Canucks-Preds Game One "Live" Game Log.

Welcome to the second round. Live is in quotes because I'm watching this opening game on my DVR with about a two hour delay. Let's go!

20:00- The opening faceoff isn't the only thing we're going to win this series.

17:14- Pekka Rinne squeezes and freezes a Daniel Sedin wrister, and he's not giving up any rebounds so far.

16:57- Kesler is already showing some mad defensive skills. So what if he isn't scoring any goals?

15:52- Samuelsson is off for a hook. I know it's just game one, and it'll come, but the intensity of the Hawks-Canucks series just isn't here.

13:52- First PK is a nice success.

12:49- O'Brien tries to start stuff with Kes after the whistle, but nothing doing. Is SOB going to be trying this all series? That's pretty weak.

12:30- 'Nucks are up in the faceoff department 12-0. That's going to end up getting us a goal eventually.

10:51- Bieksa blocks a shot and hobbles to the bench. Um, you better shake that off, or we've got Andrew Alberts again.

6:42- How about Keith Freaking Ballard? He just went coast to coast and almost scored on his own rebound. Bodies were flying on that one. I guess all that sitting got him fired up. He's looked great so far.

5:00- All of the sudden, this game is getting crazy physical. Kesler just dumped Erat hard, and then everyone started checking everyone. Hamhuis just had a great shot on goal, but Rinne is showing how important he plans to be in the series.

3:44- Smithson just showed that he's a bitch, putting a choke hold on Burrows in front of the net. We're back on the PP on an unrelated offense.

1:40- We're 0 for 2 on the PP, but it's only because of Rinne. Save after save, this guy has been incredible.

End Of 1st- It's all tied at 0s after one. Nashville starts the second on the PP after an iffy call against Ehrhoff. 'Nucks outshoot Nashville 17-5, I believe they said, and we're killing them in the faceoff circle. We were the better team by far in the opening 20 minutes, and yet, Rinne has kept them in there.

17:37- Kesler is really trying to score, but Rinne keeps denying him. Even Hank took a shot, but his stick broke.

16:18- Nashville catches a slashing call, and you'd have to believe that Vancouver will definitely score this time around.

14:24- Even though we're able to just walk into the zone everytime like I've never seen before, Rinne is "like a Dyson" (Versus analogy, not mine).

13:45- I think the 'Nuck players are realizing how well they are playing, and they are trying to get fancy with things, rather than just putting more pucks on Rinne.

12:34- Do we take more too many men penalties than anyone else in the NHL? It really feels that way.

9:40- I've never watched a 0-0 game where one team was dominating the other team so convincingly. 

7:46- GOAL!!!! Max Lapierre feeds Chris Higgins on a sweet rush following a turnover, and Higgins drills home a goal!!! Higgy is a game on hero, and it's nice to see our two trade acquisitions making good here in the second round.

3:54- This third line of Higgins-Lapierre-Hansen look great out on the ice. They have the hustle, they have the hits, and they have the goal.

3:25- Ballard just got 2 minutes for a perfect hip check, called for interference when Tootoo had the puck. Total joke, and the boo birds are out.

End Of 2nd- 'Nucks maintain the 1-0 lead, and have completely kept up the total domination in this game. I'm sure the Preds are going to come out harder in the final fram because I know they are better than this. Hopefully we can answer their probable upswing in pressure with another goal to create some distance. Roberto hasn't faced much, but he's been up to the challenge whenever they've thrown something his way.

16:24- The Canucks have come out the exact same way here in the third, and that spells problems for Nashville. 

16:07- We are getting our fifth power play after a really blatant trip on a breaking Kesler, and I have a feeling we make this one count.

14:39- Fisher gets a shorthanded breakaway, one on one with Luongo, and Bobby Lu stands tall. He's just a brick wall out there, and may have just saved the game.

14:07- The latest PP failure shows that my gut feelings aren't worth very much.

13:32- Aaron Rome just rushed the slot and tried a one-time spin-a-rooni shot. I'm not kidding. Of course, Pekka Rinne made the glove save.

13:04- For the first time all postseason, I agree with Brian Engblom in between the glass. He pointed out that the Canucks seem to be feeling too good about their ability to control the play, and seem like they may be leaving themselves vulnerable to making a mistake. It looks that way, and we're only up by one, so we need to fix that problem.

8:36- The Canucks have shifted to a defensive mentality, dumping the puck and chasing rather than getting fancy. I'm not sure if I like it when we're only up a goal, but it seems to be working. No big chances for Nashville, and we'll be cool.

7:45- Henrik gets bricked on a breakaway by Rinne. This guy is standing on his head.

5:22- Ballard goes off for a hook, and if the Preds are going to come back, this is their chance.

3:21- Canucks kill it off, and are working toward the win. Coach V takes a timeout after an icing. This is a huge faceoff to the side of Luongo.

1:47- As time runs out on Nashville, will Rinne head to the bench?

1:10- There he goes...

0:20- Nashville gets a faceoff in the offensive zone after Higgy ices the puck, and they have called timeout. Hang on, guys.

0:05- Henrik blocks a slapper and the puck bounces out of the zone, ending the game.

End Of 3rd- Roberto Luongo keeps the door shut and earns his second game on shutout of this postseason. It's hard not to get excited about this series after the game went down this way. The Canucks completelty dominated these guys all night, and Nashville barely put up a fight. You'd have to imagine that the Preds will get better as this series goes on, but it sure feels good to get that 1-0 lead.

See you guys on Saturday.

Go Canucks Go.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

The Celebration Is Over, Bring On The Preds.

Alex Burrows sent my living room into wild celebration just past 10 pm on Tuesday night. Until that moment, he was looking like the goat of the game and therefore the series. My boy AB failed to score on a penalty shot, after a really poor attempt (can you at least throw a deke in there), and then managed to get called for a hold at the start of the extra session. It's incredible, really, how the fate of a player can change so quickly. After the Canucks killed that nerve wracking penalty early in OT, Burrows buried a wrister in the upper-left corner and won the series. Believe it or not, he and his wife ended up having a baby less than 24 hours later. What a life, eh?

He almost fell down as he was getting ready to unleash his shot, and he sure is lucky he didn't. At that moment, he became a hero for this Canuck fan base, and depending on how these playoffs go, he may have just earned himself a statue outside The Roger. That's how much this game seven win means to our organization. After two years of our high expectations ending at the hands of Chicago in the Western Conference Semifinals, we were finally able to overcome what had become our greatest demon.

It means so much to us, that we have all kind of been celebrating as if we won the Stanley Cup. If we don't go on to win the whole thing, we'll always be able to say, "well, at least we finally beat Chicago!" That's how big this was. After the game, Roberto Luongo said, "I don't know, this one might be better than the Olympics." Do you even understand what he's saying? He's talking about winning the Western Conference Quarterfinals being bigger than winning the Gold Medal for Canada in the Winter Olympics, IN VANCOUVER! It would sound insane, if it were anyone other than these two teams. Because of what this rivalry has become, it makes total sense.

Imagine if the 'Nucks would have lost, which easily could have been the case, the way that the end of the game played out. All hell would have broken loose. Alain Vigneault would have been fired. Mike Gillis would have been ousted as the GM. Roberto would have been traded for a bucket of pucks. It may have very well resulted in the blowing up of the entire team. That's all completely honest, because we would all feel that if we couldn't do it with this team, what hope was there? This is the best chance we feel we've had in the last 40 years, and we have to seize the opportunity.

If you follow the blog, you know that I've been saying that if we could beat Chicago, we would win the Stanley Cup. I still feel that way. With that win under their belts, there won't be another team in between us and the Cup that can scare off these guys. We are unstoppable. 

It's amazing how close unstoppable and completely stopped can be some times.

However, the celebration must quickly come to an end. The NHL, unlike the NBA, likes to move things along rather quickly in the postseason, and the 'Nucks are welcoming Nashville to the Roger in about 3.5 hours. Did I just say the Canucks were unstoppable? Hmm, maybe I spoke too soon. Look, I'm not going to lie. I'm pretty sure the Canucks are going to beat Nashville, but during the regular season, this blog heavily documented the difficulties we had with the Preds. Over and over again, they surprised us, and we split the four game season series with them. Add to that the fact that they're coming off of a series win over Anaheim, a team I thought would have been able to beat us, and we're looking at some serious competition. 

I find it hilarious that most of the major media outlets are billing this as a battle between Shane O'Brien and Dan Hamhuis. Even Jon can tell you that Shane O'Brien is pretty much a non-factor. The only thing we'll think after watching SOB in these games is, "Wow, letting him walk was a good idea." He's a #7 defensiveman who makes a career out of taking bad penalties (and showing up to practice with a hangover). The Hammer is lightyears ahead, and I only hope he can stay concussion free long enough to make the Pred supporters long for the days when he rocked the Sabertooth.

Pekka Rinne is no joke, though, people. He joins Luongo as a Vezina Trophy candidate, and rocked a 1.26 GAA against the 'Nucks this season, along with a hefty .962 SV%. He's been solid all year long, turning himself from a punchline into a hero, and he'll give the Canucks a run for their money. This game may not be about the battle between Hamhuis and SOB, but it definitely is about the battle between the goalies. They will be the story in this series. And with Sami Salo out day-to-day, we all know his slapper from the blue line and shut down defense will be missed. Aaron Rome (who is slotting in for the defensive liability known as Andrew Alberts) doesn't exactly have the same kind of ability.

