Apr 30 2009
- If you're frustrated by the week long "Maybe he'll play or maybe he'll go on the DL" saga that is Josh Hamilton, you're not alone. Hamilton is has a sore rib cage and is taking an anti-inflammatory medication and hoping that he can avoid a trip to the DL. According to the Dallas Morning News, he was able to lift weights and do light workouts. We probably won't know for sure what's going to happen till after the weekend, so your star slugger's status will be up in the air till then.
- Here's a bit of news that will surprise no one. Travis Hafner is headed to the DL for the 36,789th time in his career. He was reported having some soreness in his right shoulder and visited Dr James Andrews. That's never a good sign. For now, he's on the 15 day DL, but don't be surprised if its more.
- Hang onto your "Hutson Street wins the closer role" ticket. The former A's closer whom was traded to the Rockies this past off season appears to be very close to unseating Manny Corpas for that role. Both have ERA's over 6.00, but Street has settled down after a rocky start (no pun intended) and is pitching much better right now. I have a feeling this may go back and forth all season though.
- While on the subject of closers, the man who has more saves than any closer in the NL over the past two years, Jose Valverde, is headed to the DL with a strained right calf. He has as many saves as he has blown saves this season (2) in just 8 appearances.
- First a line drive drills him in his pitching shoulder. Then he leaves the game with a injured ankle fielding a bunt. Cole Hamels is having a very rough start to his 2009 season and I'm not even talking about his 7.27 ERA either. He'll throw a bullpen session tomorrow and if everything's good, he'll be back on the mound Monday and probably get hit by a broken bat.
Apr 29 2009
Buc Fever acquires Carlos Beltran:
Needing offense I think Buc Fever made a nice trade in acquiring Carlos Beltran. Beltran has been knocking the cover off the ball this season and is looking like the player the Mets expected to get when they signed him to a big deal 4 years ago. To get something you have to give something. He parted with Cole Hamels, who was actually the second best pitcher on his team behind Tim Lincecum, and Shane Victorino. Trading something you have an excess of for something big that you need is how you win at this game.
arepooandasstaken2 acquires Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino; Drops Andre Ethier:
This team was really hurting for a star pitcher and acquiring Cole Hamels will take care of that. Since this team acquired two players for one, it was required to drop a player to make the trade complete and the dropped player was the hot hitting Andre Ethier. Without Beltran and Ethier, the offense of this team has taken more of a downgrade than maybe expected. Shane Victorino swung a very hot bat this past weekend but up until then only had 5 RBI in 14 games. He's a great source of runs and has a sweet spot in the lineup between Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, but I don't think around 60 RBI and 100 runs will replace Ethier. This team still has Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, Nick Markakis, Lance Berkman and Justin Morneau, but I think the value of this offense went down more than the rise in value of the pitching staff.
Trade Analysis:
I think this trade will ultimately favor Buc Fever. I think arepooandasstaken2 lost too much offense in exchange for one pitcher. While it did address a need, it cost them a lot and I don't know if making big roster moves is a good idea when you're at the top or near the top of the standings. Buc Fever on the other hand still has a pretty good pitching staff and once everyone gets healthy will have a pretty solid offense as well.
What do you guys think? Who came out on top?
Apr 28 2009
- On Saturday against the Yankees, Red Sox 3B Mike Lowell went 2-5 with a homerun and 6 RBI. Going into last night's game against the Indians, Lowell had a .324 BA, 4 HR and 22 RBI good for first in the AL. Now who was it that said Lowell would make a great replacement for A-Rod during the first month? I can't remember.
(Photo by Getty Images)
- The Braves all star catcher, Brian one-man McCann will be out for the next couple weeks with a left eye infection that has led to blurriness. A lot of people passed on Joe Mauer and selected McCann because Mauer's "injury prone". McCann will be out for the next couple weeks while Mauer will be returning this week. Never draft or not draft a player based on history of injuries.
