Hi there Mopsters, today I’d like to discuss the Sweet Science. My father loves the Sweet Science. I don’t recall really seeing my father watch boxing in the past few years, or him ever stepping into a boxing ring for that matter, but he certainly loves the Sweet Science. This one is for you dad. The Sweet Science.

Meet Zachary ‘ZUNGRY’ Ochoa. Very much like many of you, he’s a young man who not only grew up in the Southside of Williamsburg, but is a loyal Мишка fan and loves the brand because “it resembles someone who doesn’t care what anyone else thinks about them and shows creativity in art and the urban culture”. That’s a damn fine interpretation of our brand and pretty accurate assessment of what we’re all about. Growing up in the Southside when it was a lot rougher, Ochoa was forced into situations at an early age that pushed him into fighting. His father showed him how to throw a punch at age 10, but it was his mother’s tough love that landed him in a boxing gym at the age of 13. He’s been hooked on the Sweet Science ever since.

At the age of 14, Zachary ‘ZUNGRY’ Ochoa was named New York State Junior Olympic Champion at 115lbs, EXB Champion 115lbs, & Florida State Platinum Gloves Champion at 119lbs. At age 15, he won Best Knockout in the Junior Olympics, and by the age of 16, he was once again NY State Junior Olympic Champion, at 138lbs, United States North East Regional Champion, New York State LIB Champion, and by 17 he was the NY State Metropolitan Champion at 132lbs.

Pretty impressive for a young Mishkateer wouldn’t you say? After dominating in the Amateur boxing scene, he decided to finish high school (STAY IN SCHOOL KIDS) and began preparing for the next move, professional rankings. He had his first Pro fight in September of 2011 and not only defeated an opponent that boasted a 90 fight record as an amateur, but won Best Knockout of The Night. He also abstains from alcohol and drug use, and stays focused on his passion, boxing. STRAIGHT EDGE YO I SUPPORT THAT FULLY.

So things are fully underway in the NBA Playoffs, and thankfully the Los Angeles Lakers are still alive. As such, I’m able to be here writing this preview, as opposed to curled up in the fetal position in my closet playing with my Kobe Bryant action figures. That’s not really a surprising revelation. This was a strange first round, somehow very predictable but utterly surprising at the same time.

You may scoff (and, to be fair to myself, I had a vague intuition about this very thing happening) but I can’t stress how big Derrick Rose’s injury is both to this playoffs, and potentially the next few years in the NBA. I mean the fact that Doug Collins’ 76ers defeated the Chicago Bulls completed changed the landscape of the East. First of all, congrats to Doug Collins. I like that dude. Second of all, their second round matchup against the Celtics is actually a totally winnable series.

Hell, they almost stole game 1 in TD Garden two nights ago, and the Celtics are only going to get more exhausted and geriatric looking. Speaking of the Celtics, they beat the Hawks. Because they’re the Hawks, so, duh. They continue to be excitement kryptonite. Meanwhile the Heat steamrolled the Knicks, who did a great job of making themselves look foolish (and leaving the Big Apple understandably worried about the future. Theoretically, this should’ve been the best version of the team we’ll see in the Carmelo/Amar’e/Chandler cycle. Uh-oh. Nothing about that longest-playoff-losing-streak-in-history snapping victory felt good at all.

Also, the Heat played well in 4th quarters (and did again last night against the Pacers). Fuuuuuuuck. Speaking of the Pacers, after a bizarre Game 1 loss that I’m going to chalk up to some Illuminati placing a big bet, they made quick work of the crippled Magic. No surprises there. The West played out pretty predictably is well. Spurs had no trouble and continue to fly under the radar looking great. Tim Duncan has presumably just been in a hyperbaric chamber for the past week just… knitting I guess. He probably knits.

The Thunder/Mavericks series, despite ending as a sweep for Oklahoma City, was actually a little closer than the result suggests. Dallas was actually this close to stealing two (two!) games in Oklahoma City, and you know what Dirk is like when he gets on a winning streak. Alas, repeating is hard (unless you’re the Lakers/Celtics/Bulls) and it just wasn’t Dallas’ year. Nevertheless, the apparent lack of home field dominance (weird for a team who’s city is so insanely obsessed with them) bodes well for the Lakers, who blessedly scraped by the Nuggets in a maddening 7 game series that saw Kenneth Faried going off for Denver and Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum playing like Darko Milicic and Joffrey Baratheon, respectively.

