Stanley Cup Playoffs 2nd Round Preview

No wonder I love this time of year so much. It always seems that playoff time, no matter what the sport, always finds a way to bring out high drama and high emotion. This years opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has been no exception. We had two series in the opening round go the full seven games, with the Capitals beating the Islanders in one, and the Lightning knocking off the Red Wings in the other. Pittsburgh proved top be really no match for the Rangers, while Ottawa put up somewhat of a fight before falling to Montreal. That's just the Eastern Conference. Out West, the Winnipeg Jets franchise still haven't won a playoff game, getting swept by the Ducks (Winnipeg was swept by the Rangers in their only other playoff appearance while they were still in Atlanta). St Louis can never seem to find any steady playoff success, getting knocked off by the Wild in six. Calgary, a very good hockey club with a good mix to it, knocked off the talent laiden Canucks in six. Chicago had to overcome some goalies issues to get itself settled down and hold off the Predators in six games. There were dramatic overtimes, heroic goaltending performances and high scoring affairs. If that was just the opening round I can't wait to see what the rest of the playoffs holds. Here's what the 2nd round looks like.

First up we have the Chicago Blackhawks taking on the Minnesota Wild. Chicago finished the year with 102 points during the regular season, and come into this round following a opening round win over the Nashville Predators, winning that series in six games. This marks the 3rd straight year the Hawks have made the 2nd round and the 5th time in seven years Chicago has won their opening round matchup. As for the Wild, the finished the regular season with 100 points, good enough for a wild card spot. They opened the playoffs up with a six game series win over the St. Louis Blues. With this 2nd round appearance, it marks the 2nd year in a row that the Wild have won their first round matchup. In fact its the 3rd time ever that the Wild have made it out of the first round in team history. This will be the third year in a row in which the Blackhawks and Wild have met in the postseason, and their third meeting overall. The Blackhawks have won both previous matchups. In the previous year's playoff series, Chicago eliminated Minnesota from the second round in six games. Chicago won three of the five games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the dates and times for games in this series:
May 1 Minnesota Wild 9:30 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
May 3 Minnesota Wild 8:30 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
May 5 Chicago Blackhawks 8:00 p.m. Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
May 7 Chicago Blackhawks 9:30 p.m. Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
May 9 Minnesota Wild TBD Chicago Blackhawks United Center
May 11 Chicago Blackhawks TBD Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
May 13 Minnesota Wild TBD Chicago Blackhawks United Center

On paper this matchup seems almost to be a little unfair. Chicago has a loaded lineup, with stars like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Guys who have plenty of playoff experience and depth. Toews had 8 points in the opening round, Kane had 7 points and a pair of goals, Hossa chipped in 5 assists. Hell every regular in the Hawks lineup had at least one point in their opening round win except two, Kimmo Timonen and Marcus Kruger. Chicago should have no problem trying to fill up the nets. There's only one problem. Goaltending. Chicago looked very shaky in net during their opening round matchup with the Predators. It was a tossup between going with Scott Darling or Corey Crawford, which comes as a surprise considering that Crawford has helped lead the Hawks to two cup titles in the past. Crawford is getting to start game one but after what he did in the opening round, don't be surprised if he is on a short leash. As for the Wild, they are no pushover. They came in and beat up on the Blues in six games, thanks in large part to the outstanding goaltending of Devan Dubnyk, who has been outstanding since coming over from the Coyotes. His 2.32 GAA in the opening round is better than that of the Hawks netminders and he has been one of the biggest reasons the Wild have been playing with confidence for the latter half of the season. Minnesota has scoring depth to their club, which could match that of the Hawks. Zach Parise, Jason Pominville and Miakel Granlund each had big series against St. Louis. Minnesota's defense corp can hang a little with the Hawks. Sure Chicago is deep, so to are the Wild. The difference between now and earlier this year, when the Hawks dominated the Wild during the regular season is goaltending. Minnesota has had better netminding as of late, which will be the edge in this series

Pick: Wild in 7!

