By Dan Di Sciullo
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (2nd seed, East)
REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 47-23-12
2011 PLAYOFFS: Defeated Buffalo 4-3 in conference quarterfinals
The Philadelphia Flyers made NHL history last spring when they faced the Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Peter Laviolette's club is hoping for another postseason triumph against Boston, but the Flyers would prefer the series to go a bit smoother this time around.
The Flyers became just the third team in NHL history to win a series after falling behind three-games-to-none. Not only did Philadelphia rip off four straight victories to claim the series, it also overcame a 3-0 deficit in the opening period of Game 7 and won the decisive test in Boston by a 4-3 score.
Philadelphia went on to win the Eastern Conference title after the historic rally and then lost in six games to Chicago in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Philadelphia earned a modest comeback in the opening round of this year's playoffs, taking the final two tests against Buffalo to overcome a 3-2 deficit in the series.
Goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky, Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton all started games in the Buffalo series, as the Flyers became the first team in 23 years to win a playoff series while starting three different netminders. The 1988 Detroit Red Wings were the last team to pull off the feat, as Greg Stefan, Glen Hanlon and Sam St. Laurent each started games in the first round against Los Angeles.
Boucher enters this round as the club's starting goaltender, but with the way the first round went one wouldn't think he has a strangle-hold on that job. Boucher wound up seeing time in six games during Round 1 and he started Games 3, 4, 5 and 7. He was also the recipient of all the victories in the series and finished the set with a 2.10 goals-against average and .934 save percentage.
Outside of Game 5, when Boucher surrendered a couple of fluky goals and was pulled after stopping just 8-of-11 shots, the 34-year-old veteran had a solid series. He stopped 50-of-53 shots in Games 6 and 7 combined.
Boucher was the starting goaltender for the Flyers at the beginning of last year's series with Boston before a sprained left MCL sidelined him for the rest of the series. He was 2-3 with a 3.10 GAA before getting injured in Game 5.
Bobrovsky figures to be Boucher's backup at the start of this series. He filled that role in Game 7 against Buffalo after being scratched from Games 3-6.
The Flyers have tried to offset their lack of security in goal by putting together a deep defensive corps. The group is led by Chris Pronger and also features Kimmo Timonen, Andrej Meszaros, Matt Carle, Braydon Coburn and Sean O'Donnell. Meszaros and O'Donnell were not on the club last year when they posted the historic comeback against the Bruins.
Pronger missed the first five games of the opening round while recovering from a broken right hand that also caused him to miss the last 16 tests of the regular season. The former Hart and Norris Trophy winner was only used in power-play situations in Game 6, but he notched an assist and skated for 17 minutes, 27 seconds in the decisive seventh game.
Pronger had two goals and four assists in last year's conference semifinal series against Boston.
Meszaros, who was acquired in a trade with Tampa in the offseason, led the Flyers blue line with five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in the Buffalo series. He also paced the team with an average ice time of 25:33 per game.
Timonen also recorded a goal and three assists and was an plus-nine over seven games. Matt Carle added four assists, but was a minus-four.
Danny Briere is a player to watch on offense for the Flyers. He scored six goals in the opening round, including two in Game 7, and had five goals and five assists in last year's series against Boston.
Briere has 94 points (41g, 53a) in 93 career playoff games.
Claude Giroux was Philadelphia's leading scorer in Round 1, notching nine points on one goal and eight assists.
The Flyers had four players with two or more goals in the Sabres series. In addition to Briere, James van Riemsdyk potted four goals, while Ville Leino and Daniel Carcillo added three and two tallies, respectively.
Philly captain Mike Richards failed to score a goal in the opening round, but he did post five assists. Kris Versteeg, who was acquired from Toronto in a February trade, also had five helpers against Buffalo.
The Flyers are hoping to get Jeff Carter back at some point in this series, but he is expected to miss Game 1. Carter, who led Philly with 36 goals in the regular season, suffered a sprained right MCL in Game 4 of the Buffalo series and hasn't played since.
The Flyers scored five times on the power play in the first round, but that was over 35 chances. Philadelphia did go 3-for-9 with the man advantage in Games 6 and 7.
Philadelphia also has room for improvement on the penalty kill after surrendering seven goals on Buffalo's 31 chances with the man advantage.
BOSTON BRUINS (3rd seed, East)
REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 46-25-11
2011 PLAYOFFS: Defeated Montreal 4-3 in conference quarterfinals
(Sports Network) - Boston has been waiting a year for a chance to redeem themselves for last spring's meltdown against the Flyers, but like Philly, the Bruins had to go seven games in the first round to even set up this rematch.
The Bruins' playoff run did not get off to a good start, as Boston lost the first two games of the conference quarterfinals against Montreal on home ice. However, Claude Julien's club rebounded to win four of the next five games and Boston won a series after trailing 2-0 for the first time in franchise history.
Boston has a handful of new faces on its roster this year, but the biggest change could be the resurgence of a player who was on the active roster when the Flyers and Bruins met last year. That player is goaltender Tim Thomas, who is back in form after somewhat of a lost season in 2009-10.
After winning the Vezina Trophy for the 2008-09 season, Thomas lost his starting job to Tuukka Rask during the following regular season. Rask wound up seeing all the time in the playoffs, starting all 13 games. He did an admirable job, going 7-6 with a 2.61 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.
This year, Thomas, who was bothered by a hip injury in 2009-10, has regained his swagger and picked up another nomination for the Vezina Trophy after going 35-11-7 with nine shutouts and a sparkling 2.00 GAA. The 38-year-old also set an NHL record with a .938 save percentage, beating former Buffalo netminder Dominik Hasek's mark of .937 from the 1998-99 campaign.
Thomas had a solid showing in the opening round against the Habs, recording a 2.25 GAA and a .926 save percentage over the seven games.
Of course, Thomas has one of the league's most feared defensemen playing in front of him in Zdeno Chara, the 6-foot-9 Slovakian with the hardest slap shot in the world. Chara won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman in 2009 and he is a finalist for the award this year after posting 14 goals, 44 points and a plus-33 rating this season.
Chara only had one assist in the first round against Montreal and missed one game after being hospitalized for dehydration. He had four assists in last year's series against the Flyers.
Andrew Ference led Boston's blue line in scoring in Round 1, posting four points on one goal and three assists. Ference will not be suspended for his hit on Montreal's Jeff Halpern in Game 7 after speculation that he might received a ban from the league.
Dennis Seidenberg, a former Flyers draft pick, missed the playoffs last year due to injury, but he'll get a chance to face his former club this time around. Seidenberg had one goal and two helpers in Round 1 and was second only to Chara in ice time per game.
The Bruins are expecting more out of Tomas Kaberle in the conference semis after the offensive defenseman posted just two assists in the seven games against Montreal. Kaberle had one goal and eight assists in 24 regular season games with Boston following his trade from Toronto at the deadline.
Johnny Boychuk and Adam McQuaid will also see time at the back end for Boston in this set.
While Boston excels at making it tough for the opposition to score, the Bruins weakness is scoring. This was especially true of Boston's power play in the opening round, as the B's failed to score a single goal on 21 opportunities with the man advantage. It marked the first time in NHL history that a team won a seven games series without scoring a power-play goal.
Boston also allowed six goals on Montreal's 27 chances with the man advantage.
The Bruins had four players with two goals or more in the opening round. Chris Kelly and Nathan Horton each had three tallies, while Patrice Bergeron and Michael Ryder hit the net twice.
Bergeron led the club with seven points against Montreal and the superb two- way player was also a plus-five for the series. Kelly, who was acquired in a trade with Ottawa in February, also had three assists against Montreal to finish second on the club in scoring.
A big turning point during Philadelphia's comeback against Boston last year was the injury suffered by Boston forward David Krejci in Game 3. Krejci suffered a broken wrist on a crushing hit by Philadelphia's Richards and never returned to the series.
Krejci tied Milan Lucic for team lead with 62 points in the regular season, but the former had just one goal in the opening round. Lucic, who had five goals and two assists in the conference semis last year, had two assists in Round 1 against the Habs.
Rich Peverley and Brad Marchand each had five points on one goal and four helpers against the Canadiens, while 43-year-old Mark Recchi, a former Flyer, added one goal and three assists.
MATCHUP
With the way last year's series ended it's pretty clear that this is going to be an emotionally-charged series. The question is: Who will that type of series benefit more, the Bruins or Flyers?
The Bruins did get the better of Philadelphia in this year's regular season, taking three of the four meetings and outscoring the Flyers by a 13-8 margin. Philadelphia's only win came in an overtime victory on Dec. 11.
Van Riemsdyk and Richards led the Flyers with three points apiece in the season series, while Krejci paced Boston with four assists. Marchand, Horton and Bergeron each had two goals versus Philly.
Thomas was 3-0-1 with a 1.95 GAA against the Flyers this season. Boucher was 1-2-0 with a 2.95 GAA.
The Flyers should have the mental edge heading into this series after last year's comeback, but that won't mean much if they can't solve Thomas early. However, Boston's goaltender did look human in the first round and Philadelphia's offensive depth should eventually wear Thomas down, just like it did in the opening round against Buffalo's Ryan Miller.
Boston should be able to push this series to the limit, but the Flyers will once again be the team moving onto the conference finals.
Sports Network predicted outcome: Flyers in 7
Friday, April 29, 2011
Andy Reid talks Danny Watkins
On offensive guard Danny Watkins:
“Alright with our first pick we took Danny Watkins, offensive lineman from Baylor [University]. And I know there have been a lot of things said about Danny’s age and so on, but we felt Danny was as good a football player as there was in the draft. I know it’s not a glamour position but it’s a position that is very crucial in this sport and we wanted to make sure that we maintained a strong offensive line. We’ve lost a few veteran offensive linemen over the last couple years and we wanted to make sure that we continue to build that line to be the strongest in the National Football League, and this is a step forward. Danny played left tackle at Baylor, was very productive there, and he’ll bring a toughness, which I know the city of Philadelphia – they thrive on that. He brings a toughness and a blue collar attitude to that offensive line. He had been a fireman and that delayed his years of football there for a bit. And so, he’s 26 years old, he’ll be 27 during the season, and really that wasn’t a factor to us. His body hasn’t gone through that beating up process that takes place when you’re playing football. And so his clock started a little bit later with this sport; he had been a hockey player, a rugby player, but again, when he stepped on the football field he really took to the game and has just been so productive. You take the best defensive end in the draft, or outside linebacker, however you want to look at it – the draft pick [the] Denver [Broncos] took from Texas A&M [University, Von Miller]. He had great film against him and played a heckuva game against him, and that was just one of many great games, that just happened to be one of the better players in the draft. So what you see is just a heckuva football player both in the run game and the pass game. I can’t tell you how happy we are to have him be a part of our program here.”
On when he first had Watkins in his sights:
“Well we really had hoped he was going to be there; people had him all over their draft boards with all of these pre-draft mock drafts. So we were hoping that he would be there and we knew how people looked at him around the league and what kind of quality they thought he was. So again, we feel very fortunate to have him. We had our eye on him right from the beginning.”
On whether the plan is to have Watkins compete at right guard:
“Well, the nice thing about this is that he started at left tackle, and he went to the Senior Bowl and played both guard positions, and so that gives us some flexibility there. If we want to move people around, we can move people around, but he can step in at right guard [and] he can play at right tackle even though he didn’t do it there. And like we do with all of our linemen we’ll probably teach him how to play center, too. And he’s that kind of an athlete where he can do that.”
On whether he projects Watkins at guard or tackle:
“Right now I’m looking at guard. I don’t know what side though. I can’t sit here and tell you, but I’m looking at him as a guard. But like I said, he can really play any position you need him to play.”
On whether Watkins’ character was a big part in his decision to draft him:
“Well the thing [general manager] Howie [Roseman] and I talked about, and I think Howie’s done a phenomenal job along with [Director of Player Personnel] Ryan Grigson, and really the scouts of finding these players that we’ve been looking at in the draft and we’ll see more of them come off the board and become Philadelphia Eagles in the next couple days. But this is a guy that is a tough, tough guy. Now he’s also a good football player and he has phenomenal character on and off the field. He’s a class act, but the thing that jumps out at you is he is a relentless worker and one tough nut and I like that.”
On whether Watkins was “the guy” or if there was ever another player they were considering:
“This was the guy. This was the guy that we felt if we stayed at [pick number] 23 we would love to have, yes.”
On whether they were ever close to moving up in the draft or trading out of the spot:
“You know, we really weren’t. We had this guy targeted and we were hoping he was going to be there. If we got a feeling other than that we would have gone up and snagged him. But we really liked him.”
On whether this draft has had a different feel given the restrictions of what teams can and can’t do:
“No, I would tell you the only difference is today we got hit with some information, to when the players are allowed back in the building. So with that I had to have a couple staff meetings and make sure that my coaches were set up for that. And I’m not real big on the 8 o’clock start with the draft, it’s a long day. But today I was okay with that just so I could make sure that everything was put in line and we were able to get the rules that we needed to go by with this.”
On whether not being able to trade QB Kevin Kolb or any players was an annoyance:
“It doesn’t bother you now [because] that’s what we were dealt and that’s how it is. So we’ve been going through this process feeling that that wasn’t going to take place; that we wouldn’t have any option to trade anybody that’s on our team before the draft. So that’s what it was and listen, we know the people that were interested in Kevin before we were given the restrictions that we were given and the rules that we were given where we couldn’t talk. So we know where we left off there and we’ll see how things work out once everything’s lifted. Who knows? Who knows when we’ll be able to do that, but we’ll look at it. And I will tell you the same thing I said before, I’m going to keep my ears open but that doesn’t mean that anything is going to open.”
