Last night, the Montreal Canadiens won in overtime, to force a 6th game Saturday night in Montreal, vs the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Leafs still lead the series 3 games to 2 and while roughly one eighth capacity (until this, no fans) will not come close to what could have been, it is a “Saturday night, at Montreal,” Leafs/Habs ‘offs game.
In the 13 previous Leafs/Canadiens best of 7 playoff series, the game 2 winner has won 12 of those series. Montreal won the series opener for the 11th time in 14 best of 7 series vs Toronto.
Elsewhere, NBC has deemed game1 of the Bruins/Islanders “quarter,” its Saturday night tilt, with Leafs/Habs starting a mere half hour earlier on NBCSN.
The Bruins are over 2 to 1 series favorites vs the Islanders. New York (Islanders) “quarter’d” the Bruins in ’80 and “semi’d” them in ’83, en route to titles.
Sebastian Aho scored early in overtime last night, lifting Carolina, nee Hartford, (4-3) in #6 and (4-2) in the series. Now Carolina, with home advantage and their pretty full, loud arena, will be series underdogs, vs the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in their “quarter.”
Top ranked, Colorado will start its “quarter” Sunday night at home and on NBC, vs tonight’s (Mitch Moss said “tonight” as I typed, I am a little worried regarding Paul Howard’s 2 day absence on Follow The Money on ViSN) Las Vegas home 7th vs Minnesota, winner.
Winnipeg awaits the Leafs/Habs winner. A 7th in that series would be Monday night in Toronto. Monday night 7th regarding Toronto, recalls the Bruins amazing comeback win some years back.
Sebastian Aho, pictured above.
The Islanders now (5-1) all-time in ‘offs series vs the Pittsburgh Penguins (the wins in 5 different decades, the 70’s,’80’s,’90’s, (2010-2019 or is it 2020 or 2011-2020 you get it so for the next)– (2020-2029/2030) and the defending champion, Tampa Bay Lightning (in an “intra-stater” vs the Florida Panthers) both wrapped their prelimanary series in 6 games, with wins last night.
Already the Colorado Avalanche (they swept the ’19 champion, Blues), Boston Bruins (they 5’d the ’18 champion, under current Islanders’ coach Barry Trotz, Washington Capitals) and Winnipeg Jets (they swept the Edmonton Oilers, winning 3 of the 4 games in overtime) have advanced to the NHL “quarters.”
Meanwhile, last night the Minnesota Wild forced #7 at Las Vegas vs the Golden Knights Friday night, winning (3-0) at home last night.
Tonight the Carolina Hurricanes nee Hartford Whalers, will try to win their series vs the Nashville Predators, as they rode Jordan Staal’s early overtime tally in #5 into a (3-2) series lead.
Here are some notes concerning the Jets, Winnipeg, and the Edmonton Oilers.
This incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets, the NHL’s second (the first is a former WHA team that is now the Arizona Coyotes. More on them in just a bit.) is the former Atlanta Thrashers becoming the Winnipeg Jets.
The just completed Jets’ sweep (the jet sweep is a football play and the Jets, still as such, and the once Houston Oilers, now the Tennessee Titans were once AFL East rivals, just as the hockey original Jets and Edmonton Oilers were WHA rivals), of Edmonton, defied an incredible Oilers’ dominance of the first incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets, in 6 series from (1984-1990).
Edmonton with the great player, Mark Messier on all those teams (Gretzky was on 5) won all 6 series vs Winnipeg as they clashed in the ‘offs, I believe each time within the old Smythe Division, in every year but ’89 from (’84-’90).
The Oilers went on to win all 5 of their titles after dispatching Winnipeg, doing so in ’84,’85,’87,’88 and ’90.
Going into their ’90 opening round clash in which Winnipeg led (3-1) only to be 7’d by eventual champion Edmonton without Gretzky, who chose love/Janet Jones over history (that team so great might have become the greatest of greats if he stayed), the Oilers had an (18-1) ‘offs mark (Messier) “FACING” (think Elroy Face, now 92, who was (18-1) for the ’59 Pirates, who were title winners the next season) vs Winnipeg.