 Next up we have the Calgary Flames going head to head against the Anaheim Ducks. Anaheim has won the division for the 3rd year in a row, earning over 100 points in each year. For the 2nd year in a row the Ducks have advanced out of the 1st round, looking to make it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since they won the Stanley Cup in 2007. Anaheim had a relatively easy time dispatching the Winnipeg Jets in a four game sweep. Calgary on the other had has been making a lot of noise this season. They haven't won this many games in a season since 2008-09, ironically enough the last year that they made the playoffs. Calgary has already taken a huge step, by winning their first round matchup with the Canucks in six games. This marks the farthest the Flames have gone in the playoffs since reaching the Cup Finals in 2004. This is the second playoff meeting for these teams; their only previous meeting was in the 2006 Western Conference Quarterfinals, which Anaheim won in seven games. Anaheim won three of the five games in this year's regular season series.

Here are the dates and times for games in this series:
April 30 Calgary Flames 10:00 p.m. Anaheim Ducks Honda Center
May 3 Calgary Flames 10:00 p.m. Anaheim Ducks Honda Center
May 5 Anaheim Ducks 9:30 p.m. Calgary Flames Scotiabank Saddledome
May 8 Anaheim Ducks 9:30 p.m. Calgary Flames Scotiabank Saddledome
May 10 Calgary Flames TBD Anaheim Ducks Honda Center
May 12 Anaheim Ducks TBD Calgary Flames Scotiabank Saddledome
May 14 Calgary Flames TBD Anaheim Ducks Honda Center SN

What can you say about this young Flames team. The Flames have done some incredible things thanks largely to the play of young forwards such as Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett. Hudler has three goals and six points in the opening round and Gaudreau matched him with the six points,. leading the team with four helpers. There's going to be a small problem for the Flames in this series, that being trying to beat the Ducks in Calgary. Calgary hasn’t beaten the Ducks on their home pond since 2004, a span of 20 games (0-15-5). Just two of those losses were accrued this season, but you get the point. Calgary really needs those top guys from the first round to step up again this round if they want to have a chance. Anaheim had a relatively easy time disposing of the Jets in the opening round.  Corey Perry had seven points in the opening round. Anaheim had their big three of Ryan Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan Kesler asserted themselves at various points of that first round series. What really helped the Ducks out in that first round series win was the secondary scoring. Guys like Rickard Rakell, Emerson Etem and Jakub Silfverberg each contributed a game-changing goal. Calgary is a quick hockey team, but Anaheim has the physical presence, something which I don't think the Flames can match

Pick: Ducks in 5!

Moving over to the eastern Conference, we have the Montreal Canadiens taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Montreal comes in after knocking off the Ottawa Senators in a low scoring six game series. This Canadiens team is having a great year, cracking the 100+ point mark for the 2nd year in a row. Montreal looking to repeat it's performance from last year, getting past the 2nd round to head to the eastern Conference Finals. Tampa Bay also cracked the 100 point mark for the 2nd year in a row. Tampa is look to get out of the 2nd round for the first time since 2010. The Bolts come in after dispatching the Detroit Red Wings in a tough seven game series. This is the third playoff meeting for these teams; the teams have split their two previous playoff series. Their most recent meeting was in the previous year's Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, in which Montreal swept Tampa Bay out of the playoffs. Tampa Bay won all five games in this year's regular season series.

Here are the dates and times for every game in this series:
May 1 Tampa Bay Lightning 7:00 p.m. Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre
May 3 Tampa Bay Lightning 6:00 p.m. Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre
May 6 Montreal Canadiens 7:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
May 7 Montreal Canadiens 7:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
May 9 Tampa Bay Lightning TBD Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre
May 12 Montreal Canadiens TBD Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
May 14 Tampa Bay Lightning TBD Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre

Tampa Bay seemed to have a bit of a struggle with the Red Wings in the opening round. Detroit did a great job of managing to keep Lightning Captain Steven Stamkos off the board, as Stamkos went without a goal in the series.Stammer did have three assists in the series, but managed to go without a goal.; Enter Tyler Johnson. He had an outstanding series, scoring six goals in the seven games. He carried the Bolts in three of their four wins in the series. Tampa has depth and plenty of playoff experience, but one thing to look at is Ben Bishop. As good of a goalie as Bishop is, and has been during the regular season, he gave up some weak goals in the Detroit series. Tampa flat out dominated the Habs during the regular season. Montreal comes in off a low scoring series against Ottawa, winning in six. Montreal has the NHL’s best goalie in Carey Price, Norris Trophy nominee (and 2013 winner) P.K. Subban, one of the top two-way forwards in Max Pacioretty and good young forwards in Alex Galchenyuk and pesky Brendan Gallagher. However, they had no answer for the Lightning’s speed during the regular season. There stuff they have to work on, like step their scoring up in this series, because I'm not sure, as good as Price is, they can't get too far behind Tampa. Price is going to have to have a big series for Montreal to walk out of this series. Tampa struggled against Detroit, they won't get this lucky in this round.

