Stanley Cup Playoffs Round Three

So after all the hard work, sweat, and a pair of game seven's, the conference finals are now set in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the East, Boston beat the Rangers in five games, while Pittsburgh took down Ottawa in five. The West saw both series go seven games. Chicago came back from down 3-1 to beat the Red Wings in seven games. It was a home ice series between the Sharks and Kings,and LA came out on top in a seven game series win. With this final four it marks only the 2nd time in league history that the last four Stanley Cup champions make up the final four. Pittsburgh won in 2009, Chicago in 2010, Boston in 2011, and LA last year. The last time that happened was in the 1945 playoffs. WE start off our preview with the Eastern Conference Finals.

Pittsburgh got here after a six game series win over the Islanders in the opening round, and then beating the Ottawa Senators in five games in round two. As for the Bruins they got here after a seven game opening round series win over the Maple Leafs and then a five game series win over the New York Rangers. This is the fifth playoff series for these two teams, with each team having won two of the four previous meetings. Their most recent meeting was in the 1992 Wales Conference Finals, where Pittsburgh swept the Bruins out of the playoffs. The Penguins won all three games in this year's regular season series.

This may be the toughest test for the Penguins in this years playoffs. Boston has one of the more balanced teams in the league, and may be the most physical remaining in the playoffs. It has been well documented in the past that the Penguins don't respond too well to physical play, it throws them off their game and it doesn't end well. Look no further than last year against the Flyers. Boston may be the one team who can really challenge the Pens physically and throw their weight around. Both teams have balanced scoring attacks that's been evident all year long in the playoffs. Here is the date and times of the games in this series.

June 1 Boston Bruins 8:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
June 3 Boston Bruins 8:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
June 5 Pittsburgh Penguins 8:00 p.m. Boston Bruins TD Garden
June 7 Pittsburgh Penguins 8:00 p.m. Boston Bruins TD Garden
June 9 Boston Bruins 8:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
June 11 Pittsburgh Penguins TBD Boston Bruins TD Garden
June 12 Boston Bruins TBD Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center

So we all know how good both of these teams have been in the playoffs this year. Both teams can score goals that's been pretty evident. Boston has a slight edge in goaltending, but Thomas Vokoun has been one of the big reasons the Pens have gotten this far in the playoffs. That will be the determining factor on this series. Tukka Rask has played great of r Boston as well, and is one of the big reasons they are where they are. This series looks as if its going to take the full seven games to complete. That being said in the end I feel the penguins may have a tad more firepower than the Bruins, and that will be enough to get the Penguins back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Now we move along to the Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks. LA got here after a six game opening round win over the Blues, then followed it up with a seven game series win over the Sharks. Chicago got here after beating the Wild in the opening round in five, then coming back to beat the Red Wings in seven games. This is the second playoff series for these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 1974 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, which Chicago won in five games. The Blackhawks won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

This will be another very tough and physical series. Chicago is coming off a series in which they came back from down 3-1 to win the series thanks to Brent Seabrook winning the series in OT of game seven. Chicago got its game together in game five and was in the drivers seat from there on out. As for the Kings, they had a bit tougher time dealing with the Sharks, a series in which the home team won every game. What surprised me about the Kings in this years playoffs is that they have been winning and doing so in close one goal games. Since they are playing against a team with a good goalie tandom in Emery and Crawford in Chicago, its going to be a great series to watch. Here is the date and times for games in the West Finals:

June 1 Los Angeles Kings 5:00 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
June 2 Los Angeles Kings 8:00 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
June 4 Chicago Blackhawks 9:00 p.m. Los Angeles Kings Staples Center
June 6 Chicago Blackhawks 9:00 p.m. Los Angeles Kings Staples Center
June 8 Los Angeles Kings 8:00 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
June 10 Chicago Blackhawks 9:00 p.m. Los Angeles Kings Staples Center
June 12 Los Angeles Kings TBD Chicago Blackhawks United Center

A big factor to play in this series, much like in the East Finals, is goaltending. Jonathan Quick of the Kings has the best numbers of any goalie in this year's playoffs. Only thing that is stopping me from taking the Kings in this series is they haven't scored enough goals to really give Quick a comfortable lead, and we know the Hawks can score. Quick is going to steal at least two for the Kings in the series but the Hawks will take it and face the Penguins in the finals.

