First Wave of Subway Series in the Books as Yankees Sweep!

First round of the Subway Series is in the books and for Mets fans, it didn't go the way they wanted. The Yankees took advantage of sub-par Mets pitching and Mets defense the entire series and walked away with the three game sweep of the weekend. The excitement started Friday night, and for the Yankees it turned out to be a homer happy night in the Bronx.

The Yankees bats lit up Mets starter Johan Santana like a cheap Cigar, blasting four homers of him in five innings. Robinson Cano was responsible for for two of the blasts, both two run shots. The first blast came in the  2nd inning and went 408 feet, while the 2nd two run shot came an inning later in the 3rd and went 392 feet. Both homers were hit to right field. That gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead, But they weren't done there. After Cano hit his second of the game, Nick Swisher hit a 373 foot bomb to left field giving the Yanks a 5-0 lead. Andrew Jones capped off the homer happy 3rd inning by hitting a 408 foot bomb to left to make it a 6-0 Yankees lead and capping off back-to-back-to-back jacks by the Bronx Bombers.

So Johan was done after 5 innings allowing the 4 home runs and allowing a total of 7 hits and 6 earned runs while striking out five. The Yankees weren't done scoring however, as they added three more runs in the 7th thanks to RBI hits from Alex Rodrigues, Nick Swisher and Andrew Jones. The Mets were able to scratch out a run in the 9th off Ryota Igarashi thanks to a Lucas Duda RBI Double but by that point the game was already out of reach. Hiroki Kuroda got the win for the Yankees going seven innings and allowing one hit while striking out seven.

Game Two of the series was a nail bitter and again the long ball would prove to be the difference in this game.Dillon Gee was on the mound for the Mets and Phil Hughes was going for the Yankees. Thanks to Alex Rodrigues RBI single in the bottom of the first the Yankees took a 1-0 lead. The offense for both teams would then go quite until an unlikely candidate tied the game for the mets. Light hitting shortstop Omar Quintanilla connected for his first homer of the season, a 354 foot shot to right. It was good enough to tie the ball game. Then, as the 6th inning rolled around still tied at one, David Wright connected for his 8th homer of the year, traveling 439 feet to dead center field, giving the Mets a 2-1 lead. That lead would not last however, as Mark Teixeira connected for a 2-run bomb that traveled about 362 feet to the short porch in right field to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. The scoring would be capped off for the Yankees thanks to a Curtis Granderson homer to right that went about 397 feet, to seal a 4-2 win for the Yankees. Phil Hughes went 6 and 1/3 innings for the Bombers, allowing six hits and two earned runs on the two Mets dinngers. Yankees relievers Boone Logan, Cory Wade, Clay Rapada, and closer Rafael Soriano were able to shut the door. Soriano picked up his 9th save of the season. As for the Mets Dillon Gee took the loss dropping his record to 4-4. Gee went seven innings allowing 5 hits and 3 runs while striking out 5.

Sunday would turn out to be the most exciting game of the entire series. It was set to be an OK pitching matchup between Andy Pettite and Jonathan Niese. First inning came and went quickly and quietly. The 2nd inning however is where things got going, and to the surprise of many it was the Mets jumping out to the lead thanks to an RBi single from Vinny Rottino and a two run double from Jordany Valdespin. the hit from Valdespin was a nice relief as he made a couple of defensive mistakes in the opening game of the series, so he was having a tough go of it. But after two innings of play the Mets had a 3-0 lead. Pettite was taken out after a catching a combacker with his bare hand in the 6th, although he was able to finish the 6th inning, he was in discomfort so he was taken out after six good innings. As most mets fans know the team has problems putting games away late due to either poor relief pitching or poor defense. In this case it was the pitching that let the team down. Jonathan Niese had been crusing along until the start of the 7th when he threw his final pitch of the afternoon, a two run homer to catcher Russel Martin, which was a 348 foot shot to right field. The Mets came out of the 7th without allowing another run. The 8th inning is where things fell apart. Bobby Parnell came in to pitch the 8th for Niese and didn't do what he was supposed to. He gave up the lead after surrendering RBI hits to Alex Rodrigues and Mark Teixeira. The Mets had to then throw out there Byrdak and Rouch to get out of the 8th. It didn't matter as the team had blown a 3-0 lead and it was 4-3 Yankees going into the 9th.


Soriano came out to pitch the 9th for the Yankees and wasn't able to make the lead stand up as he gave up doubles to Lucas Duda and Ike Davis to tie the game up at four going into the bottom of the 9th. Jon Rauch came back out to pitch for the Mets and the first man he faces is Russel Martin, who already hit a two run homer earlier in the ball game. Martin didn't waste much time winning the game as he found a pitch he liked and deposited that pitch 358 feet into the left field seats to win the game in walk off fashion for the Yankees 5-4.


What got to me in this series, as a Mets fan, was just how truly crappy the Mets bullpen, and on occasion their defense, can really be. I knew going into the offseason there were some holes that had to be filled and GM Sandy Alderson had done an OK job trying to fill those holes in the pen, with signing guys like Rouch and Frank Fransisco. But there were in all honesty too many glaring problems facing the mets in that there is not that great a supporting cast in the rotation behind Johan and Dickey. Granted the starting rotation has been able to hold its own, its the rest of the pen that hasn't been able to make it stand up and its making me sick as a fan. There are too many glaring holes in this mets team to really see them as contenders in the NL East, which is one of the toughest divisions in all of baseball to be playing in. Some Mets fans actually felt at the start of the season like they had a playoff bound team on the field in Queens. After what I saw this past weekend in the Bronx, its gonna be really tough to pull this out.I'll give the club credit they have shown flashes, but unless guys like Ike Davis and Jason Bay start finding their bats again, and the defense and bullpen staff start getting better, sorry to say it but it will be another failed year of missing the playoffs in Queens.

