Mock Draft 1.0 - Buffalo Bills

I will be posting 3 separate Mock Drafts prior to the 2014 NFL Draft which will take place on Thursday, May 8th. This posting will be the first of three. I will post another one next Monday (5/2) and my final one on Thursday, the day of the draft (5/8).

Instead of posting a Mock Draft off of who I want or who I think will be there, etc. I found this really cool site that I've been utilizing. The site is www.fanspeak.com and it auto-drafts for all of the teams based on three different computerized rankings but gives you the opportunity to choose one team and draft for them based on who is available at the time of their pick. The rankings are updated at the beginning of every week so they stay in line with what is happening in real life and while some might complain with a player or two getting drafted higher than expected, I think it adds to the overall experience that we see every year with a team reaching on a lower rated player or a higher rated player falling for whatever reason.

I, of course, will choose the Buffalo Bills and draft for them based on who I would take with a brief synopsis on who I was considering at the time and why I ultimately chose the player that I did. I will post screenshots of who was taken prior and who was on the board so you can follow along.

Round 1 - 9th Overall

Just Missed Out On:

• Jake Matthews (OT) - I wanted Jake Matthews, OT from Texas A&M, for the last month or so. I initially fell in love with Greg Robinson but realized early on, he won't make it to 9th overall so I "settled" on wanting Jake Matthews but at this point in time, I don't think he lasts until the Bills are on the clock either and that holds true in this mock.
• Sammy Watkins (WR) & Mike Evans (WR) - I expect Sammy Watkins, former teammate of CJ Spiller at Clemson, to go in the top 4 so it's a bit unrealistic to see him last until 7 in this but all that matters is that he isn't there at 9. Mike Evans, #1 target for Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M, is a guy I would strongly consider at 9, moreso prior to trading for Mike Williams but it would be great value for the team in my opinion. Evans gets scooped right before the Bills pick so we don't have to deal with the internal conflict whether to draft him or not.

Who I Considered:

• Eric Ebron (TE) - With Matthews and Evans gone (I expect Watkins to be long gone in real life), as of the minute prior to starting this mock, I would have taken University of North Carolina stud Eric Ebron in a heartbeat. I have been pumping Jake Matthews & Eric Ebron for a month. If you follow me on Twitter, you would know that, however when it came time to select a player, I just got this sinking feeling that the Bills are going to look for value at a different position in the first round and pass on Ebron. I would love Ebron at 9th overall as I am one of the biggest advocates of an athletic TE in your offense but I think the Bills go elsewhere and wait on a TE.

Who I Chose:

• Taylor Lewan (OT) - I think drafting a stud RT will go a long way for this offense. If the Bills miss out on Jake Matthews, I think they get Taylor Lewan from the University of Michigan who manned the LT position for mobile QB's Denard Robinson & Devin Gardner. Lewan is physical, durable and proven, playing in the well-respected BIG10 for the last four years. Lewan not only makes the OL better but it improves the offense as a whole, opening up holes for Spiller & Jackson and giving Manuel more time to make the throws down field. Pears struggled mightily last year. In a perfect world, Chris Hairston could man the position and we could get value elsewhere but he's a big question mark with his injury. This isn't a sexy pick but it's a necessary one. If you could guarantee OT's Morgan Moses or Jawuan James would be there in the 2nd round, I would go with Ebron in the 1st and one of them in the 2nd but I don't think that happens so you make the safe pick and shore up your OL with Taylor Lewan.

Round 2 - 41st Overall

Just Missed Out On:

• Dee Ford (DE) & DeMarcus Lawrence (DE/ OLB) - The Bills made the switch from 3-4 to 4-3 and while they have Mario Williams & Jerry Hughes, they don't have much behind them. Dee Ford was by far Auburn's best defensive player and could wreak havoc in an offense across from Mario Williams however he heads to Atlanta just a couple picks prior. DeMarcus Lawrence from Boise State has been picking up a ton of steam as of late as a 4-3 DE or a 3-4 OLB.
• Kyle Fuller (CB/S) -  The Bills brought in Kyle Fuller from Virginia Tech a few separate time this off-season. Fuller is versatile and can play the CB position or S. The Bills seem to be set at CB after signing Corey Graham in the off-season but he may be a candidate to start at S across from Aaron Williams which would re-create a need at CB. Fuller's versatility could go a long way in bringing some depth to both of these positions.

Who I Considered:

• Ryan Shazier (LB) & Kyle Van Noy (LB) - Ryan Shazier, LB from the Ohio State University has been moving up the charts lately and I don't think he lasts until this pick. He isn't the flashiest player but he's got good closing speed and makes consistent tackles which is what you want out of your LB's. I think Kyle Van Noy, LB from BYU, is there when the Bills pick and man does this guy play the game the right way! He is an absolute play maker, creating turnovers, stuffing the run and he holds his own in coverage. This is a guy I would not mind pairing with Kiko Alonso at the LB position for years to come.

Who I Chose:

• Jace Amaro (TE) - I love me an athletic TE. Jace Amaro from Texas Tech is exactly that. This guy has strong hands in traffic and can run after the catch. He is athletic and can make plays all over the field. He came from a pass-happy offense so his numbers may be inflated but when the ball was thrown to him, he made plays. Not the best blocker in the world but he was rarely asked to. It doesn't mean he can't, it just means he wasn't asked to. When you bring such a unique dimension to your offense, you won't be asked to block often and that's not why he would be brought to Buffalo. He instantly upgrades our offense pairing with sure handed Scott Chandler to become EJ Manuel's best friend in our offense. If he's gone, I would be just as happy with Austin Sefarian-Jenkins (TE - Washington) however I think the Bills really like Troy Niklas (TE - Notre Dame).

Round 3 - 73rd Overall

Just Missed Out On:

• Deone Bucannon (S) - Hard hitting S from Washington State would pair nicely with play maker Aaron Williams in the back end.

Who I Considered:

• Craig Loston (S) - I think the Bills replace Jairus Byrd in house with Duke Williams, Da'Norris Searcy or Corey Graham however a player like Craig Loston from LSU could get some serious consideration.

Who I Chose:

• Kareem Martin (DE) - I don't love this pick but the value is good. The DE position got some consideration in the 2nd round and the Bills seem to want some depth behind their starters. Kareem Martin, former teammate of Eric Ebron at UNC, is a very efficient player at rushing the QB. He would offer good value at this pick as I'm not too in love with a lot of the prospects on the board at this time. The Bills brought in a lot of RB's this off-season and there are some good ones on the board but I think it would be a luxury pick that they can't afford at this point.

Round 4 - 109th Overall

Just Missed Out On:

• Loucheiz Purifoy (CB) - I loved watching Purifoy at Florida. He was nasty on the edge and was always around the ball. He also made an impact on special teams despite being a full time starter.
• Donte Moncrief (WR) - I don't think the WR is a huge position of need after acquiring Mike Williams in the off-season but Moncrief, from Ole Miss, offers great value at this point in the draft and would be a tough prospect to pass up on if he was there at pick 109.
• Yawin Smallwood (LB) - The bright spot on a very bad Connecticut team. Smallwood consistently filled up the stat sheet, making plays and keeping UConn in games they did not belong in. He unfortunately gets taken one pick before the Bills make their 4th round selection.

