#all is right in tor vs bos game 7

[alternate-jersey]

peace has been restored in boston

[islesblogger]

Post Game 20190228 VS TOR: We Don't Need You

The return of John Tavares to Fort Neverlose was something special. A 6-1 Victory that was nothing short of spectacular.

The Staff (Lineup Changes)

 LWCRWL127Lee29Nelson07Eberle L218Beauvillier13Barzal12BaileyL317Martin53Cizikas15Clutterbuck L416Ladd51Filppula47Komarov FR32Johnston14Kuhnhackl LDRDD103Pelech06PulockD202Leddy55BoychukD325Toews24MayfieldDR04Hickey21Sbisa##Seidenberg GOAL 40Lehner 01Greiss

Mayfield in for Hickey

Lou’s Burger of the Game (Hero)

Casey Cizikas. There are a lot of candidates for the Bobby Nystrom Award this year, but it’s nights like tonight that people will put on the highlight reel when they hand him that award. 19th goal is a shorty. Shut down Johnny Pajama when they were on the ice together, and smiled every second of the game. Man that guy must go through a ton of toothpaste.

Into the Chili (Goat)

John Gruden and Nick Leddy are gonna share this until there is a spectacularly bad game by an Islander, or an opponent. They share it because Nick Leddy should not be on the PP1. He is there for zone entries. But even when he makes a nice one, he becomes the dog that caught the car. “Okay, now what do I do?” . He is now officially the 6th defenseman.

Salad Bar (Random Thoughts About the Game)

The much anticipated crowd reaction to John Tavares’ return to the barn did not disappoint. When Tavares had the puck the crowd booed enough for it to be audible on the TV broadcast. “We Don’T Need You” pretty much says it all. In his defense, as he was until July 1, 2018 Johnny Pajamas was a class act all the way. Acknowledging the Islanders, and the fans after the tribute and sulking through the post gamer… Stan must be in Israel.

The Islanders controlled momentum for last two thirds of the game. I’d say they were on the right side of the puck, and playing physically for at least 45 minutes. That’s the way it’s got to be until June. By HDCF% the momentum swing didn’t happen until the second period, but by physicality it started within a minute of puck drop.

The chants of “A-Hole” were a little much. I think “We Don’t Need You” was a HR. “A-Hole” was a foul tip third strike. a.k.a. a bad bunt with bases loaded and two outs.

The hits just keep on coming. The #Isles have been know for their physicality ever since the first time MC^2 was put together. It’s been a while, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game this one sidedly violent, with so few penalties. Great job!

Barry Trotz understands the value of momentum. This team had hit a bit of a lull. This game was going to be incredible no matter what 18 he threw out there, or how he threw them out there. But he’s starting to show why standing pat at the deadline, was able to generate offense for free.

Mayfield and Toews are playing out of their minds. The balance of a strong stay at home defenseman and an offensive minded D is special. It’s what was in mind when the Isles first paired Leddy and Boychuck. But Scott and Devon are starting to build something special. Because they both have enough of their counter-attributes to show those talents every night. Mayfield had at least three rushes from the defensive zone through the offensive zone, that result in a shot, or good possession time. I’m looking right at you Nick Leddy. We know you have it in you.

The Bubbly (Playoff Status)

TEAMW L OT P  PPG PRJGRLCDPOATLA0TBL49124102        1.569 1291720A1BOS3817985        1.328 1091812A2TOR3921482        1.281 1051811A3METM0NYI3719781        1.286 1051911M1WAS3621779        1.234 101189M2CBJ3624375        1.190 98198M3WCW0PIT3322874        1.175 96198W1CAR3423674        1.175 96198W2OUTXXMON3423775        1.172 96187PHI3026868        1.063 87184FLA2825965        1.048 86204BUF2926866        1.048 86194NYR27261064        1.016 83193NJD2531858        0.906 7418-1DET2332955        0.859 7018-3OTT2237549        0.766 6318-6

The bubble is currently 96. The Islanders only need 15 points with 19 games to go. This is no time to coast, but they could. Making the playoffs is not a concern at the moment. What they will do battle for every night is HTA.

Dessert (What’s Coming Up)

WAS (03/01/19) The Islanders are now two points ahead of the Washington Capitals with only a game in hand. This will be the most important game to date for Barry Trotz’ Isles. This game will probably determine whether it’s a two team race for first, or a battle between WAS, CBJ and PIT for home team advantage in the Metro’s second playoff pairing.

PHI (03/03/19) The Flyers are hanging on to their playoffs hopes by a thread. They can only lose four games with 18 remaining to make the bubble. They know where they are, that’s why Simmonds is in Nashville.

OTT (03/05/19) Since my last review OTT fired their coach Guy Boucher and replaced him with fiery Marc Crawford. Seems a little odd to name an interim coach at this point. I think we can all assume that Ottawa is just getting a jump on the next five years.

