People seem to forget that the Philadelphia Flyers had to win in a shootout against the New York Rangers on the final day of the regular season just to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In that decisive final game, the Flyers trailed by one heading into the final period, and their season was on the brink of elimination. After advancing into the playoffs, almost nobody picked the Flyers to defeat the second-seeded New Jersey Devils, who had earned 103 points in the regular season, in the first round of the playoffs. The Devils, for one, had Martin Brodeur, arguably one of the greatest goaltenders ever, and they even had best scoring defense in the league. The Flyers, on the other hand, faced a slew of injuries, including ones to center Jeff Carter and to left wing Simon Gagne.
Nonetheless, Philadelphia goaltender Brian Boucher, substituting for injured goaltenders Michael Leighton and Ray Emery, played a phenomenal series against the Devils. Though it appeared on paper that Brodeur would have a significant edge in goaltending, Boucher outplayed Brodeur throughout the series, as the Flyers got stronger as the series progressed. After an overtime win in game 3 to jump ahead to a 2-1 series lead, the Flyers won the final two games of the series by three goals each, as Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, and Jeff Carter each had two goals in Games 5 and 6.
Following a five game romp over the Devils, the Flyers next had to face the Boston Bruins in the second round. After Marc Savard’s triumphant return from his concussion injury he suffered in the regular season, the Bruins cruised to win the first three games of the series, and it appeared the Flyers were down and out. After all, only two teams in NHL history, the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders, have ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series. However, Simon Gagne returned to the Flyers lineup in Game 4, and he brought life and energy back into his team. He scored the game-winning overtime goal in Game 4 to send the series back to Boston. Philadelphia continued the momentum in Game 5, shutting out the Bruins 4-0 in Boston. But, Game 5 was a costly win, as the Flyers lost Brian Boucher to a sprained MCL, jeopardizing his status for the remainder of the series.
The Flyers, though, had come this far and were determined to keep fighting in spite of the loss of Boucher. Few people had expected them to beat the Devils and certainly no one felt that they could come back from this insurmountable deficit to the Bruins. In Game 6, Michael Leighton admirably played in place of Boucher, as he held the Bruins scoreless for the first 59 minutes of the game. The Flyers won Game 6 2-1 behind a tremendous overall defensive performance and a power play goal by Danny Briere in the second period. The Flyers, now, had all the momentum heading into Game 7, as the Bruins lost David Krejci and Marco Sturm to injuries. The only thing Boston had going for them heading into Game 7 was home ice. They certainly fed off that home crowd early in Game 7, as the Bruins quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead 15 minutes into the game. However, as they have done all postseason, the Flyers never gave up and stormed all the way back to tie the game at the end of the second period. Then, Simon Gagne scored the game-winning power play goal midway through the third period to give the Flyers an improbable 4-3 Game 7 win AND a 4-3 series win. These two different 3-0 comebacks symbolized the grit, toughness, and resilience of this Flyers team.
After a tough seven-game series against Boston, the Flyers had to quickly bounce back and face the Montreal Canadiens in the conference finals. There was only a one day rest period between Game 7 of the Boston series and Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Flyers did not have time to scout or prepare for Montreal, so they had to ride out the momentum they had established in the final four games of the Boston series. They did just that, as they scored the first nine goals of the series in Games 1 and 2, and the Flyers shutout the Canadiens in the first two games of the series. The Flyers were firing on all cylinders, as Michael Leighton progressively improved, the top three lines of offense overpowered Montreal’s defense, and the Philadelphia defense led by Chris Pronger did an outstanding job of disrupting the rhythm of the Montreal forwards. After a hiccup in Game 3, the Flyers shut out the Canadiens again in Game 4 3-0 and won the clinching Game 5 4-2 to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals as a seven seed. Remember, this is the same Flyers team that came a period away from missing out on the playoffs.
In the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers had to face the heavily favored Chicago Blackhawks, who had just swept the top-seeded San Jose Sharks in four games. In Game 1, the Flyers lost 6-5 in a high-scoring affair, as Chicago forward Tomas Kopecky scored the game-winning goal eight minutes into the third period. Game 2 was a more physical grind for both teams, and the Blackhawks led 2-0 after two periods. However, like they have done all postseason, the Flyers never quit, as they outshot the Blackhawks 15-4 in the third period and scored a goal five minutes into the third period to pull within one goal. However, despite accumulating multiple scoring chances, they were unable to score the equalizer and fell behind in the series 2-0. Nonetheless, the Flyers established a rhythm during the third period of Game 2 and carried the momentum into their home ice. Left wing Ville Leino scored the game-tying goal in the third period before Claude Giroux scored the game-winner in overtime to give the Flyers a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 3 that cut the series deficit to 2-1. Then, in Game 4, the Flyers jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead and never looked back. Philadelphia won Game 4 5-3 and tied the series at two. After losing Game 5 7-4, the Flyers once again faced the possibility of elimination in their home building. They were down 3-2 in the third period of Game 6, and the season once again appeared on the brink of elimination. Then, like they have done throughout the postseason, found the extra gear of energy. Philadelphia left wing Scott Hartnell scored the equalizer late in the third period and sent the game into overtime. Though the Blackhawks would score the game-winner in overtime and win the Stanley Cup, the Flyers once again exhibited throughout this series that they would fight until the very end.
