Can you feel the FEVER!? It’s that time of year again! The 2010 NHL playoffs begin TODAY! We’ve got a bunch of great matchups this year, and hopefully, we’ll be strapped in for an intense 2.5 months of playoff hockey. Is there anything better?

Below, I’ll take a look at the top matchup for each conference, my pick to win the series and why, as well as picking an X-Factor for each time. It’s usually someone that is either underrated, under-the-radar, undervalued, a keyplauyoff performer, or someone needing to step up. They’re players with the potential to rise up in the postseason and win a series for their team, and maybe even a Stanley Cup.

Eastern Conference

All eyes should be on the Penguins and their attempt to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. The Capitals, however, ran away with the Presidents’ Trophy. So, who gets the nod? Sid the Kid or Alexander the Great?

Washington, with a franchise-record 54 wins and 121 points, finished head-and-shoulders above of the East’s next closest pursuer, the Devils, at 103 points.

But, as critics would ask all season long, are they that good? The Caps were one of only four teams in the East to eclipse 100 points. All but one of the West’s eight qualifiers crested the century mark. The Caps are also playing in a brutal Southeast Division, so wins are much easier to come by. The Southeast was the only division that has one playoff team.

There’s no denying that the Caps are the East’s most potent offensive team, having scored nearly 100 more goals than the second-place Devils (318-222), but everyone knows that offence alone will not win you a Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh’s ability to play shutdown hockey was consistently overlooked last season, and that’s the reason why they were able to oust the Red Wings in the Cup Final on their second time around.

The Capitals made good use of the NHL trade deadline to add third- and fourth-line role players who bring playoff savvy and experience into the dressing room and onto the ice. The additions of F Eric Belanger, F Jason Chimera and F Scott Walker will pay dividends, even though it may not show on the scoresheet. Those could be the kind of pieces that make the difference in winning a deciding game this season, as opposed to getting blown out at home against Pittsburgh in Game 7 of the second round last year.

(1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens

Game 1 @ WAS, Thu, Apr 15 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 2 @ WAS, Sat, Apr 17 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 3 @ MON, Mon, Apr 19 7:00pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 4 @ MON, Wed, Apr 21 7:00pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 5 @ WAS, Fri, Apr 23 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 6 @ MON, Mon, Apr 26 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 7 @ WAS, Wed, Apr 28, TBS, TV: TSN

The regular-season series was tied, with the teams splitting four games and each winning once at home and once on the road. Three of the four games were decided by a single goal (the other by two), with one by a shootout and another in overtime. Usually, any series involving Montreal would mean the pressure would be on the Habs, who have won a record 24 Stanley Cups, but this year, that’s not happening – The pre-series pressure is squarely on F Alex Ovechkin and the Caps, who haven’t played a meaningful game since last year’s playoffs.

Montreal just barely hung on to make the postseason, while the Capitals are still a finely-tuned machine even when they’re running at less than full capacity. This series will come down to one wild card – goaltending, as both sides have been mediocre at best. The Caps goaltending has been questioned all season long, while G Jaroslav Halak the ability to steal games. And what about G Carey Price? If Halak sutters, can Price do anything to get his trade value back up? Both Halak and G Jose Theodore are in their contract years and playing for their salary next season, so you can expect both to stand on their head in this matchup. Thedore making his return to Montreal will be something fun to watch. You know he’ll be trying extra hard to stick it in Habs fans’ faces for the disappointing end to his Canadiens career.

Ovie broke out of his late-season goal-scoring slump, which is bad news for the Habs. Montreal will have to try and find a way to slow down Washington’s high-powered attack. But because Montreal is so soft in their style of play, it’s hard to see them doing anything against such a potent offence. They lack offensive punch, they’re slow on defence, and they don’t play a physical game. The Caps offensive dominance will be too much for the Habs to handle, but they’ll still come away with a game or two.

X-Factors: Canadiens’ F Travis Moen and Capitals’ G Jose Theodore. For a team that’s going to need physical play and someone to do the dirty work, not to mentioned being undersized, Moen is key to the Habs’ success. While he only has one goal since December 16, he did score seven playoff goals for the Ducks during their Cup run in 2007. And that’s exactly why Montreal signed the 6’2″, 215 pound forward last summer – for his experience, his grit, his leadership and his size.

Washington’s defence and goaltending are criticized this postseason, and rightfully so. Time and time again, the playoffs have proven the “offence wins games, defence wins championships” phrase right. Washington can score all the goals they want, but if they want to make it deep in the playoffs, they’ll need to learn to keep the puck out of the net and to defend. Last year, Theodore lost Game 1 to the Rangers and never played again. This year, he gets another chance to prove he’s still the same netminder as the one who won the 2002 Hart Trophy. And the fact he goes up against his old team gives him plenty of reason to get back to form.

Pick: Caps in 5

(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers

Game 1 @ NJ, Wed, Apr 14 7:30pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 2 @ NJ, Fri, Apr 16 7:30pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 3 @ PHI, Sun, Apr 18 6:00pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 4 @ PHI, Tue, Apr 20 7:30pm EDT, TV: TSN2
Game 5 @ NJ, Thu, Apr 22 7:00pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 6 @ PHI, Sun, Apr 25, TBD, TV: TSN
Game 7 @ NJ, Tue, Apr 27 7:30pm EDT, TV: TSN

Philadelphia beat New Jersey in all but one of their six regular-season meetings, so the Flyers at least go into the series as somewhat confident underdogs. Keep a close eye on G Martin Brodeur, who’s recent playoff performances have been sub-par to say the least. He also appeared in 77 of 82 games for the Devils this season, and as usual, Brodeur will be gassed come the second season. The Flyers come in with an odd goalie tandem, set by Brian Boucher and Sebastien Caron, rather than Ray Emery (hip surgery) and Michael Leighton (high ankle sprain, out at least for the first round). Boucher is years removed from his incredible regular-season shutout record with Phoenix, but he is an experienced netminder who plays well under pressure. One thing Boucher will need to watch for is his rebound control.

Philly’s best chance to win is through their style of play – blue collar, physical hockey along the boards. Playing into Jersey’s system won’t do them any good. D Chris Pronger and D Kimmo Timonen will have to set the tone on the blueline, while F Mike Richards, F Simon Gagne, F Danny Briere, F Scott Hartnell and F Jeff Carter will need to produce up front.

While we know what the Devils will do defensively, they’ll need to put the puck in the net. F Zach Parise showed his offensive potential on Team USA, and he’s the first Devil to record back-to-back 80-point seasons. F Ilya Kovalchuk’s playoff psyche is unknown, having only played 4 career postseason games. He’ll need to be the difference maker. The Devils will also need to rectify the powerplay issues that plagued their team towards the end of the season if they want any chance at making a run for the Cup.

On paper, this looks like a blowout. Brodeur vs. Boucher? A structured Devils team vs. an unpredictable Flyers team? All of this means that there’s potential for an upset. Will the Flyers pay the price for not upgrading in net at the Trade Deadline?

X-Factors: Flyers’ F Claude Giroux and Devils’ F David Clarkson. Giroux scored the shootout winner in the final game of the season against the Rangers, which got the Flyers into the playoffs. He’ll need to be that clutch and more in the playoffs. In the ’09 playoffs, Giroux was the Flyers’ best player too, scoring two goals and five points in a six games against the Pens. Carter’s health remains a concern, so expect Giroux to get a lot of ice time.

Clarkson, 26, is the Devils’ version of Bruins’ F Milan Lucic. He hits, fights and plays aggressive, not to mention score. He’s their go-to power forward. He missed nearly half of the 2009-10 season due to injuries, but when healthy, Clarkson has been an impact player, contributing 11 goals and 24 points in 45 games – great numbers for a third-liner on a defensive-structured team.

