The last time these two teams met was in the regular season, and that was quite the game. It had everything, from scoring to the rough stuff, and that should provide for an interesting game one in Vancouver. Coming into the series, the Canucks have the edge, considering the Canucks have a more superior goaltender, have had more rest and didn’t go through a physical series with the St. Louis Blues.
The Blackhawks may be a bit banged up, but their solid youth got them through that series versus the Calgary Flames, and will need to rely on their speed and scoring touch to create problems. Chicago has the scorers to crack the Canucks’ defense, but putting a puck past Roberto Luongo is an issue all to itself. In the first round versus the Blues, the Canucks and Luongo conceded just five goals, which was the lowest amount of the eight surviving teams. If the Blackhawks want any success in this series, they have to crash the crease, which should happen due to their speed, and their four snipers Jonathon Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Martin Havlat all need to be even better.
Defensively, the Blackhawks showed their youth versus the Flames and looked out of place at times. Overall, they had a solid start to the playoffs and were very sharp in the deciding sixth game in Calgary. They will have to step up their games even more, as the Canucks showed they had three legit scoring lines, led by the Sedin twins, Alexandre Burrows and Ryan Kessler. So the Blackhawks defense must really be on their toes, especially if Mats Sundin is able to get it going.
Anytime the Canucks are talked about, Roberto Luongo, the team’s captain, must be mentioned. He was amazing in the first round and shut down the Blues on his own. It is certain he will stone the Chicago shooters. He is always the best player on the ice for the Canucks.
As for the Blackhawks and their goaltending, it was just as good, but there were a few lapses here and there in Nikolai Khabibulin’s game. In his career, Khabibulin is literally a wall when facing the Flames, but versus the Canucks, he has just five wins in 26 starts. The Canucks should attack him right off the bat and not hesitate on any shots, no matter what angle it may be. It may be best if the Blackhawks were to start Cristobal Huet in net for game 1.
In the end, the Canucks will have a huge advantage in this series, because they arguably have one of the best goaltenders in the world, and home ice advantage. Both the Canucks and Blackhawks used home ice to their advantage in round 1. But the Blackhawks showed their youth throughout the lineup at times versus the Flames. Games 1 and 2 could’ve easily been won by the Flames, and Chicago turned things up near the end of the series. Which was in a way a good sign for Chicago; because their youth began to learn as the playoffs progressed. Chicago’s young legs should be able to take advantage of the Canucks early in game 1 after a long layoff.
So really, this series is a toss up, but the Blackhawks look like a driven team with so much youth that only want to win and will upset the Canucks.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES. HOME ICE HAS BEEN HUGE FOR THEM AND ARE 3-0 IN THESE PLAYOFFS. THEY MUST REMAIN PERFECT AT HOME AND WIN AT LEAST 1 GAME IN VANCOUVER.
*THE ONLY WAY THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS WIN THIS SERIES IS IF THEY WIN 1 GAME ON THE ROAD. WE ALL KNOW ROBERTO LUONGO IS GOOD, BUT HE HAS TO BE PERFECT AND WILL NEED AT LEAST 2-3 SHUTOUTS, WHICH IS NOT OUT OF REACH.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
2009 NHL PLAYOFFS WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS (2) DETROIT RED WINGS vs. ANAHEIM DUCKS (8)
The Red Wings dreaded having to face the Ducks in the first round of the playoffs due to the amount of travelling. Now, and for the Ducks, they can use the long travel periods to their advantage, as the Red Wings are an older team. At the same time, the Red Wings are the defending champions, and they have more firepower than the Ducks.
For both of these sides, goaltending is an issue, and depending on which way you look at it, one of these teams is ahead, and the other isn’t. Cases can be made for both these teams, stating their goaltending is stable. The Ducks have a rookie net minder as their starter, over J.S. Giguere, a Stanley Cup champion. In the first round, Jonas Hiller stood tall and backstopped the Ducks to an upset win over the heavily favoured and Presidents Trophy Champions San Jose Sharks. In the second round, he may be in for a surprise and will be up against a veteran savvy Red Wings team. Versus the Sharks, Hiller wasn’t given much of a challenge, as the Sharks played like crap.
On the flip side for the Red Wings, a lot of people out there believe Chris Osgood is a liability and will only hurt the Red Wings’ chances of winning. But, you have to remember, Osgood isn’t the Red Wings’ all-time playoff wins leader for no reason. In the first round, Osgood only had to be average at best, but this time around, he does have to step up his game.
Luckily for the Ducks, they ran into a tight San Jose team that played sub par hockey compared to their regular season success. For the Ducks, they were able to count on one line to do all their scoring and that was all it took for the series win. If the Ducks plan on doing that once again, they will be asking for it, because the Detroit defence is too smart, and strong to be pushed around by one line. The Ducks must get more players to start scoring and not rely on Cory Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selanne.
The Ducks will have their hands full with a Detroit lineup that can skate out four lines with scoring ability. Versus Columbus in the first round, the Wings had an easy time getting by them and had a balanced attack. That will most definitely bode well for the Red Wings.
Don’t count out the Anaheim defence, they are vey under-rated, and got the job done versus the Sharks. San Jose was another team with three legit scoring lines, and the Ducks defenders had them all on lock.
In the end, the Red Wings present more problems for the Ducks, and will have to use their home ice advantage to a tee. The travelling time will hurt the Wings, but they have a smart mix of youth and veterans. Goaltending is the only issue for the Red Wings, and if Chris Osgood could play like he did in last seasons Stanley Cup run, then Detroit should win this series. The Ducks will make this a series, and give the Red Wings fits, like they did in 2003, when the Ducks swept the Red Wings as defending Stanley Cup champions.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE DETROIT RED WINGS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES, BUT THE RED WINGS MUST BE PERFECT AT HOME.
*THE ONLY WAY THE ANAHEIM DUCKS WIN THIS SERIES IS IF THEY STEAL A FEW WINS IN DETROIT, LIKE THEY DID IN ROUND 1 OVER SAN JOSE.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
For both of these sides, goaltending is an issue, and depending on which way you look at it, one of these teams is ahead, and the other isn’t. Cases can be made for both these teams, stating their goaltending is stable. The Ducks have a rookie net minder as their starter, over J.S. Giguere, a Stanley Cup champion. In the first round, Jonas Hiller stood tall and backstopped the Ducks to an upset win over the heavily favoured and Presidents Trophy Champions San Jose Sharks. In the second round, he may be in for a surprise and will be up against a veteran savvy Red Wings team. Versus the Sharks, Hiller wasn’t given much of a challenge, as the Sharks played like crap.
On the flip side for the Red Wings, a lot of people out there believe Chris Osgood is a liability and will only hurt the Red Wings’ chances of winning. But, you have to remember, Osgood isn’t the Red Wings’ all-time playoff wins leader for no reason. In the first round, Osgood only had to be average at best, but this time around, he does have to step up his game.
Luckily for the Ducks, they ran into a tight San Jose team that played sub par hockey compared to their regular season success. For the Ducks, they were able to count on one line to do all their scoring and that was all it took for the series win. If the Ducks plan on doing that once again, they will be asking for it, because the Detroit defence is too smart, and strong to be pushed around by one line. The Ducks must get more players to start scoring and not rely on Cory Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selanne.
The Ducks will have their hands full with a Detroit lineup that can skate out four lines with scoring ability. Versus Columbus in the first round, the Wings had an easy time getting by them and had a balanced attack. That will most definitely bode well for the Red Wings.
Don’t count out the Anaheim defence, they are vey under-rated, and got the job done versus the Sharks. San Jose was another team with three legit scoring lines, and the Ducks defenders had them all on lock.
In the end, the Red Wings present more problems for the Ducks, and will have to use their home ice advantage to a tee. The travelling time will hurt the Wings, but they have a smart mix of youth and veterans. Goaltending is the only issue for the Red Wings, and if Chris Osgood could play like he did in last seasons Stanley Cup run, then Detroit should win this series. The Ducks will make this a series, and give the Red Wings fits, like they did in 2003, when the Ducks swept the Red Wings as defending Stanley Cup champions.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE DETROIT RED WINGS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES, BUT THE RED WINGS MUST BE PERFECT AT HOME.
*THE ONLY WAY THE ANAHEIM DUCKS WIN THIS SERIES IS IF THEY STEAL A FEW WINS IN DETROIT, LIKE THEY DID IN ROUND 1 OVER SAN JOSE.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NHL PLAYOFFS EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS (2) WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (4)
Wow, the amounts of story lines that have come up heading into this series are enough to write a whole book, it’s unbelievable. Of course, anytime you get Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin on the same sheet of ice it provides for some great hockey, and those are just regular season match ups. Imagine what will happen now that they are involved in a best of seven series. Besides the Crosby versus Ovechkin hype, how about Ovechkin versus fellow Hart Trophy nominee Evgeni Malkin, the league’s leading scorer. Is there still some bad blood between these two? Or, you could even focus in on Alexander Semin versus Evgeni Malkin, the playoffs two leading scorers. When it boils down, ninety percent of the hype and focus will revolve around Crosby and Ovechkin, for the simple reasons that they were both drafted first overall in back to back draft seasons. These two have won the latest Hart Trophies back to back. Both of these players will be leading their respective countries at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Basically, these two are the best hockey players in the world, and you could even throw in Evgeni Malkin, and you’ll have the three best players in the world on the same ice. How about that?
Even after the individual focus on the players mentioned above, this series will be a good one to watch. First off, the Capitals hold home ice advantage and made good use of it in their first round series comeback win versus the Rangers after being down 3-1, even after losing games 1 and 2 at home. Will the Penguins be able to play as strong as they did versus the Flyers after they polished them off in six games without home ice advantage this time around? Keep in mind, the Penguins did win two games on the road in Philadelphia, including the game six series win.
Starting with the Penguins, they had no trouble in beating the Flyers, and their defense really stood out as they shut down a high octane Flyers offence. In the back end, Marc-Andre Fleury really stood tall and came up big in the series when necessary. Offensively, the Penguins had no trouble in filling the net, and their two guns Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were unstoppable. Malkin led the way with four goals and five assists. The Penguins do need some other players to step up and provide secondary scoring. Even though Crosby and Malkin can lead a team by themselves, you always need support from the other players.
As for the Capitals, they struggled through the first four games of their first round series before they finally got it together as a team. Luckily for the Capitals, they were up against a weak and fragile Rangers team, and coming back from a three one deficit wasn’t out of the question. The Capitals do need a strong start from the get go, and have to win on home ice early to keep pace with the Penguins. If the Penguins get a lead they will not squander it, but build on it.
Goaltending was a weak point for the Capitals, which was until twenty year old rookie Simeon Varlamov was thrust into the series after a poor showing from Jose Theodore in a game 1 loss. Remember, this guy is still a rookie, and his nerves could get shot at any time, but in the six games he did play in, he looked good.
The star players on the Capitals also need to get off to a good start, because their leader Alex Ovechkin only had three goals in the first round, and looked as if he showed up when he wanted to. The supporting cast of Alex Semin, Niklas Backstrom and Mike Green must produce like they did during the regular season, if not, this series will be done with quick.
In the end, the Penguins have a more solid group with plenty of playoff experience, and the star players on the Capitals can be shut down, and put down.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES, ONCE AGAIN ON THE BACKS OF SIDNEY CROSBY, EVGENI MALKIN AND MARC-ANDRE FLEURY.
*THE ONLY WAY THE CAPITALS COULD WIN THIS SERIES IS IF THEY WIN GAMES 1 AND 2 AT HOME TO KICK OFF THE SERIES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
Even after the individual focus on the players mentioned above, this series will be a good one to watch. First off, the Capitals hold home ice advantage and made good use of it in their first round series comeback win versus the Rangers after being down 3-1, even after losing games 1 and 2 at home. Will the Penguins be able to play as strong as they did versus the Flyers after they polished them off in six games without home ice advantage this time around? Keep in mind, the Penguins did win two games on the road in Philadelphia, including the game six series win.
