NHL Playoffs: Conference Finals

Another great round of playoff hockey.  I love that the games get better with each round...I hate that with each round there are less games to watch.  It makes me sick that in a few weeks there will be no more hockey.

I think I will create another blog post tackling all the story lines and my takes on it, that come out of this round.  So much cool stuff.

So before we get to my picks for the next round, let's see where all our participants stand.  After Round 1 our leader board looked like this:
Randy:  7 points
Jeff:       6 points
Aaron:   6 points
Matt:      5 points
Mike:     5 points

Remember that this round all wins are worth 2 points.   So let's see how we did this round.....Randy went 3-1.  So he gets another 6 points for a 13 point total.  (Randy's blog is down so he secures his picks via Facebook with us...which Matt also did for Round 2).  Matt also went 3-1 in round 2 for 6 points and an 11 point total.   Jeff went 1-3 for 2 points and 8 points total.   Mike split down the middle going 2-2 for 4 more points and 9 points total.  I also went 2-2 and now have 10 points.  So the new leader board looks like this:

Randy:  13
Matt:     11
Aaron:   10
Mike:      9
Jeff:        8

This next round is worth 3 points per game.  That may or may not change things.  So here are my picks.


EASTER CONFERENCE FINALS

Montreal Canadiens vs. New York Rangers
I definitely wouldn't have believed you if you told me these two teams were coming out of the East.  This is another "Original Six" matchup...which is fun for hockey buffs.  You'll hear a lot about old time hockey....and probably all of Montreal's Cups (which I don't believe should count).   Montreal stood tall against Boston, who I thought would win the East outright.  The Rangers looked tired, but Lundqvist was the man in net.  These teams are very similar in their make-up.  I could make a good case for either of them winning.  Really hard to pick.  I'm just gonna go out on a limb and pick the Rangers in 7


WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Los Angeles Kings vs. Chicago Blackhawks
These are two powerhouse teams that are very different from each other.  The Hawks took care of business with Minnesota.  Did anyone expect differently?  The Kings have been trying hard to lose for a few weeks now.  I know that LA has been near the top of the league for a few years now, but I'm struggling to pick them.....against the defending Stanley Cup champions who are in their stride.  The only way LA wins is if Jonathan Quick becomes the Quick of two years ago.   Blackhawks in 6

One of my greatest fears is that at some point in my life, I'll get a disease or have some sort of physical problem and I'll hear a doctor say, "you need to stop drinking coffee."  It will be a long conversation about whether it's worth it or not.

5/12 Monday Update

the weekend that was:
-My parents came to our house Friday afternoon. This is significant because my father got out of the hospital Friday morning from having a heart procedure done.  Suffice it to say that God is good and amazing.
-Friday night fun.  Corban's soccer practice was cancelled because of thunder, so we hung out.
-Saturday morning was fine...a little crazy with kids running amok. 
-Saturday around 11 Marjorie, my parents and the two youngers went to T's indoor soccer game at the Y, while C and I jumped in the van and headed for Oil City for his traveling game.  C got crushed, but we had fun on our trip.  We stuck around to watch his friends from school play after him.
-C and I got home for dinner.  Then it was a little play time outside, showers and bed.
-Sunday worship was awesome.  Some friends shared what God has been doing in their lives in the last year.  Stories of transformation and change.  Stories of redemption and outreach.  So inspiring. 
-Sunday after noon I slept like no other.  Crazy long naps.  I just couldn't wake up.
-Sunday night we had the first ultimate frisbee of the year.  I'm out of shape.

where i am at the moment: At home.  E is sleeping but should be up soon.  Just waiting to hear the noise.

on my to-do list this week:  I have a pretty full to-do list this week.  Lots of work stuff.  More got added this morning. 

procrastinating about: NOT the dentist this time.  I have an appointment next week.  HA.

book I'm in the midst of: The Second Assassin.  I know it's motivational for my soul, but it's a book I read years ago and rediscovered after numerous google searches.

media that seemed to catch my attention this past week: All Sons and Daughters put out a new album last Tuesday.  I can't stop singing the songs.

grand revelations this past week:  Nothing.

how i’m feeling about this week: I have a feeling that Friday is going to be here and I will wonder where the week went. 

Nachos

I might never eat nachos again and not think "my digestive system is tube of outside that runs through my center".







