5 Best Moves of NHL Free Agency

     With the start of free agency and the fireworks that happened on July 1st, the first official day of the period, there are certain moves that warrant a closer look.
     Here are the 5 Best Moves teams have made since the Free Agency period opened:

1. Paul Stastny (C) to St. Louis Blues (4 yrs/$28 million)
     The top center on the market, Stastny, just 28 years old, helped lead the Avalanche to a 52 win season en-route to a first place finish atop the Western Conference's Central division. Stastny finished the season with 60 points in 71 games and added 10 points in their 7 game series versus the Wild. Stastny's signing with the Blues adds the center that they have lacked in recent years and creates an even more potent lineup for the team that finished just one point behind the Avalanche last season and saw a very disappointing playoff performance with a first round exit. Stastny could be the final piece of the Blues playoff puzzle and St. Louis is a team that looks to finish near the top of the Western Conference standings next season.

2. Ryan Miller (G) to Vancouver Canucks (3 yrs/ $18 million)
     From the top center to the top netminder, Miller was the biggest name on the Goalie market and after St. Louis decided not to extend a contract offer to the 33 year old goaltender, Vancouver scooped Miller up in hopes to stop their goaltending woes of recent. After the Roberto Luongo debacle and the trade of Cory Schneider, the Canucks were lacking a distinguished and proven goalie. Vancouver hopes that Miller can fill that void. The 33 year old finished last season 25-30-4 with a 2.64 Goals Against Average and .918 Save Percentage, going 10-8-1 after being traded to St. Louis at the trade deadline. Miller will attempt to lead Vancouver back to the playoffs and prove that he still is an elite level goalie after a subpar playoff performance. For Vancouver this is a great signing because it will give them stability in net so that they can focus on the rest of their lineup in front of Miller.

3. Thomas Vanek (LW) to Minnesota Wild (3 yrs/ $19.5 million)   
     Vanek spent the majority of the 13' - 14' season with the NY Islanders after an early season trade from Buffalo where he had spent his entire career. However, when the trade deadline approached, one name was amongst the most commonly talked about being on the move. Vanek was traded at the deadline to the Canadiens. Vanek finished the season with 68 points including 15 in his 18 games with Montreal during the regular season. Montreal reached the Eastern Conference Finals and along the way Vanek added another 10 points over 17 games. Thomas Vanek is still one of the purest scorers in the league and is just 30 years old. This signing by the Wild is one that shows that Minnesota is displaying a win now attitude after signing big name Free Agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter last free agency period, they have now added Vanek who looks to play on either the top or second line as the Wild attempt to shore up their scoring after finishing 24th in the league last season.

4. Christian Ehrhoff (D) to Pittsburgh Penguins (1 yr/ $4 million)
     Ehrhoff had a down season in 13' - 14' (33 pts, +/- minus 27) and his tenure with Buffalo after 3 seasons of his massive 10 year/ $40 million contract has come to a close after Buffalo decided to buy out Ehrhoff''s contract with concern that Ehrhoff would potentially retire before the end of his contract and leave Buffalo with salary penalties. With Ehrhoff on the free agency market and Pittsburgh in need of defensive help after Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen left for Washington, Ehrhoff was a perfect fit for the Penguins roster. A puck-moving defenseman who in his best seasons with Vancouver scored 14 goals and over 30 assists in each season, Ehrhoff is a very talented, albeit underrated, player who can easily step in and help make a difference for the Penguins. For just a one year commitment at a low price for a player of Ehrhoff's caliber, this could be the steal of free agency.

5. Brad Richards (C) to Chicago Blackhawks (1 yr/ $2 million)
     This is a very interesting signing by the Blackhawks. Richards, once a perennial All-Star and MVP caliber player (Two seasons with 91 points) now 34 years of age is still a top 6 forward in any line up, but has had times where he doesn't show up for stretches of time. Richards fits with the Blackhawks roster perfectly as they have lacked depth at the center position behind Jonathan Toews. Richards finished the 13'-14' campaign with 20 goals for the ninth time in his career and added 31 assists to finish with 51 points. Richards is also a very valuable Powerplay asset with 356 Powerplay points over 13 seasons. If Richards can contribute the same, or better, numbers that he was able to supply to the Stanley Cup Finalist Rangers, then 1 year at $2 million is more than a steal for a player of Richards' talent. Richards also brings leadership to Chicago as he stepped up after Captain Ryan Callahan was traded away at the deadline. It will be interesting to see if Richards is able to make a major contribution to a team that is always in the race for the Stanley Cup.

