NHL Game 6 Caps Shut Out TBay 3 - 0;NHL Wednesday May 23: FINAL Game 7 Caps vs TBay;NFL Anthem Protest Policy: Locker Room Only

My pick for Monday night's game 6:

TBay 3;  Caps 4

Actual Final Score:

TBay 0;  Caps 3

This season's playoffs have been the best and most memorable games I've watched in years. For those of you who've left the NFL, you could not find a better time to give the NHL a chance.

>> EDIT: New NFL Anthem Protest policy;  confined to locker room; Standing required; Teams face penalties.  <<

The TBay - Caps series is 3 - 3 and tonight is the big, final game 7.

Monday night's game 6  was scoreless until 4:48 remaining in the second period when T.J. Oshie nailed the first goal putting the Caps up by one. This was Oshie's first goal in this series.

Period 3 saw TBay playing hard, desperately wanting to get on the scoreboard, but the Caps played almost flawlessly, denying the Lightning any opportunity of getting the puck past Caps' goalie Braden Holtby  in what is his first shut-out game since April, 2017.

Standing at 6' 3", TBay's goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy is a big guy and he has the ability to stretch like Gumby. He made some incredible saves but just couldn't stop the Caps determination in winning this game.

At the 9:58 mark in P3, Caps' Devante Smith-Pelly nailed the second goal. Still enough time for TBay to get two goals and even the score and strive for an OT. But that didn't happen. Instead, enter Oshie scoring again, with less than one and a half minutes remaining in the game, putting the Caps up 3 to 0.

With that final 90 seconds remaining, shot stats taken tallied TBay 21 and Caps 33. This is a big discrepancy - not the only one in determining who wins and who doesn't, one doesn't necessarily dictate the other - but it's a significant difference.

If TBay wants to win tonight, they have to fire out more shots. They need to return to what they can certainly do, but sometimes lose focus of, controlling puck possession, of which they didn't do nearly enough in Monday's game. When they did, they did it well - they just couldn't, or manage to, sustain possession for sufficient amounts of time. If TBay can bring this talent back to the surface tonight, they will win.

If you watched Monday's game, then you witnessed Caps' Alex Ovechkin wrist shots that must clock in at near 100 mph. The guy is amazing. A wrist shot, mind you - SNAP - and the puck momentarily becomes invisible to the naked eye. He makes the puck soar. Another reason to watch tonight's game.

Tonight, Game 7, at 8PM EST and playing on TBay home ice.

The winner tonight plays Vegas for The Stanley Cup.

Odds Sharks predicts a final score of Caps 3.7;  TBay 1.7

My pick:

If there's going to be an OT game, I'd think tonight will be the night, but I'm not going to make that part of my prediction.

TBay 3;  Caps 2

( Disclaimer )

Vegas Beats Jets;NHL Monday, May 21

My pick in last night's game:

Jets 3;  LV 1

Actual Final Score:

Jets 1;  LV 2

Vegas won game 5 putting the Jets on the tarmac until next season. The Knights now poised to play for the Stanley Cup against the winner of the Tampa Bay - Washington Capitals series.

Game 6 is tonight with TBay playing at Washington, TBay leading this series by 3 - 2.

Odds Sharks predicts TBay over the Caps, 2.7 to 2.6.

I wrote yesterday that I think this series will go the full seven games, so...even though I think TBay is likely to win tonight, I have to go with predicting a Caps win, right? Otherwise, my words are hypocrisy, and I can't have that. 😲

Game 6  starts at 8PM EST.

My pick:

Caps 4;  TBay 3

( Disclaimer )

Caps Zapped By Lightning;NHL Sunday, May 20

My prediction on last night's TBay - Caps game:

TBay 3;  Caps 2 in OT

Actual Final Score:

TBay 3;  Caps 2

Well, I had the score right, but...not the OT.

TBay's win last night gives them the edge in the series, 3 - 2.

Game 6 is Monday, TBay playing in Washington. Did I predict this series will go the full seven games? I forget - I'll say it will.

Today, a crucial Game 5  with LV playing in Winnipeg, this series is LV 3;  Jets 1.

Can LV close it down today and move into the Stanley Cup bracket, awaiting the series winner of either the Caps or TBay?

Odds Sharks predicts today's game: LV 4.0;  Jets 1.4

I don't see the Jets going out this easily, this early.

My pick:

Jets 3;  LV 1

Game time 3PM EST on regular/broadcast NBC.

( Disclaimer )

NHL Saturday, May 19;Critical Game 5 Lightning vs Caps

Recap:

Been away for a couple of games; my last prediction was Wednesday's LV - Winnipeg game.

I had picked:

Jets 2; LV 1 in OT

Actual Final Score:

Jets 2; LV 4

Wednesday's win brought their series from one game apiece to LV 2; Jets 1.

Game 4 of LV - Jets was last night and LV won 3 to 2, bringing the series to LV 3; Jets 1. The key Game 5 is tomorrow with LV playing at Winnipeg.

I also missed out on Thursday's TBay - Caps game # 4, won by TBay 4 to 2. Their series now even, 2 - 2, with a critical Game 5 tonight.

Image Via Giphy

Tonight: Game 5  of TBay - Caps playing in TBay, game time 7:15PM EST and is broadcast on "free" (over the air) NBC.

Odds Sharks predicts a rather confusing final score of TBay 2.8;  Caps 2.8

My prediction:

TBay 3;  Caps 2 in OT

There's gotta be an OT game in here somewhere. I'm going to guess that night is tonight. 