Starting with the Penguins, they had no trouble in beating the Flyers, and their defense really stood out as they shut down a high octane Flyers offence. In the back end, Marc-Andre Fleury really stood tall and came up big in the series when necessary. Offensively, the Penguins had no trouble in filling the net, and their two guns Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were unstoppable. Malkin led the way with four goals and five assists. The Penguins do need some other players to step up and provide secondary scoring. Even though Crosby and Malkin can lead a team by themselves, you always need support from the other players.
As for the Capitals, they struggled through the first four games of their first round series before they finally got it together as a team. Luckily for the Capitals, they were up against a weak and fragile Rangers team, and coming back from a three one deficit wasn’t out of the question. The Capitals do need a strong start from the get go, and have to win on home ice early to keep pace with the Penguins. If the Penguins get a lead they will not squander it, but build on it.
Goaltending was a weak point for the Capitals, which was until twenty year old rookie Simeon Varlamov was thrust into the series after a poor showing from Jose Theodore in a game 1 loss. Remember, this guy is still a rookie, and his nerves could get shot at any time, but in the six games he did play in, he looked good.
The star players on the Capitals also need to get off to a good start, because their leader Alex Ovechkin only had three goals in the first round, and looked as if he showed up when he wanted to. The supporting cast of Alex Semin, Niklas Backstrom and Mike Green must produce like they did during the regular season, if not, this series will be done with quick.
In the end, the Penguins have a more solid group with plenty of playoff experience, and the star players on the Capitals can be shut down, and put down.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES, ONCE AGAIN ON THE BACKS OF SIDNEY CROSBY, EVGENI MALKIN AND MARC-ANDRE FLEURY.
*THE ONLY WAY THE CAPITALS COULD WIN THIS SERIES IS IF THEY WIN GAMES 1 AND 2 AT HOME TO KICK OFF THE SERIES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NHL PLAYOFFS EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS (1) BOSTON BRUINS vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES (6)
This should be an interesting series to watch, as these two teams took separate paths to reach the second round. The Bruins easily handled their Original Six foes and swept the Canadiens in a relatively easy series. As for the Hurricanes, they had to grind out their series win in seven games, and thanks to some strong play in the last three minutes; they stunned the Devils on their home ice.
Goaltending was the story for both of these teams. On one side, Tim Thomas proved he could play in the playoffs and handle all the pressure. For the Hurricanes, they went into their series with the Devils, as underdogs to win, and didn’t have the goaltending edge. Cam Ward shrugged all that off and outlasted future hall of famer Martin Brodeur, and any time a goalie could do that, he gives his team the edge to win. Not to mention, Cam Ward is also a Conn Smythe winner when he backstopped the Hurricanes to win the Stanley Cup in 2006 as a rookie. So it is fair to say that the Hurricanes are ahead between the pipes.
That may be all for the Hurricanes though, as they will have to contend with a high powered Bruins offence, and try to get through a rugged defence.
In the first round, the Bruins showed no signs of slowing down offensively and that was all they needed in beating the Canadiens. Boston scored no fewer than four goals a game, and scored 17 total goals in just four games. The likes of Phil Kessel and Marc Savard led the way for the Bruins. For Claude Julien he was given the comfort that he could roll out four lines, and that went a long way.
Cracking the Bruins defence won’t be an easy chore, especially after the Hurricanes will be dead tired chasing around the Bruins. Defensively, the Bruins posted a brick wall and the Canadiens struggled to score and the Bruins allowed just six total goals, and didn’t allow more than two goals a game.
The Hurricanes will most definitely have their work cut out for them, but they are a scrappy bunch and provided to be a solid challenge for the Devils. Their two stars came out to play, in net Cam Ward was solid, and up front Eric Staal had the scoring touch, and scored with 35 second left in game seven to clinch the series versus New Jersey.
Defensively, the Hurricanes conceded 15 goals in seven games, which average out to 2 goals a game. Stopping the Bruins attack will be a challenge, and if the Hurricanes could somehow limit the scoring for Boston to just three goals a game, then the series could be prolonged. That could happen, because Cam Ward did post a shutout in the first round, while Tim Thomas did not. The Hurricanes only gave up four goals once and three goals twice. Those are a lot of goals to give up, but if the Bruins are limited, watch out for the Hurricanes, because they can score too.
In the end, the Bruins are too much to handle, as they have the defence, offense and are extremely physical and will punish the Hurricanes and really hurt them, especially after a seven game series. The Hurricanes are better in the goaltending department, and that will hold Carolina in a few games and the series, but the Bruins showed that they are relentless.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE BOSTON BRUINS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES, AND WILL BE GIVEN A REAL CHALLENGE BY THE SCRAPPY CAROLINA HURRICANES, AND BY GOALTENDER CAM WARD.
*THE ONLY WAY THE CAROLINA HURRICANES COULD WIN THIS SERIES IS IF CAM WARD COULD POST AT LEAST THREE SHUTOUTS (WHICH IS DOABLE), AND THE HURRICANES WIN AT LEAST TWO GAMES IN BOSTON.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
Goaltending was the story for both of these teams. On one side, Tim Thomas proved he could play in the playoffs and handle all the pressure. For the Hurricanes, they went into their series with the Devils, as underdogs to win, and didn’t have the goaltending edge. Cam Ward shrugged all that off and outlasted future hall of famer Martin Brodeur, and any time a goalie could do that, he gives his team the edge to win. Not to mention, Cam Ward is also a Conn Smythe winner when he backstopped the Hurricanes to win the Stanley Cup in 2006 as a rookie. So it is fair to say that the Hurricanes are ahead between the pipes.
That may be all for the Hurricanes though, as they will have to contend with a high powered Bruins offence, and try to get through a rugged defence.
In the first round, the Bruins showed no signs of slowing down offensively and that was all they needed in beating the Canadiens. Boston scored no fewer than four goals a game, and scored 17 total goals in just four games. The likes of Phil Kessel and Marc Savard led the way for the Bruins. For Claude Julien he was given the comfort that he could roll out four lines, and that went a long way.
Cracking the Bruins defence won’t be an easy chore, especially after the Hurricanes will be dead tired chasing around the Bruins. Defensively, the Bruins posted a brick wall and the Canadiens struggled to score and the Bruins allowed just six total goals, and didn’t allow more than two goals a game.
The Hurricanes will most definitely have their work cut out for them, but they are a scrappy bunch and provided to be a solid challenge for the Devils. Their two stars came out to play, in net Cam Ward was solid, and up front Eric Staal had the scoring touch, and scored with 35 second left in game seven to clinch the series versus New Jersey.
Defensively, the Hurricanes conceded 15 goals in seven games, which average out to 2 goals a game. Stopping the Bruins attack will be a challenge, and if the Hurricanes could somehow limit the scoring for Boston to just three goals a game, then the series could be prolonged. That could happen, because Cam Ward did post a shutout in the first round, while Tim Thomas did not. The Hurricanes only gave up four goals once and three goals twice. Those are a lot of goals to give up, but if the Bruins are limited, watch out for the Hurricanes, because they can score too.
In the end, the Bruins are too much to handle, as they have the defence, offense and are extremely physical and will punish the Hurricanes and really hurt them, especially after a seven game series. The Hurricanes are better in the goaltending department, and that will hold Carolina in a few games and the series, but the Bruins showed that they are relentless.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE BOSTON BRUINS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES, AND WILL BE GIVEN A REAL CHALLENGE BY THE SCRAPPY CAROLINA HURRICANES, AND BY GOALTENDER CAM WARD.
*THE ONLY WAY THE CAROLINA HURRICANES COULD WIN THIS SERIES IS IF CAM WARD COULD POST AT LEAST THREE SHUTOUTS (WHICH IS DOABLE), AND THE HURRICANES WIN AT LEAST TWO GAMES IN BOSTON.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
Friday, April 17, 2009
2009 NBA PLAYOFFS EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (3) ORLANDO MAGIC vs. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (6)
This series may actually look tighter than it appears to be with the 76ers and the Magic. Both teams match up well on paper and should provide for some good excitement, but unfortunately that may not be the case. The 76ers limped into the playoffs losing five straight before they concluded the year with a stunning victory in Cleveland, minus LeBron James. On the flip side, the Magic also have their fair share of problems, as they will be without point guard Jameer Nelson.
The Magic hold the x-factor in this series with the freak of nature Dwight Howard. This guy is unbelievably huge and strong, and cannot be stopped within six feet of the rim. That presents a problem for the 76ers because no one on their roster can stop him. Samuel Dalembert or Reggie Evans will get the assignment to try and contain Howard, but it will be free reign for Dwight. But, there maybe one player that could actually disturb Howard’s progress to the rim, that player being Thaddeus Young. He has the height and weight to at least take him to the outside and force jumpers.
If that were to happen, which is highly unlikely, the Magic have deadly shooters on the perimeter that can easily knock three’s and hurt a team early in the game. The Magic led the Association in three point field goal percentage and in most attempted three’s. Orlando was led by Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, but they will have to alter their games, because Head Coach Stan Van Gundy won’t be pleased if they jack up ill-advised three point shots.
Overall, the Magic have still looked impressive, even without Jameer Nelson, and Rafer Alston who was acquired in a mid-season deal has filled in nicely for Nelson. This series shouldn’t be a problem for the Magic, because they are going to face a fragile and extremely inconsistent 76ers team.
On Philadelphia, Andre Igoudala has a lot to prove, if he is the true leader of this team, can he win games on his own, and is he a playoff performer. There were flashes of all three of those things in last year’s playoffs, but they did not appear all at once. If Igoudala can get it going in the playoffs, the 76ers will have a chance to push this series to the limit, because no one on the Magic can guard him.
The two players that will have to do that job are Lewis and Turkoglu and both are hardly the defensive specialists. They flat out stink on defense and are very nonchalant and only play defense when they get an ear full from their coach. Even if they were to play defense, they won’t be able to keep Igoudala in front of them.
This will be a battle of leaders on each team, Igoudala versus Howard. In the end, defense wins games and especially in the playoffs. The Magic play defense, consistently, which is key, because the 76ers struggled all season long on the defensive end.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE ORLANDO MAGIC WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 5 GAMES. THEY ARE GREAT AT HOME WITH 32 WINS, AND TIED FOR THE SECOND BEST ROAD RECORD WITH 27 WINS.
*ONLY WAY PHILADELPHIA 76ERS COULD WIN THIS SERIES IS IF THEY WIN GAME 1 IN ORLANDO AND ALL THREE OF THEIR HOME GAMES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
The Magic hold the x-factor in this series with the freak of nature Dwight Howard. This guy is unbelievably huge and strong, and cannot be stopped within six feet of the rim. That presents a problem for the 76ers because no one on their roster can stop him. Samuel Dalembert or Reggie Evans will get the assignment to try and contain Howard, but it will be free reign for Dwight. But, there maybe one player that could actually disturb Howard’s progress to the rim, that player being Thaddeus Young. He has the height and weight to at least take him to the outside and force jumpers.
If that were to happen, which is highly unlikely, the Magic have deadly shooters on the perimeter that can easily knock three’s and hurt a team early in the game. The Magic led the Association in three point field goal percentage and in most attempted three’s. Orlando was led by Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, but they will have to alter their games, because Head Coach Stan Van Gundy won’t be pleased if they jack up ill-advised three point shots.
Overall, the Magic have still looked impressive, even without Jameer Nelson, and Rafer Alston who was acquired in a mid-season deal has filled in nicely for Nelson. This series shouldn’t be a problem for the Magic, because they are going to face a fragile and extremely inconsistent 76ers team.
On Philadelphia, Andre Igoudala has a lot to prove, if he is the true leader of this team, can he win games on his own, and is he a playoff performer. There were flashes of all three of those things in last year’s playoffs, but they did not appear all at once. If Igoudala can get it going in the playoffs, the 76ers will have a chance to push this series to the limit, because no one on the Magic can guard him.
The two players that will have to do that job are Lewis and Turkoglu and both are hardly the defensive specialists. They flat out stink on defense and are very nonchalant and only play defense when they get an ear full from their coach. Even if they were to play defense, they won’t be able to keep Igoudala in front of them.
