MiltonSearch.com blog

Okay, after a sub-par first round effort at playing Kresgin (5-3 is ok, but I’m kicking myself for not taking the Rangers - I also made the right call on Gary Roberts - too bad the rest of the Pens didn’t show up after game 2), we’re onto the second round… All of the ‘wankers’ have been dispatched and there are some good matchups here after a fairly lacklustre first round.

Eastern Conference

Buffalo over the NY Rangers 4-3
I hear some ‘experts’ picking the Rangahs to win this one - that is, experts not named ‘Maggie the Monkey’ which shocks me. I just don’t see it. The Rangers are playing some good hockey right now, but seriously, the Buffaloes are going to be too much for them. The Sabres got into playoff-mode nicely by winning a fiesty 5-game series over the Isles, while the Rangers toyed with the Hossa/Tkachuk/Kovalchuk-led Thrashers, barely breaking a sweat. (The aforementioned Atlanta players were listed because, well, let’s face it: they suck!) That said, this series should be entertaining now that Sean Avery has started flapping his gums, and Buffalo, as good as they are, can be suspect on the back end at times. There should be plenty of goals in this series, but ultimately the Sabres’ speed and slight edge in goaltending should be the difference.

New Jersey over Ottawa 4-2
I was surprised and impressed with how quickly Ottawa dispatched the Penguins in round one. Unfortunately for them, the Devils are the anti-Penguins. They’re playing typical Devil hockey, the EGG line can’t be cracked (that was brutal, I know) and Martin Brodeur is playing like Martin Brodeur. Oh, and did I mention Lou Lamoriello is a genius. I didn’t say I’m a big fan of his, but he’s a genius. Once the Sens hit the ice in ‘joisey, it’s going to seem as if they were playing Pittsburgh on an Olympic-sized sheet. Suddenly there won’t be quite so much room out there. Ottawa will make their yearly second round exit in 6 games.

Western Conference

San Jose over Detroit 4-2
I was thinking Red Wings in 7 originally, but the more I hash this one out, I just can’t see it. Detroit played well vs. Calgary, but the Flames were in disarray (not to mention they just can’t freaking score!) which helped them out a bit. San Jose is equally as tough, but better offensively and more focused. Add one more playoff series to the aged Detroit roster and I think the Sharks wrap this one up in the ‘Tank in game 6.

Anaheim over Vancouver 4-1
The good thing about Vancouver knocking out the Stars was that it saved us from a Detroit/Dallas second round matchup, which would have been completely unwatchable. On the other hand, this series will be quite watchable if you like watching certain Swedish forwards become rink board advertising thanks to certain Canadian defencemen. Other than their retro jerseys, the Canucks didn’t show me too much in round one. They struggled to beat Dallas - the Ducks are bigger, badder and, oh yeah, they actually TRY to score goals sometimes. Luongo steals a home game, but seriously, who would you pick: Sedin/Sedin or Niedermayer/Pronger? I thought so.

Okay, there are the MiltonSearch.com 2nd round predictions. Take it to the bank.

Now, what do you think?

Because the Raptors have joined the NBA postseason dance for the 2006-07 season, we’ve decided to play playoff prognosticator for the NBA playoffs as well as the NHL. Now, I realize the NBA playoffs don’t usually supply us with too many upsets, but there are a couple of close matchups:

Eastern Conference

New Jersey over Toronto 4-2
What a season for the Raps. Bryan Colangelo (women love him, men want to be him) rode in from the West and took over the sinking ship - rebuilding the franchise in a season with an infusion of unheralded international talent and a couple of nice trades. The team goes on to improve by 20 games and win it’s first Atlantic Division title. It’s all good, right. Well, in my opinion, the season came to a crashing halt on the final night of the season, when the Nets defeated the Bulls (who performed miserably, considering they could have moved into the number two seed with a win and avoided playing the defending champs in the first round, but I digress…) and moved into the number six seed in the East. Suddenly, Toronto went from an extremely favourable matchup with the severely undermanned Wizards (the closest thing to a first-round bye), to taking on a red-hot Atlantic Division rival, featuring none other than former favourite son, Vinsanity. The Nets are simply just a bad matchup for Canada’s team for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is simply more playoff and big game experience, which will be the deciding factor. With the series starting in T.O., the Raps no doubt will have some jitters, and JKidd and the Nets will play poised and focused. The Nets should be able to take one game in Toronto (probably the first), and it’s a homer series from there - Nets in 6. Like I said earlier - this is just the worst matchup for the Raps - I’d pick them over Washington, Orlando, Chicago, maybe Miami and maybe Cleveland - but not New Jersey.

