Young Guns Step Up For Pens In Opener

As the old saying goes: Speed Kills! Both teams playing in this years Stanley Cup Finals could be considered lethal, especially those ion Pittsburgh, who could be called Serial Killers after game one. San Jose put up a good fight in the opener of the Finals, but the Penguins were just better, coming away with a 3-2 victory, gaining a 1-0 lead in the finals. Both teams played the speed game to perfection, and both teams got solid production out of their top lines: Sidney Crosby, Conor Sheary and Patric Hornqvist for Pittsburgh, and Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl for San Jose. But at the end of the night, it was the HBK line for Pittsburgh that came up the biggest.

Pittsburgh got off to a quick start, spending most of the 1st period on the attack. San Jose really looked like they got off to a slow start and had flat feet. It took a little while but the Penguins struck first. Bryan Rust kept up his hot shooting, by netting his 6th of the playoffs at the 12:43 mark of the opening period. Then just 1:02 later, at 13:48, Conor Sheary took a pass from Crosby and rifled a shot high past Martin Jones to give the Pens a 2-0 lead. Before the period was over, Jones came up big to help keep San Jose in the hockey game. Brent Burns took a shot, it got blocked and sailed out to center. Carl Hagenlin got a step on the defense and had a breakaway. Jones made the save and then followed that up with two huge kick saves on Nick Bonino, who was following up the play. Those two huge saves kept San Jose in the game, but Pittsburgh still held a 2-0 lead after twenty minutes.

Once the 2nd period got rolling, it appeared as the Sharks found their skating legs again. Ian Cole of the Penguins got called for hooking a little over a minute into the middle frame, thus putting the Sharks deadly powerplay to work. Didn't take very long. At the 3:06 mark, San Jose connected on a pretty passing play as Joonas Donskoi found Tomas Hertl at the side of the net for the goal. For Hertl it was his 6th goal of the playoffs. San Jose was back in the game. San Jose controlled the middle period, pressing to get the tying goal. That goal came at the 18:12 mark of the middle frame, when Patrick Marleau scored his 5th of the playoffs. The Marleau goal was a direct result of the style they want to play. They sustained pressure in the offensive zone. Couture passed to the point and Burns got a shot through. Marleau picked up a rebound and scored on a wraparound. So we head to the final period tied at two.

This final frame was a pretty evenly played period. San Jose and Pittsburgh traded quality chances in this 3rd period. Finally, late in the period, Pittsburgh broke through:


For Nick Bonino, the goal was his 4th of the playoffs. It also came on a bad defensive breakdown buy the Sharks. It started with a good pinch in by Letang to carry the puck behind the net. Brent Burns, who had lost his stick on the play, went to Letang. Paul Martin, the other Sharks defender, was standing between Bonino and Burns was so focused on what Burns was doing he forgot about Bonino. When the pass came out, Martin was surprised by it and came a little flat footed. That's what gave Bonino, a member of the HBK line (Bonino Hagelin and Kessel), time to settle the puck down and get his shot off and beat Jones high. San Jose got some pressure late but Murray held fort and the Pens walked away with the win. Shot totals favored the Penguins, 41-26 in the hockey game.

Both teams played a quick game, but the Penguins stuck to the course of action, while San Jose seemed to lose their way for a brief moment. What made the Sharks successful against the Blues in the previous round was that they were able to maintain pressure and wear the Blues down over the length of the series. San Jose never really got the chance to establish that kind of presence in this game against the Penguins. That's why its a seven game series and not a one and done playoff. So there is still plenty of time for the Sharks to get settled and play their game.

Game two of the series is Wednesday night back in Pittsburgh!

Stanley Cup Finals Preview

It's Time! After eight long months of battle we are down to the final two teams left standing. The two quickest teams in the league, and the teams with the two best records since the turn of the calender to 2016, will be facing each other with a chance to claim the greatest prize in the entire sport of hockey. The Stanley Cup is on the line and in just about two weeks time we will determine who the best team in the game of hockey really is. Enough talk. Lets get right down to it. Here's our preview for the Stanley Cup Finals!

Its the Eastern Conference Champion Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Western Conference Champion San Jose Sharks. For the Penguins, this marks the 5th time ever that they have made the Stanley Cup finals, winning the trophy three times (1991, 1992, 2009). The only loss for the Penguins was to Detroit in 2008. Pittsburgh made it to the playoffs by winning 48 games during the regular season, good enough to finish in 2nd place in the Metropolitan Division. Once the playoffs opened, Pittsburgh started their run off by beating the New York Rangers in five games. They then followed that up by beating the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in six games, and extinguished the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Conference Final in seven games. With that, the Penguins now have a playoff record of 180-154.

As for the San Jose Sharks, this is uncharted territory. This is the first time in the 25 year history of the franchise that they are playing for the Stanley Cup. Furthest the Sharks have gone, before this year, was the Western Conference Finals twice. First was in 2004, losing in six to the Calgary Flames. Then they lost in five to the Vancouver Canucks in 2011. This year, San Jose finished 3rd in the Pacific Division, collecting 98 points on 46 wins. Once the playoffs started, San Jose avenged their previous loss to the Los Angeles Kings in 2014, in which they gave up a 3–0 series lead, by defeating the Kings in five games. San Jose then eliminated the Nashville Predators in seven games, winning every home game in the series. San Jose closed out the Western Conference by beating the St. Louis Blues in the Conference Final in six games. San Jose is now 107-104 lifetime in the post season.

This marks the first ever meeting between the teams in the playoffs. During the regular season, the clubs split their two meetings, with the road team winning each time.

