That time of year, a quick peak at the NHL conference finals, and why I am out on the NBA.
NHL Conference Finals
East
Panthers Hurricanes: Pour one out just real quick for the Toronto Maple Laughs, man, you sucked a lot of folks in. Not me though, I got this one spot on and will continue to do so. The Leafs are not a serious organization, they aren’t well run and they just constantly make their fans look like fools. Shed a tear for Toronto. Mitch Marner, come check out Utah.
The Panthers are probably the best team in hockey. They have an identity, a deep team, that comes in waves, line after line after line and they have one of if not the best goalie in the sport in Sergei Bobrovsky. Everything I just typed out, my dad would point out to me, describes a Stanley Cup Champion.
The Canes on the other hand play, smothering hockey let’s just say. It’s not super fun to watch, but it works and their offensive strategy of throw everything, and I mean everything at the net once you’re in the O-zone is a pretty damn good strategy when you get this far in the playoffs.
I’m taking the Cats here because of prior playoff accumen and the general vibe that this is rolling towards a repeat, but I won’t be shocked if the Canes take this one either.
Panthers in 7.
West
Stars Oilers: I just think it’s a mistake at this juncture, after what we’ve seen over the past two or so months, to pick against Connor McDavid and this very deep, never dead Oilers team.
Sure they by far have the worse goaltender in the series, but Stuart Skinner is coming off back to back shutouts and maybe has gotten hot at the best moment for him to do so. Connor and Leon are not letting this thing get out of hand the way the Jets and Avs let it get. I fear the Oilers this time of year.
All that said the second best player on the planet right now, no disrespect to Leon is Mikko Rantanen. Moose has dominated these playoffs and scored at an absolutely unreal clip. Jake Oettinger has been great so far but last year his kryptonite was the Oilers. I have no read on this series and really no prediction.
I’m not going to pick the man that’s caused me heartache though, I will root for Canada, I will invest in Oil.
Oilers in 7.
NBA
Honestly, who gives a shit? The Jazz won 17 games this year, they didn’t even get a top three pick. Instead the first overall pick went to the Mavs who traded star Luka Doncic to the Lakers for nothing and in return got hooked up with Cooper Flagg.
I’m a sports obsessed maniac but I am not giving a god damn cent or moment of my viewing time or data to the NBA. I will miss the WCF, I think AE vs Shai is must watch TV, but honestly screw that man. The league will never allow the Jazz to be good. My team has no chance, can’t get free agents and can’t get draft luck. Why watch?
I’ll spend my basketball time with college hoops and honestly maybe the WNBA. The association is a joke. I’ll maybe watch if the Knicks are playing the finals in the garden and as a casual fan for finals to come. Please miss me with this nonsense though, not a real sport.