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MY TEN LITTLE INDIAN LOGOS

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When President Donald Trump speaks, many people may think, “here we go again.”

Some of Donald Trump’s agenda trying to make America better has been wanting to change certain names back to their original. In his second term, Trump has renamed 7 U.S Army bases back to their original names. Some of these military bases were named after Confederate Generals from the Civil War. Some of them were named after other military heroes. For example Fort Bragg in North Carolina was renamed Fort Liberty. Pfc Roland L. Bragg was a World War I paratrooper. I’m sure you can debate all the name changes and come up with pros and cons why former military men need or don’t need a base named after them.

Recently Donald Trump has brought up name changes in professional sports. His thought is that Cleveland should change back to the Indians and dump the Guardians. The Cleveland Indians have been around for 106 seasons. They were pressured to change their name for years and they finally did in 2021. The Guardians ownership does not want to go back to the Indians name. Trump may have more influence on the Washington Commanders franchise. Before the Commanders along with the Washington Football name in DC, they were called the Redskins. They were the Redskins for 83 years. When the pandemic came around and America was at a boiling point of hate, the Redskins became extinct. Now Trump may try to block Washington Commanders ownership from building a new stadium where they used to play at RFK stadium. Trump claims many Native Americans were very proud of the Indian names and logos in sports. It’s the new generation and many people that are not Native Americans are bothered by these old historical names and logos. You can debate this conversation until you’re blue in the face. Many of these old sports logos that were Indian style logos looked amazing. Even some of the cartoon style logos had some character to them. In team sports it takes the entire roster. Many Native Americans in our history books, like American Generals, were warriors, hard working, and had a team concept of how to win the mission. I will throw out my favorites of my top ten little Indian logos. I think they are all cool looking logos as I rank them from worst to first. However worst is still a solid Indian logo. They have made my list. Some of these logos are gone. Some of these logos are still around. These logos come from colleges and professional sports.

#10. KINSTON INDIANS (Minor League baseball)

The Kinston Indians existed from 1978-2011 in North Carolina. They were a minor league baseball team and played in the Carolina league. They were affiliated with the Blue Jays and Indians of the MLB in their history. I like the feathers around the baseball bat handle. Now the Carolina Mud Cats play in Kinston.

#9.BOSTON BRAVES (MLB)

Before the Atlanta Braves. Then before the Milwaukee Braves, the Boston Braves were around from 1871-1952. In 1953 they became the Milwaukee Braves. They were not always the Braves in Boston. Some of the years they had different nicknames. Babe Ruth played his last year in baseball for the Boston Braves. I like the Indian head logo. I love the hatchet and baseball bat below the Indian head. Sharp looking.

#8. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (NFL)

People think the nickname Redskins is a racial name. In the beginning it was not. The name Redskins went down a bad road later in life where people used it as a racial insult. I always liked the arrow logo with features on Washington’s helmets they wore from 1965-69. I like that better than their Indian head they wore most of their years as the Redskins.

#7.JOHNSTOWN CHIEFS (ECHL)

The Johnstown Chiefs were one of the original hockey teams in the ECHL. They played minor league hockey in Johnstown from 1987-2010. They played their home games at a stadium called Cambria County War Memorial stadium. This was the stadium where the best hockey movie was filmed, Slap Shot.

I love the Indian headdress on the logo with the hockey stick and hatchet.

#6. ORLANDO RENEGADES (USFL)

The Orlando Renegades only played one season with the cool hatchet and feathers on their helmets. It was the1985 Spring football league in the USFL. They won only 5 games that lone season. It was a losing franchise before they moved to Orlando. Originally they were the Washington Federals and they were the worst team in the league for years. A new city. New uniforms. A powerful logo could not make them a better team.

#5. CLEVELAND INDIANS (MLB)

I really do not care what people think but I loved the Cleveland Indians logo. I’m sure many fans loved the Indians logo. I bet many fans still wear their Indians swag at Guardians games. Chief Wahoo is a cartoon character. It’s like going to Great America and getting a caricature done of yourself on a skate board. The Chief looks like former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen.

I’m Irish & I don’t get mad when the University of Notre Dame makes me look like a Leprechaun on their logo. I even have a Chief Wahoo beer sign in the man cave. Not a Cleveland baseball fan, but I did like Indians over Guardians on any day of the summer.

#4. ATLANTA BRAVES (MLB)

I grew up when the Atlanta Braves had their Indian logo. This guy looks like a bad ass mother chucker with the mohawk and a feather coming out of his head.

He reminds me of the guy in the movie Road Warrior. He was a villain but had that rally cry down pat. The Braves to me were never a villain type of team. They did have some great teams after the Indian logo. They still hold on to their name today even though they are still being pressured I’m sure to change their name or else. I do like the tomahawk logo they wear now. Too many Braves logos in this one already. Enough is enough.

#3. EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY HURONS (NCAA)

I thought that Eastern Michigan Hurons was always a classy style of logo. I loved the color of green they used. In 1991 Eastern Michigan gave in and change their name to the Eagles. I wonder what the stats are of schools going from a Indian logo name to an Eagle or some kind of Hawk. I guess birds are safe these days. Indians and birds have feathers in common. Just wait till the birds have their say.

#2. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (NCAA)

In 2006 the NCAA wanted to remove any Indian mascots that were abusive and hostile. For the University of Illinois they had to get rid of Chief Illiniwek who performed Indian heritage dances at the games in the full headdress and Native American wardrobe. By 2007 Illinois did not have their mascot or their old logo. The Indian logo the University had was amazing looking. The colors blue and orange make that head dress bright on that logo. The term Illini refers to the Illinois confederation, which was a group of Native American tribes that lived in the Mississippi River Valley which the University named themselves after. What an insult to be wanting to name yourself after someone, or some group you respected.

#1.CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (NHL)

The Chicago Blackhawks is by far one of the best logos in sports. The Indian head with all the colored feathers is a logo anybody can respect. It is a logo which certainly gives respect to all of the Native Americans. The Blackhawks got their name from Chief Black Hawk who was a big part of Illinois history. The Chief was also prominent figure in the Sauk nation. The Blackhawks were one of the original six teams in the NHL. The Chicago Blackhawks do not get the pressure like other teams in sports that still have the Indian logo. The ties go back far with this hockey franchise and the Chief. They may never get severed. I just wish the Blackhawks front office could do a better job at building a winning team so the Native Americans and the rest of us could have something to cheer for on the ice instead of a few cold beers.

