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And Then There Were Four: NHL Conference Finals
Posted by: | CommentsMontreal, Philadelphia, San Jose and Chicago. These are your final four teams competing for the Stanley Cup. Raise your hands if you had these four in your bracket when you filled it out at the start of the playoffs…now put your hand down you liar, no one saw this coming. No one.
Taking a quick look back at the first round in the Western Conference saw next to no surprises in terms of higher seeds advancing. Only the Detroit Red Wings were able to upset the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, and safe to say that didn’t surprise many. Full marks to a Phoenix team for filling their barn each game and getting that young team experience to build upon for the upcoming years. That team appears to be in good hands.
The Playoffs spelled another bitter end for Alexander Ovechkin and company.
The first round saw the three division leaders’ advance along with the Red Wings to the conference semi-finals where Chicago was able to bounce the Vancouver Canucks from the playoffs for the second straight year. They were able to rough up an inconsistent gold-medal-winning Roberto Luongo on a fairly regular basis. Luongo seems to have problems dealing with what the Black Hawks bring in their game. Very disappointing end to the season for the Canucks as they had aspirations of the Stanley Cup, and this appeared to be their year to make a push for it. This playoff season appears to be the coming out party for Dustin “Buff Daddy” Byfuglien. The 6’ 3” nearly 250-pounder was a point a game man for the Hawks against the Canucks, and able to both fill the net as well as play the back end where needed.
In the other conference semi-final, San Jose helped to erase some recent playoff failures by ousting the Red Wings rather quickly. They were able to take advantage of the Red Wings fantastic rookie goaltender Jimmy Howard and get to him and seemingly get into his head and provide doubt in his game. Detroit has played so many hockey games over the past few seasons, it appeared as though they simply ran out of gas. Going to the finals two years running, as well as having as many players go to the Olympics as they did, it is no wonder. Johan Franzen put together a game for the playoff ages in Game 4, putting up four goals and adding a couple of assists as well, to account for the bright spot for the Wings in the second round. Just coming off of a major injury, he should be able to get a good off-season in and come back as the “Mule” again for the 2010-11 season. Joe Thornton, long been dubbed a playoff wilting rose, was able to rise up and be the big-time player in the playoffs that people have been calling for years to appear. Jumbo Joe put up eight points including three goals over the fiv- game series to help quiet some critics.
Chicago vs. San Jose
The top two seeds going at it. Both play very strong team games and have been getting the necessary components to win games. Undrafted rookie goalie Antti Niemi has been good, giving up under two-and-a-half goals a game, captain Jonathan Toews has had some brilliant games, and is one of the playoff’s leading scorers. Chicago is also getting solid play out of former first overall pick Patrick Kane as well as Patrick Sharp. On the back end, Duncan Keith is playing over 27 minutes a game and Brent Seabrook is hitting anything that comes near him. This young team seems to have learned lessons well from last year and is poised to make a run for their first Stanley Cup appearance since 1992 and their first Stanley Cup since 1961.
Antti Niemi's glove work has Chicago fans remembering Tony Esposito.
San Jose is looking for their first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and after their recent past of seemingly choking in the playoffs, most didn’t expect them to get to this point. If the likes of Thornton, Dany Heatley, and Patrick Marleau can jump to the forefront, coupled with this year’s playoff performer Joe Pavelski who has nine goals so far, and led by back-end talent Dan Boyle and playoff veteran Rob Blake, things look good.
Philadelphia vs. Montreal
Over in the Eastern Conference, it has been mayhem since the get go. All three division leaders were upset in the first round with only No. 4-seeded Pittsburgh (defending champs) making it through as a top seed. The Cinderella Smurfs….oops, I mean Montreal Canadiens, were able to knock off the President’s Trophy winning Washington Capitals after being down three games to one, and cause league superstar Alexander Ovechkin another year of playoff humiliation. The Boston Bruins dispatched Ryan Miller and the division-winning Buffalo Sabres and all-time wins leader Martin Brodeur and his New Jersey Devils were ousted by divisional foes, the Philadelphia Flyers, who have seemingly had their number all year behind backup-goalie-turned-starter Brian Boucher.
The second round, like the first, brought more of the same, with Montreal riding the hot goaltending of Jaroslav Halak. Halak is reminding Canadiens’ fans of past young stars Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden with his ability to steal games. Montreal has had their injury issues on the back end as well, but with that has emerged former second-rounder P.K. Subban. Since being recalled against Washington, he has filled in admirably. He is playing over 20 minutes a night, has been even, and has chipped in four points offensively as well. Off-season pickups Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri have been key players on the offensive end. Gionta looks like the future captain, and Cammalleri has shown his mettle.
