2012 Stanley Cup Final

     Tonight the Los Angeles Kings and the New Jersey Devils will start their final fight for one of the most coveted trophies in professional sports. Both teams were not expected to be here, but never the less they were able to navigate through their respective conferences to the finals. Through great goal tending, both teams have proven themselves to be worthy.
     LA is an eight seed that had been under performing throughout the year. Jonathan Quick caught fire right at the end of the season and ever since the Kings have been riding him. They have been road warriors and have yet to lose a game on the road. In fact, they have only lost two games this entire playoff run. The Kings are truly the hot team at the moment.
     New Jersey is s sixth seed that was just caught in an incredibly tough division. After failing to to deal with the Rangers, Flyers, and Penguins and finishing fourth in the Atlantic division, the Devils have bested and outlasted all three teams in the post season. Marty Brodeur has turned back the clock at the old age of forty and has shown us all why he will surely be remembered as one of the best goalies of all time. As for the offense, big time players such as Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk have started to show up.
     This match up has all the makings for a great series. Two hot goal tenders, fiery offenses, and passionate fan bases, but who wins?
     Well, the Kings will need to keep throwing pucks at the net and creating movement in the Devil's zone if they want to win. If they can get Brodeur moving in the crease it will be easier to slide it past him. They also need to score early. When you have tow hot net minders, scoring first could be difference in the game. Kopitar, Brown, and Richards will be key in this aspect. They have all been playing very well and can explode towards the net.
     If the Devils want to win, they need to create a lot of defection situations. Quick is nearly impenetrable close to the ice. The Devils will need to get deflections and shots towards the upper half of the goal to beat Quick. New Jersey will also need to control home ice. The Kings feed off their ability to come into another team's building and flat out beat them. Even if New Jersey has to spit the first tow games, it will be better than losing both.
    With all that in mind, this has been a very hard series to predict. As you all know, I was way off earlier this season saying that the Rangers were going to win in 7 over the Red Wings, so I could be way off again. I have the LA Kings in 7. It will be a series filled with plenty of overtimes and one point wins and the Kings will find a way to win the four games they need and bring the Cup to the City of Angels for the first time.

Thanks for reading!

NBA Conference Finals

     And there were four. After a thrilling second round, only the best remain. The Spurs, Thunder, Celtics, and Heat are the only teams still in the hunt for the 2012 NBA Championship. On both sides it is young vs old, future vs past, and former champions vs challengers. In the coming weeks we could see the rise of the new NBA or a rehashing of the history we all know.

     There is no doubt in my mind that these conference championships are going to be the most exciting that the NBA has had in a while. So what happens? Let's take a look!

The San Antonio Spurs vs The Oklahoma City Thunder

San Antonio has been one of the best teams in the NBA over the past decade. Though they are not always recognized because of their "boring" style of play, the Spurs look as great as ever. Tim Duncan has been dominate on the low post and Ginobili is showing everyone why he is still the best player to come off the bench. The Spurs have yet to drop a game in the playoffs and the closest margin of victory was a 6 point win in Utah. I believe the the Spurs are the favorite at the moment to win it all. The Thunder, on the other hand, are just as hot. Westbrook and CO. have dispatched the last two NBA Champions and have only dropped one game during the feat. Just like the Spurs they have two great stars and a third one that comes off the bench. Through good team play and fast break opportunities, the Thunder will test the Spurs in ways no other team has been able to in the playoffs.  

     If they Spurs want to win, they will need to continue to impose their style of play. It will frustrate the young Thunder and could easily get their star players in trouble. They also have an experience factor that will come later for the Thunder. San Antonio will know what they need to to to get back to the promised land. The Thunder will need to continue to get fast break points. If they can wear down the Spurs, I feel that their youthful strength can counteract their lack in experience. 

     All in all, I see a great six game series ahead. Both teams will show why they could both be NBA Champions, but the Thunder will have to wait for another year. The Spurs are just too hot right now for me to pick otherwise.

The Miami Heat vs The Boston Celtics

The Miami Heat have the old Lebron James and Dwayne Wade back. The duo have combined for some insanely high stat lines and are turning heads. Though the Heat had their backs against the wall with all their losses in the post, LBJ and Wade carried the team. With the uncertainties still looming in the post position, these guys will have to continue to do so. On the flip side, the Celtics have been spreading the success between  players. Rondo has bee the key player, but Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have chipped in too. I believe that the Celtics have been under performing in these first two series. They will need to change that in the conference finals or they will be heading home. 

     If the Heat want to win, they need to keep Wade and James hot. There is no way that this team wins without one of them. They will also need to have a formidable showing in the post. Whoever is playing post tonight doesn't need to be exactly like Bosh, but they do need to contain Kevin Garnett slightly. The Celtics will need to expose the post with KG if they want to win. It is the Heat's weak point at the moment and can easily be exploited. The Celtics will also need to score more. They have only scored over 100 points three times in the playoffs and an 87 point night wont do it against the Heat. 

     This series is going seven games. The Celtics have a great defense that can slow down the Heat, but there will be nights where they can't score enough to beat them. I think after a hard fought series though, the Heat will be moving on. James and Wade are on another level right now and that will truly be the difference. 

