Pool Time!
Yes it’s pool time. Not as in swimming pool, but as in NHL Playoff Pool. Have you made your picks yet? Well hopefully this blog will help you pick the right players and the winners!
RANGERS VS OTTAWA (Season Series: Ottawa 3-1)
Who will win: Rangers in 7 games
Ottawa may have a bit more fire power upfront, but Lundqvist is stronger on the back-end then Anderson.
BOSTON VS WASHINGTON (Season Series: Washington 3-1)
Who will win: Boston in 7 games
In Washington the top line is reunited but they won’t be able to beat Thomas, one of the NHL’s best goalies.
FLORIDA VS NEW JERSEY (Season Series: Tied 2-2)
Who will win: New Jersey in 6 games
Florida is just happy to make the playoffs. New Jersey’s experience will win it.
PITTSBURGH VS PHILLY (Season Series: Philly 4-2)
Who will win: Pittsburgh in 7 games
They are even teams but Pittsburgh does have an edge in goaltending.
VANCOUVER VS LOS ANGELES (Season Series: Tied 2-2)
Who will win: Vancouver in 6 games
Vancouver is simply a top team, as long as Luongo plays well.
ST.LOUIS VS SAN JOSE (Season Series: St.Loius 4-0)
Who will win: St.Louis in 7 games
One of the best offenses in the league versus one of the best defensive teams in St.Louis.
PHOENIX VS CHICAGO (Season Series: Phoenix 3-1)
Who will win: Chicago in 6 games
An all-star cast in Chicago with Hossa, Toews, Kane, Sharp etc…one will get the better of goalie Smith.
NASHVILLE VS DETROIT (Season Series: Tied 3-3)
Who will win: Detroit in 7 games
Detroit has a great offense that will have to make Rinne stand on his head to win Nashville some games.
NHL Family Hockey Pool
Well the family pool is done for the regular season. Here are the final standings:
Dad…***the winner *** 816 pts
Sportskid200…782 pts
Mom…763 pts (mom what happened you were winning in the first half?!)
But don’t worry. Our family hockey pool is not done. We have just started our playoff family pool, while adding a new member to the pool. Sportskid2000′s cousin is joining us. We’ll call him Cousin2001! Updates to come once the playoffs start.
Good luck to all of you who are in a pool this playoff season!
Batter Up!
The busiest week of the year for parents, is the week before christmas. The busiest week of the year for sports, is the week before Easter. It officially ends the NHL season and officially starts the MLB season! So today I will give you my predictions fo the 2012 MLB season!
AL EAST:
New York 96-66: Needs one more stud picher to battle the heavyweights of the AL
Boston 91-71: Same problem as the Yankees
Toronto 91-71: If you win just half of the games that the bullpen blew last season they will be at the top of the standings
Tampa Bay 89-73: Will have the exact same season as last year, but without the amazing end of season run to make the playoffs
Baltimore 74-88: possibly has the best hitters in the AL East , but the worst pitchers in the MLB
AL CENTRAL
Detroit 99-63: Just a solid team overall
Cleveland 81-81: Pitching better than batting
Kansas City 80-82: Solid young team. Needs a veteran to lead them.
Minnesota 71-91: Players need to rebound from a horrible season
Chicago 63-99: 1 batter who can hit over 20 home runs and 0 pithers who can win 13 games. That spells failure!
