Playoff Predictions: Division Finals

*This was written Tuesday morning before the first set of games, then it was edited. Nothing opinionated has changed. Apologies for the late posting.

Well after calling four series correctly and only botching one, I'm pretty confident going into this second round of hockey. Before we get to that I thought the Islanders' last 2 minutes of hockey was terrible, Tyler Johnson saved the Lightning from an early exit, Chicago didn't disappoint and I never should have doubted them, and the flip those feelings same for the Blues.

Metropolitan Division

Washington has a high powered offence, but their defense really shined in their series against the Islanders. Meanwhile the Rangers blueliners contained several great players on the Penguins' squad. 

After the first round cruising, the Rangers look rested and energized to take on Washington. Looking at the Rangers offensive pieces, its very hard for all of them to go cold. From Brassard all the way to Zuccarello, upon his return, the Rangers' forwards have proven that anyone can step up to win the game and their two-way play looks remarkable. Couple that with Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, and Ryan McDonagh and potentially Kevin Klein: the Capitals have their work cut out for them. Also, even though King Henrik is not up for the Vezina, he is still one of the best.  

Going seven games can take a physical toll on a team, as well as a mental one. However, the way Washington played in game 7, their play was head and shoulders above their opponent and they should feel confident and excited to play the Rangers. That determination needs to be there through all four lines. Beagle and Wilson have to go in hard on the forecheck and get under the skin of the Rangers d-men. Any team with Alex Ovechkin has a chance to win and Brayden Holtby is over the flu and in fine form and either can steal a game.   

I think the Rangers depth in all assets of the game is what makes this an easy call. Washington can match up fairly well but their bottom-six forwards are weaker than Kevin Hayes and company. 

Rangers in 6

Atlantic Division

Now this one is interesting, as I was watching Game 7, this morning in Doha, the Bolts are 5-0 against the Habs this year. Very impressive, but how will this play out now? Will the Lightning go north of the border over-confident or under prepared? Montreal is looking at redemption, they might even want to play best-of-nine to see if they can repay Tampa for all five loses. 

I didn't watch a single Habs' game but they will need to play good defense and forecheck like mad men. Also the stars on that team need to play like stars. No player has 3 goals on the team. Price has a GAA under two which is a standard for him post-Sochi. Subban can't be reckless again because their powerplay needs to be in full motion.

The Lightning showcased the value of the best second-line in the NHL. Tyler Johnson has 6 goals coming into the second round! Victor Hedman and Andrej Sustr are 1 and 2 in Plus/Minus! Steven Stamkos is in a scoring slump and that doesn't seem to matter; Cooper has them firing on all cylinders. Now they're going up against a team they haven't lost to this season. Ben Bishop is 10-1-2 against the Habs. 

Stats are anchoring my prediction because they're very convincing. Montreal doesn't have a proven offensive force so far in the playoffs, but Price took over the Olympics, he could take over the series. That being said, the Habs can't win every game 2-1 but they will get a couple. 

Lightning in 7  

Central Division

I didn't expect either of these teams to make it into the second round, but here they are. Chicago has a boat load of experience-- Duncan Keith's series-deciding goal was brilliant! The Wild have a deep team and a great top line with a defense that shut down a great offensive team.

Chicago is a dynasty and if they make it to the finals again I'd call them as a proven dynasty. Hjalmersson, Keith and Seabrook stepped up significantly against Nashville. The 'hawks' checkers are getting it done as usual and are getting the opportunity to play with the offensive players which spreads the teams talent that much further. Goaltending is still a big question mark, even though Crawford has a ring, but Coach Q is playing with fire swapping Darling and Crawford because this series could come down to one goal. 

The Wild cease to amaze me; actually, turn around player of the year, Devin Dubnyk, blows my mind. The rest of the team is very well put together. The defensive play of their forwards in their zone and on the fore-check is very consistent; it managed to frustrate the Blues. They're puck-hungry men, offering a very exciting style of play. Vanek and Nino are two prime X-factors against the Blackhawks, but other players like Charlie Coyle or Zucker can certainly provide some additional offense. 

Although there aren't many cup winners on the Wild they want to win and can win. The Blackhawks are consistent and can dig in their claws when they need to. No Bolland? No Problem! History repeats itself in the Windy City.
Blackhawks in 6

Pacific Division

The young guns of Calgary and gritty players throughout the Ducks roster are two very different teams. The Ducks are well rested after sweeping the Jets while the Flames roll into Disneyland with their heads high. 

I didn't have the Ducks beating the Jets, and those four games changed my opinion about the team as a whole. Defensively, the team has forwards that can do it all: Matt Beleskey can rock houses and will continue to do that against a smaller Calgary team.  The biggest thing about the Ducks is how they take over a game in the third. Not many teams are 4-0 when they're down at the start of the third. Andersen needs to keep doing what he's doing. Perry, Getzlaf, Fowler, Vatanen and guest can demolish the Flames on the powerplay which will force Cow-town to play smart and not as aggressive.     

