The Stanley Cup will be awarded on Friday night in Detroit one way or another. 9 months of preparation all comes down to a single game to determine who is the best team in the league. Clearly we know who the two best teams are again this year, but will Friday bring a changing of the guard, or further cement a true dynasty? I chose Detroit to win it at the beginning of the series and I am sticking with the home team for this one. Crosby scares me a lot in a single game situation, especially for what he has been practicing for since he could skate. I expect a close game and I am rooting for Hossa to get the winner just to stick it to those pesky Penguins fans that extra little bit!
I know the puck has dropped on the Washington/Pittsburgh series but I thought I would get in my predictions before the final buzzer sounds. I will also get you my thoughts on Boston/Carolina and Detroit/Anaheim
Washington/Pittsburgh
Can I call ‘em or can I call ‘em??? Well I mean this is the only series I got right but BOY did I nail it!!! Bettman got his wish and had his two superstars square off in one of the best playoff series in a long time..Well since the Rangers and Capitals last round. All of these games have been amazing and both stars have been pretty prevalent but I think tonight will come down to goaltending. Can the young Varlamov over come ANOTHER game 7 against a team with plenty of playoff experience? Can Marc Andre Fleury not give the puck away to Patrick O’Sullivan and lose for the Candians, OK that was low but I actually still STRONGLY dislike him STILL for that play.
Anyway the answer to these questions is…NO…Varlamov is a GREAT rookie that will have a good playoff run to look back on but he can’t win this one EVEN at home. I say Pittsburgh 6-2and Gary Bettman tries to instill a rule where a series can be extended to 17 games if they aren’t settles by 10 goals or more….
Boston/Carolina
I won’t lie (and can’t really) I thought this would be a BREEZE for the Bruins! They had been an awesome team all year and their goaltending was unreal (Tim Thomas lost 3 games straight for the first time ALL YEAR in THIS series) and everything in between rolled nicely for them too. Then you have Carolina who, I won’t lie again, didn’t even know had a chance to make the playoffs until about 3 days BEFORE the playoffs. I mean they did win the cup 3 years ago but after that they fell off hard. Paul Maurice really seems to have lit a fire under this teams ass and I like that, I like SO MUCH that I think they are going to……lose respectively tomorrow.
Boston is too complete and I think tying up the series really pushed them past the ‘Canes in the momentum department and will carry them to the next round. My score prediction is 5-1 Bruins. Don’t worry Carolina, you get 41 homes games AT LEAST next year to look at your HOT CHEERLEADERS and for that, you are the true winners in this years playoffs!!!
Detroit/Anaheim
WOW!!! I can honestly say this was the biggest surprise to me since that time I got drunk and thought I spent all my money but when I got home and took my hat off, there it was tucked stuffed nicely under the sweat band still don’t know how that happened). Anaheim has looked gritty and persistent all series and I think this may be the only game that could go either way. Detroit is the high powered, fast paced and very European team that will look to skate around the Ducks while peppering their goalie at any chance. While Anaheim is a gritty, well rounded and mostly North American team that will look to slow down and beat up the Wings until they can pot a few well placed shots.
So who wins? The Tortoise or the Hare??? In this race I have to go with…..Tortoise…I KNOW, I KNOW, I originally chose the Wings in 5 but I think Anaheim is a very underrated team that looks to have, to quote Snoop Dogg, “The pieces to the pizzle” to solve Detroit. Ducks 3-2
Thank GoatDiesel Its the Weekend! You work too damn hard all week! So on the weekends you deserve to sit on your ass, drink beer and watch sports. At least that’s what the Diesel tells himself every Friday night. Well come to think of it, I do that all week too….Anyway….I am here to give you a run down of all the great sporting events on this weekend that you CAN’T miss, well you can but I will be mad at you. I’ll put a star beside the ones I am going to be watching. Here we goooooo………………..
Saturday
*NHL Playoffs - Washinton vs. Pittsburgh (1pm ET CBC, NBC) - Look for Bettman in the crown with a huge smile and object covering his “excitement” probably a bag of popcorn
NHL Playoffs – Chicago vs. Vancouver (9pm ET CBC, VS) - Game 2 of my favourite series in the second round. I love Chicago’s youth and I love Canadian teams so I am happy the longer this series lasts. Game 1 saw the inexperience of Chicago seem to really hamper them at the start of the game but then saw them storm back in the 3rd only to be robbed my Luongo, like everyone else in the world.
