The NBA and NHL playoffs are heating up, as the Boston Celtics/Chicago Bulls series could go down as maybe the best first round series ever. The Detroit Red Wings will again battle the Anaheim Ducks, who have defeated them in consecutive playoff series. They defeated the Red Wings in the 2003 Western Conference quarterfinals, it marked the first time since 1952 that a defending Stanley Cup champion was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.

All times ET…

NBA Playoffs
Fri, 8 PM: Atlanta Hawks @ Miami Heat (ESPN)
Sat, 8 PM: Chicago Bulls @ Boston Celtics (TNT)
Sun, 1 PM: Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks* if necessary (ABC)
Sun, 3:30 PM: Dallas Mavericks @ Denver Nuggets (ABC)

NHL Playoffs
Fri, 7 PM: Anaheim Ducks @ Detroit Red Wings (Versus)
Sat, 1PM: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Washington Capitals (NBC)
Sat, 9 PM: Chicago Blackhawks @ Vancouver Canucks (Versus)
Sun, 2 PM: Anaheim Ducks @ Detroit Red Wings (NBC)
Sun, 7:30 PM: Carolina Hurricanes @ Boston Bruins (Versus)

MLB
Sat, 3:40 PM: New York Mets @ Philadelphia Phillies (Fox)
Sun., 1:30 PM: Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays (TBS)
Sun., 8 PM: Chicago White Sox @ Texas Rangers (ESPN)

Boxing
Sat, 9 PM: Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao for the world junior welterweight title from Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena (HBO PPV)

Horse Racing
Sat, 4 PM: Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY.(NBC)

There’s nothing that sounds quite like an NHL playoff game, except for maybe standing on the tarmac during a plane’s takeoff. The noise is constant from the pre-game skate to the final seconds on the clock. For the players and coaches, springtime means the start of the annual gauntlet run to the Stanley Cup.

This year, the Western Conference could provide more surprises in the early rounds than its Eastern counterpart. I have highlighted three series to keep an eye on for the first round.

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
An original six matchup — old Adams Division rivals will meet for the fourth time in the last seven postseasons. The Habs have won 24 of 31 all-time playoff series between the two teams, including the last three encounters (’02, ’04, ‘08). The key for the Canadiens is having a healthy D Andrei Markov back in the lineup. He led the team in scoring and was a key component at the point position on the power play. But they have sputtered since Markov went down with a lower-body injury on April 4th. The Big Bad Bruins have bullied the Canadiens in all six regular season contests, but they must refrain from taking stupid penalties. F Milan Lucic must control his emotions and play with his head on straight, as the referees will be watching him closely. What a banner season for the Bruins, as they had their best win total (53) since 1971-72 regular season en route to becoming the number one-seed in the Eastern Conference.

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Comedian Robin Williams once joked that spring was nature’s way of saying “let’s party,” and this weekend, the party will be in front of your TV. The NBA and NHL are winding down their regular seasons, while baseball is concluding its first week. And don’t forget the yearly chase for the elusive green jacket at Augusta. Too many options…not enough time to watch them all. Thank God for DVR technology. Enjoy!

All times ET…

NBA
Fri, 8 PM: New York Knicks @ Orlando Magic (ESPN2)
Sat, 7 PM: Detroit Pistons @ Indiana Pacers (NBA TV)
Sun, 1 PM: Dallas Mavericks @ New Orleans Hornets (ABC)
Sun, 3:30 PM: Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers (ABC)
Sun, 6 PM: Philadelphia 76ers @ Toronto Raptors (NBA TV)

NHL
Sat, 7 PM: Ottawa Senators @ Toronto Maple Leafs (CBC)
Sat, 10 PM: Edmonton Oilers @ Calgary Flames (CBC)
Sun, 2 PM: Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago Blackhawks (NBC)

MLB
Sat, 4 PM: Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels (Fox)
Sun, 1 PM: New York Mets @ Florida Marlins (TBS)
Sun, 8 PM: Chicago Cubs @ Milwaukee Brewers (ESPN)

PGA
Fri-Sun, check your local listing for times: The Masters @ The Augusta National Golf Club (ESPN/CBS)

This weekend, you will have a wide variety of sports entertainment to choose from for your viewing pleasure. If you’re in the mood for speed, then the Daytona 500 on Sunday should rev your interest. Or if you’re looking for a good rivalry matchup, then the Georgetown and Syracuse contest on Saturday should be at the top of your list. If you’re longing for a star-studded extravaganza, take a moment to tune into the All-Star Weekend from Phoenix. The NBA gets it right by showcasing the incredible talents of their stars in multiple categories, even though they lose points by changing the game of H-O-R-S-E to sponsor approved G-E-I-C-O.

