World Title To Washington

It has been a long time coming for the City of Washington. It's something that, back in May, nobody thought would have been possible. Looking back, the Nationals were given a 0.1% chance to win the Pennant. They beat the odds, made the series, and after a tough seven game series against the Astros, the Washington Nationals walked away as the 2019 World Series Champions. It wasn't just that they brought a baseball title to Washington for the first time since 1933, its how they did it that was so amazing.

Remember this was a Washington team that sat at 19-31 in late May, so nobody was giving them much of a chance. They had a horrible bullpen who couldn't seem to be able to hold a lead to save their lives. But the Nats stuck with it, thanks to the strength of the top of the rotation with Max Scherzer and Stephen Sgtrausberg. The hitting was just as awesome, with two guys cracking the century mark in RBI. Anthony Rendon led the way with 126, followed by 110 from Juan Soto. Those two guys kept that hot hitting up during the playoffs, being one of four Nationals hitters to be able to drive in more than ten runs in the entire post season. Rendon led the way with 15, with Soto right behind him at 14. Howie Kendrick had a solid playoffs, coming up with 12 RBI's and big hits throughout the entire run. So did Adam Eaton, who drove in ten runs.

Washington was in a hole against the Brewers in the Wild Card game, but managed to get the win off Josh Hader, who's one of the better relief pitchers in the game right now. Then, Washington kept rolling, pulling off a huge upset of the two time defending NL Champs in the Dodgers in five games in the divisional round. To keep rolling, they swept the Cards in the NLCS to reach the fall classic. They then had the unenviable task of going u[p against the best team in baseball in the Astros, and start the series off in Houston.

Well, Washington shut a lot of people up quickly, by taking the first two games in Houston. First in a nailbitter, then in a blowout. Then, all of a sudden, Washington's bats went cold. Now back to Houston, facing Justin Verlander with the prospect of falling in the series. But for the 2nd time in the series, Washington managed to batter Verlander, who is now winless in six career games in the Series. Game Seven saw a masterful outing from Strasburg, who started and Patrick Corbin who was flat out brilliant in his three innings of relief. With that, and some late inning heroics, Washington claimed the title. Stephen Strasburg was so good in this series, it was no surprise he won the MVP award for the series. And why nomt, he went 2–0 in his two starts, allowing four earned runs over 14 innings pitched, to go along with 14 strikeouts. He's the first pitcher to win series MVP since Madison Bumgarner claimed it for the Giants in 2014.

With the series win by the Nats, it had marked the 6th straight year that the series deciding game had been won by the road team. this series also marked the first time major North American sports history that the road team has won all seven games in this best of seven format. For all the talk going into the season about the Nationals losing Bryce Harper to free agency and for the slow start that Washington got off to, it seemed like a real long shot that something like this was even possible. But this season goes to prove that there is magic in the air for a season like this. It also goes to prove that what you do during the regular season might not always be accurate when it comes to the playoffs.

Its not always about the better team, its sometimes about the hotter team. And Washington just so happen to be the hotter team at the right time. Congratulations to the Nationals for their first ever world series title, and the first title in DC since the 1930's.

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Eight

Week eight has come and gone in the NFL, meaning one thing. We've hit the halfway point of the regular season. It's starting to become more and more clear which teams are real threats for the Lombardi Trophy, while others are real threats for the first overall pick next season. this week saw some teams return their mojo, some players go off for massive days. We also saw other players seem to hit rock bottom. Still got a lot of good football to go in this regular season, so lets not waste anymore time. Here's a look at the best and worst of week eight in the NFL

Best:
Cooper Kupp, Wide Receiver Los Angeles Rams
To say that this guy had himself a day would be a total understatement. Kupp was playing at an amazing level on Sunday, as the Rams rolled to a 24-10 win over the happless Bengals. Kupp finished his afternoon with seven catches for a league high 220 yards and a touchdown. Those seven catches came on ten targets. He was in a zone and making the Bengals secondary look horrible. Nobody could stop him on the day as the Rams rolled to a victory. it helped the Rams go to 5-3 and keep them within pace of Seattle for 2nd in the NFC West, behind the unbeaten Niners.

Worst:
Matt Nagy Head Coach Chicago Bears
This one had to hurt a little for the Bears. it was bed enough falling 17-16 to the Chargers, but it was how it ended that had to make it sting just a little bit more. There was about 53 seconds left on the clock, a moment in which Matt Nagy felt it would be a good time to take a knee to give his kicker time to set up. Oh and the Bears had one more time out left. Why, if your Chicago, did you not try and move the ball further up field to give your kicker better aim and a shorter field for the winning kick? So out comes Eddy Pineiro to try the winning kick, and what happens? Pineiro’s kick hooked wide left. To make this even more head scratching is that Nagy showed lack of faith in his offense by not allowing them to try and get the ball closer to make it easier for Pineiro to try and hit the winning kick. the Bears are slipping fast in the NFC North and with a game like this, its easy to see why.

Best:
Drew Brees, Quarterback New Orleans Saints
Welcome back old friend. New Orleans had done a pretty good job with Teddy Bridgewater under center with Brees out. Teddy did manage to go 5-0 in his starts with Brees on the sideline. But Drew is back after missing the time with the thumb injury. And he didn't disappoint. New Orleans rolled to a 31-9 win over the Cardinals and Brees looked as if he hadn't missed a step, completing 34 of 43 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. The pick Brees knew was a bad throw from the moment it left his hand. Other than that, Drew looked like he hasn't missed a beat after his injury and at this rate, the Saints are going to be a very tough team to try and stop. The rest of the league now knows that if Brees goes down, Teddy can step right in and this machine can keep right on moving along.

Worst:
Sam Darnold, Quarterback New York Jets
Things went from bad against the Patriots to worse against the Jags for Sam Darnold. Less than a week after a record low performance against New England, the Jets went to Jacksonville and got trounced 29-15 by the Jags. To make it worse for Darnold lets start with this, he threw three interceptions. That's seven over the last two games. Oh and to make matters worse, he was sacked EIGHT times by the Jags defense. Now the sacks I don't totally blame on Sam, there's only so much he can do if the line doesn't protect him. But the interceptions are scaring me a little bit. Its way too high a number.

Best:
Adam Vinatieri, Kicker Indianapolis Colts
He's one of the more reliable kickers in the history of football, one who will see himself placed in Canton someday. For a spell Sunday, Vinatieri looked mortal. He missed a field goal and an extra point early on. Indy had trailed 13-12 late in the ball game. Indy kept a drive going late in the game. With time running down, Vinatieri showed all of us that he still had something left in the tank. He drilled a 51 yard field goal to give Indy a 15-13 lead over Denver. One in which they would not let go of. He may have his moments of mortality. But every now and again, Vinatieri shows that there's still a little bit of life in those ageless legs.

Worst:
Marcus Mariota, Quarterback Tennessee Titans
He didn't even have to take a snap this week to make the list. He's been outplayed the last two games by Ryan Tannehill. Now, by no stretch of the imigination is Ryan Tannehill a superstar. But he has done a solid job under center for the Titans. He threw for 193 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Bucs (more on this game shortly). But with Tannehill playing the way he has, and Tennessee winning games, its making it a lot harder on Mariota to try and get his starting job back in a Titans Uniform. The way the last couple of weeks have gone had made it look almost impossible for Tennessee to switch back, because Mariota has been that bad.