So, what do we think? The Canucks are now the only LSF squad still in the NHL playoffs, and I hope that means you're all rooting for them. But, since these teams don't have a giant history, I think we are faced with a serious question mark until we actually see them play tonight. At that point, we'll probably have a better idea of how this whole thing is going to play out. 

I'm taking the Canucks in 5. Yeah, I'm crazy optimistic after that Chicago win. I figure that I want them to close out the series at home, and I don't want it to go 7 games, so there's how I came up with 5. My in-depth analysis must be blowing your mind.

'Nucks Misconduct brings a little more information: http://www.nucksmisconduct.com/2011/4/27/2137848/predators-at-canucks-game-1-preview-from-a-great-height

And, they also bring a nice little letter from a Chicago fan that I think shows the respect we all have for each other: http://www.nucksmisconduct.com/2011/4/27/2136185/from-chicago-with-love

Props to Daniel Sedin for being named as a Hart finalist, along with Perry and St. Louis, and keep an eye out for Max Lapierre as an underrated force in this series. He was so underrated in the Chicago series, and hopefully he keeps up the impressive play against the Preds.

Alright, let's go get 12 more.

Go Canucks Go.

By the way, when are we going to cash in on the wager, J?

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

LSF Squads In Action 4/28/11-5/1/11

I apologize for not posting yesterday, but I was kicking in with my boy because he had to stay home thanks to an ear infection and pink eye. Fun stuff. Just remember to wash your hands after reading this. So, I’m away from the sporting world for one day, and my celebration over our game seven win already has to come to an end? How is the second round already starting today?

Here’s what on tap for the long suffering squads over the weekend:

Thursday-

 

Blue Jays (A) v Texas

The LSF Game of the Day: Canucks (T) v Nashville

Friday-

Angels (T) v Tampa Bay

The LSF Game of the Day: Dodgers (B. J) v San Diego

Blue Jays (A) v New York

Saturday-

Angels (T) v Tampa Bay

Dodgers (B. J) v San Diego

Blue Jays (A) v New York

The LSF Game of the Day: Canucks (T) v Nashville

Chivas USA (T) v Columbus

Everton (J) v Wigan

Rangers (A) v Motherwell

Guadalajara (T) v Monterrey

Chelsea (B) v Tottenham

Sunday-

Angels (T) v Tampa Bay

Dodgers (B. J) v San Diego

Blue Jays (A) v New York

The LSF Game of the Day: Celtics (T) v Miami

Newcastle (T) v Liverpool

Celtic (T) v Dundee

Man Utd (A) v Arsenal

Let me know if I missed anything, because it seems like a really light weekend. Best of luck to all of the long suffering fans, especially the only LSF NHL team left around.

Canucks-Hawks Game Seven Open Thread.

There is nothing left to say. Let's do this.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

"Weekly" Football Post #95.

I'm only working a half day today, and now that our program has started up, I'm a lot busier. That all means that this'll be a quick and dirty football post.

Newcastle 1 - 1 Blackpool

Coming off their draw with the top of the table squad from Manchester, the hopeful Magpies could only muster a draw with relegation bound Blackpool. As Norm MacDonald would say on his new sports show, "What the H?" By the way, if you aren't watching that, you should start.

'Pool fans booed the officials off the pitch after they felt jipped by a lack of calls. They had three penalty appeals denied, but I hardly think that's why they lost. They missed out on a grip of other chances and should really be looking at their performance, rather than that of the refs. That aside, they had no business even drawing with Newcastle, so they should feel happy. I don't care if they've won 12 of 14, they suck! We should have done better, even on the road.

Peter Løverkrands scored the goal for Newcastle, who now have 4 games to go in the season. We're sitting 10th with 41 points and a +1 goal differential. That puts us 7 up on relegation and one back of #9 Stoke City. It's still a litle close for me to be breathing easy, but I guess I can start assuming that we're pretty much safe. Liverpool will be a tough task this coming weekend.

Celtic 0 - 0 Rangers
 
In a week where Celtic manager Neil Lenon had nail bombs sent to him in the mail yet again, along with some famous supporters, Celtic could only draw even with the hated Rangers. Really, this rivalry is just way too intense.

Georgios Samaras will go down as the goat for the Green & White in this one, as he bricked a penalty shot late in the game. He wasn't the only one that Allan McGregor was keeping out, though, as the Rangers keeper made stops on Danny Majstorovic, Charlie Mulgrew, Emilio Izaguirre, and Anthony Stokes. That's right, Celtic had mad shots on goal, mad chances, and still drew 0-0. It was pretty disappointing, given the effort.

It was a hard fought affair, and a big miss for Celtic, who trail Rangers in the SPL title race by a single point, despite having a game in hand. Thanks to a ton of previous rainouts, it's a mad dash to the finish line, as the Hoops play five league games before the middle of May. Can they keep their fitness and pull off the title win they've seem destined for this season? I sure hope so. And I hope Neil Lenon can stay alive long enough to see it.

Guada 1 - 1 Cruz Azul

Continuing a weekend of draws, Chivas de Guadalajara missed a big chance, drawing 1-1 with Cruz Azul. Marco Fabian de la Mora's late strike as the first half expired got cancelled out in the second half by Emanuel Villa (81st), and the game played out at an even tally. With the Goats fighting for playoff positioning, you would have liked to see Cubo and company pushing a little harder.

With 25 points, Chivas trails UANL by 7 in group one. Remember, you have to finish top 2 in your group to qualify for the FMF playoffs, or be one of the two next overall teams. Monterrey, who Chivas plays in the final game of the season this weekend, trail Chivas by just two points in Group 1. If Monterrey beats Chivas, we would be passed up, and be at the mercy of América and Cruz Azul's weekend outcomes. If we beat Monterrey, we're good to go. It's touch and go to say the least.

I can't believe that even the return of the famous Bofo Bautista to the lineup couldn't help us. La Liguilla, here we come?

Chivas USA 2 - 1 San Jose

Chivas won!!! Chivas picked up their first win of the season, Robin Fraser's first win of his Chivas coaching career, and now we've got something to build on. Despite going down in the 16th on a Wondolowski goal, Chivas was able to fight back. The San Jose goal was a joke! Horrible defense led to San Jose bouncing the ball around in the box until the were able to slam it home. It was poor coverage on a free kick that got Wondo the ball, and he looped a ball over DK from a bad angle to put us down. My head was hanging.

And then, this Chivas squad actually fought back. I could barely believe my eyes. As the first half ran out, Alejandro Moreno scored a goal in stoppage time. It was a sweet header. Heath Pearce sent a perfect ball on the free kick, into the crowd, and the short Moreno was able to get up to the ball before the defense and nudge it home. I was glad to see Moreno step it up again, but it was even better to see a free kick actually come to the head of one of our players. We have been so bad on set piece plays this season, I pretty much just close my eyes every time we get one. Too tough to watch. This time, though, Pearce made it happen, and Moreno made it count. Bingo.

Mariano Trujillo would be the hero, burying home a rebound in the 85th to win the game. I don't think I've seen a team more excited about a regular season win. I don't think I've been a part of a fan base this excited for a regular season win. It's a big deal.

GK: Dan Kennedy- The studly Gaucho came into the game with a league leading 0.33 GAA, and despite allowing a goal, he was solid. I'm so happy that he's finally our #1. Way to go, buddy.

D: Zarek Valentin, Andrew Boyens, Heath Pearce, Ante Jaziç- Way to go defense! Outside of the early gaf on the free kick that resulted in San Jose's lone goal, they looked great. We are looking good, even without Jimmy Conrad. Robin Fraser has to be proud of these guys. I'm just glad that Pearce has finally stepped up. And is anyone else surprised to see Jaziç running up?

M: Ben Zemanski (Mariano Trujillo 61), Simon Elliot, Nick LaBrocca- I'm not sure about Elliot. I know everyone says that he's cool, but he just looks old out there on the pitch. Anyone want to call him the silver fox? What's up with Nagamura? Where are you, Paulo?

F: Jorge Flores (Michael Umaña 88), Marcos Mondaini (Justin Braun 60), Alejandro Moreno- Despite being slow and short, Moreno keeps showing me how good he is. He's the stud of the attackers on this squad, and I'm pretty stoked he's out there. I know I keep calling for Estupiñán, but Moreno keeps giving me reasons for wanting to keep him in there. El Sueño is great out there, which I'm really enjoying.

We're ranked 7th in the West! We leap frogged both San Jose AND Vancouver in the Conference, and that's the best thing to happen all year. At 1-2-3, we have a -1 goal differential, and we have 6 points. We trail #5 FC Dallas and #6 Portland by a single point. We're 14th out of 18 MLS teams overall. It's amazing what a single win can do to boost your confidence. 

This weekend we get New England (2-2-3, -1 GD) and it'll be a huge test. Sure, we can beat bottom of the West San Jose, but can we challenge a .500 squad from the East? I'd like to think so. I'd like to think that this one win against San Jose has helped this team find their identity, and now there is nothing stopping us. And it's all thanks to Trujillo!

A little lineup guessing on the way out:

G: Dan Kennedy- No brainer.

D: Zarek Valentin, Heath Pearce, Ante Jaziç, and Mariano Trujillo- I'm sliding Boyens out in favor of the Trujth. I'm not sure how you don't start him after the San Jose winner.

