The Tampa Bay Lightning, so good starting in 2015, but denied in the 5 playoffs (’15-’19) under now title winning coach, Jon Cooper, “lowlighted” by a humiliating first round sweep after a truly great “reg” last season, won their second title and first since ’04, clinching it with a (2-0) win vs the Dallas Stars, in game 6 of The Cup final last night.
Brayden Point had the so, if not all important, first goal of the tilt, his 14th of these ‘offs which led all players. It was close among a few Lightning players, but I would have given Point the Conn Smythe Trophy, as the outstanding player of the ‘offs, but instead the honor went to an established great player, Victor Hedman.
Certainly netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, who stopped all 22 Stars’ shots on goal in the clincher or the superb player, Nikita Kucherov, (he led scorers with 27 points, Hedman had 26 while Point had plurals of his surname–adding 10 assists to his 14 goals.
Blake Coleman had the other “T.B.” goal in the clincher with Pat Maroon making a fine play to set up the goal.
Maroon became the 9th player to play on Stanley Cup winners with two different teams, in consecutive seasons. One of those players, Joe Wash was on both the ’07 Ducks and ’08 Red Wings but did not meet the criterion to get his name engraved on Lord Stanley’s Cup.
A tremendous player, (a show I was listening to yielded “tremendous,” as I wrote same), the Stars’ Joe Pavelski, was second to Point in goals, but is denied for a second time in a 6 game final (the Penguins denied Pavelski’s San Jose Sharks in ’16) leaving the 14 year veteran, as one of the better players, sans a Cup title.
All 3 Lightning final round series have ended on a Monday night.
The Lightning (2-1) in final round play, raised the Tampa Bay final round record to (3-2).
Do not look now, but the Tampa Rays are the A.L. “1” seed, which actually means little but they had a fine (40-20) season and a “man named Brady” and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead the NFC South with a (2-1) record. The upcoming Supe is in Tampa. Nah!!
Tonight the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won their lone title in a game 7 on a Monday night in 2004, seek a second, as they take a (3-2) series lead into tonight’s game 6, vs the Dallas Stars.
The teams exchanged overtime wins in the “whored out” back to back tilts in games 4 and 5. On Friday night in game 4, the Lightning’s Kevin Shattenkirk won it in the first overtime, while veteran Corey Perry won #5 for the Stars in the second overtime, on Saturday night.
Dallas’ Joe Pavelski tied both tilts, with goals fairly late in regulation time.
In 4 straight games (the Stars’ 3 OT Cup clincher in ’99, the Stars 3 ot win in game 5 2000 vs the Devils, the Devils 2 ot Cup clincher in game 6, 2000 and 2 days ago, the Stars 2 ot (overtime) in #5 this year) in which the Stars (once) or their opponent (thrice) had a chance to “title,” a multiple overtime game ensued.
The Lightning are (0-3) in both games 1 and 5 of the NHL final, (3-0) in #2, (2-1) in games 3 and 4 and (1-1) in #6. All 5 game 6 winners in previous Stars/North Stars or Lightning final round series, won the series, four clinching in game 6.
Martin St. Louis, pictured above, won game 6 for the eventual champion Lightning in game 6 of the 2004 final at Calgary (Flames).
With “his” team down (3-2), Lightning “analyst,” Phil Esposito, already cited here as a playing great, did not make the trip to Calgary.
The Los Angeles Lakers (26-5) in semi-final round play as L.A. and (32-9)all-time, which counts Minneapolis and that former team location explains the great franchise’s nickname), advanced to their first NBA Final in 10 years, “5-ing” the Denver Nuggets, who did more for this advance, than any one L.A. player, even their two annexed greats, LeBron James (38 points in the clincher) and series star, Anthony Davis, when they knocked out the L.A. Clippers, who fell to (0-8) in “quarters.”
Meanwhile, the Nuggets fell to (0-4) in “semis,” three of the losses at the hands of the Lakers. The previous two were followed by L.A. titles (1985 and 2009).
Mr. James will be in his 10th final (his teams are (3-6) and tell me Rachel Nichols and someone named Russillo, who dared bring up “James is as good as Jordan nonsense,” what did the “King” do in final round play in ’14, ’17 and ’18 (I will excuse getting swept in ’07, but really why as this player and worse the uninformed “today’s is best” media attitude want to call him the greatest, when if you look at the whole body of work, he is NOT close) when his teams were routed, going (2-12), 9th in 10 seasons.