Post Game 20190228 VS TOR: We Don’t Need You was originally published on islesblogger.com

[itsjustascarecrow]

so. today marks a pretty special occasion for me. today officially marks the 5-year anniversary of the first LA Kings/hockey game i’ve ever been to. on Thursday, April 4th, 2013, my dad and i went to the Kings v. Wild game and saw Justin Williams score one minute and twenty nine seconds into the first period for what would eventually be the game-winning goal, as former Kings backup goaltender Jonathan Bernier posted a shutout.

so i’m making a post to sort of commemorate this achievement(? i guess you can call it that)--5 awesome years of being a hockey fan, and all the amazing games and events and players i’ve seen in these past 5 years.

first i’ll start w/ some totals (that do not include the game i’m going to tonight):

Games:

NHL: LAK (46); SJS (9); COL (5); STL (4); CBJ DAL (3); ANA ARI BOS CHI EDM MIN PIT (2); CAR CGY FLA NSH NYR PHI TBL TOR WSH WPG (1)

2012-13: 6 total (2 regular season, 4 playoff) 2013-14: 9 total (6 regular, 3 playoff) 2014-15: 8 total (all regular) 2015-16: 12 total (1 preseason, 10 regular, 1 playoff) 2016-17: 12 total (2 preseason, 10 regular)*’**

*2017 NHL All-Star Game (not included in total) **includes a non-LAK game (CBJ @ ANA)

AHL: ONT (6); BAK (2); CLE IWA SAR SDG (1)

2015-16: 4 total (2 regular, 2 playoff) 2016-17: 2 total (all regular)

NWHL: BOS NYR (1)

2016-17: 1 (regular)

Goals Scored:

NHL: -Kings: total - 127 by season:  2012-13: 18  2013-14: 28 2014-15: 24 2015-16: 30 2016-17: 27

-Opponent: total - 109 by season: 2012-13: 10 2013-14: 26 2014-15: 16 2015-16: 26 2016-17: 31

**CBJ @ ANA: 4-0 CBJ final score (not included in any above totals)

AHL: -Reign: total - 13 by season: 2015-16: 8 2016-17: 5

-Opponent: total - 9 by season: 2015-16: 8 2016-17: 1

NWHL: -Pride: total - 4 -Riveters: total - 3

largest amount of goals scored by a single team: 6 (Kings x3, Stars x1) number of shutouts: 9 (includes all leagues: Kings x4, Sharks x1, Penguins x1, Blue Jackets x1, Condors x1, Reign x1)

Wins vs. Losses:

NHL: Kings: 26 Opponent: 20 by season: 2012-13: 5-1 2013-14: 5-4 2014-15: 5-3 2015-16: 7-5 2016-17: 4-7**

**does not include CBJ @ ANA

AHL: Reign: 4 Opponent: 2 by season: 2015-16: 2-2 2016-17: 2-0

NWHL: Pride: 1 Opponent: 0

there’s probably a hell of a lot more info number-wise i could put on here, like which individuals we’ve seen score the most for and against each team, etc., but honestly idk if i have the patience to figure that out, lmao. also i’m sure there’s plenty of games we’ve been to where so-and-so or what’s-his-face got a milestone goal/point/game career total but again, can’t be bothered to go back and look it up. for those who may want more info tho, here’s a post i made a while ago that i update regularly w/ all the games i’ve been to w/ a final score and the goal-scorers.

for real tho like. i don’t wanna get all sappy and shit and suddenly turn this post all emotional (just watch me do so anyway) but i honestly cannot express how much this sport means to me. like insert tragic backstory(tm) here and how hockey was what saved me and all that jazz but shit like. i mean yeah this shit’s got it’s ups and downs but at least whenever i get frustrating about personal stuff, i can distract myself w/ a game. or if the game’s pissing me off, at least i’m not focusing on all the shit going on in my personal life. b/c before i started watching, i really.. didn’t have much, kinda?? 

basically i went through a major bought of depression throughout 2012 which sorta peaked in early 2013 w/ stuff i’d rather not discuss here, but if my dad hadn’t taken me to that game 5 years ago, i honestly don’t know if i’d still be around today. i felt like i’d lost a lot. nothing interested me anymore. my favorite band at the time broke up when i felt like i’d already hit rock bottom. i had like no outlet for what little strong emotion i did feel at the time b/c otherwise i just felt empty. but when Justin Williams scored that goal a minute and twenty nine freaking seconds into that game, i knew that was it. that’s what sealed the deal for me. 

i had zero idea what to expect, even w/ my dad giving me a basic rundown of the roster and some basic rules about the game. like we watched the wild warm up (b/c that’s where our seats were) and my dad kept pointing out Zach Parise to me damn-near every time he skated past us b/c he’s a former UND alumni, as is like half my family on my dad’s side, but after a while it was like “okay dad, i get it. Zach Parise. UND. pretty cool,” lmao. and then the game starts and it was so quiet. like i’ve been to like a million high school football games, a good number of pro baseball games, and one pro basketball game, but all of them were.. well a hell of a lot louder, for one. like people were watching the game, but at the same time they weren’t. people in and out of their seats all the time, tons of idle chit-chat, etc. but when that first puck dropped, people sat down and shut up. they watched, like. really watched. and when Williams scored, the utter elation of the entire building (save the wild fans of course), the horn, the “hey hey hey!” chant complete w/ fist-pumping--it was just. i honestly can’t even describe it properly. but what i can say was that it was the first time in a looong time i felt genuinely happy. 

