STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND PREVIEW

BY MIKE RIFKIN

It was an exciting first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs that had everything. Goals, physical play, and the dramatics of two epic game sevens. Now, we are one step closer to see who will hoist the Stanley Cup. 

ATLANTIC DIVISION : PANTHERS VS MAPLE LEAFS 

REG SEASON : PANTHERS WIN 3-1

 PLAYOFF HISTORY : 2023 PANTHERS WIN IN FIVE GAMES

Combined these two teams led the Atlantic Division for 174 days. The Maple Leafs have not been to the Conference Finals since 2002, while the Panthers are looking to get to their third straight Stanley Cup Finals. Both teams are coming off defeating a rival in the first round, the Panthers eliminated the Lightning in five games, while the Leafs got rid of the Senators in six. Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will miss game one due to suspension for a hit on Bradon Hagel of the Lightning. In the five game series in 2023, Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky posted a 1.89 GAA and a .943 save percentage. At the trade deadline the Panthers added Leaf killer Brad Marchand, Marchand has 29 points in 28 playoff games against the Leafs. For the Leafs in that five game series Auston Matthews was held to two assists, Mitch Marner had a goal and two assists, and William Nylander had two goals and an assist. 

PREDICTION : PANTHERS IN SIX

METROPOLITAN : CAPS VS HURRICANES 

REG SEASON: 2-2

PLAYOFF HISTORY : 2019 CANES WON IN 7

The top two teams in the Metro will face off for the right to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, a place the Caps haven’t been since they won the Cup, and a place the Canes are looking to get over to achieve their first Cup since 2006. Both teams won their respective first rd series in five games, The Caps took care of the Canadiens and the Hurricanes dispatched the Devils. Alex Ovechkin had four goals in the 2019 series, but has lit the lamp 56 times against the Canes (including playoffs) in his career. There are three major keys in this series for me

  1. Goaltending : Logan Thompson has been sensational for the Caps all season long, but we know Carolia’s game plan which is to fire pucks from everywhere, so will Thompson tire out? On the other side Pytor Kochetkov has been solid since coming in for an injured Freddie Anderson, can Kochetkov steal a game or two here.
  1. Tom Wilson : Tom Wilson ran roughshod over the Canadiens in the first round. His physical play was a big factor, now Carolina will not let Wilson do the same thing. But can Wilson keep his head on straight and frustrate Carolina’s defense enough to force them into mistakes. 
  1. Special Teams : These two teams were in the top five of penalty killing through the regular season. So whichever one can get their power play going quicker can win this series. 

PREDICTION : CANES IN 7

PACIFIC DIVISION : GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS OILERS

REG SEASON 2-2

PLAYOFF HISTORY : 2023 SECOND RD KNIGHTS WON IN SIX

For the second time the Knights and Oilers will play in the playoffs. For the Oilers they came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the LA Kings and the Golden Knights were able to oust the Minnesota Wild in six games. For Edmonton their fortune changed when they went to backup goalie Calvin Pickard. It was also important for the Oilers to get Evander Kane back in the fold. Kane can bring offense and physical play into a series and gives the Oilers some added offensive depth. For Vegas, they won a series where Jack Eichel and Mark Stone combined for three goals, but both look like they are about to break out. We can talk all we want about the goaltending, but this series should be determined on which stars can lead their team to victory. 

PREDICTION : KNIGHTS IN 6

CENTRAL DIVISION : JETS VS STARS

REG SEASON : 3-1 JETS

PLAYOFF HISTORY : NONE

Both of these teams won epic game sevens to advance to the second round. The Stars’ dispatching of the Colorado Avalanche came on the back of former Av Mikko Rantanen, who had a hat trick in game 7 and had five goals and 12 points against his former team. A massive key for Dallas is that they might get Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen back from injury, as both have been skating regularly with the team. Kyle Connor led the Jets in the regular season with five points against Dallas, but with injuries to Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele, the Jets are going to need more from their stars. But the big story is going to be the play of Connor Hellebuyck, who had his struggles in the first round against the Blues. Hellebuyck vs Jake Oettinger, might not only dictate who wins this series, but who will be the goaltender for team USA at the Olympics next year. 

