What Kind of a Name is Von?

Game 2 of the Lakers/Rockets series was by far the most physical game of the 2009 NBA playoffs so far.  It had everything.  Kobe throwing elbows at Ron Artest's throat,  Derek Fisher laying out Luis Scola and Yao Ming making a Paul Pierce like return after banging knees with Kobe Bryant.

With all of the hype surrounding the game there was one event that went completely unnoticed and undiscussed.  Von Wafer, worst name in sports, was benched by Rockets coach Rick Adelman and then told to go change into his street clothes and wait on the team bus for the entirety of the fourth quarter.

Wafer apparently took exception to this and needed to be restrained by his teammates before going back to the locker room.  

The whole incident occurred because Adelman wasn't giving Wafer the minutes he felt he deserved.  Wafer, who had 7 points in 9 minutes, felt that he could help the Rockets come back and win.  Adelman felt differently however and had Wafer ride the pine.  This is what sent Wafer off and during a timeout he made his opinions well known to Adelman.

Wafer was on the bench for tonight's game and in his pregame press conference Adelman had this to say about the whole situation, "He’s on the team.  We talked about it and it’s over with. He didn’t like coming out (of the game). He doesn’t have to like coming out, but it’s his job to accept that."  Handled like a true professional who has been around the game long enough to know how to handle young players like Wafer.

I have no problem with Wafer wanting to play more minutes, in fact I like his enthusiasm, but he went about it the completely wrong way. You don't cry to your coach and get into his face if he doesn't put you in.  You simply sit on the bench and stay mentally involved in the game and make sure that while you are out on the court you play your best.  Maybe Adelman didn't want to play Wafer because the game was close and Wafer is notorious for taking bad shots. Or maybe he didn't want to play Wafer because he preferred to have players on the court who actually try on the defensive end.  I don't know, I'm not Rick Adelman.

I think Wafer quickly forgot everything that Adelman has done for him and his career.  Before the start of the 2009 season Wafer had played for four different NBA teams and his career high in minutes was during the 2007-2008 season when he played 154 minutes for the Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trail Blazers.  This season Wafer played over 1200 minutes and owes that significant playing time to Adelman who frequently used Wafer off the bench as an energy player.

Wafer is just one of many young players who for some reason have this unearned sense of entitlement.  He hasn't been in the league long enough to challenge the authority of a head coach, especially not one as experienced as Rick Adelman, and needs to realise that he isn't out there playing by himself. He is part of a team that is trying to win in the playoffs and doesn't need this kind of a distraction from a bench player who averages 8.1 ppg.

The only guys who I think could get away with this are guys like Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, Shaq, Kobe (if he didn't play for Phil Jackson) and Tim Duncan (if he didn't play for Greg Popovich).  These are the guys who have been in the league long enough to get away with pulling a stunt like this.  Von Wafer isn't on the list and never will be on the list.  He should be lucky he is seeing so much time.

I realise that Wafer is still young and it's the playoffs and he is excited and wants to be on the floor but he needs to realise that he needs to be a role player and that he isn't the superstar.  Maybe if he passed the ball once in a while (averaging 0.8 apg as a guard) he might see the floor more often.  Also maybe he should get a real haircut as the one he is rocking now makes him look like a Ron Artest wannabe aka a douchebag.

Random Youtube Video

2009 NHL Playoffs 2nd Round

So in Round 1 I went 5-8 because the Devils can't hold the a lead and John Tortorella is a moron.  Completely got the Flyers series wrong which bothers me as I should have known better than to believe Martin Biron could get a team out of the 1st round.

Oh well here is my chance at redemption as Round 2 begins tonight and my Canucks are still in it.  Here are my predictions for the 2nd round:

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes

Regular Season Record: 4-0 in favor of the Bruins

Breakdown: Virtually everything went right for the Bruins this season. Their young players developed into top line talent, their blueline was rock solid and they received elite level goaltending from Tim Thomas. All that added up to the Bruins capturing their first division title since 2004. The team racked up 116 points, the highest mark since 1972 - the last time the B's lifted Lord Stanley's grail. The first round sweep of the hated Habs - where they were the dominant team in every game - was the icing on the cake for Bruins fans and management.  They now look to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and should have no problem doing so against the physically exhausted Hurricanes.