Pick: Devils in 6

(3) Buffalo Sabres vs. (6) Boston Bruins

Game 1 @ BUF, Thu, Apr 15 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC
Game 2 @ BUF, Sat, Apr 17 1:00pm EDT, TV: NBC, CBC
Game 3 @ BOS, Mon, Apr 19 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 4 @ BOS, Wed, Apr 21 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 5 @ BOS, Wed, Apr 21 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 6 @ BOS, Mon, Apr 26 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC
Game 7 @ BUF, Wed, Apr 28 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC

These two teams have been so surprising this season: who would’ve thought that the B’s would have so much trouble to just make the playoffs, and who thought that the Sabres would dismantle the Northeast? If G Tuukka Rask folds under the pressure, G Tim Thomas has plenty of reason to pick up the slack – he’ll be dueling his fellow Team USA netminder, G Ryan Miller. After a great postseason last year, he lost his starting gig after a terrible first half this year.

This series has the potential to be a great goalie matchup. The Bruins’ total of 206 goals scored is the fewest among the 16 playoff teams.  Miller should be rested for the series. He played in one of the final three games in the regular season, and he will be key to Buffalo’s hopes, along with their great penalty kill that’s been very hot as of late.

The Sabres are getting bitten by the injury bug at the wrong time – currently, the Bruins start the playoffs without No. 1 centre F Marc Savard, and top-six D Dennis Seidenberg, D Mark Stuart and D Andrew Ference – all of whom are great players. The Sabres aren’t fully healthy either, as F Tim Connolly, F Jochen Hecht, F Drew Stafford and F Patrick Kaleta were all out at the end of the regular season with unspecified timetables for return. Rask was 4-1 against the Sabres this season, and I think he steals a first-round victory from Miller. This matchup has the potential for another upset. Even if Boston loses, they’re immediately consoled: they get either F Taylor Hall or F Tyler Seguin at the 2010 Entry Draft, and they have the Leafs’ 1st-rounder in 2011, as another bad season in T.O. could mean another top-5 pick for Boston. Either way, I sense an upset.

X-Factors: Bruins’ F Milan Lucic and Sabres’ F Tomas Vanek. Lucic, 21, is a beast and is the model example of someone who is capable of single-handedly changing a series. He hits, he scores, he fights, and he plays that ‘style’ of playoff hockey – everything needed for postseason success comes naturally to him. Like the rest of the Bruins, however, Lucic has struggled through an injury-plagued season. He broke his finger (14 games) early in the season and suffered a severely twisted ankle (18 games) at mid-season. After an encouraging 17-goal, 42-point effort in 2008-09, Lucic was limited to nine goals and 19 points in 49 games this year, and he hasn’t been the dominating physical presence that had Bruins fans had projected him to be – the next Cam Neely. He does, however, enter the playoffs on a three-game point streak.

Vanek’s skill must come through this postseason. He recorded 27 goals after seasons of 43, 36 and 40, and thus, fall well short of expectations. Rather than competing for the ‘Rocket’ Richard trophy every year, he raises questions about his performance. Can he step up? After missing six games with a groin injury, Vanek returned for the season finale and scored four goals – by the end of the second period – against Washington in a 5-2 Buffalo victory. The Sabres hope he’s clicking at the perfect time.

Pick: Bruins in 7

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Ottawa Senators

Game 1 @ PIT, Wed, Apr 14 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 2 @ PIT, Fri, Apr 16 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 3 @ OTT, Sun, Apr 18 6:30pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 4 @ OTT, Tue, Apr 20 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 5 @ PIT, Thu, Apr 22 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 6 @ OTT, Sat, Apr 24 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 7 @ PIT, Tue, Apr 27 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC

The Penguins are starting with the same seed they had last year when they won the Stanley Cup. The Pens have been successful in pacing themselves this season – Pittsburgh went 45-28-9 for 99 points last season and went 47-28-7 for 101 points this season. The Penguins appear to be healthy as they begin their title defense. With F Evgeni Malkin healthy, this team is much more dangerous than they have been of late. The goaltending experience alone should be enough for the Pens to come out on top – but, both teams rank 14th and 16th among playoff teams in goals allowed.

The Senators are missing a huge ingredient to their success. F Alex Kovalev (torn ACL in left knee), the team’s fourth-leading scorer, is out of the playoffs. Kovalev scored 18 goals and contributed 31 assists in 77 games. Regardless of Kovalev’s inconsistency, his offensive talent will be missed this postseason.

Usually, the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchups are close, but not this year. The Penguins, who are much deeper offensively, more experienced on defense and superior in goal. The Pens move across the street to the Consol Energy Center and the NHL’s newest arena next season, so they’ll be looking to shut down Mellon Arena with a second straight Stanley Cup.

The Senators and Penguins meet in the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. The last time the Sens and Pens met, Ottawa was sent packing after four games. An argument can be made for the Sens getting stronger and the Pens getting weaker. There remains a big talent gap, however, and I don’t expect a very different result. The Pens are my team to beat in the East.

X-Factors: Penguins’ wingers and Senators’ F Matt Cullen. Pittsburgh is deep down the middle, with F Sidney Crosby, F Evgeni Malkin and F Jordan Staal on the draw. But the only Penguin to reach the 20-goal plateau this season was F Bill Guerin. F Chris Kunitz, F Ruslan Fedotenko and F Pascal Dupuis continue to look for permanent spots on lines, and with the acquisition of F Alex Ponikarovsky at the Trade Deadline, they wanted to add some production. But not to the tune of two goals, nine points and a minus-6 rating in 16 games. Poni is in a contract year, and with Malkin as his centre, he’s got a prime opportunity to play big.

Cullen, acquired from the ‘Canes at the Trade Deadline, is a scoring, faceoff-winning bigman. He plays the point on the PP, and his big frame is great along the boards fighting for pucks. Cullen will need to produce in the absence of Kovalev if the Sens want any chance of beating the Pens.

Pick: Penguins in 4

Western Conference

In the West, seven of the eight playoff teams reached 100 points. No one would be surprised if a lower seed were to knock off a higher one in the conference quarterfinals, or any round for that matter. The matchups are just that close.

The Sharks won the West for the second straight season after the Blackhawks failed to earn the extra point at home against the Red Wings on Sunday. The Sharks are once again in the drivers’ seat, and while many are counting them out early, this year, that may be a mistake.

While San Jose has a terrible post-season track record, this year could be different. The Sharks better built for playoff success this season, with the additions of F Dany Heatley, F Manny Malholtra, F Scott Nichol and D Niclas Wallin will do for a positive playoff outlook. In addition, the big-three of Heatley, Marleau and Thornton each won Olympic gold medals in 2010, and with the experience of winning on the grandest stage, it might be just enough to will them deep into the playoffs.

That said, Chicago is the most well-rounded team this post-season, finishing 6-0-1 in their last 7. Coming off a conference finals appearance last spring, Chicago didn’t skip a beat in the regular season. The Blackhawks forced opponents to play their style of game by maintaining puck possession, scored goals and showing that they work together as a cohesive unit, ready for a run at the Stanley Cup.

The rest of the field is up in the air. The Canucks are more than a dark horse. They’re often overlooked in the West, and they easily have what it takes to rise above. Detroit’s chances for a three-peat as conference champion are great with a spectacular 17-3-2 run to end the season.

But the real question is how the newcomers will react. Who could have guessed that the Coyotes, Kings, Predators and Avalanche would all make the top eight? The three youngest teams – the Coyotes, Kings and Avalanche – all started fast and were able to maintain their level of play, holding off the likes of the surprisingly disappointing Flames, Ducks, Stars and Blues.

