N.Y. Rangers ~ Sympathy from the Devils

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

FINAL

NJD - 1

NYR - 0

NEW YORK RANGERS: The Powerless Rangers are Fighting Themselves.



The Rangers dominated the the first two seconds of last night's game.  It was all Devils from then on. Before Cam Janssen dropped gloves with Mike Rupp, he asked him if was hand was feeling OK enough for a fight.  That only happens in Hockey by the way.  And that's one of the things that makes this such a great sport.  Rupp said it was good enough.  Gloves got dropped and they started to rumble while at the same time Brandon Prust and Eric Boulton threw down on the other side of the ice.

It sure was an intense way to start the game.  But the night I was very much looking forward to never materialized.  Instead, after dropping the puck to restart the game a second time, the Rangers had problems possessing and passing a puck that was bouncing on them all night.  The Devils however had no such problems.  Their passing was crisp.  They had no uncooperative puck issues.  In all, they pretty much dominated the Blueshirts the rest of the night until the Rangers finally put together one last burst of effort in the third.

Like I said many times before, you can't really appreciate how bad the Rangers' PP is unless you see it in person.  And at one point I just sat back in my chair and said - Wow!  The Rangers' Power Play continued to be down right deplorable and perhaps turned out to be this difference in the game.  In my last post I shared some thoughts as to how I thought they could get better.  Then last night, the Devils demonstrated exactly what I meant.  The only goal of the game that counted came on a Devils power play.  Dave Clarkson received a pass from behind the Rangers' net as he came down the slot.  Derek Stepan got caught facing the boards when Clarkson recieved the pass.  By the time Stepan could turn around, Clarkson's shot was off.  Done; exactly like I thought the Blueshirts needed to.



The Rangers woke up from their slumber somewhat in the third period.  They kept peppering shots on goal.  But by then, Martin Brodeur's juices were flowing and the old man's joints were limbered up enough to record the 117th shutout of his HOF career.  He looked good last night.  The Rangers were denied on some very good opportunities.



Then with 3.5 seconds left in the game, my son and I couldn't believe our fortune when Artem Anisimov and Marion Gaborik apparently scored the game tying goal.  What an exclamation point that would have been to end an otherwise magical week in NYC sports.  But it wasn't meant to be this time.




As they reviewed Anisimov's goal in Toronto, a Ranger crowd fed up with the guys in stripes started littering the ice with bottles and other stuff.  It reminded me of all the paper and debris littering Broadway from the NY Giants parade we attended earlier in the day.  Only, unlike my morning, this occasion was terribly inglorious.




No cherry on top for you New York.

NJD General Manager Lou Lamoriello yucks it up with hockey scribe Larry Brooks.

Lou Lamoriello spent the night in the press section right below my seats and I'm sure he enjoyed watching his team play a very disciplined game.  He seemed to be in a good mood all night.  And why not?  His team has sixty-five points now.






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ Devils; Battle of the Hudson - III

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Battle of the Hudson - III

Game One ~ NYR 4   NJD 1

Game Two ~ NJD 3   NYR 2  S.O.

Series tied 1-1

GAME THRE

New Jersey Devils

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

From,

Sec. 417 on the 8th Avenue Side

NYC

NEW YORK RANGERS:  This Time The Devils Are Entering Hell's Kitchen.

After splitting two games at The Rock, the Devils can expect a most unwelcome reception Tuesday night at the Garden.  The memory of the January 31st shoot-out loss to Marty Brodeur is still fresh on Ranger fan's minds; mine included.  And I'll be one hand to help the crowd make sure he knows we didn't appreciate it.  The Garden was HOT Sunday afternoon for the Flyers game.  So I'm expecting no less Tuesday night when the Devils arrive.  Brodeur might also want to bring an umbrella.  It's going to be raining down "Maaaarty!!" in buckets.  He knows it.  He's "having fun again" remember?  Although, I do appreciate the Devils tenderizing the Flyers for us by drubbing them with six goals -before letting them back in the game that is; if only cosmetically though.  And for that, thanks.

But last game against the Rangers, the Devils looked a lot like the team the Rangers were last season.  Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  For the most part, the Rangers have steered clear of over-time and shoot-outs this season.  The Devils meanwhile look familiar to us, as they almost hope to get games beyond regulation and there-by give Brodeur a chance at winning it for them as a matter of strategy.  It's a tough in-season debate to argue - there are no shoot-outs in the playoffs.  But you need to win shoot-outs in order to make the playoffs.


This much is established - Coach DeBeor knows what he's doing.  And this is fact - The Devils have sixty three points.  Are they the Devils team that spanked Philly just before the Rangers did?  Or are they the Devils team that took the Rangers to shoot-out last week?  The answer is, it doesn't matter.  The Devils won them both.  But we both spanked Philly.  I don't know what that means but if you're a Devils Fan, you can't be dissatisfied with their present standing.  And if you're a Rangers fan, you can't ignore we still have four games left against New Jersey.


In our last meeting together, Marty Biron was within seconds of securing a win for the Blueshirts.  It was one of those things when the term "things didn't bounce our way" applies.  The fact Marty Biron started in goal and not Henrik Lundqvist surprised many.  It's not the way they've always worked the match-up.  But then, Henrik was returning from the All-Star Game.  Henrik plays Tuesday; no doubt.


I thought coming back from the break to a shoot-out loss was interesting.  I "kinda" predicted that loss. But in my last post I also said I deal in trends.  I said talk to me in a week when we meet the Devils again and we'll see how things went.  Since saying that, the Rangers went on to play an intense and really overall great game by both teams in Buffalo.  Rangers won in shoot-out 1-0.  And then.., Yeah - and then came our turn against the Flyers.  See below.  So it's safe to say we've had a good week, not to mention seized upon another game that as fans, we really, really want to win.

Look What We Did to the Flyers... Again!

