Now What Mr. Cashman??
Well it's official, Robinson Cano is no longer a Yankee. Do I think the Yankees were wrong not to succumb to a 10 year contract, absolutely not. I would not have given a 31 year old second baseman a 10 year contract. But I also would not have given a 30 year old center fielder, known more for his speed than power, a seven year contract and that is exactly what the Yankees gave Jacoby Ellsbury. If you were giving Ellsbury a 7 year deal worth $21 million dollars per year, then why wouldn't you have given Cano an 8 year deal at $200 million dollars.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe Robinson Cano is worth $25 million dollars per year. But he certainly is a better ball player than Ellsbury. In my mind, regardless of what Brian Cashman and Company say, the Yankees were only going to re-sign Cano on their terms otherwise he could walk. To me that means they weren't really interested in keeping him.
I don't have a problem with that assessment, except that I don't see what the overall plan is by allowing their best offensive player to leave who also happens to be a Gold Glove second baseman. Moreover, not only do they lose Cano but they also lose Curtis Granderson. Granderson received a 4 year $60 million dollar contract from the NY Mets. That's $15 million dollars per year for a guy who has hit 40 -45 home runs as a Yankee. So you lose Granderson's 40 homers and Cano's 30 homers and you replace it with a center fielder who is a better Brett Gardner and Brian McCann.
McCann was a good signing by the Yankees and should hit 30-35 home runs playing half of his games at Yankee Stadium. But that still leaves you lacking power and holes at second base and possibly at third base as they await a decision on ARod. Not to mention that they will be relying on 40 year old Derek Jeter to play shortstop and have a 34 year old Mark Teixiera coming back from a wrist injury at first base. I really don't care what anyone says, the Yankees did not need to sign Jacoby Ellsbury. He will be another Johnny Damon who after 3 to 4 years will be a shell of himself and that is provided he doesn't find himself on the disabled list for extended periods of time.
Nothing has been done about the starting rotation or the bullpen. Hiroki Kuroda has signed to come back for another season. That makes the rotation CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Kuroda. All 3 have question marks. Kuroda struggled at the end of the season which leaves one to wonder which Kuroda we will see: the effective inning eater of the first half or the pitcher who struggled badly in the second half. Sabathia had one of the worst seasons of his career and the Yankees have to hope that he will bounce back. And will Ivan Nova continue his improvement or will he fall back to the pitcher who was sent down to Scranton.
The bullpen is David Robertson and Shawn Kelley. After that who knows. Will Robertson be up to the task to replace the greatest closer in the game or will he crack under the pressure? Who will be the set-up man?? All major question marks for a team that for nearly 20 years never had to worry about the back end of their bullpen.
The Yankee organization has sold the importance to get under the $189 million dollar self-imposed cap for two years. If they had let Cano go and kept Granderson for 4 years at $15 million per year, picked up an Omar Infante and signed a free agent pitcher and went with Michael Pineda or David Phelps as your fifth starter, then I could understand what was going on because they have told us that they would have a ton of money to spend in 2015 because of a reduced luxury tax. And I'm not even considering what is going to happen with ARod.
As I have been saying for the last two years, what really aggravates me is the lack of transparency on the part of Brian Cashman and Company. Hal Steinbrenner wants to know why their are no young kids coming up yet he keeps the two men who head up his farm system and throws money around at a guy like Ellsbury. There are rumors flying around that they are interested in Ervin Santana. Really?? Check out the guy's career stats. Hardly someone I feel real confident in.
The pressure is on Brian Cashman. I just am having a hard time seeing where this team is better than the 2013 edition. It's a long way from spring training but it is hard to figure out where this team is going. Hopefully, Cashman knows but that may end up being the problem for all of us Yankee fans.
Ellsbury Deal A Bad One For Yankees
It simply boggles my mind that the New York Yankees have signed Jacoby Ellsbury to a 7 year - $152 million dollar contract. Why would you give a 30 year old who relies on speed a seven year deal? With what they have spent on Ellsbury, why wouldn't you have just given Granderson a 4 or 5 year deal? Granderson is a proven 40 home run guy at Yankee Stadium. On top of the fact that the guy is a class act and a great representative for the Yankees.
