Bleacher Report - Articles by Kevin Alquist

Series Far From Over Between Pittsburgh Pens and Washington Caps

Kevin Alquist — Tue, 12 May 2009 00:04:52 -0400

When word got out that the Pittsburgh Penguins would face off against the Washington Capitals on April 29th, hockey fans everywhere began speculating.

Those hoping for a forced game seven got their wish, and it couldn't have been granted in a more exciting fashion.

The Capitals won two fairly evenly matched hockey games at the Verizon Center. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin both got hat tricks in the second game.

The Penguins win game three in OT, but in a convincing fashion. Then they battle it out for a tough win in game four.

The tie breaker needed to be decided in over time after a back and forth game five.

But four wins in a row proved to be too much for the Penguins, losing in, you guessed it, over time.

Three of the first six contests in this series have gone into over time.

All but one game had a final score within one goal, and the only game separated by two points came off Max Talbot's goal late in the game.

All of this brings up questions of what game seven might have in store.

I thought long and hard on my drive home after this game about who has the advantage going into a sudden death match. Beside the obvious fact that Washington has home ice advantage, there are very few flaws in either of these teams game right now.

Every single one of the first six hockey games could have gone to either team. Game five was decided after the puck went in off the stick of Tom Poti. Game six could have been the Caps last game if Hal Gill didn't accidentally get behind Marc-Andre Fleury or if Sidney Crosby didn't take a shot to the ankle forcing a slow line change.

Neither team seems to be showing signs of serious fatigue, and both teams are fairly healthy. Besides, of course, the loss of Sergei Gonchar.

His lack of presence at the blue line has not shown itself yet, largely due to the outstanding play of Penguin defensemen Kris Letang and Mark Eaton. In order to win game seven, the entire Penguin defense needs to keep it that way.

One edge that the Penguins have is big game experience. The core of that hockey team has been to the Stanley Cup finals at least once.

Ruslan Fedotenko, who has stepped his game up to unseen levels in the regular season, won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay just a few years ago. Fleury has been stellar in big games throughout his career, and surely will be ready on Wednesday.

Despite the outcome of this game, this series has shaped the face of modern hockey.

What this game will come down to is mistakes. Who will make the little mistake(s) that will cost his team a chance to play in the Eastern Conference Finals?

May the best team win.

Penguins-Capitals: Pittsburgh Breaks the Trend, Goes Down 2-0

Kevin Alquist — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:08:15 -0400

If only the Penguins could follow the trend.

Chicago tied up the series with Vancouver.

Anaheim battled into triple OT to tie the Wings.

Cam Ward shut out the Bruins to lead the Canes to a win in game two.

The Pens certainly battled. They wanted a series tie just as much as the Capitals wanted the security of going to Pittsburgh with two games in hand.

The biggest difference was goal-tending. Marc-Andre Fleury has played worse games—much worse. But Simeon Varlamov is riding a hot hand, and is the reason the Capitals are up two games to none.

Did anybody notice that all three of Alex Ovechkin's goals were put in the same spot? Two were to the right of Fleury, one to the left. All of them just over Fleury as he went down to his knees. Marc-Andre, I ask you, how did you not see the last one coming?

I lay some of the blame on Sergei Gonchar, who should have played more aggressive defense on a hot handed Ovechkin.

Of course, all three of Alexander The Great's goals were beautiful. He has a rifle of a shot.

I don't want to take the credit away from him, but Sidney Crosby should have tied that game with his third goal. Just before Ovechkin's second goal there was an obvious trip by Alexander Semin on Matt Cooke right after the face-off.

I hate say how a game would have turned out if the refs would have made that obvious call. I even missed it until I saw the replay. But those are the kind of things that need to be called.

Hockey is a rough sport, things happen, and not everything should be called. But that was intentional retaliation by Semin—something that Capitals should have paid for.

Enough about that. That is just the way the dice rolls sometimes.

The Penguins have played well enough to win both of those hockey games. Home ice will be refreshing, and with a strong effort, and a bit of luck, the Penguins have what it takes to tie up this series.

A Galaxy Of Star Power: Who Will Shine Brightest?

