COACH CRAWFORD?

Marc Crawford...Dallas Stars head coach. Hmmm.

As a Stars fan, I've been pondering this one since the news broke. Obviously, I first had to get over my natural dislike of the guy...but that was more about him coaching rival teams through the years. I'm willing to give the guy a chance.

I think that you can't really count his time in LA against his track record, since the team was in a rebuilding period. His playoff flame-outs in Vancouver? Well, they continued well after he was gone...the Canucks seem destined to disappoint their fanbase. Crawford seems like a solid coach that still has a passion for the game and a desire to prove he still has that "it" which earned him a Jack Adams trophy and a Stanley Cup.

I honestly think the decision was made based on the Red Wings, which...like it or not...set the bar for the Western Conference. Babcock (who I despise) is an offensive-minded, puck possession preaching, veins popping out of his forehead type of coach, and I think Neiwendyk is trying to emulate with Crawford. Only time will tell if it will work, but Joe knows he put his own job on the line the second he made the change...and I can't help but be a little impressed with that kind of confidence.

I'll miss Tippett...and I think he deserved one more shot with a healthy team. But I'm willing to give Crawford the benefit of the doubt and stand behind him.

Go Stars!

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IS THERE LIFE?

Let's just go ahead and call the Red Wings / Ducks tilt in favor of Detroit. They may have started out flat, but they're steamrolling Anaheim now.

But what about the other series? I think the Bruins and Canucks COULD come back, but I don't think they will. The hole is just too deep with teams playing that evenly. Anything can happen, but I don't see them pulling two consecutive wins out of their hats.

On the other hand, I think a Capitals win over the Pens is totally possible. Most of their games could have gone either way. The Caps took two at home...the Pens took two at home and one on the road...so it's no stretch to say the Caps return the road win favor in Pittsburgh and close it out at home. This series has been great and could go either way, but even down 3-2...I'm sticking with Washington

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WE'RE SURROUNDED BY CRAZY PEOPLE

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PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

WEST

Quarters
San Jose over Anaheim in 6
Chicago over Calgary in 6
Vancouver over St. Louis in 5
Columbus over Detroit in 7

Semis
Columbus over San Jose in 7
Chicago over Vancouver in 7


Finals
Chicago over Columbus in 6


EAST

Quarters
Boston over Montreal in 6
Pittsburgh over Philly in 7
Carolina over Jersey in 7
Washington over N.Y. in 6

Semis
Boston over Carolina in 6
Washington over Pittsburgh in 7

Finals
Washington over Boston in 7


CUP FINALS
Washington over Chicago in 6

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WHO DO YOU ROOT FOR?

The Stars are only one point away from officially being out of the playoff hunt, and a loss or overtime game tonight against St. Louis would seal the deal.

So, obviously, the numbers are hard to ignore...we can pretty much start looking to next season.

With that said...who do you root for in the NHL's 'second season'?

This brings up one of the dilemmas of a post season without your team: it's nearly impossible to pull for a division rival, it's difficult to pull for a conference rival, and the passion usually just isn't there to pull for a team from the other conference. (I guess what it boils down to is you still really want to pull for your team, huh?)

Even though it's tough, I would always prefer to see success come from the Western Conference. However, when the finals come along...I'm more than ready to cheer against some of the Stars' more loathed opponents (such as the Red Wings or Sharks). Pulling for an underdog makes the ride a little more fun, also...and having a connection to your team makes it easier to justify.

I guess this is why I've got a soft spot for Columbus: partly because of former Stars' coach and Captain Kangaroo look-a-like Ken Hitchcock and partly because they've never had post season success. Sure, I'd rather be pulling for Dallas...but it's still more fun to pick a horse in the race than one in the stable.

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