SB Nation User Blog: javaball

Scutaro Teaching Blanton and the Phillies How to Play the Game

javaball — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:08:39 -0000

Scutaro Teaching Blanton and the Phillies How to Play the Game

Scutaro is not an All-Star, or a World Series champion, but he sure knows how to play the game of baseball.

Congratulations, Randy Johnson!

javaball — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:19:48 -0000

Congratulations on the 300th WIN! Congratulations for battling back from back surgery! Congratulations for pursuing your career on your own terms and never giving up!

What an incredible career! What an indomitable spirit!

Because of Randy Johnson, I became an A's fan. I remember back in 2006, on Opening Day, Randy Johnson and the Yankees routed the A's 15-2, but the A's bounced right back and won the series 2-1. They showed a lot of heart in that series, and I've been rooting for the A's ever since.

The A's beat Johnson later that year. In fact, they did it twice in one week, and both times Dan Haren was the starting pitcher for the A's. Johnson's second loss was perhaps one of the lowest points of his career. It was fun to watch for an A's fan, but also painful to see someone, who once had been so dominant, struggling so badly on the mound, giving up HR after HR and BB after BB. The commentators on YES were asking, "What's wrong with Randy Johnson?"

It was later discovered that Johnson had a herniated disc in his back. The Yankees traded him to the Dbacks in 2007 and he underwent back surgery that year. At age 44, having already had a brilliant Hall of Fame career, he could have retired. But he would not give in. He wanted to end his career on his own terms. With fire in his eyes, he kept on pitching and kept on competing.

Thank you, Randy Johnson, for being an inspiration!

Randy Johnson's Perfect Game

Braves Released Glavine, Will Hudson be Next?

javaball — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:04:06 -0000

Braves Released Glavine, Will Hudson be Next?

The way the Altanta Braves unceremoniously "released" their HOF pitchers, Glavine and Smoltz, after their injuries, one has to wonder how they'll treat Hudson if he doesn't recover well from Tommy Jones.

Stanley Cup Finals Observations II

javaball — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:09:55 -0000

The Star Power

Red Wings' coach Babcock has been matching up Zetterberg and Lidstrom against Penguins' Crosby. The problem is, although the Red Wings have shut down Crosby so far, they haven't been able to keep Malkin off the score sheet in all 3 games. Malkin had 3 assists in Game 3, which the Penguins won 4-2. Are there nobody else on the Red Wings team who Babcock can trust to shutdown Malkin? Or will he try matching up Z and Lidstrom against Crosby and Malkin respectively?

The Fatigue Factor

For the second time in 3 games, Lidstrom logged the longest TOI on both teams. In Game 3, Lidstrom's TOI was 26:40 and Zetterberg 24:19, longer than all the other players. Babcock also relies on Lidstrom for the PK. Penguins' coach Bylsma commented after their Game 3 win, to the effect that, Lidstrom and Z were so tired that they were less effective than they would normally be.

Lidstrom did seem a bit off in Game 3. He had a rare giveaway near his own net that almost caused them. He wasn't as quick to the puck as he usually is and was visibly tired late in the 3rd period. In fact, the entire Red Wings team looked exhausted in the 3rd after controlling the play in the 2nd.

The fatigue factor is a cause for concern for the Red Wings. They have already been through two tough, physical series against the Ducks and Hawks. Injuries are piling up and fatigue is setting in. Will they raise their game as a team or will they fade away? How much longer can Lidstrom and Z carry the heavy workload?

Stanley Cup Finals Observations I

javaball — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:43:59 -0000

Keep Your Eyes on the Puck!

The playoff games are full of physical plays, with lots of pushing and shoveling, hits and checks. It's exciting and intense, not to mention highly entertaining for the fans. Sometimes, however, in the heat of the moment, players get carried away with the physicality and lose track of the play, and moments like these often determine the final outcome of the game.

Filppula's Goal

In Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, when the score was still tied 1-1, Red Wings' Filppula scored the game-winning goal on a pass from Holmstrom in the crease. Penguins' Malkin was backchecking and, instead of tracking the puck, he turned and pushed Holmstrom to the ice along with his own goalie, leaving Fippula plenty of space to make the unbelievable play from an improbable angle. By the time Malkin turned around, the puck was already in the net. No wonder he had a meltdown at the end of the game.

Lidstrom's Goal

A similar scenario occurred in Game 1 of the Ducks vs Red Wings series. Detroit's Franzen was in front of Ducks' net, looking for rebound from Lidstrom's shot. Ducks' Pronger, instead of clearing the puck, turned his back and shoveled Franzen out of the crease, giving Lidstrom the perfect opportunity to swoop in and score on his own rebound. It was a great sequence of play that Lidstrom himself started from behind Detroit's net.

"Lucky" Goals (AKA, Net Presence)

Lots of sports writers wrote about how the Red Wings got lucky in Game 1, scoring two-goals off the end board and Fleury's body parts. The truth is they created their own scoring chances and made the most of them by getting players into position around the net (Thanks to Zanstorm for bringing it up) The Penguins want to learn from the Red Wings in terms of "net presence" and scoring "dirty goals", but if that's not the way they've played all year, it's hard to execute consistently in the playoffs.