Kevin Alquist — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:05:58 -0400

The NHL finally has gotten what it has been waiting for all these years. A series that will give a much needed jolt to hockey's place in the spectrum of North American sport. The super-star hype of this series will attract even those who view the NHL in the same light as professional soccer.

Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin on the same sheet of ice for between four and seven nationally televised games, depending on your cable provider. ESPN.com even covered the series on the front page today! Before the series has even started the NHL has reached heights that were previously unimaginable!

The question is, who will provide the most highlights?

As far as the three super stars are concerned, this is a match up of three hockey players with completely different style.

Ovechkin on his own, in my opinion, is the best all around hockey player. He takes the most shots, he is the most aggressive offensively, and he is the most physical.

Crosby is his own brand of player. He is a play maker. An original. He sees the ice like no player I have ever seen before. His passes are crisp and well calculated.

Geno, or Evgeni Malkin to those outside of Pittsburgh, is the hardest of the bunch to describe as a player. Even when he has a bad game, he manages to get a point in some way. He is always part of the play, mouth wide open, finding the open ice. He is more aggressive offensively than Crosby, and has a rifle of a slap shot.

Predicting that none of these three will have a bad series, the deciding factor will be goal tending. And the advantage goes, without a doubt, to Marc-Andre Fleury. He has been around the playoff block a few years in a row, but Simeon Varlamov must have done something right to keep the Caps away from elimination by the Rangers.

But the Rangers offense isn't loaded with the same caliber of fire power as the Penguins'. The biggest question mark of the series is: Will Varlamov be able to handle the pressure of the Penguins offense?

That brings up another giant question mark, though. Will the Penguins offense be able to get away from the along the wall, "pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, maybe shoot, pass, pass, pass, shoot" style that looks great when it is successful and equally awful when it fails.

The Pens need to up the offensive aggression if they want to win this series. Especially if Varlamov becomes over whelmed and gets edgy.

An advantage for the Caps, that the Penguins can erase with effort, is the physical factor. On any given day the Capitals are the more physical team, but Pittsburgh can match that by throwing the bodies of Brooks Orpik, Chris Kunitz, Matt Cooke, and Jordan Staal around; just to name a few.

Ovechkin will provide big hits for the Capitals all series long, but hard hitting Donald Brashear will not be back from suspension any sooner than game six.

Both the Penguins and the Capitals are strong defensive teams, but this is an area is see the Penguins having the advantage in. I am aware of Mike Green, Shaone Morrisonn, and Tom Poti. But the difference maker to me is Sergei Gonchar. He is truly the "quarterback" of that hockey team. Gonchar is a key player in this series that needs to step up and fulfil his roll under the playoff pressure.

Along with Gonchar on the blue line will most likely be Kris Letang, who is quickly becoming a young star. Rob Scuderi is an over looked X-factor on this defensive squad along with Mark Eaton, both of which are my unsung hero award winners for the Pens.

Both teams will have their problems, of course. The Capitals biggest problem will lie in between the pipes; Marc-Andre Fleury. If he creates problems for the Caps offense like he did for the Flyers offense, there will be very few ways for Washington to win.

The Penguins, on the other hand, absolutely cannot afford to turn the puck over. Yes, I am talking to you, Geno! Also, will the Penguins play to the Capitals physical game consistently? When they played to the Flyers physical game in the last series, they wore the opposition down.

Who will be the brightest star in this galaxy of talent? Who will be the sleeper? Who will be disappointing?

In the next week, those questions will be answered. And one day I will be talking to my son about the first time Sid and Ovie went head to head in the playoffs, just like when my dad told me about Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach clashing in the '70's.

One thing is for sure, after this series all "new-comer" fans had better strap up their helmets, because they will be hooked on hockey for the rest of their life.

This will be one to remember.

Pirates Sweep Best Record Holding Marlins; Maholm 3-0

Kevin Alquist — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:43:49 -0400

With the Penguins leading their series with the Flyers three games to one, who would think I would rather write about the Pirates right now? It is getting late in the season for the Pirates to be over .500!

It is true, the Pittsburgh Pirates just swept the team holding the best record in baseball going into the series, not to mention the Marlins were riding a seven game hot streak. And in late April, the Bucs' are going for the top of the division!

It is hard to say where to start when listing the differences between this year and the previous seasons that cannot be counted on one set of hands. One is the quality of starting pitching the Pirates are getting, but on the offensive side of the game, it is the LaRoche brothers. Big brother Adam in particular.

