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Carolina Hurricanes Win Game Two Of The Stanley Cup Finals
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Editorial, Injuries, NHL, Playoffs,
Not so surprisingly to me, anyway, the Hurricanes took Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers and whomever the backup goaltender was going to be after Dwayne Roloson went down in Game One. So, who was that goalie? It was Jussi Markkanen, who was making his first playoff start in only the most important playoff series in the NHL. How badly did he do? Well, the Oilers lost 5-0. Nuff said.
But, honestly, Roloson could have felt the “spirit” within him, thrown his crutches to the floor and start running AND THEN take the net for the Oilers tonight and it wouldn’t have mattered. Why? Because rookie and playoff revelation, Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward was getting busy turning away Oilers’ shots on goal (25) the way Paris Hilton turns away guys without video cameras.
During the regular season, Ward had a very pedestrian 3.68 GAA (goals against average) and a .882 SV% (saves percentage). However, during the playoffs, he’s kicked it up a notch and is averaging a 2.19 GAA and a .917 SV%. Now, I’m not saying he’s Patrick Roy, but Ward sure is doing a pretty good impersonation of him right now.
Scoring goals for the Hurricanes were LW Andrew Ladd, D Frantisek Kaberle, LW Cory Stillman, C Doug Weight, and RW Mark Recchi. The Oilers find themselves down 2-0 in the series as they head back home for Game Three of the Stanley Cup finals and with inexperienced goalies tending net, it’s going to be a long… make that short… series for the Oilers. All of Alberta, Canada just cursed me right now.
The puck drops for Game Three on Saturday at 8PM and will actually be nationally televised on network television here in the United States on NBC. Props to them for bringing one of the most historic championships to the U.S. general public.
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Tap The Schedule And Twist The Cap: Sign Of The Beast Edition
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, MLB, NBA, NHL, Playoffs,
Well, it’s 06/06/06… ooh, shivers. So, anyone see Satan yet or what? As far as I know he’s still in his fiery pit and probably laughing at us and saying to himself, “What a bunch of superstitious dumbarses! Ain’t that right, Nero?” If you get the Nero reference, that shows a sign of your intellect!
NBA: We’re two days away from Game One between the Salma Hayeks and Tom Cruises, that is to say the Heat and Mavericks. Can you feel the excitement in the air? Or, maybe, it’s just me.
NHL: Last night’s Game One was excellent and you can read about it here or scroll down. It could be a short series with Dwayne Roloson injured and possibly out the rest of the way.
MLB: There are three great matchups featuring young gun pitchers who could all be talked about being in the upper echelon of pitchers within five years for that time. Get a preview of the possible greatness to come tonight.
*Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim youngster, Ervin Santana, was a highly-regarded prospect and still has some things to work on on the Major League level, but is showing improvement this season, especially when it comes to his control. Santana has limited his BB/IP ratio from 0.35 last year during his rookie season to 0.25. Santana and his Angels will match up against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ Scott Kazmir, who is simply blowing batters away at a rate of 1.05 per inning. Again, control plays a role in the success of a young pitcher as Kazmir who averaged 0.53 walks per inning has drastically dropped tha ratio to 0.36. Look for a great matchup between the two youngsters.
*King Felix Hernandez meet the man who wants your crown as being the top pitching prospect in the game today, Francisco Liriano. To say that the Seattle Mariners’ Hernandez has been a disappoint thus far would be understatement. Last season, the King had a stellar rookie year (however short) when he went 4-4, but with a 2.67 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .203 BAA, and 77 strikeouts in 84.1 IP. This season? A 5.78 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, .289 BAA, and 63 strikeouts in 62.1 IP. Now, the K’s are nice, but that’s about it. So, how about this season’s pitching stud to watch? After starting off in the bullpen, the Minnesota Twins’ Liriano has been excellent in his three starts, giving up only one run in 16.0 IP, striking out 15. For the season, Liriano sports a 2.11 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a .243 BAA. In 38.1 IP, Liriano has 47 K’s. Yowza!