Best:
Bosa Brothers
it was a good day on the West Coast for the Bosa brothers. First, lets start it off with Joey, who had himself a fine day for the Chargers 17-16 win over the Bears. Joey finished his day with four tackles for loss, including two sacks. He was a monster on the field, causing havoc against the Bears. Then, younger brother Nick took a step towards following in his brothers footsteps and win defensive rookie of the year. In the 49ers 51-13 rout of Carolina, Nick had three sacks and an amazing interception, leaping to snatch the ball out of the air at the line of scrimmage. It was a pretty impressive sight to see the two of them causing as much havoc as is humanly possible for a player to do on defense. It really was a sight to behold/

Worst:
Refs Whistles
Lets set the stage for you. Tampa Bay and Tennessee. 4th Quarter. titans have a 27-23 lead with 3:45 left. They try for a fake field goal, which how often does that ever really work. The play is snuffed out by the Bucs, who knock the ball lose and start running the other way. Looks like Tampa has a shot to score a go ahead touchdown. But the play was blown dead right away from the spot where the Titans fumbled the football. So OK maybe the Bucs can still take the lead with a lot of time left right? Wrong. A turnover on downs and an pic by Jameis Winston sealed the game for the Titans. But who knows how much the complexion of the game changed by that fast whistle. Its the 2nd time this year its happened too. Earlier this year, referees had whistled a play that should have been a Saints touchdown dead in a Week 2 matchup with the Rams. Look I get it the Ref's are human like everybody else. But they gotta make better decisions on when to blow the whistle or not.

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Seven

Week Seven in the National Football League has come and gone, and what a wild week it was. We saw some players play like their old MVP selves. We saw players, and entire teams for that matter, have off days. We had teams fighting hard for the top spots in their divisions. It's getting crazy around the league. Still got two unbeaten teams in the 49ers and Patriots, while the Dolphins and Bengals are still look for their first wins of the year. Here's just some of the best and worst from the week that was in the National Football League.

Best:
Aaron Rogers, Quarterback Green Bay Packers
Think it might be safe to say, he's back. Aaron Rogers put on a performance on Sunday that few, if anybody,l going in the game today could be able to match. I don't even think Rogers himself has ever hit this level before. Green Bay whipped the Raiders, to the tune of a 42-24 win. Rogers was in the zone like nothing seen before this season. He finished going 25 of 31 for 425 yards five touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown. yes that's six total scores on the day. Oh and he also became the first Green Bay quarterback in franchise history to notch a perfect QB rating of 158.3. This performance helped launch the Packers to a 6-1 record and put him up there in a possible MVP consideration. Only question I have is, will Rogers keep something close to this pace the rest of the season?

Worst:
Sam Darnold Quarterback, New York Jets
Being in the spotlight in the New York market can be tough. Media and fans alike are critical of a player if things don't go well for you here. Such was the case for Sam Darnold. Monday night, not only did the Jets get embarrassed 33-0 by New England, but Darnold may have played the worst game of his young pro career. He finished the day going 11 of 23 for 86 yards a lost fumble and FOUR interceptions. To make matters worse, Darnold was mic'ed up for the game and was heard saying he's seeing ghosts out on the field. When you throw four pics and have a QBR of 3.6 according to NFL.com, that's a night you want to forget about and do it quickly.

Best:
Latavius Murray, Running Back New Orleans Saints
No Drew Brees. No Alvin Kamara. No problem. New Orleans walked away with the 36-25 win over the Bears and Latavius Murray was a huge reason for that. Her had 27 carries for 119 yards and two touchdowns, which is all coming against a pretty tough Bears defense. Its funny, people thought that the Saints would be in a lot of trouble after Drew Brees went down with his injury. But since then, New Orleans has gone 5-0 and have managed to win those games in a variety of ways. It seems like a different guy will step up and play big every week. This week, it was Murray's turn to take control of the game, and he did that in a big way.

Worst:
Melvin Gordon, Running Back Los Angeles Chargers
Well this is what happens when you hold out at the start of the season and don't get the reps in during the preseason. Gordon even thought that the solution to fixing the woes in the Chargers offense was to give him the ball more? Yeah that idea has failed. Not only did the Chargers lose a tough game, 23-20, to the Titans, but part of it fell on the shoulders of Gordon. Gordon had 16 carries for a grand total of 32 yards. Los Angeles had a chance to score in the final minute, but Gordon got stuffed twice. And on the second one he fumbled the ball. He just hasn't been very good this year, and missing that time during training camp is really starting to show.

Best:
Frank Reich, Head Coach Indianapolis Colts
Talk about a major turnaround. Everybody thought that the Colts were going to be able to build off of last year's playoff push. Then Andrew Luck retires, and some think the Colts are through. But Frank Reich has steered the ship in the right direction. Indy knocked off Houston 30-23, in a big divisional game. Reich is doing a masterful job of being able to get the very best out of his players. Look at Jacoby Brissett.  He's had to step up to replace Andrew Luck and there wasn't much time to settle into his role, but he has done it quite nicely. Brissett had 326 yards and four touchdowns on Sunday in the Indy win. Its all coming together, buying into the system that the coach is implementing.

Worst:
Dan Quinn, Head Coach Atlanta Falcons
Some people point the blame for the Falcons struggles on their owner, while others point it at the coach. Don't think it falls up top. No, in this case, with the talent that Atlanta has, it has to fall on Dan Quinn. look at Sunday's game. I know its against the Rams, who are a pretty good team. LA beat up on Atlanta, walking away with a 37-10 win over the Falcons. Atlanta was outplayed badly against the Rams. And when you look at this team, with an offense that has players like Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Mohammed Sanu, Devonta Freeman and a re-worked line, there’s just no excuse for Atlanta not putting up points on the board. Somebody has to take the fall for Atlanta being 1-6 and it looks like Quinn is the guy.

Best:
Chase Edmonds, Running Back Arizona Cardinals
When you think of the Arizona running game, David Johnson is the man in that backfield. When he went out with injury, Chase Edmonds was called upon to carry the load for the Cards this week. He was a key factor in Arizona's 27-211 win over the Giants at MetLife on Sunday. Edmonds finished the day with 27 carries for 126 yards and three touchdowns.  Oh, he also picked up 24 more receiving yards on the day to go along with those rushing yards. To further show just how much of an impact Edmonds had on the Cards offense on Sunday, consider this. No other Cardinal had more than 28 yards rushing or 29 yards receiving. Kyler Murray threw for only 104 yards. Pretty impressive day for a backup player.

Worst:
Mitchell Trubisky, Quarterback, Chicago Bears
I almost feel bad for Trubisky in Chicago, but it might not be such a bad idea to possibly consider making a move under center. new Orleans came in and beat up Chicago, to the tune of a 36-25 Saints win. Numbers only tell part of the story. He went 34 of 54 for 251 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked twice. Like I said that's only part of it. He sometimes doesn’t see wide open targets, misses on throws, and can’t consistently deliver balls down the field. Teddy Bridgewater outplayed Trubisky. Like I said I feel bead for the guy, but he hasn't really seemed like he's come into form to be the guy that people want him to be.

2019 World Series Preview

It has arrived. After a grueling 162 game regular season, we had our playoff bracket set. Now after a wild card, divisional round and the league championship, we have our final two teams standing. The Commissioner's Trophy will be handed out no later than October 30th of this year. Its either going to the state of Texas or the Nations Capital. One team had high expectations to be there, while the other seemed dead in the water in May. Now we have our fall classic set. For the first time since 1933, we will have a fall classic in our nation's capital.

This year's World Series will see the National League Champion Washington Nationals take on the American League Champion Houston Astros.