On whether some of the teams presumably interested in Kolb drafted quarterbacks tonight:
“Yeah, that’s how it works. I mean those are the things that you’re dealt with these new rules of how things of fallen. But listen, everybody else is having to deal with the same thing and we’ll work it out.”
On whether he has any plans of moving left guard Todd Herremans to a different position:
“Well this is the neat thing; I have flexibility with all of these guys. We have a group of guys that played tackle in college and one nice thing is they can move all around. Todd’s played both sides. Danny’s played both sides. Todd’s played tackle for us, left and right. So we have some flexibility there which I think is a neat thing. And then listen, I’ll sit down, I just wanted to make sure that we got the best football player that we possibly could get to bring in here, and I think we did that, and then we’ll figure out a spot for him, that’s the easy part.”
On whether he is concerned Watkins career will be shorter because of his age:
“I don’t think so. He’s not beat up and that’s part of this game, especially at that – well I’ll say that, you see with the offensive line, you see guys play into their 30’s because they take care of themselves. This is a guy that not only takes care of himself but he isn’t beat up like you see a lot of offensive and defensive lineman that happens throughout their career. And so you’re getting a fresher, I guess, 26/27 year old.”
On whether offensive line coach Howard Mudd had a hand in the decision process and what characteristics Danny has that fits his style:
“Well the way this goes is Howie really narrows it down for me, and then I go through and look at them, then by position each coach goes through and they look at them and give their evaluation of them. Howie had this guy right from the get go at the top. I mean this was a guy that he really wanted and liked, and so when I looked at him I said, “This guy is as fine of a football player as you have on the offensive line in this draft”, and then Howard came back and he said the same thing. So Howard wasn’t sitting there beating us over the head to take him, although Howard felt that this guy was just a tough quality player. And I think the guys that were down at the Senior Bowl saw that. I mean you saw this guy go out and dominate in the one-on-ones, you saw him dominate in the game, and it was a new position for him. It was the first time he had played guard and he lit it up. But that’s what he’d been doing all year, that’s how he plays.”
On whether he has a lot of upside because he hasn’t played football that long:
“I do, yeah. I think he has upside. I think he’s pretty good though right now. There’s an adjustment that takes place when you come into pro football. And so they all grow to some extent, everybody grows a little bit more than others, but I will tell you that he’s a pretty good player now. He knows how to play the game out in front of him with his arms which is a big thing; sometimes you have to train guys to do that. He already does that. He’s very powerful in the core and very powerful on his jam. Those are hard things to teach and he has that.”
On whether hiring Mudd as offensive line coach changes the type of offensive linemen he is looking for:
“Well, honestly I had [defensive coordinator] Juan [Castillo] take a peek at him too and Juan kind of liked him, so that was good. He’s one of those guys that you can’t help but like him when you look at him. I mean he just knows how to play the game. I mean it’s not going to take a Rhodes Scholar, so basically everybody in this room, we could all figure this one out.”
On drafting a guy to play inside on the line this high in the draft:
“This guy can do that. He can step in and play tackle for you so we’ll just find the spot for him. Listen, I don’t want to slam the door, I think he probably has more opportunity to play at a guard position than he does right now at the tackle position. But I’m going to tell you he can step in and play tackle for you right now and you’d have a heckuva football player.”
On whether everything Watkins has done off the field has given him a different level of maturity:
“Yeah, you know how many guys bring their fire department with them to the draft, and that’s what he did. He brought the whole department down there and they were up in the stands going crazy for him. I mean that kind of tells you the story; it’s a unique situation. Is he fired up and appreciative of what he’s been given here? Absolutely. You guys will see. We’ll bring him in here tomorrow and let you guys have a chance to meet him and I think you’ll get a pretty good feel for him.”
On whether he has an opportunity to start as a rookie:
“I think he’s capable of doing that, yeah. We always try to bring in guys that we feel are starters. You never try to go into this thing and say, “Okay, I’m going to draft this guy to be a backup.” And it might be the first year, it might be the second year, it might be the third year, [but] I think this guy physically is ready to go.”
On whether it has been difficult to have a structured schedule with the lockout in place:
“Well here’s what we did. We tried to prepare everything before hand. So the mini camps, and the OTA’s, and the offseason program, everything, we had it all ready to go. But you had to see what the rules and regulations were going to be, and then you didn’t know when it was going to happen so that’s why we met. But the bulk of it was taken care of it was just a matter of getting in touch with the players and making sure that they knew and the times that the weight room’s open, or the training room’s open, and all the little things that you need to communicate to coaches and to the players.”
On whether he has talked to Kolb since the restrictions have been lifted:
“I have not today. Now [quarterback’s coach] Doug Pederson has. But what I did, so there was no question here, I had all the coaches call their players and make sure that they hit the bullet points with them on when things needed to be done.”
On whether he has set a time for the rookie mini camp:
“Well, I’m not looking necessarily on this week, this next weekend, but probably the following weekend. So we’ll just see how that goes. [Director of Football Media Services] Derek [Boyko] will be able to get you that. But right now, that’s what I’m leaning towards, so not a week from Friday, tomorrow, but the following [week].”
On his expectations as far as players coming into the facility tomorrow:
“Yeah, really the offseason program is going to start on Monday for them, but tomorrow is a day that they can come in and lift. We will have the weight room open for them tomorrow. But I think travel’s, for a lot of these guys is going to be an important thing to allow them to have some time to get up. I think it’s hard to just throw it right at them and say listen, “You have to be here in eight hours to get yourself going and rolling.”
On whether he is concerned about getting guys into the facility because they still have to pay insurance out of their own pocket:
“That’s all been worked out. Listen, I think they’ll be fine. They’re okay with that part; the insurance part is taken care of. And I’m glad you asked that question because now I can tell all of them because I know they’re listening right now [smiling].”
“Alright with our first pick we took Danny Watkins, offensive lineman from Baylor [University]. And I know there have been a lot of things said about Danny’s age and so on, but we felt Danny was as good a football player as there was in the draft. I know it’s not a glamour position but it’s a position that is very crucial in this sport and we wanted to make sure that we maintained a strong offensive line. We’ve lost a few veteran offensive linemen over the last couple years and we wanted to make sure that we continue to build that line to be the strongest in the National Football League, and this is a step forward. Danny played left tackle at Baylor, was very productive there, and he’ll bring a toughness, which I know the city of Philadelphia – they thrive on that. He brings a toughness and a blue collar attitude to that offensive line. He had been a fireman and that delayed his years of football there for a bit. And so, he’s 26 years old, he’ll be 27 during the season, and really that wasn’t a factor to us. His body hasn’t gone through that beating up process that takes place when you’re playing football. And so his clock started a little bit later with this sport; he had been a hockey player, a rugby player, but again, when he stepped on the football field he really took to the game and has just been so productive. You take the best defensive end in the draft, or outside linebacker, however you want to look at it – the draft pick [the] Denver [Broncos] took from Texas A&M [University, Von Miller]. He had great film against him and played a heckuva game against him, and that was just one of many great games, that just happened to be one of the better players in the draft. So what you see is just a heckuva football player both in the run game and the pass game. I can’t tell you how happy we are to have him be a part of our program here.”
On when he first had Watkins in his sights:
“Well we really had hoped he was going to be there; people had him all over their draft boards with all of these pre-draft mock drafts. So we were hoping that he would be there and we knew how people looked at him around the league and what kind of quality they thought he was. So again, we feel very fortunate to have him. We had our eye on him right from the beginning.”
On whether the plan is to have Watkins compete at right guard:
“Well, the nice thing about this is that he started at left tackle, and he went to the Senior Bowl and played both guard positions, and so that gives us some flexibility there. If we want to move people around, we can move people around, but he can step in at right guard [and] he can play at right tackle even though he didn’t do it there. And like we do with all of our linemen we’ll probably teach him how to play center, too. And he’s that kind of an athlete where he can do that.”
On whether he projects Watkins at guard or tackle:
“Right now I’m looking at guard. I don’t know what side though. I can’t sit here and tell you, but I’m looking at him as a guard. But like I said, he can really play any position you need him to play.”
On whether Watkins’ character was a big part in his decision to draft him:
“Well the thing [general manager] Howie [Roseman] and I talked about, and I think Howie’s done a phenomenal job along with [Director of Player Personnel] Ryan Grigson, and really the scouts of finding these players that we’ve been looking at in the draft and we’ll see more of them come off the board and become Philadelphia Eagles in the next couple days. But this is a guy that is a tough, tough guy. Now he’s also a good football player and he has phenomenal character on and off the field. He’s a class act, but the thing that jumps out at you is he is a relentless worker and one tough nut and I like that.”
On whether Watkins was “the guy” or if there was ever another player they were considering:
“This was the guy. This was the guy that we felt if we stayed at [pick number] 23 we would love to have, yes.”
On whether they were ever close to moving up in the draft or trading out of the spot:
“You know, we really weren’t. We had this guy targeted and we were hoping he was going to be there. If we got a feeling other than that we would have gone up and snagged him. But we really liked him.”
On whether this draft has had a different feel given the restrictions of what teams can and can’t do:
“No, I would tell you the only difference is today we got hit with some information, to when the players are allowed back in the building. So with that I had to have a couple staff meetings and make sure that my coaches were set up for that. And I’m not real big on the 8 o’clock start with the draft, it’s a long day. But today I was okay with that just so I could make sure that everything was put in line and we were able to get the rules that we needed to go by with this.”
On whether not being able to trade QB Kevin Kolb or any players was an annoyance:
“It doesn’t bother you now [because] that’s what we were dealt and that’s how it is. So we’ve been going through this process feeling that that wasn’t going to take place; that we wouldn’t have any option to trade anybody that’s on our team before the draft. So that’s what it was and listen, we know the people that were interested in Kevin before we were given the restrictions that we were given and the rules that we were given where we couldn’t talk. So we know where we left off there and we’ll see how things work out once everything’s lifted. Who knows? Who knows when we’ll be able to do that, but we’ll look at it. And I will tell you the same thing I said before, I’m going to keep my ears open but that doesn’t mean that anything is going to open.”
On whether some of the teams presumably interested in Kolb drafted quarterbacks tonight:
“Yeah, that’s how it works. I mean those are the things that you’re dealt with these new rules of how things of fallen. But listen, everybody else is having to deal with the same thing and we’ll work it out.”
On whether he has any plans of moving left guard Todd Herremans to a different position:
“Well this is the neat thing; I have flexibility with all of these guys. We have a group of guys that played tackle in college and one nice thing is they can move all around. Todd’s played both sides. Danny’s played both sides. Todd’s played tackle for us, left and right. So we have some flexibility there which I think is a neat thing. And then listen, I’ll sit down, I just wanted to make sure that we got the best football player that we possibly could get to bring in here, and I think we did that, and then we’ll figure out a spot for him, that’s the easy part.”
On whether he is concerned Watkins career will be shorter because of his age:
“I don’t think so. He’s not beat up and that’s part of this game, especially at that – well I’ll say that, you see with the offensive line, you see guys play into their 30’s because they take care of themselves. This is a guy that not only takes care of himself but he isn’t beat up like you see a lot of offensive and defensive lineman that happens throughout their career. And so you’re getting a fresher, I guess, 26/27 year old.”
On whether offensive line coach Howard Mudd had a hand in the decision process and what characteristics Danny has that fits his style:
“Well the way this goes is Howie really narrows it down for me, and then I go through and look at them, then by position each coach goes through and they look at them and give their evaluation of them. Howie had this guy right from the get go at the top. I mean this was a guy that he really wanted and liked, and so when I looked at him I said, “This guy is as fine of a football player as you have on the offensive line in this draft”, and then Howard came back and he said the same thing. So Howard wasn’t sitting there beating us over the head to take him, although Howard felt that this guy was just a tough quality player. And I think the guys that were down at the Senior Bowl saw that. I mean you saw this guy go out and dominate in the one-on-ones, you saw him dominate in the game, and it was a new position for him. It was the first time he had played guard and he lit it up. But that’s what he’d been doing all year, that’s how he plays.”
On whether he has a lot of upside because he hasn’t played football that long:
“I do, yeah. I think he has upside. I think he’s pretty good though right now. There’s an adjustment that takes place when you come into pro football. And so they all grow to some extent, everybody grows a little bit more than others, but I will tell you that he’s a pretty good player now. He knows how to play the game out in front of him with his arms which is a big thing; sometimes you have to train guys to do that. He already does that. He’s very powerful in the core and very powerful on his jam. Those are hard things to teach and he has that.”
On whether hiring Mudd as offensive line coach changes the type of offensive linemen he is looking for:
“Well, honestly I had [defensive coordinator] Juan [Castillo] take a peek at him too and Juan kind of liked him, so that was good. He’s one of those guys that you can’t help but like him when you look at him. I mean he just knows how to play the game. I mean it’s not going to take a Rhodes Scholar, so basically everybody in this room, we could all figure this one out.”
On drafting a guy to play inside on the line this high in the draft:
“This guy can do that. He can step in and play tackle for you so we’ll just find the spot for him. Listen, I don’t want to slam the door, I think he probably has more opportunity to play at a guard position than he does right now at the tackle position. But I’m going to tell you he can step in and play tackle for you right now and you’d have a heckuva football player.”
On whether everything Watkins has done off the field has given him a different level of maturity:
“Yeah, you know how many guys bring their fire department with them to the draft, and that’s what he did. He brought the whole department down there and they were up in the stands going crazy for him. I mean that kind of tells you the story; it’s a unique situation. Is he fired up and appreciative of what he’s been given here? Absolutely. You guys will see. We’ll bring him in here tomorrow and let you guys have a chance to meet him and I think you’ll get a pretty good feel for him.”
