I am not good at this game at all

You don't have to bother checking the archives, but it turns out I am awful at making predictions. 11-16! What the hell is that! Why am I even allowed to have an opinion about hockey? Shouldn't there be some sort of test? I could have gotten the same results with a print out and a dart board.

Defies explanation how bad I was. Well, I wasted a spot on Toronto, but I would have done that even if their top line was Mats Sundin and a pair of well trained golden retrievers. And who saw Montreal being as good as they are? That wasn't even fair. And Washington beating out Carolina on the last day? And Boston making the playoffs by boring their competition into submission? Not fair, not fair, not fair.

Whatever. I'm not sure I trust myself to make playoff predictions though. Or maybe I should, and then you can just make the opposite pick and you probably won't do worse than 75% success.

NHL Predictions, Cause Who Else Can You Trust?

It's my favourite time of year, the days right before the start of the hockey season, the days when you can really mean it when you say every team has a shot, every team could surprise us, and that this might just be the year the Leafs win. But then some jerk has to go and drop a puck somewhere and all of a sudden you realize everything your team did in the off season was for nothing and that once again the parade will be somewhere else. Well, I'm here to spare you the heart breaking suspense and give you the inside info on whether your team sucks or not. Hint: they probably do.

East
1.Rangers
New York went through a time warp in the off season, transporting themselves back to a time when they could get any player they wanted simply because they had all the money in the world. Those players, Chris Drury and Scott Gomez, make the Rangers the best in the East. They weren't bad before; now they are dangerous. Welcome to the new old NHL.

2.Ottawa
In my biased opinion, I think the Sens reached their apex last year and everything now is just part of their slow, drawn out decline. It'll start with not resigning Dany Heatley, just wait. For now the Sens are the best in their division, so they'll win but mark my words, this is a broken team.

3.Atlanta
The Thrashers didn't do much over the summer, but I think the division is weak enough to let that slide. This team is still good enough to win the Southeast but winning a series might still be asking much.

4.Pittsburgh
Yeah, yeah, Pittsburgh is hot stuff right now, but they still have an average age of 16, so I'll cool the urge to give them the Presidents Trophy, though the engravers could probably save time by etching Crosby's name into the next ten empty spots on the Art Ross right now. Pittsburgh will be good, but the young guns are probably still feeling a little cocky over last year, which is not the ideal frame of mind.

5.Buffalo
If you didn't feel bad for Buffalo over the offseason you either live in western New York or you're the type of sick freak who skins cats for fun. First their top players bolt and then Kevin Lowe makes Tomas Vanek a very wealthy man. But Buffalo didn't get through last year simply on the strength of two players, they succeeded because they were deep like a good haiku and now they get to demonstrate it. They won't be as good, but I don't think that's saying much.

6.Philadelphia
I didn't like the way Phillie raided Nashville's sinking ship, but you can`t argue with the results. Philadelphia has undergone a radical face lift, and is once again pretty enough to get invited to the ball. Goaltending seems shaky but why bet against Marty Biron? Philadelphia fans will quickly forget that they ever finished dead last in the East.

7.Carolina
I like Carolina. This is still essentially the same team that won the Stanley Cup, and I'm willing to write last year off as an extended hangover. It's a mulligan folks. And the Southeast still isn't anything to get worked up about. The Canes are back.

8.Toronto
Home town discount again, but this time I think the potential is there. Last year I was pretty hesitant to put my boys even in eighth, but this year it can happen. Vesa Toskala has been bad, and Kyle Wellwood will be out for a while which is not helping, but no worries. And really, even if the Leafs do tank, at least no more Fergie.

9.Tampa Bay
The big three are poised for a big year, but I'm trying to think of any one else on the team you'd need to watch out for. Defense is just ok, and that was before losing Dan "Watched Pots Don't" Boyle" and goaltending is still whatever.

10.New Jersey
I don't like putting New jersey out of the playoffs as long as Martin Brodeur reigns, but where else to put a team that lost two of its key players like they did. Jersey is no Buffalo. Sweet Lou Lamoriello held this team together admirably in the first years post-lock out, but not even his wizardry could keep it whole forever. Plus, can he keep Brent Sutter for more than a season?

11.Montreal
The only good thing I can say about Montreal's offseaon is that they somehow found a team willing to take Sergei Samsonov. Roman Hamrlik is probably an improvement on Sheldon Souray, but Montreal still feels thoroughly average.

12.Washington
Props to the Caps for giving Alexander Ovechkin some half way decent players to pass to him, but this is still a one player show.

13.Islanders
The Islanders surprised everybody by generally not sucking ass last season, but they were forced during the summer to replace most of their overachieving mediocre vets with a brand new cast of mediocre vets like it was some sort of reality tv show (Twenty strangers. One hockey team. Can they overcome their differences and learn to work as a team?). Ted Nolan can't do everything.

14.Florida
I don't have anything against Florida but ever since Roberto Luongo left town, what's the point? Florida feels like they might be a good team in another couple years, but for now I'm not sold.

15.Boston
Yeah I just don't know. The Blackhawks of the East just seem to get worse, the more they try to get better. It's probably a zen thing. Boston won't be any better this year.


West
1.Detroit
Man I'm tired of betting against Detroit only for them show me up every year, so here we go: Detroit in first. Just watch now, Dominik Hasek is going to put up a .876 average, and I'm gonna look like an idiot again.

2.San Jose
San Jose continues to be that team that does everything right, but still can't get close to the cup. They have the offense, the defense and the goaltending plus lots of young talent, and now they have Jeremy Roenick to shake things up. Who knows, maybe Roenick will be the wrinkly California version of Sean Avery that sparks the Sharks to new levels of greatness. Or maybe he'll retire by November. Whatever.

3.Calgary
Yeah their offseason said "hey guys we're getting pretty desperate," (Mike Keenan AND Owen Nolan?) but I think they are still capable of winning a division.

4.Anaheim
I hate it when players prolong their retirement decision, and Anaheim has two players protracting the process. If neither Scott Niedermayer nor Teemu Selanne return (my money's on Nieds coming back) it's hard to imagine the Ducks repeating.

