The just completed NHL final manifesting in a St. Louis Blues’ title means, among other things, that the city of St. Louis joins New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles, in that order of doing so, as cities with titles won, in all four major North American sports leagues.
St. Louis and Boston have now won titles against each other in 7 of the 8 possibilities, as only St. Louis not doing so vs Boston in football was not/never? accomplished. St. Louis is without a football and for that matter, a basketball team, in one of the major leagues.
The basketball Boston Celtics and St. Louis Hawks each won their first titles vs each other, doing so in consecutive years, the Celtics winning in 1957 and the Hawks handing the dynasty Celtics (11 titles in 13 seasons), their lone final round loss in 1958. Boston went (11-1) in final round play those years. In the other non title season, a great Wilt Chamberlain led team, “semi’d” them in 1967.
New England (Patriots) won their first crown vs a St. Louis team, the Rams, in the 2001 season Super Bowl. Now in a calendar year after the Pats’ 6th crown was achieved vs the L.A. Rams, the Blues win their first title and do so against the Boston Bruins.
Boston’s Red Sox ended an 86 year title drought, beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the ’04 World Series while the Bruins ended a 29 year such drought, also in a sweep, vs the St. Louis Blues in 1970.
Meanwhile the Cardinals achieved 7 game World Series triumphs vs the Red Sox, 21 years apart in 1946 and 1967.
Boston teams dropped to (7-4) vs St. Louis teams in final round series, (the Blues and Bruins are (1-1), the Red Sox and Cards are (2-2), the Celts went (3-1) vs the Hawks when the latter was in St. Louis, and the Pats won the lone vs St. Louis final clash, as cited, vs the Rams when they were in St. Louis.
Five of the ten final series between the cities went to a decisive 7th game (Pats/Rams was a one game entity), Boston hosting 4 and winning 3.
However, it was St. Louis in the most recent, the Blues completing an incredible run with their #7 win at Boston (Bruins), yielding their first title and a well deserved parade in St. Louis today
Mr. Brecheen won 3 games, including the decisive 7th game, in the first St. Louis/Boston final, that the 1946 World Series when the St. Louis Cardinals won against the Boston Red Sox.
A night after the St. Louis Blues won their first title in their 51 st season, the Toronto Raptors won their first NBA crown in their 24 season, in a far more competitive (114-110) game, at Golden State (Warriors). It is the third consecutive year that on successive nights, the NHL and then the NBA playoffs season ended.
Kawhi Leonard, who one hopes does not make it more “you root for or in my case against “laundry,” by leaving Toronto, was named the final round most valuable player for the second time in his career (2014 the other).
It was quite a team effort for Toronto. Kyle Lowry was one of two Toronto players with 26 points, including the first eight in the game. Pascal Sakim, who also had 26 points, hit the game’s big shot, as this tilt was even closer than the narrow margin score, a running shot in the lane, that gave Toronto (the city may have a paucity of recent titles, but they have won when they get there as this is the 7th straight final round victory dating back to 1960) a 3 point lead with 26 seconds to play. Fred VanVleet, very good all throughout the ‘offs, hit big 4th quarter shots and had 22 points in the clincher. Leonard also scored 22 in #6.
The Warriors, who were seeking a third straight and fourth title in 5 seasons played almost the entire series without Kevin Durant and in #3 and for the last 14 or so minutes Klay Thompson, two more that hopefully will stay, are now (6-5) in NBA final rounds, this the third straight time in a final round loss, that the series ended on the Warriors’ home floor.
The road team went (5-1) in the NBA final, (5-2) in the NHL final. Toronto won all 3, the last 3 at the Warriors’ home, Oracle Arena.
There will be many more notes in the days to follow, bottom line two great, underdog stories/titles for the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Raptors, giving each city 14 crowns and at least one in all 7 combined major North American sports leagues in which any were possible. (Toronto has never had an NFL team and hail the CFL Toronto Argonauts, for that matter the Raptors, Blues and yes the Bruins and certainly the Warriors).
Fred VanVleet, pictured above.
The St. Louis Blues, in their 51st completed season, won their first Stanley Cup title, winning game 7 at Boston (Bruins) (4-1). It WAS the longest wait for any NHL franchise, before being able to hoist the treasured Cup, for the first time.
Rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington, who ended up stopping 32 of 33 shots, was brilliant, especially in the first period, when his numerous big saves enabled the Blues, despite being severely outplayed, to take a (2-0) lead. At that point, “St. Louis was on their way to the crown, in what became the 8th straight and eleventh in the last thirteen, Cup final/#7, in which the winning team took at least a (2-0) lead and was not as much as tied.
