NBA

– F LeBron James will end months of speculation on Thursday night when he announces where he will sign as part of an hour-long special, “LeBron James: The Decision, “airing live tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET on TSN (encore at 12 midnight ET on TSN2). Stuart Scott hosts the one-hour special and is joined by NBA analysts Michael Wilbon and Jon Barry. James will announce his decision in a preliminary interview with Jim Gray followed by an extensive interview with Wilbon.

The Deseret News cites an ESPN executive as saying that LeBron James will make his announcement within the first 10 minutes of Thursday’s one-hour show. A bit surprising, as I expected the announcement to be drawn out until the final moments of the show, but it appears that we may find out right off the bat. Depending on what you believe, the Cavs, Heat, Knicks, Nets and Bulls were all potentially still in the hunt as of late Wednesday afternoon.

– The Bulls have signed F Carlos Boozer to a 5-year/$80M deal. It remains to be seen whether this will be the big move that lures F LeBron James to Chicago. Either way, the Bulls just upgraded their frontcourt dramatically. Meanwhile, the Deseret News reports that the Jazz may attempt to get something back for Boozer in a sign-and-trade package with the Bulls.

– The Celtics have re-signed G Ray Allen to a 2-year/$20M deal. The 9-time All-Star averaged 16.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game over 80 contests last regular season. His total was 16.1 points during the team’s playoff run, which ended with a Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. During the championship series, Allen set an NBA Finals record by sinking eight three-point shots in a Game 2 victory.

– Heat beat writer Michael Wallace said on Twitter Wednesday that F Jermaine O’Neal is close to signing with the Celtics. Stay tuned.

– The Warriors are close to sending F Anthony Randolph to the Knicks in a sign-and-trade for F David Lee. This is the same deal that was rumoured to include G Monta Ellis, who is now out of talks. Of course, everything is contingent on F LeBron James. If he announces he’ll play anywhere but New York, the Warriors would possibly send Randolph, either F Ronny Turiaf or F Kelenna Azubuike, and F Vladimir Radmanovic in exchange for Lee. If LeBron signs with the Knicks, the deal will likely be killed. And frankly, we’d love to see Randolph play for Mike D’Antoni and the Knicks.

– The NBA salary cap for next season was set Wednesday at $58.04M, a higher number than projected. The cap goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET Thursday, ending the league’s moratorium period and allowing free agent contracts to be signed. It’s a slight increase from this season’s $57.7M cap, a surprise for teams considering what they were bracing for last summer. Teams were warned in a memo last July that the economic crisis could send the cap spiraling to somewhere between $50.4-53.6M, some $10M below what teams were once anticipating.

NHL

– Days after a report surfaced that F Ilya Kovalchuk was on the verge of signing a 7-year/$60M contract with the Devils, comes a report Wednesday in the LA Times that quotes Kings’ GM Dean Lombardi as saying that his team has “re-engaged” in negotiations. According to the Times, the Kings received a counter-proposal on Wednesday but it is so complex that the team is not expected to respond for at least a day. The Kings publically broke off talks with Kovalchuk on Sunday after reportedly making more than one offer without ever receiving a counter offer.

– G Evgeni Nabokov has signed a 4-year/$24M contract worth $6M annually with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. Nabokov, 34, leaves the NHL after posting one of his best seasons to date. In 2009-10 he went 44-16-10 with a 2.43 GAA and .922 SV% for San Jose.

– The Canucks will retire former captain F Markus Naslund’s jersey as part of the NHL team’s 40th anniversary this season. The team announced at the Canucks’ Summer Summit on Wednesday that Naslund’s No. 19 will be raised on December 11. His number will join those of Canucks legends Trevor Linden and Stan Smyl atop the newly named Rogers Arena. Naslund, a native of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, played 11 seasons with the Canucks. He recorded 346 goals and 756 points with the club. His best season was in 2002-03, when he had 48 goals and 56 assists for 104 points.

– The Predators have signed F Sergei Kostitsyn to a 1-year/$550K deal.

– The Hurricanes have signed D Joe Corvo to a 2-year/$4.5M deal. The offensive D-man will make $2M in 2010-11 and $2.5M in 2011-12. Carolina dealt Corvo to Washington this past season at the trade deadline, but they are happy to have him back. GM Jim Rutherford said, “Joe has been a really good player for us over the last three seasons, and we feel that this solidifies our defense. We appreciate him working with us to get this deal done. He said that he really wanted to stay in Carolina and this commitment confirms that.” Corvo had a disappointing campaign in 2009-10. He struggled through injury and could not produce on the ice when he got the chance. Corvo collected just 18 points in 52 games with the Hurricanes and Capitals, while posting a minus-10 rating.

– The Leafs have signed D Brett Lebda to a 2-year/$2.9M deal worth $1.45M annually. Lebda had one goal and seven assists in 63 games with Detroit last season.

– The Sabres have signed G Patrick Lalime, 36, to a 1-year deal. Lalime was 4-8-2 for the Sabres last season with a 2.81 GAA and .905 SV%. On March 27, Lalime became the 66th goaltender in NHL history to record 200 career wins when he backstopped Buffalo to a 7-1 win over Tampa Bay at HSBC Arena.

– The Sabres have signed F Rob Niedermayer to a 1-year/$1.15M deal. Last year he had 22 points in 71 games with the Devils.

– The Capitals have re-signed D Jeff Schultz to a 4-year/$11M deal. The 24-year-old led the NHL last season with a plus-50 rating and had a team-high 129 blocked shots. He had three goals and career highs of 20 assists and 23 points in 73 games.

– The Avalanche have re-signed RFA D Brandon Yip to a 2-year deal. Yip was recalled by the Avs on Dec. 18 and finished with 11 goals and 19 points in 32 games. He was second on the team with two goals and two assists in six playoff games.

– The Red Wings have re-signed F Patrick Eaves to a 1-year deal. Eaves had 12 goals and 22 assists in 65 games for the Red Wings last season, his first with the franchise.

– The Penguins have signed D Andrew Hutchinson to a 2-way contract that will pay him $500K if he plays in the NHL next season. The 30-year-old Hutchinson has 135 games of NHL experience with Dallas, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Nashville, getting 12 goals and 26 assists.

– The Thrashers have re-signed F Eric Boulton. The 33-year-old had eight points and a team-leading 113 penalty minutes in 62 games last season.

– The Sabres have re-signed F Mike Weber to a 1-year deal.

– The Avs have signed F David Liffiton. Liffiton, 25, was Colorado’s first selection (second round, 63rd overall) in the 2003 Entry Draft, but was traded to the Rangers in March 2004. He spent the 2009-10 season with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, where he collected 20 points (5G,15A) and 118 penalty minutes in 72 games.

– The Sens have signed F Corey Locke to a 2-year/2-way contract. Locke played the majority of last season with New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack. In 76 games, he scored 31 goals and 54 assists, but was held pointless in three appearances with the Rangers. Locke, 26, was a star during his junior career with the Ottawa 67′s. In three seasons there between 2001-04, Locke scored 132 goals and 312 points.

– The Sharks have signed free agent D Jay Leach to a 1-year/2-way contract. It will pay Leach $500K when he is in the NHL. Leach joined the Sharks last December after being waived by Montreal. He appeared in 35 games with San Jose and the Canadiens.

