Scores and Standings--First day edition!

1. Derek: 8
D. Sedin (F-Van) W=1
Franzen (F-Det) G,A,W=4
Backstrom (F-Was) W=1
Boyle (D-SJ)
Wideman (D-Was) W=1
Howard (G-Det) W=1


2. Bride of Kovalev: 7
Ovechkin (F-Was) G,W=3
Datsyuk (F-Det) G,W=3
Pavelski (F-SJ)
Lidstrom (D-Det) W=1
Visnovsky (D-Ana) 0
Thomas (G-Bos)


T3. Mother of Kovalev: 4
Giroux (F-Phi)
Brian Boyle (F-NYR) 0
Laich (F-Was) W=1
Seidenberg (D-Bos)
Meszaros (D-Phi)
Fleury (G-Pit) SO,W=3


T3. P-Stone: 4
Perry (F-Ana) 0
Stamkos (F-TB) 0
Carter (F-Phi)
Chara (D-Bos)
Kronwall (D-Det) W=1
Luongo (G-Van) SO,W=3


T3. Cousin Kovalev: 4
Briere (F-Phi)
Kesler (F-Van) A,W=2
Hartnell (F-Phi)
Ehrhoff (D-Van) W=1
Subban (D-Mon)
Rinne (G-Nas) W=1


T3. Father of Kovalev: 4
H. Sedin (F-Van) W=1
Zetterberg (F-Det) W=1
Thornton (F-SJ)
Letang (D-Pit) A,W=2
Kaberle (D-Bos)
Bobrovsky (G-Phi)


7. Hawks Fan: 2
Marleau (F-SJ)
St. Louis (F-TB) 0
Lucic (F-Bos)
Keith (D-Chi) 0
Rafalski (D-Det) G,W=2
Miller (G-Buf)

Are we smarter than ESPN?*

By the way, I created a group named Kovalev's Kousin on the ESPN challenge, if you want to join. Original, I know. 

*Editor's note: In my original article, I made a mistake by not accounting for the fact that Bride of Kovalev had actually picked Tim Thomas. That has been changed, and the article now reflects it.


I am entering a team on ESPN's Playoff Hockey Challenge, and it ranks players by dollar value.

If ESPN were to enter our pool right now, based on their valuations for who is left over, their team would look like this:


Best of the rest (rank in respective position):
Sidney Crosby (1)
Jonathan Toews (8)
Ryan Getzlaf (10)
Keith Yandle (2)
James Wisniewski (6)
Jonathan Quick (3)


Here are the very top players, according to ESPN:

Crosby
Sedin
Sedin
Visnovsky
Yandle
Thomas

We picked four of those top-ranked players. Let's see how we do compared to ESPN's "Best of the rest" team, shall we?

The breakdown:

Here is what the draft results tell us:

Detroit: 7

Philadelphia: 6

Vancouver: 5
Boston: 5

Washington: 4
San Jose: 4

Anaheim: 2
Pittsburgh: 2
Tampa Bay: 2

Chicago: 1
Buffalo: 1
Montreal: 1
Nashville: 1
New York: 1


It seems our poolers have given a ringing endorsement for seeing the Red Wings beating the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final. We seem to think the Canucks also have a decent shot at the Western Conference, and the Bruins could win the East.

People are hesitantly picking the Capitals and Sharks. Based on their past performances, the numbers are very telling. Is this the year the Sharks finally win it all? Have the Caps learned from last year's upset?

We're giving the Ducks, Lightning, and Penguins an outside chance of going far, and one has to wonder if their past reputation is what really recommends them.

And then there are the five dark horse picks: the Rangers, Blackhawks (the defending champs!), Sabres, Habs, and Preds. These could potentially be a huge picks, or just wasted roster spaces.

The Draft is complete!

Here are your final rosters.
Notably absent: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Are we all going to be kicking ourselves in June?

Derek
F D. Sedin (Van)
F Franzen (Det)
F Backstrom (Was)
D Boyle (SJ)
D Wideman (Was)
G Howard (Det)

Bride of Kovalev
F Ovechkin (Was)
G Thomas (Bos)
F Datsyuk (Det)
D Lidstrom (Det)
D Visnovsky (Ana)
F Pavelski (SJ)

Mother of Kovalev
G Fleury (Pit)
F Giroux (Phi)
F Brian Boyle (NYR)
F Laich (Was)
D Seidenberg (Bos)
D Meszaros (Phi)


Hawks Fan
F Marleau (SJ)
F St. Louis (TB)
F Lucic (Bos)
D Keith (Chi)
D Rafalski (Det)
G Miller (Buf)

P-Stone
G Luongo (Van)
F Perry (Ana)
F Stamkos (TB)
D Chara (Bos)
F Carter (Phi)
D Kronwall (Det)

Cousin Kovalev
F Briere (Phi)
F Kesler (Van)
D Ehrhoff (Van)
F Hartnell (Phi)
D Subban (Mon)
G Rinne (Nas)

Father of Kovalev
F H. Sedin (Van)
F Zetterberg (Det)
F Thornton (SJ)
D Letang (Pit)
D Kaberle (Bos)
G Bobrovsky (Phi)

Postponed due to...ahem...circumstances within The Hawks Control

Thanks to the Chicago Blackhawks, today's draft has been postponed until after the Stars game.
It is 7:00 pm and the second period has just begun in the Stars-Wild game. We'll see if we can begin tonight. Otherwise, we'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Thanks, Hawks!

Draft order unveiled

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, the draft order for the playoff pool!

1. Derek
2. Bride of Kovalev
3. Mother of Kovalev
4. Hawks Fan (a colleague of mine who is this year's guest pooler)
5. P-Stone
6. ME
7. Father of Kovalev

As you all probably know, the draft order goes down, then back up, each round.

Points are: Goal = 2; Assist = 1; Win = 1; Shutout = 2 ADDITIONAL pts.

Injured players still earn points for team wins; suspended players do not.

You pick six players: three forwards, two defensemen, one goalie. In cases where players play both F and D, you decide which position to lock them in for the duration of the playoffs.

No trades.

Additional rules:
I make mistakes. If you think I've made an error, bring it up to me. But do so in a timely fashion. If a score hasn't been disputed within 24 hours, I assume everyone concurs. Still, I typically re-check my math at the end of each round.

In the unlikely event of a tie, the player with the most total goals wins.

Draft begins on Sunday, depending on the playoff implications of the remaining games.

That was fun

I had lunch riding on last night's game. A colleague of mine is a Blackhawks fan, and we both enjoy talkiing hockey before and after we talk business. So I was watching last night's game, knowing that he was doing the same, and we bothe knew that the otehr was saying "What a great game."

So the Habs clinch, the Hawks get a point, and PK Subban and Carey Price are the best thing since sliced bread.

Now, it's time to start prepping for the playoff pool.

Get excited.