In what will go down as one of the more memorable series of all time, the Philadelphia Flyers were able to oust the Boston Bruins after being down in the series three games to zero. In the deciding seventh game, with an ironic twist, the Bruins jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, only to squander it and go on to lose the game and the series, 4-3. Simone Gagne returned in Game 4 from a broken foot to score the overtime winner, and set the comeback in motion. After returning, Gagne put up four goals, five points in his four games. Danny Brier has also shown flashes of his offensive game returning to form, netting nine goals so far this postseason. The Flyers will need more of the same to continue their improbable run to the finals.
Philadelphia's miracle comeback against Boston has Philly fans believing.
In one conference we have the two top teams battling for a spot in the finals; in the other; we have the two bottom teams, teams that waited until the last possible moment to qualify for the party. At this point, we will start to see the makings of hobby heroes. Guys like Cammalleri, Subban (when his first licensed cards go live) and Halak in Montreal, Richards, Briere, van Riemsdyk among others in Philadelphia all have the chance to step up and make a difference in their collectability over the next week or so from the Eastern Conference.
Over in the west, expect guys like Thornton, Heatley, Pavelski to look to up their games, and in all likelihood their values on the secondary market from San Jose. Chicago has some hobby heroes in Kane and Toews right now, but a trip to the finals could see another spike in their items. Teams always seem to have the one guy who steps up his game in the playoffs to become a hobby hero, and you will here it here first; Byfuglien in Chicago, Clowe in San Jose, Giroux in Philadelphia and Gionta in Montreal all have the capabilities to put them on the market if they can help their teams to a Stanley Cup Final.
Count me in as a person who hopes we can see an Original Six final. Chicago and Montreal matching up for the Stanley Cup would certainly bring a lot of older fans back into the game and, because of it, they would be watching with their younger family members, telling stories of years gone by and matchups from when they were growing up. With all due respect to San Jose and Philadelphia, the intrigue as well as the simplicity of seeing two of the most iconic jerseys playing in a minimum of four games would most certainly be a treat for us all.
Good luck to all four teams and their fans for making it this far. Let’s keep a close eye on this, the way this year’s playoffs have played out so far, you don’t want to miss what happens next.
Don’t forget to register your 2009-2010 NHL Rookie cards. Click here to register them at Upper Deck’s Rookie Card tracker. By registering your codes from the back of your rookie cards, you will have a chance to win a box of cards from Upper Deck!
Christopher Carmichael has been hockey fan of over 20 years. He has been an active member on various hobby related sites, most notably www.hobbyinsider.net, and www.cloutsnchara.com. Christopher is also a long time collector, with a focus on a few select player collections, and the occasional set projects.
Popularity: 25% [?]
Upper Deck Soccer: Don’t Miss It!
Posted by: | CommentsEvery four years the eyes of the world are turned to one single event. It’s an event where countries bring together their best men to battle for the title of champions of the world. For one month all countries are on a level playing field where economy, population, size and type of government don’t matter. Each country is given the same chance to win. This year the United States Men’s National Soccer Team will field their best 11 men ever, led by a fearless captain in Landon Donovan. This is the year of the World Cup.
The success of United States soccer is due in large part to the emergence of Major League Soccer and its preparation of young talent to grow within the league. MLS has done such a good job that a number of players such as Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey have been picked up by some of the best clubs in the world. On the other hand huge international names are finding stiff competition here that did not exist 10 years ago. David Beckham is by far the most popular of international players to test their talents on U.S. soil, but many have followed and more come each year. Soccer is on the rise, and as the world watches this June there will be the largest number of MLS players participating since the inception of the league.
With this year having so much meaning for soccer players, teams and fans it is no surprise that Upper Deck has once again produced an elite product to commemorate what soccer in America has accomplished. Today, May 18, the 2010 Upper Deck MLS set hits store shelves and each pack will have something valuable to offer. Along with the 200-card base set, there are a number of amazing pulls to be found. Here are some of the set’s highlights.
First and foremost, Upper Deck has refined its already elite card making process and has made the surface of their cards more Sharpie-friendly. Even with all the patch, autograph or jersey cards included, this is by far the best part about the product. Unlike other professional athletes, soccer stars are much more approachable and almost always willing to sign autographs. The big stars like Beckham understand the importance of a good fan and will take a moment to say hello. Essentially you could have a complete autographed set. It’s just up to you to attend the games. It’s a challenge worth undertaking.