Despite facing tremendous adversity throughout this postseason, the Philadelphia Flyers continued to persevere and fight until the very end. They overcame injuries, deficits, and a heavy schedule to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. In the first round, the Flyers completely outfought and outhustled the Devils. In the second round, they never seemed to panic after falling 3-0 in the series and 3-0 in Game 7 to the Bruins. In the conference finals, they simply overpowered the Canadiens. In the Stanley Cup Finals, they fought until the very end of every game, as the Blackhawks needed three game-winning goals to defeat the Flyers. Although the Flyers were not the best or most talented team of this year’s playoffs, they certainly were the toughest and most resilient.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
MLB Mid-Year Report: There are Three Competitive and Three Mediocre Divisions in 2010 Season
So far, a little over 40% into the 2010 MLB regular season, the time has come to distinguish between the pretenders and contenders. With interleague play just around the corner, there has been a competitive imbalance in both leagues. Arguably four out of the five best teams in the American League play in the AL East, while every team in the NL East had a winning record just a mere ten days ago. On the other hand, both the AL and NL Centrals have been mediocre at best, and each division boasts three of the five worst teams in each league. Thus, in this relatively young season, there have been three extremely competitive divisions (AL and NL East, NL West) and three lackluster divisions (AL and NL Central, AL West) in the majors.
First, the AL East has been nothing short of spectacular this season, as the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox have played exceptional baseball, accumulating a combined 142-93 record. The Rays, after a disappointing 2009 campaign, have bounced back admirably in 2010, led by a younger starting rotation anchored by David Price and an explosive lineup featuring Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria. They have the best run differential in the major leagues. The Blue Jays have relied predominantly on their offense and their breakout star, Jose Bautista, who leads the team in home runs, runs, OPS, and RBI’s. After a disastrous start to this season, the Boston Red Sox have bounced back nicely, winning 24 of their past 35 games. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have posted a combined 2.56 ERA, while Adrian Beltre and Kevin Youkilis have a .400 OBP. The New York Yankees have the league’s best offense led by second baseman Robinson Cano, who leads the team in nearly every major statistical category. Overall, the AL East is the best division in baseball by a landslide and boasts the top four offensive teams in the majors.
The other two divisions in the American League are nowhere near the caliber of the AL East. The AL Central is currently a two-team race between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers, as the Indians, Royals, and White Sox have all underachieved. After trading for Jake Peavy and Alex Rios last season, the White Sox have failed to capitalize on their pricey investments, as they rank in the bottom five in both pitching and defense. The Indians and Royals both have tremendous offensive deficiencies caused by lineups. Meanwhile, the Twins and Tigers have continued to separate themselves from the rest of the division. Though the Twins and Tigers are ahead of the pack, both teams have faced some major problems. The Tigers are the worst fielding team in the American League, having already committed 46 errors this season. The Twins have no established ace on their staff, as Kevin Slowey, an average pitcher, has the most wins on the team with seven. In all, the Twins should win this division under the leadership of catcher Joe Mauer and manager Ron Gardenhire, but this is primarily a result of the weak competition of their division.
In addition, the AL West lacks a dominant team in this division. In fact, though three out of the four teams in the division currently have more wins than losses, the leader of the AL West, the Texas Rangers, are only four games above .500 at 31-27. Three of the four teams in this division have scored fewer funs than their opponents, with the Angels and Athletics being the only two teams in the major leagues to have a winning record with a negative run differential. The Rangers have received a breakout performance from Vladimir Guerrero, whom they signed to a one-year contract following his tenure with the Angels. He leads the team in batting average, RBI’s, and home runs. The Angels and A’s have been exceptional in close games, posting a combined 22-7 record in one-run games. The Mariners, meanwhile, have been disastrous offensively, as they have scored the fourth most runs in the major leagues. Every team in this division has dealt with or is dealing with a severe injury, and the AL West appears to go down to the wire.
