Good goaltending and good pitching. Man, it just doesn't get better.
Wonder-kid Cole Hamels, now the undisputed ace of the Phillies pitching staff with Brett Myers' demotion (which is still dumbfounding to me), put up a pretty decent line today;
9 innings pitched, 5 hits, 2 walks, 1 earned run, and the win.
Oh, and FIFTEEN strikeouts.
That lowers his season ERA to 2.57 and catapults him into the league lead in strike outs.
This kid is the real deal. I've been a huge fan since his debut last year, and think he will be a premier pitcher in the league for years to come; as long as he can avoid the shoulder issues that plagued him when he was younger.
Now, on to Marty Turco.
The same Marty Turco that has been single handedly blamed for every playoff series the Stars have been in since he has been their starter. And rightfully so. The guy was always a brick wall during the regular season, but he was very human between the pipes in the playoffs. If he didn't show something this year, he was on his way out in Dallas.
And he's shown something alright.
His shutout tonight marks his 3rd of the series. Yes, 3rd. Of the series. 3 shutouts in a single post season is impressive enough.
Turco has officially shut up his critics with this line: 1.20 Goal Against Average and a .955 Save Percentage. He's stopping an average of more than 19 of every 20 shots he faces.
And remember, he gave up 4 goals in the first 3 periods of this series. Since then?
0.77 GAA, .972 SV%
Dallas is going to head into Vancouver and win this series, as I predicted they would in the first place. And they are going to do it because of; not in spite of; Marty Turco.
Lastly, I read a pretty solid article on the Kings and the rebuild they are going through right now tonight. As I often try to explain to people, the Kings are heading in the right direction. The article isn't perfect, but its a pretty good sum up of what the Kings are doing right as well as what they still need to do to become a playoff team. Check it out.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Sabres and Sharks take care of business
Series Result: Buffalo Sabres over New York Islanders in 5
My Prediction: Buffalo Sabres over New York Islanders in 4
No surprises at all here. The only concern from the Sabres' point of view was the lack of complete dominance in the series; games were a lot closer than they should have been when you consider how much better of a team Buffalo is. But that is being extremely nit-picky; this is playoff hockey. You can expect to be playing opponents at their best, and all that really matters when it is all said and done is who is leading when the last buzzer sounds.
Now, the Sabres just need to watch and wait to see how the Tampa Bay / New Jersey series pans out. A New Jersey win lands them a bid against the Rangers. A Tampa Bay upset will result in a series against Buffalo. Either way, you have to consider the Sabres the favorite, but both of these teams - especially the Rangers - don't look to be going down easy to anyone this year.
Series Result: San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators in 5
My Prediction: San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators in 7
I'm glad to see the Sharks win this series for multiple reasons. First of all, I've got money on them to win the Stanley Cup. Second of all, I think they are the team with the best chance to beat the Ducks in the West. And, lastly, with the way that the Predators were cheap-shotting this series, it would have been a shame to see the Sharks fall that way.
This Sharks team was my early favorite out of the West, and they played like it in this series, overcoming a vastly talented team in Nashville; and doing it in only 5 games, too. While I've conceded that the Ducks are the team to beat in the West, I still do like the Sharks' chances to do damage. With the Flames and Stars still hanging on for dear life, the West is still full of question marks; but one thing is for sure, I'll be taking the Sharks over WHOEVER they play in the 2nd round (unless its the Ducks... I'll save that can of worms until its in front of me, thank you).
Huge disappointment for Nashville, who looked like a championship-calibur team all season long. Going out and getting Forsberg at the expense of some young talent was supposed to translate into playoff success; not just a single playoff win. But with goaltenders Tomas Vokoun and Chris Mason both locked up through next year, the Predators have the most important position in hockey nice and sound; and even have a bit of room to maneuver if they decided to deal Mason. They'll likely be back in the thick of things next year; but with Kariya and Forsberg both unrestricted free agents, this would have been a nice year for them to get hot.
My Prediction: Buffalo Sabres over New York Islanders in 4
No surprises at all here. The only concern from the Sabres' point of view was the lack of complete dominance in the series; games were a lot closer than they should have been when you consider how much better of a team Buffalo is. But that is being extremely nit-picky; this is playoff hockey. You can expect to be playing opponents at their best, and all that really matters when it is all said and done is who is leading when the last buzzer sounds.
Now, the Sabres just need to watch and wait to see how the Tampa Bay / New Jersey series pans out. A New Jersey win lands them a bid against the Rangers. A Tampa Bay upset will result in a series against Buffalo. Either way, you have to consider the Sabres the favorite, but both of these teams - especially the Rangers - don't look to be going down easy to anyone this year.
Series Result: San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators in 5
My Prediction: San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators in 7
I'm glad to see the Sharks win this series for multiple reasons. First of all, I've got money on them to win the Stanley Cup. Second of all, I think they are the team with the best chance to beat the Ducks in the West. And, lastly, with the way that the Predators were cheap-shotting this series, it would have been a shame to see the Sharks fall that way.
This Sharks team was my early favorite out of the West, and they played like it in this series, overcoming a vastly talented team in Nashville; and doing it in only 5 games, too. While I've conceded that the Ducks are the team to beat in the West, I still do like the Sharks' chances to do damage. With the Flames and Stars still hanging on for dear life, the West is still full of question marks; but one thing is for sure, I'll be taking the Sharks over WHOEVER they play in the 2nd round (unless its the Ducks... I'll save that can of worms until its in front of me, thank you).
Huge disappointment for Nashville, who looked like a championship-calibur team all season long. Going out and getting Forsberg at the expense of some young talent was supposed to translate into playoff success; not just a single playoff win. But with goaltenders Tomas Vokoun and Chris Mason both locked up through next year, the Predators have the most important position in hockey nice and sound; and even have a bit of room to maneuver if they decided to deal Mason. They'll likely be back in the thick of things next year; but with Kariya and Forsberg both unrestricted free agents, this would have been a nice year for them to get hot.
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