Devils Stay Alive Force Game Six!

Thanks to the goal scoring heroics of both Zach Parise and Bryce Salvador the Devils still have life in this Stanley Cup Finals and forced game six in LA on Monday on the strength of a 2-1 victory at home last night. The story on the game comes to us courtesy of NHL.com

Belief continues to be the New Jersey Devils biggest ally. They'll take it across the country with them for what just a few days ago seemed like an impossible opportunity in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.

For the second time in as many games, the Devils fought off elimination and made sure the Stanley Cup stayed in its carrying case. They handed the Los Angeles Kings their first road loss of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 5 Saturday at Prudential Center, 2-1, while also becoming the first team since 1945 to force a Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Final after losing the first three.

Game 6 is Monday at Staples Center (8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS). The Devils are now 10-1 in Games 4 through 7 this postseason.

"We're still alive, so we have a chance," Devils goalie Martin Brodeur said after making 25 saves, another impressive effort for the 40-year-old three-time Cup champion. "It's a difficult thing to get yourself ready for games like that. Now it's been two in a row. It drains you a lot. It takes a lot out of you. But, it's worth it."

The Devils made it worthwhile on the backs of Brodeur, captain Zach Parise, and unlikely offensive hero Bryce Salvador, who scored his fourth goal of the playoffs after scoring zero in 82 regular-season games.

After getting angry with a reporter on Friday for insinuating that his line was not playing well because it wasn't producing, Parise answered by giving the Devils the lead 12:45 into the first period. He scored it because he took his normal route on the forecheck and came up with a gift on a his stick courtesy of Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, who didn't put enough mustard on the puck as he tried to rim it around the end boards.

It was Parise's first goal and point of the series. It was also the Devils' first power-play goal in 16 opportunities against the Kings.

"I go into every game expecting Zach to do something big. He's that type of player," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. "I think you guys just [angered] him. That's all. Keep doing it."

After Justin Williams tied it with the only shot that legally beat Brodeur on Saturday -- a wrist shot to the blocker side from above the hash marks 3:26 into the second period -- Salvador scored on a point shot that deflected off Kings defenseman Slava Voynov with 10:55 to play in the second period.

It was the second goal a Devils defenseman has scored off of Voynov in the series. Anton Volchenkov was credited for one in Game 1.

The Devils had only six shots on goal through the first 28-plus minutes, but they had three on the shift that ended with Salvador's goal.

"We're looking for him to score a goal all year, so he peaked at the right time if you ask me," Brodeur said of Salvador.

The Devils clung to the lead and to their momentum in the series across the final 30-plus minutes because Brodeur was brilliant once again. He stopped all 14 shots he faced after Salvador scored, including a golden opportunity from Williams in the low slot during a Kings power play just 36 seconds after the goal horn blared for the Devils.

Brodeur also stoned Jarret Stoll on a breakaway during the time in between Williams' game-tying goal and Salvador's go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal. Stoll eventually did put the puck in the net later in the second period, but he used a high stick to do it and the goal was immediately waved off.

"I mean, what else can you say? His performance speaks for itself," DeBoer said of Brodeur. "It's the timing of it. You know, I think the fact we're 10-1 in Games 4-7 in a series is a testament to how he enjoys that type of pressure."

Los Angeles is down to just two chances to win its first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, while the Devils are still hoping to become just the second team -- and the first in 70 years -- to win the Stanley Cup after losing the first three games of the Cup Final.

The Kings say their confidence remains strong, unwavering. Kings coach Darryl Sutter also said his team is not under any pressure, but Williams admitted they are feeling something else as well after losing their second straight game in regulation since March 24 and 26.

"Sure, there is anxiety," Williams said. "We haven't lost two games in a row. We've played pretty hard. This is the Stanley Cup Final -- it isn't supposed to be easy. This is a grind. They're a heck of a team over there with a lot of character and a lot of grit. They battled hard to keep that one-goal lead."

Meanwhile, the Kings did all they possibly could to try to get New Jersey off its game. For the first time all series the play got especially chippy in the third period.

Jeff Carter pulled Brodeur's sweater over his head during a scrum. Quick punched Adam Henrique in the back of the head after Henrique fell into him with 1:38 left in the game. Alexei Ponikarovsky and Dustin Penner were given matching roughing minors on the play. Dainius Zubrus and Mike Richards also had a little spat spill over into the Devils' post-game celebration.

The Devils aren't sure if the post-whistle stuff is a sign that they've frustrated the Kings, but they'll take it anyway.

"We just keep pushing," Henrique said. "There is no quit in here."

DeBoer, who all series has remained steadfast in his belief that as long as his team plays the right way it will get rewarded, may be getting proven right. Both Williams and Alec Martinez had shots hit off the post Saturday night, whereas the Devils got two bounces to go their way when Quick misplayed the puck leading to Parise's goal and Salvador's shot hit off Voynov.

"You know, we're probably saying what they said Games 1 and 2, where we got breaks and now they did. That's how even it is," Sutter said. "We hit a couple posts again, and you hope one goes off the post and in. I think if there's anything, you got to finish your opportunities. You got to work to get 'em. You pretty much have to not give up more than one."

