PIGSKIN 2017: CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY

PIGSKIN

CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY

Regular Season Results

Wild Card Round
Divisional Round

Look what the Jaguars did to the Pittsburgh Steelers ... again!  I'm the first to preach about defense and a strong running game being keys to success.  But what the Jags did to the Steelers over the course of two games this season is astonishing.  After dismantling the Steelers six weeks ago by a 30-9 margin in Pittsburgh, Jacksonville went back to cold Steel City and upended them again by an obnoxious 45-42 final score.  Big Ben threw five TD passes, but Jacksonville fans say, so what!

The "Minnesota Miracle" and "Minneapolis Miracle" are now official property of the Vikings.  They wasted no time copyrighting the latest phrase craze.  But, what a finish - crazy indeed.  The Saints had that game won.  In New Orleans, however, the game's disastrous end will go down as the Tackle That Never Was.  Saints rookie Marcus Williams looks like was either attempting to upend Minnesota's Stefon Diggs, or was just aiming low.  In any event, it appears as if  he put his head down too early, and just lost sight of his target, and the actual play itself.  Sixty-one yards later, the Saints lose ... thuuuuh Saints lose!  Regardless, the Vikings were seemingly putting themselves in field goal position, and could have very well kicked themselves into Championship Sunday anyway. But, still, that's not the way history remembers things.

There is not a person that exists on the face of this good planet Earth that could have predicted this week's final four quarterbacks.  Tom Brady is a natural; sure.  But back-ups Nick Foles, Blake Bortles, and Cace Keenum?  No way!  Otherwise, I want to meet that person so I can plan out my retirement prior to Feb. 4.  Tom Brady nursing a hand injury makes this development even more ponderous.

Okay, my record entering this weekend is not great: 94-113-7.  What can I say other than I've had a tough season against the spread.  If you've incurred monetary loses following my advice, that's your problem.  I'm just a dude with a blog.

Now for the real matter at hand: Championship Sunday.

American Football Conference 

Championship Game

PATRIOTS -7 1/2 (Jaguars)

Sunday NYP Line

Do I think the Jaguars can win?  The answer is yes.  If there were a game when the theorem of any given Sunday applies, this would be the one.

Tom Coughlin knows the formula for beating Tom Brady on the field, and for thwarting Bill Belichick from the sidelines.  He twice orchestrated major Super Bowl upset victories over the Patriots as head coach of the Giants.  He knows a strong running game helps keep Tom Brady off the field.  And when Brady is on the field, Coughlin knows he is a statue in the pocket, and that a strong pass rush by the front four, particularly with pressure up the middle, is a sure fire way of getting the GOAT off his mark.  Coughlin may not be the head coach, but his knowledge and experience permeates throughout the organization.

He also knows the Jags can't blitz Brady, otherwise he'll chew them apart.  Therefore, if the Jags can keep a full compliment of defenders in coverage, this game will be closer than many expect.  The X-factor is, of course, Blake Bortles.  No matter what levels of physical harassment Jacksonville can bring against Brady, the Jags QB will still need to make big plays from the pocket.  Belichick will no doubt be looking to bottle up Leonard Fournette, essentially daring Bortles to beat them with his arm.  There's the rub.  Ideally, all Blake needs to do is manage the game and not screw it up.  Simon Bar Belichick isn't likely to blitz.  So, does bend-don't-break induce Bortles into throwing a pick, or two?

Or will Belichick actually pressure the novice?  Not likely.  Belichick knows better than anyone, that smash mouth football isn't about schemes, and certainly isn't cute in application.  To a large extent, it's punishing; it's about brute strength and ignorance.  As Bill Parcells used to say ... that's why you lift all those weights.  Smash mouth is about physically beating the guy in front of you.  Leonard Fournette and Jacksonville's offensive line can do that.  And their defense seems equally up for the task.  But if the Patriots get turnovers I'm confident they will cover.  Minus turnovers, I expect a much closer game.  Even with a bad hand, I trust Brady and Gronk more than Bortles (and Fournette, whom might be called upon to carry the offense).

Bortles sure looked good against the Steelers, though.  Didn't he?  So, yeah, the Jags can definitely cover ... and even win.  But history says the Patriots seldom lose playoff games at home.  Just saying.

National Football Conference 

Championship Game

Vikings -3 (EAGLES)

Sunday NYP Line

The number-one seed Philadelphia Eagles are still being looked upon as underdogs.  Look no further than Nick Foles.  He enters this game with the least amount of playing time (this season) among Sunday's four quarterbacks.

Scoring is clearly down since he took over for Carson Wentz after game thirteen.  The Eagles averaged 31-points with Wentz at the helm.  In Nick Foles four starts, Philly put up 34-points against the Giants, but dipped to just 19-points against the Raiders.  The Eagles then got whitewashed in what amounted to them as an inconsequential season finale against the Cowboys.  But, still ... no points?  In a limited appearance, Foles was 4/11 for 39 yards, and threw an INT.  The Eagles followed up with just 15-points against the Falcons during last week's Divisional playoff.  Nick Foles was 23 of 30 for 246 yards; no TDs and no picks.

Now he goes up against a very good Minnesota defense.  After allowing the Steelers 26 points in the regular season's penultimate game, they allowed 43 total points in back-to-back games against the Saints.  Therefore 23-points seems to be the magic number.  Thing is, Nick Foles is not Ben Roethlisberger, nor is he Drew Brees.  He was efficient against the Falcons, though.  But will that be good enough?  Remember ... just 15-points against a good Falcons defense.  And he's playing the number one defense in points allowed.  The onus will therefore be on Philadelphia' defense - also very good in their own right - to carry the day.  The fans in Philly are relishing their underdog status, and will no doubt be frothing at the mouth.  So, there's that.

