GAME 7 PREDICTIONS

The first round of the 2014 playoffs ends with quite a bang. Three Game 7 and here are my predictions. 

San Jose were up 3-0 but were unable to put away the LA Kings, who suddenly found new life and now has pushed the series to a 3-3 tie. I'm not a big believer in history's impact, but the Sharks do have a way of choking in the playoffs. LA clearly has the momentum and are rolling after their poor start so I'm going with the Kings here. 

New York vs Philadelphia is a tough one. The Rangers have won their last three Game 7 but the Flyers are a typical comeback team. Wayne Simmons was great in Game 6 while most of the Rangers were not. I think this one comes down to which of the two goalies can steal the game, Mason or Lundquist. I'm going with King Henrik and his Blueshirts. 

The Colorado Avalanche will host Minnestota in a series which has seen only home wins. The Avs, and especially Nathan McKinnon, have been spectacular at home and I have a feeling they will be again. My guess is this Avalanche will roll to at least the next round. 

See You Later, Joe

One of the all-time greats is calling it quits. After 20 seasons in the NHL, all with one franchise, Joe Sakic has decided to hang up his skates. Throughout his fantastic career, the Colorado captain, known for his leathal wrist shot and smooth passing, won two Stanley Cups with Colorado and recieved the Hart Trophy in 2001.

Sakic retires as number eight in scoring. He is one of only seven players with both 600 goals and 1,000 assists (1,640)

The Vancouver native is considered one of the greatest leaders in NHL history. He was a gentleman, both on and off the ice and he will be greatly missed.

The game won't be the same without you, Joe.

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Hated/Loved Lemieux Returns

Well, Mats Sundin can't seem to make up his mind but at least someone is making a comeback. Former Conn Smythe winner, Claude Lemieux is, acording to himself, in the form of his life and is, at 43, ready to return to the league he left five years ago. While the news of his return will excite very few, it should come as a pleasant surprise to anyone trying to pick this seasons Stanley Cup winner as Lemieux, who has over 1,200 career games, seemed almost incapable of playing for a team not going all the way. He is one of only eight players to win the Stanley Cup with three different teams.

After hoisting the cup -and the Conn Smythe- with the Devils in 1995, Lemieux was traded to the New York Islanders, only to shipped off to Colorado, where he he wasted no time winning another (his third) cup. A few years later he returned to New Jersey where he won his forth cup and second as a Devil.

Acording to Lemieux, a few teams are interested in his services. And to be honest, if I were the GM for a cup-contending team I would definately sign him. I know the Dallas Stars did just that back in 2002 and it didn't pay off, but still. I hope he finds a team because I would like to see how this turns out. And seriously, who wouldn't like to see him return to Detroit ... with the Avs!

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I wonder if it will take Sundin five years to make up his mind.

IT'S A SWEEP IN DENVER

It's a blow-out win for Detroit as they sweep Colorado. The Detroit Red Wings were just too good for this Avs team. This series was a physical mismatch from the start. There were just too many injuries for the Avs to have a fair shot at upsetting the bast team in the NHL. 8-2 doesn't reflect the Avs' effort. They did put up a good fight, but Detroit are just an unbeatable juggernaut right now.

I sure hope Joe Sakic will be back next year because this is no way to end such a fantastic carreer.

I am finding it increasingly difficult to keep my eyes open so it's back to bed for me. Good night!

THE GOALIE CONUNDRUM

Having a great goalie is what gives every team a chance at winning. The Colorado Avalanche had that during the second half of the regular season and in the first round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Wild. Against the difficult Red Wings they have lacked that important component. Jose Theodore have been battling the flue as of late and haven't been the same thus he hasn't been that lock you need in net.

Of course Theodore is not entirely to blame for the Avs being down 3-0 in the series. Instead, blame Joel Quenneville for not giving the other players that fair chance att winning, which they probably would get if Peter Budaj would start in net. Quenneville keeps saying that he wants Theodore to play because he got them there. True, Jose Theodore's incredible goaltending was a huge factor against the Wild, but that is not a good reason to play him when he's playing not so great. With all the injuries this Avs team has suffered they need him to be a difference maker.

Quenneville answered any goaltending questions with "this [Theodore] is a guy that they have to count on. You win with your best and you lose with your best.

What does that tell Peter Budaj, who has come on for Theodore twice in this series and been solid? In my opinion, you play with who is hot. Quenneville's decision to stick with his number one cost the Avs two games and put them in a near impossible situation. This is no time to avoid hurting someone's feelings and Theodore knows this, he's been in the league long enough to know it's about who is hot and who is not. Starting Budaj in Game 2 could have given the Avs a better shot at tying the series at 1-1.

In Game 3 Theodore had 31 saves so maybe he has gotten over his bad spell. Question is if it's too late for the Avs as a team to do the same. No team since the 1975 NY Islanders has erased a 3-0 deficit to advance from a playoff series.

I hate to say it, but this Colorado team does not look like a history-making team.

Red Wings too much for Avs

What looked like an exciting revival of the rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche is looking more like a cat's fight with a mouse, after the mouse is out cold.

Colorado, again without Peter Forsberg, had absolutely nothing going for them as they got creamed by a Red Wings team that is looking more and more like a real cup contender. Chris Osgood keeps showing us he's still got what it takes to go all the way and Johan Franzen is playing like a man posessed, leading the playoffs is scoring after his hat-trick.

I really though the Avs would put up more of a fight even without Forsberg, but the shaky play by Jose Theodore has to be coach Quenneville's biggest worry right now. Peter Budaj replaced the former Hart Trophy winner for the second straight game and was great, giving up just one goal. If Budaj, who will surely get the start in Game 3 in Denver, can keep playing like this it will give the Avs an oppurtunity to get back into this series. If not, this series will be over in four.