Thanks for reading!

Champions League Recap

Chelsea's Champions League win in Munich may have been the end to one of the most prolific club soccer runs in history. As the final Drogba penalty found the back of the net, I found myself in disbelief. Somehow, a bunch of 30-somethings  infused with some young talent fought their way through the best in Europe to be crowned the kings. Unbelievable.

                There is no logical explanation for why Bayern Munich's 43 shots didn't find twine besides a higher power. There is no way the sure footed Robben misses a penalty like that or the fact the a German (Schweinsteiger) clangs another penalty off the woodwork on German soil. Sure enough though, all of that happened and more. Drogba's 88th minute goal was also a miracle in itself. Out of the 3 big chances Chelsea had, he was somehow able to make it count.

                Some may say that this was an undeserved championship by the Blues or that the Barvarians lost it. The truth is that Chelsea marched into Bayern's house without their Capitan, implemented their brand of soccer, and won the game despite being out played.

                I give the credit to three men for this win. Drogba is the obvious one. His equalizer and deciding penalty kick were the main points of the match. Without the Ivorian, Chelsea would have been gone long ago. The second man is Roberto Di Matteo. His managing was vital to the Blues. He made sure that the Blues played their game and seemed to be able to give the right emotions at the right time for his men. Di Matteo's utter calmness in the most feisty of situations kept the boys from London afloat. The Third and maybe most important man of all has been over looked for years. Petr Cech has been the key to the Blues success for years. He is quietly been one of the best keepers in all of England and in the world for that matter. He guessed right with every shot thrown at him that night, but was just slightly off for a few. With Cech only at the age of 30, there will not be many balls in the Chelsea net for many years to come.

               

                Now looking forward to next year, I have to say that both teams could be making another run. Chelsea will be losing Drogba this year, but have plenty of talent to fill in for him. The depth of the Blue's roster is amazing and that will really come in handy in the upcoming seasons. I don't see a repeat as the champions of Europe, but I do see them finishing higher than 6th in the Premier League. The one thing that Chelsea must do though is make Roberto Di Matteo the full time manager. He was able to bring them two trophies in a year that look to be lost. Imagine what he could do in a full year!

                Bayern Munich on the other hand will certainly be back near the top of the Champions League. With names like Gomez, Robben, and Olic, it is hard for me to imagine them falling early. I expect them to come back with guns blazing next year to prove that they deserve the trophy. It will take time, but I feel the Bayern will make a comeback comparable to the 1999 team. Maybe the ribbons will be red in 2014? Only time will tell.

Thanks for reading! I will be doing a couple posts to wrap up the European leagues as we head into the off-season. Also a couple tid-bits on the U.S. Men's National team and the NHL Playoffs will be on their way as well! 

Another Playoff Look In

Hello sports fans! A faulty computer and a busy end to the school year made it nearly impossible for me to get anything up before the latest batch of NHL and NBA playoff series. Now that we are almost half way through all of them, we're going to take a look at what to expect from the rest of each series.
NHL Playoffs

The Phoenix Coyotes vs The Los Angeles Kings

What's happened: So far, the Kings and Jonathan Quick have dominated this series. They were able to stay undefeated in playoff road games and turned a lot of heads while doing so. LA was able to outscore the Desert Dogs 10-3 in the first two games and looked to be in cruise control. Then in a truly must win game, Phoenix's net minder, Mike Smith turned it around. The Coyotes played a hard game and the skipper Shane Doan was able to net the two deciding goals.

Where does it go from here? There is no way that the Coyotes are able to win the next three. I know this is hockey, but with Jonathan Quick, it will be too much. The Coyotes will be spurred along by this win and will be able to get another on their home ice. When the series switches back to LA, the Kings will really want to shut it down. Kopitar and Brown will continue to score and create opportunities and that will ultimately kick the Coyotes out in six.


The New York Rangers vs The New Jersey Devils


What's happened: Goaltending is the theme of almost every playoff run and when these two Atlantic Division rivals have clashed heads, the tending has reigned supreme. In the first three games Henrik Lundqvist has been solid. His .964 save percentage has really been what the Rangers have been riding. Through the Devils figured him out in Game 2, Lundqvist showed his great bounce back ability by keeping the net totally clean in Game 3. Marty Brodeur has been stellar as well, but the Rangers have been grinding it out and getting the results that they need.

Where does it go from here? I expect the Rangers to close this series out in six. They are a very defensive team. They aren't afraid to block shots and just grind out the game. It took them two and a half periods to score in game 3 and with determination like that they surely go on to the Finals. I don't expect it to be a cake walk though. They are taking on Brodeur so there will be some times where they will have difficulties, but overall they will continue to be the better team.

NBA Playoffs

The San Antonio Spurs vs The Los Angeles Clippers

The Spurs are the best team in the NBA, but no one talks about them and I assume they like it that way. They haven't lost a game in the playoffs yet and I don't think they lose tonight. Tim Duncan and Co. have turned back the clock. They have been playing great defense and have totally taken Lob City out of the equation. When the Clippers have yet to get within 10 of the Spurs, it's hard to say they will in game four. I have the Spurs in 4 in this one.