Pick: Canadiens in 7!

Finally we have the New York Rangers going up against the Washington Capitals. The Rangers come in after smacking the Penguins around in five games. During the regular season, New York had its best year, from a points perspective since 2007. The Presidents Trophy win was the first one they've had since 1994. This marks the fourth straight year that the Rangers win their opening round playoff matchup. Washington enters this series after knocking off the Islanders in a tough seven game series. This marks the most points the Caps have collected in the regular season since 2011. Washington has made it to the 2nd round for the 4th time in the last six years. The Caps haven't made it out of the 2nd round since 1998, the year they went to the Stanley Cup Finals. This is the ninth playoff meeting for these teams and their fifth in the last seven years. The teams have split their eight previous playoff series. Their most recent meeting was in the 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, 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 every game in this series:
April 30 Washington Capitals 7:30 p.m. New York Rangers Madison Square Garden
May 2 Washington Capitals 12:30 p.m. New York Rangers Madison Square Garden
May 4 New York Rangers 7:30 p.m. Washington Capitals Verizon Center
May 6 New York Rangers 7:30 p.m. Washington Capitals Verizon Center
May 8 Washington Capitals 7:00 p.m. New York Rangers Madison Square Garden
May 10 New York Rangers TBD Washington Capitals Verizon Center
May 13 Washington Capitals TBD New York Rangers Madison Square Garden

New York had somewhat of an easy time taking care of the Penguins in the opening round, managing to keep Crosby (3 points) and Malkin (0 points) in check in the entire series. The thing that sticks out to me for the Rangers is that every game they won in the series ended the same way, a 2-1 final in favor of the Blueshirts. The reason that worked in the first round was because the Penguins were a weak, beaten down team and Henrik was that good in the Rangers net. New York does get Kevin Klein back for the series, but will be without Mats Zuccarello, who is out indefinitely after taking a puck to the head in Game 5 vs. the Penguins. That could be a big blow to the Rangers, because Zuccarello has had a big impact on the Rangers this season. With Washington, their top two lines shined in the series against the Islanders. Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin, led the team with six and five points, respectively. The difference is that the Rangers, lead by Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi and the rest of the defense corps will be a much greater challenge than the injury-ravaged, patchwork Islanders blue line corps presented. the Rangers blueline his healthy, unlike that of the Islanders, which will make a difference in the series. This series fits two pretty balanced squads against each other and will go the distance. What sets the tide in this series will be goaltending and the edge goes to King Henrik and the Rangers.
Pick: Rangers in 7!

So there you have it, the predictions for the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

DH Debate Should It Be Universal?

Ever since it became a league rule in 1973, this debate has raged on. The Designated Hitter. Should it be universal or abolished? After what happened this past weekend, the debate has gone back on. Adam Wainwright, the St. Louis Cardinals’ ace and long considered the best pitcher in the National League behind Clayton Kershaw, is finished for the season. Wainwright injured his ankle and Achilles’ tendon in an at-bat on Saturday night in Milwaukee. The injury has forced the Cardinals to place him on the disabled list, with the injury keeping him out for the season. Some feel that because Wainwright was hitting on Sunday he got hurt. That is true. But who's to say that Stanton could have gotten hurt getting hit by a line drive all the same. This is where the debate picks up. Should there be a DH across the board? Should the rule be taken out? Should it just be dropped and kept as is?