DUNCAN KEITH MAKES THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME IN FIRST BALLOT

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Duncan Keith did not get all the glory of the recent Chicago Blackhawks dynasty like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. He was part of the big three on those 3 Stanley Cups the Blackhawks hoisted from 2010 through 2015. You’ve heard of the saying, “flip the script.” Keith flipped the ice on defense not only to clear the puck but to set up the offense and all the weapons the Blackhawks had back then. He was an iron man, a pillar each game & he hardly ever left the ice. He ran the power play like a quarterback. He killed off penalties like a bomb technician. Most importantly he was the last line of defense for the goalie throwing himself in front of 1,896 shots from a puck that can hit speeds of 90 MPH. When you lose ten teeth in a Stanley Cup finals game, most players would call it a night. Keith got back on the ice after looking like he spit out his teeth like spitting out a bad box of Chiclets. He earned the nickname Duncan “Teeth” and throughout 17 seasons he showed the hockey world why he was one of the best defensemen in the game.

Duncan Keith was originally drafted in the second round of the 2002 NHL draft 54th overall by the Blackhawks. He played 16 seasons wearing the Indian Head sweater. He closed out his career in Canada, the lone season he played for the Edmonton Oilers. He scored 106 goals and dished out 540 assists for 646 points in regular season. He played in 1,192 NHL regular season games which came out to 33,495 minutes and 55 seconds. That tells you he hardly came off the ice. He only missed a handful of games in his entire career. Keith was a 3x All-Star. He was a 2x winner of the Norris trophy which is for the league’s top notch defenseman of the year. He won the Conn Smythe trophy in 2014 & ’15 which was MVP in the playoffs those years. He helped his native country of Canada win two gold medals as well. He was named one of the 100 greatest players on the 100th year anniversary of the NHL in 2017. Keith has made his mark as one of the best all-time defensemen with the Blackhawks. He is first with most games played in regular season. He is number two all-time in Blackhawks history with assists and points by a defenseman. He is number three in goals as a defender. His post-season stats were solid. Keith leads all Blackhawks defensemen in 135 post-season games played all-time and 68 assists and 86 points. He is 4th all-time in Blackhawks history with 18 post-season goals as a defender.

Duncan Keith had the hockey smile of missing teeth. His parade speech in 2010 will always be a memory for me when he came up to the microphone and asked the Blackhawks nation: “Anybody know a good dentist?”

Duncan Keith is from Winnipeg, Manitoba & will be the 48th player wearing the Indian Head sweater to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Keith was only 6’1″ tall but he played defense like he was much bigger. He always showed physical dominance around the net. He established his territory on the ice which was between the red and blue line on the ice. He was a master at steering the opponents to the outside because he had quick feet along with a quick stick. He prevented breakaways which have haunted most goalies in their career. He may have been playing on a half a tank his last few years in the NHL. Most of his career he was a guy that you can count on as he showed he was one of the main engine parts of that Blackhawks dynasty. Keith becomes the second player from that dynasty to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Marian Hossa was the first as he played a pivotal role on that dynasty, but he had a decorated career when he signed with Chicago as a free agent. Keith was drafted around the same time as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews as the Blackhawks were assembling a young core of superstars. Before these guys were drafted, the Blackhawks were one of the worst franchises in sports. The front office and more importantly the ownership got their act together and rode the coat tails of all the young talent they got from being very bad for years and years. Seems like the black clouds are back following one of the original six franchises which the Blackhawks are, but things have been looking up. In the meantime how time goes by like a blur, it seems like yesterday Chicago was spoiled with playoff hockey every year and this core getting this team deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs. During questionable times, we get to reflect on remembering all the good memories guys like Duncan Keith gave the city of Chicago and the Blackhawks nation. It’s on my bucket list to go see the Hockey Hall of Fame as I have done both baseball and football. To see all those great Blackhawks players enshrined would be something special. Right now we have to congratulate number 2, Duncan Keith. I’m sure the jersey retirement is being scheduled sometime soon with more to come from others from that dynasty where more celebrations will be had. In Chicago we always love our defenses. Duncan Keith was a guy that brought his lunch pail to the job everyday. He practiced his craft everyday and showed his talent for denying the opposing teams from lighting the lamp. He did it night after night against the best in the game. His play will always be priceless for what he did on the ice and being a solid guy off the ice. That’s why he is a first ballot hockey hall of famer.

JUST DUCKY IN ANAHEIM WITH JOEL QUENNEVILLE SO FAR

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Can Joel Quenneville make the Anaheim Ducks mighty once again? The Ducks have not been to the post-season since 2018 when the San Jose Sharks knocked them out in round one with a sweep. The Ducks had a 35-37-10 record that led to the firing of Greg Cronin in April. The Ducks finished 6th in the Pacific division which was 16 points behind the St.Louis Blues for the second wild card. The Ducks did improve by 21 points this season over the season before, because of the young talent they have assembled. Suddenly a few trades and fans are thinking what the duck is going on here. When Quenneville replaced Dennis Savard as head coach for the Blackhawks in 2008, I thought it was strange firing somebody after three games. I did not like the direction the team was going at the time. The Ducks roster is starting to get Quenneville’s fingerprints on it.

The last time we saw Joel Quenneville coaching was back in October 27, 2021 with the Florida Panthers. Quenneville had to resign from the game because his past caught up to him. He was part of that cover up in Chicago in 2010 where the Blackhawks brass swept under the rug video coach Brad Aldrich’s sexual allegations from two players of theirs, One was Kyle Beach & the other may never come forward. The Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman was out and Al Macisaac who was Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations. In 2024 NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reinstated all three guys. Bowman moved on to Edmonton & now Quenneville is back in the saddle again in Anaheim. The Ducks are getting the second winiest head coach in NHL history. Quenneville has a regular season record of 969-572-77, only behind Scotty Bowman who left his mark with1,244 wins. Quenneville helped the Blackhawks break a post-season drought when he arrived. He guided that team with young superstars like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith to three Stanley Cup titles. Quenneville also coached in St.Louis as he always had the Blues in the post-season. He also coached in Colorado which he managed to get the Avalanche to the playoffs half the years he was there. You have to give Quenneville some credit in Florida as that team was starting to climb before he resigned. Now the Panthers have won back to back Stanley Cups.

The Anaheim Ducks have a roster filled with guys in their 20’s. They have gathered some nice young roster pieces at the forward position with Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Mason McTavish.

The Switzerland native McTavish had 22 goals last season in his 4th season in Anaheim at the age of 22. The Ducks traded a young piece in Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers for 45th overall draft pick this season and 2026 4th round pick, and a veteran center Ryan Poehling. Zegras has had back-to-back years of 20 goal seasons racking up 60 points or better. He has had a hard time the last two seasons staying healthy. The Ducks also landed a veteran wing from the New York Rangers in Chris Kreider who can provide this Quenneville team leadership on the ice as he did in the Big Apple for the last 13 seasons. On defense the Ducks have more young studs ready to take their game to the next level. They have Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, and Jackson LaCombe. Let’s not forget in the net, Lukas Dostral. The Czech goalie had his best season in the net with a record 23-23-7 with a .903 save %.