MLB

– Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that the Reds and Mariners have exchanged names “in preliminary fashion” toward an LHP Cliff Lee deal. That’s a pretty big step. The Reds are hoping to shore up their starting rotation in an effort to maintain their surprising lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central. The Mariners, meanwhile, are thought to like Reds corner infield prospects Juan Francisco and Yonder Alonso. Lee has posted a 2.34 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and an 89/6 K/BB ratio in 13 starts this season.

– Tyler Morris, the fan who fell from the upper deck trying to catch a ball during Tuesday’s game between the Indians and Rangers, remains in the hospital with a fractured skull and broken ankle. Morris, an off-duty firefighter, was reaching for a foul ball hit by OF Nelson Cruz in the bottom of the 5th inning when he fell nearly 30 feet from the upper deck and landed on several other fans seated below.

– The Pirates have acquired RHP Sean Gallagher from the Padres for cash considerations. Gallagher has spent four seasons in the majors and in the 2010 campaign he has appeared in 15 games and has an earned run average of 5.40. He has also pitched for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics and over 60 appearances, including 23 starts, he is 8-9 with a 5.57 ERA.

– The Rockies have placed 1B Todd Helton (sore back) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 5.

– The White Sox have placed RHP Jake Peavy (detached right shoulder muscle) on the 15-day DL. It sounds like the worst case scenario for Peavy, who left his start Tuesday against the Angels after suffering the injury in the second inning. The White Sox have yet to comment, but he could be out for over two months if there is indeed a detached muscle in his back. Peavy has a 7-6 record, a 4.63 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP and 93 strikeouts through 107 innings this season.

– The Cardinals have placed RHP Adam Ottavino (right shoulder sprain) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 4.

– The Dodgers have placed RHP Ronald Belisario on the restricted list.

– The A’s have transferred DH Eric Chavez and OF Travis Buck to the 60-day DL and have placed OF Conor Jackson (strained right hamstring) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 1.

– The Cubs have placed RHP Brian Schlitter (right shoulder impingement) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 3.

– The Orioles have placed RHP Kevin Millwood (strained right forearm) on the 15-day DL.

– The Brewers have placed RHP Yovani Gallardo (right oblique strain) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 5.

– The Reds have placed RHP Aaron Harang (lower back spasms) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 1.

– The Red Sox have placed RHP Clay Buchholz (strained left hamstring) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 27.

– The Mets have placed 1B Fernando Tatis (right shoulder AC joint sprain) on the 15-day DL.

– The Astros have placed 1B Geoff Blum (loose bodies in right elbow) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 2.

– The Indians have placed OF Shin-Soo Choo (sprained right thumb) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 3.

– The Cardinals have placed OF Ryan Ludwick (left calf strain) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 26.

– The Padres have placed OF Will Venable (lower back strain) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 2.

WWE

– Current plans call for SummerSlam to be built around the in-ring returns of Triple H and The Undertaker. Triple H would face Sheamus in a grudge match while Undertaker would face the perpetrator of placing him “in a vegetative state.”

Additionally, a six-person tag match pitting The Hart Dynasty against The Usos.

– Monday’s episode of Raw scored a 3.35 cable rating with 4.78 million viewers. The overall rating was up from last week’s 3.28 number. The first hour drew a 3.21 rating and the second hour grew to a 3.49.

– R-Truth (groin) is set to undergo surgery or extensive rehab and is expected to miss an extended amount of time.

– Below is the updated card for WWE’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view following Tuesday’s SmackDown taping in Atlanta, Georgia. At the event, both Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler earned spots in the SmackDown Money in the Bank Ladder Match while a Women’s Championship Match between Layla and Kelly Kelly was announced. Here is the updated card:

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship
Sheamus (c) vs. John Cena

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Jack Swagger

Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Randy Orton vs. John Morrison vs. Evan Bourne vs. The Miz vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Chris Jericho vs. Edge vs. Raw star TBA
(Winner earns right to challenge the WWE Champion at any time, at any place, for up to one year)

SmackDown Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Big Show vs. Christian vs. Matt Hardy vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Kane vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler
(Winner earns right to challenge World Heavyweight Champion at any time, at any place, for up to one year)

Unified Tag Team Championship Match
The Hart Dynasty (c) vs. Jimmy and Jey Uso

WWE Women’s Championship Match
Layla (c) vs. Kelly Kelly

NFL

– CB Ed Reed has begun pushing the Ravens for a new contract. “I’m not making it a big deal. [But] I think it needs to be taken care of.” Reed has three years remaining on a six-year deal, and he lacks leverage with his retirement talk and the rising chance that he’ll miss a good chunk of the regular season following hip surgery. He “realistically” believes his return won’t come until “October, November and December.”

– The Eagles are reportedly interested in QB Troy Smith is a fallback option if they’re forced to release QB Michael Vick this summer. The Eagles still don’t seem likely to dump Vick, but they’re covering their bases in case further details emerge in the Quanis Phillips shooting investigation. If the Smith report is true, the team appears to have moved on from free agent QB Jeff Garcia as a possible alternative to Vick.

– The Jets have signed OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson to a 6-year/$60M deal with $34.8M guaranteed. It’s expected to be officially announced on Thursday. Ferguson was the fourth overall pick in the 2006 draft out of Virginia and has started every game for New York in each of his four NFL seasons.

TNA

– Former WWE star Jimmy Wang Yang cryptically noted on his Twitter account yesterday that he has signed a contract with an organization that he has wrestled for in the past.

“Signed a contract for my next big wrestling adventure. Give you guys a clue, I have wrestled (sic) for them in the past.”

It’s said that Yang signed with TNA Wrestling. He previously worked for the organization during its primitive stages in 2002.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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NBA

– F Amare Stoudemire has officially opted out of his contract with the Suns and is now a UFA, according to his agent. The two sides were in negotiations on Tuesday and Wednesday on an extension, and will continue to try to work out a deal. But he is now free to sign with any team willing to pay him. While most of the internet talk is about F LeBron James and F Chris Bosh being a package deal, don’t think that LeBron wouldn’t love to play alongside Amare, either.

– Updating the previous Bosh-to-Miami trade, The Globe and Mail has disputed the initial report, with one source telling the paper, flat-out, “There is no truth to that.” With so few players under contract at the moment — Beasley and Chalmers are the only two – the Heat are, according the Globe, reluctant to move out players; preferring, instead, to give the Raptors a trade exception that would amount to nearly $16.5M. Stay tuned.

– Doc Rivers has decided to return as the Celtics coach for the 2010-11 season, according to the Boston Herald. This is the only good news the Celtics have heard since losing Game 7 of the Finals. Rivers’ return could also encourage free agents G Paul Pierce and G Ray Allen to stick around for one more march into the playoffs.

NHL

– The Flyers have re-signed G Michael Leighon to a 2-year/$3.1M deal. Leighton, who was acquired on waivers from Carolina midway through last season, helped lead the Flyers into the playoffs with a 16-5-2 record and 2.48 GAA. He was also instrumental in taking the Flyers to the Stanley Cup final wth a historic comeback against Bostonin the second round and three shutouts against Montreal in the Eastern Conference Final. With G Brian Boucher and G Johan Backlund also signed for next season, it would appear that the Flyers have their goaltending group decided with Leighton as the starter. Philly acquired the negotiation rights for G Evgeni Nabokov and G Marty Turco, but nothing materialized.