Here are the dates and times for every game in the finals:
Game 1: Mon 5/30, 8pm: San Jose @ Pittsburgh | NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
Game 2: Wed 6/1, 8pm: San Jose @ Pittsburgh | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Game 3: Sat 6/4, 8pm: Pittsburgh @ San Jose | CBC, TVA Sports
Game 4: Mon 6/6, 8pm: Pittsburgh @ San Jose | CBC, TVA Sports
*Game 5: Thu 6/9, 8pm: San Jose @ Pittsburgh | NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
*Game 6: Sun 6/12, 8pm: Pittsburgh @ San Jose | NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
*Game 7: Wed 6/15, 8pm: San Jose @ Pittsburgh | NBC, CBC, TVA Sports

Been a long road back to the finals for the Penguins, this being their first appearance in the finals since 2009. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Chris Kunitz and Marc-Andre Fleury are the only active players remaining from that title run. So there's been a lot of changes in the Steel City between finals trips for the Penguins. This year's team has a lot to build off too. They are a good, quick team and have been putting up fantastic numbers in the playoffs with some big changes. Marc-Andre Fleury missed time at the end of the season and Matt Murray took over in net. He has played so well to this point that they haven't thought about going back to Fleury before the start of the finals, and why would you with how well Matt Murray has played. I wouldn't touch him. Also, when you think of the Penguins outside of goaltending, you think of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni malkin and Kris Letang. Letang has played well, or about as well as you can expect for a guy of his talent so far in the playoffs. The surprise is that both Crosby and Malkin have been playing below standard. Malkin won the Conn Smyth as playoff MVP in 2009 and is playing nowhere near that level now. Same thing with Crosby. Don't get me wrong both guys have been productive in the playoffs, Crosby has 15 points (6G 9A), and Malkin has 15 points (4G 11A), but neither guy has REALLY carried the Penguins in the playoffs.

That goes to show how deep this team really is. Phil Kessel is leading the team in scoring with nine goals and 18 points. Kessel was brought in last summer to produce offence and he's done everything you could want from him in this playoff run Eight guys on the Penguins roster have picked up at least ten points in the entire playoffs. Bryan Rust, Carl Haglien and Nick Bonino have also been productive for the Penguins in the post season, which shows just the amount of depth that this Pens team really has. Then again you have Matt Murray as well playing out of his mind, who has a .924 save percentage, which is one of the best in all of the playoffs.

As good as the Penguins are, the Sharks can match them on speed. San Jose is just as quick as Pittsburgh. Oh and they too have guys they rely on, guys who have really stepped it up in the Playoffs. Martin Jones is now really getting his chance to shine in net and has a .919 save percentage to show for it,. Jones has done a fantastic job in net so far. Then there's the blueline. Sure Brent Burns has been playing the way you'd expect from him. Burns is averaging 25:05 on ice a game and has produced 20 points so far in this playoffs. He's a shut down defender who can get on the scoresheet. Then you also have Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who while not as much of an offensive threat as Burns, still plays 23:08 a game and has shut down guys like Filip Forsberg (33 goals during the season) and Vladimir Tarasenko (40 goals during the regular season). San Jose has had the better team defense than the Penguins so far in the playoffs.

Then, we have the San Jose offense. The Sharks have four of the five top scorers in the playoffs (Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns and Joe Thornton). While Pavelski is the top postseason goal scorer (13 goals), it’s going to be Burns who will give Pittsburgh the most trouble. To make this series more interesting, Pittsburgh really needs to stay out of the penalty box. Why? Oh no reason, except that the Sharks powerplay has been deadly over the last two rounds. Pavelski has been a killer on the man advantage so far and that's going to continue with the way the Pens have been going in terms of getting stuck in the box. Another thing that has really stuck out about San Jose in this playoffs is that they have never looked really rattled by teams. Even after losing games in the playoffs this year, even after losing that triple overtime game in game four against Nashville, San Jose kept a calm demenor the entire time. They're always making the right adjustments for a strong counterpunch, which is a big part of their success in bouncing back. They also finally seem to have the confidence that previous Sharks teams have lacked. They're not just happy to be here.

That being said here's how I see this series going down. This one will go the distance. Both teams are fast and can make adjustments quick. Both teams have good young goaltenders who have been stealing the show to this point in the playoffs. Both teams can roll four lines. The biggest difference in this series is the big guns. Right now the best players on the San Jose Sharks are really playing like it. Outside of Phil Kessel, the big guns on the Penguins haven't really hit that stride and that's what's going to hurt them in the finals.

Pick: Sharks in 7!

Vladimir Tarasenko Needs A Wakeup Call

In any sport, once the playoffs get going, your best players step up in the biggest situations. That's the way it goes, or at least the way it should go in any sport. Come the biggest moments, your best players need to show up and make a name for themselves. All the greats have done it in the sporting world. For stretches this postseason in the NHL, Vladimir Tarasenko has done just that for the St. Louis Blues. Except in the Western Conference Finals, where he has been held without a point by the San Jose Sharks.

Coming into this series against the Sharks, Tarasenko had registered 13 points, on seven goals and eight assists, in fourteen games. In the five games against the Sharks, he's had nothing. In those two previous series against Chicago and Dallas, Tarasenko didn't register a point in every game, but when he did get his name on the scoresheet, whether it was scoring a goal or setting one up, it came at a huge moment. Now, he's gone invisible, getting passed for the team lead in points by Jaden Schwartz (4G 10A), David Backes (7G 7A), and Robby Fabbri (4G 11A). With this now going on with Tarasenko, the pressure is really starting to mount for Vladimir to get the job done and help propell the Blues to the finals for the first time since 1970.

What's making this more surprising is that the guy did manage to score 40 goals during the regular season. He was a difference maker in the series against Chicago and Dallas, putting up multi-point games in game four against Chicago and games three and four against Dallas. He could change the series around with a single move. San Jose right now has done a fantastic job of shutting him down and not giving him the looks that he had been getting in the first two rounds. Here's what I mean. Look at the big stars in San Jose, guys like Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. Both of those guys have scored huge goals in this series, hell Pavelski scored twice in game five to give the Sharks a series lead and has them one win away from their first ever finals appearance. That's what your best players do, they score or make the big play at the right moment.