The first round series against the Devils was a back and fourth affair. Five of the seven contests were decided by a single goal and two went to overtime, if you count Carolina's winner with 0.2 seconds left in Game 4. Martin Brodeur played like crap for the Devils and was out preformed by Hurricane goaltender Cam Ward. People still make the case for Brodeur being the best goalie of all-time but I just don't see it as that softy he let in to allow the Hurricanes to advance looked like a shot I had a chance at stopping.  He is now a corpse and cost his team the playoffs.

Prediction:  Boston in 5

__________________________________________________

Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins

Regular Season Record: 3-0-1 in favor of the Capitals

Breakdown: The Capitals are lucky that they made it this far.  If John Tortorella doesn't lose his shit on a fan and get suspended for Game 6 then the momentum would not have swing so favorably in Washington's favor.  They looked to be done yet came storming back to win 3 in a row on the strength of Ovechkin's highlight reel goal and the stellar play of Simeon Varlamov.  Now they are focused and have some serious momentum.

The Penguins have been playing extremely well not just in the playoffs but also in the final stretch to get to the playoffs.  Crosby and Malkin have been on fire and usually inconsistent goalie Marc Andre Fleury has been playing his best hockey of the season.  This series is a dream match up for the NHL as they have Crosby vs Ovechkin in the playoffs for the first time ever.  Hopefully for the sake of business the series will go 7 but I don't think it will.

Prediction: Penguins in 6

__________________________________________________

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Mighty Ducks

Regular Season Record: 3-0-1 in favor of the Wings

Breakdown: The Red Wings walked right through the Columbus Blue Jackets and barely broke a sweat doing so.  This gave them time to rest their playoffs and get ready for the 2nd round.  Chris Osgood played well all series long but was rarely challenged so hopefully he can be ready for the offense of the Ducks.  This series should be a solid one as despite records these are the two best teams in the West.

Despite their 8th seed ranking the Ducks went into San Jose and ended the Sharks season.  They outplayed them in almost every area of the game and goalie Jonas Hiller looked like a veteran as he made countless saves against a formidable Sharks offense.  Things won't get easier for the youngster though as the Wings can score with the best of them and should have no problem putting pucks on net.

Prediction: Ducks in 7

__________________________________________________

Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks

Regular Season Record: 2-2

Breakdown:  The Canucks present the best opportunity to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time in 16 years. They have terrific goaltending, a solid, gritty defensive unit and depth at forward. They can play a high paced finesse game or play a gritty physical game.  They aren't weak in any areas and their lesser known players like Kesler and Burrows are stepping up big to make contributions.  It also can't be overlooked that since they swept the Blues they have been resting and getting players like Sami Salo back from injury.  It would also be quite a spectacle to see the reaction of Maple Leafs fans if Mats Sundin captured the Cup after only half a season on the West Coast. 

The Blackhawks won their first playoff series in 13 years by taking out the Flames, 4-2, in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals (hahaha suck is Calgary). Nikolai Khabibulin lived up to his "Bulin Wall" handle in the series, although looking shaky in the two contests at Pengrowth Saddledome in Game 4 and 5. The Blackhawks' power play unit was also the difference in the series as they scored seven times on 24 attempts.  For all the talk of inexperience the Blackhawks looked good in their series and weren't afraid to get physical with the Flamers.  The last time these two teams met their were a few fights at the end of the game so some bad blood still exhists.  Should be a sweet series. 

Prediction: Canucks in 6

__________________________________________________

Random Youtube Video

NHL Playoffs Round 1 Recap

With the two game 7s that occurred tonight the first round of the NHL playoffs is now complete.  I made some predictions a few articles ago and for the most part I think I did pretty well.  I went 4-4 in the West but only 1-4 in East thanks to New Jersey blowing it tonight along with the Rangers.

Here are my predictions and how it actually went down:

East

Bruins vs Canadiens

I picked the Bruins to win this series in 5 games as I figured that Montreal would be able to pull out at least 1 game at home.  Unfortunately for all the Habs fans out there this didn't happen as Montreal was swept in 4 games and looked terrible while it happened.  Carey Price was garbage in net all series and even gave the Montreal fans the Patrick Roy arm raise during game 4. 

The Bruins looked good and steam-rolled the Habs who now have lots of questions to answer going forwards as the team is in disarray and is without direction.

__________________________________________________

Capitals vs Rangers

In this series I had the Rangers upsetting the Caps as I thought that the superior goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist and the immense amount of firepower boasted by the Rangers would be enough.  Things looked good for my pick as the Rangers took a 3-1 series lead but then the wheels fell off.

