With all of that NCAA nonsense out of the way, it’s time to get to what every sports fan REALLY cares about. Tomorrow night the puck drops on the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Parity – both artificial and natural – created one of the more exciting conclusions to an NHL season, and the on-paper match-ups for the first round should provide excellent drama.

Dire-hard fans will enjoy heavy hitting Anaheim going to Dallas, while the fair-weather fan can appreciate Sidney Crosby and watch Alex Ovechkin make his post-season debut. There are also the traditional draws – New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings – to keep dozens of fans worldwide glued to the Versus network… or something

Just in case some of you missed the action, I’ve outlined the first round and thrown in a couple of longer term predictions for the Conference Finalists and Cup Winner.

Detroit v Nashville

I wish I could say that Detroit was going to lose. No. Really. But the Winged Bastards claimed yet another President’s Trophy, murderized basically the entire league, and with the exception of a fairly nasty stretch after the All Star Break (1-8-2 in Feb.), were their usual model of consistency and excellence. Their reward is the West’s #1 seed and with even marginal effort a trip to the Conference Finals.

Lucky for me, there are a few good reasons to be wary. Despite successfully integrating a number of young pieces this is still a team that is scary old in net and along the back line. The Wings are dangerously reliant on Nic Lidstrom and could very well collapse if the 37 year old cannot answer the bell. I also have trouble backing a team that will, at some point, depend upon either Chris Osgood or 2008’s Dominick Hasek. They’ll need one to steal a game at some point, and I wonder if that’s realistic.

Nashville, meanwhile, is your classic plucky, feel-good story. The team’s inevitable sale and departure (it may take another year, but it’s coming) gutted a roster that barely made last season’s dance. They’ve got nice talent along the backline but they’re probably not ready for prime time. Journeyman Dan Ellis will need to be THE story in net, but for a Preds offense built around serial choke-artist Jason Arnott – who scored the cup-clenching goal in 2000 and subsequently disappeared – even that might not be enough.

The Preds will huff, puff and knock Detroit around a little, but they aren’t winning more than a game.

Wings in 5

San Jose v Calgary

The Sharks blow into this series as one of the NHL’s hottest teams. The addition of Buffalo’s Brian Campbell at the trade deadline filled one of the few remaining holes on their roster and prompted a 16-2-2 stretch that was good enough to pass both Dallas and Anaheim for the Pacific Division title. A legit star turn by Evgeni Nabokov coupled with the continued excellence of Joe Thornton fueled one of the league’s best teams. Big, fast and nasty, the Fins should challenge for the Cup.

Still, there are a few blemishes that Flames fans will hope to take advantage of. Though both have been better as of late, San Jose has received basically nothing from ‘star’ players Jonathan Cheechoo (37 points) and Patrick Marleau (48 points) this season, with the former only recently returning from injury. Evgeni Nabokov, meanwhile, played all but 5 of his team’s game, so fatigue might be a factor.

Normally, a Sharks team that only managed 22 road wins would be considered vulnerable, but the Flames were actually worse (21). The excellence of Iginla, Phaneuf and Kiprusoff should be good for a win, maybe two, but the supporting cast just isn’t there. For the Flames to have any hope of advancing they will either need a collapse by San Jose – not outside the realm of possibility – or an absolute goaltending master-class by Kipper – also not impossible. The Flames are a strong, solid team, but beyond Iginla they lack the consistency up top to scare much of anybody.

Trouble or no trouble, if San Jose can’t get past punch-less Calgary, and really several rounds further, the season will be viewed as a catastrophic failure. They’ll find their feet, their offense and move into the second round

San Jose in 6

Minnesota v Colorado

The 3 v 6 match-up in the West is deceptive, as a pair of wins is all that separated each team in the final standings. Injuries derailed Colorado’s challenge for much of the season, but the Avs got healthy at the right time, sprinting to the finish line ahead of rivals Edmonton and Vancouver. The Wild, meanwhile, continue as the model of quiet efficiency behind bench maestro Jacques Lemaire.

