NHL Stanley Cup Finals

ARRGHHH!!!

Sorry, that had to come out. Once again I am late to the party. Game One was played last night. So without further adieu here is my pick.

Stanley Cup Finals

New Jersey Devils vs Los Angeles Kings     I pick: Kings

The Kings won game 1 yesterday 2-1 in Overtime putting them on the path to the championship. The Devils will win game two and the Kings will win the next 3. So the series ends Saturday June 9th in New Jersey with the Kings hoisting the cup. Fans in Philadelphia will get to see Carter and Richards skate the cup and wonder what might have been.

NHL Conference Finals or Better Late Than Never

This is late coming out, but I've been busy and I'm a front runner anyways, or haven't you read this? At the time of this post the Kings lead the Coyotes 2-0, and the Rangers lead the Devils 1-0.

Eastern Conference Finals

New York Rangers vs New Jersey Devils     I pick: Rangers

The I don't care match-up of the playoffs so far. I'm rooting for the Devils, but I get the feeling that the Rangers will advance to the Stanley Cup. On a side note, how far do the Devils need to go to make Marty Brodeur comfortable retiring? If they win the Cup does he come back next year?

Western Conference Finals

Phoenix Coyotes vs Los Angeles Kings     I pick: Kings

I've picked against the Kings twice now based on the fact that they couldn't find the back of the net all season long. I am now a believer. The Kings will walk all over a Coyotes team that has made it this far using smoke and mirrors. Dave Tippet has implemented a scheme in Phoenix that maximizes his rosters talent, but it won't let them score. Mike Smith has had a heck of a run, but it's all over now. I said it here now, and you can take it to the bank (pay no attention to that donut I put up in Round 2): The Kings are going to win the Stanley Cup. J. Quick is the best goalie left in the playoffs and the rest of the team has remembered how to light the lamp.

NHL Round Two

East

New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals     I pick: Capitals

I don't like this match up. I don't like that it took the Rangers seven games to put away the Senators. I don't like that I can't tell if the Capitals are a strong defensive team or the Bruins were just horrible offensively. I don't like that I can't tell if the Capitals are weak offensively or the Bruins are just exceptional defensively. I close my eyes and throw my dart and it lands on...

Philadelphia Flyers vs New Jersey Devils     I pick: Flyers

This one's easy. The Flyer's have too much fire power to not advance. With all due respect to Marty Brodeur, this one could be over early.

West

St. Louis Blues vs Los Angeles Kings     I pick: Blues

As bad as the Canucks turned out to be defensively, that's how good the Blues are. There's no way the Kings get over that hump. This one too, could be over early.

Phoenix Coyotes vs Nashville Predators     I pick: Predators

This is my series to watch. Two very similar teams. Defense first systems, and two hot goaltenders. In the end I think it's Alexander Radulov that tips this series to Nashville.

2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round One Update

West

Vancouver Canucks vs Los Angeles Kings     I picked: Canucks

The Kings lead the series 3 games to 1. The Canucks have replaced Luongo as their starting goaltender in favor of Corey Schneider and it looks to have worked. At least for one game. This series picks up again on Sunday in Vancouver.

St. Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks     I picked Blues

The St. Louis Blues lead the series 3 games to 1. I haven't paid a lot of attention to this series. It's enough for me to know that the Blues are ahead and the Sharks are not.

Phoenix Coyotes vs Chicago Blackhawks   I picked Coyotes

The Coyotes lead the series 3 games to 1. This series has been exciting with the running of goalies, open ice head shots, and a @BizNasty being tossed out of the game for not having his jersey tied down. The Coyotes are on my short list of teams to root for. Can you imagine them winning the Cup this year then being sold and starting next year someplace else? Good Times.

Nashville Predators vs Detroit Red Wings     I picked Predators

The Nashville Predators lead the series 3 games to 1. This series has a lot riding on it for my family. Another hockey dad and I have put 50 push-ups from our kids on the outcome. So far Pekka Rinne has been spectacular in net for Nashville. If I had to pick out a prototype to use to build my ultimate goalie it would start with him. Hopefully Shea Weber can avoid throwing any more Red Wings into the turnbuckle and the Preds can finish this off tonight.

East

New York Rangers vs Ottawa Senators     I picked Rangers

This series is tied 2-2. I wasn't interested in this series to begin with. That's changed now that the Senators have risen up to win two games. Really physical series with lots of hitting, a couple of line brawls and a Brandon Dubinsky match penalty.

Boston Bruins vs Washington Capitals     I picked Bruins

This series is tied 2-2. Riding some hot goaltending by Braden Holtby, the Capitals are making this a series. The Bruins don't seem to be able to find the back of the net. It's a lot to ask of the 22 year old Holtby to carry this Capitals team much further in the playoffs, but a first round upset isn't out of the question. Look out Bruins.

Florida Panthers vs New Jersey Devils     I picked Devils

This series is tied 2-2. Martin Brodeur may be past his prime, but he still has the ability to rise to the occasion. He posted a shutout in game 4 to tie the series. I haven't seen any of these games, but it's good to hear that Marty is having some success in the post season.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers     I picked Penguins

The Flyers lead this series 3 games to 1. If you like rough and tumble, high scoring games then this has been the series to watch. Lots of rough stuff before, between, and after the whistles. Big name goaltenders under-performing (I'm looking at you Fleury and Bryzgalov). It looked like the Flyers would walk away with this one until game four when the Penguins beat them 10-3. If any team can come back from 3 games down it would be the Penguins.

