Mike Gillis and The Myth of Success

The roster move to send down Jordan Schroeder from the Vancouver Canucks back to the AHL looks to be a rather innocuous move. After all it’s the final cut of a training-camp in a lockout shortened season. It’s easy for a simple move like that to get lost in the shuffle. But what does Jordan Schroeder not making this team in his 4^th professional season mean for the Vancouver Canucks?

NHL Season Preview - 5 Teams to Watch

I didn't think we would get it but we finally have an NHL season to get excited for. It's been a bit of a scramble to get myself re-acquainted with who went where and how teams shaped up over the off-season but I think I finally have a hand on it. With that said I want to present 5 teams to watch for this year. Not all Stanley Cup contenders just teams worth keeping an eye on this season for different reasons. And here we go...

Bik's Divisional Round Picks: Welcome Back

Let’s hail the Johnny Come Lately’s that are the NHL and NHLPA.

Sure it was only 113 days after the previous CBA expired that they managed to agree to a new one to get the 2012-2013 season underway, but better late than never. And why wouldn’t you announce the new deal on a Sunday morning when everyone is either asleep or getting ready for the opening week of NFL Playoff Football. NHL – you always entertain me.

Now of course even better than that is the league holding off on releasing a schedule and actually starting the schedule on the same weekend the NFL is in its Conference Championships Games. Thumbs up.

But I’m not going to pretend that I won’t watch. Call me a hypocrite or whatever. I love the game too much to not get sucked into debates about which center the Canucks should use in neutral-zone 2^nd period face-offs on the left boards. It’s going to happen. But like many friends I’ve spoken to about the NHL returning, I’m adhering to a cool principle. “I’ll watch – but I won’t pay.” Works for me.

So while the NHL makes dubiously entertaining decision after dubiously entertaining decision... here are 10 things that you can get excited about for the upcoming season.

Bik's Wildcard Weekend Picks: Chasing Perfection

Heading into last week I never thought that I would finish above .500 to end the season, but with a nice 12-4 Week 17 we move into the playoffs with some momentum.

So with a clean slate of the record ahead of the playoffs, now the goal for the playoffs is an unsustainable 11-0 run. Let’s aim for perfection. This is what a 1 week confidence will do to you. And while I was taking a look at the Wildcard matchups, the word “perfect” just kept cropping back up to me. So let’s get to it and you’ll see what I mean.

Onto the picks, home team in CAPS

Bik's Week 17 Picks: Resolutions

This has been my first season doing picks for the NFL and I have to say I’m pleased with how things have gone. The picks will continue into the playoffs but with the regular season closing, it’s a pertinent time to review how the season went.

114-120-3... oof – ok not that great. But this has been thoroughly enjoyable and thanks to those that have been reading through 17 weeks. In fact, thank you if you read any of the weeks. I’m looking forward to doing this for the 2013 NFL season, and I resolve to do better. Such is my determination to improve that I’m writing it into my New Year’s Resolutions. So in the spirit of making New Year’s Resolutions, I’m conjuring up 32 Should-Be Resolutions for the NFL along with the Week 17 Picks.

Onto the picks, home team in CAPS

UFC 155 Predictions and Preview

This Saturday UFC 155 will go down in Las Vegas, featuring a headlining bout to determine the "Badest Man on the Planet". Velasquez v Dos Santos II is set to headline a rather intriguing fight card. We could see a few contenders for titles emerge or see them fade away into the middle of their respected weight divisions. I'll take some time here to break down and give predictions on all 5 main card fights.

Bik's Week 16 Picks: Home Alone Edition

First and foremost a cheerful Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Kwnaza, Happy Hanukkah or any holiday that you are celebrating, we wish you the best from everyone at The Extra Period.

It’s never really Christmas for me until I can do accomplish 2 things. Have to watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Home Alone back to back... if time allows me, I’ll squeeze in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. But definitely the first 2 have to be knocked off before it feels like Christmas to me. And I just did both yesterday... which has inspired me to use each of this weekend’s games and finding a relevant quote from Home Alone to best describe that game.