Washington finished in second place in the National League East, compiling a 93/69 record. It was good enough to clinch the Nationals a Wild Card Spot..Washington beat Milwaukee in the Wild Card Game. The roll continuted as the Nationals topped Los Angeles in five games in the NLDS. In the NLCS, the Nationals swept the Cardinals, clinching their first pennant in franchise history (including their time as the Montreal Expos from 1969 to 2004) as well as the first World Series appearance for a Washington, D.C., team since 1933.

As for the Astros, they won the American League West and finished the 2019 regular season with the best record in baseball, at 107-55. Houston defeated the Rays in five games in the ALDS to start the playoffs, and followed that up with a six game series win over the Yankees in the ALCS. This is Houston's third World Series appearance and second in three years.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series (all games to be broadcast on Fox):
Game 1 (Tuesday, Oct. 22): Washington Nationals at Houston Astros, 8:08 p.m.
Game 2 (Wednesday, Oct. 23): Washington Nationals at Houston Astros, 8:07 p.m.
Game 3 (Friday, Oct. 25): Houston Astros at Washington Nationals, 8:07 p.m.
Game 4 (Saturday, Oct. 26): Houston Astros at Washington Nationals, 8:07 p.m
Game 5 (Sunday, Oct. 27): Houston Astros at Washington Nationals, 8:07 p.m
Game 6 (Tuesday, Oct. 29): Washington Nationals at Houston Astros, 8:07 p.m
Game 7 (Wednesday, Oct. 30): Washington Nationals at Houston Astros, 8:08 p.m

Looks like it could be an interesting series, to say the least. Both teams are coming in hot, Washington more so than Houston, nothing against the Astros. Consider this. Washington had fallen to 19-34 following a loss to the Mets on may 23rd. From then on, they paced the Dodgers for the best record in the National League, finishing the season 74-38 and scored 624 runs, second most in the league. It was amazing what the Nationals were able to do from Memorial day weekend on. Oh and they were the only team in the playoffs, at least of the final four standing, to hit over .300 in the league championship, with runners in scoring position. Washington hit .324, while the Cardinals hit .11, New York hit .148 and the team they're now playing, the Astros, hit .121.

Leading the Washington charge is Anthony Rendon, who's driven in seven runs while hitting .375 over the course of the playoffs. Howie Kendrick and Trea Turner have joined Rendon in being the only Nationals hitters with double digit hits in the playoffs combined. And while Washington has been knocking the cover off the ball, one of the biggest concerns going into the fall was the pitching staff. Starting wasn't the issue, it was finishing. How well would the bullpen hold up, since it had been a problem for most of the year. Hunter Strickland and Wander Suero have double digits ERA's and haven't pitched more than two games in the playoffs. Everybody else has pretty much been lights out. They only gave up six runs to the Cards in the League Championship series. And the Nats three best pitchers have had double digit strikeouts the last three wins in the playoffs. Max Scherzer had 11, while Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin had 12 each. They're going to need those three guys to be on their best in this series to stand a chance.

They're going up against the best team in baseball in the Astros. Jose Altuve has been hitting .349 all playoffs and him and Michael Brantley are the only Astos hitters with double digits in hits in the playoffs. Alex Bregman has been a key contributor by drawing ten walks in the playoffs. Houston had six regulars in their lineup hit over .200 in the playoffs. Only thing that's alarming is, as noted before, that they're a low hitting team with runners in scoring position.

One area where Houston has advantage is pitching. Outside of Justin Verlander being average, the Houston staff has been lights out. Garrett Cole has an ERA under 1 in the playoffs. He has been pitching at an almost unheard of level. As good as Cole has been, Zack Greinke has been inconsistent in the postseason, but he was able to limit the Yankees to one run over 4.1 innings in Game 4 of the ALCS.

Looking at both sides of the coin, there's no doubt about it that the Nationals are coming in hot, which is why this series is a little harder to predict than at first glance. Washington has been playing great baseball as of late, but the Astros are still the best team in baaseball and have been clutch most of the year, keeping that going in October. Its going to be a tough series, but the Title will stay in the American League for the third year in a row.

Prediction: Astros in 6!

Mixing Sports And Politics Is A Bad Idea

Ah sports. The highest quality in athletic competition. Most of us who follow sports do so as a way to escape everyday life. That's part of the fun of watching, and playing sports. Things can get a little bit dicey when they get mixed in with the world of politics. Over the last week or so, we've had a mixing of the two with the NBA and politics and that should never be.

It all started at the end of last week with Rockets GM Daryl Morey when he tweeted: “Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.”

To this point, so far as I know, the NBA had had a good working relationship with China, as far as TV rights from here in the States, marketing, and even playing a few exhibition games there every year. I get it that he was trying to show support, but now maybe wasn't the best time to do it./ Or at least keep it to yourself.

I got nothing against sharing your political views, or showing support over an issue that's in the public eye. everybody has the right to do stuff like that, that's the beauty of being able to live in this country. Having access to platforms such as Twitter and Facebook can be great for being able to express yourself. I do it all the time with this podcast of mine. But I just feel its not the best idea for sports and politics to be getting mixed up.

I've seen political arguments that have gotten very heated, even if its over the smallest thing. I've always seen the world of sports, just like any other form of entertainment, as a way to escape from the reality of everyday life. Don't get me wrong I've gotten fired up and gotten very emotional, from happy to angry and everything in between during a game. But once the game ends, so does the emotional high and lows. Sometimes I've seen it happen the opposite in the political world.

Again I understand the need to take a stand on something, but I just feel that maybe if your in the public eye as a pro athlete, or even somebody running a pro team, maybe mixing the two while still involved in the game, isn't the smartest thing to do. When you out of the spotlight when your playing career is over, and you go make a political stand, that's one thing. By being out of public view as somebody out of sports that's fine because It won't hurt relations between both worlds. But making a statement while still active in the game can be harmful to both worlds and you as a person who's trying to make a living playing a sport, or running a team.

Once you no longer have a financial stake in the sports world, you can run your mouth to your hearts content. But while you're still involved, its a bad idea to mix the two.

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Six

We have hit the quarter mark in the NFL and a lot went down. Kansas City looks all out of sorts, while the Jets, despite being outplayed, found their way back into the win column. KC isn't the only team out of sorts, the Chargers and Cowboys have hit that mark too. There might be a quarterback battle going on over in Carolina, while Christian McCaffery is starting to stake his claim towards an MVP season. So lets dive right into it. Here's some of the best and worst of week six in the NFL.

Best:
Robert Saleh, Defensive Coordinator, San Francisco 49ers
Who would have ever thought that six weeks into the NFL season that the San Francisco 49ers would not only be sitting on top of the NFC West, but doing so at an unbeaten 5-0. Perfect example of getting there, look no further than the effort put out in the 20-7 win over the NFC Champion Los Angeles Rams. Robert Saleh had his defense ready, holding one of the highest scoring teams in the league to just seven points.  Jared Geoff was sacked four times and was held to a grand total of 78 passing yards on the day. Saleh was even interviewed in the post game press conference, which is rare for coordinators. That's how good he was at throwing the Rams off their game

Worst:
Jason Garrett, Head Coach Dallas Cowboys
There was some worry as to how well the Cowboys would play against good teams. They had a two game losing streak going into this week's matchup with the winless Jets. But it blew up on the Boys, as the Jets walked away with a 24-22 victory. Some of that does fall on the head coach. I'm not saying its Garrett's fault that there were dropped passes. He can't catch the ball for his players. But it has to be something off with the Boys. It starts at the top and if Dallas doesn't get this thing figured out, and quick, he might be on the chopping block, after ten years on the job.

