Will San Jose Sharks left-winger Evander Kane be lumped on the same list as Pete Rose and the 1919 Black Sox scandal? Kane last year filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy as he lost 1.5 Million dollars due to gambling. Kane’s contract with the Sharks is a 7 year deal worth 49 Million. In which Kane still has 4 years remaining on his contract. Some will wonder how in the world does somebody lose this amount of money gambling. Kane obviously has a problem. What happened to the rest of the money he has made over his 12 year career in the NHL to have him file for Chapter 7 in the first place? How does a person rack up a debt of 26.8 Million? Kane is under investigation by the NHL for some comments his wife made. “How they can let a player gamble on his own games?” The sickness Kane has is like a boxer taking a dive in round two to pay off the bad element in the sporting world. Evander Kane’s teammates on the Sharks don’t want him back on the team for disrespecting the rules of the locker room. The team rules. Kane denies all allegations made by his wife.

Evander Kane made his NHL debut with the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2009-10 season. Kane showed that he had a knack for getting the puck in the net as he scored 14 goals his rookie season with 12 assists for 26 points. Kane’s numbers in his second year with the Thrashers went up as he became a now permanent player in the NHL. The Thrashers would leave Atlanta and head to Canada. Then the second incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets as Kane would thrive on the Canadian ice and score 30 goals that year with 27 assists for 57 points. Kane’s numbers dropped the next two seasons in Winnipeg. Kane moved on and played in Buffalo where he found his old form and started to put up solid numbers once again. San Jose Sharks came calling for his talents and made a trade with Buffalo to get him. It’s been four years in San Jose and Evander Kane has done well and earned himself a seven year contract.. Last season, Kane scored 22 goals while dishing out 27 assists which is good for 49 points. Due to Covid, it was a shortened season as Kane played in 56 games. Kane had two game winning goals. On those nights, did he win money with the bookies? Kane’s career numbers are very solid with 264 goals, 242 assists for 506 points. Kane has 37 career game-winning goals.

Who do you believe in a situation like this that could bring dark clouds to the NHL. Evander Kane, who sounds like a compulsive gambling addict? Could this be the wife’s way of getting redemption who is about to be the X for all the things her husband did to the family. I remember when Chicago Bulls’ Dennis Rodman had to get away and went to Vegas as the Bulls were playing the Jazz in Utah. Rodman resurfaced and played well in that series despite gambling in Sin City that weekend. Evander Kane in 2019 when the Sharks played the Golden Knights in Vegas did the same thing Rodman did. For Kane, he racked up a 500,000 debt from one of the casinos in Sin Town. Later on that casino sued Kane for the money. Anna went on a rant about Evander and his episodes on social media. How Evander ditched the family to go to Europe. While over the pond their house was being taken away from the bank. Sounds like Evander Kane likes to live the high life blowing his money on expensive dinners like surf and turf and nothing but the best. Kane likes the fancy hotels and throwing money away partying. Anna went on to say she had to hock her wedding ring. Then there is always a kid involved in these sloppy dramas. Evander Kane won’t buy formula for his own kid. Now Evander Kane has come out, defended himself, and denied all these allegations that the wife spewed out on social media.

Who do you believe? We know that Evander Kane has a problem with gambling which is public information with the filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and being sued by the casino. Kane has probably bet on sports. I’m sure he’s not playing just the slot machines or high stake poker games. I’m sure the NHL will do a intense investigation on Evander Kane throwing games for money, a very serious crime for the sport of Hockey. The league has to think about the purity of the game. If the league finds something that would end Kane’s hockey career which has been pretty good to this point. Whenever there is an airing of dirty laundry, I find half the stuff is over blown & the other half has some truth to it is my opinion. Even if Anna is seeking revenge due to the marriage falling down the tubes, there still is a kid involved. Which they should both be thrown under the bus. The thing that sticks out the most to me is Evander Kane’s teammates. The relationship in the Sharks locker room has soured. How Evander Kane has been late for games and practices. Are the Sharks brass giving Kane a slap on the wrist for disrespecting team rules? Are the Sharks trying to trade Kane? Who would want him with this entire mess reeking out of the man’s pores with the gambling problem and the X wife on a tirade?

Evander Kane is going to be like Pig Pen from the Charlie Brown cartoon with his life drama following him around like dust clouds. Every player & every teammate will eye ball Evander Kane thinking the same thing. What’s he doing today for his side hustle? Kane’s life now is under the microscope. If you’re the San Jose Sharks, you have to get out of this contract with Kane. Cut ties with him. Has to be some loop hole in the contract to make those 4 years void. If Kane’s drama spills on to the ice, this upcoming season will not go well for the team in teal. Plus Kane takes a chunk of the salary cap. If the Sharks can get that off the books, then you can find a few options of replacements for Evander Kane. This is another story of a person with so much talent to play a game and get paid so much, only to see a vice take over your entire life. To see your story come crashing down to the ground is shameful. Especially with a kid involved.

• 

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Looks like the General Manager, Stan Bowman of the Blackhawks, took some tactics out of the same book as other GM’S working the Chicago Sports landscape in his latest trade. These tactics I would not recommend. Blackhawks land defense-man Seth Jones from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a hefty price. Bowman sent the Blue Jackets young defense-man Adam Bogvist. Bowman took a page out of the Chicago Bears playbook and unloaded draft picks like confetti at a parade down Michigan avenue. Bowman way over-paid for Seth Jones throwing away two first round picks with a second round draft pick. Bowman also landed Seth Jones’ brother Caleb in a trade that sent Duncan Keith to the Edmonton Oilers. Sounds like GM White Sox Rick Hahn’s method of madness. Signing Manny Machado’s inner circle to land the slugger and bring him to Chicago which did not happen. However Bowman got his guy and now the Blackhawks have the Jones brothers. The icing on the cake is Stan, who aint the Man in Chicago anymore, had given Seth Jones an 8 year extension on his contract which will be worth a few of those Brinks trucks.