Honorable Mentions

Jarome Iginla (RW) to Colorado Avalanche (3 yrs/ $16 million)
     This would be a top 5 acquisition if it weren't for the years. Sure Iginla showed last season in Boston that he still is at the top of his game contributing 61 points with 30 goals. But a 3 year commitment to a player who is 37 years old is risky. However, it is a great signing for the Avalanche who can replace some of Stastny's production by plugging Iginla into the lineup and the 3 years could wind up paying off for the Av's.

Dan Boyle (D) to New York Rangers (2 yrs/ $9 million)
     The addition of Boyle gives the Rangers perhaps the best top 4 defense as Boyle joins Girardi, Staal, and McDonagh in what was already one of the stingiest defenses in the league (4th in goals against). Boyle's offensive nature gives the Rangers blueline some firepower and Boyle can be an immediate boost to a powerplay which finished in the middle of the pack this year. The Rangers continue to boast a loaded blueline and look to build off of their Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

Anton Stralman (D) to Tampa Bay Lightning (5 yrs/ $22.5 million)
     Stralman was one of the most consistent players on the roster for the Rangers on their playoff run and is a very talented defenseman. Stralman joins Brian Boyle as two former Rangers to join their ex-Captain Ryan Callahan with the Lightning. Stralman notched 13 points for the Rangers this season and is a player that can be leaned on to log a lot of ice time. He will be a top 4 defenseman for the Lightning and could very well be paired with rising star Victor Hedman on the top pairing for the Lightning this upcoming season.

The Many Scenarios of Group G

     With their matchup less than 24 hours away with World power Germany, the US Mens' National Soccer Team is looking to secure a place in the round of 16 for the second straight World Cup. The US are tied with Germany atop Group G with both teams at 4 points with a win and a draw each. Both teams enter the game needing just one point to advance and there has been talks of the two sides engaging in a practice that is known as the convenient draw which would see each team go on. If the two sides did play to a draw in tomorrow's match Germany would win the group with a better goal differential and would go on to face the Runner Up from Group H and the United States would play the winner of Group H which is currently led by Belgium with 6 points.

     However, neither the Germans nor the Americans want to concede a draw in their final match as both sides look to control their own destiny with a victory. Both sides can use this game as a proving grounds headed toward the next stage, the Germans can prove their dominance and the Americans can prove their resiliency. A win in this matchup would put the victor straight through to the Elimination stages and would put the other side at risk of elimination based off of the Portugal - Ghana game. 

     The storylines around this game are nothing to forget either. Jurgen Klinsmann, the Head Coach of the United States and native German, faces off against his home country. The injury to Jozy Altidore, suffered against Ghana, will keep the striker out of this match as well. Of course, there is the fact that both teams do control their destiny and a win gives either side an "easier" draw headed into the elimination rounds.

     There are several scenarios for each team in the Group to advance. The US and Germany control the easiest scenarios as for either team it's win and you're in. However, there are a variety of other scenarios that could see any of the 4 teams advance.  

     Here are the scenarios:

Germany advances:
-Win vs. USA
-Draw vs. USA
-Portugal/Ghana end in Draw
-Loss vs. USA and better Goal Differential than Portugal/Ghana

USA advances:
-Win vs. Germany
-Draw vs. Germany
-Portugal/Ghana end in draw
-Loss vs. Germany and better Goal Differential than Portugal/Ghana

Ghana advances:
-Win vs. Portugal and better Goal Differential than loser of USA/Germany

Portugal advances:
-Win vs. Ghana and better Goal Differential than loser of USA/Germany

The current Standings are as follows in Group G

     There is much at stake in the Group G group stage games tomorrow and it will be decided who advances with the results.
     Both games begin at 12 ET on ESPN tomorrow 6/25.

The Group of Death

     Tomorrow marks the first game of the long awaited FIFA World Cup hosted by Brazil. Brazil takes on Croatia in the opening match of what is likely to be one of the best World Cups to date. With phenomenal talent across the globe in players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie and a slew of other tremendous talent, there are many teams this year in contention to take home the coveted World Cup trophy.
     However, one country who has slipped under the radar, and rightfully so, is our very own United States Men's soccer club. The US's most prolific player in history, Landon Donovan, has been left off the 23 man roster for this years' World Cup squad in a very controversial move by Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Despite being the US's all-time leader in both goals and assists (57 each) on the national stage, Klinsmann decided to leave the 32-year old striker off of the roster.