Onto the picks, home team in CAPS 

Bik's Week 15 Picks: Conspiring for Drama

Considering how truly bizarre this NFL season has been, there’s a number of potentially bizarre scenarios unfolding in front of our eyes that with the right amount of breaks, the right amount of league insistence and the perfect splash of “conspiracy theory” mixed in.... could work out.

There’s going to be a lot of “ifs” in this piece but when trying to lay out what might occur in the upcoming 3 weeks, that’s bound to happen since I neither own a crystal ball nor am I Biff from “Back to the Future II.”

Before I delve into some of the potential situations that could happen in the season and before you roll your eyes at the league conspiring to make it unfold, just remember what’s already transpired this season by Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Bik's Thursday Night Week 15 Pick: Preparing For The Future

I’m going to get into more for tomorrows pieces but this is what the final 3 weeks has in store for us in the NFL Season, along with some unavoidable facts:

-          The Dallas Cowboys are 1 game out of the Wild-Card race and the NFC East divisional race.

-          The Washington Redskins are also 1 game out of a Wild-Card race and the NFC East divisional race.

-          The Redskins beat the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in quite spectacular fashion.

-          Tony Romo is known for his rather hilarious chokes and doesn’t have the best of times on NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAMES

-          If both teams continue their winning ways, Week 17 will more than likely be a NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAME

-          The Redskins play the Cowboys in Week 17

-          Despite the day-day soap opera that has played out for the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS! They find themselves 1 game behind Pittsburgh and Cincinnati for a Wild-Card spot in the AFC with a 6-7 record.

-          The Jets play @ Tennessee, vs. San Diego, and @ Buffalo.

-          The Steelers play @ Dallas, vs. Cincinnati, vs. Cleveland

-          The Bengals play @ Philadelphia, @Pittsburgh, vs. Baltimore

-          If the Steelers or Bengals lose any games against AFC opponents and have the Jets go 3-0, the Jets would make the playoffs.

-          Mark Sanchez is still the Jets starting QB... Tim Tebow was healthy last week.

-          Tim Tebow took the Denver Broncos to the playoffs when there was no hope last year.

-          The Seattle Seahawks are 1.5 games back of the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC West crown.

-          The 49ers play @ New England this weekend

-          Eminems “Lose Yourself” was the #1 song when the Patriots last lost in December at home. Meaning for those who were graduating the year “8 Mile” came out in theatres, this year will be your 10 year reunion.

-          The Seahawks are 6-0 at home this season

-          The Seahawks host the 49ers in Week 16

-          If Green Bay loses 1 game, The “Fail Mary” from earlier in the year might actually come back to haunt the Green Packers again as they would lose out on the 2^nd seed and a bye week to Seattle.

That’s just a sniff of what’s happening in the NFL....  now for a look at what’s happening in the NHL:

-          People in suits are talking...

Thursday’s Week 15 Pick below – Rest of picks for Week 15 on Friday. Home team in CAPS.

EAGLES (+5) over Bengals

I’m not too sure why the Bengals are over a field goal favourites on the road in what is essentially a must-win game for them. The Bengals do have a penchant for beating teams they’re “supposed” to beat but they’ve also quivered and shook in games that they absolutely need to win. The Eagles have really their nothing to play for and are just out there looking at their future. Not even really a case of veterans playing for their jobs because Mike Vick is healthy and a scratch for this game. They got nothing out of their run game last week on the road in Tampa and still pulled out a win. That will improve as the Bengals middle linebackers are making their tackles on running backs 4.8 yards past the line of scrimmage (highest in the league), and Bryce Brown is 2^nd in the league in yards after contact (small sample size but still). Plus it’s a short week and I’ll take the home-underdog.... Again. *gulp*

Last Week: 7-9

Season: 100-103-2

Bik's Week 14 Picks

RAIDERS (+10.5) over Broncos

Broncos won 26-13 on Thursday Night.