Bleacher Report - Articles by Steve Prudente

Should Brad Lidge Still Be the Philadelphia Phillies Closer?

Steve Prudente — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:06:25 -0400

It's a sight that's become all too familiar for Phillies fans this season: Brad Lidge walking off the mound after a blown save.

Lidge recorded his seventh blown save of 2009 on Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley, but fortunately didn't record his fifth loss.

Ben Francisco made up for the righty closer's struggles by homering in the top of the 12th to put the Phillies ahead 4-3, a lead that Chad Durbin successfully saved in the bottom half of the inning.

Lidge's season thus far has been an extremely far cry from his output last season, which of course, everyone knows was perfect.

Coming into this year, Phillies fans almost instinctively knew the perfection wouldn't last forever, and it's safe to say no one expected him to be perfect again. But they certainly expected better numbers than they've seen.

I'm not going to sit here and quote statistics. If you've been watching all season you're aware that they're less than spectacular, and in some cases they're the worst in the league among relief pitchers.

What I will discuss is what I think might be wrong and what could potentially be done.

Let me start by saying that this is by no means a time for the Phillies to panic.

Despite a horrid stretch lately, they still hold a 3.5-game lead in the NL East Division over the Florida Marlins, and a 4.5-game advantage over the Atlanta Braves. The New York Mets, a preseason pick to contend for the division title, are a distant 11 games back in third place.

I do, however, think there is some reason for concern going into the final stretch of the season. As last season showed, an effective closer is a cornerstone to building a successful playoff run.

For whatever the reason Lidge just doesn't seem to have it this year. He was shaky at best before spending 15 days on the disabled list with a knee injury, and hasn't been much better since. You almost wonder if his knee ever truly healed.

Perhaps his struggles are related to a nagging injury. Perhaps it's something else: confidence.

Last season, Lidge's confidence couldn't have been higher. He had a swagger on the mound. He knew he could get you out. It was all a matter of how he was going to do it.

This season, Lidge has looked more like the pitcher who couldn't find the strike zone to save his life in 2006 and 2007, the two seasons that followed a 2005 National League Championship with the Houston Astros.

He's simply looked lost out there on the mound. Maybe it's the dreaded "World Series Hangover." Whatever it is, it's got to be taken care of if the Phillies want any chance at a repeat.

I admire Charlie Manuel for sticking with Lidge and continuing to have faith in him, because Charlie's an honest guy, and so is Lidge. You know that Lidge is giving everything he's got every time he takes the hill.

However, his best just isn't good enough this year, and I honestly don't know what he can do to change that. If he is indeed hurt, he probably can't do much. If not, he needs to find a way to dig deep and get that extra adrenaline rush that made him so devastating in the past.

Or maybe he just needs some motivation. Just take a second to imagine what might happen if Brett Myers came back healthy and on schedule and Manuel elected to give him a shot at the closer's role.

What do you think Lidge would do? Would he continue to struggle? Or would that push him to do that much better?

In either case, the odds are in favor of the Phillies that one of them would prove successful in the role, as they've both done it in the past.

Or maybe they could go in a completely different direction and go with a closer by committee approach. It's not the best option in my opinion, but if it's what ends up working for the team then I'm all for it.

Of course, this could just be my eccentric nature getting the best of me.

Maybe Manuel's faith in Lidge will finally be rewarded, and he'll go perfect for the remainder of the season and playoffs (if indeed they hold on to make them).

Maybe there's no cause for concern at all, but I'm still questioning whether or not Brad Lidge should remain in the closer's role.

What I do know for sure is that the Phillies need a competent closer; they need a confident closer; and they need for those two to be the same closer. Who fits the bill doesn't matter to me, as long as they can get the job done.

The 10 Most Tortured Hockey Franchises in Recent Memory

Steve Prudente — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:59:59 -0400

Another hockey season is in the books, and fans in Pittsburgh can rejoice after the Penguins brought Lord Stanley's Cup back to the Steel City after a 17-year absence. Detroit came up one win short of giving Red Wings fans the thrill of victory, but they succeeded just last year. In any case, these two teams have recently rewarded their fan bases with a championship, something they should both be happy about. At the other end of the spectrum are teams that have failed to produce such a reward for years and even decades. They include teams that have had chances in the finals but couldn't quite get over the final hurdle, and teams that haven't been anywhere near the last round of the playoffs. Here are 10 teams that have failed to satiate the needs of their fans, and have downright tortured them as a result. A couple ground rules before we begin: 1. I'm focusing roughly on a team's last 20 years, but occasionally will go back further if it's relevant and/or necessary. I've used some statistics but also other factors (fan support, management, etc.) in the rankings. 2. As such, I've excluded teams that haven't existed for more than 20 years, so while the Sharks have been atrocious in the playoffs the last few years, they still haven't experienced as much futility as any of the teams listed. 3. Accordingly, a team is not eligible for this list if they've won a championship in the last 20 years. Good news for Flames fans. You just missed the cut. 4. Of course these are just my opinions and I welcome your debates. Let's get to it...

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Phillies Prevail in Extras Again; Mets May Shake Up Bullpen

Steve Prudente — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:48:26 -0400

On the strength of yet another Raul Ibanez home run, the Philadelphia Phillies took down the New York Mets on Thursday night for the second-straight game. It also marked the second night in a row that righty reliever Bobby Parnell took the loss.

In a postgame press conference, Mets manager Jerry Manuel pleaded with General Manager Omar Minaya to make some drastic changes to the bullpen, either by cutting or designating all relief pitchers for assignment, with the exception of Francisco Rodriguez.

"He's been the only guy worth a damn out there late in the game. Putz has been nothing but a putz all year, and now he's hurt. We'd be better off if we had Shawn Green, the former outfielder, pitching for us instead of Sean Green the pitcher. And you knew it was only a matter of time before Bobby got touched up. He's really not that good and that's all there is to it."

You can't blame Manuel for being a little incensed. K-Rod pitched two scoreless innings on Wednesday and another on Tuesday, but the Mets only won one of those games. Late-inning meltdowns by pitchers not named Rodriguez effectively cost the Mets this series.

I guess the weight of 24 other men is a lot to carry on one set of shoulders. Don't get me wrong, K-Rod is a strong man. I just think his back will blow out eventually, probably sometime around Sept. 1. He has already been telling trainers that he experiences spasms from time to time.

Johan Santana echoed K-Rod's sentiments and has decided to sew shoulder pads into his jerseys to reduce the stress on his bones from the added weight. He has also reportedly been talking with Sammy Sosa about the finer points of corking bats in an effort to boost his run support.

No word on whether any roster changes will occur, but the trade deadline is looming less than two months away. When asked about his thoughts on that, Minaya responded, "I never got interested in stocks. Wall Street is on the other side of the river."

Here's Hoping Ray Emery Isn't the Next Billy Tibbetts

Steve Prudente — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:48:52 -0400

It's been well documented that the Philadelphia Flyers are in talks with former Ottawa Senators goaltender Ray Emery.

It's a subject that's been hotly debated amongst Flyers fans for a number of reasons, including Emery's attitude, his level of talent, his ability to be competitive in a league he hasn't played in for over a year, and others.

Of biggest concern to most are his extracurricular antics, which have sometimes involved teammates, opposing players, and even the law.

And yet, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren has been defending his decision to talk with Emery despite the concerns that I'm sure he's well aware of.

This situation bears a minor resemblance to an instance that occurred back in the spring of 2002 around the NHL trade deadline. The Flyers were in a terrible scoring slump and looking for a boost before their final push towards the playoffs.

So of course they would go looking for someone that could put the rubber to the twine, right?

Who they ended up adding was a goon by the name of Billy Tibbetts, an oaf who had scored exactly one NHL goal and just six points all season, but had racked up 109 penalty minutes in just 33 games.

If you add in his AHL statistics from that season, his numbers look a little more respectable, with 14 total goals and 22 total assists in 57 total games split between the two leagues. However, he still had a monstrous 302 penalty minutes.

In exchange they dealt Kent Manderville to the Pittsburgh Penguins, a center who was by no means spectacular, but he had some merits. He was a defensive forward, and was nominated for the Selke Trophy in 2001. In fact, in just six games in the 2001 playoffs, Manderville scored just as many goals as Tibbetts did all of the 2002 season: one.

Just by glancing at the stat sheet anyone with half a brain could have seen that this was a raw deal for the Flyers. But hey, it's Philly...we've had goons grow on us and become fan favorites. Just look at Riley Cote.

This time around, that wouldn't be the case. Why? Because Billy Tibbetts' past actions off the ice were so inexcusable that even if he scored 100 goals in a season he deserved to be booed and ridiculed.

Tibbetts had a pretty extensive rap sheet before he got to Philadelphia. He was a convicted rapist, a registered sex offender, had multiple disorderly conduct citations, and had spent over three years in prison. I don't want to act all high and mighty, but that's certainly not the aura I want surrounding the locker room of my team.

Yet management assured us everything was alright, and that Tibbetts was trying to get his life back on track, despite the fact that he had already been suspended by the NHL twice in his short career. One was for sucker-punching an opposing player while said player was sitting on the bench. Stand up guy.

But he suited up for the Flyers anyway, wearing No. 17, a number that had previously been worn by Rod Brind'Amour, Tibbetts' polar opposite. Don't even get me started on that one...

And true to the script that Tibbetts had written for himself, he lived up to it. These statistics are so unbelievable I can barely type them amongst my horrified laughter, but here they are anyway:
Games: 9
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Plus/Minus: -3
Penalties in Minutes: 69
Time on Ice: 60:15
You read that correctly. He spent more time in the penalty box than he did on the ice in nine games. He averaged nearly eight PIMs a game.

The stats, of course, don't tell the whole story. Tibbetts not only took a lot of penalties, he took a lot of incredibly stupid penalties. He even threw an opposing player into his own goalie. I'm pretty sure that resulted in another suspension.