*Kentucky Derby – (Coverage starts at 4pm but post is 6pm ET on NBC) – With 3-1 favourite I want Revenge being scratched from the race a few days ago with an ankle injury Pioneer of the Nile is still the dog in the horse race??? Anyway, I have my money on Regal Ransom, General Quarters and Papa Clem in no particular order but if any of them wins, you are DEFINITELY going to want to find me tonight because the drinks will be on the house!!!
*NBA Playoffs – Boston vs. Chicago (8pm ET TNT, Score) – This series has been one of the all time best first round series in NBA history. So far they have played in 7 OT periods and Game 6 was 4 hours long, Too say these teams will be tired is the understatement of the year but I can guarantee you this is ends up being the event of the night. I know for sure I will be sitting some where with a BUNCH of empties scattering around talking about how good a 3 point shooter I am and if I was 6′5 I would be the next Ray Allen.
*Boxing – Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton (9pm ET HBO) -These two little guys will going at it in Las Vegas tonight with Pacquiao looking to become the only fighter since Oscar De La Hoya to capture titles in 6 different weight classes. While Manchester’s favourite fighting son, Hatton, looks to defend his belt at 140lbs and show the world hes not “a fat, beer drinking, lucky bastard”. The Diesel will be in the crowd tonight for the fight…at a friends house….watching on TV….CHEERING FOR PACQUIAO!!!
Sunday
NHL Playoffs – Anaheim vs. Detroit (2pm ET, TSN, NBC) – After a very close game 1 Anaheim will look to prove to the world they aren’t a fluke and a lot of people forget this, almost, exact same team won the cup a very short 2 years ago. Detroit one ups Anaheim, they won LAST YEAR. I look for Detroit to overwhelm Anaheim’s aging defence and goal tending with a barrage of shots and to take the win.
*NHL Playoffs – Carolina vs. Boston (7:30pm ET, TSN, VS) – Game 1 went according to plan 4-1 Boston (the same way this series will end) Look for more of the same onslaught from Boston’s quick, young frontline and there bruising defence. I figure the sooner the better for these guys anyway, that way Eric Staal can find some bachelor parties to crash with his brother Marc.
*NBA Playoffs – Miami vs. Atlanta (1pm ET ABC) – Unless you live in Miami or Atlanta I don’t really think anyone has paid much attention to this series but DAMN its been brutal. Some times these game looks more like Monday Night Raw then NBA playoffs. This game 7 will be MUCH of the same as neither of these teams want to lose to each other. I think Wade is just too good to go out in the first round, look for Miami to take it in Atlanta then IMMEDIATELY LEAVE THE STATE!!! Looks like we finally have a new, GENUINE, rivalry in the NBA at least.
NBA Playoffs – Dallas vs. Denver (3:30pm ET ABC) -Let the second round begin! To tell you all the truth I could care less about this series. My friend DarkMan and I, who I frequent Raps games with, always end up bitching about how boring the Raps are to watch because of Bosh but we always trump that with having to deal with living in Dallas and watching the Mavs. I don’t think there is a team I WOULDN’T choose over the Mavs to watch night in night out. I hope Denver takes them in 4 and we never see a Dirk Diggler in the playoffs again, unless he is a 2 fiddle on a team.
Written on April 29th, 2009 by goatdieselone shout
First things first, whoever taped that fake Rangers game last night and somehow transferred it to my PVR, GOOD ONE!!! I thought for a minute there, the Rangers actually lost to Caps last night Ha Ha Ha….Ok, so maybe it wasn’t a big joke but that slimy goal Semin scored sure was a big joke. Ovechkin may be the best player in the game but god damn can he please start wearing a full visor and tint that mothereffer blacker than tar. Because if I have to stare at that putrefying mug while he celebrates for at least another 4 games, I either have to stop eating 6 hours before a game or just listen to games on the radio instead.
Sin City had his choices for the first round and did pretty damn good, going 5/8 and he was 1 goal from being right in the Rangers series (think I’m bitter???). Well since my computer was pooched I never got to call my picks for the first round (I was 7/8 by the way…that was a blatant lie) now I will give you my 2nd round choices and I encourage Sin City and even our baseball guru The Sheik to get in on the fun, HECK, all of you should chime in too!!!
ROUND 2, LET’S GET IT ON!!!
Vancouver vs. Chicago- Let me tell you first off, this series is my favourite and my least favourite at the same time. Favourite because I love both the teams and least because I want them both to be in the Western finals, which is obviously impossible. Both Chicago and Vancouver looked fairly sexy in their respective first round series with goaltending as opposed to goal scoring being the difference in both series. But in this series, I like the ‘Nucks. Better goalie, more experience and the only Canadian team left. Vancouver in 7.