They went (6-0) in series and (22-4) in the ‘offs vs the old Jets but were swept out by the newer Jets this season.
Edmonton won an incredible 5 titles in 7 seasons from (’84-’90) and made it at least to the semis 7 times in the nine seasons from (’84-’92).
Since that point, in 28 NHL seasons (no NHL season in ’05), the Oilers have won just 6 series, 3 coming in ’06 when they made it to the final, losing to Carolina. (Edmonton is (5-2) in final round play just as they won 5 crowns in 7 seasons as stated above). Thus in 24 of those 28 seasons, 6 of each 7, (87 %) they have failed even one round in the ‘offs.
You would know that the Winnipeg Jets were upset, 4 straight games winners vs the Edmonton Oilers from the ESPN.com headline.
ESPN, the monolith, S.A. Smith and other blabbering, insanely well paid (I am the) fool(s), is an indication of a society, well down the drain.
“Oilers finish off sweep of Jets with 4-3 victory in 3 OTs”
Their headline in the box score/recap, (above) of the JETS (4-3) win in game 4 to win the series in 4 straight games.
Oilers finish off sweep of Jets with 4-3 victory in 3 OTs
Phil Mickelson (a dollar at 85 to 1, story of “mi” life, not really) won the P.G.A. Championship.
He is 50 years old and is the oldest to win a major golf crown.
Even if I had the 300 to 1, I would not seek or use “inside information” to increase my stock portfolio.
Thus the crowd (where was the security?!) surrounding and hailing Mickelson is, in my opinion, another indication of the public’s myopic choices.
Five cities/regions have playoffs participants in both the NHL and NBA.
Those cities/regions are New York/Brooklyn/Long Island, Denver/Colorado, Boston, Miami/Florida and Washington D.C.
The New York area, call it that, has the plurality NBA title favorite, the “Annexing Nets,” the surprising Knicks (slight underdogs despite having the home advantage vs the Atlanta Hawks, starting today) in the NBA and the Long Island based, Islanders (tied (2-2) with the Pens in their NHL prelim), in what I believe to be their last Nassau Coliseum year.
Denver has the top ranked NHL Avalanche and the Jamal Murray (less) Nuggets, already down (1-0), as the so called “sharps” have series “fave,” lower seeded (the West “6”) Portland (Trail Blazers).
Boston’s Bruins have won 3 straight from also “2 teams in,” Washington D.C.’s, Capitals to lead their prelim (3-1), while the East “2” but again the plurality/title “fave” Nets covered/”all-teased” the Celtics, in their round of 16/NBA prelims opening game.
The other “Wash” ‘offs entry, the NBA “East 8” Wizards are about 8 to 1 series underdogs vs the Philadelphia 76ers.
Yesterday was a bad day for Miami/Florida teams, as first the defending NHL champion, Tampa Lightning ripped the (Florida) Panthers to take a (3-1) prelims series lead while the Milwaukee Bucks, regaled in their green uniforms, no covered the Heat in overtime, in their series lid lifter.
In a post from 2019 (link below), I commented on the tremendous hitting acumen of Rennie Stennett, a Pittsburgh Pirates title team member in both 1971 and 1979, (though he did not appear in the ’71 post-season, due to injury), who died days back at age 72.
A tremendous actor and thinker, Charles Grodin, (he died at age 86 also days back) was from Pittsburgh and another Pirates title, that in 1960, comes to mind.
I met Mr. Grodin once and upon hearing or realizing he was from Pittsburgh, I did a “Midnight Run” around “The Heartbreak Kid,” and asked him about the ’60 Bucs, a truly amazing World Series winning team.
He told me he was at #7 and of course recalled Bill Mazeroski’s series winning home run, but disappointed me greatly, not remembering Hal Smith’s epic bottom 8th, wallop, (so many others have and it is so sad and so revealing in a negative way!), that transformed a one run “Pitts” deficit, into a (9-7) lead, in an eventual (10-9) triumph.
