JIM LANG ON SPORTS

BY: JIM LANG
FOR RODPEDERSEN.COM

• Team Canada

I have no real problem with the three goalies Steve Yzerman and his staff selected. Roberto Luongo and Carey Price will play in all the games and Mike Smith is only there for insurance.

Now Team Canada’s blueline is a different story.

The first four picks, Shea Weber, Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith and Alex Pietrangelo were easy choices for Steve Yzerman and the Team Canada brass.

I have been telling anyone who would listen that P.K. Subban needed to be in Sochi so I was glad to see him named to the team. Jay Bouwmeester is having a very good year in St. Louis and has ample experience skating in the big ice. Bouwmeester has represented eight times in his career and has ample experience on Olympic size ice.

Canada’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic is a steady, stay-at-home defenceman and I have no real issue with him being named to the team. That leads us Dan Hamhuis. I have been trying to wrap my head around Team Canada choosing Hamhuis over Chicago’s Brent Seabrook. No matter how hard I think I can find no logical reason why you would leave Seabrook off of the team; none whatsoever.

Canada has an embarrassment of riches up front, especially at the centre position. Down the middle Canada can beat you in many ways. Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Getzlaf, Jonathan Toews and John Tavares give Mike Babcock a myriad of options when he sets his lines.

I have less of a problem with Team Canada not choosing Claude Giroux or Martin St. Louis than the exclusion of Seabrook. The fact is Canada is so bloody deep up front that there was bound to be some very good players that didn’t make the cut.

I was thrilled to see Patrick Sharp make the team. The Thunder Bay native is having a wonderful season and Sharp has more than proven himself as one of the most lethal snipers in the NHL.

• NFL

After witnessing some great games during Wild Card weekend Pat Kirwan of CBS Sports.com and NFL Sirius Radio came up with this little gem. “There were 295 pass plays called in the four games, resulting in one pass interference call and only four defensive holding calls.”

Much like the NHL it seems the NFL has instructed the officials to let the boys play. During the 49ers and Packers games there was at least two times with receiver Michael Crabtree was interfered with and there was no call.

So when you watch the games this weekend don’t be surprised if a lot of stuff that was called in the regular season isn’t worthy of a penalty.

• NFL Divisional Playoffs

Saturday

The Saints versus the Seahawks in Seattle

The Saints won their first ever road playoff game last week in Philadelphia. Winning their second will be significantly tougher. The 12th Man in Seattle is legit and the deafening crowd noise just adds to the issues facing Drew Brees and the Saints. The Seahawks have a fantastic defence and led by Russell Wilson, they have a solid offence. The Saints were able to run the ball quite effectively last week against the Eagles. That won’t happen this week in Seattle.

The Seahawks win.

The Colts and the Patriots at Gillette Stadium

Last week’s win over the Chiefs taught us a few things. First off, it taught us that if there is still some time left in a game the Colts believe that they have a chance to win. Second it taught us that Andrew Luck is very tough, both mentally and physically. Not many quarterbacks could survive throwing three interceptions and then do what Luck did in the fourth quarter.

Now they face the master, Tom Brady and the Patriots. Nobody is giving the Colts a hope in hell of winning this game. But I am. Injuries have gutted the core of the Patriots defence and that will make this game a lot closer than everyone thinks. Luck and the Colts don’t get rattled if their down and in T.Y. Hilton they have a receiver capable of breaking a game wide open every time he touches the ball. The Patriots are favoured by eight points. If they win, and I do mean “if”, it will be by less than three points.

The Patriots win, barely.

• Sunday

The 49ers and the Panthers in Carolina

Colin Kaepernick ran wild in the 49ers win over the Packers. Repeating that kind of performance against the Panthers defence won’t be quite as easy. The Panthers defence is legit and led by linebacker Luke Kuechly can shut down a running game as well as any team in the league.

With both teams capable of playing rock solid defence it will come down to which quarterback has the better game; Kaepernick or Carolina’s Cam Newton. Kaepernick has been there before, Newton hasn’t. That’s why the 49ers will win a knock-down Slobberknocker of a game.

Chargers and the Broncos in Denver

The Chargers are a dangerous team for the Broncos to face. Wouldn’t it be funny that after everything Peyton Manning accomplished this year if the Broncos were one-and-done? Not funny to the Broncos mind you; but funny to a lot of people around the league. Philip Rivers and the Chargers have nothing to lose. Nobody really thinks they can win.

That will be John Fox’s biggest challenge this week. Reminding the Broncos the fact the Chargers beat them in week 15 and they are certainly capable of doing it again Sunday. The key for Denver will be to score early and often and get their crowd into the game. They can’t afford to allow the Chargers to think they have a chance of winning the game.

The Chargers will give Denver a bit of a scare but the Broncos will end up victorious in the end.

• The Baseball Hall of Fame

Nothing touches off a heated debate like who should be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. There is one player that is beyond any kind of argument as to whether or not he should be in; former Braves and Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux.

(Follow Jim on Twitter at @JimLangSports)