AL WEST
Texas 102-60: Has a chance of going to the world series for the 3rd straight year
LA Angels 102-60: 2 all-stars signed in the off-season will really help the Angels to try and capture the division title
Seattle 70-92: Needs aloooooottttt of offence
Oakland 65-97: Needs aloooooottttt of everything
NL EAST
Philadelphia 94-68: Needs offence to go along with an all-star cast of pitchers
Miami 90-72: Signed alot of good players to compete for the playoffs
Atanta: 88-74: Will compete again for a wild card spot
Washington 84-78: Not their year to compete yet
New York 62-100: Another failure season ahead
NL CENTRAL
Milwaukee 92-70: Still a strong team without Prince Fielder
St.Louis 90-72: Defending champs will struggle to make the playoffs
Cincinnati 88-74: Pitching is what seperates them from the Brewers and the Cardinals
Pittsburgh 74-88: Nothing really stands out as a problem
Chicago 74-88: Same as the Pirates, nothing really stands out as a problem
Houston 58-104: Not yet their turn to have sucsess
NL WEST
Arizona 89-73: Will win the division again
San Francisco 81-81: Will not make the playoffs for the second straight year after they won the World Series in 2010
Colorado 80-82: Pitching will bring them down
LA Dodgers 77-85: 1 all-star batter and 1 all-star pitcher, but after that they are nothing special
San Diego 64-98: Batting and pitching are both weak
My hockey predictions weren’t so good so I hope these are better! Next week,for the moment we have all been waiting for, I will tell you won my family hockey pool! I will also give you my NHL playoff predictions! See you next week!
A Race to the Finish Line
Happy March Break everyone! Sorry I haven’t written in awhile. But with no school or ice hockey this week, I now have a lot of time! March is a great month because there are NHL playoff races and the NCAA March Madness Tournament happening.
In the NHL East Conference, the playoff race for the 8th, and last spot, are between the Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres and the Winnipeg Jets. The Sabres are 2 points back of the Capitals but have played one extra game. The Jets are 4 points back of the Capitals and have the same amount games played.
In the divisional races, the Southeast divisional Panthers are one point up on the Capitals, but have an extra game in hand. In the Atlantic Division, the Penguins trail the Rangers by 4 points with the same amount of games played. And in the Northeast Division, Ottawa trails Boston by 2 points bbut have played 2 more games.
So here is my prediction of how the race will finish in the East:
1.Pits Penguins
2. Boston Bruins
3. Washington Capitals
4. NY Rangers
5. Philly Flyers
6. NJ Devils
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Florida Panthers
Now in the West the race is more crazy. Fighting for the last 2 spots are Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, SJ Sharks, Calgary Flames, and LA Kings. In the Central Division, Detroit is 6 points back of St. Loius with a game in hand. In the Pacific Division everyone, except Anaheim, is fighting for the divison lead with the losers maybe getting the 7th or 8th spot.
Here is my prediction of how the race will end in the West:
1.St.Loius Blues
2. Vancouver Canucks
3. Dallas Stars
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Nashville Preds
6. Chicago Blackhawks
7. SJ Sharks
8. Phoenix Coyotes
But enough about the NHL. This is March, so you know what that means. It’s time for NCAA March Madness!! I won’t go through the whole round of 64, lol, but let’s go directly to my thoughts on the final four. Coming out of the South will be #1 ranked Kentucky (32-2). Coming out of the West will be # 6 ranked Murray State (30-1). In the East the #1 ranked Syracuse (31-2) will play vrs the Midwest 8th ranked Creighton (28-5). Making it to the finals will be Kentucky vrs Syracuse. And i predict Syracuse will win.
There is one more race to talk about. Here is the latest update on our Family NHL Fantasy Pool:
Dad is still in the lead with 666 points.
Sportskid2000 has slide into 2nd place with 660 points.
But mom is just behind with 659 points.
It’s going to be a wild race to the finish line! Can’t wait to see what happened this month!
NHL Trade Deadline 2012
Hi everyone! I know, I know it’s been a few weeks since I last blogged. I was away for a few weeks on an awesome family vacation. And then it took awhile to find the time to sit down and write up a new blog. But a big event is coming soon, so I had to find the time to blog.
As the NHL trade carousel approaches, here is a look at what I think may happen.
Since I live in the Toronto area I have to talk about the Leafs. The Maple Leafs need goaltending. Examples of player who may be available are Jonathan Bernier or Evgeni Nabokov. They have some players that may interest other teams like Connolly, Kadri, or Kulemin. Add a few draft picks and who knows who they can land.