- Well I should have known that calling him "reliable and consistent" would land him on the DL. D-Backs ace Brandon Webb went from getting off to a rocky start to driving off a cliff in a fiery crash start. First he was on the DL for right shoulder bursitis and now they're saying its a strained teres major muscle behind his right shoulder. The injury will have him resting his arm for the next three weeks and then he'll begin throwing and building strength in his arm for the next three weeks after that. Most fantasy teams rely on Webb to be their ace for their staff, so this is probably a tough pill to swallow especially if you're in a points or roto league.
- Cincinnati outfielder, Jay Bruce, whose BA fell as low as .167 (mostly due to a hand injury) has rebounded up to .286 and his power numbers are climbing as well. Bruce is batting .350 against right handed pitchers this season, so if you can swing it, he'd be a nice player to platoon with someone else on your team and just have him in against righties.
- Pablo Sandoval has finally started to come around for the SF Giants. On Sunday, he hit his first homerun of the season and knocked in 3 runs. He's looking very good in the three spot and he's not a bad guy to stick in your catcher's spot.
- Speaking of putting non-catchers in the C spot, Brandon Inge is off to a tremendous start for the Detroit Tigers. He has 7 homers, 17 RBI and 15 runs in his first 18 games. He's attributing his success to a new batting stance. So far, so good, but as of right now he's still a sell high candidate in my book.
- The Jered Weaver we all know and love from 2006 is back and hopefully for his owners its not just a guest appearance. After watching his ERA balloon in the past two seasons, he's started off strong this year with a 2.45 ERA and a 21:6 strikeout to walk ratio. He has good value from your third pitcher spot on down.
- My number one draft pick in pretty much all of my fantasy leagues this year, Josh Hamilton, is currently battling bruised ribs and was only able to pinch hit on Sunday. I wouldn't worry too much at this point although its frustrating to see him out of the lineup just when he looked as though he was getting his stroke back.
Apr 27 2009
Pittsburgh Penguins at Los Angeles Kings
Welcome to Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals! The Penguins are just one win away from becoming the first team since 1983 to win three consecutive Stanley Cups. To do it, they'll need to defeat Wayne Gretzky and the LA Kings one more time. The Pens appeared to have regained their scoring touch in Game 5 putting five pucks past goaltender Hrudey who has been spectacular since Game 3. Both he and Tom Barrasso, combined, faced 107 shots in the last game and we're looking forward to seeing another shootout here at the Great Western Forum.
Game 6 at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles:
Picking up right where Game 5 left off, the game starts off to a fast pace. Ten seconds into the game Kurri dishes to Robitaille who rips one by Barrasso on the first shot of the game to give the Kings a quick 1-0 lead. They've been a tough team to beat when they score first in this series. Less than a minute later, Jim Paek slaps one from just inside the blueline that finds its way through a screen and into the goal to tie it up 1-1! Hrudey just throws up his arms as he never saw it. Shortly, after the Pittsburgh goal, Ulf Samuelsson drives Jimmy Carson into the boards hard and gets called for boarding. The Kings have been getting very favorable calls in this building and it looks as though that trend will continue. Pittsburgh kills off the penalty without the Kings really getting a quality scoring chance. A few minutes later Ron Francis is called for hooking. On this powerplay, Gretzky puts on a show and sets up every member of the Kings powerplay with a good scoring opportunity, but Barrasso is there to make the save and keep the game tied. Shortly after the penalty expires, Corey Millen throws a backhander to the net from the slot and it beats Barrasso for the goal. The Kings are back on top 2-1. Just before the end of the period Shawn McEachern finds a streaking Ron Francis on the left wing. Francis takes the pass in stride, winds up and blows it by Hrudey and we're all knotted up again, 2-2.
