This is my ultimate sports watching weekend. Please bless the person who put a satellite in the sky and started beaming sports from around the world to my television.

Follow this prescribed sports schedule this weekend and I guarantee a weekend of sheer pleasure.

(All times listed are in CET)

Saturday

16:00 – FA Cup Final – Chelsea v Portsmouth – On paper, this appears to be a huge mismatch. On one side, you have the Premier League title winners. On the other, a club surrounded by financial issues which has led to relegation. This should be a no brainer, right? Well, I’m not so sure. No one gave Pompey a chance in the semi-finals against Tottenham and they pulled through with an impressive 2-0 win in extra time. Portsmouth keeper David James was a brick wall between the posts for Avram Grant’s side. He’ll need a repeat performance against Chelsea’s potent offensive attack. John Terry will play despite a midweek training scare. The Blues’ skipper was thought initially to have a broken metatarsal bone in his foot, but I think that was the British media making a story out of nothing (as usual). Chelsea lifted the FA Cup in 2007, Portsmouth in 2008 and Chelsea again last year. It is Chelsea’s cup to lose. All the pressure is squarely on the Premier League champions to become the seventh club to win the English double.

FA Cup Final Betting Odds

20:00 – DFB Pokal Final – Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich – Bayern Munich still have dreams of winning the treble in 2010. They held off Schalke in the Bundesliga to win their 22^nd German Championship and today they have the chance to win the double (treble would come in the Champions League final on May 22^nd against Inter in Madrid). Bayern and Werder Bremen are the two most successful clubs in the history of the competition. Bayern have won a record 14 DFB Pokal titles, while Bremen have won six. No other club has more than four to their credit. This will be the third time Bayern and Bremen have met in the final. Bremen won the 1999 Pokal, while Bayern got revenge in 2000. Much like the FA Cup, Bremen and Bayern are the last two clubs to have lifted the German Cup. This will be a great match. No one is playing better in Germany than these two clubs this season and no two teams have played better in this competition in its history than Bayern and Bremen (side note: this trophy is supremely bad-ass).

DFB Pokal Final Betting Odds

Sunday

14:00 – Formula One – Monaco Grand Prix – It’s always a treat to watch the Monaco GP every year. It’s definitely the circuit’s premier race. The street course in Monte Carlo is just so damn cool. Last year Jenson Button won the pole and the race with Brawn GP on his way to the Drivers’ Championship. This season he has changed teams, but it hasn’t changed his success. Button has already won twice this season and he’s looking for number three. Fernando Alonso and his Ferrari have dominated the first two practice sessions, but will it translate to results come race time? It should be an exciting race as Button’s teammate, Lewis Hamilton, is hungry for his first race of the season. But, you can’t count out Sebastian Vettel or Mark Webber from team Red Bull. Vettel and Webber have each stood at the top of the podium this season. My trifecta – Hamilton, Alonso, Button. And, you?

Monaco GP Betting Odds

15:00 – Serie A – Siena v Inter / Chievo Verona v AS Roma – A win for Inter against Siena would hand them their 19^th Serie A title. Inter sit two points clear Roma and three points would seal the title. They could also clinch the title with a Roma draw or loss, but that’s not ideal. Even though Siena are guaranteed of being relegated, I know they don’t want to hand Inter the title. In their first league meeting at the San Siro, Inter trailed Siena 3-2 until the 88^th minute when Sneijder scored to level the match and then Samuel scored in stoppage time to hand Siena the loss.  Roma will need an away win against Chievo Verona in combination with an Inter loss if they are to win their fourth title. Inter defeated Roma in the Coppa Italia final and will face Bayern Munich for the Champions League title later this month. Winning the Scudetto on Sunday will give Inter the chance to become the first Italian club to pull off the treble.

Serie A Betting Odds

19:00 – La Liga – Barcelona v Valladolid / Malaga v Real Madrid – What a season for Real Madrid. 32 wins, 101 goals scored and 95 points in the league and they’re most likely not going to win any silverware. That’s because Barcelona has one more point than their rivals from Madrid heading into the final weekend of the season in Spain. On paper the final fixtures suit the Blaugrana, and they can be safe in the knowledge that whatever Real Madrid do in Malaga will be irrelevant if Pep Guardiola’s charges emerge victorious on Sunday night. Barcelona have yet to lose a league match at home this season. They have 17 wins and one draw at the Camp Nou. One more victory will give the Catalan side their second straight league title and 20^th in their storied history.