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Colorado Avalanche

Game 1 @ SJ, Wed, Apr 14 10:30pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 2 @ SJ, Fri, Apr 16 10:30pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 3 @ COL, Sun, Apr 18 9:30pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 4 @ COL, Tue, Apr 20 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 5 @ SJ, Thu, Apr 22 10:30pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 6 @ COL, Sat, Apr 24, TBD, TV: CBC
Game 7 @ SJ, Mon, Apr 26, TBD, TV: CBC

San Jose is healthy as it enters the post-season, vastly different from last spring. While G Evgeni Nabokov has been up and down following his disappointing Olympics, he was strong in his last couple appearances and he, like F Patrick Marleau, wants to atone for last year’s early exit.

Denver is a two-hour flight from San Jose, much easier to deal with in terms of jetlag than journeying to Nashville or Detroit. The Avs shouldn’t be able to handle the size and speed of the Sharks’ forwards, and Colorado is very young and lacks postseason experience at key positions. The Avalanche have to be very proud of simply reaching the playoffs. There’s no pressure on them to perform – the exact opposite of what the Sharks will be facing. But Colorado is truly outclassed in almost all facets of this matchup.

Another early exit for San Jose would spell big changes in the Tank. While Marleau isn’t expected back, an opening round loss would also likely spell the end for several other high profile Sharks. The Avs are playing gutsy, aggressive hockey. That leads to at least one win against the Sharks, but it also leads to mistakes. They’ve have cooled down considerably since their early season dominance and are still too young to hang around with the big boys. The Sharks are 5-1 in their last six conference quarterfinals, then the trouble historically starts. The Sharks are squeezing horseshoes and 40leaf clovers that they didn’t draw the Kings or Red Wings in the Quarters.

X-Factors: Sharks’ F Joe Thornton and Avalanche’ G Craig Anderson. Thornton and company have a long reputation of being playoff chokers, and they get a little kid in the form of the Avs to take it out on. Will this give them any momentum heading into the next round? As for Anderson, he’ll need to do everything possible to stop the biscuit. He’s struggled during the second half of the season, and I don’t see that changing now.

As for the Avs, no other team in the NHL has gotten more mileage out of its rookies. They’ll need a big swig from the fountain of youth to get by. Speaking of youth, F Darcy Tucker, 35, hasn’t been in the postseason since 2004, so you know he’ll be psyched. Plus, five of his 10 goals this season came in Colorado ‘s final 13 games; will it carry over?

Pick: Sharks in 5

(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (7) Nashville Predators

Game 1 @ CHI, Fri, Apr 16 8:30pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN2
Game 2 @ CHI, Sun, Apr 18 8:30pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 3 @ NSH, Tue, Apr 20 9:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 4 @ NSH, Thu, Apr 22 8:30pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN2
Game 5 @ CHI, Sat, Apr 24 3:00pm EDT, TV: NBC, TSN
Game 6 @ NSH, Mon, Apr 26, TBD, TV: TSN
Game 7 @ CHI, Wed, Apr 28, TBD, TV: TSN

The Preds will rely on D Shea Weber, D Ryan Suter and D Dan Hamuis to not only stop the ‘Hawks’ balanced attack, but to generate offense in transition. G Pekka Rinne is a young goalie getting his first taste of the big game, and he’ll need to be stellar to give Nashville a shot at making this a competitive series. The big question is in the other net – G Antti Niemi. If he falters, they go to G Cristobal Huet, also unproven in the playoffs. This is a big series for unproven G Antti Niemi, who started only one of six against the Preds this year. Will the decision not to trade for a goalie come back and haunt the Hawks?

The Blackhawks are very deep, an understatement for a team that’s been so finely tuned, even with D Brian Campbell out. He’s expected to remain out until early next month. The Predators are healthy with the exception of D Denis Grebeshkov.

The Predators finally get someone other than Detroit or San Jose in a playoff matchup, but they still won’t win a game on the road and they still won’t advance. The Predators have failed to break through for even a single road win in 10 tries. That has to change if they want to entertain thoughts of a major first-round upset. It’ll be the Predators’ underrated defence against the Blackhawks’ pressure and puck possession. Only once during the six-game regular-season series between them did a game feature more than five goals combined. Nashville is underrated in just about every facet of the game. They’re also very physical, but Chicago’s offensive firepower will be too much to handle.

The Hawks are nearly perfect – offensively and defensively, the team is sound. Despite the huge question marks between the pipes, they are my team to beat in the West.

X-Factors: Blackhawks’ G Antti Niemi and Predators’ G Pekka Rinne.

They’re going with first-year NHLer Niemi over the veteran Huet. Niemi started Chicago ‘s final nine games of the regular season and finished the year with an impressive 26-8-3 record and a 2.25 GAA that was among the top five in the league. The 26-year-old Finnish native, who’s about a month too old to qualify as an NHL rookie, had a six-game win streak snapped when Chicago lost to Detroit in overtime on the final day of the season. The ‘Hawks have a stacked team up front and on the blueline, but their Stanley Cup hopes will hinge on whether Niemi can carry over his regular season success into the spring. As for Rinne, he’ll have to stand on his head. Playoff hockey starts from the net out, and he’ll have to stop every puck his way if the Preds want to stand a chance.

Pick: Blackhawks in 5

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings

Game 1 @ VAN, Thu, Apr 15 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 2 @ VAN, Sat, Apr 17 10:00pm EDT , TV: CBC, VS.
Game 3 @ LA, Mon, Apr 19 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 4 @ LA, Wed, Apr 21 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 5 @ VAN, Fri, Apr 23 10:00pm EDT, TV: CBC
Game 6 @ LA, Sun, Apr 25, TBD, TV: VS., CBC
Game 7 @ VAN, Tue, Apr 27, TBD, TV: CBC

Easily the best series of the Quarters. This matchup has the potential for a long, hard-fought battle – just the way it should be. Both teams should like the easy travel and consistent schedule in this series – simple flights up and down the coast without having to cross any time zones and games set up for every other night.

The major question remains how the Kings’ young talent will adjust to playoff hockey. F Anze Kopitar, D Drew Doughty and G Jonathan Quick are all inexperienced, but with F Ryan Smyth and D Rob Scuderi being playoff vets, they should be able to make the adjustments.

Los Angeles didn’t play as well after the Olympics, but the Kings are still a dangerous opponent because, like the Avs, Preds and Coyotes, they don’t have any expectations or pressure.

The Canucks will be looking to F Daniel and Henrik Sedin, F Ryan Kesler, and of course, G Roberto Luongo to be difference makers. And while the Kings are healthy, the Canucks hope to have several defensemen back in time to start the playoffs. D Sami Salo, D Shane O’Brien and D Aaron Rome all suffered injuries in the final two games of the regular season, but all are expected to be back in time for Game 1. The Canucks, defensively deep, will be tested.

Quick had a great season in L.A.’s net, but he went cold in the final weeks. I think the Kings will adapt quickly to the postseason style of play and force the Canucks to a seventh game. With Luongo’s gold medal win, he’s finally gotten a taste of what a big win feels like. Will it help him in the playoffs?

X-Factors: Kings’ F Justin Williams and Canucks’ F Kyle Wellwood. Williams, 28, is a two-time 30-goal scorer with Carolina in 2005-06 and ’06-07 (seven goals and 18 points in 25 playoff games during Carolina ‘s ’06 Cup championship). Since those days in Carolina, Williams has had a bad run of injuries, including missing 28 games with a broken right leg this season. He returned from that setback on March 12 and was slow to regain his form, collecting just one assist in his first 10 games. Come April, Williams started to pick it up, with two goals and four points in six contests. The Kings are a young team playing in the postseason for the first time since 2002; they need their veterans, like Williams and Smyth, to lead the way.