Who I Considered:

• Lache Seastrunk (RB) - I said before that the Bills have been bringing in RB's and this is one of them. Seastrunk from Baylor, by way of Oregon, is everything you want in a RB. He is fast as lightning but as physical as a bull. I will never forget a run he made where he was in the open, tore his hamstring and hobbled on one leg for another 20 yards. If the Bills feel they need a RB to compliment what they have, I really like the value of Seastrunk in the 4th.

Who I Chose:

• Shayne Skov (LB) - Stanford's defense has been solid for years in the offense laden PAC-10/12 and he's one of the main reasons why. His specialty is timing blitzes and disrupting timing plays as he just always seems to know where to be. He isn't the fastest player but plays quicker than his 40 time much like Vontaze Burfict, another fellow Pac-10/12 player enjoying a nice NFL career despite what the critics had to say about him leading up to the draft. Skov is efficient, solid and would be a maven on special teams until he takes over the inevitable departure of Brandon Spikes.

Round 5 - 149th Overall

Just Missed Out On:

• Terrance West (RB) - Towson RB, Terrance West, tore up inferior competition in his college career and was brought in by the Bills for a visit this off-season. They seem committed to add some depth to the position through the draft with West being a potential candidate.

Who I Considered:

• Michael Sam (DE) - The much scrutinized DE from Missouri would be a nice value pick if the Bills didn't take Kareem Martin earlier in the draft.
• Ross Cockrell (CB)  - Ross Cockrell, from Duke, was brought in for a visit by the Bills this off-season. He was a solid contributor for an underrated and surprising stingy Duke defense.

Who I Chose:

• Phillip Gaines (CB) - If the Bills want to move Corey Graham to S, the CB position could use some depth. Gaines, from Rice, was a magnet to the ball in the pass-happy Conference USA, either intercepting passes or knocking them down at an impressive rate. He is mach-speed fast and despite not being the best tackler, may be asked to contribute on special teams, especially as a Gunner. Would be nice depth as you can never have too many CB's.

Round 6th - 185th overall

The Bill 6th round, 185th overall pick was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Mike Williams (WR) so you can include him as part of your draft class and if I may give my opinion, that's pretty good value. You get an established WR with some size at a point in the draft where the Bills are more known for selecting projects and eventual non-contributors to their team. Just look at the list of their last 10 6th rounders! Could this have been different? Could they have found the next diamond in the rough? Yes, they could have but it's far from a sure thing. I'll take Mike Williams with the 185th overall pick any day of the week, including this particular Saturday where this pick will be used, by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Round 7 - 223rd Overall

Just Missed Out On:

• Kevin Norwood (WR) - Kevin Norwood enjoyed a nice season at Alabama and would offer good value in the 7th round. I think he'll go higher than the 7th round in real life but in this mock, the Buccaneers replace recently traded Mike Williams with a high upside player in Norwood.

Who I Considered:

• Aaron Lynch (DE) - Former top prospect and productive player at Notre Dame, he fell out of favor and transferred to USF where he never quite lived up to expectations.
• Aaron Colvin (CB)  - A very good college player who tore his knee and has watched his draft stock plummet since. Some team is going to get a very good player who will come back in 2015 with a chip on his shoulder. Have the Bills not drafted Phillip Gaines in the 5th round in this mock, I would take a chance on Aaron Colvin in a second.

Who I Chose:

• Isaiah Crowell (RB) - Former top prospect and productive player for the Georgia Bulldogs of the SEC, Crowell fell out of favor and transferred to Alabama State where he stayed out of trouble for the most part. The Bills have wanted to upgrade the RB like I've said numerous times in this mock but haven't done so. 7th rounders are far from sure things so the Bills take a flier on a troubled but talented RB in Crowell.

2014 Draft Results

1. Taylor Lewan - RT

2. Jace Amaro - TE

3. Kareem Martin - DE

4. Shayne Skov - LB

5. Phillip Gaines - CB

6. Pick traded to TB for Mike Williams - WR

7. Isaiah Crowell - RB

Strengths: The Bills get an instant starter in Taylor Lewan, shoring up the OL pushing Erik Pears & Chris Hairston to backups and with their starting experience offers nice depth at a pivotal position. Jace Amaro brings in a new dimension to the offense, starting immediately and offering a big, athletic target for second year QB EJ Manuel. Kareem Martin & Shayne Skov after immediate depth in the front seven with future starting potential. Phillip Gaines and Isaiah Crowell are what 5th-7th round prospects usually are, fliers with high upside. You throw in the value that the Bills got for Mike Williams and this is a solid draft.

Weaknesses: The draft isn't sexy and won't be heralded by analysts but it's solid. While Gaines & Crowell are high upside players, they don't offer much in the form of special teams which is an area of weakness for the Bills. The Bills upgraded that position in FA and can do the same in the UDFA period. I think how the first 8 picks went, it really handcuffed the Bills. If the draft shakes out the way this did, you hope to get Eric Ebron & cross your fingers Morgan Moses, OT from Virginia falls to you like Cordy Glenn did but you can't bank on it. You don't upgrade the WR but I don't think you need to after acquiring Mike Williams. The Bills fail to draft a potential starting S to pair with Aaron Williams or draft any depth at OG which is much needed if Chris Williams fails to perform as an effective starter.

Buffalo Bills - Initial Schedule Reactions

My initial reaction when seeing the newly released 2014-2015 Bills schedule was pure disappointment. Were my expectations high? Yes and no. Normally, my expectations would be tempered however, leading up to the schedule release, I heard rumors. These weren't any rumors, these were source confirmed leaks. I couldn't withhold my excitement. A Monday Night Football game at home? The source was actually from the opposing team, the Green Bay Packers, which made me think, this isn't just a ploy by the Bills to drum up ticket sales. This may actually be true!

Hold on, there were more leaks (rumors) and this one was another nationally televised game, on Thanksgiving! You're telling me, I get to sit down and enjoy a nationally televised game between the storied holiday centerpiece Detroit Lions and our beloved Bills? I could be eating turkey, mashed potatoes and corn while watching Marcus Easley be awarded a big turkey leg for getting the games MVP for his 120 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns and 4 special teams tackles? What a dream come true!

This leak (rumor) made sense. Ralph Wilson's has ties to the Detroit Lions. We play them every preseason, it's a fairly reasonable drive for families who want to make a family trip out of it. Buffalo and Detroit are two similar cities (yuck, I can't believe I just said that), in terms of both being blue collar cities. Ralph Wilson passed away and it even made more sense. It would be a great opportunity to bring two franchises together on a national state to honor someone who did so much for the league. I became sure that this was going to happen. The group texts started with my buddies who I share season tickets with. Myself, Pat Cahill, Jimmy Abbott and John Haberman are talking about how pumped we are, who's driving, what time we're going to get out of work, I mean we were jacked up, feeding off of each others energy. And then the schedule came out, the cloud I was floating on evaporated, I was awoken from my dream, proverbially pinched back to reality.