This will be a battle of leaders on each team, Igoudala versus Howard. In the end, defense wins games and especially in the playoffs. The Magic play defense, consistently, which is key, because the 76ers struggled all season long on the defensive end.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE ORLANDO MAGIC WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 5 GAMES. THEY ARE GREAT AT HOME WITH 32 WINS, AND TIED FOR THE SECOND BEST ROAD RECORD WITH 27 WINS.
*ONLY WAY PHILADELPHIA 76ERS COULD WIN THIS SERIES IS IF THEY WIN GAME 1 IN ORLANDO AND ALL THREE OF THEIR HOME GAMES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NBA PLAYOFFS EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (4) ATLANTA HAWKS vs. MIAMI HEAT (5)
This series has got be the most intriguing, as the Heat come into the playoffs hot, led by their MVP Dwayne Wade, and the Hawks have played consistently all season long, and are hungry for a series win. After last season’s hard fought seven game series loss to the eventual champion Boston Celtics, the Hawks are the favorites in this series, and should be.
On paper the Hawks are the better team, and when it comes down to game time, they are also the better team. The lone reason being, the Hawks are not a one dimensional team like their foes, who are nothing without Dwayne Wade.
The Hawks have plenty of scorers and go to guys in this series, starting with Joe Johnson who led the team in scoring with 21.4 points. Johnson is a big time player that can hit jumpers and step up his play in crunch time. It will be fun to watch Johnson and Wade battle each other on the defensive end.
To support Johnson, the Hawks have Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Mike Bibby. All three of these players can score and play defense. Especially Smith and Horford who are excellent defenders and that will play into Atlanta’s favour. Also, Smith could defend Wade and limit his chances, which will give Johnson a bit more energy.
With the Heat, they have some solid youth in Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers, but they are like the Hawks from last year, good but just not playoff good. Defensively, the Heat aren’t exactly the best defensive team out there, and have shown they can’t play at a high level of defense all the time.
The Heat will only go as far as Dwayne Wade is able to take them, and it looks Wade and the Heat could push this series to a seventh game. When the Heat won the championship in 2004, Wade had a solid second player in Shaquille O’Neal, and this season’s Heat doesn’t have a solid supporting cast. That, along with home court advantage gives the series edge to the Hawks.
If the Hawks could contain Wade, and allow him to average 22-26 points a game, compared to his 31 points a game during the season, this series will finish much quicker.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE ATLANTA HAWKS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 7 GAMES. BOTH TEAMS CANNOT PLAY ON THE ROAD, AND THE HOME TEAM WILL BE PERFECT AT HOME.
*THE MIAMI HEAT CAN WIN THIS SERIES IF THEIR PLAYERS SURROUNDING DWAYNE WADE COULD ACTUALLY PLAY, AND A ROAD WIN WOULDN’T HURT EITHER.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
On paper the Hawks are the better team, and when it comes down to game time, they are also the better team. The lone reason being, the Hawks are not a one dimensional team like their foes, who are nothing without Dwayne Wade.
The Hawks have plenty of scorers and go to guys in this series, starting with Joe Johnson who led the team in scoring with 21.4 points. Johnson is a big time player that can hit jumpers and step up his play in crunch time. It will be fun to watch Johnson and Wade battle each other on the defensive end.
To support Johnson, the Hawks have Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Mike Bibby. All three of these players can score and play defense. Especially Smith and Horford who are excellent defenders and that will play into Atlanta’s favour. Also, Smith could defend Wade and limit his chances, which will give Johnson a bit more energy.
With the Heat, they have some solid youth in Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers, but they are like the Hawks from last year, good but just not playoff good. Defensively, the Heat aren’t exactly the best defensive team out there, and have shown they can’t play at a high level of defense all the time.
The Heat will only go as far as Dwayne Wade is able to take them, and it looks Wade and the Heat could push this series to a seventh game. When the Heat won the championship in 2004, Wade had a solid second player in Shaquille O’Neal, and this season’s Heat doesn’t have a solid supporting cast. That, along with home court advantage gives the series edge to the Hawks.
If the Hawks could contain Wade, and allow him to average 22-26 points a game, compared to his 31 points a game during the season, this series will finish much quicker.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE ATLANTA HAWKS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 7 GAMES. BOTH TEAMS CANNOT PLAY ON THE ROAD, AND THE HOME TEAM WILL BE PERFECT AT HOME.
*THE MIAMI HEAT CAN WIN THIS SERIES IF THEIR PLAYERS SURROUNDING DWAYNE WADE COULD ACTUALLY PLAY, AND A ROAD WIN WOULDN’T HURT EITHER.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NBA PLAYOFFS EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (1) CLEVELAND CAVALIERS vs. DETROIT PISTONS (8)
If you were to tell either one of these teams’ general managers that the first round of the playoffs would feature the Cavaliers as the number one seed and the Pistons as the eighth, they would’ve laughed. There is a laughing matter in this series though, because the Cavaliers are too good and are going to bounce the Pistons from the playoffs, easily.
The Cavaliers have a lot of firepower that the Pistons cannot handle. For starters, LeBron James is a beast and can lead a team on his own and showed that in 2007 when he single handedly led the Cavs to the Finals. This team compared to the one in 2007 is playing at whole other level, and it is very tough to face the Cavaliers.
Another glaring difference is the talent that now surrounds LeBron James. Point guard Mo Williams was brought in to run the offense and provide consistent secondary scoring, and has done that beautifully. Zydrunas Ilgauskas has improved his game, but needs to be a bit tougher and not let players walk around him. Delonte West has thrived and excelled while playing alongside LeBron James.
The one final killer is the Cavaliers’ home record, which was 39-2, just one short of tying the NBA record of 40-1. The only two losses came against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers, a game in which LeBron wasn’t dressed, and was meaningless.
The Cavaliers should easily open this series up 2-0 and promptly sweep the Pistons, or at least finish this series in 5 games. In basketball, the more rest you can get in the playoffs, the better, because a team can always practice, shoot around and stay loose, compared to other sports.
For the Pistons, if they could squeak out one game in this series, that should be considered an accomplishment and happily be eliminated. The only way the Pistons could even win this series is if they could somehow stop LeBron James, which at this point is humanly impossible.
The Pistons could somewhat match-up five on five versus the Cavaliers, but there is no stability to Detroit’s offense, and they dearly miss Chauncey Billups. Defensively the Pistons can hold their own, but as the series goes on, the Cavaliers will get tougher and finish the series as quickly as possible.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 4 OR 5 GAMES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
The Cavaliers have a lot of firepower that the Pistons cannot handle. For starters, LeBron James is a beast and can lead a team on his own and showed that in 2007 when he single handedly led the Cavs to the Finals. This team compared to the one in 2007 is playing at whole other level, and it is very tough to face the Cavaliers.
Another glaring difference is the talent that now surrounds LeBron James. Point guard Mo Williams was brought in to run the offense and provide consistent secondary scoring, and has done that beautifully. Zydrunas Ilgauskas has improved his game, but needs to be a bit tougher and not let players walk around him. Delonte West has thrived and excelled while playing alongside LeBron James.
The one final killer is the Cavaliers’ home record, which was 39-2, just one short of tying the NBA record of 40-1. The only two losses came against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers, a game in which LeBron wasn’t dressed, and was meaningless.
The Cavaliers should easily open this series up 2-0 and promptly sweep the Pistons, or at least finish this series in 5 games. In basketball, the more rest you can get in the playoffs, the better, because a team can always practice, shoot around and stay loose, compared to other sports.
For the Pistons, if they could squeak out one game in this series, that should be considered an accomplishment and happily be eliminated. The only way the Pistons could even win this series is if they could somehow stop LeBron James, which at this point is humanly impossible.
The Pistons could somewhat match-up five on five versus the Cavaliers, but there is no stability to Detroit’s offense, and they dearly miss Chauncey Billups. Defensively the Pistons can hold their own, but as the series goes on, the Cavaliers will get tougher and finish the series as quickly as possible.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 4 OR 5 GAMES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NBA PLAYOFFS EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (2) BOSTON CELTICS vs. CHICAGO BULLS (7)
This should be an interesting series to watch. This will be Bulls’ rookie point guard Derrick Rose’s first taste of the playoffs and everyone will be watching to see if the Celtics could repeat as Champions without Kevin Garnett.
Right off the bat the Celtics were dealt a serious blow when it was announced that Kevin Garnett would be out for the playoffs. Right away a number of people started to right off the Celtics. People have reason to believe that the Celtics won’t go far because Kevin Garnett was a vital piece to last year’s championship run. Even though Paul Pierce took home the MVP Finals award, Kevin Garnett was the unsung MVP of the whole season and the playoffs.
Without Garnett, the Celtics will struggle in a few facets of the game and it will be seen. This Celtics group is smarter than last season’s and know what it takes to win a championship with or without Garnett. Now, more of the scoring load will be placed on Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. But, how much could these two do since they have to guard the other teams’ best point players? Remember this; it wasn’t too long ago that Pierce stopped Kobe Bryant in the finals. So Pierce should still have it in him to once again play some solid defense.
As for the Bulls, the young inexperienced Bulls, they will be led by their unsung MVP, Derrick Rose. If Rose doesn’t play into all the hype of the playoffs and just goes out there and plays and do what he has been doing all season long, he should do just fine. For these Bulls, they are going up against the defending champions, and will start the first two games on the road, and their road record wasn’t at all impressive, just thirteen wins.
Even without Garnett, the Bulls will have a tough time getting to the rim, because the Celtics play defense as a whole, and continued to play that way without Garnett.
Defensively, the Bulls are going to have to stop Pierce, Allen and Kendrick Perkins. The latter, Perkins can be stopped, but stopping Pierce and Allen is a challenge. There really isn’t anyone on the Bulls’ roster that has shown that they could play a whole game and stop the other teams’ best player consistently. Luol Deng and Ben Gordon will probably get the assignments to stop those two, but the Bulls as a whole gave up 102 points a game, while the Celtics averaged 100 points a game.
The key to this series will be the play of Derrick Rose, because his play really propelled the Bulls to get into the playoffs and boosted the offense. If Boston could limit Rose and his chances, then the Celtics can finish this series pretty quick. That likely won’t happen, because Rajon Rondo cannot guard Rose and will get burned.
Ultimately, the Bulls won’t win this series, but will give the Celtics a scare and make them earn every win. This is a young and talented Bulls team, that wants to beat the Celtics, but will soon find out it is harder than it sounds.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE BOSTON CELTICS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES, AND PAUL PIERCE WILL COME UP BIG.
*ONLY WAY THE CHICAGO BULLS COULD WIN, IS IF THEY WIN GAMES 1 AND 5 IN BOSTON, OR THREE GAMES ON THE ROAD.
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Right off the bat the Celtics were dealt a serious blow when it was announced that Kevin Garnett would be out for the playoffs. Right away a number of people started to right off the Celtics. People have reason to believe that the Celtics won’t go far because Kevin Garnett was a vital piece to last year’s championship run. Even though Paul Pierce took home the MVP Finals award, Kevin Garnett was the unsung MVP of the whole season and the playoffs.
Without Garnett, the Celtics will struggle in a few facets of the game and it will be seen. This Celtics group is smarter than last season’s and know what it takes to win a championship with or without Garnett. Now, more of the scoring load will be placed on Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. But, how much could these two do since they have to guard the other teams’ best point players? Remember this; it wasn’t too long ago that Pierce stopped Kobe Bryant in the finals. So Pierce should still have it in him to once again play some solid defense.
As for the Bulls, the young inexperienced Bulls, they will be led by their unsung MVP, Derrick Rose. If Rose doesn’t play into all the hype of the playoffs and just goes out there and plays and do what he has been doing all season long, he should do just fine. For these Bulls, they are going up against the defending champions, and will start the first two games on the road, and their road record wasn’t at all impressive, just thirteen wins.
Even without Garnett, the Bulls will have a tough time getting to the rim, because the Celtics play defense as a whole, and continued to play that way without Garnett.