Of course he is a great player, one of the best, but nowhere near the best and more annoying than his “jumping” to great team/conference situations, is the never ending hype involving this player.
Yet, I also must look in the mirror and reflect on why this would matter at all, no less so much?!!
Again “Leb” is a magnificent player, seemingly unbeatable when he has the better or far better team, but look, for example, at the magnificent Warriors’ run in their game 5 clincher vs James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017.
He (James) was nowhere to be found. Knock Jordan’s persona all you want and I am not thrilled with it either, largely for different reasons than arrogance, but as a player, he did what it took, never lost a final and almost never, if ever, was the non factor James was during that Golden State run!!
I am not sure if PBS station WNET, Channel 13 is doing so in light of Gale Sayers’ death, but they are showing “Brian’s Song” tonight at 9 P.M. Eastern Time.
It will be shown again after midnight. Check your local listings.
There have been few athletes who combined greatness, class and beauty the way the great Gale Sayers did.
Sadly, Gale, is yet another sports and overall great to die in what might be apocalyptic 2020.
I recall a highlight of one of Gale’s runs as a member of the Kansas football team, which was truly fantastic. Next came the great 1964 NFL draft for the Chicago Bears, which brought them Gale and the great linebacker, Dick Butkus.
Sayers was fluid, exciting and beautiful to watch as a running back. Jim Brown is my favorite and I believe the best. His last season was Gale’s first, that in 1965.
Gale was as exciting as any, his career slowed by two severe knee injuries.
I think 10th grade, if not 11th and even the most macho guys admitted they cried (I cry easily, remember what Jim Valvano said about a good day being one we laugh, cry and think) after watching the television movie, “Brian’s Song,” which showed Gale’s great friendship with fellow Bears’ back, Brian Piccolo, a truly courageous man, who succumbed to cancer at a tragically young age.
As Gale did, “we” “weave and dart” to James Caan (he played “Pic” and Billy Dee Williams'(he portrayed Gale) praise of Gail, the downs of football (Gale knee injuries and the fact he suffered from dementia, yet another “footballer” who did), and that day of mud and rain at Wrigley Field Chicago, in December, 1965, when Sayers scored SIX touchdowns.
That was a beautiful thing in football, watching Gale Sayers!
The great Gale Sayers, pictured above.
Click below, to view Gale Sayers scoring six touchdowns vs the San Francisco 49ers on December 12, 1965. Once I heard the actual play-by-play of the great Jack Brickhouse but I could not “find” it. Mr. Brickhouse is heard on the above, he is especially eloquent on TD #6, a punt return.
It very much looks like a Lakers/Heat final, (both LeBron James and Pat Riley going vs their former teams) and a Tampa Bay Lightning title, yet stranger things have happened.
The Lightning, who lost game 1 (4-1) and won the second (3-2), rolled past the Dallas Stars last night, to take a (2-1) Final round lead.
A great player, (often criticized by Lightning “analyst,” another great player, Phil Esposito)– Nikita Kucherov “opened’ with a breakaway goal while the returning star, Steven Stamkos, ripped in a goal to make it (2-0) “T.B.”
Victor Hedman had 3 points for the Lightning, who also lost (4-1) in the final round opener, the one time they won the final, that in 2004, vs the Calgary Flames.
“T.B.” did lose the final after taking a (2-1) series lead vs the “Chi” Blackhawks in 2015. Thus, in both previous Lightning (final) rounds, the team down 2 games to 1, rallied to win the title.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat, a slight “series underdog,” and already having helped the Lakers (it is “his” league and I do NOT like it!) by 5’ing the top ranked Milwaukee Bucks in the “quarters,” likely will help them again, as they lead the Boston Celtics 3 games to 1.
Sure, either or even both the Stars and Celts could come back to win (Celts overcame (3-1) “semis” series deficits to win and eventually title in ’68 and ’81), but do not count on it. I have no “get back” in me!
Nikita Kucherov, pictured above.
The L.A. Lakers are now say, 50 to 1 favorites (they lead the “paving company” Denver Nuggets (2-0), to raise their semi-final record as the L.A. Lakers, to an incredible (26-5).
One of their top players along with and as with Anthony Davis, one they annexed, is of course, LeBron James.