In the National League, two out of the three divisions are tremendously competitive. First, the National League East remains the most competitive team from top to bottom, as the first and last place teams are separated by a meager six games. In addition, each NL East team has had at least one new acquisition that has made a tremendous different on the team. In Philadelphia, Roy Halladay has lived up to the expectations of being the ace of the Phillies staff, as he recently threw a perfect game against the Florida Marlins. In all, he has accumulated a 2.03 ERA, 77 strikeouts, and an 8-3 record this season. In Washington, Stephen Strasburg did not disappoint in his major league debut, posting 14 strikeouts and a win for the surprising Nationals, who appear well on their way to shattering last season’s record. The Atlanta Braves have received tremendous contributions from outfielder Jason Heyward and pitcher Billy Wagner. Wagner has 10 saves and 36 strikeouts in 24 appearances this season, while Heyward is well on his way to earning Rookie of the Year honors, posting a whopping .906 OPS with 10 home runs. The New York Mets have improved considerably from last year thanks to the arrival of Ike Davis, who already has made a flurry of spectacular defensive plays and has 18 extra-base hits in 45 games this season. The Florida Marlins, like the Nationals, also received a rocking debut from outfielder Mike Stanton, who went 3-for-5 in his major league debut and will pair up with shortstop Hanley Ramirez to form one of the most exciting young combinations in the majors. From top to bottom, the NL East has all contending teams, and this race should go down to the wire.
Furthermore, the NL West has four extremely talented teams that have all played well recently. The Colorado Rockies, which stormed into the postseason under Jim Tracy’s leadership last year, has received incredible contributions from Ubaldo Jimenez, who already has a 0.93 ERA and a 10-1 record into June. Though they have struggled with pitching recently, the San Francisco Giants, behind a four-headed monster of Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez, have carried the Giants to a 32-26 record behind a 3.30 staff ERA. The San Diego Padres have been the surprise team of the National League thanks to a NL-leading 2.99 team ERA. After a slow start, the Los Angeles Dodgers have won 23 of their past 30 games behind the NL’s fourth leading offense. As long as the Padres, Giants, and Rockies continue to pitch well, this race will also go down the final days of the season.
On the other hand, the worst division in the National League is clearly the NL Central, with four teams well out of contention and another, the Cincinnati Reds on the verge of a downfall. The Cubs, Pirates, Astros, and Brewers have all tremendously underachieved. The Astros and Brewers have the two worst offenses in the National League, while the Cubs have received almost no contributions from their power hitters Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee. The Brewers have the NL’s second worst team ERA at 5.30. The first-place Reds have a surprising lead in the NL Central thanks to the NL’s best offense, but can the youthful Reds carry their momentum in the latter stages of the season? The Reds are led by young pitchers Mike Leake and Jonny Cueto and hitters Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, none of whom have experienced a pennant race. The St. Louis Cardinals, despite slow starts from Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols, are right in the mix under a tremendous starting rotation featuring Jaime Garcia (1.43 ERA), Adam Wainwright (84 strikeouts), and Chris Carpenter (7-1 record). Once Pujols and Holliday step it up, the Cardinals should be able to win this underachieving division.
Overall, there is a tremendous competitive imbalance in the MLB. With four high quality teams in the NL West and AL East and a division full of contending teams in the NL East, it is unfortunate that deserving teams from one of these divisions will be left out of the postseason, while mediocre teams from both the other three division can reach the playoffs. With the four top teams in the AL East playing each other approximately 60 times each year, they face a much more daunting schedule than any other team in baseball. In addition, due to the tremendous competition in the AL East, arguably two of the top six or seven teams in baseball will be left out of the postseason. It’s what happens when there is such competitive imbalance between the six divisions in baseball.
First, the AL East has been nothing short of spectacular this season, as the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox have played exceptional baseball, accumulating a combined 142-93 record. The Rays, after a disappointing 2009 campaign, have bounced back admirably in 2010, led by a younger starting rotation anchored by David Price and an explosive lineup featuring Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria. They have the best run differential in the major leagues. The Blue Jays have relied predominantly on their offense and their breakout star, Jose Bautista, who leads the team in home runs, runs, OPS, and RBI’s. After a disastrous start to this season, the Boston Red Sox have bounced back nicely, winning 24 of their past 35 games. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have posted a combined 2.56 ERA, while Adrian Beltre and Kevin Youkilis have a .400 OBP. The New York Yankees have the league’s best offense led by second baseman Robinson Cano, who leads the team in nearly every major statistical category. Overall, the AL East is the best division in baseball by a landslide and boasts the top four offensive teams in the majors.
The other two divisions in the American League are nowhere near the caliber of the AL East. The AL Central is currently a two-team race between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers, as the Indians, Royals, and White Sox have all underachieved. After trading for Jake Peavy and Alex Rios last season, the White Sox have failed to capitalize on their pricey investments, as they rank in the bottom five in both pitching and defense. The Indians and Royals both have tremendous offensive deficiencies caused by lineups. Meanwhile, the Twins and Tigers have continued to separate themselves from the rest of the division. Though the Twins and Tigers are ahead of the pack, both teams have faced some major problems. The Tigers are the worst fielding team in the American League, having already committed 46 errors this season. The Twins have no established ace on their staff, as Kevin Slowey, an average pitcher, has the most wins on the team with seven. In all, the Twins should win this division under the leadership of catcher Joe Mauer and manager Ron Gardenhire, but this is primarily a result of the weak competition of their division.
