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How's your team doing?

My Leafs have lost five of six, but before that we were on a tear, and before that we were in a slump. So they've had a crazy for 35 games or so.

Good news is, they're in a playoff spot right now, they can score goals and Jonathan Bernier had been lights-out in goal most nights. Bad news is: the Leafs are constantly getting outshot by the opposition and you can't live that way forever. Sooner or later it catches up with you.

Jackets dug themselves into a hole with an awful injury bug. Currently they find themselves in an upswing. Hopefully the upward trend continues.

The Blackhawks are really good. I don't even feel like they're peaking either. It's the same group too. No huge additions. They get so much out of their core. It makes it so much easier to plug and play other guys who aren't quite all stars. Goaltending has been solid, despite having to play 3 different guys. They have all been pretty solid. They are poised to make another deep run this year.

I am so glad this disastrous Browns season is over with, where I can shift some attention to the NHL. I will watch the NFL playoffs, but as I said, I really just don't care that much this year. It's the same old teams. It hurt a lot more because we actually had promise.

I love the NHL because I don't invest that much emotion into it. I love the game and the league though. I can stll enjoy the intensity of the playoffs, without feeling like every Cleveland fan where the clock is ticking on seeing a championship... I like the Blackhawks, but they're not in the same discussion as the 3 CLE teams. When they win I actually feel happy more for the great people that run that organization, and the true fans (lots of casuals and bandwagoners)

I'm happy for the CBJ team that they have improved a ton. I know it's not going great for them this year, but I feel like they'll make the playoffs. The haven't played closed to their best hockey yet.

It's also awesome to see the Islanders doing well. Awesome fan base. So unique. Sucks they are moving that team. I really think that's a crime.

Also learned on our Browns/Titans road trip that the people of Nashville love their Predators. Even more than the Titans. I got the sense down there that the Titans are an aftertgought, but when the NHL playoffs are in town, it's a zoo.

Red Wings are so frickin' streaky this year. I'm surprised they're only 3pts out of first place. Hopefully the youngsters will become more consistent as they gain experience. The talent is there, except for goaltending (the guy they brought in when Howard and Gustavson went down looked promising). They can't win a shootout to save their lives....they're 1-7 in shootouts this year. The Wings lead the league in shootout and OT losses... they've given away a lot of damn points.

ATLANTIC DIVISION
(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) Ottawa Senators
(2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3) Detroit Red Wings

METROPOLITAN DIVISION
(1) New York Rangers vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins
(2) Washington Capitals vs. (3) New York Islanders

CENTRAL DIVISION
(1) St. Louis Blues vs. (4) Minnesota Wild
(2) Nashville Predators vs. (3) Chicago Blackhawks

PACIFIC DIVISION
(1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (4) Winnipeg Jets
(2) Vancouver Canucks vs. (3) Calgary Flames

My picks:
Canadiens in 5
-Price+Subban+Karlsson will be too much, even though Hammond has been very good.
Red Wings in 7
- I just have a feeling, they'll take this series. The Wings are better on the road and the first round is a crapshoot.
Rangers in 6
- Penguins just aren't as deep as the Rangers and I trust Lundqvist a lot more than Fleury.
Captitals in 6
- I REALLY want the Islanders here, but I think the Caps have the edge.

Blues in 6
- Dubnyk is great, but be just got pulled against this same team. The Blues are on a mission this year, I know they have come goalie concerns, but I think they're a lock for the WCF.
Predators in 5
- The Blackhawks look lost, even though they were kind of hot a week back. The loss of Kane will hurt too much in the playoffs (though I just found out he's practicing without a no-hit jersey, but he's still 2-3 weeks away). They can't score.
Ducks in 6
- Getzlaf is a man.
Flames in 7
- The Sedin's bother me. That's my only analysis on this series.

...and of course, the Blackhawks announce Kane might play on Wednesday. I'll stay with my prediction even though I should know better.

Kane could play in Game 1

I got to watch one of the most amazing comebacks in sports history.

The Bruins vs. Flyers semifinal play-offs in 2010.

The Bruins had a 3 - 0 game lead in the series after 3 games.

Philadelphia came back and won the next 3 games.

In the decisive game seven, Boston went-up 3-0 but Philadelphia scored 4 unanswered goals to win the series. UNBELIEVABLE!

I miss the old names. The Patrick, Adams, Norris, and Smythe divisions.

The Hurricanes suck. Thanks for asking.

Go Preds!

How's my team doing? A month ago, it looked like the Wings could beat anyone. Then the real Jimmy Howard came back. If Babcock can get over his "use veterans at all costs" philosophy and play Mrazek in goal, I think Detroit can go pretty deep into the playoffs. Howard just has too many brain farts that cost us games. They've got a nice group of healthy youngsters in Tatar, Helm, Nyquist and Abdelkader that have a couple years under their belt now, and they compliment the old guys very well. It's a shame that Eric Cole is out for the season...he was looking pretty damn good since coming to Detroit at the trade deadline. NHL playoffs baby.....nothing quite like it!