All in all, Tibbetts' tenure with the Flyers lasted 23 days, and fans couldn't have been happier to see him leave. In the end, the orange and black never got out of their scoring slump, and scored an incredible two goals as they departed the playoffs in the first round at the hands of the Ottawa Senators. That has to be a record.

It's perhaps ironic that the name Senators arose in the midst of all this, as they were the last NHL team that Ray Emery played for.

Now I realize this is an extremist point of view, and in no way am I saying that Emery is anywhere near as troubled an individual as Tibbetts was. This current situation involving the acquisition of a player with a tortured past simply reminded me of some not so fond memories.

However, I have more faith this time. I think that Ray Emery can be a positive pick-up for this organization, provided they use the extra cap space to bolster the defensive corps. I won't say that I have the highest of expectations, but I certainly have much more hope for Emery than I did for Tibbetts.

I sincerely hope that Ray Emery can put his past behind him and show that he can play at the level he did just two years ago when he backstopped the Senators to the Stanley Cup Finals. Here's hoping he can take the next step with the Flyers and help us win the mug next year.

I'm not saying I think it's going to happen, but I can hope.

West Coast Road Trips: What True Fans are Made Of

Steve Prudente — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 02:29:11 -0400

There are a few times a year when a baseball fan's will is tested.

The biggest, of course, is the offseason, a bleak four and a half months without meaningful games (spring training doesn't count).

The second biggest is the All-Star break, which means four whole days with only one meaningful game (that shouldn't be meaningful, thank you Bud Selig) and a home run derby, both of which are fun to watch, but still nothing compared to the pennant race.

And finally the third, which can happen any number of times throughout the season, a cross-country road trip.

A road trip like this can affect either east coast or west coast teams, and both in different ways.

As the Phillies departed Philadelphia for San Diego after sweeping the Washington Nationals over the weekend, I found myself planning out my week days in advance just so I would be able to sit down and watch my favorite team.

Let me give you a short background of my life: I don't live a typical normal life because I work the second shift. I live in the Philadelphia area, so that means I'm working from 2 PM until 11 PM EST Monday through Friday.

Doesn't sound like the best shift to be a baseball fan when most of the games start at 7:05 PM, right? You'd think I'd be better off with my team three hours behind and not seeing the first pitch until after 10:00 EST.

However, things at work really slow down after 6 PM, so I usually don't miss very much. If I don't have the game on TV, I'll listen on the radio in case things do get busy.

After work, I take about an hour to do a light workout and perhaps another hour after that to catch up on all the other happenings in the sports world. Usually I turn in at about 2 AM.

So as you can see, I've developed a pretty good routine that adequately allows me to support my team and keep myself in stable condition physically and monetarily.

But this schedule doesn't work when the Phillies are on the west coast, like they happen to be this week. I've completely changed my lifestyle for the next four days just to show my support for my team.

I worked out before work today. I woke up a little later just in case the game went into extra innings and I had to stay up later. I didn't eat breakfast until noon. Luckily I was rewarded with a Brad Lidge save against the San Diego Padres at around 12:30 AM Eastern.

I've done a similar routine to this in past seasons, and usually I've been rewarded for my efforts. Even last season, when I stayed up to watch the Phils get swept by the Dodgers, I reaped a reward...at the end of October.

When I started thinking about how tough this is on myself—OK, it's not actually that tough, it just feels weird—I started thinking about what it has to be like for west coast fans when their teams travel east.

A normal west coast first-shift worker might come home at 5:30-6ish to eat dinner and then tune in to watch the game at 7. But if their team is on the east coast, the game might be over by 7.

It's the other side of the equation, almost like a parallel universe. If you think about it, it's almost like a six hour swing.

And I think I have it tough... If anyone from the west coast is reading this, I would love to hear your thoughts on east coast road trips.

Someone once told me that sports affect different people on different levels, and I'd like to think that I'm affected by sports on several levels.

One, I obviously love it when my team wins. It makes me feel good.

Two, I get a sense of accomplishment when I can do something like this and follow through with it while not really changing what I'm doing or anyone around me.

Three, deep down somewhere my team knows that they have fans like me who will do whatever it takes to support them, and that makes me feel better than anything.

Baseball has always had a grueling regular season, and the players aren't the only ones who feel the pressure of it. There are plenty of fans who also make sacrifices for their team.

You'll hear a lot of players say that it doesn't mean anything to play the game if you can't please the fans while you do it. I feel that I owe them that much to support them as best I can.

So if they're near to home or far away, it doesn't matter. I'll be watching. Because not even a road trip can separate me from my team.

Have the Stanley Cup Playoffs Become Stale?

Steve Prudente — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:20:09 -0400

Farbeit for me as a die-hard hockey fan to say that I won't watch the Stanley Cup Finals.

I'm just not so sure I'll be as enthusiastic about them as I was about the hockey playoffs as a whole when they began a month and a half ago.

I've always prided myself on watching as many hockey games as I possibly could, even if the game involved two teams I didn't care about or even hated.

Why? Because the sport still fascinates me after nearly 20 years of watching. I almost always learn something new during every game, be it about the game itself or the players and coaches who put on the show.

Every year, I live for the playoffs. I'll make it no secret that I'm a Flyers fan, and since my team has perennially been in the playoff picture (save for that atrocious season two years ago) it's been relatively easy for me to find interest.

Beyond that, however, I enjoy the raw emotion and excitement that the playoffs bring with them. Every series produces some sort of intrigue that demands attention.

And up until the beginning of this year's Conference Finals, I can honestly say that was true.

You had Detroit and Chicago, two original-six rivals, set to battle it out in what should have been an absolute war.

You had Pittsburgh and Carolina, teams that each have a Staal brother competing for them, competing for bragging rights.

However, once the teams took the ice, almost all entertainment value was lost unless you're a Detroit or Pittsburgh fan. Both series ended in what can only be classified as blowouts, even though there were a few close games.

Fair credit is due to the Red Wings and the Penguins. They played their best and earned their right to be in the Stanley Cup Finals.

I am almost always at work while the evening games are being played, but usually I turn the TV up in the room next door to my office so I can at least hear what's going on.

For the first time that I can remember, I actually muted the TV during Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals, feeling that I could do this game enough justice by walking in every 10 minutes to see the score.

I ended up doing the same thing the next night for what turned out to be the final game in the Western Conference Finals. I had lost that much interest.

This is not the fault of anyone in particular. And by no means am I suggesting that the Red Wings or Penguins should have intentionally lost a game here or there just to "make it interesting."

I'm merely saying that as a hockey fan in general, it's tough to be compelled to watch a series when one team has a commanding lead.

My hope is that the Stanley Cup Finals will bring back a renewed interest, and be a fairlyeven matchup. While the same two teams from last year are back, this time around it's definitely a much different story.

What interests me right now is that this is the Penguins' second chance—can they capitalize on it?

As I mentioned before, I'm a Flyers fan, and this might be blasphemy, but part of me really wants them to pull this one off for one reason and one reason only—the only thing worse than a boring Finals matchup is the same team winning it twice in a row.

Like I said before, domination by any team that's not yours is boring. It's almost frustrating because sometimes they make it look so easy.

Have the playoffs become stale? Maybe not as a whole, but the Conference Finals were not series that will stick out in my mind.

If the Finals don't turn out to be interesting, I'm not about to jump ship and say "to heck with hockey." But I certainly won't feel as much of a void as I have in past summers.

Why Tony DiLeo Doesn't Deserve What He Got

Steve Prudente — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:50:32 -0400

Admittedly, I'm not a very big fan of the NBA. I'm a casual fan.

I can't honestly say I've actually followed the Sixers for years. But for some reason, this year got me excited.

Before the year even began, the Sixers brought star power forward Elton Brand on board in hopes of bringing in a little more of a half-court threat to their fast-paced attack.

Obviously, in hind sight, things didn't work out that way, but there were plenty of other reasons to be excited about Sixers basketball this season. They made the playoffs the previous season and actually had the Detroit Pistons on their heels before bowing out in six games.

However, the season didn't start out very exciting, as the team stumbled to a 9-14 record out of the gate, ultimately leading to the removal of head coach Moe Cheeks on December 13th.

Enter Tony DiLeo. When announced as the interim coach, many were surprised that management had elected to put their Assistant GM into a coaching role. Management typically shouldn't get within a light year of a coaching job.

DiLeo's first 10 games as head coach were rather unimpressive, as he compiled a 4-6 record. However, keep in mind that he began his tenure 3-0, including two wins against a hapless Washington Wizards squad that more than likely would have beaten the Sixers just days before.

All DiLeo did after that was lead the team on a seven-game winning streak, bringing them back to the .500 mark and back into playoff discussions. The Sixers clinched a playoff berth on April 4th with a 95-90 win over Detroit, and still had hopes of clinching the coveted fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

The jubilation and high hopes would be short-lived however, as the Sixers then dropped their next six games, four of them coming against teams below them in the standings.

Ultimately, the Sixers finished sixth in the Eastern Conference, and met up with the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs. After building a 2-1 series lead, the Sixers dropped the next three games, two on home court, and were eliminated in the first round for the second year in a row.

Many blame DiLeo for this collapse, and it's really unfortunate that they do. I, for one, think he did a commendable job of taking the reigns and making this team believe that they could go places. The coach can only carry a team so far...part of the onus has to be on the players.

Throughout the season, Samuel Dalembert was the most vocal opposition of DiLeo's coaching, claiming that he wasn't being utilized properly. You can't blame Tony for Dalembert's inconsistencies, though.

There were games when Sammy would show up and get 10 rebounds and 15 points, a solid contribution from a bench player. Then there were games where TV announcer Marc Zumoff would barely mention his name, even though his minutes were adding up.