Best:
Stefan Diggs, Wide Receiver Minnesota Vikings
There's been a lot of talk as to what might actually happen with Diggs in Minnesota. There's rumblings as to what he wants to do: get traded, stay put? Who know's what's going to happen. For a while, there wasn't much known as to how well this Diggs and Cousins connection could work in the Vikings offense. Well, in week six, it looked like it was straight fire. Not only did the Vikings get a 38-20 win over the Eagles, but Diggs had a massive hand in it. He finished the day with seven catches for 167 yards and three touchdowns. He was burning defensive backs all over the place. Diggs was at the top of game on Sunday

Worst:
Will Fuller, Wide Receiver Houston Texans
Talk about pulling a complete 180. Last week, Fuller went off in the Houston win. Houston did follow it up with a win over Kansas City this week, more on that later. Houston got the 31-24 win over KC, but Fuller had a massive drop off. he finished in this week's win with just 5 catches for a paltry 44 yards. For some, that seems like a bit of an OK day. But it's a total drop off from what he did in the Win over Atlanta. That game, he had 14 catches for 217 yards and three touchdowns against the Falcons. The catch total had equaled what he had done the entire year before the Atlanta game. He then fell right back into averageness against KC. Can't happen for a guy of his talent level.

Best:
Russell Wilson, Quarterback Seattle Seahawks
If you don't believe the hype before this week, you should right now. Wilson should be a strong front runner for MVP.  He turned in an outstanding performance in a 32-28 win over the Browns, Wilson had himself a solid day. He went 23 of 33 for 295 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked three times but had an off the charts passer rating. He was in a groove and it showed against the Browns. Oh, and for the season, Wilson now has a QB rating of 124.7 through six games. It's an eye popping number and, if he can keep this pace up, he will break the single season mark set by Aaron Rogers in 2011. Oh, and Seattle is 5-1 on the year, the 2nd best mark in the division behind the Niners. Wilson is a big reason for this. With the way he's playing this year, it wouldn't shock many if he's in discussion for the end of the year.

Worst:
Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs
For this entry I needed a face and Mahomes is it. Houston beat the tar out of them, a 32-28 win by the Texans, which we touched on a little earlier. But the Chiefs have been average at best. Mahomes has looked human, but a lot of that I think has to do with the ankle bothering him. But Kansas City has really slipped. They've given up 372 rushing yards over the last two weeks against the Colts and Texans. They couldn't get anywhere near DeSean Watson, who had been sacked 18 times up to that point. It's weird, because Kansas City was supposed to be dominating teams and was a heavy favorite to come out of the AFC. But now, they look average at best and Mahomes playing average QB isn't helping.

Best:
Lamar Jackson, Quarterback Baltimore Ravens
I know its beating up on the Bengals, but still its a solid performance by any standard. Baltimore got the 23-17 win over the Bengals, and Lamar Jackson had a monster day. The throwing day was pretty good for Jackson, going 21 of 33 for 236 yards no touchdowns and no picks. it was his running game that helped build the day up. Jackson had 19 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown. He had more rushing yards than any other running back in the league. Both day's for Jackson were stuff of legend. He had himself a day that some players can only really dream of having. Good on you Lamar for keeping the Ravens on top of the division, with Baltimore having the division's only winning record.

Worst:
2015 Quarterback Class
The top two guys taken in this draft class, Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston have both royally SUCKED this year, and that's putting it nicely. Lets start with Mariota, who's already lost his starting job in Tennessee, as it was announced already that Ryan Tannahill will get the next start for the Titans over Mariota. And why is that? He went 7-for-18 with two interceptions in a 16-0 loss to the Broncos. When you factor in his sacks, he averaged just 2.7 yards per dropback. Eventually, he was benched for Ryan Tannehill. Ouch, very Ouch. Winston had thrown for over 400 yards in his game, a 37-26 loss by the Bucs to Carolina. But, he also threw for FIVE interceptions. Oh and he also fumbled twice. Seven total turnovers on Sunday by Winston and its no wonder Tampa is falling in a massive black hole in their division

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Five

We're through the first five weeks of the NFL season and already things are turning upside down around the league. The AFC North is starting to tighten up at the top with the Browns and Ravens, same thing with the NFC South with the Saints and Panthers. Nobody really expected the 49ers to still be unbeaten, or the Jets to be winless (that was before their QB's got hurt). Last year's league MVP has slipped a little in production, while a Carolina Running Back is playing at an off the chart record right now. Lot of crazy going on around the league right now. Here's a look at some of the best and worst from the week that was in the NFL.

Best:
Christian McCaffery, Running Back Carolina Panthers
If you are a fan of the Panthers, things didn't look too good after the first two weeks of the season. They were 0-2 and without Cam Newton due to injury. But following Carolina's 34-27 win over the Jaguars on Sunday, they are now a game over .500. A big reason for that has been Christian McCaffery, who's been an explosive weapon over the last number of weeks. Look at what he did against the Jags on Sunday. McCaffrey had 176 yards and two touchdowns rushing, and another 61 yards and a touchdown receiving. He's the leading rusher in all of football with 587 yards on 105 carries and has six touchdowns. He's making a strong case early to be MVP this year. I know that's a long shot since this is a QB driven league. But that the rate that this kid has played the last couple of weeks, if he can keep it up the entire season, he's got a good shot at it.

Worst:
Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs
For the first time in his career, Patrick Mahomes actually looked human. For the first tiem since he's taken over as a starter, the Cheifs failed to score 25 points in a game. The Colts knocked off the Chiefs 19-13 and Mahomes looked average. Mahomes threw for just one touchdown, only the fifth time in his career he’s failed to throw for multiple scores. He finished the day going 22 of 39 for 321 yards. Those numbers would be solid for most other QB's but not for a guy of his talent level. Plus he was sacked four times on the day. It looked to be an off day for KC all around. But if I were a Chiefs fan, I'd rather have this kind of bump in the road now and be full force at the end of the season come playoff time.

Best:
New England Patriots Defense
New England just kept right on rolling, beating the tar out of the Redskins in a 33-7 win. I know it is against the Redskins, but they kept them in check all day on Sunday. New England is allowing opposing teams to score just 6.8 points per game, which would set an NFL record. At the pace they're going at, New England could break the 2000 Ravens record for lowest points per game against. Sure, they've played bad teams, teams that are 1-17 on the season so far. The only only team that even came close to giving the Pats a fight was the 4-1 Bills. New England has a defense that can be scary good.

Worst:
New York Jets Offense
Six points was all you could bloody do. Its a 31-6 loss to the Eagles and it sucks. No Sam Darnold, no Trevor Simian, both out due to injuries. That happens its sports. But what Adam Gase does is almost inexcusable. He had stale play calling, and seemed to set Luke Faulk up to fail. He was hoping Sam Darnold would be ready to play and he wasn't. Faulk couldn't get enough preptime with the first team. He was sacked ten times on the day. Just a horror show if your a Jets fan.

Best:
Will Fuller, Wide Receiver Houston Texans
Fuller had himself a day on Sunday. Houston as a team had a monster day. They hung 53 points on Atlanta, en rout to a 53-32 win over the Falcons. Fuller was a massive part of that. He finished with 14 catches for an eye popping 217 yards and three touchdowns. The only guy who had more receiving yards than him was Amari Cooper of Dallas, who racked up 226 yards in Dallas loss to Green Bay. That's why Fuller made this list and not Cooper. Fuller had a big impact on the Texans and stepped into a large role as the number two target in Houston behind DeAndre Hopkins. If he can keep this level of play going, then don't be surprised if the Texans start pulling away with the South sooner rather than later.