How long did it take the Blackhawks to get out of their salary cap issue.? Brent Seabrook and Andrew Shaw had to walk away from the game due to injuries. Cory Crawford retired. Duncan Keith may have been squeezed out of the organization as he wanted to be closer to home. Sure sounds close to the old school excuse my dog ate my homework, when it comes to sports. Patrick Kane is still a super star and deserves to be paid what he gets. Jonathan Toews missed the entire season last year from an undisclosed illness and will still get paid. Seth Jones has not played one game wearing the Indian head sweater and the Blackhawks pay him like some kind of ransom.

Blackhawks giving up on the kids too fast. Adam Bogvist, a young defense-men from Sweden, is only 20 years old and has two seasons under his belt in the NHL. Last season, Bogvist had 2 goals and 14 assists in 35 games for the Blackhawks which is good for 16 points. His first season Bogvist played in 41 games and 4 goals and 9 assists which is good for 13 points. It takes time to learn the the speed of the NHL as Bogvist is from Europe. Bogvist was learning, making adjustments, and getting better. My prediction is you just watch & Bogvist will be anchoring one of those defense positions for years to come in Columbus. For years, Blackhawks had to wave goodbye to many young players like Artemi Panarin because of salary cap issues & not being able to pay them. During those Stanley Cups the Blackhawks won, tough decisions were made over and over. Since that last cup, the Blackhawks have hit skid row. The Blackhawks finally with some money to spend and they are putting all their eggs in one basket with Seth Jones. Look at teams like the Kings and the Sharks paying big money for a defense-men. Sharks paying Erik Karlsson a king’s ransom and they did not make the playoffs. Same goes for the Kings with Drew Doughty.

Seth Jones I know is only 27 years old. You can say that Jones had not hit his prime yet. Jones has 8 years already logged in the NHL. Jones at one time was one of the best defense-men in the NHL. Can you still say that now? That was three seasons ago when Seth Jones had one of his monster years. It was the 2018-19 season where Jones had 46 points and tallied nine goals with 37 assists. The year before, Jones was even better with 57 total points which he had 16 goals and 41 assists. Since 2018-19, Jones’ numbers have been on a steady decline. I know for defense-men in hockey, it is not just about goals and assists when it comes to being that guard dog by the net. If Jones is going to be my highest paid player in a few years, I want goals. I want him dishing out assists. I want my my cake and ice cream. I do not like the long term deal of 8 years either. These contracts never get finished and always come back to haunt the team. Plus, what about the young players on the rise that need some extra scratch in their bank accounts? Kirby Dach and Dominic Kubalik are due for extensions. Alex DeBrincat will be due for a contract extension after this upcoming season is played out. I see the Seth Jones move as “Hey, we are back in the post season.” I do not see this signing with the big money as the Blackhawks have created another dynasty and will win three more Stanley Cups. Those Dach’s, you need a Kubalic, a great goalie, DeBrincat, and other young players with some good role players to win at least one cup. If the Blackhawks have to trade these guys and not get what they should get back in draft capital or a quality player, this franchise will not land on their feet. The Seth Jones deal will be the one signing they got torpedoed by. Stan Bowman, be aware your nine lives are running out. It seems like you also used all your life lines as well.

Another top draft pick of the Chicago Bears bites the dust. No more Miller time in Chicago as the keg ran dry after the first season. Wide Receiver Anthony Miller was drafted by the Bears in 2018 in the second round out of Memphis University. Miller lasted three seasons in Chicago and the Bears finally found a taker for his services. The Houston Texans. The Texans will get Miller and the Bears’ 2022 7th round pick. Meanwhile, the Bears will get rid of a guy they don’t want and get something like a 2022 5th round draft pick. This is the second year in a row the Bears traded away a guy they drafted in the second round. Last season, it was tight end Adam Shaheen who was traded to the Dolphins. Shaheen earned a 2 year contract extension with the Dolphins for his play last year. I applaud General Ryan Pace for landing Justin Fields in the draft months ago. I applaud him for getting something for Anthony Miller. We can not forget this, another high pick from Ryan Pace that did not work out.

‘Anthony Miller’s rookie year in Chicago was awesome. Miller had 7 touchdown catches that first season in a Bears uniform. Miller caught 33 balls that first season for 423 yards but had the knack of finding the end zone. Last season, Miller caught 49 balls for 485 yards; not much after the catch. Miller hauled in two touchdown catches. Miller had 7 touchdown catches his very first season and only 4 in the last two seasons. Career-wise, Miller has played in 47 games for the Bears catching 134 balls while gaining 1,564 yards with the 11 touchdowns. What bothered the Bears fans and the coaches was Miller had some easy catches that turned into big drops. Plus Miller’s attitude was all wrong and the effort was not always there on any given Sunday. Everyone remembers Miller was ejected in that wild card loss to the Saints in the first round of the playoffs for throwing a punch at New Orleans safety CJ Garner-Johnson. The same guy that took a punch by Miller’s teammate another receiver, Javon Wims, in the regular season match up between the Saints and Bears. The Bears coaching staff warned their guys all week not to fall for CJ Gardner-Johnson tricks. Miller got suckered into it, lost his cool, and like a baby you tell not to do something, he or she will still stick their finger in the electric socket anyways.

