WORLD CUP MATCH PREVIEW: US VS. GERMANY

In spite of the last second goal that gave Portugal the equalizer this past Sunday, the US still controls its own destiny in regards to advancing to knockout play when they play Germany on Thursday. While that draw felt more like a loss, the US only needs a draw/win to advance to the next round, and while there are still a few issues that need to be addressed, the squad looked much better this time out than they did against Ghana. So, what must the US do to avoid wasting the golden opportunity that they have at hand?

1. They must keep the offensive pressure going. It was encouraging to see the US command most of the game, especially after the Nani goal only five minutes into the game. While it might be diffuclt against the Germany squad on paper, Ghana looked faster than the Germans during their matchup, and with much on the line, the US will be looking to build upon a strong overall performance.

2. Michael Bradley must pick up his game. We already know about the subpar game he had against Ghana, but until the last goal, Michael Bradley had been putting on a better performance. Still though, he needs to pick up his game because the second goal could had been avoided if Bradley had just kicked the ball towards the Portuguese corner. The defensive lapses cannot be happening, and it’s a guarantee that you most likely won’t be able to get away with it against Germany.

3. The back four needs to show up in this game. Tim Howard has made some incredible saves in the World Cup tournament so far, but it would be relaxing for the defense to at least cut some of those saves in half. It’s been pretty obvious that this has been the weakest link of the team so far, and against an attacking squad like Germany, it will be put to the test once again.

4. DO NOT PLAY FOR THE TIE. The reason I put this one in caps is because over and over again, teams play for the tie or draw and end up losing the game. While the US only needs a draw to advance to the knockout, they must not play defensive all game since Germany has the ability to make big plays and score at will.

While Germany may seem too big of an opponent to handle, the US has proven these last two games that they can definitely handle what’s in front of them and that there’s no opponent too big. I think that both teams will end up advancing at the end of the day.

FINAL SCORE: 2-2

*This article was contributed by Executive Producer Gregory Delaney, and completed before matchplay*

Big Night In Vegas At NHL Awards

Hockey is considered by many to be the ultimate team sport. For one night a year, however, the best players on the planet gather in the city of Las Vegas, to honor the best individual players in this great team sport. It's the one night of the year where all the major individual hardware is handed out. We found out who was determined to be the best player, goalie, coach, rookie, and defenseman in the entire league during the 2013-14 NHL season. It would take too long to get into details and debate over every award that was handed out last night. So what's going to happen is we will list the winners of every award, going into some debate over the big ones. Without further ado, here are the big individual winners from the NHL Awards.

Art Ross Trophy (NHL Scoring Champion):
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins - 36 goals 68 assists 104 points

Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy (Top Goal Scorer):
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals - 51 goals

William M. Jennings Trophy (Awarded to the goalkeeper(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it in the regular season):
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings - 174

NHL Foundation Player Award (Awarded to the player who applies the core values of hockey to enrich the lives of people in his community):
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins

Mark Messier Leadership Award (Awarded to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season):
Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings

King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community):
Andrew Ference, Edmonton Oilers

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey):
Dominic Moore, New York Rangers

NHL General Manager of the Year Award (Awarded to the top National Hockey League General Manager):
Bob Murray, Anaheim Ducks

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the player who exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability):
Ryan O'Reilly, Colorado Avalanche

Frank J. Selke Trophy (Awarded to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game):
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins

Jack Adams Award (Awarded to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success): 
Patrick Roy, Colorado Avalanche

Roy was able to beat out Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings and Jon Coooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the honor of Coach of the Year, and with good reason. A year ago, the Avalanche finished 29th in the League and last in the Western Conference. They hired Roy, who won the Stanley Cup twice with Colorado as its goalie, to right the ship. This season, the Avalanche won the Central Division, finishing with the third best record in the NHL, before falling to the Minnesota Wild in seven games in the Western Conference First Round. That's a major turn around, and its even more impressive considering the fact that this is Roy's first job behind an NHL bench. He has coaching experience in the minors, but its a bit of a different animal coaching in the NHL and Roy did a tremendous job of it.

Calder Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the league's most outstanding rookie player): 
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

MacKinnon was a near-unanimous choice, easily beating out Tyler Johnson and ONdrej Paalat of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 18-year-old (9/1/95) becomes the youngest Calder winner ever. Carolina forward Jeff Skinner (5/16/92) was three and a half months older when he captured the award in 2011.

MacKinnon topped all first-year players in points (63), goals (24-tied), assists (39), power-play goals (8), game-winning goals (5-tied) and shots (241). The first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft tallied at least one point in 13 consecutive games from Jan. 25 to March 6 (5-13—18), breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record for the longest single-season point streak by a player age 18 or younger (12 games).

James Norris Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position):
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks

For Duncan Keith, this marks the 2nd time he has claimed the leagues top defenseman trophy, last winning the title in 2010. He beat out two very solid candidates in their own right in Zedeno Chara of the Boston Bruins and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators. Keith was one of the big reasons the Blackhawks where right near the top of the Western Conference again this season. Keith is the only active NHL player with more than one Norris Trophy to his credit. Since 1990, only Ray Bourque, Brian Leetch, Chris Chelios, and Nicklas Lidstrom have won the Norris Trophy more than once.

Vezina Trophy (Awarded to the league's top goaltender):
Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

Rask was the top choice for 16 of the 30 General Managers and received 103 voting points to edge second-place Semyon Varlamov of the Colorado Avalanche (9 first-place votes, 90 points). Rask's win marks the third time in the past six seasons that a Bruins netminder has taken Vezina honors, following first-place finishes by Tim Thomas in 2009 and 2011.

Rask posted a 36-15-6 record, highlighted by a career-best 10-game point streak from Mar. 20-30 (9-0-1), as the Bruins captured their first Presidents’ Trophy since 1990 and led the Eastern Conference in team defense (2.08 GA/game). He allowed two goals or fewer in 37 of 58 starts, set single-season highs in wins and appearances, and was the only goaltender to rank among the NHL’s top five in each of the major statistical categories: first in shutouts (seven), second in save percentage (.930), fourth in goals-against average (2.04) and fifth in wins.

Hart Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the league's most valuable player): 
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Crosby won the award by a pretty decent margin, beating out Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks and Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers. Now Giroux and Getzlaf both had a major impact on their respective hockey clubs, but Crosby had a greater impact on his. There were times this year where the Penguins looked outclassed and outmatched. Crosby did what he does best, lead his team on the ice. Crosby deserved his 2nd career Hart Trophy. This season was a proven bounceback year for Sid The Kid.

Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2014 Announced

The Hockey Hall of Fame. A special place in Toronto that celebrates the best players in the history of the game of hockey. Established in 1943, the Hall of Fame serves as a museum and a hall of fame, a dedication to all things great about the game of hockey. To be elected to the Hall, you have to be a cut above the rest, do something for the game, either as a builder, an official or a player, that nobody else can do. For a person to be inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame, they must be nominated by an elected 18-person selection committee which consists of Hockey Hall of Fame members and media personalities. This year, the induction ceremony will take place November 17th, and will see the enshrinement of Goaltender Dominik Hasek of the Czech Republic and Swedish center Peter Forsberg were joined by American center Mike Modano, along with defenseman Rob Blake, coach Pat Burns and referee Bill McCreary.

Burns was elected in the builder category. He spent parts of 14 seasons as a coach in the NHL, winning the Jack Adams Award with three teams and capturing the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003. He also reached the Cup Final in 1989 with the Montreal Canadiens and got the Toronto Maple Leafs to back-to-back conference finals in 1993 and 1994. Burns died November 19, 2010.

McCreary was inducted in the referee/linesman category. He officiated 1,737 regular-season games and an NHL-record 292 playoff games from 1984 to 2011. He also worked 44 Stanley Cup Final games, also a record. He worked in three Olympics (1998, 2002 and 2010), including the gold-medal game in each competition, and the 1991 and 1994 Canada Cups.

First up in the player category will be Dominik Hasek, who is considered one of the greatest goalies in the history of the game. Hasek won the Vezina Trophy six times in his 16-year NHL career, which is tied for the second-most of all time behind Jacques Plante. He's also the only goaltender to win the Hart Trophy more than once, earning League MVP honors in 1996-97 and 1997-98 with the Buffalo Sabres.

 He won 389 games, 11th in League history, and led the NHL in save percentage six times. Hasek did not win the Stanley Cup until later in his career (twice with the Detroit Red Wings), but he punctuated his prime by helping the Czech Republic to a gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, the first time NHL players participated.