On whether he has an opportunity to start as a rookie:
“I think he’s capable of doing that, yeah. We always try to bring in guys that we feel are starters. You never try to go into this thing and say, “Okay, I’m going to draft this guy to be a backup.” And it might be the first year, it might be the second year, it might be the third year, [but] I think this guy physically is ready to go.”
On whether it has been difficult to have a structured schedule with the lockout in place:
“Well here’s what we did. We tried to prepare everything before hand. So the mini camps, and the OTA’s, and the offseason program, everything, we had it all ready to go. But you had to see what the rules and regulations were going to be, and then you didn’t know when it was going to happen so that’s why we met. But the bulk of it was taken care of it was just a matter of getting in touch with the players and making sure that they knew and the times that the weight room’s open, or the training room’s open, and all the little things that you need to communicate to coaches and to the players.”
On whether he has talked to Kolb since the restrictions have been lifted:
“I have not today. Now [quarterback’s coach] Doug Pederson has. But what I did, so there was no question here, I had all the coaches call their players and make sure that they hit the bullet points with them on when things needed to be done.”
On whether he has set a time for the rookie mini camp:
“Well, I’m not looking necessarily on this week, this next weekend, but probably the following weekend. So we’ll just see how that goes. [Director of Football Media Services] Derek [Boyko] will be able to get you that. But right now, that’s what I’m leaning towards, so not a week from Friday, tomorrow, but the following [week].”
On his expectations as far as players coming into the facility tomorrow:
“Yeah, really the offseason program is going to start on Monday for them, but tomorrow is a day that they can come in and lift. We will have the weight room open for them tomorrow. But I think travel’s, for a lot of these guys is going to be an important thing to allow them to have some time to get up. I think it’s hard to just throw it right at them and say listen, “You have to be here in eight hours to get yourself going and rolling.”
On whether he is concerned about getting guys into the facility because they still have to pay insurance out of their own pocket:
“That’s all been worked out. Listen, I think they’ll be fine. They’re okay with that part; the insurance part is taken care of. And I’m glad you asked that question because now I can tell all of them because I know they’re listening right now [smiling].”
Eagles first round pick Danny Watkins speaks to the media
On his reaction to being drafted by the Eagles:
“I’m very excited. This is unreal.”
On whether he had much contact leading up to the Draft:
“I spoke with them at the Combine and at the Senior Bowl and on the phone a little bit, but that was about it.”
On whether he got the idea that the Eagles were interested in him:
“It was so hard to tell. There was a lot of people speaking to me and showing interest, but I had no idea.”
On whether he thought his age would hold him back from going professional:
“I don’t think it will. My body feels fresh just with being 26 years old. I’m experienced and I’ve lived the life of a working man at a 40-hour a week job. I’m just really excited to get this role.”
On what changed his mind to start playing football:
“I went to a junior college to take fire services. The football coach there asked me to come out and play football and I thought ‘Oh, what the heck?’ So it kind of just took off from there.”
On whether he can play tackle:
“I played tackle my whole college career.”
On if he’s under the impression that he may be moved inside to guard:
“A lot of the teams I spoke to had plans and projected me to be an [interior] guy.”
On whether he can play center:
“I was taking snaps at the Senior Bowl.”
On the most dangerous thing he had to do as a firefighter:
“There’s a lot of answers for that, I don’t know where to begin.”
On how long he worked as a firefighter before going down to college in California:
“Five years.”
On if he felt he would be a firefighter for the rest of his life:
“Yes, I did.”
On why he was surprised and if he thought he was going to be drafted later:
“I wasn’t sure. I heard rumors and heard people talking. I tried to take it with a grain of salt, but to be selected in the first round, I’m so naïve to tall of this. I’m really excited about it.”
On what stage of his life did he realize he had what it takes to be an NFL player:
“It never really did click with me that I could play in the NFL. I wanted to and I was going to work my butt off to get there. I don’t think I’ll ever feel comfortable thinking that I can play in the NFL. I think that’s what drives me and makes me the person that I am.”
On who called him to give him the news that he had been drafted by the Eagles and what they said:
“I couldn’t really hear who it was, but I thought it was a wrong number [laughing]. They asked for me, and I was like, ‘Well, yeah that’s me.’ [laughing]. I was really excited. I spoke with the offensive coordinator and about three or four other people.”
On Andy Reid’s statement about him starting as a rookie and if he feels he can live up to that:
“I’m making a personal expectation to myself to start. I’m a highly motivated person. I don’t think it’s going to be too much of an issue. I’m looking forward to getting in there and get rolling.”
On whether he knows any other offensive linemen that have played for the Eagles:
“I do. I’m a little flustered and overwhelmed right now and can’t think of their names. I definitely have watched the Eagles before and I’m excited to line up next to them and getting some work in, that’s for sure.”
On making the transition from tackle to guard at the Senior Bowl and how comfortable he felt:
“It felt pretty good. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I went in there and it felt really comfortable and I was surprised with it. I kept on rolling with it. I wasn’t sure how I was doing with it. I was doing pretty well, so I just kept rolling with it and it felt really good.”
On the interaction he had leading up to this process:
“I spoke with them a few times. I met with them at the Combine and at the Senior Bowl. I was really excited to talk with the offensive line coach—and I have tremendous respect for him, so I always thought it was an honor and a privilege to be one of his guys and have the opportunity to be coached by him.”
On what makes a man want to be a firefighter:
“Honestly, the guys that you work with and the desire. Today I had some of the Canadian firemen with me and some of the members of the FDNY and it’s the same thing on the football field: You’re with the same guys day in-day out and if you’re brothers you’ll do anything for them, and it’s the same in the fire house—they’re your brothers and you’re with them though he good and the bad. When it comes to that, I’ve been really lucky. I been with great guys with Baylor and at Butte, and I’m really looking forward to being with the guys in Philly.”
On how surreal it is for him to go from playing football at a junior college and is now a first round NFL Draft pick:
“It’s kind of hard to believe. I don’t think it’s all set in. I’m sitting here looking at a Philadelphia Eagles hat grinning still. It’s pretty overwhelming. I’m not a flashy kind of guy, I wasn’t planning on coming to New York by any means. I was kind of just looking forward to spending some down time with some family, but I decided this would be a great opportunity and you’re only going to get one shot to do this, so I’m glad I did.”
On what his adjustment was like when he played football at Butte:
“It was like any other sport I played. There was just a bit of a learning curve. Other than that, it came pretty natural.”
On what it might be like to block for a player with the style of QB Michael Vick:
“From just guys that I’ve heard, the way he conducts himself, he’s kind of guy you want to block for. So, I’m really looking forward to lining up in front of him and doing some work.”
On his performance against Texas A&M and going against Von Miller:
“Von is a heck of a player. I felt that he had a pretty strong game. I remember him from the year before that he was a challenge. I came into that game well-prepared. He won some and I won some, so it was a pretty good match for sure.”
On the critics that will focus in on his age:
“I don’t see it as an issue by any means. I just took a different path to get here. I’m not collecting my 401k. My body is fresh and I’ve been out in the world and have worked. I’ve met a lot of guys where they’re 19 or 20 and this is their first job. I’m looking forward to it and I know what I’m going to do. I’m coming to work and I’m going to be mature about it.”
On if he feels he has to pick things up quickly especially with a labor decision still unsettled:
“Yeah. I’m going to do everything that I can. This labor situation is something out of my hands and I’m not going to worry about it. There’s nothing I can do about it. Like I said, when there’s nothing you can do about it, you can’t worry about it. I’m looking forward to getting in there and rolling as soon as possible.”
On his approach to line play:
“Play time is over when the game starts and I like playing physical. That’s the only way I grew up playing sports—being physical and tough. In hockey, you’re looking for a hit and in football a guy is six inches from your face. Someone has to win that battle and I like winning.”
“I’m very excited. This is unreal.”
On whether he had much contact leading up to the Draft:
“I spoke with them at the Combine and at the Senior Bowl and on the phone a little bit, but that was about it.”
On whether he got the idea that the Eagles were interested in him:
“It was so hard to tell. There was a lot of people speaking to me and showing interest, but I had no idea.”
On whether he thought his age would hold him back from going professional:
“I don’t think it will. My body feels fresh just with being 26 years old. I’m experienced and I’ve lived the life of a working man at a 40-hour a week job. I’m just really excited to get this role.”
On what changed his mind to start playing football:
“I went to a junior college to take fire services. The football coach there asked me to come out and play football and I thought ‘Oh, what the heck?’ So it kind of just took off from there.”
On whether he can play tackle:
“I played tackle my whole college career.”
On if he’s under the impression that he may be moved inside to guard:
“A lot of the teams I spoke to had plans and projected me to be an [interior] guy.”
On whether he can play center:
“I was taking snaps at the Senior Bowl.”
On the most dangerous thing he had to do as a firefighter:
“There’s a lot of answers for that, I don’t know where to begin.”
On how long he worked as a firefighter before going down to college in California:
“Five years.”
On if he felt he would be a firefighter for the rest of his life:
“Yes, I did.”
On why he was surprised and if he thought he was going to be drafted later:
“I wasn’t sure. I heard rumors and heard people talking. I tried to take it with a grain of salt, but to be selected in the first round, I’m so naïve to tall of this. I’m really excited about it.”
On what stage of his life did he realize he had what it takes to be an NFL player:
“It never really did click with me that I could play in the NFL. I wanted to and I was going to work my butt off to get there. I don’t think I’ll ever feel comfortable thinking that I can play in the NFL. I think that’s what drives me and makes me the person that I am.”
On who called him to give him the news that he had been drafted by the Eagles and what they said:
“I couldn’t really hear who it was, but I thought it was a wrong number [laughing]. They asked for me, and I was like, ‘Well, yeah that’s me.’ [laughing]. I was really excited. I spoke with the offensive coordinator and about three or four other people.”
On Andy Reid’s statement about him starting as a rookie and if he feels he can live up to that:
“I’m making a personal expectation to myself to start. I’m a highly motivated person. I don’t think it’s going to be too much of an issue. I’m looking forward to getting in there and get rolling.”
On whether he knows any other offensive linemen that have played for the Eagles:
“I do. I’m a little flustered and overwhelmed right now and can’t think of their names. I definitely have watched the Eagles before and I’m excited to line up next to them and getting some work in, that’s for sure.”
On making the transition from tackle to guard at the Senior Bowl and how comfortable he felt:
“It felt pretty good. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I went in there and it felt really comfortable and I was surprised with it. I kept on rolling with it. I wasn’t sure how I was doing with it. I was doing pretty well, so I just kept rolling with it and it felt really good.”
On the interaction he had leading up to this process:
“I spoke with them a few times. I met with them at the Combine and at the Senior Bowl. I was really excited to talk with the offensive line coach—and I have tremendous respect for him, so I always thought it was an honor and a privilege to be one of his guys and have the opportunity to be coached by him.”
On what makes a man want to be a firefighter:
“Honestly, the guys that you work with and the desire. Today I had some of the Canadian firemen with me and some of the members of the FDNY and it’s the same thing on the football field: You’re with the same guys day in-day out and if you’re brothers you’ll do anything for them, and it’s the same in the fire house—they’re your brothers and you’re with them though he good and the bad. When it comes to that, I’ve been really lucky. I been with great guys with Baylor and at Butte, and I’m really looking forward to being with the guys in Philly.”
On how surreal it is for him to go from playing football at a junior college and is now a first round NFL Draft pick:
“It’s kind of hard to believe. I don’t think it’s all set in. I’m sitting here looking at a Philadelphia Eagles hat grinning still. It’s pretty overwhelming. I’m not a flashy kind of guy, I wasn’t planning on coming to New York by any means. I was kind of just looking forward to spending some down time with some family, but I decided this would be a great opportunity and you’re only going to get one shot to do this, so I’m glad I did.”
On what his adjustment was like when he played football at Butte:
“It was like any other sport I played. There was just a bit of a learning curve. Other than that, it came pretty natural.”
On what it might be like to block for a player with the style of QB Michael Vick:
“From just guys that I’ve heard, the way he conducts himself, he’s kind of guy you want to block for. So, I’m really looking forward to lining up in front of him and doing some work.”
On his performance against Texas A&M and going against Von Miller:
“Von is a heck of a player. I felt that he had a pretty strong game. I remember him from the year before that he was a challenge. I came into that game well-prepared. He won some and I won some, so it was a pretty good match for sure.”
On the critics that will focus in on his age:
“I don’t see it as an issue by any means. I just took a different path to get here. I’m not collecting my 401k. My body is fresh and I’ve been out in the world and have worked. I’ve met a lot of guys where they’re 19 or 20 and this is their first job. I’m looking forward to it and I know what I’m going to do. I’m coming to work and I’m going to be mature about it.”
On if he feels he has to pick things up quickly especially with a labor decision still unsettled:
“Yeah. I’m going to do everything that I can. This labor situation is something out of my hands and I’m not going to worry about it. There’s nothing I can do about it. Like I said, when there’s nothing you can do about it, you can’t worry about it. I’m looking forward to getting in there and rolling as soon as possible.”
On his approach to line play:
“Play time is over when the game starts and I like playing physical. That’s the only way I grew up playing sports—being physical and tough. In hockey, you’re looking for a hit and in football a guy is six inches from your face. Someone has to win that battle and I like winning.”
Soul set to battle Barnstormers
The Philadelphia Soul (1-5) will be flying in to Iowa to battle the Barnstormers (2-4) at the Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday, April 30 at 8:05 p.m. (EST). The Soul will be looking to snap their five-game losing streak while the Barnstormers will be hoping to stop a three-game skid of their own in this first-ever meeting between the two teams.