The Bears have added some wide receivers to the roster in the off season. Bears added veterans Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd. Bears drafted Dazz Newsome in which they are high on his talents. Last year’s rookie, Darnell Mooney, was very impressive in his first season with 61 grabs for 631 yards with 4 touchdowns. Let’s hope Mooney does not go down the same path as Anthony Miller. Then the Bears franchise tagged Allen Robinson so they may not work out a long term deal with him, but at least he will play one more season in Chicago. Then the Bears will give Riley Ridley one more chance. If only we can get his brother instead, out of a Falcons uniform and into a Bears. Bears still have Javon Wims who I would have sent him packing long ago. The Bears have plenty of options to easily replace a receiver that is not consistent and on a downward spiral since the 2018 season concluded.

Anthony Miller can talk with the Texans Defensive Coordinator, Lovie Smith, about which pizza place they like better in their Chicago days. Miller joins a decent receivers’ room with a few veterans, Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb. The Texans drafted Wide Receiver Nico Collins in the second round months ago. Houston stars like Will Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins are gone. Will DeShaun Watson even play this season for the Texans? Watson has had problems with the massage therapists. The ones that will not go the entire ten yards for the first down. Plus, Watson still wants out of Houston. If anyone who can thrive with a bad quarterback behind center, especially if Tyrod Taylor gets the nod, Anthony Miller might be the guy. Adding the shit to the shit show in Houston may not be the perfect Texan recipe for winning football games.

I had enough of Anthony Miller in a Bears uniform. Miller was a guy that needed to go. New scenery will help him. Miller will have a chip on his shoulder, after being traded. Miller is also playing for another contract as well. You watch… Miller will find a way to have a pretty good year. All these Bears draft picks find new homes and do well. Bears have so many problems developing them. Look at Leonard Floyd. Rams have Floyd playing well and extended his contract. Is it Ryan Pace? Does the Bears GM get the right guy, but the coaching staff can’t develop them. We will see the next time Mitch Trubisky gets game action in the NFL, how he looks. I still say the Bears should have cleaned house and fired everyone in the office and the coaching staff. This is a typical day in the off-season as a Bears’ fan. The good news is they finally cut ties with a player that has struggled. The bad news is it’s another high draft pick heading out the door. Bears fans are always used to the double edged sword, getting screwed on something that may be good. What Next? Aaron Rodgers is returning to Green Bay?

Duncan Keith may go down as one of the best defensemen in Chicago Blackhawks history. Keith played 16 seasons wearing the Indian head sweater as the Blackhawks were the only team he has ever played for. Sixteen years on the ice, defending the net and his goalie, where he helped a broken franchise at the time to build a new identity. Three Stanley Cups!!! In 2010 at the rally, after winning the first cup of that dynasty, he asked the crowd “Does anybody know a good dentist?” Most great defensemen in the NHL will do anything to help their team win a game. Even throw their bodies in the line of fire from a puck cruising at 90 MPH. Sure hockey players have pads, but the puck can land in areas where the pads may not be there. Duncan Keith was like a secret service agent protecting the president who was the goalie in the game of Blades of Steel. It was not the puck that made Duncan Keith spit out seven teeth like they were sunflower seeds in a baseball dugout. It was the high stick of San Jose Sharks Patrick Marleau’s stick that got Keith right in the jaw in the 2010 post season. Duncan Keith would come back after that in the same game after the team stopped the bleeding. The words, “Does anybody know a good dentist” as Keith spoke at the parade are etched in the mind of all Blackhawk fans that season. Duncan Keith will be moving on to another chapter of his hockey career as he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers ending ties with the only team he ever played for in his entire career.

Duncan Keith only tallied up 15 total points last season with 4 goals and 11 assists. Duncan Keith, at the age of 37, was reborn last season as he changed up his workout and diet to find his former self. The last few seasons prior to last season, Duncan Keith was clinging to that no trade clause he had and to many the writing was on the wall he was washed up. With the no trade clause the Blackhawks were paying him big money and had salary cap issues as a whole with the entire roster. Keith reborn had some teams interested in his services. It was Keith who wanted to be traded closer to home to be around his son. The Edmonton Oilers will be the new home for Duncan Keith as they made a deal to land the veteran. Blackhawks get a young 24 year old defensemen in Caleb Jones who has some NHL experience under his belt with a future 3rd round draft pick. The Oilers get Duncan Keith of course and forward Tim Soderlund.

It will be sad to see Duncan Keith wear another hockey jersey. How long as fans do we have to watch this old dynasty crumble brick by brick? Last off season we saw goalie Corey Crawford hang up the skates. We saw Andrew Shaw walk away from the game due to concussions. Brent Seabrook finally called it quits after dealing with lingering injuries year after year. The Captain, Jonathan Toews, had some health issues forcing him to miss the entire season last year. The Blackhawks traded away Brandon Sadd again. Patrick Kane is the last man standing and is the only one to build another team around. The General Manager Stan “who’s not the man” Bowman has work to do to reload the Blackhawks and get the Indian head back to the post season. Bowman now can’t use that salary cap as his excuse as Duncan Keith 5.5 Million every year will come off the books.