Tarasenko hasn't done that yet in this series. He had one shot all night in game five and it was an easy save for Martin Jones in the 3rd period. Now when the Blues are winning, nothing really matters and his struggles can get overlooked. When St Louis starts to lose, when a player like Tarasenko doesn’t score, the issues become magnified. And if the Blues don’t win Wednesday and Tarasenko is again held without a goal then there will be immediate questions as to how a player who had 10 playoff goals in his previous 12 postseason games before 2016 lost his scoring touch so suddenly this year. That's why his wakeup call is so important.

Tarasenko has all the skill in the world to be a top flight player in this game. Which is why there's a lot of pressure on him to score. All it takes is just one shot to get him back in the groove again. Once Tarasenko finds the back of the net, the complexion of his series could shift dramatically. If he can’t, then the Western Conference Final could gnaw at him all summer.

Matt Harvey What The Hell

Something has to be wrong here. A few years ago, there was no doubt in anybody's mind that Matt Harvey was the ace of the New York Mets Starting Rotation. The Dark Knight was the talk of the town when it came to starting pitching in New York. There was no argument, he was king of the hill. He was good, he dominated, he made the baseball move and dance and really throw hitters off balance. Now, however, its a totally different story.

Just two years ago, he was the National League starter at the All Star Game in Queens. After missing a year with Tommy John Surgery, he pitched last year to a 13-8 record and helped get the Mets to the World Series for the first time since 2000. Now, he's 3-6 with a 5.77 ERA. So this does beg one to wonder..........what the hell is wrong with Matt Harvey?

Don't believe yet that something might be wrong with him, look at last night's start against the Washington Nationals at home. It was the worst start of his career. He lasted just two and two thirds innings, walking two, giving up eight hits and nine runs, six of which were earned runs. Harvey even gave up a hit to Bryce Harper, who was 0-for-21 before a third-inning single snapped the skid. And to think, a year ago when Harvey faced off against Stephen Strasburgh, the Citi Field crowd chanted "HARVEY'S BETTER." This time around, Harvey got booed right off the mound. That short outing for Harvey last night should tell you right there that something isn't right with the former Mets ace.

Harvey's velocity is down (from 96 mph in 2015 to 94 mph in 2016) and his ERA is now up to 5.77 (from 2.71 last season). He spoke to mechanical adjustments he needed to make to find comfort in his delivery heading into Thursday's outing, but the results continue to show he's still searching for answers. After the game Mets manager Terry Collins said he would consider skipping Harvey's next start, scheduled to be next Tuesday against these same Nationals (Yahoo). Ya know what, that might not be such a bad idea.

Look don't get me wrong I still really like Matt Harvey. I support him, but its starting to wain a little. It is getting hard to do that now. It sucks to see a guy with all the talent that Harvey does have to see him pitching like this. He has the stuff, I mean he can get his fastball up in the high 90's, that's been well documented. Its just something about his mental makeup right now that's not there. He knows he can pitch, but he's fighting himself on the mound, you can tell just by watching him.

Most big league pitchers, so far as I can see, when they take the hill, you know just by looking at them if they have command of their pitches on a given day or not. Watching Matt throw the last couple of outings, you can tell he's not there. It's mental with him, which is throwing off his timing and mechanics. He used to go out there and sort of say here try and hit this. He could really make the ball dance on the mound out there. But now, the ball has no movement and is staying flat and fat over the plate and its getting rocked. I'm sure Mets management and even Matt Harvey don't want to do this, but it might not be such a bad idea. Send him down to Triple A for a little while. Let him get his confidence back in his other pitches. Once he gets that mental side of the game worked out everything else will fall back into place and he will be back to dominating big league hitters again in no time!

NBA Conference Finals Preview

When this whole journey started last month, there were sixteen teams standing in the chase. The top seeds in both conferences are still standing, which anybody who has followed basketball could have predicted. The other two teams are a bit of a surprise. Toronto hasn't seen this deep a run ion the playoffs ever, and Oklahoma City pulled off a huge upset to get here. Seven games in each conference will determine who gets to face off for the right to play for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Enough talk, lets rock. Here's how the conference finals are going to go down.

First up, we go to the Eastern Conference. Its the top seeded Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the 2nd seeded Toronto Raptors. For the 2nd year in a row, the Cavaliers are playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. They got here by sweeping Detroit in the opening round and then sweeping Atlanta in the 2nd round. Cleveland has now made the Eastern Conference Finals for the fourth time in franchise history, going 3-1 in said series. Cleveland is now 92-84 lifetime in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors are playing in their first ever Eastern Conference Finals. They got here by beating Indiana in seven games, following that up with a seven game series win over Miami. Toronto has never played in the Eastern Conference Finals before. They are 30-40 lifetime in the playoffs. This is the first meeting in the playoffs between the Cavaliers and Raptors. Toronto took two of the three meetings between the teams during the regular season.

Here are the dates and times of every game in this series:
May 17 8:30 PM Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
May 19 8:30 PM Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
May 21 8:30 PM Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
May 23 8:30 PM Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
May 25 8:30 PM Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers* Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
May 27 8:30 PM Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors* Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
May 29 8:30 PM Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers* Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland comes into this series very well rested, having swept both of their previous two rounds. In their first eight games, Cleveland has really only played three close games (five point two point and one point wins). They've dominated in every other game they've played. Kyrie Irving and Lebron James are carrying the Cleveland offense, with both guys averaging over twenty points a night. Lebron is the best player on the court in the East, maybe in the playoffs (other than Steph Curry) and the Raptors are going to have a big task trying to shut him down in this series. Also you have to take into account that the Cavs are getting double digits scoring averages from both Kevin Love and JR Smith, so it shows that its not just a two man show in Cleveland. To make this tougher on the Raptors, Cleveland has been doing something they haven't really done much in the past, and that is hitting 3-pointers. Cleveland has knocked down 134 trifectas in the postseason, good for 16.8 per game, which is actually operating at a better clip right now then the best three point shooting team in the league, the Warriors.