John Tortorella benched Sean Avery for game 5, which the Rangers lost, and got involved with a fan earning himself a suspension for game 6 which the Rangers also lost.  Having absolutely no momentum the Rangers were put away by the Capitals tonight 2-1 in game 7.

This is a series the Rangers should have won had their coach not been a massive idiot.

__________________________________________________

Devils vs Hurricanes

How on earth the Devils managed to lose this series is beyond me.  It went back and fourth the whole time and neither team never had a strangle hold on the series.  Even still the Devils were at one point leading game seven as with under 90 seconds to play they held a 3-2 lead.  Then all hell broke loose as the Devils proceeded to surrender two goals, one of which was a softy by Eric Staal that Party Marty Brodeur should have had, and lost the series.

I had the Devils winning this series in 5 and eventually going to the Eastern Conference Finals but that won't be happening because Martin Brodeur the supposed "Best Goalie of All-time" can't stop a snap shot waist high from the wing.  Good work Chubbzor.

__________________________________________________

Penguins vs Flyers

I had the Flyers winning this series in 7 but that didn't come close to happening as the Penguins won 4-2 and took the series pretty easily.  The Flyers are a solid team but their lack of quality goaltending is their weakness and will continue to hurt them until they upgrade.

The Penguins will now play the Caps in the 2nd round which should provide TSN and Sportsnet with too much to talk about as Crosby goes up against Ovechkin.

__________________________________________________

West

Sharks vs Ducks

Well I am happy to announce that I totally called this.  While the Ducks finished in 8th place they are still a dangerous team with talent on all 4 lines and a solid experienced defense.  No one expected Jonas Hiller to play as well as he did but he looked solid as he lead the Ducks to a 4-2 series win.

I thought this series would go 7 and be the most entertaining of the first round but neither of those came to fruition.  I don't understand how the Sharks can be so dominant in the regular season and then shit in the bed in the playoffs so consistently.  They have great forwards, solid defense, and amazing goaltending yet they still manage to lose.  A serious enigma.

__________________________________________________

Red Wings vs Blue Jackets

I had picked this series to be won in 5 games by the Red Wings and unfortunately I was wrong.  They ended up winning in 4 and denied the Columbus fans the chance to see their team win a playoff game at home.  This was the first time Columbus had made the playoffs and I think they played like they were just happy to be there.

The Red Wings looked dominant and outplayed the Jackets in almost every area of play.  Look for them to continue their hot play in the 2nd round with Chris Osgood maintaining his high level of play.

__________________________________________________

Canucks vs Blues

I had the Canucks winning in 5 as they are the superior team.  Once again I was wrong as the Canucks managed to win in 4 and dominant the Blues.  Credit can be given to Roberto Luongo who was incredible the whole series and kept Vancouver in some games they had no business being in.

As a Canucks fan I was glad to see this series in in 4 as the Canucks had quite a few injuries that they needed to rehab and the lay off should help them with that.  Hopefully players like Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows Safari Planet can continue their great play.

__________________________________________________

Flames vs BlackHawks

My favorite series of the playoffs.  There was nothing better than watching the Calgary Flames lose so poorly to the Chicago BlackHawks.  Calgary backed their way into the playoffs and showed few signs of life the whole series.  I had picked Chicago to win but I thought it would take them 7 hard fought games to do it.  Instead they beat the Calgary Flamers in 6 and proved the critics wrong that they weren't too young and inexperienced.

This was seriously like Christmas in April for me as I hate the Flames and everything about that team.  After the loss instead of bowing out gracefully that prick Mike Keenan blamed the series loss on injuries.  He then remarked, "our top 3 guys were out.  If they had even 1 of their top players out it would have been a different story I can tell you."  

You suck.  Your team sucks.  Jokinen was a waste.  Now go play golf for a few months so you can come back and lose in the 1st round of the playoffs for the 4th straight year.

__________________________________________________

So overall I went 5-8 which isn't horrible.  If the Rangers and Devils didn't blow it I would have been 7-8 but oh well.  The first round had a little of everything and with the Penguins vs Capitals matchup in round 2 the NHL should be able to attract a few more fans to the game.  Let's just hope the Canucks can continue to win.

A Round 2 preview will be coming tomorrow.

__________________________________________________

Random Youtube Video

2009 NHL Playoffs 1st Round

So the NHL regular season is over and surprise surprise the Leafs didn't make the playoffs.  Oh well at least now Leaf fans can watch good teams play hockey.  Of the 16 teams that made the playoffs 3 are Canadian.  The Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and the Montreal Canadiens all made the playoffs and are looking to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time since the 1992-1993 season.