5.Colorado
I think Colorado will be back with a vengeance this year. Peter Budaj will establish himself as a number one, and Jose Theodore will play well enough to make a few dollars as a free agent. the Avs have loads of talented youngsters (Wojtek Wolski, Marek Svatos, Paul Statsny, John Michael Liles) plus Ryan Smyth. Ryan Smyth man.

6.Vancouver
I put them in essentially because of Roberto Luongo. No, not essentially: entirely. They don't have much in the way of offense and there's no reason to think that Marcus Naslund or Brendan Morrison will re-emerge as legit scoring threats. But as long as Luongo is between the pipes, they're capable of doing anything.

7.Minnesota
Four teams from the same division might be pushing it, but Minnie is certainly good enough to make the playoffs, that is, assuming they can squeeze a whole season out of Marian Gaborik. Wishful thinking?

8.Nashville
It breaks my heart, it really does, to see Nashville like this. They lost a lot, and are now relying on a guy named Chris Mason to mind their net (strictly on the level of Hockey Names, Mason has nothing on Vokoun). They great group of youngsters that gave them so much depth have become their go to guys. No room for mistakes.

9.Dallas
The Stars are one of those teams who at first glance don't look like they should be all that good, and yet still manage to put up 100+ point seasons. I think that will end this year. Is it time to start looking for a replacement for Mike Modano yet guys?

10.Chicago
Chicago could so easily make the playoffs, let's be clear on that. They are an improving team, which is probably the first time in fifteen years you can say that and mean it about Chicago. They're still relying on a whack of young guys though, so maybe some caution is necessary. Bill Wirtz is dead though, kind of poetic, as if his old heart couldn't understand or fathom how his hockey team was improving under his watch.

11.St. Louis
Another rapidly improving hockey team, St. Louis should challenge for the playoffs this year. They probably won't make it, but if their strong finish to last season was any sign, things are going to get better in Missouri.

12.Los Angeles
LA has a lot going for it. They have a great core of young players like Mike Cammallieri and Anze Kopitar and even a young goaltending stud in Jonathan Bernier, plus Marc Crawford's hair. Unfortunately, instead of being content to let their promising pot simmer, they tossed in a bunch of free agent effluence that will just dilute the recipe. Either way I don't think they'll being making the playoffs, but at least get your plan straight, you know?

13. Columbus
So Columbus is rebuilding again, but that's not really accurate because there was nothing really built to begin with. Ken Hitchcock as coach will help, and you can't imagine Rick Nash being much worse than he was last season.

14.Edmonton
A couple of years ago Edmonton looked poised to make next step to being a great team. They were flush with talented youngsters, any one of which was liable to break out any moment. Shawn Horcoff. Fernando Pisani. Raffi Torres. But then the team hit a hiccough as all of the young guns stalled and all of their free agents sought as much distance between them and the city as possible. Business as usual in Edmonton.

15.Phoenix
Phoenix is not a good team. No offense, no goaltending, and a very young defense mean it's only going to get worse before it gets better for Wayne Gretzky. A lot worse. Which is stupid because that's what everybody's been saying about the Coyotes for years and it's still just as true today as it was five years ago. Nothing is rising from these ashes any time soon.

And for a finale, some even more poorly informed predictions: Art Ross to Sidney Crosby, Rocket Richard to Crosby, Hart to Crosby, Selke to Crosby, and in a surprising and unprecedented coup, both the Norris and Vezina to Crosby.

I'll give the Stanley Cup to Ottawa, because we all know the only way to guarantee a team missing the Cup is to predict their winning in September. Suck on that Ottawa.

Jason

Third Time Lucky

I might as well make my predictions known before its too late, and before I look like to much of a moron for choosing Buffalo. So I have Buffalo over Ottawa, in seven games now I guess, and Anaheim over Detroit, for the record.

Keep your sticks on the ice,

Jason

Round Two, Coming At You

Ok, second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Let's make this brief: I went an ok 6 for 8 in the first, due to an overabundance of optimism for Pittsburgh and Nashville, but those are understandable mistakes. I mean, it's not like I made any stupid picks like the Islanders over Buffalo or something.

Moving on, I'mma take Buffalo over the Rangers (they'll get their act together), Ottawa over New Jersey (begrudgingly), San Jose over Detroit (they manhandled Nashville, and Detroit had some problems with l'il ol' Calgary) and Anaheim over Vancouver (because, duh?) for round two.

Gotta run,

Jason

The Playoffs, Sans Maple Leafs, Again

Don't blame New Jersey for not starting Martin Brodeur, blame Toronto for not beating the New York Islanders when they had the chance last week. Thanks to that 5-2 loss, the Leafs' heroic performance on Saturday was meaningless. The better of the two teams made it, frankly. That's all I have to say on that.

With that, let's make some predictions on the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

East

Buffalo (1) vs New York Islanders (8)

Here's what all the fuss was about, a chance to lose to the league's best from Buffalo. The Islanders, who have done amazingly just to make the playoffs, will be wiped away by Buffalo with no problems. Buffalo just keeps getting healthier, and the Islanders will be relying on someone named Dubielewicz in net. The faster New York is gone, the happier I'll be. Buffalo in five.

New Jersey (2) vs Tampa Bay (7)

Sweet Lou surprised everybody by firing his coach with just days remaining in the regular season. The last time he did that, it resulted in a Cup victory. New Jersey is still missing some top players I believe, Martin Brodeur is really the only guy they need. Tampa Bay has this year's Rocket Richard Trophy winner in Vincent Lecavalier - the top goal scorer vs the top goalie. Goaltending wins out, and New Jersey wins in six.

Atlanta (3) vs New York Rangers (6)

This is a tough series to call. Atlanta is playing in its first ever playoffs, which has to count for something. Both teams played well down the stretch, Atlanta after acquiring Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhitnik; New York after picking up Sean Avery of all people. I'm going to give the edge to the Rangers who will win it in seven.

Ottawa (4) vs Pittsburgh (5)

This will easily be the most interesting series to watch. Sidney Crosby and the rest of the NHL's future square off against the NHL's most notorious chokers. I have a hunch that the the Pens will dominate the Sens, and that while it will be great to watch, the result won't be so great for Ottawa. Pittsburgh in six.