As mentioned before, Landon Donovan will be leading the charge for the U.S. and you can be sure to find not only his patch and jersey cards, but also his autograph. If that isn’t enough there are also “MLS Teammates Dual Materials” insert cards numbered to 65 that include Beckham and Donovan side by side. There are even “MLS National Pride Triple Materials,” “MLS Superstars Quad Materials” and “MLS Materials Premium Series” with, of course, Donovan, Beckham, Pablo Mastroeni, Kasey Keller and Juan Pablo Angel to name a few. This set is packed with a ridiculous amount of amazing cards.
Many of you may or may not know about Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), which started just a year ago in the United States. It wouldn’t be fair to overlook standouts like Heather Mitts or Hope Solo for all of their accomplishments as female athletes representing their country on the world stage. They now play professionally on their home turf, and Upper Deck is making sure they are getting noticed with patch cards, quad materials cards and a lot more. If you haven’t seen these ladies play, you are missing out.
Too many times soccer is not given the credit it deserves in our country which is unfortunate because many of these players are more recognized throughout the world than guys like Kobe Bryant or Peyton Manning. To call yourself a true collector you need to add some Upper Deck Soccer to your collection. These aren’t just players that couldn’t hack it in a ‘real’ American sport. These are true athletes whose stories will become legendary tales told to future generations. There is real value in any Upper Deck product, but high value comes with collecting icons. Don’t miss it. You will find yourself watching the World Cup with a lot more interest, cheering for the United States and cherishing your Landon Donovan autograph.
Popularity: 12% [?]
Come Down Off the Ledge Cleveland Fans
Posted by: | CommentsMany of you may have read some of the posts here from my main writing partner on the Upper Deck Blog, Terry Melia. And as you may be aware, he’s a die-hard fan of all teams that hail from Boston. I couldn’t let him do another story about the greatness of Boston and how the Celtics are playing such inspired basketball so I begged him to let me take today’s column, and I also challenged him to a bet.
It probably wasn’t the smartest bet, but hey, I believe in “The Chosen One.” If LeBron James comes back to lead the Cavs over the Celtics in the next two games, Terry will produce a column next week on the 23 reasons why LeBron is the greatest player in the league right now. In turn, if the Celtics do wind up winning the series, I’ll do a special entry next week on the 17 reasons (one for each Beantown banner) that explains why Boston is the best franchise in the NBA. As a Laker fan I have to say, losing this bet would really suck.
He's been "The King" since high school in Ohio. Don't lose faith in your king Cavs fans.
So for now, I want to confess to you all that I have a very guilty pleasure. I listen to at least an hour-and-a-half of sports talk radio a day. It’s not easy to admit, nor is it something I’m proud of, but it’s a part of my routine and I don’t see it stopping any time soon. And all I could think about as I listened intently yesterday and earlier today was, “ENOUGH!”
To the layperson, you would have thought Cleveland lost the series to Boston on Wednesday night and the talking heads on talk radio (whom I love) were already abuzz about where LeBron would be playing next season. I even heard someone say he’s going to San Antonio. Really? You think the Brett Favre retirement stories are tough? The “Where’s LeBron going to wind up?” story is going eclipse that easily. But here’s the thing: the season isn’t over for the Cavs, the fat lady hasn’t sung and LeBron is still a member of this team.
Yes, King James had an awful Game 5 and he probably didn’t provide the best post-game comments, but he is still the two-time reigning league MVP. He will put the team on his back and get it done in Boston tonight. And I’m not saying that just because I despise Boston. You can’t tell me you’d be surprised if he went off for 40-plus tonight to lead the Cavs to victory and a Game 7 clincher back in Cleveland. Yesterday and today, people have been talking about where he’ll be next year and the fact this season is over because he is playing with a broken elbow. Come on. Enough!
Not much you can do to stop this Paul Pierce!
Come down off the ledge Cleveland fans. You’re still in this. You’ve got the best player in the league playing in a huge game. Embrace it. Enjoy it. And to help inspire you, I am going to share some excerpts from some of the greatest motion pictures of the last century. Let the words of these cinematic legends pour over you and give you the confidence you need to take this series home where LeBron can do what he does best: win!
Popularity: 10% [?]
Beantown Fans: Not All Gravy
Posted by: | CommentsLast Friday night was a big night surrounding Boston sports. The Bruins were trying to lock down their first visit to the NHL’s Eastern Conference Finals since 1992 with a victory over the Flyers, while the Celtics were hoping to go up two games to one in their best-of-seven semifinal against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and reigning NBA MVP LeBron James. But the matchup that had me the most excited was the base-brawl game on tap that evening between the Red Sox and Yankees at Fenway Park. And do you know what happened on this would-be glorious night? Not a single victory for Beantown, that’s what. It was the worst kind of trifecta. I guess you could even call it the evil twin of all hat tricks.
