Playoff time, baby!

Yes! The most wonderful time of the year in all of professional hockey is here....THE PLAYOFFS! In deciding what to blog about the playoffs, I chose not to offer up my picks of who will take it all. Mainly because I am taking part in a big money playoff pool with some good buddies of mine, and lets just say, competition is fierce and I don't want to give my opponents any sort of advantage.

Anyways, while most of us will be cheering for our favorites to go all the way, here are some things to look out for when you sit down to watch the race for Stanley:

1. The San Jose Sharks: as Mark Twain wrote, "For whom the bell tolls", that title can be plastered all over the Sharks. This is it for them. Make or Break. Do or Die. They have the team to win the Cup, but can they finally climb over that hump that is the 2nd round? For the last two seasons, the Oilers and Red Wings have prevented the Sharks from advancing to the Conference Finals. With head coach Ron Wilson's job on the line, he will undoubtedly do everything he can to bring glory to Silicon Valley. But more importantly, keep an eye on Patrick Marleau. This could be his last go at the Cup as captain of the Sharks. If the team fails once again, Marleau could be packing his bags.

2. Alex Ovechkin: Hart, Art Ross and Rocket Richard. These are all the three trophies Ovechkin will win this season. Could he add Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe to that list as well? Hmm, probably not. But you never know. Either way, keep an eye out for "Ovie". Reaching the postseason has been a long-time goal for him, and considering how much energy he has during the regular season, imagine how well he'll play in the playoffs. Something magical could happen in Washington.

3. Minnesota Wild: one word...Underrated!

4. Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames: for the past 3 Stanley Cup Finals, Canada has had a Canadian team in each one. Can these two Canadian playoff teams make it four in a row? Obviously, I'm cheering for the Sharks in the first round. So I won't even bother talking about the Flames. As for the Habs, this could be a team headed for the holy ground. They are playing well, they do possess a dynamic powerplay, and are one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NHL. If anything, the fans in Montreal deserve a long playoff run. If you watched last nights game versus the Leafs, those fans are amazing!

5. Pittsburgh Penguins: I believe this team has only two seasons to enjoy the abundance of riches it currently possesses. They have to win the cup now. I just don't see them keeping all of these talented players after next season, as Malkin and Staal will need brand new contracts. Thus, players such as Sykora and Hossa only have a season or two to work their magic with this team. While they may resemble the Oilers Dynasty of the 1980s, they won't have as much time to win it all. So watch how well they perform this time around, especially Crosby, who will be playing hurt.

6. Ottawa Senators: what can I say about this team. After going 15-3 to start the year, they were among the worst teams in the LEAGUE from that point forward. After seeing Alfredsson and Fisher out of the lineup due to injuries, the Sens are entering the postseason without keep playoff performers. Unless this team makes it past the second round, a complete shake up will take place during the offseason, starting with GM/Head coach Bryan Murray. With the Penguins as their first round matchup, perhaps Murray is already getting his bags packed. I hear Dubai is nice this time of year.

Kudos to the Caps!

The Capitals have just clinched the Southeast Division, which is almost hard to believe if you remember that the team was sitting near the bottom of the conference standings towards the middle of November. After hiring Bruce Boudreau, this team has made a complete 180.

They only won 6 games in the month of February and hope was lost that this team could make the playoffs, let alone take the division crown. But after only losing 4 times in the month of March and recently winning 7 straight plus going 11-1 down the stretch, this team worked their butts off to make the postseason.

It looks like the team will face the Senators in the first round. Keep in mind, the Caps sweeped the season series and the way the Sens look right now, they could do the very same thing in the postseason. Regardless of what the Caps do, they will be an exciting team to watch. How can they not be when you have the best player in the league, Alexander "Ovie" Ovechkin. His exuberance and love for hockey will make watching this team in the playoffs simply irresistible. I now hope they do face the Sens, because then the games will be broadcasted throughout Canada. And imagine how exciting it will be if the Caps face the Pens in the next round? I've started the praying...

Where do the Oilers go from here?

My hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers, recently ended their 2007-08 season by knocking out their division rivals the Vancouver Canucks out of the postseason race. Apart from that great achievement, their entire season was an interesting one to say the least. They set a club record in man games lost to injury, had a terrible first half to the season and were at one point 14th in their conference. But through a remarkable feat of adversity and perseverance, the Oilers made a push for the playoffs. Only to fall short with time not on their side.

Nevertheless, the year was a success for them. Rookies, such as Gagner, Cogliano, Gilbert, Nilsson (how about that Ryan Smyth deal now?) and Grebeshkov, stepped up. While the emergence of "back-up" goalie Mathieu Garon surprised a lot of people. They will have plenty to look forward to for the following season, but the offseason does provide a few questions.

What will the Oilers do with upcoming restricted free agent in Jarret Stoll? The veteran had a terrible season (-23 and 36 points). Even though he did turn it up later on in the season, I attribute that to his supporting cast picking up their game as well. I would say Stoll is a guy who needs a new change of scenery. Don't get me wrong, I love his heart and character. But from what I've seen, he has never truly been the same player since the end of the 2006 playoffs. He has battled concussion problems and has never found consistent teammates for an entire season. Plus, he has even been a healthy scratch for a small stretch this year. No matter where he ends up, he is a great asset to have. But with the talent coming up in the Oilers ranks, he is an affordable asset they can part with.

Another question mark is Joni Pitkanen. While he did have some bright moments in Edmonton, he did succumb to injury more than he would have liked, which affected his performance. Since he will be an RFA this offseason, there may be some teams who will pull a "Lowe" and sign him to a deal the Oilers are unable to match. Personally, the Oilers shouldn't hold their breath with Pitkanen. While I love the way he skates and joins the rush, I would find him more of a liability as he will command at least $3.5-4 million a season, and that is too much for a guy who has yet to play a full season in his entire career.

Next, the Oilers have to look at their grit. I found they were sorely lacking in that department this season. Yes, Moreau and Torres were absent for a large chunk of the season. But, I still feel other teams were taking advantage of our star players even when they were in the lineup, especially Hemsky. Zach Stortini is terribly overrated and couldn't fight a dead chicken. The Oilers should attempt to go out and find an enforcer who can instill fear in opponents if they try and go after the Oilers best players.

In terms of potential RFAs/UFAs the Oilers should go after, there are a couple players I like:
- Daymond Langkow: he's a center who could easily replace Stoll. Langkow plays with a chip on his shoulder and can still assist in the offence. Having played with Iginla, Tanguay and Huselius, he knows how to play with talented players. So that shouldn't affect the flow of the young and gunning Oilers. Did I forget to mention he was born in Edmonton?

- Kristian Huselius: very talented winger, who does go into droughts here and there. But I would like to see this guy play with Gagner and make a lethal second line for the Oilers. Considering Calgary has to let either him or Langkow go this offseason due to cap problems, the Oilers can try and snag one from their provincial rivals.

- Miroslav Satan: some of you may be surprised by this one, but this guy can be a consistent goal scorer. Heck, the Oilers drafted him, so they know what he can do. To continue from the Huselius comment, I really like this guy to play with Gagner. I feel the Oilers are seriously lacking a second line sniper, and Satan wouldn't be too expensive for them.

- Michael Ryder: if they don't get a hold of Satan, I like Ryder on the Oilers squad. He's a decent skater, with size. More importantly, he's got a great shot. Like Jarret Stoll, Ryder is in dire need of a scenery change. He's had a horrible season in Montreal, after coming off back-to-back 30 goal campaigns. I hate sounding like a broken record, but Ryder with Gagner and Nilsson, sounds like a perfect combination.

While there are other players I want the Oilers to go after, I feel the above selections are the most reasonable and won't cost them too much. Their defence is fine, as long as it stays healthy for an entire season. Goaltending is stabilized for now with Garon and Roloson. If Roloson decides he wants out and to play where he will get lots of ice time, the Oilers could vouch for a new backup/1A goaltender (Huet? Toivonen? Hedberg?). Their young guys in Drouin-Deslauriers and Dubnyk are not quite ready for primetime.