The Flames have won a series with their young guns and Jiri Hudler leading the team. The exciting story in this match-up is Jonas Hiller. Will he be the player that was let go by the Ducks going to come back and give Karri Ramo a couple more moments in the crease, or will Hiller continue to impress in the Saddledome? Calgary's dynamite defense will have a bigger test with the Ducks' bulky forwards, and will need to continue to facilitate the offense as well. Bob Hartley has his work cut out for him, because this will be the toughest seven-game series his tykes have played all season.

Maybe I'm giving the Ducks a little more credit to than they deserve, or not enough to Calgary, but the Ducks are just a deep team with cup winners. I just can't see any line on the Flames that could shut down Perry and Getzlaf together.
Ducks in 5

Enjoy the second round, folks!

Playoffs, baby. PLAYOFFS

I wish that title was my exact feelings, but, alas, the Leafs imploded in 2015. However, sixteen teams enter the toughest tournament in the world. Four best-of-seven series to capture the Stanley Cup. Looking at match-ups it's a little upsetting from a Canadian standpoint since there can be a maximum of three of the five Canadian teams moving on to the next round. There are going to be some great bouts though. I'm going to go through them all and pick my winners. Then continue to do the same for each round. It means I'm going to have to devote myself to Gamecenter, and I can't wait!

St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild

Both of these teams don't have an enormous amount of depth at this level. Internationally, yes, but that's a whole different kettle of fish and, more importantly, a different roster. Both teams have a collection of grit players, skilled puck-handlers, and work horse d-men. 

St. Louis always looks like a team to take the whole thing but they never have an easy road to get to the playoffs and that takes a toll. I really like the look of the team their depth improves every year because they've been in the playoffs the past three years, gaining experience as they progress. With a strong core of Backes, Oshie, Pietrangelo, Bouwmeester, accompanied by Vlad Tarasenko, their leading scorer, they're very intimidating on paper. Their deadline pick-ups (Olli Jokinen and Zybnek Michalek) are great and add even more depth to the roster. It's hard to attack a weakness on the team. Elliott and Allen are both capable starters which furthers the Blues' depth

Devan Dubnyk has come out of the woodwork to get Minnesota into the postseason and he'll be playing in his first playoff game since 2006. Records show that he hasn't moved onto the second round, ever. However, he has completely turned the Wild and they're the best team he's ever had in front of him at this level. Two of whom are locals Zach Parise and Ryan Suter the anchors of the team. Suter logged major minutes and Parise led the team in goals. I'm interested to see how the wiley Nino Niederreiter plays, he had 5 game-winners during the season plays with that grit you need in the playoffs. He is the team's x-factor. A part from Suter the defense looks pretty young but their toughness should make up for that. 

I think I overused the word depth when talking about St.Louis, they were in Minnesota's position three years ago. Blues in 5.  

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators

This is my second favorite first round series. Both teams have few weaknesses, the team that exercises their strength will defeat the other. Nashville has some unreal team defense and tending, while Chicago has a playoff tested team that plays very good hockey.

The Blackhawks have been touted as one of the Dynasties in the league having won two cups since 2010 and reaching the Western Finals four times in that span. Now, Patrick Kane broke his collarbone and is starting to skate but still hasn't taken part in contact drills. His presence on the ice is a make or break for Chiacgo because there is no other player on the team with hands like him. Captain Serious still steers the ship with Coach Q while Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook lead the defensive corps. Their young role players are playoff-tested and I'd look to one of them to fill in for Kane, for at least this series. Crawford will need to be a showstopper for the boys in red.

The Preds have a new coach that has tons of playoff experience, and they have the talent to go deep into the playoffs. We'll work our way out from the crease: Pekka Rinne is a monster. I always put him as a Vezina winner because he's quick and a mountain of a man. Shea Weber and the other blueliners are big and fast. At one point during the season their GM said Cody Franson is the best passer he has ever drafted. He is a great passer, but when you say that after drafting the likes of Roman Josi, Seth Jones, Ryan Ellis (x-factor), departed Ryan Suter, and the team's captain! Well they're deep in that department. Offensively Filip Forsberg is playing great and holds a drool-worthy plus/minus paired with James Neal is a deadly combo. 

I will treasure this series, it's gonna be a marathon because these two teams are great. Laviolette's going to get his boys to reach that hidden gear and get them to the second round. Predators in 7 

Anaheim (Mighty) Ducks vs. Winnipeg Jets

Looking at the rosters this will be a grinder series with bruising hits the whole way through and fights, expect a lot of those.

Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are two of the greatest players in the league and definitely the best on the West Coast. With better lines underneath them and the ability to play away from each other as well they have a better shot than they did in years past. A big point to make is that Boudreau has never gotten a team out of the first round and frankly this isn't the best team he's coached. Considering Pat Maroon, one of the many bruisers on the team, is sixth on the scoring sheet other players need to get hot for them to score the goals. However, John Gibson had a great playoffs last year and I don't see why he can't do something like that again considering he's been chilling out in the AHL for a majority of the season. 