Granted, I’m a Boston fan from way back and nobody on the planet admires the outstanding play of the teams that battle out of Kenmore Square and TD Garden more than me. With the Red Sox and Yankees, it’s the hotly contested play that always seems to surface every time these two bitter rivals square off that keeps guys like me coming back for more. It’s a prize fight every time out and I love it. I can still see Carlton Fisk and Lou Piniella getting into a nice scrap in 1976 at Yankee Stadium or Jason Varitek standing up to Alex Rodriguez in that pivotal July ’04 game at Fenway. If you recall, that particular game turned the Red Sox season around and sent Francona and company to Boston’s first World Series title in 86 years. Down 9-4, they rallied back following the grappling match between ‘Tek and Arod to take an 11-10 decision. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The Celtics are just fun to watch. Sometimes they can be downright frustrating, as was the case on Friday night when they posted the franchise’s worst playoff loss ever. But for the most part, they are entertaining and competitive. Doc Rivers has a well-oiled (albeit aging) group of players that knows what it takes to win. They won it all in 2008 and have almost the same team playing nowadays. But they can get tired at times and Friday night’s debacle was a classic example. But then yesterday’s rousing victory over the Cavs behind Rajon Rondo’s incredible triple-double put everything back in its proper place.
Every sport has its loyal fan base and every rivalry has its memories. The Bruins are no exception. Whether it’s the Canadiens, Rangers or Flyers, the Bruins and their faithful fans hate those guys and would like to see nothing more than Boston hoisting its sixth Stanley Cup next month. While they dropped a 5-4 OT thriller on Friday, chances are they’ll finish off the Flyers tonight and move on. Great MoJo behind former B’s like Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and Derek Sanderson will carry over to Chara, Rask and company this evening to make this dream a reality, just you wait and see.
Getting back to my beloved Bosox, Friday night was embarrassing. With Josh Beckett on the hill, I expected fireworks, just not M-80s being lit by the Yankees. A 10-3 beat down, followed by a 14-3 drubbing on Saturday pretty much took the wind out of my sails. But lo and behold, Sunday night spelled success for the Red Sox with Jon Lester on the mound and Big Papi, David Ortiz, actually finding his swing…well, sort of. His run-scoring, ground-rule double to right used to be a three-run jack just a few short seasons ago, but I’ll take whatever gas he has left in the tank at this point. You see, Ortiz and I have met one another (see photo above) and I’ve been trying to tell him just to stay calm and make contact. But like all projects, it’s a work in progress. The good news is that he’s showing signs of life and that could spell bad news for the Yankees next time around. Well, we can only hope.
Popularity: 29% [?]
The Puck Drops Here
Posted by: | CommentsWith this season’s NHL playoffs set to begin tonight with four first-round match-ups, Upper Deck has just released its newest NHL-licensed trading card set: 2009-10 SP Game-Used Hockey. A 100-card beauty, SP Game-Used packs all the thrills hockey card aficionados are looking for with at least one memorabilia or autographed card in every pack, on average. Not bad odds, huh?
2009-10 SP Game-Used 'Authentic Fabrics' Evgeni Malkin Insert Card
In addition to the likelihood of landing either a memorabilia or autographed card in every pack, SP Game-Used Hockey boasts an incredible assortment of inserts starting with the readily available “Authentic Fabrics” (1:3 packs); moving on to “Inked Sweaters” autographed jersey cards (numbered to 50), featuring the likes of John Tavares, Matt Duchene and Patrick Kane; and closing with “Legends Classic Patches” (numbered to 25), including past hockey standouts like Bryan Trottier, Butch Goring, Billy Smith and Dale Hawerchuk.
2009-10 SP Game-Used 'Inked Sweaters' Mario Lemieux Insert Card
The depth of autographed cards inside the set is especially significant as rookies, current stars and retired legends abound. The two levels of the “SIGnificance” offerings (numbered to 50 and numbered to 25) are jam-packed with talent young and old as names like Jonathan Toews, Steven Stamkos, Steve Yzerman, Brian Leetch and even Johnny Bucyk jump off the checklist. The dual-signed “Extra SIGnificance” (numbered to 25) and thrice-signed “Triple SIGnificance” (numbered to 10) cards will no doubt have collectors screaming with excitement upon cracking lucky packs.
Lastly, the sought-after rookie cards that are available – “Authentic Rookies” (numbed to 999) and “Authentic Rookies SP” (numbed to 99) – will round out one’s collection very nicely. And the “Rookie Exclusives” autograph cards are all numbered to 100. With names like Tavares, Duchene and Victor Hedman all waiting to be discovered, excessive crack-packing will be at an all-time high.
So, what are you waiting for?
Popularity: 25% [?]