PREDICTION : STARS IN 7

A POLAR VORTEX HOVERS OVER CITI FIELD  BY MARK HALPERN

    Pete Alonso had made it pretty clear that he wanted to stay in New York with the Mets. The way things were going Mets fans were starting to believe that Alonso might go elsewhere cause he wasn’t getting the contract “he wanted.”

     The reason for the quotes is because his agent wanted him to get a monster deal like his counterpart in the Bronx Aaron Judge got. Not one team, not even the Mets were entertaining that and maybe it’s because Pete turned down a sizable offer from the Mets the year before or because his agent told him he was gonna cash in. In the end everyone got what they wanted. Pete gets to continue to be the starting first baseman, The Mets keep a fan favorite and the agent still gets paid.

    Arguably, Pete is having the best start to any season of his career. The reason for this is because of the addition of Juan Soto batting in front of Pete. Pete is not only seeing better pitches but he has become very patient at the plate working counts and taking his walks. Pete is also not really chasing pitches, and Pete’s approach seems to be using right and right center field. Now, while Soto isn’t putting up the numbers most expected in the first month of the season, he is getting on base or moving runners for Pete to bring in. That’s a team player and yes if they pitch around Soto then you have to pitch to Pete and it’s only time until Soto gets hot and then the “New Bash Brothers” will arise in Queens. Pete’s better play doesn’t just go to his offense. He might be playing the best defense of his career.  He is able (I am not sure how) to stretch even further for balls out of his reach and being able to dig balls that short hop before they reach his glove. Pete’s play has improved greatly with addition of certain new factors but his energy is felt all over the diamond.

   A lot of people have gone out of their way to point out that Alonso can opt-out and go for more money on another team. He had the opportunity to do that last year but have basically no other team than the Mets any type of negotiation because this is where he wants to be. I truly believe that David Stearns and Steve Cohen have had this talk multiple times already about extending Pete longer but, right now keep his attention to the field and the game and not his wallet right now. 

WHAT TO DRU?

BY MIKE RIFKIN

It was a rough season for the New York Rangers. Going from winning the President’s Trophy to missing the playoffs as a whole. Changes have already occurred as Head Coach Peter Laviolette and assistant coach Phil Housley are both out, while Dan Muse and Michael Peca will have an opportunity to remain with the club. On Wednesday, the team announced a multi year extension with GM Chris Drury. Now, while it’s fair to ask why Drury gets to hire a third coach, I think it is fair to say he has to get this one right. Now here are some things for Drury to consider in a massive offseason for both himself and the organization. 

DRUS

  1. Believe in the young talent – The Rangers saw a bit of a youth movement on the ice during this season. Getting first hand looks at players such as Brett Berard, Brennan Othmann, and Gabe Perrault. But two guys who had down seasons were Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller. The Rangers took Lafreniere first overall in 2020 and he has taken strides and was the Rangers’ best player in the playoffs in 2023-24. But he did have a down season this season, but he’s 23 years old and after seeing what happened after they traded Kappo Kakko, should give the Rangers some pause. As for Miller, he is an RFA and had a tough season. Part of that could have been the rotation of partners he had or was he thinking about his contract? Either way I have a hard time giving up on a 25 year old solid skating defenseman. They’re also going to have to re-sign Will Cuylle after his career season.
  1. Trade Chris Kreider – This one is hard, Kreider has been a Ranger throughout his career, even sticking around after the letter and eventually his number 20 can hang in the rafters at MSG. But the Rangers are entering the offseason with a little more than nine million dollars in cap space. Kredier has two seasons left on his deal at 6.5 million per year. Trading Kreider can be difficult as he has a modified no trade clause and had an injury plagued season, but did score 22 goals in 68 games played. 
  1. Figure out the Artemi Panarin situation (on ice) – Artemi Panarin has been one of the best free agent signings in Ranger history (on ice). As he enters the final season of his contract, Drury needs to either lock him into an extension or seek a trade. He really can’t let this linger, especially after what took place this season. But, Drury also knows he can’t lose his most dynamic player for nothing. Panarin had 37 goals and 89 points this past season, so he is still playing at a high level. It’ll be more about the term for a player who will be 34 next season. 