Worst:
Khail Mack, Linebacker Chicago Bears
Going to London had to be tough on both Chicago and Oakland. This was Mack's first shot at his former team, and he left with a bad taste in his mouth. Oakland walked away with a 24-21 win and Mack had himself an OK day, as he registered three tackles, but only one QB hurry, and recovered a fumble during a quiet day. Oakland, on the other hand, sacked Bears passer Chase Daniel four times. Making matters worse, the Bears were in an early 17-point hole and marched back to take the lead, only to relinquish it late and lose. Bet he wishes he was still a Raider right about now

Teddy Bridegwater, Quarterback New Orleans Saints
There had been some question if Teddy would be able to make big plays and lead the Saints to victory. He did just that in a 34-21 win over the Bucs on Sunday at home. And Teddy had himself a day on Sunday, finishing 26 of 34 for 314 yards and four touchdowns. New Orleans is 3-0 in Bridgewater's starts, but unlike the two prior wins, this one was Teddy magic. The first two wins came on the strength of defense and special teams. This win over Tampa, who was coming in off a huge win over the Rams in week four, and must have been a huge sigh of relief for Bridgewater.

Worst:
Dsan Quinn and Jay Gruden
We had two coaches that were on the hot seat going into this week, and it got turned up even hotter. This week's loss by the Redskins cost Jay Gruden his job. 0-5 to start the season and left a sour taste in everybody's mouth. It cost Jay his job for not being able to motivate his team. To make it worse was his decision on who to start on Sunday,.In the 33-7 loss to New England, Gruden made the odd decision to start Colt McCoy at quarterback over rookie Dwayne Haskins, and McCoy did almost nothing. For Dan Quinn, his Falcons got blown out by Houston, as we already touched on earlier. Atlanta has a 1-4 record, and when they have this kind of top end talent, its amazing that they have that poor of a record. Somethings gotta be up from a coaching perspective.

2019-20 NHL Season Preview

The time has arrived. Four to six months is a long time to wait/ Well the waiting is over. The 2019-20 National Hockey League season is here. Everybody has made changes to their lineups as the summer wore on. Now all 31 franchises are set to go. Lord Stanley's cup waits at the end of the line next June. To get there, you gotta get through the 82 game regular season, and if your so lucky, win sixteen more in the playoffs. If you can do that, you will go down in the annals of history to win the greatest trophy in all of sports.

With the new season about to get underway, eight franchises come into the year with new bench bosses. Anaheim (Dallas Eakins), Buffalo (Ralph Krueger), Edmonton (Dave Tippett), Florida (Joel Quenneville), Los Angeles (Todd McLellan), Ottawa (D.J. Smith), and Philadelphia (Alain Vigneault) all have new bench bosses. Meanwhile St. Louis, after just winning the Stanley Cup, took the interim tag off Craig Berube and made him the permanent bench boss.

We've seen some big names get moved in the offseason. P.K. Subban got traded to the Devils, Phil Kessel was shipped to the Coyotes, while the Flames grabbed Milan Lucic, sending James Neal to the Oilers. We've had some big names switching teams due to free agency as well. Artemi Panarin (Rangers), Matt Duchene (Nashville), Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida), Joe Pavelski (Dallas), Corey Perry (Dallas), Jason Spezza (Toronto), Robin Lehner (Chicago), and Semyon Varlamov (islanders) are some of the big names that went to new teams in the free agent market.

So that's just some of what happened this offseason. Lets get into it right now. The following predictions will be made based on final point totals for the season. Here's how the 2019-20 National Hockey League season goes down.

Western Conference:
Pacific Division:
1. Calgary Flames (101 Points)*
Lets face facts, Calgary surprised a lot of people running away with a six point win over San Jose last year to win the title in a weak division. I wouldn't be surprised if the Flames are back up at the top again this year, but with a slight hit of regression (or coming back to reality depending on how you look at it). David Rittich surprised more than a few when he started to unseat Mike Smith a little in net, but come playoff time Smith got the job right back. If Calgary wants to go far, they need Smith to play at a top level again. On defense, Sure Mark Giordano had a huge year as captain, but he is 35 years old. He's got some young talent with him on the line in Travis Hamonic and TJ Brodie, but they need to step it up and take a little pressure off their captain. Johnny Gaudreau did what you'd expect out of your best offensive player last year, as did Sean Monahan. But if you want the Flames to go deep in the playoffs this year, guys like Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk are not only going to have to keep pace, but get help from some of the younger guys as well. Bottom line is Calgary has the talent to win this weak division for the 2nd straight year.

2. Vegas Golden Knights (100 Points)*
This should have come as a surprise to nobody that Vegtas was going to take a step back last year. First year expansion club making it to the finals two years ago was quite impressive, but they found reality a little last year in a 3rd place finish. This year they move back into contention with Calgary, but they're going to need a little help. Malcom Subban has to step it up. Why? Because Marc Andre Fleury is 35 and isn't getting any younger. I know he's played well the last two seasons in Vegas, but injuries and age have knocked him down a few peggs from what he was in Pittsburgh. Still, the play in net will be good enough to get Vegas were it wants to go. On the blueline, the team held steadfast from what they had a year ago, so expect to see the goalies get quite a bit of work every night. Offensively, adding Mark Stone and paying him well in the extension was a good move, as he adds yet another dynamic weapon to a team that's getting better. With him, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, and Reilly Smith leading the charge, Vegas is in solid hands when it comes to scoring. It may not be pretty, but it's enough for a playoff team.

3. San Jose Sharks (98 Points)*
It will be a step back for San Jose this year, but not by a whole hell of a lot. Maybe a couple of points at worst for the drop off here. Sure, Joe Pavelski isn't in the picture anymore in San Jose, as hea headed for Dallas. But this Sharks team is still loaded up front. Think about who they have coming back: Joe Thornton (who isn't quite as effective but still has a little left in the tank), Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl and Kevin Labanc. Then you have the blueline, which is lead by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and a fantastic one two punch of Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns. Then you have Martin Jones in net, who put up good numbers. Aaron Dell is backing him up and is no slouch but isn't quite the level that Jones is. Sure, Jones put up a below .900 saver percentage last year, so he can really go nowhere but up this year. Again, with how weak the rest of this division is, San Jose should be able to make it back into the playoffs this year.

4. Vancouver Canucks (88 Points)
Travis Green's bunch will improve a little over last year's club, but not by the huge strides he was hoping for. No doubt about this, if your a fan of the Canucks, you got plenty to look forward to from an offensive point of view. Your core is being lead by Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat. Plenty to be happy about with those three guys leading the offensive charge. You also have a nice mix with guys like Brandon Sutter and JT Miller on offense. Its the other end of the ice that has me worried. You landed Tyler Meyers on a five year deal, which is a decent signing, but lets be fair he hasn't been the same since his Calder year in Buffalo. But him and Alexander Edler make a solid top two without a doubt.Jordie Benn and Chris Tanev are alright, but that's it. In net, Jakob Markstrom is a decent netminder, but nothing to really write home about. He posted numbers last year that were almost identical to his career numbers.

5. Arizona Coyotes (88 Points)
Four lousy points. That's how close the Coyotes came to making the playoffs last year. This year, they hope its going to be a little bit different. They got better on offense, adding a guy like Phil Kessel, who's still one of the top scoring forwards in the league. Him and Carl Soderberg we're the big offensive additions to the team this year. Throw those two in with a guy like Christian Dvorak, then you may have a solid unit to build around. On the blue line, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, once he comes back from injury, and Jason Demers are their go to pair. In Net will be Antti Ranta, once he's healthy and Darcy Kuemper. Arizona hasn't made the playoffs since 2012 and last year was their first winning season 2014. If everybody can stay healthy, the Coyotes have a shot to come close.

