Starting Lineups: The Resurrection Of The Crosby-Ovechkin Rivalry
Showing posts with label sidney crosby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sidney crosby. Show all posts
Friday, December 13, 2013
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Unlearning How to Hate: The Parallels of Sidney Crosby and Kobe Bryant
Watching the Flyers' 3-2 overtime victory last night provoked several thoughts that rattled through my brain: The Jeff Carter-Claude Giroux-James van Riemsdyk line is on fire, Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn were putting on a clinic on how to shut down a superstar, Ville Leino has to be way smarter than to try to thread a pass in his own zone through two sticks with his team up two in the third period and that overtime winner was a thing of beauty, from Matt Carle's stick work and pass to Andrej Meszaros' shot to JVR's screen.
But the thing I couldn't help but think of more than anything else was just how much more I appreciate Sidney Crosby's game over Alexander Ovechkin's these days. I would have never said or at least admitted that just a few years ago. Don't get me wrong, Ovechkin is one of the greatest players in the entire world, a world-class goal-scorer and aggressive checker. But his game has holes. He's not great defensively. He doesn't kill penalties. And at times, like the first two periods of last night, he can be invisible. It's been something of a habit at times this season, part of the reason he's off to the slowest start of his career.
Ovechkin did turn it on in the third and wound up sending the game to overtime, but that made the difference in his game and Crosby's even more apparent to me.
Admittedly, I don't watch the Penguins as much as I probably should. But every time I do — and I do watch them plenty seeing as they're division rivals of the Flyers — I don't see Sidney Crosby suddenly turn it on and start to dominant at a certain point in the game. Nope. What I see is a player who plays his best, works his hardest and dominants from the opening faceoff to the final horn. He doesn't suddenly kick it into another gear the way Ovechkin did last night, because he plays the entire game in that gear. There is no on and off switch with Crosby. He's just always on.
He's willing to do all the little things that Ovechkin doesn't do, either by choice or by design. He plays in all situations, the main playmaker on Pittsburgh's power play and a sound, hardworking guy on the penalty kill. He can thread a pass as well as anyone, and also score goals at a rapid clip. Even with his current injury, Crosby leads the entire NHL in points and is second in goals. Then you add to that the work he does in the corner, how difficult he is to knock off the puck, how he makes his teammates better and works hard to improve his game every season, and I can't help but marvel at the guy.
Again, this is something I would have never said about Crosby when he first entered the league, when he was young and childish and heralded without necessarily earning it quite yet. And in a lot of ways, his career is beginning to resemble Kobe Bryant's to me. Let me try to explain.
Like any good Philadelphian, I learned to hate Kobe Bryant when he became a Los Angeles Laker, even more so when his Lakers took on his hometown Philadelphia 76ers. Bryant grew up in the Philadelphia area. His dad played for the Sixers. He was one of our own, and Philadelphia loves to root for its own … until you start acting a fool and cross us.
That's what Bryant did. It began with embracing a little too much the L.A. persona. Sure, Temple's Eddie Jones played for the Lakers, but he never embodied the L.A. guy. Kobe did almost from day one. In fact, his presence forced Jones out the door, and immediately Kobe became the Robin to Shaq's Batman. But that wouldn't last. Kobe and Shaq began to feud, and a rift was enveloping the team. To many outsiders, it was perceived to be Bryant's fault, him acting like an ungrateful, petulant child trying to push Shaq aside. That started to irk Philadelphians, the I'm-too-good-for-this attitude, and then came the tipping point: The 2001 NBA Finals.
Behind Allen Iverson's remarkable MVP season, the Sixers went all the way to Finals to take on the mighty Lakers. That's when Kobe, given the opportunity to pay homage to his hometown while going for a ring himself, spit right in our faces. He didn't even try to be humble or appreciative of the city he once called home. Instead, Bryant told the world he wanted to rip Philadelphia's heart out. Right then and there, Kobe was dead to us. All of us. He could do nothing right from that point on.
But a funny thing happened to me over the years. I started to really watch Kobe Bryant play, really began to study how hard he worked, really began to appreciate his play. And slowly, the hate began to fade. No, I'll never own a Kobe jersey or root for his Lakers to win, but I can't help but watch in awe as this man does every damn thing in his power to be great. He busts his ass on defense, has every shot and pass in the book, isn't afraid to bark at his teammates when necessary and encourage them too. And you know he kills himself to be the best. I can't help but admire that.
The same goes for Sidney Crosby, the man who has been public enemy number 1 in my home city since his first NHL shift.
In the beginning, the disdain was well-deserved. Crosby entered the league with what seemed like a silver spoon in his mouth. The NHL hyped him up so much that he felt entitled to calls. He made a habit of diving. And he never lacked for complaining. I hated him. I hated everything about him. Sure, he was ridiculously good even as a rookie, but he acted, much like Bryant did early his career, like a spoiled punk. And worst of all, he did it here in Philadelphia as a member of the rival Penguins.
I was content to call Crosby a pussy, praise Ovechkin as the game's best and propel the hate. But then a funny thing happened. I began to watch Crosby's game closely. Every year in the league, he got better, and every year, he toned down the theatrics. He entered the league as a poor faceoff man. Now he's one of the game's best. He was called more of a playmaker than a goalscorer. Now he's one of the two or three best (if not the best) goal scorer in hockey … all while still being the best playmaker on the planet. He's gotten stronger, smarter, better. He's won a Cup, earned respect, and does everything in his power to be the best. Just like Kobe Bryant. And I can't help but appreciate that.
