Sort Of Uninformed Stanley Cup Finals Pick

     I have a confession to make puckheads...I lost track of the NHL. Between the greatest first round in NBA history, and the Bruins elimination in the second round, hockey just hasn't been priority one. We've peaked at games here in there (mostly while NBA games are in commercial), but that's about it.
     With that said, that means I have to rely on blind intuition here, and that is telling me to ride with the better goalie, and in this series that is Henrik Lundqvist. Jonathan Quick is pretty damn good himself (he did win a Cup two years ago), but he's been lit up at times this year during the playoffs. It's not a great advantage, but we think Kink Henrik puts the Rangers on his back and carries them to an upset over the heavy favorites.

Rangers over Kings in 7

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (5/16-5/18)

10. Serge Ibaka Definitely Out Against Spurs, Likely Done For the Season  
            Ibaka’s loss is kind of a bummer, but the Thunder might be able to get by with the development of Steven Adams.
 
9. Ed Carpenter Claims Second Straight Indy 500 Pole
            We’ll say this about Ed Carpenter (mostly, because we don’t have anything else to say about him)…he’s got this qualifying thing figured out.

8. Sam Hornish Earns Well Deserved Nationwide Victory at Iowa

            With young bucks like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson all the rage, opportunities for 34-year old Sam Hornish are getting harder and harder to come by. In only his second race of the season subbing for Kyle Busch in the #54 Monster Toyota, Hornish dominated the field.

7. Kevin Love Intends to Hit Free Agency
            We’re saving conversation about this topic for a column I’d like to write later in the week, but probably won’t.

6. Los Angeles Destroys Anaheim, Advances to Western Conference Finals

            Sadly, future Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne’s last game was spent getting thrashed 6-2.

5. Rangers Pummel Montreal 7-2

            With news that Carey Price won’ return for the rest of this series, we’d like to take a rain check on our “Montreal in 6” prediction.

4. Blackhawks Take Game 1 of Western Conference Finals Over Los Angeles

            Corey Crawford might be the most underrated goalie in THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE.
         
3. Jamie McMurray Earns Popular All-Star Race Victory
            For whatever reason, McMurray is on the short list of drivers that if he wins, every other competitor is happy for him. His battle to take the lead with Carl Edwards in the final segment was one of the most memorable moments of the season so far.
         
2. California Chrome One Win Away From Triple Crown
            In even better news, New York officials will allow C.C. to wear his nasal strip, which he has worn every race during his current winning streak.

1. Pacers Look Competent, Defeat Miami in Game 1

            I’d get more excited about this, but Miami has lost every single road Game 1 they’ve played in the Lebron Era. Don’t be shocked at all if they win by 25 points tomorrow night.

2014 Stanley Cup Playoff First Round Picks

     For the rare breed that enjoys both basketball and hockey (I'm proudly in this group. No need to hate one or the other in my book), the first half of the best stretch of the sports year begins tomorrow night. We haven't followed hockey as closely since the end of the Olympics, so even more than usual, take these picks with a grain of salt.

Western Conference

#4 San Jose Sharks vs. #5 Los Angeles Kings

            You don’t bet on Sharks in April, unless they are deep in the Pacific Ocean matched up against a manatee. Kings in 6

#3 St. Louis Blues vs. #5 Chicago Black Hawks

            Interesting match-up here, as you have the two top teams from the first two thirds of the season facing off in an unlikely first round match-up. Chicago was ravaged by injuries, but should be back to full strength with Patrick Kane returning to the lineup. How soon he shakes the rust off will determine Chicago’s chance of moving on. St. Louis choked away the Central Division with six straight losses, but teams have sputtered into the postseason before and then turned it on for a deep playoff run. This will be the best series in the West, and we see it going the full seven. Advantage to the team not needing a bunch of injured dudes to return at 100%. Blues in 7

#2 Colorado Avalanche vs. #7 Minnesota Wild

            It’s cool to have Colorado back as a competitive team. Apparently all it took was putting their best players from their hey-day in the late-90s in management gigs (we love Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy, anyway we can get Forsberg involved?) to return the team to relevance. Only Los Angeles scored fewer goals among the remaining playoff teams during the regular season than the Wild, and unfortunately Minnesota doesn’t trot out Johnathan Quick in goal. We think the next generation of Aves take care of business in round 1. Avalanche in 4