Anaheim vs. Detroit - What can you say about Anaheim? No one in their right mind thought they would actually help fulfill San Jose’s destiny as playoff choke artist but they did! What does that mean in their next series against the boys from Motown? The same thing War means to Edwin Starr, “ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, HUH!!!”. Detroit in 5
Pittsburgh vs. Washington – Let me tell you right now, if the NHL was a 13 year old boy, the series would be Miley Cyrus in a shower. Gary Bettman must be harder than a slab of marble tile right now just thinking of having Sid the kid vs. Ugly Alex for a possible 7 games. As for me, I will get a bucket ready for all the close ups of Ovey and a pillow ready for all the interviews with Sidney Crosby. Either way, this series will be great for the young NHL superstars and for creating some excitement for hockey in the States in a time that it desperately needs it. Pens in 7
Boston vs. Carolina – Two teams with two very different first rounds will be meeting in this match up. Boston will have been off for over a week before their first game on Friday, while Carolina will only have 2 days off. So I guess this story comes down too, who do you think has the bigger advantage? The team who came back from a 3-2 series deficit to beat the favoured team at their own rink? Or the team who swept a team that squeaked in the playoffs? For me, when it comes to the playoffs and hockey, I gotta believe the more rest the better.
Unlike the degenerate gamblers who read this stuff so they can make well-informed betting decisions, sports writers aren’t risking all that much when making predictions. When we turn out to be right, we get to brag about it and our credibility increases in the minds of our readers. When we’re wrong, it gets swept under the rug and rarely does anyone care enough to remember (unless you’re one of the degenerates who lost a lot of money… soooooo sorry). If someone does call me out on making a foolish pick, I can always claim “Opposite Day!” and leave it at that. So here we go with my Stanley Cup Playoff predictions for the first round:
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks
What’s worse – being a fan of a team that sucks every year no questions asked, or being a fan of a team that always does well in the regular season only to frustrate the hell out of you with one playoff failure after another? The San Jose Sharks are the hockey equivalent to a girl you meet at a bar who seems like a sure thing all night, but brings you nothing but disappointment in the end. The Sharks’ playoff failures have been attributed to a lack of mental toughness (the girl could be crazy), injuries (she could have a STD), or the belief that the team is just better suited for regular season success and doesn’t have the complete package necessary to win when everything’s on the table (she’s a tease). The Sharks have grown more impressive with each passing season of dominant play over the 82-game schedule… the question is – how thick are your beer goggles this time around? Personally, my standards are never that high anyway. Sharks in 6.
(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history is the feel-good story of the NHL season thus far. Unlike your typical Adam Sandler movie, however, this one will not end with the underdog on top. Instead, picture Billy Madison being sent to a madhouse after he’s diagnosed with schizophrenia, thus preventing him from passing the 12th grade and allowing Eric to take over Madison Hotels. It was, indeed, much too hot for a penguin to be just walking around. Or let’s say instead of surviving the hit-and-run on the 9th hole and going on to win the gold jacket, Happy Gilmore dies in a much more violent accident orchestrated by that same hit man hired by Shooter McGavin. Turns out Shooter took the hit man up on his offer to buy dinner at Red Lobster, and they upped the anti on Happy’s head over some shrimp cocktails. Grandma doesn’t get her house back, and the Wings will win in a sweep.
(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) St. Louis Blues
These are the two hottest teams in hockey heading into the playoffs, but that’s where the similarities end. The Canucks have overcome the consistency issues that plagued them in the first half of the season, and they’re the team I’m picking to go all the way. The Blues, on the other hand, have shocked everyone just by making the playoffs and are another one of those feel-good stories. This is one of those series where many of the so-called experts will try to look like geniuses by calling for an upset. Don’t be fooled. Having avoided injuries late in the season, Vancouver boasts the deepest lineup from the goaltender on out heading into round 1. How many teams can match the Canucks in goal right now? Not to mention Pinky & the Brain (the Sedin twins), who have been absolutely tearing it up the past couple months. The Blues have better luck seeing a normal-sized ass when Keith Tkachuk shows up for training camp next year than seeing the 2nd round. Canucks in six.
