HBIC Round Two Winners

The points have been tabulated, and there is a new leader in the HBIC Playoff Pool thanks to a great round. Dan F. didn't score the highest total in the round, but he certainly was in the top-three scorers for each of the series, giving him a three-point lead over the competition as we head into the Conference Finals. But I do want to point something out: about half of the entrants from Round One of the HBIC Playoff Pool have either dropped out or did not send me in any entry for the second round of the playoffs. Because of this, their point totals remained the same. If you were one of those people, get Round Three in IMMEDIATELY so you can continue down the path to glory and fame... and possibly a prize. For those of you who have been keeping up with your homework, the top-ten is now updated, and we'll break down each of the series to see who took "genius" rank in each series. The good news? You've all leap-frogged ahead of those people who didn't enter. You have to show up to be counted, and this playoff pool will pay off if you play well. But you have to play!

VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs. NASHVILLE PREDATORS: One man came out on top in this series, and he sits on the top-ten leaderboard! Charles N. picked up a solid 13 points in this series thanks to his predictions. Charles correctly predicted the winning team in Game One, Two, Four, and Six for four points. He also pointed out that Chris Higgins would be the game-winning goal-scorer in Game One (without entering late) and had Daniel Sedin as the goal-scorer in Game Six for four additional points. And because Charles had Vancouver winning in six games, that's another five points added in. All said, Charles finished off that series with a cool 13 points! Well done, Charles!

SAN JOSE SHARKS vs. DETROIT RED WINGS: The magic number in this series was ten. Aaron P., Cole V., Dan F., and Dave F. all scored ten points on the strength of their picks. For the second round in a row, there was a series that went 3-3-1, so I don't know if this is a trend, but James H. scored 12 points in the Vancouver-Chicago series that followed the 3-3-1 sequence, and there were only ten points scored as a maximum in this series. Will this trend continue in the Conference Finals? Well done, gentlemen!

BOSTON BRUINS vs. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Sweeps can honestly kill your predictions simply because the maximum points you can earn on winning team and correctly predicting the series winner and length is nine points. Where you can make a dent, though, is through the goal-scorers, and both Mike J. and Peter S. took advantage of that goal-scorer point bonus. Both Mike and Peter had five points in this series. Mike had the Bruins winning in Games One, Three, and Four, and added David Krejci's name in as the goal-scorer in Game One. Peter called the exact same series. Just as an aside, David Krejci scored three of the four game-winning goals in this series. Does that affect your picks? Well done in this series, gentlemen!

WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Again, another sweep really put a dent into predictions made. Combine that with the fact that the vast majority of entrants picked Washington to win this series, and there were a lot of low scores in this series. Daniel W. came out on top in this series, though, as he picked up five points to help his cause. He chose the Lightning to win Games One, Three, and Four, and had Steven Stamkos scoring the game-winner in Game One. That's good for five points in this series! Well done, Daniel!

Overall, one man stood atop the mountain in the second round, and his point total reflects his solid picks. David F. picked up 25 points in the second round of the HBIC Playoff Pool, and that propelled him into fourth-place overall in the Playoff Pool. David had himself a very good round, and it goes to show that you don't need to win every series to have a major impact on your point total. Well done, David!

As for the top of the mountain itself, Dan F. stands alone. He is the first man to reach 70 points in the Playoff Pool, and he has a slim three-point lead over Justin S. and our first-round leader, Ryan J. Keep up the great work! There are prizes awaiting you at the end!

The next series start on Saturday as Boston and Tampa Bay open the third round - the Conference Final round - in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. There's still time for you to climb up the board as three rounds remain. As shown by David, smart picks will put you right back in the hunt!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!