La Liga Betting Odds

21:00 – NHL Playoffs – San Jose Sharks v Chicago Blackhawks – The weekend comes to a close with Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in San Jose, California. The Sharks have been labeled as perennial chokers in the NHL playoffs, but this season it’s different. Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are playing like they did in the regular season and Joe Pavelski is having his coming out party. The Blackhawks knocked out the Vancouver Canucks for the second straight year in the second round and looked very forceful in the process. The Hawks scored 23 goals against Vancouver and have Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews firing on all cylinders. The Sharks are 5-1 in the playoffs at home in the playoffs. They’ll have home ice advantage in this series against Chicago. Will that be the difference in the end?

NHL Betting Odds

That’s my perfect sports weekend. What’s yours?

Related posts:

• Champions League Final: Treble Charged
• Weekend Viewing Guide: May 1-2
• Can Inter win the Treble?

#1 San Jose Sharks v #8 Colorado Avalanche

Can Thornton lead the Sharks to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time?

If there is one team that needs a strong and lengthy playoff run, it is the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have been labeled as a team that can dominate the regular season, but when the playoffs arrive, they fold faster than an amateur poker player heads up against Phil Ivey. The Sharks will face-off against the upstart Colorado Avalanche. The Avs were not picked to make the playoffs at the start of the season, but have thrived under first-year head coach Joe Sacco. Colorado will have their hands full against the Sharks, especially trying to shut down San Jose’s number one line of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley. The Sharks should have the edge in goal, too. Evgeni Nabokov had a great regular season, but has struggled over his career in the playoffs. He’s just 32-31 in the post-season. The Avalanche will counter with Craig Anderson who has never appeared in an NHL playoff game. Anderson’s play diminished as the season progressed. He played the third-most minutes in the NHL and faced the most shots of any goalie in the league.

Prediction: The Sharks are healthy and taking on a young team with not much more gas in the tank. Sharks in 4.

#2 Chicago Blackhawks v #7 Nashville Predators

The Chicago Blackhawks enter the playoffs with the second best odds of winning the Stanley Cup. Chicago finished the regular season with a record 52 wins. The Hawks have a very young, talented and deep squad. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane will provide the offense for Chicago. On the point, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook have the ability to shut down anyone. The question mark for the Blackhawks lies in goal. While rookie Antti Niemi was spectacular for Chicago this season, he has never played a single second of NHL playoff hockey in his life. While veteran Cristobal Huet has 16 post-season contests under his belt, he has never led his team to a series victory. The Predators will have the edge in goal with Pekka Rinne, but that’s about it. The Preds finished 24th on the power play and 28th on the penalty kill. By contrast, the Hawks were an outstanding fourth on the penalty kill, although surprisingly only a middle-of-the-road 16th on the power play.

Prediction: The Hawks are the team to beat in the West. They should roll past Nashville. Blackhawks in 5.

#3 Vancouver Canucks v #6 Los Angeles Kings

There's a lot of pressure on Luongo to succeed this year

The LA Kings are making their first trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2002. The Canucks, meanwhile, won their second straight Northwest division title and consider themselves to be a team built for making a run to the finals. Vancouver have one of the best goalies in the league, Roberto Luongo, and the NHL’s leading scorer in the regular season, Henrik Sedin. Luongo, though, hasn’t been able to get it done in the playoffs. After last year’s collapse in Game 6 against Chicago in the second round, his mental toughness is still in question. The Kings seem to have a perfect mix of young and old. Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov and Drew Doughty lead the youth movement for LA, while Ryan Smyth, Rob Scuderi, Fredrik Modin and Justin Williams will provide the leadership the Kings need to pull off the upset. The Kings have an obvious disadvantage in net. Jonathan Quick was winless in his final eight appearances, stalling at 39 victories and causing more than a little consternation within the dressing room. Quick has not won a game since March 22.

Prediction: The young and hungry Kings will take Vancouver to the edge, but Luongo will prove to be the difference. Canucks in 7.