When the Dominator played, he did things in the goal that most people can't do unless it's in say a video game. He made saves that he really had no business making at all. Hasek, at times, seemed to get a bit of a bad break. He stood out during his time in Buffalo, those were hands down his best years. The only problem is, he played on teams that at times weren't very good. Sure he was a key piece of the team that went all the way to the finals in 1999, before losing to the Dallas Stars, but for the most part, he was on average to good teams at best in Western New York. Had he been able to win a Stanley Cup with the Sabres, I would put him up in the argument as one of the greatest netminders to ever play the game, but sadly that wasn't able to happen. Still the Dominator is one of the greatest goalies to ever strap on the pads and tend goal.

Next up, we have one of the shiftiest forwards to ever play the game, Peter Forsberg. Originally drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers, Forsberg became part of the massive package used to acquire the rights to Eric Lindros from the Quebec Nordiques in 1992, and Forsberg went on to be one of the best players of his generation while winning the Stanley Cup twice with Colorado.

Forsberg won the Calder Trophy in 1994-95, the Hart Trophy in 2002-03 and the Cup in 1996 and 2001. His career was cut short by injuries, but he finished with 249 goals and 885 points in 708 career games. His 1.25 points-per-game average is eighth all-time, and his 0.90 assists per game rank fifth.

 He's also 11th all-time in points per game during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, having totaled 171 points in 151 playoff games.

Here's a guy in Forsberg who could do things with the puck that most guys could only dream about. He had a wicked shot, but it's something he didn't really use much, scoring 249 goals. With the way he played, he could have scored so many more. He was one of the more underrated centers in the game, playing with and against guys like Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux. Forsberg was a superb playmaker, who know how to dish out the physical play as well as the puck. He was a true superstar, and during the early 200's I would consider probably the best player on the planet at that time. It's a shame injuries had cut his career a little short, he could have been something more than great. He really was an incredible hockey player and so much fun to watch.

Next up on the list, is the greatest American born scorer and player in NHL history, Mike Modano. Modano finished his playing career with 561 goals and 1,374 points, His 1,499 games played, all but 40 with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise, are the most by a U.S.-born forward. A seven-time all-star, Modano was the face of the franchise when it moved to Texas, and he remains an icon in both places. He helped the Stars win the Stanley Cup in 1999, and he leads all American players with 146 playoff points.

There were so many things that Modano did well, that he couldn't be really knocked during his career. When he first broke into the league, he was mainly a scoring threat, a one dimensional player. By the time the team moved to Dallas, he was given a new coach, and really changed his game, becoming a better all around hockey player. He was a proven leader, as was evident by pulling the Stars together during their 1999 championship season. Hands down one of, if not the flat out tops, the best players to ever come from America. He never scored fancy goals, but he always found a way to score a big goal or make a big play when it was needed. He was the face of the Stars franchise and the face of USA hockey for a long long time. He also had a big impact off the ice in Dallas, helping expand the game in the state of Texas.

The final name added to the hall of fame in the players category is former defenseman Rob Blake. Blake had 240 goals and 777 points in 1,270 games with the Los Angeles Kings, Colorado and San Jose Sharks. He won the Norris Trophy in 1997-98 and the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Avalanche. He recently won the Cup a second time as an executive with the Kings and also won gold with Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. The other three players are all being inducted in their first year of eligibility. Blake was in his second year.

Blake was in no way the flashiest defenseman in the NHL, but boy was he a rock solid defender. He never had an offensive upside of a guy like Scott Neidermeyer, Al McInnis or Zedeno Chara. Blake was an all around solid hockey player, he had a heavy shot, pretty good vision to make a pass and was a pretty good skater. But what really helped keep him in the big leagues was his physical players. Blake was one of the hardest hitting blueliners of the 20th century. Guys would be knocked loopy on hip checks from Blake, he was that great a hitter. Rob Blake was an underrated blueliner but man could he really go from the back end. A solid all around hockey player very deserving of his induction.

So there you have it, the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2014!

NBA Free Agency Just Got A Lot More Interesting

Ah free agency. The time of the year that professional sports teams get to sign players to help rebuild their franchise to championship material. On July 1st, there will be plenty of big names in the NBA hitting the free agent market. Some of the big names that had been on the market are guys like Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay, Paul Pierce among some of the names set to hit the market. Well, over the last few days, two huge names have decided to opt out of their contracts and hit free agency. Those two huge names happen to be Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.

LeBron James deciding to opt out of his contract came as a small bit of a surprise. LeBron had until June 30 to decide whether to opt out of the final two years of his contract with Miami. He was scheduled to make $20 million next season and had two years and about $42.7 million remaining on his deal, according to ESPN. Now that doesn't totally mean that he won't come back to the Heat, that is still very much a possibility. Think about it, the Heat just went to four straight NBA finals, winning the championship in their middle two appearances. Now the other two parts of the Heat big three, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, have yet to tell the team whether or not they will follow in LeBron's footsteps and opt out of their contracts for free agency. That possibility is still on the table, so we will wait and see what happens with those tow guys.

There are plenty of teams out there who could the talent of a guy like LeBron. Rumors have been thrown around that he might be heading back to Cleveland, he could stay put and sign a new deal with the Heat in Miami, you just never know. The options for LeBron are pretty good. One spot we know he probably won't be heading is the New York Knicks, only because the Knicks are going to be over the salary cap in the NBA for the 2014-15 season, so that is almost a given that he won't be heading to New York. I'm still sure that there are going to be a lot of buyers on the market for LeBron, it just depends on what and where will be the best fit for the best player in the game today.

With Carmelo Anthony, its a bit of a different story. Carmelo officially opted out of the final year of his contract with the New York Knicks on Monday and will test free agency this summer. This move may have had a couple of reasons behind it.  One had to do with the Salary cap. Right now, the cap is projected to be $63,2000,000 for next season. Even with the Anthony deal already off the books, the Knicks are still about $5.8 million over the cap, with the roster that is currently signed under contract. So its going to make this tough for the Knicks to try and even consider bringing Melo back. Plus throw into the mix the fact that, even with Carmelo back in the fold, there isn't enough cap space for this team to try and bring in free agents and build a team around Carmelo and give him a good supporting cast to be competitive in the East.

As it sits at the moment, according to ESPN, Anthony can sign a maximum contract worth $129 million over five years with the Knicks. He can sign a maximum deal worth $96 million over four years with another team. And Carmelo is looking to sign on with a team that has a chance to be a winning basketball organization. Anthony would consider signing with the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks, sources say (ESPN). Chicago, I believe, might have the same possible salary cap issues the Knicks have, so that might not work out as an option for Melo. Of those three teams, the best one for Melo to go to, if he wants to have a chance to win an NBA title, would be the Houston Rockets. They have plenty of talent on that ball club, the setup would be perfect to have the right supporting cast for a guy with Melo's talent.

So with LeBron and Carmelo both free agents this summer, its going to make a for a more interesting summer for free agency in the NBA!

WORLD CUP MATCH PREVIEW: UNITED STATES VS. PORTUGAL

With the first week of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil having already been played, the United States finds itself in a very favorable position after defeating Ghana 2-1 in their group opening match. While the win helped them secure a very valuable 3 points, the United States faces some issues in their next matchup against a Portugal team looking to rebound after a 4-0 drubbing by Germany. This upcoming matchup for the United States might hold their key to the next round depending on what happens between Germany and Ghana, but there are some areas of concern and some potential roadblocks that the US must address if they want to advance to the knockout stage.

1. OVERCOME THE LOSS OF JOZY ALTIDORE: In the midst of the 2-1 win over Ghana, the US were dealt a severe blow in the loss of striker Jozy Altidore to a hamstring that could keep him out of the remainder of the World Cup. Clint Dempsey will need to take his game to the next level to compensate for the loss of Altidore, along with Chris Wondolowski and Aron Johannson, in order to at the very least keep it close with Portugal and Germany coming up.

2. THE MIDFIELD MUST BE BETTER: There were numerous chances during the game, especially in the second half, that Ghana was going through the midfield, which ended up leading them to the equalizer in the 81st minute. Michael Bradley needs to get back into form and play up to the level that he was playing at during his time at A.S. Roma, since he’s arguably one of their best players. You might be able to get away with it against Ghana, but that’s a no-no against Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portuguese.

3. EXPLOIT CR7’S KNEE INJURY: At the time of writing this article, there were question marks surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s knee injury and whether he would be at 100% at game time. While he most likely won’t be at 100%, Ronaldo still has the ability to be a difference maker and the thorn in the side of the US midfield and back four. If Ronaldo doesn’t play, the US needs to exploit the weakness with their best player off the field and a defense that’s questionable at best.

4. DON’T PARK THE BUS: This will coincide with what happens in the Germany/Ghana game, but if Germany defeats Ghana, all the US will need to do is draw with Portugal and they will move onto the knockout stage. They can’t sit back and park the bus with Portugal since the Portuguese do have the ability to score goals if they are fully healthy. This Klinsmann coached team does have the discipline to avoid this mindset and score a few goals in order to give themselves the best opportunity possible.