It seems like Joel Quenneville has plenty of interesting pieces for this roster in Anaheim. Now he has the front office adding some veteran pieces to a roster filled with young talent. This Ducks team may be ready next season to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. When the Blackhawks added veteran Marion Hossa to their young roster, suddenly the dynasty was born. Chris Kreider may not be a good comparison to Hossa. The Blackhawks sprinkled in the Kreiders of the NHL world as well, guys that had a set of skills to help a young team and show them how the next level looks like and take them there. Quenneville has been a winner everywhere he has gone. These trades look baffling right now, but by the time the season starts the Ducks will load up on more younger talent from the draft. They’ll just add enough veteran guys to bring the Mighty Ducks back into the conversation when we talk Stanley Cup playoffs. Joe Quenneville will change these Anaheim teams of old.

They will be prepared and fundamentally strong. He will put his players in the best spot to succeed. They still need to land that Hossa which will be hard to find. They may have the money to spend on a big name as well as Chris Kreider is not exactly cheap. I think the Ducks will be a sneaky sleeper team next season who may miss the playoffs, but they will have a winning record and will come close.

CAPTAIN TOEWS WILL BE FLYING JETS FOR WINNIPEG AIRLINES

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The Captain, Jonathan Toews, comes back to the NHL & will land him home with the Winnipeg Jets. Toews stepped away from the game for two seasons dealing with health issues. The last two seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, he was limited to so many games dealing with effects of chronic inflammatory response syndrome. He also dealt with Covid in long stretches. The last time the Captain was on the ice was the 2022-23 season where he played in 53 games. After a 5 week healing journey to India and several months of training, he’s ready to make a comeback at 37 years of age. The Captain had a few suitors, but the Jets who are a playoff team and they play in his home town, would be hard to refuse as he signs a one year deal worth 2 million.

Nicknamed Captain Serious, Jonathan Toews’ 15 year career in the NHL he is decorated like a 20 star General. He played all 15 seasons with the Blackhawks and helped them hoist three Stanley Cups. In 2017 at the NHL Centennial Celebration, he made the list of the best 100 players of all-time. His former teammates, Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane, also made the list. Toews was the number 3 pick overall in the 2006 NHL draft. He is an all around center who shoots the puck from the left side. He has played in 1,067 NHL games and has racked up 883 points. He has scored 372 goals and dished out 511 assists. His home town of Winnipeg will remember the Captains playing in the Olympics for Canada as they won back to back Gold metals in 2010 then again in 2014.

The Winnipeg Jets won the President’s Cup last season. The Jets made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and were knocked out by the Dallas Stars. I really like this move by both parties here. The Jets add a talented piece to the roster with a ton of playoff experience. Jonathan Toews will be playing for a playoff team and not some bottom feeder team trying to put fannies in the seats by signing a has-been player. Is Toews a has-been? The Jets will not be getting the super star version of Toews. His last season in Chicago he had 15 goals and 16 assists in those 53 games. He was dealing with his health issues. If he is healed and perfectly healthy, the Jets should get better numbers from the Captain. Even if he is not the Captain, it is always good to have that experience he has in the general locker room which could help this already talented Jets team. Look at the Florida Panthers trading for 37 year old Brad Marchand during the reason and the results they got in the post-season. Toews will be playing with a chip on his shoulder because his former team irked him after his 8 year contract expired that season in 2023. You never want to see guys like Toews leave your team as he should always be wearing the Indian head sweater, especially after 15 seasons. That will be an exciting game when Toews comes back to play at the United Center in Chicago. It certainly was exciting when Patrick Kane back in the enemy sweater his first trip home to Chicago. I would like to see the Captain hit the 400 goals milestone before he hangs up the skates for good. He needs 28 more goals and doing that in the uniform and team he grew up watching, is a cool ending to a great career for him. The thing about this move is Toews will not be expected to do all the stuff he did with the Blackhawks. He will just play the game and being away from the game for two seasons, you miss playing. The body should be rested and the juices should be flowing and I believe this savvy move here will be worth it. The Jets may need another savvy move or two after this one if they are serious about a Stanley Cup. You know Captain Serious is surely serious about winning another cup.

NHL 2025 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: FINALS PREDICTIONS

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The Stanley Cup has arrived as we are down to two teams in the finals. It’s a rematch of last year’s epic 7 game series that went the distance with the Florida Panthers versus the Edmonton Oilers.

We hope the sequel of the Panthers/Oilers is not Weekend at Bernie’s Two and more like Star Wars’ Empire Strikes Back if you want to dub Edmonton as the bad guys. This is the 12th time in NHL history we have the same two teams battling it out in two straight seasons in the Stanley Cup finals. It’s the first time since 2009 when Detroit and Pittsburgh squared off for the second time in two seasons. The Oilers could be trying to repeat their own history as they were beaten by the New York Islanders in 1983 in the first year of back to back finals. In 1984, Edmonton would prevail over the Islanders. Now Edmonton is looking to do the same thing with the Panthers after falling to Florida last year. Florida has other plans as they want to be the 3rd team this century to repeat in back to back finals. The Penguins did it in 2016 & ’17 while the Lightning did the same thing in 2020 & ’21. Edmonton and I imagine most of Canada would love to see their country’s drought end. The last time a Canadian team in the NHL won the Stanley Cup, you have to go back to 1992 when Montreal won it all.

Our playoff predictions throughout the playoffs prediction for each series winners, record stands at 9-5. We went 6-2 first round. Second round went even at 2-2. Conference championships we have a 1-1 record. We have suffered three series losses picking against the Oilers. Will that change in the finals? Should we go Oilers and jump on their band wagon? We have not done well at picking the right games each series winner has clinched it by. These are some things you should know if you are using this article as a reference to make a wager on the outcome of the NHL finals.

2025 STANLEY CUP FINALS

EDMONTON OILERS VERSUS FLORIDA PANTHERS

Season series: (0-2) favoring Panthers, Playoff History: (1-0) 1 series favoring Panthers

How these teams arrived here: Panthers eliminated: Lightning, Maple Leafs & Hurricanes

Oilers eliminated: Kings, Golden Knights & Stars

History Cups won: Oilers (5-1) Panthers

Oilers Cups, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990.

Panthers Cup, 2024,

Last year the Panthers cruised to a 3 games to nothing lead on the Oilers. Then the Oilers came back and won three straight to bring the series to a game 7. Finally the Panthers put away the Oilers avoiding a historical collapse you want nothing to do with. How do the Oilers overcome the Panthers besides not digging a hole for themselves early on in the series? The Panthers are not the hunters any longer as they are being hunted which sometimes is harder to defend and prevail in these circumstances. Let’s dive into some intriguing numbers first. The number 2.