But World Peace is back, so all is well. I felt bad for the Grizz, who put up a hell of a fight, but came up against the unstoppable force that is Chris Paul. Watching that series made my blood boil thinking about CP3 in the yellow and purple. I will never, ever forgive David Stern for that. Let’s take a look at round 2!

THE EAST:

2. Miami Heat (Def. Knicks 4-1) Vs. 3. Indiana Pacers (Def. Magic 4-1)

Well, let’s just get it out there: we all saw last night’s game right? This is bizarrely possible. Not probable, no, but it’s in the realm of the real. Sebastian Pruiti, a guy who knows much more than me about the hyperspecific x’s and o’s of the game seems to think this is a rough matchup for the Big Three and after watching last night’s game I would have to agree. Especially since the Big Three has dwindles to two, as Bosh is out indefinitely with an abdominal strain.

If Danny Granger can really kick it into gear, and the Pacers can stay out of the deeply weird foul trouble they found themselves in last night (seriously all their stars either did, or were on the verge of fouling out) we could have a good one on our hands. All that being said… fucking Lebron and Wade. If they play like they did in the second half last night, then forget about the Pacers, I don’t think anyone can take them on. You don’t know how much it pains me to type that. Also, FYI, the Pacers are the only team in the East with a vague chance to stop the Heat’s road to the Finals. Still, Heat in 6.

4. Boston Celtics (Def. Hawks 4-3) Vs. 8. Philadelphia 76ers (Def. Bulls 4-2)

First of all, I can’t help but feel like either of these teams would get slapped around something fierce by either competitor in the other East matchup, but I also called Knicks over Heat so clearly I’m short a few brain cells. Listen: Philly is a perfectly fine team, but they’re not a championship contender team. Point to someone on that roster who will take the last game seven shot and dagger it into their opponent’s heart with aplomb. Yeah, didn’t think so.

So the fact that they almost took the Celtics in Game 1 really makes this feel like the losers bracket. If the Celtics can keep up physically, I think they should have this one, but I really can’t imagine how exhausted they must be. They do have stars though (the Sixers don’t) and never put a playoff series past Paul Pierce and his gross, gross facial hair. Celtics in 7. 

THE WEST:

1. San Antonio Spurs (Def. Jazz 4-0) Vs. 5. Los Angeles Clippers (Def. Grizzlies 4-3)

I’m actually really excited for this series as well. This should be a real bruiser. I imagine that finally getting past the first round of the playoffs will be a big influence on the way this Clippers team plays, and hopefully somebody (anybody!) will step up to help Chris Paul get it done. Now really is the place where Blake Griffin proves himself and becomes the Kobe to CP3s Shaq (don’t call me out for position discrepancies, it’s a feel thing) or fades into the melange of medium-good players that surround a star (like Cleveland era Lebron).

Meanwhile the Spurs… it’s just so hard to say anything exciting or new or interesting about them. Yes, Tony Parker continues to play great. Yes, Boris Diaw was a great, great pickup for them. Yes, they currently have easily the best coaching in the league. No matter what they are a very, very hard team to beat. As always. Spurs in 6. 

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (Def. Mavericks 4-0) Vs. 3. Los Angeles Lakers (Def. Nuggets 4-3)

Divorcing myself from fandom for a second, this is a series that really “means something” no matter who wins it. In a way, it will define the tone of the West for the next few years. This is the perfect test for the Thunder: can the young upstart team upset the vets? Are Durant and Westbrook enough to take on Kobe? Will someone named “World Peace” murder a guy on the court?

Really though, if the Lakers have any chance of beating the Thunder they’re going to have to play like they did in Game 1 of their Nuggets series. That team can easily go to the finals and contend. The Laker team of Game 6 doesn’t even belong in the playoffs. Time to step up Bynum. Lakers in 7, because back off. 

What has been an overly exciting post season in the NHL has dwindled down to four teams. In the west, a team that was once left for dead versus one which was financially dead for quite some time. On the other coast, one of the games’ best rivalries will decide who will compete for Lord Stanley’s Mug. Let’s have a quick peek.