Now there are the Jets. Just like Anaheim the Jets are a tenacious bunch. Led by Andrew Ladd and the big nasty Dusty Byfuglien (two key pieces in the first Chicago cup-winning team in 2010) will be major leaders on the ice. Stafford and Tyler Myers have the opportunity to make the mid-season trade look marvelous if they step up to play to their potential. Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler are required to produce for the team offensively night in and night out. Lee Stempniak is a defensive wildcard here, if he can shut down the Ducks' Ryan Kesler then there isn't a reason the Jets shouldn't win. 

Let's go Canada! Boudreau flounders like Peyton Manning in the playoffs: Jets in 7 

Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames

Honestly when I looked at the standings near the end of the season I had no flipping idea Vancouver was doing well. In fact, I called them aiming for McDavid. Oops. The Flames are a very young team that will need to keep playing the same way they've been playing all season to make it out of this round against a very veteran team. 

The Sedin sisters are back! They are playing a significantly younger and faster team, thus, mistake-free hockey and poise will propel them into the next round. They can't win by playing the Flames' style. Eddie Lack is the tentative starter, barring Miller's return, either way the team has a very underrated defense. Offensively Burrows, Vrbata, alternate as the third wheel on that top line with the Sedins who are catalysts for goals. If one can start putting pucks in the net on the second line that will further up their chances to pass the Flames   

The Flames' coach Bob Hartley has been putting the Flames through the playoff simulation the whole season. The season was broken into seven-game sets by their coach and the team managed to win at least 4 games in each of those sets. There's no reason to think they can't do it now. They've been preparing for this all season. When they're captain Mark Giordano had a season ending injury the Flames saw players emerge into role players to keep winning four out of seven. Gaudreau and Monahan are still young players but will learn a lot in the Flames first trip to the second season without Jarome Iginla. It's a new chapter for the Flames.

This is a pretty big toss-up for me: the old and experienced pinned up against the young and the reckless. I think the Bob Hartley's system will be the determining factor. Flames in 6  

Montréal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators

I couldn't care less about this series, it's very hard for me to like, let alone cheer, for one of these teams. That and they're basically the same.

Let's look at the Habs: young developing players, stellar defense man, American star, good two-way centres and great goaltending. Brendan "Carseat" Gallagher is very comparable to Brad Marchand (because of size), a driving force in the Bruins journey to the cup in 2011, and will need to be that sort of player in the coming months. PK Subban is the quarterback of the Habs powerplay and an offensive threat every time he's got his stick in the air. Patches of course led the league in plus minus (+38) and I've heard he can score too. Oh yeah, and Carey Price and played his way into the MVP story and has completely earned all those compliments.

Now there's Ottawa, Matt Hoffman and Mark Stone have been called up this year and have both put netted twenty pucks, not bad for their rookie seasons. Stone was a late bloomer and could be labelled as one of the reasons for Ottawa's late playoff push. Erik Karlsson captains the team and leads by not being afraid to make the big play with his stick or his body. He needs to play better than Subban in order to have a shot. Two great goalies are backing up the Senators: Craig Anderson and the Hamburglar. The team is lead offensively by Karlsson to an extent but Bobby "Silver" Ryan needs to step up his game in order to make this a series.

Although most of Ottawa's roster has won at the AHL level, the idea that Carey Price will lose four games out of seven is ridiculous. Canadiens in 5.
  

New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

This is a rematch from last year's Metro Division final, however, the teams have both had shake ups since their last postseason appearances. It will be interesting to see who made the right trades and hires.

The President Trophy winning Rangers are a very confident team with lots of big guys like Rick Nash, Chris Kreider, and all their blueliners (Keith Yandle was a great trade at the deadline). Rick was a ghost in the playoffs last year and that can't happen because they've lost Brad Richards. Look for Stepan and Brassard to fill in for that absence. Brian Boyle's replacement has yet to be found in my opinion but the team-effort on the penalty kill and faceoffs can make that a non-issue. King Henrik, or Cam Talbot, give the Rangers a chance to win every night the question is if Lunqvist has enough fuel left in the tank for another big playoff push. I'm sure they're still thirsty for a drink after getting as close as they did last year. 

The Penguins shook up their roster in a moderate way, dumping James Neal for Patrik Hornqvist and picking up Dan Winnik from Leafs at the deadline. Winnik is not playoff tested like Crosby, Kunitz or Malkin but he's tough and an penalty-killing workhorse. If he gets a goal or two consider it a bonus. Crosby and Malkin will have their work cut out for them against the Rangers stout defense and need to produce either separately or together to make this an actual series. Fleury is always a wildcard player for me he has moments of grief and greatness, depending on who shows up determines the fate of the Penguins. 

Rangers consistency offensively and defensively will propel them past the Penguins. Rangers in 6. 

New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals

With Alexander Ovechkin and John Tavares going head to head for hopefully seven games, there no reason why this shouldn't be the series to watch. Every time there's a wind-up the crowds going to be cheering.

