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.

Steve Smith Trashes Mark Sanchez

As if things couldn't get any tougher for Jets Quarterback Mark Sanchez, this happens. During an interview on the Drive on 610 WFNZ, Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith said " He sucks" and "I wouldn’t let Mark Sanchez throw me a paper bag sandwich."

Now this coming from Steve Smith is a bit surprising. First of all why would you even be talking about Sanchez in the first place? Second of all Steve Smith, who plays for another team all together has no interactions at all with Sanchez. I know that Steve Smith is a big time wide receiver, that fact is obvious. But he is one of the last guys I would have seen ripping Mark Sanchez.

Now as much as I really hate to say this, me being a Jets fan, but to a degree he's right. Sanchez can throw a football we know that. As of late however, Sanchez hasn't looked like a true starting quarterback in the NFL. Sanchez was benched twice late last season, which shows how much of a fall from grace he has had over the past few seasons. Promising a true training camp competition at the position, New York signed David Garrard and selected West Virginia’s Geno Smith in the second round of last month’s draft. Garrard now plans to retire due to lingering knee issues, leaving the starting job up for grabs between Sanchez, Smith, McElroy and Matt Simms. Sanchez threw 18 interceptions last season and couldn’t hold on to the ball when pressured, lowlighted by the infamous “Buttfumble” on Thanksgiving night.


So as you can see, Steve Smith is somewhat right in his dumping on Sanchez. This could make things real interesting when the Jets play the Panthers in week 15, that is if Mark Sanchez is still the starting quarterback.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2

The opening round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs is in the books and it was well worth the wait with excitement abound left and right. There were a few surprises in the opening round, and a few instances of total domination in various series. With that being said, round two is not set in stone and ready to kick off tonight. And so since we have all the matchups set lets take a look at the four series in the 2nd round.

And we start the preview and predictions off in the Western Conference with the #! Chicago Blackhawks taking on the #5 Detroit Red Wings. Chicago got here after a somewhat easy opening round victory over the Wild in five games, while Detroit pulled an upset by beating the Ducks in seven tough games, including winning three in overtime. This is the sixteenth playoff meeting for these two teams, with Chicago having won eight of the previous fifteen series. Their most recent meeting was in the 2009 Western Conference Finals, which Detroit won in five games. The Blackhawks won all four games in this year's regular season series.

In the Hawks five game win over the Wild, they didn't have to play against Nick Bsckstrom in the Wild net, which may have played a small difference in the series. Leading the way in scoring for the Hawks was Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, and Marian Hossa, who had six, six and five points respectively. Cory Crawford played all five games for the Hawks in the first round and allowed on seven goals in the whole series. As for Detroit, they were in a dog fight with the Ducks in the first round, winning three of their four games in overtime. Gustav Nyquist, Damien Brunner, and Henrik Zetterberg scored the OT winners for Detroit. Jimmy Howard played OK in net but allowed a total of 20 goals in the seven games, while Zetterberg and Pavel Daytsuk lead the offensive charge. This will be a tough and physical series that will go at least five games. AFter what Detroit showed me in round one they still have something left to prove and might be able to hang with the Hawks offense but I think Chicago has the better goaltending and in the end that will be the difference. Chicago will take the series in six games.

Next up we take a look at the other matchup in the West as its the #5 Los Angeles Kings taking on the #6 San Jose Sharks in a battle of California. The Sharks got here after a clean sweep of the Vancouver Canucks in the opening round, while the Kings came back from down 0-2 to beat the Blues in six games. This is the second playoff series for these two teams. Their first meeting was in the 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals, which San Jose won in six games. The two teams split this year's four-game regular season series.