After six games into the season, both teams have fallen victim to late-game heroics by their respective opponents. The Soul have lost their last four by an average of 4.75 points per game, and have lost three of those by giving up the lead in the waning moments of each game. The Barnstormers are coming off of three consecutive losses to division rivals, with the previous two games being decided on last-second field goals by their opponents, resulting in a one-point loss both weeks.
"We are facing a team that is very talented and has been snake-bitten, like we have, with last-second-losses while being able to get close, but not finishing with a win,” said Soul Head Coach Mike Hohensee. “It’s always tough playing in Iowa, I’ve brought great teams into there, but came out on the losing end. I’m hoping our experience in these recent close games will give us an advantage.”
All eyes will be on Soul defensive back Tanner Varner, who played for the Barnstormers from 2008-10, and attended the University of Northern Iowa and Ottumwa High School. Varner had his best season last year when he led the league with 129.5 total tackles, 113 solo tackles, and eight interceptions, earning him First-Team All-Arena and team Defensive MVP honors. He has continued to perform at a high level this season in the Soul secondary, leading the team with 37.0 total tackles and four interceptions.
“I’m excited to head back to Iowa to play in front of my friends and family again,” said Varner. “I know their receivers pretty well, so hopefully I can pickup on their tendencies early in the game and will get a few chances to come down with some balls.”
The Barnstormers new leader in the defensive backfield is Cameron McGlenn. The rookie defender is tied for No. 1 in the league with six interceptions and tied for No. 3 with nine pass break ups, and leads his team with 38.5 total tackles. Secondary partner Chris Felder has also contributed with 36.5 total tackles, three interceptions, three pass break ups, and a team leading three forced fumbles.
Soul quarterback Ryan Vena will also be making his return to Iowa. The 2010 Barnstormer play-caller threw for 3,924 yards and 78 touchdowns, and added 272 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground last season. This year, Vena has thrown for 766 yards and 13 touchdowns, and rushed for 77 yards and nine touchdowns, tied for No. 3 in the league, while taking over duties from teammate Justin Allgood.
After facing an experienced quarterback in Mark Grieb of the San Jose SaberCats (5-2) last week, the Soul will look to slow the production of Barnstormers’ rookie quarterback Brad Banks. In his first AFL season, he currently ranks No. 3 in the league in passing touchdowns (40) and passing yards per game (302.5), and No. 4 in passing yards (1,815) and yards per completion (12.7).
Two of Arena Football’s most explosive athletes at the wide receiver position will be looking to make an impact for their respective clubs. Donovan Morgan of the Soul leads the league in receiving yards (824) and receiving yards per game (137.3), while Jesse Schmidt of the Barnstormers leads the league in receiving touchdowns (20).
Both teams will want to erase their recent misfortunes with a win to gain ground in their respective divisions in this inter-conference match-up.
-Courtesy of the Philadelphia Soul
After six games into the season, both teams have fallen victim to late-game heroics by their respective opponents. The Soul have lost their last four by an average of 4.75 points per game, and have lost three of those by giving up the lead in the waning moments of each game. The Barnstormers are coming off of three consecutive losses to division rivals, with the previous two games being decided on last-second field goals by their opponents, resulting in a one-point loss both weeks.
"We are facing a team that is very talented and has been snake-bitten, like we have, with last-second-losses while being able to get close, but not finishing with a win,” said Soul Head Coach Mike Hohensee. “It’s always tough playing in Iowa, I’ve brought great teams into there, but came out on the losing end. I’m hoping our experience in these recent close games will give us an advantage.”
All eyes will be on Soul defensive back Tanner Varner, who played for the Barnstormers from 2008-10, and attended the University of Northern Iowa and Ottumwa High School. Varner had his best season last year when he led the league with 129.5 total tackles, 113 solo tackles, and eight interceptions, earning him First-Team All-Arena and team Defensive MVP honors. He has continued to perform at a high level this season in the Soul secondary, leading the team with 37.0 total tackles and four interceptions.
“I’m excited to head back to Iowa to play in front of my friends and family again,” said Varner. “I know their receivers pretty well, so hopefully I can pickup on their tendencies early in the game and will get a few chances to come down with some balls.”
The Barnstormers new leader in the defensive backfield is Cameron McGlenn. The rookie defender is tied for No. 1 in the league with six interceptions and tied for No. 3 with nine pass break ups, and leads his team with 38.5 total tackles. Secondary partner Chris Felder has also contributed with 36.5 total tackles, three interceptions, three pass break ups, and a team leading three forced fumbles.
Soul quarterback Ryan Vena will also be making his return to Iowa. The 2010 Barnstormer play-caller threw for 3,924 yards and 78 touchdowns, and added 272 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground last season. This year, Vena has thrown for 766 yards and 13 touchdowns, and rushed for 77 yards and nine touchdowns, tied for No. 3 in the league, while taking over duties from teammate Justin Allgood.
After facing an experienced quarterback in Mark Grieb of the San Jose SaberCats (5-2) last week, the Soul will look to slow the production of Barnstormers’ rookie quarterback Brad Banks. In his first AFL season, he currently ranks No. 3 in the league in passing touchdowns (40) and passing yards per game (302.5), and No. 4 in passing yards (1,815) and yards per completion (12.7).
Two of Arena Football’s most explosive athletes at the wide receiver position will be looking to make an impact for their respective clubs. Donovan Morgan of the Soul leads the league in receiving yards (824) and receiving yards per game (137.3), while Jesse Schmidt of the Barnstormers leads the league in receiving touchdowns (20).
Both teams will want to erase their recent misfortunes with a win to gain ground in their respective divisions in this inter-conference match-up.
-Courtesy of the Philadelphia Soul
Victorino, B-Dawk among celebs chimin in on St-Pierre-Shields
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – How will the main event of the largest UFC card in history play out?
That is the question many fans across the world are pondering at this very moment. In anticipation of the historic welterweight title bout between champion Georges St-Pierre and challenger Jake Shields on Saturday, April 30 from Rogers Centre in Toronto, some of the world’s most recognizable figures gathered to offer their opinions on the outcome of the UFC 129 championship clash.
SHANE VICTORINO, Gold Glove Centerfielder from the Philadelphia Phillies
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
ARIEL HELWANI, MMA reporter, MMAFighting.com and Versus.com
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“Shields is as tough as they come, but I just can't see him taking this fight to the ground, which is where he needs it to be. Even if he does score the odd takedown, he won't be able to dominate GSP on the mat like he has against his previous opponents. GSP wins all five rounds due to superior striking and his solid takedown defense en route to a unanimous decision victory.”
DAVID HAYE, WBA Heavyweight boxing champion
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“Shields is the underdog, but believe me, this is the year of the underdog. Just like when I KO Wladimir Klitschko in July, an underdog could send a stadium full of fans home very unhappy at UFC 129.”
MARK LA MONICA, Newsday (New York)
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“Picking GSP to win a fight is like picking all the favorites in March Madness. You may get sneered at for picking the obvious, but you usually finish in the money in your office pool.”
KEVIN IOLE, Yahoo! Sports
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“I think Shields will take this. The fight will go to the ground at some point, and I think Shields has an advantage there. Jake is a different sort of fighter, a different sort of grappler, to the ones Georges has been beating. I think Georges is going to try to do what he did to Josh Koscheck and use his jab and strike from a long range, but I think at some point it will go to the ground and Shields will win.”
GARETH A. DAVIES, Daily Telegraph and ESPN
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“All champions have to lose at some point and I think Shields has a style that makes him a serious threat to GSP. Shields was immense against Henderson but I’m hearing St-Pierre has been magnificent in training, which makes me hesitate to pick against him. I think this really could go either way; it is certainly the most intriguing GSP fight in years. I may change my mind once I see them at the weight-in but, right now, I am feeling the upset.”
J.S. GIGUERE, Goaltender, Toronto Maple Leafs, Stanley Cup winner
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“I have to go with GSP, he's just too well rounded. Plus I have to go with the Quebec guy.”
“Jake Shields' advantage is his top game in grappling, but to use it, he'll need to keep GSP on his back. He won't. St-Pierre wins by third-round TKO.”
CHUCK LIDDELL, UFC Hall of Famer
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“Jake Shields is a bad man. He’s a tough guy, he’s awkward to deal with and he uses stuff that is so different to other guys that he catches opponents off guard. He’s got awkward takedowns that are hard to defend. So it’s going to be an interesting fight for St-Pierre. But I do think that Jake will need to get it to the ground to win. I’m picking Jake to submit him.”
CHEF MICHAEL SYMON, Food Network’s Iron Chef America and host of Food Feuds
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“I’m saying St-Pierre. He is technically just too good.”
MATT HUGHES, UFC Hall of Famer and former two-time UFC welterweight champion
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“GSP will win fairly easy. I think this fight will go much the same way the GSP-Koscheck fight went. GSP is the better wrestler, the better striker, and he will be able to control and dominate wherever the fight goes. I really just don’t see any way that Shields is going to be able to win this fight.”
NOEL CLARKE, BAFTA-winning film director and actor
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“I'm gonna go out on a limb and pick Shields. GSP has all the tools to beat him, but for me, he is at a psychological disadvantage. He hasn't finished anyone in a while and he showed that frustration after the Koscheck fight. If Shields can take the early onslaught, GSP will get more desperate to finish, make a mistake and Shields will get him.”
CLARKE MACARTHUR, Left Wing, Toronto Maple Leafs
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“I think GSP will win by first round submission. He's way too well rounded a fighter. Shields is tough and dangerous on the ground, but I think GSP is on another level.”
JEREMY BOTTER, Heavy.com
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“It's very difficult to pick against a fighter who will go down as one of the greatest this sport has ever seen, but I have to. Simply put, Jake Shields is a winner. When faced with insurmountable odds, he excels. Few gave him a chance in the world against Dan Henderson. He was supposed to be a stepping stone, a guy to give Henderson a nice win in his Strikeforce debut, and Shields spoiled everything. He's going to do the same thing to St-Pierre, and it won't matter that 55,000 people are rooting against him.”
That is the question many fans across the world are pondering at this very moment. In anticipation of the historic welterweight title bout between champion Georges St-Pierre and challenger Jake Shields on Saturday, April 30 from Rogers Centre in Toronto, some of the world’s most recognizable figures gathered to offer their opinions on the outcome of the UFC 129 championship clash.
Below are some of the thoughts and predictions for the main event of UFC 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS:
SHANE VICTORINO, Gold Glove Centerfielder from the Philadelphia Phillies
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“I’m gonna have to say ‘Rush’ is the favorite, but I won’t put it past Shields for an upset victory. Shields by submission!”
ARIEL HELWANI, MMA reporter, MMAFighting.com and Versus.com
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“Shields is as tough as they come, but I just can't see him taking this fight to the ground, which is where he needs it to be. Even if he does score the odd takedown, he won't be able to dominate GSP on the mat like he has against his previous opponents. GSP wins all five rounds due to superior striking and his solid takedown defense en route to a unanimous decision victory.”
DAVID HAYE, WBA Heavyweight boxing champion
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“Shields is the underdog, but believe me, this is the year of the underdog. Just like when I KO Wladimir Klitschko in July, an underdog could send a stadium full of fans home very unhappy at UFC 129.”
MARK LA MONICA, Newsday (New York)
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“Picking GSP to win a fight is like picking all the favorites in March Madness. You may get sneered at for picking the obvious, but you usually finish in the money in your office pool.”
KEVIN IOLE, Yahoo! Sports
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“I think Shields will take this. The fight will go to the ground at some point, and I think Shields has an advantage there. Jake is a different sort of fighter, a different sort of grappler, to the ones Georges has been beating. I think Georges is going to try to do what he did to Josh Koscheck and use his jab and strike from a long range, but I think at some point it will go to the ground and Shields will win.”
TABOO, Black Eyed Peas
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“GSP and Shields are both on top of their games, but I would have to give the edge to GSP. He’s got the Canadian home field advantage and I feel like it’s GSP’s time right now, but I gotta feeling that night’s gonna be a good night for the UFC.”
GARETH A. DAVIES, Daily Telegraph and ESPN
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“All champions have to lose at some point and I think Shields has a style that makes him a serious threat to GSP. Shields was immense against Henderson but I’m hearing St-Pierre has been magnificent in training, which makes me hesitate to pick against him. I think this really could go either way; it is certainly the most intriguing GSP fight in years. I may change my mind once I see them at the weight-in but, right now, I am feeling the upset.”
J.S. GIGUERE, Goaltender, Toronto Maple Leafs, Stanley Cup winner
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“I have to go with GSP, he's just too well rounded. Plus I have to go with the Quebec guy.”
NEIL DAVIDSON, The Canadian Press
PREDICTION: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“The champion is a savvy fighter with a lot of weapons. Some say he plays it safe, but he wins fights and dominates opponents. Shields is tough and durable but he does not have GSP's arsenal. One mistake could cost the champion, but otherwise look for a comprehensive GSP victory by decision.”
SERGIO NON, USA Today:
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE“Jake Shields' advantage is his top game in grappling, but to use it, he'll need to keep GSP on his back. He won't. St-Pierre wins by third-round TKO.”
CHUCK LIDDELL, UFC Hall of Famer
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“Jake Shields is a bad man. He’s a tough guy, he’s awkward to deal with and he uses stuff that is so different to other guys that he catches opponents off guard. He’s got awkward takedowns that are hard to defend. So it’s going to be an interesting fight for St-Pierre. But I do think that Jake will need to get it to the ground to win. I’m picking Jake to submit him.”
CHEF MICHAEL SYMON, Food Network’s Iron Chef America and host of Food Feuds
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“I’m saying St-Pierre. He is technically just too good.”