I hate Pittsburgh, hate everything about it. But the more I watch Sidney Crosby play, the more I see him work and work and work to get better, the more I see him come back with something new to add to his game when he seemingly has it all already, the less I hate him. I won't ever root for him to win another thing in his life. In fact, I hope the Penguins lose every game for the rest of eternity. But I know that won't happen, because Sidney Crosby works too hard and is just too damn good to let that happen. And frankly, I just can't hate him for that.
Sometimes, you have to just set hate aside and appreciate greatness while you can.
But the thing I couldn't help but think of more than anything else was just how much more I appreciate Sidney Crosby's game over Alexander Ovechkin's these days. I would have never said or at least admitted that just a few years ago. Don't get me wrong, Ovechkin is one of the greatest players in the entire world, a world-class goal-scorer and aggressive checker. But his game has holes. He's not great defensively. He doesn't kill penalties. And at times, like the first two periods of last night, he can be invisible. It's been something of a habit at times this season, part of the reason he's off to the slowest start of his career.
Ovechkin did turn it on in the third and wound up sending the game to overtime, but that made the difference in his game and Crosby's even more apparent to me.
Admittedly, I don't watch the Penguins as much as I probably should. But every time I do — and I do watch them plenty seeing as they're division rivals of the Flyers — I don't see Sidney Crosby suddenly turn it on and start to dominant at a certain point in the game. Nope. What I see is a player who plays his best, works his hardest and dominants from the opening faceoff to the final horn. He doesn't suddenly kick it into another gear the way Ovechkin did last night, because he plays the entire game in that gear. There is no on and off switch with Crosby. He's just always on.
He's willing to do all the little things that Ovechkin doesn't do, either by choice or by design. He plays in all situations, the main playmaker on Pittsburgh's power play and a sound, hardworking guy on the penalty kill. He can thread a pass as well as anyone, and also score goals at a rapid clip. Even with his current injury, Crosby leads the entire NHL in points and is second in goals. Then you add to that the work he does in the corner, how difficult he is to knock off the puck, how he makes his teammates better and works hard to improve his game every season, and I can't help but marvel at the guy.
Again, this is something I would have never said about Crosby when he first entered the league, when he was young and childish and heralded without necessarily earning it quite yet. And in a lot of ways, his career is beginning to resemble Kobe Bryant's to me. Let me try to explain.
Like any good Philadelphian, I learned to hate Kobe Bryant when he became a Los Angeles Laker, even more so when his Lakers took on his hometown Philadelphia 76ers. Bryant grew up in the Philadelphia area. His dad played for the Sixers. He was one of our own, and Philadelphia loves to root for its own … until you start acting a fool and cross us.
That's what Bryant did. It began with embracing a little too much the L.A. persona. Sure, Temple's Eddie Jones played for the Lakers, but he never embodied the L.A. guy. Kobe did almost from day one. In fact, his presence forced Jones out the door, and immediately Kobe became the Robin to Shaq's Batman. But that wouldn't last. Kobe and Shaq began to feud, and a rift was enveloping the team. To many outsiders, it was perceived to be Bryant's fault, him acting like an ungrateful, petulant child trying to push Shaq aside. That started to irk Philadelphians, the I'm-too-good-for-this attitude, and then came the tipping point: The 2001 NBA Finals.
Behind Allen Iverson's remarkable MVP season, the Sixers went all the way to Finals to take on the mighty Lakers. That's when Kobe, given the opportunity to pay homage to his hometown while going for a ring himself, spit right in our faces. He didn't even try to be humble or appreciative of the city he once called home. Instead, Bryant told the world he wanted to rip Philadelphia's heart out. Right then and there, Kobe was dead to us. All of us. He could do nothing right from that point on.
But a funny thing happened to me over the years. I started to really watch Kobe Bryant play, really began to study how hard he worked, really began to appreciate his play. And slowly, the hate began to fade. No, I'll never own a Kobe jersey or root for his Lakers to win, but I can't help but watch in awe as this man does every damn thing in his power to be great. He busts his ass on defense, has every shot and pass in the book, isn't afraid to bark at his teammates when necessary and encourage them too. And you know he kills himself to be the best. I can't help but admire that.
The same goes for Sidney Crosby, the man who has been public enemy number 1 in my home city since his first NHL shift.
In the beginning, the disdain was well-deserved. Crosby entered the league with what seemed like a silver spoon in his mouth. The NHL hyped him up so much that he felt entitled to calls. He made a habit of diving. And he never lacked for complaining. I hated him. I hated everything about him. Sure, he was ridiculously good even as a rookie, but he acted, much like Bryant did early his career, like a spoiled punk. And worst of all, he did it here in Philadelphia as a member of the rival Penguins.
I was content to call Crosby a pussy, praise Ovechkin as the game's best and propel the hate. But then a funny thing happened. I began to watch Crosby's game closely. Every year in the league, he got better, and every year, he toned down the theatrics. He entered the league as a poor faceoff man. Now he's one of the game's best. He was called more of a playmaker than a goalscorer. Now he's one of the two or three best (if not the best) goal scorer in hockey … all while still being the best playmaker on the planet. He's gotten stronger, smarter, better. He's won a Cup, earned respect, and does everything in his power to be the best. Just like Kobe Bryant. And I can't help but appreciate that.
I hate Pittsburgh, hate everything about it. But the more I watch Sidney Crosby play, the more I see him work and work and work to get better, the more I see him come back with something new to add to his game when he seemingly has it all already, the less I hate him. I won't ever root for him to win another thing in his life. In fact, I hope the Penguins lose every game for the rest of eternity. But I know that won't happen, because Sidney Crosby works too hard and is just too damn good to let that happen. And frankly, I just can't hate him for that.