Nov. 26th ~ NYR 2   PHI 0

Dec. 23rd ~ NYR 4   PHI 2

CLASSIC ~ NYR 3   PHI 2

SUNDAY

NYR 5   PHI 2

Hey, if I were Philly, I'd be upset too.  After what the Devils did to them?  Then not being able to beat the Rangers this season?  It's enough to drive any seemingly good team mad.  Just driving on the N.J. Turnpike alone drive can drive a person nuts.  Then giving up eleven goals in two games?  Now we're talking rage.  And as this is the Philadelphia Flyers we're talking about, when civility fails, for them  there's always the next best thing; violence.


But before going "there", the Flyers have issues.  They are clearly not the same without Daniel Briere or Chris Pronger.  And not for nothing, both their goalies suck.  There is no kinder way to say it.  Ilya Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky are litter bugs leaving all kinds of garbage around the net for other teams to clean up.  Good luck with that.  But then again who cares.  It's the Flyers. 


Sometimes teams deserve a 5-2 drubbing.  Because if you're a Rangers fan; and worse yet, an older Ranger fan; then you know since they day of their inception into the League, their team has long lacked comportment.  And surprise, from the start of Sunday's game, Philly looked determined to reduce the level gamesmanship to Southern Hockey League lows or Roller Ball.  Yeah, I said that.


They say adversity reveals character.  On the way to their fourth loss against the Rangers this season, the Flyers flung the curtains open and exposed themselves.  They acted like Bullies who get exposed when you slap them on the nose and cry.  That's right; a slap; an open hand slap - because to a man, that's more embarrassing.  What the Real Housewives of Broad Street can't achieve through skill, professionalism, respect for the game, and the will to compete, they look to achieve and take through on-ice belligerence.  See Tom Sestito about that.  But it is what it is.  They've been like that for decades.


Only this season, they keep coming up against the New York Softies; not to be confused with the old Smurfs.  Coach Tortorella stomped those little blue creatures out of MSG like they were roaches invading his kitchen.  And ever since the Rangers relieved Philadelphia of first place in Atlantic Division back on December 23rd, the Rangers quite literally have never looked back.  The days of looking over their shoulder for fear of some Flyer player up to no good are additionally gone.  Tortorella's Rangers hit back.  Tortorella's Rangers have actually grown a liking to fisticuffs.  Coach Torts' Rangers lead the League in Fighting Majors.  And Sunday, Coach's guys gave the Broad Street Babies back their fair share.


A game like Sunday's begs one more question - Hey Joe Thornton, How Do You Like Us Now?  While Joe Thornton has nothing to do with the Flyers, the San Jose Sharks' forward called the Rangers (paraphrased) the softest team he ever played.  I'll tell you what Joey - keep your Sharks in first place and hopefully both teams get lucky enough to give you a chance and tell the Blueshirts that to their faces next time.  But that's potentially for the Spring; - Maybe.  But sometimes you get what you ask for.


In more pressing Blueshirt matters, ask and ye shall receive.  Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, and Ruslan Fedotenko, have all been called on the carpet recently as the Rangers will most definitely need more scoring down the stretch. And the truth is, the trade deadline looms ahead.  But right on cue, Anisimov, Fedotenko, and Dubinsky all scored Sunday.  Marian Gaborik added his 26th of the season.  And Michael Del Zotto rounds out five goal scorers against Philly.


The New York Softies are at seventy-one points and counting.  They lead the Eastern Conference by three points over Boston.  And..., they own the stingiest Defense in the NHL.





The Rangers Pendulum Power Play:



The bad news?  Against Philly, the Rangers were 0 for 5 on the Power Play and remain sterile; as in unfruitful.  I've started to refer to the PP as them being on the Pendulum Play.  Because all they do is pass around the perimeter and the defense merely has to shift left, shift right, and shift left again - repeat as necessary.  All the while, the Rangers get little to no shots off, and that's only if they establish the zone.  What the Rangers do not do on the power play is get heads turning around - they don't get different players looking in different directions.  And they certainly do not get different defenders skating to recover their assigned area.  The Rangers allow teams to stay in a turtle shell where all four P-Killers move as one and react as one.



How do you change that?  A) - Pass and move without the puck.  That's when the cross ice pass works most effectively.  The Rangers pass and just stay in place around the perimeter.  B)  - Just take shots and look to clean up in front.  Stop playing for the perfect pass.  C) - Play from behind the net more.  That gets the defenders looking at the back boards and away from the guy in the slot.  Those are just some of my ideas.







Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ Defeat CCSU 95-80; Stay Undefeated at Home

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:  Turn Back Central Connecticut State to Remain a Game in First Place.



The Hoops of Flatbush turned back Central Connecticut State to improve their Wellness Center record to 9-0 this season.  Their convincing 95-80 victory makes them 17-7 overall, and 11-1 in the Northeast Conference.  They needed this third consecutive win because Wagner and St. Francis (BK) kept pace with wins of their own, and remain tied for second place with 10-2 records.


CCSU had the game's two high scorers.  Forward Ken Horton led all players with twenty-nine points.  Robby Ptacek followed with twenty-four.  However, five LIU players achieved double digit scoring in leading the Blackbirds to a big first half, and then to a fifteen point margin of victory.  Jamal Olasewere led Flatbush scorers with seventeen points.  Julian Boyd and C.J. Garner chipped in with sixteen points each.  Jason Brickman came in at fourteen points and Michael Culpo added twelve.


Brooklyn made extensive use of their bench this game.  Three players clocked in over fifteen minutes and collectively scored nineteen points.  Kenny Onyechi stepped in and spearheaded a dominant Flatbush effort on the glass.  The Blackbirds out rebounded CCSU 44-26 and in particular cleaned up on the defensive end with twenty-eight boards.  Onyechi pulled down a game high thirteen rebounds in his twenty-three minutes.


Both teams shot equally well from the floor.  But once again, LIU hammered another opponent from the line.  Brooklyn nailed twenty-nine of thirty-one free throws.  CCSU scored seventeen points off twenty-six shots.  CCSU actually led for most of the first eleven minutes of the game.  But once Brooklyn overcame them at 25-23 in the first half, CCSU never held another lead again.  The Blackbirds were up by thirteen at the half, and led by as many as twenty-four points with about eight minutes left in the game.


