Canada Day Thoughts: USA v. Canada

For Canada Day, why don't I write about something about ... Americans! (?)
 
My wife and I took a nice little mini-vacation to Canada's Vancouver, aka Seattle, and I got to observe Americans in their natural habitat.

While I talk to many Americans online every day, they are usually like-minded people, or those I deal with in my line of work. I don't often interact with the 'average' American, so these trips are always a little experience.

While Canada and the USA are similar in many ways, there is always a difference once you cross the border, and it's not just the air quality.

(many sweeping Generalizations, based on purely personal experience, abound!)

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SECURITY

This does not make me feel safe...

The American border guards are always surly and look at me as if I'm a terrorist, but that's their job. Ordinary Americans seem much more anal about perceived threats than they should be.

One recent example is us going into Safeco Field (a beautiful place) for a Mariners game. Not only did we have to empty our pockets, but we had to go through some kind of scanner. I'm used to a minor security checkpoint at Rogers Arena (mainly for alcohol), but this was a bit of overkill for a frickin' baseball game.

Airport security, security guards, police presence... you see a lot more of this south of the border than you do up here.

The funny thing is that this heightened security makes me feel more unsafe, more than anything else. The most law enforcement officers, security guards, and security checks I see, the more I'm subconsciously thinking "Is this place dangerous"?

FOOD

Variety:

I know Americans love their big, crappy chains, but Seattle seems to be a great place for restaurants.

Vancouver is often pointed-to, or wants to be, as a world-class city for food, but it lacks one major thing: VARIETY.

Vancouver has plenty of great restaurants, but if you want Central European, Eastern European, African, Southern, Cajun, Central American, South American, or Mexican cuisine, you are out of luck.

Almost every month, you can see a few new Japanese or Chinese restaurants open up in the Greater Vancouver region. While I enjoy both of these cuisines, the market must be saturated like 1-ply toilet paper after a single wipe. Vancouver also has enough "West Coast" restaurants to service the entire population of Canada.

Portion Sizes:

Somehow, we forgot that American restaurants serve about 3,500 calories worth of food on the average plate. I am a BIG eater, and thrice could not finish a good chunk of the food I ordered.

This might seem like a generalization, but it's happened on every trip to the US that I've been on. Hawaii was the one place that didn't seem hellbent on stuffing my stomach to the hilt, although just about every meal we had there was still very filling. 

Note to self: Order appetizers, or split a dish with the wife. I feel bad wasting so much food, and I can't understand how people can eat so damn much! Even the small restaurants give you massive portions.

PEOPLE

On an individual level, most Americans are quite friendly and easy to talk to. Even in more conservative areas (Phoenix/Scottsdale, San Leandro, Castro Valley), I've rarely had unpleasant interactions with the average person. In fact, I've tended to have more random conversations with American strangers than I have with Canadian strangers.

That said, Americans are hyper-competitive people, and seem to react quite strongly when competing for a resource(s), driving, involved in sporting events, or are discussing politics and/or religion.

American drivers are especially aggressive, and tailed my ass more than I'd ever allow my wife to. I even missed an exit because other drivers would speed up and cut me off. I guess that's the 'reward' for using my turn signal, something American drivers rarely seem to do. Ugh.

(Maui, being an obvious exception, is so laid back and slow...)

It's a weird Jekyll-Hyde thing, as I do find Americans can either be really nice, or really angry, yet not as much in the middle as the average Canadian I interact with.

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So, while I certainly enjoy my experiences in the USA with American people, I am certainly glad to be home in Canada Day to celebrate the better of the two countries ;)

NHL: Stanley Cup Finals Thoughts

At long last, the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals are set, and Count Gary Bettman is creaming his pants at having biglargehuge TV markets Los Angeles and New York as the final two teams.

Seeing the Kings in the finals is no real surprise, but the Rangers? I bet you would have cashed in big if you bet on them to make the finals back in September.

First, a look back at the semi-finals. I got both predictions wrong, so now I'm 9 for 14 in the playoffs. Like the Canucks, I choke in the later rounds :(

Rangers v. Canadiens

I flipped a coin, and ended up picking the Canadiens in 7. It's the coin's fault, obviously.

A few things did the Habs in, and led to the Rangers taking the series in 6 games.

1. Goaltending: Carey Price went down in the first game to an injury that ended his playoffs. Dustin Tokarski, the third-string goaltender, was given the reins after that. While Tokarski did well for himself, he didn't steal games like Carey Price was able to. Lundqvist has been, by far, the best goalie in these playoffs. 