Wellwood is a head-scratcher. He’s not big, he’s not physical, and is often criticized for disappearing for long stretches. He’s also very skilled near the net, and he proved in last year’s playoffs that he can elevate his play and be a two-way player. After coming to camp in the best shape of his career, the undersized Wellwood had a rough first half, not scoring his first goal of the season until Game 20. He’s woken up and has collected seven goals since the Olympics. Vancouver gets another offensive weapon if Wellwood continues his scoring success.

Pick: Canucks in 7

(4) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings

Game 1 @ PHO, Wed, Apr 14 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 2 @ PHO, Fri, Apr 16 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 3 @ DET, Sun, Apr 18 3:00pm EDT, TV: NBC, TSN
Game 4 @ DET, Tue, Apr 20 6:30pm EDT, TV: TSN, FSAZ
Game 5 @ PHO, Fri, Apr 23 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 6 @ DET, Sat, Apr 24 2:00pm EDT
Game 7 @ PHO, Tue, Apr 27, TBD, TV: TSN, FSAZ

The Coyotes are in their first playoff appearance since 2002, but how much do the Wings have left after a wicked run to fifth in the West coming off of back-to-back Stanley Cup Final showings? Phoenix management look like geniuses after adding F Lee Stempniak, F Wojtek Wolski, D Derek Morris and D Mathieu Schneider. Coach Dave Tippett has turned the ‘Yotes into a feared competitor.

So what does Phoenix’ great season get them? A date with Detroit, who has been to back-to-back Cup finals, winning in 2008. The Coyotes have the speed and skill to compete with the Wings. The Wings are still recovering from injuries, and haven’t had much time to gel – their late-season streak was the team that they expected to have on opening night. Who knows what spot they’d be in had they been healthy all season.

I think it’ll come down to goaltending, although I’m not sold on rookie G Jimmy Howard, despite the solid numbers. If he falters, how short is the leash before G Chris Osgood comes in? Coach Mike Babcock only hoped he could get his injured troops back on the ice to make a run at it, and that has happened since the start of the calendar year. Detroit’s top players came through as they have so many times, and Howard finally lived up to the expectations of management. At the other end, the Vezina Trophy favourite G Ilya Bryzgalov gives his teammates plenty of confidence going into this best-of-seven series.

If Howard remains stabilized, the Wings take it in 6. Phoenix wins two at home. Detroit’s depth and experience prevails against Phoenix’ youth. Detroit is too experienced, too healthy and too hot. They closed with a 17-3-2 run and put the fear in everyone’s head that the Red Wings were the one lower-seeded team to try and avoid in the first round.

X-Factors: Coyotes’ F Lee Stempniak and Red Wings’ G Jimmy Howard. 14 goals in 18 games after being moved from Toronto, Stempniak has found his niche as a go-to scorer on a team that was desperate for offense. Only four full-time Phoenix players scored more than Stempniak’s 14 goals as a Coyote.

Like their Original Six opponent in the Central Division, Chicago, the Wings are riding a 26-year-old goalie into the postseason. Howard, unlike Niemi, is eligible for the Calder Trophy and figures to be one of the three finalists. He was in the minors for a long time before finally getting his chance this season. After a slow start in October, he stepped into in when Osgood fell apart and hasn’t looked back since. The fact remains, though, that Osgood was a stellar performer for the Wings in the past two postseasons as Detroit advanced to back-to-back Cup finals, winning in 2008. It’s a lot to ask of Howard to deliver the same calibre of play in his first postseason appearance, but thus far, he’s shown the ability to succeed under Red Wings franchise pressure, as well as against difficult Western Conference opponents. This year, Hockeytown’s playoff expectations remain the same – anything less than the Cup is considered a disappointment.

Pick: Red Wings in 6

Since VoV started predictions on the site, I’ve had some good years and some bad years. VoV.com’s predictions record are as follows:

NHL
2008: 12-3 (80%)
2009: 10-5 (67%)
Total: 22/30 = 73%

NBA
2008: 11-4 (73%)
2009: 9-6 (60%)
Total: 20/30 = 67%

MLB
2008: 5-2 (71%)
2009: 4-3 (57%)
Total: 9/14 = 64%

NFL
2008: 9-2 (82%)
2009: 7-4 (64%)
Total: 16/22 = 73%

VoV

- Email – captaincharisma [at] hotmail.com
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NHL

– The Russian Olympic team has announced their roster with 14 NHLers on it. G Evgeni Nabokov, G Ilya Bryzgalov and G Semyon Varlamov will tend the nets for the Russians, while other notables include the great F Alex Ovechkin, F Evgeni Malkin, F Pavel Datsyuk, F Alexander Semin and F Ilya Kovalchuk up front and D Sergei Gonchar on the blueline. The Russians are definitely one of the favourites to mine Olympic gold. It will be one great tournament to watch.

MLB

– Buster Olney of ESPN says that RHP Joel Pineiro looks to be the Mets’ top target as pitcher. New York has been held up in their free agent shopping by OF Jason Bay, although a resolution should be forthcoming in that area, good or bad, at some point this upcoming week. The 31-year-old Pineiro was 15-12 with 3.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 32 starts in ’09. He would be a durable option for the club and may have seen his price come down to an acceptable range for the Mets.

– John Harper of the NY Daily News thinks free agent OF Jason Bay is “lukewarm” to the idea of playing for the Mets. The Mets so far have offered Bay the longest and most lucrative deal, but there’s speculation out of Boston that the Red Sox might make a late bid. And perhaps he’ll accept a discount to return to Fenway. Bay, 31, hit .267/.384/.537 this past season with 36 home runs, 119 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 531 at-bats. Harper writes, “It’s looking more and more as if Bay very much wants to play for [Boston] as opposed to the Mets.”

WWE

– There are mixed feelings on WWE champion Sheamus among those in the locker room. While some feel his friendship with Triple H has been blown out of proportion, others are accusing him of being a “shameless suck-up.” The word going around the company continues to be that Sheamus and new Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre are the favorites of Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

– According to FWOnline, WWE updated its Wellness Policy last week to officially note that any positive test for marijuana will result in a $2,500 fine. Previously, it was a $1,000 fine. The levied fine was in response to pot usage running rampant throughout the company. With that being said, usage is said to be way down among those on SmackDown, but still reportedly “out of control” among Raw talent. In the case of alcohol, the policy states that WWE performers are prohibited from “using or consuming alcohol at any time within a twelve hour period prior to any WWE event or WWE scheduled performance.”

TNA

– A local newspaper in Johnstown, Pennsylvania recently conducted an interview with Jeff Jarrett to promote TNA’s live event in the city on January 14th. Jarrett spoke at length about how TNA Wrestling can compete with World Wrestling Entertainment.

“They [WWE] are sports entertainment; we are professional wrestling. Our in-ring product takes priority over other facets of the business. The product that has drawn millions and millions of fans over the years, going back to the ’60s, is professional wrestling … (TNA) is fresh and modern, but it is in the essence of what has always been done.”

Jarrett knows what it takes to build a successful wrestling promotion and thinks TNA goes an extra step to make sure their fans are satisfied.

“We recognize the fact that we’ve got to earn our fans one at a time. I have been a part of wrestling my entire life, but I’ve never seen this kind of excitement generated by the backstage access, the autograph sessions, and the opportunities to get up close and personal with the TNA stars at the merchandise table.”

With TNA firing their “first shot” at WWE on January 4 with their first live 3-hour Monday night edition of TNA iMPACT!, Jarrett explains what’s ahead on TNA’s path to truly competing with WWE.

“Things are getting bigger and better. With the addition of Hulk Hogan, skies are very blue for TNA. Are we going to come right out of the gate and beat them? Are we claiming that? Absolutely not. But we’re in the game, and competition is good. We are very optimistic that by the end of 2010, it’ll be a different game.”