#4 Phoenix Coyotes v #5 Detroit Red Wings

What a turnaround for the Phoenix Coyotes in the midst of uncertainty! The Coyotes were able to put all the distractions aside to compile the best season in the history of the franchise. Unfortunately for Phoenix, they now have to play the hottest team in the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings, in the first round. Detroit rolled to a league-best 16-3-2 record after the Olympic break. The defending Stanley Cup finalists and champions two seasons ago, will have issues in goal. The Wings will start rookie netminder Jimmy Howard who has yet to appear in a post-season game. Phoenix will counter with Ilya Bryzgalov. Bryzgalov is a legitimate candidate for the Hart and Vezina trophies this year, but, too, hasn’t had much NHL playoff experience. He’s only appeared in 16 playoff games in his career. Both clubs play a very defensive orientated style of play and this series should be very low scoring. Experience will be the deciding factor. Phoenix have just two players on their roster with Stanley Cup rings. Detroit? They have 20 guys with Stanley Cup rings and 34 championships between them.

Prediction: The Wings enter the playoffs playing their best hockey of the season. In the end, the Wings’ experience will play to their advantage. Red Wings in 6.

Here are the odds to win the Cup. Who do you like?

-Oliver

Related posts:

• NFL Week 1 Predictions
• World Cup Predictions! Tower Style!
• Weekend Viewing Guide: May 15-16

#1 Washington Capitals v #8 Montreal Canadiens

Everyone would love to see Crosby vs. Ovechkin again in '10

The Washington Capitals have to be considered the favourites to win the Stanley Cup. They finished the regular season with the best record in the league and boast the league’s best offense. The Capitals have the best player in the NHL, Alexander Ovechkin, and an outstanding supporting cast, which includes Mike Green, Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble. The only question mark for the Capitals is in goal. Jose Theodore will get the nod for Washington to start the playoffs as their starting goaltender. The former Canadiens’ goalie has been solid in goal for Washington down the stretch. Since Jan. 13, Theodore has gone 20-0-3 with a 2.58 goals-against average and .922 save percentage, but had a poor post-season for the Caps a year ago. The Canadiens won the season series versus the Caps, taking three of five. They will also have the edge in goal. Jaroslav Halak was great for Montreal after he took over the starting spot from Carey Price. The Habs will need to count on Halak if they want to upset the top seeded Caps. Special teams will also be a factor. Montreal had the second best power play in the NHL (behind Washington). They should be able to take advantage of the Capitals’ 25th ranked penalty kill.

Prediction: Washington will have too much fire-power for the Canadiens to handle. Capitals in 5.

#2 New Jersey Devils v #7 Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers clinched a playoff spot on the last day of the season. They defeated the New York Rangers in a shoot-out yesterday afternoon in Philadelphia in an exciting conclusion to the regular season. The New Jersey Devils, I’m sure, were not pleased to see the Flyers get it. The Flyers owned the Devils this year, winning 6 of their 8 games. The Flyers were picked by many at the start of the season to contend for the Stanley Cup. The team is filled with all-stars, but had an up and down season. Goaltending was a huge issue for the Flyers. This is where the Devils have a huge advantage. The Devils will start Martin Brodeur, arguably the best goalie in the history of the NHL. The Flyers will counter with Brian Boucher, the odd man out in the Philadelphia net before season-ending injuries to Ray Emery and Michael Leighton. The Devils conceded just 191 goals in the regular season, which led the NHL. The problem for New Jersey is scoring. Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise will have to carry the load for New Jersey. If they can get hot in the playoffs, the Devils will be tough to beat.

Prediction: Martin Brodeur will rebound from his game 7 meltdown against Carolina last year. Devils in 7.

#3 Buffalo Sabres v #6 Boston Bruins

Big Z will need to be big for the B's

Goaltending. If you’re a fan of defensive hockey and great goaltending, this is the series for you. The Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins are two of the best defensive hockey clubs in the NHL. The Bruins gave up 200 goals in the regular season, which was second best in the conference, while Buffalo was just a spot behind Boston. The reason? Tuukka Rask and Ryan Miller. The Bruins’ Rask put up a sparkling 1.97 GAA and .931 save percentage. The Finnish netminder was also 4-1-0 against the Sabres this season with a 1.43 GAA and .954 save percentage. Miller, on the other side, was the MVP for the Sabres this season. Both teams will struggle to score goals. The Bruins finished 30th in the league in scoring. They are just the third team since the playoff format expanded to 16 teams in 1979-80 to qualify for the playoffs despite scoring the fewest goals during the regular season. The Bruins and Sabres also have some key injuries. The Bruins will be without centre Marc Savard and defenseman Dennis Seidenberg for the rest of the season. On the Sabres side, top-six forwards Tim Connolly, Jochen Hecht and Drew Stafford are all banged up. This series will be tight.