When you consider the fact that DiLeo still finished his tenure with a 34-31 record, he looks like the right man for the job. I'm not saying he is, but for him to be outed by players like Theo Ratliff and Andre Iguodala as if he didn't do a good job is just not right.

Yes, DiLeo's rightful place in this organization is in the front office, but the way in which he is going back there is disgraceful. This guy took a team from near the depths of the league basement and made them into contenders. Not strong contenders, but contenders nonetheless.

He deserves a little credit. A little respect. Certainly not what he's gotten.

Philadelphia Phillies Need Pitching To Step Up Against LA Dodgers

Steve Prudente — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:46:56 -0400

In October of last year, the Phillies defeated the Dodgers to win their first National League title in 15 years. You know the rest of the story.

Tonight, the Dodgers will begin a three-game visit to Citizens Bank Park, their first trip to Philadelphia since last year's NLCS.

Obviously, it's not the playoffs, but for the Phillies, it might as well be. Los Angeles comes to Philadelphia sporting a 22-11 record, good enough for the best in baseball. Meanwhile, the Phillies are mired at a game over .500 with a 15-14 record.

It's no secret that the Phillies have been inconsistent in all facets of their game so far this season, but this is a chance for them to show that they can compete against a strong team. A playoff mentality sometimes brings out the best in players, and it's that kind of attitude that they will need to be successful against the Dodgers.

Not to be overlooked is the absence of the Dodgers' superstar slugger Manny Ramirez, which is no doubt an advantage the Phillies will look to exploit. That topic will be explored ad-nauseum by everyone else, so let's look at the other side of things.

As far as hitting is concerned, this is really anyone's series to take. Both teams are in the NL top 10 in batting average, RBI, and runs scored. The bigger story will probably be pitching, as it usually is.

In this area, the teams couldn't be more different. The Dodgers are tops in the NL with a 3.77 ERA. The Phillies, well, they're second-to-last with 5.39.

The Dodgers pitchers have earned a complete game and three shutouts. The Phillies have yet to accomplish either feat.

The Dodgers have given up a stingy 22 home runs, also best in the NL. The Phillies are the worst in this category, having allowed an incredible 53 long balls. That's 15 more than the next closest team, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Obviously without Manny in the lineup, pitching becomes a little bit easier. However, the Phillies can't take anything for granted. LA has the ability to counter great pitching with great pitching.

As of right now, the matchups are as follows:

Game One: Clayton Kershaw (LAD, 1-2, 4.91 ERA) vs. Chan Ho Park (PHI, 0-1, 6.67 ERA)
Game Two: Randy Wolf (LAD, 1-1, 2.95) vs. Jamie Moyer (PHI, 3-2, 7.26)
Game Three: Chad Billingsley (LAD, 5-1, 2.45) vs. Cole Hamels (PHI, 1-2, 6.17)

As the numbers suggest, Los Angeles is in the drivers seat on the pitching mound. Here's a closer look at the projected starters:

The youngster Clayton Kershaw will take the hill for Los Angeles in the series opener. After a rocky start to his season, it appears he has found his game, having allowed just one run combined in his last two starts. He finally earned his first win of the season in his last outing.

Kershaw will be opposed by Chan Ho Park, who is still looking for his first win this year. Park is coming off an unfortunate start in which he allowed no earned runs and struck out five in six innings against the rival New York Mets, only to see that performance squandered by the bullpen and the Phillies' lack of offensive production. They lost 1-0.

Game two will see Randy Wolf return to face the Phillies for just the second time in his career. Wolf spent parts of eight seasons in Philadelphia early in his career. He has also been pitching well lately, having allowed only two runs combined in his last three starts.

On the other end of the spectrum is the veteran Jamie Moyer, who has allowed 12 runs in just eight innings of combined work in his last two starts. Believe it or not, Moyer is tied for the Phillies lead in wins with three, a mark equalled by reliever Clay Condrey.

The series finale will be a betting man's affair, as a pair of aces will take to the hill in Chad Billingsley and Cole Hamels.

Billingsley has been lights out this year, and hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his seven starts this season. His first loss came in his last outing, where he still gave up just three runs on eight hits. He has come into his own this year, and is absolutely Cy Young material.

Hamels has been making a comeback after an atrocious start to 2009. After allowing 12 runs total in his first two starts, he's let in just four in his last three. He picked up the Phillies' only victory in a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves last weekend.

On paper, the Dodgers obviously have the big advantage. But that's why they play the games. You can't win on paper. The Phillies have shown that they get up to play in big series, and there is no time like the present for that to happen.

Game Seven: Where a Game Becomes a War

Steve Prudente — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:16:30 -0400

I was a little disappointed tonight when Chicago defeated Vancouver 7-5 to advance to their first Western Conference Final since 1995.

Before any Blackhawks fans cry foul, let me assure you, I am still pleased to see the resurgence gaining momentum in Chicago.

I was disappointed because there would not be a game seven in what has been an unbelievable back-and-forth tooth-and-nail series, full of grit, determination, offense, defense, and everything in between.

Because we all know the only thing better than playoff hockey is a playoff hockey game seven.

So far this second season, there have been two game sevens, with the third slated for Wednesday night in the District of Columbia, a result of the Capitals' overtime triumph over the Pittsburgh Penguins in game six Monday night.

Going in, I fully expected Pittsburgh to pull this one out, and I was especially confident it would go that way after they scored almost effortlessly just seconds into a third period power play to go up by one.

Turns out, the Capitals didn't want it to end that way. They scored twice in quick succession, let that lead slip away, and still found a way to win it in overtime.

After watching that game, the wheels in my head started spinning. I was so pumped to see Vancouver follow Washington's lead to force a pivotal matchup in British Columbia, which would have been on Wednesday night as well.

I even got ahead of myself and thought about what it would be like if Anaheim and Boston could pull out wins on Tuesday to push their respective series to seven games.

I can't truly say I'm disappointed, because both of Monday night's game sixes played out like game sevens, and I was on the edge of my seat.

There was desperation and intensity in every second. And until Patrick Kane completed his hat trick to put Chicago up by two with under four minutes to play, the games were never out of reach for any team.

But a game seven is really like no other game. When a team is down in a series, figuratively their backs are against the wall. In game seven, both teams are facing elimination.

Let's hypothetically say Chicago lost tonight. Coach Joel Quenneville would no doubt have looked at shoring up mistakes his team made to come out with a better effort next game.

After game seven, there isn't a next game. The players are forced to leave it all out on the ice, or be left wondering what might have been.

Almost no one can tell you who scored the game-winning goal in a game one victory, but almost everyone remembers who scored the winner in game seven.

It's what separates men from boys. And to think, it's been nearly 3 years since we've seen a Stanley Cup Final go the distance.

No offense to all the Hurricanes and Red Wings fans out there, but here's hoping that the Bruins and Ducks can find a way to win tomorrow night. Three game sevens in two nights would surely make life worth living.

Playoff Hockey: Nothing Else Matters Right Now

Steve Prudente — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:51:05 -0400

My team has long been eliminated from the NHL Playoffs, and my favorite baseball team is playing tonight.

Yet here I sit, not watching the baseball game but instead tuned in to watch two hockey teams I don't normally care about wage war against each other.

Why? It's the playoffs. Not just any playoffs, but the hockey playoffs.

I've long believed that they are in fact the best playoffs in all of professional sports. There simply is nothing like them.

The NBA playoffs are simply an afterthought in playoff discussions. Rarely is there a matchup that will stick out in my mind as one that I have to watch, and any hockey series (including a sweep) will still be more interesting.

The NFL playoffs are somewhat more compelling, and culminate in the biggest sporting spectacle in the world, the Super Bowl. However, the other three rounds are generally tame compared to any hockey playoff series.

I would rank the MLB playoffs a distant second. There is definitely nothing like October baseball, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

If you want the most telltale sign of why the hockey playoffs are so very epic and intense, you need look no further than the reward for winning them: Lord Stanley's Cup.

It's the oldest trophy in professional sports, and that's not even the reason why it's the best. The tradition of the captain taking a triumphant lap while hoisting it over his head is a lasting image that no one ever forgets. You get your name engraved on it if you win.

Perhaps the best tradition of all is that there is only one Stanley Cup. The Lombardi Trophy, Commissioner's Trophy, and O'Brien Trophy are all re-created every year, but not the Cup. When you win it, you really win it. No one else in the world has one when it's in your possession.

That's pretty powerful stuff. The motivation to win it drives hockey players to do incredible things just to win even one game. And that, in turn, motivates fans like me to do similar things.

The hockey playoffs are epic for the players, but also for the fans who watch them. During the months of April and May and the first two weeks in June, my television is dominated by hockey even more than it is during the regular season.

This leads some to ask why, especially when my team is out of it. They just don't understand.

For most of yesterday afternoon, I was on the edge of my seat as I watched the Ducks and Red Wings battle into triple overtime before the game was decided. I had things to do, but I didn't care. I wanted to see how the game ended.

Last year, I watched every second of the Sharks and Stars quadruple-overtime affair, knowing full well I had to be at work the next morning. I still didn't care. There's a feeling of accomplishment when you stay up until 3:30 a.m. to see a game-winning goal.

My favorite example dates back to the 2000 playoffs. Yes, you know the game I'm thinking of. In Game Four of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh played more than halfway through a fifth overtime before the game was decided.

At the time, I was still in high school. My school day began at 7:30 a.m. But as the cross-state rivals played into the early hours of the morning, that was the farthest thing from my mind.

You hear the stories about the players trying to keep themselves hydrated and energized to continue playing effectively, but what about the fans that are equally as tired from gluing their eyes to a game for so many hours? I remember struggling to keep my eyes open during the intermission, so much that I had to stand up and walk around the house just to keep myself awake.

Some call me crazy for showing such dedication to a sporting event. Again, I don't care. If I ever got thrown in jail, I think I'd be alright as long as I could watch playoff hockey, if only for five minutes a day.