During the regular season, the Vikings went 12-3 with Case Keenum at the helm (in relief of injured opening day starter Sam Bradford).  Keenum threw for 3,547 yards, 22 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions.  After last week's game, his confidence is through the roof.  He still needed to complete that pass which ended the game.  He stood in the pocket, and did just that.



But, hey, like I said:  What do I know.


Good luck, and Happy Championship Sunday!

Brooklyn Nets: The Reintroduction of D'Angelo Russell

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

SUNDAY

NETS

vs.

Pistons

FROM

Detroit Rock City

Brooklyn Nets: Hello Again .. D'Angelo Russell Returns After Missing 32 Games.

D'Angelo Russell made his return to the line-up against the Miami Heat Friday at Barclays.  Nets fans anticipation of a better future with him, rather than without him, clearly remains strong.  After the Borough's promising young point guard missed 32 games while recovering from knee surgery, Brooklyn welcomed him back with a standing ovation.

However, there's still a very small measure of doubt lurking in the back of every one's minds.

Last season with the Lakers, he missed games in November and December due to a left knee injury.  In a Jan. 7, 2017 game against Sacramento, he rolled his ankle.  Then. right around this time last season (Jan. 20), he hurt his right knee in a game against Indiana.  His series of missteps didn't end there, as he rolled his ankle yet again in a March, 25 game against Denver.

In 2015-2016, he averaged 13.2 points and 3.2 assists through 80 games games as a rookie.  Despite injuries last season, he improved to 15.6 points and 4.8 assists, in 63 games played.  He was averaging 19.4 and 5.4 assists through his first 12 games of the season until going down after a Nov 11 game against Utah in which he scored 26-points in 32:38 minutes.

FRIDAY

HEAT   95

Nets     105

FINAL

Although it was nice seeing him on the floor again, his game is obviously still a few days away.  Nowhere near game speed, he went 0 for 5 from the field against Miami, with just a point from the charity line, and two assists during 14-minutes of floor time.

But one of the other knocks previously levied against D'Angelo is his defense.  The Nets have shown when they hold opponents under 100-points, they usually win.  In fact, scoring has really been their problem.  The Nets are still averaging 105.8 points.  However, they're still allowing their opponents a prohibitive 108.8 points per game.

One of the questions I have is how long before we see Russell and Jahlil Okafor together playing consistent complimentary basketball?  Akafor has been averaging near 11-minutes a game since Coach Atkinson started incorporating him into the line-up after New Year's day.

With the exception of Jeremy Lin, Coach Atkinson has a full compliment of players again.  I wouldn't mind seeing Okafor taking away minutes from Tyler Zeller.  However, Spencer Dinwiddie has made quite a name for himself in D'Angelo Russell's absence - as have Caris LeVert and Allen Crabbe.

Hopefully Coach Atkinson can start straightening out some of his rotations, which have seemed ponderous at times.  But I'm not complaining.  Injuries can do that.

Dare I say the near future is looking up ... again.

Brooklyn Walk: Flatbush Avenue at Church Avenue

Flatbush Avenue at Church Avenue

BROOKLYN

The First Public School

in Midwout, New Netherland

Established January 1658

Flatbush Reformed Protestant Dutch Church

Last resting place for members of early Dutch settlers and families of Flatbush - wikipedia

(Erasmus Hall in the background)

Departed From This Life

January 26, 1800

The Church House

Albemarle-Kenmore Terraces

The Parsonage, built 1856

Kenmore Terrace

Albemarle Terrace

Mural: Corner of Flatbush Avenue and Lenox Road.

KINGS THEATER

Renovation completed 2015

Back on December 5, I honked my horn at the Stony Brook team bus

at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Church Avenue .. just because!

The LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds, who play a little further north along Flatbush Avenue,

defeated the Seawolves at the Wellness Center the night before.

I grew up as a child in this neighborhood.

It's still a part of me.  

Devils vs. Flyers: Backyard Brawl - II

From the desk of:  THE BRICK CITY STYX

TODAY

DEVILS

vs.

FLYERS

FROM

Arena of Brotherly Thugs

New Jersey Devils: Newark Out To Prove Speculation Of Their Demise Has Been Greatly Exaggerated.

As K-Squared goes, so go the Devils?

I have a saying: Once is an event; twice is a coincidence; three times is a trend.

Keith Kincaid will make his third straight start Saturday afternoon against the Flyers at Philadelphia.  

The Devils have been taking good care of their valued back-up while Cory Schneider recovers from illness.  On Jan. 16, Newark limited the surging Islanders to 26 shots on goal.  Kincaid rewarded his mates with 25 saves en route to a 4-1 victory.  That snapped a six game losing streak which at the time had some pondering whether the young Devils were trending towards their true level.

They said ... not so fast.

Two days later, Newark limited the first place Washington Capitals to just 19 shots on goal.  Despite allowing three goals, Kincaid prevailed long enough for Taylor Hall to net the winning goal in overtime.

No doubt a very significant victory as regular season games go.  Moreover, the Devils left Washington with two points.  I've mentioned several times how their eight OT loses to date are tied for second most in the league.

Back-to-back victories have now elevated the Devils into second place of the Metropolitan Division, and into fourth place of the conference standings.

The Flyers took the first meeting in this series.  Undisciplined as ever, they afforded the Devils seven power play opportunities.  The Devils, however, blew two different leads en route to a 5-3 loss at the Rock.

Now the Devils seek a measure of revenge at Philly.

N.J. Devils: Bring On The Capitals

From the desk of:  THE BRICK CITY STYX

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

1) Capitals  28-14-3 (59-points)

2) Devils      23-12-8 (55-points)

TONIGHT

CAPITALS

vs.

DEVILS

FROM

THE ROCK

New Jersey Devils: Not So Fast! Newark Turns Back Surging Islanders; Snap Six Game Skid.

Payback's a pitch..fork.

As things turned out, Cory Schneider seems to have picked the right night to call in sick.

