The NHL Eastern Conference Semifinal round will begin tonight as the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Ottawa Senators in Game 1. With their Game 7 wins last night, the New York Rangers will face the Boston Bruins in the other semifinal matchup. Here are my predictions for the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #7 Ottawa Senators

The Pittsburgh Penguins struggled to defeat the #8 seeded New York Islanders in the first round while the Ottawa Senators dominated the #2 seeded Montreal Canadians. If the Penguins want to advance to the Eastern Conference Final, they must find a way to beat Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson. He finished the first round with an impressive .95% save percentage. Pittsburgh’s goaltending situation is not as clear as Marc-Andre Fleury started the first four games of their first round series but was replaced by Tomas Vokoun for Games 5 and 6 which were both wins for the Penguins. Vokoun will start Game 1 but if he struggles, how quickly will Fleury be put back in? Evgeni Malkin led the Penguins forwards with 11 points (2 G, 9 A) in the first round while Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson tied for the Senators lead with 6 points. This series will be a classic matchup of a talented offensive team (Penguins) against a good defensive team (Senators) with one of the top goalies in the playoffs. As good as Anderson has been, the Penguins offensive depth and skill will be too much to overcome and the first round struggle against the Islanders will only make the Penguins stronger and more focused.

Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins in 6

#4 Boston Bruins #6 New York Rangers
After an epic comeback in the third period of Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Bruins advanced to the semifinal round against another Original Six team, the New York Rangers. The Rangers rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to defeat the Washington Capitals in seven games. Henrik Lundqvist leads all goaltenders with 2 shutouts this postseason. His shutouts came with the Rangers facing elimination in Games 6 and 7. The Bruins David Krejci leads all playoff scorers with 13 points (5G, 8A) but they will need Jaromir Jagr and Brad Marchand to step up and contribute offensively against the Rangers. The Rangers offense broke out in Game 7 but struggled to put points on the board in the previous six games against the Capitals. The Bruins physical play and deeper blue line will be a stark contrast to the style of play that the Rangers saw in the first round. Look for the Bruins to put their big forwards in front of the net and utilize screens, deflections, and rebounds to put the puck past Lundqvist. This is my pick for the best series of the Semifinal round.

Prediction: Boston Bruins in 7

The Western Conference Semifinal round is set after the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 late Sunday night. Here are the matchups along with my predictions.

1. Chicago Blackhawks vs. 7. Detroit Red Wings

The Blackhawks will be well rested after defeating the Minnesota Wild in 5 games while the Red Wings are coming off a hard fought 7 game series versus the Anaheim Ducks. Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard was outstanding in the first round and he will have to continue his outstanding play if the Red Wings want to advance to the Western Conference Final. Patrick Sharp led the Blackhawks in the first round with 5 goals and 1 assist and Marian Hossa chipped in with 3 goals and 3 assists. I expect the Blackhawks potent offense to lead the charge and advance to the Western Conference Final.

Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks in 6

5. Los Angeles Kings vs. 6. San Jose Sharks

The Kings will face the Sharks in the other Western Conference Semifinal matchup. This series should be very physical and closely contested. The Sharks swept the Vancouver Canucks in the first round while the Kings won 4 straight after dropping the first two games to the St. Louis Blues. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was stellar in net against the Blues and Jeff Carter led the Kings offense with 3 goals. The Sharks were led by their power-play unit in their first round matchup. Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski each scored 3 power-play goals in the sweep of the Canucks. If the Kings can stay out of the box and Jonathan Quick stays hot, the Kings should return to the Western Conference Final.

Prediction: Los Angeles Kings in 7

The NHL Eastern Conference playoff picture is finally clear after the Ottawa Senators defeated the Boston Bruins Sunday night. With the win, the Senators clinched the #7 seed and avoided playing the top seeded Pittsburgh Penguins. The Boston Bruins dropped from the #2 seed and is now the #4 seed and could potentially meet Pittsburgh in the second round. Here are the NHL Eastern Conference matchups along with my predictions.

#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #8 New York Islanders

The Islanders are making their first playoff appearance since 2007 and unfortunately meet the powerful Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. The Islanders surprised many this year with their excellent play and closed the season strong to hold on to their playoff spot. John Tavares emerged as a legitimate contender for the Hart Trophy with his performance during the regular season. The biggest question surrounding the Penguins is the status of Sidney Crosby. He has been out since March 30th after suffering a broken jaw. With the additions of Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow at the trade deadline, the Penguins have plenty of depth with or without Crosby to overcome the upstart Islanders.

Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins in 5

#2 Montreal Canadians vs. #7 Ottawa Senators

While many fans wanted the Toronto Maple Leafs to face the Montreal Canadians in the opening round, the Senators win in Boston Sunday night set up this matchup of evenly-matched teams. Expect a lot of close, low-scoring games during the series with the goaltenders dominating the headlines of the series. Montreal’s Carey Price started the season strong for the Canadians but struggled between the pipes at the conclusion of the regular season. Ottawa’s Craig Anderson was the top goaltender at the beginning of the year posting a 5-0-1 record in January but missed the entire month of March due to an injury. Look for Montreal winger Max Pacioretty to be the difference maker in the series.

Prediction: Montreal Canadians in 6

#3 Washington Capitals vs. #6 New York Rangers

This is a rematch of a classic 7 game series from last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Rangers and Capitals both stumbled out of the gate but finished the regular season strong. The Rangers are a team that nobody wants to face right now due mostly to the man in net, Henrik Lundqvist. The Capitals need to find scoring from anyone other than Alex Ovechkin if they have any hope in advancing to the next round. Special teams could be the difference maker in this series with a strong Washington power play matched against an equally impressive New York Rangers penalty kill.

Prediction: New York Rangers in 7

#4 Boston Bruins vs. #5 Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a terrific matchup of two Original Six teams that have a lot of history and animosity towards each other. The majority of the talk leading up to the series will focus on the trade that brought Phil Kessel to the Maple Leafs from Boston for draft picks that eventually became Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton but that will all dissipate once the series starts. Boston was my preseason pick to represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final but they have stumbled down the stretch including their loss in the final game of the regular season against the Ottawa Senators. Toronto goaltender James Reimer has been tremendous in net for the Maple Leafs but this will be a big test for him and the rest of his teammates. Boston’s playoff experience and depth on the blue line will lead them to a first round victory.

Prediction: Boston Bruins in 6

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally here. After a shortened season due to the lockout, the Western Conference first round matchups are all set. The Presidents’ Trophy winning Chicago Blackhawks clinched the #1 seed and home ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It will not be an easy road for Chicago as the West is very deep this year and you can make a strong case for 6 of the 8 teams in the West making it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Here are the matchups along with my predictions.

#1 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #8 Minnesota Wild

Minnesota won their final game of the regular season just to clinch a playoff berth and has the unenviable task of taking on the best team in the league. The Chicago Blackhawks have a ton of depth and too much offense for the offensively challenged Wild.

Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks in 5

#2 Anaheim Ducks vs. #7 Detroit Red Wings

The Ducks had an excellent regular season finishing with the third highest total points in the NHL (66) while the Red Wings won their final 4 games of the regular season just to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This series is going to tell us a lot about the Anaheim Ducks. Will they allow the crafty veterans of the Detroit Red Wings to get under their skin and force them to take bad penalties or will they rely on their speed and talent in their attempt to advance to the second round? Even though these teams had vastly different regular seasons, I think this series goes the distance because of the Red Wings playoff experience and advantage in goal. In the end, I think the Ducks do just enough to edge out the Wings.

Prediction: Anaheim Ducks in 7

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 San Jose Sharks

This is a another great first round matchup that features two teams that started out the year with visions of winning the Cup. The Sharks have had a history of playoff failures and unfortunately they are facing a team that was in the Stanley Cup Finals just two seasons ago. The Canucks are deeper and more talented on offense, defense, and in goal. Look for the Sedin twins to have a big series as the Canucks add to the Sharks playoff woes.

Prediction: Vancouver Canucks in 6

#4 St. Louis Blues vs. #5 Los Angeles Kings

This is the best and most exciting first round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. These two teams could have very well met in the Western Conference Finals but are facing each other in round one. The 2012 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings stumbled out of the gate during the regular season but turned it around and had a strong finish to qualify as the #5 seed. The Blues were strong and consistent all year long and have a great mix of speed, size, and grit. This series might go down as one of the best Stanley Cup Playoff series in recent memory.  I will be tuned in for every second of it.

Prediction: St. Louis Blues in 7

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Welcome back, loyal readers! I may be getting on your nerves, but as long as you like reading the content, I’m all for it, as the majority of the players I have written about and talked about this year have panned out so far. So with that, we take you to another week of this Stock Market article, that you seem to enjoy so much.

We’ll start off with Jon Jay, a real five-tool player who makes amazing diving  catches but, as we know, that isn’t important in fantasy. What is important, however, is the fact that he has collected a hit in all but three games he’s  played in. In those games, six of them have been multi-hit games. He has a .379 average on the year to go along with two homeruns and three stolen bases. He should have the job in St Louis locked up for the time being with a performance like that.