Tweet of the Day: Pat Cahill (@PatCahill5) "Was hoping for a great schedule... But the Bills havne't made the playoffs in 14 years, we didn't deserve a home MNF and thanksgiving game"

Now Pat is much different than myself. I react pretty quickly to news and usually in an emotional manner without thinking it through. I find out we didn't get those rumored games and I voiced my displeasure. Pat will get his information, let it sink in, think rationally and respond accordingly. I respect this about him and this tweet sums that up. Teams that were granted a SNF or MNF game: GB x5, DEN x4, SEA, NE, NYG, PHI, IND, CHI, SF, PIT, DAL, NO, DEN. Teams that were not granted a SNF or MNF game: BUF, OAK, CLE, JAX, MIN and TB. I think we were appropriately categorized after I had some time to really think about it.

You can find the schedule above. I'm sure you've seen it already. If you were a dreamer, an optimist like myself, you were crushed. If you were a pessimist, or dare I say, realist, you weren't surprised. Here are the teams we play at home, in order of appearance:

Week 2 - Miami Dolphins
Week 3 - San Diego Chargers
Week 6 - New England Patriots
Week 7 - Minnesota Vikings
Week 10 - Kansas City Chiefs
Week 12 - New York Jets
Week 13 - Cleveland Browns
Week 15 - Green Bay Packers

Here are the teams we play on the road, in order of appearance:

Week 1 - Chicago Bears
Week 4 - Houston Texans
Week 5 - Detroit Lions
Week 8 - New York Jets
Week 11 - Miami Dolphins (Thursday Night Football)
Week 14 - Denver Broncos
Week 16 - Oakland Raiders
Week 17 - New England Patriots

The Bills play 16 games against 13 teams. The Bills play 3 repeat opponents from their division, like every year, the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots.

Of the 13 teams the Bills play, 5 of them made the playoffs last year. Those teams are the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos.

Of the 16 games the Bills play, 6 of them will be against last years playoffs teams; the 5 teams above plus another game against our division rivals, the New England Patriots. I think we look at them as more of a rival than they look at us. Actually, I consider all three teams our rivals, as we should and as they should.

Of the 13 teams the Bills play, 5 teams finished above .500 last year. Those teams are the New England Patriots 12-4, Kansas City Chiefs 11-5, San Diego Chargers 9-7, Green Bay Packers 8-7-1 and the Denver Broncos 13-3.

Of the 13 teams the Bills play, 3 teams finished at exactly .500 last year. Those teams are the Miami Dolphins 8-8. New York Jets 8-8 and the Chicago Bears 8-8.

Of the 13 teams the Bills play, 5 teams finished below .500 last year. Those teams, which the Bills would fall under, are the Minnesota Vikings 5-10-1, Cleveland Browns 4-12, Oakland Raiders 4-12, Detroit Lions 7-9 and the Houston Texans 2-14.

Every year, each NFL team plays their division, one full division from the their conference, one full division from the other conference and the two teams from their conference, excluding their division and the division they're set to play, that finished in the same spot they finished to end last years season. Confusing? Let me clear it up.

The Bills play their division which includes the Dolphins, Jets and Patriots, home and away for a total of 6 games. The AFC division they're playing this year is the AFC West which is made up of the Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders. The NFC division they're playing this year is the NFC North which is made up of the Bears, Lions, Packers and Vikings. This leaves two teams from the divisions within their conference that they aren't set to play. These divisions are the AFC North and the AFC South. The Bills finished 4th in their division last year so they'll play the 4th place team from these two divisions which are the Houston Texans from the AFC South and the Cleveland Browns from the AFC North. That is how their opponents were chosen. The divisions they play each year in the AFC & NFC are cyclical, playing each division three years.

Wow, that information was pretty dry. Hopefully you stuck around but I was always told, when you write, write as if your audience has no previous knowledge of the topic you're presenting and it's safe to say, I did that. Pretty basic stuff. Let's move on to some more opinionated feelings regarding the schedule!

Things I Love About This Schedule

• What caught my eye initially was the Bye Week which makes an appearance in Week 9 of the regular season. It's smack dab in the middle of the season. It's an ideal time for any team. It essentially breaks up the teams season into two parts. Two, eight game seasons, can do wonders for a team physically and mentally. Some teams get bye weeks pretty early and can kill a teams momentum if they start strong and can lead to a team wearing down late in the season because they bye came so early. A late bye week could lead to a team limping into it with little left in the tank. The bye week could be refreshing for a late season push but getting there presents serious challenges. A mid-season bye week is perfect. You have plenty in the tank to get their and it allows you to charge up for a late season push knowing that you can play 8 straight games because you've just done it.
• I like the balance of the schedule. Not only is the bye week right in the middle of the season, but it has the Bills playing 4 home games and 4 away games before their bye week and 4 home games and 4 games after their bye week. An imbalanced schedule of too many early home games could lead to a tough late season push having to play so many road games. An imbalanced schedule of too many early road games could lead to a rough start to the season and possibly a hole that a team can't quite get out of as the start to get more home games on their schedule towards the back end. The balance on the Bills schedule is nice, never playing more than two games home or two games on the road in a row.
• This brings me to my next point. This is something that was brought up by my friend Amanda Eichinger during a texting conversation last night where we were chatting about the Bills schedule (and the movie Frozen and HGTV amongst other things) where she mentioned probably the thing I loved most about the schedule that I didn't think of. There's no Toronto game this year! Now I knew that for months and I celebrated it when the news broke but I kind of stored it away and got back to the normality of our home team not having to play a home game in a different country. It was frustrating seeing two road games and then the Bills return "home" to play in Toronto. This won't be an issue this season and we can enjoy all 8 home games at the Ralph, getting our moneys worth for our season tickets for the first time in a while. Good call Eichinger.
• One more thing I like is that our short week, due to the Thursday night game, comes just two weeks after our bye week and immediately after a home game. The Bills have their bye week, stay home to play the Chiefs and then head to Miami to play the Dolphins with plenty of rest and minimal travel leading up to the game. That's an underrated perk of the schedule in my opinion.

Things I Loathe About This Schedule

• Well let's just state the obvious. The rumors weren't true. No Monday Night Football game at home vs. the Packers. No Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions. I was truly bummed. Shame on me for getting my hopes up.
• Every team is guaranteed one "prime time game" with some games being more lustful than others, those being Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football however Thursday Night Football games are also considered prime time games. The Bills aren't quite SNF or MNF material so it was no surprise we were destined for a TNF game so we hold out for hope that we could at least get it at home. Nope. It's on the road vs. the Miami Dolphins. We played the Dolphins at home on TNF last year and it was electric. Prime time games are special and the fans really show out, so the home team gets a little extra motivation with the crowd being loud, trying to impress the national audience. It sucks that a division rival gets that motivation, but the Dolphins fans suck so it's really not something to worry about too much.
• I don't like that we get warm weather teams, the Miami Dolphins and the San Diego Chargers so early in the season. I was hoping to get them late, in snow games where we would have a distinct advantage. Instead, our December home game is against the Green Bay Packers who are quite accustomed to playing in the snow.
• One thing that could have really made my night when seeing the schedule was the season opener being at home in Orchard Park. There's nothing like the season opener and home opener being the same week. We weren't so lucky, getting sent on the road, vs. a pretty good Chicago Bears team. If we went on the road to start the season, it would have been nice to go against a team like Houston or Oakland where the chances at starting the season with a win were a bit higher. Oh well, let's steal one from Chicago!
• I don't like that 3 of the last 4 games are on the road. If the Bills are in the hunt, this will be a tough stretch. These games are Week 14 at Denver, Week 16 at Oakland and Week 17 at New England.
• I don't like how tough 3 of the last 4 games are going to be. If the Bills are in the hunt, this will be a tough stretch. These games are Week 14 at Denver, Week 15 vs. Green Bay and Week 17 at New England.