The Kings have only one more game to give up in this series. They used to have three.

The Devils have hope. Their belief is only getting stronger.

"We could have packed it in two games ago. That's the bottom line," Brodeur said. "But you see we have a bunch of resilient guys that want to try to make history and try to win the Stanley Cup. We're not going to give up."

For those of you who haven't seen it yet here is another look at Bryce Salvador's Heroics:

That has now happened twice in the finals to defenseman Slava Voynovwith. He had the devils lone goal in game one bounce off him in that contest too. So Voynowwith has had a rough go of it in this series. The other oddity from this game was the high sticking penalty on Bryce Salvador late in the 2nd period. He was out on the ice following an icing and he had to bve as he was replacing Anton Volchenkov who had gone off the ice for repairs after getting high sticked in the first place. Its been a strange playoffs for everybody oincluding the refs.

Game Six is Monday night at 8pm from the Staples Center in LA.

Subway Series 2012 Set to Go From Yankees Stadium

Yes Yes that time of year has finally arrived. It is the first installment of the Mets Yankees Subway Series. The first meeting is set for this Friday Saturday and Sunday from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Before we get into a breakdown of this weekends opening series, lets take a brief look back at some important dates and events during this Subway Series between the Mets and Yankees.

In 2001, there was a moment of peace in the rivalry in the aftermath of the attacks in New York City. During the weekend of September 21–23, Shea Stadium hosted the first professional sporting event in New York City since the attacks when the Mets hosted the Atlanta Braves while Yankee Stadium hosted a special memorial service titled "Prayer for America."

On June 15, 2002, Roger Clemens faced the Mets for the first time at Shea Stadium since the Piazza controversy. Anticipation mounted about retalliation against Clemens. Mets manager Bobby Valentine chided Clemens by saying he wore a "skirt" when compared to past pitchers who threw hard at people like Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale because Clemens did not have to bat in the American League. When the game arrived, Clemens was forced to bat and Mets pitcher Shawn Estes attempted to hit Clemens in retaliation but instead threw a pitch behind Clemens, prompting the home plate umpire to warn both benches. Estes later homered off of Clemens as the Mets won the game 8-0.

 2003 – the Yankees become the first and, as of 2011, only team to sweep the season series, winning all six games, including a two-park day-night doubleheader.

 2004 – the Mets win the season series for the first time, going 4–2 and sweep the three games at Shea Stadium.

In 2005, the Mets signed Manager Willie Randolph, who coached with the Yankees for over a decade. Randolph played much of his career with the Yankees and also played for the Mets before retiring as a player. Because of his history with the Yankees championship teams of the 70s (as a player) and the 90s (as a coach), he holds a very cordial relationship with Yankee fans despite his tenure with the Mets organization, as noted by a Subway (a pun on the restaurant's name and the Subway Series) commercial featuring him and former Yankees manager Joe Torre, who had managed the Yankees during their most recent dynastic run. Torre had also been associated with the Mets as they were the last team he ever played for and the first team he ever managed.

On August 2, 2008, less than two months after his abrupt and controversial dismissal as Mets manager, Randolph was greeted with a standing ovation by the Yankee Stadium crowd when he appeared in a Yankees uniform for the Old-Timers' Game.

On June 26, 2005, the Mets won their first series at Yankee Stadium and were three outs from a sweep when Jason Giambi's bases loaded single off of Braden Looper in the ninth drove home the tying and winning runs for the Yankees, who forced a season series split with the Mets.

On May 19, 2006, in the first Subway Series of that year at Shea, the Yankees took the lead three times in the first four innings, but the Mets rallied each time against Randy Johnson and the game was tied 6-6 going into the bottom of the ninth. With two outs and runners on first and second, David Wright drives home the winning run for the Mets with a single off of Yankees' closer Mariano Rivera.

On May 20, 2006, less than 24 hours after the Mets' comeback win, Pedro Martinez and Duaner Sanchez kept the Yankees scoreless for eight winnings while the Mets score four runs off of Mike Mussina. In the top of the ninth, however, closer Billy Wagner, who pitched a perfect ninth the night before to get the win, gave up four runs to tie the game and force extra innings. In the top of the 11th, Andy Phillips singled in the go-ahead run for the Yankees while Mariano Rivera pitched two shutout innings for the win.

June 12, 2009: Both teams played each other for the first time at the new Yankee Stadium. The game had several lead changes, including Mariano Rivera giving up the go ahead run to the Mets in the 8th. In the bottom of the 9th, after Derek Jeter stole 2nd base and Mark Texiera was intentionally walked, the Mets new closer Francisco Rodriguez (K-Rod) paired off against Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod). In what seemed a routine pop with two outs, Mets 2nd baseman and three time gold glove award winner Luis Castillo dropped the ball. Texiera wound up scoring the winning run all the way from first on the error. It would prove to be the Yankees' 7th walk off game that season and the first statistical blown save for K-Rod as a Met.

June 14, 2009 – Francisco Rodriguez confronts Bruney during batting practice and are separated by teammates. The Yankees shutout the Mets 15–0 in the biggest blowout in the history of the series, tagging Met ace Johan Santana for nine runs in 3 1⁄3 innings, the most Santana has ever allowed in his career.

