Conference Finals Look

The NBA and NHL Conference Finals are under way with one game in the books in each. After watching each of the game ones, I have not wavered from any of the picks I would have made before the series, though Orlando definitely came out flat. Let’s take a quick look at each of the series and who I think will advance.

In hockey I have looked pretty smart so far except for the surprising run by the Canadiens who have upset both Washington and Pittsburgh, two teams I expected to play in the conference finals. That being said I have still hit on two-thirds of the series so far and have generally forecasted what transpired.

I do think the Canadiens run is over, however, and Philadelphia, much like Pittsburgh and Washington, has too much firepower for Montreal to handle. Philadelphia looked dominant in game one and I do not expect this series to go very deep. The clock always strikes midnight at some point on Cinderella. Flyers in five.

In the west, I pegged Chicago from the start to make the Stanley Cup so there is definitely no point in changing now, especially after they found a way to win game one in San Jose. I expect San Jose to bounce back strong in game two and this to become a very physical, difficult series for Chicago. In the end, however, I think the Blackhawks have one too many stars with Toews, Kane and Hossa. Blackhawks in six.

My original forecast in the NBA playoffs has not looked nearly as good as my NHL predictions as three of the four teams still standing were not in my original final four. Who would have thought a Boston team that looked tired and old all season long still had something in the tank and that the Suns would finally get over their nemesis, the Spurs. The Lakers on the other hand, were expected to reach this point by virtually every pundit out there besides me. I still contend that a healthy Jazz team with their seven-footer would have at least made their Lakers series very interesting, with three of the four games still being very competitive despite Okur’s absence. Well let’s rebound to get these remaining series correct…

In the Eastern Conference I am sticking with the Orlando Magic despite their game one setback to Boston. This is the best that the Celtics have played since the 2008 Finals, but Orlando’s defense, depth and shooting ability will eventually be enough to squeak by the old dogs. Magic in seven.

Out West, despite the Lakers and Kobe’s brilliant performance in game one, I expect the Suns to make this series very interesting. The Suns are going to make the Lakers big men run the floor and play defense, and Kobe will not play that well every game. In the end, however, Lamar Odom is a big mismatch for Phoenix and I still trust Kobe Bryant to get the job done if this series reaches a game seven over anyone that the Suns have. Lakers in seven.