In the most pivotal game of the year, Henrik Lundqvist, goalie of the Rangers, did everything he could to keep the Flyers off the board.  But in the third period, the Flyers were finally able to crack Lundqvist and tie the game up at 1-1.  Philadelphia ended up victorious in a shootout in front of their home crowd to advance to the playoffs, and secure a matchup with the New Jersey Devils.

After splitting the first two games in New Jersey, the Flyers took control of the series behind goalie Brian Boucher.  Boucher allowed just three total goals in the final three games of the series as the number seven seeded Flyers upset the Devils four games to one.

Moving on to the second round, the Flyers faced the Bruins, who were also coming off a first round upset.  But after destroying one of the best teams in the East, the tides turned.  Boston won the first two games at home and then continued the slaughtering of the Flyers with an overtime victory on the road in Game 3 to push the series lead to 3-0.  Only two NHL teams have ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.  Not to be the spoiler or anything, but the Flyers did come back to win the series and make history as the only teams to come back from 3-0 besides the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and ’75 New York Islanders.

And now in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Philadelphia Flyers are looking to win the Stanley Cup, the prized possession of the NHL that they haven’t won since 1973.  And the only team left in their way in the Eastern Conference is the Montreal Canadiens, the biggest surprise of this year’s postseason and the number eight seed.  Through the first two games of the series, Philadelphia has dominated the Habs, shutting them out in games one and two by a combined score of 9-0. 

With game three tonight in Montreal, the Flyers are looking to put the series away.  Philly is in the opposite position it has been throughout the playoffs.  There is no more battling from behind.  They are up 2-0 in the series.  And with a win tonight, the Flyers would be one more victory away from defying the odds and making it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The best players so far this season are:

1. Roy Halladay, Phillies: When Doc Halladay was traded to Philly, fans predicted a Cy Young caliber season out of him, and so far they picked right. Doc is tied for first place in the league with six wins, and has the fourth best earned running average (ERA) in the league, standing at 1.45. If his numbers continue, Halladay won’t have a problem winning the Cy Young award. He will also be able to help the Phillies get back to the World Series for the third straight year.

2. Ubaldo Jimenez, Rockies: After having the best year of his career so far, Jimenez seems to have finally arrived. At 26, Jimenez has become the ace of the Rockies pitching rotation. He pitched a no hitter against the Braves, and, like Halladay, Jimenez is tied for first place in the league with six wins. Jimenez is also tied for fourth in strikeouts, with forty-nine, and has the best ERA in the league at 0.93. If he keeps this up, Jimenez can pitch the Rockies back into the playoffs.

3. Dallas Braden, Athletics: Braden is having the best year of his career as well. Although his numbers don’t match that of Doc or Jimenez, he is starting to come into his own. He pitched the second perfect game in Athletics history on Mothers day against the Rays. Going forward, the Athletics, who are currently in first place, will look to Braden to get them deep into the playoffs.

So this season has been a great one so far, and as summer begins, the season should continue to heat up.

From the start of the season, the Red Wings faced a disadvantage.  Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson, and Jiri Hudler, who combined for 86 regular season goals, were gone.  With the emergence of rookies, Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Wings were confident they could somewhat fill the holes these playmakers left behind.  But injuries plagued Detroit in a way never before.  Johan Franzen missed 55 games, Jason Williams 38, Jonathan Ericsson 20, and Thomas Holmstrom 14.  And after Chris Osgood, the goalie who led them to two straight Stanley Cup Finals appearances struggled out of the gate, the team turned to rookie goalie Jimmy Howard.  After spending five years with the Red Wings AHL affiliate, Grand Rapids Griffins, Howard got more playing time then he ever imagined, starting in 63 of 82 games.  In an up-and-down regular season, the Wings who were on the outside of the playoff picture looking in before the Olympic Break soon elevated their game to a whole new level.

Arguably the hottest team in the NHL from late February to the end of the regular season, the Red Wings posted a league best, 16-3-2 record to move all the way up to the fifth seed in the Western Conference.  So after the regular season scare, the Wings were ready to make another Stanley Cup run – right?  Not exactly.

In a first round matchup with the number four seed and the biggest surprise of the season, the Phoenix Coyotes were rewarded for their historic season with a matchup with the Red Wings.  Phoenix came out as if they were the team to beat and escaped Game 1 with a 3-2 victory.  In a grueling back-and-forth series, the Wings and Coyotes took it all the way to a Game 7.  The experience of the veteran Red Wings proved to be no match for Phoenix in the finale, as Detroit cruised to a 6-1 victory, taking the series and avoiding a first round disappointment. 