Landon Donovan, US leading goal scorer and assist leader

         Even with the omission of Donovan from the roster this year, the US already faced an absurdly tall task this World Cup. The United States has been placed in what has been dubbed the "Group of Death" for their Group G pool. Headlined by Germany and Portugal, two of the top teams in the world with Germany ranked 2nd and Portugal falling just behind ranked 4th, the 13th ranked US team has a huge hurdle to overcome either of those two teams.
     It doesn't get any easier when they play 37th ranked Ghana either. Ghana has eliminated the US from each of the last two World Cups, in Group play in 2006 and then in the round of 16 in the 2010 World Cup.
     The United States has got to be in top form the second they step onto the field versus Ghana in their opening matchup. Led by 31-year old Forward Clint Dempsey, and veteran Goalkeeper Tim Howard, the United States is not going to roll over and accept defeat based off of their draw in Group play. However, it will be a tall task for them to make it out and into single elimination play.
     With the Group that the United States has drawn I don't believe that they will be able to make it out of Group play, and neither does anyone else. However, if the US is able to shock the world and escape the "Group of Death" they have as good a chance as any to win it all. Here's to hoping.

  

     The United States kicks off their opening match against Ghana Monday, June 16th at 6:00PM ET.

Stanley Cup Dreams

     The final stage is set for the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. The New York Rangers will face off against the Los Angeles Kings for the right to raise Lord Stanley's Cup after a long, arduous season all culminating in this final series.
      For the Kings this is their second trip to the Cup Finals in the last three years and their third ever Stanley Cup Finals appearance. In 2012 the Kings run to the Stanley Cup was improbable as they entered the playoffs as the 8 seed in the West and defeated  top seeded Vancouver, second seeded St. Louis, and third seeded Phoenix before dispatching of the New Jersey Devils in 6 games.

Kings banner celebration 2012

      This years' run has been similar in that they have had to face off against all teams with better seedings' including their come back from 3-0 in their initial series with San Jose followed by erasing a 3-2 series deficit against the top seeded Ducks.
      The Western Conference Finals saw a matchup of the last two Cup Champions with the Chicago Blackhawks taking on the LA Kings. The series was one for the ages and was one of the best playoff series of the entire playoffs, including Game 7 which went into overtime where the Kings Alec Martinez scored just over 5 minutes into the period to send the Kings to a matchup with the waiting Rangers.
      The Rangers route to the Stanley Cup has been one of an underdog story this Playoff season. Their opening series went the distance as the Rangers exchanged wins and losses with the Philadelphia Flyers, in a hard fought series that the Rangers took in 7. The Kings aren't the only team who have faced adversity in these playoffs. The Rangers Conference Seminfinal matchup pitted them against the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins and the Penguins seemed poised to take the series jumping out to a 3-1 series lead. However, the Rangers battled with resiliency and convincingly took Game 5, 5-1 before winning the next two to lead them to a Eastern Conference matchup with the Canadiens, who as we all know had just upset the top seeded Bruins and seemed to be the favorites coming into the series.
      After an incredible 7-2 win in Game 1 for the Blueshirts, there was no one doubting the abilities of the Rangers to come out on top. Five games later and it was the Rangers taking the series 4-2 after Dominic Moore scored in the second period of Game 6 for the first and only goal of the game to send the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals for the 11th time and first since they won the cup 20 years ago on the heels of Captain Mark Messier.

 

 

 

 

Dominic Moore, Game 6 hero, adds the 12th piece to the Rangers Championship puzzle

      The final series of the season is shaping up to be a great one as the Rangers and Kings get underway Wednesday June 4th at 8PM in LA. Whoever wins this series deserves it as both teams have faced many trials and tribulations en route to the Cup Finals and this series will be worth the price of admission.

      My bold prediction for the outcome of this Rangers v. Kings series is that the New York Rangers continue to take the world by storm lifting the cup at home after Game 6.

Atlanta Errors Lead to Walk Off for Sox

       Jake Peavy provided the framework for the W Thursday night going eight strong innings (season-high), allowing three runs on eight hits, and throwing 111 pitches. Peavy allowed a solo HR to Jason Heyward in the 3rd, and a balk in the 4th inning led to a run after Braves Catcher Evan Gattis singled. However, Peavy seemed to calm down and retired a stretch of seven consecutive batters at one point during the game. It was Peavy's quality start that put the Red Sox in position to have any chance at winning, but it was Atlanta's mistakes in the field that gave the Red Sox the win.

       Heading into the bottom half of the eighth inning the Braves held a 3-1 lead with Atlanta SP Mike Minor in position for his third win of the season. Brock Holt led off the inning with a bloop single into left field where Braves LF Justin Upton was waiting to field the ball, only to look away and misplay the ball allowing it to get behind him and allowing Holt to move to second. Xander Bogaerts followed up with an RBI single to pull the Red Sox to within a run and Dustin Pedroia safely reached on a slow roller up the middle.