– The Oilers have traded F Patrick O’Sullivan to the Coyotes for D Jim Vandermeer. The Oilers placed O’Sullivan on waivers Tuesday and the Coyotes are reportedly going to buy out the remainder of his contract. He will then be able to shop his services around the NHL. O’Sullivan posted 11 goals and 34 points in 73 games last season, but he had a horrendous minus-35 rating.

– Hurricanes’ F Rod Brind’Amour has retired, ending a 21-year NHL career. Brind’Amour, who turns 40 in August, has one year left on the five-year contract he signed in 2006 after captaining Carolina to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title. He had nine goals and 10 assists in 80 games last season. The two-time Selke Trophy winner played 1,484 NHL games with the Hurricanes, Flyers and St. Louis Blues, scoring 452 goals and 1,184 points.

– The Devils have re-signed F David Clarkson to a 3-year/$8M deal worth $2.67M annually. Clarkson, 26, was set to become a restricted free agent on Thursday and is coming off a 2009-2010 season that was marred by an ankle injury.  In 46 games, Clarkson scored 11 goals, 24 points and recorded a plus-3 rating with 85 penalty minutes.

– The Blue Jackets have claimed F Ethan Moreau off the waiver wire. The former Oilers captain was placed on waivers Tuesday. They planned to buy out the last year of his contract, but the Jackets seized the opportunity to grab him before that happened. He is set to make $1.75M in 2010-11 and probably would’ve been asking for a multi-year deal if he hit free agency.

WWE

– WWE creative is looking at having one of the two Money in the Bank winners cash their title shot by SummerSlam in August, reports f4wonline.com. This would be done so only one superstar would be carrying around a briefcase for the rest of the year.

– WWE is reportedly losing interest in the whole RAW guest host concept. There’s been talk of only having one guest host per month or scrapping the gimmick entirely.

– The official WWE website has announced that Big Show, Christian, Matt Hardy, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes and Kane will compete in the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match at next month’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Though six participants were announced, it has been confirmed that eight wrestlers will be taking part in the match. Here is the updated card:

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship
Sheamus (c) vs. John Cena

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Jack Swagger

Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Randy Orton, John Morrison, R-Truth, Evan Bourne, The Miz, Ted DiBiase, Chris Jericho and Edge
(Winner earns right to challenge the WWE Champion at any time, at any place, for up to one year)

SmackDown Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Big Show, Christian, Matt Hardy, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes and Kane
(Winner earns right to challenge World Heavyweight Champion at any time, at any place, for up to one year)

TNA

– TNA is planning for Velvet Sky to turn on Madison Rayne at Victory Road Rayne defends her Knockouts Title against Angelina Love at the event.  There’s talk that Velvet will team back up with Angelina for The Beautiful People. No word yet what will happen to Lacey Von Erich.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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NBA

– G Dwayne Wade, F Chris Bosh, and F LeBron James may have met this weekend in south Florida to cook up a plan for the three of them to joining up on the Heat, but Wade is also hedging his bets and visiting other teams, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. A “source close to Wade” tells the paper that he s says that he thinks the Heat really could snag the talented triumvirate, but he’s also going to visit with the Knicks, Bulls, and Mavericks in case that plan doesn’t work out. The Mavs would have to bring in Wade via a sign-and-trade deal with the Heat while the others have room to add Wade and another big-money free agent. Another scenario that ESPN reports came up at the meeting was James and Bosh joining the Bulls. In this case, the site reports that Jazz’ F Carlos Boozer would then join Wade in Miami.

The free-agent summit was initially laughed off as a joke, but it appears that it’s real. It’s also becoming increasingly possible that these three megastars will play together in Miami next season. However, it’s important to note that because of the Miami’s salary cap situation, all three can’t get max contracts with the Heat right now. To that end, the South Florida Sun Sentinel is reporting that the three have discussed splitting up the $38M that the Heat have available right now.

– Raptors’ GM Bryan Colangelo said Monday “it’s likely” that free agent F Chris Bosh will leave the Raptors. Colangelo told radio station Fan590 in Toronto that the Raptors still hope to keep the All-Star forward, but if Bosh does want to leave, he will try to work a sign-and-trade arrangement that could help both sides.

“As we look at Chris as a potential free agent, our own free agent, wanting to re-sign him, I still have that intention and desire,” Colangelo said. “But it’s becoming more and more clear that that’s not going to happen. Now we need to decide what the best way is to come out of this.”

A sign-and-trade would allow Bosh to get an extra year on his contract while enabling the Raptors to receive something in return for losing him. If Bosh simply signs with another team, it could cost him about $30M. Colangelo confirmed that Bosh did not exercise his option for next season, making him a free agent. Colangelo said he has been in contact with Bosh’s agent, Henry Thomas, but not as much lately with Bosh, who has been traveling.

“We will get to a point where there’s a conclusion to this one way or the other,” Colangelo said.

The Knicks have enough money to afford two maximum salary players, the Bulls are close, and the Heat can add one while keeping Wade. With so many teams in such good position heading into free agency, Colangelo knew it would be tough to keep Bosh, who he said loves the city of Toronto.

“It’s the perfect storm for Chris Bosh to leave and unfortunately we’re possibly going to be on the short end of that, but we will evolve. We will have to evolve and move forward.”

– The Nets have a better shot at landing F LeBron James than the Knicks, a source tells the NY Post. The Knicks are losing momentum at an alarming rate in the LeBron sweepstakes. James cancelled his recruiting tour, instead choosing to meet with teams in the Akron area. That means the Knicks won’t be able to roll out their red carpet of celebrities to lure James. The bottom line is that the Bulls, Heat and Nets all offer better basketball situations for LeBron. He’ll meet with the Nets, Knicks and Heat (in that order) beginning Thursday morning.

– F Dirk Nowitzki is expected to opt out of his $21.5M contract and become a free agent, a source tells beat writer Eddie Sefko. The Mavs were hoping to get Dirk to sign an extension before July 1, but it’s not going to happen. The nine-time All-Star is going to hit free agency for the first time in his career, putting some fear in the hearts of Mavs fans and owner Mark Cuban. Still, it’s hard to see Cuban letting the face of his franchise leave. Look for Dirk to sign a four-year max deal with Dallas after seeing what’s out there.

– A Turkish sports site, sporx.com, reports that Raptors’ F Hedo Turkoglu is backing off on any trade desire he may have previously expressed. GM Bryan Colangelo told a Toronto radio station that if F Chris Bosh leaves for free agency on Thursday, which he expects him to do, he might not be so keen on trading away Turkoglu. Turkoglu would like to stay if “the system run in Toronto changes,” TSN reports. Without Bosh in town, the system would have to change. Stay tuned.

– Lakers’ G Kobe Bryant (right middle finger) might never play again without support for his troublesome right (shooting) middle finger. Kobe’s knee issues are small potatoes compared to this finger problem. The middle knuckle is “so debilitated by arthritis after the past season of misuse and overuse that there may be no real way to fix it,” per beat writer Kevin Ding. It’s a problem that can’t be cured by surgery. Although Bryant was able to fight through it and shoot around his career averages this season, we’re worried about all the wear-and-tear. He missed nine games this season and is a candidate to miss many more next season.

– Florida State C Solomon Alabi reportedly slipped to No. 50 overall in the draft because of a positive test for Hepatitis B. It’s unclear how the condition will affect Alabi’s basketball career, but it’s obvious that teams were concerned. Guys that go 7’1 with upside don’t last until the end of the second round for no reason. It’s a situation to monitor.

