I watch when I can, but when Sidney Crosby is on the ice, I make more of a point to tune in.

And after dealing with the effects of a concussion since January 5th, Crosby will finally be back on the ice tonight.

Image credit: Keith Srakocic/AP via Camel Clutch Blog

Via USAToday’s article posted just hours about Crosby’s return to the ice:

More than 250 members of the media are credentialed to watch all of Crosby’s minutes Monday night against the New York Islanders (7, Versus) in what is probably the most eagerly anticipated comeback since Mario Lemieux came out of retirement of Dec. 27, 2000.

“It’s an excitement around here that you can’t compare to anything else,” said former Penguins player Phil Bourque, now an analyst on Pittsburgh radio broadcasts. “It’s like a Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final. That kind of buzz.”

He has been called the next Wayne Gretzky and rightly so. His skill is unmatched and he plays with a certain finesse and style that hockey has been missing since the Great One himself left. When I was a kid, I grew up with the Red Wings of Sergei Federov, Steve Yzerman and Nick Lidstrom. I loved watching those guys play, but Crosby is a once in a generation type player.

This is what the NHL needs; drama. A little bit of hype can go a long way, especially with the NBA on hiatus. If the NHL can create more hype over the next few games that Crosby plays, they may attract the casual sports fan who is in search of something to fill the void on a weeknight.

Crosby’s return will be good for the sport and will hopefully ignite an interest for the NHL. I know I am interested and will take solace in excellent hockey instead of the NBA for now.

Watch Crosby’s return on Versus tonight at 7:00 ET.

I’m taking a break from bringing you forgotten baseball players to preview the Sweet 16 of the National Hockey League. This year looks to provide some intriguing match-ups to go along with the standard blow-outs.

Let’s get to it, with previews and predictions of each 1st round series.

NHL Eastern Conference Playoffs Preview and Predictions

Washington (1) vs New York Rangers (8)

The regular season saw the Rangers win three of four against the Caps, outscoring them 18-6 and shutting them out twice. That result is misleading though. They concluded their season series Feb. 25, before the Caps started playing their best hockey, finishing the season on a 16-3-1 streak.

Key to this series is that despite a slow start, Alexander Ovechkin has gotten closer to his typical level of dominance near the end of the season. Jason Arnott will likely also be a key factor for Washington.

While Henrik Lundqvist has been amazing for the Rangers, he can’t carry the whole team. Add to that, Ryan Callahan, arguably the Rangers’ best player outside of goal, suffered a fractured leg with three games remaining.

The Capitals have likely learned from last season’s upset to Montreal and will be back with a vengeance.

Washington-New York Predicton: Washington in 6

Philadelphia (2) vs Buffalo (7)

I cannot remember the last time a team as good as Philadelphia looked this bad heading into the playoffs.

The Buffalo Sabres, who squeaked into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, fighting off the Leafs and Hurricanes in the final weeks, have been outstanding down the stretch, going 16-4-4 in their final 24 games including two wins against the Flyers in the past five weeks. By contrast, Philadelphia has gone just 7-7-6 in its past 20 games after spending most of the season on top of the Eastern Conference.

Another difference between the two teams revolves around goaltending. Sergei Bobrovsky had an impressive rookie campaign, but he is no Ryan Miller. The difference between the two will tell the tale in this series. Expect a lot of close games, but I can not see Miller coming up short in this match-up.

Daniel Briere is the X-factor in this series. He had 3 goals and 5 assists in four games against the Sabres this season, and was arguably the most important part of the Flyers’ run last year. Throw in his history with the Sabres and it makes the match-up all the more interesting.

Philadelphia-Buffalo Prediction: Buffalo in 5

Montreal (6) vs Boston (3)

This will be the 33rd playoff series between the rivals, with the Habs holding a 24-8 all-time edge. These teams have a storied history that has escalated this past season.