But it was going to get no easier as the number one seeded, San Jose Sharks, awaited the Wings.  Penalties killed Detroit in the first two games as they never could manage to stay out of the box.  The Red Wings had no answer for Joe Pavelski in games one or two as he torched Detroit for four goals in the first two games.  In Game 2, the Red Wings once again saw a third period lead disappear as San Jose took advantage of Nicklas Lidstrom’s blue-line gaffe as they raced down towards Howard with a three on one and then scored.

Detroit left San Jose empty handed and returned home to save the series.  But between the combination of missed scoring chances and Jimmy Howard’s below par performance, the Red Wings watched as the Sharks erased a 3-1 deficit in the third period to inevitably end the game with a 4-3 overtime victory.

Now in a 3-0 hole, the Red Wings’ season is hanging on a thread.  Their only chance is to pull some 2004 Boston Red Sox magic in order to save the S.S.S Detroit Disappointment.

Sam Tover, a senior captain on the West Boca Boys Varsity Soccer Team, was one of three to sign his letter of intent on Wednesday.  Tover is now an orange- well not literally but it is the University of Syracuse’s mascot after all. 

“I chose Syracuse because I felt that their coaching staff and school fit me best and Syracuse is a school I can make an immediate impact at,” says Tover.

But soccer was not the only factor in Sam’s decision to sign with Syracuse.  Craig Tover, Sam’s father, is an alumni of Syracuse and this was one of many reasons why Sam picked Syracuse.  Located in upstate New York, Syracuse University is the complete opposite of sunny, warm South Florida- a challenge that Sam describes as “no big deal.”

David Burrow, a senior on the West Boca Wrestling Team, also signed his letter of intent.  David will be attending Rend Lake College in Illinois next fall.  After contributing his dedication and hard-working mentality to the team, Burrow will help the Warriors try to capture a NJCAA Championship.

Jessica Santaniello was the third athlete from West Boca to partake in the signing day festivities held in Coach Currier’s office.  Jessica has chosen to sign with Atlantic State University in Georgia.  Located in the Peach Belt Conference in Division II, Atlantic State will be gladly welcoming the addition of Santaniello, who proved to be a valuable member to the Girls Volleyball Team this year.

West Boca wishes all these athletes the best of luck at the next level.  In keeping up with their reputation, West Boca High continues to produce star athletes that are ready to succeed at the next level.

 In case you are unaware of how fantasy football works, let me explain.  Before the NFL season, every fantasy league has a draft.  You pick real life, NFL players to be on your team.  Each week you get fantasy points for how well your players do that game.  For example, if Tom Brady throws for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns, he might have earned your team 25 points.  At the end of the week, if your fantasy players had more points than your opponent’s players, you win.  Your record would be 1-0.  So throughout the season, you will accumulate a record and in the last 3 weeks of the NFL season, there are fantasy football playoffs for each league.  Basically, you are using the actual stats of NFL players to gain points for your team.

 The impact that fantasy football has had on the world is intangible.  There are TV shows created solely to give people advice about their team.  Because you draft more people than you can play, deciding which players to start can drive people insane.  Analysts such as Matthew Berry or Tim Hasselbeck are paid by ESPN to give their “expert” opinions.  Also, when it comes time for fantasy football season, magazines that provide projections and analysis on the upcoming year fly off the shelf.

 Although many people want to believe that this game is all skill, they are wrong.  More luck is involved in fantasy football than anything else.  Is it luck when your whole team combines for 50 points in a week but you play the only kid in the league who has less points than you?  How about when you draft Tom Brady 1^st overall and then he gets injured in the first game of the season.  I’d say the only talent involved in fantasy football is drafting a good team.  This means taking players that fit into the type of league you’re in.

 Before the days of fantasy football, do you think that anybody cared to watch the Lions play the Rams?  Probably not.  But now if they have Steven Jackson, running back for the Rams, or Calvin Johnson, wide receiver for the Lions, on their fantasy teams, I bet they will be interested in the game.  This is one of the many reasons why fantasy football benefits the NFL. 

 Whether you are in a league with your office colleagues, friends, or random people, fantasy football gives you the ultimate bragging rights and possible some extra cash in your pocket.  Even NFL players are playing it.  Washington Redskins Tight end, Chris Cooley, claims he has four fantasy teams of his own.  With both athletes and fans playing it, fantasy football is a unique opportunity to get involved with the NFL.

Most exciting first round game:

6 Marquette vs 11 Washington

Coming off a lackluster performance in the Big East Tournament Semis, Marquette is a team that is capable of getting it done.  Led by Lazar Hayward’s 18.1 points per game, the Golden Eagles are a dangerous six seed. Washington on the other hand won the Pac 10 Tournament and looks to pull off the first round “upset.”