and here i am exactly 5 years later. going back to Staples for my 47th Kings game. and i like to think i’ve seen some pretty wild shit in these past five years. league rule changes that ultimately changed the entire ASG format, amazing players both leaving and joining the league (i.e. Teemu Selanne, Auston Matthews), the 2014 Olympics, a few All-Star games, and a World Cup, the first paid pro women’s league and the U.S. women’s team fight for equitable wages, the first transgender athlete to play pro hockey (i.e. the amazing and inspirational Harrison Browne), a freaking expansion team in Vegas. 

and speaking of Vegas, i went to the first ever hockey games held in the new arena, and while it wasn’t the result we wanted, at least i got to spent two nights in a row in the coolest new arena in town, plus i got to see 3 native players on the ice in one game on the second night vs. the Avalanche, which is probably more than any other team/match-up in this league could boast. and i could not have been more proud.

i was there for Andy Andreoff’s NHL debut where he got into a fight w/ Matt Hendricks in his first shift on the ice. 

i accidentally met Matt Greene’s parents b/c his mom happened to notice my dad was wearing his jersey and asked for a picture. 

i ran into Bob Miller outside Staples and he let me see his 2014 Stanley Cup Championship ring, the same night they raised the banner. 

the first time i saw my next favorite team, the Avalanche, was three years ago on the 2-year anniversary of my first Kings game, and i took @gofredthefish​ along for the ride. 

i stood and cheered and cried for Mike Richards and Justin Williams on their return to LA after both had signed w/ the Capitals. 

i was there to see Jonathan Quick’s epic scorpion kick save against Winnipeg three seasons ago (the night before we drove down to San Deigo so i could catch an Of Mice & Men concern, then drive back to LA the following day so i could catch a flight to Bismarck, ND to visit family for senior year spring break).

i jokingly put a “native curse” San Jose’s bench before warmups back in 2014 during the first round of the playoffs, the night the Kings started their reverse sweep (as well as it being Tyler Toffoli’s 22nd birthday).

the first shootout i ever saw went to the Blues, courtesy of Troy Brouwer’s goal in the 7th round.

sent our 2014 Olympians off on a high note w/ a 2-1 overtime win against the Blue Jackets where Robyn Regehr scored the gwg from right in front of where i was sitting.

went to my first game in Honda Center and the Ducks were gloriously shut out. (i was also one of maybe ten Blue Jackets fans in the entire building.)

saw Dwight King score on Marty Brodeur from the blue line, Alec Martinez score on the Avs twice on the same play, Milan Lucic’s first game in Staples Center as a King, got a video of the signature Nick Foligno/Sergei Bobrovsky Hug(tm)--twice, since they shut out the Ducks that one time, saw the home team get a 3-0 shutout in both my first NHL and AHL games, was there for the Luc Robitaille statue unveiling outside Staples, and stood less than 10 feet away from Cam Atkinson outside Staples before the 2017 ASG. 

i went to a Reign game where they knocked the San Diego Gulls out of the playoffs just a couple of weeks after i was released from the hospital after falling into a diabetic-induced coma (also i had a cold but i’ll be damned if i wasn’t gonna persevere).

i went to two separate You Can Play-sponsored LGBT+ Pride Nights for both the NHL and NWHL--and speaking of which, that particular NWHL Pride Night was my first ever women’s hockey game ever. and Boston kept their “undefeated since last january” record alive and well.

and the one moment that still makes me cry every time i think about it was when i saw Matt Duchene score his first goal of the season in 2015-16 in what would eventually be his first 30-goal season. i was sat in the second row right in front of where he threw himself into the glass in celebration, so i like to think we kinda celly’d together.

but best of all, i got to meet @hockeyacegrace earlier this season on Native American Heritage Night, and took @kylorenedict to the Kings’ opening night against the Flyers to kick off the 50-year anniversary of the First Expansion. and not to mention the many other wonderful friends i’ve made in this fandom, who also include (but are not limited to) @brandoncarlo, @jodrouin27, @sadchihuahua, @elzaechelon, @marianyossa, and @dominic-turgeon​. 

basically just. here’s to 5 gods damned years of selling my soul to this hell on ice. and gods damn it, here’s to 5 more.

[shervonfakhimi]

The Under-the-Radar Characters That Can Swing the NBA Season

The NBA season is in full swing (finally!). After a long offseason filled with trades and coaching changes, these new additions are finally making way onto the court. While not all of these characters are new additions to their respective teams, they are talented enough to flip the season. 

