This Week in Sports: February 8th

NHL:

It would appear that the Habs' season is dwindling down to one that will go down as a failure, a disappointment that will hopefully be forgotten about as soon as possible. The Habs lost three of the four games they have played since the All-Star game, picking up their only victory on Super Bowl Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets. The Habs need to win close to 70% of their remaining games in order to even get a sniff of the playoffs, but it would appear that at this point selling off assets in return for young talent and draft picks might bode better for the future.

NFL:

The New York Giants are World Champions for the second time in four years.

The Giants took down the New England Patriots in what will go down as yet another epic Super Bowl, 21-17. The game went down to the final play, when Tom Brady heaved a last-second Hail Mary that nearly deflected right into tight end Rob Gronkowski's hands. Instead, it fell harmlessly to the turf, giving Eli Manning and his Giants yet another championship. While it wasn't the shootout that I predicted last week, Manning did play a huge role, leading the offense down for yet another late fourth quarter touchdown drive that put the Giants ahead with a little under a minute to play. Tom Brady cannot be blamed for this Patriots loss; his receivers let him down with dropped passes on numerous occasions, notably twice on the final drive.

All in all, a season that was once in doubt is now in the books, bookended by drama and sheer joy, joy from the NFL and its fans when the lockout ended, and joy for the Giants and (most of) the city of New York as they prepare to celebrate yet another championship.

Start the countdown to the Draft!

NBA:

The NBA seasons chugs along at breakneck speed as the condensed schedule continues to take its toll on the league's players. Many teams are signing replacements to take over for injured players, notably the New Orleans Hornets, who are expected to sign Lance Thomas to a 10-day contract to replace injured forward Carl Landry as he recovers from a knee injury. The Los Angeles Clippers have also taken it upon themselves to add some depth, adding former first overall pick Kenyon Martin to a one-year deal. Martin was playing for a professional team in China which he had signed with during the NBA's extended lockout.

MLS:

The Montreal Impact have decided to allow their first overall pick from this year's draft, Duke superstar Andrew Wenger, to stay at school to finish his education. Wenger has been training with the club but had made it known even before the MLS SuperDraft that he wished to finish his education before turning pro. Wenger is expected to join the team later in the season, around mid-May, when the collegiate soccer season is over.

-Andrew Maggio runs a dedicated Habs blog, check it out here