West

Detroit (1) vs Calgary (8)

Another year of playoffs, another year of Detroit in the number one seed, and another year taking on a team from Alberta, except this time, if they lose, it won't be quite as surprising. That's not to say that they will, because Calgary has been anything but impressive over the final stretch, but they will definitely put up a fight. I can't see Detroit allowing itself to be bounced in the first round again, so I'm saying Detroit in six.

Anaheim (2) vs Minnesota (7)

Anaheim is no one's underdog's this year, after putting up a consistently impressive season. Teemu Selanne keeps improving, the rookie's are scoring, the defense is solid and the goal-tender already has a Conn Smythe to his name. Minnesota, from here on out, the "darkhorse team", won't go quietly, having put up a very impressive final few months largely on the backs of the wonderful play of Marian Gaborik and rookie journeyman goaltender Niklas Backstrom. However, I'm always skeptical of flash-in-the-pan goalies like that, so I'll give it to Anaheim in five.

Vancouver (3) vs Dallas (6)

I don't see any reason to be excited about this Dallas team who is stocked with a great goalie with a bad playoff reputation. Of course, Vancouver's goalie has no playoff reputation at all, but Roberto Luongo is more or less why Vancouver is here in the first place, making this probably the easiest Western match up to call. Vancouver in six.

Nashville (4) vs San Jose (5)

This is an exact rematch of last year's 4th vs 5th seeds, in which San Jose manhandled a goalie-less Nashville team in just five games. It won't be so simple this time around, Nashville is much, much better now, and San Jose is still good without being great. It's time for Peter Forsberg to prove his worth and propel Nashville past the Sharks in seven games.

And that's that. I'll also go out on a limb and put Nashville and Buffalo in the finals, with the decision going to...... Nashville.

While we're with predictions, some matters of ego to attend to. Looking back to October, I called five of the eight teams in the East (somehow missing the upcoming horror show in Philadelphia, and mediocrity in Carolina and not surprisingly missing the miracle on ice on Long Island). In the West I (ready for it?) I went eight for eight, which isn't really that special considering the drop off in talent after ninth place.

That's all for now,

Jason

Sidenote - One year anniversary as of yesterday. Celebrate.

Spring Training Is Over, You Can Pay Attention Now

The longest month in baseball - March, is over, thankfully bringing an end to Spring Training, and a return to meaningful baseball.

From a fan's standpoint, the dog and pony show that is Spring Training is pretty useless. You can't watch the games, and even when you can, you don't want to. Managers and GMs may find it useful to jerk around the hopes and dreams of a bunch of aging reserve utility men and career minor leaguers, but really, the whole thing is largely a waste of time.

The Jays were particularly bad this spring, posting a batting average that ranked only ahead of Florida's - good for 29th. It doesn't matter though. March success has as much to do with regular season success as actual vocal talent has to do with winning American Idol.

The Jays have a lot to live up to this year. They are coming off an 87 win, 2nd place finish in one of baseball's toughest divisions. Last season was their, "Hey, look at us!" season, as they tried to remind the baseball world that there were more than two teams in the AL East. Unfortunately, our Jays will be in tough to challenge Boston and New York again.

Unlike baseball's twin Evil Empires (face it Boston, if you can pay $100 million for a pitcher who has never played in the MLB, you are an Evil Empire too), the Jays did not improve in any noticeable way. Born again Frank Thomas was the only headline grabbing news, the rest of JP Ricciardi's moves were more of a back-page blurb nature.

Veterans Royce Clayton is our new starting short-stop (which means our favourite Jay, John MacDonald is back on the bench), and aging Canuckle outfielder Mat Stairs will contribute depth.

On pitching, the Jays missed out on free agents Ted Lilly (unfortunately) and Gil Meche (thankfully) which left spots four an five open. Ricciardi went with the, toss everything on the wall and see what sticks approach. On said wall he tossed a motley crew of youngsters and vets looking for a second, or third chance, including Victor Zambrano, less than a year off Tommy John surgery, John Thompson, oft injured, Tomo Ohka, the Jays' embittered answer to Dice-k, Josh Towers, who I kinda thought would never ever pitch for Toronto again, Casey Jansens, who mildly impressed last year as a rookie and Shawn Marcum, who still has time to turn into something special.

Ohka and Towers stuck, with Zambrano putting up a good fight. Whether a rotation of Halladay-Burnett-Chacin-Ohka-Towers is capable of stringing together any number of wins is questionable, and the result of which will entirely determine the fate of this team.

Offensively, Toronto is more or less the same. The Big Hurt will provide more homers (speaking of Thomas, the man is huge. I used to think Troy Glaus was pretty big, but after seeing the two stand next to each other, Glaus seriously looks like he's made of matchsticks), and more strikeouts as well. Scoring runs isn't where these guys will run into problems.

I don't really care for the '07 Blue Jays, they are just a paler version of last year, but if you're not optimistic on opening day, than you really shouldn't be watching this sport. I predict the Jays will take the AL wildcard in a daring late September push.

Other predictions:

American League

EAST: Yankees win the division as the team becomes healthy at the right time of the season, that is, the end of it. Boston's pitching staff implodes, and Daisuke's gyro ball actually kills a man. Baltimore still sucks, but less so, and Canadian ace Eric Bedard makes it really, really hard to cheer against them. Tampa Bay still really sucks, except for that Kazmir guy, and their so called best outfield in baseball.

CENTAL: Detroit gets it right this time and wins baseball's new toughest division. The Indians still aren't as good as everyone wants them to be, and Minnesota and Chicago continue to be good without being great. Kansas City continues to bolster every other Central team with easy wins.

WEST: Los Angeles of Anahiem wins the division as they get all of their pitchers healthy, and Gary Matthews wins the AL MVP (Hah, just kidding). Oakland does nicely, and makes Mike Piazza a very rich man in the off season, but with another team. Texas quickly regrets their Sammy Sosa experiment, and Seattle gives no reason for Ichiro to re-sign next year.

WILDCARD: The Jays win it in the final days of September, beating out strong pushes from the Red Sox, White Sox, Twins and Oakland. No, I'm serious.

CY YOUNG: Roy Halladay pitches a full season, which as per the terms of his contract, automatically ensures him a Cy Young. Sorry Santana.