I predicted the Islanders making the playoffs this year, Tavares stepped up in a big way and the young guns followed suit. They have a lot of great role players. Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin are hitting machines and will be looking to cause havoc every shift. The Isles backstop is more than favorable, Jaro Halak became famous a couple years back when he stood on his head for Montréal in April and May. The blue line got exactly what it needed at the beginning of the season two playoff tested defensemen Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk which brings the locker room cup count out of the zeroes. 

After netting 53 goals this season Alex Ovechkin is here to prove that he can play playoff hockey too. The undisputed leader of the Capitals has to continue to produce a ridiculous number of shots (395) and goals for Washington to move on. Barry Trotz is coaching the best offensively gifted team he's ever had and his savvy and poise will be great for a Washington team that hasn't had great success in the playoffs. Brayden Holtby is the number one goalie and needs to make a mark here, his playoff numbers are 10-11. The past three playoff series have gone to seven games and Washington needs to start closing teams out and that starts with the Great Eight. 

This series will be a shootout series. Which ever goalie stops the most pucks is going to be on the winning team. Halak shares the same record in the post season as the man across from him, so I guess it's who blocks more shots in a nail-biter series. Islanders in 7    

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings

The media labelled this the Yzerman cup, pegging the GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning against the team he captained for an eternity. Stevie Y played on a team that became a Dynasty now he's trying to make one himself in the front office. Can he impress, and more importantly out do, his former GM and coach?

Tampa Bay was benefited by the emergence of a top-notch second line of Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov who were the leading scorers after Stamkos. They're scoring was great but the really incredible thing is they were a combined +102! This great two-way line will need to be the driving force to occupy the best of Detroit's defense to leave Steven Stamkos free to do what he wants. Ben Bishop is an American version of Pekka Rinne, but 2 inches taller! His size will force Detroit to make perfect shots or the keep him in the blue ice by playing underneath the goal line.

Detroit is in this weird limbo where they have these aging stars like Pavel Datsyuk, Jimmy Howard, and Hank Zetterberg while they have young guns transitioning into stars but don't seem to have the leadership qualities of their predecessors. The puck-handling skills of both Gustav Nyqvist and Tomas Tatar are intimidating and will be integral for Detroit to get through the first round. The defense will need to step up too in order to compete with the grit and skill of Tampa Bay's cycle. I'm sure Mike Babcock will have a strong game plan every night but it comes down to the talent he puts on the ice (mystery call up from Grand Rapids?) and that's what will make a difference.

Tampa Bay has a lot of leadership on the ice and experience as well and along with that PJK line this is an easy series to pick. Lightning in 6  

*

Well there you have it predictions, better late than never. Happy Playoffs!

The first blog post in Doha about Doha

It's been a very long time since I've put something up here. Come Sunday evening I'll try my best to get some playoff predictions up. I called the Stars winning it all back before the season started and I want to redeem myself and cheer on those five Canadian teams -- except the Habs, they're schmucks.

Back to the matter, I was looking over my Korean blogs after talking about the good old days on the magical peninsula with some expats I met here that lived in Daegu. I forgot how much fun I had writing! I wrote a lot personally wrapping up my time in Korea and kept it close to the chest. When I got here I wrote some stuff during orientation and a blurb about my first impressions of the kids, then the pen only met the lesson plans and mark books, hence the lack of blogging. I started writing Friday morning during that purgatory of a hangover where you want to do something but it doesn't involve a high level of thinking.

Yet again, I digress. Work is good. I've met a bunch of new people from plenty of cool places that have taken unique paths to end up in this little chunk of the desert. As teachers do, I've been taught a lot about the profession these past 8 months in regards to the classroom, kids, teaching, and the world. Some of this information contradicts itself, but this a profession where uniqueness is essential to succeed and find your comfort zone. When you start working in a new environment, epiphanies of any size are incredibly important; they are the life force to keep you constantly improving and upping your game. The idea sounds bizarre, but I love continually finding bad habits and pushing myself to get better. Full of ambition, I boasted that I would try to improve on one thing everyday at one of our first meetings. That doesn't happen, I'm not regimented like that. This improvement has been organic and that suits my style. Self-improvement is awesome but other times veterans and superiors spell it out for you.

I had my first non-Korean observation since my practicum a month into the year and that was incredibly intimidating. Everyone around me was reassuring but I knew that I wasn't going to get a great score, because I was still figuring stuff out. Obviously, classroom management is a problem for the guy who organically modifies his teaching style. I was given tips and advice from staff that really helped me. The procedure of rebooting 26 ten-year-old children didn't take as long as I thought it would but at the same time there are a couple non-compliant kiddos.

And now we enter the most precious and strenuous part of teaching. Children. Sorry, they're students because they're learning, duh. I've realized after teaching in three countries that this age group will always have troubled kids, shy kids, balls of energy, future Einsteins, jocks and social butterflies. The only thing that's different is the reasons and the culture that surrounds them. I'm proud of their good intentions and confidence, but it just needs to be more consistent and directed properly and that's the life coach part of being a teacher. I'm not going to divulge anymore into the people and events in my classroom and school because I'd consider it gossip but I'd back all of my kids to the moon with their dreams and push them to get it. This wasn't an initial notion, it took me a couple weeks with them and a restless night to figure it out, for all of them. The best advice I got was from a mentor across the pond who told me that you have to be crazy about your kids, just like their parents should be, because when you become a teacher, you become a surrogate parent.