5. DEAL WITH THE HEAT: The Brazilian heat has gotten to some of the teams, leading to a good amount of players cramping at different times throughout the tournament. The United States will need to be in good condition, especially with their game in Portugal playing in Manaus, which is located within the Amazon jungle. The conditioning will lead to less cramps and less potential for serious injuries.

 With this matchup between Portugal possibly being the ticket into the knockout stage, the United States needs to come out with full intensity and not allow Portugal to dictate the pace of play in Manaus. If Ronaldo is not up to par with his play, there’s a possibility that the United States can make it out of this game with a win, or at the very least, a draw.

FINAL SCORE: 2-1 U.S.A.

*This article was contributed by Executive Producer Gregory Delaney, and completed before matchplay*

Clayton Kershaw Nearly Perfect In Tossing No Hitter

It's something that most pitchers dream about. Pitching a no-hitter in a Major League Baseball game. Heading into last night, there had been a total of 283 such games thrown by Major League pitchers. You can now add another name to that list: Clayton Kershaw. From an individual standpoint, the 26 year old Kershaw has accomplished a lot during his seven year big league career. To his credit, Kershaw has a pair of Cy Young Awards, three straight major league ERA titles, a 20-win season, and now you can throw in a no-hitter.

Kershaw dominated the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, striking out a career-high 15 and allowing his only baserunner on a throwing error by shortstop Hanley Ramirez in Los Angeles' 8-0 victory. It is very safe to say that Kershaw was in a bigtime groove last night in Chavez Ravine. All this coming from a guy who missed more than six weeks early this year because of a strained muscle in his upper back, after beating Arizona in the season opener during the Dodgers' two-game trip to Australia. I think, with his performance tonight, Kershaw may have silenced any doubt that he is the best pitcher in the game today. I know Masahiro Tanaka of the Yankees and Mark Buehrle may have better numbers than Kershaw at the moment, but on the whole I still contend he is the very best in the business at what he does. To make this feet even more impressive, look at what Kershaw was able to shut down. Coming into the game last night, Colorado was leading the majors in batting average, hits, total bases, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. They were first in the National League in runs and homers. The fact that Kershaw was nearly perfect against THAT lineup, speaks volumes. It shows just how much of a groove he was in on this night.

This no-hitter by Kershaw is the 2nd one that's been thrown in the big leagues this year. The other was tossed by his Dodgers teammate Josh Beckett on May 25th, a 6-0 win over the Phillies on the road. Kershaw's 15 strikeouts last night tied him for 3rd most in a no-hitter. Here's the list of top strikeout performances in a no-hitter (from Elias Sports Bureau):

Nolan Ryan 17 1973
Nolan Ryan 16 1991
Clayton Kershaw 15 2014
Nolan Ryan 15 1974
Don Wilson 15 1967
Warren Spahn 15 1960

When you think about it, that's some pretty elite company to keep. Also, Kershaw's gem last night marked just the 3rd time ever that a reigning Cy-Young award winner had thrown a no-hitter. Along with kersahw last night, the other two to do it were Bob Gibson with the Cardinals in 1971 and Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers in 1964. This marks the 22nd no-hitter in Dodgers history and the first at home since Ramon Martinez's 2-0 gem against the Marlins on July 14, 1995. The last time the Rockies were held hitless, it was by Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo on Sept. 17, 1996. The only other no-hitter against Colorado was pitched by Al Leiter of the Marlins in May 1996.

So congratulations are in order to Clayton Kershaw on his brilliant No-Hitter!

Baseball Suffers Big Loss With Passing Of Gwynn and Zimmer

Over the past two weeks, the world of professional baseball has taken a major hit. It has nothing really to do with on the field, but more so it's personality off the field. They had smiles that could light up a room. Their laughs and personalities were infectious. Within the span of a week, baseball lost two of its greatest personalities and ambassadors in Don Zimmer, who was 73, and Tony Gwynn, who was 54. The world of baseball suffered a great loss in terms of their personalities, their gentle modesty and their sense of responsibility to act like big leaguers, as well as for their accomplishments.

Don Zimmer had a decent career as a player, spending 12 years in the big leagues as a Third Baseman, Second Baseman and Shortstop. He may not have been the best hitter in the league, but was a good enough ball player to be able to hang around for 12 years with the Dodgers, Senators, Reds and Mets. He played in the big leagues for years after beanings and cranial surgeries that would have ended the careers of others. He was tough. But everyone also knew that he was soft-hearted underneath, which in his case was about a hundredth of an inch below the surface. Zimmer knew the game very well, which combined with the warmth that most people knew, was parlayed very well into his second career in the game. Most people knew him for his days as a manager and bench coach in the big leagues.

Zimmer's first two coaching jobs were with the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres. After being fired by the Padres in 1973, Zimmer took over as the manager of the Boston Red Sox until 1981. That was the time when he really established himself as a great coach in this game, despite the fact that Boston had that historic collapse in 1978. So after his time in Boston, he moved on to manage the Texas Rangers for a couple of seasons. He then bounced around to a few other organizations, including the Cubs and Rockies, before really settling down as bench coach under Joe Torre and the New York Yankees. During his time in the Bronx, Zimmer found his first taste of sustained success since he was in charge of the Red Sox in the late 70's.

During his managing days, Zimmer still had the passion and fire as he had as a player, and he also made guys feel very welcome on his ball club. After losses, his office felt like a postmortem, a real one, because he took every defeat hard and personally. But the next day, at the batting cage, he’d say, “Whadaya need?” to a kid reporter or quietly work the Red Sox clubhouse to energize a slumping team (Washington Post). That's just the way Zimmer was. Sure there were times where you were left wnadering about some of his decisions, like the time he charged at Pedro Martinez during the famed 2003 brawl between the Yankees and Red Sox, But then, a few minutes later, Zimmer would be laughing and smiling and making light of the whole situation. That's just the way he was. Zimmer had a passion for the game that was undeniable, you could just see in his face his love for the game, and love for life as well. It was infectious.

The same thing can be said for Tony Gwynn, who is, in my book, the best pure hitter in this generation. He turned hitting into an art form, becoming one of the first guys in the big leagues to really use video tape to study his swing and use it to his advantage. No one in baseball studied videotape more exhaustively than Gwynn, who may have started the trend toward film study. The batting cage was his research facility. His career average of .338 is the highest since Ted Williams. He won eight batting titles and five Gold Gloves in right field. He stole 319 bases and threw out runners. On the field, as a pure hitter, there are very few guys in history that can come close to what Gwynn was able to do with a bat. He may not have hit with a lot of power, he hit double digit home runs just five times in his career, but the guy could hit to all fields and make any pitcher look foolish.

There was more to Gwynn than just his ability to hit and play the game. His trademark within the game was his high-pitched giggle. He had this laugh that was so infectious you couldn't help but start to laugh right along with him. Gwynn never took the game too seriously, he always seemed like he was having fun on a baseball diamond. He loved the game, and life for that matter, all the same.

It’s because of people like Zimmer and Gwynn, and hundreds of others with similar qualities, though their warmth of spirit may not be writ quite as large, that so many people have spent a lifetime around the game, still love it and don’t grow tired of it or angry at it just because it has all the flaws of other institutions. The world can use all the Gwynns and Zimmers it can get. Baseball doesn’t create them, but it husbands and appreciates them. That’s why there are, and will continue to be, many more like them, though never quite the same.

Spurs Dominate Heat, Claim 5th NBA Crown

This is a truly dominate big three. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are without a doubt the winningest trio in NBA postseason history. San Antonio capped off a dominate season, and a dominate playoff run, with a 104-87 victory in game five to claim the 2014 NBA Championship. After falling just short of a championship a season ago, to the very same Heat squad, the Spurs got their redemption, claiming the crown that was of the sweetest taste.

Miami started off solid in this basketball game, even holding a 16 point lead early on. But that feeling didn't last very long. For the forth time in this series, which all turned out to be Spurs victories, San Antonio erased an early 16-point deficit and routed Miami. Lebron James finished with a double double for the Heat, dropping 31 points to go along with ten rebounds. He had a dominate series, like he always does. What was different between last year's title win and this years win was the supporting cast around Lebron. Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, Lebron's two running buddies in Miami, weren't much of a factor at all in game five. Bosh finished with 13 points and Wade just 11 on 4-of-12 shooting for the Heat. There's really no way you can win a basketball game with that low a shooting percentage from your big stars. In fact it wasn't just the stars who didn't show up, it was the rest of the team as well. Nobody else, outside of the big three for the Heat, hit double digits in points. The closest one was Michael Beasley, who dropped nine points coming off the bench.