2. Coaching: I think that Michel Therrien is not a very good coach, and the advanced stats back that up. In game six, the Canadiens were constantly on the defensive, and the Rangers looked like the desperate team. Alain Vigneault knows how to better use his players, and his team looked fresh and confident.


3. Thomas Vanek: What a disappointment as Vanek completely disappeared in this series, with just 2 assists and a -4 in 6 games. Instead of owning up to his indifferent play, Vanek blamed his new linemates for a 'lack of chemistry', and his coach for his own lack of production. Vanek was good the first two rounds, but then decided, for whatever reason, that he was done playing hard. Not the kind of guy I want on my team, when the chips are down.

Image borrowed from dennis-kane.com, a fine Habs blog.

Kings v. Blackhawks

While I picked the Hawks to win this series in 7 games, it was pretty much another coin-flip scenario. I figured the Hawks would be a bit fresher and a bit deeper.

In the end, it came down to a bad bounce in Game 7's overtime to give the Kings their ticket to the Cup Finals. It was a great series, and, apologies to the Rangers, truly showcased the two best teams in the league.

1. Justin Williams is clutch. Just look at his production in playoff Game 7s. He is the best Game 7 playoff scorer, ever! Yes, even better than Gretzky and Glenn Anderson. If this was Final Fantasy 7, Williams would be doing 7,777 damage each hit!

• 7 games
• 7 goals
• 7 assists
• 7 wins

2. Jonathan Quick is actually the weak link in the Kings armour. With a 90.6 SV% in these playoffs, Quick ranks well below average. Luckily for him, Corey Crawford was not that great for the Hawks, either.

3. Duncan Keith does not get enough press for being one of the dirtiest players in the league. He got away with concussing Daniel Sedin a few years ago,  got caught slashing Jeff Carter on the head, and even got called out by Don Cherry for his slashiness. If Keith weren't a 'star' player, you can bet he'd be punished a lot more severely. I suppose this makes Keith a modern-day Chris Pronger.

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LOS ANGELES KINGS v. NEW YORK RANGERS

The Los Angeles Kings have to be the "Team of Destiny". Not only did they overcome a 3-0 series deficit versus the Sharks in the first round, but they've now won three straight Game 7s to get to the finals. Things just seem to be going their way.

Most pundits expect the Kings to walk away with the Stanley Cup, and I am not going to disagree. The Kings have been one of the strongest teams for the past few years, better overall depth, and I think their larger forwards will give the Rangers problems. The Canadiens are a small team, and the Rangers had a fairly easy time containing the Montreal attack.

That said, the Rangers have a decent shot at pulling the upset, for a few reasons.

• Goaltending: Henrik Lundqvist has been stealing games left and right, and compare his 92.8 SV% to Quick's 90.6%. Quick has been overrated for awhile now, while King Henrik was been, somewhat quietly, one of the elite goaltenders for some time.

Lundqvist is also so damn handsome. It's not fair!

• Fatigue: Western Conference teams have far more travel, and the New York teams have always had some of the easiest travel schedules in the league. While the Kings have had the nice luxury of playing two California teams during these playoffs, the season-long travel schedule can really be a factor for LA.


• Fatigue, again: The LA Kings have had three straight brutal 7-game series, and have made things tough on themselves. The Rangers, on the other hand, came through the Canadiens series relatively unscathed, apart from Derek Stepan's jaw. The Rangers will be better rested before the series starts, and this might come into play down the road. Remember, Western Conference hockey has tended to be faster-paced and more physical than Eastern Conference hockey. Just watch a regular season game and notice the difference. 

Prediction: LA Kings in six.

NHL Playoffs: Round 3 Predictions and Musings

While the first round of the 2014 NHL Playoffs went about as much as expected (I got 7 of 8 predictions correct), the second round produced a lot of shocking results.

PREDICTION RESULT MATCH? Hawks in 6 Hawks in 6 Y* Kings in 6 Kings in 7 Y Bruins in 4 Habs in 7 N Penguins in 6 Rangers in 7 N

Thanks to the more predictable Western Conference, I was able to go 2 for 4 with one perfect pick. That leaves me 9 for 12 for the playoffs, thus far.

Hawks v. Wild - As usual, the Wild were almost-unbeatable at home, but were outclassed by the much stronger team. Kudos to the Wild for playing their hearts out.