With the most in-season drama of any series, highlighted with the now infamous Chara hit and constant rough play, these teams have rekindled the flame of one of the best rivalries in sports. The games will be physical and intense and could very well lead to the only fights of the postseason.

Tim Thomas has been arguably the best goaltender in the NHL this season and Tukka Rask is a backup capable of starting for many teams in the league. Carey Price has been overworked to the tune of 72 games this season and will have to be as good as Halak was last year if the Habs stand much of a chance. The Bruins simply put, are better on offense and better on defense. They are healthier than the wounded Habs.

Price will be good, and the Canadians will show amazing fire, but they will fall to Goliath this time around.

Montreal-Boston Prediction: Boston in 7 of the best games of the 2011 playoffs.

Pittsburgh (4) vs Tampa Bay (5)

It’s not likely the Penguins will have captain Sidney Crosby against the Lightning as he still has not been cleared for contact as he recovers from the concussion that has shaken the NHL this season. The question is, do the Penguins need Crosby?

The Penguins have done a remarkable job without their best player or Evgeni Malkin as they were flirting with the possibility of taking the division title from the struggling Flyers. They have been playing a great team game and should be able to handle the Lightning, who have given up the most goals (240) of any playoff team.

The Pens have the only Cup-winning goalie in the East and can parlay that advantage even further by limiting the amount of prime scoring chances Fleury has to face on a nightly basis. On the other side, Dwayne Roloson is the Lighting’s starting goalie? Really?

Despite the amazing offensive weapons in Stamkos and St. Louis, Tampa Bay will never win a Cup again without Brad Richards.

Pittsburgh-Tampa Bay Prediction: Pittsburgh in 4

NHL Western Conference Playoffs Preview and Predictions

Vancouver (1) vs Chicago (8)

Round three.

The best team in the league takes on last year’s champs.

Chicago and Vancouver have met in the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. Both times, they have met in the second round. Both times, the Blackhawks have come out victorious. Now, they play in the first round. Will it be Vancouver again?

Short answer, not likely. Tyler Juranovich went over some of the reasons last week in his article. Read it now.

The Canucks are a far different team than either of the previous two incarnations. They managed to get stronger on both offense and defense, setting franchise records in wins and points while leading the league in most goals scored (262) and fewest goals surrendered (185). In every aspect of the game, they were the best in the world.

Chicago, too, is a far different team. They did not cruise through the season like last season. Instead, they needed a minor miracle by the Minnesota Wild in the season’s final game just to earn the honor of playing the league’s best team.

The Sedins and Ryan Kesler have turned out outstanding seasons. While Chicago still has much of their championship team from last year, they lack some of the key pieces to advance. This is Roberto Luongo’s chance to prove his nay-sayers wrong and Corey Crawford is not Anti Niemi.

The Hawks dominance of Vancouver ends in 2011.

Vancouver-Chicago Prediction: Vancouver in 5

San Jose (2) vs Los Angeles (7)

San Jose could not have been luckier than to draw the flailing Kings. Without Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams, the Kings once promising season ended with them dropping to the seventh seed in the West.

The Sharks are like a small scale Buffalo Bills at this point. Every year they are praised as a contender and every year they disappoint. While I can’t see them making it out of the West, last season’s Stanley Cup winning goaltender Antti Niemi has been very solid and the Sharks offense is outstanding as always.

The Kings will need to generate some sort of offense without two of their best scoring threats. I’m looking at Brown and Smyth here. I also can’t see Johnathon Quick saving them from the eventual onslaught of Sharks circling him.

The Kings are totally outclassed in all aspects. Only The Sharks terrible luck is on the Kings’ side.

San Jose-LA Prediction: San Jose in 4

Detroit (3) vs Phoenix (6)

Detroit v Phoenix was, for six games, the best series of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Round two begins this week as Phoenix may be playing it’s final season in Arizona.