During their win over the Canucks in the opening round, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture had a field day with eight points each. Joe Thornton tied Couture for the lead in assists with five and Patrick Marleau tied Pavelski for goals with four. Antti Niemi wasn't tested very much by the Canucks, allowing only eight goals in the series. Meanwhile the Kings had to erase a 2-0 deficit to beat the Blues in six, with all six games being decided by just one goal. Jonathan Quick was in net for all six games for the Kings and played pretty well, despite his mishandeling of the puck in overtime of game one. Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, and Jeff Carter have been powering the Kings offense, which was expected of them when the playoffs began. With how evenly matched both teams are this series looks like it might be able to go a full seven games. San Jose is still trying to break their stigma of being a choke artist of a team. San Jose won't have as much of an offensive field day in this series as they did in the opening round because, lets face facts, the Kings goaltending is far superior to that of the Canucks. San Jose is good but I think the Kings will wear them down over the course of the series so I'll take the Kings in seven.

Switching gears now we move along to the Eastern Conference as we have the #1 Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the #7 Ottawa Senators. Pittsburgh got through an opening round scare with a six game win over the Islanders. The Pens had to make a goalie change two thirds of the way through the series and it paid off in the end. As for Ottawa, they surprised a few people with a five game win over the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, and were even able to take advantage of a weak Cary Price. This is the fourth playoff meeting for these two teams, all occurring over the last seven seasons, with Pittsburgh winning the previous two. Their most recent meeting was in the 2010 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, where the Penguins defeated the Senators in six games. The Penguins won all three games in this year's regular season series.

In the opening round, Ottawa surprised a lot of people with their win over Montreal. Craig Anderson played great in net, allowing only nine goals in the entire series, so he was tested but wasn't really pushed hard by the Habs. Ottawa got offensive contributions from a wide variety of players in that series, with Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson leading the way in scoring with six points each. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, didn't have as easy a going in the opening round as Ottawa did. The Pens were pushed to the limit, almost, by the Islanders in the first round. Marc-Andre Fluery look very shaky in the first four games and was replaced by Thomas Vokoun, who played great in the final two games. Evgeni Malkin lead the way with 11 points in the opening round, followed by Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla with 9 points each. Pascal Dupuis chipped in with five goals. as far as this series goes, it really is going to come down to the goaltending. Anderson has played great and can possibly hold the fort down against the Penguins attack. What will decide this series is the Penguins goaltending. If Thomas Vokoun plays the way he did in the last two games against the Islanders then the Pens take the series in six. If it goes back to the bad netminding you saw from Fluery then it will be Ottawa in six. But all things considered, the Pens will take the series in six.

Finally we take a look at the last matchup in the round as its the #4 Boston Bruins taking on the #6 New York Rangers. Both of these teams had to go the full seven games in the first round. The Rangers exploded for six goals in the last two games and a pair of shutouts from King Henrik to beat Washington. As for Boston, they had a 3-1 lead in the series with the Leafs and let it get away to force game seven, then had to come back in game seven and win it in overtime. This is the tenth playoff meeting for these two teams, with Boston having won six of the nine previous series. Their most recent meeting was in the 1973 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, which New York won in five games. The Rangers won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

This series is going to be physical and going seven games easy. Boston's defense looked a little shaky in the opening round against the Leafs and are going to need to get that corrected against the Rangers. Boston got bigtime scoring from David Krejci who had 13 points in the first round, which leads all playoff scorers. Also contributing was Nathan Horton, Patrice Bergeron, and Milan Lucic. That should be enough to get them through but they need a bit more production from role players like Tyler Seguin. As for the Rangers, they need to give Henrik Lundqvist some more offensive support, as I don't think he can stand on his head again against a team like Boston. Derick Brassard lead the Rangers in scoring with nine points. That was a big factor in this series in that the Rangers got more of their role players to step up than their big stars. If the Rangers want to have a chance to move on to the next round, they need their big stars like Rick Nash and Brand Richards to start scoring again, otherwise they will be hitting the golf course soon. Unless the Rangers big guns get going this series will end kinda quickly. With all things considered I know this will make some in New York unhappy but its my gut feeling telling me the Bruins are gonna take this series in seven games.

So there you have it. A preview and predictions for the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

Islanders Eliminated From Playoffs

Thanks to the overtime goal from Brooks Orpik at the 7:49 mark of overtime, the Pittsburgh Penguins moved on to the 2nd round and the New York Islanders are sent home form the playoffs early. There were times during this series where the Islanders looked flat and showed no life. There were times during this series where the Islanders looked great and look like they could pull off the upset in the round. Whatever the causes or the reason, the Islanders showed the league that they aren't a pushover anymore and will be a good team down the road.