– According to Sean McCaffrey of DOIWrestling.com, who also runs the women’s wrestling promotion, Wrestling Superstars Uncensored, Angelina Love is expected to make her return to TNA during the company’s live three-hour iMPACT! broadcast on Monday, January 4, 2010.

Regarding the legitimacy of McCaffrey’s claims, he personally deals with the former Women’s Knockout Champion as she appeared on his most recent WSU show and also has her booked for events throughout 2010. Furthermore, the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer is also saying that TNA is looking to bring Love back early next year.

As noted earlier, Love’s successor in “The Beautiful People,” Lacey Von Erich is not expected to last much longer with TNA as she said is to be on “thin ice” with management. Reportedly, officials have given up on her as she has been resistant to suggestions to further her formal wrestling training. Her perceived negative attitude has also been a source of contention among those in the company as Von Erich has been living her persona to a hilt backstage at the Impact Zone instead of just keeping it on screen.

Love, whose real name is Lauren Williams, was released from TNA this past September due to visa issues. Soon after, Williams’ agent posted a blog entry on her MySpace account stating she would return to the organization once the issues with hervisa had been resolved.

VoV

-– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
– Facebook – facebook.com/marc.valeri

VoV

-– You can keep up with VoV through Twitter by clicking here.

MLB

– Fox is reporting that the Braves are very close to signing RHP Tim Hudson to a three-year/$9M extension. Hudson could have made more than that in free agency, but apparently would like to stay in Atlanta so much that he’s willing to take a discount. The deal is supposedly going to get done before week’s end. He spent most of 2009 recovering from Tommy John surgery and going 2-1 with a 3.61 ERA. The team is also expected to trade either RHP Javier Vazquez or RHP Derek Lowe for a bat.

NHL

– Penguins F Evgeni Malkin (strained shoulder) is out two-to-three weeks.

– According to the Cherry Hill Courier Post, the Flyers could be interested in F Brendan Shanahan to fill the void left by injured F Simon Gagne.

– The Kings have claimed D Randy Jones off re-entry waivers from the Flyers. Jones was sent to the minors before the start of the season because of salary cap reasons by the Flyers. The Flyers are now responsible for paying half of Jones’ salary.

TNA

– Hulk Hogan’job role in TNA could be more than just appearing on television and the occasional match. Radio personality Bubba The Love Sponge has posted some comments on Twitter.com that stating that Hulk Hogan will have more power than virtually anybody in TNA.

“[Hogan] is the boss. Period. Him and Eric biscoff will run the show. Things are going to get interesting. Vince is going to have a shit fit.”

“The boss boss. No work. He wouldn’t go back to only be the work boss. He is the boss boss. Promise”

When asked by one of his Twitter follows what he meant by Hogan being the “boss”, he clarified by saying, “He is the Booker. Period. Saw it in his contract. Terry and Eric won’t make the same mistakes that they made at wcw.”

WWE

– In an interview with Iconvslcon.com, WWE Hall of Famer Rowdy Roddy Piper says that he’ll be hosting an upcoming edition of WWE Raw. While Piper hosting WWE Raw seems to be an indication that everything is  fine between the two parties, that’s far from the case. Piper says he wasn’t happy with his involvement at WrestleMania 25 this April and wants to close his career on a better note.

“I wasn’t very happy with Wrestlemania XXV. In my mind, I want to put a cap on it as you say, with one more match, an extraordinary performance. Ya know the clock is tickin’, let’s be honest, so sooner rather then later. So, I think if you saw me in Raw that it would be leading into that match. I don’t know what it is yet. But yeah, you are correct.”

Since WrestleMania back in April, Piper has been outspoken against WWE for booking him in a three-on-one handicap match with Ricky Steamboat and Jimmy Snuka against Chris Jericho.

“I wasn’t wild about WrestleMania 25 to put it mildly. There’s not a chance in hell that that’s the last way you’re gonna see me. There will definitely be a return of Roddy Piper…and sooner than later. How many more fights I have in me, I don’t know.”

Piper knows that his days in the ring are virtually over, but he’s got an idea for one more high profile match that he’d like to see take place at WrestleMania 26 next year.

“You got Vince McMahon who’s done a great job of promoting, who became a bodybuilder, and the last I saw him, I think he’s convinced himself he could fight now. I say this…why don’t you just put Roddy Piper and Vince McMahon in the ring.”

NBA

– According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Wolves could be looking to deal the rights to G Ricky Rubio before next year’s draft. It isn’t expected that the team would get much in return on such a deal since most teams that have any interest in Rubio don’t want to get involved in any long-term contract negotiations before the free-agent signing period starts next summer.

WWE

– For the first time since the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” in 1997, Bret Hart is said to be open to returning to WWE as a weekly storyline character.

Hart has had business talks with WWE in recent months, which played a part in the company rehashing “Montreal” at last week’s Breaking Point PPV – in case he agrees to return.

While nothing yet has been agreed upon, nor should one expect anything to happen anytime soon, he is no longer against returning to WWE. In the past he has said he didn’t see himself ever coming back as a character on television because he could no longer wrestle and didn’t want to become some authority figure or manager.

WWE has had talks over the years regarding Hart returning to the company as a character. In fact, Vince McMahon told the creative team in 2006 that he was going to do a street fight with Hart on a PPV. Of course, it never came to be, and Hart, at the time, was saying that he was never going to wrestle again. Apparently, Hart was tentatively pencilled in to team up with Shawn Michaels vs. Vince and Shane McMahon at Backlash 2006 instead of “God.”

Talks with Hart reportedly began when Vickie Guerrero left the company.

– A 256-page paperback book on D-Generation X, The Unauthorized History of DX, is set to be released by World Wrestling Entertainment on Tuesday, October 6th. The book will detail the formation and numerous re-creations of DX.

Amazon.com has released the back cover “reviews” of the book, which include made-up quotes from DX complementing their own book. One of the made-up quotes pokes fun at Bret Hart.

“Truly, D-Generation X is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be!” ANONYMOUS CANADIAN WRESTLING LEGEND

– American singer and actress Lauren Mayhew debuted as the new ring announcer for the WWE at last night’s SmackDown! taping in Tulsa, Oklahoma, replacing Lilian Garcia.

Mayhew has appeared in numerous films and movies including American Pie Presents: Band Camp, CSI: Miami, Law & Order, and Joan of Arcadia. She has a musical background as well, so expect her to sing for WWE.

– Chavo Guerrero posted a few messages on his Twitter account defending his ongoing storyline with Hornswoggle.

“You all realize that it’s not wrestling anymore, right?” Guerrero wrote. “It’s entertainment. Sometimes I wonder by your comments.

“You guys realize that I can out “wrestle” most guys in the WWE, right? The way you guys respond makes me think that you actually think I’m losing. It makes me think I’m responding to RETARDS! We’re not the UFC. It’s not real. I can beat up a midget any day of the week and so could you. But who wants to see that?”

Seriously, is anyone entertained by this? How does this guy still have a job?

NHL

– Jim Balsillie has promised to keep the Coyotes in Glendale for the full 2009-10 season if he wins the team. Balsillie still plans to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario, but he is now willing to allow the team to play the upcoming season in their current home. Bankruptcy court judge Redfield T. Baum called Balsillie’s latest proposal “a fairly significant change.” Baum scheduled an emergency hearing for Wednesday to discuss Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes’ request for mediation. Moyes supports Balsillie’s $242.5M bid to buy the team, but the NHL has rejected Balsillie’s offer and put in their own $140M bid. Baum held an auction for the Phoenix Coyotes and heard arguments for the NHL’s and Balsillie’s bids. He has not ruled in favour of either proposal yet, though, and Baum has suggested that he might simply reject both bids.