Toronto is not exactly a pushover. They have shown more heart and desire than any other team so far in the playoffs. DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, and Jonas Valanciunas have been carrying the offensive load for the Raptors in this years playoffs. But it doesn't get easy here for Toronto. Valanciunas is hurt, dealing with an ankle injury. So that takes a big factor out of play for the Raptors. But wait it gets worse. Toronto's offense has a bad habit of stalling in the fourth quarter when the team has a lead. That's a scary stat to think about, making this factor worse when you realize they're going up against the Cavaliers, the best team in the Eastern Conference. And if Toronto had trouble trying to control Paul George of the Pacers in the opening round, they're really going to have problems trying to shut down the best player in the game.

This series may not even be close. Unless there is a catastrophic meltdown by Cleveland, which will not happen, the Raptors don't stand a chance. Sure Toronto owned Cleveland on home court during the regular season, but what happened during the regular season don't mean jack squat. Toronto MAY get lucky and steal a game at home, but they aren't going to steal the series.

Pick: Cavaliers in 5!

Moving to the Western Conference Finals, its the top seeded Golden State Warriors taking on the 3rd seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. Golden State has made it back to the Western Conference Finals for the 2nd straight year. They got here by dispatching Houston in five in the opening round, following that up with a five game series win over Portland. This marks the 3rd time since 1975, and the 2nd year in a row, that the Warriors are playing in the West Finals. Golden State is now 75-70 all time in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City got here by taking out Dallas in five in the opening round, following that up with a six game series win over San Antonio. Oklahoma City is playing in the Western Conference Finals for 2nd time in three years and the 4th time in the last six seasons. The Thunder are now 47-37 lifetime in the playoffs. This is the third meeting in the playoffs between the Warriors and Thunder, with both teams tied at one a piece (Both previous meetings where when the Thunder were still known as the Seattle SuperSonics). Golden State won all three meetings between these teams during the regular season.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
May 16 9:00 PM Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
May 18 9:00 PM Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
May 22 8:00 PM Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
May 24 9:00 PM Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
May 26 9:00 PM Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors* Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
May 28 9:00 PM Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder* Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
May 30 9:00 PM Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors* Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

When the post season started, everybody expected it to be a Warriors-Spurs Western Conference Finals. Somebody forgot to tell the Thunder that. Oklahoma City has played fantastic basketball right now, making it look a little easy in dispatching the Spurs in six games. This series is going to be a fun one to watch. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook can both win games by themselves if they get hot. Lets not sleep on Enes Kanter and Steven Adams, both guys can be a force on the boards. Then, you also have Serge Ibaka, Dion Waiters and Andre Roberson, all of whom are playing well in their designated roles. Most importantly, the squad's defense was sharp against the Spurs. The size that the Thunder have in the front court are going to cause big problems for the Warriors, who's only real big Andrew Bogut is questionable for Monday's Game 1 with a shoulder injury.

They are facing the best team in all of basketball in Golden State. Stephen Curry has missed time due to injury in the playoffs, but it really hasn't shown to be too much of an impact on the Warriors this year, because Golden State has gone right on rolling along. There is one slight knock against Golden State this year. The squad's tendency to get lazy defensively despite possessing an excellent cast of players on that end has haunted it at several points during the postseason. They had to go to overtime in game four and only pulled out a four point win in game five against Portland. But still, Steph Curry and Draymond Green should have shaken off the effects of some of their nagging injuries after a few days off and should come out ready to rock and roll against Oklahoma City.

After what Oklahoma City just did against San Antonio, it showed that they aren't going to be a pushover. However, Golden State's got the better offense, the extra gear the Warriors often find on defense and home-court advantage will prove just enough for head coach Steve Kerr's team to get past a hungry Thunder squad.

Pick: Warriors in 7!

NHL Conference Finals Preview

Now there are four teams left standing. We've reached the conference finals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Winners of these series will face off against each other for the greatest prize in the game of hockey right now. Bragging rights are on the line. Two teams in the East who will be flying around the ice from end to end. Meanwhile, the two teams in the West can score at will, which will make it a track meet of a different kind. Enough talk, lets rock. Here's what we got for the conference finals!

The Eastern Conference will pit the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the battle of the 2nd seeds. Pittsburgh got here by dispatching of the New York Rangers in five in the opening round, then followed that up with a six game series win over the Washington Capitals in the second round. Pittsburgh has made the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2013 (when they were swept by Boston). The Penguins are 176-150 lifetime in the post season.

Tampa Bay got here by knocking off the Detroit Red Wings in the opening round in five games, then took out the New York Islanders in five games in the second round. This marks the 2nd year in a row that the Lightning are playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. Tampa is now 59-50 lifetime in the playoffs. This is the second playoff meeting for these teams. Their only previous series was during the 2011 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, which Tampa Bay came back from a 3–1 series deficit to win in seven games. Tampa Bay won all three games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
May 13 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
May 16 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
May 18 Pittsburgh Penguins 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
May 20 Pittsburgh Penguins 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
May 22 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
May 24 Pittsburgh Penguins 8:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
May 26 Tampa Bay Lightning 8:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center

Fast paced is the best possible way to describe what we're going to watch in this series.Tampa may have a little more rest ending both of their previous series in five games, while the Pens had to go six games in their last series. If you're Tampa in this series, stick with the gameplan. Ben Bishop, with the exception of the start of the Islanders series, has been totally fantastic. Bishop has played incredible hockey. So to has been Victor Hedman. Hedman shut down John Tavares of the Islanders in the last round, and managed to score ten points in that series as well. Some might have suspected as to how well the Lightning would play without Steven Stamkos. That hasn't mattered because Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov have combined for 25 points. Kucherov's nine goals is tops in the NHL, but the Lightning feature a balanced attack with 11 goal scorers, including Jonathan Drouin, who has nine points in 10 games. Brian Boyle has been a key component too.