June 26, 2009 – The two teams played each other for the first time at Citi Field. Alex Rodriguez hit his 564th home run, moving past Reggie Jackson into 11th place on the career home run list. The Yankees defeat the Mets 9–1 after the Mets had committed three errors that led to four runs in the second inning, the most ever against the Yankees. June 28, 2009 – Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who entered the game to face a batter in the 8th inning, bats against Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez at the top of the 9th inning. Rivera drew a walk with the bases loaded, forcing home Brett Gardner to earn his first career RBI. Rivera would go on to finish the game and earn his 500th career save as the Yankees swept the series at Citi Field.

May 22, 2010 - The Mets win their first Subway Series game at Citi Field with a 5-3 victory over the Yankees.

June 20, 2010 - The Yankees earn their 9,500th franchise victory with a 4-0 win over the Mets. Mark Texiera provided the only runs of the game with a third inning grand slam off of Johan Santana.

July 3, 2011 - The Mets, down to their final strike and on the verge of getting swept at Citi Field by the Yankees for the second time in three years, tie the final game of that year's Subway Series against Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single from Ronny Paulino. In 23 previous save opportunities against the Mets, spanning the regular season and the 2000 World Series, Rivera had converted 22 (his only previous blown save against the team was on July 10, 1999). The Mets would win in the 10th inning on an RBI single from Jason Bay, who had been struggling all season, off of former Met pitcher Luis Ayala Manager Terry Collins called the game "enormous." The Yankees still won the season series 4 games to 2.

July 12, 2011 - Days after gaining entry into the 3,000 hit club, Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter elected to sit out of the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game citing "physical and emotional exhaustion" and recovery from a recent visit to the disabled list. Jeter, who throughout his career had been praised by people in and out of baseball for good behavior, was criticized by some players and officials including Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran. Beltran stated that "I do believe, as a ballplayer, if you have no injuries, you should be here...the fans are the ones that vote for you and want to see you here." Mets shortstop José Reyes, who also was injured, also opined on the incident saying "I want to come no matter what happens."

Now that we got the brief history out of the way, lets break down this series by position and see who has the edge shall we.

First Base: This one seems almost not fair. Defensively its about even between Mark Teixeira and Ike Davis. But on the offensive side of the ball its really no contest. Teixeira is hitting .245 which is somewhat low but has delivered 10 homers and 33 RBI. His counterpart Ike Davis is hitting even worse, hitting on the interstate at a lowly .161 with 5 homers and 21 RBI. Like I said this one isn't even close. Edge: Yankees


Second Base: Again this one seems almost unfair to try and compare the two. With the Mets they are currently relying on Daniel Murphy to play second. Now don't get me wrong Murphy is a good ball player but really almost has to play second with Justin Turner being out with the ankle injury. Murphy right now is doing ok at the plate hitting .290 with 0 homers and 23 RBI's. In the field there are times he looks uncomfortable. As for Cano he hasn't put up the MVP type numbers he has in the past but still hitting .290 with 9 homers and 25 RBI. What makes this the easy choice is the fielding as by far Cano is the better of the two on defense. Edge: Yankees


Third Base: This one is closer to call than the first two positions. When it comes to hitting, Alex Rodrigues has put up better hitting numbers at home, hitting .316 compared to just .238 on the road. Overall A-Rod is hitting .290 with 9 homers and 22 RIB. As for David Wright he was on a tear at the start of the season but has cooled off a bit lately. On the season Wright is hitting .362 with 7 homers and 33RBI. On the other side of the ball Wright has had a slightly better fielding percentage than Rodrigues. Edge: Mets


Shortstop: This one has no debate what so ever to it. Derek Jeter is better in every aspect of the game than Omar Quintanilla.  Edge: Yankees


Catcher: This one is somewhat close. Russel Martin is having a down year by his standards as he is only hitting .210 with 6 homers and 17 RBI. What would have made this debate more convincing for the Yankees is if they had a backup catcher. They traded Jesus Montero in the offseason and Fransisco Cervelli is down in the minors. As for the Mets they have a decent platoon in Josh Thole and Mick Nickeas. Thole is hitting .283 but hasn't really put up pwoer number, and Nickeas isn't much better. But because the Mets catchers seem to be able to call the game better then the Yankees. Edge: Mets


Left Field: Andrew Jones and Raul Ibanez are platooning in Left and DH'ing while the Mets are probably gonna go with Kirk Nieuwenhuis if Jason Bay isn't ready to go. With Ibanez you get 9 homers and 30 RBI while Jones has provided 5 Homers and 11 RBI. With Nieuwenhuis has 3 homers and 20 RBI but has a higher batting average. Of the two possible left fielders for each team, sorry but this one is easy to call. Edge: Yankees


Center Field: This one again seems a bit unfair to try and call. Andres Torres was supposed to be the Centerfielder for the Mets but due to injuries he is now being forced to split time with Nieuwenhuis. Neither guy for the Mets has been hitting much. meanwhile Curtis Granderson is blowing everybody out of the water in Centerfield and is on pace for another 40+ Homer 100+ RBI season. Again this is a no contest. Edge: Yankees


Right Field: This is a bit closer out of the outfield positions. Nick Swisher has done an OK job in the field and with a bat in his hands he is hitting .250 with 8 Homers and 35RBI's. Meanwhile his counterpart Lucas Duda has been on about even par with Swisher in the field, but Duda has the edge with the bat in his hands. Duda is hitting .262 with 10 homers and 35 RBI and has had a bigger impact on the Mets lineup then Swisher has on the Yankees. Edge: Mets



Final Series Analysis:
Game One: Johan Santana ( 3-2 2.38 ERA) vs Hiroki Kuroda (4-6 3.82 ERA). This may be the only series the Mets have a REAL solid chance in this series. The big question mark is how well can Santana go after having the full week off since throwing the No-Hitter last friday. The Mets can steal this one by a score of 4-2.

