2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Full Swing

Last night marked the start of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs and last night’s games brought a ton of excitement. Pittsburgh jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead at home against its in-state rival, Philadelphia. However, the Flyers came roaring back to tie the game up by scoring two goals in the third period to force overtime. In the extra period Jakub Voracek buried the game-winner for the Flyers completing the comeback and giving the team a 1-0 series lead.

The second game of the night saw an intriguing matchup between the Nashville Predators and the Detroit Red Wings. Nashville scored one goal in each period, including two from Gabriel Bourque, to skate to a 3-2 victory. Pekka Rinne stopped 35 shots in the win for the Predators.

The final game of the evening featured the top-seed in the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks, and the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings clearly showed up to play. It didn’t matter that they are the No. 8 seed in the West playing the Presidents’ Trophy winners. Los Angeles came out and played hard from the time the puck dropped and kept up the aggressiveness while maintaining its composure. The game was tied at two apiece entering the third period. With 3:14 left on the clock Dustin Penner scored on assists from Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. Dustin Brown then added an empty-netter to seal a 4-2 victory for the Kings.

Brendan Shanahan will definitely be busy after several issues arose in last night’s games. As time expired in the game between the Predators and Red Wings, Nashville’s All-Star defenseman Shea Weber reacted in a way that might get him suspended. Weber grabbed the head of Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg and slammed it into the boards in frustration. Allegedly Zetterberg checked Weber from behind, causing Weber to react. In the late game between Vancouver and Los Angeles, Vancouver’s Byron Bitz committed a major penalty when he checked Kyle Clifford face-first into the glass. Bitz was clearly aiming for the head when making the hit. As a result, Bitz was given a boarding major and a game misconduct. Clifford remained on the bench for a short period of time following the hit, but then left the game and did not return. Don’t be surprised if Shanahan hands out a suspensions to both Weber and Bitz.

Tonight’s action will include four games. The first game will start at 7:00 p.m. EST and feature the Ottawa Senators on the road against the New York Rangers. Four teams will see the puck drop to begin their playoff series’ tonight at 7:30 p.m. EST. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins will open the first round of the playoffs at home against the Washington Capitals. The second game will see the San Jose Sharks on the road against the St. Louis Blues. The Chicago Blackhawks travel to Phoenix to take on the Coyotes at 10:00 p.m. EST. The final series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will kick off tomorrow between the Florida Panthers and the New Jersey Devils.

Here are my predictions for the first round of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

Eastern Conference

(8) Ottawa Senators vs. (1) New York Rangers – Rangers in 6

(7) Washington Capitals vs. (2) Boston Bruins – Bruins in 5

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (3) Florida Panthers – Devils in 6

(5) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins – Flyers in 7

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (1) Vancouver Canucks – Kings in 6

(7) San Jose Sharks vs. (2) St. Louis Blues – Blues in 5

(6) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes – Blackhawks in 6

(5) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Nashville Predators – Predators in 6

For the Love of Jack Edwards

Jack Edwards is a guy that deserves his own blog. He is probably the most over-the-top announcer in the sports world today. I am a die hard Boston Bruins fan, and I even sometimes think that Jack Edwards is a little out there. He says some pretty weird things at times, and at first I wondered why NESN would have even hired him. I do like the intense emotion that he brings to the table. Edwards is ready to go every single night, and takes his job extremely serious, unlike Joe Buck. Buck could care less about his job, and knows that he is set for life because he will never be fired from any job due to his father’s legacy.

Edwards’ over-the-top attitude sets him apart from any other sports announcer in the business. He yells, complains, laughs, and says some pretty funny things. His plethora of emotions definitely add to the entertainment value of watching a Bruins game. If you want to get a taste of the real Jack Edwards, watch any Bruins game against the Montreal Canadiens or the Philadelphia Flyers. He takes these games so seriously. It’s almost as if he is on the ice playing for the Bruins. Edwards has had several rants throughout his career as a Bruins broadcaster. The most famous rant came in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs after game seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. After the Bruins defeated the Canadiens in a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory, Edwards started going off about a “revolution against hockey royalty (Montreal) and how it related to the Boston Tea Party.” If you want to watch the hilarious rant it is at the 6:22 mark of the video below. This is only just part of the rant:

“Yet those ‘royals’ sit there on their shiny thrones and primp in their hand mirrors and try to dictate morality according to them. About how you can dive or how you should play or how shouldn’t run a player into the center glass. And the rest of us — those poor, filthy masses — are just supposed to take it.”

“Well, a couple of hundred years ago, a bunch of rowdy radicals charged out of some Boston bars, went down to the dock and dumped the king’s tea into the salty sea. And in doing that, it struck a chord, that rings true even today: That when confronted with imperious conceit, fighting the good fight is not only the right thing to do — it can be a heck of a lot of a fun.”

“And who has more fun than us?”

(Courtesy of http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy)

Edwards is one of those guys you either love, or you hate. There is no middle road with this guy. For me, I’m in the “I love him” crowd. The guy is hilarious. The things he says you can’t not laugh. To understand what I mean, just watch the video. Edwards is one wacky guy. The entertainment value of this guy is off the charts. Now I know why NESN hired him in the first place. He has a great knowledge of the game, is passionate about what he does, and has the unbelievable emotion to prove it. In my eyes, Edwards does not fall under yesterday’s post about annoying sports announcers. He does his job in a way that sets him apart from anybody in the business. Yes, some of the things he says are weird at times. But, Edwards says things that are funny, cares about his job through his passion and emotion for hockey and the Boston Bruins, has many valid points, a great knowledge of the game, and is pretty darn good at his job. Thus, classifying him as not an annoying sports announcer.

(Courtesy of sjw1133 on YouTube)