James Ennis III SF HOU: Much has been bellyhowed about the acquisition of Carmelo Anthony and whether or not he will make an impact off the bench for Houston. I believe he will be much more comfortable accepting that role and thriving in that role… except against one team. Without a drastic change in his defensive capabilities, which doesn’t seem likely, Houston will need more of an emphasis on defensive versatility and 3 point shooting on the floor against the revamped Golden State Warriors they pushed to 7 games last May. That’s where James Ennis comes in. As Houston tried to avoid a hefty luxury tax bill by not re-signing Trevor Ariza and trading away the albatross of Ryan Anderson’s contract, GM Daryl Morey looked to find more value on the edges by signing the likes of James Ennis, the aforementioned Carmelo and Michael Carter-Williams, amongst others. Ennis is the closest approximate to Ariza. A career 35.9% 3 point shooter, Ennis actually shoots the 3 ball at a higher clip than Ariza’s career percentage, which sits at 35.3%. The more pressing matter of Ennis’ signing regards his defense. While Houston actually was a slightly better defensive team with Ariza off the floor during the regular season, that was a drastic change during the playoffs, where Houston allowed 10.9 more points per 100 possessions when Ariza was off the floor vs when he was on the floor, the most drastic number on the team (that number fell to 7.2 points per 100 possessions during the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors). Ennis’ defensive numbers were fine with the Memphis Grizzlies, yet fell of a bit after getting traded mid-season to the Detroit Pistons. For a team that was a hamstring and perhaps even 1 3 pointer away (seriously bruh, how do you miss 27 consecutive 3s at home? 27!!) from an NBA Finals they surely could’ve won, these margins matter against a foe that got even better this summer. Houston needs James Ennis to replicate Ariza’s production, or they may not even get the chance to be as competitive as they were last year in the Western Conference Finals.

Brandon Ingram SF LAL: Look, I am a Lakers fan and a fan of Ingram’s overall game and talent. But, regardless the team I root for, a player of his caliber in this situation alongside LeBron James is positioned to make major noise, no matter what team he plays for. LeBron James, Rajon Rondo and Lonzo Ball should all be able to help set Ingram up for more success as a cutter, where he averaged 1.27 points per possession, per NBA.com. last year and be able to use that slender man build to his advantage even further, like plays like this. He averaged 1.17 points per possession in transition last season, another number surely likely to improve with the Lakers emphasis on running. Ingram is a cagey defender and a slick passer, capable of both starting and finishing plays in the halfcourt on offense, but could improve. I’m banking that he will. In the end though, it comes down to LeBron. The Lakers were in a number of games last year, including with the likes of the Warriors, Rockets, Blazers, Celtics and Sixers, among others. However, the Lakers were 20-22 in ‘clutch games’ last season, games decided by 5 points within the last 5 minutes of the game and 20th in net rating, just behind the blatantly tanking Orlando Magic. Only Josh Hart had a positive net rating among current Laker youngins who may be in position to be playing in these type of situations. Among players who played in at least 25 of these clutch games and averaged at least 3.4 minutes in these situations, only 4 players had a higher net rating than LeBron, who led the Cavs to win 30 of their 45 games down to the wire (his usage rate was 44.8%, second in the league only to Kyrie Irving). LeBron can get this group of youngins and outcasts to the playoffs, but in order for them to compete for a title right away, not saying that will happen but there is a timeline somewhere where it does, Brandon Ingram has to take the leap I and others are anticipating he does.

Jayson Tatum SF BOS: This has less to do with Jayson Tatum himself and more so to do with how Brad Stevens reconfigures the minutes. Will he get enough time for all of Kyrie, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward back from his horrific injury in their season debut, Al Horford, Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, Marcus Morris, heck, even Aron Baynes? Will they all buy in and contribute in their roles, likely getting less shots and touches than they feel they deserve? It’s an incredible problem to have, but a problem nonetheless. I’m betting against all that though, and betting on Brad Stevens’ egalitarian offense feeding everybody donning the lucky green. However, Jayson Tatum ranked 7th(!) in usage rate among Celtics players last year, per NBA.com. How much more he will jump from that 19.1% will be interesting to see as Boston looks to get Hayward back integrated into their offense. Tatum’s (and Gordon Hayward’s) ability to play off ball (Tatum shot 43.4% from 3) should help settle everything. I think Boston will start rather slowly than their blistering start last year. But Boston’s ceiling elevates the more potential Tatum taps into. He will tap into some of it, I just don’t know how much of it.

Nick Nurse HC TOR: Not that a rookie coach has pressure in the sense of job security, but is there a coach with more on the line than Nick Nurse? If he flames out in a similar fashion Fred Hoiberg did with a win-now roster after acquiring professional fun guy Kawhi Leonard (seriously, how great is that? Nurse was regarded as the architect behind Toronto’s revamped, modern offense last year. Will he double down? Will he trust Kawhi to handle more than the 30.5% usage rate Kawhi accumulated in his last full season in San Antonio? Will Nurse give Leonard the reigns to run the offense and set him up to become more of a playmaker and surpass his career-high of 3.5 assists per game? (This play is a nice sign.) Toronto is going all in for this season, hoping that progress in the playoffs will lead to Kawhi Leonard staying on board for the long haul. It’s up to Nurse to make Kawhi want to stay and make the most of this limited window.

Dennis Schroder PG OKC: So, Russell Westbrook is still injured, nursing a surgically repaired knee operated on early September. That means, Schroder, already slated for a big 6th man role and possible closer alongside Westbrook and Paul George, will be needed even more. Can Schroder hold down the fort while he (and Andre Roberson, who suffered a setback coming back from his torn patellar tendon late January) are on the mend? Can Schroder free up Westbrook to become more unleashed as a cutter once he comes back? (Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer dug deep into this, go read his article about the matter here.) Can Schroder have the same effect on Westbrook and his offense that Rajon Rondo and Ricky Rubio had on their offenses? If the answer is a drastic yes, than the Thunder can make some noise in the Western Conference on a Houston-like level.