Stanley Cup Predictions

javaball — Thu, 28 May 2009 02:34:34 -0000

The Stanley Cup Finals are set, with the Pens' sweep of the Canes and the Wings' 4-1 series win over the Hawks. It will be a rematch of last year Finals. Will the result be different this time?

The Red Wings have been playing like champions in the playoffs. The have depth in their lineup, skill, speed and determination (Not convinced? Check out the following "Play of the Game" video). The Penguins are a team that's exciting to watch, with superstars Malkin and Crosby both playing at top level, and the others also contributing.

Judging by their 2008-2009 playoffs stats, the two teams seem pretty much equal in most categories. One thing I noticed is the difference in "+/-", where Wings are 104 and Penguins 56. More than one-third of the Penguins, in contrast to only one Wings, players are minus. It shows the enormous team strength of the Red Wings. Everyone of their players is helping the team in their own way. If nothing else, I would pick the Wings for that reason alone.

With that said, however, anything is possible in the playoffs. The Penguins may have caught the Wings at the right time. A few Wings key players, namely Lidstrom, Datsyuk and Draper, are injured, and Ericsson just had an appendectomy. The back-to-back Games 1 and 2 (scheduled for May 30 and May 31) may play in the Penguins favor. If Lidstrom can't recover in time to play, the Wings might have a hard time shutting down Crosby and Malkin. But then again, the Wings beat the Hawks in the series clincher without the aforementioned players.

While the outcome may not be predictable, one thing is certain. It will be a great series to watch.

Team Stats

Pts

+/-

PIM

PPG

PPA

SHG

SHA

SOG

Pct

RedWings

101

160

104

177

632

.093

Penguins

107

172

184

594

.109

Poll

Which team will win the Stanley Cup?

Red Wings in 7

4 votes

Red Wings in 6

8 votes

Red Wings in 5

2 votes

Red Wings in 4

1 votes

Penguins in 7

2 votes

Penguins in 6

5 votes

Penguins in 5

0 votes

Penguins in 4

0 votes

22 votes | Poll has closed

Envying the Wings

javaball — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:25:15 -0000

Watching the Western Conference Finals, I often find myself lustily cheering for the Wings and wistfully thinking at the same time, "If only the Canucks had done that!"

Have to admit though, I started out not so much a Wings fan as a Hawks hater.

Why do I hate the Hawks?

Canucks were eliminated by them in the 2nd round, but that's not it. Sometimes you get beaten by a better team, but the Canucks beat themselves. The Hawks may have a lot of talent, but I don't see them as a team of character.

1. Dustin Byfuglien

I'm disgusted by the way Byfuglien intentionally hits/ crashes again and again into the opposing teams' goalies when they are on their knees. To me that's just gutless.

2. Joel Quenneville

I hate the smug sneer on Quenneville's face when they stole Game 4 from the Canucks. Like a vulture, he smelled blood and went in for the kill. Now facing a much better and stronger opponent, how he whined about "the worst call in the history of sports", saying the refs "ruined a good hockey game". He absolutely deserved the $10,000 fine!

What Can the Canucks Learn from the Wings?

If the Canucks still aspire to win the Stanley Cup, they should try to learn as much as possible from the defending champions.

1. The Depth

Both offense and defense. Case in point: in Game 4, they were missing their captain Lidstrom, one of the best defensemen in NHL, their top scorer in Datsyuk, and even their starter goalie in the 3rd period, and still routed the Hawks 6-1. How many games can the Canucks win without Luongo, one of the Sedins or Salo?

2. The Composure

Remember how the Hawks scored against Luongo and the Canucks in bunches and got the momentum? Not against the Wings. Case in point: In Game 3, the Hawks were up 3-0 into the second period because of multiple penalties against the Wings, but the Wings gave them a dose of their own medicine and scored 3 runs in less than 5 minutes to tie the game. The Wings lost that game in OT after Lidstrom broke his stick. But that game might well be the defining game of the series. The Hawks know they have to play "perfect game" to beat the Wings, but of course, they can't.

3. The Coaching

Babcock has been to the Stanley Cup Finals twice, and won the Cup last year, aftter making the Conference Finals the year before, whereas Vigneault never made it past the second round. While they both acknowledged the Hawks' talent, Vigneault went into a defensive shell and lost the defining Game 4, whereas Babcock had his team match the Hawks speed for speed, skill for skill, and didn't give the Hawks any space. He set his best defenseman Lidstrom on Kane. The results? Kane had 6 goals and 8 points in 6 games against the Canucks, but no goal and only 1 point in 4 games against the Wings.

Will the Wings Win the Stanley Cup?

I'm looking forward to the Penguins-Wings Finals. The Wings have been through two physical series against the Ducks and the Hawks. Their star players have some lingering injuries. The Penguines have their star players all playing at their top level at the moment. It should be a fun series to watch. It's a tough choice. But if I have to choose, I'd go with the Wings.