San Antonio was able to do almost everything right in this series, and in game five. Patty Mills dropped 17 points coming off the bench, including a big three pointer late in the ballgame. Tim Duncan had 14 points, while Tony Parker added in 16 points. Both paled in comparison to the 22 points chipped in by Kawhi Leonard, who also threw in 10 rebounds for a double double of his own.  Leonard was outstanding the entire series, hitting big shots when needed, helping power the Spurs offense and, just as important, really shutting down Lebron. Sure there were times when Lebron would make an impact, bu thanks to the brilliant defense of Leonard, he wasn't able to dominate the series like he did last year. With the way he played in the entire series, Kawhi Leonard was named the Finals MVP. He was good in this series. I mean really good. Leonard averaged 17.8 points on 61% shooting. Yes that is indeed MVP worthy.

The end of the basketball game brought out so much emotion and elation from the Spurs. Don't believe meme? Look for yourself:


If your looking at this from the perspective of Miami, there is a little to be positive about. You did make the finals for the fourth year in a row, and the Heat had won 11 straight series, tied for the fifth-longest streak in NBA history. It still has to sting, losing out on a championship. But now you know what holes you have to fix. IN injection of youth and depth would be a good start. I'm sorry but the Spurs dominated in both departments all series long. Miami had a good run, but if they want to get back to the title they have some work to do this offseason.

As for San Antonio, there's a lot to be proud of. It was the Spurs' 12th win by 15 or more points, most ever in a postseason. The Spurs outscored opponents by 214 points in the postseason (ESPN). That right there is a symbol of flat out dominance. For the Spurs, they have won now five NBA titles since 1999, which was Tim Duncan's second year in the league. San Antonio remain the NBA's model organization, a small-market team that simply wins big and hardly ever does it with a high draft pick. Instead, they found players overseas or in other organizations who would fit the Spurs' way of doing things and mesh with the Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, who have teamed for 117 postseason victories.

So congratulations to the San Antonio Spurs on winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy as the 2014 NBA Champions!

Alec Martinez The Hero As Kings Win Second Cup In Three Years

It's the dream of every young hockey player. To score the biggest goal every. Score the game winning goal in overtime that clinches the Stanley Cup Championship. Everybody who has ever played hockey has dreamed about it, but only a few have ever lived it. It has happened 16 times in the history of the finals, with the newest name being added to the list last night. Double Overtime, Alec Martinez added his name to the record books, handing the Los Angeles Kings their 2nd Stanley Cup Championship in three seasons.

For the 3rd time in this series, the New York Rangers we're unable to hold a lead in a hockey game. But it didn't start off that way. Los Angeles got on the board first, when at the 06:04 mark of the opening period, Justin Williams found a loose puck in front of the net and scored his 9th of the playoffs. The opening period of play was a pretty even one, with the shots favoring the Kings 7-6.  To the middle frame we go, and special teams would be the story of the period.

New York would finally get on the board, at the 15:37 mark of the period, when Chris Kreider scored his 5th goal of the playoffs, this one a powerplay goal. The whole play was set up by some pretty passing by the blueshirts. Ryan McDonagh feed a perfect pass right through onto the tape of Kreider who buried the puck into a wide open net. Then the Rangers strike again, this time on a shorthanded goal, at the 19:30, when Brian Boyle scored his 3rd of the playoffs. This was a case of it had to be a perfect shot. Boyle had a step on teh defense and snapped a high shot over the glove of Qucik, which, at first look, seemed to go off the post and stay out. It was quickly shown that the puck went in and came out quickly.

So on the strength of those two goals, the Rangers carried the lead into the 3rd period. As we have seen oh so often in this series, the Rangers holding a lead into the 3rd period never lasts. It happened in games one and two of this series in Los Angeles, as it would again in game five. LA absolutely dominated the final period, outshooting the Rangers 12-3 in over the final 20 minutes of regulation. In this case however, the Rangers may have a bit of a gripe. At the 7:39 mark of the 3rd, Mats Zuccarello was called for tripping Jake Muzzin of the Kings. Flat out, even I'll admit to this, it was a bad call by the refs. It really shouldn't have been a penalty, they flat out got the call wrong. Either way, the call gave the Kings a powerplay, of which they took full advantage of. At the 7:56 mark, just 17 seconds into the powerplay, Marian Gaborik scored his 14th goal of the playoffs, pulling the Kings even. With as hot a shooter as Gaborik was in this playoffs, he was left alone in front of the net. Hank made the initial save, but nobody was able to really tie up Gaborik in front of the net and he was able to poke in the rebound. So through the rest of regulation we went without anybody being able to find the back of the net.

To overtime we go. Both teams had plenty of quality scoring chances, but were unable to find the back of the net. The Kings outshot the Rangers 12-10 in the first overtime. With nothing decided after the first overtime, we had to go to a second one. The pressure was mounting for both teams. The Rangers desperate to force a game six back at MSG, while the Kings were trying to end the series. It was a battle of wills.

Finally, at the 14:43 mark of the 2nd overtime, everybody's dream as a kid was realized. At that exact moment, this happened:


For Alec Martinez, it was his 5th goal, and hands down his biggest goal, of the 2014 playoffs. Thanks to Martinez heroics, the Kings claim their 2nd Stanley Cup Championship in three seasons, and their 2nd title in franchise history. Justin Williams, the Kings right winger, was award the Conn Smythe trophy as MVP of the playoffs. Williams finished the playoffs with nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 26 games,  one of those goals was a huge one. One of Williams goals was the game-winning goal in game one of the Cup Finals and he scored the Kings' first in the 3-2 comeback in game five to win the Cup. Williams also had points in all three Game 7 matches the Kings had on the path to the finals.

Congratulations are in order to the Los Angeles Kings, the 2014 Stanley Cup Champions!

WC Match Preview: Spain vs. The Netherlands

WORLD CUP MATCH PREVIEW: SPAIN VS. THE NETHERLANDS

Normally, this matchup wouldn’t necessarily be one to write about on the blog page, but it holds significance because it’s the first time that both team from the previous World Cup final open their group stage against each other. Having won the 2010 World Cup, Spain is looking to repeat with perhaps a stronger squad this time around while the Netherlands has a younger group that’s looking to find its footing. Both teams have their share of experience, whether it comes down to some of the older players on the teams or the managers that patrol the sidelines. How do I think this match will play out? Here are a few, key points that I believe will have an outcome on the game.

1. THE MIDFIELD: Take a look at Spain’s midfield, take a look at the Netherlands’ midfield, and tell me that you don’t like the Spanish in this department. While you do have Robben, Sneijder, and van der Vaart with the experience of some big time football, the Spanish have playmakers that can match up with those three gentlemen in Koke, David Silva, and Iniesta. Compliment those gentlemen with Jesus Navas and Cesc Fabregas, and it would be hard pressed to give the Dutch the hand in this one.

2. HEALTHY VAN PERSIE OR HEALTHY COSTA?: Perhaps the two most focused on strikers on both teams are looking to shrug off the injury bug that has been following both Robin van Persie and Diego Costa since the beginning of 2014. After netting a hat trick against Olympiacos in Champions League play, van Persie injured his ACL and has been working his way to make sure that he is 100% for the World Cup, while Diego Costa has been dealing with hamstring issues throughout the latter part of his season with Athletico Madrid, affectedly forcing him to miss the CL final against Real Madrid. While both athletes say they are ready to go, this matchup will be a good test to see how fit they are and while van Persie may be the more experienced one, he may have to show the most to carry his squad.

3. THE MEN OF THE SIDELINE: Both Louis van Gaal and Vicente del Bosque have experience managing big time teams and have both won numerous titles to their name. How the managers are able to maximize the talent on their respective squads will determine who gets the edge in this area because quite honestly, I can’t see one here.

I feel that this will end up being one of the better group opening matches to take place, considering what’s at stake and the recent history between the two. While I do see the Netherlands putting up a good fight, I think Spain’s overall experience will be too much for the Dutch to overcome.

SCORE: 2-1 SPAIN.

*This article was contributed by Executive Producer Gregory Delaney, and completed before matchplay*

2014 World Cup Preview

With the FIFA World Cup starting in a few days in the nation of Brazil, the United States is once again going to face a difficult task at hand if they aspire to advance in the World Cup. In a group that includes Germany, Portugal, and Ghana, it’s going to be an enormous task for the United States to accumulate enough points to advance to the knockout stages and make a serious impact in Brazil. This will be the first World Cup for the United States under coach Jurgen Klinsmann, and will be looking to avenge their last town World Cup knockouts at the hands of Ghana. So what must the US do in order to advance to knockout games in Brazil?