Markelle Fultz PG/SG PHI: Yes, Markelle Fultz. There are obvious questions regarding last year’s fairly unanimous number 1 overall pick: is he healthy physically? Mentally? Does his shot form not resemble how Conor McGregor throws a fookin’ football? Is he confident enough in his shot to take them when presented to him? So far, the form looks good enough, but the results haven’t been all the way there in the preseason. Fultz shot just 10-26 from the field and only 1-4 from 3 in 3 preseason games against NBA competition. Yet, the Sixers have decided they are breaking up the most potent lineup last season among lineups that played at least 300 minutes last season, per NBA.com, inserting Markelle Fultz into their starting lineup over JJ Redick. Reports are that Brett Brown may start Redick in the 2nd half of games, but nonetheless, this is a big move oriented to the future that Fultz has to deliver on in the present. And the Sixers could use him; the Sixers ran the 2nd least amount of Pick-and-Rolls in the entire league last season, Fultz’ bread-and-butter during his time at the University of Washington. With less shooting depth around Ben Simmons, a non-shooter who’s game got exposed in the playoffs by the Boston Celtics, Fultz will be needed to take some pressure off of Simmons and Embiid. They still should have enough starpower and depth (Furkan Korkmaz is a name to remember off Philly’s bench) around those 2 pillars to make another deep playoff run. How Fultz plays this season will determine how far a run they will make.

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Thoughts on Game 7, Round 2, Flames’ Lines (Apr 25)

Thoughts on Game 7, Round 2, Flames’ Lines, plus more…

Hockey fans are blessed with their first Game 7 of the playoffs this evening (or tomorrow evening, if you’re up late reading this). Considering that the Bruins have generally carried the play in this series – particularly in the first two games – I’m surprised that the Leafs have made it this far. But the nice thing about the playoffs is that every game starts at 0-0. If you’re curious, the Bruins have outscored the Leafs 21-16 in the series.

I still think the Bruins will win this series. But it’s a Game 7, so anything can happen. Especially if you remember the last time these two teams faced each other in a Game 7 (sorry, Toronto fans).

As strong as the Bruins’ top line has been, it has slowed considerably recently.  

Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak have zero points and are a combined minus-16 in the three losses to Leafs in this series. If that continues on Wednesday night they'll be golfing by the weekend

— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) April 24, 2018

  David Pastrnak has just two assists in his last four games, while Brad Marchand has a single goal and no assists over that span. If you could sell high in a playoff pool, the time between Games 2 and 3 would have been when to do it.

The Leafs’ playoff MVP so far (at least among scorers) has been Mitch Marner. If the Leafs win Game 7, expect him to be a difference-maker.  

#Leafs Mitch Marner has been a thorn in the side of the Bruins this season pic.twitter.com/EBEUdvQAq4

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 24, 2018

*

I’m happy to say that I’ve guaranteed a record over .500 in my DobberHockey Expert Panel playoff picks with a record of 5-2 so far. I made the correct call on Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Winnipeg, and San Jose, while missing the mark on Washington and Vegas. Many of the picks by other writers were similar to mine, so I’m thinking that there will be many other writers with a winning record.

I said in an earlier Ramblings that probabilities suggest that at least one of the six 0-2 teams would bounce back to win their series. There happened to be a seventh 0-2 team, which went 0-2 the day after. That team was Washington. If Toronto wins Game 7, there would be a second team that started its series 0-2.

Here are some quick sort-of-random thoughts on the upcoming series we already know, although I may not won’t make my picks here. You’ll see them in the next experts panel article.

Nashville/Winnipeg

This is the one series that everyone can’t wait to watch. In other words, it’s what Washington/Pittsburgh was last season. #1 overall vs. #2 overall. So the team that wins this series could be your Stanley Cup winner. (By the way, does anyone want to see the #1 vs. #16, #2 vs. #15 etc. format return? Would be hell travel-wise but the most fair method).

Since I have Nashville reaching the Cup final, I should pick them to win this series. But then I have Tampa beating Nashville in the final because I think Tampa’s scoring would be the difference in that series. So if Tampa can beat Nashville, then why can’t Winnipeg? Maybe lack of playoff experience? We expected this series from midseason on and I don’t think it will disappoint.

Washington/Pittsburgh

It’s hard to believe that this series has gone from the main event in 2016-17 to the undercard in 2017-18, yet things change. Is this the year Washington finally gets over the hump that is the Pittsburgh Penguins? One day Wile E. Coyote has to catch the Road Runner, and one day Charlie Brown will kick the football. What if this is the year for the Capitals after we’ve finally thrown in the towel on them? Not a single Dobber writer picked Washington to even make the final, while only 5 of 18 writers picked them to even make it past Columbus. Should be another great series, except if you’re a Capitals fan and they lose again.

Vegas/San Jose

This is not a series that I would have picked in my right mind. Especially not Vegas. As good as San Jose has been, I have a very hard time betting against Vegas right now. I don’t know how to describe it except that it is some kind of x-factor.

Because of where I live and the time that is the easiest for me to watch hockey, this will probably be the series that I watch the most. Yet I have the least to say about it. With both teams off for over a week, this series could be a little slow in the beginning.

Start dates for each series, just announced on Tuesday:  

Schedule confirmed.

