maggie the monkey

maggie the monkey out-guessed roenick in the quarterfinals, which makes me pleased as punch.

maggie the monkey also out-guessed yours truly, but it's because i have been selecting winners based on personal affection, and i'm realizing that doesn't make me look too smart (how the hell did i take vancouver over anaheim ???). this is also the reason i did terribly in both my hockey pools this year (HUSELIUS ??? in a PLAYOFF POOL ??? what was i THINKING ?!?!?!).

this time there's no love. i'm going for the straight goods.

CLARENCE S. CAMPBELL BOWL:
i'm taking detroit in 6. partly cause they beat the flames in 6 and the sharks in 6, but mostly because i think they have the best coaching of the remaining teams. i worry a bit about hasek ("worry" is a misnomer, cause i would prefer them to lose: teemu needs a cup), but the rest of the team is sound and healthy ---schneider aside--- and appear to just be ramping it up... everybody's talking about nieds and pronger and how they're gonna play some good shut-down hockey, but the detroit coaching staff seems to find a way around every system that's thrown at them. these guys appear to be watching tape.
[this, btw, is the job i want. i wanna be a tape-watcher. please, please, please if someone knows how the hell a person becomes a tape-watcher, let me know !!!].

PRINCE OF WALES TROPHY:
this one looks to be a no-brainer: miller is overrated and briere is having some confidence issues. the slugs jersey is so ugly that the hockey gods can't possibly allow anyone wearing it to hoist the cup. oh, and ottawa is the best looking team in the nhl (i picked my 2003 playoff pool team based on player looks and won 600 bucks). you can take these scientific theories to the bank. sens in 5.

to numb the pain of the idea that alfredsson might win a cup, i will imagine him wiping the champagne from his eyes while cabbie asks "so, now that you've won the cup, will you retire or go back another season to try to score 50 goals ?"

i must say that ray emery is my new favorite character in the NHL and needs to win so he can design his cup ring with "extra bling."