Corey Perry will be playing in his 5th Stanley Cup finals in his last six seasons. It will be his 6th Stanley Cup final of his career. The first 1 he won back in 2007 with the Ducks. Perry has been on the losing end of the last 4 Cup tries. In 2020 with the Stars, 2021 Canadiens, 2022 Lightning and last year with the same Oilers. At 40 years of age, will he get that 2nd cup?

In 17 games of post-season, Brad Marchand wearing a Panthers jersey has 4 goals while dishing out ten assists. The Panthers added Marchand through a trade with the Boston Bruins. Marchand is seeking his second Stanley Cup championship just like Corey Perry. Marchand won his only win with Boston in 2011. The last two finals Marchand has been in both with the Bruins, he was on the losing side in 2013 & 19. Could the veteran get his name on the Cup twice?

DEADLY LINES

The Brad Marchand line has been very productive on the road as it’s been averaging 3 points per contest. This line has produced 32 points with 10 goals and 22 assists for the Panthers so far this post-season. Besides Marchand, the Panthers have Anton Lundell on this line and he has 5 goals with 7 assists in the post season so far. Then Eetu Luostarinen has 4 goals and dished out 9 assists. It’s nice to have something working to your own advantage on the road which these teams will need to steal a game to win this thing.

The Oilers in the 1980’s had two super power players – Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. Can Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl be those guys to get it done for the Oilers like those past Edmonton heroes did?

Both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have done the heavy lifting this post-season. Draisaitl has 7 goals with 18 assists which totals out to 25 points. McDavid has 6 goals and has dished out 20 assists which is good for 26 points.

GOALIES

Which goalie will be red hot in this Stanley Cup final? We know a goalie could single handedly be the X-factor of any series in hockey and carry his team to the promised land. The Panthers have the better goalie with Sergei Bobrovsky. The Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner has shown he can be a brick wall in the net for them.

Since Bobrovsky took over the net for the Panthers in post-season play since April 23, 2023, he has 40 wins behind net and six shut outs. He has 2.40 goals against average and .911 save %. This post-season he has a record of 12-5 with 3 shut outs. He only has 2.11 goals against average and a higher save percentage at .912.

Now Stuart Skinner buckled down after Edmonton lost their first game versus the Stars. He won 4 straight games to help Edmonton get to this point. He only allowed 5 goals out of 105 shots from game 2 through 5 out of the conference championship series. Skinner rebounds quickly from a bad game which you want that from your goalie, a short memory. He allowed 4 goals in game three of the series when the Oilers faced the Golden Knights in round two. He rebounded with two straight shut outs versus a Vegas team that has a solid offense.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I think the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are definitely the two best teams in the NHL. You can say that I’m like Captain Obvious on that statement as they are the only two teams left standing. I thought about the Oilers how I thought they did not have the goal tending. They did not have depth in their roster. I thought how the Oilers rely too much on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. These are all true statements when you talk about the heavy burden and if they get others to help. Can Skinner remain hot in the net?

The Panthers have so much depth on this roster as I have not even mentioned some of their bigger names. Like Matthew Tkachuk whose presence is a force out on the ice. He has 38 hits and chipped in 5 goals so far this post-season. Then the Panthers number 1 star Aleksandor Barkov who has 6 goals with 11 assists, blocked 16 shots, and has dished out plenty of hits. What about two Panthers that may be on their last ride with the team? They are star defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Sam Bennent who has multiple goals this post-season. These two guys will be free agents at the end of this series. I think Florida has too much more than Edmonton. The Oilers will make this a must watch series as it should go 7 games. I think the Panthers goal tending puts the Oilers super stars on ice at the end.

OUR PREDICTION: FLORIDA PANTHERS REPEAT AS YOUR STANLEY CUP WINNER IN 7 GAMES

NOT SMOKING THE BLACKHAWKS PEACE PIPE ON THEIR NEW HIRE

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The Chicago Blackhawks have hired their 42nd head coach in their franchise history. This go around it’s not a guy without head coaching experience as was the case with the last few guys. The Blackhawks have settled on a former Detroit Red Wings head coach, 51 year old Jeff Blashill, who is a Michigan native. With the free agent pool of coaching options drying up like the Las Vegas desert, the Blackhawks will spin this move as their number one option. All the solid choices have come to terms with their future. Leaving some retreads that have had more than one opportunity as a head coach in the NHL but nothing spectacular. The Blashill hiring gives mixed feelings as he has a nice hockey resume in coaching but is not the splash signing the Blackhawks fan base had hoped for. It is the Chicago way of avoiding the top choices. Settling for plan C or D, as you notice I did not mention B. It’s general manager Kyle Davidson’s second crack at hiring his guy as the new Chief. Can Blashill be the guy that can ride the Blackhawks number 1 overall pick of 2023 Connor Bedard to the Stanley Cup playoffs? Maybe help him become that super star in the NHL that all the experts chimed in about being the next Connor McDavid?

Jeff Blashill played college hockey at Ferris State where he played goalie. From 1999-2002 he was an assistant coach at Ferris State. Then he continued coaching at the college level getting a assistant job at Miami Ohio University for six seasons. His first head coaching job came in the USHL with the Indiana Ice where he won the first ever championship in that league. After one season in Indiana, he went back to the college game and took the head coaching job at Western Michigan. Then he got his first taste at the NHL level with the Red Wings. They liked him so much they gave Blashill the head coaching job to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. He won a Calder Cup as the Griffins head coach in the AHL and Coach of the Year award. In 2015 he got his first head coaching gig in the NHL replacing Mike Babcock on the Detroit Red Wings. His first season he got the Red Wings to the post-season. He had the job for seven seasons but would never get a team back to the post-season after his first season. He was fired after a 32-40-10 in the 2021-’22 season. The Red Wings were an aging team when he came in as they had to go younger. Some will say it was to blame for his overall record in Detroit. Blashill’s NHL record is a losing one at 204-261-72.

Last year the Chicago Blackhawks finished with a 25-46-11 record which was good for last in the Central. It is the second straight season the Blackhawks, this franchise, have been number 31 overall. The Blackhawks GM fired his first hire in Luke Richardson in December. He was replaced by Anders Sorenson as the interim head coach and he helped the team finish another dismal season. Soreneson will now become an assistant on Blashill’s staff. The Blackhawks will also keep Jimmy Waite as the goal tending coach, a guy who played for the franchise and has coached goalies for several years now. Luke Richardson replaced Derek King, who was an interim head coach for Jeremy Colliton. Sorenson, Richardson, King, and Colliton got their first taste of being an NHL head coach from the Blackhawks. This is why the last time the team wearing the Indian sweater played in the post-season was in 2020. That was when they expanded the post-season because their was a stoppage due to the pandemic.