Prediction: Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara will be the series MVP. Bruins in 6.

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins v #5 Ottawa Senators

The defending Stanley Cup champions will start their quest to defend their title against the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins are the most balanced team in the Eastern Conference. They have great offensive talent upfront led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, solid defence and a playoff proven goalie in Marc Andre Fleury. The Penguins have made back-to-back trips to the finals and they know what it takes to win. The Senators have a couple of injuries to top players. Defenseman Filip Kuba and forward Alexei Kovalev will be out of the playoffs, which will put more pressure on some of the more inexperienced Sens. Daniel Alfredson will be carrying the load for Ottawa, but who will help take some of the pressure of the Swedish captain? Jason Spezza will have to take a step forward in terms of his leadership and playoff production. The Sens will also have some issues in goal. Neither Brian Elliot nor Pascal Leclaire has ever played in an NHL post-season contest.

Prediction: The Penguins have too much experience and talent for Ottawa. Penguins in 5.

Tomorrow, the Western Conference.

-Oliver

Related posts:

• Tower Hours Round-up!
• Top Bets of the Weekend – Oct 16, 17
• NFL Week 1 Predictions

Savard suffered a grade two concussion and will be out of action indefinitely.

Here’s the video again, just so you can see how viscous the hit was.

In explaining his decision, NHL senior vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell said that the ruling was based on consistency involving similar incidents. Philadelphia’s Mike Richards was not suspended for a similar hit on Florida’s David Booth earlier in the year, so using that as precedent, Cooke was not suspended either.

Here’s the Richards hit on Booth:

Both hits are eerily similar. This is what Colin Campbell had to say on why he didn’t suspend Cooke:

“No one likes when a player like Marc Savard goes down the way he did. No one likes when a player like David Booth goes down the way he did. But we have to be consistent. I know Matt Cooke is a repeat offender, he’s been suspended twice in the last year. I can’t suspend Matt Cooke for being a repeat offender, I have to find a reason. Right now our rules say that shoulders to head are legal. Matt Cooke did not jump, and did not do anything that we found illegal in his actions even though again you don’t like what happened.”

I am shocked at his decision. Both hits were suspendable. The NHL is trying to get rid of head-shots. These are two prime examples of the sort of hits they are trying to get out of the sport. They are not good for the sport of hockey and its marketability. The NHL General Managers are in Florida as we speak trying to figure out a way to stop these hits.

During the Olympics we saw such great hockey because the goons of the NHL were not involved. It was a much more beautiful game. Yes, there were big hits, like the Ovechkin hit on Jagr, but as a whole, the games were played with more speed and grace than what we see in the NHL. Get rid of this crap once and for all. Suspend these guys for weeks. Set a precedent and these hits will stop.

On a side note, the Bruins play the Penguins for the last time next Thursday in Boston.

Over/Under on how long it takes for Milan Lucic to drop the gloves with Cooke is 5 minutes into the first period.

Any takers?

Related posts:

• Around the Sports World: Gutierrez does the Spider-Man

Sidney Crosby’s overtime goal against the Americans to give Canada the Gold medal capped off an outstanding Olympic ice hockey tournament, especially for the NHL.

The NHL wants this game to grow globally, but it also wants viewers.

In Canada, more than 80% of the 35-million population tuned into the Gold medal game.

In the USA, the final drew the second most average viewers in the countries history for a hockey game. This year’s final drew 27.6-million, compared to 32.8-million viewers for the clinching game of the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.

This tournament was a definite success for the NHL and the growth of the sport. But, its future is in doubt, as the NHL does not have a deal in place that would send its players back to the Olympics in Russia in 2014.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had nothing but praise for the tournament, but failed to comment on the future:

“The 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver served as the latest affirmation that the quality of our play — and our players — is the finest in the world. We send our Olympians back to their NHL teams with our congratulations, appreciation and thanks for having represented their NHL teams, their league and their fans with such distinction.”