M: Ben Zemanski, Marcos Mondaini, Nick LaBrocca- That's the midfield we need to see, if Paulo is still out, that is.

F: Jorge Flores, Justin Braun and Alejandro Moreno- Three huge studs, who can easily bring us the win against the Revs.

¡Arriba las Chivas!

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

LSF Squads In Action 4/26/11.

I don't think I've ever been more nervous in between two games in my life. All the anxiety peaks tonight, and I'm just going to close my eyes and hope for the best.

What else is going on today?

Lakers (A, J) v New Orleans

Dodgers (B, J) v Florida

Blue Jays (A) v Texas

Angels (T) v Oakland

Sabres (B) v Philadelphia

The LSF Game of the Day: Canucks (T) v Blackhawks (J)

Man Utd (A) v Schalke 04

Huge NHL day around LSF Nation. Enjoy it, and we'll cry or celebrate collectively tomorrow.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

One Foot In The Grave.

Would you expect anything less from the Canucks/Hawks rivalry? The drama is almost too much to handle. Check that, it's way too much to handle. It's an off day in the playoff series, and I'm a nervous wreck. Does that put this whole thing into perspective for you?

I think I'll address Jon directly first. You say all this stuff about how the Hawks are playing hard and clean and the Canucks are taking cheap shots. You say all my examples are weak. You honestly think Keith cracking Hansen in the legs with his stick is what any other defensive player would do? You can't be serious, man. Well, I guess I finally have my clear cut example. Your boy Brian Bickell sure tried to play the part of Raffi Torres last night, didn't he? Dickell, as we call him around these parts, leaves his feet and cracks Kevin Bieksa right in the head, an almost identical hit to the Torres/Seabrook hit from game three, and nobody in the media says anything? Total BS. You guys were caling for a mutli-game suspension with Raffi. What about this? It was a head shot right behind the net, he obviously could have avoided the collision, and he didn't even get a penalty. Is anyone talking about how Bickell should be suspended? Could we have at least have gotten a two minute advantage? A PP in the extra session for the 'Nucks, and this series would have been over. Again, total BS. Don't even get me started on John Scott punching Alex Burrows in the face after a play and not getting called, either. Cheap ass shit, Jon, and you know it.

Continuing with the OT hit, though, at least Bieksa got up and kept playing, unlike Seabrook. So maybe you think Kevin is a joke, but at least he's tough, tougher than Seabrook. Seabrook had to go to the quiet room after an identical hit. What a joke. I can't even explain how angry I am over that hit. Your Hawks are total garbage, but at least the refs kept you in this thing.

The other thing that helped keep this thing even was the horrible stick work by Cory Schneider. Before we get into that, let's explore the whole decision to "shock the hockey world," as Canucks.com put it, by starting our rookie in game six. It was a complete no brainer for Coach V. Roberto had been pulled in the previous two games, and we were now at game six. If you start Luongo, and he sucks, he's out, and then you HAVE to start Schneider for game seven. That's insane, having a rookie start a playoff game seven over your 12-year man. Therefore, you push Schneider out there for game six. If he wins, you're done. If he loses, you cart Roberto back out there for game seven, rested, ready, and a little bit less bruised on his ego. But what if you start Schneider and then Luongo loses it? Yeah, now we have a big decision.

Cory had absolutely no clue how to handle the puck in this one. Two of the goals for the Hawks were directly caused by Cory sending a puck from behind the net to a Chicago player, and they made both count. He did it another time too, but a 'Nuck defender laid down in front of the net to save that one. What was Cory doing? What was he thinking? Why didn't he just fling the puck around the glass? Instead, Chicago got gifted two goals they didn't earn, and that was the difference.

Of course, you also have the Frolik penalty shot goal. Yes, he deserved a penalty shot, and I'll be honest. I was actually kind of stoked that he got a penalty shot rather than a power play, because I thought that it was better to get a shot out of the way (and saved) and move on, rather than face the two man disadvantage for two whole minutes. I was wrong, and it was doubly painful because Cory cramped up on the play. Pretty meaningful goal for Frolik, eh? It was an awful scenario, as Luongo was thrust into the crease, cold, and right in the middle of an intense battle. 

The Hawks put nothing on Bobby Lu in the third, as he was untested, and decided to pepper him in the extra session. Sadly, Daniel Sedin sat and watched as Smith gobbled up the rebound and buried the game winner. That's right, it wasn't all Luongo's fault, it was a lack of defending. Daniel had to tie him up on the play, lift a stick, something. He just sat and watched as Chicago came back and tied the series at three. Are Daniel and his brother just completely baffled by the return of Dave Bolland? Since his return, the Sedins have gone quiet, for the most part. How good is Dave Bolland? Better than I thought, I guess.

Why, oh why did Chris Higgins' shot late in the third find the post, rather than the net? Even that would have been forgetable if the refs would have rightfully given us our power play in OT after that Bickell hit. Yeah, I'm still stuck on that weak ass garbage.

So basically, the refs handed the games to Chicago, the goals they scored were all unearned gifts, and they can all kiss the posts for saving them. Did you guys catch all that?

However, I'm not a dick, so I'll give them a little credit. They were down 0-3, they completely dominated games four and five, and they found a way to win game six. When you can find a way to win a game where you weren't the best of the two teams on the ice, that is the make of a Champion, and I guess that's why they drank from the Cup last season. They have completely changed my feelings from one week ago. A week ago, I was buying into the sweep mentality, and just 7 days later, I'm writing a post titled "One Foot In The Grave." Chicago has to be given a pat on the back for that.

So now we're heading to a game seven at the Roger. We are 60 minutes of hockey away from finding out what's going to happen. Are we going to walk out with a game seven win, and put this whole anxiety provoking situation into the back of our minds, to barely be remembered in the future? Or, are we going to see the biggest collapse in the history of the NHL, a series loss that we're telling our grandkids about? Sure, it's happened 3 times before, but this would easily be the worst situation ever, being that it's a 1-8 matchup, and that it's one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the game. 

Can I just quickly complain about the "One Win Away" song being pushed on us by Blackhawks fans right now? The whole "In the Madhouse, the mighty Madhouse, Luongo weeps tonight." Now I can prove that Hawk players aren't the only sore winners, their supporters share in that distinction. Sure, the song is funny, and I'd be digging it if things were the other way around, but things aren't the other way around, so I'll call it our for being absolute garbage. 

Whatever songs are being created by the fans, whoever steps in between the pipes for the Orca tomorrow, and no matter how long I extend the recording on my DVR, game seven will be upon us very soon. We can all sit around and be anxious, but only until 7 pm tomorrw our time. At 7 pm tomorrow, it all gets underway. You can cut the drama with a knife.

I can't even stand it.

It's a coin flip now, Jon. Let's throw our two teams into the ring, and see who comes out on top.

One game. One win. One team.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

The Big Apple Sweep.

So it is possible to win another game after winning the first three in a playoff series, eh? Wow, surprising!

I am very willing to admit that I thought the Knicks would give the Celtics a little more of a run for their money. I watched the C's collapse as the season closed out, look old and slow, and predicted that we'd be lucky to get out of the first round, and getting out of the second would be a pipe dream. Boy, am I glad to be wrong. The Celtics found that metaphorical next gear, motivated by the raspy voice of Doc Rivers, and closed out a strong first round sweep of New York with a 101-89 game four victory.

I could say that the Celtics only looked this strong because of the Knicks' injuries. I could say that the Celtics were able to take advantage of playing the one team as weak as they are at the 5. I could say all that, but I won't. The C's rose to the challenge, and deserve all the credit. They held the Knicks to 34% shooting from the field in a game where New York was playing for their playoff lives. That says a lot. Carmello tried to carry the team again, but three of the five starters had 6 points or less, and you're not going to be hanging on with that kind of situation.

Rajon Rondo looked like the MVP of the Green Army in this one. That could partially be because the Knicks didn't really try to guard him very much. They took the "he's a passer not a shooter" approach to covering Rondo, and he took every opportunity to torch them for that choice. He provided highlight after highlight in game four, netting 21 points and 12 helpers, perfecting his pin point passing and tear drop drives to the lane. KG was the other double doubler (hold the fries), with 26 and 10, and he led the C's in points. When Garnett is leading the team in points, the Celtics are going to be rolling.

Ray Ray had 14, Popeye had 13, as Jermaine O'Neal didn't really help out at all. He finished with 2 and 6, and I'm wondering how far we can actually go beyond round one with this huge hole and the 5. You can't win championships with Jermaine O'Neal at the 5 in 2011 (or maybe ever), right? A hugely underrated positive was the production from Glen Davis. Big Baby's highlight was a sweet on-the-run slam after a handoff from Ray Allen, and he finished with 14 and 5. Finally some production from the bench in this series! 

The props need to be handed out to the C's on a night when Ray Allen had an off game. The C's usually need Allen to be on his game to roll to a win, but they were able to beat the Knicks in a huge game despite Allen's failings yesterday. That says a lot about where this team is at right now. Sure, Jesus Shuttlesworth scored 14, but he shot just 5 for 13 and 2 for 6 from deep. That's a serious off day for Ray, and like I said, the C's took a big step forward by winning despite his performance. 

With the sweep, the Celtics are the first team into the second round, as the other Eastern Conference series are all at 3-1. With the Bulls, Heat, and Hawks all about to close their series out, we are looking at a strong final four in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. It's setting up to be an exciting ride. And for the C's, it's going to be gut check time.