Western Conference :

(3) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings

A Cinderella story in the desert has been one of the steadier headlines throughout the post-season as the one-time bankrupt Coyotes have played through much adversity. Whether it was playing in front of near empty seats on a nightly basis or being the butt of jokes of the NHL the Yotes have proved pretty much everyone wrong. Their reward is a maiden voyage for the right to play for The Cup for the first time in franchise history. Their opponent, the Los Angeles Kings, have only played nine games thus far and have won eight of them.

A team which often gets drowned in the glory of the Lakers or the pesky neighboring Ducks, the Kings have went from dark horse to cup favorites in what seemed like mere seconds. Led by Jonathon Quick, LA have reminded people that there are other teams that call the Staples Center home and damn good ones to boot. Game 1 is tonight (8 pm NBCSN)

As far as predicting how this series will go is anyone’s guess because few have imagined this scenario once the playoffs started. Phoenix boast an equally strong net-minder and get scoring from all over the place so it really is anyone’s game. LA in 7.

Eastern Conference :

(1) New York Rangers vs. (6) New Jersey Devils

Unlike in the west, this match up has a bit more wow factor. Two of the games elite goalies, superstar after superstar, enough bad blood to fill up all NYC-area hospitals, all under the bright lights and the supposed allure that is Madison Square Garden. Two teams separated by a short drive or even a long walk will find themselves facing off to represent the east on the biggest possible stage.

This series promises to be better than the actual Cup Finals. If you’ve never watched a game of hockey in your life, now would be the time to do it. This is what a hockey rivalry should be. No kind words, no respect, no nothing. Just blood, sweat, and tears for either the Ranger blue or the Devils red. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. Game 1 is tomorrow night at MSG (8 pm NBCSN)

In case you haven’t noticed in the past posts, I’m quite the Devils fan. There is no reason the Devils can’t wipe the floor with these pretty boys. Rangers Suck. Devils in 6.

Spartak’s Playoff Picks: 5-7 with two perfect series

UFC on FOX once again proves the growth of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. With their NFL music introduction, educated commentary, and overall real American FOX Sports Broadcastign, sport loving, vegan chicken wing eating, root beer chugging with your friends feel. Did you experience this? I ate pasta with my family actually. It was wonderful.

Let’s jump into it with the heavy weight opening fight of the night. (I’d like to note I’m a horrible human being, and I did not watch the preliminary fights on FUELTV). Pat Barry showed his experience and age in this fight. He’s a great fighter with killer instinct, but when backed into a corner (or the cage rather) he tends to try to exchange shots, as opposed to moving out of the way of the oncoming onslaught that is another 255 lb man’s fists flying at him with might and fury.

I will say this though, I never expected to see Pat Barry mount someone, but his full mount transition into side control showed his lack of ground game knowledge. Lavar Johnson (who looks like Dwayne Johnson really) showed great stand up, and decent cardio, by way of throwing his two boulders of hands at 89mph into Pat Barry’s face and body, ultimately winning the bout in the first round.

Alan Belcher versus Rousimar Palhares. What a spectacular display of finely placed Brazilian Jiu Jitsu this match was. This was like watching a game of chess unfold in the park, except that these men can rip your limbs off and beat you with them, quite the opposite of what most chess players in parks are capable of doing. Except in Russia, I’m sure it’s different there. If you aren’t familiar with Palhares’ record, he’s known to hyper-extend his opponents knees at will.

He walks away with people’s limbs, and gives us a beautiful smile and bows as he does so. Alan Belcher is known for his intense stand up and great Muay Thai, so people already saw Palhares (pronounced PAUL HARRIS) taking the W with this one. Boy were those Jabroni’s wrong. These men met at the mat, and Belcher began to attempt a twister (a magical submission, originated by wrestlers) and the rolling began. Palhares has his legs, Belcher knows how to defend. Root beer is spilling, children are crying, these men are rolling.