All times ET…

NBA
Saturday, 8 PM: Slam Dunk Competition, Three-Point Shootout, Skills Challenge (TNT)
Sunday, 9 PM: The NBA All-Star Game from Phoenix, AZ. (TNT)

NHL
Friday, 7 PM: Boston Bruins @ New Jersey Devils
Saturday, 8:30 PM: Dallas Stars @ Chicago Blackhawks
Sunday, 12:30 PM: Philadelphia Flyers @ New York Rangers (NBC)

College Basketball
Friday, 9 PM: #13 Villanova @ West Virginia (ESPN)
Saturday, 12 PM: Georgetown @ #22 Syracuse (ESPN)
Saturday, 1 PM: #6 UCLA @ Arizona (CBS)
Saturday, 4 PM: #25 Florida State @ #8 Wake Forest (ESPN Full Court)
Sunday, 1 PM: #20 Illinois @ Indiana (CBS)
Sunday, 5:30 PM: #5 Duke @ Boston College (Fox Sports)

PGA
Friday-Sunday, see local listings for broadcast times: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Tournament (CBS/TGC)

NASCAR
Sunday, 2 PM: The Daytona 500 (Fox)

Desperate for viewers, the NHL is considering having its next Winter Classic Game played outdoors on the Vegas Strip, or even the Rose Bowl.

SPORTSbyBROOKS.com has the story:

You can see why the league is interested in expanding the idea of outdoor hockey: the Winter Classic game between the Red Wings and Blackhawks on New Year’s Day drew the highest rating for the NHL in 34 years. With as desperate as the NHL is for TV viewers, it’s a little shocking that the league hasn’t just gone ahead and made every game an outdoor game.

The NHL has some experience with outdoor hockey in Las Vegas – an exhibition game between the Kings and the Rangers in September 1991 drew 13,000 fans, who were able to see a sloppy game played on miserable, melting ice. Having the game on Jan. 1 would mean colder temperatures and better ice conditions (unless they have one of those pesky monsoons they get in the desert).

Of course, having the game on Jan. 1 might be a problem if they select the Rose Bowl as an event location, since I believe the venue has something scheduled for Jan. 1, 2009. And 2010. And 2011. Other possibilities thrown out by NHL officials include Yankee Stadium (a contender for this past year’s game) and Penn State’s Beaver Stadium.

If the game ends up on the Vegas strip, I could pretty much promise a sell-out, if only from the guys who stand on the street and hand out the pornography. It also would be another step towards Las Vegas finally getting a pro sports team – since they kind of bombed out with the NBA after the All-Star game in 2007, the NHL might need to be their fallback plan.

That’s a pretty sweet idea. There should be more professional sporting events held in Vegas considering the electricity and excitement that the city breeds. And hookers…you can’t forget about the hookers that the city breeds, too.

Here’s a time-lapse video of Wrigley Field being converted into a hockey rink. The Blackhawks are playing the Red Wings at Wrigley on New Year’s Day at 1:00PM ET.

Chelios: Def Leppard dissed the Stanley Cup
Do not invite Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios and Def Leppard lead singer Joe Elliott to the same party because the gloves will come off.

Chelios accused Elliott of disrespecting the Stanley Cup during the band’s performance at the “NHL Face-Off Rocks” show at a Detroit concert venue last week. During the show’s encore, Elliott saluted the sport by holding the Cup over his head the same way that the players do after winning the Stanley Cup, and then placed the trophy upside down on the stage.

Backstage observers said that Elliott was in a bad mood all evening and seemed like he wanted to be elsewhere. Some thought his actions on stage were Elliott’s way of taking his frustrations out on the NHL.

Chelios promises he will get even for the honor of the league.

Now, that will be a show.

League braces for an economic storm
The country’s struggling economy isn’t good for anyone, but NHL officials are bracing for one or two Southern-based franchises to look at moving to thriving hockey markets due to the weakening economic climate.

Team executives are concerned that the mess on Wall Street will likely have a direct effect on sales to fans and corporate sponsors this season. If revenues go down, the NHL salary cap will likely decrease by as much as 15 percent (or $8 million) per team.