MVP: Alex Rodriguez wins another one, and Yankee fans are only too glad when he doesn't renew his contract.

National League

EAST: The Mets win this one, of course, but Philadelphia makes it close. Atlanta gets to reflect on life outside the postseason for one more year, while Washington treads water, and Florida comes no where near repeating last season.

CENTRAL: St. Louis wins this division again, but it's more because no one else is good enough than because the Cards deserve a chance at repeating. The Cubbies do not live up to the hype - gasp - Milwaukee, Houston and Cinncinati are all in the wild card hunt and Pittsburgh... still has Jason Bay.

WEST: Los Angeles wins this division, which is slowly improving as a whole. With Randy Johnson returning, Arizona slowly starts to remember what having a championship team was like, and in San Fransisco, Barry Bonds suffers an unfortunate "accident" involving cement shoes and deep water before he can commit his final act of sacrilege... Meanwhile, Colorado and San Diego continue being teams we know absolutely nothing about.

WILDCARD: Philadelphia takes it, and dreams of a Phillie-Toronto rematch stir up inside of absolutely no one.

CY YOUNG: The NL's winningest pitcher wins more than 16 games this time, and the award goes to Chris Carpenter, who is really the only thing we like about St. Louis.

MVP: Jimmy Rollins, baseball's anti-Bonds, hits a whole bunch of homers, and gets a whole bunch of MVP awards.

Check back in September when you shall be astounded to find every single prediction has come true. I promise.

Jason

NHL Predictions

Sneaking in right at the deadline, here are our NHL season predictions, with our usual 100% money back guarantee. First, the East.

1)Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo is as solid a team as your going to find. Great goal-tending, great young scorers. They will be tough to beat.

2)New Jersey Devils
When you have a magician like Lou Lamoriello for a GM, good things follow. Somehow managing to sweep away two unsightly contracts that were strangling his team, he now has Brian Gionta and Paul Martin under contract, which means the good times are still on in East Rutherford. As long as Martin Brodeur is in net, this is a team to watch out for.

3)Carolina Hurricanes
Do the defending champs have another cup on them? That's up for debate, but we think they easily have another division title. They lost a few players from last spring, and a couple more are injured, but that shouldn't matter. Eric Staal has MVP numbers in him, and Cam Ward was no fluke.

4)Ottawa Senators
Tick tock, the clock is ticking on the Senators. A decade of title expectations have resulted in not so much as a Stanley Cup final appearance. Now, we'd be lying if we said we did enjoy that just a little bit, but the truth is that the Senators are still one of the best in the league. We don't see them winning any cups this year, but hopefully sweeping the season series against Toronto will make up for that.

5)Philadelphia Flyers
We're being a little generous here, but we're also working under the assumption of a healthy Peter Forsberg and improved play from Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Will this be the season people point to as the beginning of Philadelphia's decline?

6)Atlanta Thrashers
There will champagne in the Thrashers dressing room this season as they qualify for their first post season. Losing Marc Savard hurts, but it shouldn't matter if Kari Lehtonen plays the whole season and Ilya Kovalchuk challenges for the Art Ross.

7)New York Rangers
The Rangers are going to keep riding the Jagr express for as long as it takes them, and it says in our book he's not quite done yet. Another superseason from him, plus decent contributions from his supporting staff and the sustained play of Henrik Lundqvist sees them into seventh.

8)Toronto Maples Leafs
Call this the home town discount, but we think the Leafs will make it. They will surprise some people this year. We see good things coming from their experiment in youth, from their gamble on Andrew Raycroft, and especially from new coach Paul Maurice. This is a precarious prediction, even the slightest breeze could knock the Leafs off in favour of the

9)Boston Bruins
So the Bruins dipped into the free agent market to fix their otherwise shoddy team. Stop us if you've heard this one before. Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard are great additions, but there's still something stopping us from putting them in the playoffs. The Bruins always find a way to fail, and we don't think that's going to stop now.

10)Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay could go either way this season. They could return to Cup winning form with career years for Brad Richards et al, or they could continue the regressing that began last season. Guess which side we're on.

11)Florida Panthers
Does Todd Bertuzzi return to form? Does it matter? We don't think this team has it in them either way. We hope for best for Eddie Belfour, we really do, but we can't help but think that he is setting himself up for disaster.

12)Montreal Canadiens
Montreal didn't really do anything major in the offseason (Signing Sergei Samsonov doesn't count as major. Just ask Edmonton) and they will suffer for it. Don't expect too much from them.

13)Pittsburgh Penguins
Speaking of expectations, how 'bout these guys? Can Sidney Crosby improve on his massive rookie season? Can Marc-Andre Fleury remind us why he was chosen first over all? Can Evgeni Malkin live up to his Best Player Outside of The NHL label? Even if the answer to all three questions is yes, this team is still not ready for the playoffs. But damn if this isn't a good time to start buying 2008/2009 season tickets.

14)Washington Capitals
The critically acclaimed one-man show, "Alexander Ovechkin," will continue to play in the D.C area from October to mid-April. Plenty of tickets still available.

15) New York Islanders
What to say that hasn't already been said? This team is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. Make that 'If' it gets better.

West:

1) San Jose Sharks
Time for Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo to give us a season long encore. Good things will happen.

2) Calgary Flames
One Alex Tanguay a Stanley Cup does not win. A Northwest Division? Sure, why not. Look for Iginla to bring the scoring back, JT style.

3) Nashville Predators
Time for the Preds to shine. Their division is ripe for the taking, and their roster is stocked with talent. Nashville in the Stanley Cup finals? You heard it here first.

4) Anahiem Ducks
Ok, so the new logo is... unfortunate, but these Ducks are not. Brian Burke has shown again why he's the best at what he does. That defensive line up is the stuff of GM wet dreams.

5) Minnesota Wild
Hey, the lockout's over! Minnesota took awhile to realise it, but here they are ready to make a splash. Pavol Demitra and Marian Gaborik say that this team makes the playoffs.

6) Detroit Red Wings
Beginning of the end for the Red Wings? That's what we said last year, and then they went and won the Presidents Trophy. Either way Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk can only do so much.

