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PREDICTING THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

March Madness is upon us! And basketball isn't the only sport with a "big dance" going on this month. Now that the NCAA Hockey Tournament bracket is out, let's take a look at the four regions, with predictions for each.

NORTHEAST REGION (Manchester, NH)
1. Boston University OVER 4. Ohio State
3. New Hampshire OVER 2. North Dakota

1. Boston University OVER 3. New Hampshire

EAST REGION (Bridgeport, CT)
1. Michigan OVER 4. Air Force
3. Vermont OVER 2. Yale

1. Michigan OVER 3. Vermont

WEST REGION (Minneapolis, MN)
4. Miami (OH) OVER 1. Denver
2. Minnesota-Duluth OVER 3. Princeton

2. Minnesota-Duluth OVER 4. Miami (OH)

MIDWEST REGION (Grand Rapids, MI)
1. Notre Dame OVER 4. Bemidji State
2. Northeastern OVER 3. Cornell

2. Northeastern OVER 1. Notre Dame

FROZEN FOUR (Washington DC)
Boston University (Northeast Winner) OVER Michigan (East Winner)
Minnesota-Duluth (West Winner) OVER Northeastern (Midwest Winner)

Boston University OVER Minnesota-Duluth

5 MORE NHL PREDICTIONS

The majority of NHL teams have played 69-70 of their 82 regular season games for the year. With that said, here are five more predictions for the rest of the NHL season. Who will make the playoffs? Who will be left out in the cold? We'll find out in the days and weeks ahead. Here are a few things we might see before the season ends in mid-April.

5. The Hurricanes will not make the playoffs
Carolina had been playing great since dealing for old friend Erik Cole. But they have struggled recently, losing three straight on the road in Chicago, Dallas, and Washington. The 'Canes remaining schedule is a difficult one, with games against the Rangers, Penguins, and three games against a very strong New Jersey club. Even the Islanders, who Carolina faces twice, are playing well. It's gonna be tough for Carolina to sneak into the postseason with a schedule that tough.

4. The Devils will reach the Eastern Conference Finals
Yes, they are that good. With Martin Brodeur back, New Jersey is probably the best team in the Conference. They are clearly better than Washington, and Boston has been struggling mightily as of late. The Devils are a pretty safe bet to win at least two rounds, even if they are the most boring, trap-filled two rounds in the playoffs.

3. Columbus will shock some people
The Jackets--currently 6th in the Western Conference--are a solid, scrappy team and might surprise a few people come playoff time. They are a solid 7-7-1 against the Central division, which includes Detroit and Chicago, so they can win against good teams. Antoine Vermette, acquired from Ottawa at the trade deadline, has been fantastic for the Blue Jackets in his brief stay in Columbus, and if Steve Mason is playing well anything can happen.

2. Nashville will miss the playoffs
The Preds, currently the 9th place team in the west but tied with 8th place Edmonton (73 points), won't make the postseason because they can't win on the road. They have 5 home games and 8 road games left on the schedule, which is a big problem considering they are 13-18-2 away from the Sommet Center this season. With two games at Detroit, and one at Chicago and San Jose, the Predators will be left out in the cold once again.

1. We will have a new Stanley Cup Champion
Detroit simply doesn't have the goaltending this season to hoist Lord Stanley's cup once again. Chris Osgood looks old and Ty Conklin isn't that number one that's going to carry them deep into the playoffs. You would never see the old Red Wings teams lose games 8-2 (3/7 vs. Columbus), 8-0 (2/28 at Nashville), or 5-2 (2/21 at light scoring Minnesota). They have the offense--there's no doubt about that--but the goaltending just isn't there this time around. The Wings seem poised for an early (2nd maybe?) round flameout in 2009.