Sometimes, you have to just set hate aside and appreciate greatness while you can.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Coming Around the Bend
Yesterday, I asked if the Flyers were actually turning the corner or just benefitting from a soft schedule and came to the conclusion that last night's contest out in Pittsburgh would do a lot to determining just that. Well, if last night's 7-4 victory is any indication, the Flyers are finally rounding into form. Even with the Penguins slumping of late, it's no small task to go into Pittsburgh and defeat the defending Stanley Cup champions, especially when you are a Flyers team that has struggled with Sidney Crosby and his mates over the years.
No, the Flyers didn't play their best hockey last night. Actually, they were outshot 39-39, won 10 less faceoffs than the Pens and gave away the puck entirely too much in their own zone. You could say it was actually a sloppy performance by the Flyers, at least defensively. But the thing that was so great to see was how easily and quickly the Flyers lit the lamp. Scoring was supposed to be this team's modus operandi. Not another team in the league was supposed to boast as much scoring depth. However, the Flyers have struggled to score goals the majority of the season. Finally, they're starting to come out of that, and they emphatically stated their case as a high-powered offense last night, chasing Flyer killer Marc-Andre Fleury from the game after scoring four goals on their first 15 shots.
James van Riemsdyk followed up one of his best games of the season with an even better one, earning first star of the game status with two seemingly effortless breakaway goals that looked virtually identical. On the first, JVR got in behind the defense and was one-on-one with the athletic Fleury. He toyed with him so easily it wasn't even funny, dipping the shoulder, making the move and taking advantage of the exposed five-hole, sliding the puck with grace right through Fleury's legs. On his second, he used the same move, this time going from left to right instead of right to left, beating backup netminder Brent Johnson through the five-hole again. The nonchalantness of both goals made them all the more impressive. The kid can flat-out play. And score. And now he leads all NHL rookies in even-strength points. Not bad. Oh, and big props to Arron Asham as well. Both of Riemer's goals were assisted by Asham, and both of them were fantastic passes. The first, Asham won a battle/race on the boards and laid out a perfect pass to the middle of the ice to a wide open JVR, right in stride. On the second, Asham saw van Riemsdyk streaking behind the defense and sent a long stretch pass. It was deflected, but still got there, and JVR deposited it right between Johnson's legs. That line of Powe, Asham and JVR is quickly becoming my favorite on the team.
Though to be fair, all three lines produced quality scoring chance after quality scoring chance. Jeff Carter netted two more goals, Danny Briere added two more helpers and played a really spectacular all-around game, threading passing between defenders, taking hits to make plays and jumping all over the puck, and Mike Richards continued his resurgence, scoring a goal and adding an assist. Matt Carle fired an unstoppable shot and added two assists, and Chris Pronger had another multi-point night, scoring a goal and added a helper. In all, 11 Flyers registered at least one point, including Oskars Bartulis (assist), Simon Gagne (assist), Darroll Powe (2 assists) and Kimmo Timonen (assist). And truth be told, the Flyers should have had another goal, as Simon Gagne clearly scored shorthanded, only the officials didn't see it because there wasn't one in even close to a good position to see it, and the war room screwed it up big time.
That, my friends, is clearly a goal. Yet it wasn't, because the officiating sucked last night. Now, I'm not one to routinely call out officiating on this blog, though I do like to complain about it incessantly when I see it as I'm watching. But last night the Flyers were getting shafted so often — not in penalty calls, but in other ways. Let me explain. For starters, that was just atrocious officiating on Gagne's goal/no goal. The thing was in the net. There is no disputing this. Maybe there wasn't a great camera angle, but the laws of physics, plus the replays of Johnson shoveling the puck from out of the net as his entire body is in there, prove it was a goal. And the ref should have been in position to see it anyway. Awful.
Also, later in the game, Jeff Carter had a clear breakaway. He was called offsides. He was not offsides. It wasn't even that close. His back skate was clearly behind the blue line as he received the puck. Replays confirmed this. He was onside. The refs blew it dead and took away a clear breakaway for Carter, one of the best goal-scorers on the team. It was bogus.
Third, there were at least three occasions where Evgeni Malkin jumped into the circle on faceoffs. At least three. Not a single time did the linesman toss Sidney Crosby from the faceoff circle. Not once. Over the past few seasons, that has been a point of emphasis for linesmen, tossing centers when their team commits an infraction before the puck is dropped. It's become a routine call. Hell, linesmen normally annoy me to no end by tossing guys for much less, way too often. But because it was Malkin and Crosby, nothing. Just a simple whistle telling the players to get back in place, no one tossed. Did I mention this happened at least three times? That's a big deal, believe it or not. Each time, the Flyers were in their defensive zone. The Flyers are not good at winning faceoffs. Sidney Crosby is one of the best in the game. Getting him tossed is huge for Philadelphia. But he never was, even when Malkin was clearly violating the rules. Call me a nit-picker if you'd like, but I'm a faceoff snob. That was bullshit.
To be fair though, I think the officials did do a good job calling penalties evenly and fairly. But they still made some blatantly horrible mistakes.
As did the Flyers on defense. Good Lord. Part of the reason the Flyers acquired Chris Pronger was specifically to deal with Sidney Crosby. Mission failed. Crosby netted two more goals last night, and I'm pretty sure it's safe to say he is officially the greatest player against the Flyers off all time. The guy just kills Philadelphia. Every damn game. Last night was no exception. Every time his line stepped on the ice, I feared for the Flyers' lead. It's not even that I'm not stunned when Crosby scores against the Flyers, I expect him to score … a lot. He's incredible. And kudos to Dan Bylsma for getting the Crosby-Malkin-Guerin trio on the ice routinely when rookie defenseman Danny Syvret was on the ice. As good as Syvret played the night before, he played equally as awful last night. He looked completely overmatched, overwhelmed and awful. Crosby threw him down with ease on one shift, and Syvret never recovered. He looked like a lost puppy out there, and he made some killer turnovers.