MATT HUGHES, UFC Hall of Famer and former two-time UFC welterweight champion
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“GSP will win fairly easy. I think this fight will go much the same way the GSP-Koscheck fight went. GSP is the better wrestler, the better striker, and he will be able to control and dominate wherever the fight goes. I really just don’t see any way that Shields is going to be able to win this fight.”
NOEL CLARKE, BAFTA-winning film director and actor
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“I'm gonna go out on a limb and pick Shields. GSP has all the tools to beat him, but for me, he is at a psychological disadvantage. He hasn't finished anyone in a while and he showed that frustration after the Koscheck fight. If Shields can take the early onslaught, GSP will get more desperate to finish, make a mistake and Shields will get him.”
CLARKE MACARTHUR, Left Wing, Toronto Maple Leafs
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“I think GSP will win by first round submission. He's way too well rounded a fighter. Shields is tough and dangerous on the ground, but I think GSP is on another level.”
JEREMY BOTTER, Heavy.com
Prediction: JAKE SHIELDS
“It's very difficult to pick against a fighter who will go down as one of the greatest this sport has ever seen, but I have to. Simply put, Jake Shields is a winner. When faced with insurmountable odds, he excels. Few gave him a chance in the world against Dan Henderson. He was supposed to be a stepping stone, a guy to give Henderson a nice win in his Strikeforce debut, and Shields spoiled everything. He's going to do the same thing to St-Pierre, and it won't matter that 55,000 people are rooting against him.”
DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON, star of the hit movie Fast Five
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“I think it's going to be a five round epic war that redefines both fighters. I respect Shields too damn much to say it'll end any other way. GSP, the best fighter on the planet, wins in the 5th.”
SHAQUILLE O’NEAL, NBA superstar, Boston Celtics
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
BRIAN DAWKINS, NFL Pro Bowl Safety, Denver Broncos
Prediction: GEORGES ST-PIERRE
“I believe St-Pierre will be too much. He has all around talent, striking power and he’s a ground technician. He has no true weakness!”
-Courtesy of UFC
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Flyers - Bruins Eastern Conference semifinals begin Saturday
The Philadelphia Flyers, in conjunction with the National Hockey League, have announced the schedule for their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Boston Bruins.
GAME 1 – Saturday, April 30 at Philadelphia – 3:05 PM (NBC/WIP)
GAME 2 – Monday, May 2 at Philadelphia – 7:35 PM (Versus/WIP)
GAME 3 – Wednesday, May 4 at Boston – 7:05 PM (Versus/WIP)
GAME 4 – Friday, May 6 at Boston – 8:05 PM (CSN/WIP)
*GAME 5 – Sunday, May 8 at Philadelphia – 3:05 PM (NBC/WIP)
*GAME 6 – Tuesday, May 10 at Boston – TBD (CSN/WIP)
*GAME 7 – Thursday, May 12 at Philadelphia – TBD (CSN/WIP)
* if necessary
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Flyers, Canucks should be subdued in aftermath of Game 7 victories
by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor
Winning a seventh and deciding playoff game is always a cause for celebration.
But in the case of the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks today, it should be more a flash of excitement followed by a long exhale and a quick look over the shoulder before sitting down to contemplate all that's happened in the last two weeks.
Both teams faced the burden of expectations: the Flyers as the defending Eastern Conference champions and the Canucks as the Presidents' Trophy winners. Both passed their tests as they will be playing more playoff hockey, but the manner in which they advanced should give both clubs pause.
In South Philadelphia, the home team faced the spectres of a goaltending controversy at its own end, the shadow of an Olympic silver medalist at the other, the pressure of not losing a third home game in the series, and the looming disappointment of bowing out in the first round after a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals 11 months ago.
But it was the Sabres goaltender who displayed the first crack, and a river of Orange Crush began to flow through until four gaping holes emerged. It was a classic Flyers do-or-die win, one that harkened back to earlier eras where drama and the opposition were shunted aside by hard work and application of talent.
Nonetheless, if Brian Boucher showed the first signs of wear instead of Ryan Miller, it might not be such a happy Wednesday in the Delaware Valley.
In downtown Vancouver, the home team stared down the barrel of possibly becoming the second team in as many seasons and just the fourth in history to waste a 3-0 series lead, and being the third top point-getter in the NHL to lose in the first round in four seasons.
When Alex Burrows finally blew a knuckler past Corey Crawford in overtime early this morning, the Canuck fans, team, and coaching staff erupted in delight. It was a celebration initially borne of the twin blessings of an OT series winner on home ice, but it was also sprung from the grim idea that some key individuals would certainly be looking for jobs if the last bounce went the other way.
Vancouver had not advanced past the second round two years running, thanks to the stubborn defending champion Blackhawks, and came within a hair's breadth of a franchise-altering upheaval with a third straight defeat.
So now, the Flyers await their next round opponent and the Canucks know they will face yet another test in the upstart Nashville Predators. They should be taking the news with a wipe of the brow, instead of boldly vowing not to care who they will take on next.
Only once in the past 20 years has a team won a Stanley Cup after taking seven games to advance past the first round: the 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins. After going down 1-3 to Washington, the Pens took three straight. They went down 1-2 to the Rangers then won three in a row before sweeping Boston and Chicago to win it all.
And just because the first hurdle was cleared, doesn't mean the issues tht dogged both teams are anywhere close to being answered.
My esteemed colleague and managing editor ultimately placed the blame for the goalie roulette of the last two weeks on Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette, but again, the lack of a serious Number One netminder falls on the side of management. Laviolette simply did the best he could with the hand he was dealt, and when mistakes were made, it was like the razor-thin margin between coming up with a straight flush and losing after raising twice with a 2-3-4-6 when no five is on the river.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault chose to start backup Cory Schneider in Game 6 at Chicago on a gut feeling and his play brought his club no closer to finishing the series -- but neither did Roberto Luongo, who gave up the deciding OT score to follow up two previous games of poor play. Luongo will get the credit for the Game 7 win after allowing one goal, but let's not forget he allowed the tying score with less than two minutes left in regulation.
No matter what, the successes and failures are amplified this time of year and the fingers pointed in the direction of those in charge get longer and sharper. But Laviolette and Vigneault find themselves in a rare spot, under fire after actually winning.
It appears that Boucher is the man for the duration, but how long will it really last? And the fact that Luongo ended up the "winner" in the Chicago series does little to elevate a reputation for less-than-stellar play in the postseason.
And what of Flyers captain Mike Richards, held without a goal? Or the Sedin twins, who were total non-factors over the final four contests? Will Jeff Carter be able to return from an MCL sprain in the next round? Can Ryan Kesler capture some of his regular-season magic (41 goals) and step in when no one else can?
These are not questions that teams collectively can answer with the athlete's confidence, puffing out chests in defiance when a lowly scribe dares to ask. To rip off a song from Asia, only time will tell if and when and how these pressing issues play out.
And for the Flyers and Canucks, that time should begin with quiet recognition that they just narrowly escaped a worse fate.
Phanatic Hockey Editor
Winning a seventh and deciding playoff game is always a cause for celebration.
But in the case of the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks today, it should be more a flash of excitement followed by a long exhale and a quick look over the shoulder before sitting down to contemplate all that's happened in the last two weeks.
Both teams faced the burden of expectations: the Flyers as the defending Eastern Conference champions and the Canucks as the Presidents' Trophy winners. Both passed their tests as they will be playing more playoff hockey, but the manner in which they advanced should give both clubs pause.
In South Philadelphia, the home team faced the spectres of a goaltending controversy at its own end, the shadow of an Olympic silver medalist at the other, the pressure of not losing a third home game in the series, and the looming disappointment of bowing out in the first round after a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals 11 months ago.
But it was the Sabres goaltender who displayed the first crack, and a river of Orange Crush began to flow through until four gaping holes emerged. It was a classic Flyers do-or-die win, one that harkened back to earlier eras where drama and the opposition were shunted aside by hard work and application of talent.
Nonetheless, if Brian Boucher showed the first signs of wear instead of Ryan Miller, it might not be such a happy Wednesday in the Delaware Valley.
In downtown Vancouver, the home team stared down the barrel of possibly becoming the second team in as many seasons and just the fourth in history to waste a 3-0 series lead, and being the third top point-getter in the NHL to lose in the first round in four seasons.
When Alex Burrows finally blew a knuckler past Corey Crawford in overtime early this morning, the Canuck fans, team, and coaching staff erupted in delight. It was a celebration initially borne of the twin blessings of an OT series winner on home ice, but it was also sprung from the grim idea that some key individuals would certainly be looking for jobs if the last bounce went the other way.
Vancouver had not advanced past the second round two years running, thanks to the stubborn defending champion Blackhawks, and came within a hair's breadth of a franchise-altering upheaval with a third straight defeat.
So now, the Flyers await their next round opponent and the Canucks know they will face yet another test in the upstart Nashville Predators. They should be taking the news with a wipe of the brow, instead of boldly vowing not to care who they will take on next.
Only once in the past 20 years has a team won a Stanley Cup after taking seven games to advance past the first round: the 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins. After going down 1-3 to Washington, the Pens took three straight. They went down 1-2 to the Rangers then won three in a row before sweeping Boston and Chicago to win it all.
And just because the first hurdle was cleared, doesn't mean the issues tht dogged both teams are anywhere close to being answered.
My esteemed colleague and managing editor ultimately placed the blame for the goalie roulette of the last two weeks on Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette, but again, the lack of a serious Number One netminder falls on the side of management. Laviolette simply did the best he could with the hand he was dealt, and when mistakes were made, it was like the razor-thin margin between coming up with a straight flush and losing after raising twice with a 2-3-4-6 when no five is on the river.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault chose to start backup Cory Schneider in Game 6 at Chicago on a gut feeling and his play brought his club no closer to finishing the series -- but neither did Roberto Luongo, who gave up the deciding OT score to follow up two previous games of poor play. Luongo will get the credit for the Game 7 win after allowing one goal, but let's not forget he allowed the tying score with less than two minutes left in regulation.
No matter what, the successes and failures are amplified this time of year and the fingers pointed in the direction of those in charge get longer and sharper. But Laviolette and Vigneault find themselves in a rare spot, under fire after actually winning.
It appears that Boucher is the man for the duration, but how long will it really last? And the fact that Luongo ended up the "winner" in the Chicago series does little to elevate a reputation for less-than-stellar play in the postseason.
And what of Flyers captain Mike Richards, held without a goal? Or the Sedin twins, who were total non-factors over the final four contests? Will Jeff Carter be able to return from an MCL sprain in the next round? Can Ryan Kesler capture some of his regular-season magic (41 goals) and step in when no one else can?
These are not questions that teams collectively can answer with the athlete's confidence, puffing out chests in defiance when a lowly scribe dares to ask. To rip off a song from Asia, only time will tell if and when and how these pressing issues play out.
And for the Flyers and Canucks, that time should begin with quiet recognition that they just narrowly escaped a worse fate.
CSN sets ratings record for Flyers - Sabres Game 7
Llast night’s Flyers-Sabres Game 7 was the most watched Flyers game in Comcast SportsNet’s history, delivering a 12.6 rating (383,000 households), with a peak delivery of 14.7 (446,000 households) at 9:45 p.m.
Last night’s Game 7 ratings bested the previous high set on May 14, 2010 when the Flyers came back from a 3-0 deficit in the game, and in the series, to beat the Boston Bruins and advance to the Stanley Cup Conference Finals.
During the first round of the playoffs, Comcast SportsNet is averaging a 7.8 rating (237,000 HHs), topping last year’s first round by 47%. In 2010, the Flyers defeat of the New Jersey Devils scored a 5.3 rating for the series.
Fans also tuned in before and after last night’s game, with Game 7’s “Flyers Pregame Live” delivering a 2.2 rating (67,000 HHs) and “Flyers Postgame Live” scoring a 2.9 rating (88,000 HHs).
Last night’s Game 7 ratings bested the previous high set on May 14, 2010 when the Flyers came back from a 3-0 deficit in the game, and in the series, to beat the Boston Bruins and advance to the Stanley Cup Conference Finals.
During the first round of the playoffs, Comcast SportsNet is averaging a 7.8 rating (237,000 HHs), topping last year’s first round by 47%. In 2010, the Flyers defeat of the New Jersey Devils scored a 5.3 rating for the series.
Fans also tuned in before and after last night’s game, with Game 7’s “Flyers Pregame Live” delivering a 2.2 rating (67,000 HHs) and “Flyers Postgame Live” scoring a 2.9 rating (88,000 HHs).
Union to face Everton at PPL Park on July 20
The Philadelphia Union today has announced the team will host English Premier League club Everton on Wednesday, July 20th at 7:30 p.m. EST, at PPL Park.
The match, featuring U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper Tim Howard and Australian international Tim Cahill for Everton, is included in the Union full season ticket package at no additional cost.
Full season ticket holders will also be invited to attend Everton’s practice session at PPL Park on Tuesday, July 19th. Five-time FA Cup champions and winners of nine top flight league titles in England, the Blues currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League, just five points behind local rivals Liverpool F.C.
“It’s our ongoing commitment to bring world-class international competition to Philadelphia,” said Philadelphia Union CEO & Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz. “We are very proud to host Everton in what will be a challenge for our club and a treat for our fans. We’re also thrilled to be able to include this match in our season ticket package to reward those who support the club week-in and week-out at PPL Park.”
The Toffees are led in goal by North Brunswick, N.J. native Howard, who, after starting his career in Major League Soccer with the NY/NJ MetroStars, moved to Manchester United in 2003. After three years at Old Trafford, Howard headed to Everton on loan in 2006 and made his move to Goodison Park permanent in February of 2007.