April has been a dread for Adam in years past, but something is different this season. When LaRoche was questioned about his play by ESPN, all he wanted to talk about was the play of his team. This is a wonderful sign of an attitude adjustment.

"I think that proves we're a pretty good team and it's not just a fluke. You come in and play the best team in baseball and sweep them, that's saying something,"he said.

He is not the only one feeling the confidence coming from this ball club. Pirates ace Paul Maholm commented on the confidence the teams feels not coming to PNC Park "seven games under at this point."

Maholm pitched a shutout until he gave up one run in the fourth, one run in the fifth, and two runs in the sixth. His ERA only rose to a 2.02, and his record remains perfect.

Another positive for Pittsburgh is the pitching of the bullpen. In this series alone the bullpen gave up only one run, when Tyler Yates gave up a home run to Cameron Maybin in the eighth inning of Tuesday's game.

Suddenly last years National League worst pitching staff has become intimidating to the opposition. Ross Ohlendorf kept zeros on the board on Monday, which ended as a 8-0 shut out for the Bucs'. Followed by a one run, three hit performance by Jeff Karstens. The sweep was sealed with the average, yet prevailing effort by Maholm today.

I don't want to jinx these Pirates, but the talent and desire is there. But that has been said in years past. The real test is consistent execution. Can they keep up the good work?

Time will tell.

Indians Independence Day Blues (2008)

Kevin Alquist — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:44:57 -0400

(I wrote this last season on July 4. It's about the dismal first half of last season for the Cleveland Indians. Current stuff is coming soon, I promise. Until then, enjoy!)

The All-Star Break. Much more than a game played between the best players of the American and National League. It is make or break time for a lot of teams who have any plans of playing into October.

Teams that are in the rebuilding stage of the game are looking at how to go beyond the realm of average, while some are shaking their heads and wondering if they can still make a run at a winning season.

If fans were asked what they expected of their Tribe this season some would have said, “World Series or bust!” Some would of said, “This division is between the Indians and the Tigers.”

But when I asked my father what he thought the Indians would do in the 2008 season during Spring Training, he responded by simply saying, “I think they are going to fall flat on their face.”

His prediction was nothing short of a bull’s eye.

In 10 days, the All-Star Break begins and the only two Indians playing impressive enough to go are Grady Sizemore and Casey Blake.

It seems the Tribe are making themselves comfortable in the basement of the American League Central, currently sitting 12 games behind the Chicago White Sox, the light at the end of the tunnel is slowly becoming a candle at the end of its rope and if the Indians don’t make a drastic turnaround immediately, this candle is going to burn out.

Closer Joe Borowski was cut from the lineup today. He had an American League-leading 45 saves last season.

Travis Hafner is a giant question mark. It wasn’t too long ago that (then) Jacobs Field named right field “PRONKVILLE.”

Hafner has been on the disabled list since May 30 with a shoulder and elbow problem. His arm strength was less than half its normal ability, which would explain his problems with his swing.

The latest reports on him have been uplifting, but if the media reported that there has been little progress made by the Indians DH, then Cleveland could possibly go into a state of complete emotional distress, causing some to even join LeBron and become New York Yankee fans.

Star catcher Victor Martinez remains on the disabled list without any word of a quick recovery. He still has a grand total of zero home runs this season.

And that number won’t change until he gets back in the line up. The sad thing is that you can say the same about the Cleveland Indians.

How could we forget that two or the Indians five starting pitchers are disabled? Fausto Carmona was put on the 15-day DL on May 25. It’s going on seven weeks now, and nothing has come up about him starting any time soon.

Oh, and by the way, Jake Westbrook might be back on the mound around this time next year.

Tribe reporter Terry Pluto made a good point in today’s Plain Dealer when he said that maybe the Indians were looking at going from second-best in the American League to second-worst. That is were they stand as of today, July 4.

And we Tribe fans are running out of time to continue saying that it’s still early and there is still hope. Maybe this whole thing is just a conspiracy by the Cleveland Indians staff.

The goal of this season is to be the exact opposite of the last. To be 66-96, instead of 96-66. The real question is: Is this Indians club capable of winning 66 games this season?