A lot of huge events this week. All seven rounds of the NFL draft went smoothly, the NHL Playoffs are really starting to heat up and the NBA playoffs are officially underway as of this past weekend.

Hit the jump for the breakdown of this week’s biggest sports news.

-grizzly and vish bhatt (@thevhb)

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs:

The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs began last week. Had many game 7’s and overtime thrillers that prove just how great playoff hockey was. Currently, The LA Kings lead the St. Louis Blues 1-0. The Kings barely made the playoffs and are continuing to play great hockey against the top western conference teams. The Phoenix Coyotes moved past the Blackhawks and now are up 2-0 against the Nashville Predators .

In the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers were able to move past the Senators and currently hold a 1-0 series lead over the Washington Capitals . The Capitals knocked off the defending Stanley Cup Champs, the Boston Bruins, last week. The Philadelphia Flyers face their bitter rival New Jersey Devils , in what will shape up to be some intense games.

NBA News:

The Playoffs are underway. Here are our predictions. The Heat blew out the Knicks, The Spurs and Lakers came out strong, Kevin Durant hit a buzzer beater and Orlando shut everyone (including us) up by winning game 1 in Indiana. The Clippers overcame a 24-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Grizzlies, the Celtics fell short against the Hawks as Rajon Rondo lost his cool at the end of the game and bumped a referee – may result in a 1-game suspension.

In a horrible turn of events, reigning MVP Derrick Rose is out for the season with a Torn ACL. Well wishes to a speedy recovery, especially in future seasons. As far as the Chicago Bulls future in this year’s playoff’s, we’ll have to see. How far does everyone see the Bulls going without their star PG?

The condensed season got to another premier player in the league: Iman Shumpert (NYK) is also out with a torn ACL and left meniscus, and is expected to miss 6-8 months, which spills over into the 2012-2013 season. The rookie had an excellent season, and gave NYK the defensive jolt they needed to get where they are.

Other tidbits:

- Steve Francis put out a rap video. SERIOUSLY.
- Ray Allen needs surgery on his ankle for bone spurs, but plans to wait until the season’s over.
- Caron Butler broke his hand in Game 1, and will miss the rest of the Clippers’ season.
- James Harden played in Game 1 of the series with the Mavericks. Glad to see him on the court in better health.
- Deron Williams wants a new contract before the Olympics.

NFL News:

The New Orleans Saints are in the news again. And again for the wrong reasons. Apparently Saints GM, Mickey Loomis was able to listen to visiting teams’ Head Coaches. Obviously not only a violation of NFL rules, but potentially a federal crime as well. Saints PR has already said that these reports are “1000% percent false.” Not 100, 1000. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens to this franchise.

The NFL have begun their annual Top 100 Players of 2012. Check out videos for 91-100 on the official site. Thoughts?

The NFL Draft is now a thing of the past. Be sure to check the draft board to see who your favorite team did and didn’t draft.

Other tidbits:
- Brian Dawkins played most of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and more recently with the Denver Broncos . He retired Monday, April 23, via twitter. No lie.

NCAA Football News:

John L Smith former Michigan State football coach will coach the Arkansas Razorbacks for the following season after Bobby Petrino was relieved of his duties earlier this month. John L Smith is best known for his blow up on national TV during an Ohio State/Michigan State game. Remember?

NCAA Basketball News:
-The Virginia Tech Hokies fired their head coach, Seth Greenberg . The Hokies are constantly on the bubble of making the NCAA Tournament and never are able to get over the hump. This, along with disappointing seasons led to Greenberg the pink slip.
-The UCLA Bruins recruiting class got better last week. After the hour long annoucement, Tony Parker, standout high-school recruit chose the Bruins.

Soccer News:
Barcelona and Chelsea had an amazing match. Chelsea was a man down and scored in stoppage time.

Pep Guardiola has announced he will step down as Barcelona coach, effective at the end of the season.

What to Watch this Week:

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs:
The second round has begun.

NBA Playoffs:
Duh.

MLB:
3-game series: Texas Rangers @ Toronto Blue Jays
3-game series: Baltimore Orioles @ New York Yankees
3-game series: Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox
3-game series: Philadelphia Phillies @ Washington Nationals

Soccer:
Man City vs Manchester United

Thanks for reading!

-grizzly and vish