Round 2

So, with round one in the books, and 7 of 8 picks correct, here's how I think round two goes down.

West

1 Detroit vs. 5. San Jose
I think San Jose wins this series, they have the whole package, from goal tending out, and will put up a better fight than Calgary did, wearing down the Detroit d, who are not getting any younger, and who do not have a Canadian among them.

2.Anaheim vs. Vancouver
I like the Canucks team, but I think Anaheim will win the series. They have great goal tending, strong D and Vancouver's inability to score goals will be an issue. This should be another tight checking series and more physical than the one Vancouver had against Dallas.

East

1. Buffalo vs. 6. New York Rangers
I think this will be another close series, Buffalo will most likely win in no more than 6, but they didn't look good against the Islanders and the Rangers are playing well. That being said Buffalo has the more talented team after the top line the Rangers lack weapons even with production from Shannahan and Avery of late.

2. New Jersey Devils vs. 4. Ottawa Senators
I think Ottawa's depth combined with Ray Emery's strong play will lead Ottawa through this series. New Jersey have a gifted top line, but if Philips and Volchenkov can keep them in check like they did Sidney Crosby New Jersey will be in trouble. Martin Brodeur is always a factor, but the lack of shut down defense men in New Jersey a la Scott Stevens has hurt them in recent years and I think will cost them this series.

Let me know how your picks are doing.

Mazes and a Robot...No Cheese

A big part of school for me the past 8 months has been my design project.
I won't go into too much detail. Basically the task was to design a robot that would go through a maze. It ended up being a successful project.
If I were to guess this was at least about 250-300 hours total of time invested over the 8 months to complete. A lot of that though had to do with tasks such as report-writing and simulation before actually touching the physical robot.

Anyways, here is a video of the final result.

The Second Season

So, it begins! The second season. Playoffs. The greatest time of the year. The Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy in all of sports to win, and the hunt begins tonight. Sixteen teams are left, and one of them will be crowned champion. In my opinion, it comes down to only a few teams. in the East I predict a Buffalo Ottawa final, with Ottawa taking the title, and in the west the Sharks will circle the competition and end up taking the title. In the Final, it will be the Sense hoisting the cup, putting the past failures behind them much to the chagrin of Leafs fans. I am a little biased here and am willing to admit it, but both these teams are well balanced all around, and have as good a chance as anyone else. The west is certainly more wide open than the east, and will be an absolute war to get out of, which is why I think the east has won the last three cups, as the Western champs are always so beat up going into the final. This year's playoffs will be extremely entertaining and unpredictable, even the 'experts' are scratching their heads over this one.

Random News

Sometimes you read news stories that just remind you how funny/messed up people are.

Go Green Or Die

Elf's Wear Bras

A big week ahead

So, as a huge sports fan, it will be a hard week not to stay glued to the TV. There is so much going on, its hard to keep track, but here's a taste. The MLB has started up again, and the Blue Jays have their season opener today at 1pm in Detroit. St. Louis lost to the Mets last night in the first game of the year. Should be an exciting year on the diamond. The NCAA March madness ends tonight, in April...how'd that happen...anyway, Ohio state takes on defending champion Florida Gators for the title, I say there's a new champ in town, the Buckeyes win a close one. On ice of a different kind, the world curling championship for men goes in Edmonton, the Canadian women won the championship last week, lets hope the men can do the same. They have started 3-0 and look poised to win on home ice. The NBA is winding down its season, and the playoffs, which will include the Toronto Raptors begin in just over two weeks time. My prediction - the Dallas Mavericks are celebrating a championship come June. The NHL season ends Sunday, and its right down to the wire in the east, and either Montreal or Toronto will squeak into the playoffs in the East, so it should be exciting. The Sens are in a close race for home ice advantage over either Pittsburgh or New Jersey, and Calgary and Vancouver will make a strong push in the west...poor Edmonton...To wrap up the week, the masters takes place in Augusta Georgia, with Tiger Woods going for his fifth green jacket. Whew...that's a lot to keep track of, should be a good week! Forget Christmas, this is the most wonderful time of the year!