There are a couple reasons why the DH rule should be kept around and used in both leagues. For those who believe in the DH, it does have advantages. Many careers have been prolonged, and, in a few cases, created long, productive careers for players who are weak fielders or have a history of injuries. Perfect examples are guys like Edgar Martínez and David Ortiz, who had plenty of pop in their bat, but weren't as good in terms of fielding. Hall of Famers George Brett, Carl Yastrzemski, and Paul Molitor continued their careers longer than they ordinarily would have without the rule. Barry Bonds, who spent his entire career in the National League and actually won eight Gold Gloves earlier in his career, was used strictly as a DH later in his career when the San Francisco Giants played away interleague games due to his poor fielding. Another advantage that the DH rule has is that it takes the pitchers out of the equation. meaning that pitchers don't have to take the bat and get up to the plate and swing.  Besides the injury to Wainwright, look at what happened to pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. His career came into decline, according to some, due to an interleague game injury has been cited in support of the designated hitter. On June 15, 2008, Wang was taken out of an interleague game versus the Houston Astros due to a right foot injury he sustained while running the bases, something he was not used to doing, since pitchers do not bat in the American League. Wang was diagnosed with a torn Lisfranc ligament and a partial tear of the peroneus longus of the right foot. The cast was removed on July 29, but the extensive rehabilitation process prevented Wang from being an effective pitcher at the major league level since.

Of course, you have people looking at this from the other way. Some feel that injuries like this were caused because pitchers have to hit. Look at Wainwright. Look at Wang. Max Scherzer had to have a start pushed back because he jammed his thumb while batting. The argument could be made that people come to the park to watch a guy like Clayton Kershaw throw the ball not try and hit it. Kershaw and Scherzer, just to name a few, are guys who people come to see stand on a hill and pitch the ball. By having a DH, it would take that factor out of the system. Then again some feel that by not having the pitchers hit, its un-baseball like and it takes away a skill that all baseball players should be somewhat able to do. I for one, don't want to see Mets Ace Matt Harvey have to be taken out of a game and miss a month because he got hit on his pitching hand while in the batters box.

In hindsight though, you have no way to project players getting hurt. A pitcher could just as easily blow out his knee chasing down a ground ball back to the mound or going over to cover 1st base than he can running out of the batters box. I have never had a problem with the way things are done around Major League Baseball. It took a while for the DH rule to be accepted but it has become part of the game. It forces managers to think differently depending on what park they're in. Yes it sucks Wainwright's season had to end the way it did, but that's part of baseball, hell its a part of sports. Long story short is, no matter how hard you argue or fight the DH rule will stay pat in the American League and pitchers will still hit in the NL. Would I like to see it change? Yeah it wouldn't be so bad an idea. But the quality level of the players isn't the same to be able to sustain the position in both leagues. Injuries happen and putting in the DH in the NL I don't think is going to change that. It may prolong what is inevitable in players getting hurt, but injuries happen. The DH won't be joining the NL

What Happened To The New York Islanders?

What went wrong here? When the season started, there was a lot of hope and optimism about the New York Islanders, a team that was on the up and up. Going into their opening round series against the Capitals, the Islanders were looking to break a 21 year drought between playoff series wins, the longest such drought in NHL history. The team was coming off one of its best seasons in recent memory, going above and beyond expectations anybody had for the team. This club was looking for a great way to close this era of Islanders hockey, and send off Nassau Coliseum with a cup. Well that didn't exactly happen, as the Islanders fell in a hard-fought, seven-game series with the Washington Capitals. This was a series the Islanders had plenty of chances to win this series, but they had shot themselves in the foot, not only in the series but even leading up to the series.

I've talked about this before, it would benefit a team, more often than not, to go into postseason play hot. That wasn't the case with the Islanders. They stumbled in. What we saw from the club early in the year, scoring depth and punch, just wasn't there at the end of the year. Sure John Tavares finished in the top ten in the league in scoring, sure Brock Nelson was in the top ten in rookie goal scoring. But otherwise, there wasn't much hope, or balance, in the forward lines. The team couldn't find the same magic late in the year than they had in the start of the year, which was kind of sad. There's no denying that there's a lot of talent on the hockey team, that was evident through most of the regular season and at times in the playoffs. Games one three and six of the series, the games in which the Islanders actually won, gave you hope and a reason to believe that this team was really on the verge of making that push to the next level and finally getting over the hump, so to speak. But, alas, reality came crashing down on the Isles, allowing the holes once again to be shown.

One thing that really stuck out to me was the powerplay, or should I say lack there of. There's no way possible that a team can really do damage when it goes 0 for 14 on the powerplay in a series. 0 for 14 on the man advantage. Let that sink in. Most teams that are even remotely successful will find a way to bury the puck at least one time on the man advantage. An issue that I'm sure the Islanders will look to address in the offseason.