Minnesota should be the more balanced of the two teams in this series. Though definitely driven by All-World Marian Gaborik (42-41-83), there is enough secondary scoring in Pavol Demitra (54 points in 68 games), Brian Roloston (31 goals) and Pierre Marc-Bouchard (50 assists) to keep the Avs defense honest. The high end is complimented nicely by lunch-pailers like Todd Fedoruk, Sean Hill or Derek Boogaard, leaving the Wild more than able to push back. With that said, balanced scoring still means ‘not a lot’ outside Gaborik. If the series gets tight, or injuries begin to mount, it will come down to a goaltender Niklas Backstrom with only one postseason series (a 4-1 loss to Anaheim) under his belt.

Colorado, meanwhile, has promise but maybe not a lot else. Combining strong veteran leadership – Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk – with talented up-and-comers – Paul Stasny, Marek Svatos and Wojtek Wolski – led to an up and down season that culminated in a mad dash (5-0-1 in their last 6 games) to the #6 seed. Jose Theodore also decided to show up for his contract year (2.44 GAA .910 sv), and looks like he might be a factor as well. If things come together the Avs have more than enough to unseat the Wild, but injuries have been a problem all year. Add to that the fact that Forsberg is 0 for his last 3 playoff resurrections (Philly twice and then Nashville) and that’s the series.

Colorado’s deadline moves smacked of desperation. Bringing back Adam Foote and Peter Forsberg seem like gambles without a lot of long-term upside. Still, they’ve been through wars before and should have just enough to see off Minnesota before bowing out in round 2.

Avs in 7

Anaheim v Dallas

This should be the best series in the Western Conference, either because of the quality of hockey, or because of Dallas’ car-crash tendency to choke in the big spots. Each team showed their Stanley Cup credentials with long stretches of dominance throughout the regular season, and both enjoy tremendous talent throughout their rosters. Familiar foes, there should be plenty of snarl to go along with the considerable skill level.

The defending champs have improved greatly from the team that opened the season, as Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer have been re-integrated after their near retirements. Along with Chris Pronger, Mathieu Schnieder and Francious Beauchemein, Niedermayer gives Anaheim without question the best defensive unit in the league. Selanne, meanwhile, adds speed and skill to big bodies like Ryan Getzlaf and Todd Bertuzzi. The shutdown trio of Sami Paullson, Rob Niedermayer and Travis Moen is absolutely first rate and there’s still a cup-winning, Conn Smythe caliber goaltender in J-S Giguere to clean up the mess.

Dallas actually presents a challenging match up for the Ducks. Unlike the team last year that managed 14 goals in 7 games against Vancouver, this year’s squad was the 2^nd highest scoring unit in the West. Mike Ribiero is legit, Brendan Morrow stayed healthy and Mike Modano, when interested, seems to have something left in the tank as a power-play specialist. The addition of Brad Richards at the trading deadline gives the Stars depth enough to push even Anaheim’s defense. At the back, meanwhile, early injuries to Sergei Zubov and Phillipe Boucher gave expanded roles to the rest of the unit. Stephan Robidas led the team in hits and contributed on special teams, while youngsters Matt Niskanen, Nick Grossman and Mark Fistric stepped in and played big roles. Boucher’s return means one of the under 23 crew will likely be left out, but depth is key in a long series. Even Marty Turco seemed to turn a corner last season, posting 3 shutouts in the defeat at Vancouver.

Special teams will be the key to this series. Anaheim’s style will lead to penalties, and to advance, the Stars will have to take advantage. The probable loss of Sergei Zubov (sports hernia) will hurt, and a lot will be asked of a young Dallas defense, but they’ve been there all year. Turco is the key, if he reverts the Stars are done in spectacular fashion, but if he plays well, Anaheim might not have the weapons.

Stars in 7 (or Anaheim in 5)

Montreal v Boston

Bob Gainey has done wonders with a Montreal team many expected to struggle this season after allowing Sheldon Souray to depart via free agency and replacing him with the likes of Roman Hamerlik. Boston, meanwhile, was supposed to be another year away at least with a struggling Zdeno Chara basically alone in front of Timothy Thomas. Instead, we get a couple of feel good stories in the East Champs and a scrappy Bruins team that probably could have quit mid-March without any real complaints.