The cap requires management to make tough decisions and improve their talent evaluation process. The impact of the economic crisis could be felt throughout the NHL for as long as five to 10 years.

Blackhawks fire Denis Savard
The first NHL coach was let go after only four games and just hours after his team’s first victory of the season. The Chicago Blackhawks fired Denis Savard on Thursday and replaced him with Joel Quenneville.

Savard’s plan was to improve on what the young Blackhawk team accomplished last season, hoping to become a playoff contender this season. But he will not get that chance, as general manager Dale Tallon phoned him on Thursday morning with the team’s decision.

Rocky Wirtz took over the day-to-day operations of the team following last year’s death of his father, Bill Wirtz. He made a pledge to the fans this off-season to have the Blackhawks back in the playoffs and he hopes to eventually win a Stanley Cup.

The Chicago media is speculating that Wirtz felt all along that he needed someone else behind the bench. Quenneville will bring a wealth of experience and a winning track record that could have an immediate impact on the young team.

Forbes.com spent a little time finding the worst losing streaks in sports.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Major League Baseball
16 consecutive losing seasons (1993 to present)
The Pirates used to be a powerhouse in the National League East. While they didn’t win a World Series in the 1990s, they were contenders for three straight years. Pittsburgh fans still had the memories of the 1979 world championship team, but then the team got rid of Barry Bonds and started a 16-year race to rock bottom. It’s the longest current losing streak in professional sports.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
National Football League
14 consecutive losing seasons (1983 to 1996)
During the period between 1983 and 1996, the Buccaneers repeatedly put together abysmally bad seasons. They had three two-win seasons, one three-win season and one four-win season. The bright orange uniforms and the fact that they traded away future hall-of-famer Steve Young didn’t help.

Chicago Blackhawks
National Hockey League
14 consecutive losing seasons (1946 to 1960)
Something that must always be considered when ranking losing aptitude is circumstance. The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the NHL’s original six franchises and, for years, there simply weren’t that many teams in the nation’s hockey league. The team made a strong break break from its losing streak, however, by winning the Stanley Cup in 1961.

Los Angeles Clippers
National Basketball Association
12 consecutive losing seasons (1993 to 2005)
Staples Arena, in Los Angeles, is home to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. When you look into the rafters, you see countless yellow and purple Lakers banners celebrating championships and superstars like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabar. There’s almost no red and silver in the rafters.

How could you not feel for Pittsburgh Pirate fans? Not only do they continue to lose, but there’s not a lot of hope on the horizon either.

The opening of the NHL season will take place overseas this weekend, and there are a few key storylines to keep an eye on during the first week of the season:

NHL invasion of Europe
A year ago, the Anaheim Ducks opened the season against the Los Angeles Kings in London, England. This season, four teams are kicking off the 2008-09 season in Europe: the Ottawa Senators will play the Pittsburgh Penguins in Stockholm, and the Tampa Bay Lightning open their season against the New York Rangers in Praque. The National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) President Paul Kelly announced that the number of teams opening the season in Europe could double next year, as multiple European cities have expressed interest in hosting NHL games next season.

Selanne resigns with the Ducks
Forward Teemu Selanne signed a two-year contract worth $5.25 million with the Ducks after the club traded defenseman Mathieu Schneider to the Atlanta Thrashers to free up the necessary cap space. Selanne didn’t want to miss time in training camp like last season when he was contemplating retirement from the sport. With a two-year commitment to the team, Selanne is committed to getting the Ducks back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Possible trades due to salary cap restrictions
Rumors have been circulating that a number of teams are looking to deal players due to salary cap restrictions. The Chicago Blackhawks have solved their salary cap problem by putting goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin on waivers this week. The writing was on the wall that his days were numbered in Chicago when the team signed free agent goalie Cristobal Huet to a four-year deal worth $22.5 million in July. The San Jose Sharks are looking to trade defenseman Kyle McLaren and his 2.5 million dollar contract to avoid starting the season $225,000 over the salary cap. McLaren became expendable after the team added Dan Boyle and Rob Blake to the backline in the offseason.

Inventive marketing plan on the West Coast
In an unusual joint venture, the Ducks and Kings announced a ticket-sales package for games that will be played Oct. 14 in Anaheim and Nov. 16 in Los Angeles. The package will be called the “Freeway Face-Off” and $60 will get fans tickets to both games.