Using the momentum from the end of the first period, the Penguins come out quick and seven seconds in Jagr hooks up with Lemieux and he (finally) scores to give the Penguins a 3-2 lead! However, just like the Penguins did the first period, the Kings respond quickly. Thirty three seconds after the Lemieux goal, Rob Blake unloads a cannon from just inside the blueline that beats Barrasso to tie the game, 3-3. Later on in the period, Kevin Stevens strips the puck off Marty McSorely and goes the other way with a potential breakaway, but McSorely hooks him and hauls him down. The referee points to center ice and we're going to have a penalty shot! A big moment here for both teams. Stevens circles around the puck before taking it and moving in on Hrudey. Stevens flies down the slot and fires one for the top corner stick side, but doesn't get it high enough and Hrudey makes the big save, knocking it aside with his blocker! The fans are on their feet as the Kings now have the momentum. A few minutes later, the Penguins fourth line gets some sustained pressure in the LA zone. Mike Stapleton throws it back to the point and Larry Murphy just blasts it to the goal. It deflects off Sydors' skate and through Hrudey's legs for the goal! The Pens are back on top, 4-3. With just under 3 minutes left in the period, Pittsburgh catches the Kings in a line change. Stevens throws a bomb pass to Lemieux. Blake almost catches up to him, but Lemieux shrugs him off moves in on Hrudey, he makes a little move and he scores! The Penguins take a 2 goal advantage into the third period.
Knowing that its do or die time, the Kings put out legendary right winger Dave Taylor on the second line to replace the struggling Tomas Sandstrom. Two minutes into the period it pays off and he shoots one that beats Barrasso on the glove side and the Kings are back in it, 5-4! The Kings start to pressure the Penguins hard, but Pittsburgh is doing a great job of blocking shots, just throwing their bodies on the ice. Pittsburgh is also doing a great job of just keeping the puck in the LA zone and just throwing pucks at Hrudey. With 5 minutes left in the period, the Kings are simply having trouble getting into the zone as they keep dumping it into the zone and Barrasso flings it back out. McSorely attempts to dump it, but its blocked by Kevin Stevens and he takes the puck the other way. McSorely clotheslines Stevens and he's called for roughing with just 3:41 left to play. Stevens smiles and winks at McSorely as he heads to the box to a chorus of boos from the King faithful. One minutes into the powerplay, Rick Tocchet takes a blast from the left circle, Hrudey makes a kick save, but it shoots right out to McEachern and he buries it for the 6-4 lead and potentially the Cup! The Kings fail to sustain and pressure in the final minutes and the Penguins have won their third straight Stanley Cup!!
Stars of the Game:
1. Shawn McEachern (1 goal, 2 assists, +1)
2. Mario Lemieux (2 goals, 4 shots)
3. Larry Murphy (1 goal, 1 assist, +1)
Other notables:
Tom Barrasso (34 saves)
Kelly Hrudey (40 saves)
Wayne Gretzky (0 points, 1 shot)
Jari Kurri (0 points, 2 shots)
Luc Robitaille (1 goal, 3 shots)
Penguins 6 - Kings 4 Pittsburgh win the series 4-2
Apr 26 2009
Los Angeles Kings at Pittsburgh Penguins
Welcome to the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh for Game 5 of the 93 Finals between the Penguins and the Kings. Last time we saw the Penguins in this building the Penguins looked dominating and were in control of the series, but after a couple of tough games out west we back in the Burgh to start a best of three now. The Kings looked much better in LA than they did here in Pittsburgh, but the big turnaround can be attributed to the strong play of Kings goaltender Kelly Hrudey. He has now stopped 82 of the last 85 shots he faced in this series and the Penguins are beginning to show a little frustration. After scoring 4 goals in the first two goals of the series, Mario has only scored one in the last two. If the Penguins are going to win this series, they need to have 66 making a bigger contribution.
Game 5 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh:
The game starts off with a thunderous hit by Stevens on Blake in the first 30 seconds. Neither team appears interested in playing defense today as the tempo and the hitting is high. Barrasso makes a tough left pad save on a blast from Kurri. At the other end, McEachern backhands a pass to Tocchet, who one times it past Hrudey for the 1-0 lead! The back and forth play continues with the Kings getting a little bit of the better play. The Gretzky line cycles the puck down low and Mike Ramsey holds onto Gretzky after faking Ramsey out of his skates. The Pittsburgh defenseman is called for holding the Kings go on the power play. They start out with their second power play unit and can't get setup in the zone. With 30 seconds left on the man advantage Alexei Zhitnik takes a blast from the point, Barrasso makes the save, but Robitaille buries the rebound and the Kings have tied it up 1-1. The Penguins come at Hrudey hard trying to get back the lead, but he's up to the task. Stevens and Jagr just keep feeding Lemieux who is playing possessed right now. Hrudey makes several tough saves as the period ends with the Kings having a slight edge in the shots, 23-20.