Kings v. Ducks - The Kings certainly don't make it easy for themselves, but they managed to edge out another California powerhouse. I wonder how much they'll have left in the tank. Admittedly, this is the series I watched the least.

Bruins v. Canadiens - I picked the Bruins to sweep, and they really are the team with more talent and size ... but, the Canadiens were not intimated, and took the play right to the Bruins.

Yes, Carey Price pretty much carried the Habs for most of the series, but just look at how Tomas Plekanec reacts (or doesn't) to this Brad Marchand cheapshot to the face.

"I ain't even mad!"

The Canadiens were not at all scared of the big bad Bruins, instead playing an aggressive speedy style that put the Bruins back on their heels. It was astonishing, and also great to see. I'm not fond of Therrien's coaching, but he's certainly pushing the right buttons right now.


*** Now, allow me to go on a bit of a tangent.

Milan Lucic is one of my favourite all-time players, especially since I got to see him grow up as a member of the Vancouver Giants. He led our WHL club to a Memorial Cup, and his story is one of perseverance.

That said, I've lost a lot of respect for him the past few weeks.

First, he seems to have taken up the hobby of spearing other players in the junk. A player of Lucic's size does not need to resort to such stickwork, and he's always been able to stick up for himself fairly in the past. 

Second, the whole 'handshake line' nonsense. Yes, I think the forced handshake line tradition is overrated, but glaring at Dale Weise and threatening him with violence is just lame. Suck it up, shake hands, and move on. Lucic just comes off whiny, and seems to have picked up bad habits from douchebag Marchand.

So, for now, Brendan Gallagher has surpassed Lucic on my list of favourite Vancouver Giants. ***


Rangers v. Penguins - This was the series that my gut told me would be an upset, but I went against my gut and picked the Penguins. Lesson learned.

The Penguins, like the Bruins, ran into a really hot goaltender. The lack of depth on the Penguins did not help matters, and Crosby/Malkin can't do EVERYTHING. Already, GM Ray Shero has been canned, and head coach Dan Bylsma might be soon behind.

It's not like the Penguins played poorly...really, they had the majority of chances and puck possession...but they just seem to flame out in the playoffs like the San Jose Sharks. To his credit, Marc-Andre Fleury played fairly well in this series.

ROUND 3 PREDICTIONS

LOS ANGELES v. CHICAGO

These are the two teams I consider the cream of the crop, despite the Kings not-as-dominating regular season record. The addition of Marian Gaborik has given the Kings much-needed offense, and Jonathan Quick has decided to stop being a merely average goaltender.

I think the Hawks edge will be the fact that the Kings will eventually run out of steam. The Kings have to travel a LOT more than the Hawks have, and the Kings have played two brutal seven-game series.

The Hawks have had some physically challenging series, too, but should be a bit more fresh. Otherwise, this is a battle of two great clubs.

Predictions: Hawks in 7

MONTREAL v. NEW YORK

(It's 2-0 New York in Game 1, as I type this...)

Honestly, I have no idea how to predict this series. I did not expect both teams to make it this far, and both teams have ridden red-hot goaltenders. One upset team in the conference finals makes sense, but two???

I do like the depth of the Canadiens more, especially up front. The Habs also have superstar d-man PK Subban, and should be able to generate more offense, overall.

Still, it's pretty much a toss-up, so let me flip this coin...

Prediction: Canadiens in 7

NHL Playoffs: Round 2 Predictions and Musings

The first round of the 2014 NHL Playoffs was definitely full of surprises ... and a lot of groin shots. Seriously, what the hell?

How did I do with my first round picks?

PREDICTION	RESULT	MATCH?
Avalanche in 5	Wild in 7	N
Hawks in 7	Hawks in 6	Y
Ducks in 6	Ducks in 6	Y*
Kings in 7	Kings in 7	Y*
Bruins in 5	Bruins in 5	Y*
Habs in 7	Habs in 4	Y
Penguins in 5	Penguins in 6	Y
Rangers in 7	Rangers in 7	Y*

Wow, I got 7 out of 8, including 4 perfect picks :) Too bad I had no money on the line...

A few first round thoughts, before I predict the next round.

AVALANCHE V. WILD

I will never get tired of seeing Patrick Roy angry.

