlies. The Los Angeles Clippers are making a playoff appearance for the 2nd year in a row and the 3rd time since 2000. Historically the Clippers haven't done very well in the playoffs, as they have never been able to get out of the 2nd round. Los Angeles has made the playoffs nine times in franchise history and made it to round two three times, including last year. All time the Clippers are 24-34 in the playoffs. As for the Memphis Grizzlies, this is the 3rd straight year in the playoffs. This is the 6th total appearance in the post season for the Grizzlies and they have made it to the 2nd round only once in franchise history, and that was back in 2011 when they lost to the Spurs. Memphis has a record of 10-22 all time in the playoffs. These two clubs have met only once before in post season play and that was last year when the Clippers won the series in seven games. During the regular seasons, Los Angeles won three of the four meetings between the two teams. This may be the most even matchup of the opening round. Some think that there is an upset brewing in this round. If there is any upset in the opening round this one has the potential for it, even more so since Memphis still has the sting of losing to the Clippers in the playoffs last year. Its going to be a hard noised series that will easily go seven games. Memphis is good but the Clippers by comparison are the better basketball team. Memphis puts up a fight but I'll take the Clippers in seven games.

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

(Authors Note: All of these predictions were made BEFORE the start of play in the first round)

Pat Summerall Passes

Tuesday Night, legendary NFL Broadcaster Pat Summerall passed away. He was 82 at the time of his passing. During his younger years, Pat made a living in the NFL as a kicker and defensive end. He played one season (1952) playing for the Detroit Lions, then spent four years (1953-57) playing for the Chicago Cardinals, and finished his playing days (1958-61) with the New York Giants. Summerall's last professional game was the December 31, 1961 NFL Championship Game held at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers defeated Summerall's Giants, 37-0, holding New York to just six first downs. Summerall was not a factor in that game.

After his playing career ended, Summerall took up a career in Broadcasting. He got his first break in broadcasting in 1962 when he was hired by CBS radio to work as a color commentator on NFL games. Midway through the 1974 NFL season, CBS shifted Summerall from color to play-by-play. The network's #1 NFL crew now consisted of Summerall and analyst Tom Brookshier (with whom he had previously worked on This Week in Pro Football), and the colorful Summerall-Brookshier duo worked three Super Bowls (X, XII, and XIV) together. Summerall, Brookshier, NFL on CBS producer Bob Wussler, and Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie appeared as themselves during the 1977 film Black Sunday, which was filmed on location at the Orange Bowl in Miami during Super Bowl X.

In 1981, Summerall was teamed with former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden, a pairing that would last for 22 seasons on two networks and become one of the most well-known partnerships in TV sportscasting history. Summerall and Madden were first teamed on a November 25, 1979 broadcast of a Minnesota Vikings–Tampa Bay Buccaneers game. While the two were paired on CBS, they called Super Bowls XVI, XVIII, XXI, XXIV, and XXVI together.

Pat had a GREAT career in the booth calling NFL games, and it landed him some pretty high praise. The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association named Summerall National Sportscaster of the Year in 1977, and inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 1994. Summerall was the 1994 recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, bestowed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame "for longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football". In 1999 he was inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame.

Here now is a video tribute put together by the NFL Network remembering the life and works of Pat Summerall:


Pat Summerall passes at the age of 82! He will be missed as not only a broadcaster, but as a person!

Hitchcock Hits 600 Wins

with the Blues 2-1 shootout win Tuesday over Vancouver, head coach ken Hitchcock picked up career win number 600 behind an NHL bench. He becomes only the 11th coach in NHL History to hit the milestone, joining the likes of Scotty Bowman, Al Arbour, Dick Irvin, Pat Quinn, Mike Keenan, Joel Quenneville, Ron Wilson, Bryan Murray, Jacques Lemaire and Jacques Martin. Hitchcock is one of two active coaches in the NHL with 600 wins (the other is Quenneville). Only Bowman (.657) and Quenneville (.612) have better career point percentages than Hitchcock (.595).