Ah, but Mr. Grodin was an actor and he mastered his craft. Ditto Rennie Stennett as a hitter. My gift, or is it curse (cue Mr. Cotten’s character in “Kane”) is memory and recall each man fondly.
Rennie Stennett, Quite A Hitter on November 18, 2019
A magnificent, smart man, Charles Grodin pictured above.
These are NOT exact dates notes, however, they do take us back 50 years, to same calendar 1971.
In 1971, 4 teams from each NBA or for that matter, NHL Conference made the ‘offs and the quarterfinals were the first round.
Fifty years later, two of the four Eastern Conference “quarters”/NBA round of 16/prelims are a redux of a 1971 quarterfinal series.
One matches the 2021 East “1” seed, Philadelphia (76ers) vs the Washington Wizards, who as the Baltimore Bullets, 7’d the Sixers in one quarterfinal series in 1971.
In the other “quarter,” involving Eastern Conference teams in ’71, the New York Knicks 5’d the Atlanta Hawks. Fifty years later, the “4” seed Knicks are a slight underdog vs the “5” seed Hawks.
More notes, many more, in the days ahead.
Overall, Joe Valerio, who died days back is someone upon I look back fondly, though what he is best known for, the type of show that manifests in blithering/blathering nonsense gets worse and worse.
My friend Beano Cook helped Valerio get started in what is a cut throat/who you know business and Joe did put Beano on that show (Dick Schaap was great, others had egos the size of Gibraltar (Rock Of) and let’s just say the bombastic, Bob Knight was right for once, that, concerning the relative talents and contributions of Dick and his son with the wife, who did not last) at times, with me there, so early on a Sunday morning.
He was a gentleman, truly organized and knew sports.
I recalled what Valerio was or should be most proud of in his career.
In 1973 in an example of prescience, also displayed by Baltimore writer, John Steadman concerning the ’58 title game according to Bob Wolff, who was one of the broadcasters for “Ameche scores/the Colts are the world champions,” Valerio wrote in his days with a New York newspaper, (Post?) that the Mets mired well out in the N.L. East, would advance to the World Series and lose in 7 to the Oakland Athletics.
That is what happened!!
There were other predictions with dates of games and Valerio nailed it. In one of the studio rooms before that show, Joe proudly displayed the article and was glad I recalled it.
Maybe just maybe, upon greeting Joe, again a good man, God/force/it said something like “that type of prescience reminds me of another entity that I know pretty well,” and that while he/she/it does not condone gambling, a wish the poor on earth would go vs “the bag of wind predictions” on those shows was audible (the latest from great offender, Charles Barkley, a “guaranteed” Charlotte “9/10” game win. Their opponent, Indiana ripped them by 27 points.
“Rock of Gibraltar.”
Today my last “exact” 50 year, NHL or NBA anniversary post, recounts the Montreal Canadiens (3-2) game 7 win at Chicago Stadium vs the Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup, sending their great captain, Jean Beliveau, into retirement with a 10th Stanley Cup crown.
Henri Richard, who two years later would play on a record 11th Cup winner (only Bill Russell in the NBA has as many player titles in one of the four major North American sports leagues), led the #7 win scoring the tying goal in the second period and an all-time clutch, Stanley Cup winning goal in the third period.
Montreal netminder, Ken Dryden, eventually a great, had not even been afforded rookie status but he led the Canadiens to an underdog title as they beat the heavily favored, record breaking, defending champion, Boston Bruins in the “quarters” and the favored Blackhawks in an excellent NHL final.
Click below to view the three Montreal goals, one on a shot just past the red line, by the great Jacques Lemaire, as well as the end of the game.
Ken Dryden talks about his truly great, incredibly clutch save on Jim Pappin’s shot late in the third period.
Three great broadcasters are heard or seen on the video below. Ward Cornell is pictured interviewing Ken Dryden, while Danny Gallivan on play by play and Dick Irvin with commentary are also there.
Andy B Sports 