In addition, the AL West lacks a dominant team in this division. In fact, though three out of the four teams in the division currently have more wins than losses, the leader of the AL West, the Texas Rangers, are only four games above .500 at 31-27. Three of the four teams in this division have scored fewer funs than their opponents, with the Angels and Athletics being the only two teams in the major leagues to have a winning record with a negative run differential. The Rangers have received a breakout performance from Vladimir Guerrero, whom they signed to a one-year contract following his tenure with the Angels. He leads the team in batting average, RBI’s, and home runs. The Angels and A’s have been exceptional in close games, posting a combined 22-7 record in one-run games. The Mariners, meanwhile, have been disastrous offensively, as they have scored the fourth most runs in the major leagues. Every team in this division has dealt with or is dealing with a severe injury, and the AL West appears to go down to the wire.
In the National League, two out of the three divisions are tremendously competitive. First, the National League East remains the most competitive team from top to bottom, as the first and last place teams are separated by a meager six games. In addition, each NL East team has had at least one new acquisition that has made a tremendous different on the team. In Philadelphia, Roy Halladay has lived up to the expectations of being the ace of the Phillies staff, as he recently threw a perfect game against the Florida Marlins. In all, he has accumulated a 2.03 ERA, 77 strikeouts, and an 8-3 record this season. In Washington, Stephen Strasburg did not disappoint in his major league debut, posting 14 strikeouts and a win for the surprising Nationals, who appear well on their way to shattering last season’s record. The Atlanta Braves have received tremendous contributions from outfielder Jason Heyward and pitcher Billy Wagner. Wagner has 10 saves and 36 strikeouts in 24 appearances this season, while Heyward is well on his way to earning Rookie of the Year honors, posting a whopping .906 OPS with 10 home runs. The New York Mets have improved considerably from last year thanks to the arrival of Ike Davis, who already has made a flurry of spectacular defensive plays and has 18 extra-base hits in 45 games this season. The Florida Marlins, like the Nationals, also received a rocking debut from outfielder Mike Stanton, who went 3-for-5 in his major league debut and will pair up with shortstop Hanley Ramirez to form one of the most exciting young combinations in the majors. From top to bottom, the NL East has all contending teams, and this race should go down to the wire.
Furthermore, the NL West has four extremely talented teams that have all played well recently. The Colorado Rockies, which stormed into the postseason under Jim Tracy’s leadership last year, has received incredible contributions from Ubaldo Jimenez, who already has a 0.93 ERA and a 10-1 record into June. Though they have struggled with pitching recently, the San Francisco Giants, behind a four-headed monster of Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez, have carried the Giants to a 32-26 record behind a 3.30 staff ERA. The San Diego Padres have been the surprise team of the National League thanks to a NL-leading 2.99 team ERA. After a slow start, the Los Angeles Dodgers have won 23 of their past 30 games behind the NL’s fourth leading offense. As long as the Padres, Giants, and Rockies continue to pitch well, this race will also go down the final days of the season.
On the other hand, the worst division in the National League is clearly the NL Central, with four teams well out of contention and another, the Cincinnati Reds on the verge of a downfall. The Cubs, Pirates, Astros, and Brewers have all tremendously underachieved. The Astros and Brewers have the two worst offenses in the National League, while the Cubs have received almost no contributions from their power hitters Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee. The Brewers have the NL’s second worst team ERA at 5.30. The first-place Reds have a surprising lead in the NL Central thanks to the NL’s best offense, but can the youthful Reds carry their momentum in the latter stages of the season? The Reds are led by young pitchers Mike Leake and Jonny Cueto and hitters Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, none of whom have experienced a pennant race. The St. Louis Cardinals, despite slow starts from Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols, are right in the mix under a tremendous starting rotation featuring Jaime Garcia (1.43 ERA), Adam Wainwright (84 strikeouts), and Chris Carpenter (7-1 record). Once Pujols and Holliday step it up, the Cardinals should be able to win this underachieving division.
Overall, there is a tremendous competitive imbalance in the MLB. With four high quality teams in the NL West and AL East and a division full of contending teams in the NL East, it is unfortunate that deserving teams from one of these divisions will be left out of the postseason, while mediocre teams from both the other three division can reach the playoffs. With the four top teams in the AL East playing each other approximately 60 times each year, they face a much more daunting schedule than any other team in baseball. In addition, due to the tremendous competition in the AL East, arguably two of the top six or seven teams in baseball will be left out of the postseason. It’s what happens when there is such competitive imbalance between the six divisions in baseball.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)