Ironically both of the guys who have higher winning percentages than him also coached the Blues at one point during their careers (Bowman from 1967-1971 and Quenneville from 1996-2004). Both of those guys also led the blues to the playoffs every year they were bench boss in St. Louis (Bowman's first three years were appearances in the finals), so that may be a sign of things to come for Hitchcock and the Blues

Hitchcock has been head coach in four different cities, St. Louis (where he coaches now), Columbus, Philadelphia, and Dallas. During his career as coach, he won the Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999 and the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year last year with St. Louis. Now as it relates to all time coaches, Hitchock is up there with some of the greats. Is he up at the same level as a coach with the likes of Scotty Bowman, Al Arbour or Dick Irvin? Not really no. Those guys are in a class all by themselves. Hitchcock does now how to be able to get the best out of his players on most nights and knows how to lead his hockey teams.

So congratulations to Ken Hitchcock on winning his 600th career game in the NHL!

Calling Dr. Howard Dr. Fine Dr. Howard

Over the past week in Major League Baseball quite a few star pitchers have gone down with injuries. First it was Jered Weaver of the Angels hurting his elbow in his pitching arm putting him out of action for at least a month. Then it was Zach Grenke breaking his collar bone in the fight with Adrian Gonzalez. Finally just a few days ago it was Johnny Cueto of the Reds injuring his triceps in his pitching arm, putting him on the sideline for around a month. So we have pitchers dropping like flies at the moment.

Now with the injury to Jered Weaver, it puts a bit of a hamper on the Angels pitching staff. Lets face facts here, Weaver is the Ace of the pitching staff. No disrespect intended to anybody else on that pitching staff but facts are Weaver is the best pitcher on that Anaheim staff. At the moment the Angels sit at 4-9 which puts them 4th in the AL West. C.J. Wilson, Jason Vargas, Tommy Hanson, Joe Blanton, and Garrett Richards are the starting five man rotation for the Angels at the moment. When Weaver gets healthy I can see Richards being the one who gets pulled from the rotation and the Angels get back to their playoff form, at least as far as their pitching is concerned anyway. Weaver got hit hard in his first few starts but when he is on his game is one of the best pitchers in that American League West.

Now that's the story for Jered Weaver. As for Zach Grenke, his injury was a bit stranger, and hurts the pitching staff more so than Weaver's does.  Grenke broke his collar bone in his non pitching shoulder during a fight with Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres last week, after Grenke hit Gonzalez in the back. The injury itself seemed to be a freak thing but it could have been prevented just by the way Grenke was standing. Now this injury puts a damper on the pitching staff of the Dodgers. Everybody knows Grenke isn't the ace of that Dodger staff, that belongs to Clayton  Kershaw. But with Grenke out as the number two starter in that rotation, Hyun-Jin Ryu takes his spot in the rotation. Ryu has surprised a few people and put up good numbers in his starts this year, 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA and 20 K's. I think though that it makes a difference having Grenke as the guy behind Kershaw. Ryu has been great I won't take anything away from him by any stretch, but I think its more intimidating having Grenke behind Kershaw. That of course could just be me.

Now with the Cueto injury, that is just a case of minor, somewhat, injury. He has pitched under 500 through his first three starts of the season, and for a guy who is normally a dominating pitcher, that's a tad low. The Reds are a game under 500 in the standings as of this writing, and are still in really good shape, but not having there best pitcher in the rotation is going to be a bit of a problem. Cincinnati has one of the most potent offenses in the game today, but what is going to get them deep in the playoffs is pitching. Trust me the Reds are a better team when Cueto takes the hill than when he doesn't.

Bombings During Boston Marathon

Sad and tragic day yesterday in the City of Boston as two bombs were set off near the conclusion of the Boston Marathon. The blasts killed 3 people and injured at least 176 others, according to the most recent data. At present, there have been no arrests, named suspects, or any claim of responsibility made for the attack.

Two bombs went off within 550 feet of each other, killing 3 people and injuring at least 176. Video from the finish line shows a period of about 12 seconds between the two blasts, the first occurring outside a Marathon Sports store at 671 Boylston Street, the second about one block farther away, to the west, from the finish line. The race clock at the finish line was showing 04:09:43 (4 hours, 9 minutes, and 43 seconds since the third wave, or group, of runners started the marathon) at the time of the first explosion. The winners had crossed the finish line about two hours earlier; other runners were still coming across. Storefront windows nearby were blown out, and a window on the third floor of the Boston Public Library was damaged. Law enforcement officials said that they believe the explosions were caused by homemade bombs. There had been no prior indications of an imminent attack.