– The Suns are giving one last shot to try and re-sign F Amare Stoudemire. Team owner Robert Sarver and coach Alvin Gentry are meeting with Stoudemire today in Los Angeles to try and convince him to not opt out of his current deal, take their contract-extension offer, and stay in Arizona. Stoudemire could make $17.6M next season with the team but he also could opt out and give free agency a try. Sources told Yahoo! that Stoudemire wouldn’t mind staying with the Suns, but the sudden disappearance from the team payroll of two of its execs, Steve Kerr and David Griffin, make him a little unsure about where the Suns are going from here. Sarver is interested in Knicks’ F David Lee if Stoudemire decides to leave.

– Lakers’ assistant Brian Shaw met in Cleveland with owner Dan Gilbert and front-office members on Tuesday about the Cavaliers’ coaching vacancy. It is not yet known if the club has offered its coaching position to Shaw, who is also expected to be in town on Tuesday. The 43-year-old Shaw has spent five seasons on Phil Jackson’s staff in Los Angeles. A 14-year NBA veteran, he has no head coaching experience but is considered a strong candidate to replace Jackson if the 11-time champion retires. Jackson, who has health concerns, is expected to announce his plans later this week.

– Yahoo! reports that Byron Scott wants the Cavs’ coaching job, regardless of what Phil Jackson does. Scott has not been offered anything from the Cavs and has already gone through two interviews with the team as well as numerous phone discussions. Scott told Yahoo! that his understanding is that the team wants to make a decision before the free-agency window gets thrown open Thursday. The Cavs met with Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw yesterday to talk about the job.

– The Nets have waived backup G Keyon Dooling. The Nets announced the much-anticipated move on Monday, a day before they would have been responsible for his $3.3M contract.

NHL

– The Flyers are working hard to try and sign G Evgeni Nabokov before he becomes an unrestricted free agent on Thursday, but a “source close to the situation” tells the Philadelphia Inquirer that he’s “not optimistic” a deal between the two sides will get done before Thursday.

– Sources confirm that the Kings are ready to make a “substantial offer” to F Ilya Kovalchuk. The Kings tried to acquire his rights over the draft however New Jersey remains in the bidding war for the sniper.

– The Coyotes have re-signed Wojtek Wolski to a 2-year contract. He had six goals and 12 assists in the final 18 regular-season NHL games with the Coyotes and had four goals in seven playoff games to lead Phoenix.

– The Avalanche have traded a 4th-round pick in the 2012 to the Coyotes for F Daniel Winnik. Winnik recorded just four goals and 19 points in 74 games last season with the Coyotes. Avalanche GM Greg Sherman likes Winnik’s size and his ability to kill penalties.

WWE

– According to the PWInsider, two of WWE’s up and coming young stars are on the sidelines due to problems with their work visas. Wade Barrett, leader of RAW’s Nexus stable, has been pulled from WWE television and live events because his United States work visa expired. Barrett missed Monday’s Raw and the weekend’s live events. SmackDown star Drew McIntyre has the same problem as Barrett. There was a recent angle shot on SmackDown where Drew was being “deported” – which isn’t that far from reality. While its unknown as to whether McIntyre remains in the US, it’s possible that he can stay while his green card application is being reviewed, since he’s married to WWE Diva Tiffany, a US citizen. There’s no timetable yet on when Barrett or McIntyre can return.

– Following Monday’s RAW, the following matches are confirmed for WWE’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view on July 18th:

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship
Sheamus (c) vs. John Cena

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Rey Mysterio (c) Jack Swagger

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Randy Orton vs. Edge vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Chris Jericho vs. Evan Bourne vs. The Miz vs. R-Truth vs. John Morrison
Winner receives a title shot against the WWE Champion.

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
8 SmackDown Superstars (TBA)
Winner receives a title shot against the World Heavyweight Champion.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:

Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin This Weekend: “This one could very end when the first guy lands his best right hand but I’m sticking solidly with Brock to leave the Octagon as the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World. I’ve said all along that this will be Lesnar’s toughest fight especially with so many unanswered questions about Brock’s long inactivity and what affects suffering from diverticulitis may have had on the athletic beast of a man.”

“I know that Shane Carwin is a fabulous athlete and his record speaks for itself. However, I do know Brock Lesnar on a personal level and I also know that his intensity and focus are amazing traits and that he is at his best when he is either doubted or forced into a corner. Many MMA insiders feel that Brock’s layoff due to illness will be his downfall in Saturday night’s main event on pay per view. I happen not to share in that opinion and am counting the down the hours as this is one airplane trip with which I’m anxiously looking forward.”

Bryan Danielson: When I said Daniel Bryan had become relevant in the 13 or so weeks that he had been on WWE TV I meant that in a positive light and stand by the statement as many outside the WWE world had no familiarity with the talented grappler before he appeared on NXT no matter his exposure on Ring of Honor which does not have a large TV audience.

JBL’s To Wrestle Again? “Emailer…No…I do not expect JBL to EVER wrestle again. Last time John and I talked he was playing golf in St. Andrews, Scotland which is a helluva lot better gig than traveling up and down the road with ‘the boys.’ Sorry…but that’s a fact.”

The New WWE All Stars Video Game: ” I started the THQ voice overs today for the WWE All Stars video game which will be released in early 2011. I’m really enjoying the process and will hit it hard two more days this week to get us rolling and will be staying busy with this project throughout July. The King and I will be the announcers on the game with the Fink handling the ring announcing.”

NFL

– Sources tell ESPN NY that the Jets have inquired about free agent QB JaMarcus Russell. ESPN’s Rich Cimini characterizes the Jets’ interest as “monitoring,” and the team more likely to opt for free agent QB Mark Brunell behind QB Mark Sanchez. Russell is currently in Arizona attempting to get in shape. Cimini does call Arizona and Minnesota more likely landing spots for the No. 1 overall pick.

– Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged that Titans’ QB Vince Young is unlikely to face an NFL suspension as a result of the altercation at a Dallas strip club earlier this month. Not only is it Young’s first offense, but Young was also issued a mere citation instead of a misdemeanor. The Titans’ starter will meet with Goodell sometime in the next few weeks to talk about the incident. The commish will almost certainly just hand down a warning.

MLB

– Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the White Sox are “targeting” Nationals’ 1B Adam Dunn. The White Sox are typically aggressive when they want a player, and they want Dunn badly. The soon-to-be free agent is batting .276/.366/.559 this year with 17 home runs through 314 plate appearances and could take over DH duties in Chicago. If the Nationals are having little luck in negotiations toward an extension, they might as well get something for him.

– Tigers’ RHP Joel Zumaya (shoulder) left Monday’s game against the Twins in the bottom of the eighth inning with an apparent serious arm injury. It looks like he may have just blown out his arm. Zumaya was trembling in pain on the ground and was visibly wincing as he was escorted off the field. Stay tuned for an official update from the team, but it’s hard not to think the worst.

– After being re-evaluated Monday, it was determined that 2B Dustin Pedroia (fractured left foot) will not need surgery or a pin placed in his fractured left foot. And with that, it is expected that Pedroia will miss 4-to-6 weeks. There’s no question that his loss is huge, no matter the timeframe, but it could have been much worse.