DRU NOTS

  1. HIRE JOHN TORTORELLA – Torts was let go by the Flyers at the end of the season, and could be one of the more sought after coaches on the market. Torts was already the coach of the Rangers (08-13) and made four playoff appearances. Even though Torts has adapted to the current NHL, he can wear thin, and this is a Ranger team that needs to figure out a long term coach. 
  1. Be afraid to take a shot – With their cap situation being what it is, the Rangers are not likely to be in on major free agents, which is fine. One of the things the Rangers can do is throw out an offer sheet to restricted free agents to teams who are cap strapped and see what occurs. The Blues offer sheeted Dylan Holloway from the Oilers and he had a fantastic season. If the Rangers wanted to take a shot on Bowen Byram, Matthew Knies or someone it could absolutely benefit Chris Drury. 

Directionless

By Mike Rifkin

It’s being widely reported that the Miami Dolphins and Cornerback Jalen Ramsey are mutually exploring trade options to send the star corner out of Miami. Ramsey, who will turn 31 in October, was acquired by Miami after the 2022 season from the LA Rams in exchange for a third round pick and Hunter Long. 

It’s been a tumultuous offseason for the Dolphins, remember after the final game of the season, Tyreek Hill said he wanted out, and has since walked that back, but still it’s a distraction. The Dolphins lost safety Jevon Holland in free agency, and have let players like Calais Campbell walk out the door. The Dolphins didn’t have a lot of money to spend in free agency, though they could’ve had more had they restructured the contract of Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, which they didn’t.

It’s easier for teams to acquire star players while their quarterback is under their rookie deal, but if you’re Chris Grier I think it’s fair to ask why did you wait until a week prior to the draft, to trade Ramsey? Had they done this sooner, they might have been able to retain Holland. The Dolphins are a team with a lot of needs, now add cornerback to the list, and everything will have to be addressed during the draft. 

The Dolphins have not won a playoff game in a quarter century, and let’s be honest the team hasn’t been really relevant since Dan Marino retired. Coach Mike McDaniel is entering his fourth year as the Head Coach, he did lead the team to the playoffs his first two seasons, before missing last season much in part to Tua Tagovailoa suffering another concussion. If trading players like Ramsey and maybe even Hill, is the start of a rebuild is McDaniel going to be a part of it? One thing I am sure of is that if this organization is going to start over, Chris Grier is not the guy I want leading it. This fanbase deserves a lot better than what they’ve gotten over the years, and at the end of the day this organization remains directionless. 

CHA-CHA-CHANGES

BY MIKE RIFKIN

Last season the New York Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy and were six wins away from securing their first Stanley Cup since 1994. This year has been an entirely different story, after an 8-5 loss to the Flyers, the Rangers find themselves on the brink of elimination, and let’s be honest, it’d take a miracle for them to make the playoffs regardless.  So what’s changed over the past year?

One thing that can be taken away from this team is that last year’s run to the Eastern Conference Final was the last dance with this core group of players. What this team has shown over the past few weeks, with their season in the balance, is that this team is not as close as we think they are, they haven’t won three games in a row since November. The team’s response after the Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba trades have not been good at all. But after this disappointment of a season there has to be some sort of change. 