( Disclaimer )

Lest We Forget THE Royal Weeding

Image: Gareth Fuller / AP

How can anyone ignore an event of such vital and worldly significance and importance.

I give it three years. I mean, she is an actress.

Lightning Zaps Capitals; NHL Wednesday, May 16

Drum roll, please...and add the trumpets as well...

My prediction for last night's game:

TBay 4; Caps 2

Actual Final Score:

TBay 4; Caps 2

This is the first time I've gotten one right in a while. Eh...even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then.

TBay won game three last night, bringing the series to TBay 1; Caps 2.

I'm short on time, so we're going full blast ahead to tonight's game 3 with Winnipeg playing at LV. The series is 1 - 1.

This is a very critical game 3 for both teams, especially psychologically. One game up for the Jets in LV will pump them up. LV, of course, wants to win this game, their first game of this series on home ice.

Odds Shark predicts LV 3.2;  Jets 2.4

My pick:

Jets 2; LV 1 in OT

The puck hits the ice at 9PM EST.

Vegas Rolls Win over Jets; NHL Tuesday, May 15

My prediction on last night's LV / Winnipeg game 2:

 Jets 4;  LV 3 in OT

Actual Final Score:

Jets 1;  LV 3

It was as if the two teams changed jerseys from game 1 and game 2. LV played well (not great, but well), and the Jets played nothing like they did on Saturday.

Their series is now 1 game apiece. Games 3 and 4 are in LV and game 3 is tomorrow, Wednesday the 16th.

Tonight, game 3  (and 4) with TBay at Washington; Washington leading the series 2-0.

TBay knows they need to win tonight. Well, okay, they don't NEED TO WIN, they can go down 0-3 and win the next 4 games in a row but...

I've always believed that playing at home meant something, but maybe that's old-fashioned? Most of the teams in the playoffs have had at least one atrocious home game, if not two.

All the Puck Fun begins at 8PM EST.

Odds Sharks predicts  Caps 2.8;  TBay 2.6

Heck, I don't know - TBay dropped the first two games and they were at home. Tonight, in Washington, they are going to have to play entirely different in order to grab a win on Caps' ice. Can they? Yes. No. Maybe. Please insert cash now or select another method to pay. Change is dispensed below. Please take your receipt.

My pick:

TBay 4; Caps 2

( Disclaimer )

John McCain - Bitter Until Death?

How can one remain so bitter at the end of their life? If one believes in an afterlife, and I believe that John McCain does, and you have a terminal medical issue and your time is limited; how can you hold on to, and foster, such bitterness until the very end?

I've never been a supporter of McCain, a RINO who disappointed Republicans by siding with Dems far too often.

I appreciate his service to our country. Was he "Songbird John" as some suggest? I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. There's a limited number of people who know if he was or wasn't. Does it matter at this stage?

"It doesn't matter, he's dying anyway,"  the remark from White House press aide Kelly Sadler. Whether it was said or meant with invective or not, so what? It's not like this remark triggered bitterness in McCain, as if prior to the remark his entire lifetime demeanor was "Mister Holly Jolly Christmas."

Are "distasteful remarks" now the new standard of judgment? If so, let's not pretend that this is the only distasteful remark made by a politician. There are plenty of distasteful and/or disrespectful remarks made by EVERYONE. Chances are, that since you woke up this morning, you've made a distasteful remark about someone or some thing. Is this how you want to be judged?

When people remember John McCain after he passes, does he want the first recollections of him to be, "bitter until the end," or, "Oh, that Maverick McCain, he sure gave Trump the 'fuck you' when he said he didn't want Trump at his funeral."

McCain meddled in affairs in which he had no business being involved, the least egregious being The Keating Five.

His major pissing points appear to be not being elected president and Trump's remark of "I like people who don't get captured."  His thumbs down vote against repeal of ObamaCare was nothing more than another "fuck you" to Trump.

His presidential campaign sucked and he is solely responsible for his loss, not Sarah Palin, not this or that or anything else. In his first presidential debate with Barack Obama, McCain came across as an angry, bitter old fuck. Is this someone I want as my president? Nope. I sat that election out and have no regrets.

You're dying Senator - - do you really want to hold onto bitterness until your last gasp?

NHL Monday, May 14

My pick for Saturday's game between Vegas & Winnipeg:

LV 5; Jets 3

Actual Final Score:

LV 2;  WPeg 4

The series is Jets 1; LV 0.

I did not watch last night's game of Washington vs Tampa Bay; but the Caps beat TBay 6 to 2; the Caps leading the series 2 games to zero. Game 3 is tomorrow, May 15, and is in Washington as is game 4.

Both the Jets and the Caps play has been incredible in these Conference Finals. I wouldn't write off either LV or TBay just yet, both teams have been able to regroup and return to their better play. 

Tonight, Game 2 Jets vs LV:

Odds Sharks predicts  Jets 3;  LV 2.9

Tonight's game is in Winnipeg, so I'm going to go with the Jets' home ice advantage. I think the Jets will start strong again (as they did in Saturday's game), and I think LV will adjust, and we'll see a much tighter game than we did on Saturday.

My pick:

Jets 4;  LV 3 in OT

( Disclaimer )

Happy Mother's Day!

A Blessed Mother's Day, and every day, to all Moms.