Reality Check for "Team of Destiny"

javaball — Fri, 15 May 2009 07:00:23 -0000

After days of feeling sad, angry and depressed about the Canucks' 2nd round playoff exit, which is like a nightmare that you wish you would wake up from, I finally came to my senses today,

The epiphany came to me when I was watching Red Wings coach Mike Babcock's press conference after their Game 7 win over the Ducks. "People that have won know what it takes to win. They don't give in, they just keep coming. ...There're lots of teams that are home for the playoffs, they think they are close, but they don't know. Because until you measure players at this time of the year, you don't know if you are close at all."

During their end-of-season press conference, Mike Gillis said that the Canucks should have won the series and Vigneault said he felt the Canucks were the 'team of desitny". If only they had had a few breaks, they would have won.

No, not even close, gentlemen. As hard as it is to swallow, the Canucks do not yet have what it takes to win the Stanley Cup. Many of their weaknesses have been exposed in the playoffs. There is nowhere to hide. Everything is magnified. Their lack of discipline, lack of speed, skill and scoring touch, and more importantly, their lack of composure and determination at the most crucial times.

No doubt the Canucks are a good team, but they'll have to be much better to win the Cup. I'd even venture to say that if the core players remain the same next year, they won't get further into the playoffs.

Game 4 Felt Like Game 7

javaball — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:07:01 -0000

What the Devils?

The Canucks' Game 4 loss to the Hawks was reminiscent of the Devils' Game 7 loss to the Hurricanes. With a one-goal lead into the third and an elite goalie manning the net, only two minutes left, they were so close to winning the series, and then disaster stroke. In the blink of an eye, the opposing team scored two unanswered goals and snatched the victory away. Martin Brodeur and the Devils were shocked. Two minutes turned their entire season upside down.

Luongo and the Canucks were two minutes away from winning the game and taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, with a chance to close the deal at home. But a couple of mistakes at the very end caused them the game and changed the whole complexion of the series. Now the Hawks have gained some momentum, and the pressure is on the Canucks to win on Saturday, otherwise they would face elimination in Chicago.

What Went Wrong?

1. The Faceoffs

In the two games the Canucks won, they have won more faceoffs. Tonight the Hawks won more faceoffs, which led to more puck possession and more scoring chances. Sundin, who used to win faceoffs, was ineffective tonight.

2. The Offense

The Canucks' top three lines didn't score a goal, and they were outshot 28-15. You don't win many games if you only score one-goal against a talented team. What happened to the offense? Throughout the entire game, there seemed to be no more than two Canucks players in the attacking zone at the same time, and nobody in front of the net. They were not creating scoring chances for themselves at all, and when they had a chance, they were either too nervous or too stone-handed to take advantage.

3. The Defensive Game

General Patton's insights into how battles are won apply amazingly well to hockey games. "When a man is lying in a shell hole, if he just stays there all day, an opponent will get to him eventually." The Canucks went into a 20-minute PK in the third period. Whenever they got the puck, they would just send it down the ice, instead of organizing an offense. They sat back and waited to be beat, and they were.

4. The Breakdowns

Kudos to the Hawks, who kept fighting no matter what. Throughout the series, they have shown more resilience than the Canucks, who seem to lack the killer instinct. The Hawks can come back from a 3-goal deficit in the third period, but the Canucks tend to collapse when they are behind or caught up late in the game. Do they have the mental toughness and physical stamina to really play 60-minute games without breakdowns?

What Now?

It's a best of 3 series now, and the Canucks still have home-ice advantage. But the Hawks have proven they can win at the GM Place, so it's not much of an advantage. Vigneault already conceded that the Hawks have more speed and skill (which was a self-defeatist statement, IMO), so the Canucks can't play "chance for chance", but when they played their defensive game, the Hawks still got more scoring chances than the Canucks. What now?

Broken Wings

javaball — Wed, 06 May 2009 07:59:17 -0000

I've been following the Ducks and Red Wings series quite closely (partly because I was fascinated by Jonas Hiller), and I almost feel sorry for the Red Wings.

After their 1-2 Game 3 loss to the Ducks, all their players must be thinking to themselves, "What do we have to do to beat this guy?" They outshot the Ducks 46-23, and still lost! Now they know how the Sharks must have felt.

The Wings have been the most disciplined team in the regular season, and the Ducks the most penalized, but now the Ducks have somehow lured them into their physical game. The Wings are taking as many penalties as the Ducks every game, but their power play, unlike in the regular season, has been less effective than the Ducks.

The Ducks have had a slight edge in both goaltending and power play in the last two games. They've snatched home-ice advantage from the Wings, and are leading 2-1 in the series, Things are not looking good for the Wings.

I was rooting for the Wings, as I thought, if the Canucks could reach the Conference final, they would have a better chance of success against them. But if the Ducks win, they will have beaten the top two teams in the NHL and gained huge momentum. Can anybody stop them?