WBRS Sports Blog

So baseball playoffs have started (signified by the fact that Bill Simmons has already punched a wall, the A's won a big game so they can disappoint their fans by somehow losing game 5, and Derek Jeter has made all the Yankee haters out there a bit more bitter) and the NFL season is in full swing (signified by the fact we have a T.O. against his former team story, a Madden cover athlete is injured, and Jeremy Shockey has again opened his big mouth). But, unbeknownst to many, another sport is about to start it's season.

That's the NHL, folks. In the second year of the revamped playing system (complete with salary caps, more open ice, and shootouts), many teams will start training camp with a real chance of making the Stanley Cup.

We don't have room to give you every story from ever team, but I, Andrew "Cookie" Katz will try to dissect the playoff picture for both leagues from Scandanavia, the home of King Henrik, Saku Koivu, Mats Sundin, and Peter Forsberg:

Eastern Conference:
1. Buffalo Sabres
2. Carolina Hurricanes
3. New York Rangers
4. Ottawa Senators
5. New Jersey Devils
6. Tampa Bay Lightening
7. Boston Bruins
8. Philadelphia Flyers

Just missing out: Thrashers, Panthers and Canadians
Let's just go to the draft: Penguins, Maple Leafs, Islanders and Capitals

5 Players to Watch:
1. Brendan Shanahan: Maybe it's biased as a Ranger fan or maybe I just don't believe in old age, but I think this man is about to have a big year, especially on the power play. Him and Jagr together should create some match up problems and that's a good thing for Broadway Blueshirts
2. Zdeno Chara: Huge contract and huge expectations from a huge man who was just named the captain of the Boston Bruins. Maybe it’s a good thing that he got the “C” on his jersey. The last guy to have it won the MVP…for the San Jose Sharks.
3. Todd Bertuzzi: No one in the NHL can use a tabula rasa (clean slate for those who aren’t Latin scholars) more than Big Bert. But after escaping Vancouver in favor of South Florida, can he really turn around a franchise longing for the days of John Vanbiesbrouck? I think no…but he can certainly help.
4. Cam Ward: So you won a Stanley Cup? Want to fight about it? This 22-year-old needs to show that last year was not a fluke or else the talks of a dynasty in Raleigh are going to be quite premature. But with Ward and Eric Staal, the ‘Canes certainly have a nice young nucleus to build that potential dynasty around.
5. Rick DiPietro: I think Charles Wang has been spending too much time around Madison Square Garden lately because he’s acting way too much like Isiah Thomas. This off-season has been quite comedic for the Islanders (if you missed it, just Google Garth Snow and Neil Smith and you’ll get a sense), and this move may have been the worst of all. The former #1 pick has never lived up to the superstar status. So Wang rewards him with a 15-year, $67.5 million contract. There really is only one successful Wang in NY.

Western Conference:

1. Anaheim Ducks
2. Calgary Flames
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. San Jose Sharks
5. Nashville Predators
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Dallas Stars
8. Minnesota Wild

Just Missing Out: Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, and Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche

Fight for the Bottom: St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks

5 Players to Watch:
1. Chris Pronger: Pronger is going to form one of the most intimidating defensive pairings in hockey on a team that was on a cusp of a Stanley Cup last year. That’s got to be scary. But for Pronger, the key is to play healthy, to play smart, and to show up in the playoffs. Oh yeah, and to make sure his wife enjoys the weather in Anaheim.
2. Marty Turco: After a very disappointing performance in last year’s playoffs and with an aging team in front of him, there is a lot of pressure or Turco to perform and perform now. In a very tough Western Conference, he’s going to have to be the difference-maker on that team.
3. Dwayne Roloson: While Turco’s pressure was put on him by playing poorly, Roloson put a lot of pressure on himself by playing well. Hopefully for him it was not an anomaly and he can repeat it in front of a very exciting Edmonton Team who will probably feel the loss of Pronger. That loss can be much smaller if Roloson can repeat his performance of last spring.
4. Jason Arnott: He has the reputation in some circles of being constantly injured and overrated, but this could be the year he puts all those naysayers to rest. A member of Stanley Cup teams in the past, Nashville GM Dave Poile is hoping that he can find a way to help Nashville make a big run at the Stanley Cup.
5. Nicklas Lidstrom: No more Yzerman means that the pressure to lead this team falls on the shoulders of the perennial Norris Trophy Candidate. Can he step up and lead this team to another Stanley Cup run? Many will say no but don’t count out any time with Lidstrom on the point for the power play.

Playoffs:

Eastern Conference Finals:

Sabres over Rangers

Western Conference Finals:

Ducks over Sharks

Two out of the four finals teams have new logos, but I’m banking on the team with the new name to win. The artist formerly known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim have been close before but I believe that this is the year that they take home Lord Stanley’s trophy. What do you think? Post your comments and let us know.