This series was definitely a "home-ice advantage wins", except for Game 7. The Wild were absolutely terrific at home, where Mike Yeo could match up his lines well vs. the Avs top line of Stastny, Landeskog, and MacKinnon. The Avalanche spent way too much time in their own zone when playing in Minnesota, and Roy was simply outcoached by Mike Yeo.... yes, Mike Yeo.

Darcy Kuemper was brought in after Bryzgalov sucked in Games 1-2, and was easily the better of the three goalies who played in the series. He should carry the torch the rest of the way.

HAWKS v. BLUES

Yes, the Blues won the first two games, but their loss was inevitable :(

The Blues have a very good team, but they definitely need toughness on the blueline. Bouwmeester, Pietranglo, and Shattenkirk are all fabulous defensemen, but that is a lot of Marshmallow on the back end. The physical Hawks had their way in front of Miller, and showed why they, and not the Blues, win in the playoffs.

Ryan Miller was also a complete bust and had a sub 90.0 SV% with the Blues... so much for THAT #1 GOALIE WE'VE ALWAYS NEEDED! The Blues should not waste any money signing Miller to a long-term deal.

KINGS v. SHARKS

Although I predicted the Kings to win in 7, nobody could have thought the series would go the way it did... with the Sharks winning the first 3 games and the Kings becoming just the fourth team, ever, to come back from that deficit.

The Sharks looked unbeatable, and then the Kings woke up and the Sharks just choked. Expect a coaching regime change.

CANADIENS v. LIGHTNING

Backup goalie Anders Lindback didn't lose the series for the Lightning, but he certainly did nothing to help the Bolts have a shot. The Lightning need a real backup next season, as coach Cooper had so little confidence in Lindback that he ran Ben Bishop into the ground. The Bolts definitely deserved better than a sweep.

PENGUINS v. BLUE JACKETS

The Jackets have a ton of heart, but injuries and an awakened Malkin did them in.

The Penguins have a lot of glaring holes, starting with Marc-Andre Fleury. Although his SV% is much higher than it has been in the past, his glaring miscues late in games make any Pens fan nervous. In addition, the Penguins get completely outchanced when Crosby and/or Malkin are not on the ice, by a WIDE margin.

SECOND ROUND PREDICTIONS

CHICAGO v. MINNESOTA

Minnesota exposed the Avalanche's weaknessess, but what do they do against a team that has so few?

The Wild play so well at home, so I expect they can take two games from the Hawks. Darcy Kuemper has shown that he is a pretty good goaltender, and gives the Wild a distinct advantage over Corey Crawford.

The Hawks, on the other hand, came off a brutally physical series against the Blues. The Hawks might end up running out of steam faster due to the beatings they took.

Still, I don't think the Wild will pull the upset.

Prediction: Hawks in 6

LOS ANGELES v. ANAHEIM

Another Battle of California pits the 'How the hell are they winning so much?' No-longer Mighty Ducks of Anaheim versus the awakened LA Kings.

The Kings seemed to have found their stride, and choke opponents to death with Sutter's stifling system. It's boring, but it works!

I still think the Ducks play worse than their record shows, and their luck has to run out. The Kings can better stop a one-line team than the Stars could.

Prediction: Kings in 6

BOSTON v. MONTREAL

An Original Six classic, and a real David v. Goliath battle. You pit the big physical Bruins versus the tiny, speedy Habs, and you get quite a contrast in styles.

The Bruins are my pick to take the East, and should roll over the Habs without a big sweat. Carey Price matches up decently with Tuukaa Rask, but the rest of the roster? The Bruins have every advantage, by a mile.

Prediction: Bruins in 4

PITTSBURGH v. NEW YORK

If there was a series to pick an upset, this might be it. The Penguins look like they have too many glaring weaknessess, and will eventually implode. Looking at advanced stats, the Penguins, as a team, rank quite low in Corsi and Fenwick. To put it in basic terms, the Penguins tend to possess the puck less and generate fewer scoring chances than the opposition.

That said, I would expect a much more physical team would do well against the Penguins, as past history has shown, than the Rangers.

Prediction: Penguins in 6.

MTG: Jes's Top 12 Journey Into Nyx Cards

(Why Top 12? Because Stone Cold said so!)

After getting to play a few of the new cards in this past weekend's Journey Into Nyx pre-release (in which I sucked, again. This block hasn't been kind to me), and with the set coming out on Friday, I figured I'd opine on the 12 cards that I'm most excited about from the new set.