7) Vancouver Canucks
Roberto Luongo equals playoff spot for Vancouver. After that? Well, Marcus Naslund's season will go a long way to determining that

8) Dallas Stars
The Stars are grasping at straws here. Eric Lindros? Seriously? Marty Turco will ensure respectability, but for how long?

9) Edmonton Oilers
We are on record as saying Dwayne Roloson will blow up in Edmonton's face, but you can't help but love their players up front. Shawn Horcoff, Fernando Pisani, Joffrey Lupul, and the rest give Edmonton a fighting chance.

10) Columbus Blue Jackets
Not this time Columbus, not this time. Is Nikolai Zherdev as good as he thinks he is? Freddy Modin is great, but who's left in net now? Things are looking up though.

11) Phoenix Coyotes
The Wayne Gretzky Experiment is still going strong, but the Coyotes aren't. Their defense is great, Ed Jovanovski, Keith Ballard and the like, but after that? Cujo has seen better days, and as much as we love Jeremy Roenick, why hasn't he moved into the broadcast booth yet?

12) Colorado Avalanche
Final requiem for the Colorado Avalanche, as we see the end of an era. Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk are all that remain of the glory days. Even if Jose Theodore keeps out of the Montreal tabloids, this team isn't going anywhere.

13) Chicago Blackhawks
Martin Havlat has never scored more than 68 points, or played in more than 75 games. We're not knocking the Hawks' move, we're just saying be patient. Which is something Chicago fans are all to familiar with. Don't worry, there's light at the end of this tunnel.

14) Los Angeles Kings
Does Dan Cloutier have pictures of coach Marc Crawford and an underaged Vietnamese prostitute? That's the only reason we can think of why they've been reunited in LA. This team, not exactly in the fast lane before, is slipping.

15) St. Louis Blues
The '96 US World Cup reunion tour begins in October and will tour the country featuring such former greats as Doung Weight, Bill Guerin, and Keith Tkachuk.

Ok, let's make the one prediction that really matters: Who will win the Stanley Cup? We have New Jersey and Nashville duking it out, with New Jersey coming out on top. But hey, we've been wrong before.

Jason

You Can Stop Worrying Now, World Cup Predictions Are Here!

Before we get underway with 63 Years' Official World Cup Primer, we feel we should at least mention the tragic situation currently occurring in Edmonton.

A fine hockey team, once a serious contender to hoist the coveted Stanley Cup, has been hobbled by a serious injury to their starting goaltender. What once promised to be a fine hockey series between the Edmonton Oilers and the Carolina Hurricanes has now degenerated into a lopsided smack around on the part of Carolina.

Unless Edmonton can pull off a serious series comeback and erase the current two game deficit, we find it hard to imagine Carolina not winning the cup. We did pick them to win it, so we can't complain, but they weren't supposed to win like this... no, never like this.

Now to switch cups, we turn our attention to soccer's premier event, the World Cup, this year to be held by the always capable Deutchlanders (the link between the World Cup and Toronto's futility is tenuous, we'll admit, but it's there. Trust us.). Brazil is, as always, the favourites to win their sixth trophy, though don't count out the Czechs or the Dutch.

Anyway, here's the group breakdown:

Group A
(1)Germany
(2)Poland
(3)Ecuador
(4)Costa Rica

The first group finds the home team on easy street, as they land in a cream puff of a group to start things off. No matter, home side advantage and all that. The Germans are good enough to qualify for the next round no matter which group they were placed in. We're not so convinced about this team's cup potential though. Even if with their fans cheering them on, we don't see them making it past the semi's, tops.

As for the rest of the canon fodder that makes up Group A, we flipped a coin on Poland versus Ecuador, and Poland won out. Seriously though, those two are interchangeable. Costa Rica however, is nailed to that number four.

Group B
(1)England
(2)Sweden
(3)Paraguay
(4)Trinidad & Tobago

Not quite the dream group Germany found themselves in, but England shouldn't have too much trouble moving on, even with Wayne Rooney hobbling around on one leg. Is this their year though? We admit, we have a bit of a soft spot for the Anglos. You see, their streak of futility at World Cups closely mirrors that of a certain Toronto hockey team, neither team having touched their respective cups in more than forty years, so we would be more than happy to see David Beckham hoisting the hallowed trophy. However, we remain skeptical; this is England we're talking about after all.

Sweden is good enough that their advancement is all but locked. But for whatever reason though, we also have a rather large soft spot for the Paraguayans, and we would not be remiss to see them leapfrog over the Swedes. Don't count on it, but Paraguay could pull a fast one over everyone.

Much like Costa Rica, T&T is just here for the ride.

Group C
(1)Netherlands
(2)Argentina
(3)Serbia & Montenegro
(4)Ivory Coast

The quote, unquote, group of death, group C could go a few ways. The Dutch should qualify either way, no need to worry about them. Then we have Argentina and Serbia. Serbia has become the popular dark horse team, and could quite easily move on. However, we're sticking with the tried and true here and picking the Argentines to come through.

The Ivory Coast is another popular dark horse pick, and in any other group, might have had a chance of moving on. However, group C is not any other group, and as such, the Africans will be hard pressed to advance.

Group D
(1)Portugal
(2)Mexico
(3)Iran
(4)Angola

We would be willing to place large sums of money on this outcome, because we feel it is one of the easier groups to predict. On top, you have Portugal, runners up from Euro 2004 (and with no team Greece in sight, they should be breathing easier) and Mexico, perennial North American entrants. Portugal wins out by virtue of being the better team, despite Mexico's high FIFA rankings (by virtue of playing sub-par Central American teams).

Then there's Iran and Angola. Iran will probably have few of the more follicly-challenged Germans cheering for them, though for all the wrong reasons. Other than that, Iran's presence at the Cup will be largely perfunctory. Ditto that Angola, a country we admittedly know little about, other than that their soccer team, while good enough to make it this far, is not good enough to advance.

Group E
(1)Czech Republic
(2)USA
(3)Italy
(4)Ghana

Our emotional picks to win the tournament, the Czechs, lead the group. However, this is a very close group, and one of three very good teams is going home early. We doubt that will be the Czech Republic, but nothing is sacred at this point (see France In '02, Zero Goals Scored By). Of the three very talented teams to call group E home, we think the most likely to buckle are the Italians. They have refined choking to an art, and where better to display it than the first round?