The Blackbirds will now take their act to a much larger stage.  Brooklyn's two downtown teams; LIU and St. Francis (NY); will start a two game series this coming Wednesday in Madison Square Garden before bringing the series home to Ashland Place in the annual Battle of Brooklyn.






Mike.BTB

PIGSKIN ~ SUPER BOWL XLVI

PIGSKIN

THE FINAL ROAST

SUPER BOWL XLVI

 

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS   vs.   NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

My Pick:

N.Y. Giants +3 (PATRIOTS)

PIGSKIN SEASON:

Regular Season Record:  120-99-10

Overall Record:  128-101-10

Playoff Record:  8-2

Total BAGELS in the BASKET:  +12

View Regular Season, Wild Card, Divisional, and Championship Weekend Results: HERE.

POSTS:

* A Transcendental Championship Game

* Super Sizing The Offensive Line

* Only Coach Gilbride Can RIGHT the Running Game

* Coughlin and Parcells; Parallel Eras

* This One is for THE DUKE

Lets Go Giants!

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ This One is for THE DUKE

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE  ~  Super Bowl XLVI Edition

Wild Card Round

ATLANTA FALCONS

Divisional Round

GREEN BAY PACKERS

NFC Championship

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

SUPER BOWL XLVI

NEW YORK GIANTS

vs.

New England Patriots

From,

Indianapolis

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:   Play Like Giants!

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots stand in our way again.  For the second time in four years, the Giants will play them for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.  This time the Patriots are looking to exact revenge.  For in Super Bowl XLII, a mere neophyte out-miracled a three-time Champion and certain Hall of Fame quarterback named Tom Brady.  That wasn't supposed to happen.  Not to Tom Brady.  Not after marching the Patriots down field late in the game and throwing the go ahead touchdown to Randy Moss.  The incredulity of Eli's ensuing game winning drive continued all the way through to the onset of this season.  The simple word "Yes" was resoundingly considered preposterous that Eli Manning should answer a question and suggest that he was indeed in an elite class of quarterbacks along with Tom Brady.



Eli then went on to have the best season of his career.  So yeah, aw shucks...  The neophyte grew up a little since 2007.  And he was last seen in San Francisco absorbing far more punishment than the beating the Giants laid upon the great Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLII.  Two weeks ago Eli still managed to throw two touchdowns and pass for over 300 yards with rain, wind, and Forty-Niners in his face all night.  Yet, the topic on conversation over the last two weeks was how Eli Manning stacks up against the legend of Tom Brady.



That 49er game is something to think about.  Even with Vince Wilfork storming up the middle, I don't think New England will be bringing-it like San Francisco can and did.  Instead I believe Coach Belichick will sell out on coverages, as the Patriots are very average on the Corners.  That would swing two things in the Giants' favor.  It increases Eli's time in the pocket, and opens up the running game.  What Belichick does so well however, is he keeps QB's guessing at the line.  Belichick may even try to tackle Nicks and Cruz into submission.  Where have we seen that before?  But Eli can foil all that by just taking off on his own; something he's been doing with increased frequency and success these last five weeks.



There's no secret, New England will give up yardage and they will give up points.  And for the Patriots, there's the rub.  Eli is a much more dangerous proposition for the Patriots than he was four years ago.  He is much more polished than he was back then.  And Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz have more than proven to be a lethal tandem this season.  Furthermore, the three together are now converting third downs at their highest rate of the season.  With "now-veteran" Mario Manningham, and the return of Jake Ballard, the Giants have enough to score with the Patriots.  As a reminder, the Giants were without Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw when these teams met in Week Nine.



Can we run the ball?  Sure we can, and yes we will.  Brandon Jacobs was taken right out of the NFC Championship Game by the 49ers and additionally and rightfully so by the Giants' Offensive Coordinator.  His abilities just didn't suit that game.  But in this match up, he fits right in.  And he may play a bigger role than anyone realizes.  I believe center David Baas will have trouble with New England's Vince Wilfork.  But instead of getting help from the Guards; Kevin Boothe or Chris Snee; the Giants might fight a big body with another big body; that being Brandon Jacobs.  Employed imaginatively, Jacobs can provide a world of difference while Ahmad Bradshaw takes care of the rest.

*     *

These two previous posts cover all my thoughts regarding the Giants' Running Game:

Only Coach Gilbride Can RIGHT the Running Game

SUPER SIZING the Offensive Line

In these posts, I discussed behind which portions of the Offensive Line the Giants have had the most success running the ball this season.  And the fact is the Right Side has been our best side all season.  There has been short but consistent yardage to the Left.  But up the middle behind David Baas, there's been nothing to speak of.  I also discussed how David Baas might very well be a liability at Center playing against Vince Wilfork.  David Baas is undersized, and while under duress last week, he  consistently delivered low snaps against the 49ers.  To me the solution is to start Kevin Boothe because a) - he instantly gives the O-Line more size when he plays Center and Mitch Petrus plays Left Guard, and b) - he instantly provided Eli with superior snaps out of the shot-gun when David Baas missed a few plays against San Francisco.



*     *     *

But getting back to the "bigger game story", way too much has been made about whether Eli Manning is in Tom Brady's class.  Where ever you stand in the debate, it all comes to a head today.  For many and whatever their reasons, Eli Manning being named MVP of Super Bowl XLII meant nothing.  And now suddenly, it means everything.  But if you've always been behind your quarterback like a good Giant Fan should, there is no debate.  Eli Manning is a Giant.  Tom Brady is a Patriot.  I like our guy, and have the utmost confidence he can beat their guy Sunday evening.  And I believe our Defense will do more to disrupt Tom Brady than the Patriots can affect upon Eli.  I can't make it any more simple than that.



Eli has over a dozen Giant team mates returning with him from that game played four years ago.  Many of these Giants - very key Giants; like (Eli); Osi; Tuck; McKenzie; Snee; and Diehl; Bradshaw and Jacobs; and Webster and Ross; have all made it through this battle before.  They did it together as a team.  And Tom Coughlin has always stressed that; be a team.  So it goes without saying, Eli will not do this alone.



