This is the time of year when I always wish I paid more attention to NCAA basketball, so I could fill out a killer bracket and actually win some money in one of the many (2 or 3) NCAA tournament pools I will invariably enter. I have a .000 lifetime winning percentage in NCAA pools.

I’m always right there until the sweet 16 then my picks, which I base on which team has a bigger history of recruiting violations, go sour and I lose to some woman who picks based on uniform color or which mascot is cuter or more deadly.

Is there a school with a Walrus Mascot?

I have always wanted to start a hockey playoff pool. Wouldn’t it be great to live in a world where the NHL was so popular that people wasted record amounts of company time Xeroxing, and handing out brackets? Imagine the connotations of a land where NHL playoff brackets were discussed as early as the all-star game, and the NHL trade deadline was as big a deal, nationally, as the NFL draft. Doesn’t it sound glorious? There’d be that shady guy who runs a pool, and even though you picked all the teams correctly, he’d tell you his “Friend form High School” got the final score of the semifinal game one goal closer than you did, so he won on the third tie-breaker, and no one you know ever sees a dime. Then he’d have new sneakers the next time you saw him, and for some reason he wouldn’t be able to make eye contact.

I wouldn’t even have to fill out two brackets-one with the Pens winning the Cup, and one where I pick with my head and not my heart-since the Penguins are as good a pick as any to come out of the East this year.

Oh, well.

I think I’m close to breaking down and purchasing NHL ’08. I should be able to find a used copy for under $25.

My fantasy NHL Playoff Bracket World leads nicely into…

Fantasy hockey segment dealing with only my fantasy team

It’s playoff time. My co-manager Rich and I will lead, best named fantasy hockey team ever, “Traffic in Front” to glory from the fourth seed. TIF faces off against “Hockey Stars” in the first round. Hockey Stars’ manager hasn’t adjusted his roster in some time. This would be a great week to face a team that will not maximize its man-games. The Penguins only play two games this week, that’s only two games from Malone, Sykora, Crosby, and MA Fleury.

With Crosby coming of IR, I was able to add get Sergi Zubov off the wire and put him into the IR spot on my roster-He should get back in Dallas’ lineup sometime next week. I dropped Kris Letang, and then added Brian McCabe. TIF’s defense is a bit suspect, Wade Redden is killing me, but there’s no one better on the wire. I basically have to add/drop a defenseman every day according to who’s playing.

Byfuglien is a third-line forward for Chicago, he plays in front of the net on the top power play unit. He is also listed as a defenseman. Solid pickup.

It pained me to drop Ty Conklin, but Fleury appears to be in line for most of the ice time for the rest of the regular season. I needed to get another forward.

TIF leads the league in transactions with 100. The one seed in the league has only made 17 transactions. I think I may have micromanaged to a fault. At one point I’ve had Ribero, Doan, Frolov, Pomminville, and I had a chance to grab Vanek. All have done well this season. In their place I’m rolling with Sakic, Selanne, Patrick Kane, and Backstrom. I say it’s six and half-a-dozen, but I love second guessing myself.

I don’t have many solid faceoff guys, I basically have to give up on PIM and +/- and try to win the rest of the categories. I don’t want to add Bobby Holik just to boost those categories, but if Sakic doesn’t start contributing I think that might happen.

That is my strategy.

If the popularity of other blogs which detail their author’s fantasy teams is any indication, you are all probably on the edge of your seats in anticipation of how Traffic in front finishes the season.

I mentioned that I have Backstrom on my fantasy team. Seguee…

As great as it is to beat the Capitals, and while I feel sorry for Niklas I’d rather see him put one behind his own goalie than the Pens’, I really hope the Caps make the playoffs. Crosby is a better all around player than Alex Ovechkin, but he’s a phenomenal talent and a great goal scorer. The NHL would benefit greatly from the chance to market Ovechkin in the playoffs, it is in Pens fans best interest for the Caps to make the playoffs and win every round until they play the Penguins.

Can’t wait till Hossa gets healthy

Let’s Go Pens