I confess that my obsession for hockey might be just a little unhealthy. But like I said before, I don't care.

I don't care that Pittsburgh took out my Flyers in the first round. Part of me wants to see them win tonight to even up their series with Washington, just to increase the chance that the series will go seven games.

I don't care that Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby at 50-to-1 odds. I was watching the first Pittsburgh/Washington contest and looking forward to game two of the Chicago/Vancouver series.

I don't care that there is a swine flu scare sweeping the nation. I don't even know what channel the news is on right now, because the hockey playoffs are on.

All is right in my world right now because of playoff hockey. Nothing else matters.

Penguins-Flyers: The Battle Of French Canada?

Steve Prudente — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:41:09 -0400

Alright, so neither of these two teams are from anywhere near Quebec. But their goaltenders are.

Before the cross-state rival Flyers and Penguins began the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals last Wednesday, many thought the series would be an even matchup.

However, most people expected an offensive shootout, not a goaltending duel.

Can you blame them? The Penguins' Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby finished first and third in scoring this season, and the Flyers' Jeff Carter finished second in goals. The Flyers had six 20-goal scorers in their lineup.

And they've all been outdone by their respective goalies.

Through five games, Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Biron have both played well, and have given their respective teams the chance to win.

When they're scored on, it's usually not because of their own mistakes, but rather because the opponent has been successfully getting traffic in front of the net. When that happens, you can't blame either goalie.

While the Penguins hold the advantage in the win column—they lead three games to two—the goaltending suggests this series is a dead heat.

Let's go to the stats.

Marc-Andre Fleury absolutely stole Game 4 for the Penguins, stopping 45 of the 46 shots he faced. Through five games, he has a goals against average of 2.27 and has saved 92.9 percent of the shots fired at him, making 156 saves on 168 shots while allowing just 12 goals.

In the Penguins' three wins, Fleury has allowed just four goals. In two losses, he allowed eight. He has faced an average of 33.6 shots a game and 31.2 saves.

He does not have a shutout, but probably should based on his play.

Not to be outdone, Martin Biron responded by stealing Game 5 for the Flyers, shutting out the Penguins in the process. He stopped all 28 shots he saw.

Through five games, his GAA stands at 2.29 and has saved 92.7 percent of the shots he's faced. Biron has also allowed just 12 goals, facing four fewer shots (164) and making four fewer saves (152) than Fleury.

In the two Flyers wins, Biron has allowed a measly three goals. In three losses, he gave up nine. He's faced slightly fewer shots per game (32.8) and as a result, has averaged slightly fewer saves (30.4).

Don't be fooled by the statistics, though. Biron has faced fewer shots, but the Penguins have actually out shot the Flyers in three of five games. The stats are skewed by Game 4, when Fleury faced 46 shots to Biron's 26.

So what does all this mean? We fans have been treated to some great, entertaining hockey over the past week and two days. This duel has been unexpected and spectacular, to say the least.

Most people probably expected a big performance from Fleury coming into this year's playoffs. He did, after all, carry his team to the Stanley Cup Finals the year before.

What most people didn't count on was Biron being equal to the task.

A lot of people in Philadelphia and everywhere else forget he turned in performances like this during last year's playoffs and carried the Flyers to the Eastern Conference Finals, where Fleury's Penguins got the better of him.

Perhaps the scariest coincidence of all is that these teams were just about as even during the regular season as well.

The Flyers scored 260 goals to the Penguins' 258. The Flyers allowed 232 goals, the Penguins allowed 233.

They actually finished the season tied in points with 99, with Pittsburgh holding the edge in wins by one.

Thus far, the goaltending battle, like the series, has been hard fought and very competitive. Thank God. There's nothing worse than a four-game sweep in the playoffs.

We can only hope that the goaltenders will continue to play up to the level they have been at, and duke it out for a sixth, and possibly a seventh, game.

Flyers Stave Off Elimination, Blank the Penguins in Game Five

Steve Prudente — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:11:33 -0400

Penguins can't fly, but they can lay eggs.

Behind a strong 28-save performance from Martin Biron, the Flyers played a near perfect game five and defeated the Penguins 3-0 to force a sixth game.

Credit the goaltending, credit the goal-scorers, credit the officials (yes, I said it). Whatever the reason, everything came together tonight.

This win is important not only in that it pushed the series to six games, but it also showed the Flyers can win in Pittsburgh in the playoffs, something they haven't done in nine years.

Early on, as expected, the bodies were flying around. The Pens were whistled offside at about the 2:30 mark, and no surprise, the know-it-alls in the stands booed.

A couple minutes later, Sidney Crosby found himself in the middle of a Darrol Powe/Mike Richards hit sandwich. Powe actually ended up taking the brunt of the hit, but it still sent a message: the Flyers were not going to back down tonight.

A few seconds after that, Evgeni Malkin fell down and justifiably no penalty was called. The fans let the officials have it again.

The Flyers got a fortunate break about midway through the period when Tyler Kennedy had an empty net on a wrap-around attempt. Biron was clearly fooled and had moved the other way, leaving an easy slam-dunk for Kennedy. Unfortunately, for the Pens, Kennedy isn't really as good as their fans make him out to be, and he slammed the puck into the left post.

There were many points in the game where the momentum could have shifted one-way but didn't, and this was one. Who knows what happens if the Penguins get on the board before the Flyers? It's a totally different game if they do.

Minutes later, the Pens were whistled on another obvious offsides, and again the fans booed. The period ended in a scoreless tie. The Penguins out shot the Flyers as they have for most of the series, this time 15-5.

Five minutes into the second period, Sergei Gonchar was unable to keep the puck in his offensive zone and was whistled for another obvious offsides. Of course, the fans disagreed. At this point, you have to wonder if they even know what the word "offside" even means.

The Penguins then squandered a great opportunity when a slap shot knocked Biron's stick clean out of his hand. Braydon Coburn alertly used his stick to pass the paddle back to Biron.

During this exchange, Chris Kunitz had a break up the left side and Crosby cutting to the net, but Kunitz couldn't settle the puck down and didn't generate a scoring chance.

A minute later, Daniel Carcillo brought the puck into the offensive zone near the far side of the ice. He dropped it off to Arron Asham, who ripped, as Bill Clement called it, a "twine-seeking missile" right over Marc-Andre Fleury's glove and just inside the top right corner. 1-0 Flyers.

Needing an answer, the Penguins were able to generate some pressure. Biron gave up a juicy rebound that was put in by Evgeni Malkin to tie the score…

…But once the play went under review, it was shown that Malkin last touched the puck with his skate and clearly kicked it in. No goal.

I watched all the angles and rewound it on the DVR several times. Initially it looked like Malkin was able to get a stick on it to nudge it in. On second and third glance, it was actually Matt Carle's stick. Good call.

Just two minutes later, the refs actually gave Pens fans a reason to complain. Mike Knuble committed an obvious crosscheck in the offensive zone, but it was not called.

They would eventually call Daniel Briere for roughing Brooks Orpik (as if that's even possible, as Orpik leads the series in hits) on an icing touch-up. Didn't matter, as the Penguins went 0-for on the power play for the second straight game.

Minutes later, Max Talbot was tripped, and then Orpik took down Mike Richards near the end of the period. Neither was called. At least the officials were consistently inconsistent.

The period ended with the Flyers up 1-0. Philly actually outshot Pittsburgh 11-to-5 in the second frame.

Just two minutes into the third period, Fleury showed a flash of his game four self, sprawling across the crease to rob Scott Hartnell of a rebound chance. Flyers fans had to be thinking that it could be a backbreaking momentum changer, much like the Jeff Carter miss in game two.

As it turns out, however, Claude Giroux, who played yet another stellar game, had other ideas; he and Powe were able to penetrate the slot, and when a pass from Matt Carle deflected off Powe to Giroux, it was a no-brainer. Flyers up 2-0.

The Flyers now had to prove they could hold the advantage, and received help from another fortuitous bounce near the midpoint of the period. It was on the penalty kill as well.

I'm not sure who took the shot, but a Penguin banked one off the glass behind Biron; it came off the side of the net and was nearly chipped in. Marty was able to keep it under his right pad to keep the Pens off the score sheet and the momentum remained with Philly.

Keep in mind, this is the same area where Knuble had an unfortunate bounce off the boards land at Malkin's feet in game one. Malkin scored to put the Pens up by three and they coasted to an easy victory.

Knuble added a goal four minutes later to all but ice the victory.

With 30 seconds left in the game, Crosby laid his stick into Richards' back for no apparent reason. It will be interesting to see if this is interpreted as "message sending," as the game was clearly out of reach at this point, but knowing Campbell and Bettman, all is well in Crosbyland.

For Marty Biron, this was just his second playoff shutout in his 22nd playoff appearance. Pittsburgh out shot the Flyers 28-26 again.

I've said it all series: Marty hasn't played bad; he just hasn't had the goals to help him out.

The Flyers as a whole haven't played very poorly in the series, save for games one and four. They were just a few breaks away from having a couple more wins, and they very well could have swept the last four.

The fact of the matter is: they didn't get it done then. They did tonight and they need to do it again Saturday and Monday.

The series now shifts back to Philadelphia for game six and you can bet it's going to be a good one.

Missed Opportunities: Flyers Can't Draw Even, Trail Pens Three Games to One

Steve Prudente — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:06:23 -0400

The effort was there.

The chances were there.

Unfortunately so was Marc-Andre Fleury.

The Flyers hurled plenty of rubber right at him, but rarely around him. He made some great saves, but more often he made easy ones. The point is he made them, and in the process he stole the Flyers' opportunity to even the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

I had to work tonight and couldn't watch parts of this debacle, but knowing the outcome I'm not that disappointed in what I missed.

Now facing a 3-1 deficit, the Flyers have long odds against them as the series shifts back to Pittsburgh for game five.