“Philadelphia Union is a fantastic club and I’m really looking forward to playing against them,” said Howard. “Nick Sakiewicz brought me through the ranks when I was younger, I’m friends with members of their coaching staff, and one of my best friends, Danny Califf, plays for them. It's a club whose results I always look out for and hope they do well.
“It will be a tough game for us. They're going to be in the mold of their manager, Peter Nowak. He's a tough, hard-nosed former Polish international who doesn't back down. I know for a fact from being very close to him that he expects nothing less from his team as well.”
PPL Park is the Toffees’ first stop on their United States tour. The English side will also visit D.C. United on July 23rd at RFK Stadium.
The match, featuring U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper Tim Howard and Australian international Tim Cahill for Everton, is included in the Union full season ticket package at no additional cost.
Full season ticket holders will also be invited to attend Everton’s practice session at PPL Park on Tuesday, July 19th. Five-time FA Cup champions and winners of nine top flight league titles in England, the Blues currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League, just five points behind local rivals Liverpool F.C.
“It’s our ongoing commitment to bring world-class international competition to Philadelphia,” said Philadelphia Union CEO & Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz. “We are very proud to host Everton in what will be a challenge for our club and a treat for our fans. We’re also thrilled to be able to include this match in our season ticket package to reward those who support the club week-in and week-out at PPL Park.”
The Toffees are led in goal by North Brunswick, N.J. native Howard, who, after starting his career in Major League Soccer with the NY/NJ MetroStars, moved to Manchester United in 2003. After three years at Old Trafford, Howard headed to Everton on loan in 2006 and made his move to Goodison Park permanent in February of 2007.
“Philadelphia Union is a fantastic club and I’m really looking forward to playing against them,” said Howard. “Nick Sakiewicz brought me through the ranks when I was younger, I’m friends with members of their coaching staff, and one of my best friends, Danny Califf, plays for them. It's a club whose results I always look out for and hope they do well.
“It will be a tough game for us. They're going to be in the mold of their manager, Peter Nowak. He's a tough, hard-nosed former Polish international who doesn't back down. I know for a fact from being very close to him that he expects nothing less from his team as well.”
PPL Park is the Toffees’ first stop on their United States tour. The English side will also visit D.C. United on July 23rd at RFK Stadium.
Oswalt takes Leave of Absence from Phillies
Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt has left the team for “personal reasons” with no return date set. Oswalt left the team to be with his family in tornado-ravaged Mississippi. No timetable has been set for the righthander's return but the club hopes he can return by his next scheduled start.
Vasquez to headline at Harrah’s Chester
CHESTER, PA (April 27, 2011) - , Popular Lightweight Victor Vasquez will return to Harrah’s Chester on June 3 to headline Joey Eye Boxing & David Feldman's ROUND 3 at the casino.
Vasquez of Philadelphia has built up one of the biggest fan bases in Philadelphia due to his exciting style which always has him in the fight of the night whenever he steps into the ring. Vasquez has a record of 12-5-1 with six knockouts and has been in some memorable fights in his young career.
In his last bout, Vasquez waged a terrific back and forth war with Osnel Charles before dropping a six round majority decision as part as ROUND 1 at Harrah’s in Chester.
He holds victories over undefeated Thomas McCuiston (1-0); Tyric Robinson (9-4-1) as well as an exciting six round split decision over Bryne Green (5-3) on October 8th in Philadelphia.
In a six round co-feature, Tony Ferrante will see action in a Light Heavyweight bout.
Ferrante like Vazquez has a very loyal fan base and has a record of 9-2 with four knockouts.
Ferrante of Northeast Philadelphia won his first nine bouts which included wins over Anthony Pietrantonio (6-1) and he won the WBF United States title with a eight round majority decision over Billy Bailey.
Ferrante lost that title when he dropped a ten round unanimous decision to Chuck Mussachio (15-1-2).
Ferrante will be looking to get back in the win column after he was stopped in three rounds to undefeated Ronson Frank (15-0) on January 28th
In a four round Lightweight bout, undefeated Lightweight Angel Ocasio will see action against an opponent to be named.
Ocasio of Philadelphia, has a record of 4-0 with one knockout is coming off an impressive four round unanimous decision over George Santiago as part of ROUND 2 that took place on March 18th at Harrah’s in Chester.
Fresh off his pro debut knockout win as part of ROUND 2, Fred Jenkins Jr. will see action in a four round Super Middleweight bout.
Undefeated Middleweight Rashad Brown of Philadelphia (3-0, 1 KO) will take part in a four round bout against an opponent to be named.
Joey Tiberi of Newark, Newark, Delaware (3-1, 1 KO) will look to make it two straights wins when fights in a four round Super Featherweight bout against an opponent to be named.
Rounding out the card will be the pro debut of Tyrone Crawley Jr. of Philadelphia in a four round Jr. Welterweight bout.
Crawley is the son of former Lightweight world championship challenger Tyrone “Butterfly” Crawley
Tickets are now on sale for $100 (VIP); $60 (Ringside) and $45 (General Admission) and can be purchased at the Harrahs Chester Gift Shop; By calling Joey Eye (267-304-9399); David Feldman (610-291-0806); 800-480-8020 or on www.webtix.net
Vasquez of Philadelphia has built up one of the biggest fan bases in Philadelphia due to his exciting style which always has him in the fight of the night whenever he steps into the ring. Vasquez has a record of 12-5-1 with six knockouts and has been in some memorable fights in his young career.
In his last bout, Vasquez waged a terrific back and forth war with Osnel Charles before dropping a six round majority decision as part as ROUND 1 at Harrah’s in Chester.
He holds victories over undefeated Thomas McCuiston (1-0); Tyric Robinson (9-4-1) as well as an exciting six round split decision over Bryne Green (5-3) on October 8th in Philadelphia.
In a six round co-feature, Tony Ferrante will see action in a Light Heavyweight bout.
Ferrante like Vazquez has a very loyal fan base and has a record of 9-2 with four knockouts.
Ferrante of Northeast Philadelphia won his first nine bouts which included wins over Anthony Pietrantonio (6-1) and he won the WBF United States title with a eight round majority decision over Billy Bailey.
Ferrante lost that title when he dropped a ten round unanimous decision to Chuck Mussachio (15-1-2).
Ferrante will be looking to get back in the win column after he was stopped in three rounds to undefeated Ronson Frank (15-0) on January 28th
In a four round Lightweight bout, undefeated Lightweight Angel Ocasio will see action against an opponent to be named.
Ocasio of Philadelphia, has a record of 4-0 with one knockout is coming off an impressive four round unanimous decision over George Santiago as part of ROUND 2 that took place on March 18th at Harrah’s in Chester.
Fresh off his pro debut knockout win as part of ROUND 2, Fred Jenkins Jr. will see action in a four round Super Middleweight bout.
Undefeated Middleweight Rashad Brown of Philadelphia (3-0, 1 KO) will take part in a four round bout against an opponent to be named.
Joey Tiberi of Newark, Newark, Delaware (3-1, 1 KO) will look to make it two straights wins when fights in a four round Super Featherweight bout against an opponent to be named.
Rounding out the card will be the pro debut of Tyrone Crawley Jr. of Philadelphia in a four round Jr. Welterweight bout.
Crawley is the son of former Lightweight world championship challenger Tyrone “Butterfly” Crawley
Tickets are now on sale for $100 (VIP); $60 (Ringside) and $45 (General Admission) and can be purchased at the Harrahs Chester Gift Shop; By calling Joey Eye (267-304-9399); David Feldman (610-291-0806); 800-480-8020 or on www.webtix.net
Sixers try to stave off elimination in South Beach
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| Sixers G Lou Williams |
The heavily-favored Miami Heat will take another stab at eliminating Philadelphia when the teams square off in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at American Airlines Arena.
The Sixers were all but dead in Game 4 on Easter Sunday until Lou Williams' go-ahead three-pointer with 8.1 seconds remaining helped the 76ers extend the series with a dramatic 86-82 victory.
"You don't have to play a perfect game. You just have to compete for 48 minutes," Sixers coach Doug Collins said.
Williams scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, and rookie Evan Turner capped a 17-point performance by finishing a game-ending 10-0 run with two clinching free throws in the closing seconds as Philadelphia beat Miami for the first time in seven tries this season.
LeBron James put up his usual gaudy numbers -- 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists -- but came up empty in the clutch as Elton Brand got a piece of his game-tying drive in the lane, spoiling Miami's chance at a series sweep.
"It's never easy in the playoffs," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "[We were] in position to close out a game, up six [with] 1:35 to go. We [usually] can rely on our defense and we weren't able to do it the way we normally do."
No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit but eight have rallied from 3-1 so the Sixers' odds of pulling off a miracle have slightly improved.
The Sixers gave the Wells Fargo Center crowd something to cheer about after going down, 82-76, following Dwyane Wade's tip-in. Turner got a baseline floater to fall, then saved a defensive rebound under the basket on Mario Chalmers' errant three. Jrue Holiday came down and nailed a three to cut the deficit to 82-81, and Wade was off on a mid-range jumper at the other end.
Philadelphia opted not to call a timeout, and a possession with little continuity ended with Williams pulling up at the top of the arc and draining a 27-footer with a hand in his face with 8.1 ticks on the clock.
"[Wade] gave me a little room and I was able to knock it down," recalled Williams. "We have always been a team that fought. I just wanted to give us an opportunity to win the basketball game."
Miami drew up a final play for James, who took his Andre Iguodala off the dribble down the right lane and appeared to be going in for an easy two before Brand came from under the basket and altered the shot.
"I thought I put enough loft on the ball to get it over [Brand's] outstretched hand, but he made a great play," James said.
Thaddeus Young grabbed the loose ball, and Turner made both free throws to clinch the win and keep Philly's season alive.
Brand ended with 15 points and 11 boards, while Iguodala (16 points) and Holiday (10) rounded out Philadelphia's double-digit scorers.
Wade totaled 22 points, eight boards and five blocks while Chris Bosh was held to 12 points and five boards.
Should the Heat close things out tonight, they will meet the defending conference champion Boston Celtics in the East semifinals.
Miami swept Philadelphia in the three-game regular season series in 2010-11, winning by an average of 10 points a contest. The teams have never met in the postseason before.
Game 6 of the series, if necessary, will shift back to Philadelphia on Friday.
Flyers move on despite Laviolette
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| Peter Laviolette |
Philadelphia (The Phanatic Magazine) - The Philadelphia Flyers dominated their series with the Buffalo
Sabres and finally moved on to the Eastern Conference semifinals with an emphatic 5-2 Game 7 win on Tuesday.
You can make strong argument, however, that the Flyers outplayed the Sabres in six of the seven games yet needed overtime in Game 6 and a monster effort in the finale to avoid an early elimination.
Most blame the goaltending for the up and down performance against an inferior opponent. I'm looking at the guy behind the bench.
Conventional wisdom says this might be the Golden Age of Coaching in Philadelphia sports. There are no Rich Kotites or Nick Leyvas in town. No John Stevens or Eddie Jordan. In fact, the most lightly-regarded mentor in the city, Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel, is the one with the championship.
About two months ago I was asked to rate the local coaches on a radio show and after some hemming and hawing about how their peers talk with great reverence about Andy Reid, Doug Collins and Peter Laviolette, I went with Lavy No. 1, followed by Reid, Collins and poor ole' Charlie.
In the bowels of the Wells Fargo Center as I watched Flyers got ready to put their season on the line against a far less talented Sabres club by kicking around a soccer ball and shooting some jumpers, I was forced to amend those ratings, elevating the Sixers' Collins to No. 1 and bumping Laviolette all the way down to four, which may be a slight to the Union's Peter Nowak.
Let's face it, most of the local hockey scribes are in the tank for the Orange and Black and basically genuflect at the site of Laviolette. While I'll be the first to admit he's forgotten more about hockey than I'll ever know and he is a better coach than Stevens on his worst day, that doesn't mean that Laviolette didn't pilot his team to the brink of disaster with his comical handling of Philadelphia's goaltending situation in this series.
A win in Game 7 simply can't and shouldn't mask that.
And I get it, the Flyers don't have a real No. 1 netminder and that falls at the feet of Paul Holmgren, not Laviolette. But that doesn't mean you don't have to choose someone to stand in between the pipes every night. Good goaltender or not, Philadelphia was the second seed in the East and should have run over the Sabres like a speed bump.
From being around professional athletes in every major sport for nearly two decades, I've come to understand they crave routine more than anything else. Laviolette has robbed any sense of normalcy from three different goaltenders in a 12-day span, a path of destruction Lavy's simple-minded predecessor might chuckle at.
Laviolette opened with 22-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky in Game 1 against Buffalo. The rookie played well but was outdueled by Ryan Miller. Bobrovsky was then shaky early in Game 2 and was pulled for veteran Brian Boucher with the Flyers down 3-2.
The Laviolette lemmings cheered when Boucher settled things down in that one and the Flyers went on to even the series. Praise about pushing the right buttons was showered all over Laviolette, including by yours truly.
But then I got to thinking ... Why did we, the media, consider it a fait accompli that "Bob" would have went on to lose Game 2? After all, the Flyers were the better team, down just one goal and eventually scored five. In essence, we applauded panic.
Boucher eventually settled in and split a pair of games in Buffalo before allowing two soft goals in Game 5. After the Sabres netted a third marker, the impatient Laviolette pulled him for Michael Leighton, the same guy who played all of one NHL regular season game in 2010-11 and gave up the most famous softie in Flyers history to extinguish their Stanley Cup dreams last season.
The most egregious error, however, came at the outset of Game 6 when Laviolette called on Leighton with the season on the line. Predictably, his third goalie was awful early, immediately putting the Flyers behind the eight-ball in an elimination game.