       A third consecutive single by Sox DH A.J. Pierzynski (Ortiz was scratched before the game with Calf Soreness) got by CF B.J. Upton and the score was knotted up at 3-3 entering the ninth.

       Who else but Koji Uehara came in for the Sox ninth inning and shut down the Braves offense allowing one hit and striking out one in collecting his first win of the season.

        In the bottom of the ninth it was another Atlanta error that proved to be the game winner for the Red Sox. Jackie Bradley Jr. and Holt recorded back to back walks off of Braves closer Craig Kimbrel to start off the Sox half of the ninth. Bogaerts hit a hard grounder to Braves 3B Chris Johnson who made the throw to 2B Tommy La Stella who couldn't make the catch and the ball rolled away from him. Bradley smartly took off for home and scored the game winning run in walk off fashion as the Sox completed a four game sweep of the Braves, after coming off a 10 game losing streak before.

Xander Bogaerts (2) congratulated by teammates in the dugout (ESPN)

        The win puts the Red Sox record at 24-29 for the season as they look toward their upcoming series with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox go right back to work Friday, May 30 at 7:10PM as they send RHP Brandon Workman (0-0) to the mound for his second start against Tampa ace David Price (4-4).

         Workman went five innings allowing three ER on five hits in his last outing in Tampa Bay picking up the no decision as the Sox fell late to the Rays 8-5.

The Biggest Snub of Them All

        Coming into Selection Sunday every member of the Colorado Buffaloes Men's Basketball team was 100% confident they would be joining in on the Big Dance in the Round of 64, and they had every right to believe that. The Buffaloes had impressive wins over Texas, seeded number 5 at the time, as well as 3 over Kansas State. They did everything in their power to earn a respectable berth in the tournament, if not at least a final seed.

        Led by phenomenal sophomore guard Alec Burks (above), the Buffaloes looked poised to be a low-end tournament seed who could potentially make some noise in the early rounds. However as the selection process wound down on the Southeast bracket, there was one team who hadn't been included in the festivities. Colorado will be playing in a tournament all right, and they do have a number one seed, but it's the bitterness that comes with that seed that will linger with the Colorado team. The selection committee decided against including Colorado into the field of 68 teams for who knows what reason. Maybe the losses against San Francisco, Harvard, and New Mexico explain it. Whatever the reason, the Buffaloes will be dancing in the NIT tournament instead of as a feel good story of March Madness. This may go down as one of the top snubs of the decade because it surely doesn't make any sense at the moment.
         The head coach as well as his 5 seniors and a host of other people gathered in hopes that they would see the Buffaloes name come up on Selection Sunday, only to be let down by devastating news.
         The only thing I can give to the 5 Colorado seniors who will never make it to the Big Dance is my condolences, and good luck in the NIT tournament, as much of a Boston College fan I am, it would just make me feel better to know these guys win the NIT tournament.

Bruins Moves Make Them A Contender

      This past week has been a busy one for the men high up in management for the Boston Bruins. Peter Chiarelli has finally started to put together the pieces of a championship contender in Beantown. The Bruins front office started earlier this week making moves when the Bruins acquired Chris Kelly, 12 goals 11 assists 23 points, from the Ottawa Senators for a second-round draft pick in the upcoming 2011 NHL Draft. Kelly was well liked in Ottawa and was known as a high character player whom is very skilled in the faceoff circle. Kelly is also a player who has a lot of playoff experience including a cup finals appearance for the Sens in which Kelly had 5 points in the playoff run.

      Back at it again as if to signify the front office's drive to win now, the Bruins traded away disappointing young forward Blake Wheeler along with fan favorite defenseman Mark Stuart in exchange for center Rich Peverley and defenseman Boris Valabik. Peverley has had a solid season this year with 14 goals 20 assists 34 points after career highs in all 3 categories last season (22G 33A 55PTS). Peverley gives the Bruins more of an offensive punch than did the struggling Wheeler who has slid downhill after setting the bar high during his rookie season. Valabik has struggled to stay in the NHL as he has played his season with Atlanta's AHL affiliate. Valabik as some may remember was involved with his boyhood idol, fellow Slovakian Zdeno Chara, in an in-game tussle after Valabik laid a big hit on former Bruin Phil Kessel, where Chara came charging in to beat on his stunned opponent. Overall the Bruins are coming away as winners in the deal with the Thrashers, that's because as hard as it is to see Stuart leave, Wheeler is a welcome departure as Bruins fans will soon learn Peverley's offense will more than make up for the waste of space Wheeler was creating.