Tom Brady is back as well, and seemingly a little more angrier than the average Minuteman.  He wants revenge for what happened four years ago.  Unlike Eli, Brady returns with fewer of his old Patriots in Arms from four years ago.  And there in lies the Patriots biggest deficiency this season.  It's not that they return with less players from four years ago.  They come into this game with one man on a mission.  For two weeks all I have heard is how Tom Brady is a great many things, and how he's trying to chase down immortality by going down as the best quarterback ever.  When the talk turns to the Patriots, it invariably turns to Tom Brady.  There is also the high level of uncertainty surrounding The Gronk.  And so it strikes me that all the Patriots' issues are singular issues; individual issues.  Where as the Giants seem all together now, healthy, and shy of any individual dilemmas.



In the face of all the injuries that seemingly tried derailing Big Blue's season this year, never once did anyone take pity on the Giants, or on the Defense, or Coach Perry Fewell, or on Osi or Tuck, or anyone in the Secondary, or Michael Boley, or least of all, Tom Coughlin.  This team was considered dead and buried.  They just kept plugging in the next replacement and continued playing football.



And this morning I finally get it.  The Giants have been shooting off at the mouth this past week.  The way they've been carrying on, it sounds like they don't care who's taking snaps from center for the Patriots.  And it sounds like they could care even less about Tom Brady's legacy.  When you have a team like the Patriots down, you keep them down.  They did it four years ago, and again in Week Nine this season.  And Bill Belichick knows the Giants can do something his team can't.  The Giants can get to Brady with four guys.



Super Bowl hype week is just a mind game.  And what you heard this week was a Giants team rallying around their quarterback.  In the face of all the adversity these Giants dealt with this season, the Aw-Shucks Kid from the south got them to this game again.  And now that all his Defensive team-mates are healthy and having fun again, their rambunctiousness showed this week.  This unit is chomping an the bit to make sure Eli Manning shines brighter than his larger than life counter-part today.  Because all Eli ever tried to do was be successful on the next play call and get his guys a win.  Because all he did two weeks ago was keep getting up and trying to beat San Francisco when many of his mates where getting overwhelmed in from of him.  All he did was just keep getting up and kept the Giants going.  Now Eli has led them all the way to another Super Bowl appearance.  And today,  Eli's team mates want to do something for him.



They're back.  Eli and the worst team to win the NFC East are back to show what they think of all the naysayers this season.  Jerry Reese said we were a playoff team and John Mara believed in this Coach.  And here we are in the Super Bowl.  The Matriarch; Ann Mara; told Terry Bradshaw what she thought of him and all the doubters.   Now the Giants will show what they think of the Patriots.  And yeah, they showed up with a chip on their shoulder.  And why not?  Who believed in this team before the Band Wagon rolled down their block?  Now they all want on.  But it's too late.  To a man, the Giants are already ALL IN.  If you weren't on board before, there's no room for you now.



New England?  They have the great Tom Brady, a legendary Coach, and a busted Gronk.   There's safety in numbers and the Giants have them.  On the morning of February 5, 2012, all the Giants' problems are behind them now.  After a rocky road, this team is finally in tact.  This is our best and I like it.  All that's left is to play today's game.  THE DUKE would have liked this team too.  John Mara said Super Bowl XLII was for all the Giants Fans who stayed with the team since the days they played at the old Polo Grounds.  Well, today, this one is for Ann, and The Duke.  All this team needs to do now is go out there and Play Like Giants.



Let's go Giants!



PREVIOUS POST:   Coughlin and Parcells; Parallel Eras.







Mike.BTB

Knicks vs. Nets ~ Clash of the Tired

From the desks of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP  and  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

SATURDAY NIGHT

NJ/BROOKLYN NETS

vs.

NEW YORK KNICKS

From,

33rd Street at 7th Avenue

NYC

The official end to the New Jersey Nets - New York Knicks slightly neighborly border war commences tonight in Madison Square Garden.  Because after June of this year, New Jersey will never visit the corner building at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue as the Nets ever again.  So take in what you can of it, because unfortunately tonight's game is shaping up to be more like a Battle of the Beaten and Battered than a prelude to a hot inner city rivalry.  No; instead these two teams are currently generating as much heat as the bottom side of a pillow.

But if you're one for living in the moment, then the Battle for Third Place is ON!  Enticing - isn't it?  The Knicks and Nets will be meeting for the third time this season.  The only difference this time is this game counts.  Both teams spent what the NBA called a pre-season playing two games against each other, in which the Knickerbockers took both.  But right about now, the Knicks might be wishing this game wouldn't count either.  They're the team with high expectations who aren't living up to them while the Nets are still trying to piece things together.

After two tough, tightly contested losses to the Bulls and then the Celtics last night, Saturday's game will be the Knicks' third game in three nights.  They lost by three points to Chicago and by two points to Boston.  What will they have left in the tank for tonight?  Good question.  Meanwhile, last night Shumpert and Tyson Chandler may have established a nice connection together and might be on to something moving forward.  Or maybe the aging Kevin Garnett just kept getting caught out of position?

Is there any good news in the Dutch Pants section of town?  I don't know.  Without a point guard, Don Nelson's old system of running the offense a-la through Anthony Mason; that is, through Carmelo Anthony isn't going very well for Coach D'Antoni.  Because he has a roster of round pegs he's trying to fit in square holes, I think we're finally starting the witness Coach get sweaty under the collar.  There's a smoldering fire building under his already hot seat.  A normally confident and sharp Coach D'Antoni sounds a little despondent lately.  When coaches start eluding to things in the abstract and saying things like - I don't know, -  that can't be good.


You know what else isn't too good?  Ending last night's game against the Celtics by launching two bricks.  They couldn't even negotiate a creative-to-decent in-bounds pass.  Little things like that to me wreak of apathy.  It didn't seem like the Knicks had a plan for their last two plays.  It looked more school yard to me.

The Nets will be playing their third game in four nights, and at least have a win over the Pistons to show for their efforts lately.  For the Nets, Deron Williams is Deron Williams, but now he's rolling with Anthony Morrow who's fresh of a forty-two point game against the T-Wolves.  While Coach D'Antoni has a bunch of mismatched players, Coach Avery is not sitting on any kind of hot seat.  He just wishes he had enough players.  Due to a couple of injuries, the Nets were only able to dress eight players a couple of nights ago.