Then there's the fact that the team had trouble in the series of playing a full 60 minute hockey game. Not sure what it is, but the Islanders had a tendancy to show up in spurts or net even at all, not just during this series, but during the regular season as well. there were times during game seven where it seemed like the Capitals could do whatever they wanted with the puck and the Isles skated around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off. It was really a tough thing to watch. I know it does happens to a team where once in a while, teams will have a bad game and be on their heels. But it happened more than once to the Isles in this series, none more evident than I'd say most of game seven. It was almost too painful to watch. I'm sorry but in game seven the Islanders had no heart what so ever. To make it even worse, not only did they not show heart but they couldn't even generate offense. Eleven total shots on goal in the entire game by a hockey team. To make matters worse, of those eleven shots, three of them came off the sticks of forwards. For a hockey team to be a success, they need to have the forwards fire the puck on net. Caps goalie Braden Holtby wasn't tested at all in game seven.

To go along with the lack of heart and secondary scoring was inexperience. While players like Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy and Lubomir Visnovsky have extensive playoff experience, the Isles roster was filled with players who had appeared in just a handful of games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Guys like Tavares, Okposo, Bailey, Clutterbuck, Martin and a few others have a little bit of experience but not enough. Some of those key leaders had played no more than half a dozen playoff games in the NHL. Throw in the fact that three key young guns in Brock Nelson, Andres Lee and Ryan Strome had never played in a Stanley Cup Playoff game before, and it makes it easy to see why the Isles faultered in certain situations. A more experienced team would have made a stronger showing in Game 7 and probably would have put the Caps away in Game 2 as well.

There was one bright spot in the series and that was goalie Jaroslav Halak. He played out of his mind for the Isles, hands down he was their best player. As good as Halak was, he can only do so much. The fact that the Islanders were missing their top two defenseman was a big blow. Travis Hamonic wasn't available in the series due to a knee injury suffered near the end of the regular season, whicih turned out to be a HUGE loss for the team as Hamonic had been the Isles best defender, and all around defender to boot, all season long. Then to make matters worse, Lubomir Visnovsky was taken out during Game 4 on Tom Wilson’s questionable hit. Visnovsky was the team’s most experienced defenseman, a big plus on a squad full of younger players. He also was a good passer and a key component of the second power-play unit. Without Visnovsky, the Isles lost a lot of intangibles and an already thin defense was compromised further. Not having those two guys there, and then to lose Calvin De Hann near the end of game five made it even tougher on the team.

Don't get me wrong the Islanders had an outstanding season. Nothing can ever be taken away from them for the year they had. Still it was a bitter pill to swallow to see the team go down the way they did. A tough way to close the doors on Nassau Coliseum.

2015 Subway Series Preview

It's Time. Once a year the Mets and Yankees face off in the battle of New York. Its been a summer tradition ever since Interleague play began back in 1997. This series is a little bit different than any other in the rivalry between the two teams. Normally all six games are played somewhere around late May early June and are played in the same month. This year the series is split, with the first three played at Yankee Stadium this weekend, and the final three played at Citi Field September 18th-20th. This is the first time I can remember in quite a while the two teams coming into the series both feeling good. Before we get into whats going on this weekend, lets take a quick walk down memory lane.

June 16th, 1997. That was the date of the first ever meeting between the teams, a game which the Mets won 6–0 behind Dave Mlicki throwing a complete game shutout. The Yankees would take the next two games and take the opening series. With what we are about to see this season, it marks the 19th series between the two teams. Seven times (1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2014) these two teams have split the series, the Mets have won the series three times (2004 and 2008, winning four of six, then 2013 a four game sweep) while the Yankees have won the other eight series. The only time the Yankees swept the series was in 2003 when they won all six games. The Yankees have a 56–42 regular-season advantage over the Mets, who have won four straight at Yankee Stadium, but lost both games at home last year.