I'm having a hard time seeing where this improves the team. The starting rotation is in a shambles with CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova as the only known starters. The only legitimate power hitters that they have is Brian McCann and the aging Alfonso Soriano. One has to question what condition Mark Teixiera is in as it relates to his ability to hit for power. With respect to ARod, whether he is suspended or not, his power days are over.
This signing seriously has to call into question what the Yankees are going to do with Robinson Cano. If you are going to give Ellsbury $21.7 million a year what will you give Cano? If you are giving Ellsbury a seven year deal why wouldn't you give Cano a seven year deal?? Cano has been a proven Yankee. If they do not re-sign Cano, this Ellsbury deal is even more terrible.
I am totally disgusted with this move.
Miller/Lucic Incident Haunts Sabres
Two years ago, Boston's Milan Lucic ran over Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller and there was no response from the Sabres. From that point on, the mantra from the Sabre high command was that they needed to get tougher. So Darcy Reiger went out and got Steve Ott and John Scott. These two, along with resident punk Patrick Kaleta, would form a threesome that would ensure that the Sabres would not be pushed around anymore. It was really comical last year when watching a Sabres game as whenever anyone got close to Miller, they were ready to punish the so-called intruder.
As resident Sabre gasbag Rob Ray would continually say, the Sabres were going to be tough to play against. Well, how did that plan work out for Reiger & Company? Out of the playoffs and a major rebuild on the horizon. I bring this all up because it explains what happened last Sunday at the Air Canada Center. The facts are as follows: Corey Tropp challenged James Devane to a fight. Devane, who is bigger, was the winner as he broke Tropp's jaw and dropping the Sabre to the ice in a pool of blood. Buffalo Coach Ron Rolston sends resident goon, John Scott out on to the ice to "send a message". Those are not my words, they were Scott's. Scott tells Maple Leafs star Phil Kessel that it looks like "they were going to have to go" and "it didn't matter who was out there he was going to take them on." Scott drops the gloves and goes at Kessel and a melee ensues.
Scott is sent out on the ice because the Sabres have to show the NHL that they are tough and they will take everyone to task if they get out of line. While there is nothing wrong with standing up for one's teammate, Scott's actions were out of line. If he wanted to stand up for Tropp, he should have waited for Devane to get out of the penalty box and then confronted him. Of course, one could not expect the cement head Scott to figure this out but what about Rolston? Maybe he has his marching orders that the Sabres aren't taking any crap from anyone and damn the torpedoes full steam ahead.
Living in Western New York, I have heard all of the nonsense being spewed by the local gasbags about how Kessel viciously attacked poor John Scott with his stick. How Tropp was jumped by the bigger Devane. But the one guy who got it right was Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News. Gleason starts out correctly by pointing out, "the entire altercation - the whole thing - could have been avoided if Sabres coach Ron Rolston used a shred of common sense. He didn't have to take Scott off of the ice. He needed to make sure Scott didn't do anything moronic on the ice."
The most telling point Gleason says in his article goes to my point: "You can only conclude that Rolston intended to send a message - in an exhibition game, no less. In fact, Rolston did send a message. He showed that he's just as clueless as a few others in the organization. Scott was hired in the first place to address a lack of toughness when really, their pressing need was competitive toughness."
The local boneheads here don't want to hear it but Rolston and Scott were the cause of Sunday's embarrassment and Reiger needs to realize that having goons running around the ice acting like street thugs will not win hockey games. In fact, it will continue to perpetuate the perception that many have which is that the Sabres are a bush league organization.
Kadri Back Tracks On Salary Demand
Reports abound that Restricted Free Agent (RFA), Nazem Kadri is looking for a five to eight year deal at $5 million dollars per year. But the 22 year old has denied making such demands. Maybe reality has set in or maybe someone has told the kid he's not dealing from a position of strength. Kadri had a good year last season scoring 18 goals to go along with 26 assists. This included two hat tricks: one on February 28 against the Islanders and one on March 30 against Ottawa.