#1 Anaheim Ducks vs. #8 Dallas Stars

            The Ducks are solid, and Dallas doesn’t possess the necessary depth on the blue-line to contain them. Tyler Seguin (remember him Bruins fans? He only had a career year this season) is talented enough to steal a game, but Dallas will be lucky to push this to 6. Ducks in 5

Eastern Conference

#5 New York Rangers vs. #6 Philadelphia Flyers

            This shit is going seven games, and New York employing Henrik Lundqvist was the tiebreaker for me. Rangers in 7

#3 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. #4 Montreal Canadiens

            Here’s your best goalie match-up of the first round, with Vezina Trophy candidates Carey Price and Ben Bishop facing off. Tampa Bay’s 2013-14 campaign is criminally underrated, as they were able to hold the fort down even after shipping a disgruntled Martin St. Louis to New York. However, we expect Gold Medal winning goalie Price to stand on his head and steal a Game 7 on the road. Canadiens in 7

#2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #7 Columbus Blue Jackets

            Pittsburgh wobbled into the postseason, and Columbus is better than you think after posting the fifth best goal differential in the Eastern Conference. Here’s our upset special. Blue Jackets in 6

#1 Boston Bruins vs. #8 Detroit Red Wings

            At first glance, it looks like a bad draw to end up with the Red Wings in Round 1, but Nicklas Lidstrom isn’t walking through that door. Steve Yzerman isn’t walking through that door. Boston will roll. Bruins in 4

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (1/24-1/26)

10. Pro Bowl Sort of Resembles Real NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Football or Something
            Still played a game of Scrabble instead of watching it though.

9. Stan Wawrinka Upsets Rafael Nadal at Australian Open

            During a tournament that will be most remembered for big names failing (on both the men’s and women’s side), it was fitting that Wawrinka beat Nadal for the first time in 12 meetings. 

8. Miami Wins Championship Rematch With San Antonio

            Even more significant than this result was the return of Dwyane Wade. Even in a bench role, his health is critical to Miami’s chances of pulling off a three-peat.

7. Rangers Blow Out Devils in Yankee Stadium
            This game will be best remembered for New York getting approximately 38 two-on-one breaks in the second period.

6. Coach K Nets 900^th Win With Duke Blue Devils

            We celebrate Duke losses as often as possible in this space, but we have to give Mike Krzyzewski his due.

5. Donald Cerrone Delivers the Kick of the Year
         

 

            Ouch.

4. After Taking a Night Off, Kevin Durant Puts Up a Triple-Double
            Durant’s shoulder wasn’t an issue as he carved up the 76ers. He’ll possibly have sidekick Russell Westbrook back in just over a week.
        
3. Ducks Dominate Kings in First Outdoor Game in Los Angeles
            Incredibly, Los Angeles had better ice than New York did on Sunday.
       
2. Pierce and KG Return to Boston
            It’s been sad for me all year to see the key components of the 2008 title team wearing black, and Sunday wasn’t any better.

 

1. Carmelo Sets Knicks Single Game Record With 62 Point Barrage

            New York desperately needs Carmelo to get on a hot streak, and with 35 more points on Sunday, looks to finally be getting on a roll.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (5/17-5/19)

10. Atletico Madrid Stuns Real Madrid to Win One of 683 Soccer Trophies Given Out Every Year
            Anything involving pretty-boy Cristiano Ronaldo getting thrown out of a game while his team loses, I’m down with.

9. Bob Burnquist Wins 24^th X Games Medal

            Burnquist was one of the top skaters back in the early days of the Tony Hawk video games, so how he’s still getting it done all these years later, I have no idea.

8.  San Jose Scores Season-Saving Overtime Win Over Kings

            Going down 3-0 to the defending Stanley Cup winners wouldn’t of been a recipe for success. Still think L.A. will take care of business though.

7. Miguel Cabrera Posts a 3-Dinger Game
            About the only way someone will make this list during the last sporting event of the weekend (NFL season not included) is hitting three home runs in one game. I’m sick of pitchers flirting with perfect games, so that wouldn’t even cut it anymore.

6. Jimmie Johnson Wins Another All-Star Race

            By all accounts this event was virtually unwatchable, but it serves as an excuse to link to one of No Credentials favorite video clips, the end of the 1992 Winston.

5. Orb Finishes Fourth in the Preakness
            The perils of being pinned to the rail.

4. Sidney Crosby’s Hat Trick Leads Penguins to 2-0 Series Lead Over Ottawa

3. Facing 3-0 Hole, Ottawa Rallies to Win Game 3 in Double Overtime
            Crosby was brilliant on Friday, but it was the goalie’s turn to shine in Game 3.

