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HARTLEY MILLER’S HART ATTACK – (NHL playoffs better than NBA!/Thunderbirds are outclassed) May 26, 2017 EDITION 629

If you prefer predictability… it’s the NBA.

If you prefer doubt, guesswork, and even bewilderment… then it’s the NHL.

Both leagues are down to their Finals!

The NBA has run like clockwork with little drama, hardly any suspense, and everyone just waiting for the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers to meet for a third straight year in the best-of-seven championship series, which begins on Thursday.

The NHL, as usual is topsy-turvy, with plenty of uncertainty.

The Pittsburgh Penguins needed double overtime Thursday night in Game Seven to eliminate the Ottawa Senators 3-2 to become Eastern Conference champions.

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On the same night, the Cleveland Cavaliers smashed the Boston Celtics 135-102 in Game Five to become Eastern Conference champions.

The contrast in the two games has been a reflection of this year’s post-season.

Of note, the Celtics lost all three games in Boston to the Cavaliers and not once in those games did the Celtics have a lead.

Meanwhile, 50 of 81 Stanley Cup playoff games have been decided by one goal (record is 51) and 27 of the games have gone to overtime (record is 28).

In the NBA, the Warriors are 12-0 with an average margin of victory of 16.3 points, the highest for any team entering the League Finals.

Sure, there is plenty of anticipation for the Golden State-Cleveland match-up but the build-up has arguably been the worst ever.

Upsets have been non-existent.

Here’s a run-down…

NBA Eastern Conference:

  • Round One—-Seed #1 beat #8, #2 over #7, #3 over #6, and #4 over #5
  • Round Two—-Seed #1 over #4 and #2 over #3
  • Round Three–Heavily favored seed #2 over #1 in just five games

NBA Western Conference:

  • Round One—-Seed #1 beat #8, #2 over #7, #3 over #6, and #5 over #4
    • (#4 LA Clippers and #5 Utah Jazz both finished with 51-31 records)
  • Round Two—-Seed #1 over #4 and #2 over 3
  • Round Three–Heavily favoured seed #1 over #2 in four straight

14 of 15 series complete and not even one noteworthy upset.

By comparison…

NHL Eastern Conference:

  • Round One–—Seed #1 over #8, #2 over #3, #5 over #4, & #6 over #7
  • Round Two—-Seed #2 over #1 and #6 over #5
  • Round Three–Seed #2 over #6 in seven games

(NOTE: The NHL should not have the #2 and #3 seeds meet in the first round ,but that is a different argument for another day)

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NHL Western Conference:

  • Round One—-Seed #8 over #1, #5 over #2, #3 over #7, and #4 over #6
  • Round Two—-Seed #8 over #5 and #3 over #4
  • Round Three–Seed #8 over #3 in six games

14 of 15 series complete and half of them have ended in upsets.

Nashville is the first #8 seed to reach the Stanley Cup Final in five years (LA Kings, 2012).

The Predators are underdogs against the Penguins (Game One goes for Monday), but Nashville has been the most complete consistent team to date in the playoffs while thriving as a dark horse.

Sure, the NBA does have seasons with upsets, but year in and year out, the NHL has many more.

In the United States, hockey will never be able to compete with the popularity of basketball despite the NHL offering much more compelling games compared to the NBA.

Most movie goers do not want to know the ending in advance; this is what the NHL provides.

In the NBA the final script has already been written; Golden State, #1 overall, will beat Cleveland… right?

 

WHL TAKES IT ON THE CHIN AT MEMORIAL CUP:

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I’ve always believed (with exceptions) West is best in hockey and basketball.

Here are some examples:

The NBA Western Conference is much stronger than the Eastern Conference winning 12 of the last 18 titles.

The Stanley Cup champion has come from the Western Conference in seven of the last 10 years.

The WHL Western Conference has had many more competitive teams recently than the East; for example, in the 2016-17 regular season, eight of 10 teams in the West finished with 80 points or more in 72 games, while just five of 12 teams in the East hit the 80-point mark.

There are occasions though when one has to be the better person and admit when the East is the beast and West is least.

I am referring to the Seattle Thunderbirds horrendous showing at the Memorial Cup; the second straight year the WHL has been humbled at the CHL’s showcase championship tournament.

Last week, I suggested that the Thunderbirds would not win in Windsor, but like many, I am flabbergasted with their dreadful showing.

Seattle demonstrated in the WHL playoffs they were the top team, yet once they met Eastern opposition, they were outscored 18-3 in three games, including 14-1 in the last two.

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Has there been a worse showing from a WHL championship team?

Sure, rookie goalie Carl Stankowski struggled (5.99 goals-against-average and .815 save percentage in three losses), but the Thunderbirds troubles were much more than in net.

Watching from a distance, it appeared that Seattle was just happy to be there after winning its first ever Ed Chynoweth Cup.

The results indicate that the WHL is not as strong for a second straight year as its counterparts in the OHL and QMJHL.

The 2016 Memorial Cup in Red Deer had the WHL-champion Brandon Wheat Kings also go 0-3 while being outscored 14-4 in two games against the East: 5-3 against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and 9-1 versus the London Knights.

The Wheat Kings other game was against the host Red Deer Rebels (a 2-1 Red Deer win in overtime).

The Rebels lost the semi-final 3-1 to Rouyn-Noranda and then the Huskies dropped the final 3-2 to London in overtime.

There’s been plenty of hockey discussion that the Regina Pats, Kelowna Rockets, Everett Silvertips or even the Prince George Cougars would have done much better than Seattle did at the Memorial Cup.

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I’m sure most of the other WHL playoff teams would have produced better results than being outscored 18-3.

However, in defense of the Thunderbirds and their lackadaisical showing in Windsor, they can refer to
themselves as league champions, something the 21 other WHL teams had hoped for but failed to accomplish.

 

FROM THE QUOTE RACK:

Tom Brady has signed a deal with Aston Martin to endorse a car that starts at $211,995. Will the slogan be “If you spend over $200,000 on a car, you really should be checked for concussions?”

*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com

 

Tim Tebow now has his own baseball card. The sad part is that kids are more interested in trading for the gum that comes with it.

*Comedy writer Jim Barach of WCHS-TV in Charleston, W.Va.,  http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.com/

 

Goodyear has signed on to have its logo placed on Cleveland Cavalier uniforms next season. So who will be featured on the blimps? Snoopy or Charles Barkley?

*Comedy writer Tony Chong of Vancouver

 

A golfer in Bullhead City, AZ reached into a newly-purchased used golf bag for a club and instead pulled out a loaded pistol with the safety off. This brings a whole new meaning to ‘shooting par’.

*Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California

 

David Levin, the only person to win the Triple Crown of Hot Air Ballooning, has died. His fans say the news of his passing has been very deflating.

*Contributor Marc Ragovin of New York

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

NBA prospect Lonzo Ball released a signature court shoe worth almost US$500. Not to be outdone, Brett Favre has come out with his own trademark footwear — flip-flops.

*Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com

 

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Hartley Miller is the sports director and morning news anchor for 94.3 the Goat.
He also is the 94.3 radio color commentator for P.G. Cougars home games.
His column appears Fridays on myprincegeorgenow.com.
Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected]
Follow him on twitter: @Hartley_Miller

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