Game Two: Dillon Gee (4-3 4.48 ERA) vs Phil Hughes (5-5 4.96 ERA) This one may be a decent pitching matchup because these two pitchers are the closest to each other in style in that you never know which pitcher is actually gonna show up on any given day. If Bay is in the lineup he has lit up Hughes in the past and that will help the Mets but since Bay hasn't played in a while Yankees take this one 5-2.

Game Three: Jon Neise ( 4-2 4.11 ERA) vs. Andy Pettite (3-2 2.78) David Wright is the only Met in this lineup that has been able to even remotly handle Pettie. Yankees win this one 4-1.

Devils Survive and Force Game Five!

It took five games but the Devils offense FINALLY figured out how to beat Jonathan Quick. It took till the 3rd period of the fourth game of the finals but they were able to do it. The first period was a hard back and fourth battle with neither team being able to hit the back of the net. Shots were in favor of the Devils in the opening period 8-7, and the quality of scoring chances was about even. The Devils flat out dominated the opening minutes of the hockey game just buzzing around the Kings net and getting a few pucks threw towards the cage, but either they were missing the net or, once they got through, were shot right into Quicks pads. I've been saying this all series long for the Devils to score, they have to shoot up high on Quick. To Quick's credit though, he was indeed very good in that opening period including this outstanding glove save on Peter Sykora:

As for Quick's counterpart Martin Brodeur, he had to make some solid stops of his own from Kings shooters. So the first period came and went without a goal being scored, and both teams going 0 for 2 on the powerplay. As for the second period, it was much of the same, except the ice seamed to start to tilt just a bit more in the Kings favor. Shots in that middle period were 7-3 in favor of the Kings and they had the only powerplay of the period, and came up empty on it. The Devils have had a tendency in the first three games of the series to have periods where they are simply outplayed by the Kings and somehow they find a way to still hang around. Only time all series the Devils really seemed to let the Kings attack effect them was in game three, which the Kings won 4-0. But on this night the Devils wouldn't let it get to them.

To the third period we go, and with Lord Stanley's Cup in attendance, the Devils FINALLY find a way to break through on Jonathan Quick. For most of the start of the third the Devils had been buzzing. Then at the 7:56 mark of the period, Bryce Salvador let a shot go from the point that Quick was able to stop. However he was unable to control the rebound and Patrik Elias cashed it in on the backhand for his 5th of the playoffs. For Elias, that was his first goal since game five of the eastern conference finals against the Rangers and only his second point in the final series (he had an assist on the lone Devils goal in game one). So thanks to Elias being in the right place at the right time, the Devils had their first lead of the series at 1-0. Then about a minute after Elias gave the Devils the lead, David Clarkson gets called for Boarding, giving the Kings their 4th powerplay of the game. This time they were able to cash in on it, as Drew Doughty scored his 4th of the playoffs just four seconds into the man advantage, beating Brodeur five hole. So now with the game tied at 1 both teams looked to try and break the tie.

The Kings started to build a little momentum off the Doughty goal, twice having quality scoring chances off odd man rushers, but Brodeur would come up big again denying the Kings both times. The Devils would finally reward Marty's goaltending with a huge goal off a Kings turnover. LA tried to rush up the ice with just about four and half left in regulation but lost the puck at center. New Jersey then turned the puck the other way and this happened:


Adam Henrique cashed in on the cross ice feed from David Clarkson and beat Quick high stick side. That's right the Devils actually hit the net high on Quick and the puck went into the net. Henrique's goal came at the 15:29 mark of the 3rd period and was his 4th of the playoffs. Of his three previous goals, two had been overtime and series ending goals. He scored a pair of goals in game seven against the Panthers, the second one being the winner in double overtime, and his third goal was the overtime and series clinching goal against the Rangers in game six of the conference finals. Los Angeles pressed the attack a bit more after that goal to try and tie the game. However it was all for nothing as Ilya Kovalchuck iced the game away with an empty netter at the 19:40 mark to seal the deal and force game five. For Kovalchuck that was his first point in the finals, his league leading 8th goal and 19th point of the playoffs. Devils outshot the Kings in the 3rd period 13-8 and for the game 24-22.

The difference for me in this game for the Devils as compared to the first three games is the fact that even though they were outplayed in parts of the hockey game they didn't get down on themselves and kept going with the pedal to the medal. Another fact that the Devils finally showed more heart was the fact that they were able to get the first goal of the game when Elias scored early in the third. They showed resolve when they kept coming at the Kings after LA tied the game with Doughty's powerplay goal. Aside from the Devils sluggish play in the middle period, they were the better team on this night and quite frankly they had to be, as a loss would have ended the finals. Still its a large hill for them to climb as New Jersey is still in a 3-1 hole in the series.

The scene now shifts back to New Jersey for game five on Saturday night. Thew two days off between games will help both teams. For the Devils to be able to force game six, they really need to keep the pressure on the Kings, especially on their home ice, and not let up on the attack. Looking at this from the Kings perspective, if they want to end this series Saturday, they need to go back to what worked in the first three games of the series, and that was making the Devils work harder then they are used to and get the Devils back on their heels. An interesting side note related to the finals, the last time somebody swept the finals was the Detroit Red Wings, who swept the Capitals in the 1998 Cup Finals and no team has won the cup on home ice since 2008 when the Detroit Red Wings finished off the Penguins in six games.