Is there any good news for the future Hoops of Flatbush?  Well, Deron Williams has given his strongest indication to date that he will stay on with the Nets and move with the team to Brooklyn.  And word around the way is that Dwight Howard still views the Nets as his first option.  In more immediate matters, Brook Lopez is progressing well after his foot surgery.

So maybe there's actually something to this game tonight.  It's not exactly the Battle for the City yet.  One team has the gas pedal floored in their Honda Accord but isn't getting very far, while the other team can't understand why it's Benz is a lemon.  So yeah, games like this usually turn out to be rather fun to watch.  Let the Battle for Third Place...begin.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

3rd  -  New York Knickerbockers   8-15

4th -  New Jersey-Brooklyn Nets     8-16

Previous Posts:

 

Knicks:  Blame Dolan.  I Do.

Nets:  Team Lacks a Head of State.

Mike.BTB

BKN Aviators ~ Take Second Big Game From Danbury

From the desk of:   THE COOLEST GUYS IN BROOKLYN

BROOKLYN AVIATORS:   A's Finish Off Danbury in Two Straight.  Now Winners of Seven out of Last Eight Games.



How about that?  The latest goalie of the day; newly acquired Michael DiLorenzo; not only earned his first win in his first start as an Aviator, he won his first game of the season after seven previous games played for Delaware.  He faced 38 Danbury shots and stopped 36 of them to secure Brooklyn's second straight victory over the rival Whalers.

The two teams competed with far more civility in The Hangar than when compared to Thursday night's bar fight on Danbury's ice.  And for the most part both stayed in control of their tempers.  Minus a slash and some stick infractions, every one stayed cool.  Good guys or bad guys, neither tact worked for Danbury though.  And now they are the ones looking up at Brooklyn in the standings.  Two games; two wins for Brooklyn.  The late season surge is on indeed.  The Skates of Flatbush are now winners of seven of their last eight games.

With one game to go this weekend against New Jersey, the Aviators have so far landed ahead of Danbury in fourth place with sixty-one points.  Danbury slides back to fifth place with fifty-nine points.  Although the Akwesasne Warriors only have fifty-one points, they remain in third place by percentage points due to having played five less games than Brooklyn and Danbury.


It was retro-night of sorts in Hangar Five.  Many of the names we've come to expect led the way for Brooklyn Friday night.  Just keep in mind, Danbury was short players for their involvement in Thursday's exercise in belligerence.


Matt Atsoff was the lone goal scorer of the first period.  His fifteenth of the season came at 14:44; assisted by Andrew Scampoli and Michael Thomson.


At 5:49 of the second period, Brooklyn's Steve Koich got whistled for a slash.  But it was Jesse Felten who cashed in on a short-handed chance a minute later.  Several minutes later, a hooking penalty called against Danbury resulted in Jesse Felten's power play, and second consecutive goal of the period; good for a 3-0 Brooklyn lead.  However with less than a minute left in the period, Danbury got on the board on a James Sanford power play goal off a Michael Thomson hooking penalty to make it a 3-1 game.


Andrew Scampoli found his lost scoring touch again at 4:35 of the third period.  Then at the midway point of the period, Jesse Felten tallied another to complete the hat-trick.  It was his fifth goal in two nights against Danbury.  The Whalers answered that goal a short time later.  But Steve Koich pushed back again with another Brooklyn goal at the 18:00 mark, for a 6-2 lead and a final score.


After getting pummelled the night before, Peter Vetri did not start in goal for Danbury.  Instead Nick Niedert made the start, stopping 29 of 35 shots.


Next up; the first place New Jersey Outlaws.  Brooklyn finally broke through and defeated New Jersey 6-1 for the first time in their previous meeting.  Prior to that, New Jersey was 8-0 over Brooklyn this season and outscored them a combined 45-22 over that time.

SATURDAY

BROOKLYN AVIATORS
vs.

New Jersey Outlaws

From,

Other Side of NY Harbor

Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ Hold Off Bryant; Big Test Saturday

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:   Bulldogs Take a Bite Out of Blackbirds. But Flatbush Tames Bryant With a Better Second Half.

Bryant Bulldogs 2 of 18 shooting from beyond the arch could have been all the difference.

.....It's all in how you look at things.  But it just goes to show;  On any given day any team can be beat.


The Bryant Bulldogs came into the Wellness Center and damn-near turned it into their own personal fun house.  Bryant was 2-20 coming into last night's game and 1-9 in the Conference.  And for that, wound up putting silly looking and puzzled faces on a stunned crowd inside the Ashland Place Gym, as the Bulldogs played toe-to-toe with the first place and defending NEC Champs.


After four lead changes, and the Bulldogs building up to a nine point lead, LIU-Brooklyn came back to take a one point lead into half-time.  Brooklyn steadied themselves in the second half, although Bryant did tie the score on two occasions.  They pulled within 72-70 with 0:11 seconds left in the game.  But Brooklyn buried their free throws to seal the deal.  It turned out to be just enough to secure a 75-70 victory and for many, a huge relief.


The Blackbirds did more with less attempts, shooting 49% for the game and 55% in the second half from the floor.  However they squeezed this game out by being better than Bryant from behind the three, and by going to the line almost twice as many times as the Bulldogs; which incidentally has been a season long recipe.


Otherwise, Bryan outscored LIU from the field and out rebounded them for the game, particularly on their own offensive glass.  Bryant's Alex Francis was the game high scorer with twenty-five points and led all rebounders with eleven.


Jason Brickman was Brooklyn's big man on campus Thursday leading Flatbush scorers with fifteen points while playing in a team high thirty-six minutes.  The Blackbirds had five players in double digit scoring in all.  C.J. Garner and Julian Boyd added twelve points each.  Jamal Olasewere dropped eleven and Michael Culpo netted ten points to round out LIU's top five scorers.


The Ashland Place Gym Rats improved their overall record to 16-7, and 10-1 within the Conference.  With an 8-0 record, they still remain undefeated at home this season.  But for a night anyway, a crisis was narrowly averted.   Lesson learned and point noted.


