Publisher - Opinion and analysis pieces written through the eyes of the average sports fan

1 Golden State Warriors (73-9) v 3 Oklahoma City Thunder (55-27) First thoughts: Few expected the Oklahoma City Thunder to upset the San Antonio Spurs and advance to the Western Conference Finals; particularly after the Spurs throttled the Thunder by 32 points in its Game 1 victory. But the Thunder shocked the world (no pun intended) by winning…

Embed from Getty Images The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins have now made it to the halfway point in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with just eight more wins required to reach the pinnacle of the NHL. The Lightning have only been beaten twice in the playoffs, while the Penguins have lost just three times. The Lightning…

Embed from Getty Images It was on Sunday afternoon that the New York Islanders exited the Stanley Cup playoffs after a poor performance in the second round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. On the bright side, the Islanders had an impressive season with a 45-27-10 record in the regular season. They finished fourth in the Metropolitan Division…

Embed from Getty Images Brooks Orpik of the Washington Capitals found out that hockey players still have to follow the rules of the NHL. Sadly, this came the hard way, as he was suspended for three games after a hit on Olli Maatta of the Pittsburgh Penguins. A late hit can be dangerous in and of itself, but a late hit to the head? All the…