When Anders Lee scored just 1:36 into the opening period, it looked as if the Islanders were merely picking up where they left off against the Rangers and Canadiens, and that the Devils were in for another long night.

But the league's second most potent offense failed to score again, mustering just 24 shots all game against Devils back-up Keith Kincaid.

Looking to avenge last week's shootout against the Islanders, Newark rolled into Flatbush where they punished the taxed and defensively challenged Islanders at Barclays Tuesday night.

After Kyle Palmieri tied the game at the 15:20 mark of the first, the period ended with Andy Greene and Brock Nelson dropping gloves.  The Devils then took over with three more unanswered goals in the second.  Fourth year defenseman Damon Severson set a new career high with his fifth and sixth goals of the season, and Taylor Hall closed out the scoring with his team leading 16th goal.

All told, the Devils peppered Jaroslav Halak with 42 shots.

The victory gives the Devils 54-points on the season.  For the moment, that's good enough for second place in the Metropolitan Division, and fourth in the conference.

New Jersey's biggest problem has been leaving points on the table.

The Devils finished at the bottom of last year's Eastern Conference standings with a 28-40-14 record (70-points).  Their 14 OT/SO losses were second most in all the NHL.  Their eight OT/SO losses so far this season are once again tied for most among current playoff contenders, and tied for second most in the league.

Tonight, they host the first place Washington Capitals with another two points up for grabs.

N.Y. Rangers: Rick Nash Has Entered The Building

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Rick Nash Spearheads Victory Over Flyers;

Rangers Regain Top Eight Standing.

New York Rangers: If nothing else, the trade to acquire Rick Nash also gave us Pavel Buchnevich.

Buchnevich came via the Blue Jackets' 2013 3rd round draft pick ...

Much was expected of the now 33-year old Rick Nash, who is in the final year of his contract with the Rangers.

At this point, nothing short of winning a Cup will change his New York narrative.

Watching Rick Nash play for the Columbus Blue Jackets, I remember thinking at the time he was exactly what the Rangers so desperately needed - a big, physical, top line scorer.  And upon his acquisition, I was sure he was going to start throwing his body around, and get this team over the top.

I also recall Blue Jackets fans saying, "You'll be sorry."

What?

Here I am thinking the Rangers finally landed their man, and Columbus fans are offering Nash a lift to the airport?

Granted, he only made the playoffs once (2008-2009) during his nine seasons with the Blue Jackets, and they wound up getting swept in the first round by the Detroit Red Wings.  For his part, Rick Nash registered a goal and two assists in four games.

Over his nine seasons with the Blue Jackets, he averaged 74 games, 32 goals/28 assists/60 points.

Therefore, I wasn't interested in their dismay.


His first and third seasons with New York are his best as a Ranger to date:

• (2012-2013) 44 games; 21 goals; 21 assists; 42 points.
• (2014-2015) 79 games; 42 goals; 27 assists; 69 points.

However, the rest of his work has indeed left much to be desired:

• (2013-2014) 65 games; 26 goals; 13 assists; 39 points.
• (2015-2016) 60 games; 15 goals; 21 assists; 36 points.
• (2016-2017) 67 games; 23 goals; 15 assists; 38 points.

Since his arrival no other Ranger has taken more shots on goal.  Yet, it's been little Mats Zuccarello leading this team in points in three of the last four seasons, and leading again this year.  I love me some MatsZucs, but that shouldn't be the case with Nash on the roster.

With Columbus, Nash also averaged 9.2 power play goals per season (double-digit ppg four times; led NHL in 2003-2004 with 19 ppg).  He averaged just 4.6 ppg during his first five seasons with the Rangers, and so far this season has only two.

Then there's the playoffs ...

The Rangers have qualified for the post-season in each of Rick Nash's first five seasons with the Rangers.  Unfortunately, when they've needed his scoring most, he's been at his most ineffective.  Sadly, his post-season line reads no differently than any of his three least productive seasons with the Rangers.

• 73 playoff games: 14 goals/24 assists/38 points.

With a pair of goals against the Flyers on Tuesday, Rick Nash helped the Rangers slam the brakes on their three game skid, and avoid a further drop in the Eastern Conference standings.  On a personal note, it was Rick's first goal since scoring on Dec. 15 against the Kings.  What followed was a ten game stretch in which he failed to score even a single point.  Finally, he registered an assist this past
Saturday against the Islanders.

After playing quite literally pointless hockey since Dec. 16, Nash now has three points in his last three games.  He is now tied for eighth on the team with 20-points.

I wouldn't say I'm sorry.  I wanted Rick Nash in a Rangers uniform two years before the trade was even made.  He is still a good hockey player, whom does everything else quite well.  I'm not taking that away from him.  His career as a Ranger is no less ponderous, though.  So let's just call it being really disappointed.

Maybe what I perceive as gross underachievement is really just dumb-luck.

Maybe not ...

Devils vs. Islanders: Flatbush Avenue Face-Off

From the desks of:  

NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT  and  THE BRICK CITY STYX

METROPOLITAN DIVISION RIVALRY

TUESDAY

DEVILS

vs.

ISLANDERS

FROM

Barclays Center

FLATBUSH

New Jersey Devils: Cheating Themselves Out of Valuable Points Now Threatening Their Place In The Standings.

The New Jersey Devils are demonstrating the value of fast starts.  With a 22-12-8 record to date, they enter Tuesday's game against the Islanders in third place of the Metropolitan Division, and in sixth place of the conference standings.

But how much longer can Newark keep this up?  Remember how they jumped out to an 8-2 record in October?  They have played sub par hockey since then, going 14-10-8 over their last 32 games.

Just when they appeared to be turning things around with five straight wins in late December, they start the New Year losers of six straight.

Now they draw the Islanders, whom with a victory, can tie New Jersey in the standings with 52-points.