Jimmy Howard has done a good job this season as the Red Wings’ top goaltender this season and the timeless Lidstrom and Rafalski have been as good as always. Bryzgalov will need to stand on his head again for the Coyote’s to succeed. Phoenix should also get a boost with the return of Ed Jovanovski to their defense corps.

Phoenix has yet to win a playoff series since moving to Arizona from Winnipeg. But, Detroit has looked vulnerable down the stretch.

The longest-tenured Coyote and burly manly-man, Shane Doan, leads the team in scoring with just 20 goals. Despite this, Phoenix has eight forwards who have scored more than 15 goals this season. This is a team that finds ways to win without any clear cut superstar, arguably the key to success in the new salary caped NHL.

I expect a very tightly played back and forth series. This year however the result will be different.

Detroit-Phoenix Prediction: Phoenix in 7. I may regret that pick.

Anaheim (4) vs Nashville (5)

This series looks to be a classic matchup of offense versus defense. What’s more interesting is both teams finished the regular season with 99 points.

Anaheim has two of the most interesting lines in the league with MVP candidate Corey Perry being paired with Ryan Getzlaf and surprisingly underrated Bobby Ryan. They are joined by the senior citizen connection of Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne and Jason Blake.

Pekka Rinne could win the Vezina Trophy and he might be the most indispensable player in the League. With him in goal, the Preds are a real contender. The Preds will not need to set the scoreboard ablaze between him and a tight defensive system full of role-players. Hornqvist and Mike Fisher have played very well together in the closing stretch and could provide the offense needed to barely outscore the Ducks for two weeks.

Anaheim has the edge in playoff experience, winning the Stanley Cup in 2007, while Nashville is still looking to win its first round in the postseason.

I don’t think you can look past the importance of goaltending in this match-up. Jonas Hiller was phenomenal this season before suffering from vertigo (seriously). Ray Emery has been outstanding since his comeback, but he too might not be ready after sustaining an injury in the season’s final week. The Ducks may be stuck using Dan Ellis for at least the first game and possibly longer. Not exactly an ideal situation.

Anaheim-Nashville Prediction: Nashville in 6 despite Jarkko Ruutu’s best efforts to drive Nashville insane.

See all of you in a couple weeks when I’m proven wrong.

Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 Preview

• Red Wings-Penguins Game 7 Date: Friday, June 12, 2009
• Red Wings-Penguins Game 7 Time: 8:00 ET
• Red Wings-Penguins Game 7 Location: Detroit, MI
• Red Wings-Penguins Game 7 TV: NBC
• Red Wings – Penguins Game 7 Odds: Detroit -1.5

So who will take the Stanley Cup?

Originally, we broke down the NHL betting matchup edges into offense, defense, special teams, goaltending and coaching. Have the edges shifted in any of these categories entering Game 7?

Stanley Cup betting lines for Game 7:
Penguins +160
Red Wings -190

Red Wings-Penguins Game 7 Preview: OFFENSE

The Penguins are not the same team offensively on the road. In Pittsburgh, they’ve forechecked hard, beating the smallish Detroit defenders to pucks in the corners and taking the body. Jordan Staal, Tyler Kennedy and Maxime Talbot have been particularly impressive. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were brilliant in two of Pittsburgh’s three home games but have done very little in Detroit – amazingly, Crosby has no points at Joe Louis Arena in this series.

Save for Game 5, the Red Wings’ offense hasn’t exploded but it’s been relatively steady. Pavel Datsyuk’s return to the lineup breathed major life into the team in Game 5 and should help distribute Detroit’s scoring in Game 7. Henrik Zetterberg is clutch, as is Johan Franzen, but Marian Hossa has disappeared off the face of the Earth. He looks uncomfortable with the physicality of this series and can’t be relied upon to bust out in Game 7.

Overall, since Crosby and Malkin have been neutralized on the road, the edge shifts to Detroit.