After the 3 goal outburst against the Senators, Kadri had one goal and four assists in the last 12 regular season games. In the seven game playoff against the Bruins, he had a goal and three assists. Thus, since the hat trick on March 30, Kadri had two goals and seven assists in 19 games. The numbers simply do not add up for an eight year contract at $5 million dollars a year.
There is no question that Kadri has the offensive skills that arguably could make him the team's first line center. However, he is not there yet and has not proven it over the course of an 82 game schedule. I'm also still concerned about his size. While not afraid to body check, he seems to get knocked off the puck rather easily. That could be a problem for a number one center.
Some have said that the recent contract Adam Henrique signed with the New Jersey Devils has strengthened Kadri's bargaining position. Henrique signed a six year deal worth $24 million dollars, or an average $4 million dollars a year for six years. The 23 year old center scored 16 goals and had 35 points in 74 games played in the 2011-12 season. That year, he had five goals and eight assists in 24 playoff games played. Three of his goals were game winners during the Devils run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Last season, Henrique fell off scoring 11 goals and 5 assists in 42 games played.
While they may be nearly the same age and play the same position, I don't believe Henrique's contract should have a bearing on what the Leafs do with Kadri. This isn't an issue where Kadri can go to arbitration and use Henrique's deal as a benchmark. The Leafs cap situation is totally different than the Devils as they still also have to re-sign Cody Franson and will have to decide what they will do in 2014-15 with Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf who will both be looking for a raise.
If Kadri truly loves being a Maple Leaf and he believes this team can be a contender for awhile, he needs to accept a bridge contract similar to what P.K.Subban signed with the Montreal Canadiens. Subban stands to make a considerable amount of money after this season and with the salary cap going up next year, the Canadiens would be crazy not to give Subban a sizable increase equal to that of a Norris Trophy candidate. The same could be true for Kadri. Sign a one or two year deal at $2.5 million dollars a year and work your way up to that number one center spot. At the end of the bridge deal, Kadri would be in line for big dollars at the age of 24. That makes sense for the Maple Leafs and it makes sense for him.
It's one thing to be confident in one's abilities but it's another to be stupid. As mentioned, Kadri is not dealing from a position of strength. It is highly unlikely that another team would give him an offer sheet that would force Dave Nonis' hand. That being said, the Leafs have all the cards here and maybe that's what has sunk in to Kadri and Company.
Hal Finally Wakes Up!!
It's been reported that earlier this week, Hal Steinbrenner called a meeting down in his office in Tampa to discuss the sad state of his team's farm system. Present at the meeting was his brother, Hammerin' Hank, Randy Levine, General Manager Brian Cashman, Director of Amateur Scouting Damon Oppenheimer, Director of International Scouting Donny Rowland and Senior VP of Baseball Operations Mark Newman. Steinbrenner is now concerned about the fact that there is no one on the horizon who will be able to step in and make the big club next year when Hal wants to get the payroll down to $189 million dollars. For that, Cashman and Company need to be held accountable.
Whether Steinbrenner will clean house remains to be seen but the fact remains that Brian Cashman has had control of baseball operations since 2005 after he whined to George Steinbrenner that he was tired of being undercut by members of The Boss' Tampa Mafia. With total control, the Yankee farm system has produced only Brett Gardner as an everyday player. You want to look at pitching prospects?? Other than Ivan Nova and David Robertson, the rest have been suspect at best. It is clear that Phil Hughes is probably on his way out of the Bronx. Joba Chamberlain? He's good as gone. Remember the Killer B's? Dellin Betances might be a good reliever, Manuel Banuelos is coming off Tommy John surgery and Andrew Brackman is playing basketball in Europe. Nice job, Cash!
I have been questioning the future of this team for the last three years. Next year it is possible that the Yankees may need a third baseman, shortstop, first baseman, catcher and three starting pitchers. And they will probably need a set-up man if Robertson get elevated to be the guy to replace the great Mariano Rivera as the closer. In other words, the New York Yankees could be terrible and possibly worse than the Mets.