– MLB.com is reporting that 38-year-old, former Jays’ C Sal Fasano, who manages the Jays’ Single-A squad, is an “early candidate” to take over the managerial spot with the big club when Cito Gaston retires at season’s end.

– The Baltimore Sun reports that Buck Showalter is interested in taking over the vacant managerial job for the O’s. Showalter said he’s “honoured” to be considered for the job. “Managing baseball is not a right; it’s something that you earn. I’m not going to get into personal issues; we’ll see where it takes us. It’s an honor — a lot of people work hard to get this opportunity.” In the meantime, Juan Samuel continues to be the interim manager of the O’s.

– Contrary to rumours, the Astros are not shopping for a shortstop. GM Ed Wade said, “Right now we’re not actively looking for a shortstop. That said, if something came along we thought would make sense, we’d pursue it.”

– The Cardinals are expected to place 3B David Freese (ankle) on the 15-day DL. Freese has been bothered by a sore ankle for a few weeks now and only rest is going to cure it. He will head to the disabled list with a .296/.361/.404 batting line, four home runs and 36 RBI.

– The Cubs have placed RHP Carlos Zambrano on the restricted list. Zambrano was suspended indefinitely by the Cubs on Friday for throwing a temper tantrum in the U.S. Cellular Field dugout and is not expected to rejoin the team until after the All-Star break. When he does return, the righty will pitch out of the bullpen.

– The Braves have placed OF Jason Heyward (bone bruise in left thumb) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 27. Heyward will wear a cast for a week beginning Tuesday, which will hopefully accelerate the healing process. It’s too bad that he will miss a chance to play in the All-Star Game.

– The Nationals have placed RHP Tyler Walker (right shoulder inflammation) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 20.

– The Red Sox have placed C Victor Martinez (fractured left thumb) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 28. The power-hitting catcher is expected to return as soon as his two weeks are up. Martinez suffered the fracture at the tip of his left thumb when a foul tip ricocheted off the top of his glove on Sunday afternoon in San Francisco. V-Mart was batting .289/.344/.480.

– The Mariners have placed DH Mike Sweeney (back spasms) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 26.

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NHL

– According to CSN, the Flyers have acquired the rights to G Evgeni Nabokov from the Sharks for a 7th-round pick if they are able to sign Nabokov prior to July 1st when he is scheduled to become a UFA. TSN reports that Nabokov has indicated to the Flyers that he is likely to test the market and become a UFA on July 1. Nabokov is also expected to get several offers from various KHL teams.

– The Sharks have re-signed F Scott Nichol and D Niclas Wallin to 1-year deals. Nichol set career highs in points (19), assists (15) and games played (79) last season and finished first in the NHL by winning 60.6 percent of his faceoffs. He was also 12th in the League with 226 hits.

– Sources confirm that the Kings are ready to make a “substantial offer” to F Ilya Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk would be a jewel in LA, a team that can use a jolt. While undergoing a successful season, they lacked the true goal scorer needed to put them over the edge. The Kings tried to acquire his rights over the draft, though New Jersey remains in the bidding war for the Russian sniper.

– The Ducks have traded F Mike Brown to the Leafs for a 5th-round pick (F Chris Wagner).

– The Hurricanes picked up two former 1st-round draft picks in D Bobby Sanguinetti from the Rangers for the #157 pick and a 2011 2nd-round pick, as well as F Riley Nash from the Oilers for the #46 pick (D Martin Marincin), and finally F Jonathan Matsumoto from the Flyers for a 7th-round pick. The Hurricanes sent the 46th selection to the Oilers, who drafted Slovakian defenseman Martin Marincin.

– F Brett Connolly, Tampa’s first-round selection in Friday night’s draft, is expected to spend another year with his junior team in Prince George of the WHL. Despite this news, this is a guy to watch. When he does arrive in Tampa, he’ll blend in perfectly with Steven Stamkos.

– The Capitals expect F Evgeny Kuznetsov to honor at least the first year of his two-year contract with Chelyabinsk of the KHL. That said, Washington GM George McPhee indicated that Kuznetsov, who patterns his game after Penguins’ F Evgeny Malkin, was talented enough to play in the NHL right now and that he wouldn’t rule out seeing Kuznetsov in a Capitals’ uniform this upcoming season.

NBA

– An unnamed NBA executive believes that F LeBron James is “strongly leaning toward joining the Bulls in tandem with another free agent, F Chris Bosh.” “I think it’s a done deal,” the executive said. This is not the final word, of course, and LeBron will still meet with at least five teams (the Bulls, Cavaliers, Knicks, Clippers, Nets and Heat) once free agency begins. Stay tuned.

– There is a growing concensus that the Spurs will sign F Tiago Splitter this summer, whom they drafted back in 2007. Splitter is considered the best big man in Europe, and said recently that his intention is to join the NBA. Adding the hard-nosed big man would certainly upgrade the Spurs frontcourt, but it may also be their only significant FA signing — the Spurs will likely have to use their mid-level exception as part of a long-term contract to lure him away from Spain.

– Nets’ president Rod Thorn will officially step down in July, expected to be on July 15. It remains unclear whether he will remain with the team in another capacity.

MLB

– Brewers’ GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that the team is not currently discussing a contract extension with 1B Prince Fielder. “There’s nothing going on at this time,” said Melvin. According to Haudricourt, “word around Miller Park” is that talks reached an impasse when Fielder and Boras shot down the club’s initial offer. Fielder, who will be a free agent after the 2011 season, just happens to be in the midst of a down season by his lofty standards, batting .260/.392/.473 with 15 homers and 31 RBI. With the chance of an extension looking doubtful, Melvin could be faced with a very difficult choice to trade Fielder during the offseason. If he continues to play like this, Brewers fans might not be happy about what they get in return.

– The Red Sox have placed 2B Dustin Pedroia (non-displaced fracture in left foot) on the 15-day DL. The Red Sox are still reviewing Pedroia’s CT scan and won’t have a timetable for his return until maybe Sunday morning. The scrappy second baseman was injured during Friday night’s game and showed up to the ballpark on Saturday with crutches at his side. He could be out for over a month.

– The Mariners have re-acquired 1B Russell Branyan from the Indians for OF Ezequiel Carrera and SS Juan Diaz. Branyan, 34, has batted .263/.328/.491 this season for the Tribe with 10 home runs and 24 RBI, and is working on a seven-game hitting streak. He should provide the Mariners with some much-needed offense, just as he did when he posted an 867 OPS and 31 home runs last season in Seattle. Of course, it probably won’t matter. The Mariners are 14 games out of first place in the AL West.

– Red Sox’ RHP Clay Buchholz (knee) is expected to avoid the DL. Buchholz suffered a hyperextended knee while running the bases on Saturday afternoon and was pulled after throwing just one scoreless inning against the Giants. He may need to miss a start, but the Sox have a few off days coming up and can get plenty flexible.

– Orioles’ 2B Brian Roberts (back) has begun light baseball activities. “What that means, there’s no description to it, but he just added very light [baseball activities],” interim manager Juan Samuel said Saturday. “That’s what my report says.” Roberts has been on the 60-day DL since April 10 and isn’t expected to return until late July or early August.

– The Giants have transferred 3B Mark DeRosa (wrist) to the 60-day DL.

– The Tigers have transferred RHP Zach Miner to the 60-day DL.

– The Red Sox have acquired OF Eric Patterson from the A’s.