I’ll start with the coach Peter Laviolette has been successful everywhere he has been. And while this is a down year for the Rangers, I cannot blame all of this on him. The other problem I have is that as an organization you cannot keep recycling coaches every two years. The other thing about dumping Laviolette would be who is coming in to replace him. The dream for GM Chris Drury would be to hire Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, but with him still under contract, it’s a tough move. And I don’t see John Tortorella or Bruce Boudreau as upgrades over Laviolette. 

The roster is where some changes will be seen. With the contract extensions of Alexis Lafreniere and Igor Shesterkin kicking in, they will still be around. One of the names that won’t be around most likely is Chris Kreider. Kreider, the Rangers first round pick in 2009 is top 10 in franchise history in games played, goals, points, (All three goal categories : power play, short handed and even strength). Kreider will have two years at 6.5 million dollars per season left on the deal following the season. The other core guy I think is playing his last few games as a Ranger is Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad is signed through 2030 at 8.5 million dollars per year. Like Kreider, Zibanejad is top 10 in goals, power play goals, short handed goals, points, and hat tricks. Unless the Rangers find it easier to move Vincent Trocheck, who I think they’d prefer to keep for defensive purposes, I think Zibanejad could be on his way out. 

Whether it’s Chris Drury or someone else, the most interesting decision the Rangers have to make centers around K’Andre Miller. Miller, a first round pick from 2018 has 23 points in 70 games this season. Miller has struggled at times throughout the season, now part of that could be his rotating partners, but do the Rangers want to give up on a 25 year old defenseman, who is still learning the position. The upside is you’d get a lot for Miller, the downside is how do you replace him. I’d be in favor of keeping Miller, unless there is too good of an offer out there. 

This has been a massive failure for the Rangers and I do expect changes to come after the season, but for now these are my thoughts. Who knows, maybe the last few games could change my mind.

LAUNCH THE TORPEDOES – IS IT ANOTHER UNFAIR ADVANTAGE?

By Mike Rifkin

The New York Yankees belted 15 home runs in their season opening three game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the Bronx. The key to this is the torpedo bat. The Yankees had a MIT Scientist take wood from other parts of the bat and place more wood on the barrel of the bat. Now, we all know this is going to become a thing where all 30 teams will use the torpedo bat, but will Baseball do anything about it? 

Yes, the torpedo bat is legal and it’s not just the Yankees using it, players on the Rays and Twins have been seen using the bat as well. Brewers Pitcher Trevor Megill said “ I think it’s terrible. I feel like it’s something used in slow pitch softball. It’s genius: Put the mass all in one spot. It might be bush (league). It might not be. But it’s the Yankees, so they’ll let it slide.” 

If baseball wants offense, it will keep the torpedo bat in play. But it’s another unfair advantage towards the hitter. Let’s be honest a lot of the recent rule changes have been advantages to the hitter. We can say the pitch clock and pickoff rules were there for the time of game and it was but it was also for increased offense, as is the runner on second base to start extra innings. But the biggest rule was when MLB banned sticky substances for pitchers and since we’ve seen an uptick in injuries to pitchers. 

Pitchers are now at a severe disadvantage because of these bats. Do I think MLB will do anything on the torpedo bat, probably not. But they should do something to give the pitcher an equal playing field.

2025 MLB PREDICTIONS

BY MIKE RIFKIN

NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION WINNERS

EAST – PHILLIES – After a fantastic 2024, the Phillies were eliminated in the NLDS by the rival Mets. 2025 might be a last dance of sorts for this core in Philly as both Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos are both free agents after the season. If they stay healthy, Philly is as dangerous as anyone in baseball. 

CENTRAL – REDS – After a disappointing season, the Reds brought in future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona to lead a young core led by Elly De La Cruz. But the NL Central is wide open and if the Reds young players play up to par they can win this division.