                                           (Valabik vs. Chara)
           Lastly is the most important trade in terms of short term contender chances go. After initial talks over 20 months ago didn't have Tomas Kaberle arriving in Boston, the recent talks have him playing in tonight's game against Ottawa in the black and gold. Some experts are saying that the price that the Bruins paid for Kaberle is too high as they traded away 2008 1st round draft pick Joe Colborne, and two future draft picks (2011 first-round pick and 2011 conditional pick). However, the reason that this trade was perfect for the Bruins is because they are playing for the here and now, as well as the fact that the lineup is stacked with young players currently and the draft picks were expendable. The knock on Kabs is that he doesn't play well in his own defensive zone and he doesn't play physical enough. Yet, the reason the Bruins brought him in wasn't to be the big bruising defenseman or to be a stay at home defender. Kaberle's offensive skill outweighs his defensive struggles, as so brought up by the experts. Kaberle is a 4 time all-star who played his entire career, until now, with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is the #2 all-time leading defenseman in terms of points in Leafs history and the #11 all-time player in terms of points. Kaberle is a fantastic puck moving d-man as highlighted by his 35 assists so far this season.

       The piece that has been lacking the Bruins for so long may finally be in place and this years team seems that it can make a deep run into the playoffs. This may be the year that the Bruins break the 38 year Stanley Cup drought and finally bring the hardware back to Boston.

Celtics - Heat Showdown

There are HUGE playoff implications lurking in this regular season game between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, which will have the air of a playoff game from the get-go. Bragging rights and playoff seeding are both up for grabs in the East, well after the 2 slot that is. Sure both the Bulls and Magic may have legitimate chances to be a top two team in the East by season's end, but in reality, it seems almost crystal clear that the two best teams in the East will finish 1 and 2.

The only question remaining is which team, the Celtics or the heat will sit atop the conference standings and hold homecourt advantage.

The game on February 13th may be a huge telling point in whether the Celtics can reign supreme in the East or if the tide has turned with a younger Heat team. Age and health is a huge factor that will most likely come into the outcome of the season, and both will easily factor into this game. With the Celtics banged up and wounded, the Heat stand a very good chance of waltzing into Boston and escaping with a win. however, Boston has something called pride and determination and even with the health an issue on the bench as much as anywhere, the Celtics are able to win in a variety of ways.

Now that Ray Allen has his 3pointer record out of the way, the team can get back to focusing to the game itself and rid themselves of the distractions that occurred with the record. The Big 3 will have to step up in a big way starting with KG. Garnett is going to have to shut down Chris Bosh, maybe the most important piece of the Miami big 3. Pierce and Allen have to shoot the ball the way they can and Pierce needs to drive to the hoop and look to kick the ball out to Ray to find him open looks at the 3. Lastly, the Celtics need Rondo to just be himself, if he can dish out 15 assists the W should come easily for the Celtics.

The biggest question of the game for the Celtics may be: Who do you stop, Lebron or DWade? Personally, I believe that stopping DWade will be more of a key factor to a Celtics win than Lebron, however, I'm also just the one writing the blog and there's a reason I'm not behind the bench with Doc.

Whoever wins this game, the best team of the East will take one step closer to securing their spot atop the conference.

Unbeatable?

I know the word unbeatable has a cocky, conceited tone to it, but with the way that the New England Patriots have played as of late, it's a word that may actually be applicable here. After an embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Browns in week 9, the Patriots have been on an impressive 8 game winning streak taking out, and dismantling some very good teams along the way.

Having clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Patriots are the current odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl. Sure, the last time the Patriots were such heavy favorites going into the playoffs we all remember how that turned out, as I'm sure a certain David Tyree does as well.

But there's just something different about this Patriots team, an air of confidence mixed with an sense of pride and responsibility. Without the big time players, like the Randy Moss' of old, many key role players have been the nucleus of a team that has formed into a major contender. Take for example, Danny Woodhead, released by the New York Jets early in the season, and look at the sparks he has provided with big runs and catches at key moments of big games. Another perfect example is Benjarvus Green-Ellis. One of the best names in football history which in turn has landed him the title of The Law Firm, BJGE has been a surprise story for a resurgent run game which has added another dimension to the Patriots already potent offense. Green-Ellis took all 16 games this season, but finally in the 4th quarter of Week 17, he accomplished what no other New England running back has since the 2004 season. The 1,000 yard milestone, previously only Corey Dillon and Antowain Smith had gained over 1,000 yards for Bill Belicheck's pass first offense. BJGE earned this achievement through hard work and determination this season turning himself into a dangerous threat rushing for 1,008 yards and 13 TDs, while NOT FUMBLING all season, perhaps the most incredible piece of information about the man they call the Law Firm.