In the second period, the pace keeps up with the back and forth action. Gretzky sets up Robitaille looking for his second goal of the game, but he blasts it just wide. Half way into the period, Marty Straka blocks a shot from Blake and goes the other way with Joe Mullen. Straka dishes to Mullen, then back to Straka who taps it back to Mullen and he slides it under Hrudey for the 2-1 lead! Pittsburgh appears to be getting the better of the play right now. Dave Taylor takes a cross checking penalty and the fans erupt and mock the referees for finally calling a penalty on the Kings. Hrudey though, keeps his team in it robbing Jagr from the right circle. Toward the end of the power play, Ron Francis dishes a perfect pass to Shawn McEachern who roofs one over the sliding Hrudey for the powerplay goal and the 3-1 lead. With the game starting to slip away the Kings press hard for a quick goal. Sandstrom takes a blast, its kicked away by Barrasso, but Sydor is there for the rebound and he scores cutting it to 3-2. The back and forth continues with Lemieux firing on all cylinders trying to breakthrough Hrudey. Mario fires, Hrudey knocks it away with the blocker, Lemieux gets his own rebound and Hrudey makes another incredible save, but in doing so takes himself out of position. A diving Stevens beats McSorely to the puck and scores to restore the Penguins 2 goal lead!
At the start of the third period, Tony Granto gets called for high sticking and the Pens go back on the powerplay with a chance to put this away. Tocchet drives to the net and tries to stuff one into the net, but its stopped, there's a scramble for the lose puck with defensemen and forwards hacking away. McEachern takes a stab into the pile and knocks the puck loose and into the net. The Penguins take a 5-2 lead! Hrudey goes after the referee claiming that the puck wasn't visible and the play should have been blown dead. The Pens continue the offensive onslaught, but despite being flustered Hrudey keeps the puck out. Midway through the period, Robitaille steals the puck from Ulf Samuelsson walks in on Barrasso and scores cutting it to 5-3 now. The Kings just won't go away. They're desperate to tie this game up, but Barrasso doesn't crack as the Penguins take a 3-2 series lead and are one win away from their third straight championship.
Stars of the Game:
1. Shawn McEachern (2 PPG goals, 1 assist)
2. Rick Tocchet (1 goal, 2 assists)
3. Tom Barrasso (47 saves)
Other notables:
Mario Lemieux (1 assist, 9 shots, +1)
Wayne Gretzky (0 points, 4 shots, 0)
Kelly Hrudey (52 saves)
Penguins 5 - Kings 3 Pittsburgh leads the series 3-2
Apr 25 2009
Pittsburgh Penguins at Los Angeles Kings
Welcome to Game 4 of the 93 Stanley Cup Finals! The Penguins dominated at home and captured a quick 2-0 series lead. But the Kings came back strong in front of their home crowd in Game 3 and cut it down to 2-1. The Pens looked very frustrated and took some bad penalties that resulted in LA goals. This is a HUGE game in the series for both teams. If the Kings win, they send it back to Pittsburgh and make it a best of three. If the Penguins win, they'll head home with a chance to win their third consecutive Stanley Cup.
Game 3 at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles:
The game starts off very physical. McSorely and Tocchet get into several shoving matches. Barrasso and Hrudey match each other save for save as the speed of the game picks up and both teams are getting good scoring chances at both ends. Luc Robitaille takes a high sticking penalty and the Pens go on the powerplay. On the powerplay, Lemieux is robbed with the right glove and Stevens is stuffed on the doorstep as Hrudey looks strong in this one too.