Stuff like this is hard to read and even harder to really write about. Normally on this blog we report the happier and more exciting side of sports, but this instance sadly must be talked about. The fact that somebody would go out of their way to do something like this is just revolting on so many levels it goes beyond description. Why people feel the need to do something like this and take innocent lives I will personally never know or understand.

From some of the reports I had been hearing yesterday and early this morning, there is still good people in the world. The way some of the people in the area reacted quickly to the situation speaks volume for their character. The fact that this happened makes me personally sick, but the silver lining in all of this is that there are still good people in the world who where there to help everybody out. That is what makes some things great about this whole stinking situtation.

Louisville Downs Michigan for NCAA Basketball Title

After months of grueling play, at long last a national champion in hoops has been crowned. The Cardinals of Louisville claim basketball's biggest prize, beating Michigan 82-76. With the win, Louisville claims their first basketball championship since 1986.

This championship had it all: speed, aggression, a double-digit comeback, big plays by reserves. Michigan made more than half of its shots, but Louisville outrebounded the Wolverines and forced 12 Michigan turnovers. It was such an entertaining game, it's too bad they couldn't play another half … or three.

The Cardinals (35-5) lived up to their billing as the top overall seed in the tournament, though they sure had to work for it. Louisville trailed Wichita State by a dozen in the second half before rallying for a 72-68 victory. This time, they fell behind by 12 in the first half, then unleashed a stunning spurt led by Hancock that wiped out the entire deficit before the break.

Hancock lead Louisville in scoring with 22 points on the game, while Trey Burke lead Michigan with 24 points on the night. Burke started out on fire for Michigan, hitting his first three shots and scoring seven points to match his output from the semifinal victory over Syracuse, when he made only 1 of 8 shots. Hancock matched Albrecht from the 3-point stripe. Then, trapping the youngster and knocking the ball away, he set up a fast break that ended with Siva flipping up a lob that Montrezl Harrell slammed through for a dunk, capping a stunning 16-3 run in less than 4 minutes that gave the Cardinals their first lead of the night, 37-36.

Michigan had controlled play in the first half and actually had a one point lead going into the break. It wouldn't last though, as Louisville came out on fire and outscored the Wolverines in the 2nd half 45-38. What did in Michigan was mistakes, turning the ball over 12 times during the ball game and being outrplayed by the Cardinals in the 2nd half. Some would say that there were a few bad calls made by the refs during the course of the ball game, and they'd be correct. A few foul calls made against both squads were made, but the one against Michigan late is what did the Wolverines in at the end. With 5:09 left and Louisville ahead 67-64, Michigan point guard Trey Burke was called for a foul on Peyton Siva -- on what looked, on replays, like a clean block. Siva hit both free throws, jump-starting a 7-2 run that gave the Cardinals a 10-point cushion with three minutes left. The Wolverines never recovered. Now that had been a problem through most of the tournament in that the officiating had been below standards. So i just hope the NCAA takes a good, hard look at this during the summer months and get it fixed by the time basketball tips off again next fall.

With the win by Louisville it ended a 27 year drought between championships. Among schools with multiple titles in college hoops, that drought was the 2nd longest in the history of college hoops. The top four longest droughts between national championships are as follows: Kansas went 36 between titles (1952-1988), then its Louisville, who went 27 years between titles (1986-2013). North Carolina is 3rd with a 25 year drought (1957-1982). Finally its Indiana with a 23 year dry spell between titles (1953-1976).

So Congratulations to Louisville on winning the NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship!

Oswego State Men's Hockey Season Recap

For the 2012-13 Oswego State Men's Hockey team, the end goal for the 14 seniors on the team fell just short. A national championship was the final destination. The boys got to the championship but were sadly unable to bring home the title. However the season that lead up to the championship game will be one for the ages in the port city of Oswego.

For the second time in five years Oswego kicked off its season with an exhibition game against the USA Under 18 Team. Last time they played the USA won it in overtime 4-3. This year it was again in favor of the US but by a 2-0 score. The season kicked off offically with a two game homestand against Cortland (7-4 win) and Elmira (9-0 win). Chris Ayotte, Jon Whitelaw and Luke Moodie each had three points in the opening night win. With the win over Elmira, Andrew Hare made 26 saves for his first shutout of the year, Luke Moodie had a five point night and Paul Rodrigues netted four goals. Oswego closed out October with a 2-0 record.

