Posts By "Joe"

June 9th, 2010…the best sports day of my life…the anniversary of the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup is only a week and a half away, and although I am disappointed that they’re currently golfing, not much makes me happier than attempting to relive those days by looking at old pictures, video clips, highlights, and newspapers depicting the victory and the partying afterward. I could go on and on about last year, but instead I’ll report [ continue reading ]

We’re almost there…almost time for the champs to raise the Cup and all its glory above their heads while letting out the biggest of their lives. Last year’s memories relentlessly creep into my already stressed out head while I watch other teams compete for the Silver Chalice. It’s hard to root for a team when your team is out. I can just relish the memories and await October while the Cup is being hoisted and [ continue reading ]

Well, it surely was one memorable 1st round to the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. We were able to see 1 sweep, 1 5-game series, 2 6-game series, and 4…count ‘em…FOUR 7-game series. To recap the 1st round, I was correct with the winner and the # of games for 2 of the series while I was correct with only the winner with 4 other series. I was incorrect with Chicago and Pittsburgh. Figures that the [ continue reading ]

Wow…what an end to the 2010-2011 NHL regular season! Nothing like having the final playoff spot determined in the final game of the season. It’s pretty crazy knowing that it all came down to game #1,230. It’s been a crazy regular season. In the East, Washington had a huge losing streak and ends up getting the #1 seed; Pittsburgh lost Crosby and Malkin for so, so long, yet they claim the 4th seed; Buffalo came [ continue reading ]

Howdy, Playoff time is right around the corner, and I’m going to make my predictions on the seedings. Some teams have gotten hot at the right time while others are taking an unexpected plunge towards an unfortunate early summer vacation. Let’s start with the Eastern Conference. EASTERN CONFERENCE 1st: Philadelphia – This team has everything necessary for a long playoff run. Picking up Kris Versteeg was huge, and even though they have been losing quite [ continue reading ]

Hello hockey fans. This week, I will focus on certain teams that will be interesting to pay attention to throughout March and all the way until that 82nd regular season match-up. New Jersey Devils – I never thought I’d mention them again. Surprisingly, New Jersey is one of the hottest teams in the league right now. Going 16-2-2 in the last 20 games before Sunday’s game against Florida is a sign of a team really [ continue reading ]

Hello again hockey fans. This week, I will write about those All Star players who just haven’t been playing up to their “All Star” status lately in the points category. Matt Duchene – The Colorado Avalanche have fallen off the radar, and Matt Duchene’s lack of point production may be a reason. He has tallied 4 points (3 goals) in his last 13 games and has managed a -8 rating in that time. If this [ continue reading ]

This week, since there’s not much to write about (All Star Weekend), I’m going to focus on the 4 teams that NOBODY wants to face come April, May, and June. I’ll be picking two teams from each conference. Let’s start with the Eastern Conference. Right now, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Boston, Pittsburgh, Washington, the New York Rangers, Montreal, and Atlanta are in the playoff picture. From these 8, I could see Philadelphia and Washington as being [ continue reading ]

Hello again, and welcome to the latest edition of my NHL updates. This week, I will concentrate on those teams who are hovering around the playoff line, and who needs to really step it up in the coming weeks. Not so Hot in Atlanta The Atlanta Thrashers, a team that once was leading the Southeast Division, are the losers of four straight entering Monday night’s action against the Florida Panthers. This is a huge game [ continue reading ]

Here we are, already at midseason. It’s gone by pretty quickly since there’s only 3 full months of regular season hockey left at our disposal. Here are my grades for each team with a question included as well. I will go by divisions, starting with the Eastern Conference. Atlantic Philadelphia: A+ — Will their early-season success in goaltending (after huge questions in the offseason) guide them to a #1 seed? Pittsburgh – A — Will [ continue reading ]