You keep expecting Palhares to rip his leg clear off, until Belcher jumps into Palhares’ guard. Alan Belcher then postures up, and proceeds to drop elbows and fists directly into Rousimar’s grill until the referee decides that Palhares (Paul Harris) is no longer capable of performing in a sanctioned fight. GOOD CALL. Alan Belcher shocks the world and takes the win. THAT’S A BAD MAN! He also looks like my tattoo guy. Important to note.

The Josh Koscheck/Johny Hendricks fight was not bad if you’re an avid MMA fan, but for some I can see how it might’ve come across as a bit lack luster. Lots of strong clinching up, great punches were thrown. Koscheck proves his face is made out of a steel alloy. Hendricks takes the win by split decision, and shows great beard work.

Our final fight of the night which took place in Jim Miller’s own back yard (NEW JERSEY BRO) proved to be a great one. Jim Miller opens up aggressive and strong, with leg kicks to Diaz and clinch work against the cage. Diaz seems to go about unfazed by this though, with one minute left, he dropped Jim Miller with a straight left. Or maybe a right… A little rolling on the ground follows and it seems as though Diaz is a little more comfortable and fluent with the Jiu Jitsu.

After a barrage of classic Diaz peppering punches through out the bout, he drops Jim Miller and goes in for a sick guillotine looking hold that I picture only advanced Jiu Jitsu gods being able to use in a match. Jim Miller is submitted (which he has never been done professionally) by Diaz, earning Nick Diaz a shot at the UFC Light Weight Title. YOU HEAR THAT SUCKA? WE COMING FOR YOU N____!

When I think of LA I tend to think of family, palm trees, and one-time New York based sports franchises owned by dudes named Magic. When it comes to sports in Tinseltown, the city is owned by the Lakers as it is the lone team to bring any glory there aside from the awkwardly named Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. However, after yesterday’s 3-1 win over the St.Lunatics Louis Blues the LA Kings are headed to the conference finals for the first time since 1993.

That’s quite the accomplishment for a team that was left for dead by fans and analysts alike and barely squeaked into the post-season. The Kings spanked the second-seeded Blues, outscored them 15-6 and looked scary good the whole way. We’re talking first trip to the Cup good. Is it time to paint the town black and silver? Probably because purple and yellow is ugly as sin. Sorry Holden.

Elsewhere, the Coyotes and Predators do battle (tonight at 1030 NBCSN) in the desert as Phoenix looks to clinch their first Conference final appearance which is kind of mind blowing given they’ve been rumored to leave town for our northern neighbors for years. Could a cup run keep them there for good? Surely it can’t hurt. Rumor has it a new owner will be announced this week. Hooray!

Here on the East coast, the Rangers entertain the Capitals (Tonight at 730 NBCSN) with the series tied at two. Earlier this week the Rangers needed three OT’s to take a 2-1 lead only to have the Caps pull the rug from underneath them. Go Caps go.

Lastly, my Devils have been pretty damn impressive against the Flyers taking a 3-1 lead last night as 40-year-old birthday boy Martin Brodeur and the gang pushed the Flyers to the brink of elimination. Philadelphia could and should be without leading scorer Claude Giroux for bonehead plays like this come game 5.

Six down, two to go. One game stands between the remaining series. Win or go home. It’s that simple. It all started last night with the Bruins hosting the Caps for the right to see the light that is round two. Heading into the game, the defending Cup champions were coming off OT heroics two nights prior from Tyler Seguin to put them in a favorable position to clinch at home.

After all, this was a team who won three game 7′s en route to their first cup in 39 years just a summer ago. The Capitals however drew first blood only to relinquish it when Seguin came to the rescue yet again. For a series that had every game decided by a one-goal margin and had gone to OT three times prior; one last measly extra session wasn’t a surprise.

The real surprise occurred when Caps winger Joel Ward backhanded Mike Knuble’s shot past Tim Thomas for his first goal—with a goalie—since Jan 7th. The upset was complete as any hope of back-to-back Cups were sealed by Ward’s tally which has quickly been dubbed “the $3 million goal” since Ward is into the first season of a 4-year $12 million contract.

Later tonight, both local teams will also have their chances to advance to hockey’s elite eight as the Rangers entrain the Senators while the Devils head back to the Florida swamps. For the Rags, the refs allure of MSG will be on their side while the Sens will have to throw the kitchen sink at Lundqvist to upend the Easts best.