Quarterbacks are the centerpiece of any team. Usually if you want to make the playoffs, you need a good signal caller. Here is the list of Quarterbacks the Bills are set to play, broken into categories of guys that scare me (Aaahh!!! Real Monsters), guys that I'm indifferent on (Meh) and guys that I'm happy are on our schedule because I think they suck (Blowjobs).

Aaahh!!! Real Monsters

• Jay Cutler (Week 1) - It's not so much that I'm scared of him because he could throw 6 interceptions but come on now, how can you not be efficient with Brandon Marshall & Alshon Jeffrey?
• Matt Stafford (Week 5) - I was going to include him in the 'Meh' category for reasons similar to Philip Rivers but I included him in this category for reasons similar to Jay Cutler. If the Lions trade up and get Sammy Watkins or draft Mike Evans, these NFL ready options would look mighty nice next to Megatron, Calvin Johnson. Calvin Johnson. That guy is scary. I can't throw a football more than 7 yards because of my past shoulder injuries and I would still put myself in this category if I had Calvin Johnson to throw to.
• Tom Brady (Week 6 & Week 17) - He will scare me until he's in a wheelchair and still then, in that wheelchair, he will worry me. I know we're supposed to hate him and I mean, I do because he stands in our way of happiness and success but man is he good. Some QB's made this list because of their WR's. If I made a list of WR's that scare me, several Patriots WR's would make that list and it's purely because of Tom Brady. The guy is a surgeon.
• Peyton Manning (Week 14) - Yeah, this could get ugly. We can only hope the Broncos are 13-0 by this point and are resting Peyton in this game. He is one of the best in the game, if not the best in the game. I don't need to talk him up. Everyone knows Peyton and everyone fears Peyton, as they should. We know what's going to happen this game and it's best we just accept it as early as possible.
• Aaron Rodgers (Week 15) - Similar to Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers is a guy you don't want to see late in the season when games become even more meaningful. If this is a game that means something for the Bills, this isn't a QB you want to see on the other sideline.

Meh

• Philip Rivers (Week 3) - Rivers is solid but which Rivers are you going to get? I don't know. Rivers doesn't know. No one knows. He's an enigma. He can throw for 500 yards or 5 picks. He's the Marc-Andre Fleury of NFL Quarterbacks. A true headcase.
• Alex Smith (Week 10) - Alex Smith is efficient. He doesn't scare me but I don't think he sucks. I think his line will have trouble this year after losing Branden Albert, Geoff Schwartz and Jon Asamoah in free agency. I think the Chiefs are in for a down year and won't make the playoffs but Smith is good for 45 completions on 50 attempts for like 200 yards.
• Brian Hoyer (Week 13) - I wanted to put him in the 'Blowjob' category but he played real well before his injury last year. The Browns could get a rookie QB and while I expect them too, I don't think it will be at 4th overall. I think they wait until their later 1st round pick or their early 2nd round pick. This pick would most likely be Derek Carr. I think Hoyer can hold Carr off if he's healthy. What gets Hoyer in this category is the combination of Josh Gordon and Sammy Watkins who I expect the Browns to take at 4. That's pretty scary and the Browns just give us trouble. Shout out to my buddy Keith from Cleveland who is a die-hard Browns fan and has gone through similar heartbreak as us Bills fans over the last decade.

Blowjobs

• Ryan Tannehill (Week 2 & Week 11) - I mean he's solid and has a smoking hot girlfriend but unless she's on on the line, snapping him the ball and then flashing the whole Bills DL to keep them at bay, he's going to have trouble against a solid Bills DL. The Dolphins struggled against the Bills in this regard last year and I think history repeats itself, moreso in Week 2 than Week 11 because their new OL will need time to mesh and the Week 2 game will be the home opener for Buffalo. Ouch!
• Ryan Fitzpatrick or Rookie QB (Week 4) - Ryan Fitzpatrick plays for the Houston Texans in case you had to look that up after seeing his name on the list. It could be Fitzpatrick, Blake Bortles or Johnny Manziel. Since it will be early on in the season, none of those options scare me.
• Christian Ponder or Rookie QB (Week 7) - If my good friend Pat Browne had any say in this list, CP7 would be in the 'Aaahh!!! Real Monsters' category. That guy loves Christian Ponder. I think Christian Ponder sucks. Hell, I don't even know if he'll be the QB by Week 7. They could have a rookie QB. They could have Matt Cassel. They could have Sam Cassell. They could have Leon Sandcastle. They could actually build a sand castle, hike the ball on top of it and have Adrian Peterson grab the ball from atop the sand castle and run it every time with success. Adrian Peterson from the Wildcat scares me more than Christian Ponder does. I predict the Vikings will be starting 2nd round pick Zach Mettenberger in this game. Mark it down.
• Geno Smith or Michael Vick (Week 8 & Week 12) - I hate Geno Smith. I think he sucks. He doesn't scare me unless the Bills re-sign and start Justin Rogers at CB. Mike Vick could be scary but I think it's Geno's spot to lose and Vick will probably get hurt at some point well before Week 8 anyway.
• Matt Schaub (Week 16) - Matt Schaub used to be good. He proved this past season that he is no longer good. If he couldn't have success with Andre Johnson, getting unseated by Case Keenum, he isn't going to have success in Oakland throwing the ball to Rod Streater.

In a follow up article, I will do a brief breakdown on each game with a bit more information on whether or not that team has a new coach, what happened the last time we played them, if that team happens to be a former team of any current Bills, if any former Bills currently play for them, what draft position they'll be picking from in this draft, etc. but for now, I think I gave you enough to read about. I hope you enjoyed and keep your eyes peeled for my follow up article. Don't forget to subscribe at the bottom of the page! Go Bills!

2014 NBA Playoffs Predictions

This is the first ever guest appearance article on Silver Lining Sports. At first I planned on doing everything on the site by myself but with the NBA Playoffs staring me in the face and an underwhelming grasp on the season up until this point, I felt like it was an opportunity to branch out and let someone else with a better basketball background give it a go.

Now, I say better basketball background. It's not as if I have no basketball background. I played basketball in 8th grade at All Saints and was the second leading scorer on the team. It was during this season that I witnessed one of my favorite sporting moments to date. My best friend Kyle Kelly, a teammate of mine changed on the fly during our first game. It was amazing. He's a hockey player so he had no idea that it wasn't allowed. This was one of the few rules that I knew at the time. You'll still see me wearing my #23 Michael Jordan inspired All Saints jersey whenever I play basketball with my much better friends. I'm good for 4 minutes of hard defense and 2-3 charges that I call myself. I'm pretty bad so my friends let me get away with it.