Don't sleep on the Penguins though, as they have steamrolled everybody to this point in the post season. Sure, there's no Marc-Andre Fleury in the Pittsburgh net, but Matt Murray has done a fantastic job replacing him, look no further than making 47 saves against the Caps in game three. From an offensive perspective, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been kind of quiet so far in this years pplayoffs. Normally, that might be considered a problem if your the Penguins. Not this year. Thanks to the line of Phil Kessel, Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino, all new to the Pens within the last year, was dynamite in the Capitals series and single-handedly delivered the Game 6 overtime series clincher. This Pens team has been rolling four lines and averaging nearly four goals a game in this post season.

Tampa will put up a fight in this series, which is going to go the distance. Ben Bishop knows what he's doing in net in the high pressure situations, which is what is going to keep Tampa in this series. But at the end of the day, the Penguins have too much depth and are too talented to hold off.

Pick: Penguins in 7!

The Western Conference Final will pit the St. Louis Blues against the San Jose Sharks. San Jose got here by dispatching of the Los Angeles Kings in five games, then taking care of the Nashville Predators in seven tough games. This marks the first conference finals appearance for the Sharks since 2011. San Jose is now 103-102 lifetime in the playoffs.

Meanwhile St. Louis got here by beating the Chicago Blackhawks in seven, following that up with another seven game series win over the Dallas Stars. This marks the first conference finals appearance for the Blues since 2001. St Louis is now 156-193 lifetime in the playoffs. This is the fifth playoff meeting for these teams, with both teams splitting the four previous playoff series. They last met during the 2012 Western Conference Quarterfinals, which St. Louis won in five games. San Jose won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

Here are the dates and times for every game in this series:
May 15 San Jose Sharks 8:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
May 17 San Jose Sharks 8:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
May 19 St. Louis Blues 9:00 p.m. San Jose Sharks SAP Center
May 21 St. Louis Blues 7:15 p.m. San Jose Sharks SAP Center
May 23 San Jose Sharks 8:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
May 25 St. Louis Blues 9:00 p.m. San Jose Sharks SAP Center
May 27 San Jose Sharks 8:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center

The battle for redemption. St Louis had trouble getting out of the first round the last three years, with the Hawks being a big thorn in their side. That was taken care of. San Jose same thing with dealing with the Los Angeles Kings, been there done that. This series is going to be good. San Jose, much like Dallas, is a fast team. They're also a big team, so their size advantage is going to play a factor in this series. San Jose plays a controlled game, taking a total of 16 minutes in penalties all playoffs. Oh yeah and their powerplay has been the best in the post season. Martin Jones too has played a factor, playing some great hockey.

St. Louis plays a little different style then the Sharks do. The Blues' physical and structured game wears down teams over seven games. Look at what happened to Dallas in game seven in the last round. With veteran head coach Ken Hitchcock leading the way, the Blues' overall game is also extremely detailed. This is a team that doesn't make as many mistakes as most teams. That can frustrate the opposition. Their fundamentals are unreal. And it also helps when you have Vladimir Tarasenko providing plenty of offensive jump, it makes the Blues jobs a lot easier. That and with the play of Brian Elliott in net.

One thing that could wear on the Blues a little is the fact that they've played in two seven games series so far in the playoffs, which could be a huge factor in this series. San Jose hasn't really been a major factor in this round, they still have something left to prove. They've never been in the finals before, something they are looking to change. St. Louis has the same problem, looking to get to the finals for the first time since 1970., Which is what is going to make this series so intriguing. Its going to be a fun series to watch, but I think the Blues have too much good mojo going right now.

Pick: Blues in 7!

Stephen Strasburg Got New Deal

Few pitchers have come into the Majors with as much hype as Stephen Strasburg did. He blew the doors off the league when he first got here. He made the all star team in 2012 and has dominating at times during his career. When you have stuff like his, a fastball that can be cranked up to almost 100 miles an hour, a two seamer that can move and dance around the strike zone and off speed pitches that can make hitters look foolish, you'd take full advantage of it. Washington had signed him to a one year deal prior to this year, avoiding arbitration. His fantastic start to this year has earned Strasburg a new deal. He was just signed to a seven year deal worth $175 million. Strasburg will receive a rolling opt-out clause after the third or fourth year of the contract and could receive $7 million in performance bonuses, sources said. He also will receive an additional $1 million bonus each season he reaches 180 innings pitched, according to sources (ESPN).

Well here's the thing with Strasburg. It is a good move by the Nationals for a couple of reasons. First it locks up the core of that pitching staff, with him and Max Scherzer at the top of that rotation. Its been well documented the arm troubles that he's had during his career. The rolling option opt-out clause after the third or fourth season is a good idea, because it gives both sides a chance to see how well this kid will hold up over the coming years. Having had Tommy John Surgery leaves question marks for a lot of pitchers. So far this season, the fact that Strasburg is 5-0 with a 2.76 ERA and 58 strikeouts in his first seven starts tells you that he's feeling OK right now. But that's right now.

Who knows what could happen down the road. He's had a good career in the big leagues, as in just over six years in the Majors, he has a career record of 59-37 with a 3.06 ERA. There is one thing though that could stick out like a sore thumb here. Yes he's been in the Majors since 2010, but he's had to make quite a few trips to the disabled list, including having Tommy John Surgery right at the end of the 2010 season. Sure he's made a great comeback since then, winning 15 games in 2012, 14 wins in 2013 and 11 wins last year. It appears that there have been no ill effects from the surgery, but it is still something to keep an eye one.