The future of NHL players returning to play in the Olympics is up in the air.

Alexander Ovechkin has already vowed he will be playing for Russia in Sochi, deal or no deal.

The tournament, itself, was great. The intensity and passion these players felt and showed for their country was enormous. You saw guys playing with injuries and putting their bodies on the line for the chance at winning Gold for their country.

This is the World Cup for ice hockey. It does, clearly, not compare to the scale of the World Cup, but it does give fans the chance to watch the best players in the world compete for their country at the highest level.

The NHL should get a deal done for the Sochi games. This is something that all sports should have. The best players in the world, on the world stage, playing for their country.

Related posts:

• Bet on your country and get a $5 ticket added to your winnings!
• Around the Sports World: 1 Billion Condoms
• Ovechkin Bullies + Bridge Says NO + New World Cup Kits

Maybe the IOC should have been more concerned with the Beer choice. Why no Labatts?

Team Canada’s women’s ice hockey team took care of business on the ice last night in Vancouver. They dismissed the USA 2-0 and won their third straight Olympic Gold medal.

After the game, though, is where most of today’s headlines are stemming from.

Thirty minutes after the final buzzer, the Canadians came back on the ice for an encore. They also brought back cigars, beers and champagne with them to the post-game on-ice celebration. Aren’t those the necessary ingredients for  a good party?

According the IOC, this isn’t allowed. As we know, the IOC doesn’t allow fun.

Gilbert Felli, the IOC’s executive director of the Olympic Games, has this to say:

“I don’t think it’s a good promotion of sport values.”

“If they celebrate in the changing room, that’s one thing, but not in public. We will investigate what happened.”

Hockey Canada released a statement apoligising for the teams actions.

Apology? For What?

The team spent the last 4 years preparing for these Games and they can’t even have a couple of beers to celebrate?

If this was the men’s team, I’m sure there would be a different reaction. But, since it was women, and the IOC members live in the early 1900′s when women were to act ‘ladylike’, these actions would not seem acceptable to them.

Let them have their moment. The 20,000 fans in the arena, I’m sure, had several beverages during the match and after. Why can’t the team that actually won the Gold celebrate with some beers as well?

Related posts:

• GSOP Live Malta – Day 2 – Team Tower update!
• Friday Football Follies: Pizza Party for Auxerre
• PFA Team of the Year Named

Roberto Luongo, the goalie for Canada’s men’s ice hockey team, is about to find out what carrying 35 million people on his back feels like.

Luongo will get the start in net for the Canadians tonight against Germany after Martin Brodeur was unable to beat the USA on Sunday night in Vancouver.

Brodeur gave up 4 goals (one was into an empty net), two were direct miscues from the New Jersey devils goaltender.

The loss to the USA meant Canada finished second in their group and now has to face Germany in a play-in game tonight at Canada Hockey Place. The Americans won the group and now will await the winner between Switzerland and Belarus in the quarterfinals. That crucial win over Canada basically assured the USA of a semi-final berth.

Canada, on the other hand, will have the beat the Germans tonight to earn a spot into the quarters against the mighty Russians.

Entering the tournament, Canada were the favorites to win the Gold. Russia were behind Canada with the second best chances.

The match everyone thought they would see in the Gold medal game will be played now in the quarterfinals (if Canada advances).

Luongo will have to go on quite the run if Canada will live up to their billing as pre-tournament favourites. He’ll have to beat Germany, then Russia, then, most likely, Sweden and then another quality team, possibly the USA in the gold medal game.

His International experience is impressive.

His Stanley Cup record, is pretty solid: 22 games, 11-11, a 2.09 GAA and a .930 save percentage.

“Obviously I’ve played in world championships, world juniors, and playoffs,” said Luongo. “This one I’m excited about.”

This is Luongo’s moment to shine and could and will define his career.

The pressure playing at home in front of Canadian fans is enormous. Will Luongo lead Canada to Gold?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7WAY9n578U

Related posts:

• Stanley Cup Playoffs: Western Conference First-Round Predictions
• Real Madrid: €260 Million Doesn’t Go as Far as It Used To
• Will the NHL break for Sochi?