Defensively, the Bulls are going to have to stop Pierce, Allen and Kendrick Perkins. The latter, Perkins can be stopped, but stopping Pierce and Allen is a challenge. There really isn’t anyone on the Bulls’ roster that has shown that they could play a whole game and stop the other teams’ best player consistently. Luol Deng and Ben Gordon will probably get the assignments to stop those two, but the Bulls as a whole gave up 102 points a game, while the Celtics averaged 100 points a game.
The key to this series will be the play of Derrick Rose, because his play really propelled the Bulls to get into the playoffs and boosted the offense. If Boston could limit Rose and his chances, then the Celtics can finish this series pretty quick. That likely won’t happen, because Rajon Rondo cannot guard Rose and will get burned.
Ultimately, the Bulls won’t win this series, but will give the Celtics a scare and make them earn every win. This is a young and talented Bulls team, that wants to beat the Celtics, but will soon find out it is harder than it sounds.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE BOSTON CELTICS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES, AND PAUL PIERCE WILL COME UP BIG.
*ONLY WAY THE CHICAGO BULLS COULD WIN, IS IF THEY WIN GAMES 1 AND 5 IN BOSTON, OR THREE GAMES ON THE ROAD.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
2009 NBA PLAYOFFS WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (3) SAN ANTONIO SPURS vs. DALLAS MAVERICKS (6)
This all Texas match-up between the Spurs and Mavericks should provide plenty of excitement and be a fun one to watch. The veteran savvy Spurs clinched another South West division title and it was no easy task, as they had to beat out the Houston Rockets and the Mavericks. There is a problem now for the Spurs, Manu Ginobli is out of the lineup and will probably miss all of the playoffs. That will most definitely bode well for the Mavericks, who are good but not San Antonio good.
For this playoff run, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan will have to do a lot of the work and that will suit them and the Spurs team just fine. Parker with his offensive abilities can take a lot of the pressure off a few players, but only for so long. The Big Fundamental, Tim Duncan, is a solid player and cannot be disturbed from his game.
With that, players like Michael Finley, and Fabricio Oberto need to play at a higher level. Under Head Coach Gregg Popovich’s tutelage, the Spurs should do fine for a while, but the impact of not having Ginobli, a third scorer, will really hurt the Spurs’ chances of advancing to the next round.
For the Mavericks they absolutely have to take advantage of Ginobli not in the Spurs’ lineup, and at least steal game 1 in San Antonio.
The Mavericks will be led by Dirk Nowitzki who averaged 25 points a game during the season, and will be a huge factor in this series for Dallas. For Nowitzki to really establish himself in this series, he has to implement a down low game, with his back to the basket, early on in this series. From there, a lot of open looks will get created for other players. Point guard Jason Kidd will really benefit from that, because he will spend all series chasing after the faster Tony Parker, and Kidd can hit the occasional three ball here and there.
Two players that will really need to score and stick to their season averages are Josh Howard and Jason Terry. Together these two players averaged 37 points a game for the Mavericks and that will go a long way for Dallas.
That’s exactly where the Mavericks have the edge, with more legit scorers than the Spurs, who did have a triple threat, but are one short now.
When it all comes down to picking a winner, the team with the better defensive effort should win this series. And time and time again, the Spurs have proved that they can play defense at any time and win on the strength of that. The Spurs also won 28 games at home, while the Mavericks struggled on the road with 18 wins.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 7 GAMES ON THE STRENGTH OF A COMPLETE TEAM DEFENSIVE EFFORT.
*DALLAS MAVERICKS COULD WIN IF THEY STEAL AT LEAST 2 GAMES ON THE ROAD IN SAN ANTONIO.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
For this playoff run, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan will have to do a lot of the work and that will suit them and the Spurs team just fine. Parker with his offensive abilities can take a lot of the pressure off a few players, but only for so long. The Big Fundamental, Tim Duncan, is a solid player and cannot be disturbed from his game.
With that, players like Michael Finley, and Fabricio Oberto need to play at a higher level. Under Head Coach Gregg Popovich’s tutelage, the Spurs should do fine for a while, but the impact of not having Ginobli, a third scorer, will really hurt the Spurs’ chances of advancing to the next round.
For the Mavericks they absolutely have to take advantage of Ginobli not in the Spurs’ lineup, and at least steal game 1 in San Antonio.
The Mavericks will be led by Dirk Nowitzki who averaged 25 points a game during the season, and will be a huge factor in this series for Dallas. For Nowitzki to really establish himself in this series, he has to implement a down low game, with his back to the basket, early on in this series. From there, a lot of open looks will get created for other players. Point guard Jason Kidd will really benefit from that, because he will spend all series chasing after the faster Tony Parker, and Kidd can hit the occasional three ball here and there.
Two players that will really need to score and stick to their season averages are Josh Howard and Jason Terry. Together these two players averaged 37 points a game for the Mavericks and that will go a long way for Dallas.
That’s exactly where the Mavericks have the edge, with more legit scorers than the Spurs, who did have a triple threat, but are one short now.
When it all comes down to picking a winner, the team with the better defensive effort should win this series. And time and time again, the Spurs have proved that they can play defense at any time and win on the strength of that. The Spurs also won 28 games at home, while the Mavericks struggled on the road with 18 wins.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 7 GAMES ON THE STRENGTH OF A COMPLETE TEAM DEFENSIVE EFFORT.
*DALLAS MAVERICKS COULD WIN IF THEY STEAL AT LEAST 2 GAMES ON THE ROAD IN SAN ANTONIO.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NBA PLAYOFFS WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (4) PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS vs. HOUSTON ROCKETS (5)
This is one tight match-up as both teams are pretty much equals. Portland finished the season with one more victory (54) than Houston (53), their road records were an identical 20-21, and the only difference were the home records. The Trail Blazers finished with 34 home wins and the Rockets with 33.
Who would’ve thought that the Rockets would be a much better team without Tracy McGrady? He has been the leader and top scorer for so long and yet here they are, looking better than ever and are on the verge of actually advancing to the second round, something McGrady has never done in his career.
With or without McGrady in the lineup, the Rockets don’t look all that dangerous heading into the playoffs. For some reason during the season they are lights out, but when it comes down to the playoffs, they struggle. The Rockets will have a tough time getting through the Trail Blazers who also have home court advantage in this series.
A few players on the Rockets have struggled during the playoffs, such as Yao Ming, Ron Artest and Shane Battier. The leader scorer on this team, Yao Ming, has not reached his full potential in this league, is extremely over-rated and is a very soft player. Ming has trouble playing like a seven footer, something he is, at seven feet six inches, and has a tough time getting to the rim. There is absolutely no aggression in Ming’s game. As a team, the Rockets cannot match up properly to the upstart, young and talented Trail Blazers.
There is one player on the Rockets that has performed well on a consistent basis, and that is Luis Scola. He could step up his game and has played in big games before internationally with Spain. The problem with the Rockets will be that they will play the way they did during the season, which isn’t bad, but you have to take your game to another level in the playoffs. The Rockets have not shown that in previous playoff seasons.
Right off the bat Portland has an explosive scorer in Brandon Roy who led the team in scoring with 22.9 points per game. The only player that could guard Roy is Ron Artest, but Roy has shown he can fend off any defender and Artest may not have that extra level to his game anymore. Roy does have that extra level and drive to win games.
Other players on the Trail Blazers that should have coming out parties during this series versus the Rockets are LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez and Steve Blake.
Aldridge will provide strong secondary scoring help, along with Fernandez. Travis Outlaw will shine most with his defense, while Blake will be able to control the team, but will also be under a lot of pressure to actually hold the team together on the court, with this being his first playoff series. Of course, providing the big body presence will be Greg Oden, and will be relied on for his defense, if he could stay out of foul trouble.
Overall, the Trail Blazers are inexperienced when it comes to the playoffs, but they are a young and hungry team ready to show the NBA who they are, and will do fine. Having home court advantage was huge for this Portland team.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES, AND BRANDON ROY WILL PLAY AT ANOTHER LEVEL WHICH WILL RUB OFF ON THE REST OF THE TEAM.
*HOUSTON CAN WIN THIS SERIES IF THEY WIN TWO GAMES ON THE ROAD IN PORTLAND.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
Who would’ve thought that the Rockets would be a much better team without Tracy McGrady? He has been the leader and top scorer for so long and yet here they are, looking better than ever and are on the verge of actually advancing to the second round, something McGrady has never done in his career.
With or without McGrady in the lineup, the Rockets don’t look all that dangerous heading into the playoffs. For some reason during the season they are lights out, but when it comes down to the playoffs, they struggle. The Rockets will have a tough time getting through the Trail Blazers who also have home court advantage in this series.
A few players on the Rockets have struggled during the playoffs, such as Yao Ming, Ron Artest and Shane Battier. The leader scorer on this team, Yao Ming, has not reached his full potential in this league, is extremely over-rated and is a very soft player. Ming has trouble playing like a seven footer, something he is, at seven feet six inches, and has a tough time getting to the rim. There is absolutely no aggression in Ming’s game. As a team, the Rockets cannot match up properly to the upstart, young and talented Trail Blazers.
There is one player on the Rockets that has performed well on a consistent basis, and that is Luis Scola. He could step up his game and has played in big games before internationally with Spain. The problem with the Rockets will be that they will play the way they did during the season, which isn’t bad, but you have to take your game to another level in the playoffs. The Rockets have not shown that in previous playoff seasons.
Right off the bat Portland has an explosive scorer in Brandon Roy who led the team in scoring with 22.9 points per game. The only player that could guard Roy is Ron Artest, but Roy has shown he can fend off any defender and Artest may not have that extra level to his game anymore. Roy does have that extra level and drive to win games.
Other players on the Trail Blazers that should have coming out parties during this series versus the Rockets are LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez and Steve Blake.
Aldridge will provide strong secondary scoring help, along with Fernandez. Travis Outlaw will shine most with his defense, while Blake will be able to control the team, but will also be under a lot of pressure to actually hold the team together on the court, with this being his first playoff series. Of course, providing the big body presence will be Greg Oden, and will be relied on for his defense, if he could stay out of foul trouble.
Overall, the Trail Blazers are inexperienced when it comes to the playoffs, but they are a young and hungry team ready to show the NBA who they are, and will do fine. Having home court advantage was huge for this Portland team.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES, AND BRANDON ROY WILL PLAY AT ANOTHER LEVEL WHICH WILL RUB OFF ON THE REST OF THE TEAM.
*HOUSTON CAN WIN THIS SERIES IF THEY WIN TWO GAMES ON THE ROAD IN PORTLAND.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NBA PLAYOFFS WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (1) LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs. UTAH JAZZ (8)
Making the playoffs is a great feat in the tough Western Conference, but when you have to go up against the number one seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, you’re in the death seat. Too bad for the Utah Jazz, because they are such a likeable group and a solid team, but they are in tough versus the Lakers. After last seasons embarrassing game six loss in the Finals to the Boston Celtics, the Lakers are a team on a mission to get back to the Finals and win it all.
When a team is led by Kobe Bryant, that team is in good hands. You could also add in the fact that they will be coached by nine time champion Phil Jackson. Built around Kobe Bryant is a strong supporting cast with Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher. These players, plus a strong bench equaled a dominant offensive team, and they weren’t too shabby on the defensive end either.
This time around, the Lakers will have Andrew Bynum in the lineup for the playoff run, and this will be Bynum’s first playoff experience. It will be interesting to see how Bynum fits in, but at the same time, it never hurts to have another physical presence on the floor that could also score. Bynum in the lineup will be a huge boost for the Lakers.
Sadly for the Jazz, and I say sadly because they are a really good team, and also made an appearance in the Western Final two years ago, led by Deron Williams. This team cannot match-up against the Lakers and will struggle in that department. The only plus the Jazz do have is the point guard match-up, and Williams will rip Fisher apart. Even in the post, the Lakers have an advantage there with Gasol, Bynum and Odom. All three of these players can drive and hit the jump shot.