 First Round Upset Alert:

After a four year absence from The Dance, the UTEP Miners are back. Point guard, Randy Culpepper can be hard to stop as UTEP comes into the game as one of the hottest teams in the nation. Although Butler has the nation’s longest win streak at 20, the Bulldogs are on upset alert.

 The team nobody is talking about:

The Richmond Spiders from the A-10. Playing out of the weak South region, Richmond has a winnable game against St. Mary’s in the first round and can very well upset #2 Villanova in the Round of 32 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they would face a beatable Notre Dame or Baylor team.

 First #1 seed to be knocked out:

Kentucky received a tough draw in the East Region. In a possible second round match up, the Wildcats would have to play the preseason number one ranked team, Texas.  Although the Longhorns fell off the map and out of the Top 25, they have the talent to compete with Kentucky. We’re not saying they will lose, but it is not the easy second round game Kentucky was looking for.

 Final Four:

Kansas, Kansas St, Kentucky, Baylor

Leading off are the Starting Pitchers.

1. Tim Lincecum is the reigning NL Cy Young Winner and highest rated pitcher on ESPN.com. Lincecum led the NL in strikeouts and won 15 games with an average Giants team. There is no reason to believe why Lincecum’s stats won’t improve this year, especially with his catcher, Bengie Molina, back.

2. Roy Halladay finally got out of Toronto and joined the Phillies this off-season.  After winning the Nation League pennant two straight years, Philadelphia just got arguably one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. Halladay has won at least 16 games in each of the past three seasons and was a workhorse for the Blue Jays.  In Phily, Halladay will get a lot more run support from stars like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins.

3. Felix Hernandez got the deal of a life-time in the offseason: 5 years worth $78 million. What is a 23 year old going to do with $78 million?  He will probably upgrade his crib and then prove his worth on the field.  Hernandez won 19 games last season for the Seattle Mariners, who were the biggest surprise of the 2009 season.  Since the Mariners acquired Cliff Lee in the off-season, Hernandez will have less pressure to be the number one ace in Seattle.  Look for a rising star in Hernandez to have a very successful season with the resurging Mariners.

Sleeper:

J.A Haap will enter the season as the Philadelphia Phillies’s fourth man in the rotation.  Pitching behind experienced guys like Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, Haap has the potential to be the needle in the haystack you have been looking for.  He won 12 games last year including two complete game shutout victories.  Ranked a mere 170 on ESPN.com, you can draft J.A Haap late reap the benefits later.

 Come back next week as we reveal the must have position players for the 2010 fantasy season.

Sidney Crosby, Patrick Marleau, Danny Heatley are just some of the superstars on Team Canada. In the NHL, the three have combined to score 112 goals.  Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel, and Chris Drury are the faces for Team USA in these Olympics. However, they’ve combined for a mere 56 goals in the NHL, exactly half of Canada’s big three. And with Martin Brodeur, the all-time leader in shutouts and wins for NHL goalies, you would think Canada should have no problem conquering a gold medal.  But after a 5-3 loss to USA, maybe it’s time to focus on the team in the red, white and blue.

Canada out shot the Americans 45-23 including 14-4 in the third period yet couldn’t solve the Ryan Miller puzzle. Miller, who plays goalie for the Buffalo Sabres, put on a show that has hockey fans raving across the US.  So with the barrage of shots, how did the United States manage to come out victorious and shock the world?  

The key to the game was the first goal and establishing momentum early. There is no better way to do this than scoring a goal 41 seconds into the game, which is exactly what Team USA’s oldest player, Brian Rafalski did. He fired a shot from the blue line that got past Brodeur to give the U.S an early lead.  Eric Staal answered for the Canadians with a deflection from Brent Seabrook’s shot from the point. Yet USA came right back 22 seconds later when Rafalski once again beat Brodeur into the low corner to regain the lead for the Americans.  The two teams exchanged goals after that and the U.S had a 3-2 lead after the second period thanks to USA Captain, Chris Drury’s goal.

In the third, Canada continued their onslaught and controlled the puck for the majority of the period in Team USA’s zone. Yet Ryan Miller made 13 saves in the period to keep USA in the game. Jamie Langenbrunner scored with 13 minutes left to give the U.S a 4-2 lead. However the game was far from over. Canada’s assistant Sidney Crosby cut the lead in half with a redirection through Miller’s pads and into the back of the net. As the clock ran under a minute left in the game, the stadium (filled with mostly Canada fans) were on their feet looking for the tying goal. USA’s Zack Parise single-handedly cleared the puck out of the zone with 40 seconds left and chipped the puck up the ice.  In one of the most remarkable plays in USA Hockey history, Vancouver native, Ryan Kessler, dove at a Canadian defenseman who had the puck and with one hand whacked the puck into the net to seal the game 5-3.