Caps Strike Lightning; Game 1: Vegas at Winnipeg Tonight

My prediction for last night's Game 1 between the Caps and TBay:

TBay 4; Caps 3 in OT

Actual Final Score:

Caps 4;  TBay 2

Yeesh - TBay didn't score until the third period. Caps led 2 - 0 at the end of the first period, scored two more times in the second period, leaving TBay down 0 - 4 at the start of period three. Finally TBays' Steve Stamkos an Ondrej Palat nailed two goals but the remaining game time was against them.

Game two is Sunday in TBay.

Tonight: 7PM EST on "free" broadcast NBC.

Game 1 with Vegas playing in Winnipeg. SB Nation:

The Winnipeg Jets are 0-2 over their last two home games since going 13-0 in their previous 13 games at home. The Jets hope to get back into the win column at home this Saturday night when they host the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference final.

Winnipeg is a -140 NHL betting favorite in Saturday’s Game 1 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Vegas is going off at +120 to steal home ice with a win on the road.

Odds Shark predicting Vegas 3.8; Jets 2.4

My pick:

LV 5; Jets 3

( Disclaimer )

Jets Soar Over Preds in Game 7; Game 1: Caps at TBay Tonight

My pick for Game 7:

Jets 4;  Preds 2

Actual Final Score:

Jets 5;  Preds 1

Last night's game did come down to a battle of goalies. The Jets scored twice within the first twelve minutes on Preds goalie Pekke Rinne and Nashville Coach Peter Laviolette pulled Rinne, replacing him with Juuse Saros who finished out the game.

Tyler Myers started the Jets off on their streak being the first to score in period one. Then, the Jets' Paul Stastny and Mark Scheifele sent the puck into the Preds net, both with two goals:  Stastny in periods one and three and Scheifele in both the second and third period.  The only Preds goal came from P.K. Suban in the first period.

The Jets played damn fine, looking nothing like the team that the Preds shut out in Tuesday's game.

Considering the Preds performance over the past four seasons, we'll see them in the playoffs again. If they continue playing as they have and make a few adjustments, tweaks and/or player trades, they're probably not far off from winning The Cup in a future season.

Conference Games:

And then there were four. 

The conference finals have the Jets facing off against Vegas and TBay playing the Caps. The winners of these two series vie for The Cup.

The Caps are on TBay ice for games 1 and 2; game 1 tonight at 8PM EST.

The LV - Winnipeg series starts Saturday, 7PM EST with games 1 and 2 in Winnipeg.

Tonight:

Odds Shark predicts TBay over the Caps tonight by 3.2 to 2.2.

My pick:

TBay 4; Caps 3 in OT

Friday Morning Music Video

 

"Addicted To Love", from Riptide , by Robert Palmer

NHL Thusday, May 10: Game 7 Winnipeg Jets vs Nashville Predators

The final game of the Jets/Preds series - the big Game 7 where the puck hits the ice at 8PM EST.

Predicting a winner? Flip a coin - see if it lands on its side. This game is going to be tough and, perhaps, a bit ugly in the degree of how physical both teams attack each other; both teams doing whatever it takes to win.

Winning will, obviously, be dependent on who is the better goalie tonight, the Jets' Connor Hellebuyck or the Preds' Pekke Rinne. Both have played a solid, phenomenal season and playoff series.

Odds Shark predicts Nashville 3.6; Winnipeg 2.4.

My pick:

Jets 4;  Preds 2

Dog Shoots Iowa Man

Idiot, simpleton, fool, moron... ABC News:

Richard Remme, of Fort Dodge, told police he was playing with his dog, Balew, on the couch and tossed the dog off his lap. He says when the pit bull-Labrador mix bounded back up, he must have disabled the safety on the gun in his belly band and stepped on the trigger.

The gun fired, striking one of Remme's legs.

Heh..."must have disabled..."  Gee, ya think?

Way to go Richard. Hey, next time you play toss the dog with a gun nearby, down a few shots of Bacardi 151 and smoke some meth. Heck, toss a few Tide pods in your mouth. Maybe add juggling some really sharp, large knives into the mix to make it really challenging? You won't even realize you've been shot.

Idiot.

Caps Ice Penguins; Preds Shut Out Jets

My Monday NHL picks:

Pens 4;  Caps 2 - this series goes the full seven games.

Jets 3;  Preds 2

Actual Final Scores:

Pens 1;  Caps 2 in OT

Jets 0;  Preds 4

Well...the Pens/Caps series ISN'T going the full seven games while the Jets/Preds series IS, with the Preds shutting out the Jets and bringing the series 3 - 3.

The Caps outplayed the Pens, it's that simple. The Pens had moments of momentum, but Washington took advantage of every Pens error and beat the two-time consecutive Stanley Cup Winners. I've never seen a game where the puck became so often airborne, or that rolled on its side or bounced off the ice so much. It could have been a basketball.  Hmmmm...was the puck deflated ? 🏒 🤣

Next, the Caps face TBay, game date and time to be decided.

Nashville shut out and shut down the Jets. Preds goalie Pekke Rinne chalked up 34 saves, some of which were incredible. The Jets' usually top-notch defense looked weak against the Preds.

Game 7 for the Jets/Preds is Thursday, May 10, in Nashville at 8PM EST. The winner of game 7 will square off against the Las Vegas Knights.