Boucher came to the rescue the Flyers again and Philadelphia fought back to extend its season when Ville Leino shoved in a loose puck 4:43 into overtime, lifting the Flyers to a 5-4 victory and forcing the deciding Game 7.
Lavy's flip-flopping could have easily inspired a Saturday Night Live sketch if the general public cared about hockey and Bob to Boosh to Leighton to Boosh had veteran NHL observers across the country scratching their heads.
The Game 1 and Game 2 starter didn't even dress again until Game 7. The Game 6 starter with the season on the line didn't dress until Game 3 and was absent again for Game 7.
Who's on first?
Calling out Laviolette for his indecision over the past 12 days isn't using hindsight or playing armchair quarterback, it's the sensible thing to do with the empirical evidence available.
Laviolette forced his team to the brink with the kind of flip-flopping that would make the most artful politician blush.
Make no mistake, the Flyers advanced despite their coach. Here's hoping they can do it again.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Flyers steamroll Sabres in game 7, second round awaits
by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor
Once again, with momentum on their side and a chance to dispatch the opposition, the Philadelphia Flyers came through, passing this test with flying colors.
Danny Briere posted a goal and one assist, while Brian Boucher stopped 26 shots as the Flyers posted a 5-2 victory over Buffalo in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
Braydon Coburn, James van Riemsdyk and Ville Leino also tallied for the Flyers, who advanced to the second round for the third time in four seasons by winning their third straight seventh game.
It was a laugher compared to the franchise's last two Game 7 challenges -- a 4-3 win over Boston last May 14 in which they rallied from an 0-3 series deficit and 3-0 deficit in the final game, and a 3-2 overtime win at Washington in April, 2008 that saw the departed Joffrey Lupul score the series winner.
Claude Giroux notched a pair of assists as Philadelphia won its first home Game 7 since a 2003 East quarterfinal against Toronto.
Boucher, whose only previous Game 7 start was a heartbreaking 2-1 Philly loss to New Jersey in the 2000 Eastern Conference finals, restored the confidence of head coach Peter Laviolette after he was not selected to start Sunday's Game 6 in favor of Michael Leighton.
The 34-year-old Boucher made 24 saves on 25 shots in that 5-4 overtime win in relief of Leighton, and just allowed two third-period scores in Tuesday's series-clinching decision.
Tyler Myers and Brad Boyes scored for the Sabres, who have not won a playoff round since reaching the East finals in 2007.
Ryan Miller, who posted two shutouts in the set, was pulled after allowing four goals on 28 shots in just under 42 minutes. Jhonas Enroth finished the game with seven stops.
It was 2-0 for Philly on a power play at 4:45 of the second period. Briere won a right-circle draw ahead to Giroux, who pushed the puck back to Mike Richards. His right-point shot hit Briere in front, and the former Sabre tipped it into an open net.
It was Briere's sixth goal of the series -- tops among all players on both clubs.
Just after the midway point of the second, the Flyers took a three-goal edge on another advantage, when Giroux's shot from the boards along the left wing was tipped in front by van Riemsdyk and beat Miller high to the far side.
Boucher wasn't tested until 1:15 remained in the second, when he stuck his pad to the left post to deny two Drew Stafford shots in succession.
Leino's rocket shot from the left circle less than two minutes into the third zipped over Miller's shoulder for a 4-0 game, and Enroth was summoned from the bench.
Myers finally put the Sabres on the board at 6:33, but Dan Carcillo backhanded his own rebound home with 9:57 remaining.
A power-play score from Boyes pulled Buffalo within three at 15:21, and Enroth went to the bench for an extra skater in the final two minutes. The Flyers were able to maintain control until time expired thanks to two Buffalo penalties in the final minute.
The home team came out roaring from the drop of the puck, outshooting Buffalo 16-2 in the opening 20 minutes.
Miller somehow forced Giroux to hit the right post when the shifty winger was all alone in front in the early stages.
Richards put a turnover right into Miller's chest in the final minute, but the Sabres netminder let a Coburn point shot trickle through his pads with 18.2 seconds to go. Briere set up the score by winning a right-circle draw back to the rangy defenseman.
Notes: Philadelphia improved to 9-6 all-time in Game 7s and upped its mark to 6-3 at home...Buffalo fell to 1-6 all-time in Game 7s, 0-5 on the road...Flyers forward Jeff Carter missed the game due to a sprained MCL in his right knee suffered earlier in the series, and forward Andreas Nodl was also a scratch with a facial injury suffered early in the set...The NHL announced earlier Tuesday that Ian Laperriere, who has not played this season for Philadelphia, was one of three finalists for the Masterton Trophy...The Sabres welcomed back forward Derek Roy after a four-month absence from quad surgery and forward Jochen Hecht from a concussion and both players picked up an assist...Buffalo missed forwards Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly...Sabres forward Thomas Vanek ranked second among all players with five goals in the series.
Phanatic Hockey Editor
Once again, with momentum on their side and a chance to dispatch the opposition, the Philadelphia Flyers came through, passing this test with flying colors.
Danny Briere posted a goal and one assist, while Brian Boucher stopped 26 shots as the Flyers posted a 5-2 victory over Buffalo in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
Braydon Coburn, James van Riemsdyk and Ville Leino also tallied for the Flyers, who advanced to the second round for the third time in four seasons by winning their third straight seventh game.
It was a laugher compared to the franchise's last two Game 7 challenges -- a 4-3 win over Boston last May 14 in which they rallied from an 0-3 series deficit and 3-0 deficit in the final game, and a 3-2 overtime win at Washington in April, 2008 that saw the departed Joffrey Lupul score the series winner.
Claude Giroux notched a pair of assists as Philadelphia won its first home Game 7 since a 2003 East quarterfinal against Toronto.
Boucher, whose only previous Game 7 start was a heartbreaking 2-1 Philly loss to New Jersey in the 2000 Eastern Conference finals, restored the confidence of head coach Peter Laviolette after he was not selected to start Sunday's Game 6 in favor of Michael Leighton.
The 34-year-old Boucher made 24 saves on 25 shots in that 5-4 overtime win in relief of Leighton, and just allowed two third-period scores in Tuesday's series-clinching decision.
Tyler Myers and Brad Boyes scored for the Sabres, who have not won a playoff round since reaching the East finals in 2007.
Ryan Miller, who posted two shutouts in the set, was pulled after allowing four goals on 28 shots in just under 42 minutes. Jhonas Enroth finished the game with seven stops.
It was 2-0 for Philly on a power play at 4:45 of the second period. Briere won a right-circle draw ahead to Giroux, who pushed the puck back to Mike Richards. His right-point shot hit Briere in front, and the former Sabre tipped it into an open net.
It was Briere's sixth goal of the series -- tops among all players on both clubs.
Just after the midway point of the second, the Flyers took a three-goal edge on another advantage, when Giroux's shot from the boards along the left wing was tipped in front by van Riemsdyk and beat Miller high to the far side.
Boucher wasn't tested until 1:15 remained in the second, when he stuck his pad to the left post to deny two Drew Stafford shots in succession.
Leino's rocket shot from the left circle less than two minutes into the third zipped over Miller's shoulder for a 4-0 game, and Enroth was summoned from the bench.
Myers finally put the Sabres on the board at 6:33, but Dan Carcillo backhanded his own rebound home with 9:57 remaining.
A power-play score from Boyes pulled Buffalo within three at 15:21, and Enroth went to the bench for an extra skater in the final two minutes. The Flyers were able to maintain control until time expired thanks to two Buffalo penalties in the final minute.
The home team came out roaring from the drop of the puck, outshooting Buffalo 16-2 in the opening 20 minutes.
Miller somehow forced Giroux to hit the right post when the shifty winger was all alone in front in the early stages.
Richards put a turnover right into Miller's chest in the final minute, but the Sabres netminder let a Coburn point shot trickle through his pads with 18.2 seconds to go. Briere set up the score by winning a right-circle draw back to the rangy defenseman.
Notes: Philadelphia improved to 9-6 all-time in Game 7s and upped its mark to 6-3 at home...Buffalo fell to 1-6 all-time in Game 7s, 0-5 on the road...Flyers forward Jeff Carter missed the game due to a sprained MCL in his right knee suffered earlier in the series, and forward Andreas Nodl was also a scratch with a facial injury suffered early in the set...The NHL announced earlier Tuesday that Ian Laperriere, who has not played this season for Philadelphia, was one of three finalists for the Masterton Trophy...The Sabres welcomed back forward Derek Roy after a four-month absence from quad surgery and forward Jochen Hecht from a concussion and both players picked up an assist...Buffalo missed forwards Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly...Sabres forward Thomas Vanek ranked second among all players with five goals in the series.
Lappy named finalist for Masterton Trophy
The Flyers' Ian Laperriere was named one of the three finalists for the 2010-11 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the NHL on Tuesday. Laperriere joins goaltender Ray Emery of the Anaheim Ducks and forward Daymond Langkow as finalists for the award, which is given “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”
A $2,500 grant from the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in Bloomington, Minnesota, in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner.
Laperriere sustained a severe injury during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he blocked a shot with his face against New Jersey and suffered a concussion and fractured orbital bone. He returned a little more than a month later to finish the Flyers' playoff run that ended two games short of a championship.
Laperriere attempted to return in training camp, but could not overcome his concussion-related symptoms and has been on the long-term injury list all season. Nevertheless, he has served the Flyers in several capacities, particularly as a mentor for young players in the organization.
A $2,500 grant from the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in Bloomington, Minnesota, in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner.
Laperriere sustained a severe injury during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he blocked a shot with his face against New Jersey and suffered a concussion and fractured orbital bone. He returned a little more than a month later to finish the Flyers' playoff run that ended two games short of a championship.
Laperriere attempted to return in training camp, but could not overcome his concussion-related symptoms and has been on the long-term injury list all season. Nevertheless, he has served the Flyers in several capacities, particularly as a mentor for young players in the organization.
Flyers-Sabres Game 7 primer
What: Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Game 7 Sabres vs. Flyers.
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia. Tuesday night, 7:30 p.m.
What’s at stake: Advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The History: The clubs have not yet faced each other in a terminal series contest.
The Stats: Philadelphia won its last Game 7, an Eastern Semifinal in Boston, on May 14, 2010, erasing an 0-3 series deficit. The Flyers won their previous seventh game on home ice, in an East semifinal against Toronto, on April 22, 2003.
Buffalo lost its last Game 7, an Eastern Conference Final at Carolina, on June 1, 2006. The Sabres won their last seventh game at home, in an East Semifinal against Ottawa, on April 29, 1997.
All time, the Flyers are 8-6 in Game 7s.
April 18, 1968 – St. Louis 3, Philadelphia 1
May 5, 1974 – Philadelphia 4, NY Rangers 3
May 13, 1975 - Philadelphia 4, NY Islanders 1
April 25, 1976 - Philadelphia 7, Toronto 3
April 26, 1981 – Calgary 4, Philadelphia 1
May 2, 1987 - Philadelphia 5, NY Islanders 1
May 31, 1987 – Edmonton 3, Philadelphia 1
April 16, 1988 - Washington 5, Philadelphia 4 (OT)
April 30, 1989 – Philadelphia 4, Pittsburgh 1
May 26, 2000 - New Jersey 2, Philadelphia 1
April 22, 2003 – Philadelphia 6, Toronto 1
May 22, 2004 – Tampa Bay 2, Philadelphia 1
April 22, 2008 – Philadelphia 3, Washington 2 (OT)
May 14, 2010 – Philadelphia 4, Boston 3
Boldface indicates home game
Brian Boucher, the Flyers’ starter for Game 7, has participated in just one such game previously in his career, May 26, 2000.
Ryan Miller, the Sabres starter for Game 7, has also played in one previous Game 7, and lost on June 1, 2006.
All time, the Sabres are 1-5 in Game 7s
April 24, 1983 - Boston 3, Buffalo 2 (OT)
May 1, 1992 – Boston 3, Buffalo 2
April 29, 1994 - New Jersey 2, Buffalo 1
April 29, 1997 – Buffalo 3, Ottawa 2 (OT)
May 10, 2001 – Pittsburgh 3, Buffalo 2 (OT)
June 1, 2006 – Carolina 4, Buffalo 2
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia. Tuesday night, 7:30 p.m.
What’s at stake: Advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The History: The clubs have not yet faced each other in a terminal series contest.
The Stats: Philadelphia won its last Game 7, an Eastern Semifinal in Boston, on May 14, 2010, erasing an 0-3 series deficit. The Flyers won their previous seventh game on home ice, in an East semifinal against Toronto, on April 22, 2003.
Buffalo lost its last Game 7, an Eastern Conference Final at Carolina, on June 1, 2006. The Sabres won their last seventh game at home, in an East Semifinal against Ottawa, on April 29, 1997.
All time, the Flyers are 8-6 in Game 7s.
April 18, 1968 – St. Louis 3, Philadelphia 1
May 5, 1974 – Philadelphia 4, NY Rangers 3
May 13, 1975 - Philadelphia 4, NY Islanders 1
April 25, 1976 - Philadelphia 7, Toronto 3
April 26, 1981 – Calgary 4, Philadelphia 1
May 2, 1987 - Philadelphia 5, NY Islanders 1
May 31, 1987 – Edmonton 3, Philadelphia 1
April 16, 1988 - Washington 5, Philadelphia 4 (OT)
April 30, 1989 – Philadelphia 4, Pittsburgh 1
May 26, 2000 - New Jersey 2, Philadelphia 1
April 22, 2003 – Philadelphia 6, Toronto 1
May 22, 2004 – Tampa Bay 2, Philadelphia 1
April 22, 2008 – Philadelphia 3, Washington 2 (OT)
May 14, 2010 – Philadelphia 4, Boston 3
Boldface indicates home game
Brian Boucher, the Flyers’ starter for Game 7, has participated in just one such game previously in his career, May 26, 2000.