Next on the docket for the Downtowners is Central Connecticut State (7-4) who are currently tied with Robert Morris for third place of the NEC.  They were 73-67 losers to St. Francis of Brooklyn Thursday which dropped their record to 2-8 on the road.  Saturday's game will tip-off at the Wellness Center at 4:30pm.

SATURDAY

Northeast Conference

Central Connecticut State (7-4)

vs.

LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS (10-1)

from,

WELLNESS CENTER

Ashland Place, Brooklyn

St. Francis of Brooklyn and Wagner remain hot on the Blackbirds' tails with 9-2 records.  Following LIU's game Saturday against Central Connecticut,  LIU-Brooklyn and St. Francis will bring the Battle for Brooklyn to Madison Square Garden first, before returning to the Wellness Center for the second game of two straight between the downtown borough rivals.






Mike.BTB

BKN Aviators ~ Danbury Loses Minds and Game; Round VII Tonight

From the desk of:   THE COOLEST GUYS IN BROOKLYN

FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS HOCKEY

in HANGAR FIVE

ROUND - VII

Danbury Whalers

vs.

BROOKLYN AVIATORS

from,

FLATBUSH AVENUE

Kings County

I - BKN 8  -  DNW 1

II - DNW 3  -  BKN 2

III - DNW 3  -  BKN 1

IV - BKN 4  -  DNW 2

V - DNW 8  -  BKN 3

THURSDAY  Feb. 2, 2012

VI - BKN 9 - DNW 3
Series tied 3-3

It's now that time when the Aviators are not only skating against their competition, they're skating against the clock/schedule as well.  So in a series that quite literally can flip the standings between these two teams, the Skates of Flatbush took a strong confident stride in the right direction by taking care of business up in Danbury last night.  Danbury handed Brooklyn their first loss after winning five straight last weekend.  A pair of wins this weekend against their rival gets them back into the all important first division standings again.  They got a big win Thursday.  And now it's home to Brooklyn for a Friday night in Hangar Five.


The first period between visiting Brooklyn and the Danbury Whalers was more like the Chase Watson Show.  The new Aviator centerman, signed in January, opened the scoring right away with his fourth goal of the season at the 1:42 mark.  Chase then assisted on Jesse Felten's goal a little over two minutes later for Watson's eighteenth point in nine games.  Jesse Felten returned the favor assisting on Chase Watson's second goal of the period; this one coming on the power play.


Brooklyn shut-down Danbury allowing just four first period shots on goal against Flatbush starter Josselin St. Pierre.  At the other end, they spent the period peppering Danbury goalie; Peter Vetri; with eighteen first period shots.  Things could have been worse for Danbury as they allowed Brooklyn seven PP opportunities in the first period alone.  And luckily for them, Brooklyn's Coolest only cashed in once with the man advantage.  But it was Danbury who would lose their cool this night, and practically spent the entire third period at a disadvantage due to a major lack of comportment on their part.


In the second period, Danbury continued to their lack of discipline and thus kept putting Brooklyn on the Power Play.  At the 3:36 mark, both Whaler's goalie Perter Vetri, and Coach Phil Esposito, were given Unsportsmanlike Conducts while Esposito was additionally called for the Bench Minor.  That was a mere prelude of things to come.  Twenty seconds into the power play, Jesse Felten struck for his second goal giving Flatbush a 4-0 lead.  Michael Thomson, and Ken Trentowski (who was recently named FHL Rookie of the Month) assisted on Felten's twentieth goal of the season.


Brooklyn took another seventeen shots against Peter Vetri in the second period and limited Danbury to just eight shots against Josselin St. Pierre, for a two period total of twelve.


Danbury finally got on the board in the third period.  At 2:21, the Whalers' Chris Seifert made it a 4-1 game.  Then half way through the period, Chase Watson completed his hat-trick with a power play goal.   At that point, every one in the crowd could smell what was cooking.  The game, sportsmanship, and everything just degenerated from then on.  Brooklyn's next four goals came on the power play as well.  Why?


Apparently, Brooklyn kicked too much sand under Danbury's skates and so the home team looked to take out some frustrations on the invaders visitors.  However, it seemed since they dropped the puck way back in the first period, the Whalers came into the game seemingly inspired to spear, slash,  elbow, be abusive to the Ref, fight, charge, cross-check, and in a case or two, get disqualified.  OH! - And as an encore, Danbury broke out with some new material. - Try this one;  -  a Tier One Gross Gross Gross Misconduct Penalty.  Hey, if that was their plan, mission accomplished. 


In between all Danbury's frolicking and fiestiness, Nick Petriello; Joe Dabkowski; Casey Mignone; and Lucas Schott all tallied power play goals for Flatbush during the third period melee.  The A's took another TWENTY-SIX shots for good measure against a combination of Whaler goalies, for a grand total of sixty-one shots on goal for the game.   Yep.


There was one moment of clarity.  Danbury scored shorthanded shortly before regulation time expired. The "game" finally ended in a 9-2 final.  And now they get to do it again; Tonight!


Yeah!  Tonight the Whalers must come to Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn.  How appropriate huh?  The Dukes Skates of Flatbush will be there waiting along with somewhere between six to eight hundred of their fans friends too.  And who knows, maybe cooler heads prevail and a hockey game breaks out. 


But all kidding aside, this is a very important game for the A's.  A loss would just cancel out last night's effort and keep them skating in place.  By winning Thursday night, they leapfrogged over Danbury in the standings and are now in fourth place and back in the first division just behind Akwesasne.


The late season push is on!


Let's Go Aviators!






Mike.BTB

BKN Aviators ~ Face Old Rival Danbury Tonight

From the desk of:   THE COOLEST GUYS IN BROOKLYN

BROOKLYN AVIATORS:  Face Crucial Home-and-Home Series Against Old Rival; Danbury Whalers.


If the Aviators are going to make a move on the first division, tonight would be the time to start.  Brooklyn picks up where they left off last weekend; against their old rival the Danbury Whalers.  Thursday night is the first game of a home-and-home starting in Connecticut.