*The Philadelphia Phillies Cole Hamels comes off the DL to start against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Juan Cruz, who’s always been in the spotlight because of his K ability, but never really getting a chance. He does tonight against a strong Phillies lineup. In his last three starts, Cruz has given up two earned runs in 19 frames, while striking out 13 and has gone 2-1. Hamels, coming off a shoulder strain to his pitching arm, will try to show some of that magic that he was hyped about earlier in the season. While he has the ability to make hitters miss (12 K in 11.1 IP), he still has control issues (but relative to the above, don’t all rookie pitchers?) and has walked nine in that same 11.1 inning span.
That’s all I got. Enjoy the games!
Carolina Hurricanes Take Game One Of The Stanley Cup Finals
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Injuries, NHL, Playoffs,
In a word - wow. That would describe the third period for the Carolina Hurricanes who scored four goals in the final period to eek out a 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers. And with the Oilers anchor this playoff series, G Dwayne Roloson going down and probably out the rest of the way, there may be more wins in the Hurricanes future.
The Oilers came out hard and took a 3-0 lead on goals by RW Fernando Pisani (8:18, 1st period), D Chris Pronger (10:36, 2nd period, penalty shot), and LW Ethan Moreau (16:23, 2nd period). Carolina C Rob Brind’Amour kept it respectable and scored his tenth goal of the playoffs (17:17, 2nd period). Down 3-1, it was going to be tough for the Hurricanes considering Roloson’s 2.22 GAA.
However, in the third period, LW Ray Whitney came out like a man possessed scoring a goal with 1:40 elapsed in the period, and another goal three minutes and 29 seconds later, which tied the game at 3-3. Less than five minutes later (10:02), RW Justin Williams scored a shorthanded goal that put the Hurricanes up 4-3. Oilers RW Ales Hemsky put a stop to Carolina’s four goal barrage by scoring on a power play goal (13:31) that tied it up once again, this time at four goals apiece.
But then disaster struck for the Oilers. Carolina’s LW Andrew Ladd brought the puck into the Oilers zone, cut in front of the net and was met by a huge hit from Oilers D Marc-Andre Bergeron that sent Ladd into Roloson. The collision caused Roloson to injure his right knee and sent him packing, possibly for good in this series.
That’s when Ty Conklin came in to replace the playoff star goalie. Conklin only played in 18 regular season games for the Oilers, so the following befuddlement can be excused. Actually, no… no it can’t. With the period ending and seeming about to go into overtime, Conklin went behind the net to play the puck and passed it off to D Jason Smith. However, Smith didn’t play it right, seeming to have been crossed up by Conklin, and the puck deflected off his stick in front of an empty goal.
So, with 31.1 seconds left in the game, a free and wide-open Brind’amour scored the 11th goal of this playoff run for the Hurricanes, but most importantly, the winning goal for Carolina. It’s unfortunate that the game ended on a fluke-type goal, but sometimes that just the way things break. Losing Game One of the Stanley Cup and possibly your goalie that carried you in the playoffs, the Oilers’ spirit must be starting to break.
Game Two takes place in Carolina once again when they drop the puck on Wednesday at 8:00pm EST.
Tap The Schedule And Twist The Cap: 6.5.06
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Fantasy, Injuries, MLB, News, NHL, Playoffs,
MLB: Updating the Albert Pujols strained oblique injury, it is now said that he will be out indefinitely and will have an MRI today. It is said from the mild to severe spectrum, the tear of the right oblique is severe. For all of you fantasy baseball geeks (as I am), hopefully you have some depth at 1B, especially considering its one of the deeper positions in the game. Naturally, it’s little consolation for having Pujols’ lethal bat our of your lineup… oh, and the St. Louis Cardinals’.