Knights Slay Sharks - Lightning Zaps Boston; NHL Monday, May 7 - two Game 6's

My uncanny and inaccurate predictions of yesterday's games:

TBay 3;  Boston 4 in OT

Sharks 5;  LV 4 in 2 OT

Actual Final Scores:

TBay 3; Boston 1

Sharks 0; LV 3

TBay advances and will play the winner of the Penguins - Capitals series and LV will play the winner of the Nashville - Winnipeg series. All four of these teams play tonight in game 6 of their series.

Watching yesterday's games, it was a bit surprising that TBay won. They played...uhhh...kinda sloppy, but won, and that's all that mattered.

Gotta hand it to the LV Knights, they have a great team. Having Marc-Andre Fleury (former Penguin's goalie) as your goalie is a huge asset. The Sharks played decently, having opportunities to score - but didn't. They hit the goalie posts and bar at least 3-4 times making audible "dings" - but the puck just did not get past the red line. Sharks' goalie Martin Jones did his utmost, but was "out-goalied".

Tonight's games:

Washington plays in Pittsburgh and Nashville plays in Winnipeg.

The Pens should win at home, they need to, they must in order to continue on in the playoffs. Nashville is in the same boat.

Caps lead the series with the Pens 3 - 2, and it's the same for Winnipeg and Nashville.

Odds Shark predicts the Caps over the Pens: 3.0 to 2.4.

Odds Shark predicts a Jets win over the Preds: 3.8 to 2.2.

My picks:

Pens 4;  Caps 2 - this series goes the full seven games. 7PM EST

Jets 3;  Preds 2 - 9:30PM EST

( Click here for Disclaimer.)

NHL Sunday, May 6

Yesterday's picks:

Pens 5;  Caps 3

Jets 4;  Preds 2

Actual Final Scores:

Pens 3; Caps 6; Series: Caps 3 - Pens 2

Jets 6; Preds 2; Series: Jets 3 - Preds 2

And, because it's easier to predict Powerball lottery numbers than NHL winners and scores, my PBall numbers prediction were: 1,7,21,32,34 and PB 5. 

Actual Powerball numbers:  14, 29, 36, 57, 61 and PB 17

Add one more correct pick for me with the Jets over the Preds, which brings me to...oh, I don't know - I've lost track. No doubt my correct picks are vastly out-numbered by actual results.

Today's games:

Boston at TBay, game # 5; series TBay 3, Boston 1 at 3PM EST (on "free/broadcast" NBC).

Vegas at San Jose, game # 6; series LV 3, Sharks 2, 7:30PM EST.

Predictions:

Odds Shark has TBay 3.9; Boston 1.7

Odds Shark has LV 3.6; SJ 2.8

I'd like to see TBay close this series and beat Boston, but I don't think this will happen. I think this series will go six games, Boston winning today and TBay winning game six.

I'm prepared for LV winning today, but the Sharks are playing at home and know this is the end of the road if they tank.

TBay 3;  Boston 4 in OT

Sharks 5;  LV 4 in 2 OT

( Click for Disclaimer at the end of this post. )

Tampa Bay Beat Bruins in OT; Knights Sink Sharks; NHL to Bruins' Marchand: No More Licking!

Yesterday's picks:

TBay 5;  Boston 4

Sharks 6;  LVegas 5 in 1 OT

Actual Final Scores:

TBay 4;  Boston 3 in OT

Sharks 3;  LV 5

Bruins' Brad Marchand continued his disgusting habit and attempts to agitate opponents by LICKING FACES.  This is just so disgusting. He was supposedly "warned" to cease this behavior by Bruins coaching and management - supposedly... He has a history of licking and forcibly kissing opponents and team mates.

From above link:

... the Bruins’ Brad Marchand squared off with Tampa Bay’s Ryan Callahan. The two were jawing at each other, and got in each other’s face. That was not close enough, as Marchand appeared to try to bait Callahan by getting very close — a lick, perhaps? — to Callahan’s face.
[.]
After the game Callahan said he did not know the difference between licking someone’s face and spitting in it.

There is no "perhaps" about it. See the video clip below.

Finally, the NHL weighs in on Marchand's licking. ESPN:

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN via email that the league will inform the Bruins that Marchand must stop licking the faces of his opponents. "Yes, we will be communicating with the Club. We don't expect it to happen again," he said.
[.]
"I hope the league looks at it," [the licking] said Callahan said after the Lightning's 4-3 overtime win. "I don't know if there is discipline for spitting in someone's face. But for me, it's worse, if not the same."
[.]
"There is absolutely no place in our game for that. I don't get it. I don't understand it," said  Lightning coach [Jon Cooper]. "How would you feel if I walked over to you right now and gave you one big lick from the chin up?"

TBay leads the series 3 - 1.

Here's Marchand's licking of Callahan:

Fair Use Section 107 U.S. Copyright Code

On the Sharks/LV game...it was the other San Jose Sharks that played last night.

SJ was behind 0 to 3 at the end of the second period and I called it a night. Reading about the game this morning, I was surprised that SJ managed to get 3 goals in period 3 (but only after LV had them down 0 - 4), but it was too little, too late. LV closed out the game 5 to 3, ahead in the series 3 to 2.

Two "Game #5's" on tap for tonight.

The Penguins play on Capitals' home ice, series tied 2 - 2; 7PM EST. This game is being broadcast on "regular" NBC, so viewable to all. 

Winnipeg is in Nashville, series tied 2 - 2; 9:30PM EST.

All teams in the playoffs have been going all out, giving it their all. But this Nashville-Winnipeg series has been incredible. Correctly predicting a winner, or score? It has to be easier picking tonight's Powerball lottery winning numbers (1,7,21,32,34 and PB 5). I suppose I should buy a ticket because if I don't, those numbers will roll out of the lotto machine.