Pitt v Wash starts Thursday SJ v Vegas starts Thursday Wpg v Nash starts Friday Bos/Tor v TB starts Saturday#StanleyCup

— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) April 24, 2018

*

Regarding the Bill Peters hiring in Cowtown:  

Plenty of interesting stuff at the Saddledome today. One thing Peters mentioned was he's more of a pairings guy and not so much a line guy. I expect 23 and 13 to form one such duo, but I'm intrigued to see how he sees the rest of the forward group and if we see some new pairings.

— Darren Haynes (@DarrenWHaynes) April 23, 2018

This kind of reminds me of 2016-17, when no-name Alex Chiasson was a frequent linemate of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Last season it was Micheal Ferland and it wasn’t even close (88.6% of Ferland’s even-strength minutes were with Gaudreau and Monahan). The new coach in town could be open to many more possibilities, so there’s a chance that this hire hurts Ferland. He led the Flames with 171 hits last season, so he’s an option in leagues that count that category no matter what. If he can stay with Johnny and Sean, then he can easily build on his first 20-goal, 40-point season. But if not, his value takes a hit.

Assuming Mikael Backlund remains as the second-line center, forwards such as Ferland, Matthew Tkachuk, Michael Frolik, and Sam Bennett will be up for possible line redistribution. But as Dobber said in his Fantasy Take, expect a bump in power-play goals for the Flames. There’s more overall talent on Calgary’s first-unit power play than there was in Carolina.

*  

Ethical dilemma: Someone in your fantasy league drops a player that is 99% owned. A short time later, they message the entire league saying they dropped the player by accident. Do you submit a waiver claim?

— Ian Gooding (@Ian_Gooding) April 24, 2018

Thank you for your responses to this question on Twitter and on the Forum. By the way, the responses on the Forum were unanimously in favor (16-0) of not submitting a waiver claim when this happens.  

commissioner overide and re-add to team in question every time

— Stephen Laidlaw (@SteveLaidlaw) April 24, 2018

This would be the most ideal solution. It would ensure that the owner receives the player back quickly and is not forced to wait several days for the player to clear waivers. In one of my leagues I’ve returned players to owners before. Not just in cases where they wanted the player back, but also in instances when they didn’t want the player (the owner wasn’t permitted to drop the player as per league rules).

But what about a situation where league settings do not grant the commissioner that power, or in this case, the commissioner did not say or do anything? In the end I’m glad no one went rogue and added the player. It would have been awkward if someone else added the player and the owner voiced his displeasure as a result. These situations can get ugly. Yes, the commissioner should have responded in some way, but not every league has an uber-responsive commish. I try to be in leagues where I volunteer for that position, although please don’t ask me to process a trade when I’m at work!  

A great point that was made throughout: Should there be a statute of limitations? In other words, how long does this owner have before it’s too late? For the record, this owner posted his message within a day of accidentally dropping the player. I think a day or two is fine, although I’m not sure this scenario happens often enough where a league rule is needed. Usually the owner would post the message fairly quickly anyway.

*

For more fantasy hockey information, you can follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-thoughts-on-game-7-round-2-flames-lines-apr-25/

[junker-town]

Tracking the NBA standings, the good and the ugly

The West is wild, the East is complicated, and the race to the bottom is exciting. Follow it all here.

There are no more than seven games remaining on each NBA team’s schedule, which means one thing and one thing only: Every win and loss matters, no matter where your team is seeded.

Depending on your team, a win could be the difference between home-court advantage or a road matchup against the team with the best record in the conference. On the flip side, depending on your team, a win could be the difference between 17.8 percent odds at the No. 1 pick and 8.8 percent.

Friday night hoops did the playoff picture and tank-off no favors.

Let’s look at the playoff picture, first

Eastern Conference

(Seed). (Team): (Record) — (Games Behind No. 1 seed)

Toronto Raptors: 55-20

Boston Celtics: 52-23 — 3.0

Cleveland Cavaliers: 46-30 — 9.5

Philadelphia 76ers: 45-30 — 10

Indiana Pacers: 45-31 — 10.5

Washington Wizards: 41-34 — 14

Miami Heat: 41-35 — 14.5

Milwaukee Bucks: 40-35 — 15

Race to the top

The only way Toronto loses its standing at No. 1 in the East is if they lose three games at the same time the Celtics win three games. The Raptors’ remaining schedule? @ BOS, @ CLE, vs. BOS, vs. IND, vs. ORL, @ DET, @ MIA.

Boston’s? vs. TOR, @ MIL, @ TOR, vs. CHI, vs. ATL, @ WAS, vs. BKN

Tiebreakers

The Celtics and Raptors have also split their season series at one apiece with two games remaining on the schedule. Without Kyrie Irving (knee surgery), Marcus Smart (thumb), and Daniel Theis (torn meniscus), though, the C’s might be out of luck against the rolling Raptors.

The No. 1 seed is Toronto’s to lose.

Middle of the Pack

3. Cleveland — 9.5 GB 4. Philadelphia — 10 5. Indiana — 10.5

It’s a toss-up at this point between Cleveland, Philly and Washington for seeds No. 3-5. Let’s look at remaining schedules.