Carlos Boozer was injured for the majority of the season, so he should be well rested and really needs to play at a higher level, because he will be a key in this series. He does have a much bigger body than Gasol and Bynum and needs to get physical early in games and create foul trouble for the Lakers. That will be a tough task to do, because even if he accomplishes that, the Lakers can throw another body at him.
Depth on either side will play a large part in this series, and once again the Lakers win there. One area where these two teams match up is for points scored in a game. The Lakers come in averaging 106 points a game, while the Jazz aren’t too far back with 103.
So one thing you can count on seeing are high scoring games, and both are strong jump shooting teams.
In the end, if the Jazz want some glimmer of hope of advancing to the next round, Deron Williams has to carry this Jazz team on his back. Jazz Head Coach Jerry Sloan is the best in the business and he’ll make this series kind of close, but winning it won’t be in the cards.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES. NO ONE CAN GUARD KOBE BRYANT AND CAN WIN A GAME ON HIS OWN. SAME CAN BE SAID FOR THE JAZZ’S DERON WILLIAMS, BUT BRYANT IS A MORE CONSISTENT AND EXPLOSIVE SCORER.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
When a team is led by Kobe Bryant, that team is in good hands. You could also add in the fact that they will be coached by nine time champion Phil Jackson. Built around Kobe Bryant is a strong supporting cast with Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher. These players, plus a strong bench equaled a dominant offensive team, and they weren’t too shabby on the defensive end either.
This time around, the Lakers will have Andrew Bynum in the lineup for the playoff run, and this will be Bynum’s first playoff experience. It will be interesting to see how Bynum fits in, but at the same time, it never hurts to have another physical presence on the floor that could also score. Bynum in the lineup will be a huge boost for the Lakers.
Sadly for the Jazz, and I say sadly because they are a really good team, and also made an appearance in the Western Final two years ago, led by Deron Williams. This team cannot match-up against the Lakers and will struggle in that department. The only plus the Jazz do have is the point guard match-up, and Williams will rip Fisher apart. Even in the post, the Lakers have an advantage there with Gasol, Bynum and Odom. All three of these players can drive and hit the jump shot.
Carlos Boozer was injured for the majority of the season, so he should be well rested and really needs to play at a higher level, because he will be a key in this series. He does have a much bigger body than Gasol and Bynum and needs to get physical early in games and create foul trouble for the Lakers. That will be a tough task to do, because even if he accomplishes that, the Lakers can throw another body at him.
Depth on either side will play a large part in this series, and once again the Lakers win there. One area where these two teams match up is for points scored in a game. The Lakers come in averaging 106 points a game, while the Jazz aren’t too far back with 103.
So one thing you can count on seeing are high scoring games, and both are strong jump shooting teams.
In the end, if the Jazz want some glimmer of hope of advancing to the next round, Deron Williams has to carry this Jazz team on his back. Jazz Head Coach Jerry Sloan is the best in the business and he’ll make this series kind of close, but winning it won’t be in the cards.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES. NO ONE CAN GUARD KOBE BRYANT AND CAN WIN A GAME ON HIS OWN. SAME CAN BE SAID FOR THE JAZZ’S DERON WILLIAMS, BUT BRYANT IS A MORE CONSISTENT AND EXPLOSIVE SCORER.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NBA PLAYOFFS WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (2) DENVER NUGGETS vs. NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (7)
This series is going to be a good one, due to the fact that this will be a battle of the point guards, with Chauncey Billups starting for the Nuggets, and Chris Paul for the Hornets.
Acquiring Billups from the Detroit Pistons was probably the greatest trade ever made in franchise history for the Nuggets. That move may finally propel the Nuggets into the second round, after five straight years of first round exits. Along with Billups came a new attitude to this Nuggets squad and a capable point guard this team was missing for so long. With that, Head Coach George Carl was finally able to properly put his methods in place. The Nuggets finished up with the second best record in the West with 54 wins.
The arrival of Chris Paul rejuvenated the city of New Orleans and the Hornets organization. Paul was one of three players this season to average a double-double, and what was more impressive was Paul did this with points (22.8) and assists (11.0). The combination of Paul and David West will be a strong one, and will be up against Denver’s duo of Billups and Carmelo Anthony.
This series is a hard one to judge and predict a winner. Both teams look equal, but the play of the Nuggets all season long was positive and Billups was a miracle worker. Don’t count out the Hornets, because Chris Paul is the heart and soul of this team, and can win games on his own, as well as get others players involved.
Overall, the Nuggets do look like the better team because they have more players on their roster that could create their own shots. Carmello Anthony is an under-rated swing man, who could create his own plays, and dish the ball. We all know what Billups could do and can hit a heart breaking shot at will. Here’s the x-factor for the Nuggets, J.R. Smith, another player that can drive to the basket and hit the jumper.
If you look at the Hornets, they can match up on paper, but when the light’s go on and it is time for the game, some players don’t live up to their billing. Paul and West are locks to do what they have been doing all season long and carry this team through this series. As for other players like Peja Stojakovic, he can’t create his own shot, but can get open. The Nuggets could stop him easily, and the same goes for Tyson Chandler, who was supposed to have been traded. His stamina and health nixed the trade, and is sort of a liability now for the Hornets.
Just like the series, it will also be tough to call which point guard will get the best of his counterpart. Both Paul and Billups do what their team’s need in order to win, and it will be up to the players that surround them to decide a few ball games.
SERIES PREDICTION --> DENVER NUGGETS IN 7 GAMES. HOME COURT ADVANTAGE IS REALLY GOING TO HELP OUT THE NUGGETS.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
Acquiring Billups from the Detroit Pistons was probably the greatest trade ever made in franchise history for the Nuggets. That move may finally propel the Nuggets into the second round, after five straight years of first round exits. Along with Billups came a new attitude to this Nuggets squad and a capable point guard this team was missing for so long. With that, Head Coach George Carl was finally able to properly put his methods in place. The Nuggets finished up with the second best record in the West with 54 wins.
The arrival of Chris Paul rejuvenated the city of New Orleans and the Hornets organization. Paul was one of three players this season to average a double-double, and what was more impressive was Paul did this with points (22.8) and assists (11.0). The combination of Paul and David West will be a strong one, and will be up against Denver’s duo of Billups and Carmelo Anthony.
This series is a hard one to judge and predict a winner. Both teams look equal, but the play of the Nuggets all season long was positive and Billups was a miracle worker. Don’t count out the Hornets, because Chris Paul is the heart and soul of this team, and can win games on his own, as well as get others players involved.
Overall, the Nuggets do look like the better team because they have more players on their roster that could create their own shots. Carmello Anthony is an under-rated swing man, who could create his own plays, and dish the ball. We all know what Billups could do and can hit a heart breaking shot at will. Here’s the x-factor for the Nuggets, J.R. Smith, another player that can drive to the basket and hit the jumper.
If you look at the Hornets, they can match up on paper, but when the light’s go on and it is time for the game, some players don’t live up to their billing. Paul and West are locks to do what they have been doing all season long and carry this team through this series. As for other players like Peja Stojakovic, he can’t create his own shot, but can get open. The Nuggets could stop him easily, and the same goes for Tyson Chandler, who was supposed to have been traded. His stamina and health nixed the trade, and is sort of a liability now for the Hornets.
Just like the series, it will also be tough to call which point guard will get the best of his counterpart. Both Paul and Billups do what their team’s need in order to win, and it will be up to the players that surround them to decide a few ball games.
SERIES PREDICTION --> DENVER NUGGETS IN 7 GAMES. HOME COURT ADVANTAGE IS REALLY GOING TO HELP OUT THE NUGGETS.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
2009 NHL PLAYOFFS WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (3) VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs. ST. LOUIS BLUES (6)
The Vancouver Canucks couldn’t have asked for a better first round match-up versus the surprising St. Louis Blues.
Blues president John Davidson has done a tremendous job in turning around the St. Louis franchise and build a winner. The rebuild process has sped up with a playoff spot. For the Blues and their very young roster, they are going to be in tough versus the Canucks. Mainly, scoring goals will be hard to come by, if Roberto Luongo is determined to do something, he does it. Luongo can win a series on his own, and even carry the Canucks to the Finals.
Vancouver has the team in place to make a strong run at the Stanley Cup. With the addition of Mats Sundin, that just made the Canucks that much better. Sundin’s scoring touch wasn’t there with nine goals, but it was the little things he did, like winning face-offs, strong leadership and the addition of a strong second scoring line. It eased the pressure on the Sedin twins, and they flourished with Sundin in the lineup. The Canucks can roll with three scoring lines throughout the playoffs.
Offensively, the Blues were led by Brad Boyes and David Backes, with 33 and 31 goals respectively. Overall, the play of the veteran players on this team carried this team through the season and into the playoffs. Players like Keith Tkachuk, Paul Kariya (if he plays in this series), and Andy McDonald could only do so much. The young players on this team will be in for a rude awakening when the playoffs begin, because it is a whole new game played at a more intense level. The Vancouver blue line has a couple of bruising defensemen, so the Blues players have to know where they are going, keep their heads up, and enter the corners if they dare.
This Canucks team has plenty of pressure on them too. Their captain Roberto Luongo will be entering the final year of his contract next season, and the Canucks need to go deep into the playoffs this season and add more players to convince Luongo to stay. Let’s face it; Luongo is too damn good of a goalie and deserves to win a Stanley Cup in his career.
The Sedin twins have shown that they could play in the playoffs, but there is still another gear that they haven’t hit, and have to take their game to another level. Of course, that can be achieved because Mats Sundin will attract plenty of defensive coverage, which will open up room for his line mates and other skaters. Players like Alexandre Burrows, Ryan Kesler, and Steve Bernier all have to translate their success in the regular season into the playoffs.
In the end, the Canucks have a much better team than a raw St. Louis Blues team that is full of youngsters, and should use this playoff series to learn, and know what they will need to do next season.
SERIES PREDICTION --> VANCOUVER CANUCKS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 4 OR 5 GAMES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
Blues president John Davidson has done a tremendous job in turning around the St. Louis franchise and build a winner. The rebuild process has sped up with a playoff spot. For the Blues and their very young roster, they are going to be in tough versus the Canucks. Mainly, scoring goals will be hard to come by, if Roberto Luongo is determined to do something, he does it. Luongo can win a series on his own, and even carry the Canucks to the Finals.
Vancouver has the team in place to make a strong run at the Stanley Cup. With the addition of Mats Sundin, that just made the Canucks that much better. Sundin’s scoring touch wasn’t there with nine goals, but it was the little things he did, like winning face-offs, strong leadership and the addition of a strong second scoring line. It eased the pressure on the Sedin twins, and they flourished with Sundin in the lineup. The Canucks can roll with three scoring lines throughout the playoffs.
Offensively, the Blues were led by Brad Boyes and David Backes, with 33 and 31 goals respectively. Overall, the play of the veteran players on this team carried this team through the season and into the playoffs. Players like Keith Tkachuk, Paul Kariya (if he plays in this series), and Andy McDonald could only do so much. The young players on this team will be in for a rude awakening when the playoffs begin, because it is a whole new game played at a more intense level. The Vancouver blue line has a couple of bruising defensemen, so the Blues players have to know where they are going, keep their heads up, and enter the corners if they dare.
This Canucks team has plenty of pressure on them too. Their captain Roberto Luongo will be entering the final year of his contract next season, and the Canucks need to go deep into the playoffs this season and add more players to convince Luongo to stay. Let’s face it; Luongo is too damn good of a goalie and deserves to win a Stanley Cup in his career.
The Sedin twins have shown that they could play in the playoffs, but there is still another gear that they haven’t hit, and have to take their game to another level. Of course, that can be achieved because Mats Sundin will attract plenty of defensive coverage, which will open up room for his line mates and other skaters. Players like Alexandre Burrows, Ryan Kesler, and Steve Bernier all have to translate their success in the regular season into the playoffs.
In the end, the Canucks have a much better team than a raw St. Louis Blues team that is full of youngsters, and should use this playoff series to learn, and know what they will need to do next season.