The previous set, Born of the Gods, was fairly 'blah'. Journey Into Nyx seems to have more cards that really stand out and get my creative juices flowing . There isn't too much that is screaming 'Brew Around Me!' just yet, but there is potential.

#12 - Chariot of Victory

This piece of equipment looks rather innocuous, and doesn't boost power or toughness, but I could see putting this into many different decks. The combination of those three tasty keywords, and just 1 mana to equip?

Any equipment with haste will always get a look-see, and adding first strike and trample turns any creature into a mini-Akroma.

The chariot likely works best on high-power/low-toughness creatures, but is a great casual card for any player.

#11 - Dictate of Heliod

The guy who won our pre-release had this bad boy in his deck, along with the two rare hydras, and just destroyed everybody in his path. +2/+2 is just such a massive boost, turning those dorky 1/1s into actual threats, and being able to play it as an instant-speed combat trick can be backbreaking. I could see putting this into my token-based decks, or even my Angels EDH deck.

 #10 - Nyx-Fleece Ram

Another gorgeous Terese Nielsen art (as was the last card), this little guy is a great defensive creature that will help against very aggressive decks. Gaining a life every upkeep makes this playable, and the cuteness factor cannot be denied.

#9 - Nyx Weaver

I love utilizing the graveyard, and have two decks that this spider will slide nicely into. Besides being a good roadblock, the ability to 'Regrowth' any card is pretty potent.

#8 - Tethmos High Priest

Recursion on a creature? That is always tantalizing. Turning any bestow or pump spell into a reanimate is serious business, even if it is just weenies you are getting out of the BBQ.

My UW Heroic deck will want at least one of these, given that almost every other creature is 2 mana or less.

#7 - Doomwake Giant

The one potential 'build around me' card is Doomwake Giant. Shrinking your opponents creatures with every enchantment can add up quickly and help win combats. The 4/6 body is beefy, and I could see myself rebuilding my clunky BW Enchantment deck around this.

#6 - Fleetfeather Cockatrice

The most beautiful card in the set, by far... the use of blue and green really evokes the colour-pie feel of the card, and it really stands out from most illustrations.

This card is one of my wife's favourites, and I'm sure my she will use this against me in nefarious ways.

#5 - Hydra Broodmaster

Mmm... Who is up for Hydra Omelettes?

Another card in our pre-release winner's pool, this Hydra is serious BEEF. A 7/7 for six mana is pretty typical for green, but if you untap and play another land, you get Three 3/3 hydras, and this thing becomes a 10/10. That's not bloody fair!

This is one of those 'must deal with right away' dudes that brings so much value for your investment.

#4 - Dictate of Erebos

Another awesome illustration! Here, we have an instant-speed Grave Pact that doesn't hurt your teammates. In our 2-on-2 environment, this is a much better card than Grave Pact. Block with your weeny 1/1s and then them all into removal spells.

#3 - Keranos, God of Storms

This card is pure value, and is an amazing card for UR control decks. Even if he never becomes a creature, you will storm over your opponent(s) with the constant advantage you get each turn.

Really, drawing a card or dealing 3 damage each upkeep will add up quickly, and we know indestructible enchantments are not easy to remove in casual environments. This is probably the easiest god to play, simply because it requires no other upkeep or investment, and devotion really doesn't matter too much.

#2 - Sigiled Starfish

♫ Oh, the fabulous Scryfish ♫

I had this in my crappy pre-release pool, and this little sea creature was the only reason I managed to not get completely stomped.

3 toughness makes this a pretty decent defender, and getting to scry every turn, for multiple turns, leads to some much-needed card filtering and selection. This card is easy to overlook, but can be deceptively powerful if left unchecked.

#1 - Athreos, God of Passage

As an Orzhov mage, I was obliged to pre-order and pay over $20 to get myself one of these. Being an Orzhov mage isn't cheap, after all :(

There is usually one card in every set that makes me jump up and down like a little girl, and this one was it!

Like Keranos, Athreos requires little upkeep after you cast it. Even if it never becomes a creature, you are going to get some value from Athreos as the game goes on. Either I get my dead creature back, or you take 3 to the dome.

The low mana cost is what will likely push this into Standard, as the BW-based beater decks can flush him out early, and then build from there.

The only downside is that decks with lifegain can easily take 3 life to not give you your creature back, and it doesn't give you as much 'free' value as Keranos will. Still, this is the card I'm most excited to own and play with. Better be prepared to pay the ferryman.