NFL

– Jets’ WR Braylon Edwards will reportedly escape NFL suspension after pleading no contest in January to misdemeanor assault for an incident outside a Cleveland nightclub. Edwards was in danger of facing a one-game suspension for punching a friend of LeBron James last October. Similar to the precedent set by the league in Joey Porter’s beating of Levi Jones, Edwards will receive a hefty fine in lieu of a suspension. Vince Young should expect a similar fate. With Edwards available in Week 1, the Jets are no longer believed to be interested in signing Laveranues Coles for insurance.

WWE

– The following matches have been announced for WWE’s inaugural Money in the Bank pay-per-view, taking place on July 18:

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger

SmackDown Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Eight SmackDown Superstars to be announced (Winner earns right to challenge SmackDown’s WHC at any time, at any place, for up to one year)

– Kelly Kelly reportedly suffered an injury at last night’s SmackDown house show in Portland, Maine. Facing WWE Women’s Champion Layla, she was injured receiving a dropkick to either the back of her shoulder or neck. The bout was prematurely concluded by the referee.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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Quarterfinals Recap

Let me start off by saying that I missed only a few games this round. The quality of playoff hockey has been outstanding thus far. The Habs/Caps shocked everyone, and no one thought the Habs would push 7, let alone win it. Jaroslav Halak stood on his head, pushing 7 games and making 131 of 134 stops in the final three games to get them there. The Canadiens are the ninth No. 8 team to knock off a No. 1 in 32 matchups since the NHL went to its current playoff format in 1994—and the first to come back from a 3-1 series deficit. This series is living proof that the phrase “offense wins games, defence wins championships” rings as true today as the day it was coined. All you need to shut down a great offence is a team that can play defence as a cohesive unit. There’s *nothing* I love more than watching a high-powered offence, better yet, a President’s Trophy-winning team, come into the playoffs and lose to the 8th seed after being up 3-1. Ladies and gentlemen, the regular season means nothing once you clinch a postseason spot.

Jersey/Philly shocked a lot of people. Philly is seriously banged up heading into round 2. This series is proof that physical hockey is what wins in the playoffs. I almost picked Buffalo over Boston. The TSN Panel made a good point saying, “beware of good teams having bad seasons,” and Boston is surely one of them. Tuukka Rask has been phenomenal. Pittsburgh/Ottawa was your average series. Not much to say here, really.

In the West, San Jose’s Game 1 loss had me thinking, “here we go again.” But no. Not yet, at least. We’ll see how they do in the second round. Good on the Avs to push 6, as no one expected them to do anything this season. Chicago/Nashville was probably the most dreadful to watch so far. Boring tempo, but again we see Nashville sent packing on home ice. Vancouver/LA was great. I loved this series beginning to end. Probably the most entertaining to watch among all of them. Phoenix/Detroit was also fun. Detroit is terrible when playing in afternoon games. They had a chance to win it in Game 6, but no dice, as the offence couldn’t beat Ilya Bryzgalov. As close as the series was, Detroit destroyed Phoenix on home ice in Game 7. Not even close. Gotta wonder what the series would be like had Shane Doan not been injured.

Last round, I went 6-2. I love seeing the top 3 teams in the East being out. Shows you how unbalanced their conference is during the regular season. I was stupid to pick the Devils over the Flyers. I had forgotten Jersey was out in the first round for three consecutive years, and now without guys like John Madden, etc. there was no way they’d advance. Fear not, since Philly is beaten up and won’t advance. No one saw the Habs taking the Caps. I had them pencilled in to lose in round 2, but hey, the sooner the better. I hate Alex Ovechkin.

Eastern Conference

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens

Game 1 @ PIT, Fri, Apr 30 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, RDS
Game 2 @ PIT, Sun, May 2 2:00pm EDT, TV: NBC, CBC
Game 3 @ MON, Tue, May 4 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, RDS
Game 4 @ MON, Thu, May 6 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, RDS
Game 5 @ PIT, Sat, May 8 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, RDS
Game 6 @ MON, Mon, May 10 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, RDS
Game 7 @ PIT,Wed, May 12, TBD, TV: CBC, RDS

Make no mistake – Pittsburgh is not Washington. The Caps are not a complete team. The Penguins are, and that’ll get them by the Habs. You can shut down Alex Ovechkin since his game is one-dimensional – all he has is his shot – but Sidney Crosby is a playmaker and looks to shoot only after he can’t make the setup. Jaroslav Halak won’t be able to shut down the Pens like he did the Caps.

Pick: Pens in 6

(6) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers

Game 1 @ BOS, Sat, May 1 12:30pm EDT, TV: NBC, TSN
Game 2 @ BOS, Mon, May 3 7:00pm EDT, TV: TSN, VS.
Game 3 @ PHI, Wed, May 5 7:00pm EDT, TV: TSN, VS.
Game 4 @ PHI, Fri, May 7 7:00pm EDT, TV: TSN, VS.
Game 5 @ BOS, Mon, May 10 7:00pm EDT, TV: TSN, VS.
Game 6 @ PHI, Wed, May 12, TBD, TV: TSN, VS.
Game 7 @ BOS, Fri, May 14 7:00pm EDT, TV: TSN, VS.

Beware a good team having a bad season. With Marc Savard back, the Bruins get an added lift in spirit and on offence. Philly has played incredibly through all their injuries, but the difference is in net, and Tuukka Rask is easily better than Brian Boucher. Everyone who struggled in Boston during the regular season – Milan Lucic, David Krejci – all seem to be stepping up when it counts. This series will come down to goaltending and special teams.

Pick: Bruins in 7

Western Conference

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings

Game 1 @ SJ, Thu, Apr 29 9:00pm EDT, TV: TSN, VS.
Game 2 @ SJ, Sun, May 2 8:00pm EDT, TV: TSN, VS.
Game 3 @ DET, Tue, May 4 7:30pm EDT, TV: TSN, VS.
Game 4 @ DET, Thu, May 6 7:30pm EDT , TV: TSN, VS.
Game 5 @ SJ, Sat, May 8 10:00pm EDT, TV: TSN, VS.
Game 6 @ DET, Mon, May 10 7:30pm EDT, TV: TSN, VS.
Game 7 @ SJ, Wed, May 12, TBD, TV: TSN, VS.

This is the year that the Sharks finally beat the Wings. Their defence has looked awful, and it’s going to bite them in the ass. The Sharks are too fast, too deep and too big. Evgeni Nabokov will need to be stellar. Joe Pavelski will be key to their success. The Wings are also coming off a tiring trip against Phoenix that pushed 7 games, and they get no rest. Almost any other time, I’d say playoff experience wins it. But if San Jose’s top line doesn’t score, this series is up for grabs.

Pick: Sharks in 7

(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Vancouver Canucks

Game 1 @ CHI, Sat, May 1 8:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 2 @ CHI, Mon, May 3 9:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 3 @ VAN, Wed, May 5 9:30pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 4 @ VAN, Fri, May 7 9:30pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 5 @ CHI, Sun, May 9 8:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 6 @ VAN, Tue, May 11 9:30pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 7 @ CHI, Thu, May 13 8:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.