To start the second period, the Penguins come out on fire. Just bombarding Hrudey with shots. A couple hit the post, but Kings goaltender is able to keep them off the board. With the puck deep in the Pens zone, Robitaille throws a wrister to the net that finds its way through and into the goal. The Kings have a 1-0 lead. The Kings and their fans are pumped. On the next shift, they come out hitting hard looking for another, but Corey Millen goes a little too far and takes a charging penalty. On the ensuing powerplay, Jagr passes back to Murphy who tees up a blast, but its blocked by a sliding Rob Blake. The puck shoots out into the neutral zone and Pat Conacher out hustles the Penguin defenders and gets free for a break away. He moves in on Barrasso and fires one up high and scores the shorthanded goal! Its now 2-0 Kings. With the way Hrudey is playing that could do it. As the period ends the Kings have a 2-0 lead despite being outshot in the period, 22 to 4.
In the third period, Lemieux begins to show a little frustration as he's stopped again by Hrudey. Lemieux breaks his stick on the ice and is given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. He shakes he head in disgust and goes to the box. The Kings fail to score, but right after the powerplay expired Dave Tippett breaks free on a great head man pass from Joe Mullen. He moves in a Hrudey and slides it through his legs on the backhand and the Penguins cut the lead to 2-1, with nine minutes left in the period. Grant Jennings takes a cross checking penalty and the Kings look to regain their two goal lead. Gretzky sets up Kurri for a scoring chance, but Kurri's shot goes wide. Rob Blake takes several blasts from the point with one striking the post. The Pens finally kill off the penalty and switch right back to offense. Marty Straka and Dave Tippett move in on a 2-1 odd man break shortly after the penalty expires. Straka blasts it, its stopped by Hrudey, but Tippett is there for the rebound and he scores! The Penguins have tied up 2-2! The Great Western Forum is quiet now and the Penguins have the momentum. They begin to cycle down low and the Kings are struggling to clear with just under 3 minutes left to play. McSorely tries to clear the puck, but driven into the boards hard and the referee calls roughing on Stevens. Bowman and the Penguins can't believe it. The Kings get a golden chance to win it in the final minutes of regulation. The Kings keep feeding Blake at the point and he's blasting the puck towards the goal with Kurri and Robitaille looking for loose pucks. Barrasso comes up with a few tough saves and the Penguins kill the penalty and dodge another bullet. However, 19 seconds after the Stevens penalty expires, Mike Ramsey is called for holding with just 38 seconds left in the game. We then head to overtime with the game tied 2-2 and the Kings on the powerplay.
In OT, the Kings don't waste anytime setting up on the powerplay. Gretzky takes the puck, moves around behind the net. He slides off to the left wing and finds Rob Blake cutting down on the right wing in the backdoor. Blake one times it and blasts it into the net for the game winner! Kings win it, 3-2! As the Penguins leave the ice, Mario has words with the referee as does Coach Bowman.
Stars of the Game:
1. Kelly Hrudey (47 saves)
2. Rob Blake (GW goal, 1 assist)
3. Dave Tippett (2 goals)
Other notables:
Tom Barrasso (36 saves)
Mario Lemieux (0 points, 5 shots)
Wayne Gretzky (1 assist, 2 shots, +1)
Penguins 2 - Kings 3 (OT) Series tied 2-2
Apr 24 2009
Pittsburgh Penguins at Los Angeles Kings
Welcome to Game 3 of the 93 Stanley Cup Finals! The Penguins are currently sitting pretty with a commanding 2-0 lead in the series and are looking to take a strangle hold today in Los Angeles. For the Kings, things can only get better. They were out played, out shot and out scored in the two games in Pittsburgh and are hoping that moving this series out west will get them back on track.
Game 3 at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles:
With the home crowd behind them, the Kings look good early on and Barrasso makes some of his toughest saves of the series, but manages to keep the Kings off the board. Gretzky floats a perfect pass over to Kurri, who fakes a shot and pass over to Robitaille. Barrasso is down and out, but Robitaille hits the crossbar and the Penguins clear the puck. The Kings passing looks much better today than it did in the first two games. Rob Blake tees one up from the point and blasts it through a screen to give the Kings the 1-0 lead. The Stevens / McSorely feud picks up now. They trade shoves and words, but no penalties. McSorely manages to get under Stevens' skin though and Stevens cross checks McSorely hard to the ice and receives a penalty. On the ensuing power play, McSorely fires one from the point and scores! 2-0 Kings and Stevens just shakes his head in disgust as he leaves the box.