Here are some players who might move teams, and where I think they may end up:
On defense there are guys like Tim Gleason(Carolina) and Bryan Allen (Carolina) who are good candidates to end up in Boston, Pitsburg or Florida.
Jack Jonhson (LA) will end up, after the deadline, in Pitsburgs, Columbus or stay in LA.
A few other defensmen who will leave in smaller trades may be Campoli (Montreal), Spacek (Carolina), Kuba (Ottawa), Komisarek (Toronto- maybe as a through in for a bigger trade)
As for forwards, there are a lot of names available. First we will start with the Blue Jackets who have a lot of stars who may be on the move. It will be hard to trade Rick Nash because there are a lot of things that need to happen before that. Columbus wants a stellar roster forward, starting goalie, a prospect and a high draft pick for Nash. The teams that can meet those needs are Philly, New York Rangers, Toronto, and St.Loius. Nash has a limited no trade cause, which means he has to approve which team he will go to. So teams that can give Columbus a good deal like, Buffalo and Edmonton, are probably not on his list. But the NY Rangers said they won’t trade McDonagh or Del Zotto, which would be key pieces in making a trade. Philly won’t give up Schenn or Couturier, so that deal most likely won’t happen. St.Louis has the pieces to make a good deal, but I doubt Nash will approve of that trade location. But I think then that St.Louis will have a good shot in landing Jeff Carter.
St.Louis can give up one of their 2 starting goalies, Halak or Elliot, or another young goalie with promise for the NHL in Jake Allen. The Rangers also come back into play if they don’t have to give up as much as in a Nash deal. Also LA has great interest in Carter. I believe, if he moves, it will be to LA.
Parise (New Jersey) and Semin (Washington), who are superstar UFA agents this summer will take alot to be moved by their teams. I think the only place Parise will end up is in New Jersey because they have a great chance to make a run for the cup and it would make no sense to trade away one of your best players. As for Semin, his future relies on how his team does this weekend in Ottawa, vrs Montreal, and in Toronto. If Washington’s playoff seem to be fading away, Semin can bring in alot from teams that look to make a run for the cup. If St.Louis isn’t able to make any other big deals I think they are the front runners for Derek Roy (Buffalo). If I was Buffalo, I would trade Roy for Elliot (St.Loius). And then trade Miller to Chicago for Kane. Speaking of Miller and Kane, I think if they don’t get traded for each other then I think they won’t be on the market for other teams.
A few other forwards who may leave teams in smaller trades are from Montreal Moen and Kostitsyn, Wolski (NYR), Knuble (Capitals), Grabovski (Toronto), Stafford (Buffalo), Boyes (Buffalo), Leino (Buffalo), Gaustad (Buffalo), Blake and Koivu (Anaheim), Gagner and Hemsky (Edmonton), and Ott (Dallas).
When it comes to goalies, at this time probably only Bernier (LA) and Nabokov (NYI) are available but if St.Louis is close to aquiring a big name player then one of their goalies may be dealt.
Well there is only 5 days left before the trade deadline. A few trades have been made already, but many more are to come. Next week we’ll talk NBA, and have a look at the reaction from the trade deadline deals.
Any Given Sunday
The NFL final four is finally here! So it’s time to have a look and see what might happend next Sunday. Here are the match ups for this Sunday:
New York Giants vs San Francisco 49ers. Prediction: 49ers win 31-28
Baltimore Ravens vs New England Patriots. Prediction: Patriots win 24-17
Here are my rankings for various positions:
Quarterback: 1st-Patriots; 2nd-Giants; T-3rd-Ravens and 49ers
Receivers: 1st-Patriots; 2nd-Giants; 3rd-49ers; 4th-Ravens
Rushers: 1st- Ravens; T-2nd-49ers and Giants; 4th- Patriots
Defense: 1st-Ravens; 2nd-49ers; 3rd-Giants; 4th-Patriots
I will give you my Super Bowl predictions next week. But right now I think the Patriots ar ethe strongest (and my favorite) team!