Many picked the Canucks to win the Cup. I don’t see it. It depends on how Roberto Luongo plays. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook will shut down the Sedins, and they’ll need to if they want any chance. The ‘Hawks took out the Canucks in six games last season, and they’re a better team this year despite a novice goalie in Antti Niemi. This will be a battle of who has the better goalie. Blackhawks can’t fall into a 2-1 hole like they did with the Preds, otherwise Canucks take it. They’ll start off strong.

Pick: Blackhawks in 6

NHL
2008: 12-3 (80%)
2009: 10-5 (67%)
2010: 6-1-1 (86%)
Total: 22/30 = 73%

NBA
2008: 11-4 (73%)
2009: 9-6 (60%)
2010: 0-0 (00%)
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%

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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
- Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
- FB Group
- FB Fan ap

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

NHL

– Sharks G Evgeni Nabokov says he would give up his no trade clause in his contract if the San Jose Sharks asked him to. The Sharks are up against the cap and need to move some salary, but it doesn’t make sense to trade their top netminder. “If the organization wants me to leave, I will leave. I would never stay with an organization that didn’t want me.” If the Sharks needed to make a move for salary cap reasons or just to shake up a team that has disappointed in the post-season over the last two seasons, captain F Patrick Marleau or another high priced forward makes a lot more sense.

NBA

– According to the NY Post, the Knicks made a have made a five-year contract proposal to F David Lee, but could pull back the offer next week. Lee’s agent is still hoping that the Blazers make him an offer to boost his leverage, but if that doesn’t happen, Lee could be stuck with the Knicks’ offer. Lee’s agent also confirmed that G Nate Robinson received a two-year/$10M offer from the Greek team Olympiakos that the Knicks aren’t expected to come anywhere close to.

– F Lamar Odom has called the Lakers in hopes of re-starting negotiations. Buss reportedly had withdrawn the Lakers’ offers to Odom after Odom’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, didn’t respond quickly enough and began negotiating with the Heat and Mavericks. The Heat reportedly offered a five-year/$35M deal.

– The Pacers have signed G Earl Watson. This all but confirms the loss of G Jarrett Jack to the Raptors, though nothing is set in stone.

– The Pistons have signed F Chris Wilcox to a two-year/$6M deal. Wilcox is coming off a down year, having averaged just 7.2 points playing for the Thunder and Knicks. Detroit lost F Rasheed Wallace and F Antonio McDyess this summer and are hoping Wilcox will bring size and toughness to their frontcourt.

– The Magic are very interested in Warriors RFA G CJ Watson.

– The Nuggetts are close to giving coach George Karl a contract extension. Karl’s agent is still negotiating terms with the Nuggets, but a deal is expected to be done before the start of the season.

MLB

– According to sources, Dodgers manager Joe Torre has “made it clear he wants Jays RHP Roy Halladay.” The problem is that Toronto has asked for LHP Clayton Kershaw as the centerpiece of any deal, and the money might be prohibitive for LA. The Dodgers are also looking for a setup reliever. 

– The Brewers are flying under the radar for Halladay. The Blue Jays love prospect SS Alcides Escobar, but the Brew Crew might not have the young pitching needed to complete a deal. It’s unsure if Doc would approve a trade to Milwaukee.

– The Tigers have had discussions about Halladay, but an offer is unlikely. The Phillies remain the frontrunners. The Angels want to keep their prospects, while the Rangers don’t have the money to bring Doc aboard. The Yankees are not expected to make an offer.

– The Padres are not shopping 1B Adrian Gonzalez or RHP Heath Bell. GM Kevin Towers says it makes “no sense” to move those players now, but it could be a different story in the offseason since teams may be more willing to discuss Major League players then.

– According to FOXSports.com, The Orioles aren’t “terribly enthused” about trading either 1B Aubrey Huff or OF Luke Scott. The O’s could try to retain the free agent to be Huff in the offseason by offering him arbitration, and taking the compensation draft picks if he declines. Scott is still under team control for another few seasons.

– At the moment, A’s OF Matt Holliday is drawing minimal interest around the league, but that could change closer to the deadline.

– The A’s have received calls about RHP Michael Wuertz and RHP Brad Ziegler, but they aren’t in a rush to move either guy since they’re cheap and under team control for the next few seasons.  

– ESPN reports that RHP Ben Sheets continues to make progress as he returns from elbow surgery, but it’s unclear if he’ll be able to pitch at all in 2009. Earlier this month, they reported that Sheets may not pitch at all this year.

– According to a number of sources, the Pirates have asked 2B Freddy Sanchez and SS Jack Wilson to take sizeable paycuts in their latest contract offer, which now makes it unlikely that the double play combo will re-sign. Wilson, who is making $7.25M this year, was offered a two year deal plus a club option. Financial terms aren’t known, but the offer reportedly includes a significant pay cut. The club has already privately decided to buy out Wilson’s $8.4M option for 2010 for $600K.

Sanchez, who is only 252 plate appearances away from having his $8M option for 2010 vest, was offered a two-year/$10M deal. The extension reportedly seeks forfeiture of that 2010 option as well. The Pirates have given both players a small window of opportunity to accept the deals, as they want to have as much time as possible to work out trades should the players reject the offers.

The Pirates might be making lowball offers that Wilson and Sanchez have no choice but to reject just to they can come back and say they tried to extend them before making a trade. The team was heavily criticized when they traded OF Nate McLouth and OF Nyjer Morgan in separate deals earlier this year. The team is allegedly more inclined to keep Wilson and deal Sanchez. Stay tuned.

– According to the Associated Press, the Braves are interested in adding former ace RHP Greg Maddux as a spring training pitching instructor. Maddux worked in a similar capacity for the Padres last spring.

– The Mets are interested in SS Julio Lugo.

– The Mets are expected to release RHP Tim Redding and eat the remainder of the one-year/$2.25M contract. A release could happen sometime next week.

– The Cardinals are expected to move 3B Troy Glaus to the outfield when he returns from his shoulder injury.

– The Angels have released RHP Rudy Seanez. Seanez, 40, allowed four earned runs on eight hits during nine innings of relief for Triple-A Salt Lake.  Seanez posted a 3.53 ERA in 43.3 innings for the Phillies in ’08, but also walked 5.2 batters per nine innings.  He’ll look for a minor league contract elsewhere.

– The Royals have placed RHP Gil Meche (back) on the 15-day DL.

TNA

– The PWTorch Newsletter reports that Kurt Angle was unable to wrestle at Saturday night’s TNA house show in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Kurt said he suffered a groin injury on a movie set this week. Kurt had trouble walking, but he did sign autographs after the show. He is scheduled to wrestle in the main event of Sunday’s TNA Victory Road PPV against Mick Foley in a title match. There’s currently no indication of a lineup change for the event.

NHL

– With UFA season just hours away, so much is still to be determined, with each move impacting the next. Let’s take a look at what could happen over the few days…

– I’m hearing that Sens F Dany Heatley will be traded before July 1 or not at all. He is owed a $4M bonus on July 1, and if Heatley is still a Senator by noon on July 1, it is extremely doubtful that he will be moved. Nonetheless, the Rangers continue to push to bring in the talented sniper, but to this point, they have not included a package involving Rangers D Marc Staal, which is believed to be the base price for Heatley.

– The Sharks are still looking at dealing the captain, F Patrick Marleau, but G Evgeni Nabokov is no longer on the block. Marleau looks like he could be dealt later in July.