My Devils finish out the first round with their 8:30 start time as they hope to build on Tuesday’s overtime thriller/running man in a place they’ve won once in three trips. Despite dominating the Panthers in the last few games the Devils will have to rely once more on a rusty Brodeur if they want to consider this season successful. I might not even watch, being at game six was nerve racking enough. But lets hope the Devils can embarrass the Panthers much in the same way their COO Michael Yormark did himself via twitter.

35 years came to an end last night in Newark, New Jersey as the only professional basketball team the state has ever known closed out their 2011-2012 home campaign. What has been an interesting three and a half decades for the New Jersey Nets came to a screeching halt as the team acknowledged their past, showed off their sub par present, and looked ahead to their future with a 105-87 loss to Philadelphia.

Growing up as a kid in Jersey I had the pleasure convenience of watching the team build, rebuild, and build some more in my lifetime while coming ever so close to NBA glory. Back when the team played in the Meadowlands obtaining tickets was too easy, as people simply didn’t care much about a team who was either struck by tragedy, never really got far in the postseason and has forever been in the shadows of the incompetent Knicks. Walking around the place then as if we owned it became routine, gaining access to the locker room area was all too easy; it was actually loving them that was the hardest part.

The best thing to ever happen to the team in the past decade was the genius trade of Stephon “I now have a statue in China” Marbury for Jason Kidd. The team first mentality which had been lost on the Nets of old came in strong fashion with Kidd who led the team to two straight NBA Finals only to come up short on both attempts. It was then when being a Nets fan actually meant something.

When I spent my summer in Russia after the first Finals appearance I refused to wear anything but my conference champions shirt because I was high on pride and it mattered not that people looked at me all confused because this was years before the team got its own Russian revival. (That’s me voting for him above)

Now the team moves across state lines to Brooklyn with much uncertainty as their best player Deron Williams hits free agency, their abysmal record not enough to garner new and possible Knicks fans, and a state-of-the-art arena to welcome them with extra empty seats. Jay-Z and other Nets brass might be happy the move is finally happening but it’s hard to support a team which has turned its back on you and left for potentially greater pastures.

I can’t say just yet whether I will become a Brooklyn Nets fan or stop watching basketball altogether because despite all the heartache and pain this team has brought me throughout the years nothing compares to them forsaking New Jersey when it made countless efforts to keep them where they belong.

The first round of the NHL’s second season hasn’t reached a week and already there has been plenty of glass panes falling on players, WWF-inspired antics, nail biting overtimes, and even flying rats. It’s as if someone injected the first round with Barry Bonds like steroids with each night not only bringing a new chapter of wackiness but also getting us closer to riots in the streets that we all so dearly crave. Are you watching? No? What’s wrong with you… the road to the Cup is easily one of sports most exciting times.

The obvious big stories are of course the Flyers ability to completely steamroll the Penguins, outscoring them 20 goals to 11 and fighting everyone in black and gold and I mean everyone. They even got Hulkamania involved in the humiliation.

Out west, Whole Milk’s favorite team the Kings have outplayed the league’s best in the Canucks with one measly victory standing between them and the city of Vancouver feeling the itch to burn their town down once again.

I can’t imagine either team coming back from 3-0 down simply because they showed little heart in the first three games and while they have more firepower you can bet their opponents will play tight games to neutralize any offensive threats.

Elsewhere, the Rangers, Bruins, Blues, and Predators find themselves ahead two games to one in their respective match-ups with the remaining fixtures knotted at a game apiece. My predictions haven’t all gone accordingly but thanks to my playoff pool I’ll be able to make money off my mistakes. Only in America.

Clear your schedule, hide your razor, and say goodbye to loved ones as playoff hockey is finally upon us. From the storylines, to living and dying with every goal, to those silly rally towels; everything about hockey’s second season is soon to be in our faces like Peter Laviolette and the Penguins bench.

With the road to the Stanley Cup set to kick off on Wednesday let’s take a look at each of the first round match-ups followed by my flavorfully bold predictions.