6. Edmonton Oilers (81 Points)
Dave Tippet has a tall task on his hands again this year. There's no doubt in anybody's mind that the Oilers have a young offensive core to build around. Connor McDavid, who's coming off another 100+ point season last year, Leon Draisaitl, who scored 50 goals last year, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who still got the skills to play at a very high level. Problem in Edmonton last year was, they didn't have enough support around their top line to be able to propel them to the post season. Got a feeling that the same problem is going to happen this year. They got rid of Milan Lucic, after overpaying for him, in a deal with Calgary for James Neal, which might improve things a little. But the defense needs a little bit of work and Mike Smith is going to have to play at a level above what he did last year to even give the Oilers a chance. I mean Cam Talbot was good but Smith has to play better.

7 Los Angeles Kings (75 Points)
Los Angeles still has something to be able to hope for in this season. Todd McLellan has his hands full taking over this club this season. Jonathan Quick needs to have an injury free season if the Kings are going to be anywhere close to a contending team. That's not a knock against Jack Campbell, who was good in net last year, but he's not on Quick's level. Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown where the only Kings to have more than 50 points last year, so they need other guys to step their game up. Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez should have no problem holding down the back end. At the end of the day, its going to be a long season in this portion of California. Sure, they could surprise a few people, but there's too many holes in Los Angeles.

8. Anaheim Ducks (70 Points)
That's being nice, giving the Ducks 70 Points on this season. Lets start from the back end out. John Gibson is starting the year off hurt, and lets face facts Ryan Miller is nowhere near the netminder he once was. Cam Fowler leads the defense corp, and is one of the bright young stars in the game. Up front, Ryan Getzlaf and Adam Henrique lead the way down the middle, and they do have some help in the form of Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg. Otherwise, there's a feeling that things aren't going to go well in Anaheim this year.

Central Division
1. Nashville Predators (103 Points)*
There's no debate that this is the toughest division in the West to play in. Nashville won it last year with 100 points and should be able to beat that mark this year. Lets go from the back out, with the Finnish connection of Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros between the pipes. Rinne is usually at or near the top of the major goaltending categories during the year, and should be right up there again this season. Protecting them from the blueline is captain Roman Josi leading the charge along with Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm leading the charge and helping keep the puck out of the Nashville net. They've got a solid young core on the blueline that can stay in tact for some time. Up front, Matt Duchene is added to an already loaded attack with the likes of Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. The core is young and looking to help build off the year they had a season ago. 3rd place in the West isn't good enough and Nashville is loaded up to take a higher place in the final conference standings.

2. St Louis Blues (102 Points)*
The defending Stanley Cup Champions are going to be very hard to beat this year. Jake Allen and Jordan Binnington are going to make a killer one two punch in net. Binnington carried the Blues all the way to the Cup and don't be surprised if he's back at the top in the Blues net this year. Goaltending is young, hungry and will keep the Blues in the playoff races for years. As for the rest of the skaters on this St Louis team, its a nice blend of youth and experience. Justin Faulk was just aquired via trade to add some youth, and depth, to the Blues blueline that already has Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, Carl Gunnarsson and Colton Parayko on it. Up front, Vladimir Tarasenko will be called upon to once again lead the offensive charge. He's got help from the likes of Ryan O'Reilly, Brayden Schenn, David Perron, and Jaden Schwartz among others. This team is deep and balanced and they know it too. They will make a lot of noise in the West this year and come close to knocking off the Predators as division champions on the way to trying to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.

3. Dallas Stars (100 points)*
Last year was a good year in Texas. 42 wins and a 6th place finish in the West for the Stars, getting them into the 2nd round before falling to St Louis. This year, Big D wants to go farther than that. They've got the horses to be able to pull it off too. In Net, Ben Bishop has be solidifying himself as one of the top netminders in all of hockey, looks to build off that 27 win season he had last year. And behind him is Anton Khudobin, a solid netminder in his own right, who won 16 games a season ago. If both can stay healthy, they can more than hang with the big boys ahead of them in their division. John Klingberg leads a solid defensive group that also includes Roman Polak, Andrej Sekera and Essa Lindell. Its a good mix and the top of the Stars D that it will take some of the pressure off their goaltending. No doubt about the fact that the Stars can fill up the opposing nets as well. The top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Segin and Alexander Radulov carried the club for most of last year and its a bit of a surprise that the Stars finished as high as they did last season. Now you add in veteran help like Corey Perry and Joe Pavelski, who I know are both older and Perry's hurt to start the year, but it does add more depth to an already rock solid lineup. Dallas is going to be good again this year and pushing hard for that top spot in the division.

4. Colorado Avalanche (98 Points) (WC)*
Last year saw Colorado sneak into the playoffs, by grabbing the very last spot in the Western Conference, making it to the 2nd round before getting dumped by the Sharks. Colorado relied largely on their top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog to push them into the playoff hunt. Those three guys are going to be counted on bigtime again this year to repeat some of that magic. They're going to need more help \up front, though, if they want to go deep into the playoffs. Nazem Kadri came on board from the Leafs and addsa a little m ore depth down the middle. They also added a physical element by adding Andre Burakovsky oin the left side. That's just adding to the scoring depth. A lot of pressure is going to be put on Philipp Grubauer, who has a lot of pressure on him to try and carry the load in the Denver nets. Erik Johnson leads the blueline charge for this young core on defense. Brightest future for the Avs D is Cale Makar. He was the 4th overall pick two years ago and had himself a decent year in the 10 playoff games he played in last spring. If he can build off that ion his first full season in Denver, the Avs really have themselves a gem.

5. Winnipeg Jets (96 Points) (WC)*
Winnipeg is coming off a 2nd place finish in this division last year and hope to build on it this year. Getting bounced in six by the Blues in the opening round of last year's playoffs let a sour taste in the Jets mouths and they want to try and come back from that. In the toughest division in hockey, that's a hard mountain to be able to try and climb. They have some really good pieces in Winnipeg that are going to help keep this team in the hunt for most of the year. Lets start in net as Connor Hellebuyck was outstanding in the crease last year, winning 34 games. He's going to be counted on heavily again this year. So is Dustin Byfuglien in leading a very young defense corp. With Big Buff, Dmitry Kulikov and Josh Morrissey leading this group, the blueline shouldn't have too much trouble trying to keep the puck out of their own net. As for depositing pucks in the opposition's cage, Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele are the go to guys to lead this offensive charge. Of course, you also have to factor in Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine on having good seasons as well. All in all, the Jets have a balanced enough team that they should have no real trouble getting back into the playoffs.

6. Minnesota Wild (84 Points)
The State of Hockey will look to try and build off of a disappointing year last year, missing the playoffs with just 83 points. They still have a lot of solid pieces to work with. Devan Dubnyk will be expected to carry the load in net once again this season, and after winning 31 games last year, who can blame him. To help keep the puck out of the net, Ryan Suter and Matt Dumba are going to be relied on heavily to help keep pace with some of the other attacking teams in this conference. Zach Parise put together a good season on offense, but a little low based on his past track record, same thing for Eric Staal. Both guys are going to have to produce a little more this year, a little much expected given their age. Mats Zucarello adds another element of depth to this team that's going to make the Wild a tough draw. Throw in Captain Mikko Koivu and you got something to go off of if your the Wild. There is a balance in Minnesota, but there is just too much top heavy talent in this division for the Wild to really move up and make the playoffs.