On a side note, here was a great quote from Bill Simmons of ESPN.com in a recent online live chat:

Kmart, California: Raptors-Nets: Do you think any other arena is going to get as loud and angry as the Air Canada Centre, when Prince Carter steps on the floor? The city (Toronto) is in a frenzy.

Bill Simmons: Never. In NBA history, it will have only been topped once: Game 6 of the ‘86 Finals, the game after Sampson attacked Jerry Sichting and the Garden crowd unleashed about as much hatred as 15,000 fans could unleash in the following game (by the way, he had deer in the headlights and finished something like 2 for 15). People of Toronto, I urge you — don’t let up. The guy screwed you over. Don’t let him beat you in the playoffs. You can singlehandedly affect the outcome of this series — you can break him, he’s not a tough player. You are doing this for every fanbase who ever got screwed over by a star athlete who went somewhere else and decided to start giving a crap again. That’s your mission, now come through for us.

Detroit over Orlando 4-0
I don’t really see this one being much of a contest. The Magic don’t really have much to throw in the way of Detroit’s path to at least the Eastern final.

Cleveland over Washington 4-0
Another snooze-fest. The way the Wiz have been decimated by injuries and playing down the stretch, I’d pick Cleveland in 3 if I could. The Cavs can be wildly inconsistent though - it’s possible the Wizards could steal a game if LeBron and the boys get caught looking ahead, but I doubt it.

Chicago over Miami 4-3
Along with the Nets/Raps, this is the other ‘too close to call’ series. I initially thought Miami would take this series, but I’ve changed my mind and I’m going with da Bulls. I don’t like the fact that the Heat were on a tear without DWade, and when he came back at the end of the season, they struggled again. They also played poorly earlier in the season when Shaq and Wade were on the court together - something’s up. If Miami would go to Shaq consistently, they would win easily, because the Bulls just don’t have any kind of answer for him in the middle. The problem is that they have a tendency to forget about Shaq and start falling in love with their ‘average-at-best’ perimeter game. Combine that with a banged-up Wade wanting to get his ‘touches’, and I think the Bulls and their hot shooting and tough D will pull this one out in game seven in the Windy City.

Western Conference

Dallas over Golden State 4-3
The Warriors are red-hot and are undefeated vs. the Mavs this year. Nope, I’m not lyin’. They will give Dallas all they can handle but I just can’t see them advancing. I think they’ll extend the Mavs to seven though, and I can even see them pulling one out in big D. I don’t see Dallas making it to the dance this year - I think they played with the ‘pedal to the metal’ all year going for 70 wins and are going to run out of gas at some point - but they should have enough to outlast the fiesty Warriors.

Phoenix over the L.A. Lakers 4-2
The Lakers will again push the Suns, but they won’t have enough. The question is: what is the Lakers’ best strategy? Does Kobe scale back his personal assault on the opposition and try to get his teammates involved, or does he just go off for 60+ every night while the rest of the team stands around admiring the show and hope for the best? Either way, the regular season proved that it just won’t be good enough.

San Antonio over Denver 4-3
I think the Nuggets will give the Spurs a real run for their money. Everyone falls in love with San Antonio every year at this time - they play great team ball, great D and have championship rings aplenty. I have a feeling this isn’t quite the same team as in years past - I think their game 7 home loss to Dallas last year changed things - there’s a little, itsy bitsy ounce of doubt there now, and their key players are all one year older…. You still have to take them to win - but I think Denver pushes them to the limit and may even be able to steal this one. ‘Melo and A.I. finally know how to play together, as their torrid finish to the season would suggest - and I like their bigs - Nene and Camby, the latter offering up some quality D which they’ll need badly. This should be a good one.