Eastern Conference :

(1) New York Rangers vs. (8) Ottawa Senators

The Rangers ended the regular season just two points shy of the league’s best record, captured their first division title since 1994, and have been considered a strong favorite to lift Lord Stanley’s mug. Their first challenge in their quest to return to the Canyon of Heroes since 94 pits them against an Ottawa team which beat them three games to one in the regular season.

Both teams have slipped up towards the end of the year and I can see this series going either way. Despite hating the Rangers, they have much more offense weapons not to mention Henrik Lundqvist and let’s be honest, when was the last time Ottawa won anything memorable? Oh that’s right, never. Rangers in 6.

—–

(2) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Washington Capitals

The defending cup champions battle a team that at times this season had no business thinking about the playoffs and probably don’t belong in the postseason. Even though they play in the easiest division in hockey, they still needed until the second to last game to even qualify for the playoffs. Their division is so bad that four of the qualified teams from the Atlantic division would have run away with the title by a landslide.

If the Caps were smart they would get the President to record a special message just to piss off Tim Thomas because they don’t have much else going for them. Don’t forget they are likely relying on their third-string goalie against the third highest scoring team. Good luck! Bruins in 5.

—–

(3) Florida Panthers vs. (6) New Jersey Devils

Of all the teams to draw in an opening round matchup, my Devils fared quite well with the Panthers. They face a team returning to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years (who were also last eliminated by the Devils) and who like the aforementioned Caps also hail from the easiest division in hockey.

Despite splitting the regular season series the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, and Martin Brodeur outmatch Tomas Fleischmann and Brodeur’s one-time backup Scott Clemmensen. Plus the Devils should do better in home elimination scenarios as yours truly has retired from series deciding games thanks to three straight years of witnessing cup dreams crash and burn. No thank you. Devils in 5.

—–

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (5) Philadelphia Flyers

This right here is the best series in the first round hands down. The amount of hatred between these two state rivals is through the roof. Someone is probably going to die in this series. The amount of goons on these two teams is the perfect storm for what promises to be a controversially riveting match-up. Sidney Crosby will likely get another concussion yet still manage to get some asinine number of points.

Evgeni Malkin will likely turn his focus on his second Conn Smythe having just wrapped up his second Art Ross trophy for most points. All the while, Scott Hartnell and one of the Penguins countless goons will tussle (hopefully every game) before an eventual winner is decided. The Flyers will rely heavily on the universal powers of Ilya Bryzgalov as the $51 million man shows his true worth. This one is real a toss-up as I really don’t want to see either team later on. Penquins in 7.

Western Conference:

(1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings

Just like last year, the Canucks finished the regular season with the best record and the President’s Trophy that comes with it. This year saw some goalie controversy between Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider as the back-up made his case to be no.1 as trade rumors swirled around both of them. Luckily for Canucks fans they’re both still there and could split time should Luongo’s play begin to diminish in the later rounds.

The Kings were expected to push towards the top by season’s end but their medicore play never quite went away as they were pipped by the rival Sharks in the last game to drop to 8th. Luckily, Jonathon Quick has had himself a Veznia like year and could easily steal a game or two. While the two teams split the series the depth lies heavily in the Canucks corner plus I know everyone secretly wants to see them do this again. Canucks in 6.

—–

(2) St. Louis Blues vs. (7) San Jose Sharks

If there was one team I didn’t expect too much from this year, and finish where they did, it was the Blues. Having won their first division title since 2000 in a division where the Red Wings have practically owned since its inception is quite the feat. The arrival of Ken Hitchcock saw the team soar to the top of the conference as they were the first ones to clinch a berth. The two-headed monster of goalies’ Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliot were also a huge reason the Blues have been so good as both had a goals against average of under 2.

The Sharks meanwhile were at times looking to tank out of the playoff picture for the first time since 2002 and aren’t so scary as they use to be. Their goaltending continues to be their achilles heel and have already been swept by Nelly’s favorite team having been outscored 11-3 in the process. So Shimmy shimmy cocoa what? Blues in 5.

—–

(3) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (6) Chicago Blackhawks

If few expected the Blues to be as good this year as they were then I imagine no one expected much of anything from the off-season gutted ‘Yotes. A team which has been linked for a move back to Canada for years playing in front of miniscule crowds in the desert pulls out their first ever division win while being bankrolled by the league isn’t your average story. Thanks mostly to Mike Smith playing out of his mind the Coyotes are actually favored to advance beyond the first round for the first time ever.