Original Edge: Penguins
Game 7 Edge: Red Wings

Red Wings-Penguins Game 7 Preview: DEFENSE

Both teams should be commended for their overall defensive efforts in Stanley Cup betting, though they go about their success in different ways. The Wings have relied on skill, speed and smothering positioning to take space away from the Pens forwards while the Penguins have used their size, brute strength and shot blocking to keep pucks out of the net. As courageous as the Pens have been, they’ve been more tentative and, more importantly, less disciplined on the road, so Detroit keeps its edge here.

Original Edge: Red Wings
Game 7 Edge: Red Wings

Red Wings-Penguins Game 7 Preview: GOALTENDING

Could this be the deciding factor in NHL betting lines for Game 7? So far, the matchup has gone just as it seemed it would on paper – Chris Osgood has been solid if unspectacular for the Wings and Marc-Andre Fleury has alternated scintillating and horrible performances. Fleury remains the more physically gifted netminder; he showed in Game 6 that he can singlehandedly steal a game as he stopped 13 Detroit shots in the third period and made some spectacular saves. However, Fleury has melted down on the road and Chris Osgood has loads of big-game Stanley Cup experience, as he’s seeking his third ring. Fleury still can’t be counted out as he’ll need to carry the Pens, but Osgood is oh-so-steady, so Detroit pulls even here.

Original Edge: Penguins
Game 7 Edge: Even

Red Wings-Penguins Game 7 Preview: SPECIAL TEAMS

Nothing has really changed here. We know the Wings power play is second to one and we know its penalty kill is brutal. The Wings showed in Game 5 that they will bury anyone who takes penalties against them, but the Pens’ PK has been brilliant aside from that game and its power play has been adequate. No real offshore sportsbook advantage here, but the Pens must stay disciplined.

Original Edge: Even
Game 7 Edge: Even

Red Wings-Penguins Game 7 Preview: COACHING

You have to hand it to Dan Bylsma; he guided the Pens from almost missing the playoffs to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and he found a way to instill confidence in them for Game 6 after the ugly Game 5 loss. However, Bylsma has never coached one deciding game with the equivalent significance of the Super Bowl. Mike Babcock has. He’ll be cooler under pressure, so the Wings get the edge for Game 7.

Original Edge: Even
Game 7 Edge: Red Wings

Red Wings-Penguins Game 7 Prediction:THE VERDICT FOR GAME 7

As you can guess based on the analysis above, I’m picking Detroit to win Game 7. My original online wagering prognosis – Penguins in 6 – was contingent on the Penguins being up 3-2 heading home. Back in Detroit, the defending champs are just too good and the Penguins haven’t shown that they can handle the hostile environment at Joe Louis Arena. Another factor to remember: the home team is 12-2 in Stanley Cup Game 7s all-time.

Stanley Cup betting pick: Detroit Red Wings -190

However, as a devoted sports lover, I enjoy watching any sporting event in which the best players in the world at their respective sport are playing with something great on the line. Certainly, when the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins take to the ice in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, some of the best hockey players in the world will be battling it out for something great on the line.

And I will watch. (Although, as we all know, hockey is much better viewed live. But I don’t think I’m getting out to Detroit or Pittsburgh anytime soon…)

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Maybe I won’t watch every game, but I’ll tune it for most of them. Or at least flip over during the commercials if the Stanley Cup Finals are played concurrently with any NBA games.

And here is the TV Schedule for the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, a rematch of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Last year, the Red Wings came out on top and won their first Stanley Cup since 2002. In addition to being the defending Stanley Cup winners, the Red Wings are the last team to win the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons (1997,1998). Pittsburgh is looking to take home the Stanley Cup for the first time since they won it back-to-back in 1991 and 1992.

Yesterday, our good friends from BetOnline broke down the matchups and offered up a Red Wings-Penguins Stanley Cup Finals prediction. They picked the Pens to come out on top in 6 games. What do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

No, not the Belmont Stakes odds, silly. With all due respect to horse racing, it’s a fleeting few minutes of excitement.