We also think that the Americans are better than most people are willing to give them credit for, and are good for at least the quarter-finals, if not the semi's.

Ghana, is well, Ghana. Another tiny African country that is too excited about the prospect of being in the World Cup to worry about such silly things as winning.

Group F
(1)Brazil
(2)Australia
(3)Croatia
(4)Japan

Group F, consisting of Brazil and three other teams is actually surprisingly wide open, once you look past Brazil. The Brazilians will advance, of course, but after that?

We're picking the Aussies, if only because they're a decent team, and the closest thing to Canada being in the Cup as we're ever going to see.

But don't count out Croatia, they have just as good a chance as well. Japan is just too bland for us to see them advancing, and 2002 was definitely helped by the fans.

Group G
(1)France
(2)Switzerland
(3)South Korea
(4)Togo

Picking France to advance is a risk, we know. But the Les Bleus are back baby, and if not in championship form, at least in enough form to advance easily.

Then it's down to Switzerland and South Korea. We here are highly skeptical of the Koreans, and are eager to see how they perform on somewhere other than home soil. The Swiss are a solid team, which should see them to at least the knockout stage.

Togo will have succeeded if they can score more than a goal or two.

Group H
(1)Spain
(2)Ukraine
(3)Tunisia
(4)Saudi Arabia

Spain may be the prototypical over-rated European power, but they're still good enough to escape this powder puff group. After that...?

Ukraine powered through the qualification stages (knocking out Greece in the process...bastards) thanks almost entirely due to one Andriy Shevchenko. As long as he's good to go, so is the Ukraine. He should see them through to at least the knockout stage.

Tunisia could leap frog the Ukraine, and they carry the distinction of being the best African county in the tournament.

Saudi Arabia, despite all the oil money that has flowed into the team, will just be looking not to get embarrassed 8-0, like the last time around.


And those are our picks for the first round. As with most of 63 Years' predictions, we advise not putting to much money on them, as we have a bad track record when it comes to this sort of thing.

Until tomorrow,

Jason

Take that, Maggie the Monkey

Being right feels so good.

The Stanley Cup Finals are set, and the two teams, Edmonton and Carolina, were both picked by yours truly to get there (Though, my picks at the out set of the playoffs were slightly different *cough*Detroit vs. New Jersey*cough*). After going 0 for four in the second round, 63 Years has correctly picked the Stanley Cup finalists.

We have a bit of a dilemma though. How can we pick a winner from those two when we want both to win?

On the one hand, you have Edmonton, a once great franchise picking up where it left off 16 years ago, the team carrying all of Canada's Stanley Cup hopes, the team that exemplifies the new NHL. On the other hand you have Carolina, a hard luck team that suffered for years in Hartford before being tossed from the frying pan of Connecticut into the fire of North Carolina, a team stocked with ageing veterans desperate for a chamionship.

Guys like Rod Brind'Amour, Brett Hedican, Glen Wesley and Doug Weight are all players I'd like to see hoist the cup.

Edmonton is a much younger team. True, my heart would warm seeing Captain Canada, Ryan Smyth drink from Stanley's mug, but he still has time left on his clock.

And, let's face it, Carolina is the better team here. Edmonton squeeked into the playoffs ranked eighth in the West, while Carolina won their division in style. Carolina has all the pieces and a great young goalie, Edmonton gets by with charm and an aging journeyman goaltender playing way above his normal level.

In light of all that, 63 Years and Counting is picking Carolina to win the series, not that we would have any problem whatsoever with the opposite outcome.

In other news, the Jays kicked the Tampa Bay Devil Rays while they were on the ground, and then spat on them for good measure. Final score: 13-3, nine of the Jays' runs coming in the ninth inning, all the more remarkable in that the Jays' offensive catalyst, Vernon Wells sat the game out (coincidently, his replacement in centre field, Reed Johnson, had two homers on the night)

That's the kind of ruthless play the Jays need if they're ever going to topple the Yankees-Red Sox monopoly on first place.

In other news, the Toronto Argonauts lost their first preseason exhibition game, and Ricky Williams was barely seen on the field. I think it's now safe for us to go back to not caring about the CFL.

In other news, the World Cup (you know which one) begins on Friday, less than a week away. Because we here at 63 Years and Counting are not on crack, we are going with the tried an true Brazilians to win the most prestigious trophy in all of sports.

We will also be cheering for the Czechs and Dutch, and maybe even the Serbians (sans Montenegro now), if only because they have achieved official "Dark Horse" status.

We will try to get some sort of group stage prediction thing up here before Friday, but then again, don't hold your breath.

Later,

Jason

On Second Thought...

So it appears that 63 Years and Counting's much vaunted powers of prediction have been, ahem, greatly exaggerated.

Three games into the NHL's second round, and all three of the teams we picked to advance, Ottawa, New Jersey, and Colorado, are all staring down at 1-0 series deficits. In the case of New Jersey and Colorado, they not only lost, they lost by a coimbined score of 11-0.

So, if you placed some large sum of money based on our predictions, now would be a good time to bail out. We won't hold it against you.

In our defense though, we should note that we did predict that the Phoenix Suns would successfully complete the comeback against the LA Lakers, which they followed through on today, winning 121-90. Just to prove it,

In other, other, other news, the Phoenix Suns, home of Super Canuck Steve Nash, have forced a game seven against Kobe Bryant, er... the LA Lakers. Unless Kobe can put up another 80 point game, this one is going the Suns way.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Yeah, we feel special.

In other news, after ka-pounding the Angels 13-3 on Friday, the Jays turned around and lost 3-0. How that is even possible... The winning pitcher was none other than former Jay, Kelvim Escobar. It's a four game series though, so there's still time to make up for that. If memory serves correct, Roy Halladay takes the mound tomorrow.

Later,

Jason

We Promise We''ll Do Better This Time

It's time for our second round predictions for the NHL playoffs. We didn't do as well as we thought we did in the first round, going 4 for 8. But this time, we promise that all of our picks will be guaranteed 100%, no ifs ands or buts. Unless they turn out all wrong, in which case, you never met us, got it?