As I talked about last week the Islanders had showed life at times in the series, and at times had looked flat. In game six when it counted at home, the Islanders just weren't able to play a complete 60 minute hockey game and it cost them in the end. After Okposo scored to give the Islanders the lead in the 3rd, instead of attacking the Penguins, the Islanders seemed to shut down and play more of a defensive style. When Paul Martin scored to tied the game for the Pens late in the third, I think a lot of the air was taken out of the building. The Isles had a few good chances to win it in overtime but Vokoun  played great in the last two games of the series.

Basically the Islanders need not to be disappointed by this elimination. I look at this as a giant step forward. What this series, and this season for that matter, has told me is that this club isn't going to be pushed around anymore.

So yes it stinks the Islanders have been eliminated from the playoffs but they will be back again I'm calling that right now. Stay tuned to the blog for a season recap for the Islanders coming later this week!

Tavares Nominated For Hart Trophy

The finalists for the Hart Trophy as league MVP were announced today and it's no surprise that John Tavares of the Islanders was nominated for the award, along with Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals and Sidney Crosby of the Penguins. Of the three guys nominated, two have already been nominated and won the award. Crosby won it back in 2007, and Ovechkin won it in back to back years in 2008 and 2009. This nomination is the first for Tavares.

As for Tavares chances to win the award he does have a pretty good shot at it. He lead the Islanders in goals with 28 and points with 47. His 28 goals had him finished 3rd in the league, and his 47 points placed him 17th in the league. It's more than just his stats that got him nominated for the prestigious award.On most nights it seemed as if Tavares was carrying the club. He seemed to be the Islanders best player on a lot of nights this season, and is one of the biggest reasons, along with Evgeni Nabokov, that the Islanders got into the playoffs this year.

The only time in franchise history that an Islanders player has won the MVP was Brian Trottier in 1979. Now what are the chances that Tavares actually wins the award? To be honest I'm not sure. Now most know that i'm a big Islanders fan, but here's the thing that's stopping me from picking Tavares. Not only did Crosby and Ovechkin have better numbers offensively that John, but I think they had a bigger impact on their team. And this is not to say that Tavares didn't have a big impact on the Islanders, he did. I think that both Crosby and Ovechkin had a bigger impact on the Pens and Caps respectively.

So who will walk away with the Hart Trophy at the end of the year? We will just have to wait and find out.

Islanders Even Series With Pens

It has been six long years in the making, the New York Islanders are having a pretty big impact in the opening round. When the series started, many people, myself included, didn't really give the Islanders much of a chance in the series. They are going in against the best team in the Eastern Conference and a team that had pretty much owned them during the regular season. In the opener of the series the Penguins dominated the Islanders to the tune of a 5-0 win. It look as if in game one the Pens might run over the Islanders in the series, the Isles played flat and uninspired hockey and Pittsburgh took full advantage of that.

When game two started again the Penguins jumped out to an early lead, and having Sidney Crosby back was a big lift for the Pens. Matt Moulson got the first goal for the Islanders in this years playoffs, and that seemed to get the Isles back into the series, but the Pens had the 3-1 lead at the end of the first. When the 2nd got started the Islanders had the jump and energy and were able to convert twice to tie the game, thanks to goals from Collin McDonald and Matt Martin. Then in the 3rd the Isles caught the big break they were looking for when Kyle Okposo jammed in a rebound late in the 3rd, and with some solid play in their own end the Islanders held on for the win. With the Matt Moulson goal in the first, it was the first Islanders playoff goal since Chris Campoli scored in the 3rd period of game five back in 2007 against Buffalo.