Money too was something to look at. The new deal's total dollars match the 2013-19 contract of the Seattle Mariners' Felix Hernandez for the sixth highest among big league pitchers. Byb comparison, David Price's deal with the Boston Red Sox that started this season is worth a record $217 million over seven years. Another of the few deals for a pitcher that tops Strasburg's is the one his Nationals teammate Max Scherzer received as a free agent before last season, paying $210 million, although half of that is deferred money (ESPN). These numbers go to show what ball clubs are willing to pay for big pitchers so they avoid losing them to the market. The Dodgers did the same thing when they Kept Clayton Kershaw. Hell Arizona just flung out a lot of money when they signed Zach Grenkie this past winter.

When he's on his game Strasburg is worth every penny he's going to get paid. Now the question is can he stay healthy the length of the deal?

Bartolo Colon For The Win

Sports can be a truly beautiful thing. Anything can happen on any given day. that's what keeps drawing fans into the seats day in and day out. Baseball is no different. Case in point, the saga of Bartolo Colon. He's been in the Majors for 19 years and is currently 42 years old. For most of his career, he's pitched in the American League, which means he hasn't had to hit. The last three years he's been playing with the Mets in the National League.

It has truly been amazing and fun to watch him get to the plate and swing a bat. He had never hit a home run in his career. That has changed. This past Saturday, Bartolo captured the hearts of baseball fans everywhere and knocked one out of the park for a two-run shot to extend the Mets’ lead over the Padres, 4-0. Don't believe me? Here's your video proof:


This goes down in the history books as one of the greatest things ever to happen on a baseball diamond. It was a beautiful thing to watch. He's 42 years old. Let that number sink in for a second. A 42 year old pitcher has hit a long ball in a Major League Baseball game. You cannot call yourself a fan of baseball, or sports for that matter, if you don't get excited, or at the very least smile, at something like this.

Bartolo Colon gave hope to big guys everywhere that it can be done at the Major League level. Thank you Bartolo and please don't stop swinging.

NFL Draft Report Cards

It takes a total of three days. When all is said and done, a total of 253 players are picked to play in the National Football League. Now its WAY too early to really tell just how well each team did in the draft, but hey we can give it a try right here and now right. That's part of the fun of it though, to see how well the teams did on draft weekend. Of course it may take a while to breakdown each and every pick  So with that being said, here's some of the best, and maybe worst, of the draft. We start with the local teams.

New York Giants: B+
Pretty good draft for Giants GM Jerry Reese, at least on paper it is. He could have tried to do a little more to bolster that offensive line, but that could be just nit picking. The two linemen they wanted were picked right ahead of them in the first round, but still not a bad choice grabbing Cornerback Eli Apple with the tenth pick. He was great pickup for the Giants, a hyper-aggressive pass defender with a lot of athletic upside. A big plus side for the Giants in this draft, was being able to get a guy like wide receiver Sterling Shepard. A highly productive target in college, Shepard projects very well to the slot in the NFL, and should provide some coverage relief for Odell Beckham, Jr.

Then there's Darian Thompson, the saftey out of Boise State. Thompson is an excellent deep-coverage player who should help Big Blue's defensive backfield right away. UCLA's Paul Perkins was a late pickup for the G-Men. He isn't viewed as an every-down back due to his size, but the tape shows a player comparable to LeSean McCoy with a bit more power. After a prodigious spending spree in free agency, the Giants came back with one heck of a draft. Still need to get kinks worked out on the offensive line for next season, but with what they've done in free agency and now with the Draft, this Giants team could be a threat in the NFC this season.

New York Jets: B-
What the Jets did in the draft left myself, and other Jets fans I'm sure, scratching heads a little bit. At least with one of their picks. First lets look at the positives. Taking Darron Lee, the Ohio State Linebacker, in the opening round was a fantastic pickup. Lee brings much-needed athleticism, and a decent blitzing ability, to the Jets’ linebacking corps. Call the pick of edge-setting OLB Jordan Jenkins a solid pickup in its own right, provided New York can get him on the field. He's aw good rusher off the outside, which will really help the Jets out who like to blitz. Now here's where things get interesting.

Picking up Christian Hackenberg, the quarterback out of Penn State, makes you wonder. As it sits right now, Geno Smith is the starter (god help us), Bryce Petty is still a work in progress and isn't ready to be a bigtime starter in this league just yet, and now you throw Kackenberg into the mix. He's a good QB don't get me wrong, but I've heard a few things about his last two years at Penn State that don't sound very flattering. Those problems I've heard about don't really seem like they could be a possible quick fix. So it leaves a huge hole at QB with Ryan Fitzpatrick not even there. Geno flat out sucks, and you can try to convince me otherwise but he's not much better than a bag of footballs at this point. The other two QB's the Jets have on the roster really aren't ready to take over.

Now for the best and worst of the rest.

Tennessee Titans: A
This team has a bit of a build around it now to be scary good this season. After now taking over the role of GM in Tennessee, Jon Robinson has done a fantastic job setting the Titans up to be a successful team, not just this year but for years to come. People thought he was crazy to trade away the #1 overall pick, but it turned out to be a good move. He got tackle Jack Conklin is a huge upgrade at the position on that offensive line. So did adding Sebastian Tretola late in the draft. Oh yeah and they did also take Derrick Henry, the Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama. Now with him and DeMarco Murray in the backfield with Marcus Mariota, this Titans offense could be scary good.

Denver Broncos: B+
Denver made a good move in picking up Paxton Lynch out of Memphis. John Elway and Gary Kubiak will do a good job, as they usually do, in being able to groom this kid to be a star in the NFL.Adam Gotsis, a 2nd round draft pick defensive end from Georgia Tech has enormous potential. He is a perfect fit for their 3-4, and boosts a rotation that lost Malik Jackson. Denver really found top-shelf value on the third day when they snagged Utah running back Devontae Booker in the fourth round. He's a guy who will push to play immediately, and Missouri guard Connor McGovern in the fifth round is a big help to that offensive line.