Years in the wilderness have left Montreal something of a surprise winner of the Eastern Conference. Gainey, the architect of the dominant mid-90s Stars squad, moved astutely to build a quick-footed squad capable of skating with anybody. The East champs also boast the leagues best power-play, a big part of which is Alexei Kovalev (35 goals) who decided to go ahead and show up this season. Gainey also made the best of the Habs minor league system, placing significant minutes in the hands of home grown players like Mike Komisarek, Chris Higgins and Carey Price. Blasted in some corners for failing to close a deal that would bring Marian Hossa to Les Habitantes, Gainey decided the cost was too high. Further astonishing analysts, he shipped veteran net minder Cristobal Huet to Washington and choose to install rookie Corey Price as the team’s #1 stopper. So far the move has paid off, but a big part of the Habs post-season will depend upon how well Price – only 20 years of age – handles the spotlight.

Boston, meanwhile, fought for every single point this season and heads into the playoff with obvious signs of wear. Talented Patrice Bergeron was removed from the team courtesy of a Randy Jones shot to the head (the Flyers player was subsequently suspended) and will not likely make his return this round of the playoffs. Team-leading scorer Mark Savard is battling a broken bone in his back while emerging sniper Chuck Kobasew is out with a foot injury. Still, the team reached the post-season behind the resurgent Zdeno Chara, who put any fears about his ability to rest with a commanding year, and the first All-Star appearance for goaltender Thomas.

Montreal has won 11 straight over the Bruins and they might push that streak to 15. Boston, meanwhile, has overachieved all year and should be better still in 08/09 but they’ll be lucky to swipe a game. The Habs come in with the league’s best power-play while the Bruins are among the worst (28^th) penalty killing teams. All signs point to sweep.

Montreal in 4

Pittsburgh v Ottawa

There’s no reason this shouldn’t be a fantastic first-round match-up. A pair of high-octane teams built around aggressive, creative hockey without anything resembling a ‘shut down’ mentality should provide ample fireworks. With that said, the Pens are peaking and healthy while the Senators have, more or less, ridden a hot start and coasted to the finish line. The jury is out on whether this series will actually deliver the goods.

The Pens are explosive and deep, boasting the best 1-2 punch in hockey. Evgeni Malkin used a late-season injury to Sidney Crosby to mount simultaneous challenges for the scoring title and league MVP, and established his bona fides in the process. Now that Crosby is back, the duo represents an immense challenge for even the league’s elite defenses. Along with their two star centers, Pittsburgh also boasts quality complementary parts in Ryan Malone, Jordan Staal, and Mark Recchi. The addition of Marian Hossa at the trade deadline made the rich even richer, as will the return of tough-guy Gary Roberts to the lineup. There are issues in net as Marc-Andre Fluery is a relative newcomer, and Hossa has yet to shed a label as a post-season disappointment, but the Pen’s offense should be able to cover any blemishes.

After starting like gang-busters (15-2-0) the Senators are poised to complete a Met-like collapse. On paper, the Sens should boast one of the elite lineups in the league. Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza are undeniable stars and Captain Daniel Alfredson might just be the best all around player on the planet. Deadline moves brought help in former cup winners Mike Commodore and Cory Stillman, bolstering both the front and back ends of the Sens lineup. On-paper excellence has not translated; however, as chemistry issues seem to have completely derailed last season’s Stanley Cup Runner-up. Injuries, inconsistency and insanity ruined goaltender Ray Emery, and Martin Gerber has proven a suitable replacement only in spurts. New coach John Paddock was also fired, and replaced with GM Brian Murray, but not much changed. Throw in injuries to Mike Fisher and Alfredson and the writing might be on the wall.