SERIES PREDICTION --> VANCOUVER CANUCKS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 4 OR 5 GAMES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NHL PLAYOFFS WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (1) SAN JOSE SHARKS vs. ANAHEIM DUCKS (8)
The battle of California will feature the best team in the NHL, San Jose, up against Anaheim, a team not to far removed from a Stanley Cup championship in 2007. After missing the playoffs last season, with basically the same team intact from 2007, the Ducks had a rebound year this season. As for the Sharks, immense amount of pressure is now on their shoulders, because that team has the right players in place, changed their attitudes with a new head coach, Todd McClelland, and it’s pretty much Stanley Cup or bust.
If the Sharks don’t win the Stanley Cup, or even come close to competing for it, major changes will be made in Silicon Valley.
For instance, Joe Thornton has yet to prove himself when it matters most and has struggled in the playoffs. Last season, Thornton did show some flashes of brilliance in post-season play, but it wasn’t enough to prove himself. Patrick Marleau was involved in trade speculation all season long after a disappointing season and playoff in 2008. Marleau did bounce back this season and led the Sharks with 38 goals. These two players must set the tone for the rest of the Sharks to follow, because a lot of the scoring and leadership will come from these two.
It looks like Thornton and Marleau have already set a great example and tone as Devin Setoguchi had a breakout year with 31 goals, and overall the Sharks had six players finish with twenty or more goals.
In the back end, the Sharks also have a standout goalie in Evgeni Nabokov who won 41 games for San Jose this season. Along with Nabokov, and stalwart defenders in Dan Boyle, Rob Blake, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Christian Ehrhoff, the Sharks are stacked on defense. Luckily for the Sharks and their defenders, they won’t have much to stop in the Ducks.
Offensively, the Ducks are led by Ryan Getzlaf and his 91 points, and by Corey Perry’s 72. After that, the Ducks don’t have much pop and are basically a one line team, even with Teemu Selanne and super rookie Bobby Ryan.
The Ducks on defense will be led by Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. This time around, Niedermayer and Pronger cannot do all the work, and must be gassed because the Ducks had to do a lot just get into the playoffs.
The goaltending situation is sort of a good one for the Ducks because they saw the emergence of Jonas Hiller as J.S. Giguere’s play dropped off. Either way the Ducks go, they will have two goalies they could turn to.
In the end, if the Sharks scored like they did during the season; their offensive capabilities alone will win them the series. If the offense doesn’t click, then the league’s second best defense in goals against (204) can shut down the Ducks.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE SAN JOSE SHARKS WILL WIN THIS SERIES, THERE IS NO DOUBT THERE, AND WILL WIN IN 6 GAMES. THE ANAHEIM DUCKS WILL PUT UP A FIGHT, BUT THE SHARKS HAVE PLENTY OF DEPTH IN ALL POSITIONS AND WILL EASILY OUTLAST THE DUCKS.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
If the Sharks don’t win the Stanley Cup, or even come close to competing for it, major changes will be made in Silicon Valley.
For instance, Joe Thornton has yet to prove himself when it matters most and has struggled in the playoffs. Last season, Thornton did show some flashes of brilliance in post-season play, but it wasn’t enough to prove himself. Patrick Marleau was involved in trade speculation all season long after a disappointing season and playoff in 2008. Marleau did bounce back this season and led the Sharks with 38 goals. These two players must set the tone for the rest of the Sharks to follow, because a lot of the scoring and leadership will come from these two.
It looks like Thornton and Marleau have already set a great example and tone as Devin Setoguchi had a breakout year with 31 goals, and overall the Sharks had six players finish with twenty or more goals.
In the back end, the Sharks also have a standout goalie in Evgeni Nabokov who won 41 games for San Jose this season. Along with Nabokov, and stalwart defenders in Dan Boyle, Rob Blake, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Christian Ehrhoff, the Sharks are stacked on defense. Luckily for the Sharks and their defenders, they won’t have much to stop in the Ducks.
Offensively, the Ducks are led by Ryan Getzlaf and his 91 points, and by Corey Perry’s 72. After that, the Ducks don’t have much pop and are basically a one line team, even with Teemu Selanne and super rookie Bobby Ryan.
The Ducks on defense will be led by Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. This time around, Niedermayer and Pronger cannot do all the work, and must be gassed because the Ducks had to do a lot just get into the playoffs.
The goaltending situation is sort of a good one for the Ducks because they saw the emergence of Jonas Hiller as J.S. Giguere’s play dropped off. Either way the Ducks go, they will have two goalies they could turn to.
In the end, if the Sharks scored like they did during the season; their offensive capabilities alone will win them the series. If the offense doesn’t click, then the league’s second best defense in goals against (204) can shut down the Ducks.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE SAN JOSE SHARKS WILL WIN THIS SERIES, THERE IS NO DOUBT THERE, AND WILL WIN IN 6 GAMES. THE ANAHEIM DUCKS WILL PUT UP A FIGHT, BUT THE SHARKS HAVE PLENTY OF DEPTH IN ALL POSITIONS AND WILL EASILY OUTLAST THE DUCKS.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NHL PLAYOFFS WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (2) DETROIT RED WINGS vs. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (7)
For the first time in team history the Columbus Blue Jackets will compete in the playoffs, but too bad they are up against the defending Stanley Cup champions in the Detroit Red Wings.
Give credit to the Blue Jackets, they worked hard all season long, got stronger down the stretch and could give the Red Wings a scare. Here’s the tricky part, how much gas do the Blue Jackets as a team actually have left in the tank? No doubt they had to play at another level because they had to fend off three other teams just to qualify and cinch the seventh seed.
At the same time, the Red Wings have shown in the past that they take weaker opponents lightly in the playoffs and get embarrassed in the playoffs. Just take a look back at the opening round of the 2003 playoffs, when the Anaheim Ducks faced off against the Red Wings. The result, a four game sweep and the Red Wings were done. Even in 2006 versus the eighth seed Edmonton Oilers, the Red Wings were outplayed, outhustled and lost in six games.
This is truly a David versus Goliath story, and even though the Blue Jackets will be tired, they will still put up a fight, and most definitely the crowd in Columbus will be loud to boost the players’ energy levels.
Still, the Blue Jackets are in tough, just due to the fact that two players carried this team on their backs. Rick Nash, team captain, and only legit goal scorer on the roster posted another forty goal season. One of the most important positions in the game, goaltending, the Blue Jackets were surprised with the play of rookie Steve Mason, with his 33 wins, 10 shutouts and 2.29 goals against average.
With that, the Red Wings won’t have too much to do, because all they really need to do is shut down Rick Nash. As for Steve Mason, his feel good story will take a spin, as he will be overwhelmed by the Red Wings attack, their ability to screen goalies and excellent point play.
Luckily for the Red Wings, Chris Osgood only needs to be average in this series, but will truly have to get better as the playoffs progress, because his 3.09 goals against average and .887 save percentage aren’t up to Red Wings par.
There is no way the Blue Jackets could stop the Red Wings attack because Detroit is probably the only team in the league that could roll out four lines with confidence and that can score. The Red Wings players will school the Columbus defenders.
Columbus Head Coach Ken Hitchcock could plan his defensive schemes all he wants, but there is no way he could plan on stopping Pavel Datsyuk (97 points), Henrik Zetterberg (73 points), Marian Hossa (40 goals), Johan Franzen (34 goals), Jiri Hudler (23 goals), and three other players with 12 or more goals.
If the Blue Jackets could get anything going, they will have to contend with Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Brad Stuart and Brett Lebda. The Detroit defenders can both score and defend like no tomorrow.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE DETROIT RED WINGS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 5 OR 6 GAMES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
Give credit to the Blue Jackets, they worked hard all season long, got stronger down the stretch and could give the Red Wings a scare. Here’s the tricky part, how much gas do the Blue Jackets as a team actually have left in the tank? No doubt they had to play at another level because they had to fend off three other teams just to qualify and cinch the seventh seed.
At the same time, the Red Wings have shown in the past that they take weaker opponents lightly in the playoffs and get embarrassed in the playoffs. Just take a look back at the opening round of the 2003 playoffs, when the Anaheim Ducks faced off against the Red Wings. The result, a four game sweep and the Red Wings were done. Even in 2006 versus the eighth seed Edmonton Oilers, the Red Wings were outplayed, outhustled and lost in six games.
This is truly a David versus Goliath story, and even though the Blue Jackets will be tired, they will still put up a fight, and most definitely the crowd in Columbus will be loud to boost the players’ energy levels.
Still, the Blue Jackets are in tough, just due to the fact that two players carried this team on their backs. Rick Nash, team captain, and only legit goal scorer on the roster posted another forty goal season. One of the most important positions in the game, goaltending, the Blue Jackets were surprised with the play of rookie Steve Mason, with his 33 wins, 10 shutouts and 2.29 goals against average.
With that, the Red Wings won’t have too much to do, because all they really need to do is shut down Rick Nash. As for Steve Mason, his feel good story will take a spin, as he will be overwhelmed by the Red Wings attack, their ability to screen goalies and excellent point play.
Luckily for the Red Wings, Chris Osgood only needs to be average in this series, but will truly have to get better as the playoffs progress, because his 3.09 goals against average and .887 save percentage aren’t up to Red Wings par.
There is no way the Blue Jackets could stop the Red Wings attack because Detroit is probably the only team in the league that could roll out four lines with confidence and that can score. The Red Wings players will school the Columbus defenders.
Columbus Head Coach Ken Hitchcock could plan his defensive schemes all he wants, but there is no way he could plan on stopping Pavel Datsyuk (97 points), Henrik Zetterberg (73 points), Marian Hossa (40 goals), Johan Franzen (34 goals), Jiri Hudler (23 goals), and three other players with 12 or more goals.
If the Blue Jackets could get anything going, they will have to contend with Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Brad Stuart and Brett Lebda. The Detroit defenders can both score and defend like no tomorrow.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE DETROIT RED WINGS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 5 OR 6 GAMES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NHL PLAYOFFS WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (4) CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS vs. CALGARY FLAMES (5)
This is another series that should draw a large audience due to the uprising of the young and talented Chicago Blackhawks up against the used to be Stanley Cup favorites. It will be tough to predict a winner in this match-up because these two teams finished with 46 victories a piece during the regular season. The Blackhawks do a hold an edge in road wins with 22, compared to Calgary’s 19, and that could go a long way. For Chicago, they have home ice advantage and that could spell another first round exit for the Calgary Flames.
It won’t be an easy task playing in Chicago for games 1 and 2 to open up the series, because the Blackhawks led the league in attendance and sellouts this season. With over 22 000 guaranteed screaming fans packed into the United Center, the Flames will struggle.
Then you could also add in the fact that the Blackhawks have an explosive team that could really score led by Captain Jonathan Toews (34 goals), Martin Havlat (77 points), Patrick Kane (70 points), Patrick Sharp (26 goals) and Kris Versteeg (22 goals). To support those players, David Bolland, Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien all had solid breakout seasons.
On the defensive end, the Blackhawks have one of the best young, solid and rising defensive groups in Cam Barker, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. With the most experience and best scoring touch is Brian Campbell, and you cannot say enough about that whole group.
The playoff experience may not be there for the Blackhawks, but the way they play, they don’t need it and will fit right in. Where the Blackhawks are experienced is between the pipes with Stanley Cup champion Nikolai Khabibulin. Down the stretch, Khabibulin has really been sharp in net, and if he doesn’t play well, Chicago could always turn to Cristobal Huet with ease.
As for the Flames, they come into the playoffs in a bit of a slump. Ever since they lost their eleven point lead in the division, things have kept on going down hill. Injuries piled up with Dion Phaneuf, Robyn Regehr and joined Todd Bertuzzi, Rene Bourque, and Mark Giordano on the shelf.
Phaneuf, Bourque and Bertuzzi should be back for game 1, but the Flames are still missing plenty of regulars and that will hurt them, especially with Regehr out of the lineup who is an anchor on the blue line.
The trade deadline acquisition of Olli Jokinen really put the Flames as favorites for the Stanley Cup and after a scorching start since joining the Flames. Jokinen has not scored in the final thirteen games of the season. Even though the Flames can roll out three decent lines, scoring will be a problem. Captain Jarome Iginla along with Mike Cammalleri will have to bare a lot of the scoring burden.
