Round Two NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Predictions: Sid, Ovi, and Everybody Else

I know well enough that crazy things happen in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the last round came as a bit of a surprise to even myself. Sure, I got five of the eight series outcomes correct, but two of the three incorrect predictions were also designated as my second- and third-most confident picks. So, you know, oops.

Now that my Stanley Cup Bracket contest entry is trash (so much for a Blackhawks-Bruins Cup Final rematch), I guess that leaves me without much of a rooting interest. I imagine that the inevitable Pittsburgh-Washington series is deservingly going to get a majority of the attention this round, but I'm not entirely sold on the idea that the winner of that one ends up hoisting Lord Stanley.

I'd say that I would probably be fine any on of three remaining teams winning it all, although I'll probably grumble or be disinterested if one of the other five ends up becoming champions. So who am I rooting for, you ask?

Well, let's get to my picks and see if you can figure it out.

Round One NBA Playoff Predictions: No Surprises

It's become fairly standard practice around these parts for me to kind of dismiss the first round of two of the NBA Playoffs since most every series seems to have a rather one-sided outcome, although I'm sure I'll probably mention multiple times this year how much I enjoyed last year's Game 7 of the NBA Finals (seriously, like best-ever type stuff for any sport). I guess this year's festivities are kicking off this weekend, so I'm cranking out my throwaway picks for the first round here with not a single upset.

A couple years ago, I got all eight of the first round series correct, but you have to seemingly try really hard to pick most basketball playoff series incorrectly. I guess there's some theoretical potential for my preseason Warriors-Cavs rematch to come undone, but let's just say I'm not completely sold on any of the possible alternatives. The Celtics as a top seed in the East seem to be a team that's going to have more success in the regular season than the playoffs, and the Spurs are always formidable contenders in the West although it's just hard to see how even San Antonio can stop a Golden State team that's going to have Kevin Durant again.

Yes, hockey will still take priority for this viewer on any given night, but here's how I'm guessing the first round is going to shake out. Just to make things different, I'm going to use some old school logos.

Round One NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Predictions: So Much Hope

Well, it looks as though my shortened thoughts on the NHL at the beginning of the year got most of the obvious playoff teams right, but my predicted Stanley Cup winner was unable to even qualify for the the postseason. The upside, of course, is that my beloved Chicago Blackhawks finished with the best record in the Western Conference and are the presumptive favorites to win it all. What could possibly go wrong?

Looking over the matchups we did get this postseason, it seems like people might want to prepare for the possibility of coaches meeting their former teams in the playoffs this year. The first round opens with Todd McLellan and the young Oilers of Edmonton facing McLellan's previous team, the defending conference champion San Jose Sharks. The next round could see Claude Julien and the Montréal Canadiens meeting the team that fired Julien mid-season, the Boston Bruins. Wouldn't it be odd if Bruce Boudreau and the Minnesota Wild met his prior club, the Anaheim Ducks, in the Western Conference Finals? And maybe even Barry Trotz can finally carry the Washington Capitals all the way to the Stanley Cup Final to play against ... Nashville?

OK, last one (or two) are probably bullshit, but those are the ones that emerged for me. Hopefully I develop more compelling insights next round.

2017 MLB Predictions: Oh, Right

Oh, right. Today's Opening Day. You know, baseball predictions. Remember how I used to lay out the little hats and everything when making these annual predictions? Yeah, well I don't feel compelled to do that again (yet).

Instead, seeing as I'm never right when it comes to Major League Baseball, I'll just pick the teams I'll be actively rooting against all year long to play in this year's World Series with the Boston Red Sox beating the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both teams will win their respective divisions, with the other division winners being the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians, and Houston Astros. The Wild Card teams will be the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, and ... oh, let's say the Miami Marlins.

Fear not, hockey and basketball playoff predictions (with fun graphics!) are not far away.