Cleveland: vs. DAL, vs. TOR, vs. WAS, @ PHI, @ NYK, vs. NYK Philadelphia: vs. CHA, vs. BKN, @ DET, vs. CLE, vs. DAL, @ ATL, vs. MIL Indiana: @ LAC, @ DEN, @ vs. GSW, @ TOR, @ CHA, vs. CHA,

Tiebreakers

The Pacers lead the Cavaliers in their season series, 3-1. They also lead the 76ers in the season series, 2-1 If they finish with the same record, Indiana will come out on top

The Cavaliers lead both the 76ers in their season series, 2-1. Philly needs to win its April 6 matchup vs. Cleveland in the event they finish with identical records

Why this is important

The No. 4-5 seed matchup is the toughest first-round series of each playoff series, and the winner of that series faces the winner of the No. 1 vs. No. 8 series, which is almost always the best team in the conference. These teams want that No. 3 seed for their playoff livelihood.

The bottom (well, not really)

6. Washington — 14 GB 7. Miami — 14.5 GB 8. Milwaukee — 14.5 GB

We’re not counting Detroit here because they’d have to win their last seven games and pray seeds No. 6, 7 or 8 lose out. It’s over for the Pistons. Moving right along.

It’s a toss-up between seeds No. 6-8. Washington. John Wall could return from a two-month absence any day now. Miami has been one of the tougher teams to deal with, especially after trading for Dwyane Wade at the deadline. And Milwaukee is a confusing team, but with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster, you can never rule them out.

Here’s a look at their remaining schedules:

Washington: vs. CHA, @ CHI, @ HOU, @ CLE, vs. ATL, vs. BOS, @ ORL Miami: vs. BKN, vs. ATL, @ ATL, @ NYK, vs. OKC, vs. TOR Milwaukee: @ DEN, vs. BOS, vs. BKN, @ NYK, vs. ORL, @ PHI

Tiebreakers

The Bucks and Wizards are tied this season at two apiece, as are the Heat and Wizards. Conference records? Washington: 26-20; Miami: 28-19, Milwaukee: 24-23.

The Heat swept the Bucks in the season series, 3-0

Why this matters

This one’s interesting. The Raptors are playing well, but like the actors that transform in Snickers commercials, they’re not themselves in the playoffs. The wrong matchup at No. 8 could give Toronto fits, and Milwaukee pushed them to six games last season. The same could be said of the No. 6 seed, which could be a matchup against the Cavaliers. Miami just blew out Cleveland and could pose some serious issues in the playoffs. The bottom of the East playoff picture could set the right team up for success.

Western Conference

(Seed). (Team): (Record) — (Games Behind No. 1 seed)

Houston Rockets: 62-14

Golden State Warriors: 54-21 — 7.5

Portland Trail Blazers: 47-29 — 15

San Antonio Spurs: 44-32 — 18

Minnesota Timberwolves: 44-33 — 18.5

Oklahoma City Thunder: 44-33 — 18.5

Utah Jazz: 43-33 — 19

New Orleans Pelicans: 43-33 — 19

Los Angeles Clippers: 41-35 — 21

Denver Nuggets: 41-35 — 21

Houston is safe as the No. 1 seed

Golden State is safe as the No. 2 seed

Nobody else is safe

Will Portland stay No. 3?

It sure looks that way. With their win over the Clippers on Friday, the Trail Blazers created a three-game separation between themselves and the Spurs. And here’s their remaining schedule:

vs. MEM, @ DAL, @ HOU, @ SAS, @ DEN, vs. UTAH

It’s not impossible for Portland to lose against Houston, San Antonio, Denver and Utah, it’s just highly improbable another lower seed wins three in a row to catch them.

Welcome to the jungle

4. San Antonio — 18 GB 5. Minnesota — 18.5 6. Oklahoma City — 18.5 7. Utah — 19 8. New Orleans — 19 — 9. Los Angeles Clippers — 21 10. Denver — 21

At this point, one false move can spell doom for any one of these teams. The Jazz and Pelicans each have the same number of losses as Minny and OKC but only one fewer win. Denver and the Clippers have a lot of ground to cover, but it’s not impossible for either one, or both of them, to sneak into the playoffs. Let’s look at their remaining schedules:

San Antonio: vs. HOU, @ LAC, @ LAL, vs. POR, vs. SAC, @ NOP Minnesota: vs. UTA, @ DEN, @ LAL, vs. MEM, vs. DEN Oklahoma City: @ NOP, vs. GSW, @ HOU, @ MIA, vs. MEM Utah: @ MIN, vs. LAL, vs. LAC, @ LAL, vs. GSW, @ POR New Orleans: vs. OKC, vs. MEM, @ PHX, @ GSW, @ LAC, vs. SAS Los Angeles: vs. IND, vs. SAS, @ UTAH, @ LAC, vs. NOP, vs. LAL Denver: vs. MIL, vs. IND, vs. MIN, @ LAC, vs. POR, @ MIN

Tiebreakers

Spurs lead Timberwolves, 2-1

Spurs tied with OKC, 2-2

Spurs lead Clippers, 2-0

Spurs tied with Nuggets, 2-2

Timberwolves won series vs. Thunder, 3-1

Timberwolves won series vs. Jazz, 2-1

Timberwolves swept Pelicans, 4-0

Timberwolves swept Clippers, 4-0

Timberwolves lead Nuggets, 2-0

Jazz won series vs. Spurs, 3-1

Jazz won series vs. Pelicans, 3-1

Jazz won series vs. Clippers, 2-1

Jazz ties with Nuggets, 2-2

Pelicans won series vs. Spurs, 2-1

Pelicans won series vs. Clippers, 2-1

Nuggets won series vs. Pelicans, 2-1

Clippers lead Nuggets, 2-0

Yeah, it’s a jungle.