In sports, it is hard for many players to play their game with one team their entire career. Sometimes watching these former players who are aging on your team is even more difficult like a Duncan Keith. Even though last season I applauded how Duncan Keith played but overall it is time to move on from one of the core members of that three cup dynasty team. It’s the contact, not the player in this case. If Duncan Keith was playing for the league minimum or something a tad over, I’d be like let him ride out his career. He has some gasoline still left in the tank and is a leader on the ice. When you win multiple cups, sometimes you pay dearly for many years after which the Blackhawks rewarding so many no trade clauses to that core. Duncan Keith’s next chapter means he needs to be closer to his family which I get. As a Blackhawk fan, we’ve seen him in 1,192 regular season games not counting the extended post season. Keith with that wicked slap shot from half ice as he scored 105 tallies dishing out 520 assists to many teammates in his 16 year career for 625 points. To me, all the shots he took off his body to help his team. Plus defending his goalie like he was the President. Duncan Keith is a total stand up type of guy and one my favorite players of all-time wearing the Indian Head sweater. Hope the Blackhawks use this now available space for something good. Stan Bowman should feel the mob presence behind his back with pitch forks and torches. For Edmonton, adding a veteran defense-men to go along with one of the premiere super stars in the league Connor McDavid may be a small step for this team to get further in the post season. In Chicago Duncan Keith and his entire family for generations should be able to drink free in the city of Chicago. We will miss him as well as I hope he did indeed find a good dentist during his time playing for one the original hockey franchises.

The Chicago Bears want to move out of downtown Chicago and head for the burbs. Leaving the lakefront and their home since 1971, which is Soldier Field. The Bears want to purchase Arlington Racetrack and build a brand new state-of-the-art stadium on the grounds. Arlington Race track is in its last year of horse racing. The suburb of Arlington is North of the city of Chicago. The town of Arlington has made it clear they want the land to either stay a horse racing venue, a casino, or football stadium. That’s where the Bears come into play. The Bears have made a proposal for the land so you are thinking a slam dunk. The problem is the Bears would have to break their lease at Soldier Field, which has about another ten years on that deal. The Mayor of Chicago could be a problem with the idea of the Bears playing their home games in the burbs and not by the lake front. Is the interest in Arlington from the Bears a ploy to get what they want from the city of Chicago? Can you renovate a stadium once again that already had a makeover in 2002? Sounds to me like the old saying, putting lipstick on a pig. Could a move to Arlington get the state of Illinois the Superbowl?

Originally Soldier Field was called Municipal Grant Park when it first opened in 1924. Then the name changed in 1925 to Soldier Field as a memorial for troops who died in combat. I would say I’m a purist and love the old time history, especially in Soldier field which has lots of football history. From hosting the 29th annual Army Navy game as well as Notre Dame playing a season by the lake. Besides college football, Soldier field was also the host to the Prep bowl. For decades hosting the best public high school football team meeting the best Catholic high school football team. Every year both teams squared off in a big game for all the marbles. Once upon a time ago, Chicago had two NFL teams as the Cardinals played at Soldier Field one season. Cardinals played most of their years at Comiskey Park when they were in Chicago back then. Then all those other football leagues that did not last very long. The WFL in the 1970’s had the Chicago Fire and a name change at some point to the Chicago Winds. The Fire seems like a popular choice in Chicago, besides the WFL they had same nickname in the AFA. The soccer team presently is the Chicago Fire who have recently moved back to Soldier Field as they abandoned a newer stadium in Bridgeview, built for them. During the 1980’s, the Chicago Blitz of the USFL. The first XFL league, we had the Chicago Enforcers. Let’s not forget the Chicago Owls of the CFL. The Bears have the richest history in Soldier Field, especially that awesome 1985 team that won Chicago’s only Superbowl. Then the 2006 team that made it to the big game only to lose to Peyton Manning and the Colts. Love the history of that old building with greats like Walter Payton running for pay dirt. Great defenses. Still no quarterback.

Some reasons why the Bears should leave down town Chicago. One big reason is the invasion of the rats. Not talking about Chicago politicians either. Lots of big rats have taken over the streets of downtown Chicago. Since the Covid shut down, many businesses have functioned with their people at home. So why waste money on office space as downtown has become a ghost town? The rat problem is out of control. Then many of the people that walk the streets are homeless and some of them are just crazy. I hate making fun of the homeless, but it looks like the walking dead. One of them killed a young lady from the state of Maryland who was in town visiting weeks ago as she was stabbed multiple times. Let’s continue to talk about all the crime. Carjackings that turn very violent. With all those riots which led to looting in 2020, no one feels safe down there as businesses had fled to reopen in safer areas like the burbs. If I was the Bears, these are big time reasons where I say, “See you, it’s been nice.” With relocation to Arlington, you’re not going to have to deal with the downtown madness.

The problem with Soldier Field is during the renovation in 2002, is they had to rip out many seats. Soldier Field is a landmark and it should be, with the architecture of those pillars surrounding the stadium making it look Greek or Roman like. The renovation gutted out everything inside the stadium leaving those pillars and the walls of Soldier field. Then they looked like they parked the mother ship from another planet on top of the old war memorial. Soldier Field became the stadium that holds the least amount of fans across the entire NFL. The NFL and the Bears included, are all about the almighty dollar. A new state of the art facility could have many more seats and of course private skyboxes.

I feel if the Bears did leave Soldier Field they would have to build a stadium with a retractable roof. I would be crying in my beer every Sunday if I had to watch them play in a dome like the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings. Leaving Green Bay the only manly team left in the division. With a retractable roof, Chicago can still play in Bear weather.