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So, what cards are you looking forward to getting?

NHL: First Round Playoff Predictions - Bestern Conference

Tonight's the night where Canadian hockey fans can unite and watch American teams chase the Stanley Cup. No, Montreal is not going to win it all. *sigh*

Here are my picks, using actual standings for the rank vs. the weird NHL system.

#2 Colorado Crapalanche vs. #7 Minnesota Mild

As an aside, I have loathed the Avalanche for many years, dating back to them beating the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals and Clod Lemieux's dirty hit-from-behind on Kris Draper. I dislike the Red Wings with respect, and the Avalanche without it.

Now, they are coached by the megalomanical Patrick Roy, a man with serious anger and ego issues (Just ask his wife). In goal? How about oft-drunk woman-beater Semyon Varlamov, whose sins seem to be swept under the rug because he can stop a hockey puck.

*ahem*

As for the on-ice stuff, the Avalanche have been this season's surprise story in the West, going from laughing stock to finished second in the West. For all of Patrick Roy's faults, his player want to play hard for him (out of fear, perhaps), and they show 10x the emotion the Canucks have.

That said, the Avalanche are the league's luckiest team, and their record is a bit of a mirage. The Avalanche, like the Maple Leafs, are constantly out-shot and out-possessed (is that even a term, Jes?). Although the Avalanche have a lot of skilled players, they have relied far too much on their goaltender to bail them out.

Goaltending: Varlamov, as I mentioned, is the prime reason the Avalanche did so well. His 92.7SV% ranks third in the NHL, and he did it facing many quality scoring chances.

For the Wild, Josh Harding provided the league's best goaltending early in the season, before his battle with MS forced him out of the lineup. Crazy Ilya Bryzgalov was brought in to be his replacement, and he's a clear downgrade. Advantage: Colorado

Defense: I still laugh at how the Blues fleeced Colorado for Kevin Shattenkirk. Erik Johnson is an OK defenseman, but he'll never be the franchise player that was expected of him. Minnesota's D is anchored by Ryan Suter, one of the league's steadier blueliners, and a guy who *did* blossom into a franchise-type player.

Where it comes apart for the Wild is their 78.8% penalty kill, 4th worst in the league. Colorado isn't great on the PK, either, but still better than Yeo's club. 

Forwards: Is it Mike Yeo's terrible coaching? The Wild have some really good forwards (Parise, Koivu, Moulson, Pominville), but have, as always, trouble scoring goals. Their +1 goal differential is the worst amongst all Western playoff clubs, and 207 goals for is second worst. Their leading scorer, Pominville, had only 60 points.

Colorado, on the other hand, finished fourth overall in goals scored. Speedster Matt Duchene is out for at least the first round, which hurts a lot, but they seem to be a better-performing group. The Avalanche have five players with 60 or more points, and their Power Play is also one of the league's best.

Patrick Roy knows how to let his dogs out (It was him!).

Prediction: Avalanche in 5. The Wild are relying on a real wild-card in goal, and appear to be the weakest team heading into the playoffs.

#3 St. Louis vs. #5 Chicago

The Blues have long been my *other* favourite team, so this is my one dog in the fight.

Unfortunately, the Blues seem to have run into the most rotten of luck. Besides having to face the powerful and experienced Blackhawks, the Blues limped into the playoffs, losing their final six games. With injuries to Oshie, Backes, and Pietrangelo, it is not looking good for the good guys!

Goaltending: Ryan Miller's save percentage went from 92.4% to 90.3% with the Blues. Ugh! He was traded for to be the OMGAWESOME goalie the Blues have always lacked. Corey Crawford is a steady goalie who provides slightly-above-average 'keeping. I'd give the edge to the Blues, but not with how Miller is playing right now.

Defense: The Hawks have an amazing trio of Keith, Seabrook, and Hjarmalsson, which the Blues match up well with Olympians Bouwmeester, Shattenkirk, and Pietrangelo. The Blues have better depth, but Pietrangelo's injury could even things up.

Forwards: The Hawks have the star power with Kane, Hossa, and Toews, but the Blues have a lot more depth up front. Unfortunately, ex-Sabres Steve Ott and Derek Roy have been terrible for the Blues, giving the lineup a glaring hole. When you trade for players from crappy teams, do you really expect them to do well? This is why the Canucks need to stop trading with the Florida Panthers (David Booth, I'm looking at you!).

