After getting 7 of the 8 series correct, I'm giving myself the Vancouver series as well because I said they would win a game 7 at home if it went that far, and getting 4 of the eight in the exact amount of games (again I'm taking credit for the Vancouver one), I will now unleash my round two picks. Feel free to take them to the bank.

Eastern Conference

(1) Buffalo Sabres Vs (6) New York Rangers

Only one team from New York will be left at the end of Round 2, and it will be the Sabres. They did seem to stuggle at times with the Islanders and the Rangers made quick work of the Thrashers. But again, Buffalo is too deep and Ryan Miller will only continue to get better. Sabres in 6.

(2) New Jersey Devils Vs (4) Ottawa Senators

I ussually love the Devils in the playoffs because they typically play consistent defense and get great goaltending. Both were shaky in round one. On the other hand, the Senators cruised through round one and looked like an offensive juggernaut. I like the Devils in 7 games. I think Ottawa will win a few games easily (meaning 3+ goals) but I still like the Devils in close games, and that's what wins playoff series.

Western Conference

(1) Detroit Red Wings Vs (5) San Jose Sharks

The Red Wings looked unstoppable at home, but pretty average on the road. You can count on San Jose to win atleast one game in Detroit, and eventually take the series on home ice in game 6.

(2) Anaheim Ducks Vs (3) Vancouver Canucks

The Ducks are playing some really good hockey right now and have had plenty of rest, while Vancouver had trouble scoring and played 7 hard fought games. I like the Ducks to cruise in five.

Ottawa vs Buffalo

The debate hasn't really existed as far as people coming out and saying that you should or shouldn't go about it one way, but the pros and cons of this decision have been talked about quite often. I'm talking about putting a forward on the point for the power play. Daniel Alfredson has been a forward, and a great one at that, throughout his whole career. However, Saturday night Ottawa hung him out to dry. Buffalo recognized his lack of experience playing "D" and attacked him, turning a harmless 1-2 shorthanded rush into a series ending goal.

Granted the reason for the goal was 3-fold. A) Alfredson not knowing how to handle a 1-1, from the defensive aspect. B) Emery playing too deep in his crease and giving the forward the room to get all the way across the crease. C) The other defensemen not helping in time, which also allowed the Buffalo forward to get to his forehand and beat Emery.

You could argue either way for putting Alfredson at the point in that situation. On one hand you need to win, being down 3-1 in the series, so you want a playmaker running the powerplay, fine. However, being down 3-1, you can not afford to lose. When you have so many quality defensmen, which Ottawa does, why would you take that risk. Obviously hine sight is 20-20, and the Sens would have been better served having a defensemen to stop any sort of counter attack, but this is not what lost the series for them. Emery played a subpar series in net, the forwards were unable to establish any sort of constant pressure. I know that Ottawa outshot Buffalo in most games, but as I've heard many times, shots on goal is the most overrated statistic in hockey. Ottawa was unable to create traffic in front of Miller, with the Sabres collapsing having 4 players in front of the net for most of the series, and doing a good job of not allowing Senators players to collect rebounds.

The mark o####ood team is how you fare in one goal games, I'm sure the Senators won their fair share of them during the season, however every game in the series was a 1-goal contest, and the Sabres looked like the team who kicked it up a notch, rather than playing conservative and not to lose, like the Senators. Point being, a Stanley Cup Contender should not go 1-4 in One goal games at any point in the season, and obviously not in the playoffs.

The style Ottawa played also wasn't very smart. I feel like a guy such as Patrick Eaves, who has a big body, and good offensive skills, should have been playing a key role. While you can't deny the offensive skills of Alfredson, Heatley, Havlat and others. You need to win one on one battles every where on the ice, not just in open ice. I feel like Eaves could have been used a lot more in the corners and he has the ability to set up these guys around the net. Unlike a guy like Chris Neal, who would be out there to "irritate" the other team, he would be able to go in the corners, but lacks the ability to create scoring chances from those situations.