The Whalers are in third place with fifty-nine points while the A's currently sit in fifth place, mere percentage points behind the Akwesasne Warriors.  Bouncing back from last week's 8-3 loss to Danbury with a strong showing over these next two games can go a long way towards getting Brooklyn back in the playoff hunt.  That loss came after Brooklyn recorded five consecutive wins.

Danbury leads the season series against Brooklyn three games to two.

TONIGHT

BROOKLYN AVIATORS
vs.

Danbury Whalers

From,

Connecticut.

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ Blueshirts Tie For NHL Lead the Hard Way

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS






NEW YORK RANGERS:   Blueshirts Earn Three Points in Two Days for Three Point Eastern Conference Lead.  Now Tied With Detroit for Number One in NHL.

Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan Score in Shoot-Out for 1-0 Win
Over Buffalo Sabres

That's two shoot-out games on consecutive nights coming off the break and three points to show for it.  I'll take it.  Tuesday night's loss to the Devils was a somewhat bitter pill to swallow.  The Rangers kept building one goal leads, and the Devils kept tying the game.  Victory was less than a minute away when they got duped on a bad bounce off the boards.  Then Martin Brodeur decided to turn on the greatness again, and well, New Jersey earned the second point of the night.  But as I mentioned in my last post, the Rangers three goals Tuesday came from Stralman; Boyle; and Del Zotto.  The three have combined for twelve goals all season.



There's your seg-way into Wednesday night's game against Buffalo.  The game itself was actually a very high-paced; high-intensity affair.  Dare I say it was a great game?  These games against Buffalo always are.  It was a game that got me thinking which ever team makes the big mistake down the stretch, loses.  Playoff games are like that where neither team is willing to take overt risks with the puck.  And no fights.  There was too much good hockey going on and things were moving too fast for harboring ill will away from the puck.  Both teams however, committed their fair share of dumb penalties at the worst times, but escaped.



Why?  Both goalies, Ryan Miller and Henrik Lundqvist, were brilliant in net.  Henrik turned away all twenty-nine shots he faced over the first sixty-five minutes, while Miller stopped all thirty-four he faced as well.  And there-in lies the rub.  No goals from the Rangers' relied upon scorers again.  No not Gaborik.  There's others the team needs more scoring from like Dubinsky, Anisimov, and  Fedotenko.  And to a lesser degree, it's not wrong to expect a little more from Brad Richards.  We also knew last year Brian Boyle was having am unusually good season scoring goals.  But we can certainly use a few more from him the rest of the way.  Guys like Hagelin and Mitchell have been very nice sparks though.



Sure we'd all like for the PP to be better.  Well, we only had a man-advantage twice against Buffalo.  And OK, we were 0-3 against the Devils as well.  But the truth is this team's strength has long been at even strength.  And every goal is worth it's weight in gold as defenses around the League get better from now through the end of the season.



The Rangers should know something about that as they are now the stingiest defense in the NHL; giving up a League low 100 goals this season.  They've achieved that through a supreme defensive effort by all players.  But here's a matter keeping that stat in check - The Bruins own a +70 for/against goal differential.  The Rangers stand at +36 for the season.  This all means we're playing with a vastly smaller margin of error than our closest competition is.  Yet, for all our apparent problems putting the puck in net, the Rangers now own a three point lead over Boston for the Eastern Conference lead.  What's more, their two points Wednesday night gives them sixty-nine on the season which ties them for the League lead with the Detroit Red Wings.



The Philadelphia Flyers are next.  And if you remember last time we met in the Winter Classic, it was Mike Rupp who rose-up to become the unlikely hero with two goals that game.  To his credit, Brad Richards figured mightily in that game as well.  But will we be in need of another hero against the Flyers again?  Or will one or several expected players step up like a trio of Devils did against the Rangers on Tuesday, when Parise; Kovalchuk, and Clarkson all scored for New Jersey?



Indeed, what I described (or complained about) is all emblematic of overall good team play.  But some individuals need to start cranking things up a bit.  If not, the Rangers' margin between successfully sustaining this season long momentum, and starting to fall short and slip in the standings will keep tightening.  This is by no means doubt on my part.  It's simply what needs to be done.






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ Blueshirts Fall in Devils Playground

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Devil's Playground Graffiti

NEW YORK RANGERS:   I Told You the Devils Were Serious.


Bad bounce; bad break; bad loss; and a bad way to start the official second half of the season.  Credit Martin Brodeur for outlasting Marty Biron and the Rangers last night.  But don't say I didn't warn you.  Brodeur is having fun again, remember?  Sure he looked like a mere fragment of his former self when he flopped into the dead cockroach position on Brian Boyle's goal.  And he looked rather old on Michael Del Zotto's goal as well.  But let a guy like that catch a break and allow him some extra time, and we're talking about how great he is again.

Game Two in this season's Battle of the Hudson series goes to the Devils.  Yeah..., like I said, - don't look now.  New Jersey's three way tie for seventh is yesterday's news.  They own the seventh spot all to themselves today with fifty-seven points.  Last year is a long time ago for them.  On February 1, 2012, the Devils are in possession of a playoff spot that eluded them last season like Bigfoot evades TMZ.  It's their spot to lose now.

For the Rangers, last night depends more on whether you're a glass half empty, or a glass half full person.  Me?  Starting Marty Biron against Martin Brodeur was cool.  I haven't been calling Biron the best back-up goalie in Hockey for nothing.  And being that Henrik played in the All-Star Game; why not?  We were less than a minute away from getting out of The Rock with a second win this season.  So we have to settle for one point.  We split two games on New Jersey's ice so far.  Look at it that way.

As you can tell, I'm trying to stick to the high road.  This was the first game back from the break and we should at least wait for a trend to develop before the Rangers see the Devils again next Tuesday.  We'll be in Buffalo tonight and then play host to Philly on Sunday.

If I wanted to really take issue with yesterday's game, consider the Rangers' three goals came from Stralman; Boyle; and Del Zotto.  The three have combined to score twelve goals all season.  Meanwhile, Zach Parise, Kovalchuk, and David Clarkson did what they get paid to do; score goals.  The three have combined to net fifty-three goals this season.  You know where I'm going with that, don't you?