So there you have it the Conference finals are all set and in two weeks we will have ourselves a Stanley Cup finals!

John Tortorella Fired As Ranger Coach

After four and a half years as the coach of the New York Rangers John Tortorella has been let go and is now looking for a new job. In his time as Rangers head coach, Torts finished with a record of 171-115-29 in 315 games. In those years the Rangers made the playoffs four times, but never made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Tortorella, hired to replace Tom Renney with 21 games remaining in the 2008-09 season, achieved some success with the Rangers but couldn’t match the Stanley Cup title he earned in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now according to reports there was another factor leading to him getting fired from New York. A source told the New York Daily News that “multiple players” and some “top guys” wanted the coach gone. According to the New York Post, “Sather had no intention of dismissing Tortorella … until a critical mass of players informed the GM that the coach’s overbearing personality had become a roadblock to success.”

Now don't get me wrong there were a few other factors that could have been factored in to him getting fired. Not winning a Stanley Cup for one thing is a factor. Also struggling in the playoffs, a lack luster powerplay last season. We all know he has a fiery personality, and that has been put on display more than once, both behind the bench and during some of his postgame interviews. That may have been a factor as to why he hung around as long as he did as the coach. But in the minds of some the negatives outweigh the positives and he is out of a job.

What surprises me is that he had a lack of backing from his players. The players were the ones who wanted him gone. I think you could somewhat start to see it that the Rangers players somewhat gave up listening to him during the 2nd round loss to the Bruins. I don't care how good of a coach you are, if the players on you're team aren't listening to you and aren't supporting you, then you will not be a success and quickly out of a job. Tortorella is the career leader in wins by a U.S.-born coach with 410. He was an assistant coach with the Rangers in the 1999-2000 season and took over for John Muckler as head coach for the final four games. Tortorella was then hired by the Lightning and he was their coach for seven seasons, going 239-222-36-38 and earning the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in the championship season.

A replacement wasn’t named immediately, but Sather hopes to have a new coach in place by the NHL draft on June 30. So now this leads to the debate as to who is going to take over as the new coach of the Rangers. Former NHL coaches Lindy Ruff and Alain Vigneault could be candidates. Sather wouldn’t speculate on them or whether anyone currently employed by the Rangers would be considered. Also there have been rumors running around like crazy that former Rangers players like Mark Messier and Adam Graves could also be considered as the possible new head coach. Sorry but as I mentioned in the post yesterday, it isn't always the case that former players become good coaches. So I can't really see either Messier or Graves being the answer. Lindy Ruff from what I can tell would be the best fit for the Rangers as the new bench boss.

Will there be a right answer for the Rangers problems? Only time will tell!

Roy Named Avalanche Coach

As most hockey fans know by now, Patrick Roy was named head coach and vice president of hockey operations of the Colorado Avalanche. The announcement was made ten years to the day that Roy announced his retirement from the game of hockey. Roy became the 7th coach in the history of the Avalanche. So with this announcement it lead to a great debate of the best and worst players turned coaches in the history of the league. And with that here is what we have come up with.

Best Players Turned Coaches:
Larry Robinson 
Robinson played 20 seasons in the NHL, he won six Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens and won two Norris Trophies as the league's top defenseman. He received his first NHL coaching job as an assistant with the Devils in 1993, and he was on staff when the Devils won their first championship in 1995. Later that year, he was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, where he spent four seasons. Robinson returned to the Devils as coach and led them to a Stanley Cup title in 2000, but he was fired less than two years later. The Devils rehired Robinson in July to replace Pat Burns, who has been diagnosed with cancer for the second time in a little more than a year. Robinson holds a career coaching record of 195-210-64, including 73-49-19 with the Devils.

