The Stanley Cup Finals are now set. It’s an unlikely match-up between a #6 and a #8 team. And to get there, they had to beat a #1 and #3 team. At that point, the Kings were expected to make it through to the Finals, while the Devils pulled off a bit of an upset over the Rangers.

It was also somewhat difficult to guess the length of the series. The Devils’ medium length series threw everyone off, while not many thought the Kings would dispatch the Coyotes in such quick fashion.

The standings are still pretty close, and it’s still anyone’s Pick ‘Em. So to that end, check below for the complete results of Round Three, and check back Wednesday for the Stanley Cup Final picks. Continue reading 2012 NHL Playoffs Expert Picks: Third Round Results »

Only four teams remain in the NHL playoffs. The Devils try to continue their run against another powerful divisional rival while the Kings and Coyotes each try to cap off a Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Finals.

And here at SoB, it’s looking like it’ll be the Rangers and Kings meeting for the Cup. The Devils did get a vote as well, and the Rangers have been through two seven-game series, so there may be something too that too.

So be sure to check below for the complete set of picks, and check back one the Stanley Cup Finals are set for the results. Continue reading 2012 NHL Playoffs Expert Picks: 3rd Round »

The NHL is down to its final four teams, including an improbable #8 seed. There’s also a #1 seed on the other coast bringing elite goaltending (among other things) to the table, so the next round should be full of surprises.

But for now, the second round wasn’t too kind to our experts. The Coyotes and Devils each pulled off big upsets. The Rangers and Kings did come through for the majority, though. Perhaps the toughest part was figuring out how many games each series would last. In fact, only one set of picks had any right.

That keeps everyone about the same point totals apart as before, but there’s still enough action to change all of that. So check below for the results, and check back later for the next round’s pick. Continue reading 2012 NHL Playoffs Expert Picks: Second Round Results »

The second round has begun, and it’s time to see whether the several upset-minded teams can keep their runs going. Four lower seeds made it to the second round, including the #8 Los Angeles Kings.

The Kings have been picked by the majority of our panelists to make it past St. Louis after upsetting Vancouver. The Capitals are also making some noise after dethroning the champs, and Nashville is also looking to move forward on the road against Phoenix.

So check below for the complete picks, and check back once the second round is complete for the results. Continue reading 2012 NHL Playoffs Expert Picks: Second Round »

The first round is over, and it was full of upsets, particularly in the East. There wasn’t too much success overall picking series winners, though series length picks mitigated that somewhat.

The Rangers were the easiest pick to make, though they could just as easily have lost. The Devils were the only other clear majority to pick up a win.

That should make for an interesting second round, but for now, it’s pretty close for the lead in our competition, with four panelists within three points of each other for the lead. With the field of NHL teams shrinking, every point matters, so check below for the results so far, and check back Sunday for the next round of picks.
Continue reading 2012 NHL Playoffs Expert Picks: First Round Results »

The playoffs are here at last, and it’s time to see if the Bruins have what it takes to repeat in a year with several strong rivals. And for the occasion, we here at Sports of Boston have brought you a panel of our experts to give their thoughts on how everything will turn out. To keep track of how everyone is doing, the following metric will be used:

• Correctly picking a series winner is worth two points.
• Correctly guessing how many games a series will last is worth one point.

In the first round, there’s a decent amount of agreement, with four series having unanimous winners and two others having just one dissenting vote. While no series was picked to have a unanimous length, you will find a fair amount of agreement in some series. Especially with winners pick so much in agreement, each pick against the grain in the earliest round (with a whopping eight series) can make or break a pick set.

So with that in mind, check below to see everyone’s first round picks, and check back after the first round concludes for updated results.
Continue reading 2012 NHL Playoffs Expert Picks: First Round »

With the NHL season over and the playoffs upon us, it’s time to announce the results for the Regular Season Pick ‘Em. Except for the Bruins and Canucks, everyone was largely surprised. The Rangers, Panthers, Blues and Coyotes were all surprise division winners, to go with a few other dark horses. Picking seeding was also difficult, with the Canucks being the only easy pick (for the top seed).

So where did that leave everyone? How did the teams that made it in treat everybody? Without further ado, the winner of the 2011-2012 NHL Pick ‘Em is… Continue reading 2011-2012 NHL Expert Picks Results »