7. Chicago Blackhawks (80 Points)
Hate saying this, since the team hasn't come close to what they were during their run towards the end of the last decade. Patrick Kane had a monster year last year, finishing with 110 points. But he's going to need more support around him to score. Jonathan Toews had a good year as well, so the Captain isn't going to have a drop off in play this year. Alex DeBrincat was the only other 40 goal scorer in the Windy City, and they going to need more than just four guys to score 20 or more goals. The only other one to do it was Brandon Saad who had 23. They have a good mix of veteran presence and youth, but they need something to click and the younger guys to step it up. On the blueline, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook Same thing on the back end, its a mix of vets and youth, with the young guns needing to step their roles up. In net Corey Crawford has a star behind him in Robin Lehner, who had a resurgence on Long Island. Now he's in Chicago and hoping he can keep up that play that helped propel the Islanders into the playoffs last year. All in all, the Hawks have a good team, but in this division it won't be close to good enough.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning (111 Points)*
The Bolts had the best record in all of hockey last year and tied a league record for wins in a season with 62 and 128 points. It was the best record in the league but it ended on a sour note, by getting swept in the opening round by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The core of this Bolts team is still in tact and they want to wash that sour taste out of their mouths from a season ago. Lets start from the back out. Andrei Vasilevskiy won 39 games last year and is going to be counted on in the Bolts nets to carry the load again this year. He's got a pretty good backup in Curtis McElhinney, who's no slouch in his own right. The guys defending in front of him are pretty good. Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh are the anchors of the back end and they got a huge boost in the form of Kevin Shattenkirk. Throw in the emergence of Mikhail Sergachev and you got something to build off. As far as putting the puck in the back of the net goes, Tampa has plenty of firepoower. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov will be called upon to carry the charge up front once again, something they have no problem doing. Throw in the likes of  Brayden Point and Tyler Johnson, its something to work with. The one thing that sticks with me is lack of size. They got out hit in last year's playoffs. Hopefully they can step their physical play this year.

2. Boston Bruins (106 Points)*
Coming off a Eastern Conference title and coming within a game of a Cup, Boston is looking to go right back there again this year. Bruce Cassidy had his team primed and going well in the playoffs, and do the same thing this year. In goal, he's got a pretty good one two punch with Tuukka Rask  and Jaroslav Halak, both of whom are back again this year.Protecting them is a solid blueline group led by Captain Zedeno Chara, who's back for his 14th year in Beantown. With Chara, Torey Krug and Charlie McAvoy, Boston has a nice blend of size, speed and skill to not only keep the puck out of the net, but they can lead the attack on the opposition as well. As for the offense, its powered by Brad Marchand, David Pastranak and Patrice Bergeron. No doubt, they carry the Bruins, but its not just a one line show. David Krejci, Charlie Coyle, Jake DeBrusk and others will step their games up to help out that top line. Boston has the size and power that might be able to topple the Lightning, but I just don't think they're deep enough to out score Tampa. Still, this Bruins team is now slouch and will not have a problem making it back into the playoffs this year.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs (100 Points)*
Falling to the Bruins in seven games in the opening round last yer was not how the Leafs wanted their season to end. But it did and now they're looking to rebound and rebuild from it. Fredrik Andersen is going to be carrying the load once again in the Leafs cage, and they're going to need him to step his game up to another level if they want to go on a deep playoff run. Michael Hutchinson is taking over as Andersen's backup and he's going to have to make an impact quick for this team to maintain a high level. Morgan Riley leads the charge on the back end, and gets help from new weapon Jake Muzzin. With those two guys, Tyson Barrie and Cody Cici leading the charge Toronto has something cooking. Lets not forget about the firepower up front.  They are deep down the middle, with newly named captain John Tavares, Austin Matthews William Nylander and newly added Jason Spezza. Kasperi Kapanen and Mitch Marner add even more firepower to this team that's going to make it tough to beat. Kadri isn't there anymore, but Barrie came back in the trade with the Avs. The high powered weapons are going to be firing on all cylinders. Its the rest of the guns that need to step up and help out the big boys, if the Leafs want to get out of the first round.

4. Florida Panthers (98 Points) (WC)*
Florida came within 12 points of a playoff spot last year and are looking to make a big jump this year. Roberto Luongo has just retired, so they got some pretty big skates to try and fill. Enter Sergei Bobrovsky, who got a huge contract from Florida to replace a legend. He's good enough to be able to fill those skates. Keith Yandle and Anton Stralman are the elder statesman on this Panthers blueline, providing guidance to a still developing young gun in Aaron Ekblad. Its a nice mix for the Panthers blueline to build around for the next little while. Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau each registered over 90 points to lead the Cats offensive charge and they will be doing that again this year. The two of them with Vincent Trocheck, Mike Hoffman, and Brent Connolly, they got something to work with. They are balanced and good enough to be able to sneak into the playoffs in a tight Eastern Conference

5. Montreal Canadians (96 Points)
Coming off a year when the Habs missed the playoffs by two points, they're looking to get into the hunt again this year. Carey Price is expected to do big things again in the Montreal net. He's got a new back up this year in the form of Keith Kinkaid. Shea Weber anchors the blueline group, which has a nice mix to it. But if its Weber and Jeff Petry leading the charge, there's a few holes to be filled in Montreal. Brendan Gallagher, Max Domi, Tomas Tatar, Paul Byron, and Joel Armia are expected to lead the offensive charge for this team.  Montreal does have a good mix up front, but lacks a little bit of depth to really compete with a top heavy division. Carey Price can steal a game or two this season and he can help keep the Habs into the mix. But at the end of the day, Montreal has holes that will end up hurting them.

6. Buffalo Sabres (90 Points)
Buffalo finished last year 6th in the division with 39 wins. This year, they enter their 50th year in the league and are looking to prove something. They will be better this year, with the core still in tact. Carter Hutton is going to be holding it down the the Western New York nets. Rasmus Dahlin is looking to build off a decent rookie year and has some help with him on the back end. Jake McCabe and Rasmus Ristolainen round out a solid top three in Buffalo. Up front, there's a lot to be happy about with the Sabres. Jack Eichel is leading the charge. The Captain has high expectations again this year, and Sam Reinhart will be there to back him up down the middle. Kyle Okposo and last year's 40 goal scorer Jeff Skinner are going to be counted on to help the captain carry the scoring load this season. Still a few holes to fill but Buffalo has two solid scoring lines to build around. They've got a good young team and give it a few years, Buffalo will be right in the thick of the playoff race. Right now, they're on the outside looking in.

7. Detroit Red Wings (87 Points)
It's been a weird feeling in Hockeytown the last few years, the Red Wings have missed the playoffs. Steve Yzerman was brought on board to run the team from upstairs as the new GM. He got good pieces to work with on this team, but has some building to do. Jimmy Howard and Jonathan Bernier make a decent one two combo in net, but Howard isn't getting any younger. Mike Green is now the elder statesman on the blueline, with Niklas Kronwall having retired. Trevor Daley helps round out the elder statesman on the back end, while Danny DeKeyser leads the youth movement on the line. Now up front, they brought back Valtteri Filppula to help out with a loaded young core. Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha are the young guns on the up and coming. They have veteran presence in the form of Frans Neilsen, Justin Abdelkader and Dylan Larkin. There a good group here but not deep enough and are going to need a little magic from Stevie Y to get back to glory.