Oh and the parents, once again, I'm not going to slander I'm going to use suggestive language. This is my first time having the option to have continual parent involvement because in Korea I had one parent meeting in two years. When you strip these meetings down to the core it all comes down to one thing. In the Sopranos you'd have a sit-down when there's a problem: maybe someone isn't paying up the right percentages, maybe someone's in too deep, maybe the boss isn't reciprocating, maybe there's a rat in the house, or there are two guys fighting over money. Obviously my appointments aren't like that but you, the reader, are old enough to understand. Nobody books a meeting to congratulate someone, those are emails. There will be meetings that make you feel as proud as ever and ones where you're a speck. In the end, those meetings must reach this harmonious sense of satisfaction in the triangle of parent-teacher-student relations.

*

After reading that jumble of words you don't get a real impression of Doha. That's because my job does take up a majority of my time. That, and traffic is pretty brutal here. The amount of construction is really ridiculous, small talk in hotel bars has led me to believe that this metro system is going to very big and not just centred around the World Cup in 2022, which is a very important fact. Along with that big show, Doha seems to be expecting a major jump in population too. Apartment complexes are coming up in herds. It makes sense they are attracting a lot of attention: they have soccer/football friendlies here and their own tennis open and they're developing some top talent here for the future of that sport as well. The music scene is mostly local, Ed Sheehan, or whatever his name is, came here but other than that most performances take place in Dubai. The local performers are lots of fun, I just saw Groove Office and they're pretty rocking. In the shadow of Burj Khalifa, Qatar is still on route to becoming a great country to visit and live in for the years to come, after all Rome wasn't built in a day either.

Doha does have some finished products that are beautiful. If I lived closer to the Corniche, it's like a boardwalk, I'd stroll down there everyday. That is one thing I miss about living in Haeundae, that smell of salt and the breeze that comes with it. They also have the Souqs which are markets that cater to the specifics. I've been down the gravel road of the Plant Souq, right across from the Vegetable Souq (Spoiler alert: lots of potatoes). It gives off the vibe of a farmer's market but for wholesales.

A little ways in from the Corniche, there is the traditional Souq as well where you can buy Middle Eastern crafts and clothes. This main Souq adjoined to the prestigious Falcon Souq! Yes, a market specifically for purchasing falcons, falcon caps, and other accessories that are terrible and yet ever-so appropriate gifts (its a symbol of Qatar) for your extended family. The Falcon Souq even has a hospital exclusively for falcons.

About five minutes away from the falcons is the Pet Souq. For me this is a terrible place to go. I live alone and strolling through alleys where all you see are sad animals crowded in cages it's very hard not to buy a rabbit, kitten, or puppy. Except the toucans because they're 3 000 USD and look content in a roomy cage eating Froot Loops. The parrots are even pricier. I never go there on purpose but the market paths wind around and are still a mystery to me.

If you dip out of the traditional Souq and back out to the Corniche you'll come up to the Museum of Islamic Art, or the MIA. It's a gorgeous building right on the water. The artifacts inside are very traditional and offer exactly what the title suggests. It's free too, so check it out if you're visiting and an art lover. If not, there's the lovely MIA park and the continuation of the Corniche that curves out behind the MIA. It would look like a tidal wave from a bird's eye view. Along the tan stones of the Corniche is tons of green space that is used to capacity for kicking around the football, having a picnic or just some quality family time. That is one of the strangest things here, is the amount of green grass you see maintained like Augusta in the middle of a desert. When I go there it doesn't feel like I'm in the middle of the desert.

At the end of the Corniche is a coffee place. Let it be clear the stuff they sell is standard, nothing exorbitant or unique, people come for the view. I've had many a trip down their at about 4 in the afternoon to watch the day turn to night and the lights across the water light up. And across that water is what Doha aspires to be, a booming metropolis with towering pieces of architecture that look like narwhals, twisters, pyramids, a zero, and some less-authentic rectangular skyscrapers. The sight is quite something especially when the lights come on. From an interpretive standpoint the skyline says a lot about the city itself: this is a city of expats, migrants, and indigenous people. Each building looks like it was built somewhere else and brought to Doha to give you this portrait of friends as opposed to family. And that's exactly what I've gotten out of this so far, friends I'd take a professional picture with, and it's called a staff photo.        

Stories and Predictions for the 2015 NHL Season

I have hopped into my first hockey pool of the 2014-15 NHL season and now I've been doing research for the past hour looking at contract years, trades, signings, and gossip/Instagrams during the off season. All really exciting stuff. However, summer sagas like The Summer of Gino does not compare to the action on the ice. From the dangles to the post-game chirps (not tweets) there's is nothing like watching this game that combines grit and finesse. There has been a huge shift in the powers this year and the West has become significantly stronger than the East, making the Prince of Wales Trophy the ticket to Division 1 hockey. Regardless I look forward to a long season of goals, hits, and crying in the shower after Leaf games. As always, the awards and playoff bound teams follow the stories.