Houston over Utah 4-2
I guess this means I’m picking Tracy McGrady to finally lead his team to a postseason series victory after several unsuccessful tries. I don’t really think that stat said anything about his effectiveness - he always posted solid numbers on completely outmatched, low-seeded Toronto, Orlando and Houston teams. The Rockets had a good year, including a nice second half to wrestle home-court from the Jazz. On the other hand, the Jazz came out blistering this year, surprising most of the ‘experts’, but slumped down the stretch. I think the Rockets just have too many weapons (Rafer Alston aside) and should take this in six.

Alright, there you have it - the first round NBA playoff results - take it to the bank.

Now, what do you think?

The following column is by Adam Proteau of the Hockey News and is from ESPN.com:

Given my fellow Canadians’ collective national tendency to apologize every other sentence — and I’m very sorry if you don’t believe that — it’s no surprise it takes a lot for someone from Canada to truly and publicly loathe another human being.

To be honest, it’s next to impossible to earn the eternal wrath of a typical Canuck. I mean, if Celine Dion, Nickelback and Avril Lavigne couldn’t do it, I don’t know who could.

Actually, there is one guy capable of piercing our protective bubble of politesse and driving us to angrily take up pitchforks and lit torches.

Who is it, and how does he do it?

Here’s a hint: He’s not “Half-man, Half-amazing” just ’cause he can dunk.

I refer, of course, to the one and only Mr. Vince Carter, due back Saturday in the otherwise friendly confines of Toronto for a first-round NBA playoff series against the same Raptors team he once was the centerpiece of.

To say Joe Q. Torontonian is looking forward to booing Carter is like saying Kevin Federline patiently awaits his next divorce settlement. In fact, I think it would behoove GM/Franchise Savior/Will Arnett Impersonator Bryan Colangelo to fly in a small army of throat doctors, lest 20,000 blown-out sets of vocal cords go untended.

As I noted in this ESPN.com column shortly after Carter was dealt to New Jersey — in exchange for a Rod Thorn-autographed ball, three Old Navy $25 gift cards and two players to be named and laughed at later, if memory serves — I thought Raptors fans were getting a tad hysterical in their efforts to cast No. 15 as the moustache-tweaking villain who’d tied them to the railroad tracks.

Little did I know they were just getting warmed up.

And Carter’s cause hasn’t been helped by (a) his being accused in the Tacoma News Tribune of tipping off the Seattle SuperSonics about the Raptors’ plays — a month before he stopped playing for Toronto; (b) distorting his face in derision and mocking the Air Canada Centre crowd for chanting “MVP” at Chris Bosh during a Raps-Nets game this season; and, worst of all, (c) telling broadcaster John Thompson he didn’t push himself as hard as he could have when he worked and lived north of the border.

That Thompson interview, in particular, was a real PR killer for Carter’s golden-boy persona.

As you’d expect in most cities, admitting you didn’t give your all is tantamount to heresy for pro athletes. But such antics are considered especially vile in Toronto, where we prefer our heroes to be undersized, underskilled overachievers in the Tie Domi vein. (Disclaimer: Under no circumstances do I endorse anyone choosing Tie Domi as a hero. See your local medical professional for an explanation why.) A guy fortunate to have the skills, but careless enough not to cultivate them, is simply beyond the pale.

In the minds of Raptors fans, Carter’s confession made him worse than all the rest of those who demanded to be moved. Suddenly, he was worse than Damon Stoudamire, the one-time Mighty Mouse whose only crime was being too dense to realize how good he had it in Toronto.

He was worse than Doug Christie, who never met a human being he could speak to without prior written consent from his wife, Jackie.

He was worse than Tracy McGrady, who still was wearing braces his last year as a Raptor — and who, more than anything else, ached to get out from under the shadow his cousin Vinnie created.