The Yankees are the richest franchise in all of sports. They should have the best scouting team that money can buy. They should be able to mine international talent. Instead, the Dodgers get Yasel Puig and the A's get Yoenis Cespedes. And let's not forget Yu Darvish. I'm sick of the argument that the Yankees have had a tough time getting good young players because they pick so low in the draft. Well, how do the St. Louis Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays do it? Both of those teams continue to bring in good young players while still being top teams in their respective leagues. They are doing something right.
I'm glad that Hal has finally woke up and realized that his team is in trouble. In my view, it's about three years too late. However, you have to start somewhere and I am somewhat hopeful that changes will take place. Time will tell and for those of us who follow this team, Hal needs to do something soon or we may be looking at a decade of terrible baseball in The House That The Boss Built.
Yanks Draw 1st Blood: Will It Matter??
Last night the New York Yankees drew first blood in their weekend series at Fenway Park with a 10-3 win over the first place Boston Red Sox. Once again Alfonso Soriano led the way with four RBI's, that included a 3-run homer, newly acquired Kevin Reynolds chipped in with a home run and 3 RBI's and Andy Pettitte gave the Yankees a strong pitching effort through 6 2/3 innings. A win over the Red Sox always puts some spring in the steps of Yankee fans. But in the big picture, does it really matter what the Yankees do this weekend?
The Yankee organization sells that a successful season only means winning the World Series. Based upon their definition, it would take an eternal optimist to believe that this team has the ability to win a World Series if indeed they were to make the playoffs. While the acquisition of Soriano and the return of Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez have given their lineup a huge upgrade, this team still does not have what it takes to win a playoff series. Outside of Ivan Nova and Hiroki Kuroda, the starting rotation has been shaky at best. Eduardo Nunez is a liability at shortstop. Getting Derek Jeter back would be a huge help but one has to wonder how much the Captain has left in the tank.
Making the playoffs just to be knocked out in the wild card game or in the first round doesn't meet the organization's standard of success, but it would for this year's team. As a fan, this would be enough of a reason to look forward to an interesting seven weeks. (along with the daily ARod soap opera) However, whenever this season ends, winning this series and making the playoffs this year will mean nothing because the future looks bleak. With a self-imposed $189 million dollar cap, an aging shortstop and right fielder, a recovering Mark Teixiera, no left fielder and the uncertainty around ARod and 2014 looks like a train-wreck waiting to happen. The sad thing is I have no confidence that this organization can right the ship. So, let's enjoy the next seven weeks because unless something dramatic happens this may be the last playoff push we see in Yankeeland for awhile.
Cashman: Make Some Deals Or Be Fired!
As many of you know, I have been extremely critical of Brian Cashman for the last year or so because of his failure to prepare for what has happened this year. Many will say, "how can you prepare for injuries?" But, what if Derek Jeter decided to call it quits, Andy Pettitte & Mariano Rivera didn't come back, and ARod couldn't play? The fact is the Yankees would be right where they are now: Nowhere Ville.
The lineup that the Yankees are throwing out there each day is a disgrace to the fans and the Pinstripes. Luis Cruz, Reid Brignac, Travis Ishikawa, and Alberto Gonzales. Really, Cashman??? And you want to know why YES TV ratings and attendance are down. The product stinks. Not too mention Travis Hafner, Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay: backups one and all who have all seen better days.
My outrage over this situation goes before and beyond this year. The Yankee organization has done nothing to prepare for the eventual retirement of the stars of the 96-00 Championship era. Moreover, this organization has done nothing to produce a legitimate home grown outfielder since Bernie Williams (don't give me Gardner because he nothing more than a Punch and Judy hitter who no longer uses his speed), third baseman (last one Mike Pagliarulo), first baseman (last one Don Mattingly), catcher (don't get me started here and I'm not buying Cervelli) and ace pitcher (Pettitte). Failure to build up the farm system is a bigger problem with skin flint Hal Steinbrenner issuing a self-imposed $189 million salary cap.