(South)West Coast = Best Coast:

Dallas Stars on the Rise: 

I started really following hockey the year Dallas won the cup at the turn of the century. The roster hasn't been in form to a long time to make a push, until now. Grabbing Ales Hemsky and Jason Spezza the Stars have a very good second line to follow up the 4th and 5th leading scorers of last year. There's a lot of depth on the roster now with a lot of players who have made it to the big dance and a couple who actually have their name on the cup. It's a brilliant mix of young talent and veterans who aren't just old but actually show up for the playoffs. This will be a team to watch every night. 

Kings of the Rink: 

Every time I look at this roster I'm amazed that this is even possible. I'm probably the biggest Jeff Carter fan in the world because he just scores goals like nobody's business.  Then you have Marian Gaborik, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, Mike Richards, Justin "Mr. Game 7" Williams, and Johnathan Quick backing them up? It's almost unfair. With kids on the rise, Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, the Kings probably won't even need to dip into free agency to keep winning for the next few years. Like always, they'll save themselves for the playoffs and limp in. They know the playoffs are a whole new season and after breaking the hearts of every Sharks fan the sky's the limit.   

Fresh Snow:

Up in the snowy mountains of Denver, Colorado, Patrick Roy and his pack of young snipers (and Daniel Briere, 36) are preparing for another run at the pennant. Losing Stastny was a big blow, but there's so much potential in this roster (17 players who are 27 or younger) his name could be forgotten by December. I'm excited to see who will step up and fill the void Stastny left and if Varlamov can perform like last year. And deep down, like everybody else outside of Pittsburgh, I want MacKinnon to have more points than Crosby at the end of the season and a better beard in the playoffs. 
  
Kesler in Disneyland:

After three average seasons in Vancouver, one where he only played 17 games, Ryan Kesler needed a change in scenery. Enter the one-line team of Anaheim. The Ducks managed to get to the 2nd round of the playoffs with arguably two forwards and a brilliant goaltending committee. Now the Ducks have a fortified second-line centre, and Kesler gets an upgrade from the Sedin sisters on the powerplay. If Kesler stays healthy and learns how to play with his new teammates in the Boudreau system he could eclipse 70 points again. Now 30, Kesler is looking to win now and he might be going to Disneyland in both senses of the word.
       
Van-City Rebuild:

I don't know what to think of what this new GM is doing in Vancouver, dropping Luongo for Miller, who is just a year younger. I don't think either goalie will be in the playoffs this year, or even next year. I'll get to Lou soon, but the Canucks have to start building from the ground up after a few bizarre trades in the Gillis era. The Sedins will be anchor the team offensively and maybe they'll have a surprise or two from their young stars and Nick Bonino. Expectations are not what they were four years ago and being in the toughest division in the NHL the Canucks will be bottom feeders. Come January don't be surprised if you start hearing whispers of McDavid. 

Oil Slick:

Every year since Taylor Hall went first overall, I've been saying this is the year for Edmonton. Now I'm all in on this team. Why? Because Mac-T is in the GM's box! Tradition in a city such as Edmonton has a lot of value and having been a player and coach prior to this Craig MacTavish will do great things for this team. My bold prediction will be he'll do the same thing he did when Edmonton went to the cup finals in '06 and grab some legendary player (that year it was Chris Pronger). Hall, Eberle, RNH, are all great players and hopefully the bottom six can follow their lead and get Edmonton into the playoffs as a wildcard.

   
The Curse of Brian Burke:

Brian Burke's teunre in Toronto is comparable to a mechanic fixing a muffler on a car, then leaving it in the ditch. Now in Calgary, Burke is riding the players he picked up from his past jobs. Joe Colborne and Jonas Hiller are back with Burke and I refuse to believe that these are good moves. Flames fans will know its over when he signs Colton Orr. I am very biased when talking about Burke, I hope he continues to lose. However, with players due for a break out year (Mikael Backlund especially) Calgary will be on the outside looking unless something goes awry. With Burke in the box though, that's not going to happen.  

Open Doors:

After the collapse the San Jose Sharks had in the playoffs last year, I thought changes would happen. They didn't though. I don't know if this is because the Sharks think they ran into bad luck, not poor play, and the team will redeem themselves this season. Honestly, the guard needs to change: Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau were great players. With Pavelski and Couture on the rise to stardom followed closely by the hands of Tomas Hertl, the Sharks can afford to dump their aging players and clear some cap space to fill some holes. The Sharks have never done well in the playoffs and it pains me to say this but I don't think Joe Thornton will ever make it there, dump the old bones, Wilson.   

The Average East:

The Streak: 

For 23 years the Detroit Red Wings have been in the playoffs. Will it continue? Maybe, anything can happen in the East. The number of bubble teams is very high and Detroit isn't a lock for the top 3 just like last year. I'd take Zetterberg and Datsyuk before Thornton and Marleau any day but I question everything else on the team. Ken Holland has done a really good job for the past two decades and Mike Babcock is a great coach, all in all though, Detroit is a middle of the pack team talent-wise and their chance to get into the playoffs is slim. They'll be ahead of Buffalo and Ottawa at the end of the season. 