Goaltending was also a strong suit for the Flames, during the regular season, yes. Come playoff time, Miikka Kiprusoff is gassed and can’t win the series on his own, and will need help. That will be tough to get from an injury depleted defense. The year the Flames made that magical run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2004, Kiprusoff only started 53 games. This season and just like last, Kiprusoff played in 70+ games, and this season started 76.
For a strong offensive team in the Blackhawks, the Flames will have a tough time stopping the Chicago attacks. Heading into this series, the Flames are underdogs and that couldn’t be more of a correct title.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 7 GAMES ON THE STRENGTH OF A COMPLETE TEAM EFFORT AND GOOD HEALTH, SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE SAID FOR THE CALGARY FLAMES.
*IF CALGARY CAN WIN GAMES 1 AND 5 THEY WILL WIN THE SERIES.
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It won’t be an easy task playing in Chicago for games 1 and 2 to open up the series, because the Blackhawks led the league in attendance and sellouts this season. With over 22 000 guaranteed screaming fans packed into the United Center, the Flames will struggle.
Then you could also add in the fact that the Blackhawks have an explosive team that could really score led by Captain Jonathan Toews (34 goals), Martin Havlat (77 points), Patrick Kane (70 points), Patrick Sharp (26 goals) and Kris Versteeg (22 goals). To support those players, David Bolland, Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien all had solid breakout seasons.
On the defensive end, the Blackhawks have one of the best young, solid and rising defensive groups in Cam Barker, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. With the most experience and best scoring touch is Brian Campbell, and you cannot say enough about that whole group.
The playoff experience may not be there for the Blackhawks, but the way they play, they don’t need it and will fit right in. Where the Blackhawks are experienced is between the pipes with Stanley Cup champion Nikolai Khabibulin. Down the stretch, Khabibulin has really been sharp in net, and if he doesn’t play well, Chicago could always turn to Cristobal Huet with ease.
As for the Flames, they come into the playoffs in a bit of a slump. Ever since they lost their eleven point lead in the division, things have kept on going down hill. Injuries piled up with Dion Phaneuf, Robyn Regehr and joined Todd Bertuzzi, Rene Bourque, and Mark Giordano on the shelf.
Phaneuf, Bourque and Bertuzzi should be back for game 1, but the Flames are still missing plenty of regulars and that will hurt them, especially with Regehr out of the lineup who is an anchor on the blue line.
The trade deadline acquisition of Olli Jokinen really put the Flames as favorites for the Stanley Cup and after a scorching start since joining the Flames. Jokinen has not scored in the final thirteen games of the season. Even though the Flames can roll out three decent lines, scoring will be a problem. Captain Jarome Iginla along with Mike Cammalleri will have to bare a lot of the scoring burden.
Goaltending was also a strong suit for the Flames, during the regular season, yes. Come playoff time, Miikka Kiprusoff is gassed and can’t win the series on his own, and will need help. That will be tough to get from an injury depleted defense. The year the Flames made that magical run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2004, Kiprusoff only started 53 games. This season and just like last, Kiprusoff played in 70+ games, and this season started 76.
For a strong offensive team in the Blackhawks, the Flames will have a tough time stopping the Chicago attacks. Heading into this series, the Flames are underdogs and that couldn’t be more of a correct title.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 7 GAMES ON THE STRENGTH OF A COMPLETE TEAM EFFORT AND GOOD HEALTH, SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE SAID FOR THE CALGARY FLAMES.
*IF CALGARY CAN WIN GAMES 1 AND 5 THEY WILL WIN THE SERIES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NHL PLAYOFFS EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (2) WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. NEW YORK RANGERS (7)
This series between the Rangers and Capitals could produce the first upset in the 2009 playoffs. Due to the fact that the Rangers have a solid goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist, and he can easily carry the Rangers into the next round of the playoffs. As for the Capitals, goaltending will be their Achilles heel, because Jose Theodore has never returned to the form that won him the Vezina and Hart trophies in one season.
Capitals Head Coach Bruce Boudreau thinks otherwise about his goaltending situation, but he needs to get real and get his team ready for a strong defensive effort, night in and night out.
Washington sort of holds a trump card, a guy named Alexander Ovechkin who has done nothing but score, and then score a little more since joining the Capitals in 2005. He too can carry a team into the next round and will be relied on heavily to do so.
Last season a heartbreaking game seven loss in Washington, in overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers must still burn in the minds of all Capital players. The entire Washington roster must be strong because they cannot dwell on the past and get ready for the Rangers, and will know what to do better this time around.
Besides Ovechkin (56 goals, 54 assists), the Capitals do have other scorers on their roster in Alexander Semin (34 goals), defenceman Mike Green who scored 31 goals, and Nicklas Backstrom (66 assists). They will have to penetrate the Rangers’ defense, because they only allowed 218 goals. Ever since John Tortorella took over as head coach of the Rangers, the defense got better and the offensive game was rebuilt.
The New York Rangers have plenty of Stanley Cup championship experience on their roster in Scott Gomez with three rings and Chris Drury with one. The sad part about these two is that they both had sad seasons and have not impressed in their two seasons in New York so far. Really, now is the time for the Rangers to really make some noise and go deep into the playoffs, because of all the veteran players and their long contracts. The Rangers went all in, in the off season when they signed Markus Naslund and Wade Redden. Both have made improvements, but could be much better.
The Capitals must have a strong defensive game, even though some of the Ranger scorers struggled to score, but they will still be a handful. The addition of Nik Antropov was huge for the Rangers because of his size and scoring ability. For the Rangers, defensively they won’t have such a tall order to deal with. The Capitals proved that they could not play without Ovechkin in the games he missed, and if the Rangers could limit him, they will win this series. Of course goaltending, the Rangers easily win in that category (which is also their trump card), because that could be the deciding factor in this series.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE NEW YORK RANGERS WILL WIN THIS SERIES ON THE BACK OF HENRIK LUNDQVIST AND IF THEY WIN AT LEAST TWO GAMES IN WASHINGTON.
*THE ONLY WAY WASHINGTON WINS THIS SERIES, IS IF THEY WIN GAMES 1 AND 2 TO OPEN THE SERIES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
Capitals Head Coach Bruce Boudreau thinks otherwise about his goaltending situation, but he needs to get real and get his team ready for a strong defensive effort, night in and night out.
Washington sort of holds a trump card, a guy named Alexander Ovechkin who has done nothing but score, and then score a little more since joining the Capitals in 2005. He too can carry a team into the next round and will be relied on heavily to do so.
Last season a heartbreaking game seven loss in Washington, in overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers must still burn in the minds of all Capital players. The entire Washington roster must be strong because they cannot dwell on the past and get ready for the Rangers, and will know what to do better this time around.
Besides Ovechkin (56 goals, 54 assists), the Capitals do have other scorers on their roster in Alexander Semin (34 goals), defenceman Mike Green who scored 31 goals, and Nicklas Backstrom (66 assists). They will have to penetrate the Rangers’ defense, because they only allowed 218 goals. Ever since John Tortorella took over as head coach of the Rangers, the defense got better and the offensive game was rebuilt.
The New York Rangers have plenty of Stanley Cup championship experience on their roster in Scott Gomez with three rings and Chris Drury with one. The sad part about these two is that they both had sad seasons and have not impressed in their two seasons in New York so far. Really, now is the time for the Rangers to really make some noise and go deep into the playoffs, because of all the veteran players and their long contracts. The Rangers went all in, in the off season when they signed Markus Naslund and Wade Redden. Both have made improvements, but could be much better.
The Capitals must have a strong defensive game, even though some of the Ranger scorers struggled to score, but they will still be a handful. The addition of Nik Antropov was huge for the Rangers because of his size and scoring ability. For the Rangers, defensively they won’t have such a tall order to deal with. The Capitals proved that they could not play without Ovechkin in the games he missed, and if the Rangers could limit him, they will win this series. Of course goaltending, the Rangers easily win in that category (which is also their trump card), because that could be the deciding factor in this series.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE NEW YORK RANGERS WILL WIN THIS SERIES ON THE BACK OF HENRIK LUNDQVIST AND IF THEY WIN AT LEAST TWO GAMES IN WASHINGTON.
*THE ONLY WAY WASHINGTON WINS THIS SERIES, IS IF THEY WIN GAMES 1 AND 2 TO OPEN THE SERIES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NHL PLAYOFFS EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (4) PITTSBURGH PENGUINS vs. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (5)
This series between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins has got to be the most intriguing and the hardest to predict a series winner. Both of these teams are evenly matched, and it looks certain that this series will go the distance to seven games.
There are also plenty of ups and downs between these two squads. First, the Flyers have plenty of scoring threats with two to three lines that can score. The Flyers had six players finish with 25 or more goals. As for the Penguins, they did have two of the top three scorers overall in the NHL with Evgeni Malkin, first with 113 points and Sidney Crosby, third with 103 points. After Malkin and Crosby, there is a huge drop in scoring, and the next best player is Chris Kunitz with 53 points. The Penguins did have 13 players finish with ten or more goals. So, the Penguins have a spread out balance of attack, whereas with the Flyers there is a fine line in players who can score and cannot score.
In the goaltending department, the Flyers saw that Martin Biron could handle the pressures and goaltending duties and led the Flyers to the East final versus these same Penguins. But, Biron didn’t even win thirty games this year. Pittsburgh’s starter, Marc-Andre Fleury had 35 wins, and showed he is a strong goaltender.
Here’s where both teams are dead even, goals for, 264. Defensively, the Flyers have given up 238 goals, while the Penguins gave up 239. In wins, the Penguins went one up with 45.
The path to the playoffs, were totally different for both sides. The Flyers started the season strong and ended it that way. The Penguins got off to a slow start, fired their coach Michel Therrien, and replaced him with Dan Bylsma. With that, the Penguins went on an amazing roll, where they lost just seven games, and beat out the Flyers for home ice advantage.
With that, the Penguins are surely the favorites with home ice advantage. This series is too good not to go to a seventh game. Defense will take a back seat in this series, because the offensive firepower is evident on both sides. More so, on the Flyers’ side because they have more snipers. Even though the Penguins have 13 players with ten or more goals, some of those players can be stopped.
Defensively, both teams once again matched up evenly, but the Flyers have more puck moving defensemen, with scoring flair. The Penguins have defensemen who can also score, but they play more of a finesse game. As for physicality, the Flyers easily win that battle because the Penguins weren’t known for hitting this season.
Goaltending, which is the backbone to every team in the NHL, the success to winning games, is on the Penguins’ side. Fleury was stellar in last seasons Stanley Cup Final run, but the Detroit Red Wings were just too much. Still, at the same time, the Penguins were able to hang around in the series and almost pushed the series to a seventh game.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THIS SERIES IS UNBELIEVABLY TIGHT TO CALL, BUT WILL GO TO SEVEN GAMES.
IN THE END, THE FLYERS WILL WIN THIS SERIES BECAUSE THEY WERE A CONSISTENT TEAM DURING THE SEASON, BUT THEY MUST WIN GAME 1 IN PITTSBURGH. THE FLYERS HAVE MORE GOAL SCORERS, AND IF DANIEL BRIERE SCORES LIKE HE DID WITH THE BUFFALO SABRES IN 2006 AND 2007, THEN WATCH OUT FOR THE FLYERS.
*PENGUINS WIN THIS SERIES IF THEY CAN WIN GAMES 1 AND 2 AT HOME TO OPEN THE SERIES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
There are also plenty of ups and downs between these two squads. First, the Flyers have plenty of scoring threats with two to three lines that can score. The Flyers had six players finish with 25 or more goals. As for the Penguins, they did have two of the top three scorers overall in the NHL with Evgeni Malkin, first with 113 points and Sidney Crosby, third with 103 points. After Malkin and Crosby, there is a huge drop in scoring, and the next best player is Chris Kunitz with 53 points. The Penguins did have 13 players finish with ten or more goals. So, the Penguins have a spread out balance of attack, whereas with the Flyers there is a fine line in players who can score and cannot score.