Next, we’ll look at a blind comparison for two third basemen:

Player A: .287 Average/5 HRs/14 RBI/18 R/ 3 SBs. Owned in 100% of ESPN leagues. ADP on ESPN: 59.8.

Player B: .298 Average/4 HRs/ 20 RBI/ 12 R/ 4 SBs. Owned in 36.3% of ESPN leagues. ADP on ESPN: 260.0.

While Player A, Alex Rodriguez, has, by far, a much better track-record, he is also much more injury-prone, playing no more than 138 games in each of the past four seasons. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that, regardless of the off-the-field drama, he is a first-ballot hall of famer, but remember that he is on the Yankees, so he will be overvalued. Sell high on him while he’s performing well and before he gets injured.

Player B is a very good, underrated player, that is only owned in very few leagues because of the small-market team he is on. That small-market team is Seattle, where if your name isn’t Ichiro or Felix Hernandez, you are overlooked, which happens to be the case for Kyle Seager, a 24-year-old third -sacker. He deserves to be on your roster with the numbers you looked at above. Whether he is a corner infielder on your team, or a bench player, he needs to be rostered in your league, if he isn’t already. He has made a very strong case for himself.

This next player has been opposite of the other three, meaning he has been terrible as of late. This player would be J.D. Martinez, who has collected just two hits in 33 at-bats in the last 11 games. Needless to say, he hasn’t scored a run, and he has driven in just one batter in that timeframe. He’s in what we call the ‘sophomore slump’, so if you can buy low on him in dynasty and keeper leagues, do so, as he is much better than this. Believe me when I say that, as I watch every game of his, as I live in Houston. He’s pressing too much, and just needs to change his approach up there, and Manager Brad Mills has noticed that, and taken him aside. Hopefully he can get this turned around this year, so we won’t have to wait until next year.

It’s time for the Closer Corner again - Chris Sale‘s elbow is fine, and he will be moved back into the rotation, meaning that Addison Reed is the most likely candidate to close, according to @MLBDepthCharts’ Christian Martinez. Another closer who is out of a job is former Reds’ closer, Francisco Cordero, who blew all of the last three save opportunities and gave up eight earned runs in the last four relief appearances. Casey Janssen seems to hold the closer job at the moment in Toronto. I realize that this isn’t a closer move, but it does involve the bullpen change that has occurred in Minnesota, where former #1 starter Francisco Liriano has been moved to the bullpen after posting a 9.45 ERA and 21:19 K:BB ratio this season. Scott Diamond, who went 7.0 innings while striking out six, and allowing just four hits and walking one against the Angels, has appeared to replace him in the Rotation. Diamond could be worth a look in deeper leagues. Dale Thayer seems to have the closing job for the time being, with Huston Street on the DL. Thayer’s K:BB ratio is INF, with no walks so far. He won’t strike too many out but, being in Petco Park, he won’t need to. Thayer remains perfect in terms of earned runs this year and has only allowed four hits in six innings, for a 0.67 WHIP. Could he potentially be the closer forever?

3-2 record with 2.10 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Not to mention 25 strikeouts in six starts. Ross Detwiler is not this good. Yes he is hitting his prime and yes he is improving every year but he doesn’t have the talent to continually post these numbers. He is a sell-high candidate, as his FB% is 37.1%, 3.71 xFIP and 2.78 K/BB. Sell him now while you can get a decent offer, before his value plummets. He’s not good.

Max Scherzer has been very inconsistent this year, with outings of: 2.2 IP/8 H/7 ERs, 5 IP/10 H/5ER, and 4.2 IP/7 H/3 ER/ 7 BB. In the other games, he has a combined nine earned runs in 25.1 innings, to go along with 32 Ks. In those four good outings, he was rewarded with a quality start, making him a buy-low candidate if there is a disgruntled owner.

This list is populated by players who are owned in less than 50% of leagues and face either a good matchup or are pitching consistently well.

Carlos Zambrano Miami Marlins- Next scheduled start Sunday vs. Mets

The big Z received his first victory of the season Monday night pitching a complete game shutout. He has now gone 16 innings without allowing a run, and has struck out 14 batters. It is well known that he throws in one of the better pitcher parks in baseball, and faces a favorable matchup Sunday vs. the N.Y. Mets.

James McDonald Pittsburgh Pirates- Next scheduled start Friday vs. Astros

The big righty is on a 2 start win streak and has struck out 17 batters, while only allowing 4 earned runs. He will pitch against Houston Friday, and he has a history of success against that lineup.  His stamina was one of his problems in the beginning of the season, but he has been pitching later into games recently. He is an excellent source of strikeouts and faces a good matchup.