Here goes nothing based on just that:

Pens 5;  Caps 3

Jets 4;  Preds 2

( Click for the Disclaimer at the end of this post).
- - -
5/5/2018 2:30pm spelling fix 

NHL Friday, May 4

Argh. I got backlogged in updating which only leaves me confused on staying current on my picks.

My picks for the two games on Wednesday were:

Boston 4;  TBay 1

LV 4;  SJ 2

Actual Final Scores:

Boston 1;  TBay 4

LV  0;  SJ 4

I didn't think the Sharks had it in them to win, and I'll be more than happy to eat my own words of writing them off if they win this series. Kudos San Jose; you played to win Wednesday night and played wonderfully.

And TBay just killed...they just chewed up Boston. Boston didn't even look like Boston. They usually are speedier than anyone they're playing in any game, but they looked tired and played slowly - something you almost never see in them.

Thursday Game Results:

I didn't make picks or even watch the games last night, but the results were:

Game 4: Pens 3;  Caps 1 - series tied 2-2.

Game 4: Preds 2;  Jets 1 - series tied 2-2.

Going back to TUESDAY'S game between Pittsburgh and Washington, the NHL suspended the Caps Tom Wilson for three games for his vicious, ugly and intentional shoulder to the head of the Pens Zach Aston-Reese, giving him a broken jaw and concussion.  Clip below (for longer videos of the below just do a search on "Wilson-suspension-Aston Reese jaw"):

Footage used in accordance with Fair Use Section 107 U.S. Copyright Code

Yeah - that's a deliberate intent to injure.

Tonight's Games:

Game 4, TBay at Boston, 7PM EST - Series TBay 2;  Bruins 1

Game 5, Sharks at LV, 10PM EST - Series tied 2 games apiece

My picks:

I think TBay continues their winning streak.

TBay 5;  Boston 4

Sharks at LV, Sharks at LV, Sharks at LV, Sharks at LV.........this series has just been....something else. I know LV will be playing like a bat out of hell tonight wanting to win. And the Sharks really need to win this one, the pressure is on them. Surprise me again San Jose...

Sharks 6;  LV 5 in 1 OT
- - -
5/4/2018: Grammar fix

Caps Cap Pens; Jets Bomb Preds

My Monday  Tuesday picks: 

Pens 4;  Caps 2

Jets 3;  Preds 1

Actual Final Scores:

Pens 3;  Caps 4

Jets 7;  Preds 4

The NHL once again had two incredible games last night, and if you've abandoned the NFL because of its political/player issues and you're looking for a new sport, you could not pick a finer time to make NHL Hockey your new choice.

Despite being down 0 - 3 after the first period - and playing incredibly poorly - the Jets hit the ice hard in period two and scored four goals. The Preds kept up the pressure, playing hard, but they could not return to their first period style of play. The Jets nailed 3 more goals in period three with the Preds gaining only one for an incredible comeback for the Jets.  Jets lead the series 2 - 1 with game 4 tomorrow night.

The Pens / Caps game ended period one with each team scoreless. The Pens nailed three goals in period two, the Caps scored twice. In the third period, the Caps made their comeback tying the Pens, and then scoring once more for a win of 4 - 3. Caps lead the series 2 - 1 with game 4 tomorrow night.

Here's my take (which, of course, means absolutely nothing) on the eight teams and where I think they stand.

These are the teams I see as "playing to win." In other words, these teams are giving everything they have, even when they are down, to do what it takes to win, even though some are down by a game in their series:

Playing to win

Winnipeg Jets
Pittsburgh Penguins
TBay Lightning
Washington Caps

These teams are "winning". These teams are playing fantastic, almost error-free hockey. But they can be beaten, it just may not be in the current series they're in:

Winning

Las Vegas Knights
Boston Bruins

Writing-off (just what it means)

San Jose Sharks - I don't know what they're doing on the ice, but I don't see the desire, blood, sweat and tears in them to beat LV. I'd like to see the Sharks win, but the only thing consistent in their play is their inconsistency.

Wild Card

Nashville Predators - they could go either way; continue in the playoffs or collapse. 

Tonight's games:

Game 3, TBay playing in Boston, series tied 1 - 1; 7PM EST.

Game 4, LV at San Jose, series 2 (LV) - 1 (SJ); 10PM EST.

For all the factors considered at Odds Shark, their predictions haven't been any more scientifically accurate than mine.

Odds Shark: TBay 2.9; Boston 2.7.

Odds Shark: LV 4.3; SJ 2.1.

My picks:

Boston 4; TBay 1

LV 4; SJ 2

( See Disclaimer at the end of this post. )
- - -
5/4/2018 Fixed day top of post from Monday to Tuesday

Lightning strikes Boston; Knights Chew Sharks

Monday's Picks:

(Mine):
TBay 5;  Boston 4

Sharks 5;  LVegas 3

(Actual Final Scores):
TBay 4;  Boston 2

Sharks 3;  LV 4 OT

TBay evened their series 1 - 1 with Boston last night. TBay earned every moment of their win. Game 3 is tomorrow and in Boston as is game 4. (I'd mixed up on a previous post on who was playing where.)

The Sharks? Their series tied 1 - 1, it's game # 3 and San Jose is on home ice and...the Sharks floated belly-up. The Sharks sucked. It's nothing short of a miracle that somehow, they scored three goals. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on the Sharks. Maybe they don't know that it's okay - and even encouraged - to go after your rebound puck.