The Patriots offense just clicked all season as they put up over 500points this season, where no other team eclipsed the 450 mark. Tom Brady's league leading 111 passer rating, and NFL Record 335 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, showed that even the luscious flowing locks couldn't slow him down this season.

Contributions from rookies this season were a big part of the success that this Patriots team had. There were multiple rookies who stepped up at key times during the season making big plays, however 4 rookies shined the brightest. Aaron Hernandez, the tight end out of the University of Florida, showed why the Patriots selected him even with his health concerns. Hernandez caught 45 passes for a total of 563 yards and 5 touchdowns. A prolific route runner in just his rookie season, Hernandez made many plays with his feet after the catch. Another star rookie playing the same position, Rob Gronkowski broke the previosuly established rookie records as well as overall total TD receptions by a Tight End. Gronkowski recorded 42 catches for 546 yards with 10 TDs. He really stepped his game up in what may have been one of the most important games of the season for the Patriots, in a 39-26 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gronkowski recorded 5 receptions for 72 yards including 3 TD receptions. Looking down the road, it appears that the Patriots are all set at the Tight End position. Flying completely under the radar was punter Zoltan Mesko, out of the University of Michigan. A guy who I believe deserves a lot more credit because when and if the Patriots punted, he did an excellent job of ball control and not giving teams a good chance to return for good yardage. Of course being the punter doesn't exactly come with the same type attention and fame as the skill positions, but I still believe that the job that Zoltan Mesko did in only his rookie season deserves at least some mention. Lastly, the final rookie who stood out is an obvious one. Devin McCourty, the Patriots first round draft selection showed why he was worth the 1st round status and was just recently named to the Pro Bowl roster as a reserve. McCourty ended the season with 7 interceptions and 82 total tackles. The most impressive stat about his interception total is not that it was one shy of the clubs rookie record of eight held by Mike Haynes, but the fact that he didn't have an interception until the 6 game of the season. His 7 interceptions came over the course of 11 games. Having perhaps one of, if not the best second half of the season for cornerbacks in the league, McCourty established himself as a special cover corner shutting down several big play receivers and making big plays in the process. The future looks bright for the Patriots as they hopefully will be able to continue their success with the great drafting done by this organization.

By the looks of it, many people have already decided to crown the Patriots champions and send them off to Disney. I'm not ready to do that just yet however they are my favorite going in to at least make it to the Super Bowl and pull off another one of their wins by a late field goal.

Here are my predictions for how the Patriots playoff run will go:

Divisional Round: Patriots 35 vs Jets 20
Conference Championship: Patriots 28 vs Steelers 17
Super Bowl: Patriots 31 vs Atlanta 28

Welcome Back Randy

All the anticipation and talk surrounding the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings football game on Sunday, October 31st created major storylines around the NFL this week. With Brett Favre's consecutive starts at QB record dominating the media, the story of Randy Moss's arrival back in the city he left nearly a month ago took a backseat.

Except in New England.

Patriots fans don't forget all the amazing games Randy Moss had for New England, and how could they it was only just a month ago that Moss was making a spectacular one-handed, over the shoulder catch beating Darrelle Revis cleanly.

The schedule makers must have known that Randy was beginning to come into another one of those cycles where he is irritated by nearly everything that happens around him, because they could not have picked a more perfect night for this game to have been played.

The questions surrounding this game, which had floated about all week were quickly answered by the end of the night. Brett Favre being the old, rough n tough, Wrangler jeans wearing, play in the mud kind of guy he is, of course came out to start the game and looked considerably better than he has in his most recent weeks. That is until that grim clip of him being carted off down the sidelines, where it literally looked like we were watching the legend of Brett Favre die right in front of our eyes.

And as much as I want to make that the main story today, I just can't. There's something about Randy and the whole atmosphere of the gameday that makes him the perfect player for the spotlight. His unimpressive return to New England stands at 1 reception for 8 yards. I'm sure that New England fans are upset that he didnt make a catch earlier than the beginning of the second half so that he could have been booed earlier into the game. However, not to be upstaged by his performance on the field, although it didn't take much, Randy's post game interview was comically controversial.

Randy Moss Post-Game Interview
Check out Moss's post game rant.