(4) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (5) Calgary Flames
This strikes me as the most intriguing matchup in the West, because I don’t know what to expect from either team. The Flames are an enigma to this point, having cruised their way to a 13 point lead on the Northwest Division in the first half before playing horribly down the stretch and surrendering the division to Vancouver. The Blackhawks are an up-and-coming team to be sure, but this will likely go down as nothing more than a learning experience for first-timers Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. What’s more important for Chicago (and the NHL) – the Blackhawks led the entire NHL in attendance this season, averaging 22,247 fans per game. Also notable: former Maple Leaf great Anders Eriksson is expected to suit up for Calgary in game 1. Flames in six.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Boston Bruins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
As a diehard Habs fan, this is tough for me to say, but based on what I’ve witnessed throughout the season, I cannot come up with a realistic angle or scenario from which I can see Montreal winning this series (believe me, I’ve tried). I’m having an easier time believing that, after finishing 1st in the entire Eastern Conference no less than a year ago, the Canadiens are trying to hustle the Bruins, hoping Boston will take them lightly due to their lackluster play over the 2nd half. Maybe I’ve been inspired by an episode of Fresh Prince I saw recently, where Uncle Phil hustles the pool shark that won money off Will. Bob Gainey might just have some Uncle Phil in him. Bruins in 6.
(2) Washington Capitals vs. (7) New York Rangers
The Capitals have the best player in the NHL in Alexander Ovechkin and a strong supporting cast highlighted by other rising superstars like Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green. Despite this wealth of talent, people aren’t sold on the Caps for one reason – Jose Theodore. Before he was wheeling Paris ‘ilton and partying his way out of Montreal, Theodore was one of the best goalies in the league who stole a couple series for the Habs over the heavily favored Bruins. Many would be surprised to learn he is still the last goalie to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP, which he did back in 2002. Theodore’s performance in recent years, however, makes it tough to picture Washington coming out of the East. The Rangers aren’t being given much of a chance in this series due to their lack of offence (Nik Antropov led the team in scoring with 59 points), but they do have some savvy veterans with good playoff resumes (Chris Drury, Scott Gomez). Don’t overlook Henrik Lundqvist either. Sources tell me he’s the handsomest goalie in the league and he’s got the ability to win games on his own. Rangers in 7.
(3) New Jersey Devils vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes
“OOOOWWWAAAAAAAHHHHHHH…” (…Your basic fake yawn move right there, which is always obnoxious more often than it is funny, because the person who is expressing their boredom usually holds it for too long and they look like an asshole pretending to stretch). Unless you’re David Puddy (“gotta support the team”), this series is hands down the least interesting of the first round. It’s never easy to bet against Brodeur, but look for Cam Ward to be the difference for Carolina. Hurricanes in 7.
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers
This should turn out to be the best series of them all. Philly is very well balanced up front and has tremendous scoring depth, while the Pens unquestionably have the two best players in the series and the better goalie. After puzzling the hockey world with their inconsistent play for most of the season, the Pens seemed to find their groove right when they needed to. They surged up to 4th place all the way from 10th, and another deep run in the playoffs seems likely. Sports fans who’ve been around for a few years love to look back on the greatest players of all-time and celebrate the success they had in their prime. We saw Jordan and Gretzky do many special things during their championship dynasty years with the Bulls and Oilers. More recently, how awesome was it when Lebron James scored 29 of the Cavs’ final 30 points in a Conference Finals win over the Pistons 2 years ago? The great ones all have their moments, and Sidney Crosby has the ability to put up 5 or 6 points on some nights. I think we could be in store for some legendary performances on the big stage. Penguins in 6.
FINALS PREDICTION (take one) – Vancouver Canucks defeat Pittsburgh Penguins in 7 games.
Written on April 14th, 2009 by goatdieselno shouts
I am literally writing this in the dark, well thats a lie, I just can’t see what I am writing. I know the site has been “dormant” for about a week and the thing that sucks is I have A BUNCH to write about!!! I MET WITH BRYAN COLANGELO and had a pretty good convo with him, which I really want to share with you all. Speaking of Bryan, I also want to let you guys know what I think of the Raps season, what went wrong and what they HAVE to do this off season to improve. Then there is the NHL and NBA playoffs about to start. I know I will miss the first few gamesof the NHL but I will be back with the match ups and the keys to each team getting out of the first round.
Like I “tweeted” earlier (man, thats the WORST word) the reason the website has been down is my tech wizard and personal Shaman DAG is in the jungle with no internets. Thus leaving the GoatDiesel with formatting problems out the cornhole (man, thats the BEST word). I am trying all I can with the pea brain I own but I still can’t figure this Houdini writing thing out. I am hoping by the weekend I can kidnap and coax a web dude to help me out.