Ryan Miller, the Sabres starter for Game 7, has also played in one previous Game 7, and lost on June 1, 2006.
All time, the Sabres are 1-5 in Game 7s
April 24, 1983 - Boston 3, Buffalo 2 (OT)
May 1, 1992 – Boston 3, Buffalo 2
April 29, 1994 - New Jersey 2, Buffalo 1
April 29, 1997 – Buffalo 3, Ottawa 2 (OT)
May 10, 2001 – Pittsburgh 3, Buffalo 2 (OT)
June 1, 2006 – Carolina 4, Buffalo 2
NHL: Gauging the Game 7s
By Dan Di Sciullo
Philadelphia, PA - Over the next two days hockey fans will be rewarded with at least three Game 7s on the docket and a fourth decisive game could be on the way.
Obviously, the NHL playoffs are at their best when series are going the distance. The possibility of having half of the eight first-round sets use all seven games has to be thrilling for league executives, as Game 7 matchups usually mean bigger TV ratings and could lead to an overall increase in postseason interest.
Tuesday night will feature a pair of Game 7s, as Philadelphia hosts Buffalo in the East and Chicago visits Vancouver out West.
Elsewhere, Pittsburgh will host Tampa Bay on Wednesday and, depending on the outcome of tonight's Game 6 in Montreal, the Canadiens and Bruins could meet tomorrow in Boston. The Bruins lead the series 3-2 despite dropping the first two games of the set.
Here's a closer look at the three definite Game 7 matchups and what to expect from those battles.
(7) BUFFALO AT (2) PHILADELPHIA
Goaltending has been a huge issue over the first six games of this series and the Sabres hold the clear advantage in that area.
After all, Ryan Miller has turned in a few game-stealing performances for Buffalo while seeing all the action in net for the Sabres and Philadelphia head coach Peter Laviolette has shown little confidence in any of his netminders, using three different starting goalies in the series.
Tonight, the task will fall to Brian Boucher in the Flyers net after a dizzying series for the veteran backstop. Boucher won the second game in relief of rookie Sergei Bobrovsky and then started Games 3-5. However, after Boucher was pulled from Game 5 for surrendering three goals on 11 shots, Michael Leighton was inserted as the starter for Game 6.
Of course, Leighton was yanked after yielding three goals on eight shots in Game 6 and Boucher came through with another relief win to tie the series at 3-3.
Outside of the crease, however, the Flyers have been the stronger team in this series, as the club's depth advantage over Buffalo has shown. Philly has peppered Miller with 88 shots over the last two games alone, and the fact that the Flyers scored on eight of those attempts could mean they are wearing down Buffalo and its spectacular goaltender.
Recent and all-time history in Game 7s also favors the Flyers. Philadelphia is 8-6 all-time in Game 7s, including a win over Boston in last spring's conference semifinals. Of course, the Flyers had trailed three-games-to-none in that series against the Bruins and Philly was also able to come back from a three-goal deficit in Game 7.
The Sabres, meanwhile, are 1-5 in Game 7s and have lost their last two times in this situation. Buffalo has lost all four of its Game 7s on the road.
But, Miller, who posted shutouts in a pair of 1-0 victories for Buffalo in this series, is the trump card for the Sabres. Last year's Vezina Trophy winner certainly has the ability to will Buffalo to one more win in this set, but winning a decisive game in Philadelphia against a Flyers team that has dominated play for much of the series could be too much to ask.
EDGE: FLYERS
(8) CHICAGO AT (1) VANCOUVER
It's still hard to believe the Canucks are in this situation.
Vancouver is a Presidents' Trophy winning club that held a three-games-to-none lead in this series before opening the door for a Blackhawks team to come right back and tie the set at three games apiece.
Of course, the Blackhawks are the defending Stanley Cup champions and they eliminated Vancouver from the postseason in each of the past two seasons. But, Chicago was forced by salary cap constraints to gut much of its depth from last spring's championship team this offseason, so when the Canucks took a 3-0 lead in the series it seemed like the Blackhawks' title defense would be short-lived.
However, Chicago showed the Canucks, and the rest of the hockey world, that the core group of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, etc. was still enough to win in the playoffs. Joel Quenneville's club posted blowout victories in Games 4 and 5 and then made Tuesday's Game 7 showdown a necessity by recording an overtime win Sunday in the Windy City.
Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault also made a tactical blunder on Sunday, when he opted to start Cory Schneider over Roberto Luongo. Even though Luongo had been pulled from the previous two contests, he is still a Vezina Trophy finalist this year and it's hard to fathom how Vigneault could over-think such an obvious decision.
Sure, Schneider has proven himself to be a more than serviceable backup, and at 25 years of age he still has a chance to become a No. 1 netminder in the NHL. By starting Schneider in Game 6, Vigneault has only succeeded in creating an awkward situation in net tonight. The coach has at least come to his senses and chosen Luongo to start this evening's all-important game.
Both Vancouver and the Blackhawks have 5-4 all-time records in Game 7s, but history should be on the Canucks side tonight, as only three teams have ever come back from a three-games-to-none deficit to win a series. Of course, it doesn't seem as daunting this spring after the Flyers pulled off the same amazing comeback last year against Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Canucks are trying to avoid becoming the third straight Presidents' Trophy winner to lose in the first round. Washington was bounced out by Montreal in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals after having the league's best record last spring and San Jose was ousted two years ago by eighth-seeded Anaheim.
Although it seems like a crazy notion that teams could come back from 3-0 deficits to win a series in back-to-back years, it's difficult to have faith in the Canucks at this point. Chicago has outscored Vancouver by a 16-5 margin after Game 3 and has the clear edge in momentum tonight.
EDGE: BLACKHAWKS
(5) TAMPA BAY AT (4) PITTSBURGH
The Lightning will be faced with the much more realistic task of coming back from a three-games-to-one hole to win a series when they take the ice in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Of course, the Bolts will enter the Game 7 matchup with the momentum after notching an 8-2 win in Pittsburgh in the fifth game of the series and following that with a 4-2 win in Tampa.
As the series has worn on, the Penguins, who of course are without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, have had a tough time keeping up with Lightning's scoring pace.
Pittsburgh needs a strong performance from Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 7, but the goaltender did not inspire confidence over the last two games, yielding four goals in each contest.
Fleury, who has a win in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals on his resume, was pulled from last year's decisive contest against Montreal in the conference semifinals. He gave up for goals on 13 shots before being yanked 25 minutes into that Game 7 battle against the Habs.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay netminder Dwayne Roloson has a 5-0 career mark in elimination games and the 41-year-old has surrendered just four goals on 62 shots over the last two games.
The Penguins are also dealing with the fact that they've yet to clinch a playoff series at home under head coach Dan Bylsma, winning each of its last five series-clinchers on the road. That would appear to take some of the advantage out of home ice for Pittsburgh, although the Pens obviously would still not want to change places with Tampa.
Tampa will have a clear edge in offensive firepower tomorrow with the likes of Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier on its side.
The Pens will need to halt the Lightning's momentum with an early goal tomorrow and some big stops from Fleury, but it's hard to tell what they have left in the tank at this point in the series.
EDGE: LIGHTNING
Philadelphia, PA - Over the next two days hockey fans will be rewarded with at least three Game 7s on the docket and a fourth decisive game could be on the way.
Obviously, the NHL playoffs are at their best when series are going the distance. The possibility of having half of the eight first-round sets use all seven games has to be thrilling for league executives, as Game 7 matchups usually mean bigger TV ratings and could lead to an overall increase in postseason interest.
Tuesday night will feature a pair of Game 7s, as Philadelphia hosts Buffalo in the East and Chicago visits Vancouver out West.
Elsewhere, Pittsburgh will host Tampa Bay on Wednesday and, depending on the outcome of tonight's Game 6 in Montreal, the Canadiens and Bruins could meet tomorrow in Boston. The Bruins lead the series 3-2 despite dropping the first two games of the set.
Here's a closer look at the three definite Game 7 matchups and what to expect from those battles.
(7) BUFFALO AT (2) PHILADELPHIA
Goaltending has been a huge issue over the first six games of this series and the Sabres hold the clear advantage in that area.
After all, Ryan Miller has turned in a few game-stealing performances for Buffalo while seeing all the action in net for the Sabres and Philadelphia head coach Peter Laviolette has shown little confidence in any of his netminders, using three different starting goalies in the series.
Tonight, the task will fall to Brian Boucher in the Flyers net after a dizzying series for the veteran backstop. Boucher won the second game in relief of rookie Sergei Bobrovsky and then started Games 3-5. However, after Boucher was pulled from Game 5 for surrendering three goals on 11 shots, Michael Leighton was inserted as the starter for Game 6.
Of course, Leighton was yanked after yielding three goals on eight shots in Game 6 and Boucher came through with another relief win to tie the series at 3-3.
Outside of the crease, however, the Flyers have been the stronger team in this series, as the club's depth advantage over Buffalo has shown. Philly has peppered Miller with 88 shots over the last two games alone, and the fact that the Flyers scored on eight of those attempts could mean they are wearing down Buffalo and its spectacular goaltender.
Recent and all-time history in Game 7s also favors the Flyers. Philadelphia is 8-6 all-time in Game 7s, including a win over Boston in last spring's conference semifinals. Of course, the Flyers had trailed three-games-to-none in that series against the Bruins and Philly was also able to come back from a three-goal deficit in Game 7.
The Sabres, meanwhile, are 1-5 in Game 7s and have lost their last two times in this situation. Buffalo has lost all four of its Game 7s on the road.
But, Miller, who posted shutouts in a pair of 1-0 victories for Buffalo in this series, is the trump card for the Sabres. Last year's Vezina Trophy winner certainly has the ability to will Buffalo to one more win in this set, but winning a decisive game in Philadelphia against a Flyers team that has dominated play for much of the series could be too much to ask.
EDGE: FLYERS
(8) CHICAGO AT (1) VANCOUVER
It's still hard to believe the Canucks are in this situation.
Vancouver is a Presidents' Trophy winning club that held a three-games-to-none lead in this series before opening the door for a Blackhawks team to come right back and tie the set at three games apiece.
Of course, the Blackhawks are the defending Stanley Cup champions and they eliminated Vancouver from the postseason in each of the past two seasons. But, Chicago was forced by salary cap constraints to gut much of its depth from last spring's championship team this offseason, so when the Canucks took a 3-0 lead in the series it seemed like the Blackhawks' title defense would be short-lived.
However, Chicago showed the Canucks, and the rest of the hockey world, that the core group of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, etc. was still enough to win in the playoffs. Joel Quenneville's club posted blowout victories in Games 4 and 5 and then made Tuesday's Game 7 showdown a necessity by recording an overtime win Sunday in the Windy City.
Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault also made a tactical blunder on Sunday, when he opted to start Cory Schneider over Roberto Luongo. Even though Luongo had been pulled from the previous two contests, he is still a Vezina Trophy finalist this year and it's hard to fathom how Vigneault could over-think such an obvious decision.
Sure, Schneider has proven himself to be a more than serviceable backup, and at 25 years of age he still has a chance to become a No. 1 netminder in the NHL. By starting Schneider in Game 6, Vigneault has only succeeded in creating an awkward situation in net tonight. The coach has at least come to his senses and chosen Luongo to start this evening's all-important game.
Both Vancouver and the Blackhawks have 5-4 all-time records in Game 7s, but history should be on the Canucks side tonight, as only three teams have ever come back from a three-games-to-none deficit to win a series. Of course, it doesn't seem as daunting this spring after the Flyers pulled off the same amazing comeback last year against Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Canucks are trying to avoid becoming the third straight Presidents' Trophy winner to lose in the first round. Washington was bounced out by Montreal in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals after having the league's best record last spring and San Jose was ousted two years ago by eighth-seeded Anaheim.
Although it seems like a crazy notion that teams could come back from 3-0 deficits to win a series in back-to-back years, it's difficult to have faith in the Canucks at this point. Chicago has outscored Vancouver by a 16-5 margin after Game 3 and has the clear edge in momentum tonight.
EDGE: BLACKHAWKS
(5) TAMPA BAY AT (4) PITTSBURGH
The Lightning will be faced with the much more realistic task of coming back from a three-games-to-one hole to win a series when they take the ice in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Of course, the Bolts will enter the Game 7 matchup with the momentum after notching an 8-2 win in Pittsburgh in the fifth game of the series and following that with a 4-2 win in Tampa.
As the series has worn on, the Penguins, who of course are without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, have had a tough time keeping up with Lightning's scoring pace.
Pittsburgh needs a strong performance from Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 7, but the goaltender did not inspire confidence over the last two games, yielding four goals in each contest.
Fleury, who has a win in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals on his resume, was pulled from last year's decisive contest against Montreal in the conference semifinals. He gave up for goals on 13 shots before being yanked 25 minutes into that Game 7 battle against the Habs.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay netminder Dwayne Roloson has a 5-0 career mark in elimination games and the 41-year-old has surrendered just four goals on 62 shots over the last two games.
The Penguins are also dealing with the fact that they've yet to clinch a playoff series at home under head coach Dan Bylsma, winning each of its last five series-clinchers on the road. That would appear to take some of the advantage out of home ice for Pittsburgh, although the Pens obviously would still not want to change places with Tampa.
Tampa will have a clear edge in offensive firepower tomorrow with the likes of Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier on its side.
The Pens will need to halt the Lightning's momentum with an early goal tomorrow and some big stops from Fleury, but it's hard to tell what they have left in the tank at this point in the series.
EDGE: LIGHTNING
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