THE MOST PROLIFIC SCORER IN OHL HISTORY

Last night, John Tavares of the London Knights scored three goals, giving him 215 for his career in the Ontario Hockey League. Tavares passed Peter Lee, who's 213 goals were the most anyone had ever scored in the OHL, until Tavares came along. The record, now his, would not have been broken without another outstanding season from the 19-year-old, with 58 goals and 104 points so far this year. He has 2 more games this season, which is sure to be his last in the OHL.

Next season, of course, should be Tavares' rookie year in the NHL. He is the big prize in next year's draft class, and should make one struggling organization very happy. Central scouting has him as North America's top skating prospect, and obviously with good reason. Tavares was the OHL Rookie of the Year in 2006, the OHL MVP in 2007, and now is that league's all-time leader in goals.

As of March 8, 4 teams have at least a 10% shot at winning the lottery and getting the top overall pick in the draft. With 51 points this season, the New York Islanders have far and away the best shot at Tavares, with a 25% chance. The Tampa Bay Lightning are next at 18.8%, followed by the Atlanta Thrashers (14.2%) and Colorado Avalanche (10.7%). I'm sure any one of those clubs would love to take a chance on the most prolific scorer in OHL history.

THE GAME EXPERIENCE OF THE FUTURE: IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?

The Boston Globe ran a piece in the sports section today about the Game Experience of the Future, a series of graphics point out upgrades being made to the way fans take in action at sporting events, ranging from electronic ticketing to upgraded convenience. What I want to know is, won't that ruin the fun of being at the game?

Now don't get me wrong. Some of the initiatives being taken are good news for sports fans. Instead of waiting in long lines to get into the arena, some places now have the technology to simply scan a "smartphone or smartcard at a special terminal and head right into the stadium." Waiting in line for food could be a thing of the past as well, with the technology to browse menus and order concessions from hand-held devices, used right at your seat. Are they necessary? No. But are they an upgrade? Most certainly.

Some of the steps though, take the fun out of attending sporting events. The Globe mentions that you can "use your hand-held device to check out stats from your game and games around the league, and interact instantly with other fans using photos and chat forums." Um, what? Why would I want to interact digitally when there are thousands of other fans sitting around me? A lot of the fun of being at games comes from the interaction with the people in your section. Starting chants, cheering loudly, and high-fiving the drunk guy sitting behind you are all reasons to go see a game live. This kind of technology is damaging to the fan experience because it takes all that away. Crowds today are already far more subdued than in the past, this is just another step in the wrong direction.

I would hate to see upgrades to hand-held devices for the sake of easy access to stats and news at sporting events. Whats great about sports--especially hockey--is the buzz in the arena during a big game. If the crowd is constantly checking things on their phones, that excitement will diminish, and attending a sporting event may never be the same.

HOW GOOD ARE THE CAROLINA HURRICANES REALLY?

Eric Staal had the best game of his career last night in the Hurricanes' 9-3 destruction of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Staal tied a franchise record with four goals and six points, all in the game's first forty minutes, putting any doubt about a Carolina victory quickly to rest. The win was the third straight for the Hurricanes, who have won seven of their last nine. As the playoffs approach, let's take a look at whether this is just a standard hot streak for a run of the mill team, or a club that's going to do some serious damage in the postseason.

The 'Canes currently sit right in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference. With 75 points, they sit tentatively in the eighth spot, but have the same number of points as seventh place Montreal and trail two more teams--the Panthers and Rangers--by just one point. That said, the Penguins and Sabres are nipping on their heels with 74 and 73 points respectively. If the Hurricanes can keep up this kind of play, they can put some serious distance between themselves and the competition, and could easily climb as high as fifth in the conference once the playoffs finally begin.

Scoring hasn't been so easy for Carolina for much of the season, as they currently sit just seventeenth in the league with 2.78 goals per game. In the past few games though, the 'Canes have been clicking on all cylanders, having scored 5 goals last Tuesday at Washington, 6 against the Flames, and then 9 in Tampa Bay last night. A lot of that can be attributed to the re-acquisition of Eric Cole right before the trade deadline. Cole spent the first six years of his career with Carolina before a summer trade sent him to Edmonton for defenseman Joni Pitkanen. Cole under-performed in Edmonton, but has completely revamped Carolina's attack, at least for a few games, with a goal in his return, a 6-1 crushing of Calgary, and then four assists in the Tampa Bay blowout. Definitely a good sign for Carolina.