Then the Bears can closed the roof to lure the Superbowl to Chicago. Plus, then you have have other venues in the stadium such as concerts. We come back to the Mayor of Chicago, Mayor Lightfoot. All that money the city would be losing & then seeing the Bears make out like bandits living it up in the burbs. The Mayor should be concerned with Chicago turning into Detroit; that should be her first concern. Losing the Bears to the burbs should be the least of her concerns. She may be too busy changing the name of Lake Shore Drive.

I do not like change. Da Coach, Mike Ditka, raved that the Bears should stay at Soldier Field. Yes, it would be nice if Arlington race track would remain for horse-racing and the Bears could stay put on the lakefront. The Bears are like the United Nations in the Chicago sports landscape. Wherever they play, fans will come. I weighed the pros and the cons of this idea of the Bears mixing it up in Arlington. This move to Arlington, if it happens, could put the Bears back on the map and bring them into the modern world away from Bedrock. Arlington has so much land you can have a race track with a football stadium, which would be the best scenario. Bears could even add their headquarters and they still have plenty of parking for fans. Being a fan, Arlington would be much easier to get to, than Soldier Field. Much easier to park and tailgate. It beats trying to maneuver downtown, even on a Sunday. Most of the Bears fan base has to be adult men from all the surrounding burbs. These are the majority of season ticket holders. Then all the other NFL teams that have stadiums in the burbs, it seems to work for them. Can you picture in 5 seasons a brand new state of the art stadium for the Monsters of the Midway? Can you picture Justin Fields with 5 seasons under his belt? Could the Bears have their cake and eat it too. Justin Fields leading the Bears to the next Superbowl the year they play in the mother-ship of all stadiums. Minus the actual mother-ship parked on top of the stadium. Soldier Field would still have the soccer team, the Fire. Maybe Mayor Lori Lightfoot can get on board with a new XFL team from the Rock’s revival in 2022. I say let the Bears move to on up to those deluxe apartments in the burbs. Because beans don’t burn on the grill.

SEMI FINALS (ROUND 3 PREDICTIONS)

OUR RECORD 0-2

Islanders versus Golden Knights was a pipe dream. My thoughts were taking one upset in the semi finals and one favorite. Which did happen, with the Canadians and the Lightning now meeting up. My theory was correct, but the teams were just wrong.

2021 OVERALL NHL PLAYOFF RECORD

(7-7)

The pressure will be on to make the right prediction for the Stanley cup so we don’t go under 500.

MONTREAL CANADIANS VERSUS TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

CUPS WON

CANADIANS (24) LIGHTNING (2)

LAST TIME EACH TEAM MADE IT TO THE STANLEY CUP FINAL:

CANADIANS (1993) LIGHTNING (LAST YEAR)

You can say this year’s Stanley Cup, played by Montreal Canadians versus the Tampa Bay Lightning is a match up of David versus Goliath. The Lightning would be David, who won it last season and are looking to be the first team to win back to back championships since the Pittsburgh Penguins did it in 2016 & 2017. The Canadians are the underdog of the tournament and would be the Goliath, looking to go down as one of the best Cinderella stories in NHL history. Canadians historically have been the New York Yankees in the NHL. However this season, the Canadians are playing the underdog role of a team that got into the tournament on last day of regular season.

GOALIES

I think when it comes to teams that reached the Stanley Cup, it’s because they have great goalies. Both the Canadians and the Lightning have terrific net minders.

Carey Price has been talked about a lot with the success the Canadians have been having in the playoffs. Price has been brilliant. The Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has been amazing himself and doing it relatively quietly. Vasilevskiy has 4 shutouts in the playoffs in the net. Carey Price has a .928 save percentage and is allowing only 2.18 goals per game in post season which are very good numbers. I think both goalies will stand tall for their team in this series. Neither one will lose it for their team.

In hockey, it’s all about putting the puck in the net. Someone has to score a goal or more in a game to get their team over the top. Lightning have multiple snipers who can get the puck in the net. The lightning are stacked with weapons of mass destruction. The Canadians are very deep in the forward position. Especially with youngsters, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, for the Canadians. Can their speed counterattack versus the Lightning, let’s say Braoyden Point?

Cole Caufield reminds me of young Patrick Kane. The rookie Caufield has brought plenty of energy to the post-season along with 4 goals of his own. Brayden Point has 14 goals in 19 post-season games. Can the Canadians stop Point? Can the Lightning simmer down the rookie, Caufield?

PREDICTION: LIGHTNING IN 6 GAMES

The Lightning has far too much fire power for the Canadians to handle. I know I have picked against the Canadians every time, and they have made me look stupid each round. Many times Cinderella teams fizzle out in the championships in all sports. I’m banking on that to happen this finals as well. I like that the Lightning can score from many different players. Tampa Bay has 7 guys with at least 4 goals in the post-season. The Lightning are averaging 3.22 goals a game this post-season which is better than their regular season number as a team. The experience from last post-season for the Lightning will also play a factor. Especially goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Lightning as he’s been here done that. The inexperience for the Canadians will also haunt them especially if they find themselves down by two games in the series. They might not find a way to work their way back into the series. Watch the Lightning get the two game advantage in the series very quickly.

Round three headline: David versus Goliath. Will Young blood prevail? The champs are still hanging around like a booger on a nose hair.

RECORD FOR ROUND TWO PREDICTIONS (1-3)

Round 2 blew up in our faces with all our bad picks. Only one that we got correct was Islanders beating the Bruins. I think we just became fans of the game, as we hoped the Hurricanes would sweep away the Lightning. How could these Canadians keep defying the odds as they sent the Jets to the bone yard?

Then the Golden Knights who did not shock us. Just thought it was the Avalanche’s turn. In the first round we had a 6-2 record.