Basically every aspect of Ottawa failed, and that's what needed to happen if they were to lose. I honestly feel that they were good enough to win, as long as they were clicking on one or two cylinders.

Sabres quest for Lord Stanley

The Sabre's will get solid goaltending, but after watching the Hurricanes regain their early season form in the first two rounds, and dismantle the Devils who pride themselves on playing great defensive hockey, I'm picking the Carolina(ford) (Whaler)'Canes to beat Buffalo. Miller is going to see shots from everywhere on the ice, just ask Marty Brodeur. While shots from the corner seem harmless, they can create crazy bounces, or good rebound opportunities, as a rebound off a shot from the corner ussually comes back in front of the net. The 'Canes seemed to follow the rule there is no such thing as a bad shot, and when given odd man rushes their skilled forwards will finish most of the time. This is a bad combination. However, I feel that the line with Drury and Grier will be able to generate scoring chances, and if the other lines follow suit Buffalo could make it interesting. I don't know how successful guys like Briere and Affinegenov will be. While I think they are great players, they will have to play out their element (more physical) then they are used to in order to get quality chances.

Refs

A new aspect has crept into this years playoffs. Due to the new rules, teams are getting a large number of powerplays. We saw the Devils fail to convert on four first period power plays and end up losing 4-1 yesterday. Special teams will play a huge role in this series, and I think Carolina has the advantage on the power play. 

On the side, I feel like the refs have done a good job enforcing the new rules all year, even in the playoffs. I do miss the "Old Time Hockey" playoffs, I feel like the Stanley Cup should be decided with as much 5-5 hockey as possible. However, teams were aware that they would need a solid powerplay to succeed this season, so if you didn't build a team that can score on the power play (not to beat a dead horse but see the ::cough:: ::cough:: Boston Bruins) you won't be an elite team.

Anyone that's read this blog so far knows two things, I love the Red Sox, and I love hockey. As those have been the subject of almost all my postings. Last night there was a surprising contest going on and the outcome was even more shocking even to me, it came down to me watching the Red Sox involved in a tight game in the late innings, or watching playoff hockey between teams that I do not particularly follow closely, certainly not as close as the Red Sox.

First up was the end of the end of the Tampa Bay, Ottawa game. Which coincided with the Red Sox coming back to take  5-4 lead, and then giving it back just as fast. For those of you who don't know the hockey game was seemingly over before it started as Ottawa jumped out to a 3-0 lead, and pretty much dominated the Lightning in every aspect. However the end of the game, despite an 8-4 score, is where it got interesting. The goal which gave the Senators the 8-4 lead came late in the 3rd, this apparently angered Tampa as they became extremely fired up and began to play with an edge that didn't even come close to resembling the first two plus periods. After the 8th goal, Lightning players were going out of their way to hit guys, and after an Ottawa player hit someone from behind a pretty good sized mele insued.

Before I go any further I would like to preface the rest of this by saying, I am all for fighting in hockey. I do not  however like when a brawl breaks out, ussually. I think it is bad for the sport and gives hockey players bad images, not something they need coming off the lock out. However, last night was different. Vinny Lecavalier squared up with Chara, who is just a beast of a man. Lecavalier is known for his finess play, while he did drop the gloves with Jarome Iginla in the Stanley Cup Finals two years ago, he is by no means a fighter. However he was willing to stand up for his guys, something a true captain should always do, and tried to go at it with the biggest guy in the NHL. Danny Heatley of the Senators, also showed his dedication to the team by squaring up with Nolan Pratt, not a big guy but Heatley is  not much of a fighter either. (NOTE: Chara should be given a ton of credit for not completley pounding Vinny once he got him to the ice, he had his hand up ready to throw a punch and held it there, almost mocking Lecavier but still better then landing that punch). My real question is with 2:30 left in game 3, not an elimination game, what are guys like that doing on the ice for both teams, I would have thought tough guys like Chris Neal of Ottawa would be out there, or others like I said I don't follow these teams very closley.