It sure seemed like as soon as the Sharks got the puck in the LV zone, someone would take a shot on goal, or try a pass to a  teammate - it would fail and boom - LV grabbed the puck leaving the Sharks immediately shifting back to defense. And LV actually held onto the puck for more than just one move. The Sharks are dead in the water if they don't change the way they're playing. Ugh...

Tonight:

Game #3, series tied 1-1; Washington at Pittsburgh - 7:30PM EST.

Game #3, series tied 1-1; Nashville at Winnipeg - 8PM EST

Odds Shark predicts Pens beating Caps 2.9 to 2.8.

Odds Shark predicts Jets over Preds 3.8 to 2.1.

My picks:

Pens 4;  Caps 2

Jets 3;  Preds 1

( See Disclaimer at the end of this post.)
- - -
Fix 5/1/2018 team typo

NHL Monday, April 30

5/1/2018: EDIT - Someone asked me if I could post the image without the drawn-in arrow.  Of course. It's below, the second image (enlarged).

My Sunday Picks: 

Penguins over The Caps: 3 - 1

Scratched: Jets beat Preds: 4 - 3  

Revised pick:  Preds over Jets: 4 - 2

Actual Final Score:

Caps 4; Pens 1

Preds 5; Jets 4 in 2 OT

My reversal on the Jets/Preds game gives me one more correct game winner that I picked; still at zero on predicting final scores.

Each team is tied 1 game apiece in each of the series except for Boston 1; Tampa Bay 0 with their game 2 tonight at 7PM EST.

Sunday night's double OT game between Nashville and Winnipeg was "insanely good hockey." Sporting News:

"...[this series is] high-level, out-of-this-world hockey from two dynamic and loaded teams that simply don’t want to cede one inch to the other."

Contention surfaced in Sunday afternoon's Pens - Washington game when, what appeared to be a Pens goal, was declared not a goal by the officials. ESPN:

...a rebound of Penguins star Sidney Crosby's wraparound attempt was stuffed into the pad of goalie Braden Holtby by Pittsburgh's Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins began celebrating what they believed to be a goal, although the on-ice officials never signaled for one. The NHL Situation Room initiated a video review. Despite footage that showed white ice between the puck and the red line, the NHL "determined that there were no definitive replays" that showed that the puck completely crossed the Washington goal line.

"It's 100 percent a goal," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said[.]

What do you think - is the puck, without question, over the red line?

 And enlarged ...

Had it counted, it would have still left the Pens down by 2 with around ten minutes left in the game.  It looks like a clear goal to me, and I'm not saying that because I'm pulling for the Pens.

Tonight: Game 2, Boston at Tampa.

And the first game #3 in this round of the playoffs at 10PM EST with LVegas at San Jose.

Odds Shark has TBay 3.1; Boston 2.6.

Odds Shark has LV 3.6; Sharks 2.6.

My picks - I'm going with "home ice" teams on both games. TBay does not want to go into game 3 down by two, especially when games 3 & 4 are in Boston.  San Jose is making their first appearance on home ice in this series, and I have to think that has them revved up:

TBay 5;  Boston 4

Sharks 5;  LV 3

( See Disclaimer at the end of this post).

NHL Sunday, April 29

The puck hits the ice twice today, both the second game of each series.

This afternoon is game # 2 with the Pittsburgh Penguins playing at the Washington Capitals and begins at 3PM EST.

The Pens won game one, and the Caps will be looking to even the series. Watch for both teams to put forth a strong defense. The Pens' Evgeni Malkin may or may not play today. His presence was clearly missed in game 1, but even without him, the Pens are capable of winning.

 

Tonight's game # 2 (7PM EST) has the Winnipeg Jets looking to make their 1 - 0 series to 2 - 0 against the Nashville Predators. If the Preds want to win this game, goalie Pekka Rinne is going to have to get his mojo back after being pulled after the first two periods in game one.  The other move the Preds will need is upping their offense.

Predictions:

I'd forgotten about this site; what are the predictions over at Odds Shark ?

Odds Shark has The Pens winning 3.1 over The Caps with 2.7.

Odds Shark predicts The Jets 3.5; The Preds 2.1

My Picks: 

Penguins over The Caps: 3 - 1

Scratched: Jets beat Preds: 4 - 3  

Revised pick:  Preds over Jets: 4 - 2

(See Disclaimer at the end of this post.)

NHL: Sharks Curfew Knights; Bruins Strike Lightning

My predictions earlier today:
Sharks 6 - LV 5
Tampa Bay 3 - Boston 2 in 1 OT

Actual Final Scores:
Sharks 4 - LV 3 in 2 OT
TBay 2 - Boston 6

[3 correct game winners; 0 accuracy on scores or OTs]

I was only able to watch the third period of the Boston - TBay game, so I don't and can't write much about the game. I'm not one to record a sporting event and watch it later. It seems so unnatural. So all I can comment on is P3.

I turned on the television. It was Boston 3, TBay 2. Then it was Boston 4, TBay 2. Soon it was Boston 5, TBay 2. Which then became Boston 6, TBay 2 ...and it was over.

TBay moves to home ice for games 3 & 4 and I have resort to the usual "home team playing on home ice will "amp up" TBay.

Game 2 is Monday, April 30th.

And the Sharks - LV game? Oh, what a game!