So with the series tied at two the scene shifted back to Nassau Coliseum for the first time since 2007 and the building was rocking. The Isles fed off that crowd right off the bat and took a two goal lead. Then the penalty trouble the Islanders have had came back to bite them at the end of the period. During most of the regular season, taking penalties had been a thorn in the Islanders side, and in game three the Pens converted on their power plays to take a 3-2 lead after one. Pittsburgh added to the lead with a Doug Murry goal in the 2nd to go up by two. In true Islanders fashion, the team never gave up, and was able to answer in the 3rd. Kyle Okposo scored shorthanded to cut the lead to one and then with time running down John Tavares scored his first playoff goal to get the game even and force overtime.

Now coming into game three the Islanders haven't won an overtime playoff game in twenty years. The last OT win in the playoffs for the Islanders came in game seven of the 2nd round of the 1993 playoffs against Pittsburgh on the David Volek goal. Since then the team has lost both of their other overtime games in the playoffs, 2003 Todd White scored in double overtime for Ottawa in game three, and again in 2004 Martin St Louis scored for the Lightning in game five to eliminate the Islanders. Well in overtime in game three of this series, that trend would continue as Chris Kunitz scored on the powerplay to win the game for the Pens.

With the loss in game three that marked the 7th straight loss on home ice in the playoffs for the Islanders. The last win at home in the playoffs was in game six of the 2002 first round against the Leafs. Game four turned into a shootout if you will at the Coliseum. Brian Strait gave the Isles the lead,  James Neal tied it. Mark Streit gave the Isles the lead, and then Malkin and Sutter erased that and gave the Pens the lead. Kyle Okposo would tie the game near the end of the 2nd. Dupuis gave the Pens the lead early in the 3rd but the Islanders would storm back with three unanswered goals to take the lead. Goals from Streit, Tavares, and Cizikas gave the islanders the offense needed to pick up the win and even the series. It marked the first playoff win on home ice in a decade.

So now that you are all caught up, for the most part, on the action of the first four games, here's how I see the start of this series. In game one the Islanders had no life whatsoever and they played flat. Game two didn't start off that great either but the goal by Moulson gave the team new life. The Isles showed from that point on that they have heart and can stand toe to toe with the best team in the East. Now with game three the calls made by the refs were a bit questionable, but none more obvious than the holding call in overtime on Brian Strait that lead to the winner by Kunitz on the powerplay. I understand that the refs have a job to do, and to their credit they had been calling the same penalty all the time so they were consistent. Can't blame the refs for what happened. What does leave me scratching my head a bit about the whole play was it looked to me like Sidney Crosby took a bit of a dive on the play that lead to the call. I could be wrong in my assessment but that's just how I saw the play. In game four the officiating looked a tad bit off. To be fair here, there were calls to both sides that were missed so it wasn't bias on the part of the refs.

There are a couple of things that need to be addressed in this series. One is related to the Isles and the other is on Pittsburgh's end of things. First with the Penguins, Marc-Andre Fluery has got to play better. He has looked like a shell of his former self both last year in the opening round loss to the Flyers and then again this year in the first four games against the Isles. If Pittsburgh wants to have any chance of beating the Isles or to even think about a deep run in the playoffs, Fluery has got to play much better. Either that or maybe Pittsburgh should consider going to Thomas Vokoun in net instead. Either way if the goaltending for the Pens doesn't improve this series could be over quick.

As for the Islanders the biggest thing they have to try and do is play more disciplined hockey and stay out of the penalty box. There have been a few times in the series where they have been caught running around in their own end and leaving the Pens wide open to get shots on Nabakov. A perfect example of that is the Sutter goal from game four. The other big thing is the Islanders have really got to try and stay out of the box. Pittsburgh has gone 6 for 15 on the powerplay in the series. The Islanders had one of the better penalty killing units in the league at the start of the year but hasn't looked as strong as of late.

Regardless of the outcome this has been a highly entertaining series between the two teams and should be just as fun to watch over the final three games.