Game Five of this years finals is Saturday Night at 8PM from the Prudential Center in Newark on NBC!

Quick Gets 3rd Shutout of Playoffs as Kings Blank Devils in Game 3!

For the 3rd time in these playoffs and the first time in the finals Kings goalie Jonathan Quick has shut out a team. It could not have come at a more pivotal time. Thanks to Quick's brilliance in the nets the Kings won their first home game in the finals since 1993 by a 4-0 score to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals over the New Jersey Devils. The first period moved by somewhat quickly and saw the Devils take a 7-6 shots advantage in the opening period. The Devils controlled play for the most part as carry over from Game Two, again in which they carried most of the play before losing in Overtime. The best chances for the Devils at the start of game three came on a 5 on 3 at the end of the period, including a 4 minute minor on the latter half of the 5 on 3 to Jeff Carter for High Sticking. The Devils had a golden opportunity to take the lead but squandered it. On that 5 on 3 power play the Devils either made one too many passes, or when they did eventually shoot the puck, the shot it right at Quick's pads. Quick is a butterfly goalie and leaves the top half of the net open usually. For the Devils to have a chance in this series they have to try and go higher on Quick more.

When they did try and go high, the shots either weren't high enough or they were shot wide or over the net. The scoring chances were there for the Devils they just weren't able to convert on them. So the opening period was scoreless. To the 2nd period we go, and this is where the Kings finally started to open the game up in their favor. Shots in the middle period were even at 9 per team but the Kings were able to hit the back of the net twice. First was on a wild scramble at the side of Martin Brodeur's net and somehow Alec Martinez was able to jam the puck home at the 5:40 mark for his first of the playoffs. Here's what the goal looked like:



So thanks to Martinez jamming at the puck the Kings had a 1-0 lead. The Kings started to take control of the game, despite running into some penalty trouble of their own. LA would extend the lead to 2-0 at the 15:07 mark thanks to Anze Kopitar's 8th of the playoffs.This had to be one of the prettiest passing plays of the entire playoffs thanks to the beautiful cross ice pass made by Kings captain Dustin Brown to set up the goal. If you don't believe me, see for yourself:



It seemed as if for a moment the Devils defense lost Kopitar on the ice and that can't happen. Apparently the Devils almost forgot what happened in Game One when Kopitar was left alone even for a moment. So after 40 minutes of play had been completed the Kings had a 2-0 lead.

The 3rd period would not get any better from a Devils perspective. Shots were even again in the 3rd as each team fired six on goal, but the Kings were able to put two in the goal behind Marty Brodeur to seal the game. Both goals, ironically enough, came on the Kings only two power plays of the game. First up Mark Fayne was called for cross-checking, then at the 4:15 mark Jeff Carter connected for his 6th of the playoffs. At this point Jeff Carter has started to look like the guy who used to terrorize the Devils as a member of the Flyers for all those years he played in Philly. Then the Kings capped off the scoring on another power play goal. Marek Zidlicky had been called for high sticking, and at the 6:47 mark Justin Williams connected for his 3rd of the playoffs to seal the deal.

Justin Williams is no stranger to scoring big goals in the playoffs as he did that many times in 2006 for the Carolina Hurricanes when the 'Canes won the cup that year, he had 18 points in 25 playoff games that year. Jeff Carter is no stranger to playoff scoring either, as he has 21 points in 47 career playoff games heading into this season. As for the goaltending Jonathan Quick has played outstanding in this post season and is my vote to win the Conn Smyth Trophy as Playoff MVP. Now there are a number of solid candidates in the Los Angeles lineup, and they still have to play game four (maybe more depending on what the Devils do in that game). I mean there are two other guys in the Kings lineup who would be solid contenders for that playoff MVP trophy, most notably Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. Kopitar has 8 goals and is tied for the lead in playoff scoring with 18 points. Dustin Brown has 10 assists and is doing a great job of leading by example. But lets really be honest here if it wasn't for Jonathan Quick being as good as he has been in this years playoffs the Kings might have been eliminated in the first round by Vancouver.

Now looking at game four from the prospective of the New Jersey Devils, some changes are going to have to be made. The biggest lineup change I would consider making would be to put Peter Sykora back into the lineup, for two reasons, 1) try and add some scoring punch and 2) add some more veteran leadership. Another thing the Devils need to work on is trying to get Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuck going, as both guys have been held pointless in the finals. The one thing I feel the Devils really need to do most is simplify their game and what they do with the puck. What I mean is, there are times in the first few games of the series I have seen them make one too many passes of the puck and they are not shooting the puck enough, they haven't really made Quick work overly hard.  Also if possible the Devils need to try and find a way to keep shooting high on Quick, as I mentioned before he goes down a lot, and not miss the net. Quick usually leaves the top half of the net open to shoot at. So unless the Devils can find a way to correct these problems by tomorrow night, the series and season will be over. Game Four is tomorrow night at 8pm on NBC!

Game Two of Cup Finals Goes Again to OT Jeff Carter Hero

For the second time in this cup finals a game has had to require overtime to decide a winner, and for the second game in these finals, the Kings won it in Overtime. This time the hero wasn't Anze Kopitar, it wa Jeff Carter. Here is the story thanks to NHL.com.

While sitting in the visitor's dressing room during the intermission before overtime Saturday night, Kings forward Jarret Stoll couldn't help but notice his team's confidence and belief.