2. Boston Beats the Hell Out of the Rangers, Take 2-0 Lead

            No Credentials is looking forward to the inevitable confrontation between the Bruins and Penguins.

1. Pacers Eliminate Knicks

            There’s some measure of irony that New York City’s greatest high school player was responsible fore the end of the 2012-13 Knicks.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (5/11-5/13)

10. Osi Umenyiora Wishes LeSean McCoy a Happy Mother’s Day
            I’ll give Umenyiora an A+ for one of the more clever uses of Twitter in recent memory.

9. Andy Pettitte Returns

            Pettitte is going to have to order up a double shot of HGH after getting roughed up by the light-hitting Seattle Mariners Sunday.

8. Josh Hamilton Keeps Going Bonkers

            Hamilton is in a stratosphere of dominance right now usually reserved for Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. in TECMO Super Baseball. I had the chance to draft Hamilton in three leagues this year (as in, there were three drafts where it was him or another player that I was going to take at some point in the third or fourth round), but sadly only took him in one. Bummer.

7. Lebron and Wade Lead Bosh-less Heat

            I could see Indiana keeping four games with Miami close through 3 quarters, but the Lebron-Wade combo figuring out a way to win all of them.

6. Defying History, Clippers Win at Memphis

            This is one of the most confusing series I ever remember following in the past 10 years. I guess when characters like Zach Randolph and Vinny Del Negro are involved, craziness should be expected. Los Angeles has earned the right to get slaughtered by San Antonio in the second round.

5. Jimmie Johnson Earns Win #200 For Rick Hendrick

            Check out this page for a bunch of assorted facts about Rick Hendrick’s 200 wins in the Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup Series. The numbers say that Mr. Hendrick is very fortunate to have employed Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson over the past 18 years. 

4. Lakers Take Game 7, Earn Second Round Date With Oklahoma City

            Normally Laker victories don’t rank that high in this space, but I made a bunch of money thanks to the heroics of Steve Blake. 

3. Manchester City Scores Twice in Injury Time, Steals Premier League Title From Manchester United

            It’s hard enough to score two goals in 90 minutes, much less two goals in stoppage time. Considering the stakes, this is one of the most incredible comebacks in EPL history.

2. Rangers Finally Eliminate Pesky Capitals

            In a Stanley Cup Playoffs that has been completely upside down, the New York Rangers advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals is the only thing that makes sense.

1. Hobbled Celtics Survive Game 1 Against 76ers

            It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but Boston was bailed out by the play of Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett. I had more nice things to say before Game 2 of this series set the game of basketball back 60 years.         

Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round Picks

            NBC must’ve vomited when they saw the western conference match-ups take shape.

#1 New York Rangers vs. #7 Washington Capitals

           New York struggled in surviving their first round series with Ottawa. Washington played way over their heads against the Bruins. No Credentials is predicting a market correction in this match-up.

Rangers over Capitals 4-2

#5 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #6 New Jersey Devils

            The Devils do not have the defensive fortitude to slow down the Flyers juggernaut of an offense. Of all the series, this one should be the most lopsided (you know what that means folks. Get your money on the Devils right now).

Flyers over Devils 4-0

#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #4 Nashville Predators

            Now that the Bruins are out, I plan on spending the rest of the playoffs picking against Mike Smith and the Coyotes until they hoist the Stanley Cup.

Predators over Coyotes 4-2

#2 St. Louis Blues vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings

            This will be the lowest scoring series of the second round. St. Louis has more depth, but I like Jonathon Quick a smidge more than the Elliott/Halak tandem. I won’t be betting on this series.

Kings over Blues 4-3

Barely Informed 1st Round Stanley Cup Playoff Picks

Eastern Conference

#1 New York Rangers vs. #8 Ottawa Senators

            I’ll set the tone for this post with the following sentence…Craig Anderson stinks.

Rangers over Senators 4-1

#2 Boston Bruins vs. #7 Washington Capitals

            Washington has choked so many times as a top seed that it is tempting to pick them when no one believes in them. Unfortunately for them, their goaltending situation is the worst of any team in the playoffs. Facing an unrelenting Bruins offense that is three lines deep is not the opponent Washington wanted to draw in the first round. It will take a super human effort from Alex Ovechkin for the Capitals to pull off an upset. I don’t see Claude “The Door-to-Door Vacuum Salesman” Julien letting that happen.