Now that I got that out of the way, let's focus on this quality article breaking down the matchups, predictions and analysis of this years upcoming NBA Playoffs. I tweeted out an open invite to anyone who was interested and I was like to get a response from Zach Bouley, who in my opinion went above and beyond the call of action in writing this article. At first glance when I opened his attachment, I was worried that this piece was going to put shame to anything I've written to this point. At that point, I knew I made a good decision with the guest appearance and hope to do more in the future! Give Zach a follow on Twitter and let him know how you liked the article: @ZMBouley25. Other than a few minor edits and a reformat, everything from this point forward is all Zach Bouley. Enjoy!

The Second Season: 2014 NBA Playoff Preview

Matchups, Predictions, and Analysis of this year’s upcoming NBA Playoffs

By Zach Bouley (@ZMBouley25)

The 2013-14 NBA regular season has finally come to a close, and it was full of many enjoyable and wacky moments.  From Jason Collins being the first openly gay athlete to play in a professional sports game to J.R. Smith attempting to untie the shoes of multiple opposing players, this season has certainly been one to remember.  It includes the superior back and forth play by the games best players, LeBron James and Kevin Durant.  It included the emergence of great players such as Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry to superstar status.  It included the constant rise and fall of the East’s top team, the Indiana Pacers.  It included a 48 win Phoenix Suns team not making the playoffs due to the loaded Western Conference.  And lastly, it includes a NBA’s first.  This year marks the first time in NBA history that the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers all will be watching the NBA playoffs from their television sets at home.  And that brings us to the playoffs.  The second season.  The most important season.  The most entertaining season.  And this year’s first round matchups are certainly something to talk about.  What better way to do so then through analysis, matchups, and predictions.  Going in order from least compelling series to most compelling series:

Power Ranking Interest: 8th

Teams & Seeds: 7 - Charlotte Bobcats v.s. 2 - Miami Heat (Eastern Conference)

Season Series: Miami won 4-0.

Game 1: Sunday April 20^th at 3:30 PM ET on ESPN

Matchup To Watch: Al Jefferson vs. Chris Bosh. This will prove to be the most important matchup of this series.  Al Jefferson is the most significant and efficient offensive player that the Bobcats have, and is possibly one of the best post players in the NBA.  He will be able to have his way with Chris Bosh in the post, and it should be interesting to see how the Heat decide to defend him.  Remember, he also had a huge game on the night that Lebron James scored 61 points, with 38 points and 19 rebounds.  Chris Bosh’s ability to drag Jefferson out of the paint and towards the 3-point line defensively will open driving lanes for the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Series Analysis: The Heat have beaten the Bobcats 15 straight times.  And out of the 4 times that they’ve played this season, the game was only realistically close one time.  The Bobcats should be happy to be back in the playoffs and they look like a constant playoff team for years to come, but they won’t be making any noise this year against the two time defending champs.  The Heat’s offensive efficiency and overall talent will highly outweigh the Bobcats 4^th ranked defense.

Prediction: Heat in 5.

Power Ranking Interest: 7th

Teams & Seeds: 8 - Dallas Mavericks vs. 1 - San Antonio Spurs (Western Conference)

Season Series: San Antonio won 4-0.

Game 1: Sunday April 20^th at 12:00 PM ET on TNT

Matchup To Watch: Jose Calderon vs. Tony Parker. Tony Parker has proven constantly every year that he is overlooked in this league’s crop of talented point guards.  He finds ridiculous ways to get himself into the paint to score and get his teammates involved.  He’s a master of game management and he just knows how to win.  Jose Calderon is a dead eye 3 point shooter, topping the league in 3P% this season.  His defense is a constant problem for the Mavericks at times, as he struggles at keeping defenders out of the paint.  How well he can contain Parker will determine if the Mavericks could steal a couple of games from the Spurs.  But if he can’t, the Spurs will cake walk to the second round.

Series Analysis and Prediction: Once again, the Gregg Popovich led San Antonio Spurs flew under the radar all season and ended up with the overall best record in the league.  This series is loaded with future hall of famers with Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Dirk Nowitzki, and Vince Carter. But the Spurs balanced attack and defensive strategy will contain the 3 point shooting of the Mavs.  Dallas doesn’t play enough defense to compete with a savvy and veteran Spurs team.

Prediction: Spurs in 5.

Power Ranking Interest: 6th

Teams & Seeds: 8 - Atlanta Hawks vs. 1 - Indiana Pacers (Eastern Conference)

Season Series: Series tied at 2-2.

Game 1: Saturday April 19^th at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN

Matchup To Watch: Jeff Teague vs. George Hill. George Hill can be at times the most important player for the Indiana Pacers.  When he tries to do too much, forces shots, and turns the ball over the Pacers tend to lose.  He needs to focus on getting the ball to his big men and Paul George, and locking down Jeff Teague defensively.  Without Al Horford, Teague is Atlanta’s most important offensive player.  He finds ways to get to the basket and can also shoot it from deep.  If George Hill can contest Teague’s jump shots with his length, and funnel him towards Roy Hibbert on defense, then he will have done his job in this matchup.

Series Analysis and Prediction: The Pacers have been struggling as of late, only going 17-16 in their last 33 games.  They have some cause for concern, having lost to the Hawks at home by 19 the last time they played a couple of weeks ago.  But if the Pacers stick to their game plan, by suffocating the Hawks on defense and pounding the interior with post-ups from David West and Roy Hibbert and drives by Paul George and Lance Stephenson, then they should win this series.  But this is a series to watch, because the Hawks are a confident and fearless group who can catch the Pacers by surprise if they try to sleep walk.

Prediction: Pacers in 6.

Power Ranking Interest: 5th

Teams & Seeds: 5 - Washington Wizards vs. 4 - Chicago Bulls (Eastern Conference)

Season Series: Chicago won 2-1.

Game 1: Sunday April 20^th at 7:00 PM ET on TNT

Matchup To Watch: Trevor Ariza vs. Jimmy Butler. John Wall is clearly the best player for the Wizards, and probably will be the best player on the court in this series.  But he has always been an unselfish point guard, and he led the league in assists this season.  The Wizards are at their best when other players score, other than Wall.  The Bulls have gruesome struggles scoring the ball some times.  Both Ariza and Butler are long, physical defenders.  But whichever team gets more out of their starting wings offensively will be the team that will have the upper edge.  Look for Wall to get Ariza going early in this series.

Series Analysis and Prediction: It is a disappointment that the Wizards, finally in the playoffs again, have drew the Bulls as their first round matchup.  It will be hard for them to unleash their youthful and exciting back court of John Wall and Bradley Beal.  Joakim Noah has been the focal point for Chicago offensively and defensively this year without Derrick Rose, and he has emerged as a MVP candidate this season.  The Bulls will find ways to slow down the speed of the Wizards, and will use their “grind it out” mentality to win this series.  Chicago just knows how to win when the cards are dealt against them.

Prediction: Bulls in 6.

Power Ranking Interest: 4th

Teams & Seeds: 7 -  Memphis Grizzlies vs. 2 - Oklahoma City Thunder (Western Conference)

Season Series: Oklahoma City won 3-1.