The Oklahoma City Thunder vs The Los Angeles Lakers

The emotions have been strong in this one. After the first two games everyone had the Lakers getting swept and who can blame them. The lacking Lakers couldn't seem to defend OKC at all. Kevin Durant was exceptional for every minute he played and was really the difference maker. With the series hanging in the balance, the Lakers needed a response in game 3. Bryant dropped 36 and LA squeaked into the next competition. Game four looked to be the Lakers game for the taking when they took a nine point lead into the fourth, but the Thunder were too much. With that win, Westbrook and the Thunder crushed the Lakers hopes and their chances of winning this series. The Thunder are going to win this series in five because the Lakers just can't guard them.

The Boston Celtics vs The Atlanta Hawks

The C's looked like they were in command of this series after a great game 3, but the Hawks had a different set of plans. The 76er's knotted the series at two a piece after a great showing in the fourth competition. This series has been back and forth so far and I think it will stay that way. The Celtics are the better team, but Atlanta continues to find ways to win through they're defense. Kevin Garnet needs to continue to score if the Celtics want to win. In both Boston losses, Garnett scored less than 20 points. When the C's don't have the presences down low, they aren't the same team. I expect Garnet to make the adjustments he needs to and the C's will go on to win the series in 7.

 The Miami Heat vs The Indiana Pacers

The media once again made a huge deal of the Heat's loss in game 3 and made it seem they were done. That is far from the case. In game four, the Heat were continually beat down in the first half. It looked like it was all going to fall apart, but in the third quarter James and Wade went off. The Miami stars combined for 70 points as they lead the Heat to a solid and much needed win. If the Heat are going to win this series, this is how they are going to have to do it. Without Bosh, James and Wade are doing to have to take this team on their backs and run with it. As for the Pacers, they need to continue to play a hardnosed game and attack the paint. The Heat don't have a feasible answer to Hibbert down low. Once they attack the hoop they can kick it out to Granger and possibly win the series. This is a tough one to call, but I feel that the Pacers are going to win in 7. The Heat have too many flaws and I feel that James and Wade aren't going to be able to stay on this roll, so the Pacers will march on.

Thanks for reading!

A Changing of the Guard

     To the closet soccer fan, Spain is where the real players are. Who can blame them? They are the reigning World Cup Champions and have two of the most prestigious clubs in the world right now. When Both Barcelona and Real Madrid made it to the Champions League semi finals, it looked as if there was a sure chance of an El Clasico final. Barcelona had two matches with the decaying corpse that was Chelsea and Madrid had Bayern Munich, a team that wasn't even winning their league. It was all in the bag. Or was it? 

     Chelsea came out in the first leg and shocked Barca with a quality goal from Didier Drogba and a clean sheet from Peter Cech. Some how the old legs held up in a truly grueling match. There was no way they would beat the Champs back in Camp Nou. In true Chelsea they quickly lost the lead dodged some bullets and somehow took the lead back back. With a 2-2 aggregate score in stoppage time, Fernando Torres went on one of the best runs in Chelsea history and stood alone with the keeper. In a microcosm that relinquished all his failures of the current EPL season, Torres brushed the ball past the keeper and into the open net. It was truly and absolute shocker. Though Barcelona was out out, there was still no chance that the Germans could take out Madrid right?

     Bayern Munich took the early lead in the semi's by earning a 1 goal aggregate in the first game. Just like Chelsea they had the challenge of beating one of Spain's best clubs on the road. Bayern were not able to beat Real Madrid in regular time. It was going to take a penalty shootout to separate the two clubs. Madrid never seemed to have the handle of the game in the shootout though as both Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos missed crucial kicks. Bastian Schweinstiger eventually bashed home the winning goal and the German side was through. 

     It could be easy for the casual soccer fan to write off this final just because the "Big Name" teams are not in it, but there is far more to this match than the leisure eye may see. Both clubs have not great seasons in their respective leagues and this is the only way they can write off the 2011/12 campaign as a success. Also both clubs  have had recent heart break with the Champions League. Show John Terry's slip up to any Chelsea fan and I'm sure they will have knots in their stomach. Lastly, this could be one of the last chances for both clubs major players to win the silverware. Lampard, Terry, and Drogba are all near the ends of their careers for Chelsea. As for Munich, Robben, Ribery, and Gomez aren't getting any younger. 

     It is evident that both teams will have a lot of missing players for the Final. Managing the loses will be the keep part for both clubs. This will truly test the bench strength of the teams. In the end, I just feel that the old legs of Chelsea won't be able to go any farther. The Blues defense will be heavily depleted and that really plays into the hands of speedy Gomez and Robben. The German speed and power will be too much for Terry and company. As for the Chelsea attack, they have been proven to be unreliable. Fernando Torres goes on huge scoring droughts at times and Lampard never seems to come up big in key situations. Didier  Drogba will be the player to watch. He always seems to rise up for the big matches in his career and I expect him to do so once again. With all that, I still think the Bavarian colors will be hanging from the silverware for the first time since 2001 after a thrilling 3-2 match. 

Thanks for reading!