It was said that this game was Canada’s Super Bowl and that 80 percent of the entire country watched this game.  Canada is the place hockey was founded, and for the U.S to beat them on Canadian soil makes this victory all the merrier.

2. Detroit Lions: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
The Lions offense is improving but they have one of the worst defenses in the league. McCoy would be a good start to rebuilding this defense.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Berry is by far the best safety in the draft. Tampa Bay is also does not have depth in the Secondary. Even though there number 1 need is a Defensive linemen Suh, and McCoy should be off the board by the time they pick.

4. Washington Redskins: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
With coaching changes in Washington, and not sure if Jason Campbell can takeover the job, look for the Redskins to take Bradford.

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Russell Okung, T, Oklahoma State
This pick is a no-brainer, the Chiefs are in need of a Tackle, and he is the best in the draft. Okung was the most consistent lineman in the nation this year

6. Seattle Seahawks: Bruce Campbell, T, Maryland
I don’t see the Seahawks wasting there 1st round pick on a QB. Bruce Campbell is an athletic freak of nature and if he cracks a 4.95 40 time at the Combine, all bets are off and you can pencil in Campbell falling no further than the Seahawks pick here.

7. Cleveland Browns: Joe Haden, CB, Florida
The Browns got to go defense here, and they need a CB. Haden is the best in the draft. He is a shut-down corner,

8. Oakland Raiders: Bryan Bulaga, T, Iowa
The Raiders do not protect the QB, so they need to take a Tackle here, and Bulaga will be the best available.

9. Buffalo Bills: Anthony Davis, T, Rutgers
Even though Davis has some work ethic concerns, the Bills need a Tackle.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE/OLB, South Florida
Pierre-Paul has great upside, and I don’t see him falling any further then 10 to the Jaguars.

11. Denver Broncos: Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
It is looking like the Broncos are seriously interested in trading away Brandon Marshall. A team desperate for a big threat at receiver is really going to like Dez Bryant because there is a perceived lack of No. 1 wideouts in this draft.

12. Miami Dolphins: Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama
When you talk about leadership and intangibles, Rolando McClain is one of the very best in that department in the 2010 NFL Draft. I think Jeff Ireland and Bill Parcels will both agree they need to get more playmakers at linebacker and McClain certainly will do that for this franchise.

13. San Francisco 49ers: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
Derrick Morgan is without a doubt the best player on the board at this point, So I don’t see the 49ers passing him up.

14. Seattle Seahawks: Taylor Mays, S, USC
Mays is a big, physical safety who does a great job of closing in on run support. Other then Berry he is the best safety in the draft.

15. New York Giants: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
The Giants didn’t get the production they wanted out of their defensive line, and they need to become dominant once again on the interior.

This year more athletes like LaMarcus Albridge have been making you tube videos to try and convince fans to vote them into the starting line up of the game.  This years lineups were announced and the two most surprising picks are Tracy McGrady of the Rockets who has been injured most of the year, and Allen Iverson of the 76ers thought to be way past his prime.  This year promises to provide everything fun normally seen in the all-star game like alley oops and half court shots. 

Another event to look forward to this year is the Rookie Vs. Sophomore game where rookies like Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans will face off against Derek Rose and Michael Beasley.  Last year Dwight Howard and Dwayne Wade each coached a team providing funny looks on the sidelines as they tried to come up with some fun stuff for the young guys to do on the floor. 

The Taco Bell Skills Competition looks to provide plenty of entertainment as well.  Defending champ Derek Rose will look to provide plenty of speed and accuracy as he tries to win back to back titles in the only competition that makes players use all of the skills necessary to play basketball.  Rose played like Dwayne Wade did when he won his back to back titles which Rose is hoping to duplicate.

Though not as professional as any of NBA events the Celebrity game is always a good game.  Where else can you watch Terrell Owens dunk over Donald Faison from Scrubs.  This year hopes to provide some more celebrities that have game which will provide entertainment leading to more money for the Ronald McDonald House the charity the game gives money to.

The Dunk Contest and Three Point Contest are the most watched out of every competition.  Last year in a upset former dunk champ Nate Robinson beat defending champ Dwight Howard in a contest which saw the return of Superman and introduced his one weakness Kyrptonate.  At the contest last year Lebron James said he would compete this year but has since decided against it.  While the “King” might not participate the amazing tricks and stunts will still provide plenty of entertainment.  In the Three Point Shoot Out, Daequan Cook stopped Jason Kapono’s streak in a game in which the announcers thought that Cook had no shot.  This year Cook will again try to make it rain in Dallas.

The NBA All-Star weekend is for fun competitions, dancing, and flashy jerseys.  With the new Texas Stadium looming in the distance the skies the limit for all of the cool stuff that could happen.