Bryan Trottier 
Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1974, "Trots" put up 95 points and won the Calder Trophy as the best rookie in the NHL. His offensive numbers were consistent through the next decade and was an integral part of the Isles' four straight Cup wins from 1980-83. After 15 seasons in New York, he signed with the Penguins and helped them win back-to-back Cups in 1991-92. He retired following the 1993-94 season. After torturing the rival Rangers as a player with the Islanders, Trottier was named the Blueshirts' 30th coach before the 2002-03 season. After only 54 games, the rookie NHL head coach was fired by the Rangers as the league's highest-paid team posted a 21-26-6-1 record. Trottier was an assistant coach with Colorado from 1998 through 2002 and spent three years as an assistant with Pittsburgh. He was also with Portland of the AHL in the 1997-98 season.

Jacques Lemaire 
Jacques Lemaire scored at least 20 goals in all 12 of his seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, topping out at 44 in 1972-73 and totaling 366 in all. He’s in the Hall of Fame for that, and for the fact that he was an integral part of the Canadiens dynasty that won the Stanley Cup eight times during his career. Lemaire was arguably even better as a coach. Why arguably? Because although his 617 regular season wins puts him 9th on the list of all-time winningest coaches, he only has one Stanley Cup from behind the bench. That lone championship came with the Devils in 1995, the year after they lost a double-overtime Game 7 to the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals. After that, however, it’s a long list of major disappointments in the postseason: second round loss in 1997 despite 104 points; first round loss in 1998 despite 107 points; first round loss in 2007 despite 104 points; first round loss in 2008 despite 98 points, first round loss in 2010 despite 103 points…you get the idea. Still, those 617 wins and that one Stanely Cup make Jacques Lemaire a great coach, and definitely the best Hall of Fame player-turned-coach in NHL history.

Gerry Cheevers
If there is one case to look to for a prediction for Patrick Roy as coach of the Avalanche, this would be it. Why? Because Gerry Cheevers was also a Hall of Fame, Stanley Cup-winning goalie. He won Cups in 1970 and 1972, and he was inducted into the Hall of Game in 1985. As a coach? Cheevers was pretty good. In four full seasons as coach of the Bruins they had two second-place finishes and two first-place finishes. Then, during his fifth season, he was fired 56 games into the season with a record of 25-24-7. So while the Bruins didn’t give the guy a long leash, he certain earned one.

The guys listed above have had great careers behind the bench after their playing days ended. Now we look at a few guys who didn't have that great a time behind the bench after their playing days were done.

Worst Player Turned Coaches:
Wayne Gretzky
Everybody knows what Wayne Gretzky did as a player. The guy holds every major offensive record in NHL history. As coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, however, Gretzky was far from Great. He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t great. In four full seasons behind the bench, the desert dogs finished above .500 once—and that was just one game above .500. So needless to say they never made the playoffs, either.

Paul Holmgren 
Paul Holmgren played in the NHL for 10 seasons from 1975-76 to 1984-85, the majority of which he spent with the Philadelphia Flyers. He finished his career playing for the Minnesota North Stars before returning to Philly as head coach. His first season behind the bench was his best, with a record of 36-36-8. That would be the only time that Holmgren would coach a team into the postseason. The Flyers lost in the conference finals with him at the helm. He coached the Flyers for another three seasons before finally being replaced. Holmgren moved on the next year to the Hartford Whalers. He went on to coach parts of four seasons, which included a stint as GM of the Whalers, before being let go. His career coaching stats for the 425 games he coached were 161-219-45.

Butch Goring
Butch Goring played for the Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins and New York Islanders, with whom he won the Stanley Cup four times. His playing career in the NHL lasted from 1969 to 1985, and he retired after 10 games in the AHL during the 1986-87 season. Goring coached two NHL teams during his tenure as a head coach—Boston and the New York Islanders. Over the course of four seasons, Goring coached 240 games in the NHL, ending his career as a coach with a sad record of 83-126-27, including four overtime losses. After his attempt to become a player-turned-coach, he has moved to the broadcast booth for the Islanders.