Game four started out promising for the orange and black. They were being physical, creating scoring chances, they actually got a couple power plays and they even had a timely bounce go in their favor.

That bounce was Petr Sykora's shot bouncing off the crossbar, then ricocheting between Randy Jones' arm and the left post and out. It would be one of the last bounces to go the Flyers way.

After a scoreless but action-filled first period, the Flyers were given an early second period power play. Unfortunately, they couldn't get much going, and a neutral zone turnover found the puck on Matt Cooke's stick as he exited the penalty box.

Cooke touch-passed the puck to Chris Kunitz, who carried it up the left side with speed while Sidney Crosby cut to the net. Kunitz threw it towards the crease, Crosby slid and through an act of pure luck had it bounce off his groin and into the goal.

An ugly goal no doubt, and it made me as mad as anyone, but a goal is a goal no matter how you score it. Some claim that luck doesn't win playoff games, but I beg to differ. Anyway, give Crosby credit for doing whatever it takes.

If the Flyers really wanted to win this game, their desperation would have shown at this very moment and they would have gotten one back.

Instead, they allowed another goal minutes later when Tyler Kennedy backhanded the disc over Marty Biron's blocker to put the Pens up by two. That's all they needed.

The first goal is one of those fluky things about hockey that you can't control. The second one, Marty should have had. But he still doesn't deserve all the blame. Both opportunities were created by defensive mistakes.

The Penguins made plenty of their own defensive mistakes, but when given the chance, the Flyers threw the puck right into Fleury's gut.

By some act of sheer dumb luck Dan Carcillo got a goal (I didn't see it) to bring the Flyers to within one, but Max Talbot added an empty netter to ice the Penguins victory. I'd still take Scottie Upshall any day.

This has been the Flyers' problem all season long. They came out in game three and played brilliantly. Save for about four minutes after the first intermission, Pittsburgh was never in that game.

So what do the Flyers do next time out? They lay an egg. Horrendous.

If there's one thing the playoffs have always shown, it's that average teams don't make it very far. At times this year, the Flyers played well above average hockey. Unfortunately for them, none of those times have been in the stretch run or here in these playoffs.

Me calling their play below average would be generous. They went 0-for-8 on the Power Play! That is unacceptable in a playoff game. They didn't allow one, but they didn't score one either, and that's the most important side of special teams.

Just to illustrate how ridiculously bad the Flyers played, they actually held the series' leading scorer Evgeni Malkin off the score sheet for the first time in the series, and they still lost.

From what I've seen in this series I think it's fair to say that except in game one, the Penguins have only done "just enough" to beat the Flyers. They haven't been blowing them out or playing exceptionally well, but they've found ways to win.

While their brand of hockey has been fairly average, when the opposition plays well below average, average becomes good enough.

No notes this time. We all know the Flyers played terribly and the Penguins deserved to win.

See you in game five, and let's hope the Flyers can channel Keith Primeau.

Flyers-Penguins: Philly Dominates Pens in Game Three, Still Trail By One Game

Steve Prudente — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:43:31 -0400

[Photo caption: WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!]

You knew it was coming.

The Philadelphia Flyers needed to answer the Pittsburgh Penguins' statement by winning game two. They didn't.

As a result, they really needed to answer in game three, and did they ever.

The Flyers never trailed on Sunday at the Wachovia Center, and despite the officials best efforts and a nearly successful comeback, the Penguins were never really in this game.

The Flyers were badly out-hit on Friday in Pittsburgh, but you would never know it by watching game three. The Flyers were physical and constantly in the Penguins' faces, and it resulted in frustrations boiling over for the defending conference champions.

The sellout crowd expected to see plenty of rough stuff, and early on the first period they were rewarded.

After making Marc-Andre Fleury look downright silly with two early goals by Mike Richards and Jeff Carter (interestingly enough, the first two Flyer shots of the game), Jordan Staal decided he would pretend to be tough by taking a run at Claude Giroux about three seconds after the whistle had blown on a delayed penalty call against the Flyers (of course).

Giroux justifiably defended himself, and in the process got tied up with Tyler Kennedy, who he absolutely owned. They each earned minors for roughing, because you could scarcely call it a fight. Somehow, Giroux ended up getting the extra two minutes for elbowing, and the Penguins had an opportunity to get back into the game.

The Flyers responded by being aggressive on the penalty kill and effectively cancelled the Pittsburgh power play. Evgeni Malkin did add a goal late in the period, and the Philly held a 2-1 lead entering the first intermission.

The Pens scored just 13 seconds into the second period to tie the score, but that goal was answered just four minutes later when Giroux tapped in a beautiful pass from Daniel Briere to retake the lead for the orange and black.

Philly's strong penalty-killing continued, as Simon Gagne added a short-handed goal four minutes later. Giroux created this play by going down low behind Fleury and forcing a turnover. A few pretty moves created some space and an easy dish to Gagne.

At this point, Dan O'Rourke and Marc Joannette began wondering "How can we get the Penguins back in this game? If they don't win, Bettman's not gonna be too happy with us..."

The answer? By letting the Penguins do whatever the heck they wanted. Shortly after the shortie goal, Malkin very clearly went offside, but they let it go. A few seconds later, Richards attempted a perfectly legal poke check, Malkin stumbled and the zebras called a slash.

"Malkin doesn't make mistakes like that...had to be a slash" the referees thought to themselves. It didn't matter, the Flyers showed an extreme amount of discipline and Marty Biron made a few good saves to end the threat.

Side note: After the obvious bad call, they played the chicken dance over the PA speakers, resulting in a rare appearance of—in my opinion—the funniest Philadelphia chant of all time. We don't like to have to bring it out, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

A few minutes later, the refs realized the error of their ways. After Carter took a slashing penalty (which was a slash, I'll admit), Malkin was guilty of an obvious hook and came out of it with an incredulous look on his face.

"Wha? Hooooo-kiiiiing? Vas ist dat? NYET! In mother Russia, anyting go! You say I perfekt. Vy de call?" Malkin screamed.

To his credit, the Flyers still don't have an answer for Malkin in this series. He notched two more goals to raise his playoff total to four. Even in a winning effort, that has to be a concern for John Stevens.

After Jared Ross scored his first career NHL goal, Malkin added his second goal, this time on the power play, to keep the Penguins somewhat close. But the Flyers were able to put the clamps on and add an empty-netter from Gagne to ice the win. 6-3 Flyers, and now this series is actually interesting.

Some things I noticed:

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of this win was the Flyers ability to take Jordan Staal out of the equation. The X-factor went minus-three and his name was rarely mentioned after he was whistled for the game's first penalty.
You can't accuse Dan Bylsma of being a dumb coach. He tried everything today and the fortunes just didn't go his way. One successful adjustment he made was briefly forming an unusual line with Malkin, Ruslan Fedotenko and Maxim Talbot. It created their first goal.
The only plus player for Pittsburgh was Hal Gill (+1). The only minus player for Philadelphia was Matt Carle (-1). Ironically, five of the Flyers' top six forwards (Joffrey Lupul, Carter, Richards, Scott Hartnell and Mike Knuble) were even.
Speaking of Hartnell, he was nearly invisible today as well, but that might not be a bad thing. He took one penalty, a five-minute fighting major that was evened out by Chris Kunitz.
Claude Giroux nearly earned a Gordie Howe hat trick. Had he taken a fighting penalty in his scrap with Kennedy, he would have notched the first GHHT of his career.

To recap, the Flyers came out and did what they had to do, and are back in this series. They face a tough task in game four, because this loss most certainly will not sit well with Pittsburgh.

LET'S GO FLYERS!

Flyers Give "Grade A" Effort, but Luck Fails in Game Two

Steve Prudente — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:25:58 -0400

As the old saying goes, "Part of being good is being lucky."

After a horribly embarrassing and mostly unlucky Game One in their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Philadelphia Flyers knew they had to play completely different in Game Two—and hopefully create some good luck—if they hoped to even the series.

They were successful in almost every aspect of Friday night's game, but still came up a bit short on the score sheet. In the end, the Penguins capitalized on their opportunities once again, while the Flyers didn't.

About halfway through the third period, I remember thinking that if the Flyers held on to win the game, they should consider themselves very lucky. At that point, they held a slim 2-1 lead, but Pittsburgh was still creating an incredible amount of scoring chances, and the shot total (save for the first period) reflected that.

Turns out, the lucky ones were on the other bench. Two deflections off of a Sergei Gonchar point slapshot resulted in Evgeni Malkin "scoring" the game-tying goal. Then, late in the overtime, Mike Knuble idiotically decided to take a cross-checking penalty while on the power play, and Claude Giroux accidentally broke Kris Letang's stick after he "slashed" him, resulting in a five-on-three for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Of course, they scored with this advantage.

I'd say that the officials called everything in overtime fairly. Hal Gill clearly was guilty of a cross-check on Daniel Briere, but the Flyers decided they'd rather waste the opportunity instead of cashing in on it. Mike Knuble's cross-check was also a fair (can't quite bring myself to say "good") call but easily the dumbest penalty the Flyers have taken in this series so far.

So far...there are still at least two more games for them to go completely off the deep end with stupid mistakes.

What I didn't like about the officiating on Friday was that Giroux's stick-breaking "slash" occurred while he was trying to play the puck, yet the officials were handcuffed into making the call.

The rulebook states that if a stick is broken by the opponent's stick, it is a mandatory penalty. Yet another downfall of the rules created to increase scoring; Bettman strikes again.

All of the positives the Flyers had going for them for the first 70-plus minutes of the game went to waste in the last 120 seconds. For the record, I really didn't like the Jeff Carter hooking call that led to the game-tying power play, but it was definitely more of a hook than Aaron Asham's "hook" that led to the first goal of the series.

