NHL 3rd round pics, and Roughnecks are NLL champions

NHL playoffs
2- Detroit vs
4. Chicago
this is really tough to pick. Im going to go with Detroit, as I feel like they will win, but i really want them to lose (ala i win my bet and because they won last year). Detroit plays a solid team game. Chicago can beat them though, they play well together and seem to be the young guys. youth vs experience. it will be interesting, I hope chicago can continue to score goals and Khabibulin plays well. Osgood seems to be a playoff goaltender, so they will have to get through detroit and beat him. this isn' the canucks.
Detroit in 7.

east final:
4. Pittsburg - vs
6. Carolina
should be a close series, Carolina seems to find a way to win this year and Pittsburg may let them hang around too long in this series. Cam Ward will have to continue to be solid in the net, I could see him playing for Team Canada very soon. Carolina seems to get it done with grit and effort. and thier crowd is electric. the atmosphere in Carolina vs the atmosphere in Pittsburg hasn't been close (on tv at least). they really make it an event down in Carolina, also Carolina has a place in my heart after they beat the Oilers in the final in '06.
Carolina in 7

I went to the NLL final last night with two of my friends (Nick and Justin) and watched the Calgary Roughnecks defeat the New York Titans to win the Champions cup. It was an awesome game, the Roughnecks won 12-10, getting two empty netters in the last minute before New York got a late goal. the crowd was great (not sold out though) and it was more fun then the final in 04. the Roughnecks won thier 2nd Champions cup, after posting a 14-4 record this season, the best in the league.

The Stampeders also signed Nik Lewis to contract extension, Lewis broke several records last year with the Stamps, in his 5th season, and wants to retire a Stampeder someday.

end of february, flames/hitmen rolling

So we are hitting the end of February, time for the playoff race to heat up in hockey. both Calgary teams are pretty secure where they are. the Hitmen will finish first or second in the WHL and the Flames have opened up a 10 point lead on the Canucks for the division lead, and are 8 points back of Detroit!
the Flames have lost a few key players lately, with Bourque out 2 months with a high ankle sprain and Giordano likely out for the season with shoulder surgery. the good news is Iginla has got his game back, he had a 4 point night vs Columbus on tuesday and has played hard in the past 4 games. the Flames are riding a a streak of 6-0-2 in thier past 8, with 22 games left. the flames play home to Minnesota and Tampa bay this weekend before heading out on a crucial 7 game road trip in the east.
the trade deadline is coming up next wednesday and it should be interesting to see what moves are made in the nhl. Flames GM Darryl Sutter said this week he won't be trading any players off the team, so if he does make a trade, it will be a depth trade, which is good. this team had the parts to go all the way in my opinion. we'll see how it shakes out.
in other sports news, the Edmonton Eskimoes will host the 2010 Grey cup.
Go Flames, Roughnecks and Hitmen