Actually, all of the Flyers did on defense. They must have given the puck away in their own zone nearly a dozen times in the first period alone. They were terrible with the puck. Just terrible. They certainly weren't doing Michael Leighton any favors. Yet Leighton did plenty of favors to bail out his defense. While giving up four goals may not sound all that great, Leighton was fantastic last night. He made some truly spectacular stops, game-saving saves and prevented the Penguins from ever getting closer than within two after the Flyers took a 4-2 lead. Sure, he gave up some rebounds and lost track of the puck on a few occasions, but he really came up with some dandies that kept the Pens at bay.
In all he stopped 35 of the 39 shots he faced and continued his excellent play since becoming a Flyer. With the word that Ray Emery may rejoin the Flyers as early as tomorrow, ti creates an interesting scenario for the Flyers. Who is the odd man out? Right now, you'd have to say it's Brian Boucher. Leighton has played so well that the Flyers have no choice but to keep rolling with him. And Emery was signed to be the man in net, and before he was ailing, played really well to start the season. Hence, the man in the mask who may be left in the cold is Boucher. Either way, it's a nice problem to have. Though having, say, a clear-cut, top-flight goaltender would be even better. Either way, Leighton has been playing like one of late. And last night, he was a key reason the Flyers were able to top the Penguins and continued coming around the bend.
Friday, June 5, 2009
King Kobe, King Crosby and King Cole
What was it that Meatloaf said? Two out of three ain't bad? Pardon my french, but fuck that. Last night, two out of three results in the games I had interest in were bad — the Lakers abolishing the Magic 100-75 and the Penguins evening up the Stanley Cup Finals 2-2 with a 4-2 victory — thankfully, Colbert Richard Hamels salvaged the night.
Hollywood Hamels, as the kids call him, pitched by far his best game of 2009 and put forth one his better efforts ever. A complete-game, 5-hit, 5-strikeout gem with no walks to give the Phils a 3-0 win — their seventh straight victory.
Man oh man was it nice to see a return to form, especially coming off an outing against Washington where Cole got smacked around by leaving the ball up all game. Last night was truly an excellent performance, as Cole effortlessly made the Dodgers — you know, the team with the best record in baseball — look pedestrian at best. It only took Colbert 97 pitches to complete his gem, and I applaud Charlie for letting Cole hit in the top of the 9th and come out to finish what he started.
In years past, especially with just a 3-run lead and the very careful handling of Cole throughout his career, Manuel would have pulled Hamels and pinch-hit for him in the 9th, to both rest his valuable left arm and to try and get some insurance runs. But last night, Charlie saw how easily Cole was breezing through the Dodgers hitters and let him go out there. No doubt, his low pitch count helped make that decision, but I'm glad to see Charlie allow him to do it regardless. That was a truly special performance, and in case you haven't noticed, your first place Philadelphia Phillies, the defending World Fucking Champions, are 32-20, the second best record in the bigs, with a 4-game lead over the Mets … who just got swept by the fucking Pirates.
If you are a fan of the Mets, first off, kill yourself, and secondly, seriously, don't ever try to talk shit again until you actually, you know, win something. Not only will Cole continue to call you chokers, he will go out and pitch complete game shutouts just to rub it in.
As great as Cole's performance was, the Orlando Magic were equally as bad. In game 1 of the NBA Finals, fresh off ousting the anointed one, LeBron James, the Magic didn't just revert back to a team that the Sixers almost beat, but a team that the Sixers actually could beat.
Orlando shot 29.9 (29.9!) percent from the field. Dwight Howard, Mr. "You have a dominant player. Let him be dominant," scored a paltry 12 points on 1-of-6 shooting. Yes, he was in foul trouble early. Yes, the Lakers have Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, who match up with Howard much better than anyone the Cavs have. But 1-for-6? Really?
That's Sammy Dalembert territory there. Yikes.
And as much as I hate to say this, Jameer Nelson did not help the Magic whatsoever last night. Now, to be fair, Nelson didn't really looked injured. He was quick, flying all over the place and honestly looked healed. But the guy hadn't played in months, and it showed, especially on his shot. Jameer made just 3 of his 9 attempts in 23-plus minutes.
If I was Rafer Alston, I'd be pretty upset right now. The Magic played a pretty strong first quarter with Alston on the floor, leading 24-22 after one, and the lead was extended to about 5 before the Lakers made their push and built a double-digit advantage in the second quarter. And L.A. did it with Nelson on the floor and Rafer on the bench.
Now, it would be inaccurate to say Jameer was the reason Orlando lost. He wasn't. Not even close. Hell, the Lakers pulled away in the second half with Rafer on the floor throughout the 3rd quarter. But Jameer certainly wasn't helping Orlando last night, evident by his -19 compared to Alston's -6.
Either way, this game wasn't really about what Orlando failed to do as much as it was about what Los Angeles was able to do. In a word, that would be dominate. And there was no one more dominant than Kobe, who looked every bit like the best player on the court, which he unquestionably is.
Frankly, it didn't matter what Dwight Howard did last night. Or any other player on the Magic for that matter. Kobe wasn't going to be denied. He wants this ring more than any other player in the league right now wants a ring. He doesn't want to be remembered as winning only as Shaq's sidekick. He doesn't want to lose as many NBA Finals series as he's won.
No, Kobe wants this ring and he's going to do everything he can to get it. And last night, he sure as shit did everything he possibly could have to not only get a 1-0 lead, but to bury Orlando in the process. Kobe dropped this ridiculous stat line: 40 points, 16-34 from the field, 8-8 from the line, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks and just one foul and one turnover in 38 minutes.