The Devils finished at the bottom of last year's Eastern Conference standings with a 28-40-14 record (70-points).  Their 14 OT/SO losses were second most in all the NHL.  Their eight OT/SO losses so far this season are once again tied for most among current playoff contenders, and tied for second most in the league.

... all the hallmarks of a young, rebuilding team.

The inexperienced Devils are nevertheless doing well - far better than fans could have ever expected.  Perhaps sooner than later they'll learn how to finish games instead of giving away points.

They can start by not exposing Cory Schneider to so many shots of goal.  The opposition is averaging 32 shots on goal against Schneider this season.  But that doesn't explain Saturday's performance against the Flyers - does it? -  when he allowed five goals on just 25 shots.

In Cory's defense, his .911 SV% over his last 93 games is somewhat reflective of the New Jersey's rebuilding.  Otherwise, he previously averaged a .923 SV% during his first three years with the Devils.


New York Islanders: Look Who's Number Eight! Thomas Greiss Rewards Coach Weight; John Tavares Takes Care Of The Rest.

Speaking of goalies, the Islanders two-headed monster must surely be killing Doug Weight.  While it would be prudent for him to chose one, and just give it a go, what's a head coach to do with two troublesome goalies?

It took consecutive wins in his two most recent starts against the Devils and Rangers just for Jaroslav Halak improving his record to 13-12-2 through 28 games.  At present, his 3.19 GAA is way above his career 2.46 goals against average, while his .906 SV% is down from his usual .916 save percentage.

Instead of allowing Halak a fourth straight start, Doug Weight elected to play Thomas Greiss against the Canadiens on Monday.

It was Greiss' 21st appearance of the season.  Entering Monday's game, he owned an unsightly 3.89 GAA, and an equally unsettling .882 save percentage.

But were it not for Thomas Greiss, the Islanders do not defeat the Habs on Monday; they do not win their third game in a row; and most importantly, they do not leapfrog over the Rangers into eighth place of the Eastern Conference standings.

Greiss made Doug Weight sweat, though.  He faced an absurd 56 shots, allowing four goals.  The Islanders blew leads of 2-0 and 4-2 before Max Pacioretti's game tying goal at 13:01 of the third period.  It was Greiss, though, who kept the Islanders alive allowing John Tavares to end the game in overtime with his 24th goal of the season.

Then again, scoring isn't this team's problem.  Defense is.

The Islanders are second in the league in scoring, averaging 3.6 goals a game.  Their power play is slightly above average, ranking 12th in the league.  Ponderously, the Isles rank 31st in goals against, and 30th on the penalty kill.

Knicks Crash Nets Holiday Party at Barclays

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

EAST RIVER SHOWDOWN - III

Knicks lead series 3-0

I - NYK 107; BKN 86

II - NYK 111; BKN 104

III - NYK 119; BKN 104

IV - January 30

MLK DAY

Knicks   119

Nets       104

FINAL

New York Knicks: Michael Beasley Finishes What The Unicorn Started.

I guess those fans anticipating an MLK Day battle in the paint between Enes Kanter and Jahlil Okafor no doubt left Barclays Center disappointed.  For those graduates of old-school in attendance for Monday's holiday game in Brooklyn, a neo-clash of NBA centers never materialized.

After his acquisition on Dec. 7, and for purposes of conditioning, Jahlil Okafor only played one game through New Year's Day.  On Jan. 3, he finally began a string of five games where he averaged 12.6 minutes.  On Friday, he scored 17-points in 12-minutes at Atlanta.  But he only played eight minutes against Washington, and was limited again to just seven minutes Monday against the Knicks.

Enes Kanter likewise only saw nine minutes of floor time.  But he was coming off 36-minutes and 18points against New Orleans yesterday at the Garden.

Kristaps Porzingis led all scorers with 26-points.  But after the Nets pulled within 81-83 with a 39-point third quarter, it was Michael Beasley who sparked the Knicks 4th quarter charge.  He scored 23-points off the bench and secured a game-high 10 rebounds.

Frank Ntilikina also contributed a double-double off the bench with ten points and ten assists.


Brooklyn Nets: Brick!

Brooklyn's ball distribution was clearly lacking.  Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with five assists, but they only managed 16 as a team.  The Knicks had 27 team assists to go along with 51.2% accuracy from the field.  The Nets meanwhile converted on just 36.8% of their attempts, and were a dismal 14 of 44 (22.5%) in the first half.

DeMarre Carroll led the Nets with 22-points in 30-minutes.  Caris LeVert likewise logged 30-minutes, while adding 20-points.

The Nets unfortunately lost their bearing in the fourth quarter, getting outscored 23-36, en route to a 119-104 defeat at Barclays.


Prior to Monday's game, there were 13 NBA team yet to achieve 20 victories this season.  The New York Knicks are no longer one of them.  The Knicks improve to 20-24 on the season, while the Nets fall to a 16-28 record.

N.Y. Rangers: Killing Us Softly With Poke Checks

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

UNDER SIEGE

New York Rangers: Who Fails To Answer The Battle Cry Of Henrik the Great?  Why Are There No King's Horses?  Where Are The King's Men?

Just as the Rangers were felled by the old one-two against the Islanders and Penguins back in October, they walked right into the same stiff jab and overhand right ... again.

Let me take you back to October 17; the Rangers play the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden.  Henrik Lundqvist faces 33 shots on goal and the Rangers lose 5-4 in overtime.  Two nights later, the Rangers host the New York Islanders.  This time Henrik faces 38 shots on goal, and the Rangers lose 4-3 in shootout.

This past weekend ... one day after getting KO'd by the New York Islanders, the Rangers allowed the Pittsburgh Penguins 46 shots on goal.

I repeat, the Rangers, on Sunday, allowed the Penguins 46 shots on goal.

What in the name of Lester Patrick ... forty-six freaking shots on goal..!

The Rangers entered the mid-winter recess losing two of three, sandwiching a victory over the lowly Coyotes in between a pair of losses against Chicago and Vegas.