There are a lot of surprise teams in the playoffs this year like the St. Louis Blues and the Columbus Blue Jackets (1st time in franchise history).  That should make the playoffs a bit more interesting. I am obviously choosing the Canucks to win the whole thing which I have complete confidence that they will.  

What kind of sports site would this be if there was no breakdown of the match-ups?  Instead of doing the whole thing in one go I will instead break it down round by round starting with round 1 which officially kicks off tonight (Wednesday) with the Flyers - Penguins game at 7pm eastern.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens

Regular Season Record: 5-0-1 in favor of the Bruins

Breakdown: Boston was the best team in the East the entire season.  Goalie Tim Thomas played out of his mind and the fact that the powerplay was 4th in the league doesn't hurt either. The Bruins have both the skill and the toughness to be a good team in the playoffs and they currently have no massive injuries that are going to set them back. 

The Canadiens on the other hand limped into the playoffs as all season they have been the model of inconsistency.  Goaltender Carey Price has been ineffective and hurt for some of the season which has brought Jaroslav Halak into the picture.  These two will have to bring their A game is Montreal has any hopes of winning this series.

Prediction:  Boston in 5

__________________________________________________

Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers

Regular Season Record: 3-0-1 in favor of the Capitals

Breakdown: The Capitals are an exciting team who played well this year thanks to their high powered offense. Alexander Ovechkin had another monster year as did defenseman Mike Green.  Goaltender Jose Theodore played well but I don't know if he is the guy you want in net in a playoff series.  He has a tendency to disappear in big games.  If Washington wants to be successful they will need to keep their 2nd ranked powerplay working and ensure that Ovechkin can remain his superstar self.

The Rangers have a ton of offensive weapons that they can use to take out Washington.  The only problem is that they have been invisible all season.  The Rangers were 2nd last in the league in goals scored and their powerplay was 29th in the league.  The return of Sean Avery has helped the team improve and with goalie Henrik Lundqvist in net there is no need to worry.  I feel like the Rangers depth will help them in this series and will ultimately be the key to their victory.  Also the fact that head coach John Tortarella has won a Stanley Cup cannot be overlooked.

Prediction: Rangers in 6

__________________________________________________

New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes

Regular Season Record: 3-1 in favor of the Hurricanes

Breakdown:  The Devils bring tonnes of experience to the table and an ability to shut down opposing offenses.  Martin Brodeur is one of the greatest goalies of all-time and there are 11 players on this team who have won a Stanley Cup.  The Devils are a well balanced team that can skate, hit, score, and play defense.  They are my pick to win the East and they should have no problems with the Hurricanes.

Carolina was a mid-pack team in almost every major statistical category.  They don't have much flash on offense and their team is somewhat old.  Still they have lots of experience as well from their cup run in 2005-2006.  While Cam Ward has played well the second half of the season he is hardly a match for Brodeur and in the end I feel like this series will be decided in the net.

Prediction: Devils in 5

__________________________________________________

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers

Regular Season Record: 4-2 in favor of the Penguins

Breakdown:  After a slow start the Penguins really picked up their play in the second half and were one of the hottest teams in the league.  With scorers like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin the Penguins are definately favored in the offensive department.  The problem is the fact that their goalie is Marc Andre Fleury and he is anything but reliable.  This year he has been very up and down and is hardly the man you want to count on in a tight game.

As for the Flyers aka the Folders they always make the playoffs and yet find some way to blow it.  I love their team.  They have great forwards, strong defense, and can play fast and physical.  Their one problem however is in between the pipes.  Martin Biron doesn't inspire confidence in me and I think he is going to be an issue.  Not enough of an issue in the first round but in the later rounds he is done for.

Prediction: Flyers in 7

__________________________________________________

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks vs Anaheim Mighty Ducks

Regular Season Record: 4-2 in favor of the Sharks

Breakdown: The Sharks bring a well-balanced attack as they get offensive contributions from all four lines as well as the defence. The Sharks made a conscious decision this past offseason to bring in proven winners. The blueline was restocked with Dan Boyle and Rob Blake both of whom have already captured a ring. San Jose also has a very nice mix of young players to go along with their vets. Players like Devin Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe enjoyed excellent campaigns and fit it well with the Sharks' team mentality. The team also gets solid goaltending from Evgeni Nabokov.