In the second period, the Kings continue to outwork the Penguins and Pat Conacher scores to make it a 3-0 hockey game. Meanwhile, in the Kings defensive end, Hrudey is coming up big stopping Stevens on a break away and robbing Tocchet with his right pad on a 2-1. With 6:30 remaining in the period, Tomas Sandstrom unloads a cannon blast from the top of the right circle that gets by Barrasso for the 4-0 lead. The Kings are in command of this game and the Penguins appear to be very frustrated at this point. Tony Granto gets away with a high stick and it cuts Troy Loney's lip. Nothing is called and Loney gets in the face of the referee. Apparently he goes a little too far and gets an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. On the powerplay the Kings are ripping shots left and right and the Pens are struggling to clear the puck. The penalty expires, but Pittsburgh can't get their tired players off the ice. Daryl Sydor wrists one from the point and it slides under Barasso's left pad for a 5-0 lead!
At the start of the third period, Coach Bowman makes a goaltending change and puts in Ken Wregget. The Penguins have their best period of the game and unload a barrage of shots at Hrudey but he's up to the task. In the final minute, the crowd is on their feet in hopes of getting the shutout, but with 40 seconds left Mario wrists one that beats Hrudey and spoils the shutout.
Stars of the Game:
1. Kelly Hrudey (35 saves)
2. Marty McSorley (1 goal, 1 assist)
3. Rob Blake (1 goal, 1 assist)
Other notables:
Tom Barrasso (15 saves on 23 shots)
Ken Wregget (13 saves on 13 shots)
Mario Lemieux (1 goal, 3 shots)
Wayne Gretzky (0 points, 1 shot, +1)
Jari Kurri (0 points, 5 shots, +1)
Luc Robitaille (0 points, 5 shots, +1)
Penguins 1 - Kings 5 Pittsburgh leads the series 2-1
Apr 23 2009
Los Angeles Kings at Pittsburgh Penguins
Welcome to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the LA Kings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Kings are looking to rebound after getting decimated in this building yesterday, 7-1. King goaltender Kelly Hrudey didn't look comfortable at all, the offense couldn't get anything going, Gretzky was held without a single shot and the Pens top line just dominated from start to finish. Coach Melrose double shifted the Gretzky line in the third period, he may start off this game doing the same just to get something going for his team because they looked very poor offensively yesterday. As for the Penguins, they just need to keep doing what they're doing. The Lemieux line was unstoppable and Penguin forecheck really kept the Kings pinned down in their own end for most of the game.
Game 2 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh:
The Kings come out looking much sharper today. Melrose goes with his third line early on to generate some energy with a couple hard hits and it pays off. Charlie Huddy fires one from the point, its stopped by Barrasso, but Pat Conacher is right there to put home the rebound and give the Kings the early 1-0 lead. A much needed goal to rebuild the confidence of the Kings. The Pens counter with their own energy line. Two minutes after the LA goal, Mike Needham backhands one to the net and it trickles through Hrudey and into the net, tying it 1-1. The Kings confidence has been deflated and the Pens regain their momentum from Game 1. Pittsburgh begins to dominate a little when Tony Granto gets called for holding. Eighteen seconds into the powerplay, Mario Lemieux fires a laser from the left circle to put the Pens on top, 2-1. With the crowd still buzzing the Pens break in on Hrudey for a 2-1 break. Mario fakes to Jagr and buries another one making it 3-1. Sensing that this may start to look like a repeat of Game 1, the Kings answer less than two minutes later. Mike Donnelly finds a loose puck in the Pittsburgh crease and he backhands it into the goal to cut the lead to 3-2.
The second period starts off slow, but a Darryl Sydor boarding penalty puts Pittsburgh back on the power play and they waste little time cashing in. Jagr finds Lemieux right on the doorstep for the tap in and the Pens restore their two goal lead, 4-2. This goal sets the tone for the period as Hrudey is bombarded with shots and the Kings are outshot, 20-6 in the period. However, Hrudey stands tall and doesn't allow any to get past him, keeping the Kings in the game as we head to the third period.