AFTER TWO ROUNDS OF 2021 NHL PLAYOFFS PREDICTIONS, WE ARE (7-5)

THE SEMI FINALS ROUND THREE PREDICTIONS:

Which player will be the next Ned Braden seducing Lord Stanley’s cup?

MONTREAL CANADIANS VERSUS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Montreal has won 24 cups as an original six member of the NH.L

Vegas will be seeking their second Stanley Cup appearance in just their 4th season in history.

The Golden Knights are that nasty Russian Olympic team in the early 1980’s having that dominating line up they called the Red Army. The Canadians have played the underdog role the entire playoffs as they were the last team to qualify for the tournament. Can the Canadians be the USA team in the 1980’s and take down the Red Army as one of hockey’s biggest upsets?

NET MINDERS

PRICE VERSUS FLEURY

Both Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury have been awesome this post season.

STATS THIS POST SEASON

Carey Price RECORD (8-3) 1.97 GAA, 935 SAVE %, 1 SHUT OUT

Marc-Andre Fleury RECORD (8-4) 1.91 GAA, .925 SAVE %, 1 SHUT OUT

Love to see either one of these teams to advance to the Stanley Cup championship. I love the Underdog story of the Canadians even though historically they are the big bad wolf of the NHL. Love to see Golden Knights prevail and land their first cup. I think the net minders are the determining factor of this series. I’d like Carey Price to help his team win two games in this best out of seven series. I think this is the year Marc-Andre Fleury shows he has been there and done this. Make Vegas wonder why they wasted their time trading for veteran and talented back up this year, Robin Lehner.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights in six

NEW YORK ISLANDERS VERSUS TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

New York Islanders have won 4 cups and are seeking their fifth.

Tampa Bay Lightning looking to repeat as champions, as they have won 2 cups looking for their third.

This is a rematch from last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs where Tampa Bay ousted New York in six games. Tampa Bay I picked last series versus the Hurricanes as the Champs showed me they have not slowed down with a few injuries. New York Islanders have been my best pick so far during these playoffs. To me this is a series of Offense and Defense. Lightning are loaded with an arsenal of weapons that can shoot the puck in the net.

STAT: GOALS LIGHTING SCORED COULD BE HAZARDOUS TO THE ISLANDERS’ HEALTH

TOP GOAL SCORERS: Nikita Kucherov (5), Alex Killorn (6), Steven Stamkos (5), Brayden Point (9)

When it comes to push and shove, I always like defense to prevail over high powered offenses. This is where Barry Trotz, Islander, defensive comes into play. Islanders can grind it out with almost anybody. In the first round, the Islanders kept the Penguins at bay with their lethal offense. Probably the best unit in the tournament. Plus this will be the second series where both the Lightning and Islanders square off. I usually don’t like picking New York City teams in anything. I feel the Islanders are not exactly the Big Apple’s favorite sports team. Maybe Tom Brady has ruined the city of Tampa Bay for me. Islanders will dispatch last year’s champs and end this Tampa Domination.

PREDICTION: Islanders in Seven

The Chicago Bears quarterbacks, since the 1940’s, are something out of Stonehenge. It’s best to describe the list of failures. Many were opposed to General Manager of the Chicago Bears, Ryan Pace, getting another crack at trying to rectify his mistake at the quarterback position. Ryan Pace, the man that sold the prized cow for some lousy beans to the 49ers in 2017, which resulted in a Mitch Trubisky. I was thinking the Bears would go conservative in the draft this year and get somebody to keep Andy Dalton upright. That did not happen as Ryan Pace moved up nine spots in the draft and landed Ohio State stud quarterback Justin Fields as suddenly the Chicago football team has risen and come back off life support. I was eager to pull the plug on Head Coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace. Suddenly a Chicago football buzz has been created around the Chicago-land area in the midst of some pretty good baseball on both sides of town. Even the baseball teams had shirts of Justin Fields made with their team logo on it and his name on the back. The Bears are the United Nations in this town that can bring a White Sox fan and Cubs fan together with a temporary truce to watch the Monsters of the Midway perform in the fall. Let’s face it, Chicago is starved for someone that can play the quarterback position because it seems like it has never been down in people’s lifetimes. My problem is this sounds like exactly the same plot in 2017 when the Bears signed Mike Glennon as a free agent quarterback and suddenly drafted another quarterback. We know how that ended. This year the Bears signed Andy Dalton as their free agent quarterback & then suddenly drafted a Justin Fields. Will the Bears turn this talented kid into stone?

The first thing I thought about was the failures of all the Ohio State quarterbacks in the NFL. Dwayne Haskins and Cardale Jones were the first names to come to mind. Haskins now will be with his second team after failing in Washington. Jones will be remembered more for his XFL days than his NFL cup of coffee. The Bears have gone down the Ohio State road before, in search of a guy to play behind center. Remember Craig Krenzel? Krenzel was a genius off the field as he went to medical school. On the field, Krenzel did not fair too well. Then there’s the replacement for Jim McMahon. Mike Tomczak had a long career in the NFL, but he was just an average player who could get you some wins but more losses. The track record does not look good for Justin Fields. Will history repeat itself? Bad quarterback play by the Bears has repeated itself for decades. The 1940’s when Sid Luckman played as still the guy talked about as the franchise best in Bears history.