Speaking of Carter, his bad luck was perhaps the worst. He found himself with a wide-open net after Marc-Andre Fleury gave up a juicy rebound to his right. Carter is a right-handed shot and was in perfect position to scoop it in to give the Flyers a 3-1 cushion and put the game pretty much in the bag. Unfortunately, what actually happened was nothing short of unbelievable.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a "slam dunk" based on the location and speed Carter was closing at, but nine times out of 10, he makes the flip and scores a goal.

Well, I guess last night was the tenth time. Carter slid the puck towards the goal flat on the ice, and Fleury was just able to get his toe on it. No goal, and the score remained 2-1.

The Penguins didn't win solely on luck; they played a really tough game. Overall, they probably deserved to win, despite the strong effort from the orange and black.

Early in the first period, I got the feeling that it was going to be a long night for the Flyers, as the Penguins dominated the physical play along the boards. A rare penalty was the Pens' only flaw in the first period, and for once, the Flyers actually took advantage.

Excellent passing set up Pittsburgh's first goal in the second period, as Malkin and Crosby went back-and-forth on a three-on-two before finding the odd man on the left wing, Bill Guerin, who slapped it home. Guerin also threaded a wrister through Marty Biron (incredibly, the 49th shot on goal for the Penguins) in overtime for the winner.

So, what positives can the Flyers take from this demoralizing defeat?

At least it wasn't a five-overtime loss.
Darroll Powe's line generated a surprising amount of pressure, and Powe scored his first career playoff goal.
Mike Richards spent just slightly less time on the ice than Evgeni Malkin and only slightly more than Sidney Crosby. John Stevens was able to rotate the lines a few times throughout the game.
Marty Biron played well again (I still don't blame anything from Game One on him).
Despite some black-and-blue from all the physical play, no one was injured, and the roster should remain the same for game three.

One final note: Even in a losing effort, I was excited to see that the Flyers were actually in the game, unlike in the first contest of the series. The players were allowed to be more physical, which is always fun to watch.

Flyers commentator Jim Jackson credited this to the veteran officiating crew, who are more accustomed to physically-driven Playoff hockey. Hopefully, the rest of the series is just as entertaining but better for Philly fans in the scoreboard department.

Dan Carcillo Suspended For Game Two Against Penguins

Steve Prudente — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:42:26 -0400

Before the playoffs began, coach John Stevens stressed that the Philadelphia Flyers needed to play disciplined, patient hockey to be successful.

So far, they have done nothing of the sort, and find themselves in a 1-0 hole after a lopsided affair in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.

To add insult to injury, the Flyers will now be down a man in Game Two, as Daniel Carcillo was suspended one game for an "incident" at the end of Game One.

John Stevens was also fined $10,000 for no apparent reason. Carcillo's parents have also been banned from practices, and when he returns he will have to run 100 laps as additional punishment.

The league is claiming that in said "incident," Carcillo butt-ended Penguin Maxim Talbot, sending Talbot to the ice in a crying heap.

In reality, the penalty should be awarded to Talbot for his embellishment, as it looked like Carcillo was simply trying to win a face-off and his momentum carried his stick into Talbot's face. There was no blood, and no penalty called...so was it really that bad?

Now, it's not as if the Flyers are losing a top caliber player...it's just Carcillo, whose presence on a playoff roster is debatable to begin with.

But it is disturbing to see the officials take such rash actions over such a simple play. There was no brawl, nor did there appear to be any intent to injure. So why the call?

For the most part, the officiating was fair in Game One. The fact that the Flyers took a dozen penalties shows that they really didn't care about winning the game. They played undisciplined, stupid hockey. However, this does not justify over-calling, or refereeing by result.

The league stated that they would not allow "message sending." If this is the case, why was nothing done when Bill Guerin took Braydon Coburn to the ice right off a face-off?

Officiating has been a thorn in the Flyers sides for years, and yet the team still hasn't figured out how to work around it or avoid it completely. They had better figure something out quickly, or this series is going to be very short.

Arron Asham Smash 'Em: Flyers Take Down Rangers To Salvage Homestand

Steve Prudente — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:14:45 -0400

When you get production from your third line, you have a chance to win.

The Philadelphia Flyers third line did just that on Saturday against the rival New York Rangers, scoring twice in the third period to seal a victory in the first game of a home and home series.

Arron Asham tallied both goals off assists from Claude Giroux and Daniel Carcillo.

Asham, who usually plays on the fourth line with Riley Cote and Darroll Powe, was bumped up to the third squad by coach John Stevens, and the move paid off.

Credit the third line for coming through, but if anyone deserves this win, it's Flyers goalie Marty Biron. He was stellar today, turning aside 39 of the Rangers 41 shots to keep them at bay.

Not the Flyers best effort defensively, but with the goaltending they received, that didn't matter very much.

Biron's play is the type of performance Flyers fans grew accustomed to seeing in April of last year, as they took down two of the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Rangers certainly had their chances in this game, and were actually leading 1-0 after Nik Antropov picked off a defensive zone pass and took it to the house a little more than three minutes into the game.

Antropov has scary speed for a guy his size, and it looked like he just surprised the Flyers. They learned quickly, however, and Antropov was next to invisible for the remainder of the game.

New York also gained some chances when two questionable calls came against Flyers captain Mike Richards in the second period.

The first, for elbowing Brandon Dubinsky, nullified a Flyers power play and eventually gave the Rangers about 20-seconds of power play time, but they couldn't capitalize.

The second was a boarding call that involved newly reformed instigator Sean Avery. Again, the Rangers failed to capitalize.

The referees can't really be blamed for either of these calls, as they were borderline infractions, and in real time it certainly appeared they were fair, however, this is an issue the league should probably take a look at.

When Dubinsky was elbowed, he immediately put his glove up to his face, but replays showed that Richards' elbow actually glanced off Dubinsky's shoulder, and there was no jabbing motion made.

Avery's was a dive, but a well-executed dive at that—two calls that probably aren't made without a little embellishment.

Avery scored a late goal, and it was pretty, but the Rangers just couldn't do enough with their opportunities.

It was a hard-fought and well-deserved victory for the Flyers, and another disappointing loss for the Rangers. The two meet again in less than 24 hours, this time at Madison Square Garden.

Notes

Daniel Briere still hasn't registered a point since his return on March 1st. He registered just 12:07 time on ice with one shot on goal;
By comparison, Asham had 9:43 TOI and scored two goals and had four shots on goal;
Incredibly, there were no penalties called in the third period;
John Stevens picked up his 100th career victory as Flyers head coach;
The Flyers finished their season-long five game homestand with a record of 3-2. They play their next four on the road.

Daniel Briere's Absence Still Noticable

Steve Prudente — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:40:51 -0400

Something is amiss with the Flyers, and the root of the problem seems to be Daniel Briere.

Yes, he's been injured, and that's a part of sports.

He is claiming that he is healthy enough to play, and the training staff has agreed. But as of right now, he is not contributing anything positive to this team. He's returned somewhat in the physical sense, but he still appears sluggish, and mentally it does not appear he is anywhere near ready.

Since his return six games ago, he's already missed two more games. In the four games he has played, the Flyers have scored just six goals, and four of those came in one game against the Bruins and a backup goaltender in Manny Fernandez.

Briere has totaled zero goals and zero assists and a minus-one rating in those games.

In the two games without him? The Flyers knocked off a Nashville Predators team that had won six games in a row and had not given up a power play goal in seven. They ran rampant over the hapless Buffalo Sabres who were without the services of No. 1 goaltender Ryan Miller.

For the season, the Flyers are 3-7-3 with Briere, and a staggering 33-13-7 without him.

On Thursday night, they failed to gain at least a point against the Washington Capitals for the only time in their four meetings this season. I know it's impossible to put all the blame on Briere for that outcome, but he didn't exactly step up either.

Yes, he's returned. But he still hasn't shown up. And now is not the time to be playing a guy simply to "get his legs back." This is the stretch run. The Flyers are in a highly congested playoff race, and they need contributors, not someone taking up space, both on the ice and in the bank.

Say what you want about the Daniel Carcillo for Scottie Upshall deal, but at least that Daniel provides a little energy to the game.

At this point, I'm not sure exactly what could be done to fix this situation, but there are options. For starters, someone has to get inside Briere's head and get him back into the game.

It's too late for a conditioning assignment in the AHL, as the Clear Day Rosters have already been released.

The best option might be Briere, Claude Giroux and maybe Aaron Asham on a line. Recently, Asham has shown flashes of his puck-handling abilities, and although he is mostly a fourth-liner and thus doesn't score a ton, his grit creates chances along the boards.

The toughness would also deter oppositions from roughing up Briere as he has been in recent games.

Giroux's vision is incredible. He most certainly would find Briere with passes and also get open to accept them. I'm honestly surprised I haven't seen more of them together. Danny needs a confidence booster, and Claude could be it.

With this line combo, there would also be some versatility. Asham is a right winger, but both Giroux and Briere have spent time at the wings and center positions. Move them around a bit. See if you can't confuse the defenses a little. Anything just to try and get Briere's presence to be productive.

Philadelphia Flyers Bounce Back, Take Down Washington Capitals, 4-2

Steve Prudente — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:03:03 -0500

This one came as advertised. The Washington Capitals entered Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers on the heels of a dominating win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday—the same team that had squeaked out a win over the Flyers the day before.

The Caps also held home ice advantage, undoubtedly, one of the biggest reasons for their success this season. They entered Tuesday with just 5 regulation losses at the Verizon Center.

The Flyers faced a tall task in defending the likes of Alexander Ovechkin without Philly's top defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who was shelved due to yet another case of the flu.

It looked like this one could get ugly early when the Capitals scored just four seconds into a power play. Credit Nicklas Backstrom for getting open to receive a perfect pass from Ovechkin, but the Flyers were obviously out of position and not prepared for this set face-off play.

A side note: The assist was Ovechkin's first point against the Flyers this season. He had been stifled in the first two meetings.