*One of the best sports rivalries in history starts up again when the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox begin a four-game series tonight in the bowels of the Bronx. Tonight’s pitching duel pits the Red Sox’s Josh Beckett (7-2; 4.46 ERA; 1.18 WHIP) against the Yankees’ Mike Mussina (7-1; 2.42 ERA; 0.96 WHIP). Both pitchers have started strong this season, but when it’s Sox/Yanks everything is thrown out the window since there’s always some type of drama of the melodramatic and/or on-the-edge-of-your-seat type.
*Making his first start since coming off the DL, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, Daniel Cabrera takes the hill for the Birds against the other birds of the A.L. East, the Toronto Blue Jays. There were high expectations for Cabrera coming into the season when pitching coach, Leo Mazzone, came over to the O’s from the Atlanta Braves because many thought Mazzone could reign in Cabrera’s control issues. Well, at this point… not so much. Cabrera will try to get back on track to being one of the better pitchers in the game tonight against a loaded Jays offense.
*Once again, Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks will once again go for the title of “First MLB Pitcher to Win Number Nine.” In his first attempt, the other guy pitching was Pedro Martinez and the D’backs couldn’t hit him worth a lick, so Webb’s 7.0 IP, four hit, one walk, zero runs performance was for naught. Tonight Webb will deal to the Philadelphia Phillies who come into town splitting a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
NHL: Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals begins tonight with the Edmonton Oilers visiting the Carolina Hurricanes. The Oilers are coming off a long layoff since they beat the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in five games of the Western Conference Finals, opposed to the Hurricanes who went all the way to Game Seven with the Buffalo Sabres to win the Eastern Conference crown.
Enjoy the games!
Tap The Schedule And Twist The Cap: 6.4.06
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Injuries, MLB, NBA, News, Playoffs,
NBA: A “yee-hah” congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks who beat the Phoenix Suns last night in the desert, 102-93. The Mavs will face the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals as both franchises will be making their championship series debut. The road to the title begins on Thursday, June 8th in Dallas.
MLB: Arguably the best player in the game today, Albert Pujols, suffered a strained oblique in yesterday’s game betwen his St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. At this point it’s unknown when Pujols will return to the team, but he could miss as much as six weeks, according to team physician, Dr. George Paletta. Stay tuned.
*Rich Harden takes the hill for the Oakland Athletics again. Athletics Nation stand up! Oh, and cross fingers that Harden doesn’t get hurt again because he’s probably your best pitcher. Harden will try to handcuff the Minnesota Twinkies in Oakland this afternoon.
*Chris Young of the San Diego Padres will face the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon and hopes to continue his brilliance from earlier this week. Young was flirting with a no-no against the Colorado Rockies when he went eight frames only allowing one hit, a double by OF Brad Hawpe to lead the eighth inning. Young is currently 4-3 with a 3.80 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, .215 BAA, with 54 strikeouts in 66.1 IP.
*Tonight’s featured game is between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Cleveland Indians. Yesterday, the Indians completely waxed some Angels butt, 14-2. John Lackey pitches for the Angels, while a dominating C.C. Sabathia takes the mound for the Tribe. Both teams were considered playoff contenders before the season, so this could potentially be a warm-up of sorts before October rolls around.
*Well, Dan Haren DID make me look like a genius yesterday. He went six frames, allowing zero runs, only three hits, while striking out six and walking two. Haren didn’t get the decision, but he made up for Monday’s loss to the Kansas City Royals!
Enjoy the games!
First it was the Miami Heat. Now, it’s the Dallas Mavericks. With the Mavs beating the Phoenix Suns 102-93 in Game Six of the Western Conference championship series, the organization will be making its first appearance in the NBA Finals. There’s no telling who will win the NBA crown, but one thing is definite - there will be a first-time NBA Champion this season.
The Suns started off as hot as a team could in the first quarter, taking a 29-14 lead heading into the second quarter. They were straight-up blazing. It looked like it was going to be a blowout and at halftime, leading 51-39, the Suns had to be feeling pretty good about themselves.