Bruins over Capitals 4-2

#3 Florida Panthers vs. #6 New Jersey Devils

            Has there ever been a better fourth place team in a division than the 2011-12 New Jersey Devils? Martin Brodeur and company probably could care less, especially with their favorable first round match up. Florida did everything it could to give the Southeast Division away to Washington down the stretch.

Devils over Panthers 4-0

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Philadelphia Flyers

            Here is by far the best first round match-up (on paper anyway). If Sidney Crosby were still on the shelf, these teams would be mirror images of each other talent wise. A healthy Sid the Kid will be the difference in a classic first round series.

Penguins over Flyers 4-3

Western Conference

#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings

            Kings goalie Jonathan Quick is good enough to steal this series, but the lack of offensive depth will cripple them in the end. Daniel Sedin’s return from a concussion should be the boost Vancouver needs to win a close series.

Canucks over Kings 4-3

#2 St. Louis Blues vs. #7 San Jose Sharks

            Folks will be tempted to pick the Sharks based on reputation alone (after years of choking in the playoffs, they have made it to the Western Conference Finals the past two seasons), but this Blues team is for real. They are a Western Conference version of the Bruins (minus a scary looking 6-10 dude from Slovakia on the blue line) that has three legitimate scoring lines. San Jose is a stud winger short in this series.

Blues over Sharks 4-2

#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #6 Chicago Blackhawks

            Mike Smith was the MVP of both championship teams in the fantasy hockey leagues I played in this season (and also the reason the team I guaranteed would win a fantasy hockey championship was relegated to a fourth place finish), and quietly was the most surprising player in the NHL. The fact that a guy who was best known as being a complete head-case when he was with Tampa Bay (his Yahoo player picture from three or four years ago supported that sentence) somehow rebounded to become one of the ten best goalies in the league is remarkable. With all that said, Smith and the Coyotes ended up with a tough draw against Chicago. There will be more Blackhawks fans at the games in Arizona than Coyotes fans. Phoenix is resilient, but expect Chicago to win in 6.

Blackhawks over Coyotes 4-2

#4 Nashville Predators vs. #5 Detroit Red Wings

            If it weren’t for Jimmy Howard’s troublesome groin, Detroit would at least have earned a 3-seed. Betting on Howard’s health isn’t a very safe proposition, but that’s what we will do here.

Red Wings over Predators 4-2 

NHL Mid-Season Rankings

            Here’s a list that basically ranks which team is most likely to win the Stanley Cup as of this very moment (11:30pm Sunday night to be exact). It’s not necessarily indicative of where a team’s rank is based on points. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments section below this list.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets

            I’m not sure how a team was able to put together a roster that had literally one trade-able asset (LW/RW Rick Nash), but Columbus has done it. The only thing that could save this sorry franchise is contraction.

29. Anaheim Ducks

            There are college teams with better defensemen than what Anaheim is trotting out onto the ice every night. I have goalie Jonas Hiller on one of my fantasy teams, and it’s a minor miracle if he faces less than 30 shots in a given night.  

28. Carolina Hurricanes

            Carolina is the Eastern Conference version of the Ducks. I have Cam Ward on the same team as Hiller, so I typed that previous sentence with confidence.

27. New York Islanders

            I was going to make a bunch of jokes about Rick DiPietro and how he’s on year eight of his thirty-four year contract, but then I remembered that he was from Maine. 

26. Calgary Flames

            Jarome Iginla has only one year left on his contract after this season. Someone needs to man up and set Iggy up with a Ray Bourque type opportunity to win a Stanley Cup.

(EDITORS NOTE: I think I’ve drafted Iginla onto a fantasy hockey team four of the last five years or something. I love the guy. He was co-captain of my 2007-08 championship winning team, and I’ve had a soft spot for him ever sense. Has he lost a step? Sure, but if you paired him with a top-flight center, Iginla still has the ability to dominate a game. It doesn’t make sense for the Bruins to make a run at him, but maybe a dark horse team like Florida or Los Angeles can pull the trigger on a deal)

25. Tampa Bay Lightning

            The Golden State Warriors of the NHL. Steven Stamkos and company can light the lamp, but it’s hard to win when you score five goals if your goalies give up six.