The score remained 1-0 in favor of the Capitals at the end of the first. At this point in the game, it seemed that goals would be at a premium. Washington squandered a chance to put Philadelphia in a big hole by not scoring with nearly a minute of 5-on-3 power play time. Jose Theodore and Antero Niittymaki made save after save, turning away a combined 20 in the first frame.

Ovechkin worked his magic in the second, capitalizing on a Jeff Carter turnover to make the score 2-0 Capitals. He made it look easy, but this was no easy goal. In a split-second, Ovechkin had enough time to take the puck from his backhand to his forehand and wrist it past Niittymaki.

The Flyers would capitalize later in the period on a 5-on-3, as Claude Giroux put one in from down low to make the score 2-1 heading into the third.

As expected, the bodies were flying. Everyone was checking as there were a total of 17 penalties called. It is rather surprising to note, however, there were no fights. For the most part, it appeared the physical play was about equal.

No one was really imposing their will on anyone else, and except for the score, the game was about even.

Throughout the season, the Flyers have shown that they are a third period team, and tonight was no different. It took nearly half of the final stanza, but Scott Hartnell was finally able to tie the score at 2-2 with a wrister.

Just 1:25 later, Carter picked up a rebound off Theodore and found the net for the go-ahead goal.

Two minutes passed before Aaron Asham, the fourth-line goal scoring powerhouse (yea right) made an uncharacteristically beautiful weave between two Capitals defenders and flipped one up high past Theodore for the game's final tally.

Flyers 4, Capitals 2.

As has been the style of late, Philadelphia rode its momentum and scored goals in bunches to effectively take over this game.

Give the Capitals credit though, they played their game. They were physical. They created a good amount of scoring chances, and had they not met with Niittymaki who stood on his head and stopped 33 of 35 shots, they win this game.

Give the Flyers credit as well. The services of a defenseman of Timonen's caliber are often forgotten until they're gone, and unless someone steps up to take his place, it's going to be a long night.

I was especially impressed with the play of Matt Carle, who lead the Flyers defense in ice time. He was a puck hawk tonight, and never quit on any play. None of this will show up on the score sheet, but his play put the team in a good position to win.

At this time of the year, you need players like this every game.

Notes

The Capitals will get one more chance at the Flyers on March 12 in Philadelphia. The Flyers have now gained at least a point in all three meetings between the clubs this season, and hold a 2-0-1 advantage in the season series.
Jeff Carter and Braydon Coburn have scored at least a point in all three games against the Capitals this season.
The three stars of the game were—1. Jeff Carter, 2. Scott Hartnell and 3. Antero Niitymaki. In the first meeting of the season between these teams, the three stars were the same, but in reverse order.

Philadelphia Flyers: No Cause for Concern

Steve Prudente — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:58:33 -0500

Don't panic, Flyers fans.

In the wake of yesterday's loss to the Penguins on home ice, some have been calling for Marty Biron's head. They shouldn't be.

He's human. He made a mistake, and he won't make it again. Marty is normally a very smart goalie, and this is one rare instance where his mind went missing.

But, like all good players, he will learn from this. Biron is the Flyers' starting goaltender, and now is not the time to start looking for another answer.

Yesterday was just one game. And although at this time of the year every game is critical, there are a few things to bear in mind.

First, don't overlook that this team just won five of their last seven games and are finally back healthy. It appears the flu bug has finally run its course, just in time for the stretch run.

The Flyers are still in fourth place in the conference, and have at least two games in hand on every team in the top 10. With 71 points, they trail the Devils by just eight and have three games in hand on them, with two games remaining against each other.

The only difficult test remaining on the schedule is a five-game stretch in March. It begins with a four-game road trip that starts in Manhattan on the 15th. The team will then visit the defending Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings two days later, head up to Buffalo, and then back down to Pittsburgh before returning home to face the Devils for the final time this season.

Other than that stretch, the Flyers have a favorable schedule. Five of their final nine games are against sub-.500 teams, and they have defeated every team in that stretch at least once. They need just 12 wins to equal last season's point total of 95.

Lest we forget that Daniel Briere will be healthy very soon, and his reappearance will only create more competition among the forwards, which will make them better. The only concern here is freeing up cap space.

The next task at hand is Washington on Tuesday, a team the Flyers have handled well this season, gaining points in both games. The first time around, the Caps were trounced 7-1 in Philly behind a hat trick from Scott Hartnell and a stellar 47-save performance from Antero Niittymaki. The second meeting resulted in a 2-1 shootout victory for the Capitals against a short-handed Flyers squad that was at the end of a grueling six-game west coast trip. Both games featured inspired play from both teams, and fans should expect nothing less the next time around.

This team has shown it can be resilient all season. No reason to think they won't do it again this time.

NASCAR Blows It Again: 2009 Daytona 500 Was An Officiating Travesty

Steve Prudente — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:45:29 -0500

Before I start this rant....er, article, I would like to congratulate Matt Kenseth for winning the Daytona 500, the supposed "Super Bowl" of NASCAR.

He made the right move at the right time, and, with a little help from Mother Nature, captured the sport's biggest prize, albeit at the expense of Reed Sorenson. Hey, you wanna make an omelet, you gotta break some eggs, right?

With that being said, NASCAR did turn this race into Super Bowl XLIII in at least one aspect: Questionable officiating. And just like the big game, the bad calls went both ways.

Early in the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was penalized for being outside of his pit box. The NASCAR rule states that only the right rear tire of a car may be outside the box during a pit stop.

Junior's right front tire was mighty close, but it didn't look like it went over the line. At best, it appeared it was on it. Any way you slice it, NASCAR saw it as a penalty, and put him down a lap. A little severe for something so small that affected no one else, and technically didn't violate the rule. Why not just put him to the tail end of the longest line?

A couple cautions later, the leaders were again on pit road. A heated race-off ended with Jeff Gordon clearly in front of Kyle Busch when the two reached the orange cone at the end of pit road. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that where the scoring takes place? Or did NASCAR decide to change the rule back during this morning's drivers meeting?

To be fair, Busch was ahead of Gordon when he exited his pit (the first on pit road). But he trailed at the cone and yet NASCAR still placed him in front of 24 on the restart. The point is moot as Busch was eventually caught up in a wreck that Gordon survived, but it still raises the question: Does NASCAR know its own rules?

The wreck that claimed the cars of Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and others was started by Dale Earnhardt Jr., no doubt about that. Brian Vickers attempted a legal block and a frustrated Junior refused to let off the throttle, sending Vickers spinning across the track in front of nearly the entire field.

Overly aggressive? Yes. Dangerous? Extremely. Penalty? Yes, unless you're NASCAR, then no. This is probably exactly what Mike Helton told the officials: "Hey guys, if we penalize this guy again, the fans are going to start leaving because they'll think we're targeting the most popular driver. Maybe we should let this one slide so they'll stay and buy more stuff."

And finally, the worst call of them all was making the rain delay an official race at 6:48 PM EST.

Are you kidding me? That's like ending the Super Bowl after the third quarter. The track has lights and jet dryers. Wait it out!

Remember that debacle at California almost a year ago? That race wasn't called off until well after midnight. Granted, it wasn't an official race at the time. Even so, as a NASCAR official, you have to give a rain delay at least an hour to clear up.

Today is President's Day. Half the country doesn't have to go to work. They would have stayed up to see the biggest race of the year in its entirety.

New year, new season, new teams, same questionable officiating. NASCAR still has a lot of work to do.

Flyers Steal One In OT, Avenge Wednesday's Loss To Bruins

Steve Prudente — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 18:52:19 -0500

Public Enemy Number One in Boston added to his rap sheet Saturday afternoon. The Flyers Randy Jones took a shot that deflected off Bruins defenseman Andrew Ferrence and past goalie Manny Fernandez to give the Flyers a 4-3 win in overtime.

Jones was booed every time he touched the puck, as Bruins fans showed their displeasure for his season-ending hit on Patrice Bergeron two Octobers ago. He seemed unphased by this treatment, however. "It doesn't bother me if they want to boo me or cheer me or say whatever to me, it's another game."

This wasn't just another game, though. The Flyers needed this win. They needed it to avoid a 3-game losing streak. They needed it to prove that they could play 60 minutes against the best team in the league. They ended up having to play more.

And it certainly wasn't an easy win. The Bruins struck first when Marc Savard snuck one past Marty Biron less than four minutes into the game, but appeared to shoot themselves in the foot when they took two lazy penalties less than a minute apart. The Flyers capitalized, drawing even when Simon Gagne found the back of the net at the end of a 5-on-3 power play.

Boston came back a few minutes later, scoring on a tip-in by Byron Bitz, set up by a laser from Mark Stuart that hit the crossbar and landed right in the goal mouth. Just eight seconds later, the Flyers allowed Chuck Kobasew to maneuver into the zone and snap a wrister over Marty Biron's right arm. Call it bad defense, call it poor goaltending, but any way you slice it, the Bruins had opened up a 3-1 lead.

Flyers coach John Stevens opted to pull Marty Biron in favor of Antero Niittymaki, and it worked. The Flyers came out firing in the second, and Niittymaki stopped all 10 shots he faced. Glen Metropolit, the former Bruin, brought the Flyers back within one after receiving a beautiful pass from Aaron Asham deep in the Boston zone. Metropolit broke his 39-game scoring drought two minutes into the period. Four minutes later, Scott Hartnell connected on the power play, out-muscling four Bruins in front of their net to knot the score at three, where it would remain until overtime.

Near the end of the third period, it appeared fortunes would turn the Bruins' way, as Niittymaki took a delay of game penalty for deflecting the puck over the glass in his defensive zone. Knowing he had put the team in a difficult position, he took it upon himself to make it right. He stopped every shot on the ensuing power play (which carried over into the extra session) and every shot in overtime to set up the Jones goal.