Of course, it wasn't all hard feelings as was made quite clear first off by the large embrace that Moss shared with his former coach, Bill Belicheck right after the game. Moss also had some touching quotes that show that he still misses New England as he was quoted saying:
 "It was hard for me to come here to play, an up-and-down thing. I was on a roller coaster all week"
"I miss every last helmet in that locker room."
"I don't know how many more times I'll be in New England again. But I leave Coach Belichick and those guys with a salute: 'I love you guys. I miss you. I'm out.'"

I say if Randy ever wants to come back to New England he's welcome back, I'm just saying that if he were somehow wearing a Silver and Blue jersey again, the welcome van would grow a few times larger.

I'm Not Randy

He is not here to replace Randy Moss, nor should anyone expect him to. Deion Branch is merely a piece of the puzzle in which Bob Kraft has put together. Branch has never been the deep threat that Randy Moss is, nor is he of the Hall of Fame caliber which, Moss seems destined to be. But the thing about Deion Branch, is that he has heart and he knows how to be an effective wide receiver in the Patriots passing game. Earlier in this decade as the Patriots were in the midst of their championship years, Branch was selected in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Who would have known that the player drafted out of the University of Louisville would be such a dynamic player in the key years of the Patriots playoff runs. Branch played in 2 of the Patriots 3 Super Bowls, gaining MVP honors in the 2004 Super Bowl XXXIX, the first receiver to gain such an honor since the 89' Super Bowl. However at the end of his tenure, Branch and the Patriots hit a snag in the talks of his contract. So at the beginning of the 2006 season when Branch heldout of training camp, the Patriots made the move to send him to Seattle for a first-round draft pick in the 2007 NFL draft, which subsequently became Brandon Merriweather. When Branch went to Seattle he spoke to Belicheck a few times over the course of the year, he says he didn't leave on a bad note so he never had hostile feelings toward New England. While in Seattle Branch was plagued by injuries which sidelined him for a total of 14 games over his 4 seasons there. He did, however manage to be near the top in receptions, with Seattle each season he was active. Although his totals in Seattle were nowhere near as productive as his totals in New England, he hopes that his move back to the Patriots will be a new spark for his career. Branch hopes to learn the system in time to play this weeks matchup against the Ravens, although he says that it hasn't changed drastically since his years under Charlie Weis' schemes. He hopes that he has shown enough in practice that he will be given the chance to prove himself on the gridiron this Sunday. The Patriots have high hopes that Branch, as a veteran will be wiser and use his acquired knowledge and experience in the league to be successful, that's why they gave the former Super Bowl MVP another chance here in New England, another chance to show his talent, and another chance to be himself: Deion Branch.

Deion Branch, #84 WR New England Patriots

Feels Like 1972?

Monday the 1972 Dolphins team that finished the season undefeated and won the Super Bowl, breathed a sigh of relief after the last remaining undefeated team, the Kansas City Chiefs, lost to the Indianapolis Colts 19-9. Yes, I said the Kansas City Chiefs that was NOT a typo. After a rather disappointing season at 4-12 last season, the Chiefs were not expected to have any major impact on the league this year. However after week 4 where both the Steelers and Bears, the only other two undefeated teams at the time, were defeated, the Chiefs stood alone at the top of the NFL with the help of the bye week. This game had major implications for the Chiefs if they had any hopes of returning to the playoffs as they did in the '06 season. Facing off against Peyton Manning and the Colts is as good a way as any to prove that you can hang with the best teams in the league. And the Chiefs did just that, even with the loss, the Chiefs played the Colts to a down to the wire game. With the score tied at 9-9 going into the final quarter of the game, the Kansas City Chiefs were for real. Although Indy came out on top, the Chiefs are optimistic that they have come a long way since last season. Playing a team like Indianapolis tough and having a chance to win the game at any level, is purely an accomplishment in itself. The Chiefs currently sit in first place atop the AFC West standings at 3-1 a full game and a half above every other team who all sit at 2-3. The Chiefs of '10 look as though they could be around for the long haul, and that's not something that anyone wants to hear. Although there is a lack of production in the offensive categories with only 77points and 8TD scored through their first 4 games, their defense has looked solid allowing only 57 points thus far, less than 15 a contest. However, with the Chiefs loss, every NFL team now has at least one defeat. Because of that, the '72 Dolphins can break out the champagne and celebrate once more upon being the only undefeated team, including playoffs, of all time. But one thing can be learned from these Chiefs and that is to never take your opponent to lightly or underestimate anyone, you never know which team is going to have a breakout season.

 1972 Dolphins

Dexter McCluster, WR/RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Raaaaandddy?