So to the Month of November we go, and the Lakers started it off with a three game road trip, which began with a trip to Brockport and Geneseo. In Brockport, Zach Josepher and Luke Moodie handled the scoring and Andrew Hare made 20 saves for his 2nd straight shutout in the 2-0 win. The following night the Lakers offense EXPLODED during a 10-1 domination of the Ice Knights. Hare made 21 saves in the win and ten different guys scored goals. Every skater for Oswego except for Taylor Farris picked up at least one point that night. Oswego finished off the three game trip with a 5-1 win in Morrisville, with Matt Singelton figured in three of the five Laker goals. Oswego retu5rned home from their road trip to face a pretty tough five game homestand that started with a 5-4 win over Buffalo State, with Luke Moodie and Paul Rodrigues proving to be the hero's late in the game. The next night the Fredonia Blue Devils made the trip to the Campus Center and ran into a buzzsaw named Luke Moodie. Moodie recorded a hat trick, as Oswego rolled to a 7-1 victory. Moodie had a five point night whil Paul Rodrigues contributed a goal and five assists in the victory. After the Thanksgiving break, Oswego returned home for whiteout weekend when Potsdam and Plattsburgh made the trip to Oswego. The Lakers closed out the month of November with a sound 6-0 win over the Bears. Zach Josepher had a three point night and Andrew Hare made 30 saves in the shutout. Oswego closed out November perfect going 6-0 for the month and outscored their opponents 35-7 in November.

December kicked off with the biggest home game of the year, Whiteout night against rival Plattsburgh. This night, unlike the past few years, didn't go in Oswego's favor as the Cards handed them their first loss of the year, 2-1. Chris Muise scored the only goal for Oswego that night. Things didn't get any better the following week as Oswego closed out the five game homestand with a tough 3-2 loss to the Utica Pioneers. Kyle Badham and Paul Rodrigues scored the Oswego goals. Oswego closed out the first half of the season with a road game at Hobart. Oswego fought hard in this won and snapped the two game losing streak with a 3-2 overtime win. In the past Paul Rodrigues had been the overtime hero, but on this night in early December it was Chris Brown scoring the winner with less than a minute to go in the extra frame. Oswego closed out the 2012 portion of the season with the Pathfinder Bank Oswego Hockey Classic, a tournament held each year in Oswego. This year was the Lakers year as they won the whole thing beating Plymouth State 6-2 and then Lawrence 7-2 to capture the title.Chris Ayotte scored twice and Jon Whitelaw had a three point night in the win over Plymouth State. In the championship win over Lawrence, Jesse McConney lead the charge with four points. Oswego had closed out December with a 3-2 mark.

With the first half of the year behind them, Oswego kicked off the 2013 portion of the schedule with a two game road trip to Elmira and Utica. Oswego dominated Elmira to the tune of a 5-2 win, with Jon Whitelaw Paul Rodrigues and Luke Moodie each having two point nights. Next up was a game at the Aud in Utica and that didn't turn out so well for Oswego. Utica had won the first meeting back in Oswego in early December and things went south on them in Utica, as the Pioneers dominated Oswego to the tune of a 6-0 win. It marked the first time ever that Utica had swept the season series from Oswego. The Lakers returned home the following weekend to face former head coach George Roll and Nazareth. The Oswego faithful gave former coach Roll a nice ovation, but the game itself went in favor of Oswego, 4-1. Chris Brown scored a pair, while Paul Rodrigues and Chris Muise had two points each. Next up was a quick stop over in Cortland for the Lakers. Oswego kept the winning ways going with a 4-2 victory. The Chris Cubed line powered the offense that night, with Chris Ayotte scoring twice and Chris Brown and Chris Muise getting the assists on both goals. Following the Cortland game, Oswego embarked on a four game homestand to close out the home portion of the regular season. It started with an 8-0 win over Hamilton, which saw Andrew Hare make 18 saves in the shutout, Tyler Leimbrock scored twice and Moodie and Whitelaw had three points each. Oswego closed out January with home games against Brockport (5-1 win) and Geneseo (4-3 win). In the win over Brockport, Chris Muise had a goal and two assists and Zach Josepher chipped in two helpers. With the victory over Geneseo, David Titanic proved to be the hero late in the game, scoring the winner with a little less than five minutes to go in regulation. In the month of January Oswego posted a 7-1 record.

