Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. [url=http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/]Minnesota Vikings Jerseys[/url] . This week, they give a special NHL playoff edition of Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, where the panel gives their Stanley Cup winner predict

Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. Minnesota Vikings Jerseys . This week, they give a special NHL playoff edition of Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, where the panel gives their Stanley Cup winner prediction. Bruce Arthur, National Post My thumb is up to the Boston Bruins who I think are going to be the 2014 Stanley Cup champions. Remember last season, there was a thought that Claude Julien would get fired if they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round and jeopardy could extend all the way up to the general managers chair and they did what they did. I think theyre in better shape heading into the playoffs then they were last season, when they had a compressed schedule following the Boston Marathon bombings, they were a tired team in the first round and really, more than anything, they have the easiest road to the Stanley Cup Final of any Stanley Cup contender. I think Bostons ready. Steve Simmons, SUN Media It hurts me to say this just because of the history but Im going thumbs up to the San Jose Sharks, who year in and year out disappoint at this time of year, but I look at this team and all that size up front. The move of Joe Pavelski to left wing has really completed this forward group nicely and I think Marc-Edouard Vlasics play at the Olympics taught him that hes a big-time guy now. He can elevate his game and I think that team, with Todd McLellan coaching, can come out of the west and can beat the Boston Bruins. Theyre too big and theyre too fast. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated My thumb is up to the Chicago Blackhawks because consistency is the hob gobble in little minds and nobody has a littler mind than I do. I picked them at the start of the year, I picked them at the deadline, and Im picking them now because Patrick Kanes going to be back, Jonathan Toews is going to be back, and because the Blackhawks have the best defenceman in the Stanley Cup tournament in Duncan Keith. Dave Hodge, TSN Im going to go through the apparently easy route in the east and say thumbs up to the Presidents Trophy winning Boston Bruins. Sure, they dont win as often as they lose but in this case, this is the best home team in the NHL, lots of playoff experience, theyre obviously good defensively, good goaltending, good special teams and they are reasonably healthy. Then theres that Eastern Conference path to the Stanley Cup Final again, and I think that ends up being the bottom line for my reason to pick Boston. Kirk Cousins Jersey .S. womens soccer team to a 2-0 win over China in Colorado in the afternoon. Kendall Wright Jersey . The Detroit Tigers slugger fell short in his bid to become the first player to win the Triple Crown in successive seasons. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Youth-Sheldon-Richardson-Vikings-Jersey/ . After Mariota was pushed around by Stanford on Thursday, finishing 20/34 with 250 yards and two touchdowns in Oregons Title hope-crushing defeat, hes going to need a poor performance or two from the remaining frontrunners to have a shot at the most coveted individual trophy in college sports.(SportsNetwork.com) - For a while the Pittsburgh Penguins seemed unfazed by the rash of injuries and illnesses which have beset the club so far this season. However, the hobbled Penguins will try to halt their longest losing streak in nearly three years when they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. Pittsburgh has lost four straight, including the last three in regulation, to post the franchises longest losing streak since a six-game slide from Dec. 29, 2011-Jan. 11, 2012. The Pens have scored a total of seven goals during the 0-3-1 stretch and only managed one goal over the last two outings. Help could be on the way for the Penguins tonight, however, with the potential return of a few players who have recently missed time. Forwards Craig Adams and Beau Bennett and defenseman Christian Ehrhoff are all questionable for tonight after practicing with the team on Tuesday. Adams (undisclosed) and Ehrhoff (lower body) have each missed the last five games, while Bennett has sat out the last 15 tilts with a lower-body issue. Backup goaltender Thomas Greiss, who is one of several Pittsburgh players to contract the mumps this season, also expects to suit up for tonights game after Jeff Zatkoff was sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL on Tuesday morning. Defenseman Paul Martin also skated at Tuesdays practice, but he wont play tonight. I dont know what everyones timeline is, but its nice to see guys back in practice, Pens captain Sidney Crosby told his teams website. But regardless of how many guys and when, you still have to make sure youre playing the right way so when guys do come back, its an easier adjustment for them and youre on the right track. Crosby scored the lone goal for Pittsburgh in its most recent outing, a 3-1 setback Monday in New Jersey. His 11th marker of the season gavee the Pens a 1-0 lead with 5:23 left in the first, but the Devils took control of the game with a two-goal second period. Brian ONeill Jersey. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24-of-27 shots and is expected to start again tonight. He is 12-8-2 with a 2.71 goals against average in his career against the Hurricanes. Carolina, which is second from the bottom in the overall NHL standings, is hoping to take advantage of the Penguins recent struggles tonight when the Hurricanes aim to close December with just their fourth victory of the month. The Canes are 3-9-1 in December and have lost two straight and 10 of their last 12 games. The clubs latest setback came Monday against visiting Montreal, which notched a 3-1 win to spoil the season debut of Jordan Staal. Staal, a former Penguins centerman, played in his first game of the season and was credited with an assist on his brother Erics power-play goal early in the third period. However, that was all the offense Carolina could muster, as the Hurricanes were held to less than two goals for the ninth time in 12 games. Cam Ward only made 16 saves to take the loss in a game that saw the Hurricanes hold a 29-19 edge in shots. We had our chances, we just couldnt put them home, Carolina forward Riley Nash said. Ward, who is 13-6-3 with a 2.38 GAA in his career against Pittsburgh, will start again tonight. Pittsburgh is beginning a four-game homestand tonight, and although the club boasts a 13-5-1 record at Consol Energy Center this season, the Pens have lost their last two home games against Carolina. The home skid includes a 4-2 Hurricanes victory in the Steel City on Nov. 28. That triumph is one of just four road wins this season for Carolina, which is 4-14-2 as the guest. The Pens have won six of the past eight overall meetings against the Panthers. NFL Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Cheap Jerseys From China Discount NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Youth NFL Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Black Jerseys ' ' '