The Lowly Lowly Leafs:

I beleaf it can happen this year. With the Raptors getting to the playoffs last year, the city has to be hungry for more playoffs. I've been following the moves the Leafs have made over the summer and I like the sounds of them. I figure with Kessel, JVR and Bozak working together for a full season they'll all have at least 60 points a piece. Matchy-matchers Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly need to step up big for the team. The only thing that won't change is Johnathan Bernier putting the team on his back night in and night out. Clarkson better have more than 11 points or he'll be wearing a Marlies jersey in 2016. No collapse this year, Leafs are playoff bound! 

The Dichotomy in Florida:

Down south Tampa Bay has gotten a lot better and Florida is just aiming to get to the cap floor. With a healthy Steven Stamkos and two Calder nominees from last year and Ben Bishop this team is entering a golden age. I don't know if Drouin will make the squad this year but I wouldn't rush him even if he says he's ready. Now, let's talk about the bad stuff, the Panthers have overpaid a lot of players. I don't know if there's a plan in motion but signing Stanley Cup Champions like Dave Bolland and Shawn Thornton aren't going to turn a team around. As a Leafs fan, if they tank I will cheer, and I expect to cheer a lot.   

BLOvechkin:

Adam Oates had the opportunity to turn Alex Ovechkin's career around, and did, but still got fired. Now Barry Trotz has been given the reigns to the enigma that is Alex Ovechkin and his scoring touch. If Trotz can get JP Dumont 70+ points consistently Ovechkin can get back to triple digits. Whether the team wins or not is a completely different question because Nashville wasn't under Trotz. Ovechkin has hit 50+ goals only once in the past 4 years and entering his tenth season in the NHL this could be a sign of things to come, which is a shame for one of sports' most exciting players in the Aughts. 

The Tavares Complex:

John Tavares has quietly become a force to be reckoned with on the Island. After the Islanders stepped up their game in the off season with big moves and signings John Tavares has a very excellent cast around him, and I think he'll enjoy playing with the new recruits. Leaf fan talking here, Grabo and Kulemin are very good two-way forwards for an Eastern conference team, if they play well the Islanders will be in the playoffs. The other X-factor is Jaro Halak who made his name in the playoffs and will probably steal a handful of games for the Isles too. Tavares will make magic out of nothing for another year and hopefully will be rewarded with some hardware finally.

Penguins can Swim, But Can They Learn to Fly again?

With Jim Rutherford sitting in Ray Shero's old chair, take it as a sign winning in the regular season isn't enough for Mario and co. When you have a roster that has two marquee names cup runs are expected every year. Sidney Crosby pulled his weight winning the Art Ross as the only player to hit triple digits in points. Malkin is also a point a game player and the two combined talents allows Chris Kunitz to be a scoring threat every game. But that isn't enough anymore. The back end and bottom half of the forwards needs a shake-up and that's what Rutherford will do, just like he managed in Carolina. The Pens are very much playoff contender on paper but whether Bylsma is still the man for the job is another question.
  
Jaromir Milestones:

Behold! The only reason to watch a Devils game! Jagr is a legend all his own and this season will be another season where he can eclipse some pretty historical milestones. He needs thirteen goals to pass Phil Esposito (717) for fifth all-time. He's currently tied with Steve Yzerman for sixth all-time in points (1755) and if he manages to put up 44 this season he can surpass former teammate Ron Francis for fourth! That'd be huge, and if anyone can do it's Jaromir Jagr. If he brings back the mullet it'll happen 100%. He won't end his career hoisting the cup but he's a first ballot Hall of Famer.   

Trophies: 

The Hart: 

Crosby had a redemption year last year after suffering from post-concussion syndrome and if the pattern holds true Steven Stamkos will bounce back from his broken leg to win the Hart. He puts the puck in the net and that's how you win games and he'll help the Lightning win a bunch.

The Norris:

Mike Green. There are a lot of talented d-men in the league that each have their own special talent. I always look for a player on a winning team that wins the close games where defense, not goaltending, is the winning factor. I think with Trotz behind the bench Green can blossom as a powerplay quarterback and put up number similar to Shea Weber. 

The Vezina:

I didn't talk about this team above but I think Columbus is going to come out blazing this year and they will be a team that leans on Sergei Bobrovsky to win them at least 10 games on his own this season. Rask and Quick will be the other nominees.

The Frank Selke:

There is no other choice than Anze Kopitar. The guy is a human multi-tool. Any scenario he'll win the draw and get the job done. The guy only has so many fingers, let him win something he can put on his mantle.

The Byng:

Ryan O'Reilly won it last year, that really surprised me. Anyways I still think the soft-handed and soft-hearted Patrick Kane can get it and prevent the very unlikely repeat.  

The Calder: This is a very interesting award because I don't even know which draft picks are going to be starting in the NHL. Ekblad seems like a lock on defense but I don't see he him breaking out. Calgary has put out some talented young guns and I think Sam Bennett can be another Sean Monahan and surprise some people. If he's eligible for it Jonathan Drouin will give Bennett a run for his money.