The Yankee hype machine wants us all to believe that when Jeter, Arod and Granderson come back that the team will reassert itself in the AL East. Give me a break. First of all, I love Derek Jeter. He is my favorite Yankee. But he is also 39 years old. He is better than any of the bums that they have had playing shortstop but is it reasonable to believe that he is going to carry this team having not played since last October? Next year, the Captain will turn 40 and is it reasonable to expect him to be your everyday shortstop next year?
The latest word on Granderson is that he might not be back until late July. How long will it take him to get his timing down. I like Grandy. He's a classy guy, a great ambassador for the Yankees and the game. But the truth be told is that with Skin Flint Hal's salary cap, he probably won't be back next year.
And then there is ARod. He got his second hit of his rehab assignment on Wednesday but is it realistic to expect the ARod of 2010? Undoubtedly, not. This is a guy who has had surgery on both hips. Power hitters generate power from the lower half of their bodies. Is he better than who the Yankees have had at third base?? Yes, but to expect him to put this team on his back and carry them is wishful thinking. By the way, we are talking about a 38 year old baseball player who is coming off two hip surgeries in the last 3 years. Next year he is 39. And we still don't know if Seligula will suspend him for 100 games.
It is being reported that the Yankees are actively shopping Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. Both of them are 27 years old and were members of the 2007 Young Guns (Ian Kennedy being the other). Chamberlain has been ruined and the best thing that can happen to him and the Yankees is that he move on to another team. What they can get for him beats the hell out of me. One report indicated that the Braves are interested in him however I have no idea who the Yankees would get from Atlanta.
Hughes probably has the potential to bring back something more of value. It's been reported that the Angels may be interested but I have no idea who L.A. would be willing to part with. I'm a Phil Hughes fan but it is clear to me that the Yankees will not re-sign him next year so it is best that they get something for him. But it better not be a 30-something and it better be a positional player with some offensive ability.
Two guys who are on the market who may not require a lot to obtain is Alfonso Soriano and Kendrys Morales. Morales can play first base and is a switch hitter with power. He would be a definite upgrade over Hafner at DH and could platoon with Overbay at first when he is not the designated hitter. Soriano can play the outfield and can still hit for power as evidenced by the five home runs that he has hit in his last four games. He is a right handed hitter who could provide some protection for Robinson Cano. These two acquisitions would probably mean the end of Vernon Wells and Hafner in pinstripes. Both players would not cost a lot and the Cubs would probably be willing to take on some of Soriano's salary. Soriano is 37 so he would be a stop-gap move, better than Wells or Hafner. Morales is 30 and someone who the Yankees could use for the next few years.
I have stated on this post many times that we are entering a dark period of Yankee Baseball. Aging stars, a barren farm system and a self-imposed salary cap are the reasons. One can argue that for $189 million dollars you should be able to field a competitive team. But the problem is that the Yankees have $75 million dollars tied up next year in 3 players: ARod, Mark Teixiera and CC Sabathia. Cano is a free agent and many believe that he will get anywhere from $20-$25 million dollars a year. Let's say he gets $23 million. We are now up to $98 million dollars tied up in four players or 52% of the self-imposed $189 million dollar salary cap. With no kids worthy to come up what do we have to look forward to in 2014?? More of the same crap.
I am a big fan of Robinson Cano. In 2005 when the Yankees started off horribly with Tony Womack at second base, I was screaming for them to give Cano a shot and he hasn't looked back since. But unless they could get out from under one of ARod, Teixiera or Sabathia's contracts, it might be best for the Yankees to move Cano now. He could probably bring a boatload of talent back. They would have to be major league ready players along with an actual producing major league player. Who they acquired would need to be able to go right in the lineup immediately. Will this happen?? No way because they don't have the guts to tell the fan base that we need to tear it down to build it back up again.