The onslaught of shots continue in the third period with the Penguins get ever so close to blowing it wide open. Ron Francis finds Shawn McEachern cutting through the slot and he slips it through Hrudey's legs for the 5-2 lead. With less than 5 minutes to play, Robert Lang takes advantage of a rare breakdown in the Penguins defense and scores, making it 5-3. With just over three minutes to play, Marty McSorely two hand slashes Kevin Stevens in the right ankle. Stevens turns around and decks him knocking McSorely to the ice. Stevens is the only one called for roughing and as he hobbles to the penalty box with the fans giving a deafening boo. As time expires, McSorely and Rick Tocchet exchange words. McSorely gives Tocchet a face wash and drops the gloves. The refs break it up as the two are led back to their respective locker rooms.
Stars of the Game:
1. Mario Lemieux (3 goals)
2. Kevin Stevens (3 assists)
3. Pat Conacher (1 goal, 1 assist)
Other notables:
Tom Barrasso (20 saves)
Kelly Hrudey (41 saves)
Wayne Gretzky (0 points, 0 shots, -1)
Luc Robitaille (0 points, 0 shots, -1)
Jari Kurri (0 points, 0 shots, -1)
Penguins 5 - Kings 3 Pittsburgh leads the series 2-0
Apr 22 2009
Los Angeles Kings at Pittsburgh Penguins
It's a hockey night in Pittsburgh! Welcome to the 1993 Stanley Cup finals between the Los Angeles Kings and your Pittsburgh Penguins. It's the Stanley Cup Finals that everyone has been dreaming about; Wayne Gretzky versus Mario Lemieux. Its been an incredible season for number 66. This past January, Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and his career and life were in jeopardy as he was forced to endure radiation and chemotherapy to get better. He missed the next two months, but came back strong, winning the Art Ross Trophy and leading the Penguins to their best record in franchise history as well as capturing the Presidents' Trophy. Now he looks to wrap up his dream season with a third consecutive championship, but to do it, he'll need to beat the "The Great One" Wayne Gretzky.
The Kings entered the post season just 4 games over .500, mostly due to the injured herniated disc in the back of captain Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky came back strong and led the Kings into playoffs and was instrumental in his teams' success in coming back from a 3-2 deficit in the Campbell Conference Finals against the Maple Leafs.
Key to victory for the Kings: Keep the magic going. No one expected the Kings to go this far and they just need to keep it going. Gretzky has been a monster in these playoffs so far and he'll need to continue if the Kings are to have any chance at all.
Key to victory for the Penguins: Don't take this matchup lightly. The Kings have been underdogs throughout the playoffs and are huge underdogs again in this one. In these playoffs, the Pens struggled mightily against the underdog NY Islanders and nearly lost in 7 games. Hopefully they've learned their lesson from that. This Kings team is a reconstruction of that old Oilers dynasty from the 80's and they know how to win.
Game 1 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh:
The Penguins come out of the gate fast and pepper goaltender Hrudey in the early going. He stands tall though and keeps the Pens off the board. Corey Millen takes a dumb penalty after he punches Joe Mullen in front of the Kings goal after the whistle. The Pens go on the power play and cash in quickly. Seven seconds into the power play bangs home a Mario Lemieux rebound to put the Pens up 1-0. Pittsburgh continues to pour on the pressure. Jaromir Jagr takes a perfect pass from Lemieux and rifles it past Hrudey for the 2-0 lead. The Kings are out shot 20-8 in the first period and struggle just to get back to the locker room.