Strange things happen in the playoffs. The Senators should be good enough to hang with even the loaded Pens, but they’ll have to pull things together quickly. Their experience will be an advantage over the young Penguins, and getting Alfredson back will be vital. If they have the mettle, this could be a long series, but smart money says this team quit in December. Crosby’s first trip to the post-season was lost to injury, but he’s fit this year and the Baby-Pens will drop Ottawa and advance.

Pens in 6

Washington v Philly

This series could very well be the gem of the entire post season. Tough, physical play is a hallmark of both lineups. A pair of young, up-and-coming teams, the Caps and Flyers should approach each game as the last they’ll ever play. The emphasis will be on getting the next goal, or landing the next haymaker, rather than clogging and trapping the audience into submission. Throw in the fact that Alex Ovechkin is absolutely unstoppable and there will be red lights, big hits and enthusiasm to spare.

Washington starts and ends with Alex Ovechkin. Already an elite talent, the winger exploded after a stuttering start to the season (STAT) and used a 65-goal, 112-point demonstration of awesome to pull his team back from the brink. Step up jobs by the potent Alex Semin and rookie Nickolas Backstrom have given him a bit of help throughout the lineup, and the sudden appearance of stud Mike Green on the blue line makes the Caps threatening from top to bottom. Adding Cup-winners Matt Cooke and Sergei Fedorov was quickly canny, and Coach Bruce Boudreau even seems able to get something out of mercurial Viktor Kozlov.

Philly, meanwhile, has fought through injuries to key players – Simon Gagne will not feature this post-season – and disciplinary scrutiny to claw their way into the post season after starring as the NHL’s worst team last season. Mike Richards signed a million year contract but backed it up by becoming the team’s heart and soul, and new signing Daniel Briere appears to be shaking out of his early season funk at the right time. Years of bench work and Buffalo should also keep goalie Martin Biron hungry.

The Flyers will need every bit of nastiness they can muster from stalwart duo Brayden Coburn and grizzled Darien Hatcher to keep the Caps forwards at bay. They’ll also need Biron to be on his game and young guns BJ Umberger, Richards and Jeff Carter to match goals. The Caps, meanwhile, hope Cristobal Huet continues to provide stable, reliable goaltending and will need to ensure that the goals do not dry up. They won’t win a defensive struggle. With that said, my unabashed man-crush on Ovechkin prevents me from picking the Flyers.

Caps in 7

New Jersey v New York Rangers

I think we’re supposed to call this a match-up for the hockey ‘purist’. Which, as far as I can tell, means low-scoring slop. Sure, the guns are there, but these are teams built around stellar net minding and no-name defensive commitment. The Rangers almost swept the season series, but dropped the final game of the season and home ice advantage along with it. Time will tell if that plays a factor.

The names are there, Gionta, Elias, Langenbrunner, Parise, but the Devils offense had a quiet year (206 goals for – bottom third in the league). You’ll hear a lot about the loss of Scott Gomez, Scott Stevens and any number of former greats, but the Devil organization has remained remarkably consistent. They scrap for goals, drain the center of the ice and lean on still-immaculate Martin Brodeur, but they might be nearing the end of the road. The big win was Sunday, which clenched home ice, but more important proved they could be a Rangers team that had previously kept them winless.

Speaking of Scott Gomez, alongside Chris Drury he joined a Rangers team that was the playoff darling for many league observers. Added to a core of forwards that included Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shannahan and Martin Straka, the duo was intended to put the Rangers offense into championship territory. The experiment stuttered early, but the play of Henrik Lundqvist kept the team around long enough to reach the playoffs without too much worry. Injuries should leave Shannahan rested, and Jagr (25-46-71) still has juice, but the key will be King Henry. Last season the Swede fell victim to migraines and the Rangers flamed out. This season there are no such concerns.

There’s a reason the Rangers handled business during the season series. They’re a superior team and should see off whatever challenge the Devils are able to mount. A scorer or two could have turned the tide, but it seems unlikely that any extra offense will emerge for New Jersey.

Rangers in 6

West Finals – San Jose def. Detroit

East Finals – Rangers def Pittsburgh

Stanley Cup – San Jose def. Rangers