He orchestrated the entire game. Every minute. Every possession. He was masterful. Not since Michael Jordan was tormenting Utah has a player single-handedly controlled the entire pace of the game in the Finals the way Kobe did last night. If he plays like that, or even remotely close to it, the rest of the way, Orlando doesn't stand a chance, even if the Magic make their threes.
Last year, the Finals belonged to Garnett, Allen and Pierce. This year, it's Kobe's Finals, and he made that abundantly clear last night.
What also became clear is that Pittsburgh isn't about to roll over and die. Not by a long shot. Marc-Andre Fleury was spectacular, especially in the first period, and Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were far and away the best players on the ice. (OK, Jordan Staal was a beast, too).
The Red Wings looked strong early, firing 19 shots at Fleury in the first period, but the score was tied 1-1 after one. Then PIttsburgh took over after falling behind 2-1 less than a minute into the second. Bang, bang, bang. Three unanswered goals — a shorty by Jordan Staal followed by a tally by Crosby (assisted by Malkin, who scored the first goal of the game) followed by a beautiful tic-tac-toe from Kunitz to Crosby to Tyler Kennedy.
The Penguins are no joke, even if Pittsburgh is the worst city in America … which it is. Honestly, if Crosby and Malkin (and Staal and Fleury) can play like this, the way they have played the majority of the postseason, I don't think even the mighty Red Wings can contain them. All the momentum is now with the Pens, and with no Pavel Datsyuk or even with an injured Datsyuk playing, Detroit may not have enough to keep up.
Then again, the Red Wings didn't seem to have much trouble keeping the dynamic duo at bay in Detroit, so perhaps this is going to be one of those home team wins every game type of series. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
So yeah, not a great night all things considered, but hey, Cole Hamels! Complete game shutout! That was tits.
Hollywood Hamels, as the kids call him, pitched by far his best game of 2009 and put forth one his better efforts ever. A complete-game, 5-hit, 5-strikeout gem with no walks to give the Phils a 3-0 win — their seventh straight victory.
Man oh man was it nice to see a return to form, especially coming off an outing against Washington where Cole got smacked around by leaving the ball up all game. Last night was truly an excellent performance, as Cole effortlessly made the Dodgers — you know, the team with the best record in baseball — look pedestrian at best. It only took Colbert 97 pitches to complete his gem, and I applaud Charlie for letting Cole hit in the top of the 9th and come out to finish what he started.
In years past, especially with just a 3-run lead and the very careful handling of Cole throughout his career, Manuel would have pulled Hamels and pinch-hit for him in the 9th, to both rest his valuable left arm and to try and get some insurance runs. But last night, Charlie saw how easily Cole was breezing through the Dodgers hitters and let him go out there. No doubt, his low pitch count helped make that decision, but I'm glad to see Charlie allow him to do it regardless. That was a truly special performance, and in case you haven't noticed, your first place Philadelphia Phillies, the defending World Fucking Champions, are 32-20, the second best record in the bigs, with a 4-game lead over the Mets … who just got swept by the fucking Pirates.
If you are a fan of the Mets, first off, kill yourself, and secondly, seriously, don't ever try to talk shit again until you actually, you know, win something. Not only will Cole continue to call you chokers, he will go out and pitch complete game shutouts just to rub it in.
As great as Cole's performance was, the Orlando Magic were equally as bad. In game 1 of the NBA Finals, fresh off ousting the anointed one, LeBron James, the Magic didn't just revert back to a team that the Sixers almost beat, but a team that the Sixers actually could beat.
Orlando shot 29.9 (29.9!) percent from the field. Dwight Howard, Mr. "You have a dominant player. Let him be dominant," scored a paltry 12 points on 1-of-6 shooting. Yes, he was in foul trouble early. Yes, the Lakers have Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, who match up with Howard much better than anyone the Cavs have. But 1-for-6? Really?
That's Sammy Dalembert territory there. Yikes.
And as much as I hate to say this, Jameer Nelson did not help the Magic whatsoever last night. Now, to be fair, Nelson didn't really looked injured. He was quick, flying all over the place and honestly looked healed. But the guy hadn't played in months, and it showed, especially on his shot. Jameer made just 3 of his 9 attempts in 23-plus minutes.
If I was Rafer Alston, I'd be pretty upset right now. The Magic played a pretty strong first quarter with Alston on the floor, leading 24-22 after one, and the lead was extended to about 5 before the Lakers made their push and built a double-digit advantage in the second quarter. And L.A. did it with Nelson on the floor and Rafer on the bench.
Now, it would be inaccurate to say Jameer was the reason Orlando lost. He wasn't. Not even close. Hell, the Lakers pulled away in the second half with Rafer on the floor throughout the 3rd quarter. But Jameer certainly wasn't helping Orlando last night, evident by his -19 compared to Alston's -6.
Either way, this game wasn't really about what Orlando failed to do as much as it was about what Los Angeles was able to do. In a word, that would be dominate. And there was no one more dominant than Kobe, who looked every bit like the best player on the court, which he unquestionably is.
Frankly, it didn't matter what Dwight Howard did last night. Or any other player on the Magic for that matter. Kobe wasn't going to be denied. He wants this ring more than any other player in the league right now wants a ring. He doesn't want to be remembered as winning only as Shaq's sidekick. He doesn't want to lose as many NBA Finals series as he's won.
No, Kobe wants this ring and he's going to do everything he can to get it. And last night, he sure as shit did everything he possibly could have to not only get a 1-0 lead, but to bury Orlando in the process. Kobe dropped this ridiculous stat line: 40 points, 16-34 from the field, 8-8 from the line, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks and just one foul and one turnover in 38 minutes.