Eastern Conference

Ottawa (1) vs Buffalo (4)
This should be great match up. Both teams are young and fast, and both have unproven goalies backing them up. But once gaain, betting against the Senators is a fools game. As much as we'd like to see Ottawa go down flaming 4-0 to Buffalo, we don't see that happening. Ottawa wins in six.

Carolina (2) vs New Jersey (3)
Carolina showed that they were prone to mistakes against Montreal, while New Jersey showed that they were prone to wiping the floor with their opponent in sweeping New York. Martin Brodeur is head and shoulders above youngster Cam Ward in net, and Patrick Elias is carrying his team's offensive load. Carolina will definitely make it close, but this one can only go one way. New Jersey in six.

Western Conference

San Jose (5) vs Edmonton (8)
We bet against Edmonton in the first round, and got burned. However, that's not going to stop us from picking San Jose over the Oilers in this round. The Sharks can rely on so many players to step up, and Edmonton has to bank on Dwayne Roloson continuing his lights out perfomance. Sharks in five.

Anaheim (6) vs Colorado (7)
It's hard to chose which was the bigger upset, Colorado over Dallas, or Anaheim over Calgary. Either way, these to teams are here now, and the onus is on them to prove that their berths in the second round weren't flukes. Our gut is telling us to go with Colorado, which took care of the Stars so easily that one can't help but think that momentum is going to carry over. Colorado in six.

In other news, Team Canada played its first game in the IIHF World Hockey Championships (aka The Loser's Tournament) against Denmark 5-3. It was hardly an impressive win, Canada blew a three goal lead in the second, but still came out on top. To give you idea of the depth of Team Canada, they've fielded a team consisting of guys like Mike Comrie, Dan Hamhuis, and rookies Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, and they're still favourites to win it all. Canada's top line consists of Sidney Crosby sandwiched between Brad Boyes and Patrice Bergeron. They're back stopped by Columbus' Marc Denis (what, no Luongo?).

Hardly the finest batch of boys to wear the red and white, sure, but they're still more than enough to take down the best Europe has to offer. And besides, it's not like anybody in Canada is actually paying attention to it. In terms of hockey importance, the World Championships are a slight head above the Spengler Cup.

In other, other news, Josh Towers was his usual self last night, allowing the Red Sox to milk him for seven runs through five innings. With A.J Burnett done for at least another month, the Jays desperately need Towers to start winning ball games.

In other, other, other news, the Phoenix Suns, home of Super Canuck Steve Nash, have forced a game seven against Kobe Bryant, er... the LA Lakers. Unless Kobe can put up another 80 point game, this one is going the Suns way.

Later,

Jason

Correction: In The Article Dated April 19th...

After one round of play, 63 Years and Counting has returned to walk you through the first round. Our predictions did not go so hot, we will admit, but then again, did anyone predict both Detroit and Dallas would be eliminated? No you didn't, liar. Our first round record was 4 for 8, which, while not terrible, hardly speaks to our knowledge of hockey.

Without further ado, a first round recap of where we went wrong (and right).

Ottawa (1) vs Tampa Bay (8)
What we said: Ottawa 4, Tampa 2
What happened: Ottawa 4, Tampa 1

So it looks like we gave Tampa Bay a bit too much credit on this one. But betting against Ottawa is a fools game. This one was a no-brainer.

Carolina (2) vs Montreal (7)
What we said: Montreal 4, Carolina 3
What happened: Carolina 4, Montreal 2

We went with our hearts on this one, and got burned. Though for the first two games, in which Montreal jumped out to a two game lead, we looked like geniuses. But the loss of captain Saku Koivu and the insertion of Can Ward into the Carolina net were too much for Les Habitants to handle. We still maintain though, that had Koivu stayed in the series, it would be Montreal advancing, and not the Hurricanes.

New Jersey (3) vs New York (6)
What we said: New Jersey 4, New York 1
What happened: New Jersey 4, New York 0

We saw this smackering coming from a mile away. New Jersey was just too hot, and New York relied on Jaromir Jagr just a bit too much for it to end any other way. We did think though, that Jagr would be good for at least one Ranger win. Whoops.

Buffalo (4) vs Philadelphia (5)
What we said: Philadelphia 4, Buffalo 3
What happened: Buffalo 4, Philadelphia 2

In retrospect, this series was painfully obvious right from the start. But we, wrongly, believed that the Flyers combo of strength and Peter Forsberg would shut down the Sabre's speed. Scores of 8-2 and 7-1 in Buffalo's favour would seem to cast some doubt on this though. If we could go back and redo this, we would take Buffalo in a heartbeat.

Detroit (1) vs Edmonton (8)
What we said: Detroit 4, Edmonton 1
What happened: Edmonton 4, Detroit 2

This one was ugly. The Oilers have gone and knocked off our picks for the Stanley Cup Champ, in the first round no less. We didn't see this one coming. Perhaps the criticism that has dogged the Red Wings all season, that their record was inflated by playing 24 games against punching bag teams like Columbus, Chicago and St. Louis, holds some merit after all. Either way, this a big upset, and questions will probably be asked in Detroit.

Dallas (2) vs Colorado (7)
What we said: Dallas 4, Colorado 2
What happened: Colorado 4, Dallas 1

I don't think many people in the hockey world predicted Dallas just rolling over to the Avs when this series began. Who could have foreseen the meltdown of Marty Turco? Who could have foreseen the dominance of the Avs? Who could have foreseen the return to form of Jose Theodore? Not us, that's for sure.

Calgary (3) vs Anaheim (6)
What we said: Anaheim 4, Calgary 2
What happened: Anaheim 4, Calgary 3

This is the prediction we're most proud of, because a) not too many had this happening, and b) we really don't like Calgary. The final score of the final game was Anaheim 3, Calgary 0, a fitting end for a team that struggled to score goals all season.

Nashville (4) vs San Jose (5)
What we said: San Jose 4, Nashville 2
What happened: San Jose 4, Nashville 1

This was another no-brainer. San Jose was way too hot, and Nashville was relying on some no name goalie, which meant an easy win for the Sharks. It's interesting to note that the Sharks won despite getting little production from their Richard-Hart combo of Cheechoo and Thornton. If they can manhandle Nashville with those guys just coasting along, imagine what they'll do once they get going.