We’re talking about the Stanley Cup Final odds – the battle for the trophy many online bettors call the hardest to win in professional sports.

This year, we have a much-desired rematch between Detroit and Pittsburgh. Will history repeat itself or will the Penguins dethrone the champs this time?

Penguins vs Red Wings odds
Online sportsbook lines for series: Penguins +135, Red Wings -155

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Red Wings-Penguins Matchup Preview: OFFENSE

It’s extremely tough to pick between two potent offensive units like these, but the difference will probably come down to health. The Kneejerk reaction for puck betting fans is to see the Red Wings offense as superior; with superstars like Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Hossa plus great depth players like Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom and Daniel Clearly, how could Detroit not have the edge? For one, Pavel Datsyuk is playing hurt; with just one goal in 13 playoff games, he’s so hobbled that he may as well be a different player at the moment.

The Penguins’ offense isn’t quite a two-man show, but it’s close, as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin do all the heavy lifting. But NHL odds followers shouldn’t underestimate the impact of having two of the top three offensive players on the planet on one team; they’ve both been men possessed in these playoffs, combining for 26 goals and 56 points in 34 Stanley Cup betting games so far this year. Head coach Dan Bylsma is also double-shifting the stars, almost creating the effect of three or four superstars in the lineup. Worse yet for the Wings, Datsyuk, the best defensive forward in hockey, can’t shut down Sid and Geno like he normally can because of his injuries.

Edge: Penguins

Red Wings-Penguins Matchup Preview: DEFENSE

Big advantage for the Red Wings odds here. The Pens’ group is comprised mainly of grinders, and Sergei Gonchar isn’t fully healthy. Youngsters Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski make too many mistakes. We know Nicklas Lidstrom is a legend but, even if he’s still banged up entering the Stanley Cup Final odds, the Wings have plenty of backup for him. Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart have made headlines laying out any forwards brave enough to cross the blueline and they’ll work hard to scare Crosby and Malkin early in the series.

Edge: Red Wings

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Red Wings-Penguins Matchup Preview: GOALTENDING

Chris Osgood is a polarizing goalie in sports wagering circles; some think he’s an overrated coattail rider who gives up soft goals while others think he’s underappreciated, pointing to the fact that he’s 10th all-time in hockey betting victories. Well, I think the point is moot; whatever you think about Osgood, Fleury is still better. He’s younger, more athletic, and he seems to really enjoy playing under pressure. He’s also good enough to steal a game – something Osgood never does.

Edge: Penguins

Red Wings-Penguins Matchup Preview: SPECIAL TEAMS

Without a fully healthy Sergei Gonchar, the Penguins don’t have the booming presence from the point needed to really make their power play go. Detroit’s power play is absolutely terrifying; it led the league at 25.5 per cent in the regular season and has actually bested that number in playoff hockey betting at 25.7 per cent. The flip side of the coin; the Wings’ penalty killing is awful at just 73.7 per cent in the playoffs, largely because of Datsyuk’s struggles. The Pens have the edge there.

Edge: Even

Red Wings-Penguins Matchup Preview: COACHING

It’s easy to give the Cup-winning Mike Babcock the edge, but we’re talking about who’s better right here, right now. The Penguins are 30-8-4 since Dan Bylsma took over and he’s done a great job mixing up his lines to exploit matchups.

Edge: Even

Red Wings-Penguins Matchup Preview: THE PREDICTION

Think of the Red Wings as the New York Islanders of 25 years ago – a strong dynasty ready to pass the torch to a team it beat the year before. The Penguins are the Edmonton Oilers – a young team that learned from the previous year’s mistakes and that rides two all-world stars to glory. The Wings are banged up and the Penguins have been the best team in puck betting for three months. It’s their time.

Stanley Cup Final odds pick: Penguins in six