This is a win that should be the spark to ignite a Flyers playoff push. This should be a measuring stick. The Boston Bruins are the best team in the league and deserve to be. They played a great hockey game and somehow, some way, the Flyers figured out how to win, and they did it without their captain on the ice. With Mike Richards in this lineup, who knows how much better the matchups become? The point is, on a day when someone needed to step up, someone did, and that's something you can build on.

Five Questions the Phillies Need To Answer in Spring Training

Steve Prudente — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 02:10:06 -0500

The Philadelphia Phillies currently sit atop the Major League Baseball world. Staying there will be a challenge, no doubt. Here are 5 issues the Phillies need to address before their title defense begins. Please keep in mind these are just my opinions, and this is also my first attempt at any article of this nature.

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Best and Worst Super Bowl Commercials

Steve Prudente — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:18:55 -0500

The NFL always tries to justify why you should still watch the big game even if your team isn't in it. This laundry list includes love of the sport, the halftime show, the fact that its the last meaningful game for months, yadda yadda yadda...

But unless your team is in the game, you know why you're watching: the commercials!

And when ad space costs approximately $100,000 per second, or about $3 million per 30 seconds, you know the folks that are shelling out the money are going to make it worth their while. For the most part, they did. Here are my picks for the best and worst Super Bowl XLIII commercials.

BEST

10. NBC "LMAO Syndrome"—This only gets number 10 because it's not fair that the network should beat anyone else, but had it been anyone else it would rank higher.

NBC promoted its comedy lineup by having people show up at a doctor's office with their rear ends in plastic bags asking for them to be reattached. An instant classic that actually made me want to laugh my ass off.

9. Cheetos "Pigeon Bait"—You've been in this situation before: at a public restaurant, someone is talking loudly and obnoxiously on their phone, and it takes everything in you not to bull rush them and destroy their existence.

In this Cheetos ad, a young woman senses a man's displeasure in this exact situation, and tosses a few cheese curls near the offending party. Said party is attacked by pigeons. Tell me you don't feel like going out and doing this to someone.

8. Pepsi Max "I'm Good"—Tons of physical comedy in this one. Any time you see guys getting hit with boards, bowling balls, golf clubs, a parking garage overpass, and yes even electrocution, you know you have a funny commercial on your hands.

After each instance, every guy says "I'm good." even if he's not. Every guy knows this feeling.

7. Monster.com "Need a New Job?"—The spot opens showing a lush office with a beautiful mounted moose head on the wall above a CEO or chairman of some sort.

The camera then moves to the room directly behind the office, revealing that the moose head isn't mounted, but rather it's a live moose with it's rear end sticking out of the other side and some poor sap stuck working underneath it. A little predictable, but funny nonetheless.

6. Coca-Cola "Heist"—Definitely one of the most creative commercials of the year. Essentially a variety of backyard bugs disrupt a picnic to steal a bottle of Coke, but it's much more complex than that when you actually watch it.

5. Bridgestone "Taters"—Another situation you've been in, on either side: you and your significant other are driving, and "she" is making disparaging remarks about "his" driving. Play out this scenario with Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead, and it's instantly funny.

The two happen upon a herd of sheep and Mr. is forced to slam on the brakes, which in turn forces Mrs.' mouth to fly off into oblivion, creating every man's fantasy: a woman who can't insult him verbally. My girlfriend didn't like this one...can't imagine why.

4. Budweiser "Fetch"—Ah the good old Clydesdales...where would American advertising be without them? There were a few good ones this year.

My favorite was the one where the dalmation fetches a stick and recieves a lot of praise from a farm hand. Not wanting to be outdone, a jealous Clydesdale runs off and fetches a stick of his own, only it's a huge limb. Not only is it funny, but it also has that cute factor that makes it popular among all ages and genders.

3. Doritos "Crystal Ball"—A little predictable, but again, physical comedy is always a hit. An office worker is standing near a vending machine holding a crystal ball and it "tells" him that he's going to get free Doritos at lunch.

He then proceeds to hurl the ball at the vending machine, breaking it open and getting his "free" Doritos. Taking from this example, his co-worker asks the ball if he is getting a promotion and throws it, but ends up nailing his boss right in the family jewels.

2. Denny's "Thugs"—Parodizing almost every mob movie ever created, several men are seated at a table in a diner discussing whether or not one of their colleagues "talked" to anybody important about their "activities."

One decides that they should make him pay, but as he's saying his most serious line, the waitress interrupts him by putting whipped cream onto his pancakes. I was laughing so hard I don't remember the rest of the ad.

1. Bud Light "Swedish"—You knew this had to be number one. Late night staple Conan O'Brien is given a proposition for a commercial. He says he doesn't "do" them for fear of being made an idiot, but reluctantly agrees because the spot is supposed to air only in Sweden.

The ad ends up featuring Conan advertising...something...while wearing drag. Of course, it gets out, and Times Square visitors are seen jeering and taunting the popular talk show host. Jaw-droppingly hysterical. Does anyone know if he had a hand in writing this ad? My instinct tells me he did.

WORST

10. Any movie promo—If you're going to spend three million dollars, why not put it into making the movie better instead of playing a trailer that people are going to see 10 times a night, five nights a week?

9. Priceline.com—And if you're going to spend 3 million dollars, why not go the extra mile and make a fresh, new ad instead of recycling an old one?

8. H&R Block "Death and Taxes"—While they get creativity points for using "death" and taxes in the same commercial, their point didn't come across as planned.

7. E-trade "Talking Babies"—They found a way to make babies both not cute and not funny.

6. Hyundai "Angry Bosses"—I highly doubt that German luxury car makers are that concerned that an economy car won "car of the year" from one magazine.

5. Cars.com "David Abernathy"—A child prodigy accomplishes everything he wants to, but he can't buy a car. Come on. If he's that smart he probably doesn't need to drive.

4. Teleflora "Talking Flowers"—Let me get this straight...if I go to a florist and buy flowers, I don't know what I'm getting. So I'm supposed to call or go online and order flowers that I can't see until I get them. SOLD!

3. Audi "Chase"—If you're starring in an action movie, this is the car for you.

2. Toyota "Killer Heat"—Yet another ridiculous Tundra commercial with that annoying voice. New for this year, the truck is now fire proof.

1. Castrol Edge "Monkeys"—The only thing more surprising than E-trade using babies and making them not funny was this abomination of an advertisement. This defies the laws of comedy. There were monkeys in the commercial, and they were not funny. Maybe I missed something.

HONORABLE MENTION

Of course, there wasn't enough room on these lists for every commercial. These commercials were good, but lacked that extra something to push them into the top 10:

Bud Light "Staff Meeting"—Ah yes, the annual first Super Bowl commercial from Bud Light. The staff of a company is seen in a board meeting trying to figure out how to save money. One member suggests not buying Bud Light for every meeting, and is then thrown out of the office...literally. They toss him, chair and all, out of a fourth story window.

Doritos "Power of Crunch"—A man takes a bite of a chip, and the girl he is looking at loses all her clothes (except underwear). He turns and looks at an ATM, takes a bite, and money comes pouring out. You get the idea.

Good ad, but it was done by Pepsi first. But they went all out and paid for Justin Timberlake and Jeff Gordon to appear.

Overstock.com "Bling and Boozer"—Carlos Boozer shows kids that the most precious piece of jewelry is the one you earn (his Olympic gold medal), not the one you buy. Kind of a counterproductive approach.

G "Champions"—A good commercial showcasing championship caliber athletes. What ruined it was Peyton Manning's emotionless ending.

Careerbuilder.com "Tips"—Any time you can work a Koala punch into a commercial you've got something. Minus points for the guy in the speedo.

Pepsi Max "I'm Good"—Tons of physical comedy in this one

I know I've probably missed some, and of course these are always a hot topic for debate, but overall this year's crop was pretty entertaining.

And, for a change, so was the game.

The All-Star Game Might Look Good...But How Will It Sound?

Steve Prudente — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:45:00 -0500

When the NHL All-Stars face off this Sunday night in Montreal, they will be doing so in perhaps the greatest hockey city in the world...in an arena that possesses the world's worst goal horn.

In case you don't know what the Bell Centre's horn sounds like, take a listen here. I realize it says '07-'08, but it's the same one.

This makes me want to laugh. A goal horn should bring emotion into the home crowd and demoralize the opponent. I don't feel this accomplishes either. In fact, it's - for lack of a better word - sissy. Let's hope this year's game is either a low-scoring affair (and judging by recent results, it won't be) or the arena officials magically replace their goal horn by Sunday afternoon.

Obviously this is subject to debate, but here are my top 5 worst goal horns in the NHL:

Montreal - As explained above.
Colorado - It's annoying for starters, but then they go and blast it three times in a row, just in case you didn't get the point. Blur's "Song 2" as a goal song is decent, but then they ruin it by bringing in police sirens.
San Jose - A fart accompanied by a bad rendition of a perfectly good song and a sports classic, "Rock And Roll Part 2." Makes me feel like I crapped myself.
Anaheim - This reminds me of the "brown noise" from South Park. Also makes me feel like I just crapped my pants. However, I do enjoy Pennywise's "Bro Hymn" as the goal song.
Vancouver - What is that? Seriously.

Now, if you want a goal horn you can set your watch to, go to Dallas. Not only does it sound cool, but it's followed by the aforementioned "Rock And Roll Part 2," but the original instead of a crappy knock-off. Unfortunately, the All-Star game will probably not be returning to Dallas for some time, as they hosted the game 2 years ago.

The NHL can still rectify this year's poor decision by going to any of these teams' arenas for the next All-Star Game (in 2011): Calgary, Los Angeles, Detroit, New York Rangers (as a Flyers fan it almost hurts to write that), and Nashville (even though I'm not a country music fan, I like Music City's song choice).

Enjoy the game (on mute).