The Chicago Blackhawks think things will be different for Jeff Blashill, who has been working under Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning since his days in Detroit. Cooper, who is one Blashill’s good friends, had very nice things to say about his pal who ran Tampa Bay’s defense and penalty kill. Cooper is one of the best head coaches in the league with all those great Lightning teams that have won multiple cups in the last ten seasons. It will be the same kind of ordeal for Blashill like in Detroit as he has multiple guys on the roster that have made their season debut last year. Connor Bedard had the same amount of goals he had in the first season in his second year, as he played in more games. We know Kyle Davidson will need to add to this team and give their young superstar another guy to strengthen their number 1 line and make it one of the lethal scoring machines in the game.

I would have loved to see the Blackhawks open up the vault and go with one of the top college coaches to pair up with Connor Bedard. Like David Carle and Adam Nightingale who are staying at the college level. You know this team would not pay a guy like Mike Sulliven who left Pittsburgh for the mecca New York Rangers job. The Blackhawks are banking on that Blashill soaked in all of Jon Cooper’s coaching philosophies. What I do like about this hire is Blashill is a defensive guy, which this team needs if they can’t light the lamp and be one of the top offenses in the game. The Blackhawks will spin this like they got the best new thing since sliced bread. Even though I feel like we are light years away from post-season hockey. I know the Blackhawks cleaned up their own franchise with the dynasty with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. It did not take that long to go back to bad hockey and games that are not shown on television because the Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox are still in a cable dispute that has gone on way too long. Nobody wants to stream their product being the 31st overall team. I’m not drinking the kool-aid or smoking their peace pipe until they get this franchise once again out of the hockey purgatory and act like an original six team. Act like a big market so the Sullys of the world will pick Chicago jobs over the Big Apple.

NHL 2025 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTIONS

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In round two of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I went an even 2-2 in all 4 series I predicted. In round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I went 6-2. That gives me an 8-4 record overall in the NHL playoff series in this 2025 Stanley Cup post-season. I have not done well at predicting the games my prediction won it in. Perhaps I need to pick up my crystal ball from the cleaners. Now we are down to the final 4 teams in the Stanley Cup post-season. We have two playoff series as I try to predict winners of the two conferences championship games. I could just give you the match up from last year between Edmonton and Florida and call it a day. I want you to read them as I did not just go with the same two teams from last year. I will offer one hint as one of the two teams from last year make it back to the Stanley Cup finals. One does not. We will see if I’m right as I roll out my two predictions for the Stanley Cup conference championship games.

THE FINAL 4

WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

DALLAS STARS VERSUS EDMONTON OILERS

Season series: (2-1) favoring the Stars, Playoff history: (6-2) 8 series favoring Stars

Second round results: Stars eliminated the Jets in six games. The Oliers eliminated the Golden Knights in 5 games.

First round Dallas knocked out the Avalanche while Oilers knocked out the Kings

This is the third straight season the Dallas Stars have reached the Western Conference finals. It’s the third time in 4 seasons the Oilers have reached the Western Conference finals. This will be the second year in a row that the Stars and Oilers face off in the Western Conference finals as we know Edmonton prevailed last year.

For the Oilers, this team runs on Connor McDavid, one of the NHL superstars. Every Michael Jordan needs that Scottie Pippen and the Oilers have that in Leon Draisaitl. For most of the post-season, it has been McDavid and Draisaitl carrying this team on their shoulders. The Oilers finally got some other contributors in the last round. Guys like Corey Perry, Adam Henrque, and the degenerate gambler Evander Kane. Finally others are finding ways to score other than Connor and Leon.

MIRO RETURN

In the second round, the Stars got back their best defensive player in Miro Heiskanen who missed the first round. The Stars have solid goal-tending, they have a deep defensive unit, and Miro is the real deal. The Stars on offense have a slew of scoring forwards that have been contributing. Even the man of steel.

In 4th liner, is Sam Steel who has made the best of his playing time so far in the post-season adding his few pucks into the nets.

The Oilers I thought would be knocked out quickly by the Kings in the first round. They then surprised me when they dominated the Golden Knights. I think defense beats offense. The Oilers goaltender, Stuart Skinner, has been stopping the pucks he needs to stop. He’s not letting anything easy get by while the superstars handle the full load on the other side of the ice. The Stars goaltender, Jake Oettinger, has covered up the net up like the blob eating everything that is shot at him.

The Stars have the 3rd best penalty killing team while the Oilers are 3rd worst. I think the Stars will make Skin ole Stuart Skinner alive with shots coming at him from all directions. I feel the Stars can contain the Oilers superpower while policing the other suddenly contributors Edmonton had last series. I feel like I should just stick with the Oilers because they screwed me every time in this post-season so far. I’m that guy that believes better defense can beat the better offense. Count me out on the same match up as last season’s Stanley Cup final.

OUR PREDICTION: STARS WIN IT IN 6 GAMES

EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

CAROLINA HURRICANES VERSUS FLORIDA PANTHERS

Season series: (2-1) favoring the Panthers, Playoff history: (4-0) 4 series favoring Panthers

Second round results: The Hurricanes eliminated the Capitals in 5 games. The Panthers eliminated the Maple Leafs in 7 games.

First round Carolina knocked out the Devils while the Panthers knocked out Tampa Bay.

The defending champions, Florida Panthers, now have reached their third straight Eastern Conference championship and looking for the two-peat. The Carolina Panthers are 8-2 in the post-season so far and making it look easy. The Hurricanes have that stingy defense while the Panthers will knock the daylights out of you with that aggressive style of fore checking.

Frederik Anderson has been one of the best goalies in post-season for the Carolina Hurricanes. With his play in the net, the Hurricanes have a plus 16 goal differential in the post-season so far. The Panthers made some nice savvy moves to improve an already championship roster at the trade deadline. A former Boston Bruin is paying off.

Brad Marchland has 12 post-season goals already in the first two playoff series for the Panthers. Could he be the equalizer for Anderson’s net play?

The Hurricanes have been knocking on the door with this group trying to get over the hump into the finals for the last few seasons. The Panthers have been battle tested so far in the first two rounds with the Lightning and Leafs last round. Will the Panthers be worn out after fighting their way back in that series versus Toronto after going down 2 games to nothing? The Hurricanes are one of the best teams at puck handling and possession of the biscuit on the ice. It seems like Florida can do whatever the Panthers do, just better at it. The Panthers goalie, Sergei Bobrovski, turned into the brick wall when needed in that Leafs series in the net. I like the champs experience in general and their team has the depth it needs and can handle adversity. The Canes have had it too easy in the post-season and will find out what adversity is when the Panthers start to put them in their place.

