Archive for April, 2010

Are The Philadelphia Flyers Favorites Again?

Posted: 26th April 2010 by Hunter McDowell in NHL
The Flyers started this season with higher expectations than most, having won the offseason in many analysts' minds with the additions of bruising defenseman Chris Pronger and goaltender Ray Emery. Then the season started and Philadelphia began underperforming almost immediately out of the gate. For long stretches of the season there were questions aplenty as to whether or not the Flyers would miss the playoffs entirely. There was speculation of fighting in ...
It’s a miracle! The San Jose Sharks made it out of the first round alive. The first three games of the first round series saw the Colorado Avalanche grab a 2-1 series lead and it appeared as if the Sharks were going to fall apart in the first round yet again—but San Jose was saved…by Ryane Clowe and Joe Pavelski? While Clowe and Pavelski both had fantastic season with the Sharks, nobody ...
This is what the NBA summer of 2010 is all about. Along with LeBron, Dwyane Wade is the only other player who can alter the orbit of nearly a dozen franchises and the hope of millions of fans around the Association this offseason. Even though only a few teams can realistically even dream about signing LeBron and Wade, nearly every other dollar of available cap space hinges on where they go.  The ...
The Washington Capitals have struggled at home against the outmatched Montreal Canadiens in their first round playoff series. The first two games in Washington featured a comedy of bad bounces, stumbling skaters, and what seemed to be not really playoff-quality play or ice. Montreal managed to get all the bounces sneaking away with an overtime victory in game one. Despite a complete collapse in the third period of game two they still had ...
The NBA's top player is one of the most debated topics in all of professional sports. This debate usually begins and ends with two names: LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. But what happens when you throw a twist into the scenario? Who will be the top ten players in the NBA in three seasons? This scenario makes the top players in the NBA a little tougher to identify. Which is why ...
George Hill caught a desperation pass in the corner from 6'7" rookie Dejuan Blair, who had just snared his first of five offensive rebounds in a tense and physical Game Four, and delivered the first of his many presents to Tim Duncan. He swished a three-pointer with less than one second left to give the Spurs a 20-17 edge after the first quarter. When his 29-point star turn was over, his message was clear, his status as the key to this series established. Happy 34th, ...
After a dismal performance in Game Three, it was interesting to see how the Denver Nuggets would approach Game Four in order to steal a road win and recapture control of their first round series with the Utah Jazz. However, aside from a too-little, too-late rally when Utah let its guard down—a near disaster given Denver’s ability to score in a broken field—the Nuggets were once again throttled in ...

Atlanta Hawks: Don’t Panic and Win Game Four

Posted: 25th April 2010 by Jack Bender in NBA
Did anyone really think that the Milwaukee Bucks were going to roll over and just let the Atlanta Hawks sweep this series?  The Bucks are a tough team that has overachieved all year long.  Head coach Scott Skiles pushed all the right buttons during the long layoff between Games Two and Three in this series. With that being said, the Hawks looked terrible in Game Three.  It would have been easy to ...

2010 NBA Playoffs: Cavaliers Answer Questions in Game 4 Blowout

Posted: 25th April 2010 by Eric Felkey in NBA
There's a new creed in the Cavalier kingdom: Ask and ye shall receive. You're asking for more intensity, more focus, and a renewed playoff energy? It took a quarter and a half, but the Cavs finally looked a No. 1 seed for the first time since Game 1, using a 39-15 run across the end of the first half and beginning of the second to turn a three-point deficit into a 21-point ...

Cavaliers-Bulls Game Four: Questions for LeBron, Rose, Noah, and Vinny

Posted: 25th April 2010 by Darrell Horwitz in NBA
Being lucky enough to have a press pass for Game Four of the Chicago Bulls-Cleveland Cavaliers playoff series, I had the opportunity to ask some postgame questions to the stars of both teams, along with Bulls' coach Vinny Del Negro. The Bulls were blown out, but the game was 47-46 Cavs when the turning point of the game occurred with Vinny Del Negro substituting James Johnson into the game with 3:05 left in ...