+1

I'm ready!

I'm actually not ready for the NBA playoffs. That's not a statement on each league, I'm just in hockey mode. Maybe that will change once the Cavs take the floor and everything really heats up.

I filled out my bracket today. Not sure if I will change it before Wednesday.

Rd. 1

Min>STL (6)
Chi>Nas (7)

Ana>Wpg (5)
Cal>Van (5)

Mtl>Ott (6)
TB>Det (6)

NYR>Pit (6)
Was>NYI (5)

Rd. 2

Min>Chi
Ana>Cal

Mtl>TB
NYR>Was

Rd. 3

Min>Ana
NYR>Mtl

Cup Final

New York Rangers over Minnesota Wild in 7 games.

Take it for what it is. The playoffs are a borderline crapshoot. So many variables. I look at teams that can grind, and have the ability to get scoring from different areas.

I know the Rangers are chalk, but I love how they came back strong after getting to the final last year. I think now that the Kings are out, and the Blackhawks are a bit of a lesser version of themselves, that this thing is truly up for grabs. New York has a world class goaltender. They lost him for a bit this year to injury and didn't miss a beat. They're well coached, and I feel like they can outlast any of these teams in the playoffs.

As far as the West goes, it's really up for grabs, because I don't trust Anaheim with their goaltending, ever. The Hawks just don't seem like they are truly ready for a brutal 6-7 game series. I think they can squeak by Nashville but even that is pushing it. They may get Kane back, but that is asking a lot for a guy that hasn't played in months to just turn it on. It's almost not fair. I would have shelfed him for the season. He's invaluable to their franchise and their future.

Every single thing I said in this post could be wrong too, that's the beauty of the nhl playoffs. Once it starts, common sense goes out the window.

Kane says he'll play in Game 1

That's great news, the league needs him in the playoffs. I just hope his shoulder is completely healed.

I'm really looking forward to some of the elite players get after it. The Lightning are legit this year, so people should keep an eye on Steven Stamkos. So much fun to watch. One of the best one-time shots in the league.

Carey Price could realistically carry the the Habs to the Cup. We haven't seen a goalie really do that much lately, but he's more than able. I've never seen a goalie make it look so easy at that level, ever. He's worth the price (no pun intended) of admission.

Pekka Rinne could do the same. He's 6'5" and lightning quick. He labors a lot more than Price playing goal, but he should have a lot to prove as he has not been very sharp in the playoffs since coming up.

This playoff season should be fun though. It's really up for grabs as I said before. The Rangers are the favorite, but playing Pittsburgh could easily end their playoff run in one round... The Pens are very sloppy on defense, but they have so much firepower that if it all comes together at the right time, they could go deep.

The Kings team from a few years ago proved that anyone can win this thing.

Big win for the Hawks!

I'm still puzzled how no penalty was called in OT on that Preds breakaway, but oh well.

Happy to see Calgary beats the Nucks too.

I find myself rooting for the Flames out west, and the Islanders in the east. My god the Leafs had a terrible year. Rock bottom.

The only thing I can think of is that the ref was just not in a good spot, and he's not going to call a penalty shot on a maybe...

It was definitely worthy of a penalty shot.

The Hawks are really testing Rinne's foowork. They're shooting wide a ton hoping for one of those crazy bounces that ends up on the other side of the net.

Pretty fun first round. My predictions have been pretty good so far, although Tampa is in trouble, and the Washington/Isles series can go either way.

A few of these series have been brutal. The Canadiens/Senators have been a blast to watch, as have the Isles/Caps. Of course I've been focused on the Wings, and I can't say enough about how well Mrazek's been in goal. 2 shutouts, including one on the road at Tampa. If it weren't for a defensive meltdown in the last 4 minutes of game 4, he'd have 3 and the Wings would be moving on. The trap has Tampa frustrated and they can't play the game that got them to this point. Stamkos can't seem to find any space to do anything. It is the NHL, and anything can happen though.

I can't see Tampa coming back to win this. Even if they force a game 7, I just don't see the grit or experience to pull it off. This isn't the old Red Wings that won all those cups, but there are enough guys who still remember those days.

Great to see the Blackhawks finish off a very tough and emotional series. Nashvlle is a good team, they just got a bad draw in Chicago.

The winner of the Hawks v Min/Stl series is coming out the west if you ask me.

If I can't see the Hawks get back, I would love to see the Flames get there. What a fun team. The atmosphere in the Saddledome is second to none in these playoffs.

That's one series I haven't been able to keep tabs on due to the late games, but it sounds like the Flames are clicking on all cylinders. Nothing like the atmosphere when 2 Canadian teams go at it.

Their top line did a lot of damage, I believe they are calling them the three amigos, lol.

I'm not big on their goaltending, but that team has a ton of heart. It probably won't be enough for Anaheim, but it's a good start.