Chicago actually finished with more points than Phoenix but thanks to the division champion rule will start off on the road. Their defense and goaltending hasn’t been so stellar but their offense should Jonathon Towes return make them way more dangerous. It’s a toss up really. Blackhawks in 7.

—–

(4) Nashville Predators vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings

We have ourselves another doozy in the other middle table match-up that features great goaltending, the old guard vs the new guys, and solid coaching. The win now Predators went as far as bringing back a player that spurned them for more money abroad in Alexander Radulov who hopes to help carry the offensive load. The only coach they’ve known will pit his wits against one of the greatest minds in hockey as this fairly new rivalry promises to entertain.

I kind of see the good ole days for the Wings at an end as they face a team trying so hard to win before free agency starts as if were their last. Detroit might be too old to stick it out with the younger Preds but then again they’re only three years removed from a Cup final and only four from winning the whole thing. The team has been a fixture in the playoffs having qualified for 22 straight years so it’s hard picking against them. They definitely have something left in the tank but I’m not sure it takes them too far. Wings in 7.

I’ll be covering the playoffs for the Bloglin to see how I either Nostradamused the ish out of my picks or failed miserably.

Another season of HBO’s 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic has come and gone with last night’s season two finale wrapping things up with the showdown at the Winter Classic. What was evident from the early going was how the producers opted to pay more attention on individuals opposed to the teams like last year.

The episode kicks off with Mr. Universe, Ilya Bryzgalov, as he is coming another loss just days shy of the Classic. The never shy net minder has forced the hand of coach Peter Laviolette to go with back-up Sergei Bobrovsky in their next game and eventually outdoors against the Rangers. We are then shown the Rangers at breakfast where soon to be waived Sean Avery wonders whether his orange juice has free refills. Again, that’s someone making $15 million a year asking about free juice. Classic.

With Bryz on the bench the Flyers visit the Penguins marking a homecoming for Jaromir Jagr and Maxime Talbot. Last time out in Philly, Scott Hartnell told Matt Cooke he was the dirtiest player in the league. This time Hartnell focuses on Evgeni Malkin who he calls “the ugliest guy in the league”. This show should really just focus on chirping more so than not. I think the viewer could do without the ever slow walking into the arena or sitting on a plane and focus more on the amount of hilarious trash talk NHL players give and take.

It really doesn’t get much better than Talbot yelling at the ref that he caught a stick in his “fucking penis” does it? Flyers go onto win as the focus shifts back to the Rangers who travel to play the Panthers. The highlight of the game is the sucker punch on Michael Del Zotto by Tomas Kopecky who in turn gets a pummeling by Mike Rupp. HBO offers a nice candid moment with Brandon Prust admitting he didn’t want to get suspended ahead of the WC so he decided against fighting.

After some family filler the focus is now solely on the Winter Classic. Bryz announces to the media he will in fact be on the bench for the game much to the unseen dismay of management, the teams practice, and it is revealed that Marc Staal will make his season debut just like his younger brother Jordan did last season on 24/7.

With the game underway we get our first interaction with Claude Giroux asking Henrik Lundqvist if he could “score one on him” (foreshadowing) to which Lundqvist replies with a light slash. Giroux then focuses on Artem Anisimov who he tries to coax into an interference call at the face-off.

The Flyers take a two-goal lead before Mike Rupp answers twice for the Rangers. After his first goal he mimics the Jagr salute, which doesn’t sit well with the Flyers who in turn plan to do the Anisimov gun salute in rebuttal. Unfortunately, they never score again but what a sight that would have been had they scored on the ever-controversial penalty shot by Danny Briere.

The Rangers secure their third straight win over the Flyers as they continue to surge to the top of the league standings. The Flyers, albeit disappointed they didn’t get two points, aren’t far off the Rangers tails.

The episode concludes with a similar montage it had opened with three weeks ago. It sums up while hockey is just a game you’d be hard pressed convincing a hockey player it’s just that. It recaps the bumps and bruises we see throughout the last episodes and everything in between. It was a fitting ending to another successful season, which as of right now could be the last.