1. BEAT GHANA OPENING MATCH: Having been knocked out by Ghana the last two World
Cups, it only seems fitting to fate that the third time around is a charm for the US, who for
some reason don’t match up well against Ghana. Granted, the first two times were decided by
a score of 2-1 that could have gone either way, but this time around, it can be nothing less than
a win for the US if they have any hope of advancing to the knockout stages.

2. FIND SOME SCORING: With Landon Donovan being left off the team, the US is going to
need to look to some alternatives to get the ball into the back of the net. After scoring 2 goals
in the final friendly against Nigeria, Jozy Altidore will need to continue scoring in order to
compliment Clint Dempsey, who is arguably the best forward the US has. The midfield duo of
Michael Bradley and newcomer Julian Green will also need to be on top of their offensive
game to help supply the scoring, especially against the likes of Germany and Portugal.

3. THE BACKFIELD MUST BE BETTER: DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson must elevate
their game, along with the rest of the defenders, in order to keep the US competitive in these
games. Having a solid to great defensive plan will also alleviate some of the pressure off Tim
Howard in keeping the opposing team off the scoreboard. The defense looked shaky in some
of the earlier friendlies, but might finally start to be coming around in the nick of time.

4. DEFEAT EITHER GERMANY OR PORTUGAL: I know what you’re thinking. You expect
the US to win two out of three in this so called “Group of Death” when they could easily lose
all three? While the latter is certainly a possibility, I feel as though six points will be the most
that any team will accumulate to advance to the knockout stages, and in order for the US to do
that, they must take out one of the two giants. While both Germany and Portugal will give the
US fits, they would more likely be able to defeat Portugal if Cristian Ronaldo is not able to
perform up to 100%, with the rest of the Portuguese team falling somewhere between average
and solid. The Germans, even without Marco Reus, are strong from top to bottom, thus giving
any team in the group issues,

5. WHILE FOCUSED ON RUSSIA, STAY IN BRAZIL: While Klinsmann has said on occasion
that he’s focused on the potential this group has for 2018, the current group must still perform
well or at least honorable to help grow into higher expectations for the 2018 World Cup in
Russia. While it’s safe to say that the US will probably not advance far in the tournament, a
strong showing in Brazil could led to high expectations for this team down the road.

MY FINAL PREDICTION: THIRD PLACE IN GROUP STAGE


TEAMS TO LOOK OUT FOR
1. SPAIN: The defending World Cup champions and the two time defending European
champions are obviously the favorites to do what no team has in 52 years: Win back to back
World Cups. The last team to do that were the hosts for this years World Cup in 1958 and
1962, that being of Brazil. With the squad pretty much intact from South Africa and with the
addition of both Koke and Diego Costa, the Spanish look to be stronger than ever going into
Brazil, but even with that notion, there are a few questions to be answered. Will this team be
able to score more goals than they did in South Africa in case the defense and goaltending
doesn’t perform up to par? How will Diego Costa handle playing in Brazil after rejecting his
citizenship for Spanish citizenship? And, will teams have figured them out from four years ago
to the present?

2. BRAZIL: The host nation and the last team to repeat in the World Cup, the Brazilians are
faced with the pressuring of winning it all even though their squad isn’t considered to be that
particularly strong. With a so-so defense and questionable goaltending, the forward
combination of Hulk and Neymar will need to get the job done. If all things fall into line, this
could be the coming out party for Neymar in being mentioned along the sides of Messi and
Ronaldo as one of the greats, and perhaps, even a sixth World Cup title for Brazil.

3. BELGIUM: Anyone who has paid attention to international football recognizes that the
Belgians are poised to make a big run in the World Cup with the talent that this squad possess.
With a talented young goaltender in Thiabaut Courtois and promising strikers like Eden
Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, the Belgians look poised and ready to win their group and make
a deep run into the semi-finals or even potentially the final. This has the making of being a
very special team or one that will severely disappoint.

4. ARGENTINA: Many people feel as those Argentina might be able to win their first World
Cup since 1986, mainly due to the fact that Lionel Messi finally has another world class
forward in Sergio Aguero to compliment the scoring. With that being said, I’m in the school of
believing while they could make a big run, their goaltending issues and their suspect backfield
may prevent them from raising the trophy in Brazil. It’s obvious that the success for Argentina
will rest on the shoulders of Lionel Messi, who is looking to make up for what has been an
average season by Messi standards, and also the elevation of play by the rest of the team to
make a big run in the World Cup.

5. ENGLAND: A young team that most people think won’t advance out of the group stage, the
English could possibly make a big run if everything plays out for them. While they do have a
young team in play, they have one of the best goaltenders in Joe Hart, and a world class striker
in Wayne Rooney that might be able to make up for a potentially average backfield. England
always seems to find a way to fall short in disappointment in trying to win their first World
Cup since hosting the event in 1966. In a group that includes Uruguay, Italy, and Costa Rica, it
will be very difficult for the English to advance unless they can break through the creative
midfields that both Italy and Uruguay possess.

Some other teams that people should focus on include the Netherlands, runner ups from
the 2010 World Cup, the Balkan states of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and France even
without Franck Ribery. In my personal opinion, I think SPAIN will defeat Brazil in the final to
repeat as World Cup champions and cement their place as one of the greatest national teams of
all time.

Article written by Executive Producer Gregory Delaney (Predictions were made before start of tournament)

Henrik Lundqvist Stands Tall As Rangers Force Game Five

Heading into game four, the Los Angeles Kings had the champagne on ice, getting ready to celebrate a second championship in as many years. After the way things look in game three, the Kings were riding high and the Rangers looked a little deflated. When the night was over, and all was said and done, the champagne remained chilled and had to be sent back to Los Angeles for a game five. The Kings went for the kill but couldn't get enough past Henrik Lundqvist, who stood on his head, turning in an outstanding performance, to help power the Rangers to a 2-1 victory. The Rangers offense got what they needed and Hank held the fort down to keep the Rangers in the series. Game four was almost a complete role reversal from what we saw in game three.

In Game Four, the Kings played with a desperate intensity, looking to go for the kill and end the series in four games, something that hasn't been done in the finals since the Detroit Red Wings swept the Washington Capitals in 1998.  The Kings got a little bit of "puck luck" in their game three win. This time in game four it kind of bit them in the rear end.

The opening period was a pretty even one, with shots favoring the Kings 11-7. The lone goal of the opening period came at the 7:25 mark and looked a little something like this:


The beautiful deflection was made by Benoit Pouliot, the goal being his 5th of the playoffs. This was a huge goal for the Rangers for a couple of reasons. First, the goal was the Rangers' first since the second period of Game 2, snapping a drought of 123:01. Second it helped infuse life into both the team and the fans, both of whom seemed down after what happened in game three.

Shortly after the Rangers scored the goal, they got a little bit of a lucky break on a Kings powerplay:


Anton Strallman made one of the most heads up plays of the playoffs, somehow being able to keep that puck out of the net at the last moment. So the goal and the big save had the Rangers taking a little momentum with them into the intermission. When the 2nd period got going, that's when both teams really started to step up their pace. Shot totals in the middle period when 15-11 in favor of the Kings, with both goalies, Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick, having to stand on their heads and be sharp.

New York would strike again, at the 06:27 mark of the 2nd, Martin St. Louis buried his 8th of the playoffs and 2nd of this series. The ironic thing about the St. Louis goal was it was scored the same exact way he had scored his goal in game two of this series. So now the Rangers had a 2-0 lead, something that had to be festering in the back of Rangers fans head. It came to the forefront a few minutes later. Los Angeles got back into the hockey game when, at the 08:46 mark of the 2nd, Dustin Brown scored a beautiful goal on a breakaway, his 6th of the playoffs. When Brown scored, it got most thinking that this could happen to the Rangers again. If you remember the first two games of the series, the Rangers had two goal leads in both games and lost both of those games. The goal by Brown really made you think that this could be happening to them again.

Thankfully, for the Rangers sake, that didn't happen. Once the 3rd period rolled around, the Kings totally dominated the Rangers, outshooting them 15-1 during the final twenty minutes of play. This was an exact role reversal from game three, which saw the Kings get dominated by the Rangers in the final period. In this case, in game four, Henrik Lundqvist played outstanding, even getting a little bit of help late in the game:


That one lucky bounce really saved the game for the Rangers, along with the fact that Hank played out of his mind late in the game. Quick had an OK night in net for the Kings, stopping 17 of the 19 shots he faced. Meanwhile Henrik Lundqvist faced a barrage of rubber, stopping 40 of the 41 shots that he faced.