He orchestrated the entire game. Every minute. Every possession. He was masterful. Not since Michael Jordan was tormenting Utah has a player single-handedly controlled the entire pace of the game in the Finals the way Kobe did last night. If he plays like that, or even remotely close to it, the rest of the way, Orlando doesn't stand a chance, even if the Magic make their threes.
Last year, the Finals belonged to Garnett, Allen and Pierce. This year, it's Kobe's Finals, and he made that abundantly clear last night.
What also became clear is that Pittsburgh isn't about to roll over and die. Not by a long shot. Marc-Andre Fleury was spectacular, especially in the first period, and Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were far and away the best players on the ice. (OK, Jordan Staal was a beast, too).
The Red Wings looked strong early, firing 19 shots at Fleury in the first period, but the score was tied 1-1 after one. Then PIttsburgh took over after falling behind 2-1 less than a minute into the second. Bang, bang, bang. Three unanswered goals — a shorty by Jordan Staal followed by a tally by Crosby (assisted by Malkin, who scored the first goal of the game) followed by a beautiful tic-tac-toe from Kunitz to Crosby to Tyler Kennedy.
The Penguins are no joke, even if Pittsburgh is the worst city in America … which it is. Honestly, if Crosby and Malkin (and Staal and Fleury) can play like this, the way they have played the majority of the postseason, I don't think even the mighty Red Wings can contain them. All the momentum is now with the Pens, and with no Pavel Datsyuk or even with an injured Datsyuk playing, Detroit may not have enough to keep up.
Then again, the Red Wings didn't seem to have much trouble keeping the dynamic duo at bay in Detroit, so perhaps this is going to be one of those home team wins every game type of series. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
So yeah, not a great night all things considered, but hey, Cole Hamels! Complete game shutout! That was tits.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
My Hat Trick's Better Than Yours
Alexander Ovechkin. Sidney Crosby. The NHL's two biggest stars on the same stage, both scoring goals in the first contest. How would they possibly be able to put forth an encore in game two? Hat tricks for both, perhaps? Nah. Never happen. Except it did in a wild 4-3 win for the Caps to give Washington a 2-0 series lead.
I'm pretty sure Gary Bettman just jizzed in his pants.
That was just ridiculous. Honestly, the NHL couldn't have written a better script for the only hockey game on last night. If you missed it, you missed the best players in the world playing at the top of their games. Crosby strikes first. Then Ovechkin answers. Followed by Crosby again putting PIttsburgh ahead.
With that, you could almost see Ovechkin say to himself, "Fuck this. There's no way in hell Sidney's one-upping me in my own building. No way." And Ovechkin then just completely took the game over, flying all over the ice, getting a hat trick to put away the Pens.
As my roommate so eloquently put it, watching Ovechkin is like watching LeBron. He just does things that make you go, "WOW!" every single game, and each time the puck is on his stick, it's impossible to look away. The guy is just amazing. Of the 33 shots the Caps fired, Ovechkin had 12 of them. Twelve shots in one game. That's twice as many as Evgeni Malkin, the next closest in shots last night.
It was unreal, almost as if Crosby and Ovechkin took it personally that one guy was trying to upstage the other. For any of you out there that like to argue that maybe Crosby isn't even the best player on his own team, let alone the league, take a look at him so far this series. Where Malkin has been invisible, Crosby has gone toe-to-toe with the greatest shooter I've ever seen. Even when it looked as though the Caps had it all locked up with Ovechkin's insane third goal, Crosby wouldn't quit, batting the puck out of midair for his third goal to bring the Pens back within one with 30 seconds left.
These guys are no joke, and yet again, the NHL had another incredible game. Seriously, these playoffs are must-see TV. Lost in the shuffle of the Oveckin-Crosby hat trick fest was the insane play of 21-year-old goaltender Simeon Varlamov. The youngster made 33 saves last night, many in spectacular fashion, like these:
Man, I wish the Flyers could get them one of those. I'm so incredibly happy I watched this game, especially since the Boston-Orlando game wasn't all that close most of the way.
The awesomeness of the night did not end there either. Joe Blanton picked up his first win of the season for the Phils, because, as meech would say, Ryan Howard is a cot damn beast.
In the 5th inning, Howard continued to dominate in his hometown of St. Louis, absolutely crushing a grand slam. His family's reaction was priceless. The Phils scored all six of their runs on home runs, as Jayson Werth had a 2-run bomb in the 4th, giving the Phils the 6-1 win and keeping pace with Florida, still just a half game back from first.
At that point, I was dead tired and ready to go to sleep. There was just one problem, the Lakers-Rockets game was on. How could I resist? Short answer: I couldn't, so I decided to say screw it, and watched.
Before the game started, my roommate asked me if this was even going to be a good series. I told him I don't see why not. Houston is a damn good team that plays tough defense and could give the Lakers, who were called soft in the finals last year, fits. Last night, they did exactly that.
Shane Battier, Ron Artest and Yao Ming all clogged up the lanes and played physical with Kobe, not allowing him to really be himself. Kobe did manage to score 32 points to lead everyone, but it took him 31 shots to get there. And the man had no help at all. Bynum, Gasol and Ariza combined for just 34 points, and Lamar Odom added just 9.
On the flip side, Houston played exactly the way they wanted to, holding the Lakers under 100 in their 100-92 win. Where Kobe got no help from his teammates, the Rockets flourished with their best two players dominating and Aaron Brooks adding that third scoring punch.