The Ducks have a great mixture of skill and toughness. The Ducks can score with anyone in the league thanks to their potent power play. They have Scott Niedermayer at quarterback, Chris Pronger launching bombs from the point and Cory Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and rookie Bobby Ryan to bang pucks home. As one of the most penalized teams in the league, Anaheim will really need to be disciplined in the post-season.  Fortunately for the Ducks, they have a both a coach in Randy Carlyle and a goaltender in J.S. Giguere who have won it all before and won't be in awe of their surroundings.

Prediction: Ducks in 7 and will be the best series of the entire playoffs.

__________________________________________________

Detroit Red Wings vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Regular Season Record: 3-2-1 in favor of the Red Wings

Breakdown: Their veteran core of Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Holmstrom and Osgood all have multiple Stanley Cup rings. They are able to roll out four lines every night with every single player understanding their role on the team. Head coach Mike Babcock has done a fantastic job keeping his team focused this season when there could have been a serious Stanley Cup hangover. The Wings' forwards are as good a group as you will find in the league with no fewer than five 20 goal scorers. What truly separates Detroit from the pack is their defensive unit. Led by perennial Norris Trophy candidate Nicklas Lidstrom, the Wings blueline is absolutely stacked with a nice mix of puck movers and bangers. They are also battle tested thanks to last year's championship run. 

Having never made the playoffs before, the Blue Jackets have to prove that they are not simply just happy to be there. After clinching their spot in the post-season the team went into the tank in the last week of the season. Several of the Jackets key players have little or no post-season experience, but they do have an excellent head coach in Ken Hitchcock, who led the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup in 1999. "Hitch" will make sure that the young Jackets are mentally prepared for what they are about to face. The Jackets' biggest strength remains in net, where Steve Mason has been a revelation leading the league in shutouts in his rookie season. 

Prediction: Wings in 5

__________________________________________________

Vancouver Canucks vs St. Louis Blues

Regular Season Record: 2-2

Breakdown:  In Roberto Luongo, the Canucks have one of the top goaltenders in the world. He is ready ready to take the next step in his career and lead a team to the promised land. As great as Luongo is, the Canucks are far from a one-man show. They have a good balance of puck movers and bangers on the blue line and an extremely quick group of forwards. What they don't have is anyone who has been there before, as not a single player on their roster has hoisted the Stanley Cup. That lack of experience could ultimately cost them in the long run. This post-season could also be the defining moment of the Sedin brothers' careers. As they both approach unrestricted free agency, they will need to take their games to a new level if they hope to receive maximum compensation come July 1. The future is now for the Canucks and anything short of a deep playoff run will be seen as a failure.

The team has exceeded all expectations by reaching the post-season, so the Blues could be forgiven if they are just happy to be here. What they lack in skill and star-power they more than make up for with dedication, hard work and team-wide defensive responsibility. The Blues will likely live and die in the post-season on special teams - they own the third best penalty killing percentage at 83.8 percent and a top 10 power play unit, firing at a 20.5 percent clip. What might be the Blues' ultimate undoing is how hard they had to work to make it in to the 'Big Dance.' With all that energy expended down the stretch, will the young Blues have anything left in the tank when the games mean their most? 

Prediction: Canucks in 6

__________________________________________________

Chicago Blackhawks vs Calgary Flames

Regular Season Record: 4-0 in favor of the Blackhawks

Breakdwon: The Blackhawks can throw out a plethora of scoring options as Kane, Toews, Martin Havlat, Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg all broke the 20-goal barrier. Chicago gets plenty of offensive contributions from their blue line, thanks to the offensive instincts of Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith, Cam Barker and Dustin Byfuglien. Also working in the Hawks' favour is the fact that they have a playoff-tested goaltender in Nikolai Khabibulin, who captured the Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. While the Blackhawks' youth movement is extremely talented, they are not exactly battle tested. The majority of their key players have little or no NHL playoff experience. 

Calgary has speed, power, play-making abilities and they can put the puck in the net. While the Flames may be a little top heavy, their role players can all chip in with the occasional goal. That depth of scoring will come in handy in the post-season as teams focus on the top line. While Dion Phaneuf has not had the season he was hoping for, the Flames as a defensive unit are enjoying a great season. Robyn Regehr, who has always been tough as nails, has developed into one of the top shutdown defenders in the league. Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff is among the elite netminders in the NHL, but once again was forced to play more than 70 games this season and could wear down if the Flames make a deep run. 

Prediction: Chicago in 7

__________________________________________________

Random Youtube Video