Even better for the 'Canes has been their discipline. Carolina averages only 10 penalty minutes per game, the fewest of any team in the entire NHL. But that doesn't mean they shy away from physical play. Tuomo Ruutu, the team's 26-year-old centerman, is ranked 11th in the league with 180 hits.

Add that to the Hurricanes solid play during close games--19-6-5 in one goal games this season--and Carolina could surprise one of the Eastern Conference leaders come playoff time. They are certainly hitting their stride, and--if they continue this current hot streak--should push another conference foe out of the playoff picture. Just don't look for Staal to score six points every night.

THE NHL: SIMPSONS STYLE

With less than 20 games remaining in this NHL regular season, let's take a look at what we've seen so far, with a little help from our favorite TV family: The Simpsons.

Homer: You don’t like your job, you don’t strike. You go in every day and do it really half-assed. That’s the American way.
To the New York Islanders, the worst team in the NHL. The Isles have 47 points, seven behind the next worst team. They are in heaps of financial trouble and can't get fans into their outdated arena. Oh well, at least they have Rick DiPietro for the next 13 years.

Chief Wiggum: Can’t you people take the law into your own hands? I mean, we can’t be policing the entire city!
To Cal Clutterbuck of the Minnesota Wild, the NHL leader in hits with 253. The 22-year-old winger from Welland, Ontario will have to police the ice even more now that star Marian Gaborik is back from a hip injury.

Homer: Old people don’t need companionship. They need to be isolated and studied so it can be determined what nutrients they have that might be extracted for our personal use.
To Mark Recchi, 41-years-old and still going strong. Recchi was dealt from the hapless Tampa Bay Lightning to the Eastern Conference leading Bruins at the trade deadline, and is having a pretty good year, his 22nd in the NHL. Recchi has 14 goals this season, and will provide leadership and experience for a young Boston club.

Barney: Aaah! Natural light! Get it off me! Get it off me!
To the Winter Classic, which saw the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks in the annual outdoor game. Wrigley Field was sold out, the throwback jerseys looked good, and the new years day game was a success for the league.

Homer: What’s the point of going out? We’re just going to wind up back here anyway.
To the Minnesota Wild, who clearly prefer staying at home in the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild have scored 61 goals on the road this season and allowed 69. Compare that to the 96 goals they've scored at home, and Minnesota is clearly a better team on home ice. The Wild are 18-11-5 at home, and 13-16-0 on the road so far this season.

Homer: I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman!
To Alexander Ovechkin, who has played like Superman for much of this season. Alexander the Great leads the NHL in goals with 46 and is second in points with 83. Ovechkin's Capitals are right in the thick of the fight for home ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

Flanders: I think we hit something!
Homer: I hope its Flanders
To the developing rivalry between the superstars of the Penguins--Crosby and Malkin--and Alexander Ovechkin. First it was Malkin and Ovie squabbling before the all-star game, then it was Crosby saying he didn't like Ovechkin's over the top celebrations after scoring a goal. This rivalry could get more interesting down the line.

Homer: Remember as far as anyone knows, we're a nice normal family
To the New York Rangers, who have struggled mightily to score goals, despite doling out huge contracts to the likes of Drury, Gomez, Rozsival, and Redden. The Rangers sub-par play cost head coach Tom Renney his job, and the club is barely hanging on to one of the final few playoff spots in the east.

Moe: Enough chit-chat, let's see how you like flaming trash!
Our final quote goes to the San Jose Sharks, who will be hearing things like this if they fall short in the postseason once again. San Jose has been known as a team that hasn't gotten it done in the playoffs. With the team they have this season, it had better not happen again for the sake--and sanity--of their fans.