Unless the 76'ers can win 3 in a row (and, of course, they won't), the Celts will play the Heat in the second round, while the Bulls face the Hawks. This is a serious second round series for the Green Army, going head to head with the annointed-by-ESPN wonder team from Miami, and it's going to be completely crazy. I don't think you could have scripted up a more exciting second round.

Can we beat them, though? That, I'm not sure of.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

LSF Squads In Action 4/25/11.

As I continue to fashion my rope into a noose, let's look at what's on tap for the long suffering squads today.

Dodgers (B, J) v Florida

Blue Jays (A) v Texas

The LSF Game of the Day: Angels (T) v Oakland

It might be our first all-baseball day since I've been keeping track with these little posts, and that's good, because I need a serious day off from hockey.

Best of luck to all the long suffering baseball squads today.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Panic At The Roger.

Coach V is choking.

I've been trying to decide how I feel after the 0-5 game 5 loss to Chicago last night (I almost wish I didn't get Versus after these last two games, because listening on the radio would probably be less painful). On one hand, I feel alright. I called the Canucks in 6, and it's shaping up to finish as such. On the other hand, I've watched my Canucks get outscored 12-2 over the last two games, put forth very little effort, and I'm starting to wonder if we're destined to see this series end with an unbelievable tragedy for the Orca (a game seven loss would be like a BC version of 9/11). Which of my two feelings am I going to give in to? Which sense about this playoff series is going to win out? That's what I'm here to explore.

It's so easy to blame Roberto Luongo after these two games. It's so easy to see Chicago score 12 goals in 120 minutes and want to implore the Canucks to start Cory Schneider in game six. But, as a rational fan, I just can't do it. I can't give in to that temptation. I'm smart enough to realize that there are plenty of problems beyond the goaltending that have led us to this point.

What happened to the physical play? I mean, the hits still seem to be there, the Canucks outhit the Hawks 40-14 last night, but the big stepping up seems to be absent (in fact, I was shocked to see the hit stats end that way after what I watched with my own eyes). What happened to the attacking? What happened to standing them up at the blue line and playing defense before they bring it into the zone? What happened to discipline, and not making dirty plays and stupid mistakes? What happened to the passion? All of that was present in games one through three, and all of that was lacking in games four and five. How does that happen?

We, obviously, have to give Chicago some credit, as they have clearly raised their game. Duncan Keith is playing like a man possessed, Marian Hossa seems to be everywhere on the ice, and even Corey Crawford looked comfortable on all 36 shots he faced last night (again, I was shocked at that stat because it felt like the 'Nucks failed to put anything on goal). The 7-2 win in game four helped the Hawks to get off the mat, and they are feeling it even more after their largest margin of victory in a playoff shutout in franchise history. Now, they're going back home to the Madhouse, and they're pumped up beyond belief. That's dangerous.

As soon as Hossa and Keith scored goals within 24 seconds of each other in he first period last night, I knew it was over. With 46:18 left in the game, I had already lost hope. It reminded me of the previous two series, when we would just collapse after getting a little bit of pressure applied. We didn't look that way when faced with pressure in the first three games, and I thought we'd grown out of it. And yet, here we are.

I'm not really sure how Jon can honestly say I'm wrong when I'm pointing out the poor winner aspect of Chicago, especially from game four. And, when you start suggesting that we somehow are a dirtier team than you guys, I almost have to chuckle. Yeah, Raffi made a leg to leg hit, and I said it was bad. Yeah, Alex Edler clearly elbowed someone in the face, and he knew what he was doing. But watch the game! The Hawks are doing the same garbage (do you close your eyes when Keith is on the ice?), talking just as much stuff (do you pay attention to Bolland at all last night?), and then rocking that "Who me?" look if they get called. It's going both ways, and I know you can admit that. I'm pretty sure when I reflect on this game, I'll remember how Brian Campbell became one of my more hated Hawks for that total bitch cross check in the first, how Bolland is a total tool for acting like a fool and breaking his stick over the wall by the bench, and how Brouwer ended up getting socked it his face for trying to step with Bieksa.

And don't even talk to me about your boy Scott talking crap on Bieksa, when he got straight fooled in his own zone by whiffing on a puck and letting Max Lapierre steal it from him and get a shot off. Again, I wouldn't even know who this guy was if Seabrook wasn't hurt, never heard of him until now. 

Anyone reading out blog lately surely wouldn't think that we were actually good friends, eh?

So, what are the Canucks going to do? For one, they need to get their ice time sorted out. Raffi Torres had more time on the ice than Daniel Sedin, and had an equal amount of time as Hank. Yeah, Henrik was only out there for 11:28, while Daniel was out there for 11:16. What are they supposed to do with that amount of time? People are giving them crap, but clearly they are being mismanaged. Second, our defense needs to start playing again. And I'm not talking about elbowing people to the face when skating behind the goal. I'm talking about actually stepping it up and challenging these guys. How many breakaways did we allow? How often were we doing the job of screening Luongo, while Chicago sent a puck through? How can I put up with the defenders letting Hossa just walk into the zone and beat Lu on the glove side while they just stand there? Embarrassing! Let's play some defense, for Fin's sake!

By the way, for everyone giving Alex Edler a hard time, he had more shots on goal than anyone on the team. The head shot aside, he was probably the best defender out there.

Now we turn our focus to downtown Chicago on Easter Sunday. Let's not let it come back to Vancouver for a decisive game seven...please.

As we've talked about throughout the entire season and now into the playoffs, the Blackhawks are a very different team than they were the last two times around. That being said, and now five games into this bad boy, I figured it'd be a great time to bring a new and updated list of my 5 most hated Hawks, as a way to end today's post.

1. Duncan Keith
2. Brian Campbell
3. Patrick Sharp
4. Patrick Kane
5. John Scott

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that list sums it up. 

And regarding #5, I'm guessing this will kind of pump Jon up:

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Refusing+scrap+with+Scott+brainer/4660208/story.html

Go Canucks Go.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Howie's Fall From Grace.

The Angels losing to the Red Sox in extra innings on the same night that the Canucks got crushed by the Blackhawks in the playoffs pushed me to the brink. Thank God I didn't have a rope lying around, or it may have all been over.

We'll start by lamenting the action on the diamond. After a strong start by Tyler Chatwood (are you impressed yet?), the Sox finally got up 2-0 in the 6th. Impressively, Torii Hunter bombed a two run job in the very next inning, and we were headed down the stretch all tied up. Once the game entered extras, however, my boy Rich Thompson blew the game by allowing a double to Adrian Gonzalez and a sac fly to put us down 2-4. It stayed that way, as we dropped our game to a way down Red Sox squad.

Chatty Kathy went 6 innings of 2 run ball, despite walking 5, and had a supreme bullpen effort to back his up, until the Aussie took the mound. Takahashi, Rodney, and Walden all pitched shutout innings, despite combining for 5 walks over their 3. After pitching the 10th, Richie came back out for the 11th, when the wheels came off and the game slipped away. As a supporter, though, I want to focus on the positive, and that's Fontana native Tyler Chatwood. I don't think anyone expected him to be anywhere near this club in April, and now he's 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three starts (averaging 6 innings per start). I hope Kazmir is watching, because I don't see anyway that he should come back and start over Chats.

The offense was just awful last night. Maicer Izturis, Bobby Abreu, Hank Conger, Vernon Wells, and Mark Trumbo all went without a hit. In fact, we finished with only 4 hits overall (2 to Aybar). I did leave one name off that list of 0'fers, and it's because he needs to be pointed out for being the worst bat on the team last night. I'm speaking, of course, about my favorite Halo Howie Kendrick. HK-47 went 0 for 5 in the game, left two runners in scoring position with two outs. He got punched out three times, and this game was just a microcosm for just how bad he has gotten all of the sudden. Despite being a dominate force when the season kicked off, our homerun leader has fallen off the map.

Howie started the season on an eight game hitting streak where he averaged .412 with a .487 OBP. During that span, he only struck out 6 times, walked 5, and hit 3 jacks. After the streak ended, he spent the next 8 games kind of hitting in a middle of the road fashion, but kept his average up at a very respectable .318 with a .392 OBP. During that middle of the road period, he also picked up another jack and 4 RBI. He was still rolling along, and I was still running my mouth about how I was right when I predicted Howie winning the batting title this year.

That was all before April 19. Over the last three games, Howie has hit a slump. Now, look, I understand that everyone is going to hit a little slump here and there. And slumping for three game certainly doesn't mean very much. But, the small sample size shouldn't keep us away from looking at it. When you don't get a single hit in six ABs, in a game where your team puts a 15 spot on the bad guys, that's a bad sign. 

So, in these most recent three games, Howie is hitting .077 with 1 RBI, 2 walks, and 6 punchouts. His strikeout averge during these three games is .462, which used to be his batting average! During this span, his batting average has dropped from that healthy .318 all the way down to an average at best .278. So again, while we're only talking about three games, we're kind of talking about a serious slide in the numbers department over those three games. And, games against Texas and Boston are kind of more important than games against Kansas City and Cleveland. Suddenly, you're hot start looks pretty insignificant.

I only hope that Howie can quickly turn it around. Tonight we host the Red Sox at the Stadium for game two of the four gamer, as Dan "Golden Boy" Haren (4-0, 1.16) tries to keep pace with Jered Weaver against Jon Lester (1-1, 3.20). One win? Wow, Lester sucks...I hope.