OUR PREDICTION: PANTHERS IN SIX GAMES

NHL 2025 STANLEY PLAYOFFS: SECOND ROUND PREDICTIONS

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In round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I predicted 6 out of the 8 game series right. I went 6-2 in straight up winners. I did not do well in predicting the right amount of games of my winners winning the series. In the first round I went 1-7 in that category. I will once again throw my two cents into the ring and throw in my hopeful savvy predictions for round two. We have two series in each conference left. I have predicted each series once again with a winner and by the games it will take them to win and move on to the semi-finals. Some of these series could go wither way. That’s why the Stanley Cup playoffs are one of the best post-seasons in sports so we may be surprised if my picks go well or go wonky. I lean on the side of wonky but am still optimistic about my winners. This is why we play the games to see if I end up with egg on my face.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

CAROLINA HURRICANES VERSUS WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Season series: (2-2) Playoff history: Carolina (1-0) 1 series

First round results: Washington eliminated Montreal in 5 games. Carolina eliminated New Jersey in 5 games.

The Capitals and Hurricanes feature two goalies with the highest save percentage left in the tournament. Both goalies were injured in the first round. The Hurricanes’ net minder, Frederik Anderson, is expected to play in this series. Logan Thompson for the Capitals returned in the same game he was injured. Thompson is locked in.

Do the Hurricanes have the recipe to defeat the Capitals with constantly pressure and puck possession? Head Coach of the Hurricanes, Rod Brind Amour, has a system focus on possession on the puck. The Capitals remain one of the top seeds left in the NHL playoffs and will have the home ice. Why do the experts doubt the Capitals getting by the Hurricanes? When the Hurricanes seem the favorite in a series they fold like cheap card table.

The Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov scored 5 goals in the first series versus the Devils. He is tied with the most tallies in the Stanley Cup playoffs so far of the players that teams have survived. This should be a series that goes the distance. I feel it’s the Capitals’ time right now as Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Getzky’s record. He is due to heat up at any time. The Capital have many games where they dominate with the most shots as a team. I think Thompson will stay hot in the next that will decide this series.

OUR PREDICTION: CAPITALS IN 7 GAMES

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VS FLORIDA PANTHERS

Season series: (3-1) favoring Florida. Playoff history: Florida (1-0) 1 series

Round 1 results: Toronto eliminated Ottawa in 6 games, Florida eliminated Tampa Bay in 5 games.

I did not think the champs were going to hold off the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Panthers proved me wrong. Matthew Tkachuk, back for the Panthers and playing well in the first round, was the X factor for the defending champs defending their title from last season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs avoided the one and done this go around in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The award is a Panthers team that won it all last year and are another demon in the minds of these Maple Leafs. Yes two years ago the Panthers and Maple Leafs met up in the 2nd round as the Panthers put away Toronto 4 games to 1. The Maple Leafs are a better team than two seasons ago and should provide their fan base a better showing versus the Panthers this round. The Maple Leafs with their net minder Anthony Stolarz could hang with the Panthers. He will need to get red hot to give the Maple Leafs any chance to prevail in this series. The Panthers will throw bodies at Stolarz in front of the net to cause confusion and make sure he has plenty of blind spots. The depth of the Panthers helps as this roster is geared up for another long run. The experience goes the Panthers’ way as well. I believe the Lightning flipped the Panthers’ playoff switch as this team in dialed in for a repeat.

OUR PREDICTION: PANTHERS IN SIX GAMES

WESTERN CONFERENCE

DALLAS STARS VS WINNIPEG JETS

Season series: (3-1) favoring Winnipeg. No playoff history.

Round 1 results: Dallas eliminated Colorado in 7 games. Winnipeg eliminated St. Louis in 7 games.

The Stars and the Jets took their first round series to the brink and prevailed in their game sevens to get here. The Stars beat a solid Colorado team who many thought would be a Stanley Cup contender. The Stars did it without guys like Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. The Jets goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, can finally say he slayed his dragon playoff nightmares winning that game 7. The Jets had to fight and claw their way back in that game with a comeback in game 7. Connor was a brick wall in the two overtimes. Is that enough to believe he and his Jets can use that game 7 to take down this Stars team?

The Stars and the Avalanche – many said the winner gets to the Stanley Cup championship. The Stars stayed poised not rushing their studs back into the stables. Now they will get those two guys back for this second round series. Mikko Rantanen was huge for the Stars in the first round against his former team, the Avalanche. The Jets meanwhile have injuries to Mark Scheirele and Josh Morrissey who could play but will not be 100%. The Stars will give Hellebuyck a new playoff nightmare after this series as he and the Jets will not be able to stop this deep Stars team.

OUR PREDICTION: STARS IN 5 GAMES

EDMONTON OILERS VS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Season series: Even (2-2) Playoff history: Vegas (1-0) 1 series

Round 1 results: Edmonton eliminated LA in 6 games. Vegas eliminated Minnesota in 6 games.

The Edmonton Oilers looked like they were going to be knocked out of the playoffs quickly by the LA Kings who put a beat down on goalie Stuart Skinner. The Vegas Golden Knights were also being battle tested early on in their series versus the Wild. Both teams made adjustments. The Oilers went with Calvin Pickard who saved this Edmonton team in the net. Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy made a line change putting Jack Eichel and William Karlsson on the same line which worked well as the Golden Knights then buried the animals in the dessert. The Oilers team was carried by their two superstars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. You want your superstars to do the heavy lifting but not everything. It seems like the rest of the team was MIA.

The Oilers will need other members of their team to contribute in round two. The Golden Kights have the golden hair, Thor, the man that can contain Connor McDavid and that is William Karlsson, who has had the best of the Oilers lead scorer. The Oilers have missed the absence of Mattias Ekholm, a guy that can make this Oilers squad a well-oiled machine. The Oilers don’t have enough Roughnecks to keep up with this Vegas squad through a 7 game series. Can you bet against McDavid and Draisaitl? I can count on Calvin Pickard to save the series in the net so I have to go Vegas.

OUR PICK: GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN SIX GAMES

NHL 2025 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: FIRST ROUND PREDICTIONS

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The NHL playoffs are one of the better post-seasons to watch in all of sports. The first round of the 2025 Stanley cup playoffs has some epic match ups on the docket. Unfortunately I do not have a pony in the race as my team has been at the bottom of the barrel in the NHL for years, and there’s no sign of any day light anytime soon.

Maybe I’m in need of adopting a new team in the 2025 playoffs without being one of those bandwagon jumpers. Some solid choices to root for. Everyone has teams or cities you dislike as I do too. Without prejudging any team or city that made the playoff tournament. I threw my hat into the ring and executed a winner out of each series by looking at all the data and going with gut feelings. I am not guaranteeing any epic outcomes in my picks. I may be off my rocker. I may be dead on with my predictions. My gut tells me I’ll end up Even-Steven somehow. We will see as I can’t be the only one to throw darts at each match up and come out smelling like roses. Here we go round one, let the games begin of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

ST. LOUIS BLUES VS WINNIPEG JETS

This series should be a low scoring affair between these two teams. It’s the Jets’ second straight season where they have won over 50 games. For the Blues they won 13-16 games to close the season out. You could say for St. Louis they have been one of the hotter teams in the last 3 months because they play solid defense. Meanwhile the Jets as a team have lit the lamp during regular season 273 times which is tied for 4th in the league. The Jets’ top scorers are Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele who have combined for 79 goals this season.

