Diagnosis: Pussitis

I suppose I should admit that Shaky's picks are very much like my own and that neither one of us picked a true upset in the first round (San Jose over Nashville can not be be considered an upset). Then again, to make a couple of lopsided upsets would require us to undertake extensive research of all playoff-bound teams, not to mention possessing balls the size of Darren McCarty's debt.

It is much easier to simply go for the home teams because they have the better records in the regular season, and things like a strong power play, high scoring, and great defense which, obviously, look better to the informed hockey fan. "Of course I'll pick Dallas over Colorado. The Stars on paper are easily the most-balanced team in the league." "Tampa over Ottawa? Are you kidding me? The Sens scored over three hundred goals while Tampa has a card-board cut-out of Ken Dryden between the pipes!"

I'll stand by my predictions - with the caveat that the Flames are a much better team than they were in 2004 and there is no reason to suggest they couldn't go one game further in 2006 - but I am not proud of the acute case of pussitis which is evident by the lack of picking an upset in the first round.

Shame on me, and shame on us all for not knowing the future.