Sweeps and Horns

OK, so we watch the highlights of last nights Jays/Red Sox game that ended up being a Boston win to complete the sweep of the Toronto Boo Jays (time for a team meeting guys… enough with the errors!).  What do we see in the highlights?  Yup, a freakin’ broom!  Don’t they know that they are not allowed at the Roger’s Centre?  Sure, a broom is innocent and appropriate BUT ITS ON THE NOT ALLOWED LIST!  Tonight, we’re gonna show up with water pistols and airhorns and see what happens. If a broom can get past security, surely those things can too…

In Other News:

Tornadoes were reported in our area yesterday. Despite what you read and hear this morning, we have it on good word that indeed a horse was put down at the Royal Canadian Riding Academy in Newmarket due to injuries sustained during the havoc the storm created. Why that is not being reported on at the time of writing this post is beyond us.  Horses don’t count or are we experiencing a case of underreporting?  We can only speculate… but if Woodpeck knows a horse was put down, why wouldn’t the media know and why not report it?

The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan is increasing its share in Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (Leafs, Raptors, TFC amongst other things) just imagine if one of these teams won their respective leagues?  Would the Pension Plan make enough for all the teachers in the province to retire en masse?  “Just imagine“

Top 40 Hit!

Just a quick note to say that Woodpeck is now a top 40 ranked table hockey player in the province!  Great tourney this past weekend in Cambridge.  Good times were had and we played the best we have out of all of the 3 events we’ve entered recently.  Just goes to show that if you keep at, success will come.  Or maybe it means, keep drinking at these events and you’ll play better.  REGARDLESS, more on the tourney later. We’re still a little too excited about dem Canucks to write anything worthwhile!

Sabres An April Fool’s Joke?

The Buffalo Sabres are 4 points out of a playoff spot and currently sit in 10th in the Eastern Conference of the NHL.  According to this test, the team has a 37% chance of making the playoffs.  The good news is no one is chasing them in the standings, the team is just on the outside looking in. Out of the teams ahead of the Sabres:

• Pittsburgh and Carolina are the only hot ones
• Florida, NYR and Montreal are all on thin ice. Their collective confidence and recent form has not been stellar to say the least.  Average at best could sum up their play of late.
• The pressure is on an underachieving young team in Montreal. Goaltending is n/a there as well. We predict they crack.
• Buffalo has a game in hand on the ‘Canes the current 8th spot holder.

8 of the next 9 games are *winable:

• *Thu Mar 12, 2009 Panthers
• *Sat Mar 14, 2009 Thrashers
• *Tue Mar 17, 2009 Senators
• Fri Mar 20, 2009 Flyers
• *Sat Mar 21, 2009 Rangers
• *Wed Mar 25, 2009 Panthers
• *Fri Mar 27, 2009 Maple Leafs
• *Sat Mar 28, 2009 Canadiens
• *Wed Apr 1, 2009 Thrashers

Then follows a more difficult time:

• Fri Apr 3, 2009 Capitals
• Sat Apr 4, 2009 Devils
• Mon Apr 6, 2009 Red Wings
• *Wed Apr 8, 2009 Maple Leafs
• *Thu Apr 9, 2009 Hurricanes
• Sat Apr 11, 2009 Bruins

The key is the next 9 games for the team.  By April 1st, the team will know if they are in the playoffs or not.

Getting Vanek back from injury is like adding a player at the trade deadline. Adding Dominic Moore was only a depth move and he’s not being asked to save this team like he was in Toronto. All the Buffalo Sabres need is the D to hold them in games and the offense will come thru. The Sabres have got too many weapons on the O, so the goals and good results will come. With so many games against the teams they are in the mix with, it is imperative not to let the games end in ties or shootouts therefore giving those teams points. The Sabres need wins in regulation to secure a playoff berth! Especially in the next nine games!

An uphill battle but not impossible.  Sabres in the playoffs? Is that an April Fool’s joke?  We’ll see.  We believe its not.