The Sharks were noticeably different from the start, more physical, aggressive, much more fueled by adrenaline than in their game 1 loss of 0 -7.  But it took a while for San Jose to unfold their slow domination of this critical game.

LV William Karlsson got the first goal of the game with about 2 minutes remaining in period one.

The second period remained scoreless, each team denying the other equally.

Within 26 seconds of the beginning of period three, Karlsson scored again, making it LV 2 - SJ 0.

The Sharks then took control. Brent Burns popped in goal # 1 at 14:07. About three minutes later, Logan Couture nailed goal # 2. Goal # 3 for San Jose came shortly after by ... Brent Burns giving the Sharks a 3 - 2 lead over LV.

A few closing minutes before the end of period 3, LV's Nate Schmidt scored evening the score to 3 - 3.

OT One: Stayed tough, both teams. A potential goal by LV Jonathan Marchessault was challenged for interference and a review did indeed negate the goal. The LV crowd was not pleased. (Upon review in slow-mo, it was a legit call.)

OT Two: The Sharks' Logan Couture ended the 2nd OT at 5:13 closing the game down with a SJ win over LV by 4 to 3.

The Sharks really worked for this win, proving they have what it takes to beat LV. If they can out-skate LV in speed, and get enough rebound shots from shots-on-goal, LV is beatable. But beating Vegas won't come easy.

The series is tied 1 - 1 with the next game on Monday, April 30 in San Jose. I think the Sharks will be glad to be playing at home.

(See Disclaimer at the end of this post).

NHL: Jets Fly Over Predators

"It wasn't pretty, [but we won the game]." - Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck on the Jets win last night over Nashville in a post-game interview.

No, it wasn't a pretty win in the first game between these two teams - but it was a win, and that's all that matters.

The Jets defeated Nashville last night  4 - 1.  I had predicted a Jets win of 5 - 3. So, thus far, I've been correct in picking the winner twice, but haven't predicted a correct final score. Meh ... [2 correct winner picks; 0 final score picks].

Both teams had their moments of momentum, and lack thereof.  Nashville was focused and impressive during the first period, but a goal by the Jets Brandon Tanev left the Predators behind by 0 to 1 at the end of period one.

The Preds upped their game a few notches and for the first half of period two dominated puck possession much better than Winnipeg. Nashville's Kevin Fiala and P.K. Suban - and other Preds - managed to have their share of shots on goal, but were denied by Jets goalie Hellebuyck. Preds Filip Forsberg shot-on-goal hit the post and was deflected. Jets Paul Stastny added his goal to the Jets score and period two ended with the Jets 3, Preds 0.

Nashville pulled goalie Pekka Rinne at the start of period three and replaced him with Jusse Saros. Around the 18 minute/37 second mark of period three, the Preds got their only goal by Fiala.

Nashville pulled Saros with a little less than 3 minutes remaining and the Jets  Mark Scheifele nailed his second goal of the game on the Preds empty net 36 seconds before the end of the game, sealing Winnipeg's win.

Game 2 is Sunday, April 29.

Today's games:

Game 1 at 3PM EST between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay, with TBay on home ice for the first two games.

Tonight, at 8PM EST, the San Jose Sharks play in Vegas (LV) in game 2 of their series.

Predictions:

After Thursday night's loss of 0 - 7, I have to think that everyone in the San Jose Sharks organization has watched game 1 in frame-by-frame analysis in determining how to counter-attack LV who, so far, seem like they can do no wrong and play error-free.

I'm pulling for the Sharks, but LV is this incredible steamroller.

Pick:  Sharks 6 - LV 5

For Boston and TBay ... we have two determined, disciplined, focused teams although TBay took their series 4 - 1 against the NJ Devils while the Boston - Maple Leafs series went all seven games. Did the rest period affect TBay? It certainly didn't affect LV, who also had a similar rest period after beating the LA Kings in four straight games.

Pick:  TBay 3 - Boston 2 in 1 OT

(See Disclaimer at the end of this post).

NHL Playoffs Game 1 Results: Sharks Toothless; Penguins Strut Back

Last night, Thursday, was the beginning of Round Two  of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. And the contrast between the two games starting off Round Two was striking.

My picks for these first games were:

Penguins over the Caps 4 - 3 in one OT.
Final score: Pens 3, Caps 2 in regular game time.

Sharks over Vegas  (LV) 3 - 1.
Final score: LV 7 (yes, SEVEN) - Sharks 0.

[1 correct winner pick; 0 score picks]

The Sharks-LV game was brutal to watch. There were men on the ice wearing the San Jose Sharks' uniforms, but they appeared completely unfamiliar with hockey, despite all their efforts. 

At the end of the first period, LV had 3 goals, and they continued ferocious, unrelenting top tier play for the rest of the game. It was hard to watch.

Game 2 is Saturday. We'll see what adjustments are made by the Sharks to deal with, what seems to be, an unstoppable LV force.

Initially, the Pens couldn't get their act together. It changed dramatically in  period three, the Pens tied, and then won the game. 

Pens Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel are the players responsible for taking this potential win away from Washington.

The incredible Pens goalie, Matt Murray, deflected an onslaught of pucks from Washington, in what has to be seen to be believed.

Game 2 is Sunday.

Only one game tonight, April 27; Game 1 of Winnipeg at Nashville.