– Penguins F Evgeni Malkin wants to play in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, even if it meant a long-term suspension from the NHL. “This is my dream. Especially because this is going to take place in Russia. There is a buzz over there already. And if I am in good form, if I am a candidate for a roster spot, and if I am invited, there is no way I will refuse. I would rather pay fines and still go. If there is something serious like a disqualification for a couple of years in the NHL, if there is something like this I will probably still go because I can even leave to Russia to play.” Capitals F Alexander Ovechkin has also said he’s willing to risk a suspension to take part in the 2014 Winter Olympics. The NHL is already committed to playing in the 2010 Games, but they’re reluctant to shut down their season for a few weeks to have their players participate in an event halfway around the world. Although Malkin and Ovechkin are talking about the games now, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly thinks it’s premature for the NHL to start discussing their plans the 2014 Olympics.

MLB

– An MRI on Giants 2B Freddy Sanchez’s left knee Tuesday revealed a meniscus tear. Sanchez will probably need to undergo some sort of procedure in the offseason. But for now, he’ll try to play through. The Giants may have just developed serious reservations about picking up the second baseman’s $8.1M option for 2010.

NBA

– The Bobcats have officially signed G Raymond Felton to a one-year/$5.5M qualifying offer to remain with the team this season. He’ll become a UFA next summer, but says he’d like to stay with the Bobcats. That seems unlikely with G D.J. Augustin coming up.

TNA

– As reported earlier, Lacey Von Erich, the 23-year-old daughter of the late Kerry Von Erich, signed a contract with TNA last week. She made her TNA debut at last night’s Impact taping in Orlando, being revealed as the newest member of “The Beautiful People.” It was also noted that Angelina Love is no longer a member of the group. The episode is set to air on Thursday, October 1.

MLB

– Free agent LHP Tom Glavine will sit the remainder of the 2009 season. He told Fox 5, “I’m not going to pitch or do anything in baseball until at least next year.” Glavine stopped short, according to Fox 5, of announcing his retirement, saying he plans to be “a full-time dad.” Glavine did not announce his retirement, though it is hard to imagine him returning after taking the rest of the season off.

The decision is surprising for a number of reasons. For one thing, Glavine had been so adamant about objecting to his treatment by the Braves, who released him following his final rehab start. It’ll be interesting to see how this affects RHP Pedro Martinez, who’s value just shot up.

– The Phillies and Rangers are currently the frontrunners for Red Sox’ RHP Brad Penny.

– The Yankees are interested in signing RHP Pedro Martinez, but only to a minor-league deal. The Yankees will watch him pitch today, along with the Cubs, Rays and Angels. SI.com believes that the pecking order for Pedro is as follows; Cubs, Angels, Dodgers, Rays, Yankees and Mets.

– Dodgers’ skipper Joe Torre has passed Sparky Anderson for 5th on the all time managerial wins list with 2,195.

– As reported here earlier, the LA Times has confirmed that Dodgers’ OF Manny Ramirez is scheduled to join Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday for the beginning of a rehab assignment. As the Times reports, “Ramirez will then go to Class A Inland Empire for a three-game series starting June 27. Following that stint, he’ll work out in Los Angeles on July 1, travel with the Dodgers to San Diego on July 2 and rejoin the lineup on July 3 against the Padres.” He’s been out on a 50-game suspension since May 7.

NHL

– The 2009 NHL Awards Ceremony was last night. Here’s what happened:

Hart (season MVP), Lester B. Pearson (most valuable by NHLPA) and Rocket Richard (most goals): Capitals’ F Alex Ovechkin. It was the third award given to Ovechkin in Las Vegas as he also won the Lester Pearson award and the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer. Congratulations to Ovechkin on a tremendous season. Ovie beat out two fellow Russians: Pens’ F Evgeni Malkin and Red Wings’ F Pavel Datsyuk for the NHL’s MVP.

Calder (top rookie): Blue Jackets’ G Steve Mason wins, and he deserved it, hands down. He was 33-20-7 with a 2.29 HAA and a .916 SV%. He also led the league with 10 shutouts. Mason was the reason why the Jackets made it to the postseason for the first time in franchise history. Blackhawks’ F Kris Versteeg and Ducks’ F Bobby Ryan were the other finalists.

Frank Selke (best defensive forward) and Lady Byng (most gentlemanly player): Red Wings’ F Pavel Datsyuk. Datsyuk is arguably the best two-way player in the NHL as he also managed to finish fourth overall in scoring with 97 points. It’s the fourth straight year that Datsyuk has won the Lady Byng and second year in a row for the Selke. Datsyuk won the Lady Byng over Lightning’ F Martin St. Louis and Devils’ F Zach Parise. He won the Selke over Stars’ F Brad Richards and Canucks’ F Ryan Kesler.

James Norris (best defenceman): Bruins’ D Zdeno Chara. It is the first time that Chara has captured the award that goes to the NHL’s top defenseman. Chara had 19 goals and 50 points and was a plus-23. He’s now is the first Bruin to win the Norris since Ray Bourque won the last of his five in 1994. Lidstrom was snubbed – Lidstrom wins every year, but the NHL awards it to whoever else has a good season. He beat out a six-time winner in Red Wings’ D Nicklas Lidstrom and Capitals’ D Mike Green.

Vezina (best goalie): Bruins’ G Tim Thomas. Thomas was outstanding this season as he was 36-11-7 with a 2.10 GAA and a .933 SV%. Thomas has finally received his due, as he has been an underrated goalie his whole career. Thomas beat out Jackets’ G Steve Mason and Wild’ G Nicklas Backstrom.

Bill Masterson (preserverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey): Predators’ F Steve Sullivan. Sully returned to the NHL after missing almost two full years because of a career-threatening back injury. Sully beat Red Wings’ D Chris Chelios and Panthers’ F Richard Zednik.

Coach of the Year: Bruins’ Claude Julien. Boston finished first in the East (53-39-10), and finished with the league’s second-best offense with 275 goals after ranking 25th in the 2007-08 season.

– In a renewed effort to sell to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, the Phoenix Coyotes have asked a bankruptcy judge to set a September 15 deadline for the sale of the financially troubled hockey team. The Coyotes said in court filings on Thursday that Balsillie’s company, PSE Sports & Entertainment, would be willing to extend its bid, which had been set to expire June 29. Judge Redfield T. Baum on Monday rejected the proposed sale of the franchise to Balsillie. In a 21-page ruling, Baum concluded the June 29 deadline set by Balsillie did not allow enough time to resolve the complex case.

– The NHL is in negotiations with the NHLPA for a second Winter Classic game in 2010, and the Flames are considered the front runner. It is assumed that the Washington Capitals, or possibly the Philadelphia Flyers, will play the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park on January 1, but the NHL is looking at playing another outdoor game later in the day and Calgary is being mentioned. The game would be played at McMahon Stadium. Another Canadian team will probably play against the Flames. Stay tuned.

– Blues’ F Keith Tkachuk, 37, received a contract offer from the club this week, and the two sides are closing in on a deal that could be completed today. Tkachuk will become a UFA at the end of the month, and has said he wants to finish his career as a Blue.

– The Devils are looking at former player Kevin Dineen as a candidate for their vacant coaching position.

– Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur has been given a one-year suspended sentence, fined $100 and ordered to donate $10K to charity for giving contradictory testimony during his son’s 2007 bail hearing. Lafleur is appealing the guilty verdict handed down on May 1. He has also filed a $3.5M civil lawsuit against the Montreal police and the Crown over the warrant used to arrest him. The 57-year-old Lafleur won five Stanley Cups in 14 seasons in Montreal.

