Reviewing My Playoff Predictions

On January 18th, 2013, in anticipation of the NHL lockout ending and the regular season starting, I did what any other fan would do...I predicted the final standings by the end of the season. Like any blogger would have it, I wrote it up and have proof of what I thought then and what is actually happening now.

Having done this for the first time - you know, where I actually write it down instead of just discussing it with people at the end of the year and then forgetting what I initially thought of a certain teams potential - I was surprised by some of the outcomes.

Have a look at how correct/wrong I was and at some of my analysis after the jump.

Captain Callahan Sends Rangers Into Playoffs

Ryan Callahan celebrates with Anton Stralman after scoring in Overtime

Maybe it was a snipe that Dan Ellis should not have let past him. Maybe he did commit to the short post too much. Maybe it was bad positioning by the back-up goaltender for Carolina who has been the teams starting goalie ever since Cam Ward went down with a season ending injury.

Still, even if your going to blame Ellis for his poor positioning, you still have to give Ryan Callahan credit for the ridiculously insane and well-placed snipe into the top right corner of the goal. And what a snipe it was! Coming down the left boards in overtime, knowing one more goal would send the Rangers into the final 16, Captain Cally seized the day and with a Messier-like-leg-pump, he placed a perfect shot over Ellis' shoulder that bounced off the far post and into the net - the shot that was 'heard round the tri-state area'.

As soon as the puck was across the goal line, an ecstatic Callahan turned around the net, sprinted along the boards to center ice, and celebrated as if he won the Stanley Cup (a sign of things to come?). Like I said on Twitter, definetely one of my favorite celebrations and Rangers moments of all time.

And just like that, finally, the New York Rangers clinched a playoff berth and enter the playoffs as an unexpected underdog. Nevertheless, whoever they play in the first round, whether it be the Penguins, Bruins, Caps, or Habs, the opponent realizes that the Rangers are not your typical low seed. They were a team that was expected to cruise through the season and make the playoffs without a problem. However, by letting key players such as Brandon Prust, Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, and Ruslan Fedotenko leave NY, the Rangers had an identity crisis all season.

When they shocked the hockey world and traded Marian Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets for three players at the trade deadline, some people were left confused and wondering whether it was the right move. Based on their record and overall play since the deadline, the move seems like it was the right one for both teams. And with one more game left on the season against the golf-course-bound New Jersey Devils, the Rangers are only playing for seeding, something that I'm sure their opponents are more worried about then the Rangers themselves.

For those who missed it, check the video after the jump.

Champions League: Bayern Munich Destroy Barcelona

Bayern Munich players celebrating in front of their fans

In what was heating up to be a classic quickly turned into a game of men against boys. Bayern Munich were expected to put on a quality show for their fans and head to Camp Nou with a chance at an upset. However, nobody in the world expected them to absolutely rip Barcelona apart.

Bayern Munich, who easily secured the Bundesliga Title with a magical season, scored four goals to dethrone the current futbol dynasty. Regardless of how well Messi and Co. play in the 2nd leg, it is hard to imagine them pulling off a comeback and making it to the final.

"Oh, but they did it against AC Milan"is what you may say. But let me tell you this: AC Milan is no Bayern Munich. And there were no handballs in Bayern's favor that resulted in goals (maybe an offside and a basketball pick though). And Milan wasn't even the best team in their own country. Instead, Juventus had been the class of Serie A all season long and even they had no chance against Bayern. 

When you look at Bayern, you see a team that has steamrolled through all their competition in both league and European play. They have the right mix of players who are looking at a bright future and the scary part is that Pep Guardiola, the former genius behind Barcelona's glory, is not even behind the bench yet. 

Which, like I shared on Twitter during the game, means only one thing...

Why the Rangers Are Still Going to Make the Playoffs

With 7 games to go on the season and sitting in 8th place, the NY Rangers had a chance to stay on pace with the teams around them and get closer to securing a playoff berth.

Instead, they came into Philadelphia and gave one of the most dissapointing efforts of the season. Granted, Steve Mason played lights out when he had to and finished the night with 40 saves. However, I would blame the Rangers for the lose more than I would give the Flyers credit for the win. Sure, I may be biased, but this was not the same team that we have seen since the trade deadline.

As proven by their 4-1-1 record since the trade deadline, the Rangers are better than what they showed yesterday and with a few bounces going their way (especially on the Schenn goal) we could have seen a totally different outcome last night. Regardless of what could have been, it is important to take the positives out of this game as a Ranger fan and look at how this lose could actually end up being a good thing for the team moving forward.

Follow me after the jump.

NHL Trade Deadline: Acquisitions Worth Mentioning.

Today, the NHL Trade Deadline ended at 3PM Eastern Time.

In anticipation of it, there were a decent amount of trades that took place over the last week or so.

Follow me after the jump to read about some of the trades that I would like to chime in on:

Should John Tortorella Be Fired?

Due to the inconsistency that has plagued the New York Rangers this season, the fanbase seems to be split on the idea of letting Head Coach John Tortorella go. Since the day he took over for Tom Renney, Tortorella has turned the Rangers into contenders and in my honest opinion, has saved Glen Sather from getting fired. I believe that Torts has been the one making the key decisions when it came to signing and trading for certain players.

However, now when it seems like the coach finally got the line-up he has wanted all along, the Rangers are not playing to their full potential. You would think that with players such as Nash, Gaborik, Richards, Callahan, Hagelin, Stepan, Kredier, Miller, McDonough, Staal, Girardi, and Del Zotto, the coach would find a way to utilize his players to the best of their abilities. Instead, it seems like the team is out of sync at times and that they're holding their sticks tight.

Even if the belief that Tortorella is holding his players back from playing the way they know how to may ring true right now, I still believe that he is the man to get it done.

Join me after the jump for more.