It's crazy that the Western Conference was the dominant conference, yet all the elite goalies are out east. Is it because it's a slightly less grind, or just a coincidence?

I got 3 of 4 in the East and 2 of 4 in the West, I guess 5 of 8 isn't terrible. I'm glad I missed on the Hawks and I should know better than picking the Blues. Oh well.

On to round two.

East
(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (2) Tampa Bay Lightning
(1) New York Rangers vs. (2) Washington Capitals

West
(3) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (4) Minnesota Wild
(1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (3) Calgary Flames

My picks:
Canadiens in 6
-The Wings took a lot out of the Ning, the Habs are rested, and they have home ice.
Rangers in 6
-The Caps got out of the first round, but they barely made it. The Isle should have won that series. I don't trust Holtby and this is usually where Ovie disappears from the stat sheet. I'm nervous about picking a second number 1 seed in the same conference, that almost never happens in the NHL, but this will be the year.

Wild in 6
- Dubnyk is stable, Crawford/Darling aren't. I don't feel comfortable about this round at all. Plus, the Wild pushed the Hawks deep last year. Parise is unstoppable. This is their time. I hope I'm wrong.
Ducks in 7
- I'm not as sold on the Ducks as I thought. Sure they swept the Jets, but I think the Flames aren't going to fold so quickly. I'd like Calgary to win, but there's too much overall talent on the Ducks.

I went 8/8 in the first round!

I'm concerned about Montreal scoring in this series with Tampa. They've got the best goalie in the world, but at times I think they're way too conservative with their attack. They're no offensive superpower anyway...

I don't feel great about the Hawks. I think it's going 7. It's really really hard to beat a team in a series 3 years in a row. Minnesota is as good as they have ever been. They're going to defend the Hawks quite well.

Feel fine with my picks of Anaheim and New York. I love Calgary but they just don't have the depth yet. The Capitals are just that team you never trust in the playoffs.

That's impressive.

Lightning win game 1! A game of great goaltending by both teams.

Tampa is winning the East.

Go Bolts.

Could we have a Caps/Ning ECFs?

Well, they totally dominated today winning 6-2. That arena was mostly empty for a large part of the third. Time to head to Tampa with them up 2-0.

Bah. Can't believe I missed this thread. I'm a die-hard Columbus Blue Jackets fan, very disappointed that injuries killed what could have been a very terrific season for them. 400+ man games lost to injury this year. Next year if they stay healthy they'll have potential to be one of the elites in the East.

With all that being said, my second favorite team is Vancouver and man was it frustrating watching them play Calgary. Calgary's forecheck and physical defense matched up very well against Vancouvers speed and transition approach. They just didn't have the physical presence or the depth to keep up. Watching them blow that 3-0 to lose 7-4 in the elimination game was beyond frustrating.

Anyway.

I picked Minnesota and Montreal to make it to the finals, and so far those picks don't look very good.

I like Dubynk and thought he could get hot enough to go on a big run for Minnesota.

Looks like Chicago will come out of the west with the way they're playing, and the east is still a toss up, no guess there.

Dubnyk has been fine, it's just that the Wild can't score on the Hawks. It's been that way the last 3 years in the playoffs. I really thought this would be the year for them, but it's just not. The Hawks are playing the best they have played all year. They simply did not look like a contender during the year, then Kane goes down. Kane is arguably a front runner for the Conn Smythe right now.

I think Chicago has to be the odds on favorite to win the cup as it stands. The Ducks finished better, but I really don't think they can outdo the Hawks in 7 games, home ice or not. Not with the way both teams look right now. Chicago at their best is better than Anaheim at their best.

The East is wide open, but if you're a Caps fan, you may be thinking to yourself, finally, this is it for us. They finally are playing playoff hockey, and their goaltender is feeling pretty damn good. I ilke Tampa too though, they showed a ton in that Detroit series. Could have easily mailed it in down 3-2 going to Detroit.

Wow. The Habs are done. Crushing goal to give up with 1 second left.

Habs dominated that game but we snuck in a goal 1 second before going into OT! "Beeeshup" kept them in it.

Second buzzer beater goal to win a game in this round. Crazy.

Tampa v Washington will be enjoyable though. As will Ducks/Hawks.

Joel Wards may have been a little more dramatic cause it was in game one, but last nights finish in Tampa Bay was pretty awesome, mainly cause I don't like Montreal (though I do like PK Subban).

You could also argue that Tampa's was more dramatic, seeing as how it basically ended the Habs' season. Series went from a possible 2-1 had Montreal pulled it off, to a dug out grave of 0-3.

I think the Hawks finish the Wild off tonight. I don't see how that team can get over for a game after being thoroughly dominated the last 2 years, and last 3 games. The Hawks are peaking at the right time. They've become one of the best run organizations in professional sports.

Johnny Gaudreau is good.

The Ducks are going to get smacked around. I don't think they have what it takes to keep up with the Blackhawks. They are always more hype than substance.