The defending Stanley Cup Champion, Tampa Bay Lightning (what a run for “Champa”/Tampa Bay as their 3 teams have made their sport’s last 4 final round entities, winning 2 of 3 but beware as “chalk heel” so often wrong, Barry Melrose picked them vs the Canadiens) rode the game’s only goal, a shorthanded one by Yanni Gourde to a (1-0) win in #7 vs the Islanders.
T.B. netminder, Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded a series clinching shutout (he stopped only 19 shots as T.B. had a wide edge in play as they “semi’d” the Isles for a second straight season) for the 4th straight time, most notably in the first such, a (2-0) win on September 28, 2020 in the Edmonton “bubble” that gave the Lightning their first title and second ever, the previous one in 2004.
Anthony Cirelli whose overtime goal in #6 of last season’s above referenced “semi,” had the lone assist, making a great play, then feeding Gourde, who shot the puck past the excellent Isles’ goalie, Semyon Varlamov, who stopped 30 of 31 Lightning shots.
Artturri “L”ehtinen scored at 1:39 of overtime, lifting the 4 to 1 opening and 7 to 1 after game 1, underdog, Montreal Canadiens (3-2) in #6 and to a (4-2) series triumph, vs the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights may have dropped the “L”as,” but it is a “L”oss, as “L”ehtinen joined Jacques “L”emaire (’68 in game 5 vs “Chi”) and Yvon “L”ambert, on a similar goal to Lehtinen’s last night, as he took a pass from Mario Tremblay–last night the pass to “L”ehtinen was from Phillip Danault, (Lambert in #7 vs the Bruins) as “L” players, who scored semi round, OT clinchers at Montreal, for the Canadiens. (By the way, there are other OT semi round clinching goals for Montreal, I recalled the great Jean Beliveau doing so at Boston in #6 in ’69, John Ferguson in #4 at the New York Rangers in ’67 and the immortal Maurice “Rocket” Richard vs Detroit in ’57 and maybe others. It is not easy to research this).
Vegas lost as an OVER PRICED (the Habs have an excellent goaltender, Carey PRICE, who stopped 37 of the 39 shots he faced) favorite, a semis loss as a favorite for the second straight season, this one costing the local Vegas backers/suckers and was a boon to the “houses” in the desert.
Cole Caufield (in the Clippers’ first ever quarters clincher, it was a Terrence Mann, in “Field of Dreams,” that name was used for the James Earl Jones played, supposed J.D. Salinger character. Of course, Mr. Salinger wrote “Catcher In The Rye,” with its main character being “Holden CAUFIELD”) and Shea Weber, the latter to play in his first final series in this his 16th NHL season, also had Montreal goals.
Speaking of overtime late round series clinchers, Alec Martinez, who had the Cup clincher for the L.A. Kings in ’14 vs the Rangers and Riley Smith had the Vegas goals.
“Les” Canadiens will face the winner of tonight’s game 7, Isles at “L”ightning tilt, with the winner getting home advantage in a series that may, even likely will start on Monday June 28th, the day after “The Mand” turns 66, but is forever young and circling end for a touchdown run that “showed” the guys. Additionally “we” hope and pray for the great Guy Lafleur.
Before Mr. Lambert’s goal on a pass from Mario Tremblay, a somewhat similar right to left pass as Danault to Lehtinen last night, Guy Lafleur tied that game 7/1979 semis with a perfect shot.
The goal above with the immortal Danny Galivan on the call with I believe Lou Nanne as the analyst.
The Atlanta Hawks “opened” the 8 point and over 3 to 1 game and 4 plus to 1 series “faves,” the Milwaukee Bucks (116-113) at Milwaukee last night. Trae Young, OF COURSE, led the way, hitting for 48 points.
I will have more on the Hawks and the fact every one of the 32 NBA and NHL ‘offs teams, as is the case a phenomenal percentage of the possibilities in the years of 4 playoff rounds for all the qualifiers (also 3 rounds), have now lost at home.