Carter was worse than all of them combined because, as I wrote in that ESPN.com piece, he had been so good to Toronto for so long before abruptly shunning it. He was affable, polite and charming. He invested in the community via charities and business ventures.

But it ran deeper than that. Carter was Toronto’s first transcendent sports star. He was the guy who made the world want to watch, the type of mega-marquee athlete Roberto Alomar, Mats Sundin or Rocket Ismail (stop laughing) never could be. He delivered the “world-class” label to a town that was starved for it.

That’s why everyone from the upper echelons of management to the upper echelons of the ACC looked the other way when Carter’s mom doubled as his de facto Drew Rosenhaus. That’s why his on-court durability, which made Marcus Camby look like Willis Reed, was rarely discussed in the six-plus years he was a Raptor.

Because he was so superior at so many aspects of the game, and had achieved a level of fame Torontonians never had experienced before, Carter was permitted to coast every now and again.

Since he’s been gone, nobody’s willing to forget Carter’s bad times. To the contrary — his bad times are all Torontonians prefer to remember. They recall only the indifference, the unwillingness to drive the basket, the shoulder-shrug interviews after a blowout loss, the writhing and grimacing on the floor as the trainer treated him.

Just as I did then, I still think that kind of revisionist history is wrong. Carter not only made more than a few positive contributions to Toronto, but you can make a good argument that the team wouldn’t be where it is today if “Air Canada” was still in business.

If Carter had remained in Toronto, the organization would’ve continued to cater to him, and there’s little likelihood Colangelo would have signed up to be ringleader for that no-ringed circus. The Raptors probably also wouldn’t have gotten their hands on Andrea Bargnani, as Carter and an emerging Bosh might have been good enough to get them into the first round of the playoffs, but not much farther.

Instead, after suffering for a few years, Raptors fans have been rewarded with a deeper, more committed, better-coached team than at any other point in franchise history. But in addition to the cheers for the home team on Saturday, something else will be coming from every corner of the building: a deafening, endless torrent of boos.

They’re coming because Carter got under our skin, stole our hearts, then broke them out of frustration and boredom.

In a matter of hours, we’re returning — in our oh-so-genteel Canadian way — to exact a most impolite revenge.

Adam Proteau is a writer for the The Hockey News. He can be reached at aproteau@thehockeynews.com.

Okay folks, here are my fearless first round predictions for the NHL Playoffs 2007 which get under way today:

Eastern Conference

Buffalo over the NY Islanders 4-1
I’ll give Ted Nolan’s bunch a win on Long Island but that’s it. Their ‘Stanley Cup’ was eking into the playoffs to prove that the Ryan Smyth trade wasn’t a waste of time (which it was). Buffalo has been waiting for the playoffs to start since November. I just have this hunch that although they’re clearly the best in the East, they’re going to be upset at some point, but not in the first round, and not to this Islander team.

New Jersey over Tampa Bay 4-3
It’s tempting to pick Tampa, but you have to go back to the theory that goaltending and defence wins in the playoffs. Martin Brodeur is heads, shoulders and a couple of Gump Worsley’s stacked pads above Holmqvist, and although the Devils aren’t sexy on paper (or behind the bench - sorry Lou, that was a cheap shot), this team just gets it done year after year. Last year I believe I wrote “John Madden will make Jaromir Jagr cry” before their first round series vs. the Rangers. He won’t manhandle the Tampa scorers as easily, but he and the Devils will certainly slow them down. Tampa can extend this to seven if their powerplay is hot, but remember, Jersey is one of the least penalized teams….

Atlanta over the NY Rangers 4-3
Who the hell knows with this series? I changed the above sentence back and forth about 17 times, but I’ve decided to go with Atlanta based on their toughness. Tkachuk is a stiff, but for some reason, I think he’s going to have a big series. The Rangers have better goaltending, and elite scorers, but something tells me the Thrash will be all fired up in their first playoff appearance. I don’t think they’ll get much offence from Kovalchuk and Hossa however, the latter a perennial playoff no-show with the Sens. Hmm. Maybe I want to change my pick back to the Rangers now…. Nevermind. Atlanta it is - I just can’t picture the Rangers winning a series….