The Ted Lindsay: The NHLPA does the voting here so its a peer-on-peer assessment. I'd argue it's much more prestigious than the Hart. John Tavares has the potential for a great season and he'll be classified as a franchise player after this season.
The Art Ross: Alex Ovechkin returns to form going from Blow to OH!! No slumping and a lot of rebound assists.
The Richard: Obviously Steven Stamkos: registers ten more goals than second place. 
The GM of the Year: Lots of teams made some off season moves to beef up their team for the long season but only two stood out to me as legit power moves. Those were Garth Snow and Steve Yzerman. I have the Lightning winning their division but I think getting the Isles back in the playoffs will give Snow a trophy.
Jack Adams:

Division Champs:

Metropolitan Division Top 3

1. Boston Bruins
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Toronto Maple Leafs

Atlantic Division Top 3

1. Washington Capitals
2. Columbus Blue Jackets
3. Pittsburgh Penguins

East Wildcards: 

The Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders

Pacific Division Top 3

1. Anaheim Ducks

2. San Jose Sharks

3. Los Angeles Kings

Central Division Top 3

1. Dallas Stars

2. Chicago Blackhawks

3. Colorado Avalanche

West Wildcards:

Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues

Prince of Wales Trophy: Boston Bruins

Clarence S. Campbell Trophy: Dallas Stars

Stanley Cup: Dallas Stars Seguin goes 2-0 for his career in the Stanley Cup finals. Leaf fans lament trading him for Kessel all summer. 

That's it everybody, I hope you enjoy the hockey season as much as I do. Sorry I started with a bunch of links then it sorted of died off. It's just to hot to care though.

Keep your stick on the ice,

Shraham

The closing hours

I'm at my desk wondering how I'll spend the next day in a half in Korea.

Dinner with friends, possibly get a haircut, hit up a bathhouse, pay a cleaning lady for cleaning my apartment (laziness!) and hanging out at a desk that feels like a home away from home while writing to you, the ever so beautiful reader.

There have been points in the past two or three weeks where I've gone off the deep-end into a bottle and it's my attempt to fill a void here because my life in Korea has run its course. I've been watery-eyed a lot of times saying goodbyes but the dam has yet to break. It's only inevitable, it might not happen because there are arms to wrap myself in.

Travelling abroad has become a rite of passage for my generation and what we dig out of six months or ten years carries us through the rest of our lives. I've tried reflecting on what I've pulled out from these two years but there's so much. You become worldly (maybe that words too pretentious, oh well) after travelling. It's simple to go on vacation somewhere but its not as authentic as having a two years worth of exploring. Korea is a landing pad for Asia but there's so much on the pad some people could just stay here and see all of the beautiful microcosms in the mountains, rivers, and islands. 

I'll really miss this place as a whole. I feel like I've said this so many times but there's something magical about this peninsula. With technology too it's never goodbye with stuff like facebook, messengers and email.

I doubt I'll be writing pieces like this in my next outfit because of several reasons, so unless I'm bored tomorrow this will be the last piece for a while.    

Recovered Journal Entry

I'm starting to clean and reorganize my desk at work before I leave. I was flipping through that Korean agenda I bought for a blank page to write out a to do list when I found this.

04/17/2014

There's a power outage in the school. everything is down, even the water cooler. I'm contemplating whether or not to venture out and see if its the whole block or if I can just buy water. Then of course there are lesson plans: everything is run off the computer including all the skits and, welp, everything. I have a feeling notebook study is happening today. There's enough natural light. How the hell are they going to make lunch!
I just tried to turn my computer on, again. It's in these moments of peril  First-world peril that make me realize how stupid I am. I'm PPT-less, I'm without internet, I DON'T EVEN have spellcheck. How can I teach, how can I know things to teach. I'm just so thirsty. All I want is water, liquid, ice, snow, anything to parch my desert-dry throat.

Umbrella

We get a newsletter once and a while at school and it presents a bunch of student work. It's really cool and I'm sure the kids love it when their work is in it. This time around one of my favorite students wrote a poem that was put into the school-wide portfolio. It was only six lines so I plugged it into the translator and this is what it gave me:

Today is a rainy day
All the umbrellas Chardonnay

Holding umbrellas in various colors
Walking walking street

Pretty umbrella roadside
Me of the rainbow road

From this perspective its very eloquent, dare I say the most elegant piece of work to come out of google translator?  Regardless, I was impressed to say the least. This student is one of the higher achieving kids in my after school class. I wouldn't be surprised if she could translate half of it herself. Her parents are very cultured based on how she acts and the fact they both speak English.

In the end of it all it's really cool to see these accomplishments because I don't have the opportunity to see them do anything other than English and gives a little more insight into what they like without having these drawn out conversations to the question: "What do you like to do?"

This is just a bonus:  One section they have student art the half page consists of three Grade 2 works and one Grade 6 piece. Awkward? Embarrassing? I like the kid, I hope it's a typo.