Below ESPN.com FAILS to note the Hawks were in the Western Conference and though but (1-8) in such games, losing both series to eventual NBA runners up, the Lakers (Celts in ’69, made it 11 titles in 13 seasons, at that point, and were (7-0) vs the Lakers in an NBA final, eventually (8-0) and now (9-3) while the Knicks dropped the Lakers’ title round record to (0-7) as the L.A. representative, after going (5-1) as Minneapolis led by George Mikan and Jim Pollard) they did win a semis/conference/division final game. They are now (2-12) in semis games as the Atlanta Hawks.
“Never before had the Hawks won an Eastern Conference finals game since moving to Atlanta in 1968. The Hawks reached the East finals in 2015, but were swept by Cleveland.”
The Montreal Canadiens, original nearly 5 to 1 series underdogs and now up 3 games to 2 and slight series favorites, (vs the Golden Knights and the ALSO SAME CALENDAR Phoenix Suns, who got an incredible game 2 win on a Deandre Ayton (24 points on 12 of 15 field goal attempts, can not call the last ‘shooting,” so I did not) last second dunk, via a great Jae Crowder lob pass (coach is Mont Williams and though as with almost everyone he added “like” to his sentence, deserves big praise) and are now prohibitive “faves” vs the likely whole series “Kawhi Leonard-less” Clippers, have semis series leads.
In both “same calendar” years of 1976 and 1993 both the Canadiens, who won both final series going (8-1) and the Suns, who lost each in 6 games getting eliminated in a Sunday home tilt each time, made their sports league’s final round.
Additionally (on ViSN, still sans Pauly Howard-“in addition” was said as I typed from a “short wire distance,” which is not easy) Montreal made and won the title 50 years ago in “same calendar” 1971 and 1965, also losing a classic final when Tony Leswick, a relative of Len Dykstra, joined also Red Wings’ player, Pete Babando, as the only 7th game/final/overtime goal scorers in Cup Final annals, in 1954, another “same calendar” year.
On 4 consecutive nights of play (Monday June 7th-Thursday June 10th, in order, Montreal in 4 vs Winnipeg, Tampa Bay in 5 vs Florida, the Islanders in 6 vs Boston and the Vegas (is there a “Las”, I feel L(AS)OUSY this morning as I knew as did Forslund and the annoying studio crew, who cited the Habs Overtime success in ’93 “en route” and until last night this year all leading to Vegas getting even) Golden Knights vs top seed Colorado clinched quarterfinal series.
A week later, the Phoenix Suns, (whose only two final round appearances occurred in “same calendar as this” years 1976 and 1993 and who won and covered an 8th straight game “Bookering” the Clippers in a greedy ABC afternoon tilt, played a day and a half after the Clippers 6’d Utah Friday past to make their first semi, in this their 51st season (Typical and awful, ESPN “graphic’d” 50 seasons, no ’71-2021 encompasses 51 seasons. They were (0-8) in previous “qtrs.” The “Bookering” reference is praise for Devon Booker, a star in the one NBA game I attended in at least 20 years, a brilliant player who hit for 40 as opening series line 2 to 1 “fave” Phoenix opened the Clippers, winning (120-114) as a 4 point favorite) completed a sweep of the Denver Nuggets.
Last Friday was the aforementioned Clippers #6 “qtrs” clincher vs Utah (Jazz, I know an inappropriately named team and days later Bellman, a sadist if there ever was one, did what “Stone” did 2 days earlier bragging regarding his Utah #6 bet so it cost but I “lived” and “lost” but denied him. Each is a veritable “Stone” in my shoe, clearly a horrible waste typifying my waste/life).
The next night amidst the sickening reality of the Albert’s “Control,” (lucky sperm, winners like them tell jokes-Marv certainly does and was great, the fact son Kenny has it all is no joke and frankly a sickening reality to “never to be,” me) the Bucks 7’d the annexing Nets.
Last night, the Atlanta Hawks, losers in 16 of their last 17 “qtrs,” going in, 7’d the Philadelphia 76ers, coached by Glenn “Doc” Rivers, whose playoffs failures are as ongoing, as the credits on Bullwinkle and Rocky.