So far so good. The only pick I really want back is the Canucks over the Kings. I did not see that coming.

Round 1 Predictions For the NHL Playoffs

Tonight begins the race for Lord Stanley's Cup. My predictions for winners in round one are at the bottom in Red. If you think I got something wrong leave a comment below.

Seed	West		Seed	East
1	Vancouver Canucks		1	New York Rangers
2	St. Louis Blues		2	Boston Bruins
3	Phoenix Coyotes		3	Florida Panthers
4	Nashville Predators		4	Pittsburgh Penguins
5	Detroit Red Wings		5	Philadelphia Flyers
6	Chicago BlackHawks		6	New Jersey Devils
7	San Jose Sharks		7	Washington Capitals
8	Los Angeles Kings		8	Ottowa Senators
	Round 1
	West			East
	Vancouver Canucks			New York Rangers
	vs			vs
	Los Angeles Kings			Ottowa Senators
	St. Louis Blues			Boston Bruins
	vs			vs
	San Jose Sharks			Washington Capitals
	Phoenix Coyotes			Florida Panthers
	vs			vs
	Chicago BlackHawks			New Jersey Devils
	Nashville Predators			Pittsburgh Penguins
	vs			vs
	Detroit Red Wings			Philadelphia Flyers

Explanation of Youth, Junior, College, Minors, and NHL Hockey levels

For those of you in more hockey literate geographical areas this article isn't needed. Feel free to stop reading now. For the rest of you (I'm looking at you guy in Starbucks talking about the minor league Portland Winterhawks) this might be useful.

I'm going to be talking about the different levels of organized hockey, from the youth level through juniors/college and into the pros.

Players begin their hockey careers playing youth hockey. In the States (sorry Canada) this means:
Mites 8 & under
Squirts 10 & under
PeeWees 12 & under
Bantams 14 & under
Midget Minor 16 & under
Midget Major 18 & under

You'll notice there are no lower ends to the age limits. Potentially you could have a 10 year old playing at the Bantam level. As a practical matter this doesn't happen but I know that question will be asked. Within youth programs there will be different levels of competition at each age group. House teams that are purely recreational. Select teams made up of the best players from across the House teams. Tier teams that are highly competitive and spend most of there time travelling and facing top teams from other cities, or regions. Tier I is the highest level of competition followed by Tier II. Each age level will have it's own House/Rec, Select, and Tier programs.

Very highly skilled hockey players may get the opportunity to play Junior hockey. Junior hockey is completely separate from Youth hockey. Junior hockey players are between the ages of 15 and 20. This is a very high level of amateur hockey. To make things easy for us Yanks to understand I'm going to put this in terms of college football:
Tier III Junior A, for example the North Pacific Hockey League (NorPac) compares to NCAA Division III college football (2010 National Champion Wisconsin-Whitewater)
Tier II Junior A, such as the North American Hockey League (NAHL) compares to NCAA Division I FCS college football (2010 National Champion Eastern Washington)
Tier I Junior A, Which is where you'll find the United States Hockey League (USHL) compares to NCAA Division I FBS college football (2010 National Champion University of Auburn, ugh, that hurt, GO DUCKS)

After players "graduate" from these Junior leagues they may be able to continue playing at the NCAA level. College hockey is growing in the States and many players are being drafted by NHL teams. In 2006 - 2007 25% of players in the NHL came from the NCAA's.

So that's it for the amateurs right? Well not exactly. There is another level of Juniors called Major Juniors. It's the Canadian Hockey League. The CHL is made up of three leagues; the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). These CHL teams are made up of players between the ages of 15 and 20 just like the other Junior leagues. By rights they are not paid, but they do receive a stipend of around $200 per month. The NCAA views this as being paid to play thereby making these players ineligible to play NCAA hockey. Many of the players in the CHL will be drafted by teams in the NHL. Currently the CHL provides about 50% of the players in the NHL.

That last sentence is the reason I roll my eyes when I hear people refer to the Winterhawks (a WHL team) as a minor league team. To spell it out for the guy in Starbucks, the Portland Winterhawks play in the most elite "amateur" hockey league in the world. Calling it minor league would be exactly the same as calling the University of Oregon football team a minor league team. Minor league teams are where adults who aren't good enough to make "The Show" play professionally after their amateur careers are over. This brings us to...

The Pro's.
In North America there are several levels of pro hockey. The minor leagues include:
the Central Hockey League (CHL not to be confused with the Major Junior CHL)
the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL)
the American Hockey League (AHL, these teams are often directly affiliated with NHL teams. Players will move between an AHL team and the NHL parent club depending on ability and roster needs.)
the National Hockey League (NHL)

That's the short version. I'm leaving out almost everything. There are a ton of other leagues around the world that I haven't touched on at all. If anyone wants to take me to task for anything I've put down here feel free. That's what the comments section is for.

Good Night, and Good Luck