Why this matters

This might just be the wildest West playoff race we’ve seen in a long time. The Spurs are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. The Timberwolves were supposed to be a lock for the playoffs, but after Jimmy Butler tore his meniscus, they’re looking a little shaky. The Jazz were out of the picture, the Rudy Gobert returned from injury and they forgot what losing was. The Pelicans lost DeMarcus Cousins to a torn Achilles, then Anthony Davis put the team on his back like Captain Planet and went full MVP runner-up mode on the league. And then there’s still Denver and Los Angeles, two injury-riddled teams scrapping for the last spots, and they’re actually in arm’s reach.

This could end any number of ways. We’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out.

Race to the very bottom

Phoenix Suns: 19-58

Atlanta Hawks: 21-55 — 2.5

Memphis Grizzlies: 21-55 — 2.5

Orlando Magic: 22-53 — 4

Dallas Mavericks: 23-53 — 4.5

Sacramento Kings: 24-52 — 5.5

Brooklyn Nets (sadly conveys to Cleveland): 24-51 — 6

Chicago Bulls: 25-51 — 6.5

New York Knicks: 27-49 — 8.5

Los Angeles Lakers (conveys to Philly): 33-42 — 15

Charlotte Hornets: 34-42 — 15.5

Detroit Pistons (conveys to Clippers): 35-40 — 17

Los Angeles Clippers: 41-35 — 22.5

Denver Nuggets: 41-35 — 22.5

We won’t go into tiebreakers this time around. If teams end up with an identical record, there’s a coin toss to see who gets the higher draft lottery odds. For example, last season, the Knicks and Timberwolves both finished with identical records. The Timberwolves won the coin flip, so they drafted seventh and the Knicks eighth. Minnesota took Lauri Markkanen and traded him as a package for Jimmy Butler. The Knicks took Frank Ntilikina.

This year’s draft class is loaded with talent from No. 1-10. Instead of listing the players here, I’ll refer you to our college basketball expert Ricky O’Donnell’s most recent 2018 NBA Mock Draft, where he has Slovenian guard Luka Doncic going No. 1 overall and Oklahoma’s Trae Young going tenth.

[hoopslab]

NBA DFS Lesson Plan 5/7/17 - DraftKings

Thoughts for Sunday

Link to Sunday FanDuel Lesson Plan

This Lesson Plan will link to the two articles I put out today that are optimized for DraftKings game play. One of the articles is longer with lots of individual player information, while the other is more concise with a more specific set of recommendations. Teasers/links for these articles can be found below.

Better value on Harden: In the FD scoring system, James Harden is priced in the mega range, at $12,500, right behind LeBron James ($12,600). In DK, though, he’s down at $10,900 in a group with Kawhi Leonard ($10,800) and John Wall ($10,400), much better value.

Teaser & Link for Draft Kings advice column on Rotowire.com

Team Analysis

Defense to avoid: Cleveland Cavaliers, at TOR - Since yesterday’s article ran, Kyle Lowry has been declared doubtful to play Sunday. Thus, the Cavaliers have an even better chance to hold down the Raptors’ offense and close out the series. Individuals like DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas and/or Cory Joseph could still be useful individuals for DFS purposes, but as a team, the Raptors have the worst offensive prospects on this slate. Offense to Use: Washington Wizards vs BOS - This series has been the most offensive of the three Sunday, and the home team has won all seven games between these two teams this year. The Wizards blew out the Celtics in Game 3, so if they bounce back in Game 4, that should make the game more competitive and could produce a higher point total.

Please see the entire DraftKings article, including individual player recommendations, at Rotowire.

Teaser & Link for DraftKings advice column on Fansided.com

There are three games on the schedule on Sunday. Action starts with the Cavaliers at the Raptors at 3:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Celtics at the Wizards at 6:30 p.m. ET and finishing with the Spurs at the Rockets at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Storylines: The Cavs go into Toronto up 3-0, with Kyle Lowry still listed as doubtful. As such, the Raptors are likely to be weakened at a time when they just can’t afford to be. LeBron James is in full playoffs mode, the Cavs are undefeated through seven playoff games, and if they end things on Sunday they get more rest which has to appeal to the vets on the squad.

The Celtics and Wizards have stayed on serve so far, with the home team winning every game in a pattern that extends back through the regular season. Thus, the Wizards are the favorites, but after they blew the Celtics out in Game 3, it would seem likely that the Cs play better and turn this into a good game.

Finally, the Rockets and Spurs are also battling in a tight series. Each have won one game on the other’s home court, and both James Harden and Kawhi Leonardplayed near their best in Game 3. Sunday’s game is a must-win for the Rockets, but the Spurs would love to go home up 3-1 as well, so expect a hard fought game to end the night.

Please see the entire DraftKings article, including individual player recommendations, at Fansided.