– The Caps have re-signed F Quintin Laing to a one-year deal. Laing signed a one-year contract after playing in only one game with Washington last season. He tore his spleen in his only appearance after being recalled from the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Laing has one goal and six assists in 43 career NHL games.

– Blackhawks’ assistant GM Rick Dudley has resigned after three years in that position.

WWE

– WWE issued a survey to fans on their mailing list about a PPV where the Hell In The Cell would be used in all the matches, similar to the potential all-submission match PPV, and requested feedback on potential PPV names for the event:

*WWE Hell In A Cell
*WWE No Escape
*WWE Lock Up
*WWE Rage In A Cage

– Eric Bischoff recently made a blog entry on his official website with his thoughts on RAW this week. Below are the highlights:

“Triple H’s entrance is weak, old and so tired I went to go floss my teeth when it started. He looks like a Lhasa Apso genetic experiment gone bad. Get him some new music for Gods sake, and a hair-cut. One word describes HHH’s character: dated.”

“The VKM announcement of the new GM tease was weak at best…is it me or are Vince’s ears gaining size on his head? The VKM revelation that he “sold RAW” was lame. When you start out a story line with a premise that is completely unbelievable, should it be a surprise that the audiences gags on it? Trump isn’t good in this role and is too forced. My guess is that Trump will bring in Ric to handle day-to-day duties on his behalf, and at least give fans something to get excited about for a while.”

“The main event just bored me. 3 ways, 4 ways, 10 ways are just cheap ways to camouflage the lack of story and issues between the performers. I am the first one to defend writers/producers who are challenged to come up with fresh ideas for the same pool of talent week after week, but there is a consistent pattern in WWE story telling that just leaves me feeling flat.”

– Commercials for The Bash airing on Comcast are still referring to the WWE PPV as The Great American Bash. As previously noted, Vince wanted the name changed to The Bash because Great American Bash reminded him of WCW too much. As a rule of thumb, Vince generally dislikes doing anything WCW did even if it was one of their good ideas.

NBA

– The Lakers and F Lamar Odom and F Trevor Ariza are soon expected to begin contract negotiations. Odom was on the Lakers’ books for $14.1M this season, though he was actually paid $11.4M because he received some of the money in a trade kicker when the Lakers acquired him from Miami in July 2004. Both parties want to re-sign, but the Lakers will need to see what their offer to Odom is like.

The Penguins overcame the NHL’s 38-year-old Game 7 road jinx, captain Sidney Crosby’s mid-game injury and a furious third-period surge to beat Detroit 2-1 on Friday night, win the Stanley Cup and prevent the Red Wings from winning their fifth league championship in 12 seasons.

Fittingly, Crosby passed the Cup (after a few touches) to Mario Lemieux. Super Mario is now the first Hall of Famer to win the Stanley Cup as a player and then as a primary owner.

Evgeni Malkin, who recorded 38 points this postseason, was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy for playoff MVP.

From a Red Wings perspective, they followed their poor play in Game 6 through Game 7, and they paid the ultimate price. Actually, the Penguins out-Detroit-Red-Wings’d the Detroit Red Wings. The Pens controlled puck possession, forced turnovers, limited scoring chances, and kept the Detroit blueline under forechecking pressure.

Speaking of which, Detroit’s defence last night was atrocious. Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart had particularly awful games, turning over the puck multiple times, including the opening goal for Maxime Talbot. Jonathan Ericsson and Brian Rafalski were not much better.

Detroit had a chance to send Game 7 to overtime, but couldn’t get the job done when Nicklas Lidstrom slapped a puck at a yawning cage with about one second to go. Marc-Andre Fleury, standing on his head this game, lunged and made a beautiful diving save to ensure that the Pens would not have the same destiny as last year.

Overcoming all stats, the Penguins can say that they earned the Stanley Cup this year. Fitting too, that the Penguins would capture Lord Stanley on the 87th game of the playoffs. Crosby’s number, of course, is #87.

The Pittsburgh Penguins may have just played the biggest momentum-swinging period of their playoffs. Now, there is doubt that that the once ‘over’ series is now far from that.

Until Game 4, the finals followed the same pattern as last year’s: Detroit won the first two at home, then dropped Game 3 in Pittsburgh. But the Red Wings couldn’t follow up their 2-1 road victory in Game 4 of last year, one decided largely when they killed off a lengthy Pittsburgh 5-on-3 advantage, and now these finals are the best-of-three.

Jordan Staal’s short-handed goal during back-to-back Detroit power plays started Pittsburgh’s comeback, and the Penguins scored three goals in less than 6 minutes of the second period Thursday night to win 4-2 and tie the series at 2.

Evgeni Malkin, enjoying the best postseason since Wayne Gretzky’s in 1993, and Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist each to help rally the Penguins from a 2-1 deficit a year to the day Detroit raised the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh by winning Game 6.

Tyler Kennedy also scored and Marc-Andre Fleury, with his second successive excellent game, made 37 saves.

The Red Wings were done in by a bad second period and brutal special teams, even with Kris Draper back in the mix. Pittsburgh has converted on 4 of 9 power plays, and this game swung when the Penguins got a goal—and the Red Wings didn’t—during 3:59 of continuous Detroit power-play time. Detroit was 0 for 4 with the man advantage.

This series is officially up for grabs. The Red Wings – and this coming from a Red Wings fan – are going to lose this series unless they get Pavel Datsyuk back.

Datsyuk, a finalist for the Hart trophy (season MVP), Selke trophy (best defensive forward) Lady Byng trophy (skill and gentlemanly player), and most importantly, a four-time Stanley Cup Champion. He was the Red Wings’ leading scorer in the regular season with 97 points, including 32 goals, and would provide quite a lift. Even if Datsyuk is only on the ice to help with the powerplay, it’s better than not having him in the lineup at all.

Datsyuk’s destiny will ultimately be determined by his Saturday morning skate.

The bigger question is this: with the Penguins having a new-found sense of accomplishment and confidence, is it too little too late? Although the series is tied at 2 apiece, Staal’s second period goal looks like it’s a series changer.

Game 5 is Saturday night in Detroit, with Game 6 in Pittsburgh on Tuesday after the series’ first two-day break.

With some lucky breaks, the Penguins managed to squeeze a win against the defending Cup champs, changing the series from backs-against-the-wall to right-back-in-it.

In a frantic first period, both teams scored two goals, something we haven’t seen from either side in prior games. The second was all Red Wings, as they ended the period with a 26-11 shot advantage, including a domination in puck control. The third, however, was a different story, with the Pens scoring a key powerplay marker in the third that proved to be too much.

You can thank Sergei Gonchar for making this a series, 10:29 into the third. A 3-0 lead would have had the Penguins walking the green mile. In fact, had the Red Wings won Game 3 and 4, it would have been exactly one calendar year since the Red Wings took the Cup over the Pens in Game 6 of last season.

In winning, the Penguins had everything they lacked in losing twin 3-1 decisions in the first two games in Detroit, including start-to-finish confidence, resiliency and scoring from throughout their lineup. A sense of desperation, too.

Marc-Andre Fleury was very sharp last night, and didn’t allow any softies, unlike the identical 3-1 losses in Games 1 and 2. For once this series, he outplayed rival netminder Chris Osgood, who allowed 3 goals on 20 shots. Ozzie has now lost for only the 3rd time in 13 Finals games.

One thing Detroit did do right was that they were once again married to the Henrik Zetterberg-Sidney Crosby matchup, despite Pittsburgh having last change. Rather than changing the entire line when Crosby hopped onto the ice, the centre was simply subbed for Zetterberg, who had his eye on Crosby the whole time and shadowed him at all times. Crosby managed one assist last night, his first point this series.