It's intesting to note that in the East, all the topseeded teams advanced (Ottawa, Carolina, New Jersey, Buffalo) while in the West, all the top seeded teams flamed out (Detroit, Dallas, Calgary, Nashville). Coincidence? We'll leave that to you to decide. But it makes us feel confident that this year's Cup will go to the east side, in the form of either New Jersey or Ottawa (we're not sure which yet).

In other news, the Jays won a tight one in Fenway last night, taking a 7-6 win over Boston, curtesy of a late Russ Adams double off (formerly) lights out closer Jonathon Papelbon. That would be the first run Papelbon has given up all season, and it came at the worst possible time.

Speaking of sparkling closers, how good is is the decision to bring in B.J Ryan looking now? He has six saves, none blown and no runs against through one month of play. Granted, the Jays haven't needed his services as much as maybe they thought they would, but that's probably a good thing.

Later,

Jason

The Playoffs, Sans Maple Leafs

The playoff seedings are set in stone now, after the regular season wrapped up yesterday. The Toronto Maple Leafs will not be participating this year, of course, but perhaps that is for the best. One could only imagine them being swept in the first round by a team like Ottawa.

Anyway, without further ado, 63 Years and Counting presents its NHL playoff preview

East

Ottawa (1) vs Tampa Bay (8)
This series finds the would be champs, Ottawa, taking on the defending champs, Tampa. How the mighty have fallen, on both accounts. This year's version of Tampa Bay pales in comparison to the one that went all the way the last time anybody competed for Lord Stanley's mug. Martin "Short Stuff" St. Louis is hardly MVP worthy this time around, and a Sean Burke/John Grahame combo in net most definitely does not equal one Nikolai "Follow the Money" Khabibulin. Ottawa, much like Toronto did, has realised that relying on an aging goaltender was perhaps not the best idea, and must turn to Ray Emery to take them to the big dance. The Sens are hardly the sparkling specimens of hockey prowess they were to start the season, but are still a head above the Lighting talent wise. However, as a life long Toronto fan, I am obligated to cheer against the Sens. But my dislike for the Rideau Riders doesn't make me stupid. Ottawa wins in six.

Carolina (2) vs Montreal (7)
What happened to Carolina? These guys were the poster boys of the new NHL, but now they're just another team in the pack. Was losing Eric Cole that big a blow? Was trading for Mark Recchi that bad an idea? And whatever happened to that Eric Staal guy? Montreal has the momentum in this one for sure. The rumblings out of Montreal seem to indicate that David "Swiss Cheese" Aebischer is favoured to get the nod as the starting goalie. Whether that is a plus or minus, I leave up to you to decide. Montreal wins in seven.

New Jersey (3) vs New York (6)
The Devils won their division in style, waiting till the very last day of the season to do it, and are rewarded with a round against the slumping Rangers. Dubbed the Battle of the Hudson by sports pundits far wiser than I, this should be a series where New Jersey can flex their playoff muscles. Martin Brodeur gives the Devils a huge advantage in any playoff series, especially against a New York team that lost its last five games leading up to the playoffs. Can Jaromir Jagr carry this team past the resurgent Devils? Personally, I hope so, but don't hold your breath. New Jersey wins in five.

Buffalo (4) vs Philadelphia (5)
I really like this match up. Either team could realistically end up on top. The Flyers aren't quite as good as past incarnations, but they are still the Flyers and demand some respect. If Peter Forsberg can stay healthy and play at 100%, I see this one going Phillies' direction. But really, it could go either way. Philadelphia in seven.

West

Detroit (1) vs Edmonton (8)
What happened to the Oilers? Bringing in Chris Pronger and Micheal Peca was supposed to stop Edmonton's bad habit of squeeking into the playoffs. Not so, I suppose. As such, the Oils are going to be in tough to beat my favourite to win the Cup, the Red Wings. The Wings are just too good to be taken down by an Edmonton team backed by by Dwayne Roloson. Detroit wins in five.

Dallas (2) vs Colorado (7)
The Dallas Stars, the NHL's most under appreciated team, shouldn't have too too much trouble dispatching Colorado. And while Jussi Jokinen's ridiculous shoot out record won't be any help in the post season, this is a very good Stars team, and nobody would be surprised to see Mike Modano hoisting the Stanley Cup in a few months time. Not that the Avs are a bad team per se, but Joe Sakic isn't quite what he used to be, and Jose Theodore has yet to prove himself as the second coming of Patrick Roy. Dallas wins in six.

Calgary (3) vs Anaheim (6)
I will be the first to admit, I do not get the whole Calgary experience. It appears that they have managed to convince most of the sporting world that they are the real deal, but there remains one man unconvinced of Calgary's domination. Me. This team relies so much so on its goalie Mikka Kiprusoff that they managed to score one of the league's lowest goal totals and still win their division. Which makes a red hot team like Anaheim the perfect candidate to dust off the sluggish Flames. Anaheim wins in six.

Nashville (4) vs San Jose (5)
I would have taken the red hot Sharks over Nashville whether the Preds had lost their star goalie Tomas Vokoun or not. Vokoun's injury just makes it that much clearer that San Jose will come out on top. Joe "Art Ross" Thornton and Jonathan "Rocket Richard" Cheechoo are just too dominating for it to end any other way. Not that Nashville won't make it close, but in the end, there's only one team that can advance from this pair. San Jose in six.

And there you have it, 63 Years and Counting's 100% guaranteed playoff predictions (We don't mean to brag, but it looks like someone agrees with us). Just don't come crying to us when they turn out all wrong, and an angry loan shark is practicing for his chiropractory degree on your kneecaps. You've been warned.

In other news, following a matinee loss to the Yankees today by Toronto, the series is split 1-1. 63 Years and Counting would like to note that for yesterday's 10-5 win over the Yanks, the Rogers Centre was almost filled to capacity. 63 Years does not however find it pertinent to mention that the tickets cost all of 2$ for yesterday's game.

In other, other news, Mats Sundin's 4 point effort against the soon to be Las Vegas Penguins gives him 78 points through 70 games, his best showing in three or four years. It's good to have you back Mats.

Later

Jason