So now the series heads back to Los Angeles for game five Friday night. From a Kings perspective, they were hoping to have put this series away in four, but now they have the chance to do it in five games. This could be a potential deja vu for the Kings. When they were in the finals in 2012 against the Devils, the Kings held a 3-0 lead in the series, lost games four and five, before closing it out in game six. I don't think the Kings want to come back to New York for a game six, they are going to try and finish this series off in game five in LA.

Meanwhile the Rangers are looking to become the 5th team in playoff history, the 2nd in the history of the finals, and the 2nd team in this years playoffs alone (Kings in round one) to come back from down 3-0 and win a series in seven games. They are one step closer to doing just that.

Game five takes place Friday night at 8PM at the Staples Center in Los Angeles!

Record Setting First Half Powers Spurs To Game Three Win

For the San Antonio Spurs, game three was a night to remember. For the Miami Heat, it was a night they might want to try and forget. The Spurs had one of the single greatest shooting nights in the history of the finals. San Antonio made a Finals-record 75.8 percent of their shots in the first half in a 111-92 victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night that gave them a 2-1 lead. The previous record had been 75 percent, which the Orlando Magic posted in game three of the 2009 finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

To start game three, San Antonio came out red hot, hitting 19 of their first 21 shots, and by the time the first half ended, the Spurs were 25-for-33. San Antonio led 71-50 at halftime, making this game the 70-point first half in the finals since the Lakers scored 75 against Boston in Game 2 in 1987. Yeah the Spurs had a big night in the shooting game.

Powering the Spurs high powered offense was Kawhi Leonard, who dropped down a career-high 29 points. In game three alone, Leonard scored more points than he had in the first two games of the series combined. In games One and Two, Leonard dropped 18 points total, while going 6 for 14 from the floor. In Game Three, he dropped the 29 points on 10 of 13 shooting. So yeah Leonard had hit a groove in game three. It wasn't just in the scoring department that Leonard produced, as he also did a fine job keeping the leagues best player in Lebron James in check.

Sure Lebron had a good game, he finished with 22 points on the night, same as Dwyane Wade, but Lebron had a rough night. King James turned the ball over seven times and looked about average, if that, on defense. The Heat, as a whole were kept in check the whole night. James and Wade were the only Heat players to score more than 20 points on the night, and along with Rashard Lewis (14 points) and Ray Allen off the bench (11 points) were the only ones on the Heat who had double digit performances in game three. After the Spurs totally dominated in the 1st half, Miami finally showed some signs of life in the 3rd quarter, running off 10 straight points to cut a 17-point deficit to 81-74. That was as close as Miami would get, as the Spurs pulled away in the fourth.

There were a couple things that really stood out to me on this night. Form a Spurs perspective, the move to put Boris Diaw into the lineup, countering Miami's small lineup, worked out great. He had a solid night,  creating more ball movement that clearly helped Leonard. And Leonard wasn't the only Spur to hit double digits in scoring, as Tim Duncan dropped 14 points, Danny green and Tony Parker had 15 points each and Manu Ginobili had 11 coming off the bench. The Spurs got their role players involved in the game, forcing the Heat into making mental mistakes.

Miami looked out of sync the entire night. You knew something had to be off if Lebron James turned the basketball over seven times in one game. That is so un-Lebron-like in a big game. I know he had the 22 points but still the number of turnovers has to be a little concerning. A lot of that had to do with how ell Kawhi Leonard defended the King, not giving James very many good looks at the rim, just making it a tough night for Lebron, which caused the turnovers.

Facts are the spurs were in a big shooting groove and the Heat didn't have an answer for it. Now the Heat find themselves down 2-1 in the series, looking for answers. They better have things worked out by game four, otherwise this could be a quick series. Game Four is set for Thursday night June 12th from American Airlines Arena in Miami, with tipoff scheduled for 9PM!

Jonathan Quick Shuts The Door As Kings One Win Away From Championship

During the first two games of the Final, the Los Angeles Kings have never held a lead. They have had to come back in both games, before coming away with overtime victories. That took place in Los Angeles. Now the scene shifted to Madison Square Garden in New York for game three. Many Rangers fans were hoping that if the Kings jumped out to the lead, it would be a spark plug to get the Rangers going to pull off a win and get back in the series. Well the Kings did get a lead all right, but they were able to hold on to that lead and come away with a 3-0 lead in the game and a 3-0 lead in this final series.

New York and Los Angeles had chances in the opening period. Mats Zuccarello had a golden opportunity for the Rangers a little more than halfway through the frame but was shut down by this phenomenal save by Jonathan Quick:


That stop seemed to get the Kings rolling again. Late in the opening frame, the Rangers had a good chance but the door was shut again by Quick, who really seemed on his game on this night. Henrik Lundqvist had the same chances to deal with coming off the sticks of the Kings shooters. The difference is, Quick got solid support from his defense, where as Lundqvist had a few bad breaks. It all started with the opening goal of the hockey game which looked a little something like this:


For Carter, the goal was his 10th of the playoffs, coming on just the fifth shot of the night for the Kings. This was a wicked shot that just clipped the skate of diving defenseman Dan Girardi in front and caromed inside the right post with 0.7 seconds left. This would become sort of a recurring theme on the the night for how the Kings scored their goals. Los Angeles scored their final two goals in the 2nd period, and much like their first goal, came off bad deflections. Jake Muzzin made it 2-0 at 4:17 of the middle period, as the puck worked out to Muzzin at the point, who took the shot that struck New York's Martin St. Louis and found its way past Lundqvist. Then, Mike Richards finished a 2-on-1 with Trevor Lewis when his attempted pass across bounced back to him off McDonagh and was put it with 2:46 left in the second. That was all the scoring Los Angeles would need.

Los Angeles finished the night with a total of 15 shots, including just two in the final period, but that's really all they would need. The Rangers seemed to carry the play in game three, but the bounces just would really go there way. Now Henrik Lundqvist has played great all playoffs long, more often than not being really able to keep the Rangers in the game. Even on nights when Hank wasn't getting much offensive support, he still managed to keep the team in the game and get help from his defense. This night, however, it came back to bite them. It's nothing that Hank did wrong, he played a great game. Its just his defense was a little out of position that lead to the bad bounces that allowed the three pucks to hit the back of the net. So the Rangers defense, which is normally good, looked a little off in this contest.

Offensively, the Rangers played a good game, but they just weren't able to bury the puck in the back of the net. They had plenty of firepower, sending 32 shots on Jonathan Quick, all of which he got. There were a few saves he had to make, including the video above, that were big stops, but otherwise there weren't too many shots that had to test Quick. He didn't have to really make to many hard saves in game three.

An interesting note about this series is that the Kings have scored 11 goals in the series, all coming from 11 different players, none of whom are named Anze Kopitar. The fact he hasn't scored a goal in the finals is a little surprising. He is getting his assists of course but the goal department for Kopitar is empty. But I don't think he minds it. As for the Rangers, they have scored six goals in the finals, each coming from six different players. Martin St. Louis has one of the six goals, but Rick Nash and Brad Richards, the other two big guns in the Rangers lineup, have been really held in check in this series. Sure Nash had a few chances in Game Three, but again, he just could not finish the job. That's been a big difference in this series. Sure both teams have their role players doing their job. The Kings big offensive weapons have had an impact on this series, where those of the Rangers have been quite. The Rangers really haven't been able to establish their system like they did in the first three rounds.

For the Kings, being up in the series 3-0 in the finals is nothing new. They also had a 3-0 lead back in 2012 against the Devils before dropping games four and five, before finishing the series off in six games. So there is that ray of hope for the Rangers. Also it has happened once in history where a team has come back from down 0-3 in the finals, the Toronto Maple Leafs came back from down 0-3 to win the Stanley Cup in 1942. So it is possible for the Rangers to come all the way back and win the series, but it looks like a real long shot.

Game Four takes place Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Game will be televised on the NBC Sports Network with the puck scheduled to drop just a little after 8PM!

Lebron James Returns To Form As Heat Take Game Two

During game one of the NBA Finals, the story was the busted AC at the AT&T Center and the play of Lebron James. Game two saw both return to normal. No cramps, no problem for Lebron, as he dropped 35 points and 10 rebounds in a powerful comeback statement game, as the Heat tied the NBA Finals with a 98-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 Sunday night.

When the game started, it looked like it might be another route by the Spurs. San Antonio seemed to pick up right where they left off near the end of the opener, as they hit 10 of their first 15 shots in the game. Early on in the 2nd quarter, the Spurs had opened up an 11 point lead on the Heat. At that point, it got most fans and observers thinking that this could be a repeat of what happened in game one. Then Lebron took over the court. James had three straight Miami baskets, and a follow shot later in the period gave the Heat their first lead at 34-33. The two teams went back and forth, leading to a 43-43 tie at halftime.