24. Montreal Canadiens

            Poor Carey Price can’t buy a break. When the team was good, Price was a liability. Now that he’s matured into a legitimate top-flight goaltender, his team sucks.

23. Edmonton Oilers

            Do you realize that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was born in 1993? I remember shit that happened in 1993. I’m getting old.

22. Phoenix Coyotes

            Somehow Team Bankruptcy has remained sort of relevant even after trading Ilya Bryzgalov away. I hope someday we move this team to a place (Quebec or Hartford?) where fans will actually give a crap about it. The players on this team have given it all for three years running now, and deserve better fan support.

21. Colorado Avalanche

            Colorado needs to get goalie Semyon Varlamov going. They surrendered a first round pick to Washington for him (a pick which has a good chance of being in the top-10), and if they don’t establish Varlamov as their franchise net minder, they will have set the franchise back at least two years.

20. Winnipeg Jets

            I don’t think Winnipeg will sneak into the playoffs (they are too poor on the road), but there’s a few things to be excited about. I’ll list them because I enjoy lists immensely.

1. Ondrej Pavelec isn’t the most consistent goalie, but when he’s on, good luck getting a puck past him. If Winnipeg can improve their roster over the next three years, expect Pavelec’s development to mirror the Jets’ improvements.
2. Evander Kane has arrived. He’s on pace for close to 40 goals, looks all the world like the second coming of Jarome Iginla, and he’s not even legally allowed to drink alcohol in the United States.
3. This team is finally playing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. Winnipeg would probably be as bad as Anaheim or Carolina if it weren’t for their awesome home-ice advantage. Kudos to the fans for coming out to support this very young team.

19. Buffalo Sabres

            Buffalo is kind of like the fat-free version of the Boston Bruins, which is a problem when you are in the same division as the Bruins and you get your ass kicked by them on a semi-regular basis. The Sabres could desperately use a goal scorer to help Thomas Vanek. It’s a shame they couldn’t extract the “NHLPA ’93” version of Alexander Mogilny and put him on the ice.

(RANT ALERT: Jeremy Roenick rightfully gets most of the love in regards to best video game hockey player of all time, but one can’t forget the exploits of Mogilny on those Sabres teams. Mogilny couldn’t play a lick of defense, but could skate from one end of the ice to the other in approximately 1.6 seconds. He was even more devastating on the offensive end than players like Jaromir Jagr or Wayne Gretzky)

18. Ottawa Senators

            Ottawa is currently inside the top 8 in the East, but expect shoddy goaltending to eventually catch up with them. Senators’ fans have to be pumped about the development of defenseman Erik Karlsson. He’s on pace to post 74 points from the blue-line at the age of 21.

17. Dallas Stars

            Here’s another team that played way over it’s head in the first half of the season, and is now slowly slipping out of playoff contention. Improving the team across the board up the middle of the ice (center, defense, and goalie) is imperative for the Stars to return to glory.

16. New Jersey Devils

            Die-hard Devils fans (like Elaine’s on-again off-again boyfriend Puddy) would be quick to point out that New Jersey is fifth in the Eastern Conference (as of Sunday), and should be much higher on this list. However, New Jersey has been bailed out this season by the shootout. The Devils have eight shootout wins, which is four more than any team in the Eastern Conference. That translates to eight extra points (you earn one point for an overtime loss, two for a shoot-out win). New Jersey has only won 15 games in regulation or regular overtime, which is one more than the pathetic Hurricanes. New Jersey might sneak into the playoffs, but look for them to get their doors blown off by whoever they are playing.

15. Los Angeles Kings

            Los Angeles has given up the sixth fewest goals in the NHL, but unfortunately has the least amount of goals scored of any team in the league. The Kings have arguably one of the most valuable trade chips in the league (back-up goalie Jonathan Bernier, who is blocked from a full-time gig by Jonathan Quick), so perhaps L.A. will pull the trigger and add a top-flight winger to pair with Anze Kopitar.

14. Minnesota Wild

            A 1-7-2 run the last 10 games has dropped Minnesota from first to seventh in the western conference. The Wild are another team that could use some more firepower, but would be wise not to part with valuable young assets in a foolish attempt to win a Stanley Cup.

13. Nashville Predators

            Minus the part about the 1-7-2 record, you could repeat the same paragraph I wrote for the Wild in regards to Nashville. Nashville does have tremendous depth on defense (in both the NHL and their minor league club), so it would be more reasonable for them to make a move to acquire more scoring.