Glen Hanlon 
Glen Hanlon was drafted in 1977 by the Vancouver Canucks. He debuted in 1977, playing only four games. Hanlon would also suit up for the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings during his 477-game NHL career. One of Hanlon's biggest moments was being in net when Wayne Gretzky scored his first NHL goal. He served as an assistant coach for Vancouver and Washington before going to the Portland Pirates of the AHL as head coach. In 2003, the Capitals had a miserable start and GM George McPhee brought Hanlon in to finish the season. The only thing of note that his 15-30-9 record garnered was the first overall draft pick, Alexander Ovechkin. Hanlon returned behind the bench in 2005, as the 2004-05 season was lost due to the lockout. In 2007, he only managed 21 games as coach before being replaced. In his career as an NHL head coach, Hanlon’s record was a pathetic 78-122-9 with 30 overtime losses.

So there is my list of the best and worst players turned coaches in the NHL. Where will Patrick Roy fall on these two lists? Only time will tell.

Mets Slide Past Yankees In Subway Series Opener

So the big series that New York Baseball fans have been waiting for has finally arrived. The Subway Series between the Mets and Yankees has gotten underway and the Mets surprised a few people by taking the first game of the series in dramatic fashion with a 2-1 win at Citi Field last night. The game, as usual, didn't disappoint the fans. There were great plays and drama all over the park. Tension was in the air and it truly was a fun game to watch.

Yankees got on the board first in the 6th inning when Jason Nix singled to right, scoring Brett Gardner. The Mets would respond in the bottom of the 7th when David Wright crushed a 407 foot home run off the face of the 2nd deck in left field to tie the game. For Wright it was his 7th of the year and first home run hit at home this season.  Then Daniel Murphy got his shot at revenge in the 8th. Two innings earlier, Murphy hit a deep drive to left center field and he was robbed of a home run by Brett Gardner. 8th inning, Murphy hit a liner back up the middle that went through for a base hit to drive in Valdespin for the go-ahead run. Jonathan Neise pitched seven solid innings, and then had Brandon Lyon and Bobby Parnell shut the door in the final two innings to preserve the win. With the win the Mets improve their record to 19-27, while the Yankees drop to 30-20.

So now with the first game of the series in the books, the next three are shaping up to be a lot of fun to watch. Tonight is the final game to be played between the two at Citi Field and is set up for a great pitching matchup. The Yankees will send out Hiroki Kuroda (6-3 2.67 ERA 39 K's) while the Mets send their best pitcher to the mound in the form of Matt Harvey (5-0 1.93 ERA 74 K's). Next up the scene shifts to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Game three of the series will see the Mets send Jeremy Hefner (0-5 4.76 ERA 37K's), while the Yankees will send David Phelps (3-2 3.96 ERA 49 K's) to the hill. In the final game of the series on Thursday the Mets send Dillon Gee (2-6 6.34 ERA 37 K's) to the hill, and he'll be facing Vidal Nuno (1-1 1.93 ERA 7 K's).

Going forward, the Mets still sit 4th in the NL East while the Yankees sit in 2nd place in the AL East. Its obvious to most observers that these two ball clubs are really going in two different directions. The Mets holes are really obvious. They have the 2nd worst team batting average in baseball hitting just .228 as a team. The only real bright spot for the Mets this season has been the outstanding pitching of Matt Harvey, who gets the start tonight. AS for the Yankees it has been well documented this season that they have been hit with the injury bug. Because they have such a great pitching staff, which is in the top ten in the league in almost every pitching statistic, they have been able to stay atop the AL East.

Yes the Mets got the win last night, and yes its going to be a very entertaning series to watch but its not really that close to see which team is the better of the two.