Henderson Alvarez Toronto Blue Jays- Next scheduled start Thursday vs. Twins

Alvarez is 2-1 in his last 3 starts, giving up only 3 runs in 22 innings. His ability to induce ground balls has been the key to his success. He faces a struggling Twins team and is a must start.

Ricky Nolasco Miami Marlins- Next scheduled start Saturday vs. Mets

Nolasco received a no decision the last time he faced the Mets after allowing 1 run in 7 innings and exiting with the lead. He’s pitched well on the season (4-0, 2.72ERA, 1.11WHIP, 21K’s) and the Marlins lineup is starting to produce.

Erik Bedard Pittsburgh Pirates- Next scheduled start Wednesday vs. Nationals

Bedard is one of the most difficult pitchers to watch in baseball because he pitches with no sense of urgency. He’s been effective pitching in the National League; he hasn’t allowed more than 2 earned runs in a start all season. He is on a 2 start win streak, and has struck out 20 batters in 10 innings. A favorable matchup vs. Washington is his next start Wednesday.

Wandy Rodriguez (SP) Houston Astros

Rodriguez is showing total command of the strike zone, and throwing his changeup more. He has cut down on his walks per 9 innings, which has led to a decrease in his fly ball %. The Astros are starting to score runs, leading to a 3 start win streak for Rodriguez. He’s pitching in a weak division and should maintain a low ERA/WHIP to go along with a decent amount of wins.

Carlos Ruiz (C) Philadelphia Phillies

Ruiz is smoking hot at the plate possessing an 8 game hitting streak. The power numbers have been there as well (3 doubles/3HR/14RBI). His saber metrics are in line with his career statistics, so ride out this hot streak while you can.

Pedro Alvarez (3B) Pittsburgh Pirates

The former 2^nd overall pick in the 2008 Draft is one of the hottest hitters in baseball. In the midst of a 7 game hitting streak, Alvarez has assembled 5 multi hit games. He’s amassed 8 runs/ 9RBI’s/3 doubles and has 3 homers in his last 5 games. His BABIP is a modest .286 and he’s hitting the ball all over the field. His GB% is the lowest it has ever been, which could be a sign the power is going to continue.

Rafael Dolis (RP) Chicago Cubs

Former closer Carlos Marmol has been removed and Dolis is reportedly the prime candidate to fill the role.  He picked up his 2^nd save of the season Friday night in an effortless inning of work.

Cody Ransom (SS,3B) Arizona Diamondbacks

Keep an eye on Cody Ransom. Manager Kirk Gibson told reporters “he’s going to be playing more than he normally would due to the hot start”. He is just one injury away from seeing starters playing time and carries a SS designation. He is not lineup worthy right now, but deserves a spot on your watch list. In 29 AB’s he’s hitting .345AVG/1200 OPS/5 runs/3 doubles/3 HR/10RBI.

Luke Scott (1B,OF) Tampa Bay Rays

If you are in need of power and RBI’s Scott is your man. He is the classic platoon player because of his struggles versus lefties. However he is killing right handed pitchers and hits in a good lineup. If you have an extra spot on your bench you can’t go wrong with Scott and playing the matchups.

We missed last week, as we true Americans were busy getting things from the NFL Draft and UDFA signings in order and evaluating them. If you didn’t see me do such, go to my Twitter account, and start asking me some questions about it. But as we know, this is baseball season and, even though this article will be here year round for NFL, MLB, and NBA, baseball is the main priority right now for those of you not in dynasty football leagues, which we do recommend you join. Anyway, enough of my excuses and onto baseball!

Chris Johnson

This is CJ4k.  As he has only struck-out four times in the last seven games, collected a hit seven of nine games, and had four multi-hit games in those nine games. He isn’t walking much, but with an average of .311, he doesn’t need to. His BABIP is an unsustainable .406, but in 2010, he had a BABIP of .387. He’s seeing the ball better than he did two years ago, so it’s not out of the question to think that he could repeat those numbers, where he had an average of .308, and 11 homeruns. He has more pop than that as he enters a year where he just turned 27, which could be his prime. On Wednesday, Johnson went 4-for-4 with two homeruns and seven RBI. Meaning that, if he can hit 10 more, he will have surpassed his career high. It’s not that hard to do. Ride his hot-hand in 12-or-more-team roto leagues, or deep head-to-head leagues where you need batting average. He offers that–with minimal pop–but has some decent upside. Trust me on this, he is worth a pickup.