Ron Artest, known for his defense and often questionable shot selection, was in the zone, especially early. Ron Ron came out on fire, and for the first time in a long time, he was smart with his shots and finished a very efficient 8-15 from the field, 3-6 from three, for his 21 points, and he added 7 dimes to go along with that.
With Ron playing his best, Yao followed suit. The big man was easily the most dominant player on the floor, completely manhandling Bynum and Gasol inside. His 28 and 10 came in impressive fashion, and he added a steal and two blocks to boot, not to mention going a perfect 10-10 from the line.
The coolest part of the game, for me, was when Yao was injured with about 4 minutes or so left in the game. As he was being walked off and back to the training room, Yao stopped and told the trainers he wanted to get back out there. That showed a lot of guts and toughness that people haven't always associated with Yao.
Make no mistake about it, his presence in those finals minutes was huge. Like I said, he went 10-10 from the line, and his free throws in the closing minutes were crucial to the Rockets holding on. Is an upset possible? Let's hope so. The Rockets do have that lucky charm on their side, a little guy by the name of Brent motherfucking Barry, who's out for revenge.
Be afraid, LA, be very afraid.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Sidney Crosby Has a Vagina
I would just like to say for the record that Sidney Crosby has a vagina. I am not sure if there is a person on this planet that infuriates me more than him. Also, I believe that if I ever saw him on the street and we come to blows, I would kill him. My anger towards him would lead me to just annihilate him. A person can only take so much of his whining and overacting before it leads to vomiting.
"The kid" must get his nickname from the fact that he cries like a 2 year old anytime something doesn't go his way. Crosby leads the league in sticks to opposing teams stomachs and then skating behind one of his defensmen for protection. This was evident last night when he crosschecked Richards in the back in the last minute of play and then proceeded to stay 10 feet away from Richards. Crosby is a vagina.
Also, I could not help but remember Kimmo's comments about the refs treating the Penguins differently then the Flyers after game 1. Kimmo brought up how the refs would seem to converse with the Penguins while they would yell at the Flyers when they discussed penalties. At the end of the 2nd period when Jim Jackson was yelling about Mike Richards being brought down behind the play, Richards went over to ask the ref about the play. You can read the refs lips yelling, "Thats enough, get to the locker room," without even discussing the play.
Speaking of vaginas, I would just like to point out that in MY OPINION, Robbie Gould should probably kill himself. That kick was 18 yards [Ed note: The kick was 25 yards: Gould, Robbie 3rd 07:54 25 yds - Missed; The line of scrimmage was the fucking 8 you fucking moron, so don't question me.] that he missed at Penn St. against Iowa.
The kid was horrible then and has he even kicked a field goal over 50 yards yet? I'm not sure, but he is in the top five of NFL players that I am 100 percent positive that I would be able to beat up. I wish him the worst in life.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Stubborn Stupid Silly Saturday
So … Saturday completely sucked. The Flyers lost. The Sixers lost. North Carolina lost. And two of the three ended in horrible fashion.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: MARTY, "DON'T EVER COME OUT OF YOUR NET EVER AGAIN TO TRY AND PLAY THE PUCK! YOU ARE BY FAR THE WORST GOALTENDER IN HOCKEY AT STICKHANDLING, AND YOUR DECISION-MAKING IS ATROCIOUS. HOW MANY FUCKING TIMES DO YOU NEED TO TURN THE PUCK OVER TO REALIZE, MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST LET YOUR DEFENSEMEN DO THE PUCKHANDLING?!? FUCK!"
Yeah, so, you know, please just stay in the net no matter what Marty. That was just a devastating way to end the game. After the Flyers fell down 3-1 to a desperate Pittsbrgh team, Mike Richards decided enough was enough and scored yet another shorthanded goal—his 3rd in three games—to bring the Flyers back within one, using the old Peter Forsberg backhanded five-hole shootout move.
Seriously, Richards' shorthanded play is just getting ridiculous at this point. Anyway, his goal sparked the Flyers, who tied the game on a goal by Braydon Coburn. Then they gave the lead right back to the Penguins and the comeback looked to be for naught.
Except, you know, the Flyers' top line of Richards, Gagne and Knuble continued its torrid stretch, combining on a tic-tac-toe goal that Knuble calmly deposited to tie it again. After falling behind by two, battling back, surrendering another goal and then tying it again, the game was incredibly entertaining. For the NHL's sake, it's a shame this game wasn't nationally televised, because it really was awesome: physical, high-scoring, intense, fights, and a true sense of hatred between the squads.
And then Marty happened. Unbelievable. And after battling back not once but twice in the third period, they Flyers lost because Marty is a fucking moron. Really, he had no reason to even come out, although he got the puck. Dupuis had a step on the defense, but he wasn't coming on a clear breakaway. He had pressure on him, and he wouldn't have had the easiest time getting a good shot off. Oh, and Marty absolutely blows at playing the puck, so there's that.
What an awful way to lose.
And the day didn't get any better. For you see, I then watched North Carolina go the way of the Mets and choke away an easy victory. Yes, I said a game at Maryland should have been an easy victory, and I mean it. The Terps suck. North Carolina has national title hopes. The Heels should be able to beat this Maryland team anywhere any time. But on Saturday they didn't. In fact, they allowed Greivis Vasquez to score the first 16 points for Maryland and surrendered a triple-double to that herpes-faced douche.
I detest that man so very much. And I hated that game. Vasquez kept Maryland close early on, but UNC took a 9-point lead into half and then built it up to 16 early in the second. Easy win, right?
No, it wasn't. You wanna know why? Because no one in a Tar Heels jersey, with the exception of Ty Lawson, seemed to give two shits down the stretch. Well, not exactly. Danny Green was playing pretty damn well too, but he got in foul trouble and things went to shit for UNC when he took a seat on the bench.