Game 1: Saturday April 19^th at 9:30 PM ET on ESPN

Matchup To Watch: Zach Randolph vs. Serge Ibaka. It would be easy to say that the matchup to watch for this series would be Kevin Durant, the MVP, against the multiple wing defenders that the Grizzlies will throw at him.  But you could put the moon in between him and the basket, and he’d still find ways to score.  Serge Ibaka has to be a viable third option for the Thunder offensively.  He struggled to score efficiently in last year’s playoffs, and it ended up costing a Westbrook-less Thunder.  It is also important for him to be patient defensively against the craft Randolph.  Zach Randolph is the Grizzlies best offensive option, and he has gotten hot lately.  He needs to be at the top of his game for the Grizzlies to have any chance in this series.

Series Analysis and Prediction: The Grizzlies have the confidence to upset the Thunder in the first round, since they have experience beating a Durant led Thunder team.  But last year’s playoff series wad much different due to Russell Westbrook being injured.  The Grizzlies will try to put the offensive firepower of OKC in a strangle hold with Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, and Tony Allen.  But Durant has proven to be in a different mindset this season, and will not allow his team to be upset in the first round.  The Grizzlies defense and heart will find a way to steal a couple of games at home.

Prediction: Thunder in 6.

Power Ranking Interest: 3rd

Teams & Seeds: 5 - Portland Trail Blazers vs. 4 - Houston Rockets (Western Conference)

Season Series: Houston won 3-1.

Game 1: Sunday April 20^th at 9:30 PM ET on TNT

Matchup To Watch: Nicolas Batum vs. Chandler Parsons. These are certainly not the two best players in this series with the likes of Dwight Howard, James Harden, Damian Lillard, and Lamarcus Aldridge on both teams.  But they both play very important roles on their respective teams.  Each player has to be defensive wing stoppers, and then offensively they have to each be a swiss army knife.  Scoring, shooting, passing, and rebounding are called upon for both Batum and Parsons.  Whichever one of them stuffs the stat sheet more will get the upper hand in the matchup, and give their team the better opportunity to win the series.

Series Analysis and Prediction: This series will be absolutely ridiculous to watch.  If you like defense, make sure you turn off your t.v. and run and hide.  These team love to get up and down the court and score as many points as possible.  The Rockets are tops in the league in making 3 point field goals, and they have to top closer in the series in James Harden.  The Blazers started off the season hot, then cooled off for a while, but now are getting hot again at the right time.  The Blazers need to score efficiently, and get contributions from Mo Williams and Wesley Matthews to have a chance.  I just don’t know if they have enough firepower to keep up.

Prediction: Rockets in 6.

Power Ranking Interest: 2nd

Teams & Seeds:  6 - Brooklyn Nets vs. 3 - Toronto Raptors (Eastern Conference)

Season Series: Series tied at 2-2.

Game 1: Saturday April 19^th at 12:30 PM ET on ESPN

Matchup To Watch: Deron Williams vs. Kyle Lowry. Deron Williams hasn’t been the player that he used to be the last two years. Kyle Lowry has had an absolute breakout year, and the Raptors are happy that they decided not to deal him at the trade deadline to the Knicks.  Deron Williams has to be efficient.  When he is scoring on low shot attempts, protecting the ball, and getting his teammates involved he is at his best.  He has the tools around him to succeed, he just has to let the game come to him.  Kyle Lowry has to be a jack of all trades to make sure his Raptors don’t get upset, platooning with Demar Derozan in the scoring column and getting his big men involved.

Series Analysis and Prediction: The Raptors got a tough draw, because even though they have home court and the 3 seed, a lot of people are picking the Nets to upset them.  They are a very underrated and under the radar team, with a lot of good pieces.  Lowry, Derozan, and Terrence Ross are talented and young on the wing, and their forwards Amir Johnson and Jonas Valunciunas have been developing at a high rate the last couple of months.  But the experience of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson and Williams will prevail over the young Raptors.

Prediction: Nets in 7.

Power Ranking Interest: 1st

      Teams & Seeds:  6 - Golden State Warriors vs. 3 - Los Angeles Clippers (Western Conference)

Season Series: Series tied at 2-2.

Game 1: Saturday April 19^th at 3:30 PM ET on ABC

Matchup To Watch: Stephen Curry vs. Chris Paul. This matchup will be so fun to watch.  The shooting, passing, and dribbling will be a thing of beauty for these two.  They will help their team differently offensively.  Chris Paul tries hard to get his teammates involved and get them going before he finds his own shot.  Stephen Curry needs to both score and assist for the Warriors to upset the Clippers in this series.  Neither team plays much defense, so this will be another Western Conference series that will be high scoring.  If the Clippers and Paul can contain Curry, the Warriors have no chance.

Series Analysis and Prediction: The Warriors seem to always play big in big games.  But this Clippers team has a different feel to them this year with Doc Rivers at the realm.  They are destined for a second round round matchup with the Thunder, and I think they have too much offensive balance and a heavy emergence from Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan for the Warriors to handle.  Chris Paul is a magician at the point, and he will use his gritty side to slow down the dynamic backcourt of Curry and Klay Thompson.  The Warriors need a strong showing from David Lee and Harrison Barnes or Andre Iguodala along with Thompson and Curry to have any chance.  I’ll take the Clippers.

Prediction: Clippers in 6.

These playoffs will be awesome to watch, no matter what series you are tuning into.  And even though the first round isn’t always easy to predict, I decided to add in my predictions for the rest of the playoffs as well:

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals:

Heat over Nets in 6.

Pacers over Bulls in 7.

Western Conference Semi-Finals:

Spurs over Rockets in 7.

Thunder over Clippers in 7.

Eastern Conference Finals:

Heat over Pacers in 7.

Western Conference Finals:

Thunder over Spurs in 6.

NBA Finals:

Thunder over Heat in 7.

MVP: Kevin Durant

2014 NHL Playoff Predictions

Ranking the 1st Round Matchups:

1. San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings

2. St Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks

3. New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers

4. Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings

5. Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild

6. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

7. Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

8. Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars

Eastern Conference Round One Predictions:

1 - Boston Bruins (1st in Atlantic) vs. 3 - Detroit Red Wings (Wild Card #2)

Key Injuries: Forward Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit) will be out for the first two games of the series. Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit) is banged up as well.

Player(s) to Watch: Gustav Nyquist (Detroit) will be a key player if Detroit plans to pull the upset. He has been on fire since the Olympic break.

Breakdown: Detroit won the season series 3-1 but the playoffs are a whole different animal and the Bruins are built for the postseason. The Bruins are strong in all facets of the game and should be able to handle the Red Wings barring an injury to goaltender Tuukka Rask. Boston plays a physical dump-and-chase style while the Red Wings play a puck possession, free flowing European style. Expect the Bruins to wear Detroit down and win this series in 6 games.

Prediction: Bruins in 6 games.

2 - Tampa Bay Lightning (2nd in Atlantic) vs. 3 - Montreal Canadiens (3rd in Atlantic)

Key Injuries: Goaltender Ben Bishop (Tampa) will be out of the lineup for the first game as he battles an elbow injury.

Player(s) to Watch: Daniel Briere (Montreal) has fallen off the last couple of years but is playoff proven and vows to continue his post-season success this year. A consistent performance in this years playoffs could go a long way in helping Montreal win their opening round series against Tampa. I'll also be keeping my eyes on former Sabre Thomas Vanek, Gold medal winning goaltender Carey Price and of course, the highly skilled Steven Stamkos.