Stoll has seen both grow throughout the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but with Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on the line, he needed to see it again -- and he did.

"We knew we had the goal in here somewhere," Stoll said after the Kings' 2-1 win. "That's all we were talking about in the intermission, how someone had it."

That someone was Jeff Carter, because like the rest of his teammates he never stopped believing -- and, more important, never stopped moving his feet before scoring at 13:42 of the extra session.

Los Angeles is heading home with a 2-0 lead in the series and a chance to win the Stanley Cup at Staples Center. The Kings are the first team in history to go 10-0 on the road in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They might not play another road game. Game 3 is Monday in L.A. (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, RDS).

"He's a goal-scorer," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said of Carter. "You know what, you're counting on him to score a big goal."

After getting stuffed by Martin Brodeur (30 saves) on the right side of the net, Carter curled around the back of the net and found the puck on the left side. He carried it through the circle and from high above the hash marks he rifled a shot past Brodeur's blocker side for the Kings' second straight overtime winner in as many games in the Stanley Cup Final.

"Just gotta find a way to get a bounce, get a break, find a loose puck, whatever," Stoll said. "Carts stayed with that play and he made a great shot. It had to be a great shot to win this game, the way it was going."

Just like it did in Game 1, when Anze Kopitar beat Brodeur on a breakaway 8:13 into overtime to give the Kings an identical 2-1 win.

The Devils have to live with both overtime losses despite feeling much better about the way they played in Game 2.

They had a 30-21 advantage in shots on goal through regulation. The game-tying goal, scored on a deflection by Ryan Carter, was a direct result of a strong forecheck by their fourth line.

"We played a much better game," coach Peter DeBoer said. "I knew we would respond. We did it the right way."

And still it wasn't enough, largely because the Kings had the better run of play in overtime, including an 11-3 edge in shots on goal, and goalie Jonathan Quick was again on point when it mattered most. Quick finished with 32 saves, giving him 48 on 50 shots in the two games in New Jersey.

Neither of the Devils' goals in the first two games was clean. The goal they got in Game 1 went in off of Kings defenseman Slava Voynov's chest; the goal they got in Game 2 was a deflection by Carter off a point shot by Marek Zidlicky.

"We worked hard and we did a lot of good things; we're just having a hard time scoring," Devils captain Zach Parise said. "Again, same as the first game, that's the difference. It (stinks), but we can't do anything about it now. We'll go there and try to get a couple back."

"There" is Los Angeles, where the Devils and Kings will play Games 3 and 4, where the Kings could potentially win the Stanley Cup if they do win Game 3.

That's not something they were prepared to talk about following Game 2.

"You don't win the Cup winning two games in the Final," Stoll said.

They got closer to winning the Cup on Saturday because Jeff Carter made the play of his career, because Quick was terrific when the Devils pushed early and late, and because Drew Doughty scored a highlight-reel goal to give L.A. a 1-0 lead 7:49 into the first period.

Doughty did it with a terrific individual effort. He carried the puck in from the far blue line. He went around Stephen Gionta at center ice and then Carter at the Devils' blue line before he smoked a shot from the right circle that went through Bryce Salvador and past Brodeur.

Doughty, who also had an assist on Kopitar's overtime winner in Game 1, has three goals and nine assists for 12 points in the playoffs. He played a game-high 32:19 in Game 2 after playing a game-high 28:15 in Game 1.

"I just saw some ice in front of me, decided to skate with the puck," Doughty said. "I don't know who the D-man was, but I tried to use him as a screen. Marty has that quick glove so I went blocker side. I didn't even know it went in actually, but luckily, it did."

Ironically, Carter also went blocker side to beat Brodeur. In fact, on his OT-winner in Game 1, Kopitar deked to his forehand so he could score on Brodeur's blocker side.

The difference is Kopitar scored on a breakaway while Carter had the luxury of Dustin Penner, all 6-foot-4 and 242 pounds of him, screening Brodeur.

"Penns did a great job of getting right in front of Marty there," Carter said. "To be honest, I don't even know if he saw around Penns, or if he saw the shot."

Brodeur said he was mostly screened and didn't pick up the shot until late -- until too late.

"It's unfortunate, but with a little luck on our side, we could be up 2-0," Brodeur said. "I think we have to find that positive and go into the L.A. and sneak one game as early as we can and go from there. It makes it a little harder, but we're here now."

The only problem is the Devils are facing a team that believes it will win no matter the circumstance or the venue.

The Kings have won 14 games so far. Two more gets them a summer with Stanley.

"We haven't won anything," Stoll said.

Yet.

Here is the video from Jeff Carter's Heroics:


The Kings are the 12th team in history to win the first two games of the cup finals. Nine of the previous eleven have gone on to win the Cup. this is the first time since 2004 the first two games have ended in identical scores. It was 2-1 in both games this year and in 2004 it was 4-1 games in both one and two, with the Flames taking game one and the Lightning taking game two. The last time a team won the first two games of the finals by the same score was in 1997 when the Detroit Red Wings beat the Philadelphia Flyers by scores of 4-2. Game three will be monday night from the Staples Center in LA at 8 p.m.

Johan Santana Tosses First No Hitter In Mets History!

Something most people thought they would never see has FINALLY happenend. It has taken over 50 years of baseball in Queens, but the Mets franchise has finally been on the winning side of a no-hotter. Johan Santana last night threw the first no hitter in New York Mets franchise history in a 8-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardnials. Here is the story from ESPN New York:

After more than a half century and 8,020 games, Johan Santana pitched the first no-hitter in New York Mets' history.