That's when I decided to crunch some numbers.  Sure enough, my suspicion was correct - Henrik Lundqvist is facing more shots on goal this season than at any other time in his career.

Under John Tortorella, Lundqvist was facing an average of 28.5 shots on goal per game.  That number inched up to 28.9 during Alain Vigeault's first two seasons as head coach.  During the next two seasons from 2015 through 2017, that number shot up to 30.2 shots on goal.  This season, the opposition is now averaging a whopping 31.9 shots on goal against Alain Vigneault's system Henrik Lundqvist.

As previously noted, the soft Rangers were off last Monday through Friday.  So, in order to get Henrik a full seven-days week of rest, Ondrej Pavelec started on Jan. 7 at Vegas, where he faced 34 shots on goal.  He then started Saturday's return from the break against the Islanders.  But Alain Vigneault was forced to pull him, not because he faced 19 shots and allowed five goals in under 27 minutes, but because the rest of the SMURFS team failed to show up.  Lundqvist wound up facing 18 shots in just over 33 minutes of wasted time.

No day off for you!

Then Sunday happened.

In yet another slow start, the Rangers fell behind just 3:14 into the game.  However, thanks to (reliable veteran) Michael Grabner, (and the rarest of goals from) Brendan Smith, the Rangers took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

But the lead was short-lived.  After the Rangers bailed themselves out of trouble early in the second period with two successful penalty kills, opposing blueliners Brendan Smith and Jamie Oleksiak decided to go at it.  After which, the Rangers seemingly lost their fight(?).  Two even strength goals later, and Rangers trailed 3-2 after two periods.  Pittsburgh was able to unleash 18 shots on goal in the second period.  They took another 16 shots on goal in the third period en route to another pair of goals, and a 5-2 final score.

In two games against the Islanders, the Rangers have now allowed 75 shots on goal.  After three games against the Penguins, Lundqvist and Pavelec together have now faced a total of 124 shots on goal (Pavelec faced 44 SOG on Dec. 5).  It's no wonder the Rangers were outscored 14-29 in these five games alone.

Henrik turns 36-years old in March, yet has now appeared in 37 of the Rangers 44 games played to date.  This puts him on pace to appear in his most games since 2010-2011, when he appeared in 68 games as a 29-year old.  Unfortunately, the schedule only gets tougher from here on out.  Therefore, opportunities for time off will be far and few between.  You watch.

How can I be so sure?

Because here we are following the same old script: the SMURFS Rangers will grow increasingly desperate over the final twelve weeks of the regular season, invariably scrambling to snag a wild card spot.

Henrik Lundqvist knows this better than anyone in that locker room.  He knows damn well what lies ahead; he sees this as clearly as the nightly parade of bodies in front of his net with nary a Ranger jersey in sight.  He also knows the Rangers are spineless points differential is tanking - now down to only plus/three - and fading fast.

And then what?

On the chances they do make the playoffs, the media makes Henrik the scapegoat anyway.  So if you do not think these very matters were circulating through his mind while he admonished the team in front of a packed Garden crowd on Saturday, then I beg to differ.  He's been there, done that.

The proof is in the standings.

The Metropolitan Division is packed tighter than my kitchen junk drawer.  Washington, Columbus, and New Jersey, still maintain the all-important top three spots.  How long the junior Devils continue playing above expectations remains to be seen, although, I do believe their style is sustainable.  The Rangers fan in me also believes the Devils will somehow ultimately decide the Blueshirts fate on Apr. 3, when they meet at the Rock.

I digress.

Losers of three straight, the Rangers remain stalled at 49-points.  With Sunday's victory, the Penguins (51-points) move into fourth place ahead of the Rangers.  Tangled up right behind the gutless Rangers with 48-points are, Philadelphia, the Islanders, and Carolina.

And right on cue, the Rangers have also been bumped down to eighth place in the conference standings.

So start growing those beards now.  Must win hockey has begun ... in January.

New year ... same Vigneault crap.

Poke check that..!



UPDATE: THE RANGERS ARE NOW ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN.
Islanders (50-points) defeat Montreal; move into eighth place of Eastern Conference standings. Ninth place Rangers (49-points) face the Flyers (48-points) on Tuesday.

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: Flatbush Hoops Upset Rival Wagner Seahawks

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

FINAL

WAGNER               67

LIU/BROOKLYN   69

LIU/Brooklyn Blackbirds: Flatbush Scores Upset Over Staten Island Rival.

All seemed fine when Julian Batts' three-pointer at 14:36 of the second half put the Blackbirds up by nine.  He converted a layup during his very next trip up the floor making the score 48-40 in Brooklyn's favor.

That's when Wagner began chipping away until finally tying the score at sixty-seven off a pair of free-throws with just 0:13 second left on the clock.

Off the ensuing change of possession, Julian Batts reemerged, and his lay-up with just 0:02 seconds left sealed Brooklyn's huge 69-67 victory over the NEC's second place team at the Wellness Center.

Joel Hernandez secured a game-high seven rebounds.  Meanwhile, the Seahawks only pulled down seven rebounds all game.  The Blackbirds dominated the boards with 36 total rebounds.  Hernandez also tied Wagner's Romone Saunders with a game-high 18 points.

Batts was second on the team with 13 points, connecting on 5/7 from the field, including 3/4 from beyond the arc.

The victory is Brooklyn's second straight.  The Blackbirds previously scored a 90-85 revenge win over Fairleigh Dickinson University on Thursday.  LIU now evens their conference record at 3-3, while improving to 5-3 at home.

N.Y. Rangers: Debacle on 33rd Street

From the desks of: 

NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT  and  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

THE RIVALRY - II

Islanders lead series 2-0

I - NYI 4; NYR 3*

II - NYI 7; NYR 2

*shootout

New York Rangers: So Much For Henrik Lundqvist's Day Off..!