That was then and this is now. Both teams are coming in hot to the start of this series. The Mets head into this series with the best record in baseball (13-3) and an 11-game winning streak. During this hot streak run of the Mets, they have outscored their opponents 57-31. Starting pitching for the Blue and Orange has been good during this stretch, throwing up a stellar 2.79 ERA, to go along with 60 strikeouts and only 10 walks. To go along with this clutch starting pitching as of late, this Mets team has displayed clutch hitting and reliable relief pitching. Jeurys Familia has done a fantastic job of taking a stranglehold on the closer's job after the suspension of Jenrry Mejia. The Mets bats have been a bit of an intrigue lately. Wilmer Flores has been hitting .421 over the last week, with eight hits and four RBI, going along with two homers. Juan Lagares too has been coming around a little with the bat over the last week, hitting .333 over the last week. Lagares has eight hits four RBI over that span as well. Daniel Murphy still hasn't quite come out of his slump yet, but he has driven in six runs over the last week, which could be a sign of things to come for the Mets second baseman.

When it comes to going into an American League ballpark, most National League teams are at a slight disadvantage when it comes to using a DH. The Mets have a couple of capable bats to use to DH. One is John Mayberry Jr., who is off to a hot start, sort of. he has an on base percentage of .3780 and he is hitting .250, but its coming from a small sample size. Besides if the Mets want to change things up with the DH, besides using Mayberry, they can also keep Duda and Cuddyer, giving those two guys a day off from playing in the field. So the Mets do have a little going for them heading to this series. But as good as it has been, there is a down side to this. The Mets are coming into this Subway Series a little bit banged up. No David Wright (hamstring), no Travis d'Arnaud (broken finger), Jerry Blevins (broken forearm) are all out of the picture due to injuries. In fact, the Mets are also without their three best non-Familia righty relievers in Bobby Parnell (Tommy John surgery), Jenrry Mejia (elbow, suspension) and Vic Black (shoulder). Lefty Josh Edgin (Tommy John surgery) is also out. And finally, Zack Wheeler (Tommy John surgery) is also done for the year. So the Mets have had success but it has come at a bit of a price.

Lets not forget, the Yankees (9-7) have a three-game winning streak after a 7-3 road trip. The Yankees just won three of four from the Tigers in Detroit and have won six of their last seven games overall. They've outscored their opponents 41-20 in the seven games. Oh and the Tigers had the 2nd best record in baseball behind the Mets, so it marks another tough series from the Bronx Bombers. What has made this even more intriguing for the Yankees, is that they started the season off miserable. They went 2-4 to open the year, playing really sloppy baseball. The Yankees committed nine errors in the first six games, but since then have only three. The Bronx Bombers have righted the ship over the last week and a half and are playing much cleaner baseball. Like the Mets, the Yankees are a run prevention team, and at the moment they are performing as capable. Sure the Yankees are dealing with injuries, same as the Mets, but its nowhere near as bad as the boys in Queens. Ivan Nova (Tommy John surgery) and Chris Capuano (quad) are a few weeks from returning to the rotation and utility infielders Jose Pirela (concussion) and Brendan Ryan (calf) are expected back in May. That's it. The Yankees are definitely the healthier team heading into the Subway Series.

For a while it looked like Alex Rodriguez was going to carry the Yankees. He has four homers and eleven RIB, oh and he is hitting .265 for the year. He has been hitting pretty well this year, despite missing all that time last year with the whole suspension thing he had to take on. A-Rod has responded and somewhat carried the club through the early stages this season. A-rod has some company in the power department. Mark Teixeira does have five home runs and thirteen RBI, both of which lead the club, which is great despite the fact that he's hitting .196 on the season. There have been a few bright spots for the Yanks coming into the series. Chris Young has been hitting over .400 for the last week and is tearing the cover off the ball this year, so expect him to be in the lineup for the series this weekend. Ellsbury and Gardner have both been hitting well, each hitting over 300 for the year.

So here's the dates, times, TV channels and pitching matchups for this first Subway Series:
Friday: Jacob deGrom (2-1, 0.93 ERA) vs. Michael Pineda (2-0, 5.00 ERA), 7pm (WPIX)
Saturday: Matt Harvey (3-0, 3.50 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia (0-3, 4.35 ERA), 4pm (SNY)
Sunday: Jonathon Niese (2-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 3.12 ERA), 8pm (ESPN)

So there you have it. Subway Series round one is ready to rock. So sit back, relax and get ready for three days of fantastic baseball!

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!