So PLEASE don’t give up on me, for once I am actually not being lazy and drinking my nights away. Well I am not being lazy anyway…
If you didn’t see it yet…WAKE UP. Everyone is all abuzz with Ovechkin’s goal celebration from the other night after netting his 50th of the season. Why you ask? Some people seem to think that making hockey exciting is a bad idea? First they want to take fighting out of the league (bad idea #1), then they want to move Canadian teams to places like Nashville who are in the playoff race every year, yet have no one to watch them (bad idea #2) and now people are telling the BEST PLAYER (suck it Crosby) in the league that he can’t celebrate when he scores his 50th goal of the season? Its ridiculous! People like my buddy Coletrain, who is a hockey die hard, say they don’t have a problem with the celebration, its the fact that it’s pre-meditated. I can live with that I guess but so are all of Sid the Kids interview answers and I don’t complain…ZING!!! See the problem with the NHL die hards is they want their young guys to play like the old guys. Now don’t get me wrong I LOVE tradition and hockey is one of the sports with the deepest traditional values (FIGHTING) and I love that about hockey but today’s viewing audience isn’t the same as it was back in the black and white days. People these days want everything 20 minutes ago, 3 times faster and 5 times bigger. Sure watching Orr, Richard and the boys flying end to end was fun but so was watching Theron Fleury ride his stick like a horse. People need to calm down and let this kid do his thing, I mean its the least the NHL can give us, I mean they don’t want us watching fights anymore, so you might as well let us see some goals and celebrations.
Here’s the clip and just so you know it was a 1 on 4…UNREAL!!! Celebrate OV CELEBRATE!!!
What did you think? Too much? Not enough? Keep it coming?
Are there any hockey fans out there? If so, make sure you add me on Twitter or check the site every 5 minutes or more tomorrow. Because starting at 8amright up to the deadline GoatDiesel will have all the latest trades and rumours for you, during the biggest day on the hockey calendar. (just a heads up, the updates on rumours and trades will be on the RIGHT side of the main page tomorrow, under the Twitter heading)
Anybody have any guesses right now on deals that will go down tomorrow? I bet $3 and my left nut that the Leafs are one of the biggest sellers tomorrow…….
I was watching Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night (surprise) and I saw Don Cherry talking about Alexander Ovechkin and his crazy goal celebrations. Until that point, I had never really thought too much about his celebrations, except maybe his first goal in the league but that was because he truly just looked like a kid who scored his first goal in Tyke.
If you aren’t familiar with Cherry and his views (you’re definitely not Canadian) but he is probably the definition of OLD SCHOOL. He was a coach of the notoriously “chippy” Boston Bruins in the ’70s and lets just say he wasn’t shy when it came to letting his “opinion” be heard. When his coaching days ended, he continued to let his opinions be heard every Saturday night after the first period of hockey games on the CBC for the past 20 some odd years.
Continuing with his trend of outspoken tirades that more often then not fall on European shoulders, he went after AO for celebrating too much like a soccer player. Cherry suggested someone may/should take it to the physical level to deter such things in the future. When Ovechkin was asked by the Washington Post about it, he said, “I think he is a funny guy (Cherry), old guy. He likes old fashioned hockey, so he don’t like probably my celebrations” (just so you know that is the wording he used).
So what is your stance on the matter? Does Cherry have a point? Should Alex the Great turn down the celebration meter to a 6 instead of a 10? Is Ovechkin right and Cherry is just a old miser that can’t get used to the now?
Personally, I like the way Alex makes every goal seem as though its his first and as far as I know he isn’t one of those guys skating by the other teams bench and rubbing it in. He is just jumping around on the ice and usually slamming his face in the boards trying to get to the crowd or just trying to pump them up, home or away. Like we have said here before, hockey could use a little more life in its players and Ovechkin always supplies that. So I say, leave him be Cherry, if hes not being a sore sport and ruining the game then let it be. At least he’s not fighting, rightReefer???
I was watching a CBC special last night all about fighting in hockey, and the various arguments pro and con. It appears that there are two school’s of thought: Those (like Don Cherry), who think that fighting in hockey keeps the other violence in check. Claiming that if fighting were taken out, players would be left with sticks and blades as their means of getting back at players breaking the “good old hockey code”. The Con’s hold that the violence is slowly escalating, and that death is inevitable. An argument that was proven with exclamation after the untimely death of Don Sanderson a defenseman with the Whitby Dunlops early this year.
Where do you stand? Is fighting a way of making players think twice before throwing cheap-shots such as Brendan Witt’s elbow? Is the fear of having to face the enforcer enough of a deterrent, or is this the kind of activity that will only increase if fighting is removed from the game?
GoatDiesel wants to hear it. Drop an opinion in the comments.