WEST – DODGERS – Yeah, the defending World Series Champs are going to be even more dangerous in 2025. They have an all world lineup that they were able to retain. And upgraded the rotation with the additions of Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell, plus Tyler Glasnow will be healthy. Oh, and there’s a good chance at some point this season we see Shohei Ohtani pitches this season, life is good for the Dodgers. 

WILD CARDS : D-BACKS, METS, PADRES 

AWARDS

MVP : ELLY DE LA CRUZ – Cruz stole 67 bases last season while having 25 homers and 76 RBI. If the 23 year old can help the Reds win the division, he should get some MVP consideration. 

CY YOUNG : ZACK WHEELER : Somehow Wheeler has not won a CY Young. Last season Wheeler was 16-7 with a 2.57 ERA and 224 strikeouts. Wheeler has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, and this is the year he gets his recognition. 

MANAGER OF THE YEAR : Terry Francona : The future hall of famer is returning after taking a season off. If he can do for the Reds what he did for the Red Sox and Guardians, the Reds are in a good spot. 

NLCS : DODGERS DEF D-BACKS 

AMERICAN LEAGUE

EAST : RED SOX – The Red Sox were very active this winter. Bringing in veterans Alex Bregman, Walker Buehler, Aroldis Chapman, along with Garret Crochet. The Red Sox have a fantastic manager in Alex Cora, and they can take advantage of an interesting AL East. 

CENTRAL : TIGERS : The Tigers had an unbelievable run to the playoffs last season, and now they’ll take the next step. Tarik Skubal was sensational at the top of the rotation last season, and now they pair him with Jack Flaherty. The lineup should do damage, but it’ll be even more dangerous if former first overall pick Spencer Torkleson takes a step forward. 

WEST : RANGERS – People might forget that the Rangers won the World Series in 2022, last year they had some injuries. If they can keep Jacob DeGrom healthy that’d be a massive game changer for them. That offense led by Corey Seager and Marcus Semien should be dynamic again. 

WILD CARDS : BLUE JAYS, ORIOLES, ASTROS

AWARDS

MVP : RAFAEL DEVERS – I think Bregman being added to this lineup should help Devers. But Devers is such an elite talent, and this is the season he hits over 30 homers and drives in over 100 runs. 

CY YOUNG : TARIK SKUBAL : Skubal won the AL Triple Crown last season, and he was dominant. I expect that to continue this season. 

MANAGER OF THE YEAR : AJ HINCH: Hinch got the best of his club in the second half of last season. I think they use that momentum to win the AL Central and they have the potential to be dangerous in the postseason.

ALCS : RED SOX DEF RANGERS

WORLD SERIES

DODGERS DEF RED SOX : 6 games (WS MVP) : MOOKIE BETTS

A GIANT MISTAKE 

BY MIKE RIFKIN

Monday was the opening of the tampering period of NFL Free Agency. All contracts will remain unsigned until the start of the league year Wednesday, but teams can announce that they came to terms with a player. If you need a Quarterback in this market, you could have one.

The New York Giants are a team in desperate need of a quarterback, but have gone about this process all wrong. The Giants are leaning towards the veteran Quarterback route and waiting on decisions from Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Now, this wouldn’t be a problem a decade ago, but in the year 2025 it’s a problem. Rodgers is 41 years old and two years removed from an Achilles tear, and Russell Wilson will be 37 in November and hasn’t looked right since leaving Seattle. But the real problem with signing either one of these guys, is that it just kicks the Giants need for a Quarterback down the road another year, and even if the Giants draft Cam Ward or Sheduer Sanders with the third overall pick, none of the experts claim either one is a generational talent, even if they sit behind Rodgers or Wilson. But, here’s the thing: wouldn’t Rodgers or Wilson want to lead a Super Bowl Contender? The Giants are not a contender ( and not that close to being one either.) 

