The NHL season is well-underway, especially considering the greatly shortened length of the season. With that being said, the standings don’t look like they usually do, partly due to the low number of games played, but it also has a lot to do with the urgency felt by every team earlier than usual. The Maple Leafs and Islanders are doing well for them, while the Flyers, Rangers and defending champion Kings are opening their years with terrible slumps. The Flyers, in fact, are a point away from the league’s worst record. It’s looking to be a topsy-turvy season, at least at this point, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Saturday, February 2 at 8:00pm: Continue reading If the Playoffs Started Today – NHL Week 2 »

The NHL season is finally underway, and there’s already been plenty of tooth-and-nail action. Every team (except Washington) has won a game, three teams remain perfect and 12 teams are clustered together with four points, including eight in the East alone. So while everything’s so tight, let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Sunday, January 27 before the day’s games: Continue reading If the Playoffs Started Today – NHL Week 1 »

It took 119 long, excruciating days, but NHL games are finally in sight. The NHL and NHLPA came to a tentative agreement after a 16-hour marathon negotiating session in New York ended around 5 a.m.

That means all the talk about escrow and disclaimers of interest will soon turn into talk about forechecking and line brawls. Bruins fans will be hearing a lot less from Donald Fehr and a lot more from Rene Rancourt and Jack Edwards.

The season is likely to begin in a couple weeks although the exact date is not known, while training camp will begin at the end of this week. Continue reading NHL, Players Union Come to Agreement to End Lockout »

As we approach the 70^th day of the NHL lockout fans are getting antsy, players are getting angry, and Gary Bettman is more hated than ever. With over 400 games cancelled (including the Winter Classic and All-Star game), fans can’t help but wonder when hockey will be back. The way things are looking now, a 2012-13 season doesn’t seem very likely. So we have to wonder, if the season is lost, what will happen to the NHL? Will they be able to bounce back from this nightmare they call a lockout? And when it comes down to it, who do we point the finger at for causing all of this?

If the NHL and NHLPA figure it out, who wins?

Regardless of when this lockout ends, I think the NHL will end up on top. Continue reading Will There Be an NHL Season After the Lockout? »

The NHL season is now over, and the Los Angeles Kings have won their first title, and as the first 8-seed to win a title at that. Jonathan Quick has been named the MVP of the playoffs thanks to his efficient play in net, something the Devils had a real tough time breaking (they scored at most once in each loss).

Meanwhile, we all were watching to see how the finals would manipulate the standings of the SoB Pick ‘Em this year. Thanks to the Kings’ excellent playoff run and dominating performance, the winner of the 2012 NHL Playoffs Pick ‘Em is… Continue reading 2012 NHL Playoffs Expert Picks: Stanley Cup Results »

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Finals! It’s the Kings and Devils, certainly two unlikely teams to be in this position looking at the field before the playoffs began. Both teams’ excellent performances so far has made the series difficult to pick, with our remaining panel here at SoB split between the two.

Either way, it’s looking like a medium length series, picked to be either five or six games. And, in a new category introduced for the final round, the Conn Smythe playoffs MVP was still voted to a Kings player in any scenario. And in the event of a tie, we’re also selecting the combined save percentage of all goalies used by both teams in the last game of the series.

And as an added bonus for the final round, all point values are doubled! That means picking the winner of the series is worth four points and picking the numbers of games the series will take and the MVP are both worth two points. The combined save percentage in the final game is for tiebreaking purposes only.

So there you have hit. Check below for the complete picks and check back once a Stanley Cup champion is determined for the final standings. Continue reading 2012 NHL Playoffs Expert Picks: Stanley Cup »