As for our Family NHL Fantansy Pool. Things have changed. We have a new leader as of games completed on Sunday January 15th.
Dad- 437 pts
Mom-421 pts
Sportskid2000- 419 pts
Poll: Who do you think will win the Super Bowl from the final four teams: Ravens, Patriots, Giants, 49ers? Give us your prediction in the comment section of this blog.
It’s a New Year! It’s a New Season! (Part 2)
Yesterday I talked about the NHL East Conference, today we’ll talk about the West. Like yesterday let’s look at:
My Preseason Prediction… Current Standings….My Mid-Season Prediction
Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver
LA Kings Detroit Chicago
Chicago San Jose San Jose
San Jose St.Loius Detroit
Detroit Chicago St.Loius
Colombus LA Kings Nashville
Minnesota Nashville LA Kings
St.Loius Minnesota Dallas
Nashville Dallas Colorado
Anaheim Colorado Minnesota
Calgary Phoenix Phoenix
Dallas Calgary Calgary
Phoenix Edmonton Anaheim
Edmonton Anaheim Edmonton
Colorado Columbus Columbus
Vancouver…didn’t change much in off season, if it was good enough for first last year, it’s good enough now
Chicago… they’ll have to battle hard till the end for the division lead but will get it
San Jose…clearly good enough to win the division but not good enough for first overall
Detroit… naturally a good team that can never miss the playoffs
St.Loius…new experience coach and surprising team equals playoff team
Nashville…only battle they will have to fight is to come ahead of LA for 6th place
LA Kings…a changed team with more changes to come, maybe they can get the division lead next year
Dallas…all they had to do to make the playoffs last season was to beat Minnesota on the last game of the season but they couldn’t. This year they will squeeze into the playoffs.
Colorado…good young team might be in the playoffs in a few years
Minnesota…started by blowing away the West Conference but still won’t be able to make the playoffs
Pheonix…maybe next year…if there is a next year in Pheonix!
Calgary… needs to build up their minor league system before they’ll be able to make the playoffs
Anaheim… with a couple of stars on their team, it’s been a big disappointing year
Edmonton…they were suppose to come near the bottom, so no surprise here. Another high draft pick
Columbus…if their start of the season was stronger they probably could have been fighting for a playoff spot
Our Family NHL Fanatasy Pool
The battle for first has gotten really close. During the Christmas break we had a chance to drop and draft a few new players. We were able to drop and draft 2 forwards, 1 defensemen, and one goalie.
Here are the changes we made:
Dad who was last, had first picks:
Malkin for Ovechkin; Datsyuk in for Ryan; Campbell in for Enstrom; Howard in for Quick
Sportskid2000 got to pick 2nd:
Kessel in for Staal; Pominville in for Marleau; Karlsson in for Ehrhoff; Thomas in for Luongo
Mom, who was in first got to pick last:
Hossa in for Zetterberg; Versteeg in for Getzlaf; Suter in for Letang; Luongo in for Miller
So here are the latest standings, as of Jan. 9/12:
Mom and Dad are tied with 400 pts
Sportskid2000 is trailing right behind with 398 pts
It should be a great race to the finish, just like the NHL season!
Editor’s Note (About Last Post)
Hi all. Just an editor’s note for this morning. If you recieved Sportskid2000 last post in your personal email inbox, you may have recieved a “half draft”" copy of his post. Best thing to do is click on the post and read the whole completed version right from the ilivesports website. Not too sure why that happened. But if the post doesn’t make sense….or doesn’t look complete…it’s cause you got the draft copy. Sorry about that.
And PLEASE send Sportskid2000 some of your comments. He loves to read them. Who do you think will make the playoffs this year?