JA Happ Drilled By Line Drive

Last night in Tampa, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher JA Happ was drilled in the head with a line drive during the 2nd inning. It came with two on and one out and Desmond Jennings of the Rays at the plate. Jennings hit the 3-1 pitch right back up the middle and Happ couldn't get out of the way fast enough and took the line drive head on. Here's the video of the play: 

According to reports, Happ suffered a head contusion and a laceration to his left ear. Of course with something like this happening it brings up the debate as to whether or not pitchers should be wearing helmets on the mound during games. Some are also considering suggesting having a new type of liner for hats for pitchers to protect against this kind of injury. This actually doesn't seem like a bad idea. The helmet idea to me may be a bit of a stretch, but if there is a way to put some kind of protective lining inside the hats of pitchers I say go for it.

Now how much work has actually been done by Major League Baseball to protect it's players in situations like this isn't know yet. Should something be done, there is no doubt. Now seeing something like this doesn't happen all too often, but I would like to think that baseball is seriously taking a look into stopping something like this. This is something baseball needs to look into. Just saying.

NBA Playoffs Round 2

Things move quickly in the NBA Playoffs as we are already heading to the 2nd round of the big dance. The opening round saw a few surprises and a few whippings in this years playoffs. Miami and San Antonio both swept, Chicago beat the Nets in seven, while the Knicks, Pacers, Thunder, Grizzlies, and Warriors had to go to six games to win their respective series. So with the 1st round of the playoffs in the books, we are ready to rock and roll on the 2nd round in the 2013 NBA playoffs. Here is how I see the 2nd round going down in this years post season.

The first matchup we look at in the 2nd round will be the #1 Miami Heat taking on the #5 Chicago Bulls. Miami got here on the strength of a four game sweep of the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round. This is the 3rd year in a row Miami will be playing in the 2nd round and the 8th time in franchise history they have made it out of round one. As for the Bulls, they had to go to seven games to get here but they did it by knocking off the Brooklyn Nets in a hard fought seven games. This is the 2nd time in the last five playoff appearances that the Bulls have made it to the 2nd round. Chicago has won four of the six meetings between the two teams in the playoffs. Miami won the last playoff meeting between the two teams in the 2011 Eastern  Conference Finals. During the regular season, these two clubs split the four games at two wins each.

Int heir opening round whipping of the Bucks, Miami was lead by who else but LeBron James, but he wasn't the only one who had an impact in this series. Ray Allen had an impact in this series and lead the Heat in scoring in game three. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosch had a big impact in this series as well. Miami scored over 100 points in games one and three, scored 98 points in game two and 88 points in game four. The Heat had a margin of victory in the series of ten points and allowed no more than 91 points against in the series, and that was in the game three win. As for the Bulls, they have been playing without the services of possibly their best player in the form of Derek Rose, and they still found a way to beat a tough Nets team in the opening round. Jokaim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Nate Robinson and Luol Deng carried Chicago in that opening round win and made it tough on the Nets. With this matchup, it will be a much tougher challenge for the Heat than it was in the opening round. Chicago will put up a good fight, and the series will go six games but the Heat will take the series and move on to the conference finals.

Next series on the docket is the last matchup in the East will see the #2 New York Knicks play host to the #3 Indiana Pacers. New York got here after dispatching the Boston Celtics in six games. Carmelo Anthony lead the way for the Knicks in the win in the opening round, but he didn't do it all on his own. He got help from the likes of Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler, and Raymon Felton. This was the first time the Knicks have won their opening round series since, 1999-2000. In the last four trips to the playoffs by the Knicks before this season, they all ended with first round exits. This year the result changed and they will play on. Meanwhile, the Pacers got out of the first round with a six game series win over the Atlanta Hawks. Paul George, Roy Hillbert and George Stephenson lead the way for the Pacers in the opening round win. This is the 2nd straight year the Pacers have advanced to the 2nd round, and last year they were beaten by the Heat in the 2nd round.

This is a renewal of an old rivalry between the two teams, made famous by Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, and Spike Lee. These teams have met six times in the playoffs, each winning three series. In the last meeting, the Pacers beat the Knicks in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals in six games. This will be the most even matchup, and probably the most fun to watch, in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Indiana is going to prove to be the toughest test for the Knicks in the East, outside of Miami, and the Knicks are going to have to show in this series that they are a legit threat again. Paul George and David West are the best players for the Pacers that the Knicks are going have to key on to have a chance in this series. Same thing can be said about Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith for the Knicks. This will be a tough series, and its going to come down to the bench. Series goes seven games and i'll take the Knicks but its going to be a lot closer than the opening round for both clubs.