My guess:  Jets 5 - Predators 3

(See Disclaimer at the end of this post.)
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Edit: Grammar fix 4/27/2018

2018 NHL Playoffs; Second Round

The NHL Playoffs for The Stanley Cup are underway, Round Two  begins tonight.  While my updates have been infrequent, I'm doing this for my own fun and prognostications.  It's just my own little world of "Fantasy NHL", (a world where the former Mrs. Drake frequently said is a world I spent too much time in, ...but I digress).

Whether you're a season-long fan, or just interested in watching the road to The Cup, feel free and most welcome to share your thoughts in the comments section below. If you've always wondered what is the big deal of why rabid hockey fans are rabid hockey fans, or want to see what makes it so interesting, tune in and check out the games. There's a whole lot of impressive teams in this season's playoff games.

Looking back to the start of the season, here is where the teams ranked as of September 24, 2017, - with each team having played about 3 or 4 games.

                 Central:                                                  Pacific:
                 Wild                                                      Edmonton
                 Chicago                                                LA
                 Dallas                                                   Vancouver
                 St. Louis                                               San Jose
                 Nashville                                              L Vegas
                 Colorado                                              Arizona
                 Winnipeg                                              Anaheim
                                                                              Calgary


                 Atlantic:                                             Metro:
                 Ottawa                                               NY Islanders
                 Boston                                                NJ                                        
                 Tampa Bay                                         Carolina
                 Toronto                                              Pittsburgh
                 Florida                                               NY Rangers
                 Buffalo                                               Philadelphia
                 Detroit                                               Columbus
                Montreal                                             Washington


And here, the rankings as of April 8, 2018:

         Central:                                  Pacific:
         z-Nashville                             y-Vegas
         x-Winnipeg                             x-Anaheim
         x-MN WILD                            x-San Jose
         St. Louis                                 x-LA
         Colorado                                Calgary
         Dallas                                     Edmonton
         Chicago                                  Vancouver
                                                        Arizona

        Atlantic:                                  Metro:
        x-Tampa Bay                           y-Washington
        x-Boston                                  x-Pittsburgh
        x-Toronto                                x-Philadelphia
        Florida                                    x-Columbus
        Detroit                                    NJ
        Montreal                                Carolina
        Ottawa                                   NY Islanders
        Buffalo                                   NY Rangers


x-clinched playoff spot
y-clinched division
z-clinched conference

Below is the current series between the Western and Eastern Conference Games.

Full size HERE

I'm disappointed the Minnesota Wild didn't advance further, but...they had some injuries and the Winnipeg Jets have had a good season.

I don't understand how the new expansion team, the Las Vegas Knights (LV)  - in their FIRST year - play as well as they have and are in the playoff spot they're in. The only explanation I have is that this proves the Vegas NHL is run by (ahem...) La Faimiglia. No expansion team should be where LV is at. It just doesn't happen. I'm also at a loss to understand how they won their series against the LA Kings 4 - 0.  The Kings won the Cup in 2014 and since then have had average and above average seasons; but to go winless in the playoffs against a first-year team...again...hard to fathom.

In game one, the Kings lost 0 - 1; both teams playing hard and tight. Game two was a LV win, 2 - 1 in double overtime, which is the last game LA appeared to have any cohesiveness at all. They dropped the next two games, both at home, and the series was done. 

The Anaheim Ducks also were winless in their playoff series against the San Jose Sharks, 4 - 0.  The Sharks, favored by many to win this year,  have a solid season going for them and have "the bodies", but again, I am surprised the Ducks, Cup winner in 2007, didn't win at least one game.

Nashville took their series against Colorado 4 - 2, and was the most interesting of match-ups to watch in the Western Conference. Nashville lost to the Pens in last year's  (2016) - 2017 Stanley Cup.

On the Eastern Conference side Tampa Bay took their series against 4 - 1 against the NJ Devils, with TBay playing almost flawlessly. Like others, I didn't think NJ would win only one game, but - that's the way the puck drops.

Wednesday night had the Boston Bruins win their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 - 3, in a nail biting seven game series. So far, this has been the only playoff series to go a full seven games.

The Washington Caps took their series winning four games against the Columbus Blue Jackets' two wins.

The Penguins beat Philly in a 4 - 2 series.

The Next Round Starts Tonight:

At some point (and I think this will happen), as long as the Bruins and LV are eliminated, I can mostly live with the results of which team wins the Stanley, although, after the WILD, the Pens are my most favored second team. If they won The Cup this year, they would also become the first team since 1960 to win three or more Stanleys in a row.

Two games hit the ice tonight, each the first game beginning the second-round NHL bracket series.

The Caps vs The Pens and LV vs The Sharks.

Both Washington and LV have the home ice advantage in games one and two;  games three and four move to Pittsburgh and San Jose. 

Prediction time:

Game 1:  - 7PM EST -  Penguins 4; Caps 3 in one OT

Game 1:  - 10PM PST - Sharks 3; LV 1

Disclaimer: The above and future fantasy "final score predictions", are not meant to be, or intended to be, or construed as, or subconsciously suggested as, advice on which to make wagers or betting. It is simply the observation of an NHL fan. If you have even the slightest desire to gamble based on anything written here, immediately seek help from your doctor and/or call 911. You are INSANE to consider my fantasy NHL musings as a basis on which to gamble, “sportsbet” or other type of wager. I am not responsible for any losses, financial, emotional or otherwise. On the other hand, good natured comments of childish taunting, ad-hominem attacks and name-calling by hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike in the comments section is encouraged.
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Very briefly proofread for spelling and grammar; 4-26-2018.

He is The Living Christ