So yeah, I think I'll stick with the high road for today.  Brian Boyle and Michael Del Zotto both exhibited polish and patience on their goals.  At least that tells me the Rangers' heads are in a good place.

TONIGHT

Battle for The Empire State

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

Buffalo Sabres

From,

Western New York

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ Coughlin and Parcells; Parallel Eras

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE ~ Super Bowl XLVI Edition

ATLANTA FALCONS

GREEN BAY PACKERS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:

Tom Coughlin and Bill Parcells are Mirror Images of

BIG Success and BLUE Setbacks.

Previous Posts:

Only Coach Gilbride Can "RIGHT" the Running Game

Super Sizing the Offensive Line

Two Super Bowl victories in five years cemented Bill Parcells' (as well as Bill Belichick's) legend in the Land of Giants forever.  The coach who came from 3-12-1 in his first season, won the Mara Family their first two Lombardi Trophies.  But make no mistake, there were a bunch of bad moments during the Parcells Era too.



Ever since the Giants won Super Bowl XLII, I've often reminded my son we were inside a five year window to make another Super Bowl appearance.  And quite similarly to the way an era evolved a quarter-century ago for me, here we go again.  It's as if history is making it's way around again and giving a younger generation a glimpse into what their parents went through twenty-five, and twenty one years ago.  Including this season, the last five years have in a sense been a modern day parallel of Bill Parcells' Giants march to greatness.



This Super Bowl, aside from the "Brady's Revenge" factor, has very nearly come about the way Carl Banks once described his team's ascent in 1990;

"We're back!"  "They said we couldn't do it."   "They put a fork in us and said we were done." 

Phil Simms; Rodney Hampton; - Done! - Lost for the season.  Even Carl Banks had that broken hand.  But it goes without saying today's Giants have dealt with injuries just the same.  Now they're back in the Super Bowl after so many in the Media wrote them off after the Saints blow-out; then again at 7-7; and at every chance they had since.  Just as The Matriarch; Ann Mara; who so "politely" pointed that out to Terry Bradshaw.  Parcells used to love that too - when the world wasn't just against you; they belittled you. The Media tried it back then with Parcells because the Giants were never pretty.  They were smash-mouth.  That's why he was so nasty and belittling back to them; -  because what he did, worked.  It just wasn't as flashy as San Francisco's west coast bling.  Phil Simms received the brunt of that crap from day one all the way into and after a 1990 Monday Night 7-3 loss against San Francisco.  We know how that season ended though.



Twenty one years after Super Bowl XXV, my son is gunning for his second Super Bowl inside five years like I did at his age.  His team; our team; is Coached by one of Parcells' grasshoppers; Tom Coughlin.  I never wavered once on Parcells.  If I never told you before (I have..), I'll remind you all now.  I did with Coughlin.  After the 2006 season, I wanted him fired.  All I'll say right now about that is Jerry Reese and John Mara made me realize my thinking was highly flawed.  But that subject  deserves a different post.  The point I want to make is that my son was always a staunch supporter of Coughlin's.  He told me flat out I was wrong then, and still reminds me about it from time to time.  Good for him.  As Coughlin has made an impression upon him, then so too in my early twenties, if Parcells would have asked me to eat dirt, I'd have shown up with spoon in hand and a salt shaker for taste.



Like Tom Coughlin, Bill Parcells' Giants were not without their troubles; and vice-versa.  Four years after their initial Super Bowl victories, Tom Coughlin finds himself in position to win his second Lombardi Trophy, just like Bill Parcells was in 1990-01.  It's uncanny how the two eras match up.  Are there differences?  Sure..., many.  That team of the late 80's was all about smash-mouth and ball control offense.  On defense, they rode the backs of great linebackers.  Today's Giants are passing juggernauts with a ferocious defensive line.   They're kind of the same, but different, or, different but the same.  They're the Giants.  In both eras, drafting has made the difference.



There were no playoffs for Bill Parcells in 1983.  There were no playoffs for Tom Coughlin in 2004.  In 1984, the Giants faced the 49ers in the playoffs and got blown out.  Coach Coughlin's 2005 NFC East champs got blown out by the Carolina Panthers as Tiki Barber infamously accused his Coach of getting Out-Coached by another former Giants coach; John Fox.  In 1985, the Giants were embarrassed during a frigid playoff game in Chicago partly due to a wind-blown missed punt attempt.  In 2006, the Giants embarrassed themselves with an 8-8 record and just barely made the playoffs where they lost to the Eagles in the first round.



After two years of making the playoffs and falling short, both coaches led their teams to respective Super Bowls in their fourth year on the job.  But the Giants bid to repeat in 2008 was shot in the leg just as the Player Strike of 1987 effectively killed the Giants' bid to repeat back then.  Both seasons were horrible ways to follow-up their respective Super Bowl seasons.



As far as that 2008 season and how it ended, ask yourself which you'd rather happen - losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs after a dominant 12-4 season, OR, after having a dominant 12-4 regular season in 1989, watching the Rams' Flipper Anderson run right through the end zone and into the old Giants Stadium tunnels after scoring the winning touchdown in overtime of the opening round playoff game?  In either case; in both eras; in both seasons; the Giants went home prematurely.  And just to let you know, that Rams game still haunts me today more than losing Super Bowl XXXV; or losing to the Niners in 2003; or losing to the Vikings in 1997 ever did.



There were no playoffs for Bill Parcells in 1987 and 1988.  Nor were there any playoffs for Tom Coughlin in 2009 and 2010.  In 2010, the Giants missed the playoffs with a 10-6 record.  That's when Coach Coughlin famously told his detractors to kiss his ass; and rightfully so as far as I'm concerned.  In 1988, the Giants went 10-6 as well, and missed the playoffs because they lost the last game of the season to the Jets.




It seems what's old is new again.  And with any luck, this Sunday can be just as glorious for a new generation and my son in particular, just as it was for this forty-something fan who grew up in the wonderful Big Blue Land of Giants an era ago and thankfully never grew-up.






Mike.BTB