Justin Fields is a different animal than all the names of former Ohio State rejects. Fields can throw the long ball. Fields can use his legs to escape the pocket at any sign of trouble. Fields seems to have the pocket presence to only run when he has to with great speed. The duel threat quarterback these days are the hybrid in the NFL. Guys like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes. Fields started his collegiate career in Georgia and then transferred to Ohio State. Fields played two full seasons for a big school in a big conference, the Big Ten. One trend different from Fields than Trubisky is seasoning in College. Trubisky played in one season at North Carolina while Fields has played two full seasons with playoffs. In two full seasons, Fields has thrown 63 touchdown passes & only 9 interceptions. That earned Fields two Big Ten Offense Player of the Year awards as he had 20-2 record behind center for the Buckeyes. Fields led the Buckeyes also to two Big Ten championships. Let’s not forget it was Justin Fields who threw six touchdown passes for 385 yards versus Clemson in the semi-finals. It was a win over (guess who) Trevor Lawrence, the number one pick in the 2021 draft. Seems like the Bears should have used this kind of thought process in 2017 when they drafted Trubisky. Instead, they would have taken Deshaun Watson who had these types of number like Justin Fields. Only problem is Watson has some issues with the massage therapists these days as he looking for the extra special treatments these gals don’t do, and who are not hookers.

Everyone will throw their two cents into the conversation on how to insert Justin Fields into the QB One slot. In 2017, Mitch Trubisky was thrown into the wolves when Mike Glennon was unproductive and very bad behind center. Patrick Mahomes played one game the entire season his first year as he learned from veteran Alex Smith and played the meaningless last game of the season that year for the Chiefs. If Justin Fields plays well in Pre-season and outshines the competition, do you do what Seattle did? The Seahawks inserted Russell Wilson in the starting role day one and have not looked back since. I like that fact that Fields has a Andy Dalton and a Nick Foles which makes this an intriguing quarterback room that can help the rookie. This all looks great but this is the Chicago Bears we are talking about. The looks of a house of cards they have, in which one puff of wind will blow their season away or turn anybody they draft into stone. Bears did address their line after the Justin Fields pick. The Bears did not sign any free agent veteran offensive linemen. Will these rookies be able to anchor the line in day one of the 2021 season? Then having Matt Nagy back, who to me, still has not proven he is this offensive guru. How many times does Nagy’s play calling mean abandoning the run. Now I would think this pick of Justin Fields is Matt Nagy’s guy, and that he had enough influence on Ryan Pace to land him. Can Nagy develop Justin Fields and make him a top tier quarterback in the NFL for years to come? It was Matt Nagy whose play-calling did not always match up with Mitch Trubisky’s strengths. Trubisky played better when the game plan was tailored to his strengths. Some experts think Justin Fields may be the best quarterback out of this year’s draft. Trevor Lawrence, in Jacksonville, was the cream of the crop, most people think. Then BYU’s Zach Wilson was the second quarterback chosen by the New York Jets. BYU has done better with quarterbacks in the NFL than Ohio State as Steve Young is Exhibit A. History can change. The Cubs finally beat the curse of the billy goat. Justin Fields has two challenges ahead of him. Giving the Bears a star quarterback and curing the Ohio State reputation of bad quarterbacking after they move on from the Buckeyes. The porch light is on for the Bears, the question is just will anybody be home when the season gets started. If no one is home, Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace will be chased down by a mob of people with torches and pitchforks and not be heard again in the NFL.

We are throwing on the Captain’s sweater for our round two predictions.

ROUND ONE RESULTS (6-2 RECORD)

“Those damn Canadian teams screwed us in round one, Eh.”

The Montreal Canadians won with the big upset over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Had Edmonton Oilers winning but glad to see the Winnipeg Jets prevail.

ROUND TWO PREDICTIONS

Round two we are supporting the old school logos. For the Vegas Golden Knights, we are going with the old IHL Vegas Thunder team. Some team’s logos never changed so we went with their regular style. It seems like if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

BOSTON BRUINS VERSUS NEW YORK ISLANDERS

The battle of New York versus Boston results in an instant ESPN chubby. This series should be the scrappiest of them all. The Bruins are the hottest team in the NHL. Bruins beat up an already bruised up Capital team in the first round. The sexy pick was Penguins all day long over the Islanders in round one. Islanders, a team that grinds you out on every shot, can wear a teams out. The Islanders under head coach Barry Trotz, have proven his teams can go deep in post-season as they stopped a great Pittsburgh offense in round one. Maybe the best scoring team in the playoffs. Bruins have a great top line, one of the best defense-men in the game and one of best goalies that make up their recipe for winning this season. Like Han Solo would say…

I substituted Han Solo in for Barry Trotz as for the Islanders, once again, the odds are stacked not in their favor. Hot goal tenders can steal a series in the playoffs. Islanders’ IIya Sorokin will repeat his performance he had in round 1 and bring his net presence of excellence to get his team past the Bruins.

PREDICTION: ISLANDERS IN SEVEN

CAROLINA HURRICANES VERSUS TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

The champs won the battle of Florida as the Panthers gave the Lightning a battle. The Predators gave the Hurricanes a battle in round one as well. The Hurricanes learned to score very quickly in the over-time period, which was the recipe of dispatching those beasts from Nashville. These are two teams that are similar looking mirror-wise. The Lightning have the post-season experience after winning the entire thing last year. The Hurricanes are a team on the rise and a very talented squad. Lightning will have their work cut out for them in this series because they face a tough net-minder in Alex Nedelijkovic, for the Hurricanes. Lightning have some injuries and some guys returning from injuries which could weaken their chances to repeat. Mirror, Mirror on the wall…

I feel dark clouds and strong winds in the forecast for Florida as they will be hit hard by another Hurricane, this one Carolina.