Coming out of the break, Miami and San Antonio continued to go back and forth in the third quarter. James scored 14 of his 35 points in the 3rd quarter alone. However, Patty Mills became a spark off the bench for the Spurs, hitting two three pointers late in the quarter as the Spurs took a 78-77 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The game continued to be close in the final period, going down to the wire. With the Spurs leading by 1 with about a minute and a half left to play, Chris Bosh hit the go-ahead three pointer, putting the Heat up by 2. Manu Ginóbili committed a crucial turnover on the Spurs' next possession before James hit a split on the line to put the Heat up by 3. After a Ginóbili miss on the other end, Bosh found Dwyane Wade for an open layup with 9 seconds remaining to put the Heat up by 5, essentially icing the win for the Heat.

Lebron had a solid night once again, dropping the 35 points to go along with those 10 rebounds. He personally erased a 62-56 San Antonio lead by scoring eight points in less than a minute, and his 14 points in the third quarter had Miami down only 78-77 heading to the fourth (ESPN). That's not all. Sure Lebron had the big game, as he always seems to do come this time of the year. That's what makes Lebron the best player on the planet right now. Lebron didn't do it alone, he did have his supporting cast step up and have an impact. Besides hitting the go ahead three pointer, Chris Bosch finished with 18 points on the night, to go along with three rebounds and two assists. Dwyane Wade also chipped in with 14 points four assists and seven rebounds. Lebron was the only one on the Heat to finish with more than 20 points on the night. The Heat have now won 13 straight following a loss in the postseason, something that is incredibly tough to be able to do.

The Spurs didn't really look too in sync tonight. Sure their big three were pretty productive. Tim Duncan finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds, Tony Parker managed to drop 21 points  to go along with seven assists and Manu Ginobili finished with 19 points. San Antonio had been in a pretty good spot late in the game, withstanding James' assault long enough to lead by one with under 2 minutes to play. But they were shut out from there until Manu Ginobili's 3-pointer as time expired. That wasn't the only thing that did damage to the Spurs. San Antonio could have come away with the win, and the Spurs missed a chance to seize control when Parker and Duncan missed four straight free throws when they had a two-point lead. Those missed opportunities set up Bosch's three pointer near the end to ice the game away.

So now the two teams get to regroup and get ready for the next matchup. Game three takes place Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center in Miami. Game is set to tip off at 9PM on ABC!

Dustin Brown's Heroics In Double Overtime Lifts Kings To Victory

For the 3rd year in a row, the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals need multiple overtimes to decide games. In 2012, the Kings and Devils went to overtime in the first two games, last year the Blackhawks and Bruins had to go to triple overtime in game 1 and overtime in game two. This year, the same sort of thing happened. The Kings took game one in overtime 3-2. Then game two required double overtime, after a ton of drama and combacks during regulation, to decide the game. This one took half of the 2nd overtime to decide a winner, and when all was said and done, the Los Angeles Kings came out holding a 2-0 lead in the finals series.

For the 2nd game in a row, the Kings found themselves down, and for the 2nd game in a row they had to come back to pull out the victory. The start of game two really saw both teams kind of feeling each other out. Once we hit the halfway point of the opening period, the Rangers really started to carry the play. New York got on the board first, when at the 10:48 mark, Ryan McDonagh scored his 4th of the playoffs on a blast from the point. This goal was set up thanks to Derick Brassard setting the screen in front of Jonathan Quick. When the shot came through, Quick had Brassard right in front of him and never saw the puck at all till it was coming out of the net. The Rangers would increase their lead to 2-0 at the 18:46 mark thanks to Mats Zuccarello 5th of the playoffs on a good shot that beat Quick. So now the Rangers head into the intermission with a two goal lead.

To the middle period we go, and the Kings jump right back into the hockey game. It takes 1:46 into the frame for Jarret Stoll to score his 3rd of the post season. With this goal, the Rangers just simply missed their assignments. Justin Williams made a great play to pull Henrik Lundqvist out of the net and nobody on the Rangers were able to get to Stoll when he buried the puck into the open net. So now the lead was cut in half. The Rangers would re-establish their two goal lead with a powerplay goal, a rarity I know. But at the 11:24 mark of the middle frame, Martin St. Louis scored his 7th of the playoffs to build the Rangers lead back up to 3-1. This goal was a sweet shot by St. Louis, scoring from one knee to roof the puck over a sliding Quick. I've seen St. Louis score goals like this all the time, so it seems like nothing new for Marty to score that way. Los Angles wouldn't go away quietly, as at the 14:39 mark of the period Willie Mitchell scored his 1st of the playoffs on a blast from the point on the powerplay. This goal again cut the Rangers lead to one, and much like the first goal of the game by McDonagh, the goalie never saw the shot. Dwight King set up a screen in front of Lundqvist, not allowing him to see the shot that beat him high over the glove.

So now the Kings are showing a little more life. The energy wouldn't last very long though. The Rangers would yet again as at the 14:50 mark of the period, just 11 seconds later, Derick Brassard scored his 6th of the playoffs on a wraparound to pull the Rangers up to a 4-2 lead. This was a broken play behind the net with Quick and Dwight King both mishandling the puck and Brassard being left alone in front to jam home the lost puck.

So now going into the 3rd the Kings went back into desperation mode to try and pull even. Here is where the controversy started. It took 1:58 into the 3rd period for the Kings to again get within a goal. Most people were talking about this goal as being a point of argument for the Rangers. Judge it for yourself:

Dwight King got credit for the goal, his 3rd of the playoffs. But lets be honest here, the Rangers do have a gripe, as it was goalie interference. Lundqvist had no way to really be able to make the save on that shot and there was a legitimate argument there. The officials have been calling that most of the playoffs, but in this case they didn't. It's obvious that the Rangers do have an argument here, but it went for nothing as the goal did stand.

At this point, the Kings showed life and jump, clawing their way back into the hockey game. Los Angeles was able to pull even, when at the 7:36 mark Marion Gaborik scored his 13th of the playoffs, on a solid individual effort to get the loose puck and whip it past Lundqvist.

The game would remain deadlock at four through the rest of regulation and all of the first overtime. Then in the 2nd overtime, at the 10:26 mark of the frame, this happened:

Dustin Brown got his stick on the point shot, for his 5th goal of the playoffs. The win gave the Kings a 2-0 lead in the final, heading back to New York for games three and four.

This has become a startling trend for the Rangers here in the finals in the fact that they haven't been able to hold on to a lead in a game. They need to be able to keep their foot on the gas pedal. Sure they have had their scoring chances late in the game, but they have to be able to finish. Now the scene shifts to Madison Square Garden in New York, a place that has been very kind to the Rangers, they always seem to play better at home than they do on the road. But there is something that needs to be looked at going into game three and that has been Lundqvist. In the first three rounds, Henrik has played outstanding. In the first two periods of each of the first two games of this series, Hank has looked good. It's the 3rd period where he has folded and looked below average. This is making me wonder if fatigue is starting to set in with the Kings. Whatever it is, he has to get it together before game three.

Another interesting stat to look at. In every Stanley Cup final since the 2004 lockout, the series has started out 2-0, except for last years finals. In those series, the team that has taken the 2-0 lead has held on to win the Cup five of the seven times. So if you have a 2-0 lead in the finals, the odds are in your favor to win the championship.

Game Three is tonight at 8PM on NBC from Madison Square Garden in New York City!

Spurs Too Much To Handle For Heat In Game One

The Heat was on in the opener of the NBA Finals, and the Heat took on a whole new meaning in this ballgame. A fault in the air conditioning system at the AT&T Center in San Antonio caused problems on the court in game one of the finals, leaving the temperatures on the court rising up to close to 90 degrees during the game. Those temperature caused problems for players on both teams, but the Spurs handled the conditions, and the Miami Heat, which got a little help when a suffering LeBron James couldn't make it to the finish. All things thrown into the mix, the Spurs pulled away with a 110-95 win, to take Game One of the finals.

The Spurs said an electrical failure for the power that runs the air-conditioning system had occurred. They apologized for the inconvenience but also seemed to poke fun at it, playing songs with "hot" in the lyrics over the sound system. Fans were trying to cool themselves on the hot night, a reminder of what it was like in the old Boston Garden when the Celtics and Lakers got together. So yeah, the Heat in the building was playing a big factor on this basketball game, for not just the Heat but the Spurs as well.

The AC not working seemed to have more of an impact on the Heat than it did the Spurs. Sure King James finished with 25 points but played only 33 minutes, having to leave the game early because of cramps. Going into the series, King James has had a big impact for the Heat in the playoffs, almost carrying them to the finals on his back. But on this night, he got the Heat going, but once he left the game, the Heat began to wilt, allowing the Spurs to pull away with the game.