Were it not for the mid-winter break, Henrik Lundqvist gets no break at all.  He has now appeared in 36 of the Rangers 43 games played to date.

Exactly one week after writing how Henrik Lundqvist is facing more shots on goal than ever, the Rangers ruined his scheduled day off with an absolutely abysmal effort against the visiting New York Islanders.

The Rangers were beaten, badly, by the likes of second year winger Anthony Beaullivier, and second year center Mathew Barzal - both of whom were Islanders first round selections in the 2015 entry draft, and both of whom registered a pair of goals each through the first two periods of Saturday's debacle at 33rd Street.

Less than seven minutes into the second period, Alain Vigneault pulled back-up goalie Ondrej Pavelec upon surrendering the Islanders' third goal of the period, and to that point their fifth goal of the game.

Both the Rangers and Islanders had been idle since last Sunday.  Therefore, rust is no excuse.  So let's be clear.  The Rangers flat out sucked.  Why mince words?  Every forward, and every defenseman, played regrettably terrible hockey.

Every one ...

Madison Square Garden wreaked of piss-poor performance.  But paying customers aren't entitled to refunds, and for that the Blueshirts should be ashamed of themselves.  Henrik Lundqvist let them know it, too.  He took his time donning his pads, then skated the length of the bench, admonishing his mates in front of the entire crowd before taking his position in net.

The Belmont-bound Islanders struck twice more in the third period en route to a 7-2 thrashing of their old division rivals.  Throughout the entire game, odd man rushes ruled the day.  Shane Prince, Cal Clutterbuck, and Thomas Hickey (thanks to a MatsZucs deflection) also participated in the scoring.

Nary a big hit from the SMURFS Rangers.  The box score says they laid 28 hits.  Somehow I must have missed them all.  I know none of them occurred in between the dots, or in front of the net.  Feeble stick checks abounded, though.

With little exaggeration, it seemed as if the Rangers unfurled a welcoming mat down center ice honoring the league's fourth best scoring team.

This is without a doubt a low point in the Rangers season.

What lies ahead is anyone's guess.

My opinion, however, remains unchanged.  Their defensmen are too small and passive; they're one of the league's weakest teams up the middle; overall they have no real toughness about them; and I do not like Alain Vigneault's system.

Saturday's loss stalls the Rangers at 49 points, and leaves them tied with the Penguins for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

The Islanders are right behind them in ninth place, trailing by one point.

PIGSKIN 2017: Divisional Round

PIGSKIN

DIVISIONAL WEEKEND

Regular Season Results

Wild Card Round

SATURDAY GAMES

Falcons -3 (EAGLES)
The way I see things, Las Vegas says the home team will lose by six.  Very interesting.  The Eagles were one of four teams to finish the regular season with an NFL best 13-3 record.  On closer inspection, their only three losses came against teams with winning records (Chiefs, Seahawks, and Cowboys).  Eight of their thirteen victories came against teams with losing records.  But that's just called taking care of business.  Otherwise, their five noteworthy victories came against the Chargers, Panthers, Cowboys, Rams, and the (8-8) Cardinals - none of which are active this weekend.  There's something to be said for not judging Philly based on their performance over the last two weeks of the season - which they essentially treated as garbage time.  Fools, I say!  I'm a huge proponent of playing out every game and finishing strongly.  And Nick Foles's performance against the Cowboys during the regular season finale should indeed be held against him.  But, Mike!  Five of Atlanta's six losses this season came against teams which qualified for this year's playoffs.  That doesn't inspire much confidence, does it?  Yeah, I know.  They're clearly not the same team they were last year.  Looking back on the season, there does appear to have been a slight disconnect between Matt Ryan and his new offensive coordinator.  But that does not diminish the fact Ryan is one of the league's top quarterbacks.  I know Philly has a damn good defense, but do not underestimate that of the Falcons.  I expect a hard fought game, with both teams attempting to establish the run.  That said, I'm "loading the box" against Philly and daring Nick Foles to beat me if I'm Atlanta.  Offensively, the veteran and playoff tested Matt Ryan will remain relatively calm, cool, and collected.  Nick Foles?  I'm not so sure.  Who is more likely to make the big mistake in a close game?  I'm siding with the defending NFC champs.
LOSS  15-10 Eagles


PATRIOTS -13 1/2 (Titans)
Sorry Titans fans, it's pumpkin time for Cinderella.  The numbers just do not add up.  I know stats alone don't always tell the full story.  But it's two minutes to midnight and prince Derrelle Revis is nowhere in sight.  Sadly, there will be no happy ending; no Marcus Mariota self-pass touchdown reception to save Tennessee this time.  Evidence supporting the notion Kansas City choked last week far outweighs any argument favoring the Titans' performance during their stunning 22-21 victory over the Chiefs.  Fairy tale fortune aside, 22-points will not be good enough against the Patriots.  It takes more than pretty glass slippers to escape Foxboro with a victory.   After allowing an average 32-points through their first four games of the season, the Patriots have allowed just 14-points per game since!  Over the final 12 weeks of the season, only the Steelers and Dolphins(?) managed 20+ points against them.  Meanwhile, Tennessee only averaged 20.8 points per game this season.  In fact, they posted a -22 point differential during the regular season.  Meanwhile, we know well how Tom Brady and the Pats love to pile on points and have covered larger spreads than this.  The Patriots posted a +162 point differential this season.  Besides, when Bill Belichick gets two weeks to prepare for an opponent, they're as good as done.  On defense, Simon Bar Belichick takes away the one thing teams do best.  So who is it gonna be, Mariota or Derrick Henry?  If Belichick gives the Titans a dose of bend-don't-break, Mariota could very well wind up rushing for more yards than passing.  But what good will that do?  Victory is achieved in the pocket.  So, flee at your own risk, I say.
WIN  35-14 Patriots