In the goaltending department, the Flyers saw that Martin Biron could handle the pressures and goaltending duties and led the Flyers to the East final versus these same Penguins. But, Biron didn’t even win thirty games this year. Pittsburgh’s starter, Marc-Andre Fleury had 35 wins, and showed he is a strong goaltender.
Here’s where both teams are dead even, goals for, 264. Defensively, the Flyers have given up 238 goals, while the Penguins gave up 239. In wins, the Penguins went one up with 45.
The path to the playoffs, were totally different for both sides. The Flyers started the season strong and ended it that way. The Penguins got off to a slow start, fired their coach Michel Therrien, and replaced him with Dan Bylsma. With that, the Penguins went on an amazing roll, where they lost just seven games, and beat out the Flyers for home ice advantage.
With that, the Penguins are surely the favorites with home ice advantage. This series is too good not to go to a seventh game. Defense will take a back seat in this series, because the offensive firepower is evident on both sides. More so, on the Flyers’ side because they have more snipers. Even though the Penguins have 13 players with ten or more goals, some of those players can be stopped.
Defensively, both teams once again matched up evenly, but the Flyers have more puck moving defensemen, with scoring flair. The Penguins have defensemen who can also score, but they play more of a finesse game. As for physicality, the Flyers easily win that battle because the Penguins weren’t known for hitting this season.
Goaltending, which is the backbone to every team in the NHL, the success to winning games, is on the Penguins’ side. Fleury was stellar in last seasons Stanley Cup Final run, but the Detroit Red Wings were just too much. Still, at the same time, the Penguins were able to hang around in the series and almost pushed the series to a seventh game.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THIS SERIES IS UNBELIEVABLY TIGHT TO CALL, BUT WILL GO TO SEVEN GAMES.
IN THE END, THE FLYERS WILL WIN THIS SERIES BECAUSE THEY WERE A CONSISTENT TEAM DURING THE SEASON, BUT THEY MUST WIN GAME 1 IN PITTSBURGH. THE FLYERS HAVE MORE GOAL SCORERS, AND IF DANIEL BRIERE SCORES LIKE HE DID WITH THE BUFFALO SABRES IN 2006 AND 2007, THEN WATCH OUT FOR THE FLYERS.
*PENGUINS WIN THIS SERIES IF THEY CAN WIN GAMES 1 AND 2 AT HOME TO OPEN THE SERIES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NHL PLAYOFFS EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (3) NEW JERSEY DEVILS vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES (6)
The Devils just always seem to prove everyone wrong, and end up winning another division title, rack up another hundred points with 45 plus victories, but never do anything after that in the playoffs. They have one of the greatest goaltenders of all time in Martin Brodeur, but still, they always bow out in the first or second round.
As for their counterparts, the Carolina Hurricanes who are just three years removed from their 2006 Stanley Cup year roll into the playoffs on a tear. They ended the season on a high note, and flirted with missing the playoffs for a third straight season, but moved on up the standings.
The Hurricanes can attribute a large chunk of their success to Eric Staal and goaltender Cam Ward. After the all star break Eric Staal put on a show and ended the season with 40 goals, and Cam Ward returned to his old play when he won the Conn Smythe trophy in 2006 as a rookie, and won 39 games during the season. These two must keep up their strong play in order to beat the Devils. The Hurricanes will also get help from various players, like Tuomu Ruutu, who was traded from Chicago due to his lack of scoring. This season he put up 26 goals. Ray Whitney put forth a quiet season in which he led the Hurricanes in scoring with 77 points.
The Hurricanes will need their whole roster to really step up, because they will have to get through a stingy New Jersey defense that will produce tedious games if Carolina cannot score. Coming the other way will be the New Jersey snipers led by superstar Zach Parise with 45 goals. The Hurricanes cannot just focus all their energy on Parise, because they will have to deal with Patrick Elias (78 points), Jamie Langenbrunner (69 points), Travis Zajac (20 goals), and Brian Gionta (20 goals).
That right there is two scoring lines that have no problems picking apart opposing defenses. The combination of strong scoring and a tight defence are trouble for the Hurricanes. If Carolina can tame those two things, well then, they’ll have to deal with Martin Brodeur, and there is no way Carolina will beat him.
Martin Brodeur has shown in his career that he can win games on his own, and if you add the defense in front him, then it looks like an easy series win for New Jersey.
Matched up, the Jew Jersey Devils are a much better team than Carolina in scoring, and defense. In the end, the Devils have Brodeur who has outdueled plenty of goalies in his time, and Cam Ward has the potential to do so, but Brodeur has a long track record. At the same time, this series could turn into a battle of goaltenders.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN FIVE OR SIX GAMES, AND WITH HOME ICE ADVANTAGE ON THEIR SIDE, THEY ARE LOCKS TO WIN.
*IF, BY ANY CHANCE, CAROLINA WINS THREE GAMES IN NEW JERSEY, THEN THE HURRICANES WILL WIN THIS SERIES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
As for their counterparts, the Carolina Hurricanes who are just three years removed from their 2006 Stanley Cup year roll into the playoffs on a tear. They ended the season on a high note, and flirted with missing the playoffs for a third straight season, but moved on up the standings.
The Hurricanes can attribute a large chunk of their success to Eric Staal and goaltender Cam Ward. After the all star break Eric Staal put on a show and ended the season with 40 goals, and Cam Ward returned to his old play when he won the Conn Smythe trophy in 2006 as a rookie, and won 39 games during the season. These two must keep up their strong play in order to beat the Devils. The Hurricanes will also get help from various players, like Tuomu Ruutu, who was traded from Chicago due to his lack of scoring. This season he put up 26 goals. Ray Whitney put forth a quiet season in which he led the Hurricanes in scoring with 77 points.
The Hurricanes will need their whole roster to really step up, because they will have to get through a stingy New Jersey defense that will produce tedious games if Carolina cannot score. Coming the other way will be the New Jersey snipers led by superstar Zach Parise with 45 goals. The Hurricanes cannot just focus all their energy on Parise, because they will have to deal with Patrick Elias (78 points), Jamie Langenbrunner (69 points), Travis Zajac (20 goals), and Brian Gionta (20 goals).
That right there is two scoring lines that have no problems picking apart opposing defenses. The combination of strong scoring and a tight defence are trouble for the Hurricanes. If Carolina can tame those two things, well then, they’ll have to deal with Martin Brodeur, and there is no way Carolina will beat him.
Martin Brodeur has shown in his career that he can win games on his own, and if you add the defense in front him, then it looks like an easy series win for New Jersey.
Matched up, the Jew Jersey Devils are a much better team than Carolina in scoring, and defense. In the end, the Devils have Brodeur who has outdueled plenty of goalies in his time, and Cam Ward has the potential to do so, but Brodeur has a long track record. At the same time, this series could turn into a battle of goaltenders.
SERIES PREDICTION --> THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN FIVE OR SIX GAMES, AND WITH HOME ICE ADVANTAGE ON THEIR SIDE, THEY ARE LOCKS TO WIN.
*IF, BY ANY CHANCE, CAROLINA WINS THREE GAMES IN NEW JERSEY, THEN THE HURRICANES WILL WIN THIS SERIES.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
2009 NHL PLAYOFFS EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS (1) BOSTON BRUINS vs. MONTREAL CANADIENS (8)
This match-up between the Bruins and the Canadiens was as highly anticipated as the regular seasons drew to a close. At the same time, no one expected these two clubs to face off against each other in the first round. Fans around the league did want to see this match up go down though.
These two clubs had opposite seasons. The Bruins had a stellar and unexpected first place finish in the east. Whereas, the Canadiens were expected to finish first in the conference, failed to do so, and barely squeaked into the playoffs as the eighth seed.
For the Bruins, every facet of the game clicked all season long. They had the league’s best defense, giving up 196 goals, and the second best offensive output with 274 goals. Eight different players on the Bruins roster finished with twenty or more goals. There is no doubt that the Bruins will continue to play at a strong pace. Head Coach Claude Julien is a defense first coach, but offense may be the story for the Bruins in this series.
Montreal has limped into the playoffs, missing their would-be leading scorer Andrei Markov, had he not been injured and missed the final few games. Anytime a defenseman leads a team in scoring for ninety percent of the season, that’s a bad sign. Alex Kovalev, the leading scorer from last season with eighty plus points, just beat out Markov with 65 points. That right there is another telling sign that Montreal has no scoring punch. Off season acquisition Alex Tanguay hardly impressed the Montreal faithful with a paltry 41 points, due to various soft injuries.
The Canadiens have owned the Boston Bruins in playoff match-ups, and whatever the Bruins have thrown at Montreal, they would get shut down. This series will be different, because Boston is the more superior team. Home ice advantage will most certainly go a long way for the Bruins. If Boson could keep up their scoring, then they will have no problem with a weak Montreal defense corps.
For some reason, Bob Gainey keeps on convincing himself and the Montreal fans that sophomore goaltender Carey Price is ready for a long playoff run. There is no way Price or back-up Jaroslav Halak could carry the Canadiens deep into the playoffs. Whoever believes that must be an idiot. On the flip side, Boston’s Tim Thomas had a magnificent season with 2.10 goals against average, and a rock solid .933 save percentage. If for some reason Thomas doesn’t perform well, the Bruins will have no trouble turning to Manny Fernandez, who led the Minnesota Wild to a berth in the 2003 Western Final.
SERIES PREDICTION --> BOSTON BRUINS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES. THE CANADIENS WILL HAVE NO ANSWER FOR THE BRUINS’ OFFENSE, AND WILL STRUGGLE TO GET PAST A VERY PHYSICAL DEFENSIVE LINE THAT FEATURES ZDENO CHARA.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
These two clubs had opposite seasons. The Bruins had a stellar and unexpected first place finish in the east. Whereas, the Canadiens were expected to finish first in the conference, failed to do so, and barely squeaked into the playoffs as the eighth seed.
For the Bruins, every facet of the game clicked all season long. They had the league’s best defense, giving up 196 goals, and the second best offensive output with 274 goals. Eight different players on the Bruins roster finished with twenty or more goals. There is no doubt that the Bruins will continue to play at a strong pace. Head Coach Claude Julien is a defense first coach, but offense may be the story for the Bruins in this series.
Montreal has limped into the playoffs, missing their would-be leading scorer Andrei Markov, had he not been injured and missed the final few games. Anytime a defenseman leads a team in scoring for ninety percent of the season, that’s a bad sign. Alex Kovalev, the leading scorer from last season with eighty plus points, just beat out Markov with 65 points. That right there is another telling sign that Montreal has no scoring punch. Off season acquisition Alex Tanguay hardly impressed the Montreal faithful with a paltry 41 points, due to various soft injuries.
The Canadiens have owned the Boston Bruins in playoff match-ups, and whatever the Bruins have thrown at Montreal, they would get shut down. This series will be different, because Boston is the more superior team. Home ice advantage will most certainly go a long way for the Bruins. If Boson could keep up their scoring, then they will have no problem with a weak Montreal defense corps.
For some reason, Bob Gainey keeps on convincing himself and the Montreal fans that sophomore goaltender Carey Price is ready for a long playoff run. There is no way Price or back-up Jaroslav Halak could carry the Canadiens deep into the playoffs. Whoever believes that must be an idiot. On the flip side, Boston’s Tim Thomas had a magnificent season with 2.10 goals against average, and a rock solid .933 save percentage. If for some reason Thomas doesn’t perform well, the Bruins will have no trouble turning to Manny Fernandez, who led the Minnesota Wild to a berth in the 2003 Western Final.
SERIES PREDICTION --> BOSTON BRUINS WILL WIN THIS SERIES IN 6 GAMES. THE CANADIENS WILL HAVE NO ANSWER FOR THE BRUINS’ OFFENSE, AND WILL STRUGGLE TO GET PAST A VERY PHYSICAL DEFENSIVE LINE THAT FEATURES ZDENO CHARA.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.
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