The New York Yankees are the richest team in all of sports. Yet, their scouting throughout the world is terrible. How do the Cardinals, the Dodgers, the Royals, and the Rays all find young talent that are ready to play in the big leagues. The Yankees have always been able to cover their scouting mistakes by spending more to get established players. Well, with Skin Flint Hal's salary cap, this will no longer be the case.
So where does the blame lie?? It doesn't lie with Joe Girardi. It lies with the General Manager Brian Cashman. It was known last year that Hal was putting an end to the money machine yet Cashman continued believing that he was going to get by with has beens like he did in 2011 with Freddy Garcia, Andruw Jones, Eric Chavez and Bartolo Colon. He decided to let Russell Martin and Raul Ibanez go, along with Nick Swisher. Do you think things would be different if those three guys were still around??
When George Steinbrenner was alive and well, Cashman whined that his authority was compromised by the Tampa Group that had the Boss' ear. Well, since 2007 Cashman has had free rein to call all the shots. The $75 million dollars that he has tied up has bought him one championship. But it may be a long while before we see another parade down the Canyon of Heroes for the Yankees. This smells of the mid 60s. Years of mediocrity. The architect is the court jester GM Brian Cashman. Something needs to change. There needs to be some honesty coming from the Yankee brass instead of the crap that gets spewed daily by their tools in the New York media. Until there is some courage to blow this thing up, we will be stuck with pathetic baseball. Someone turn out the lights, I think the party is over!
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if there is any team that can beat the Miami Heat in a best of 7 series, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* It's been a week since the Toronto Maple Leafs were knocked out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and I still haven't gotten over it. The loss was extremely painful after having a 3 goal lead in the third period. In retrospect, I guess if someone would have told me in January that they would go seven games in the first round of the playoffs with the Bruins I guess I would have taken it. One has to wonder if they had faced Montreal in the first round if they would still be playing right now.
* The Leaf off season will be very interesting as GM Dave Nonis has some decisions to make. I was very encouraged by his end of the season press conference. His position on Tyler Bozak is right on the money: would like to keep him but at the right price. If Bozak goes I would love to see the Leafs give Joe Colborne a shot at the center spot between JVR and Phil Kessel. That is provided they don't make a trade. Getting another top 4 defenseman should also be a need though they don't grow on trees and would have to be acquired via trade. As I have stated before the future is bright for the Blue and White: the youngest team to make the playoffs.
* Speaking of interesting off seasons, the New York Knicks will have to figure out a way to get more help for Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks were terrible in providing secondary scoring in the Indiana series. The old folks home dressed in blue and orange needs to be adjusted in a big way. From everything I read, the Knicks don't have a lot of options due to being in cap space hell so it will be very interesting to see what they do going into next season.
* Credit to Iman Shumpert for telling it like it is by saying that the Knicks didn't get the job done and as a result the season was not a success. As New York's youngest player, if Shumpert can improve his offensive game he may be a much better number 2 scoring threat than J.R.Smith.
* The NBA cannot be happy with a Final Four consisting of San Antonio, Memphis, Indiana and Miami. Hardly big market teams. Ratings should be awful.
* The Toronto Raptors kicked Bryan Colangelo up to the executive offices and out of his General Manager's position. Isn't this what Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment did with Brian Burke??
* It's really stupid how there is this allegiance on the part of some Canadians toward the Ottawa Senators because they are the only Canadian based team left in the playoffs. Like none of the other teams have Canadian born players. It's as bad as the morons in Boston chanting "USA, USA" when the Bruins were playing the Maple Leafs.
* Here's hoping the Penguins dispatch of Ottawa in short order.
* Would love to see a Chicago-Los Angeles Western Conference finals.
* Here's hoping that Norv Turner is true to his word and the Browns give Brandon Weeden an honest shot at being the number one QB for the Cleveland Browns.
* Had to laugh at all of the flutter about the Browns signing QB Brian Hoyer. Really???
* Last night's come from behind victory over the Baltimore Orioles may have been the biggest win for the New York Yankees so far this year. Travis Hafner had two big RBI's, including the game-tying 9th inning home run. Vernon Wells drove in the winning run in the 10th inning after Ichiro led the inning off with a double. Hafner plated his second RBI driving in Wells to give the Yanks a big insurance run.