By the way, where are all those "Crawford or bust" idiots, now that he's had a worse start to the season than Vernon? I'm more wishing that we still had Bobby Jenks, after last night's game.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

LSF Squads In Action 4/22/11-4/24/11.

Well, this should be a very interesting sports weekend. I, for one, am nervous.

Friday-

Celtics (T) v New York

Lakers (A, J) v New Orleans

Dodgers (B, J) v Chicago

Blue Jays (A) v Tampa Bay

Angels (T) v Boston

The LSF Game of the Day: Sabres (B) v Philadelphia

Saturday-

Dodgers (B, J) v Chicago

Blue Jays (A) v Tampa Bay

Angels (T) v Boston

The LSF Game of the Day: Man Utd (A) v Everton (J)

Newcastle (T) v Blackpool

Chelsea (B) v West Ham

Chivas USA (T) v San Jose

Guadalajara (T) v Cruz Azul

Sunday-

Celtics (T) v New York

Lakers (A, J) v New Orleans

Dodgers (B, J) v Chicago

Blue Jays (A) v Tampa Bay

Angels (T) v Boston

The LSF Game of the Day: Canucks (T) v Blackhawks (J)

Sabres (B) v Philadelphia

Celtic (T) v Rangers (A)

It's a gigantic sports weekend, but it could become really tragic for this guy.

Come on, boys, let's get this overwith. 

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Canucks-Hawks Game Five Open Thread.

Well, game five has arrived. The series has shifted to Vancouver, and this game will determine if the Orca fan base can move on and rest up for round two, or become so full of fear and anxiety about a potential Hawk comeback that we'll all need some medication to calm down.

Either way, we'll be drinking tonight.

Go Canucks Go.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Isn't Jered Weaver The Greatest?

He probably thinks so. And after the start he's off to this season, I'm starting to agree with him. Last night, in the Halos convincing 4-1 over the Rangers, he was at his best. He tossed a complete game, allowing one run on six hits, punching out 8, and walking zero. With the win, not only did the Angels claim first place in the division, but Weaver reached the 5-0 mark with at least another start to go this month. He became the fastest pitcher to get to 5-0 in 21 years. And he still isn't getting as much press as the Doyers, damn.

So, is Jered Weaver becoming the greatest Angel pitcher of all time?

The nominees for greatest Angel pitcher of all time are:

Chuck Finley
Nolan Ryan
Mike Witt
John Lackey
Frank Tanana
Jered Weaver

We'll keep it simple by creating a 100 start average for wins, losses, and strikeouts based on their career numbers with the Angels, and then compare career ERAs (by the way, the nominee list is based on top 5 all time winningest pitchers in Halo history plus Jered Weaver).

Chuck Finley: 44-37 with 567 Ks and a 3.72 ERA

Nolan Ryan: 48-42 with 839 Ks and a 3.07 ERA

Mike Witt: 35-34 with 409 Ks and a 3.76 ERA

John Lackey: 44-30 with 513 Ks and a 3.81 ERA

Frank Tanana: 45-35 with 548 Ks and a 3.08 ERA

Jered Weaver: 46-26 with 549 Ks and a 3.45 ERA

I'm actually a little surpsied by the analysis. I kind of thought that Jered Weaver wasn't even close to becoming the greatest starter in Angels history, but now I feel convinced that his confidence is more than warranted. 

To conclude, I figured I'd pick my dream 5-man rotation based on the numbers above, leaving one guy as the odd Kazmir out.

1- Jered Weaver
2- John Lackey
3- Chuck Finley
4- Nolan Ryan
5- Frank Tanana
Odd man out- Mike Witt

That's right. I am as shocked writing it as you are reading. Weaver #1? Lackey #2? That second one is even more shocking, but when you look at the above stats, would you disagree with me?

So, the next time someone starts talking about the Angels at your local pub, make the bold statement that Jered Weaver is the greatest pitcher in Angels history, and you've got the evidence to back it up.

*No time to proofread. Sorry.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

LSF Squads In Action 4/21/11.

After a one day lay off, the greatest rivalry of the NHL Playoffs is ready to get back at it (suck it, Boston/Montreal).

What's on the schedule for today?

Dodgers (B, J) v Atlanta

Angels (T) v Boston

The LSF Game of the Day: Canucks (T) v Blackhawks (J)

It's a relatively small schedule today around LSF Nation, but I don't think you could ask for a more exciting matchup on the frozen sheet.

By the way, big ups to Miller and the Sabres for a huge win against Philly, and huge hate to the Rangers for losing again and making a '94 rematch seem very unlikely.

Best of luck to all the long suffering squads today...except Chicago.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Farewell, Brandon Wood.

Andrew broke the news to me, and I figured there was no way I could let this one go by without a post. I'll let the Los Angeles Times fill us in,

"...the Angels decided to cut ties with Wood, leaving them 10 days to trade him or place him on waivers, where he's all but certain to be claimed by another team."

Mik Scioscia said, "We just had no way out of this. It's tough. We all had high expectations for when he got the opportunity in the big leagues. And he struggled. His struggles were well documented last year."

We've all been waiting for this to happen. He's just been so bad, the Angels really did have no other choice. With Erick Aybar coming back of the DL, the Angels being unwilling to drop a pitcher, Bobby Wilson being out of options, and all the other younger Angels doing well, they really had no other choice. But, this was going to happen eventually, with how horrible Wood has been. When will we Halo fans realize that we shouldn't get as pumped up about minor leaguers as we do? Probably never. Names like McPherson, Mathis, Kotchman, and now Wood keep letting us down over and over again. While there are plenty of guys meeting our expecations right now, it's more likely that we'll continue to expect more than we'll ever see out of these youngsters. 

While so much has been made of Brandon Wood being a let down, do you actually realize how big of a let down he was? He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 MLB draft, the 23rd overall pick. The Austin native was rated the #83 overall prospect pre-2005, the #3 overall prospect pre-2006, the #8 overall prospect pre-2007, and the #16 overall prospect pre-2008. That's not his ranking in the Halo organization, that's for all of baseball. Let's look at the actual stats to see why there was all the build up, and to compare that with just how bad he was once he came to the show.

Minor League Stats:

2003 (Rookie Ball)- .288, 5 jacks, and 44 RBI in 61 games

2004 (Low-A)- .251, 11 jacks, and 64 RBI in 125 games

2005 (High-A & AAA)- .321, 43 jacks, and 116 RBI in 134 games

2006 (AA)- .276, 25 jacks, and 83 RBI in 118 games

2007 (AAA)- .272, 23 jacks, and 77 RBI in 111 games

2008 (AAA)- .296, 31 jacks, and 84 RBI in 103 games

2009 (AAA)- .293, 22 jacks, and 72 RBI in 99 games

Those are all big numbers, especially in 2005. But he wasn't just a 1 year wonder. He kept up the jacks and RBI, and a pretty nice average for being a "slugger." Despite all that, in his minor league career, he struck out 73% more often than he walked, and got punched out in 26% of his total at bats. That's bad, and the Halos and their fan base always hoped that he'd bring that 26% mark down once he got to the bigs. It didn't really happen. 

So, his overall season-average numbers from his minor league career is as follows:

.284 average, 20 homeruns, and 68 RBI.

You can see why we were all excited about his progression, and why we all feel so let down by his performance in the show.

Major League Stats:

2007 (13 games)- .152, 1 jack, and 3 RBI

2008 (55 games)- .200, 5 jacks, and 13 RBI

2009 (18 games)- .195, 1 jack, and 3 RBI

2010 (81 games)- .146, 4 jacks, and 14 RBI

2011 (6 games)- .143, 0 jacks, and 0 RBI

His 162 game average, based on what he accomplished in the show was:

.168 average, 10 home runs, and 31 RBI

He was even worse in terms of swinging and missing, as he struck out in 33% of all his at bats in the big leagues, and got punched out 92% more often than he was able to work a walk. You can read and re-read that, and it still boggles the mind. 

 Not exactly what we were all hoping for, eh? I look to 2010 as the most important year. It was last season when the Angels gave Brandon Wood a full shot, even though some could argue that his goose was already cooked after his 51 game failure back in 2008. I was always on Brandon's side, until 2010. I always said that we need to reserve judgment until he got a fair shot. That fair shot was 2010, and we learned absolutely at the point, that he had no future with this team (and I'd guess no real future with any team in the bigs).

So, now we're parting ways with the once beloved Halo prospect. What will come of him? Do other clubs see enough potential to give us something (anything) in return? Or, will we simply let him slip away and watch him flounder with some other team much like Dallas McPherson on the Marlins? Only time will tell.

However, I still say this from the bottom of my heart: Best of luck in the future, Brandon.

*I'd just like to note that since we've gotten him off the roster, we blasted the Rangers 15-4 and look to take the series in game three this afternoon. At least Trumbo is meeting our expectations.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Bolland, Hawks Completely Shut Me Up.

Like many Canuck fans, I'm here to say that I got swept up in the moment after going up three games to none on Chicago. I bought into the whole "we're definitely going to sweep these jokers" mentality, and looking back, I feel like a fool. Didn't I remember the intensity of this rivalry? Didn't I remember that I called the Canucks in six before this whole thing started? Did I really think we'd sweep these guys, winning two at the Madhouse? What can I say? I really got swept up in the moment. Can you blame me?