3 Key Elements for MLB Success?

After taking part in Blue Jay Hunter’s Live Chat we got to thinking about what the Toronto Blue Jays need. What any MLB team needs. What we feel makes a winner.

So here’s our take in a nutshell in order:

1. Closer needs to be a STUD

Ever since the dawn of the Jays, we’ve been fans. What history has taught us is that any team worth taking a title shot has had a better than average closer. The team does & will perform better knowing that if they can hold, gain or have a lead late in the game that the STUD can come out of the bullpen & seal the deal 95% of the time. Every ball team needs to have that confidence in their STUD. It is what drives them to succeed.

2. One Fearsome Bat

One that strikes fear into opposing pitchers. One that can get you in a number of ways. One with a mix of power, speed & smarts. It directly affects how the other team will manage your lineup & inevitably make the entire lineup that much better because of it.

3. Clutch Catcher

We’ve noticed that all the good teams have a better than average catcher. One that excels in at least one aspect of the game and is at least average in other areas. Whether he calls a good game, is a great hitter or fantastic at holding/throwing out runners. Any combo of those will suffice. Each winning team has one & its the glue that binds the team. Without it, the entire team pitching & team defense will suffer.

Any team with just those 3 ingredients in our minds, has a shot at the post season. Simple and direct. Of course, quality pitching & hitting are all around key elements that go without saying BUT we feel that to be a WINNER you need these 3 elements. You can have quality pitching & hitting but without these 3 elements, you don’t stand a chance.

Now we look at the 2009 Jays & there’s at least some optimism that these ingredients can & might be a part of the mix. It remains to be seen if BJ Ryan can be the STUD. If Vernon Wells is the FB. If Barajas/Barrett can be clutch. Let the “madness” begin in honest in April!

Hockey Prediction Update!

With the NHL nearing the 50 game pole and having just celebrated the All-Star Break, we thought it would be a swell time to review the NHL predictions we made way back in October. We love making predictions!

Current Spot Holder = Bold
Woodpeck Prediction = Italic

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Philadelphia*
2. Washington Boston*
3. NJ Tampa Bay*
4. NYR Washington
5. Montreal Pittsburgh
6. Philadelphia Buffalo
7. Buffalo New York Rangers
8. Florida New Jersey

9. Carolina Carolina
10. Pittsburgh Ottawa
11. Tampa Bay Montreal
12. Toronto Toronto
13. Ottawa NY Islanders
14. Atlanta Florida
15. NY Islanders Atlanta

Western Conference

1. San Jose Detroit*
2. Detroit Dallas*
3. Calgary Edmonton*
4. Chicago San Jose
5. Phoenix Phoenix
6. Anaheim Chicago
7. Edmonton Colorado
8. Minnesota Vancouver

9. Columbus St. Louis
10. Vancouver Calgary
11. Dallas Minnesota
12. Colorado Columbus
13. Los Angeles Anaheim
14. Nashville Nashville
15. St. Louis Los Angeles

* denotes Division Winner

Even though its still not the end of the season, the standings are already full of surprises! 

The West Predictions were hard to make and it shows.  Not only has Calgary replaced Edmonton but Anaheim has proven that this year is not a rebuilding year and Colorado has shockingly tanked. Despite our best negative vibes, Minny continues to hold onto a playoff spot.  Who knows how but there they be!

Over in the East, Tampa Bay has swapped with Montreal and Pittsburgh has fallen further than we thought they would.  We thought TB’s patchwork roster of stars would do better while the pressure of Montreal would finally get to this young team.  Both are proving wrong on our parts.  Florida in the playoffs as of today?  What is up with that?

Of course, there’s still 30 some odd games left so the final picture is still not set but it is still noteworthy to see where things stand at the moment.  So far our darkhorse picks of Phoenix and Boston are proving us brilliant and we’ll take what we can get!

PS: Arizona 21, Pittsburgh 20 in the Super Bore.  That is based solely on their performances on Media Day.  Lick it, stick it, stamp it!