San Francisco 49ers: C-
A curious draft for a rebuilding team, to be sure. The Niners drafted three cornerbacks, Will Redmond, Rashard Robinson and Prince Charles Iworah. The problem is they didn't take an inside linebacker, something they really need. They traded up to select a player at a position that was already addressed in free agency. Joshua Garnett is a good pickup, no knock on him by any means, but they already signed Jordan Devey and bring in Zane Beadles so this may be done as a move to create competition. And they fortified the right side of the offensive line with late picks and Anthony Davis making noise about returning from retirement. Oh, and they drafted QB Jeff Driskel in the sixth round. It's a bit of a strange draft if your the 49ers.

Miami Dolphins: D
OK this is going to cause a red flag here. It's been well documented the troubles that this Dolphins organization has had with offensive linemen. Now they take Laremy Tunsil. I've heard all the stories and reports that this has been a one and done mistake that the kid made a couple of years ago and I could be wrong in my assesment of the guy. He could still turn out to be a fantastic offensive linemen, even possibly be a hall of famer. But based on what we've seen in the here and now, it raises a red flag. He is a good lineman but he was taken way too high considering everything that's gone on.

This is just some of the fun things that went down during the draft.

NBA 2nd Round Preview

One round of the NBA playoffs is in the books. So far it has been an interesting playoffs. Two sweeps took place in the opening round, Cleveland beat Detroit and San Antonio beat Memphis. Two series went five games, two went six and the final two in the East went seven games. So its been an up and down opening round. At the end of the day, the teams played out to the script, if you will, for the most part. The only team to pull off an upset, if you even want to call it that, was the 5th seed Portland Trail Blazers knocking off the 4th seed Los Angeles Clippers. Every other series went according to plan for the higher seeds. It took a little longer than they would have liked, but they got the job done. Now that its out of the way, to the 2nd round we go. Here's how this is going to go down.

First up its the top seed in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the 4th seeded Atlanta Hawks. In their 9th year in a row in the post season, Atlanta got here by knocking off the Boston Celtics in six. This marks the 2nd year in a row that the Hawks have made it out of the 1st round. Atlanta is now 138-183 lifetime in the post season. As for Cleveland, they got here by sweeping the Detroit Pistons in four straight. It marks the 2nd year in a row that the Cavs have made it to the 2nd round, this coming after missing the playoffs for the four years Lebron was in Miami. Cleveland is now 84-84 lifetime in the playoffs. This is the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning the first two meetings. During the regular season, Cleveland won all three matchups.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
Game 1 - May 2 at Cleveland, 7 pm on TNT
Game 2 - May 4 at Cleveland, 8 pm on TNT
Game 3 - May 6 at Atlanta, 7 pm on ESPN
Game 4 - May 8 at Atlanta, 3:30 pm on ABC
Game 5 - May 10 at Cleveland, TBD on TNT (if necessary)
Game 6 - May 12 at Atlanta, TBD on ESPN (if necessary)
Game 7 - May 15 at Cleveland, TBD (if necessary)

Cleveland has played Atlanta twice before in the playoffs, both times with Lebron on the Cavs roster and both times the Cavs won in a sweep. So Atlanta, who was the top seed in these very same playoffs last year, is looking to just get a win against the Cavs come springtime. Both starting five can somewhat compare. Both teams have four of their five starters averaging double digits in points. For Cleveland you have Kyrie Irving (19.6 ppg), J.R. Smith (12.4 ppg), some guy named LeBron James (25.3 ppg), and Kevin Love (16.0 ppg). Atlanta has talent too in Jeff Teague (15.7 ppg), Kent Bazemore (11.6 ppg), Paul Millsap (17.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg), and Al Horford (15.2 ppg). So from a scoring point of view this could be an even series.

For Atlanta to even sniff having a chance in this series, they need to keep control on the rebounds, play a tight defense, like they did against Boston, and try and slow down (easier said than done) at least two of the big three that plays for the Cavaliers. Cleveland may be too good. Oh and when these two teams met in last years Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron averaged 30.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists in that sweep. Again another tough task for the hawks. Atlanta had a little trouble with Isaiah Thomas in the last round against Boston, but if they shut him down they won. If they try and do that with say Lebron, then they have either Kevin Love or Kyrie Irving to deal with. Cleveland is just too deep a team.

Pick: Cleveland in 5

Next up is the 2nd seeded Toronto Raptors taking on the 3rd seeded Miami Heat. Toronto got here by beating the Indiana Pacers in seven games in the opening round. The three time defending Atlantic Division Champions have made the playoffs now for three straight years, but this is the first time they've won their opening round series since 2001. Toronto has never made it past this round in the history of the franchise. They are now 18-31 lifetime in the post season. As for the Heat, they got here by beating the Charlotte Hornets in seven games. After missing the playoffs a season ago, this was a bounceback year for the Heat, winning their opening round series for the fifth straight time they've been in the playoffs. Miami is now 118-90 lifetime in the post season. This is the first time ever that Toronto and Miami have faced off in the playoffs. Toronto won three of the four regular season meetings between the teams this year.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
Game 1 - May 3 at Toronto, 8 pm on TNT
Game 2 - May 5 at Toronto, 8 pm on ESPN
Game 3 - May 7 at Miami, 5 pm on ESPN
Game 4 - May 9 at Miami, 8 pm on TNT
Game 5 - May 11 at Toronto, TBD on TNT (if necessary)
Game 6 - May 13 at Miami, TBD on ESPN (if necessary)
Game 7 - May 15 at Toronto, TBD (if necessary)

Can Toronto make their first conference finals appearance in franchise history, or will Miami get there for the sixth time in 10 years? Both teams are coming off having played seven game series in the last round. Fatigue could possibly play a factor in this series. Kyle Lowry, who averaged 21.2 ppg during the regular season, and DeMar DeRozan who averaged 23.5 ppg, both looked averaged during the Raptors win over the Pacers. Don't get me wrong, they played good in the opening round, but both guys have been all stars and played at another level when they're on their game. Toronto really needs them to play back at that level again in this series if Toronto wants to have a chance. DeMarre Carroll can be a force as well, you saw flashes of that in the opening round, but the three of them seemed to play below par in the opener. To get past Miami, all three need to step their game up.