We all know by now what happened. The Canucks got completely bombed by the Hawks, embarssed by a 7-2 final score, including a second period that made it look like an NHL All-Star team was going up against a last place AHL squad. I don't even if it went as well as that would go. Chicago scored 4 goals in that second period, including a spirit breaking pair from Campbell and Keith that were netted 17 seconds apart. Later in the period, Bolland got his, while Frolik finally found his skates and speedily came in and scored on a breakaway for the 5-1 lead. I was crushed. There was no coming back. 

I have a lot to talk about regarding this game, and a whole lot I want to avoid talking about, so let's get to it. First, I'll be the first to admit that Bieksa got clowned on the opening goal by Bryan Bickell, I even said as much in yesterday's open thread. That being said, if you look closely, it also had a lot to do with Roberto Luongo. Bobby Lu started sliding over, but never slid his pad all the way to the post. I'm guessing Luongo didn't expect Bickell to have that much patience, to hold on as long as he did, and because of that was preparing to have Bickell fire the shot earlier and probably high into his chest. However, Bickell held on, and beat both Luongo and Bieksa. Now, I'll say this about Bieksa: what is he supposed to do? Sure, Bickell went around him, but at that point, what should he have done? If he would have stood him up, it probably would have been a penalty, and if he went harder with the stick, it probably would have ended in a trip. I think it was a surprisingly good play by Bickell where Bieksa could have played it somewhat better, and Luongo should have taken it more seriously.

How cool was Sami Salo's goal to answer, three minutes later? He bounced his slapper off of two Chicago players, scoring a pinball goal that Crawford had no chance of stopping. I guess Blackhawk fan calls that a lucky goal, and it was, but it sure was cool. I had to hold on to how cool it was, because it was one of the few positives for us in the contest. Daniel's tip in goal in the fourth was rad, but the lack of celebrating showed how it was a meaningless tally in a blowout loss. 

How weak is Duncan Keith? I know you are all going to think I'm a Canuck homer, and I am and proud of it, to say the least. I don't want to be a jerk who talks about how we're not getting the calls, but I will be that guy for just a little bit. The Hawks have been handed 10 penalties to the Canucks 19, and a lot of calls against the Vannies, especially last night, were a little weak. Meanwhile, Chicago can do some garbage over and over again and get off free? My case in point is Duncan Keith's attack on Jannik Hansen in front of the goal. I'm not sure what happened, but Keith just came around the net and jacked Hansen in the legs with his stick. Our Great Dane collapsed to the ice after the attack, and Keith was sent to the box for a cross checking penalty, 2 minutes. Total BS, and if it happened the other way around (say if Raffi Torres blasted Bolland with a stick to the legs last night) Hawk fans would be going nuts and asking for a suspension. I'm not going that far, but I am going to say that it should have been a double minor for a stupid attack by a total bitch.

I kind of found the Canucks' handling of Roberto Luongo to be pretty stupid. Why do you let him come back onto the ice to start the third period? At that point, shouldn't you have pulled him? Talk about throwing a guy back to the wolves, only to yank him mid-third when everyone in the Nation is watching. It was a joke. Schneider should have been right out there between the pipes to start the third, and I found the coaching decision to be just baffling. Instead, after giving up a power play goal to Sharp early I'm the final frame, Luongo still waited. Eventually, during a big brawl in the opposite corner, Bobby Lu sped off the rink, almost changing on the fly, and went off to the clubhouse. It was a bad call, in my opinion, and it should have been handled better. I just hope that Luongo's confidence wasn't shaken by the game. He didn't skate at practice this morning, but I hope that doesn't mean anything.

I might catch some crap for this, but I also want to call the Hawks out for being sore winners. Honestly, you guys kind of looked foolish out there. Your are down 0 games to 3 in a postseason that you backed into with a loss to your most hated rivals on the last day of the season, and you're going to act like you won the Stanley Cup again just because you make it 1-3. Sure, you guys had an offensive outburst. Sure, you guys finally got to Luongo, and hope that you got in his head. But, come on! These guys, most especially Patrick Sharp, are celebrating as if they are the team in charge of this series. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand that you've been frustrated all week long, and you finally get to have something positive going on, but why don't you guys show some class? You know, like when the Canucks barely celebrated after scoring the second goal last night because they were losing? Yeah, that's how the Hawks should have been reacting to their stuff all night long, you know? Because they're losing this series...eventually.

All that being said, I tip my hat to the Blackhawks for completely shutting me up, as the title for this post suggests. Like I said, I got swept up in the sweep talk, and bought into it, even though it was so unlikely. Jon called me out, and rightfully so. Look, the Blackhawks outplayed the Canucks last night. I can't deny that. Instead of stepping up and stopping the Hawks at the blue line, as they had done in the first three games, the Vannies decided to wait until they entered the zone, to play defense, and it didn't work out so well. Enjoy today's off day Chicago, because it's back on tomorrow.

And the first 10 minutes of tomorrow's clash at the Roger is going to say a lot about where this series is headed. Are we going to finally be all finished at about 9:35 pm BC time? Or, are we going to be playing hockey on Easter Sunday, back at the Madhouse in an anxiety provoking game six? I sure hope it's option one, because if it isn't, I'm going to start getting mighty nervous. 

Go Canucks Go.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

KG's Late Heroics Too Much For 'Melo.

They may not be playing entire games like Champions, but they sure are doing just enough to win games, especially late. Despite being without Billups and Amare (who went out early in the game with back spasms), the Knicks held close to the C's and took them down to the wire, only to see the Green Army prevail 96-93 to take a 2-0 series lead. 

It was KG that led the C's as the clock ticked away. He drained a hook shot that the defense had no chance of contesting with 14 seconds to go, putting us ahead. Then, when the Knicks brought it down the floor, Garnett stole the ball from the same Jared Jeffries who stood no chance stopping KG 10 seconds earlier. That steal sealed the deal (nice rhyming action on that one), and once again I have to give Doc Rivers credit for managing a solid end of game situation. It's weird to say that, two games in a row, given how often he's blown that same situation back in the regular season. And, it's really cool to see KG factor in big at the end. 

If you want to talk about someone who was a big factor, however, you have to talk about Carmello Anthony. With his two supporting actors on the bench, he truly stepped it up and impressed me. In fact, this is the first time since the trade from Denver that he has done so. I'll bet Knick fans are stoked, I know that Spike Lee was based on his silly dance in the crowd. How is it not being able to sit courtside, Spike? Anyway, Carmello had a double double (with a strawberry shake) in the first half alone, and finished the game with 42 and 17, along with 6 assists. 42 and 17. That's way more points and way more rebounds than any other player in the game, for either side. And it's just not the numbers that impressed me. He looked like a dominating force out there, and seemed to create good looks all on his own. I'll be interested to see if he keeps it up back at the MSG.

As for my boys, Rajon Rondo was the overall hero. He was scoring fast break bucket after fast break bucket, seemingly cherry picking and getting long outlet passes like a wide receiver all night long. He finished with 30 points (is that a season high for him?) and 7 assists. At 12 and 10, KG finished with our lone double double (he'll take a vanilla shake), while Popeye got 20 and Ray Ray had 18. Allen was impressive, as usual, going 6 for 8 from the field and a perfect 4 for 4 from deep. Jermaine O'Neal was a low-light from the starting five, getting just 2 points with 3 boards and only 2 blocks. The bench added 14 thanks to Delonte, Greenie, and Glen Davis, but I'm still a little surprised at their lack of contribution, especially from Big Baby.

All that being said, Doc Rivers isn't giving the team very much credit, "We were lucky to win." Lucky? Really? I'm not sure where I see that. Maybe my comment would have been something like, "We should have won by a lot more than we did." That's more like it. With Billups out for the whole game, and Stoudemire going out with back spasms early, we really should have rolled these guys up a lot easier. Instead, Carmello Anthony went nuts, commanded the play on the floor, and I don't understand why we didn't stop him. Shouldn't he have picked up a double team after his impressive first half? Instead, he kept the Knicks close all the way to the final whistle. That's kind of a joke. We should have done better.

There are two final things that I found pretty fun. First was Paul Pierce getting up high for his powerful block in the first. The second was when Spike Lee was put up on the scoreboard late in the fourth, only to get booed like mad by the Celtic fan base. Good work, boys.

So, we're headed over to New York on Friday with a chance to move one step closer to closing this bad boy out. My feelings are kind of mixed. We're up 2-0, but both wins have been on end-of-game-ish shots. They are somewhat injured, but our bench is doing absolutely nothing. We've won everything so far, but it's all been at home. So, I don't know. We hop on a plane, take a short trip, and try to keep the win streak going at the MSG.

Will Ray Allen keep getting the ball? Will Rondo still take 20+ shots? Will the bench continue to add nothing to the series? Will Doc Rivers keep figuring out how to pull a win out of his hat? So many story lines, and it all continues Friday.

Man, another Laker loss today would be cool, eh?

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

LSF Squads In Action 4/20/11.

More than a few of last night's results show how bad I am at predicting the outcomes of sporting events. And, in the words of Jon (who is sitting triumphant and hopeful, at least until Thursday night), I will be eating my words big time today.

Speaking of today, what's up?

Lakers (A, J) v New Orleans

Blue Jays (A) v New York

Angels (T) v Texas

Dodgers (B, J) v Atlanta

The LSF Game of the Day: Sabres (B) v Philadelphia

Chelsea (B) v Birmingham

Celtic (T) v Kilmarnock

Huge game for the Sabres today. 