Can the Blues goalie, Jordan Binnington, relive the magic years back when he got hot and St. Louis went all the way to capture the Stanley Cup? Binnington played a big part in the net for Canada in the Frozen Four tournament this past February. The Jets have one of the best net minders in the league in Connor Hellebuyck. Can the Blues do what the Avalanche did to Hellebuyck last post-season & make him look average?

Hellebuyck suited up for the United States in that face off Frozen Four tournament. I think it’s Connor time here. Jets avenge last year’s post season nightmare and dispatch the Blues who lack true fire power in this match up.

OUR PICK: JETS IN SIX GAMES

DALLAS STARS VERSUS COLORADO AVALANCHE

The Stars vs Avalanche is one of the biggest match ups in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Both teams are Stanley Cup contenders as one of them will be going home after the first round. The Stars have been consistent all year round. The Stars have 8 snipers who can put the puck in the net. Eight guys with 20 or more goals. The Avalanche tinkered with their roster and made some nice solid moves. This may be a better Avalanche roster than they had when they won the Cup in 2022. If this series goes the distance, game seven favors Dallas. About their Head Coach, Pete DeBoer, his teams are 8-0 in series deciders which is game 7’s.

Dallas comes into the post-season with a 7 game losing streak which it’s very hard to flip the switch to post-season. The Stars lack defense as they will have to rely on their goal scoring to win this series. The Avalanche superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will not be held back in this series and will have a field day exploiting the Stars’ weakness in front of the castle.

OUR PREDICTION: AVALANCHE IN SIX GAMES

MINNESOTA WILD VERSUS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

The Wild have gone through many injuries this season just to get to this point. The Vegas Golden Knights are in familiar grounds, the post-season, where they thrive even though they were just a expansion team not many moons ago. The Wild will have two of their main guys going in this series: Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson E.K. The Wild ranked 26th in the league in scoring which averages out to 2.74 goals per game. The Golden Knights average 3.34 goals per game which is 5th in the league. The good things for the Wild is their goalie, Filip Gustavsson, who could make any playoff series a tough out. The Golden Knights also struggle on the penalty kill which can help the Wild. The Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel had a monster year with 93 points in regular season.

I like the X-San Jose Shark, Tomas Hertl, who is a post- season beast. He’s my X-factor as he has 16 goals & 24 points in 29 post-season games from his days wearing the teal. The Golden Knights have a deeper roster and are more skilled than this Wild squad.

OUR PICK: GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN 5 GAMES

LA KINGS VERSUS EDMONTON OILERS

This is the 4th time in so many years the Oilers and Kings will mix it up in the post-season. The Oilers have won all three series.

Connor McDavid is the top super star of the NHL which will give the Oilers a big advantage in this series. The Kings are no joke in this series. In the last month of regular season, the Kings offense have scored 64 goals which was the most during that time span. The Kings goalie, Darcy Kuemper, is having a great season in his first year in LA. He had 31 regular season wins. What worries me about the Oilers is they will not have their top defenseman. Mattias Ekholm has been ruled out this series. Does LA have an X-factor in X-Oiler Warren Foegele who they can unleash on Edmonton. Foegele had three post-season goals for Edmonton last season. Let’s not forget about Leon.

Leon Draisaitl is another superstar in the NHL who is not talked about enough. The Kings will make this a series. It will go the full tilt. In the end, McDavid and Draisaitl help Edmonton just get by the Kings in the first round.

OUR PICK: OILERS IN SEVEN GAMES

EASTERN CONFERENCE

MONTREAL CANDADIENS VS WASHINGTON CAPITALS

We all are thinking the same thing. Can Alex Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky’s record and win the Stanley Cup in the same season? In the first round, the Capitals face a rebuilding Montreal team with plenty of youth that can go wild. The Capitals had a monster year this season winning over 50 games. The Canadiens need their net minder to be unstoppable in this series. Can Sam Montembeault have that kind of series?

I can say Logan Thompson for the Capitals could have that epic goalie run in the post-season. Thompson finished with a .910 save percentage and has only allowed 2.49 goals per contest. The focus will be on the Russian. Hiding on the ice somewhere will be Tom Wilson who creates havoc and get under players’ skin. Wilson can put the puck into the net as well as he had 33 goals this season. The Capitals have depth and defense and can score over the inexperience of this Montreal squad.

OUR PICK: CAPITALS IN 5 GAMES

NEW JERSEY DEVILS VERSUS CAROLINA HURRICANES

The Devils’ number one fan is David Puddy from Seinfeld. This series will be very interesting and I can see this one going the distance. The Devils will be without Jack Hughes which can hurt New Jersey’s chances. The Carolina Hurricanes are one of the best 5 on 5 in the league. They also allowed the fewest shots in the league. The Devils are no slouch in their team game. New Jersey has the 3rd ranked power play unit in the league. They also have the second ranked penalty kill. Both teams have solid special teams as the Hurricanes have the top ranked penalty kill in the league. Let’s talk goalies.

The Hurricane’s number goalie is Frederik Andersen who has battled all year through injuries. The Devils allow the 5th fewest goals in the league due to their goalie, Jacob Markstrom. The Devils are not the demon they are without Jack Hughes which has deflated this team. The Hurricanes always seem to get past the first round of these NHL playoffs and I think they continue that tradition and dispatch the Devils which takes game 7 to do so. The Devils will give a good fight, but it all ends in hell for Jersey.

OUR PICK: HURRICANES IN 7 GAMES

OTTAWA SENATORS VERSUS TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

The first question about Toronto: Can they slay their own playoff demons? The Senators have a very nice young core for the Maple Leafs to deal with. It starts with Brady Tkachuk, Jake Sanderson, and Tim Stutzie.

Let’s not forget about the stud Toronto has in Aushon Matthews. The Maple Leafs also have Mitch Marner and Williams Nylander. Toronto has improved their defense this season which could help them get past the first round. The Senators have solid defense and goal tending allowing only 2.80 goals per game. Since the 2004-2005 lock out season, the Maple Leafs have been ousted 8 out of 9 times in the first round. Yikes!!! I think the only way Senators win this series is if the Maple Leafs beat themselves and hand Ottawa the series. This Toronto team is deep, very dangerous, and if they get passed the Senators, they will build up confidence in the second round.