In all honesty, everyone else on North Carolina sucked. Tyler Hansbrough kept getting blocked and traveling, only he wasn't getting to the foul line or getting away with his feet-shuffling. Wayne Ellington disappeared per usual, as did Deon Thompson. Ed Davis got no touches, and North Carolina decided to stop guarding the three-point line.
And while Vasquez was having a record-setting day and Cliff Tucker was bombing away from three, Roy Williams just sat back and watched it all unfold. I know it's commonplace for Roy to let his team play through the tough stretches and not call timeouts, but about 5 times late in the that second half, you could see the game was slipping away unless UNC woke up. Yet Roy refused to call a timeout, calm down his troops and come away with the win. Instead, North Carolina fell apart, and Maryland took it to OT. And again, in OT, Lawson was the only one even trying.
But that jerk-face Vasquez just wanted it more. Maryland wanted it more. And Greivis put forth an incredible performance. 35 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Damn. Couldn't have happened to a bigger arrogant asshole. What a horrible day this was shaping up to be.
But oh, the losses didn't end there. As I flipped over to watch the final minutes of the Sixers-Heat game, I noticed that Andre Miller was going off … but he's no Dwyane Wade. Wade was the best player on the court, and he willed Miami to a 97-91 win. Three games, three losses. What a horrible Saturday.
Luckily, Temple and Villanova won yesterday to salvage something of the weekend, but man, Saturday sure did suck.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: MARTY, "DON'T EVER COME OUT OF YOUR NET EVER AGAIN TO TRY AND PLAY THE PUCK! YOU ARE BY FAR THE WORST GOALTENDER IN HOCKEY AT STICKHANDLING, AND YOUR DECISION-MAKING IS ATROCIOUS. HOW MANY FUCKING TIMES DO YOU NEED TO TURN THE PUCK OVER TO REALIZE, MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST LET YOUR DEFENSEMEN DO THE PUCKHANDLING?!? FUCK!"
Yeah, so, you know, please just stay in the net no matter what Marty. That was just a devastating way to end the game. After the Flyers fell down 3-1 to a desperate Pittsbrgh team, Mike Richards decided enough was enough and scored yet another shorthanded goal—his 3rd in three games—to bring the Flyers back within one, using the old Peter Forsberg backhanded five-hole shootout move.
Seriously, Richards' shorthanded play is just getting ridiculous at this point. Anyway, his goal sparked the Flyers, who tied the game on a goal by Braydon Coburn. Then they gave the lead right back to the Penguins and the comeback looked to be for naught.
Except, you know, the Flyers' top line of Richards, Gagne and Knuble continued its torrid stretch, combining on a tic-tac-toe goal that Knuble calmly deposited to tie it again. After falling behind by two, battling back, surrendering another goal and then tying it again, the game was incredibly entertaining. For the NHL's sake, it's a shame this game wasn't nationally televised, because it really was awesome: physical, high-scoring, intense, fights, and a true sense of hatred between the squads.
And then Marty happened. Unbelievable. And after battling back not once but twice in the third period, they Flyers lost because Marty is a fucking moron. Really, he had no reason to even come out, although he got the puck. Dupuis had a step on the defense, but he wasn't coming on a clear breakaway. He had pressure on him, and he wouldn't have had the easiest time getting a good shot off. Oh, and Marty absolutely blows at playing the puck, so there's that.
What an awful way to lose.
And the day didn't get any better. For you see, I then watched North Carolina go the way of the Mets and choke away an easy victory. Yes, I said a game at Maryland should have been an easy victory, and I mean it. The Terps suck. North Carolina has national title hopes. The Heels should be able to beat this Maryland team anywhere any time. But on Saturday they didn't. In fact, they allowed Greivis Vasquez to score the first 16 points for Maryland and surrendered a triple-double to that herpes-faced douche.
I detest that man so very much. And I hated that game. Vasquez kept Maryland close early on, but UNC took a 9-point lead into half and then built it up to 16 early in the second. Easy win, right?
No, it wasn't. You wanna know why? Because no one in a Tar Heels jersey, with the exception of Ty Lawson, seemed to give two shits down the stretch. Well, not exactly. Danny Green was playing pretty damn well too, but he got in foul trouble and things went to shit for UNC when he took a seat on the bench.
In all honesty, everyone else on North Carolina sucked. Tyler Hansbrough kept getting blocked and traveling, only he wasn't getting to the foul line or getting away with his feet-shuffling. Wayne Ellington disappeared per usual, as did Deon Thompson. Ed Davis got no touches, and North Carolina decided to stop guarding the three-point line.
And while Vasquez was having a record-setting day and Cliff Tucker was bombing away from three, Roy Williams just sat back and watched it all unfold. I know it's commonplace for Roy to let his team play through the tough stretches and not call timeouts, but about 5 times late in the that second half, you could see the game was slipping away unless UNC woke up. Yet Roy refused to call a timeout, calm down his troops and come away with the win. Instead, North Carolina fell apart, and Maryland took it to OT. And again, in OT, Lawson was the only one even trying.
But that jerk-face Vasquez just wanted it more. Maryland wanted it more. And Greivis put forth an incredible performance. 35 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Damn. Couldn't have happened to a bigger arrogant asshole. What a horrible day this was shaping up to be.
But oh, the losses didn't end there. As I flipped over to watch the final minutes of the Sixers-Heat game, I noticed that Andre Miller was going off … but he's no Dwyane Wade. Wade was the best player on the court, and he willed Miami to a 97-91 win. Three games, three losses. What a horrible Saturday.
Luckily, Temple and Villanova won yesterday to salvage something of the weekend, but man, Saturday sure did suck.
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