8. Ottawa Senators (64 Points)
Talk about a tank job. Ottawa finished with just 29 wins last year. This year won't be much better. Craig Anderson has a lot to do to try and keep the Sens afloat in the East. But Mark Stone is gone from last year, as is Matt Duchane. Jean Gabriel Pageau is going to be the leading man on offense for this team, along with Brady Tkachuk. They have a veteran in Bobby Ryan, but boy does this team lack depth. Team doesn't have the depth it needs to compete in the East, so its going to be a long year in the Canadian capital

Metropolitan Division
1. Washington Capitals (109 Points)*
Ovi and company had the 3rd most points in the East last year and won the Metropolitan Division again. The only change in net is that rookie Ilya Samsonov is now backing up Braden Holtby. The core of the rest of the squad is mostly still in tact. Dmitry Orlov and John Carlson lead the defensive unit. They have good depth and balance on defense. As for the offense, Alexander Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom are still going strong in the scoring department. They've got plenty of help too in the forms of guys like TJ Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Carl Hagelin. Wahsington is a deep, balanced hockey club that's going to be a real challenge for anybody going up against them this seaosn. They're good and they know it. Now they just have to back it up come spring time.

2. Carolina Hurricanes (104 Points)*
These bunch of jerks really surprised a lot of people last year. Made it all the way to the Eastern Conference finals, before falling to the Bruins. Now that they got a taste of the long playoff run, they want it again and it to go even longer than last year. They have a strong man in net in the form of Petr Mrazek, who is more than capable of carrying the load this season. And if for some reason he faulters, James Reimer is a solid backup goalie. On defense, things look a little different with Justin Faulk having been traded, but they still have a good group together. Jaccob Slavin leads the way, with Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce playing a solid game to complement Slavin. Sebastian Aho will be the man in charge of leading the offensive attack. Jordan Staal (who was just named captain), Andrei Svechnikov, Teuvo Teravainen will be required to step their game up a little more. Reason being is that Justin Williams had retired at the end of last season. So there's a few guys who need to pick up the slack this season. Still, there's plenty of talent here to keep this team near the top of the divisional race all season long.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins (100 Points)*
Last year ended with a very sour taste in the Penguins mouth. They finished 3rd in the division and then were promptly swept right out of the playoffs by the Islanders. The biggest change from last year to this year is that Alex Galchenyuk was brought over from the Coyotes in exchange for Phil Kessel. Other than that, the core group is exactly the same from a season ago. Matt Murray is again the man in the Penguins net. He has been consistent since taking over between the pipes. Kris Letang still leads the D, with Jack Johnson and Justin Shultz rounding out the top half of the Penguins Blueline. Up front, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are going to be leading a potent attack. To help out the big boys will be Jake Guentzel, Alex Galchenyuk and Patric Hornqvist. This team is loaded and they're balanced. It's amazing how the Penguins always find a way to reload and stay consistent and keep in the playoff race. It's been 14 straight years for the Penguins in the playoffs, and that keeps going this year.

4. Philadelphia Flyers (99 Points) (WC)*
The Flyers finished 14 points out of a playoff spot last year and are looking to get back there this year. Carter Hart took over late in the year for what was a revolving door in the Philadelphia crease. He's got the job set in stone now, with Brian Elliott sitting right behind him. Shayne Gostisbehere returns to the Flyer blueline as the leader of that group, providing a nice scoring touch while playing a solid defensive game. Ivan Provorov is also going to have an impact on this team, as will Justin Braun. To surpass the defense, the Flyers offense is going to have no problem putting the puck in the back of the opposing net. Nolan Patrick, Sean Couturier, Jakub Voracek, James van Riemsdyk, and Claude Giroux will have no problem finding the back of the net. What killed the Flyers a season ago was the insane number of men manning the pipes. That gets taken care of, the Flyers have enough depth and talent to be a playoff team.

5. New York Islanders (94 Points)
Talk about a shocker. Not only did the Islanders make the playoffs, but they were in a fight for the top spot in the division until late in the season. Then, once in the playoffs, the swept the Peguins out of the first round, before getting swept by the Hurricanes in round two. Now they want more. But its going to be a little different this year. Barry Trotz bunch know what's expected of them, and they have to deliver. Robin Lehner is gone, having signed with the Hawks over the summer, so to replace him in net the Isles snagged Semyon Varlamov to split time with Thomas Greiss. On the blueline, Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy anchor things as the elder statesman. They've got plenty of help from young guns like Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock. This defense helped its netminders to have the fewest goals against in the entire league a season ago, so its a big task to undertake again this year. Now when it comes to filling the opposing net, Mat Barzal is the focal point of the attack, along with Josh Bailey as the playmakers. Guys like Anders Lee and Brock Nelson will be again counted on as trigger men, while Jordan Eberle hopes to build off some of the success he had in last years playoffs. The team has plenty of balance to compete with anybody in either conference, but the changeover in net and lack of high scoring wingers for Barzal to play with may keep the Isles on the outside of the playoffs this year. But its going to be close.

6. New York Rangers (90 Points)
Last season was a bad one on Broadway, finishing four games under .500. I understand it was the start of a rebuild, but still. Fear not, the moves made near the end of last year and this summer, have helped put them back going in the right direction. Kappo Kakko was taken 2nd overall in last June's draft, so he's got some pretty big skates to fill. So is the bigtime free agent acquisition of Artemi Panarin, who has to really play well to fit that contract, which there's no doubt he will do. Those two guys, along with Pavel Buchnevich, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider make a pretty imposing front line to deal with. On the back end, Jacob Truba was aquired in a trade over the summer, solidifying a decent defense crop for the Rangers. Throw him with Brady Skjei and Marc Staal, and the Rangers have something brewing. Oh and there is still some guy named Henrik Lundqvist patrolling the nets at Madison Square Garden. The rebuild mode is still happening, but the Rangers have taken a few giant leaps this summer. They aren't quite there yet, but boy they will be within the next few years.

7. New Jersey Devils (88 Points)
The only team that finished with a worse record in the East then the Devils last year was Ottawa. New Jersey got the top pick in June's draft thanks to the Lottery and used it to take Jack Hughes, who paired with Nico Hischier, last years top pick, could make a solid punch for New Jersey. Of course, they have to be able to provide plenty of support for the best forward on the squad, Taylor Hall. IF New Jersey is to go anywhere near a playoff spot, those three guys need help from the likes of Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, and Nikita Gusev. As for the back end, PK Subban was added to try and help stabilize the defense. Him and Sami Vatanen are going to be counted on to lead this team from the blueline out. What really worries me about the Devils is their goaltending. Keith Kinkad isn't around anymore and Mackenzie Blackwood is now backing up Cory Schneider. Schneider, it has been well documented, has had trouble the last couple of seasons in net, so if that happens again this year, I've got little faith in Blackwood. Who knows, he could surprise people this year. Either way, its a real long shot for the Devils to really make noise this season.

8 Columbus Blue Jackets (83 Points)
The one team that's getting hit the hardest from last year to this one is the Blue Jackets. Coming off winning their first ever playoff series last year, sweeping the Lightning right out of the first round, they might not even come close to that again this year. Joonas Korpisalo takes over the number one job in Ohio, now that Sergei Bobrovski is with the Panthers. Seth Jones and Zach Werenski still lead a decent defensive group, which does have some upside to it. Scoring could be interesting. They've got weapons with guys like Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno, but I';m a little worried about depth. This team lacks it and without a star front line goalie, its going to be really tough to come out of the East. Columbus doesn't have it this year and they'll take a major fall.

Stanley Cup Finals: Lightning over Stars!