Now we move right along to the Western Conference and we start there with the #1 Oklahoma City Thunder playing the #5 Memphis Grizzlies. For Memphis this is only the 2nd time ever they have made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs, and the last time they did was back in 2011 where they lost to the Thunder in seven games (that was the only time these two have ever played in the playoffs). For the Thunder this is the third year in a row they have made it to round two. During the regular season Memphis took two of the three meetings between the two teams.

Oklahoma City got here with a six game win over Houston, with Kevin Durant leading the charge. What makes this surprising is that Russel Westbrook is out for the rest of the playoffs for the Thunder, but with Kevin Martin and Derek Fisher still on the roster behind Durant, the Thunder still pose a tough challenge for any opponent. Meanwhile Memphis got here by knocking off the LA Clippers in six games thanks to Chris Paul, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph leading the charge for the Grizzlies. This could be the lone surprise coming up in round two, and just like the Knicks series could come down to the bench. It will go seven games easily and the Thunder will pull it out, just purely on the fact that they have the deeper bench. This series is going to be a lot closer than the seeding will indicate.

Finally we take a look at the last series of this round as its the #2 San Antonio Spurs playing the #6 Golden State Warriors. The Spurs got here after a four game sweep of the Lakers, while the Warriors beat Denver in six. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan lead the way for the Spurs over LA, while Stephen Curry lead the charge for the Warriors over Denver. For the Spurs its the 3rd time in the last five years they've gotten out of the first round, while the Warriors have gotten to the 2nd round in both of their last playoff appearances, the last time coming in a 2007 loss in round two to the Jazz. These two teams have met once in the playoffs and the Warriors won the series in six games in 1991.

this is going to be yet another tight series in this round, and again a case of bench and role players will come into play. Golden State is a good team but the Spurs are still better and Ill take San Antonio in five.

So there you have the predictions for round two! Sit back relax and enjoy the series!

(note these predictions were made BEFORE the start of the 2nd round)

LeBron James Wins MVP

For the 4th time in the last five years, LeBron James is named the NBA MVP. James, 28, became the youngest player in NBA history to win four MVPs after receiving 120 of 121 first-place votes by league media members and analysts. The lone other first-place vote went to Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. It was the second time a player fell one vote short of an unanimous MVP selection, with Shaquille O'Neal also receiving 120 of 121 first-place votes in 1999-2000. But coming up short of a unanimous selection didn't overshadow a historic feat for James, who joined Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to win at least four MVP awards. Thunder forward Kevin Durant finished second to James in MVP voting for the second straight year, with Anthony third, Chris Paul fourth and Kobe Bryant fifth in votes. And in the time span of LeBron's titles, Derek Rose is the only other player to win MVP, which he did in 2010-11.

Now there are some people who can argue, and they have a decent argument, that Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks should have won it over James. And the same sort of argument can possibly be said about Kevin Durant of the Thunder too. Here is the thing though. Yes Durant and Carmelo were both key to their team's success this year, but this isn't the award for team MVP this is the award for League MVP.

While it is true that statistically both Durant and Anthony had better scoring years LeBron had a better all around game than both of those other guys. I know some people have the view that with MVP, it should go to the player who has the biggest impact on their team. It is true that with Carmelo and Durant out of the lineups, both the Knicks and Thunder aren't as good as they are with those guys in their respective lineups. But with this argument, this MVP award goes to the best player in ALL of basketball. I'm not saying that Anthony and Durant didn't have great years, because trust me they had great years. The thing is that LeBron was just better all around.

I know LeBron had more of a supporting cast around him in Miami than Carmelo did in New York, and than Durant had in Oklahoma City. He still has to be a very good basketball player in order for the Heat to be a great basketball team. It's just LeBron had a better all around game this season and was very deserving of the MVP this year. So congratulations to LeBron James on winning his 4th MVP Award!