C'mon Randy, was the record breaking season in receiving TD's, alongside the ability of being a Wide Receiver on the New England Patriots, for Tom Brady not enough for you? Where in the world does it cross your mind that having a 60 year old Brett Favre as Quarterback, as opposed to Brady in his prime, a better scenario for you? Nonetheless, the Vikings have been pitiful this year at 1-2 behind the 3-1 Bears and Packers. Hell, the Vikings are only 1 game better than the Lions right now, that's just bad. Plus the Patriots are 3-1. I wonder if Randy knows that he gets to play the Patriots 4 weeks from now? Maybe by then the Vikings will have 2 more wins than the lowly Lions, maybe. Sure on paper you look at the Vikings and say WOW, I bet they go undefeated. But then look at their record, sure only week 3 but still, you get my point. Randy you had the best situation ever here in New England, a fan base that loved you, a QB who can actually hit you with passes, and a team that can win, giving you an actual shot at your first Super Bowl championship, yeah remember that thing every team plays for at the end of the season where they give out rings and such? Right I didn't think so. But hey, good luck out there in Minnesota, with Brett I'm sure when playoff time comes around and both his knees buckle, Tavaris Jackson will be a great player. Oh wait...

Special Team

Monday nights' Patriots at Dolphins game was supposed to be a tough game, a battle for a share of first place in the AFC East, and it was for a half. Bill must have said something that lit a fire under the Special Teams of the Patriots, namely Brandon Tate and Patrick Chung. Coming out of the halftime the Patriots lined up for the kick return. The fire inside Brandon Tate exploded as soon as he caught the ball, I think that his 103-yd return can draw comparisons to Flash, this is because he caught the ball took-off, and wasn't touched the entire way down the field. 13-6 Patriots. The momentum shift at this point and time during the game was like day and night from the first half of the game. What can be said about the performance of Patrick Chung? Only word that comes to mind is simply: spectacular. The second year safety had a performance to be remembered for the rest of his professional career. Chung first blocked a punt which set up a New England touchdown. Later in the half, Chung struck again, like lighting striking twice, Chung blocked a field goal attempt, which Kyle Arrington then picked up and took 35 yards to the house. Just when the game reached its pinnacle, and the blowout was confirmed, Chung decided he wasn't done, taking a Chad Henne pass 51 yards to paydirt. Sure the Patriots defense allowed over 400 yards of total offense, but they stepped up at the big moments intercepting 4 Dolphin passes. Another unexpected hero on the defensive side of the ball was Rob Ninkovich, a 5th year linebacker/defensive end out of Purdue. Yeah, Rob Ninkovich, remember the name, after tough knee injuries with the Dolphins and Saints put him out of a job, he has come to New England on a mission. That mission: show he is worth the price of admission. I'd say after the Dolphins game, mission accomplished. Sure it was one game, but how often does the likes of Darelle Revis highly touted as the best cornerback in the game, have 2 interceptions in the game. My prediction is that Ninkovich will become a Vrabel type versatile player for the Patriots who will be reliable for years to come. So the Patriots win and in impressive fashion. Hopefully this will mark the end of the slump the defense has been in the last season and a quarter or so. But like Sam Adams says, "I think we gonna be OK".

                                                                Rob Ninkovich

                                                                    Brandon Tate

                                                                   Patrick Chung

Spoiler Alert

So they may not have made the playoffs this year, they may not have even been within 5 games of making them. But i mean can you really make the playoffs in a division against the Yankees and Rays when both of your best two players had their seasons ended by injury and one of the largest disabled lists in team history? But hey, if there was one thing the Red Sox accomplished this season it was in the last series of the year against the dread Yankees. Whenever the Yankees come to town its a bloodbath, they could be separated by 50 games in the standings, and still everything that happened before that series wouldn't matter. So was the case with this series that just happened. The Red Sox, just recently officially eliminated from playoff contention, although their season was over when Pedroia was reinjured, faced off against the Yankees who needed to win to have a chance at the AL East title. Boston hates New York and likewise, it's just a known truth. It even extends beyond sports, into just the actual people. But when Neew York needed those two wins to get that coveted homefield advantage, the BoSox slammed the door. I hope A-Roids has fun playing away from home for those four games it'll take the red hot Twins to knock out the arrogant Spankees. But for now us Boston fans can look forward to the much anticipated seasons of the Patriots, Bruins and Celtics. Man does it feel good to be from Boston.

http://www.overthemonster.com/2010/10/3/1728384/red-sox-spoil-yankees-division-hopes-with-win-in-season-finale