Best of luck to all the long suffering squads.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Canucks-Hawks Game Four Open Thread.

Well, we are now 90 minutes away from what could be the final game of this rivalry playoff series between LSF darlings, the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Much has been made of Brent Seabrook being out thanks to the Raffi Torres hit in game three, and I'm kind of worried that something really bad could happen if Chicago feels this game slipping out of their hands. I would hope that they'd be a little classier than that, but if the skate was on the other foot, I'd be hoping for some revenge as I'm sure Jon is hoping for right now. Just think back to Steve Moore when you want revenge, and that should cool you down. Bolland being back should be kind of a concern for Hawk fans, in my opinion. Doesn't it seem like he's being rushed back from his concussion a little early just because Chicago has a need? Remember, it's just a game. Let's not risk someone's life over it. Am I right?

With the game starting at 5, I'll be watching via the DVR with some delay, so keep that in mind. Other than that, let's go nuts with comments.

Go Canucks Go.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Angels Get Smashed In First Place Clash.

Much was made last season, by the media, trying to build up the rivalry between the Angels and the Rangers. I always kind of shied away from that talk, recognizing that our real rivals are Oakland and Seattle in the division and Boston outside of the division. However, this season may see that pretend rivalry become real, especially after the way it has already started shaping up. The teams came into the game yesterday afternoon deadlocked for first place in the division, though going in different ways, and the Rangers stepped it up with a 7-1 win. 

Getting dominated by Texas when we're all tied atop the AL West kind of made the hate grow within me, and if this battle keeps up for the division title all season, I can see this rivalry picking up a lot of steam. 

I found it comical driving back to work from lunch today when 710 ESPN's Max Kellerman (who I find stupid for pretending he's a LA guy when he clearly isn't...though he sure tries to make listeners think he is) made a comment about how he was dumbfounded to see Ervin Santana struggling. "He used to be as good as Dan Haren (by the way, pointing to Dan Haren as a 'he used to be as good as Dan Haren' guy shows how Kellerman can't look to further back than the previous couple of weeks when trying to make historical comparisons. I love Dan Haren, and he's doing really well, but is he already the guy who you wish your pitchers were like? No, not really), and what's wrong with him now? It must be because he got injured." If you read the blog, you know how I feel about Ervin's career, and I think it's stupid that the real media doesn't notice it. Ervin has always been an every-other-season kind of pitcher, for whatever reason, and this is scheduled to be his down year. Again, if you don't know, now you'll know:

2006: 16-8, 4.28
2007: 7-14, 5.76
2008: 16-7, 3.49
2009: 8-8, 5.03
2010: 17-10, 3.92
2011: 0-2, 5.26

Is it that hard to see this? Is it really that shocking that he was only able to manage 4 innings of 6 run ball against these guys, giving up a 3 run bomb to Adrian Beltre? Not really, it's actually humming along right on schedule. I wish I could have been sitting with some "real" Angel fans, who surely made some comment about how Beltre should have been on our team, and this never would have happened. Man, those fans are so classic.

As I've been telling you, Rich Thompson looked great on the mound, with 2 shutout innings and 4 Ks, and Bulger looked iffy in his two innings, allowing a meaningless yard shot. Even though Jason has a better ERA than our beloved Aussie so far this season, I still feel more comfortable when Thompson is hucking the ball. There, I said it.

While Ervin has kind of become the big story, I think the offense should be the bigger story. 1 run? A single run in a huge game, the opening game of a series with two teams battling for the division lead? That's what is unacceptable. Maicer Izturis, Howie Kendrick, Peter Bourjos, and Vernon Wells (of all people) each had 2 for 4 games. So, what happened? Well, the Halos left 8 runners on base. The problems were Bobby Abreu (0'fer) and Torii Hunter (a meaningless hit on a 1 for 4 night). We went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position. We had the guys setting the table, and didn't have the guys there to drive them in. 

We weren't running either, which drives me crazy. I was hoping that the Halos would be working hard on the base paths this season, and it doesn't seem to be there. Zero stolen bases, two GIDPs, and just two extra base hits (both doubles). However, even if we had all that running I have been missing, would we have been able to drive them in? Torii Hunter is hitting a sad .217, a lowly mark for a #4 guy. Despite getting 2 hits, Vernon is still way down at .169, a really tough average for a #5 hitter. The Angels lineup seems rather top heavy. Maicer is hitting .391, Howie is gripping and ripping at .318. Callaspo is hitting .321 at the six spot, but are we going to be relying on AC/DV in the six hole to be the guy bringing them in? I'm not sure how long we'll be able to rely on that plan.

Time for some lineup shuffling. Move Howie Kendrick down from the two spot, at least switching him with Abreu. Move Trumbo up to fifth, while dropping Vernon to 7th. We have to move things around a little bit, get who is hitting in the right spot, because I'm not going to enjoy seeing Ma$e and Howie get on, only to have Abreu, Torii, and The Contract politely bow out one-two-three.

At 10-6 and now 1 game back, the Halos are still looking great as of late, 7-3 over their last 10 games. Oakland is 3 back at 8-8, and Seattle is 6.5 back at 5-12. We're in a good spot, and we're hot, but what happens when Matt Palmer comes out and tries to help be the stopper after yesterday's loss? Makes me glad there are hockey playoffs on tonight so I can avoid this one.

The Rangers bring Colby "I Hate Colby" Lewis (1-1, 5.25) to face Palm Tree (0-0, 7.71). Palmer gave up 10 hits and 4 runs in 4.67 innings against an underrated Toronto squad in his season debut, but we've all been watching his fall from grace as of late. Well, maybe it's not a fall from grace as much as it is proof that his single "good" season was a fluke. I love the guy, but it was a fluke, let's be honest. Lewis took his last start off for the birth of his second child, and looks to rebound from a bad start against Baltimore his last time out. He's 3-2 with a 4.68 ERA in his career against the Halos, but he's got to have at least a slight advantage over Palmer.

Just a fun note for long time readers of the blog. I'm sure most of you are all too well aware of the old stories about how amazing Vlad Guerrero was against the Rangers. We heard it every time he came to the plate, and I think even Brandon made reference to it at one point on the blog. Well, the Angels official website is now giving us this little tidbit,

"Angels outfielder Vernon Wells went 2 for 4 on Monday and he is batting .321 with four home runs and 12 RBI in 13 games at Rangers Ballpark since the beginning of the 2008 season."

Finally something positive about when it comes to The Contract. So, the next time you are sitting at your local pub, watching the Halos, be sure to make some remark about how great Vernon is against the Rangers. It'll be great.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Instant Reaction: Newcastle 0 - 0 Man Utd.

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I was able to watch my boys from Newcastle United welcome Manchester to St. James' Park, and walk off the pitch with a 0-0 draw. For the Magpies, stealing a point from the Red Devils, and keeping them from completely counting Arsenal out for their league title dreams was a victory in my book. It was a fun game to watch, a nice little reminder of the talent difference between my MLS and the EPL, and I think Magpie Nation can be proud with the result.

Just a couple of quick notes:

+ Ryan Giggs just wasn't able to finish. He sent a ball just wide, even though he was standing right in front of the net with a perfect pass to his feet.

+ Tim Krül looked great between the pipes for Newcastle. The media made a big deal out of the injury to Steve Harper, but the supporters all know that Krül has what it takes to keep the best out, and he did it. With our boy Forster over with Celtic, who needs Harper anyway?

+ The no call on the Peter Løvenkrands in the box was ridiculous. He was tripped, knocked down in the box, and that easily should have been a penalty. That would have changed things nicely, eh?

+ Cheik Tiote may have become my favorite Newcastle player over Shola Ameobi. I mean, he's such a big, bad dude. He's tied for the most bookings in the EPL, and he seems to be the only real physical presence in the midfield for the Mags. Plus, how can you not love that Ivory Coast mohawk?

+ I enjoyed the negative reception that the Toon Army showered down on Michael Owen when he came on the pitch for the Devils. Owen is a complete bum, and I think even Man Utd fans can agree with that. The whole crowd chanting about how greedy he is? Classic. I love this fan base.

+ Stephen Ireland, our usually injured loan boy from Aston Villa, came onto the pitch with much fan fare, and nearly netted a goal. He put a shot just wide, and had the fans on the edge of their seats. The County Cork, Ireland native is definitely going to help on the jog to the end of the year, as he continues to get fit, and I hope he stays around next season.

+ Look, being a Chivas fan, I love me some Chicharito. That being said, it was a clear dive in the box at the end of the game. He jumped over the foot of Simpson to avoid the steal in the box, and then made a theatrical collapse to the ground. I watched it live, and watched it again and again as they replayed it on the ESPN broadcast. It was clearly a dive. And, even if you don't think it was a dive (first, you're crazy), you should recognize that even if you are pulled down, if you collapse like an Academy Award winning actor, the ref won't be on your side. He deserved yellow, no matter how much Rooney didn't like it.

+ Good crowd, fun game, and enough to make me happy with our play.

With 40 points to their name, Newcastle are now 9th in the table, 7 clear of Blackpool and the relegation zone with 5 games to go. We survived this Manchester clash, and that gives me huge confidence heading into the final five. The aforementioned Blackpool gets 'Castle on Saturday. That's a must win, if we want to prove that we're a top half of the table kind of team.

