Pucks Picks - who hoists the cup?

Another round of NHL playoff hockey has come and gone and the whole hockey world is on pins and needles [Editor's note: maybe "needles" is a bad phrase to use in the steroid era – please start again].

Take 2: Another round of playoff hockey is behind us and the NHL Ranger Hockey Nation is waiting to find out:

Who picked round 3 better: Dave Pucks or Nugman? We both picked our choices for (1) series winner and (2) the length of the series in games.

As you recall (or more likely completely forgot) we have an official scoring system:

-Picking the winner: 2 points
-Picking the number of games exactly: 1 point
-Getting closer to the right number of games than your opponent: 1 point

We both picked the Red Wings in 6 - they won in 5. So 2 points each for picking the series winner is all we hand out. And no points for getting the number of games right – or being closer.

So we start at Nugman 2, Dave Pucks 2.

On to the Penguins series. Nugs and Pucks both had the right winner – so 2 more points a piece. And neither of us called the sweep (our hatred of Pittsburgh clouding our mutual judgment).

But here’s the crucial call: Nugman said Penguins in seven, Dave Pucks – Penguins in six. Both of these are embarrassingly bad calls – just way off the mark. But Dave Puck’s picks were just a little less horrendous. I was off by 2 games – Nugs was off by 3.

So we award Mr. Pucks an extra point for coming closer in the total number of games.

Final Tally:
Dave Pucks: 5 Points
Nugman: 4 Points

So with rounds 1 and 2 resulting in a complete tie, and round 3 giving Dave Pucks that slimmest of one point margins - we move, now to the Stanley Cup Finals.

My final pick of the 2008-2009 season:

Pucks: Red Wings in 6

Nugman – let us know. The world is watching