12. Florida Panthers

            Florida’s emergence this season has been the most shocking so far of any team in the Eastern Conference. Before getting injured, Jose Theodore was a stabilizing presence in net, while free agent acquisition Kris Versteeg has helped give the Panthers a dynamite first line. The Panthers have tons of young assets both in the AHL and at the junior levels, so the future will only get brighter for Florida.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs

            Toronto can both score a bunch, and get scored on a bunch. Better goaltending is the only difference between them and a team like Tampa Bay. GM Brian Burke is never afraid to make a deal, so don’t be shocked if the Maple Leafs make a huge splash before the trade deadline.

10. Washington Capitals

            Washington is tenth in the East right now, so ranking them tenth in these power rankings is pretty aggressive. However, they are only four points out of first in their own division, and seem to be slowly righting the ship under new coach Dale Hunter. Don’t be shocked if the team ships disgruntled winger Alexander Semin out of town.

9. St. Louis Blues

            The best dark horse candidate to win the Stanley Cup this year. St. Louis is second in the Western Conference right now despite having a 0-5 record in shoot-outs. Brian Elliott has been playing out of his mind since the start of the season, and if he sputters, former Canadiens playoff hero Jaroslav Halak is there to step in. St. Louis doesn’t have any top-flight scorers, but has enough offensive depth to consistently put pressure on the opposing goalies. It’s fair to say that the Blues are a homeless man’s version of the Boston Bruins. If David Perron gives St. Louis a big second half, he could have a Tyler Seguin-like impact the rest of the way.

8. Pittsburgh Penguins

            Sure they’ve lost four straight. They are again without Sidney Crosby, who’s been dealing with the longest headache in NHL history. Pittsburgh will right the ship behind Evgeni Malkin in time for the playoffs. They’ll probably finish anywhere between fourth and eighth in the East, but they will not be a fun first-round opponent for anyone.

7. Philadelphia Flyers

            Philly has quietly dealt with a ton of adversity this season, but has finally found a groove since losing Chris Pronger for the season. Ilya Bryzgalov is the first stud goalie this team has had since the days of Ron Hextall. If their offense is intact going into the playoffs, Philadelphia could pose the greatest threat to the Boston Bruins in the East.

6. Chicago Blackhawks

            Chicago is the highest-ranking club on the list that doesn’t have a top-flight goalie. It looks like the Blackhawks are willing to let Corey Crawford try to regain his form of a year ago, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they make a play for Evgeni Nabokov.

5. San Jose Sharks

            It’s easy to forget about the Sharks (mostly because they usually fold like a tent in the playoffs), but this edition of the Sharks is much more dedicated on the defensive end. That’s normally a good formula to follow come April and May.

4. New York Rangers

            Brad Richards may not be having the best statistical season of any free agent signing from last summer, but he has delivered the goods for the Rangers. His presence has allowed the Rangers to throw two potent lines out on the ice (Richards and Marion Gaborik don’t play together unless the Rangers have a power play). Goalie Henrik Lundqvist has done a masterful job of holding the fort while New York awaits the return of defenseman Mark Staal.

3. Detroit Red Wings

            The Red Wings have been uncharacteristically bad on the road this season, but still possess as much offensive depth as any team in the western conference. Jimmy Howard has taken two steps forward after a down year last season, and Nicklas Lidstrom has managed to squeeze out one more quality season.   

2. Boston Bruins

            Before I get flooded with hateful messages, I’ll let my readers know that Boston was penciled in to the number one spot on this list before they lost to the Canucks yesterday. I fully expected the Bruins to regress this season, and be lucky to have a seed better than sixth in the East. However, they have fully overcome the Stanley Cup hangover and have been clobbering teams left and right. The emergence of Tyler Seguin gives Boston an A-quality player that looks to be the face of the franchise for years to come. Even more importantly, Boston has the best back-up goalie in the NHL. Tuukka Rask could probably start on a regular basis for more than half the league. It will be fun seeing a team try to knock the Bruins off in a seven-game series. Boston is so deep offensively, with three lines that can score consistently, and defensively, that it will be hard for a team not to wear down against them. Unless they run into a hot goalie, it will be hard for the Bruins not to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals again.