If you have paid any attention to any ‘pick-up’ articles this year, you will have come across the name of Bryan LaHair, who has an amazing .388 batting average, to go along with seven homeruns and 16 runs. Notice how I mentioned an unsustainable BABIP in the blurb about Chris Johnson? What about a .543 Batting Average on Balls in Play? That’s crazy. There’s little reason to think he will keep that up, along with his average in the stratosphere, so with the way competitors are gawking over him right now, it would be a smart move to try and deal him away before he comes back down to earth, and isn’t called the next Joey Bats, as he’s Mike Morse-lite.

For this next player, we will be looking at two doors: Door ‘A’ and Door ‘B’. Door A is an underrated former top Braves prospect with 17 runs, 8 stolen bases, two homeruns and an average of .273. The other Door, ‘Door B,’ has a veteran superstar that is respected by everyone, but has show regression this year. Such player, has a .310 Batting Average, two steals, one homer, and 11 runs. Which do you prefer? Jordan Schafer (A) or Ichiro (B)? We expect Ichiro to come around and have a better average, but the price tags on these players are much different, as one is a proven all-star, and the other is a former top prospect who, before this year, hadn’t proven much. But by watching every Astros game, I have seen Schafer change his approach, drawing 12 walks thus far, and battling pitchers deep into the count. Schafer is a fun, young player to watch, and Ichiro is definitely a buy-low candidate if you can get him. Both players are worth looking at in this case.

This next paragraph will be a collection of closers: Carlos Marmol has been relieved of his closing duties and Rafael Dolis will likely see the majority of the save situations, as he closed on May 4th, in a 5-4 game, in which he came through with the save against the Cardinals. This would purely be speculation to add Dolis, but Marmol should not be owned in any leagues, after struggling mightily last year, and performing like dung this year. Obviously, the money doesn’t matter. Also keep an eye on Heath Bell, who can’t seem to shed the thoughts of his new contract, with an ERA of 11.74, WHIP of 2.74, 0-3 W/L record, and 3-for-6 on save chances. While manager Ozzie Guillen says that Bell  will still be the closer, owners should look at Steve Cishek, who seems to be next in line, if the role does get away from Bell, which could happen with numbers like those above. Chris Sale has been moved into the closer role, due to mechanical issues, loss of velocity, and elbow soreness. This means that Hector Santiago will be moved to a middle relief role, not setup, and should not be owned in any leagues. Also, if anyone has been watching ESPN lately, Mariano Rivera tore his ACL, and will remain out for the year. Whether David Robertson or Rafael Soriano closes, you can bet that they will se a lot of opportunities, and our money is on Soriano, due to the fact that A, he is being paid a ton, and B, that he has more experience as a closer.

Jake Peavy

Peavy screams of sell high. Whether or not Petco Park was protecting him, he was a good pitcher with the Padres, but in his last two years with the White Sox, Peavy has struggled, posting a 4.63 ERA in 2010, and 4.92 ERA last year. Therefore, when I say sell high, I MEAN sell high. He can’t maintain a 1.67 ERA with an xFIP of 3.72  and 57.1 Fly Ball Percentage. Get what you can now before he heads south for the summer.

Daily fantasy leagues are becoming very popular. There are different type’s 50/50, Head to Head, and top 3 are the most popular. Analyzing the matchups is critical because most games are only one day. I like to look at player’s numbers versus the pitcher they are facing, and analyzing statistics from the previous seven days to determine who is hot and who’s not. The final determining factor is the pitcher who is on the mound. If it is an ace I might stay away from that match up and focus on hitters facing a weak pitcher.

Pedro Alvarez (Pirates) is one of the hottest hitters in baseball.

Here’s my lineup today with a 35K salary cap.

P -Kyle Lohse STL@HOU $6,500

C -Yadier Molina STL@HOU $3,700

1B- Mark Teixeira NYY@KAN $3,800

2B- Howie Kendrick TOR@ANA $3,400

3B -Pedro Alvarez CIN@PIT $3,000

SS -Derek Jeter NYY@KAN $3,900

OF

Cameron Maybin MIA@SDP $3,100

Bryce Harper PHI@WAS $3,300

Justin Upton ARI@NYM $4,000

I like Lohse because he carries a lower salary, has been consistently good, and faces a weaker lineup. I am going with a couple of Yankees in Jeter and Teixeira because of their history versus starting pitcher Bruce Chen. Howie Kendrick has been hot at the plate recently and has a solid history versus starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez. Pedro Alvarez is one of the hottest hitters in baseball and has a very cheap salary at 3rd. Cameron Maybin is starting to produce by getting on base, scoring runs, and stealing bases. Harper has been solid and faces a favorable matchup versus starter Kyle Kendrick who is struggling; Upton’s bout is very favorable and he is currently undervalued salary wise.