If your Miami, you got a balanced lineup that can make a lot of noise. The five starters in Miami, Goran Dragic (14.1 ppg), Dwyane Wade (19.0 ppg), Joe Johnson (12.2 ppg), Luol Deng (12.3 ppg), and Hassan Whiteside (14.2 ppg) all average double digits in points during the regular season. Gerald Green and rookies Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson can also be productive coming off the bench, something you need to keep an eye on if your the Raptors. The difference in this series is who's best players are playing like it. Right now, at least heading into the series, Miami has the advantage in that department. The Heat are too well rounded and have more experience playing at this level. That's whats going to be key in the series.

Pick: Miami in 7

We move now to the West as the top seeded Golden State Warriors take on the 5th seeded Portland Trail Blazers. Portland got here by beating the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round in six games. This marks the 2nd time in the last three years that Portland has made it out of the first round. Portland is looking to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. They are now 107-128 lifetime in the post season. They are playing the best team in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors. Golden State started their title defense off with a five game series win over the Houston Rockets. Golden State is the defending NBA Champions, so this will mark a 2nd straight 2nd round appearance. The Warriors are now 67-68 lifetime in the playoffs (at least during their time as the Golden State Warriors). This is the first meeting in the playoffs between the Warriors and Trail Blazers, and Golden State won three of the four meetings during the regular season.

Here are the dates and times for every game in this series:
Game 1 - May 1 at Oakland, 3:00 pm on TNT
Game 2 - May 3 at Oakland, 10:30 pm on TNT
Game 3 - May 7 at Portland, 8:30 pm on ABC
Game 4 - May 9 at Portland, 10:30 pm on TNT
Game 5 - May 11 at Oakland, TBD on TNT (if necessary)
Game 6 - May 13 at Portland, TBD on ESPN (if necessary)
Game 7 - May 16 at Oakland, 9 pm on TNT (if necessary)

Golden State has been the class of the league all year. Now can they finish the job? For now at least, they are going to have to do it without Stephen Curry, who is out battling injuries again. Without the league MVP, Golden State needs to have the rest of the team step up and fill a void with Curry not there at this exact moment. This team is no slouch though. Klay Thompson (22.1 ppg), Harrison Barnes (11.7 ppg), Draymond Green (14.0 ppg), and Andrew Bogut (5.4 ppg) are going to be called on to play at another level. They showed during the opening round win over Houston that they have no problem doing just that.

Portland may not be such a pushover. Most people know that Curry and Thompson are the best one-two punch in the NBA. Right behind them, when they're on their game, is Damian Lillard (25.1 ppg) and C.J. McCollum (20.8 ppg). So don't totally count out the Blazers. Portland is playing with house money, they're gonna be playing like they really have nothing to lose. That being said though, I don't give them much of a chance in this series. It's going to be a tough series for the Blazers but the Warriors are going to be too much. They're too deep a team and can't be stopped. At least not in this round.

Pick: Warriors in 5

Finally we have the 2nd seeded San Antonio Spurs taking on the 3rd seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. Another year at the office for the Spurs, a team that hasn't missed the playoffs since 1997. San Antonio dispatched Memphis in a clean sweep in the opening round. This marks the 4th time in 5th years the Spurs are playing in round two. In fact the Spurs are looking to get back to the West Finals for the first time since 2014. San Antonio is now 197-156 all time in the playoffs. As for the Thunder, they got here by beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games. After missing the playoffs a year ago, the Thunder roll right along in the first round, making it to round two for the 5th time in the last five trips to the playoffs. OKC is now 39-34 lifetime in the post season. This is the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning four of the first five meetings, and during the regular season, the two teams split the four meetings, with the home team winning each time.

Here's the date and times for every game in this series:
Game 1 - May 1 at San Antonio, 8:30 pm on TNT
Game 2 - May 2 at San Antonio, 9:30 pm on TNT
Game 3 - May 6 at Oklahoma City, 9:30 pm on ESPN
Game 4 - May 8 at Oklahoma City, 8 pm on TNT
Game 5 - May 10 at San Antonio, TBD on TNT (if necessary)
Game 6 - May 12 at Oklahoma City, TBD on ESPN (if necessary)
Game 7 - May 15 at San Antonio, TBD on TNT (if necessary)

This may be the most even matchup in this round of the playoffs. San Antonio has a well balanced starting five of Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Tim Duncan. You want to talk about a modle of consistency, there it is right there. For the last fifteen years, this Spurs franchise has been it. They may not win the title every year, but they are good enough to be a serious contender every year. If they want to make it to the West finals, which would set up the dream matchup everybody wants to see, then Kevin Durant and Russel Westrbrook are going to have to be shut down. On paper, that's easier said than done.

KD and Russel have been very very good this year, not a surprise for those two guys. In order to beat a team like the Spurs, KD and Russel are going to need help in this series from guys like Serge Ibaka, Enes Kanter and Steven Adams. The Thunder led all playoff teams in first-round scoring with 112 points per game, which shows that they can score and score at will almost. But San Antonio is a better defensiove team than Dallas. San Antonio is going to be too good a team to deal with. Going to be a good, long series, but the Spurs are going to be too much to handle.

Pick: Spurs in 6