* For the first time all year the Yankees have me excited about this season as some of the Baby Bombers are starting to play. David Adams has been a breath of fresh air as he has been contributing offensively including his first home run of the season last night off of Freddy Garcia. Austin Romine has been swinging the bat well and the Yanks have been getting a contribution from Preston Claiborne. It's great to see some young blood and gives you reason for some hope for better days long term.
* Kudos to Yankee Manager Joe Girardi who has done a remarkable job with a patchwork lineup. Of course, it also helps having a pitching staff that as of Monday morning was second in the American League in ERA.
* The Buffalo Bills made a good move in promoting Doug Whaley to be their general manager. Everything seems to indicate that Whaley is the type of young mind the Bills have been in need of. As many of you know, I am not a Bills fan but this could be a good move.
* As far as the other professional sports team in Buffalo, the Sabres' big announcement is that they signed John Scott to a one year contract. Whoopie!!!!!
* And finally, prayers go out to the people of Oklahoma in dealing with one of the worst natural disasters in this country's history.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering who the Toronto media will pick on for last night's loss to Boston, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Toronto Maple Leafs played their first playoff game at home in 9 years and dropped a 5-2 decision to the Boston Bruins and now trail in the series 2-1. The game was closer than the score indicated as the 5th goal was in an empty net. The Leafs deserve full marks for not quitting in the third period as they scored early and had numerous chances to pull the game within one goal and possibly tie it.
* The Leafs failed to use their speed when breaking out of their own zone and made way to many passes which resulted in giveaways or missed opportunities. Tyler Bozak possibly had his worst game of the season as he lost face off after face off and made some terrible passes. The Leaf power play was awful and Cody Franson seemed to have all kinds of trouble handling passes. Seems that the Bruins are really pressuring the points so the Leafs may have to cycle more down low when they have the man-advantage.
* Nazem Kadri was a no-show for most of the game and one has to wonder if the playoff experience is overwhelming the young center. One youngster who does not seem to be overwhelmed is Jake Gardiner. His offensive ability was evident last night and it is clear that the Bruins can't skate with this kid. Would like to see him get more power play time.
* The New York Knicks face a must win situation tonight as they face the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 at MSG. The Knicks are successful when there is ball movement as opposed to everything revolving around Carmelo Anthony. It's very frustrating watching Anthony dribbling up top and the four other guys just standing around.
* Before the playoffs started, I thought the Knicks were going to be hurting next year if they could not re-sign JR Smith. However, after seeing his last four games, I wonder if the Knicks truly would be hurt if Smith takes his act elsewhere. JR can be an electric player if he drives to the basket. When he just sits out there and takes 20 to 30 foot jump shots, it's difficult to watch.
* Tonight's Game 3 of the Montreal-Ottawa series should be very interesting. The Canadiens were pathetic Sunday night getting whipped on the scoreboard and in every fight. Montreal needs to get themselves emotionally under control otherwise this series could end in 5 games.
* By the way the bush league antics of Chris Neil & Company after the third period brawl on Sunday night is one of the reasons why they are one of my least favorite teams. Waving their arms to exhort the crowds is wrestling-like. I would love to see them get their clocks cleaned.
* Felt bad for the New York Islanders on Sunday as they played their hearts out against Pittsburgh only to lose in overtime.
* The Yankees have been staying afloat with a makeshift lineup but one has to wonder how long this will last. It appears that some of the walking wounded may be getting ready to comeback which will certainly help.
* I'm beginning to wonder if Eduardo Nunez is injury prone. This being his first shot at being the full-time shortstop has been marred by being out of the lineup on several occasions. Remember, this was the guy that Brian Cashman would not part with for Cliff Lee.