But then came the third quarter and the emphasis on defense that Mavs head coach, Avery Johnson, preached to his team all season. The Suns were put on lock and only scored 15 points in the third. And worst of all, they looked deflated on the court. What was once a lead by as much as 18 points was now only a four point lead (66-62) going into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, things got very ugly for the Suns as they allowed the Mavs to score 40 points on them. Yikes! The Suns didn’t even put up a strong string of points, which they’ve been doing all playoffs to make the game close. With Dirk Nowitzki dominating again, Jerry Stackhouse hitting open shots, and Jason Terry penetrating seemingly at will, there was no denying the Mavs their first trip to the Finals.
So, while the Suns will be setting in the West, the Mavs hope to rise to the occassion and hope they can once again avoid getting burned, this time from the Miami Heat. The two first-time NBA Finals participants begin to make team history on Thursday, June 8th in Dallas, as Game One tips off at 9pm EST.
Tap The Schedule And Twist The Cap: 6.3.06
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Golf, MLB, NBA, Playoffs,
NBA: Congrats to the Miami Heat for earning their first NBA Finals appearance by beating the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Detroit Pistons. Last night’s 95-78 win made history for the Heat. They await the winner of tonight’s Western Conference series.
*If the Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns in the desert, they will also make history as they would make their first appearance in the NBA Finals just like the Heat. However, it will be a tough road to do so as they get back in the heat of the Suns homecourt. However, as they’ve proven in Game Three, the Mavs are fully capable of beating the Suns in Phoenix. But, you have to believe that Steve Nash and company have enough pride and competitive fire to not let that happen again. We’ll find out tonight if the Suns will see the light of a Game Seven, or if the Mavs are on their way to a Game One of an NBA Final series. The jumpball happens at 8:30pm EST.
MLB: Eric Gagne made his comeback last night against the Philadelphia Phillies! Rejoice, Dodgers fans! It looks like Gagne will be out there in the ninth frame again. Yippee!
*After a rain-out Friday night, the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants play a doubleheader this afternoon. Tom Glavine will get a chance to be the Majors first nine-game winner after Curt Schilling couldn’t get his ninth win for the season last night against the Detroit Tigers, despite pitching well. Glavine will pitch the back end of the double dip.
*The pitcher I predicted would do well earlier this week, the Oakland A’s Dan Haren, gets a chance to make me look good tonight after losing to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday 6-4. Haren went 6.2 innings, giving up four earned runs, but did strikeout nine while only walking two. Let’s see if he can put it together today against the Minnesota Twinkies.
*Kelvim Escobar of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim recently signed a lucrative three-year contract with the team. I’m glad to see his ability getting its just due. Escobar has a very good career K-rate and in recent seasons has improved his K/BB rate as well. Let’s see if the money goes to head as he faces the Cleveland Indians this afternoon on the Tribe’s turf. I personally don’t think so, but money does things to people, especially athletes.
Golf: The Memorial Tournament continues today, despite rainy conditions in Dublin, Ohio. Carl Pettersson (-8) is tied at the top of the leaderboard, but Sean O’Hair (-8) didn’t get to finish his round yesterday, completing only six holes. Some notables: Vijay Singh (-1); Jim Furyk (-1); Stuart Appleby (-1); Phil Mickelson (+1).
Enjoy the games!
Miami Heat Make The NBA Finals For The First Time
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Championship, NBA, Playoffs, Scoreboard,
Thanks to a dominant 95-78 win over the Detroit Pistons, the Miami Heat took the Eastern Conference Championship and a ticket to the franchise’s first ever appearance in the NBA Finals. The Heat entered the league during the 1988-89 season along with the Orlando Magic, who made the NBA Finals during the 1994-95 season. It took a little longer, but the Heat finally joins its Florida neighbor in getting to play on the biggest stage in basketball.
