American League West

* – indicates new to team

1. Los Angeles Angels

Without a repeat of last years injury issues in their rotation, they should remain atop the division.

2. Seattle Mariners

An infusion of power supplied by Nelson Cruz puts the Mariners into a possible Wild Card spot.

3. Oakland Athletics

Their wild offseason has them seeing a lot of new faces, but that shouldn’t take them out of the postseason equation.

4. Texas Rangers

Losing Yu Darvish will hurt more than you think.

5. Houston Astros

It will be tough for them to finish at or above .500 this year. Continue reading →

Stanley Cup Prediction

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Bruins vs. 4. Detroit Red Wings

2. Montreal Canadiens vs. 3. Tampa Bay Lightning

1. New York Rangers vs. 4. Philadelphia Flyers

2. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 4. Columbus Blue Jackets

Western Conference

1. Anaheim Ducks vs. 4. Minnesota Wild

2. Los Angeles Kings vs. 3. San Joes Sharks

1. Chicago Blackhawks vs. 4. Dallas Stars

2. Colorado Avalanche vs. 3. St. Louis Blues

Conference Finals

Canadiens over Rangers

Blackhawks over Kings

Stanley Cup Finals

Blackhawks over Canadiens

Metropolitan Division

1. New York Rangers

With a failed Stanley Cup run the Rangers are still loaded for another shot.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins

A bitter playoff exit forced them to do some house cleaning. They still have a talented roster though.

3. Columbus Blue Jackets

Last years surprise playoff appearance should make them better this year.

4. Philadelphia Flyers

They proved that with a suspect goalie in net they can still beat a Cup contender.

5. Washington Capitals

Time could be running out for the Capitals to make a run at the Cup with its current core.

6. New York Islanders

They could peak this year, but with a stacked division it might not be until next year.

7. New Jersey Devils

It will be strange not seeing Martin Brodeur in net for them.

8. Carolina Hurricanes

Too many questions on the blue line and in net to amount to any reasonable success. Continue reading →

2014 MLB All-Star Teams

Now in its 85th year the Midsummer Classic is appearing at the Minnesota Twins new ballpark Target Field. Now every year there is always a lot of discussion and some it a little dated about how the teams are put together. No system will ever be perfect. Fans don’t always get it right and managers won’t either. The fact that the players are able to vote for participants was a great choice and they know who is deserving. Regardless of who should or shouldn’t be in the game lets just accept that the best players will always be involved one way or another. Here are my all-stars keeping with the rules that every team be represented and a total of 34 players for each league. Continue reading →

2014 Stanley Cup Final Preview

New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings

It isn’t the quintessential ‘David vs. Goliath’ matchup as both teams are located in two of the biggest media markets in the country. With the Kings recent success of winning a Stanley Cup they have the upper hand on the Rangers who last won the Cup in 1994. Continue reading →