Brian Urlacher Calls it A CAreer

After spending the last 13 years intimidating opposing players around the NFL, Brian Urlacher has decided to finally hang up the pads and call it a career. In 182 appearances with Chicago, Urlacher started nearly all of them, while recording 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 11 fumbles forced, 16 fumble recoveries, and a team-record 1,779 tackles. Urlacher  was an eight time Pro Bowler, a five time All-Pro  he won the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2005), Football Digest Defensive Player of the Year (2001) NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2000) NFC Player of the Month (December 2010, January 2011) NFL Rookie Defensive Player of the Month (10/2000) NFL 2000s All-Decade Team Chicago Bears season tackles record (153, 2002) Chicago Bears career tackles record (1,192) Consensus All-American (1999) UNM Male Athlete of the Year (1999) UNM season record for most tackles (1999).

The numbers he put up during his career only tell part of the story. What also made him so special was the intimidation factor. Brian Urlacher was one of the more intimidating middle linebackers in football. The physical style of play is what defined the playing career of Brian Urlacher. So now that he has called it a career, it brings about the debate of where does he rank among the all time greats at the middle linebacker position.

Well there are two ways to look at it, where does he rank in the modern era and where does he rank all time. In the modern era there is only one other middle linebacker I would consider taking over Brian Urlacher, and that would be the also recently retired Ray Lewis. As far as all time consideration goes, I would put Urlacher in my top five of the greatest ever. Ahead of him is a pretty good class which includes Ray Lewis, Jack Lambert, Mike Singeltary and Dick Butkus. Now this is just based on the position of middle linebacker alone. If you want to include outside linebackers as well, then Urlacher may be just outside my top ten, but he is by far one of the two best middle linebackers to play in my lifetime.

Brian Urlacher may be a lock for the pro football hall of fame in Canton Ohio

New York Yankees Buy Soccer Team

It was major announcement in the world of sports, and it just so happened to take place in the city of New York. A partnership has been reached between the New York Yankees and Major League Soccer. Here is the full story from MLB.com. 

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber announced today that a partnership of global sports powers, Manchester City Football Club and the New York Yankees, has acquired the League's 20th expansion club. The new team will be named New York City Football Club (NYCFC) and expects to begin play in 2015. 

"We proudly welcome two of the most prestigious professional global sports organizations to Major League Soccer," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "This is a transformational development that will elevate the league to new heights in this country. The New York area is home to more than 19 million people, and we look forward to an intense crosstown rivalry between New York City Football Club and the New York Red Bulls that will captivate this great city." 

"New York is a legendary sports town, as well as a thriving global city with a rapidly expanding soccer fan-base," said Ferran Soriano, CEO of Manchester City Football Club, who will oversee the process of filling top New York City FC leadership positions in the weeks to come. "We are thrilled to contribute to the energy and growth of New York City Soccer. In the Yankees, we have found the absolute best partner for developing a world-class sports organization and a winning team that will carry the New York City Football Club name with pride." 

Manchester City will be the majority owner of the new Club. As an investor, the Yankees will be an active member of the ownership group. The New York Yankees and Manchester City Football Club have an existing commercial relationship through Legends Hospitality, LLC, an international entertainment, hospitality and marketing organization. Yankee Stadium is pleased to be hosting Manchester City on Saturday, May 25 for a "friendly" match against Chelsea FC, giving New York area fans a rare opportunity to see two outstanding English Premier League clubs up close. 

"We are pleased to be associated with this major move by MLS to increase its presence in the New York market and to enhance the opportunity for New York soccer fans to enjoy high-level play in their own city. We look forward to the opportunity to work with Manchester City to create something very special for the soccer fans of New York -- and to bringing another terrific team to this city for all sports fans to enjoy," said Hal Steinbrenner, managing general partner of the New York Yankees. "Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees, will be the point person in leading the effort to launch and establish the team on behalf of the organization," Mr. Steinbrenner added. 

With millions of residents watching soccer every week and nearly two million people actively playing the game, the New York/New Jersey area is one of North America's most vibrant and proud soccer communities. The region has filled stadiums for countless marquee soccer events including the 1994 FIFA Men's World Cup, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, three MLS All-Star Games and numerous international exhibition matches. NYCFC becomes the first MLS club whose home will be located within the five boroughs, joining the Red Bulls as the second MLS club in the metropolitan area. 