It’s a New Year! It’s a New Season! (Part 1)
Happy New Years! Hope you had a great Christmas. But it’s time to get back to normal life! So how about the NHL season so far. We are now half way through the season so it’s time to reflect on our predictions:
My Preseason Prediction…Present Standings….. My Mid-Season Prediction
Boston NY Rangers Boston
Washington Boston NY Rangers
Pitsburgh Florida Washington
Tampa Bay Philadelphia Philadephia
Buffalo Ottawa New Jersey
Montreal New Jersey Florida
Philadelphia Toronto Ottawa
NY Rangers Pitsburgh Toronto
Carolina Winnipeg Winnipeg
Florida Washington Pitsburgh
Toronto Buffalo Buffalo
Ottawa Montreal Tampa Bay
Winnipeg Tampa Bay Montreal
NY Islanders Carolina Carolina
New Jersey NY Islanders NY Islanders
So here are my reasons for my mid-season predictions:
NY Rangers…Great season so far but won’t hold off defending champs for 1st place
Boston…first step to going back to back is to come in first in the East
Phil…. season no problem but they should worry about the playoffs
Florida…division lead will slip away but they will still get their first playoff appearance since 2000
Ottawa…surprise season will continue into the playoffs
Pitsburgh…injuries to 4 of top 5 players will hurt (Neal, Staal, Letang, Crosby). If these players come back they should make the playoffs.
Toronto…offense will carry them into playoffs if their goaltending and defense holds up
Winnipeg…first year back into NHL, playoffs is not meant to be
New Jersey…shocking, like the Sens, they will finish high in the standings
Washington…with a lot of games in hand over teams, the 2nd half turnaround is just waiting to come into play
Buffalo…what looked like a stacked team in the off season won’t keep up with the other teams
Montreal….being an “even” team won’t get them into the playoffs this year
Tampa Bay…the crease is the reason they are not in the playoffs
Carolina….their season as been a mess from the start and will still be one at the end
NY Islanders…after they realize they can’t make the playoffs, they are going to try to be last so that they can get as high a draft pick as possible.
Tomorrow I will be back with the Western Conference predictions and the updated info on my family hockey fantasy pool.
The Long Road Back
It was a long road back to being healthy for me last week. But for some players in the NHL the “long road” has not ended yet. There are so many players presently injured due to concussions or concussion like symptoms. There have been many players out this season so far. But the main players that are out right now are Sidney Crosby, Milan Michalek, Chris Pronger, and Claude Giroux. The road to recovery has just ended for goalies Miller and Reimer. Both players were out with concussions for quite a while.
Its been really bad so far this year, and the NHL is trying to find ways to prevent more concussions. In my opinion they should put more padding in the helmets. Also the NHL has enforced the “hit to the head” rules by making more suspensions. Long suspensions have been handed out to James Wisniewski and Andy Sutton. And some not as long ones have been handed out to players like Clarke MacArthur, Max Pacioretty, and even today to Milan Lucic and Ray Bourque. Suspensions haven’t stopped players from doing nasty hits so far, but the NHL is hoping it will work. If the NHL really wants to stop head shots, I think they need to add another rule that would make the players “scared” to give a head shot. Like being out until the player you injured comes back, or an automatic 20 game suspension no matter the situation.
That’s not the only road to recovery. The road to a NBA basketball season has started. NBA games start on Christmas Day. I already have made my picks for the NBA. I think the Clippers have a chance to make the playoffs now with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The Lakers will be at top of the West Conference, along with Dallas and Oklahoma City. And in the East, the Miami Heat will lead the pack along with Chicago and Boston. No new team should make the playoffs in the East that didn’t make it last year, including our toronto Raptors. I’m not going to jump ahead to make my playoff prediction but I do think right now that it might just end up being another Lakers vs Celtics match or Lebron vs Kobe.
I won’t be writing a blog next week as I am away enjoying Christmas with my family in Montreal. The road to Christmas can’t come soon enough for me!
Merry Christmas to all my readers! Have a fun, safe time!
Editor’s Note: The Blog that Wasn’t
Sportskid2000 wants his readers to know that he has been under the weather the last few days. So he is unable to get to the computer to submit his blog for this week. Sorry folks. Hopefully he will be better in a few days, and then when his mind his all clear he can get back to his great blog writing.
Get well soon Sportskid2000 