– As I reported here, G Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson was intrigued by the possiblity of starting in San Jose, but with Nabby no longer on the market, Gustavsson has all but turned down the Sharks. The two finalists for Gustavsson appear to be the Leafs and Stars. It looks like it’s going to be a toss up, as Gustavsson is limited to the amount of money he can sign for, so it will likely come down to which city he has the best chance to start in.

– Canucks GM Mike Gillis has flown east to Sweden to give the Sedin twins one final push into re-signing with the Canucks. Nothing new on the contract front, but if the Sedins do walk, keep an eye on the Leafs, Canadiens, Wild and Islanders.

– Bruins F Phil Kessel is still on the market, but according to a source, the Bruins could wait until the free agent frenzy is over in order to maximize the return for him. With that said, the Bruins are right up against the cap and would struggle to match any offersheet of above $3.5M, which is around the number it would cost to just qualify Kessel.

– As far as Leafs D Tomas Kaberle goes, he will likely move in the next 10 days, with the Bruins, Ducks and Flyers all having inquired about him over the last few days. The Flyers remain interested despite just recently landing D Chris Pronger, but in order for any deal to work, Toronto would have to be willing to take back some salary from Philly if they want to be able to land their specific target.

Speaking of Kaberle, I can now re-confirm that the deal with the Bruins involved Kessel, a first-round pick in 2010 for Kaberle and the No. 7 pick in the 2009 Draft (F Nazem Kadri). Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli learned early Friday evening, some 2.5 hours prior to the start of the draft, that Leafs GM Brian Burke never intended to include the No. 7 pick. The proposed deal ended there, with the Bruins unwilling to give up Kessel and their first-rounder next June for Kaberle alone.

– According to a source, the Flames and D Jay Bouwmeester began contract negotiations today, and the Flames are optimistic that they can get J-Bo to ink. Stay tuned.

NBA

– Rockets team physician Tom Clanton confirmed on Monday that F Yao Ming’s broken left foot “has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career threatening.” Yao is scheduled to meet with more specialists to determine the best course of action, hopeful to avoid yet another surgery. He hasn’t had any pain or swelling, but the results of a recent CT scan were “shocking” for both Yao and the Rockets. Surgery is a realistic option, and no matter the course of treatment, it sounds like Yao will miss at least a big chunk of 2009-2010.

NFL

– Yahoo! Sports reports that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is “leaning toward” indefinitely suspending free agent WR Plaxico Burress. Yahoo!‘s Jason Cole also says it looks like free agent QB Michael Vick’s indefinite suspension will be continued. A similar stance to the one Goodell took with Donte’ Stallworth is expected in both cases. Cole says there’s a “reasonable” chance that Vick won’t play at all in 2009, and that Plax’s suspension could be levied even before his legal issues play out. Burress wouldn’t be worth a flier pick in fantasy leagues if he receives an indefinite ban.

WWE

– WWE has been involved in a multi-year trademark dispute with Muscle Flex Inc. over their “In the Raw” trademarks, which WWE claimed infringed on their “WWE RAW” property. After a ruling from the CIPO (Canadian Intellectual Property Office) sided with Muscle Flex, the company is now considering further legal action (damages) against WWE. Stay tuned.

– WWE executive Andrew Whitaker recently spoke to IndianTelevision.com. Here are some highlights:

On competition, like TNA: All forms of entertainment are competition for WWE as we compete for the public’s attention and entertainment dollar. For any sports or entertainment company, whether you are Manchester United, U2 or WWE, the biggest concern is the enormous proliferation of content in the market. However, WWE is a significant force within entertainment and pop culture. Within our specific entertainment genre, we clearly are the industry leader. While TNA is pro-wrestling, WWE is entertainment.

On who WWE’s top three performers are, in terms of PPV buys and ticket sales: The great thing about WWE Superstars and Divas is that they each hold a different appeal for different fans. While one fan will follow Rey Mysterio or John Cena, another will be a Jeff Hardy supporter. WWE offers something for everyone and that diversity comes to life at live events just by observing the amount of different WWE Superstar signs that are being held and merchandise worn by the fans.

NHL

– The Leafs are expected to ship D Tomas Kaberle soon. One rumour has Kaberle, No. 7 overall and a 2010 2nd round pick going to the Lightning for No. 2 overall and F Ryan Malone, but the deal fell through. According to a source, there are five teams vying for Kaberle, with one confirmed to be the Capitals. Stay tuned.

– Lightning F Vincent Lecavalier talks have stalled regarding him being shipped to the Habs. Any potential deal is expected to be nearly dead.

– As reported here earlier, F Marian Hossa is likely done with Detroit. The Oilers and Canucks are early favourites.

– The Blues and Sharks continue to pursue Sens F Dany Heatley. The Kings have reportedly offered F Alexander Frolov and No. 4 overall for Heatley. Heatley’s no-trade clause gives him the power to veto a trade, and it’s also unlikely that he wants to go to LA in the first place. Boston really wants Heatley, but the Sens are going to try and ship him out of the East. Any deal involving the Bruins would 100% involve F Phil Kessel.

– The Leafs and Flyers have shown interest in Sharks F Ryan Clowe, with TSN.ca even confirming this. Clowe could be part of a Nabokov or Marleau package deal, as the Sharks look to be one of the busier teams come July 1.

– F Mike Cammalleri to the Leafs rumours are heating up again.

– The Leafs have contacted the Blue Jackets about F Rick Nash. A deal is unlikely, but not impossible.

– The Leafs, Avalanche and Thrashers have expressed interest in the Sedin twins.

– There have been a few offers for Flames D Dion Phaneuf, but he is very unlikely to be dealt.

– The Habs and Panthers have expressed interest in Sharks G Evgeni Nabokov.

– Since the Caps have lost F Sergei Fedorov to Russia, and rumours swirling that F Michael Nylander is likely to follow suit, rumours are that the Caps are working up an offer for Sharks F Patrick Marleau.

– Panthers F Nathan Horton is reportedly on the trade block, but the asking price is too high for anything to get done.

WWE

– Last Thursday, Edge was interviewed by Danny Salas of central California’s B95 radio station. Here are the highlights:

Turning Babyface: “There’s a little bit of a groundswell. I’m starting to feel it a little bit… I think a lot of it too is just tenure. When you’re around for a long time the people go, ‘God, he’s been around here a long time and been in some pretty hellacious matches. And when you start to get that on your resume it gets harder and harder for people to boo you. I think that’s what Shawn Michaels ran into and that’s what Undertaker ran into. When you get to a certain point – not that I’m in their league or anything – but once you get to a certain point after a lot of time and a lot of matches that have entertained people it becomes harder and harder for them to boo you. That’s kind of been my challenge for the last little while is to keep them booing me. I think (Chris) Jericho is going through the same thing right now.”

Working With Christian Again: “I don’t know. I’d like for it to and at some point I think it has to happen whether it’s against each other or whether it’s teaming. I still think it’s fresh in our audience’s minds that it would still mean something. We do have a lot more kids now that might not remember it, but I think enough guys like you and me are still in the crowd that can buzz the kids on it and explain what Edge and Christian is all about it.”

NFL

– According to ESPN, the Bears have “pretty much ruled out” WR Plaxico Burress. According to the report, the Jets are “almost in that same boat,” and the Bucs are expected to follow suit over the weekend. No team is expected to sign Plax before the beginning of training camp. Potentially interested teams are in a holding pattern until commissioner Roger Goodell hands down his ruling on a suspension.