NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Conference Finals Predictions: Familiar Faces

Before last night's Game 7 at the United Center, the five teams still remaining in the Stanley Cup Playoffs were also the last five winners of the coveted trophy. With the elimination of the Detroit Red Wings, the final four teams are, coincidentally, the last four Stanley Cup winners. If this manner holds in which the team with the longest period of time since its last championship is the next to be eliminated, then Pittsburgh would be the first club to fall in the upcoming round and Chicago would follow immediately after with Los Angles repeating as Cup winners by beating Boston. That, of course, would involve, both top seeds falling in this round, which is a scenario that I'm guessing not many people are ready to believe (or in my case, prefer).

Rest assured, if nothing else, both of these last two series before the 2013 Stanley Cup Final should be nothing less than more thrilling, must-see hockey, as has been more or less the standard established throughout this year's playoffs.

NBA Playoff Conference Finals Predictions: <=== I spelled "Conference" correctly this year

There was a typo in the title when I made the picks for this round last year, but let's see if I can get the picks right this year too. I predicted all four conference semifinals series correctly last round, pretty much reinforcing my notion that (with the exception of the surprising Golden State Warriors) things are pretty much going as expected in this year's NBA Playoffs. This round though? This is where my viewership should probably increase.

There is once again a certain sense that all four of the remaining teams have legitimate shots at advancing, and hence, winning the title. While the defending champions are certainly still the popular favorite, the Heat will get their biggest challenge yet in the Pacers and the Spurs-Grizzlies series could be considered a tossup. If nothing else, it should be two spirited series to determine who goes to this year's NBA Finals.

The Braves' First Quarter: And it all started so well ...

This season could not have gotten off to much better of a start than the way it did for the Braves, winning 12 of their first 13 games. Of course, since then? Well, 11-17 isn't quite as much to boast about. While Atlanta clings to first place, a mere game ahead of the Nationals, the 23-18 mark represents the lowest winning percentage of any of the current six division leader. Yes, that's right: Even lower than the woeful American League Central.

I could go on to lament that the Braves could slide out of the playoff picture entirely if caught by the Nats, but let us be honest: We're only 41 games into a very, very long season. Hell, the team slid to third place last year at the halfway point and still made the playoffs as a wild card. So it would rather premature to draw sweeping conclusions at this early point in the year.

As is always the case at this point of the season, we are reminded that there is still a lot of baseball yet to be played. And there is, more specifically, a lot more baseball to be played at the Ted, as Atlanta has played the least number of home games of any team in the league at this point. Furthermore, the club is in first place despite not having had their entire lineup play together in a single game yet this year. So, there's been some good (the explosive hitting of Justin Upton, the comeback story of Evan Gattis), some bad (the struggles of B.J. Upton, Jason Heyward and Dan Uggla), but ultimately, there is—as always—still a long way to go.

Final Thoughts on 2012-13 Chicago Bulls: Everybody Hurts

At long, long last, a very trying Bulls season concluded Wednesday night in Miami. While this campaign is destined to be remembered as "the year Derrick Rose didn't play a single game," the fact that this team not only made the playoffs but actually won a first-round series is a testament to the coaching abilities of Tom Thibodeau. Amazingly, Thibs finished eighth in the Coach of the Year voting, but he got maximum results from a minimal roster. And a banged up roster, at that. Nearly every member of this team battled through injuries while the league MVP from two seasons ago watched from the bench. 

There's certainly going to be people who have a hard time forgiving Rose for sitting out all year. How could he just sit and watch while teammates fought through their own pain and ailments? Couldn't he have played, even just for a few minutes, to energize his team and the hometown fans? Would it have made a difference? Much like the conclusion to the 2009-10 season, it felt like those holding out hope that Rose would return or that the remaining Bulls would overcome the odds were like poor ol' Candy.

Round Two NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions: The Agony and the Ecstasy

So I clearly made this little graphic before last night's Game 7s, otherwise I almost certainly would have used one of the many other Toronto images instead. And clearly the joy of those Lil Caps Fans was short-lived, although really no image captures the joy of playoff hockey quite as magnificently as that one. Either way, the opening round concluded and it did not disappoint. The 17 overtime games were a new record for the league, and five of the eight series saw the lower seeds advance.

I am fairly convinced at this point that the fortnight that makes up the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is my absolute favorite time of the sports calendar year. Fortunately, this year's playoffs did not see my favorite team get promptly eliminated. Thus, there is an even greater likelihood that I will be awake late at night and possibly leaping from the couch in delight. If last night's wild conclusion to the Leafs-Bruins demonstrated anything, it's that you can never really tell what's going to happen with these games. I was going to say we probably won't see anything like that again this postseason, but really ... all bets are off.

Round Two NBA Playoffs Predictions: Here's to your health

I think "painful" is a fair description of this NBA season based on the number of players who have missed time and will be out for the remainder of this year's playoffs. The Bulls, obviously, were without Derrick Rose's services all year, the Lakers that were expected to be a juggernaut this season instead lost the team's star Kobe Bryant late in the regular season, and now Oklahoma City is without Russell Westbrook. Even that omits Boston being without Rajon Rondo, Indiana missing Danny Granger and Denver losing Danilo Gallinari. Is there anybody I forgot?

Of course there is. Injuries are a part of sports, but they've taken on a seemingly more significant role in this NBA season. I have spent the past month arguing with my uncle about whether it was right for Gregg Popovich to send three stars home before a regular season game with the Heat. My logic was that he was entitled to do so because he was doing what he felt would help his team win an NBA Championship. And now with the rest of the league being so beat up, his decision could take on a greater significance if the Spurs do win it all—or hell, even if they make it to the Finals.

Right now, let us all just hope that there will be some stars remaining by the time we do get to the NBA Finals, whomever it is that proves healthy enough to make it there.