In the second period, the play is a little more even with Barrasso makes a few nice saves. The Gretzky, Kurri, Robitaille line is struggling to get any offense going. Catching the Kings on a line change, Mike Ramsey finds Joe Mullen streaking up ice for a breakaway. Mullen fakes forehand before burying it on his backhand to give the Penguins a 3-0 lead. The crowd is going crazy! The top line for the Penguins of Lemieux, Jagr, Stevens continues its domination. They work a quick tic-tac-toe that's finished with Stevens blasting one home for the 4-0 lead. Forty one seconds later Shawn McEachern wrists one to the net, Hrudey misplays it and it goes into the net for the 5-0 lead! Coach Barry Melrose has seen enough and he pulls Hrudey in favor of Robb Stauber. This gives the Kings a spark. Rob Blake blasts one from the point that nips the crossbar and into the net to put them on the board. Before the period ends though, Kevin Stevens knocks in a pass from Jagr, giving him the HAT TRICK and the Penguins a 6-1 lead.
In the third period, Melrose tries to get something going for his team and double shifts his top line, but the Kings are simply throwing the puck to the net and unable to get any real good scoring chances. With Melrose double shifting his top line, they were not able to get back on defense and Jagr and Lemieux break the other way for a two on one. Jagr fires a shot, its stopped by Stauber, but Lemieux picks up the rebound and scores, 7-1! As time expires, Marty McSorely tries to get into it with Stevens, but the two are broken up by the officials.
Stars of the Game:
1. Kevin Stevens (3 goals and 1 assist)
2. Jaromir Jagr (1 goal GW, 4 assists)
3. Mario Lemieux (1 goal, 4 assists)
Other notables:
Tom Barrasso (31 saves)
Wayne Gretzky (0 points, 0 shots, -2)
Penguins 7 - Kings 1 Pittsburgh leads the series 1-0
Apr 20 2009
- Okay, so Geovany Soto hasn't gotten off to the best start ever, but that's no reason to panic in the first month of the season. In one of my leagues Soto was flat out dropped in favor of Yadier Molina. That's a bit extreme at this stage in the season, but unfortunately, I can't say it's the first time I've seen people drop stars in the first month of the season. April is far too early to panic about anyone.
(Photo by AP)
- Another star getting off to a rough start is D-Backs ace Brandon Webb. He gets roughed up in his first outing then hits the DL with a shoulder injury. The good news is that he's scheduled to come off the DL this Wednesday and could be starting as soon as this weekend, but its more likely that he'll pitch early next week.
- One star that won't be bouncing back anytime soon is Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero. It was reported on Friday that he was out indefinitely and that "indefinitely" has turned into 4-6 weeks. Bad news for a guy that's seen declining power numbers in the past few seasons. This puts his owners in a tough spot. Injured players are tough to unload and Vlad hasn't exactly been knocking the cover off the ball this season either. You're best bet is to hang onto him, put him on your DL and hope he comes back with a strong second half.
- Getting off the injury news now, Erik Bedard showed everyone on Saturday why he is a must own in all leagues this year. He looked impressive in his first two starts against the Twins and A's, but they're not exactly known for their offense. However, he had an equally impressive game against the Detroit Tigers lineup (6 IP, 1 ER, 8 K's, 2 BB), proving that he is ready to go this year and should be considered a 2nd or 3rd pitcher on most teams.
- According to the Denver Post, Twins catcher Joe Mauer should be back in the lineup in less than two weeks. Good news for those of you that played your cards right and drafted him late.
- Josh Hamilton, who was my number one pick in countless drafts, is really struggling at the plate right now. He's struck out 10 times in his last 16 at bats. There's no reason to believe he won't turn it around though. Hamilton is one of the best hitters in the game and it'll take a lot more than a bad stretch of games to make me second guess myself.
- The Big Unit Randy Johnson flashed some brilliance yesterday taking a no hitter into the 7th inning. He finished giving up just one hit and no earned runs to go along with his 7 K's. He's not what you he used to be, but he'll still give you big strikeout numbers every night and makes a strong 4th or 5th pitcher on any team.
- Alex Gordon and his .095 BA will have to wait until August to "save the Royals" as he is out for the next 3-4 months with a cartilage tear in his right hip. It's a big blow to his career, but not to anyone's fantasy team. Gordon can easily be replaced. Crumple up a piece of paper, throw it out the window and whoever it hits will be better or at the very least be the same as Gordon.
More Posts
Next page »