1. Vancouver Canucks

            After a rocky start, the Canucks are firing on all cylinders. Roberto Luongo is showing no signs of the funk that led to him riding the pine for a stretch during the first month of the season. Ryan Kesler shook the rust off after off-season surgery, and as always, the Sedin twins are laying claim to the title of best pair of athletic twins in sports history. Much like Boston, Vancouver also has enough faith in backup goalie Cory Schneider that they can feel comfortable if Luongo were to suffer an injury. It’s boring to pick last years Stanley Cup Finals participants as the top two teams right now, but that’s where things look like they are going this season.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (12/30-1/2)

10. The NFL Regular Season Ends
            Normally this would bum me out, but not having a chance to burn money betting on things like the over/under of the Cardinals/Rams game is a blessing in disguise for No Credentials.

9. Brock Lesnar Gets Pummeled, Then Retires

            I’m willing to bet that there will never be a more famous UFC fighter with a career record of 4-3 who is a bigger draw than Brock Lesnar. It’s fair to say that if he didn’t have two separate bouts of diverticulitis, his win total would be much higher. Lesnar will be missed.

8. Jets, Rex Ryan Finish 8-8

            Santonio Holmes clashing with teammates, and then quitting in the final game. Rex Ryan crying in the final team meeting, then admitting to the media he was out of touch with his team. Mark Sanchez being Mark Sanchez. Needless to say, the Jets have all sorts of issues to fix going into 2012.

7. Ricky Rubio Sparks Timberwolves

            If Minnesota starts giving Rubio 30+ minutes a night, wins over teams like Dallas and San Antonio might be become a regular event.

6. Colts Lock Up Top Pick

            I’m not really going out on a limb here, but I feel comfortable saying that the 2012 NFL Draft will be the most talked discussed since 2006. We’ll talk more about this later.

5. Broncos Lose, God Makes Sure They Win AFC West Anyway

            No word yet on whether or not God also was responsible for tearing Rashard Mendenhall’s ACL, thus removing him from Pittsburgh’s date with Denver Sunday afternoon.

4. Matt Flynn Ups His Price Tag to $60 Million

            With the list of teams that are in desperate need of a quarterback, expect Matt Flynn to get paid when he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season. For those of you that are dumb enough to participate in fantasy leagues where the championship is decided in Week 17, I hope you all had your Lions and Packers in the starting lineup.
        
3. Giants Put 2011 Cowboys Out of Their Misery
            Much like an old dog on the way out, it was time for the Dallas Cowboys to be put down. Here’s to hoping Jerry Jones finds us a couple of corners, and two or three new offensive lineman.

2. Rangers Spoil Winter Classic For Philadelphia

            Without factoring in the stakes of a given game, is there a cooler sporting event to watch for ten minutes than an outdoor NHL game under the lights?

1. Oregon Wins Highest Scoring Rose Bowl Ever Over Wisconsin

            I’d like to thank the Ducks for taking care of business and recovering all of the money No Credentials lost betting on NFL games on Sunday.

           

Steelers-Browns, Plus Bonus NHL Picks

Browns (+14) over STEELERS
Pittsburgh has played down to the level of a couple of teams this season (Jacksonville at home in Week 6, both Indianapolis and Kansas City on the road), and I forsee a similar situation tonight. Pittsburgh is going to win, but it won't be pretty (or convincing).

Pittsburgh 20, Cleveland 10
Confidence Score = 6

Now on to my newest gambling endeavor...NHL parlays!

After two miserable parlays on Monday (three of the four teams I picked lost. Ouch), I scored my first career NHL parlay victory with of all combos, the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames Tuesday night. Amazingly, I wasn't struck by lightning today because of this. Here is a couple of combinations I may have put together (and wagered on) for tonights action (because you know, I'm 1-2 doing these, so clearly I'm an expert).

Panthers (+170) over BRUINS
DEVILS (-140) over Senators

I'm not sure how Boston will respond after Tyler Seguin makes his return from his one game benching, and Ottawa was the only team on tonight's slate that played last night. Bet $5.00 to potentially turn it into $23.14.

Coyotes (+140) over RED WINGS
RANGERS (-165) over Lightning

Phoenix always gives Detroit problems, and they actually play better on the road (9-4-1) then at home (I guess that isn't too shocking, because roughly 36 people give a shit about hockey in the state of Arizona). As for the Rangers, they are playing a crappy Lightning team. $5.00 could morph into $19.27 if both these teams win.

As always, I highly advise all of you to find your local bookie and wager on the exact opposite. We'll briefly discuss how bad these two hockey bets were before the Week 14 NFL picks. 