SUNDAY GAMES

STEELERS -7 (Jaguars)
What is the Jaguars pass rush against tumbling stumbling rumbling Big Ben Roethlisburger?  When they last met in Week Five, JAX sacked Ben twice, and hit him seven other times.  The Jags also picked him off five times!  Moreover, they limited Le'Veon Bell to just 47 yards on 15 rushes.  Big Ben otherwise threw for over 300 yards (no touchdowns), while Antonio Brown had ten receptions for 157 yards.  On offense, Jacksonville rushed for over 200 yards en route to a 30-9 blowout victory in Pittsburgh.  Here's the problem: despite getting out of Steel City with a huge victory, Blake Bortles was only 8/14 for 95 yards, and threw an interception.  Has anything changed since then?  The answer is NO.  Bortles was 12/23 for just 87 yards, with a TD pass, during last week's yawn inspiring 10-3 Jags victory over the Buffalo Bills.  I'm sorry, but he's not even on Trent Dilfer's level, and this isn't the 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense.  In other words, The Jags need so much more from Bortles if they are to defeat the Steelers for a second time in Pittsburgh, much less in the playoffs.  That's because Leonard Fournette will not rush for 188 yards (90 yards on one play) again.  Coach Mike Tomlin will make sure of that.  And he's going to force Blake Bortles into plucking a rabbit out of his posterior ... when he's not sitting on it, that is.  Do not anticipate Big Ben throwing another five picks.  That said, after the main objective which is chasing down a Super Bowl, the Steelers enter this game with nothing but revenge on their minds.  They have gone 10-1 since that lopsided Week Five loss.  Jacksonville meanwhile ended their regular season with losses against Jimmy Garopolo's Niners, and the Titans.
Loss  45-42 Jaguars


Saints +5 (VIKINGS)
These teams met back in Week One.  Sam Bradford threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 29-19 victory over the Saints at Minnesota.  The Vikings Dalvin Cook also rushed for 127 yards that game.  Due to a season-long knee injury, Bradford's only other start came back in October against the Bears.  Cook, meanwhile, tore his ACL in Week Four.  In other words, nothing about Week One matters if you're the Saints.  However, back-up quarterback Case Keenum has filled in well, throwing for over 3,500 yards through 15 regular season games.  He threw for 300+ yards in a game twice this season, most recently in Week Sixteen against Tampa.  He has 22 TD passes versus just seven INTs.  That's great for a back-up, particularly if you're a Minnesota fan.  But what really matters this week is that Drew Brees is a Super Bowl champion, and Case Keenum is making his first playoff start.  In the backfield, Latavius Murray has averaged just 67 yards a game since taking over for Dalvin Cook.  The Carolina Panthers defeated the Vikings in Week 14 despite ineffectual passing from Cam Newton.  Instead, Carolina defeated the Vikings 31-24 primarily on the ground with 200+ yards rushing.  Unlike Week One, perhaps Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram this time around can better carry their fair share of the load.  Despite them, Drew Brees threw for 291 yards and a TD that game.  While it's true that Minnesota yielded the least points in the NFL this season, the Saints have also limited opponents under 20-points in eight of their eleven victories.  In other words, the weight of the world is on Case Keenum not to screw it up.  With another representative effort from New Orleans' defense, and a turnover, perhaps the Saints keep marching on.
PUSH  29-24 Vikings

N.Y. Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist Facing More Shots Than Ever

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

EMPIRE STATE

NHL WINTER CLASSIC 

FINAL

Rangers   3

Sabres      2

overtime

Today's game against the Phoenix Coyotes marks the midway point of the The New York Rangers season.  After a poor opening month of October, in which they posted 4-7-2 record, the Blueshirts have gone 17-7-3 since.

With an overall 21-14-5 record (47-points), the Rangers presently reside in fourth place of the Metropolitan Division, and seventh place of the Eastern Conference standings - just one point ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes.  Pittsburgh, meanwhile, unexpectedly finds themselves in ninth place with 45 points.  The tenth place Islanders have 44 points (but are third in the league in scoring).

The Rangers went 8-6-1 in the first half against the other top seven Eastern Conference teams, but are 8-6-3 when back-to-back losses against the Pens and Islanders are added.  They will face the Islanders and Penguins on back-to-back nights again next weekend.

Until then, the Rangers must first get through the lowly Coyotes, and the surprising Western Conference leading Vegas Golden Knights.

They have so far only faced five of the top eight Western Conference teams (Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Dallas, and San Jose) against which, they've posted a 3-2 record.  They are yet to play Winnipeg, St. Louis, and Minnesota.  However, the Rangers are only 1-3 against the likes of Chicago, Anaheim, and Colorado.

As we Blueshirt fans know well, without a top flight centerman, Rangers scoring is a collective effort, and as such they're eighth in the league, averaging 3.1 goals per game.  Defensively, the Rangers rank tenth having allowed 2.8 goals per game.  Their penalty kill is equally solid - ranked sixth in the league - but the power play is middle of the pack.

As usual, Rick Nash continues to lead the team by a wide margin in shots on goal, yet Mats Zuccarello once again leads the team in points.

Otherwise, everything else falls desperately on the shoulders, glove, blocker, stick, pads, and skill, of Henrik Lundqvist.

Let me know when this stops sounding hauntingly familiar ...!

For three straight seasons between 2007 and 2010, Henrik Lundqvist made at least 70 starts.  He's presently on pace to make 68 starts (or so...) - something he hasn't done since the 2010-2011 season when he made 67 starts.  In 2013-2014, he started 62 games, and two years ago made 64 starts.

Henrik turns 36-years old this coming March.  Entering Saturday's game, he has so far started 34 of the Rangers 40 games.  If this keeps up, Lundqvist could threaten his career high of 39 victories set during the 2011-2012 season.  He won 35 games just two seasons ago.

Here's the problem: he's presently facing more shots on goal than at any other time in his career.