One thing does not change, a la Boris, the safe again fell on me.
I knew about the calendar, Booker and the Suns, now at least a 3 to 1 favorite vs the likely Leonardless Clippers. Yet…….
Anyway, Devon Booker is pictured above. Who is #2 on the Wizards, certainly not Elvin Hayes. It all passed me by, yet I will go on!
In a series thus far reminiscent of the Flames (costly for me) 6 game Cup final triumph vs Montreal (Canadiens) in ’89, the Habs (Montreal) take a (2-1) series lead into a home Sunday night game 4 after a home overtime win as they 32 years ago in that aforementioned NHL final.
Vegas, no longer the lone place for legal sports wagering, is still a series favorite, (now -165, having been 10 to 1, after their game 1 win and opening as 5 to 1 series “faves”).
Meanwhile after the 9/11 (soon it is 20 years since my mother died) thing manifested last year, when Tampa Bay took a (3-1) semis lead vs the Islanders, the ninth time in 11 Isles’ semis, a team ( 5 vs the Islanders–’75-’77, ’93 and 2020 and 4 favoring them (’80-’83) led (3-1) or swept after 4 games, with all 9 that did so, going on to the title, the Isles for a third time were the team winning #4 to square the semi-final series.
After doing so in ’79 at the New York Rangers, it was the Rangers, who won the next two game. The reverse after the Isles won game 4 at home, as was the case last night, in ’84 as they went on to “6” Montreal, a still unlikely but surely far more likely than most thought, final round situation.
Simply put, the date (June 19th/today) that slavery–original American sin, frankly, a shame this country can not overcome via Federal holidays, but by lowering its horribly high, ignorant, stupid, mean level of prejudice–IF THEN–ended and the Rosenbergs Julius and Ethel were executed, (a barbaric event), is one and the same.
Read regarding the Rosenbergs, the fact that in New York City, with the world’s largest Jewish population, there was not one Jewish juror.
Clearly, the blacklist, a product of the ridiculous, tragic, overblown so called Communist threat, ruined many lives, and was not so veiled, if at all veiled, anti Semitism.
In an attempt to be positive, let’s cite two people who happened to be Black/black (capital in this usage?) the indomitable Paul Robeson and James Cheyney. Let’s add two young men, who happened to be Jewish (IMAGINE no religion, countries or possessions, WKRP in Cincinnati did via the Gordon Jump character and to complete the tangent, “KRP” cast member, Frank Bonner passed away) Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, who with Mr. Cheyney tried to enact voter rights in the bigoted south (I can put up, or can I with my “micro horror,” however, how is it possible that this country still has such issues nearly 60 years later?!) and were killed for doing so.
It is hard, especially for tangent crazy me, to tackle a subject of this enormity and in a tragic vein. So let’s try harder to lower, if not completely eradicate our levels of prejudice!
Andrew Goodman, James Cheyney and Michael Schwerner left to right. Somehow on this earth, we must go on.
Last night, the Lightning “returned the favor,” doing what the Isles did in the series opener, namely winning on the road by a (2-1) score, and in doing so took a (2-1) “semis” lead.
The Islanders have been in 10 previous “semis” with a venue home/road situation. They went (5-5) in those semis, winning 5 straight en route to 4 titles and one final round loss from (’80-’84), and losing in the semis to eventual champion Montreal Canadiens’ teams in ’76,’77 and ’93 and a Flyers’ “such” team, their last to date, in ’75. They lost to the Rangers in ’79 and it was Montreal in 5 vs the Rangers in the subsequent NHL final.
Additionally at a neutral site/”bubble,” the Lightning 6’d the Isles in last year’s semi and then did the same to the Dallas Stars to win a second title, the other in ’04.