Uninformed 1st Round Stanley Cup Playoff Picks

            As I’ve aged, hockey and I have steadily grown apart. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but with the 2004-05 lockout, and the difficulty in finding a game that involved two teams other than the Bruins, it’s been a very hard league to follow the last five years.

When I first moved into my own apartment, I was able to purchase the Time Warner Digital Cable package, and for the first time, was able to watch Versus. This led to a torrid affair between the Stanley Cup Playoffs and myself for the first time since Martin St.Louis led the Lightning to the Cup in 2004 (not a romantic affair, that phrase just means I watched an awful lot of hockey). Versus aired playoff games every night for two months. It felt like getting together with an old girlfriend (you know, the part where you remember all the best parts of her and forget why you broke up with her in the first place?). The outstanding final that year between Pittsburgh and Detroit capped off a fantastic spring. Unfortunately though, hockey faded to the background again when the 2008-09 regular season started and it was again difficult to find games. I've still kept an eye on hockey from a distant, and am now ready to offer to the world my official uninformed Stanley Cup 1st Round Picks.  

                   

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers

            Washington isn’t quite the offensive juggernaut it was in past seasons, but that may actually be a good team. An increased focus on defense has led the Capitals to giving up the fourth fewest goals in the NHL. As long as young goalie Michal Neuvirth is competent, Washington should be able to overpower the Rangers. I’ll be shocked if they go down in the first round as a top seed for a second straight year.

            Prediction = Capitals in 5

#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #7 Buffalo Sabres

            Buffalo was fighting for their playoff lives the second half of the season, and rose to the challenge by finishing the year on a 28-11-6 run. All-world goalie Ryan Miller (of 2010 Olympic fame) is more than capable of stoning a superior club for a seven game series. Philadelphia patched together their goaltending situation last year, but I don’t think they’ll be able to pull it off two years in a row.

            Prediction = Sabres in 7

#3 Boston Bruins vs. #6 Montreal Canadiens

            It seems like there is a rule that these two teams need to meet every single year in the NHL Playoffs. Maybe these two franchises are magnetically attracted to each other. As if the series needed any more juice, we are just a month removed from Zdeno Chara’s devastating hit on Max Pacioretty. Boston has looked like a team that is on a mission to avenge their epic choke against the Flyers in last year’s playoffs. Look for Montreal to bring plenty of fight, but the more physical Bruins will wear them down eventually.

            Prediction = Bruins in 7  

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning

            What Pittsburgh has done in without superstar centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin has been remarkable. Marc-Andre Fleury has been outstanding the past two months, but has been all or nothing the past few seasons in the playoffs. Tampa Bay has a huge edge on the offensive end of the ice, but needs to get solid goaltending out of journeyman Dwayne Roloson. He’s done it before back in 2006 when he backstopped the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals. Look for him to provide steady enough play to get Tampa Bay into the second round.

            Prediction = Lightning in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. # Chicago Blackhawks

            Vancouver would probably much rather be playing Los Angeles as opposed to the defending Stanley Cup champions, but this is not the same Blackhawks team that knocked the Canucks out of the playoffs the past two seasons. I expect the Sedin twins and Roberto Luongo to power the Canucks into the second round.

            Prediction = Canucks in 5

#2 San Jose Sharks vs. #7 Los Angeles Kings

            I would’ve been all over the Kings in this series, but the loss of star center Anze Kopitar crushed them. San Jose has struggled in past seasons during the playoffs, but they couldn’t of asked for a better set-up here.

            Prediction = Sharks in 4

#3 Detroit Red Wings vs. #6 Phoenix Coyotes

            Phoenix pushed Detroit to seven games before losing to them in the first round a year ago. Coyotes’ goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov is the key. If he significantly outplays opposing goaltender Jimmy Howard (which isn’t that much of a stretch), Phoenix is capable of stealing this series. Detroit will be in real trouble if they don’t get Henrik Zetterberg back at any point after game 2.

            Prediction = Coyotes in 6

#4 Anaheim Ducks vs. #5 Nashville Predators

            This series is a tough one for me. On one side, you have 50-goal scorer Corey Perry, and Teamu Selanne, who is somewhere between 38 and 64 years old. On the other, you have badass defenseman Shea Weber and the breakout goalie of the year, Pekka Rinne. Most experts that I’ve read are choosing the Ducks, but I’m throwing my weight (what littler there is of it) behind the dude named Pekka and the Nashville Predators.

            Prediction = Predators in 7