As this was happening, the Red Sox came to bat in the top of the 8th, when I flipped it back there were 2 outs, and man on second for Big Papi Ortiz. For this decision manager Eric Wedge should be fired, Intenionally walking Ortiz, to get to Manny Ramirez. Granted Manny has not been his typical self yet this season, but he showed signs of heating up at Toronto last weekend, and he definatley does not need any extra motivation. Almost on cue, Manny put a pitch into the right field seats for an 8-5 Red Sox lead, going the oppisite way for a hit the third time last  night, another sign he's getting his swing back.

Meanwhile, I would flip back breifly to see the results of what broke out in Tampa, would there be suspensions, miscounducts, who would have the power play, if it was Ottawa would they turn the knife a little more and put up number 9 on the night? Unfortunatley no insight on possible suspensions, I didn't think there would actually be any but I would have liked to have hear the announcers add a little drama for the last 2 minutes to a game that was already over.

Now I figured it was all good, I could watch the bullpen work and catch most of the Edmonton Detroit game. Wrong, in between innings I flipped back to OLN and saw the Oilers come out of the gate buzzing. (I would like to add this, I am ussually not an Oilers fan, dating back to the late 80's early 90's where they beat my Bruins twice in the Cup Finals, and this spring where they took advantage, probably not but all Bruins fans justify it by thinking so, of Mike O'Connell's ineptness as GM and took Sampsonov for basically a bag of pucks and a few water bottles. However I remember watching the games a couple years ago against Dallas in the playoffs, and how people in Edmonton really love the game got me fired up. I am an Oilers fan in the playoffs now, seeing as their in the West and the only time they'd play the Bruins is in the finals, I am trying so hard to try not to die of laughter right now, the bruins...in the Stanley Cup finals...wow) The Oilers, looked as if they were taking it to the Red Wings in the early stages, sorry Keith Foulke I'll watch at commercials I promise. They went up 1-0 on a beautiful goal, and had a couple very questionable penalty calls to nullify a 5-3, which got me even more fired up, I almost forgot the Sox game was on.

Back to NESN, oh no Foulke gave up an RBI double to Aaron (bleeping) Boone, to make it 8-6. Now they bring on Timlin, one of the worst good pitchers in baseball (his ERA is low but he allows almost ever inherited to score). Not this time, a huge strike out , after a walk, to get out of the jam (Sigh of relief). Back to the game, Detroit ties it on a power play ( Damn). Back to the Sox game, Pappelbon ties the April rookie record for saves (a perfect 9-9), Sox win alright more hockey. I see the Oilers score to take a 2-1 lead after one.

This was probably just too much drama for my body to handle, as I promplty proceeded to fall asleep on the couch while Bill Clement was rambling about how "the Stanley Cup is the greatest trophy in sports, and let's watch another segment of Tales of the Cup".  (The Stanley cup is without a doubt the greatest trophy in sports, but hearing it between every period of the playoffs and watching some #### take it fishing with him I can do without). So unfortunatley, I missed another great game and woke up to hear the Oilers won in double OT, GO NUTS Edmonton your Oilers are looking good, and more importantly making the Red Wings look bad, sorry I missed it. (Just think if Rolloson gets down a second quicker in game 1, the Oilers could be up 3-0 in the series, in my playoff preview I said the Oilers would need a couple bounces to even get to a 6th game, now It looks like the Wings are in that spot).

So I guess I'm a bigger hockey fan than baseball, atleast when it's playoff hockey against April baseball. i have a feeling had this been October I would have watched the White Sox play the A's in game 3 of the playoffs, rather then the Bruins (unless it was against Montreal) in an early season game .

SIDE NOTE: I desperatley wanted to stay awake as I had a 4 team Parlay going with Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, and Nashville. At the time I went to bed I was winning or Tied (only Calgary) in all of them. Unfortunatley Nashville ended up losing, I should have learned not to bet on teams from Tennessee, see blog below.