Pittsburgh over Ottawa 4-2
Remember my John Madden comment. Insert “Gary Roberts” for Madden and “the Ottawa Senators” instead of Jaromir Jagr. Roberts was the most important pickup at the trade deadline, first of all because he went to Pittsburgh and second of all because he didn’t go to Ottawa. He makes Pittsburgh instantly that much harder to play against, oh and if you missed watching all four of the Leafs/Sens matchups in recent years, um, he like totally kicks the crap out of the Senators and they are scared of him. He is Daniel Alfredsson, Wade Redden and Chris Phillips’ worst nightmare - hell, he’s every man, woman and child in Ottawa’s worst nightmare. I think the Sens can keep Sid the kid in check, but not Gary Roberts. He will score clutch goals in this series, strike fear into Ottawa’s defence corps and wreak havoc in their end. The only thing that scares me is the Fleury/Thibault goaltending combo. Not good - but then again, the tandem of Emery/Gerber is also less than impressive. I like Ottawa this year. I’d pick them over any other team. Every team except the Pittsburgh Gary Robertses, er, I mean Penguins (no offense to S.Crosby).

Western Conference

Detroit over Calgary 4-1
After seeing Detroit fold up like a cheap lawn chair in their most recent playoff matchups vs. Alberta’s National Hockey League franchises, it’s hard to see it not happening again. You know Datsyuk, the ink barely dry on his new seven-year deal, is looking for a safe hiding spot now that it’s playoff time and he’s locked up long term. Hasek looks more like Andrew Raycroft than the ‘tender who led the Czechs to gold in the 98 Olympics. It all spells disaster going up against a rough and tumble Calgary squad, seemingly built perfectly for the postseason grind, right? Hold on. I’m not so sure. There’s something not quite right about this Calgary squad with the milder Playfair behind the bench. They struggled uncharacteristically on the road this year (you have to win on the road in the playoffs), and they failed to really distance themselves from the Avs down the stretch in the final playoff spot. Something’s up with the Flames and I predict Detroit wins their first playoff series in the post-Yzerman/Shanny era.

Anaheim over Minnesota 4-2
The Wild have been playing great and are everyone’s dark horse, and a seven-seed always beats a two in the NHL playoffs don’t you know - but can they keep scoring in the more physical Stanley Cup playoffs? Gaborik will need help and apparently Demitra is banged up - not like he’s a big playoff force anyway (see Pavel Datsyuk’s playoff resume). I’d be inclined to pick Minny for the upset against maybe Detroit or Vancouver, but not Anaheim. Not with Niedermayer and Pronger playing 30 minutes each. The Ducks also have a great mix of scoring and toughness - this is a team built to go deep, and I think they will. Quack!

Dallas over Vancouver 4-3
Flip a coin here as well. As much as you gotta like Luongo over Turco in the battle of the netminders, this is Luongo’s first kick at the can in the postseason, and you just never know. Dallas is full of grit and determination, and yes, I know, Vancouver’s had a great year, and they’re a gritty bunch and all the rest of it, but I just can’t picture the Sedin twins continuing their great seasons into the playoffs. I’m just not sold on them yet. Markus Naslund just plain sucks and I don’t think they’ll score much. Maybe this is Turco’s year to finally rise up and play to his potential in the postseason. Brew up a pot of coffee and get ready for lots of late night OT in this series.

San Jose over Nashville 4-2
The San Jose Sharks are a five-seed? Really? How did that happen? After the season Nashville’s had, I can’t believe I’m picking them to be ousted after 6 playoff games. Forsberg is banged up and I don’t think he’s going to be much help. I hope they win because I kinda like their team, but I just think the Sharks are going to get it done. They’ll steal one in music city then wrap it up at home in game 6. Call Hertz and get the moving trucks ready Nashville. Oklahoma City? Kansas City? Las Vegas? Kitchener/Waterloo?!? Or will they be the reincarnation of the Winnipeg Jets? It will only be a matter of time if they lose this series.

There you have it. The correct first round results. Take it to the bank.

What do you think?