* A caller to Mike Francesa yesterday was critical of the Yankees not developing any homegrown players. Francesa defended the Yankees by saying that because they have been in the playoffs 16 out of the last 17 years that they have not been in a position to draft top line talent. Please!!! The Yankees are the richest team in all of sports. With that in mind, they should have the best scouting staff available to find talent all over the world. How does a team like the St. Louis Cardinals do it???
* Don't know why but I have grown to admire the play of the Chicago Bulls. Their intensity is unmatched and their head coach is underrated.
* If I read one more time in the Cleveland Plain Dealer that Jason Campbell has a legitimate shot to be the number one QB for the Browns I am going to spit blood. Campbell is not the answer and anyone who believes that is out of their minds. I don't know why but I'm thinking it will be another long season for my Brownies.
* And finally, the Buffalo Sabres handling of Mikhail Grigerenko is a glaring example of the ineptitude of Darcy Reiger. If they wanted to expose him to professional hockey they should have given him more time in the American Hockey League. Keeping him with the big club and giving him limited minutes or putting him in the press box did him no good. But what do you expect from a GM who signed Ville Leino to a six year $27 million contract.
Leafs Learn Valuable Lesson With 4-2 Win
Before last night's Game 2 in Boston, many Leaf fans waited to see what type of effort they would get from their beloved hockey team. There was no question we would learn a lot about Randy Carlyle's team. Well, whatever happens in the rest of this series one thing is clear: the Maple Leafs can play with the Boston Bruins. More importantly, this young Leafs team learned a valuable lesson from Game One: they need to play with urgency and use their speed to be successful.
After Nathan Horton gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead, it would have been easy for this young team to fold on the road. But that didn't happen as the Leafs tied the game on a power play goal from Joffrey Lupul (his first of two goals) and from that point forward the Leafs never trailed again. The Leafs were successful because they used their speed to get out of their own end and provide an aggressive forecheck. They also banged away at the Bruin defense corp, including Zdeno Chara. In the end, it created plenty of odd man rushes which led to a breakaway goal for Phil Kessel which proved to be the game winner. For Kessel, it silenced all of the critics along with the capacity crowd at the TD Garden.
After the Bruins made the score 3-2, James van Riemsdyk scored a beautiful goal that salted the game away. van Riemsdyk continues to use his body to go to the net and his goal was a classic example of that. His first shot was stopped but he kept with it and shoveled the rebound past Tuukka Rask that ended the Bruins hope for a comeback.
The Leaf lineup changes, which many in the media said would be of no consequence, also played a huge part in the Leaf victory. Ryan Hamilton and Matt Frattin were definite factors. Hamilton had two assists and Frattin made a beautiful play setting up Lupul's second goal. These two also delivered many body checks on anyone wearing a Bruin jersey, something that was lacking in Game One. Both of them made an impact.
On the back end, while Jake Gardiner had a couple of miscues that made for some scary moments, his ability to move the puck out of his own end was a big plus for the Leafs. He also made a couple of nice defensive plays, including one on Tyler Seguin. Ryan O'Bryne was very solid and should remain in the lineup. Overall, the Leaf defense corp had a good night and James Reimer was solid in the Leaf net.
Frattin, Hamilton, Nikolai Kulemin, Leo Komorov and Colton Orr did a great job in laying the body on the Bruins and this must continue as the series shifts to Toronto. Like in a prize fight, these body blows soften up the opponent which can lead to scoring chances for the Leafs more skilled players. Mikhail Grabovski, a whipping boy by many, has played very well the last two games. His speed resulted in the van Reimsdyk goal and it is evident that the Bruins can't match it. You have to love the way Grabovski is playing because he continues to get banged around but gets right back up and keeps on going. In fact, last in the third period he went right at Bruin power forward Milan Lucic with a body check deep inside the Bruins zone after he was leveled just minutes before that.
Game 2 has given the Leafs the blueprint for success in this series and in playoff hockey. For the youngest team in the league, this experience is invaluable. Hopefully, they can build on this at the Air Canada Centre on Monday night where you know that the crowd will be electric. Once again, this Leaf team has bounced back from adversity which is not only a good sign for the rest of this series but is also a good sign for the future.
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