PREDICTION: HURRICANES IN SIX

COLORADO AVALANCHE VERSUS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Avalanche has the rest from dispatching the Blues very quickly in round one. The Golden Knights were taken all the way to the brink on the rink by the Wild to game seven. The Golden Knights have a solid 1-2 punch in the net. Avalanche has that stellar defense that could give all the Golden Knight lines fits through this round two battle. Look for the Nathan MacKinnon line of the Avalanche to continue to put up goals like they did in the St. Louis series. I like some key goals in this series off Avalanche’s Brandon Sadd can’t not forget his playoff experience from the Blackhawk days.

I think the Avalanche has the better team because they are loaded in scoring and defense. The Golden Knights goalies will not be able to control the snow pile in front of the net in a best out of seven series. It’s the Avalanche’s time.

PREDICTION: AVALANCHE IN SIX

WINNIPEG JETS VERSUS MONTREAL CANADIANS

Both these Canadian teams surprised me in round one. Montreal especially are like the Cinderella team taking the Leafs all the way to game seven to advance to the second round of Lord Stanley’s playoffs. The Jets went in cruise control over the Oilers. The Oilers had the Jets’ number in regular season. The post-season, the Oilers have been quickly dispatched in the last two seasons. Last year, the Oilers lost to the Black Hawks who only made the playoffs because of the pandemic. If the Canadians can beat the Jets in round two, and the Avalanche beat the Golden Knights. Then the championship could be called the Patrick Roy series, since the former goalie played and did well for both franchises. Anything could happen in an all Canada team series. I like what Neal Pionk did in the series versus the Oilers for the Jets.

Neal Pionk contained superstar Connor McDavid in that first round action. I think Pionk could be used to shut down who ever is the hottest puck handler for the Canadians this upcoming series. Jets are well-rested. Canadians I think will have used up all their energy taking the Leafs down & going the distance as well. I think it was more a Toronto meltdown than Montreal being the better team in that round one series. Looking at Toronto’s history in round one is Exhibit A. It should be easy pickings for the Jets in round two.

PREDICTION: JETS IN FIVE

EAST

#1. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VERSUS #4. NEW YORK ISLANDERS

This series offers one of the best offenses in the game from the Penguins versus one of the best defenses on the ice. The Islanders I will throw out there. Islanders head coach Barry Trotz has a grinding style of play that could wear out the Penguins superstars. Penguins I always pick, but every year they are a disappointment with their early exits. Islanders meanwhile you think they will be quickly eliminated but always find a way to get deep in the playoffs. Fool me once, fool me a dozen times… I’m Going New York in this one. Besides good defenses prevail mostly over good offenses in sports.

PREDICTION: ISLANDERS IN SIX

#2.WASHINGTON CAPITALS VERSUS #3.BOSTON BRUINS

The Capitals biggest question is the goalie. Capitals are banged up as well. The Bruins finished the season off strong. Bruins have played well since acquiring Taylor Hall from Buffalo. Boston now has more than one line on this team that can do Van-damage, unlike last year’s team.

PREDICTION: BRUINS IN FIVE

#1.CAROLINA HURRICANES VERSUS #4.NASHVILLE PREDATORS

I like the Hurricanes winning the entire thing this post-season. The Hurricanes have the best power play and penalty kill of any team in the post season.

The Predators will not survive the hurricane that Carolina has to offer. Predators lack scoring. Look for the Nashville team to be extinct after this series. Straight to the tar pits for them.

PREDICTION: HURRICANES SWEEP

#2.FLORIDA PANTHERS VERSUS #3. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

The battle of Florida seriously in hockey. I think of Florida rivalries and I think of College football in the sunshine state. This might be the best series in the first round of the playoffs. I would like to see a Joel Quenneville team go deep into the playoffs.

The former Blackhawk coach has the Panthers playing some inspired hockey this season. The champs are too much to handle for this Panther team. The Lightning experience is the X-factor in this one. It will go the distance in this Rocky Balboa Vs. Apollo Creed fight.

PREDICTION: LIGHTNING IN SEVEN

WEST

#1.TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VERSUS #4. MONTREAL CANADIANS

The Canadians picked a bad time to stop sniffing glue.

Canadians are backing into the playoffs playing terrible hockey. Look for the Maple Leafs finally getting to the next round for the first time since 2004.

PREDICTION MAPLE LEAFS IN FIVE

#2.EDMONTON OILERS VERSUS #3.WINNIPEG JETS

The Jets can’t stop Oilers Superstar Connor McDavid and it is the key to the series and the Edmonton dismantling the Jets. McDavid averaged 2.4 points per game off the Jets this season. The Oilers match up well versus the Jets unlike last year when the Blackhawks upset Edmonton in a short series.

PREDICTION: OILERS IN FIVE

#1.COLORADO AVALANCHE VERSUS #4. ST.LOUIS BLUES

Avalanche have 22 home wins compared to the Blues’ 12 home wins. Avalanche should easily put St. Louis down in this series. The Avalanche has too many weapons and too much fire power. The fat lady has already sung and it was not the Blues.

PREDICTION: AVALANCHE SWEEP

#2.VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VERSUS #3.MINNESOTA WILD

I think the Wild will make this an interesting series while the Golden Knights figure out who will be their goalie. The one that will be the brick wall of stopping the most shots by Minnesota. The Golden Knights have the best goalie tandem in Robin Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury. Golden Knights are built to go deep in the playoffs. Wild have shown they played better this season than last year. Golden Knights at the end will prevail.

PREDICTION: GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN SIX