A pivotal player, part of dynamic duo with Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway for that 94-95 Magic team that eventually lost to the Houston Rockets who were led by Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon and Clyde “The Glide” Drexler was Shaquille O’Neal. Funny enough, 11 years later, after getting three rings with the Los Angeles Lakers, O’Neal, again a part of a dynamic duo, this time with Dwyane Wade, helps bring another Florida team to the Finals for the first time. If O’Neal ran for governor, he’d likely win at this point.
Tonight, O’Neal played like he was 11 years younger, scoring 28 points on 12-for-14 shooting from the floor, grabbing 16 boards, and blocking five shots. It’s safe to say that “The Diesel” showed up, and when he does, he’s simply unstoppable. How about O’Neal’s current partner-in-crime? Wade only scored 14 points, having a poor shooting night, but did dish out 10 assists. His scoring wasn’t needed as much as Jason Williams was the perimeter version of O’Neal, shooting 10-for-12 from the field, finishing with 21 points.
For the Pistons, Richard Hamilton dropped 33 points, but it wasn’t enough to lead Detroit to victory as the other scorers couldn’t hit their shots. Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince shot a combined 10-for-35 for only 29 points. Even Hamilton’s points are a bit skewed when you consider he shot 12-for-28. The team as a whole only shot 33.3% from the floor, which is obviously not a formula for winning.
The Miami Heat await the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks, who play Game Six tomorrow night. The Mavs lead the series three games to two and can get to their first trip to the NBA Finals with a win in Phoenix.
Tap The Schedule And Twist The Cap: 6.2.06
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, MLB, NBA, News, NHL, Playoffs,
Man, June already? Sorry, for not bringing your dose of TSTC yesterday, but I’m back today! So, let’s get started!
NBA: Wow, how great did Dirk Nowitzki look last night against the Phoenix Suns? The man was unstoppable and set a Dallas Mavericks playoff record for points in a game with 50. Add in the 12 boards Nowitzki snagged and the boy worked hard in the Mavs 117-101 blowout victory, which put the Mavs up three games to two in the Western Conference Finals. Ths Suns put in a good effort and actually put a run together in the fourth quarter, but then Nowitzki turned it up and seemingly couldn’t miss from the floor or charity stripe. The series heads back to Phoenix for Game Six tomorrow and tips off at 8:30pm EST.
*In tonight’s Game Six, the Miami Heat could close out the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons. The task will potentially be easier than in Game Five, as tonight’s game will be played in Miami. Last time, Pistons SF Tayshaun Prince scored a playoff career-high 29 points, which was a major factor in the Pistons 91-78 Game Five win. But that was just one reason that led to the win; probably the most important difference is that the Pistons looked like the Pistons of old and played defense with relentless tenacity. Did you see that Ben Wallace block on Shaquille O’Neal’s dunk attempt? Nasty! If the Pistons bring “the nasty” again tonight, homecourt advantage for the Heat may not matter. It should be a good battle tonight. The game starts at 8PM.
MLB: It’s official official - Roger Clemens will join the Houston Astros this season and should make his MLB debut this season on June 22 against the Minnesota Twins at home. To prepare himself, Clemens will start at Single-A Lexington on June 6, Double-A Corpus Christi on June 11, and then Triple-A Round Rock on June 16. If this move is enough to propel the Astros to the playoffs remains to be seen, but I’m looking forward to watching the Rocket do his thing. It isn’t everyday that you get to watch a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer who still performs at a high level. Enjoy it while you can, folks.
* A couple of pitchers who have a good chance to make the Hall of Fame take the mound tonight to become the Majors first pitcher to nine wins. The New York Mets’ Tom Glavine will try to accomplish the feat against the San Francisco Giants and Barry Bonds, who should play after resting his body the last few days. Curt Schilling of the Boston Red Sox deals to the Detroit Tigers, who felt the wrath of another A.L. East opponent as the New York Yankees took three of four games in Motown recently. The Tigers will definitely try to get back on track against Schilling.
* Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim rookie pitcher Jered Weaver will try to build on his MLB debut against the Baltimore Orioles when he went seven frames without giving up a run, striking out five and only walking one. Weaver was highly touted coming out of Long Beach State just a couple of years ago and probably would have been the number one overall pick instead of 12th overall, but Scott Boras screwed that up.
*2005 Cy Young Runner-Up, Dontrelle Willis of the Florida Marlins looks to get back on a winning trend as he’s lost his past six decisions in a row. However, it will be difficult to reverse that trend tonight as Willis and the Marlins head into the thin air of Colorado when they face the Rockies. The Florida hitters won’t complain, but Willis just might.
NHL: Congratulations to the Carolina Hurricanes and the Edmonton Oilers who meet in the Stanley Cup Finals, which start on Monday at Carolina. The two teams never met during the regular season, so this will be an interesting matchup to watch.
Enjoy the games!
Tap The Schedule And Twist The Cap: 5.31.06
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, MLB, NBA, News, NHL, Playoffs,
He wears the same number as Willis Reed and even though he probably won’t have a Hall of Fame career, the Phoenix Suns’ Raja Bell inspired his teammates to raise their level of play against the Dallas Mavericks last night. Expected to sit out Game Four of the Western Conference final, Bell made a surprising start and despite not scoring as much per normal, added fire on the defensive side of the ball and in the huddle. The Suns beat the Mavs 106-86. Leandro Barbosa came off the bench, his usual role, to lead the Suns in scoring with 24 points, including four three-pointers. Josh Howard led the Mavs with 16 points, while Dirk Nowitzki was shut down as more defensive attention was spent on him. He finished with 11 points, vastly below his 27.3 scoring average in the series. The series heads back to Dallas for a showdown on Thursday.
*The Miami Heat look to close out the Eastern Conference series tonight against the Detroit Pistons in Game Five. However, the task will be a hard one since the game will be played in Detroit and the Pistons have too much talent and pride to just fold. In fact, you can’t count them out from winning three in a row to take the series. However, if Shaquille O’Neal continues to play like he did in Orlando, Dwyane Wade continues to do what he wants with the ball in his hands, role players like Udonis Haslem continue to contribute in a significant way, and most important, the Pistons continue to play out of synch, the series will be done soon. The game tips off tonight at 8:00pm.
Is he or isn’t he? It seemed like a done deal that Roger Clemens was going to take the mound again for the Houston Astros, as posted on End Score last night. However, the Astros and Clemens’ agent, Randy Hendricks are both backing off of that claim. Yet, it now seems like it’s going to happen. What is definite is that Clemens will decide very soon whether or not he plays again or hangs up the cleats. Bet on the Rocket to play again.
*Arizona Diamondbacks’ Brandon Webb tries to go 9-0 tonight against the New York Mets. The Mets pitcher will be Pedro Martinez, so if this turns out to be a pitcher’s duel like it theoretically looks like it will be, a win will be hard to come by for Webb.
*Rookie pitcher, Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins, takes the hill to begin a game for the third straight time tonight against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Liriano, starting out in the bullpen this season has shown the reason why he was so highly-touted and looks to be the future number two in the rotation after Johan Santana.
*Two strong pitchers take the hill tonight in Florida as the San Francisco Giants’ Jason Scmidt will matchup against rookie Josh Johnson. Both are 4-2 with ERAs in the two’s and will be dealing in a pitcher’s park. Also, Barry Bonds is expected to sit out again tonight to rest his back, which helps Johnson’s cause.
Last night’s Game Six of the Eastern Conference finals was a good one to say the least. Facing elimination, the Buffalo Sabres scored an overtime goal by Daniel Briere to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 and force a Game Seven. Hurricanes rookie, Cam Ward, did an impressive job, but it wasn’t enough in the extra period. The decisive game will be played on Thursday back on Carolina’s home ice.
*No NHL games tonight as the Edmonton Oilers are relaxing waiting to see whom they play in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Enjoy the games!
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