Do you ever wonder how I find these things?

Delay

I thought this was cool.  That's all.

Deactivating Facebook

Relax, I'm not. 

I am fully aware that I check Facebook too often. I know that it sucks up time.  Should I spend less time doing it, yes.  Will I?  Maybe. 

In the past month 3 friends have deactivated their Facebook page.  Friends.  Real ones, not the fake "friends" perpetuated by FB.  They have every right to deactivate their account. 

Each of them say they want to spend less time worried about FB.  They want to spend more time with real people or doing real hobbies.  I get that.  Good reasons. 

Here's the problem:  You're not just making choices for you....you're making the choice for me too.  When you have an online presence and use FB as a major way to communicate to everyone you know, then you choose to not be present anymore....you're choosing to not communicate with people you don't see physically.  So each of my friends (while for very good reason) have chosen to not communicate with me.  That's their right.  I get it.  It just doesn't make sense. 

Use it less.  Set a time once or twice a day to check in.  Have someone hold you accountable.  Delete it from your phone, so you can only check it when you're around a computer.  There are options. 

NHL Playoffs: Round 2

Some great surprises in Round 1.  I watched a lot of hockey.  It is remarkable to me how I forget from year to year how tired I get staying up watching 4-5 games a night.  Luckily we've reached the second round where the number of games is less.

Happily surprised with the Wild winning in overtime last night of game 7.  They gave the Avs all they were worth and now will be an interesting matchup for Chicago (more on that later).  I predicted the Kings would win, and they did.....but I in now way saw the colossal collapse that occurred by San Jose.  I'm so glad that I was wrong and the Flyers lost.  Would that series have been different if Mason has started the first couple games....maybe. 

So we need to go over the points that all the participants received in Round 1.   Remember that each round has a weighted points system.  Round 1 gets one point per win...which is easy to calculate.
Matt went 5-3 so he now has 5 points.
Mike also went 5-3 and has 5 points.
Jeff went 6-2 in the first round so he now has 6 points
Randy doesn't have a functional blog at the present time but locked his picks in with us via Facebook before Round 1.  Amazingly Randy went 7-1 in Round 1 and is the current points leader with 7 points.
Yours Truly went 6-2 in the first round (which might be the best I've ever done).  I have 6 points.

Enough of that.  On to round 2.  Points are doubled.  2 Points per correct pick.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
This is the matchup to watch.  These teams HATE each other.  There is bad blood between these teams dating back before the current rosters were alive.  Each time these teams meet, it's physical.  I can't wait to see this series unfold.  Montreal swept Tampa in round 1 and made it look easy.  They've been sitting around since then.  Will that hurt them?  They're a little smaller than Boston.  You also have two of the best goalies in the game going at it.  Boston has grit and finds ways to win when they shouldn't.  I think it'll be a good series.  I've picked Boston to win the East....so I'm sticking with them.  Boston in 7

Pittsburgh Penguins vs.  New York Rangers
I know I'll get killed by my Penguin fan friends, but this is the easiest series to pick.  Penguins are going to lose.  Not that I want them to, but they won't beat the Rangers.  The Penguins just don't have the right group of people to win a Cup this year.  They were up on Columbus in game 6 and played to "not lose" rather than to win, and almost let Columbus come back to tie.  Fleury has been predictably bad in the playoffs costing them game 5.  The Rangers are just the better all around team.   Rangers in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Anaheim Ducks vs. LA Kings
This should be a good series.  I can't believe how badly LA lost the first 3....granted they came back and won the series....but that wasn't good.  This is one of those series where I could make cases for each team.  I watched each of them play.  It's hard to bet against LA.  I'm gonna pick the Ducks purely for sentimental reasons of hoping Selane gets another shot at the cup.....and I don't like Dustin Brown.   Ducks in 6

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild
Wild surprised most everyone.  They continued to battle even when people wrote them off.  I turned last nights game off when they went down 2-1.  They're definitely a feel good story.  HOWEVER....how can I not pick Chicago?  They were rocky early, but then realized they were the Chicago Blackhawks and started winning.  I'm going Chicago in 5


For the record Randy already has his picks for Round 2.
here we go for round 2. Boston over Montreal, New York over Pittsburgh, Chicago over Minnesota, Los Angeles over Anaheim