Howay the lads!

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

"Weekly" Football Post #94.

Can yo believe that this is the 94th "weekly" football post? Man, we've been bringing it for some time. We've got a huge LSF rivalry live on TV around the world this morning (ESPN2 or ESPN3.com for our American readers), and I sure hope we see the Boys in Bars get a little revenge for their week one loss.

Newcastle v Man Utd @ 11:30 am

The Magpies opened their return campaign to the EPL with a 0-3 loss to Manchester United way back when. I saw some positives in that loss, and while we're not a table topping team like the Red Devils, we are looking like we'll accomplish my goal of not getting relegating. What can I say? I'm realistic. 

This time around, we will be without Kevin Nolan (suspended), Leon Best (injured), Hatem Ben Afra (still injured), and possibly Steve Harper and Shola Ameobi. Yeah, that's a large group of players not hitting the pitch. Manchester will be without Scholes and possibly Fletcher, so I think they have the advantage here.

It's not an exciting task, trying to figure out how you are going to stop Chiva-For-Life Chicarito and Wayne "Scarlet Letter" Rooney. However, Man U is known to overlook a team from time to time. You need only to look back to their recent loss to Wolverhampton (whoops). When you see that, you see that they are beatable, even if they are running away with the league title. We'll look toward Ivory Coaster Cheik Tiote to cancel out Rooney, and hope that Shola does return for injury, as hoped, to be our exciting attacking presence.

I have to imagine that Newcastle will put a better showing against Man Utd this time around, and that's all I'm hoping for. Play your hearts out, and you've accomplished enough to make me proud. Any kind of positive result would just be icing on the cake.

Thanks to ESN Mobile for bringing this game live to my cell phone to help the work day move along a little better.

Celtic 4 - 0 Aberdeen

A laugher, as are many of the league games for Celtic. It kind of underscores the fact that a move to the pool of potential EPL teams might be a good idea for the Scottish side, as I'm not sure how much longer the SPL can be kept interesting at this rate. 

After a scoreless first half, the Bhoys went nuts on the Dons in the final 45. In that first half, Aberdeen player Andrew Considine was sent off, and Celtic's Anthony Stokes missed a penalty. Up a man, there wasn't a whole lot of missing going on for the Green and White after the restart. Mulgrew, Ledley, Commons, and good ol' Shaun Maloney all tallied netters with no reply, and Celtic walked to another easy league win.

At 24-3-4, Celtic sit one point back of Rangers, but have a game in hand in this two horse race (#3 Heart is 15 off the lead). The Hoops face Kilmarnock tomorrow, and could jump to a 2 point lead, then battle Rangers over the weekend. After that clash, we have 5 games left to decide how this league is going to finish up. But, the game against Rangers on Sunday may as well be a Championship match, in my mind.

Guadalajara 0 - 1 Santos

Chivas had a chance to continue their recent hot streak and lock up a playoff spot with a home win over Santos this weekend, but it wasn't meant to be. Instead, Santos kept the playoff picture interesting with two games to play, beating Chivas 1-0 with a 90th minute tally that leaves us still table watching as the season ends.

Santos was putting more pressure on the Guada backline and Luis Michel than any of us fans expected, as their attack looked impressive. The backline and, more importantly, Michel held strong, though, and it was nillers after 45. In the 73rd minute, Santos got called for a foul in the box, and even though it was a questionable whistle, it opened the door for the Goats to completely change this game around. At that point, things got kind of crazy. 

Hector Reynoso stepped up and buried the penalty into the net. However, the ref ruled that Cubo Torres entered the box before Reynoso made contact with the ball, and called it back. Reynoso, known as "Samson" to the fan base (thanks to his hair), stepped up again and had his shot blocked. But wait! The ref called it back again, saying that the Santos keeper moved off his line, allowing him to make the save. Third time is a charm? Not really. Reynoso lobbed the third attempt high, banged it off the wood work, and after all of that we remained level.

Just before the final whistle, Santos made good on a corner kick after Reynoso failed to clear with the head. Tough game for Samson, eh? Panamanian Felipe "Pipe" Baloy sent the ball home, scoring what he called "the best goal of his career," and Santos was off with a huge win. 

At 6-3-6, Chivas still sits second in group one, 5 points back of UANL and 2 points up on Monterrey. Chivas and Cruz Azul (7-5-3) go this weekend in the penultimate game of the regular season. Remember, in Mexican soccer the top two teams from each group make it to the playoffs (La Liguilla) as well as the next two best teams from the league overall. We're looking good for now, but we need to close out strong. Nothing like putting a hurting into La Maquina Celeste to do it.

Chivas USA 0 - 0 Vancouver 

Now to the big shots! Chivas USA went up north to Empire Field over the wekend to face an impressive Whitecaps squad, and came out with another point, in a scoreless draw. If you watched the game, you know that Chivas really got outplayed, but Dan Kennedy was strong enough to help the Goats improve their undefeated streak to three. 

I can make bold statements about Vancouver because I spend so much time listening to their local sports radio, and I'll be the first to tell you that a 0-0 result with the Caps is a very positive result. They have been a pretty exciting team to watch, scoring big goals, espcially late in games, and to keep them stuck on a doughnut is a big deal. Sure, we didn't score, but this three game unbeaten streak is showing huge steps forward for this team as they continue to try and make an image for themselves. We all knew that Robin Fraser wanted to get the defensive situation taken care of first and foremost, and that's what he's doing. Now that we have that better sorted out, it's time to start pushing for goals.

What can we say about Dan Kennedy? The Gaucho Goalie picked up his second straight clean sheet, and has lowered his GAA to 0.33 on the young MLS season. He has stepped in for Zach Thornton and played amazingly well, stealing "The Beast's" starting spot. In this game especially, he had to come up with some big time reaction saves and he did. The stop late on Khalfan immediately comes to mind. He is, without a doubt, earning that starting spot.

It was also exciting to see Simon Elliot and Paulo Nagamura grace our midfield and play well. We all know what Nagamura brings to the table now that he has recovered from is calf injury, but Elliot was something more of an unknown quantity for the supporters of the Red & White. The Kiwi looked like a solid force for the full 90, and made a big impact on the pitch defensively.

Marcos Mondaini and Ante Jaziç had the best chances of the match for Chivas. Marcos had his header attempt cleared off the line, but Jaziç's was a little crazier. After his initial shot was saved, Jazzy crashed the keeper and kept kicking away at the ball he was trying to cover up. I don't think the Caps liked it, but Ante was smiling as he helped the Vannie keeper to his feet after the interaction. It was nice to see the elder defensiveman going so hard to get that golden goal.

We'll explore the lineup put on the pitch by Fraser:

G- Dan Kennedy: Not enough can be said about his greatness in league play this season. Glad he got the worst out of the way against Portland in that US Open Cup debacle.

D- Michael Lahoud (Zarek Valentin 46), Andrew Boyens, Heath Pearce, Ante Jaziç: Sure, we gave up some chances that we shouldn't have, but you should give nothing but respect to your back line when the game stays at nillers. I would have liked to see Valentin play the whole game in place of Boyens, but maybe they are easing the Akron star back from his International duties.

M- Ben Zemanski (Paulo Nagamura 60), Simon Elliot, Nick LaBrocca, Jorge Flores (Francisco Mendoza 75): Again, I would have loved to see Naga sub in for Elliot instead of Benny, but what do I know? I'm so proud that Jorge Flores is still getting his starting shots, but I didn't like seeing him hanging back rather than attacking, as he had been doing.

F- Marcos Mondaini and Alejandro Moreno: Really? No Justin Braun? No Estupiñán sub? If Moreno continues to start, as he has earned with his goal earlier this year, he should ALWAYS be subbed out for Estupiñán around the 75th. We can't let our 23 year old Ecuadorian striker go to waste. And don't get me started on Braun riding the pine. He had better be injured, otherwise there is no excuse for resting him.

All of this is well and good, but we need wins. These positive results have been inspiring, but the real deal doesn't start going until we get our first win on the campaign. Right now, we are the lone MLS team without a win, and that doesn't feel very good. At 0-2-3, our 3 points place us dead last among the 18 MLS teams, although there are two teams with a worse goal differential than our -2. You've got to find the positives. 

This Saturday afternoon Chivas USA and San Jose wil get together for a big Western Conference clash. At 1-2-2, the Quakes aren't off to the start they were hoping for either. They welcome the Goats to the Bay Area this weekend, with both teams looking for a very important win. Just to get us pumped up, I'd like to go through San Jose's mascott history compared to Chivas'.

San Jose has had "José Clash" from when they originally called the San Jose Clash:  http://yippee.critter.net/jc-jose.jpg

They then shifted to "Rikter The Cyber Dog" once they became the Quakes: http://en.wikifur.com/w/images/thumb/a/a1/RikterTheCyberdog-MLSCup2001.jpg/180px-RikterTheCyberdog-MLSCup2001.jpg

And now, they have "Q" (full name: "Quakesaurus") as their mascott: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_(San_Jose_Earthquakes_mascot)

In contrast, Chivas USA has only EVER had one mascott, and that mascott is the beloved "Chiva Fighter": http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/603/1450949lv4.jpg

I'm not sure if that has anything to do with us winning over the weekend up North, but it surely proves that we are cooler than they are.

Support the MLS!

-- Sent from my Palm Prē