Fashionably late

Yup, I'm a little late to the party for my 2nd round predictions for the NHL and NBA playoffs, but better late than never....

NHL
Well, I got 6 out of 8 correct in my 1st round predictions, and I'll take it!! Now, on to Round 2:
Eastern Conference
Tampa Bay vs. Washington-rumor has it that TB Goalie Dwayne Roloson owns Washington, and I've seen nothing to dispute that so far. Yes, the Caps can score, but can they stop anyone from scoring? Add to it that there are a ton of injuries in this series, and we could see more of the same in this series. Who wins? Washington, but it goes 7.

Boston vs. Philadelphia-It's redemption time. Or payback. Or maybe it's time for a little Bluto-"not on my watch!" Last year the B's were crushed, losing game 7 after being up 3 games to none on the Flyers. That ain't happening again. Philly will try and get chippy, and Bruins Chara and Lucic will stand up some folks real quick. So long as the Bruins keep the attack going and get to more pucks, the Flyers turnstile shuffle between the pipes will be their downfall. So long, suckas!! Who wins?-Bruins in 5.

Western Conference
Nashville vs. Vancouver-wicked late to this mixer, and I was thisclose to calling the Canuck choke job against Chicago, but they will not cough it up vs. Nashville. It won't be easy, either. The Predators are a feisty bunch, but not enough. Who wins? Vancouver, but this one is going to 7 games, too.

Detroit vs. San Jose-there's a two-sided coin to this series, heads is that Detroit may be getting long in tooth, tails is that San Jose isn't exactly known for closing things out. And y'all know my feelings regarding one Sharks Captain Joe Thornton. It's picking between the lesser of two evils. If the Red Wings were all healthy, they would be the easy pick. But they aren't. Who wins?-San Jose in 6.

NBA
Well, 5 out of 8 in the first round ain't great. It ain't bad, either. How was to know how old San Antonio would look? Or that Orlando would play the dumbest brand of ball ever? To Round 2:
Eastern Conference
Atlanta vs. Chicago-oh, poor Hawks fans. This series would be awesome had Atlanta picked Chris Paul or Deron Williams instead of Marvin Williams in the 2005 draft. Instead, they will have Jeff Teague be a matador against Derrick Rose. Now, if Rose is hurt, this series will be much different. Atlanta can hang on the boards with the Bulls, but Chicago is the best defensive team in the league-meaning Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford and Josh Smith will likely get shut down. This will be a fun series. Who wins? Chicago in 6.

Boston vs. Miami-What gives any Heat fan hope? That Miami dispatched Philly in 5 games? That Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire could score, almost at will, against the Celtics? That the Heat beat the Celtics the last time they played? Heat fans, you can have all of those reasons. None will matter. Neither team has a low post presence to worry about. Boston needs to rebound as a team, and keep Miami off the break. So this series could come down to a key matchup-the Point Guards. Boston has a gigantic advantage, and Rajon Rondo looks ready to go. If Miami switches and puts Dwayne Wade or LeBron James on Rondo, that means Paul Pierce or Ray Allen are free to abuse whomever is guarding them. This series will be physical and overhyped....just like that team in Miami. Who wins? C's in 6.

Western Conference
Dallas vs. LA Lakers-Once the Lakers realized that New Orleans had no one but Chris Paul to worry about, that series was over. Dallas got shook up by Portland, but realized they have Dirk and not a whole lot of people can cover him. Right now, it looks like Dallas is the only team that can out-shoot the Lakers. But the Lakers have Kobe. Who wins?-Lakers in 5.

Memphis vs. Oklahoma City-Memphis just shut down the mighty Spurs because they had more size up front. That will not be the case against Oklahoma City. I know that Memphis will cause some headaches, but who covers Westbrook? Or more importantly, is Tony Allen's deal with the devil up yet? If not, he'll be a handful for Kevin Durant. If it is, you'll watch someone go completely ballistic. Who wins?-Oklahoma City in 6.

There will be more later, but I have to go grocery shopping and get ready for Game 1 of the Celtics and Heat!

Oh, and can someone tell the Red Sox that it's May, stop dicking around and hit the ball, please?