Honestly, both lineups are pretty stacked, and both teams could have easily had a better record than they did if not for injuries. With Kane and Toews back from injury, I think this series is the Hawks' for the taking :(

Prediction: Hawks in 7.

#1 Anaheim vs. #8 Dallas

For some reason, Anaheim does not seem like THAT good of a team to me. Yeah, they have talent, but something about their record seems...inflated like Pamela Anderson's boobs. I haven't delved into why I feel this way, but some bacteria in my gut tells me the Ducks aren't as good as their record suggests. Their special teams are middle-of-the-road, for one thing...

Goaltending: Anaheim's greatest weakness is that Jonas Hiller is not that good. Will the Ducks go with rookie Frederik Andersen? He's played much better than Hiller has.

For the Stars, Kari Lehtonen has put behind his groin injury problems and become a very dependable goaltender. This is Dallas' one edge in the series.

Defense: Adding 50-year old Sergei Gonchar and dumping Stephane Robidas did help the Stars make the playoffs, but their group isn't overly impressive. The Ducks are anchored by the underrated Cam Fowler and steady Francois Beauchemin. A slight edge to the Ducks.

Forwards: This is where Anaheim has shined all season. Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau has always been great at getting offensive production from his roster, and the Ducks finished second overall with 266 goals for. The Ducks get good production throughout their lineup.

The Stars have two absolute bombs in Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, but their depth just doesn't compare. Somehow, the Stars think the corpse of Erik Cole is still worth putting on the ice, and Ray Whitney's age has finally caught up to him.

Prediction: Ducks in 6.

#4 San Jose vs. # 6 LA Kings

The LA Kings have quietly been one of the league's most dominant teams, at least according to advanced stats. Darryl Sutter is a great coach for the club, and the Kings possession numbers and metrics suggest their record should be better than it is.

Darryl Sutter, the original "Grumpy Cat"

San Jose, of course, has a Vancouver Canucks-like history of playoff misery.

Goaltending: Quick is a bit overrated, in my eyes, but still battle-tested and dependable. For the Sharks, Niemi is also solid. A fairly even match.

Defense: No team was better than the LA Kings, defensively, as they finished first in goals-against with 174! Drew "Pillsbury" Doughty is one of the league's better 2-way defenseman, and Slava Voynov is tough to score on. San Jose's group is good, but the Kings can't be matched when it comes to team defense.

Forwards: The LA Kings bane has been their inability to score, while the Sharks are loaded with talent up front. If Havlat (big IF) can come back to the lineup and produce, the Sharks may be able to break the dam the Kings will put up.

The Kings are the worst offensive team in the 2014 playoffs, and their stifling system isn't the sole reason. They have a fine assortment of offensive talent (Kopitar, Williams, Carter, Richards), but seem to struggle on the Power Play, with the league's 4th-worst conversion rate.

Marian Gaborik has given the LA Kings a big boost on offense, and he might be the spark they need to retain the throne.

Prediction: Los Angeles in 7 very close games.

NHL: Yes, The Flyers Are Still Stupid

The Philadelphia Flyers have long had a well-deserved reputation for being a bunch of dimwit thugs. When your team is run by the likes of Booby Clarke and Paul Holmgren, you ought to expect a bevy of bad business decisions.

Today's laughable news from Philly comes in the form of a disgustingly stupid long-term contract for defenseman Andrew McDonald.

The terms? 6 years, $30mil - cap hit of $5mil per season.

If you don't know who Andrew McDonald is, don't be alarmed. He's an slight-above-average-at-best defenseman who is known for blocking shots and not much else.

Sure, McDonald was set to be an unrestricted free agent, but that doesn't mean the Flyers needed to open Scrooge's vault to let him dive into. Let some other team sign him to a dumb contract. In the era of salary caps, every dollar poorly spent hurts.

Of course, this is the team that still has Chris Pronger on the books for a $5mil/season cap hit. Ha!

How does this new contract compare to his peers? CapGeek has the 20 best comparables.

For real perspective, compare his new contract to those of two Canadian Olympians!

Jay Bouwmeester - $5,400,000
Andrew McDonald - $5,000,000
Dan Hamhuis - $4,500,000

McDonald is nowhere near the skill level of these other two defenseman, yet is getting paid like a star.  As somebody who does not like the Flyers, this contract does make me laugh...as well as shake my head in disgust.

Even the Flyers bloggers think this deal is crazy.