It was none other than playoff scoring leader Evgeni Malkin who set up the first three goals. Malkin, almost invisible at times during last year’s finals, has 33 points in 20 games—the most since Joe Sakic had 34 for Stanley Cup champion Colorado in 1996.

Pittsburgh also went 2-for-3 on the power play, with the called interference penalty on Jonathan Ericsson that led to Gonchar’s game-winner.

Most of all, the Penguins stood up to the Red Wings even after the defending champs answered Max Talbot’s first goal with scores by Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. Those goals briefly quieted an all-in-white crowd that could sense it might be watching the Red Wings effectively secure their fifth Stanley Cup since 1997.

So far, the finals have featured the same scenario as last year. Detroit wins the first two at home, then loses a tight Game 3 in Pittsburgh. Last year, the Red Wings took a 3-1 lead by winning Game 4 in Pittsburgh, which allowed them to survive a three-overtime Game 5 loss at home before they finished off Pittsburgh in Game 6.

But the Penguins have played better in each of the three games than they did last spring and, the Red Wings understand the hard part is yet to come. The Penguins must be wondering, too, whether Detroit will be at 100% for Game 4, as they have yet to run on all cylinders this series.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

This was the case in both Games 1 and 2 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final between the Red Wings and Penguins. The same can be said for the constant flashes of deja-vu had by the Pens.

Different scorers, same situations.

Detroit beat the Penguins 3-1 Sunday night, just as they did the previous night, after shutting them out by a combined score of 7-0 in the first two games of last year’s finals, ultimately taking a 2-0 lead in the series. Detroit is shooting for its fifth title in 12 seasons and the 12th Cup in franchise history.

Just like last year, my friends.

Valtteri Filpulla scored the go-ahead goal midway through the second period, sandwiching his tally between goals from youngsters Jonathan Ericsson – who is just hours removed from an appendectomy – and Justin Abdelkader, who became the first rookie to score in consecutive games in the finals since Minnesota’s Dino Ciccarelli in 1981. Abdelkader slapped a bouncing puck on net that beat Marc-Andre Fleury for the insurance marker in Game 2, just as he batted a bouncing puck in Game 1 for the insurance marker.

Game 3 is Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, where the Eastern Conference champions will battle a modern-day dynasty and history.

32 teams have lost the first two Stanley Cup finals games on the road and only the 1971 Montreal Canadiens rallied to win it all.

Much of the credit thus far has been due to the stellar play of NHL playoff legend Chris Osgood, who was Detroit’s No. 1 goaltender on its 1998 championship team. Ozzie improved to 10-2 and dropped his GAA to a minuscule 1.47 in the Stanley Cup finals.

As Detroit hold every advantage over the Penguins, they still do so without Hart trophy candidate Pavel Datsyuk and one of the league’s best defensive-forwards in Kris Draper.

The Red Wings improved to 11-0 this postseason when leading after two periods, moving halfway toward putting another championship banner in the crowded rafters at Joe Louis Arena.

The team is going to be in tough for Game 3 when they head back to Mellon Arena. With Datsyuk and Draper’s availability in question once again, the Pens managed to scour some momentum with seconds left in the thirdMax Talbot stabbed Osgood, who had just frozen the puck on a shot from the point.

Evgeni Malkin then blindsided Henrik Zetterberg, and after numerous punches and slaps to the head with his stick, instigated a fight. Malkin received a five-minute major and a game misconduct, but the key here is that he also received the instigator penalty, meaning that a suspension is possible for Game 3. Colin Campbell, however, rescinded the call in typical post-NHL fashion.

How is it possible for the league to automatically rescind a call without looking at it first? It’s because the NHL only enforces rules that are convenient.

Because Malkin’s antics came with 19 seconds remaining in the Penguins’ 3-1 loss, it triggered Rule 47.22, which hands down the one-game suspension to players who instigate a fight in the game’s final five minutes. It is a rule to prevent the kind of thuggery and frustration spilling that Malkin displayed. The punishment fits.

Except in the NHL, which includes out clauses with its rules. This suspension can be reviewed by Campbell, the NHL’s executive VP and director of hockey operations, who certainly doesn’t have anything riding on Malkin, the potential MVP, no, sir, and wouldn’t at all let his decision be compromised by the quality of the player involved, no way, no how, because he is a fair and impartial jury of one, yes, indeed.

Campbell said, “Suspensions are applied under this rule when a team attempts to send a message in the last five minutes by having a player instigate a fight.”

For some reason, this was not the case on Sunday. The entire point of the fight was to send a message to Zetterberg and the defending Cup champs – that the Penguins were still around, and that they still had some fight in them, and that he was going to show it by beefing with a guy 4 inches shorter.

And he did this knowing that the league would never, ever suspend him. Players realize the NHL is weak in mind and spirit. It could, ironically, learn something about toughness from them. So they’re going to continue to flout the rule until Campbell or commissioner Gary Bettman or someone else steps in and abolishes it or enforces it.

The league must make up its mind. If it agrees with the principle of the rule, live with its consequences. Otherwise, get rid of it and mete out punishment in its usual manner: devoid of logic and consistency.

Next thing you know, the players will look at the book and wonder what other rules they can break. In fact, that happened Sunday. At the end of Campbell’s statement, the NHL made sure to include this chestnut:

“NHL Hockey Operations also determined that Malkin should have been assessed a game misconduct for not having his jersey tied down.”

Well, that’s grand. An unnecessary elbow. A few good punches. And the NHL is worried about Evgeni Malkin’s clothing.

Like you’d expect anything different.

The Detroit Red Wings, up 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals, prevailed in a 2-1 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Did I mention that they were without Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Dastyuk, Jonathan Ericsson and Kris Draper?

Darren Helm scored 3:58 into overtime – the third overtime game in the last four – and Dan Cleary had a goal in the third period in the defending champions’ victory last night, propelling the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup rematch of last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Chris Osgood once again was a brick wall between the pipes, turning aside 30 shots, while Cristobal Huet, filling in for Nikolai Khabibulin, stopped 44 of 46 in the loss.

The Red Wings and Penguins, coming off a four-game sweep over Carolina in the East, will open the championship series Saturday night in Detroit.

The series will start nearly a week ahead of schedule because NBC and the NHL didn’t want a long layoff to stunt the excitement about the matchup.

One of the intriguing stories will be Marian Hossa playing against the team he left behind as a free agent. Hossa turned down a long-term, lucrative deal from the Penguins last summer for a one-year contract because he believed the Red Wings had a better shot to win it all again.

The Red Wings are matching up with Pittsburgh in what is the NHL’s first Stanley Cup rematch since the Oilers beat the Islanders in 1984 after losing to them the previous year.

This year, history will repeat itself – for the Red Wings.

While Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have taken their game to the next level, Detroit’s game is shutting down individual players – just ask Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp.

Aside from skill, talent, post-season experience, and everything else that the Cup champs have over the Pens, Crosby foolishly touched the Prince of Wales trophy, while Henrik Zetterberg wisely left the Clarence Campbell trophy all alone. This, believe it or not, will be what the Finals will come down to.

In addition, the Red Wings were missing everyone – Ericsson, a huge ice-time eater, was a surprise scratch, needing surgery after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis following the morning skate; Draper, the league’s best defensive-forward, was out again with a groin injury; Datsyuk, arguably the best player in the NHL, remained out with a foot injury; and Lidstrom, the NHL’s best defenceman, was out with a lower-body injury. If Detroit can annihilate the Blackhawks without four of their best players, what chance does Pittsburgh have when Detroit is full strength?

The Red Wings, the first defending champion to get back to the finals since the Devils in 2001, are trying to become the first team to repeat since they accomplished the feat back in 1997 and ’98. This will also be the first decade where there will not be a repeat champion.