"Soccer is one of the world's most exciting and popular sports, and it should be played on the world's biggest stage -- in New York City," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "New Yorkers are the greatest sports fans in the world, and they will welcome a Major League Soccer franchise with the full-throated and loyal support they are famous for. Manchester City has a great reputation for both winning teams and serious community investment, and that will help them fit in well with the excellent leadership of New York City's other professional sports teams. Increasingly, sports events and activities -- from the NHL playoffs to the MLB All-Star game to the SuperBowl -- are spurring economic growth, as our investments in new arenas and infrastructure are paying off."

About Manchester City Since new ownership took over five years ago, Manchester City has gained its place as one of England's most successful football clubs and one of the fastest growing clubs in the world, on and off the field. Last spring, Manchester City won the 2012 Barclay's Premier League Championship. This year it finished second in the League and was the FA Cup runner up. Manchester City FC is wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group. New York Yankees Established in 1903, the New York Yankees are Major League Baseball's most storied franchise with 27 World Championships and 40 American League pennants. About Major League Soccer Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. MLS features many stars from the U.S., Canada, and around the world. Major League Soccer's 18th season features 19 clubs each playing 34 regular-season matches. Those clubs include the Chicago Fire; Chivas USA; Colorado Rapids; Columbus Crew; D.C. United; FC Dallas; Houston Dynamo; 2012 MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy; Montreal Impact; New York Red Bulls; New England Revolution; Philadelphia Union; Portland Timbers; Real Salt Lake; San Jose Earthquakes; Seattle Sounders FC; Sporting Kansas City; Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. New York City FC, was unveiled May 21, 2013. For more information about MLS, log on to the league's official website at www.MLSsoccer.com

So now that there is yet another Soccer team in town, this is going to be huge for New York and Sports in general. This opens up new possibilities for business expansion in other areas and adds new revenue to the area. Plus it will expose the sport of soccer to people in this area, like myself, that have never really been exposed to the game. This deal is a win win situation for all parties involved and will be a great thing to watch down the road.

NBA Playoffs Conference Finals

AS the months turn towards summer, the NBA playoffs have reached the next round as the conference finals are set to get underway. To this point in the post season, there have been a few upsets and surprises, but that's usually what happens in playoff time. In round two of the playoffs, Indiana upset the Knicks and Memphis upset the Thunder. With the Thunder series, you could really tell that not having Russel Westbrook in the Thunder lineup hurt OKC and left them without too many options against a more balanced Memphis team. With the Knicks series against the Pacers, it was a simple formula the Knicks were outplayed the entire series, and some of the holes the Knicks still had were exploited. Chandler was just plain bad for the Knicks in the series and it hurt them in the long run. So now with that in mind we have a set conference finals and here we go.

We start it off with the Eastern Conference finals as it puts the #1 Miami Heat taking on the #3 Indiana Pacers. Indiana got here after a six game win over Atlanta in the opening round and then another six game win over  the Knicks in round two. This is the first appearance in the East Finals for the Pacers since a 2004 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Indiana hasn't made it to the NBA finals since 2000 when they fell to the Lakers. All time in the East Finals the Pacers are 7-6. As for the Heat, they are coming off a first round sweep of the Bucks and a five game victory over the Bulls in round two. This is the third straight trip to the East finals for the Heat, and the Heat are 2-3 all time in the conference finals. Head to head in the playoffs the Heat and Pacers are 1-1, and during the regular season the Pacers beat the Heat in two of their three meetings.

Leading the way for the Pacers during this playoff run has been their best players, Roy Hibbert, David West and Paul George. All three guys have been hitting their shots at the key times during games, and have made life miserable for opponents in the playoffs. If you don't believe me just ask the Knicks from the last round. As for Miami they have been rolling losing only once in the playoffs, and that was game one to the Bulls in the last round. This series is going to be a close one with the Pacers giving the Heat all they can handle and then some. It will go at least six games but the Heat will be just too much. Heat win the series and make their third trip to the NBA Finals in as many years.