During John Tortorella's four seasons as Rangers head coach, the opposition averaged 28.5 shots on goal against Henrik Lundqvist.  In Alain Vigneault's first season, the Rangers opposition averaged 29.1 shots against Henrik, and in 2014-2015, the opposition only averaged 28.8 shots against him.

The cast of blue line characters has obviously changed since then.  Starting with the 2015-2016 season, the opposition has averaged thirty shots or better per game against Henrik Lundqvist:

• (2015-2016) 30.3 shots on goal
• (2016-2017) 30.0 shots on goal
• (2017-present) 31.7 shots on goal against Lundqvist.

That being said, his 2.58 Goals Against Average is .25 points above his career average, while his .922 SV% is on par for his career.

Or, said another way, the Rangers are barley getting by.  They're younger and faster, but their over reliance on Henrik Lundqvist has only grown through the years.

He's faced 1,078 shots on goal so far this season, with at least a thousand more to come.

PIGSKIN 2017: Wild Card Weekend

PIGSKIN

WILD CARD WEEKEND

Regular Season Weekly Results

SCOREBOARD:

Week Seventeen Record:  7-9

Overall Record:  93-113-6

Schmear of the Week:  8-8

Bagels in the Basket:  -26

FIRST ROUND BYE:

• AFC - New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers.
• NFC  Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings.

YELLOW FLAGS:

• The Baltimore Ravens must still be kicking themselves in the posterior over last week's loss.  Buffalo and Tennessee will forever be thankful.  The Bills and Titans are the only playoff teams without double-digit victories, and are the only two playoffs teams with negative point differentials.

• The Dallas Cowboys finished the regular season with a 9-7 record.  They arguably could have bumped the Atlanta Falcons (and/or the Panthers/Saints) from this year's playoffs had Ezekiel Elliott not missed six games ... debatable.  Jerry Jones still thinks he's a good general manager, though.

• In fact, it can be argued the suspension of Ezekiel Elliott and the injury to Aaron Rogers damn near shuffled the entire NFC playoff picture.

• Hey, Minnesota!  Thanks for ruining our season! - Green Bay fans.

• Todd Bowles deserved a contract extension, however, I can't believe the Cincinnati Bengals extended head coach Marvin Lewis!  Meanwhile, Jack Del Rio was fired in Oakland, with Jon Gruden reportedly being to be his replacement.  That's huge ... for Las Vegas, I guess.

• Calling all Los Angeles fans!  Come out, come out, wherever you are!

SATURDAY GAMES

CHIEFS -8 1/2 (Titans)

And Reid will out-coach Mike Mularkey.  Alex Smith with outplay Marcus Mariota, and the more playoff-polished Chiefs will finally put an end to Tennessee's overextended season.  Between the crowd and weather, Arrowhead Stadium can be an inhospitable place for visiting teams in January.  Game time temperatures are expected to be reasonable, though, near 32-degrees.  The Chiefs posted a 6-2 record at home this season, and enter this game winners of four in a row.  Alex Smith is a smart, very efficient QB, who is not prone to mistakes.  Marcus Mariota, on the other hand, is prone to throwing picks, which is exactly what may happen once the Titans are forced into playing catch-up football.  Although the Chiefs do not stop the run very well, they won't have DeMarco Murray to worry about, who is out with a knee injury.  That's why I say Alex Smith will be throwing on his terms whereas Marcus Mariota will be throwing on Kansas City's.
Loss  22-21 Titans

Falcons +6 (RAMS)

Home field advantage?  Pfft!  Don't make me laugh.  No such thing as home field advantage at Los Angeles.  The Rams were only 4-4 at home this season, and otherwise did all their damage on the road.  Now ... how do you stop an offense that scored an NFL high 478 points?  Answer: keep em on the sideline.  Jarred Goff and Matt Ryan are going to do their respective thing.  This point spread boils down to the running game.  Both teams rush rather well.  Defensively, however, the Falcons do a far better job stuffing the run than does Los Angeles.  Atlanta center Alex Mack's left leg was reportedly barking at him again last week.  If you recall, he fractured his fibula during last year's NFC championship game, which then caused him sit out the second half of last year's Super Bowl against the Patriots.  Atlanta's running game goes as Mack goes.  At their best, the Falcons are balanced and win time of possession.  If Alex Mack remains up for the task, the Falcons offense will be just fine.
WIN  26-13 Falcons

SUNDAY GAMES

JAGUARS -8 (Bills)

Even if Shady McCoy plays, a sprained ankle limits him to being a north/south runner.  If Buffalo's running game is easily containable, then the brunt of responsibility falls on the shoulders of Tyrod Taylor.  That may be asking too much against Jacksonville's ability for disrupt the quarterback.  If the Bills are one dimensional, the Jags are free to expand and elevate their defensive aggression.  The Bills offense, then, will be a turnover waiting to happen.  On offense, all Jacksonville will need to do is run the ball (which they do very well), keep moving the chains, and control the clock.  Blake Borttles can wisely pick his spots, and in turn, pick apart what will become an overtaxed Bills defense.
Loss  10-3 Jaguars

SAINTS -7 (Panthers)

I like the Saints because Drew Brees isn't being made to carry the weight of an entire team on his shoulders anymore.  This is a much more balanced New Orleans team than we're accustomed to, with a rushing game featuring Alvin Kamara, and a good defense.  Then throw in Drew Brees, and you got a legitimate NFC title game candidate.  For all their talent, Cam Newton and Carolina are still too Jekyll and Hyde.  With a division title potentially on the line, they flat out played a stinker last week against the Falcons.  The Saints beat the Panthers twice this season primarily via the ground.  If Carolina over adjusts, Drew Brees will eat them up.  New Orleans just happens to match-up very well against them.  It is what it is.  Can't wait for Cam Newton's post game interview.
Loss 31-26 Saints

Schmear of the Week:

Chiefs -8 1/2

HAPPY NEW YEAR!