Breakdown: Season series was 3-0-1 in favor of Tampa but when elimination is on the line, I will take Carey Price against the goaltending combination of Anders Lindback and a banged up Ben Bishop. This is a battle of one of the best hockey markets in the NHL vs. one of the worst in the NHL. The key matchup to watch is Stamkos vs. Price but I don't think Stamkos has the supporting cast to get the job done.

Prediction: Canadiens in 7 games.

1 - Pittsburgh Penguins (1st in Metropolitan) vs. 4 - Columbus Blue Jackets (Wild Card #1)

Key Injuries: Forward Evgeni Malkin (Penguins) is coming back from injury and may need a game or two to shake off the dust he's acquired from being on the shelf the last few weeks. Forward Nathan Horton (Blue Jackets) is out after a recent abdominal surgery but that's not surprising as he can't seem to stay healthy of late.

Player(s) to Watch: Ryan Johansen (Blue Jackets) has had a solid season for Columbus with 33 goals, 30 assists, 63 points and an appearance in all 82 games.

Breakdown: Penguins lead the season series 5-0 and should find similar success in the post-season. Marc-Andre Fleury can get rattled easily in the playoffs but I don't see Columbus as the team to shake his cage to make that happen. Superstar Sidney Crosby playing the role of Batman and Malkin playing the role of sidekick Robin will be too much for Sergei Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets to handle. The Blue Jackets should be happy they made the playoffs and look to build on it in the future, which looks bright, especially being in the Eastern Conference going forward. I think Columbus gets their first win of the season over Pittsburgh, in one of their home games, but that's all they get this series.

Prediction: Penguins in 5 games.

2 - New York Rangers (2nd in Metropolitan) vs. 3 - Philadelphia Flyers (3rd in Metropolitan)

Key Injuries: Defenseman Ryan McDonagh (Rangers) is coming back from an arm injury. Forward Chris Kreider (Rangers) is out. Goaltender Steve Mason (Flyers) is dealing with an upper body injury and should be fine for the series but will he be fully healthy?

Player(s) to Watch: Forward Rich Nash (Rangers) is a superstar that doesn't have the point production this year that shows that while Forward Claude Giroux (Flyers) is a superstar with the point production to match. Whoever has the better series between these two will put their team in a good position to advance. Giroux is at a disadvantage in this matchup as he has to face Henrik Lundqvist, arguably the best goaltender in the NHL while Nash has to face the combination of Steve Mason and Ray Emery. My eyes will be glued to Lundqvist whenever the puck is in the Rangers zone. One of my favorite goalies to watch in the NHL.

Breakdown: The season series is tied 2-2 and it's not surprising. These two teams are evenly matched and should make for the best opening round matchup in the East. Boston vs. Detroit will be good but I think this series will be great. Many experts are picking the Rangers and if I go with my better goaltender wins the series theory, I should be picking them too but I have the Flyers advancing in a 7 game series 'upset'. Steve Mason needs to get healthy, stay healthy and play the whole series to make this happen but I like Giroux and the supporting cast of Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds to get the job done. I think I'm ultimately taking Philadelphia because the thought of an in-state Penguins vs. Flyers series has me salivating like Pavlov's dog.

Prediction: Flyers in 7 games.

Western Conference Round One Predictions:

1 - Colorado Avalanche (1st in Central) vs. 4 - Minnesota Wild (Wild Card #1)

Key Injuries: Forward Matt Duchene (Colorado) will miss the first couple games of this series with a knee injury. Minnesota, other than being without their two starting goaltenders to begin the season, are fairly healthy up front with the return of Mikael Granlund.

Player(s) to Watch: I'll be watching to see how 1st overall pick from last years draft, Nathan Mackinnon, handles his first post-season as an NHL player. From the Wild, I'll be watching ex-Sabres Jason Pominville and Matt Moulson.

Breakdown: Season series was 4-0-1 in favor or Colorado. Duchene, the Avalanche leading scorer with 70 points is injured but they have plenty of scoring depth behind him as 4 of his teammates have scored 24 goals or more this season (O'Reilly - 28, Landeskog - 26, Stastny - 25, MacKinnon - 24). The Wild are without their top 2 goalies that they started the season with in Backstrom and Harding but a trade deadline steal in Ilya Bryzgalov has provided steady play between the pipes with a 7-1-3 record. Minnesota can score with 4-5 solid offensive players up front and a stalwart back on the defensive end in Ryan Suter so an upset is not out of the question. The key stat here is that Colorado is 5th on the PP and Minnesota is 27th on the PK. When all is said and done, I think Colorado stays the course and advances in what I expect to be, one of the most underrated series of the opening round.

Prediction: Avalanche in 6 games.

2 - St. Louis Blues (2nd in Central) vs. 3 - Chicago Blackhawks (3rd in Central)

Key Injuries: Blues Forwards TJ Oshie, Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Berglund are all set to miss the beginning of the series while Alex Pietrangelo, David Backes and Vladimir Sobotka are set to return from recent injuries. The Blackhawks have some star players shaking off rust of their own in Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane who are returning from injury in hopes of winning another Stanley Cup.

Player(s) to Watch: I'll be watching Blues goaltender and former Buffalo Sabre, Ryan Miller. Miller started out hot as a member of the Blues but has since cooled off as the season winded down. With his team getting healthier, Miller and the Blues look to get back on track and they'll have their hands full with Toews and Kane. Should the Blues advance to the Western Conference Finals, the Sabres would get the Blues 1st round pick in this upcoming draft.

Breakdown: The Blues lead the season series 3-2. This is a series that I'm quite excited for. I think it will be a back and forth, hard-fought, 7 game series. The headline is injuries. How will each team deal with players coming back from injury? Are these players fully healthy? Will they need a few games to get their feet back under them? The Blackhawks average the 2nd most Goals For per game while the Blues are 3rd in the NHL in Goals Against so this series will be all about one of the leagues best offensive teams vs. one of the leagues best defensive teams. I have Chicago winning this series in 7 as long as Toews and Kane can play up to their standards early on in the series. Get ready for some OT's.

Prediction: Blackhawks in 7 games.

1 - Anaheim Ducks (1st in Pacific) vs. 4 - Dallas Stars (Wild Card #2)

Key Injuries: None.

Player(s) to Watch: The combination of Corey Perry (no relation to Katy Perry) and Ryan Getzlaf (brother of Chris who plays in the CFL), lead the #1 scoring offense in the NHL.

Breakdown: The Stars have won the season series 2-1. I couldn't be less interested in this series. It will be interesting to see what the Ducks do in goal between Jonas Hiller & Frederik Andersen whether they split the games or ride the hot hand. I have the Ducks winning this one in 5.

Prediction: Ducks in 5 games.

2 - San Jose Sharks (2nd in Pacific) vs. 3 - Los Angeles Kings (3rd in Pacific)

Key Injuries: Rookie phenom Thomas Hertl (Sharks) has recently returned from injury. Drew Doughty (Kings) has recently returned from injury himself. Other than these two, both teams are pretty healthy which will make for a great series.

Player(s) to Watch: I love me some Logan Couture (Sharks). He is one of my favorite NHL players and it doesn't hurt that he's a Buffalo Bills fan. This series is stacked with great players across the board including two great goaltenders. Pavelski, Thornton, Marlaeu, Couture for the Sharks and Kopitar, Carter, Richards and Williams for the Kings will supply us with plenty of great highlights.