To February we go, and the first game of the month was Senior Night for the 14 seniors on this years hockey club and the Mustangs of Morrisville were the opponent. Jon Whitelaw, David Titanic and Luke Moodie scored for Oswego and Andrew Hare made 32 saves in the 3-2 win to close out the regular season on home ice. Oswego finished the year off with a four game road trip, that started with a 4-0 win at Buffalo State. Tyler Leimbrock, Chris Muise, Luke Moodie, and the first career goal for Bobby Gertzakis provided the offense, while Andrew Hare made 32 saves in the shutout win. Next up was the Fredonia Blue Devils and another win for Oswego, this time by a 3-2 score. Chris Muise scored once and Bobby Gertzakis scored a pair in the win. Oswego closed out the regular season with a trip to the North Country to take on Potsdam and rival Plattsburgh. With the game against Potsdam, it wasn't even close as Oswego rolled to a 10-0 victory, scoring seven goals in the first period. Oswego finished the regular season on a bit of a sour note as they fell to the Cardinals in Plattsburgh by a 4-3 score.

So with the regular season now over, a lot was taken care of. We had two new members of the 100 point club in school history in Luke Moodie and Paul Rodrigues. A new record was set for career shutouts and single season goals against average by Andrew Hare. The Pathfinder Bank title was back in Oswego as was the SNUYAC regular season title. That was all good, but the SUNYAC Championship was now the main focus.

Oswego opened the SUNYAC tournament with a home game against Buffalo State. The Bengals put up a good fight but Oswego came out on top with a 5-2 win. Luke Moodie scored once, while Chris Muise and David Titanic scored a pair each to provide the offense. So it was now set for a re-match with rival Plattsburgh for the SUNYAC crown. The Cardinals won it in Oswego last year and the Lakers were determined not to let that happen again this season. Oswego pressed hard all night and walked away the SUNYAC Champions after a convincing 4-0 win. Tyler Lemibrock, Jon Whitelaw and a pair from Luke Moodie provided the scoring punch needed to clinch the title.

So with the SUNYAC in the bag, it was time for the NCAA Tournament for the Division III Ice Hockey crown. Oswego had to do something they haven't done in a very long time, and that was go on the road for the opening round game of the tournament. Adrian provided the location and the opponent, as it was a rematch of the final four from 2010. This time Oswego would get the last laugh. Chris Muise got Oswego on the board first. But a pair of goals from the Bulldogs put Oswego in a hole. That was until Laker Captain Jon Whitelaw tied the game late in the 2nd to force overtime. And that is where Paul Rodrigues plays his best hockey. He didn't disappoint this night, as Rodrigues scored the game winner at the 13:32 mark to send Oswego to their fourth straight final four appearance.

Oswego made the trip to Lake Placid in hopes of bringing back a national championship. First up was the Cadets of Norwich. Norwich held it close through the first two periods, but Oswego proved to be the better team in the third and skated away with a 6-3 and a date the next night for a title. Paul Rodrigues, Tim Carr, Tyler Leimbrock, Matt Singelton, and a pair from Chris Muise powered Oswego to the title game.

So Oswego was set to play for a championship for the 2nd year in a row. This time the opponent was the Wisconsin Eau-Clair Bluegods. Oswego was in it most of the game, but seemed as if they ran out of gas, falling in the title game 5-3.

So with that being said, Oswego put up another incredible season. Thanks to WNYO Sports Director Mike Keeley for this, we have a video tribute package for the 2012-13 Oswego state Hockey Season. Enjoy!


So with the season over, it is the end of the careers for 14 outstanding hockey players. The members of the team who are leaving due to graduation are: Luke Moodie, Paul Rodrigues, Jon Whitelaw, Chris Brown, Chris Ayotte, Chris Muise, Tyler Leimbrock, Matt Singelton, Taylor Farris, Zach Josepher, Jesse McConney, Tim Carr, Dan Jones and Andrew hare. I personally have gotten to know a lot of these guys off the ice and it really is an honor to say that. I think I can speak for most Laker fans when i say this. Boys it was a hell of a run over the last four years, and for everything you guys have given us over that time I say THANK YOU. It has been a real pleasure.

That will do it for coverage of Oswego State Hockey for the summer. We will be returning with our coverage of the team once the season starts up again in October!