Aided by an umpire's missed call and an incredible catch by a left fielder who grew up in Queens as a Mets fan, Santana's start is also the first no-hitter of his career.

In the 8-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, Santana, who missed last season because of shoulder surgery, walked five and struck out eight, while testing the limits of his comeback.

Mets manager Terry Collins said before the game that he wanted to limit Santana to a maximum of 110-115 pitches. Santana finished with a career-high 134.

Afterward, an emotional Collins expressed his trepidation about going after history instead of preserving Santana's long-term health.

"I just couldn't take him out," Collins said.

In the ninth inning with 27,609 fans all standing, Santana's final pitch, a 3-2 change-up, resulted in David Freese swinging and missing. Santana's teammates all stormed the mound to celebrate.
Santana said he never has thrown a no-hitter at any level.

"I don't think I've ever even thrown a no-hitter in video games," Santana said.

The San Diego Padres, established in 1969, are now the only team in the majors without a no-hitter. The Mets previously had 35 one-hitters.

During his postgame news conference, an emotional Collins lamented his decision to keep Santana in the game because of fear of damaging the shoulder.

"I'm very excited for him, but in five days, if his arm is bothering him, I'm not going to feel very good," Collins said.

In the dugout, during the Mets' three-run seventh inning, Collins told Santana he was his "hero" and hen he handed the decision of if he wanted to stay in or not to Santana.

"I just said, 'Look, I tell you guys every day you have a say in what goes on here,' " Collins said. " 'You have a voice and your voice is going to be heard.' "

Santana was never going to remove himself. In reality, the no-hitter probably should have been over before the seventh.

To start the sixth, Carlos Beltran, in his first game at Citi Field since leaving the Mets last year, scorched a shot down the line. A replay showed Beltran hit the white chalk on the third-base line. Umpire Adrian Johnson ruled it a foul ball and Beltran ended up grounding out.

"I saw the ball hitting outside the line, just foul," Johnson said to a pool reporter after the game.

Johnson said he saw the replay, but upon further review, declined to comment if he thought the ball was fair or foul.

In the seventh with one down, left fielder Mike Baxter -- who grew up in Whitestone, Queens, 10 minutes away from old Shea Stadium and Citi Field -- made a catch to save the no-hitter, going back on a bullet from Yadier Molina.

Baxter, running to the wall, extended his glove and made a catch. As he stepped on the warning track, Baxter did not slow down. His body, leading with his shoulder and his head, violently slammed into the wall and he collapsed to the ground.

"That ball that Baxter caught, he'll go down in the annals of New York Met lore because of that," said pitcher R.A. Dickey.

Collins and team trainers ran out to left field. Baxter eventually got to his feet and walked off the field. The crowd gave him a standing ovation. The Mets announced Baxter has a left-shoulder bruise but was undergoing further testing.

"What a night for the Mets," Baxter said in the Mets' clubhouse. "As a Met fan as a kid, it is a huge night for the Mets. We have been waiting a long time for a no-hitter."

In the ninth, Matt Holliday lined out to center for the initial out. The second out came on an Allen Craig looping liner to left.

Friday night added to an incredible comeback from shoulder surgery for Santana, who is now pitching as well as when he was perennially a Cy Young Award contender.

With two outs in the eighth, the fans chanted "Johan! Johan! Johan!" Santana walked Rafael Furcal on his 118th pitch, and Collins came out to talk with Santana.

Four pitches later, Santana got Beltran to hit a meek infield liner that second baseman Daniel Murphy snared.

During the bottom of the eighth, Santana sat away from his teammates at the end of the dugout, awaiting his chance at history. He then made it happen for a franchise that has been trying since 1962.

After the final out, Santana did interviews with the Mets' TV and radio station before he walked into the clubhouse. Dickey said it was like they were waiting for the king. Dickey and his teammates had champagne waiting for Santana.

"We did this together," Santana said. "It is not just about me. We had a great, great game tonight. Everyone participated. We did the little things the way we were supposed to do it. And it worked out good. I thanked them because we as a team made history tonight."

Here is the video of the final call of the ball game thanks to Gary Cohen on SNY:


After this game there was another interesting stat brought to my attention thanks to ESPN. Santana's No-no was the 8th time in baseball history that a team has no hit the defending world champions. The eight times it happened are Johan Santana last night, Nolan Ryan in 1990 against Oakland, Dick Bosman in 1974 against Oakland, Jim Bibbly in 1973 against Oakland, Gaylord Perry in 1968 against St Louis, Virgin Trucks in 1952 against the Yankees, Lon Warneke in 1941 against the Reds, and George Mogridge against the Red Sox.

Now as for this game itself, Johan I think owes two big thank you's, and maybe two rolex watches to, a couple of people. First up is to third base umpire Adrian Johnson for the missed call. Now it was a bang bang play down the line on the Beltran shot in the 6th inning. The umpires are only human and can only make so many correct calls. After the game I heard a few critics on the internet say that this call is yet another reason that instant replay should be used in more situtations. I say that is total crap. Baseball is a good game as it is but if you add instant replay to more situtations games will take twice as long and that is something I, and probably most other people, don't really want.

The other major thank you that Santana owes is to Mike Baxter for this SICK catch in the 7th inning. Baxter may have injured his shoulder but it was so worth it. Great game all around and congratulations again to Johan Santana For the first no hitter in Mets History!