OUR PREDICTION: MAPLE LEAFS IN 5 GAMES

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VERSUS FLORIDA PANTHERS

This is the must watch series of the first round. When it comes to the state of Florida, you think college football rivals. This Florida series has been epic. This is the 4th time in the last 5 years the Lightning and Panthers have met on a date in the Stanley Cup post-season. The Panthers finally slayed the bolts last year and won it all. The Lightning have won back to back Stanley Cups in 2020 and ’21. Can the Panthers defend their title run this season or will fatigue play a role in back to back grinding post-season play? The Lightning have been hot while the Panthers finished the season threading water. The Panthers may be without Matthew Tkachuk who was a big part of why this Florida team went all the way last year. The Lightning still have the stopper in goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who had the most wins with 37 during the regular season. The Panthers acquired Seth Jones from the Blackhawks during the season. Jones is over paid and will need to find his game he lost years ago to help prevent the Panthers from being derailed early on.

Another X-Blackhawk, Brandon Hagel, had 35 goals this season for Tampa Bay. The Lightning have the fire power as Jack Guentzel’s first year in Tampa Bay he had a 40 goal season. This Lightning team is in the top ten at killing penalties. They are 6th in the fewest goals allowed with an average of 2.40. The Lightning always had the Panthers’ number. Without Tkachuk for the Panthers who is the heart and soul of this team, it will be tough for Florida to overcome. I like the Lightning striking in a long drawn out epic series between these two powerhouses.

OUR PICK: LIGHTNING IN SEVEN GAMES

THE RUSSIAN MACHINE

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How many people are really that excited by Alex Ovechkin making NHL history with his 895th goal that breaks the Great One’s record? The Great One is Wayne Gretzky, probably the best hockey player of all-time some would say. Gretzky became the all-time NHL goals leader back in 1994 when he passed the great Gordie Howe who had 801 NHL goals in his career. Gretzky would hang up the skates lighting the lamp 894 times in his NHL career. The Great One held the record for 31 years and 14 days until Sunday when Alex Ovechkin AKA the Russian Machine made history. He’s also known as the Great 8 or in some circles goes by The Mechanic. Ovechkin hits a laser blast past the New York Islanders goalie for a power play goal and it becomes the record setter. Ovechkin hails from Moscow as Russia is his mother country and has had pictures taken with their dictator Vladimir Putin. The dick head Putin sent out his congratulations to Alex as Russia was successful at least at taking over a record unlike the country of Ukraine. Ovechkin plays for the Washington Capitals which is now Donald Trump country. The Great One had personality as a player your own kid can get behind. While Ovechkin looks like a guy after a hockey game who takes on a job to make a hit on somebody for the KGB. Maybe that’s why they nicknamed him The Mechanic.

It definitely was a surreal moment on Sunday after the goalie, Alex Ovechkin, did his own slip and slide version on the ice. Instead of that yellow plastic sprinkler laid out on the grass for kids to play on during hot summer days. The NHL and the game of hockey have always been a classy sport in sportsmanship. After a playoff series that could go the distance and turn most of your guys black and blue from the grinding punishment by each team, they always shake hands when that playoff round concludes. The Capitals face the Islanders and all the New York players shook Ovechkin’s hand. The New York crowd on hand witnessed NHL history & got to their feet to give the superstar a loud round of applause out of respect for the accomplishment on the ice. Ovechkin scored the goal off his fellow countryman in the Islanders net, Ilya Sorokin, who he joked about in a good way. The assists on the goal came from two of the Great 8’s longtime teammates, Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome. The goal occurred in the 2nd period as the game had a special stoppage as Wayne Gretzky was on hand to congratulate Ovechkin on breaking his record and did so with class. Gretzky remembered Gordie Howe being there at the stadium when he broke his record back in 1994. Ovechkin also mentioned his former teammates. Even the ones who could not play that game due to being injured. He said all the right things and had his family around him celebrating the NHL milestone with him. It’s a record he should be able to hold, like Gretzky did for a long long time.

It took Alex Ovechkin 61 games as he scored his 42nd goal of the season to break the Great One’s record at the age of 39. You have to respect anyone playing a professional sport in their late 30’s and has those kinds of results. It’s a contact sport as well which takes a lot of wear and tear each grinding season you play. He was not like some old veteran past his prime who should have been put out to pasture just hanging on to break some kind of iconic record. Ovechkin will be a for-sure first round ballot Hall of Famer as now he has the record of 895 goals as he dished out 724 career assists for a total of 1,619 points. He will get past 900 goals but 1,000 may be out of his reach at this age. He has played 20 seasons in the NHL all with the Capitals which is unheard of in sports playing your entire career with the same team. Even Wayne Gretzky played with more than one team as he played for the Edmonton Oilers and LA Kings. It was great for Capital fans seeing their guy break that NHL record wearing the Washington sweater. Ovechkin showed he was a class act guy not wanting to break this special milestone with a empty net shot as he had the other night before the Sunday game versus the Islanders. Now the Capitals as a team have gotten past this hurdle of this special record their teammate broke. They can gear up for the NHL post-season. As a team, the Capitals have played well all season as they are in first place in the Metropolitan division with a 49-19-9 record. Ovechkin helped the Capitals win their first and only Stanley Cup a few years back. This Capitals team has a great shot at winning it all this season. The Great One won a total of 4 cups in his legendary career. When you compare the basketball careers of Michael Jordan and Lebron James, what’s the best way to win that argument? Jordan won six titles and never lost in a championship game. King James could have all the stats but Jordan is the GOAT in the NBA.

When we think of Russia as a country, their land grab in Ukraine is a conflict that has gone on long enough. This war has affected their athletes as the Russian country has been banned from the Olympics and many international sports competitions around the globe. During the early 1980’s, we thought their Olympic hockey team was invincible.

When that underdog hockey team, the U.S.A, pulled off the miracle win against that Red Army Russian team in those 1980 Olympics, it was special. We as a country have been through the Cold War with the USSR. We have had peace with them for many years as well. I don’t want to sound like Rocky Balboa after Rocky 4 in his peace speech after the Italian Stallion defeated the Russian boxer Ivan Drago. Most people in the world have nothing to with the people that work our governments. Even though technically we get a say via a vote. I’m sure Alex Ovechkin puts his pants and skates on one leg at a time. I’m sure most Russian citizens like to sit down at their local pub and have a drink just like the rest of the world. Great food and drink along with some great sports competitions is what the world should be about. How many Capitals fans have waited a long time to see that franchise win a cup? Ovechkin helped deliver that. Maybe you can throw him a new nickname like “The Capital Machine.” Right now he wears number 8 and the Great 8 seems to be the perfect name for a guy that just broke a NHL record that is one of the hardest to break in sports. It’s a great moment for whichever race, color, creed, country etc etc. I saw this record broken twice in my lifetime and many may never see this again for very long time. Talking about a different generation a long time from now. You have to have longevity and prepare your body & mindset to stand the grueling game for 20 seasons or more, along with having the talent to do that. Impressive!!