In all likelihood, while the Lakers will be winning an 8th straight semi, a James team (4-0 with both previous jumped to teams, the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers) will be winning his 9th straight and be (10-1) in career semi-final round series.
Anthony Davis getting rich.
There is a scene in the 2014 movie, “Obvious Child,” in which the fact that essentially “old men in robes” can decide what a woman can do with her body, is reviled.
I have no love of the legal system and certainly not the concept of an all powerful Supreme Court, which has become so dangerously political.
However, there have been exceptional people who rose to that all powerful position, one being Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last week at age 87.
She overcame obstacles, fought hard and used her brilliance to gain tremendous favor and popularity.
That is well deserved, but all of us, who hoped/prayed she could keep breathing, if for no other reason than allowing the (not) right “stacking,” feel or ought to feel the fear, and rage.
It is not just “that,” but an erosion of standards, that makes this a mournful sobbing and complaining, instead of a well deserved tribute to Ruth, who got up, exercised, read, learned, loved and most of all, lived an extraordinary life.
People like me, fairly or in unfair fashion, dream one, she lived one and maybe can help us from above. G-d/the gods likely, will at least listen.
Ruth in 1977.
Tonight in neutral Edmonton, Alberta Canada–the heavily favored (a bit too heavy, in my opinion) Tampa Bay Lightning meet the Dallas Stars to commence Emrick’s 15th NBC/its subsidiary channels’ Stanley Cup Final.
Each franchise has one title, but neither has ever won both a Stanley Cup final opening game and the title in that season. In fact, the teams are a combined (1-5), to be (2-6), after tonight, in final round opening games.
The one win was by the amazing, under .500, 1991 Minnesota North Stars, who won game 1 and lost game 2 in all four of their playoff series and were 6’d by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won the first of their 5 titles that season, in doing so.
Dallas nee the Minnesota North Stars are (1-3) in final round play, losing to the Islanders in ’81 and as cited Pittsburgh 10 years later. As the Dallas Stars, they are (1-1), winning an overtime, Saturday night 6th game clincher at Buffalo in ’99 and losing such a tilt, at home, vs the New Jersey Devils in 2000.
Tampa Bay split their 2 previous NHL final round series, beating Calgary (Flames) in 7 games in ’04 and losing in 6 games, to a Chicago Blackhawks team, that was the last team to clinch the NHL title at home, (that of course will be the case in 2020) in 2015.
The Dallas area teams are (4-0) vs Tampa teams in post-season series, all earlier, if not early ones. The Rangers won division series vs the Rays in both 2010 and 2011, en route to eventual final round/World Series losses.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys won a strike induced wild card round game vs the Buccaneers in ’82, after a slot 1/division round win in 1981. The Cowboys lost NFC Title games/”semis” both seasons.
Both teams and the cities of Dallas and Tampa have .500 records in final round play. The Cowboys are (5-3), the Stars and Mavericks each (1-1) and the Rangers are (0-2), hence Dallas is (7-7).
Meanwhile the Buccaneers won in their lone Supe/final round while the Rays lost. Add the Lightning at (1-1) and Tampa has a (2-2) final round record.
In recalling Bill Masterton, who scored the first goal in Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars’ history and tragically died in January 1968, one can gain perspective.
Click below for John Rosengren’s excellent piece about Masterton’s death and the gaining of knowledge about concussions and their adverse effect on sports.
NHL — Real reasons for the death of Bill Masterton highlight …
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In answer to the title question, the NHL Final, which begins Saturday night in neutral Edmonton, Alberta and has a schedule that includes “tail wagging the dog,” back to back games 4 and 5, is set, as it will be the Tampa Bay Lightning vs the Dallas Stars.
Anthony Cirelli’s goal 13 minutes plus into overtime lifted the Lightning (2-1) in game 6, over a gallant New York Islanders’ team.
Meanwhile in the NBA, the Lakers, whose road has been “paved,” are close to 6 to 1 favorites vs the Denver Nuggets, while the Miami Heat, an incredible (10-1) both “straight up” and vs the spread in these ‘offs, have a (2-0) series lead vs the Celtics, who dissipated nice leads in each game.
Thus a Lakers/Heat (Leb James vs his first “jumped to” and second “jumped away” team) is very likely.
Anthony Cirelli of the Lightning, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 