Breakdown: Kings came out on top of the regular season series 3-1-1. This is by far my favorite series of the first round and I don't plan on missing a second of it. This series has all the makings of a 7-game series. Who will prevail in that 7th game? I have the Sharks. They haven't been the best playoff team in recent years, while the Kings have but I think this year is different. The Sharks are balanced, being the 6th best offensive team and 5th best defensive team in the NHL. The Kings are a bit more one-sided, being the best defensive team, rated 1st in GAA but leaves a lot to be desired in the offensive category, ranking 26th in goals per game. The Sharks get revenge from last years knockout at the hands of the Kings.

Prediction: Sharks in 7 games.

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals Predictions:

1 - Boston Bruins (1st in Atlantic) vs. 3 - Montreal Canadiens (3rd in Atlantic)

Breakdown: It's not often you see a team with an easier matchup in the 2nd round than the 1st round but that's the case for the Bruins. I think the Bruins beat the Canadiens in less games than it takes them to beat the Red Wings. Carey Price is an excellent goaltender and will keep them in some games but the offense of the Bruins and their 3rd most Goals Per Game this season will be too much to handle. A key to watch in this series will be Boston's 3rd Power Play vs. Montreal's 4th best Penalty Kill. Boston advances in 5 games thanks to David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron and Jarome Iginla.

Prediction: Bruins in 5 games.

1 - Pittsburgh Penguins (1st in Metropolitan) vs. 3 - Philadelphia Flyers (3rd in Metropolitan)

Breakdown: The in-state rivalry that I'm hoping for comes to fruition as the Flyers knock off the Rangers in the 1st round. This series will be a battle fueled by hate alone however when you factor in the talent aspect, the Penguins prevail. The Penguins are proven and are better in every aspect of the game than the Flyers including Special Teams where Pittsburgh is ranked 1st in PP and 5th in PK. The success on Special Teams is usually directly correlated to good coaching and that holds true where the Penguins hold a significant edge over the Flyers with Dan Bylsma at the helm. Bylsma is a guy I gained a lot of respect for watching him on HBO: Road to the Winter Classic. I like the way he conducts his business and demands the respect of his team. Like I said, this series will be a battle and I like Bylsma as a leader. I plan on keeping a close eye on how Philadelphia and their pests (Giroux, Rinaldo, etc) plan on interrupting Sidney Crosby with their physical play.

Prediction: Penguins in 6 games.

Western Conference Semi-Finals Predictions:

1 - Colorado Avalanche (1st in Central) vs. 3 - Chicago Blackhawks (3rd in Central)

Breakdown: Colorado has the 3rd lowest payroll in the NHL, playing well above their expectations, one season removed from picking 1st overall where they took stud Nathan MaKinnon. They were last year's second worst team but won the lottery that allowed them to pick 1st. The team is led by Patrick Roy on the bench who has found quite a bit of success in his first year as a head coach. Roy is bringing out the best in goaltender Semyon Varlamov who has been solid all year long. I think the lack of playoff experience for the Avalanche will hurt them in this series. The Blackhawks will take advantage of the Avalanche defense and win this series in 6 games.

Prediction: Blackhawks in 6 games.

1 - Anaheim Ducks (1st in Pacific) vs. 2 - San Jose Sharks (2nd in Pacific)

Breakdown: The high scoring Ducks vs. the balanced Sharks. This series could go either way but having a goaltending controversy heading into the playoffs is never a good thing. The Ducks have two talented tenders but that's not always a good thing. The Ducks coach recently said that Jonas Hiller lacks the confidence and Frederik Andersen is still unproven. The Ducks are two deep with scoring forwards while the Sharks can go as deep as 5 if Hertl is healthy. I'll take the Sharks and the momentum they're riding from their Round One battle with the Kings. At this point, they'll look like a serious Cup contender but will their back-to-back 7 game series strengthen them mentally or exhaust them physically? However if this game does go to Game 7, into OT specifically, I wouldn't mind seeing the Finnish legend Teemu Selanne get the GWG. That would send some serious chills down my spine.

Prediction: Sharks in 7 games.

Eastern Conference Finals Prediction:

1 - Boston Bruins (1st in Atlantic) vs. 1 - Pittsburgh Penguins (1st in Metropolitan)

Breakdown: Boston swept Pittsburgh year in the Eastern Conference Finals so the Penguins will have revenge on their mind. This time around won't be a sweep for Boston, but I do anticipate the end result to be the same. I look forward to seeing how Boston plays against Sidney Crosby and I can already picture his whiney face, clamoring for a call after a clean body check. I dislike both teams, but both teams I respect a great deal. I feel cliché sending this series to 7 games but as long as Fleury can avoid a mental breakdown, this series should go the distance with Boston having the edge playing the final game at home. The difference will be which team stays out of the penalty box because both teams are excellent on the PP. The team with the most chances ends up winning this and when you're at home in Game 7, the refs aren't going to be calling many penalties against you.

Prediction: Bruins in 7 games.

Western Conference Finals Prediction:

3 - Chicago Blackhawks (3rd in Central) vs. 2 - San Jose Sharks (2nd in Pacific)

Breakdown: Both of these teams have tough First Round matchups so if they make it this far, it'll be well deserved. The Sharks will have home ice advantage if this series were to make it to the 7th game but I don't think it will. We go through two Blackhawks series breakdowns and I failed to mention their leading scorer, Patrick Sharp. He has had a great season with 34 goals and 78 points leading the team in both that categories and that says a lot with the talent on their roster. Marian Hossa, another veteran on the team, has always been known for his scoring touch but has had a real good season defensively with a +28 rating while chipping in with a balanced stat line of 30 goals and 30 assists. The Sharks are 2-1 against the Kings this season and I think they steal this series, winning 2-3 games in OT. Get ready to stay up because these late games will be well worth the entertainment.

Prediction: Sharks in 6 games.

Stanley Cup Prediction:

1 - Boston Bruins (1st in Atlantic) vs. 2 - San Jose Sharks (2nd in Pacific)

Breakdown: So far I've broken down each of these times three separate times in their series breakdowns above. At this point, you know why each team made it to the Stanley Cup. The Sharks and Bruins met twice this year with Boston winning 2-1 and 1-0. These are the type of games I'll expect in the Stanley Cup despite the Bruins and Sharks being two of the top 6 scoring teams in the NHL. While they are good offensively, they are just as good defensively with both teams ranking in the top 5 with Goals Against Average of 2.1 (Bruins) and 2.4 (Sharks). These team are balanced so they can lock it down and win low scoring games and put up enough goals if the game turns into a shootout. The Bruins, at home, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup gives them the advantage. It's a series like this, coming down to the home environment and fan base that goes to show how important the Regular Season and playoff seeding is. The dream season for the Sharks falls short, proving that they can make a run but while still leaving themselves open to criticism when it comes to sealing the deal and actually winning a Cup. The Bruins are built the right way and they outlast the Sharks. They have a nice balance of youth, veteran leadership and a handful of players in their prime hitting their stride at the right time. I predict Daniel Paille with the GWG in 3OT of Game 7. I'm just playing, but that would be awesome.

Prediction: Bruins in 7 games.