Lebron came out with 3:59 left to go in the ball game, just after hitting a layup, the cap of his 25 point night. Once Lebron hit the last shot, he couldn't move his left leg, thus forcing him to come out of the game. James tried to go back into the ballgame, but Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra told him not to move from the bench cause he couldn't even move. I'm sure this was something Lebron was dealing with the entire night, but for some reason I felt the Heat medical staff couldn't seem to figure out how to fix it. Cramps is a tough thing to deal with, but for some reason the Heat training staff weren't able to get a jump on it around halftime, which lead to Lebron being forced out of the game.

Once the King left, the Spurs really took over. When Lebron left the game, the Heat were trailing by two points. Afterwards, the Spurs outscored Miami by 13 points to take away the victory. Sure Lebron had a big night, and yes he got help from Dwyane Wade (19 points), Chris Bosh (18 points), Ray Allen (16 points)and even Rashard Lewis (10 points). But once Lebron came out of the game, and the Heat's unquestioned leader came off the court, it really seemed the Heat lost their heart. San Antonio took full advantage, all of which started when Danny Green hit a 3-pointer to trigger what became a 16-3 run to end the game. This was all coming after the Heat really started to fold late.

San Antonio started the game off a little sloppy, turning the ball over nine times, which is very rare for how good this Spurs basketball team is. Not only that, but the Spurs managed only 20 points in the 3rd quarter, as they had been outplayed by the Heat, as Miami held the 78-76 lead going. San Antonio came back strong in the final quarter, pulling away with the victory. With the win, the Spurs ended up extending their NBA-record streak to eight straight home playoff wins by 15 or more points

Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Tony Parker added 19 points and Manu Ginobili finished with 16 points and 11 assists for San Antonio, which improved to 10-1 at home in the playoffs.

Heading into game two, things may look a little better for the Heat. Game Two is on Sunday, which will in all likelyhood have cooler, more comfortable conditions for the Heat to try and pull even in the series. Tipoff is set for 9PM Sunday night!

2014 NBA Finals Preview

The time has arrived. After six long months of hard fought battles, the big dance finally has its partners. We started this journey way back in October with 30 teams all keeping their eye on the prize. Now we are down to the final two, with a chance to walk away with the Larry O'Brien trophy as the NBA Champions. This years matchup is an exact repeat of last years championship tilt.

That's right its an exact replica of last season as the Western Conference Champions the San Antonio Spurs get set to take on the Eastern Conference Champions the Miami Heat. This marks the 12th time we will see a rematch in the finals, the last one being in 1997 and 98 when the Utah Jazz took on the Chicago Bulls. this year, the format for the finals has changed. in the past it would be a 2-3-2 set up, where the higher starts the series at home, then plays three on the round and finishes up the series with two more at home, should it go the full seven games. Now this year, the format changes to what we see with hockey and baseball in the 2-2-1-1-1 format for a full seven games. This marks the 12th time in league history, the fifth since the NBA-ABA merger of 1976, that we have had a rematch in the finals. The defending champion has gone 6-6 in those 12 matchups.

This is Miami's fourth straight appearance in the Finals, becoming the first team since the 1987 Boston Celtics to make it to four straight NBA Finals, and only the fourth team in NBA history to achieve that goal. The other teams to do it were the 1960 Boston Celtics, the 1985 Los Angeles Lakers and the 1987 Boston Celtics. Miami is looking to become the first NBA team to three-peat since the 2002 Los Angeles Lakers. In order to get to this finals, Miami eliminated the Charlotte Bobcats in a sweep, following it up by eliminated the Brooklyn Nets in five games. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they would once again play against the Indiana Pacers in a rematch of last year's Conference Finals, winning in six to reach the finals.

As for the Spurs, this is their sixth appearance in the NBA Finals. San Antonio was dominant heading into the postseason, going on a 19-game winning streak, ending with a 21-4 record their last 25 games. In the first round, they faced their rivals, the Dallas Mavericks, beating them in seven games. In the Conference Semifinals, they eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers in five games. In the Conference Finals, they eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games, and for the first time, having back-to-back Finals appearances, as well, ending a 9 game losing streak at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. This is an opportunity for the Spurs tow in their fifth title in franchise history.

Here are the date, time and TV channels for every game in this series:
June 5 9:00 pm Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas ABC
June 8 8:00 pm Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas ABC
June 10 9:00 pm San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida ABC
June 12 9:00 pm San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida ABC
June 15 8:00 pm Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs* AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas ABC
June 17 9:00 pm San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat* American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida ABC
June 20 9:00 pm Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs* AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas ABC

So now that we know how they got to where they are, and when they are going to play each other, lets take a look at what each team is going to have to do to pull this series out.

For the Spurs this is not only a shot at redemption against the Heat, its also a chance to submit a legacy for one of the great teams and franchise of this generation. San Antonio still feels a bit haunted by what happened last year, being 5.3 seconds away from a fifth crown only to have it slip through their fingers. Gregg Popovich has his club ready and raring to go in this finals. Some thought the Spurs would be down after last year, but they pulled it together and had the best record in the entire league, seeming ready to go for it again this year with the Heat.

This years Spurs club has somewhat rebuilt their team from a year ago. They still have their big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. That big three was given more rest during the regular season than it was a year ago, a move that is starting to pay off here in the playoffs. Manu Ginobli has returned to form so far in this year's playoffs. Manu, in this playoffs alone, is averaging 14.3 points, 4.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals a game. This coming from a guy who had little confidence a year ago, and at one point was considering leaving the game. But he is back, healthy and back to his old form. Manu isn't the only one who has had a solid playoffs, Tony Parker has been on his game this year too. He, along with Tim Duncan, have been working the pick and roll almost to perfection in this playoffs. San Antonio has made more improvements over last years club.

They have stock loaded their roster with shooters as well. Parker, Ginobili adn Duncan have all been having great palyoffs. Now throw in the mix the roll players like Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter, Boris Diaw coming off the bench, and the big surprise of the playoffs Danny Green. Green, alone, has been shooting 48% in this years playoffs, meaning that the Spurs have another clutch shooter to go to if the big guys aren't cutting it.

As good as the Spurs offense has been, their defense has been almost as good. San Antonio has been able to mike life miserable for the big stars on the opposition, guys like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge, Damian Lillard and Dirk Nowitzki. All of those guys were held below their season averages in scoring against the Spurs defense. San Antonio not only managed to pull that off, but they did so with little effort, they made it look so easy. Splitter and Leonard have been a driving force behind that, helping put the Spurs in the finals, coming out of the very tough Western Conference.

Miami is looking to do something that hasn't been done in ten years, win three straight titles. They have also become the fourth team to make it to four straight finals. The Spurs had a tough trip through the West, while the Heat seemed to have an easier path. It's been pretty well documented that the East is the weaker of the two conferences, and the Heat handled it as such. Miami managed to go 12-3 during the playoffs against the East, but now they have a tougher test against the Spurs. Right now the Heat really look like a beast just waiting for a true test.

Miami has been scoring at a pretty clip in this years playoffs, posted a league-best +9.4 net rating during the second half, a figure powered by an excellent 119.9 offensive rating. Yeah that's dominate. There have been two real big reasons for that, Lebron James and Dwayne Wade. With Wade, there were times last year and earlier in this playoffs, when he looked a little off his game. But there is an encouraging sign for Heat fans with the way Wade has played lately. Wade is averaging 18.7 points and shooting 51.9 percent in the playoffs, both way up from last year, which is a really good sign. Here's another example of a good sign for the Heat, during all 15 games the Heat have played in this years playoffs, Wade has scored in double digits in each of them.

While Wade has managed to turn his game around, the Heat still have the best player on the planet in Lebron James. Sure there is a good supporting cast on the Heat, but lets face facts, the team can really only go as far as their 29 year old star is going to carry them. Lebron is shooting at about 56.2% during this years playoffs, which is going to be a handful for the Spurs defense. The Heat have the talent to score, but their defense and depth might be a tad bit of a problem. When they lost the two games to the Pacers, the Heat were outplayed and you could see the lack of depth. That could be a problem in the finals.

Prediction:
This is shaping up to be another solid matchup and will most likely be as entertaining as last years meeting was. There are a few notable differences between this years matchup and last year. The Spurs will be coming into this finals a little more rested than a year ago. San Antonio is a deeper team than the were last year. They are more battle tested than Miami is. Lets face facts the West in the NBA is almost leaps and bounds better than the East this season. The fact that the Spurs are still standing at this point proves that this could be their year.

Home court advantage is going to play a factor again this season, just like it did a year ago. San Antonio has home court this year, a place they have been so dominating this season its not even funny. Miami will put up a good fight but the Spurs will be too much.

Spurs in 7!