So, what should the Giants have done? Well, the Giants should have done what the team they share MetLife Stadium with did. The Jets signed former Bears and Steelers Quarterback Justin Fields to a two year 40 million dollar contract. Fields will reunite with former Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson with the Jets. So, if you’re the Giants why not take the chance on a 26 year old? When the Bears traded up in the first round of the 2021 draft to select Fields, it was the Giants who they traded with. 

Whether it was going to be Fields, Rodgers, Wilson or one of the two rookies the Giants are looking at lightning in a bottle for their next Quarterback. But if you hit with Justin Fields, he has the upside to be the Quarterback of your team for the next decade, and if he is a success for the Jets, not only will Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen regret it, but they’ll have a long time to think about it when they’re on the unemployment line after they get fired. Fields to the Jets could be a Giant mistake for the other team at MetLife stadium.

LAYING AN EGG

BY MIKE RIFKIN

As we come down the stretch of the NHL season, this was a pivotal weekend for the New York Rangers. They were playing a back to back against the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets, two teams they are competing with in the Eastern Conference Wild Card Race. The Rangers blew a two goal lead against Ottawa to lose 4-3 in Overtime, and got boat raced at the Garden by the Blue Jackets 7-3, to come out of the weekend with one of a possible four points. They’re currently one point out of a playoff spot, but there’s a lot of teams vying for those coveted spots. 

Even if the Rangers make the playoffs, who knows what will happen, but one thing is very true this is not the same team that was two wins away from the Stanley Cup Final. They’ve made multiple changes to the roster throughout the season, and if this team misses the playoffs expect a lot more changes. One thing is for sure this team laid an egg on the most important weekend of the season. But during the last stretch they’re going to need their best players to show up and do damage if they want to make the playoffs.

ANGEL REESE BOLD STATEMENT THAT ALL

WNBA PLAYERS SHOULD BE PAID LIKE MEN

BY MARK HALPERN

   Over the past few years we have seen a huge increase in popularity in women’s sports, mostly the WNBA. The WNBA began in June of 1997 and over the past two and a quarter decades we have seen some amazing players come through and retire and join the Basketball HOF. One thing that has been at the center of discussions has been equal pay between Men’s and Women’s sports. Whether it’s the United States National Soccer teams or the WNBA, equal pay has been a major topic of conversation. In it’s 28 year history the WNBA has produced legends such as Sue Bird, Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Sheryl Swoops, Diana Taurasi. Now, there’s a new wave of popularity in the WNBA and a big reason for that is the success of players like Sabrina Ionescu, Brianna Stewart, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese. 

   Recently Angel Resse has talked about how her $73,000 dollar contract (this not including any sponsors deals) can’t cover her lifestyle. Last season Reese shot 39% from the field, a poor 18% from three point and had a free throw percentage of 73%. Do numbers like that deserve big money? I can say however, she is a great rebounder, she only averaged 1.9 assists a game. Reese did average a double double last season with 13.6 points per game (third on the Sky), and 13.1 Rebounds per game (Led WNBA)  Look every sport ( Men’s and women’s) have rookie contracts, and with Reese entering her second season, an extension isn’t on the table at the moment. Play out the rookie deal and then go from there.  

    The WNBA got it’s biggest investment ever to rebuild the brand and make it more affordable for people to attend an see the players they actually want to see. Reese, has had some attitude problems, and she has to change that to a degree. Yes she set anWNBA record for most consecutive games with a double/double and that’s a record to be proud of. 

   I understand when you have players in the NBA making 50 million a season and there is practically no WNBA player to reach those heights and yes there should be a scale but all the factors that I talked about besides play has to be included. I am for all equal pay if the player deserves it. 

   If Angel Reese wants to be taken seriously she needs a reality check and be brought down to earth. One of the big components on why there’s not equal pay, is that the WNBA just isn’t as popular as the NBA. Why is that, I don’t know, but Angel Reese along with Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, among others have an opportunity to grow the WNBA, and that could one day lead to equal pay. My opinions are that of my own and not generated by anyone else and that’s how the Old Man sees it.