In the 5 semis series wins, the Islanders were a sensational (12-1) at home, the lone loss, up (3-0) vs the Buffalo Sabres (remember them, I ask, as they have 10 straight ‘offs “misses”) in game 4 of the ’80 semis. In the 5 semis series losses, they were (6-7). Additionally, the winner of the first Isles’ home “semis” tilt, (T.B. last night did that) won 9 of the 10 series. Only in ’77 when the Isles battled an incredible 60 wins, 12 losses, 8 ties (remember them?!) Montreal team to game 6 (on VSiN, “game 6’s was said as I typed), did a team (the Isles in game 3) win the first Isles home “semis” tilt and not win the series.
The Lightning (2-3) in home/road venue semis, (3-3) overall in semis, were involved in five, 7 game semis in all previous home/road venue semis. In the first 2, the Lightning win vs Philly in ’04 and the Bruins’ win en route to their ’11 title (the only one for the Bruins in 48 completed seasons ’73-2021 with no NHL season in ’05), the home team went (5-2) in each series (10-4) combined.
However, in the last three, the Lightning win in ’15 before losing to a third “Chi” (Blackhawks) title team in 6 seasons in the subsequent final, and in ’16 and ’18 when Pittsburgh (Penguins) and Washington (Capitals and under current Isles coach, Barry Trotz) won en route to titles, the road team reversed ’04 and ’11 and somewhat shockingly went (5-2) in all 3 of those series.
Meanwhile Montreal squared their semi vs the Las Vegas Golden Knights with a game 2 road win, marking just the 10th time in 40 Montreal “semis,” that the series “stood” (1-1) after two tilts.
I believe and maybe I will check (I think there has been enough of the esoteric), only in ’87, before 2 nights back, did Montreal win a road/game 2 semi to even the series.
Las Vegas is in a third semi in their first 4 seasons, a bit incredible. Also incredible: The Canadiens made the “semis” in 33 of the 37 seasons from (1943-1979), failing only in 1948 and 1970 when they failed to qualify for the ‘offs and in ’72 and ’74 when they were “quartered out” by the New York Rangers.
Recalling the incredible last day of the1970 NHL “reg,” when the Rangers benefitted from a goals tiebreaker and denied the Canadiens an ‘offs spot for just the second time in at least 28 seasons, I checked and saw that it was the Rangers, who finished fourth and beat the Habs out for the final playoffs spot in 1948.
Thus all four times the Canadiens were denied a “semis” berth in those aforementioned 37 seasons from (’43-’79), it was the Rangers, who directly or somewhat indirectly denied a Montreal “semis” berth.
Two franchises, the Los Angeles Clippers (this counts (0-3) as the Buffalo Braves) and the Atlanta Hawks (this only counts their 19 “quarters” as the Atlanta Hawks), with a combined quarterfinal series record of (3-24), the Clippers, 8 plus point(s) underdogs, playing without Kaw Leonard are (0-8).
The Atlanta Hawks, 7 plus point(s) underdogs overcame a 26 point deficit and though I stayed up (a rarity), for the Montreal Canadiens, another huge road underdog, getting 11 to 5, who got even vs 10 to 1 series favorite, Las Vegas (Golden Knights), I did not check back and it took time to realize the “phone” “said” the Hawks first.
Meanwhile sans Leonard the Clippers prevailed and roughly,4 the “parlay” of Hawks/Habs and Clippers paid out at 42 to 1.
The Nets, who years back annexed Julius Erving, annexed again and one they annexed, a brilliant player, Kevin Durant, hit for 49 points and had a great overall game as the Nets, who are (6-0) at home in these ‘offs, and bet from (plus 4 to plus 1) (114-108) vs about to be highly criticized Milwaukee (Bucks, never for me because I can not watch, I can not follow but if I knew Barkley “guaranteed” a Bucks’ win, I would have).
In fact, just going vs Barkley, a never title winning and while great, he was even more over rated, is a money maker. Why this man can just throw and rarely stick and almost never be right is beyond me.
I no longer can fight it!!
Why did the great player, Kevin Durant, pictured above while helping the Warriors win 2 of their 3 recent titles, have to leave the Warriors?
Then again, in fairness, why did this 2 time “jumper,” have to pick his team, as he did in choosing the record breaking, but final round losing, Warriors, after the ’16 season?!!
Andy B Sports 