Conn Smythe Trophy winner, (as the outstanding player in the entire ‘offs), Ryan O’Reilly scored the goal that put the Blues ahead to stay for the third time in the series, as he opened the scoring (also for the third time in the final) after Binnington’s first period, great saves had denied the Bruins.
O’Reilly deflected in a shot by Jay Bouwmeester, who HAD played in 1184 regular season games, without winning the title.
Then with just 7 seconds remaining in the first period, Blues captain, Alex Petrangelo, who had an assist on O’Reilly’s goal, took a pass from Jaden Schwartz (he had 2 assists) and scored. At that point, I felt very confident that in time, Mr. Pietrangelo would be presented with the Stanley Cup.
After a scoreless, uneventful, frankly boring second period, Binnington (how about “Jordans” first name or last in winter league sports final rounds telecast by NBC. It “seems” a basketball player with the surname Jordan and his Bulls were (6-0) in the title round, all telecast by NBC. Now Jordan Bennington and Michael Jordan are a combined (7-0) in final round series, all 7 on NBC) made two tremendous, third period saves and soon after, Brayden Schenn scored to make it (3-0).
Rookie Zach Sanford, who rooted for the Bruins as a youngster, also scored while Matt Grzelcyk prevented the shutout, with the lone Bruins’ goal.
The Blues, an incredible sports story were last in points among the 30 NHL teams in early January, but won it all under coach Craig Berube.
Their record on the road in the just completed playoffs was (10-3). The Blues trailed in 3 of the 4 ‘offs series (the first one vs Winnipeg was (2-2) at one point) and gave St. Louis its 14th, major North American sports league crown.
St. Louis joins New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles, in that chronological order of doing so, as cities with titles won, in all four such leagues.
Jordan Binnington, pictured above.
Tonight in Boston, the Bruins will host a #7/final round game for the first time in the 80 seasons, in which that was possible, when they meet the St. Louis Blues at T.D. Garden.
The home team is (12-4) in previous game 7’s for “all the marbles,” however, the road team prevailed in the last two, the Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit in ’09 and the Bruins, in their first seventh game, at Vancouver in ’11. (those #’s again!)
St. Louis (Blues) was swept in each of its three previous NHL final series, including their last before ‘2019, that in ’70, by the Bruins, the series culminating when Bobby Orr scored in overtime.
Half of the ten Boston/St. Louis final round series clashes have gone to a decisive 7th game and four of the five ended/will end with Boston, as the venue.
In a great overtime game in ’57, Tom Heinsohn, like Bill Russell, a rookie that season, scored 37 points, Mr. Russell had 32 rebounds in that game!) leading Boston (Celtics) over St. Louis (Hawks). The Celtics also prevailed in #7/’60 NBA final, easing to the win, in that one.
Bob Pettit’s 50 points, the most ever in an NBA title clinching game, led the Hawks’ victory at St. Louis, vs the Celts in game 6 of the ’58 NBA final.
St. Louis with its baseball Cardinals won both #7/final round/World Series contests vs Boston (Red Sox), doing so at Boston on the real Columbus Day October 12, 1967 (we were off from school) and in the one Boston/St. Louis #7 in this country’s mid west region, in 1946, with Harry Breechen notching his third win of that World Series.
The recent Red Sox, with David Ortiz (events involving he, Kevin Durant and others hopefully put “even” #7’s/final rounds/Super Bowls/World Cups et al. in perspective) leading the way, took the Cards in 4 in the ’04 W.S. and in 6 in the ’13 edition.
I have a feeling that tonight after 7 straight and 10 of 12, NHL #7/final round games, in which the winning team took at least a (2-0) lead and was never even tied, that NBC with lead announcer, Mike Emrick, will get a classic game, maybe even a third overtime 7th game of the NHL final. (The only two thus far, both home Detroit wins, Pete Babando scoring in the second overtime in ’50 and Tony Leswick in the first such “session” (ode to the great Marv Albert, will even cite that his son Kenny is the national radio broadcaster this night in the United States, he is not exactly Danny Gallavan or Kelly, but I hope to listen, as the hard working Kenny Albert, does a good job.)
One more in the category of the type of previous #7’s for the Stanley Cup title, in the first 4, the eventual winning team, the Maple Leafs in ’42 and ’45, the Red Wings as cited above in ’50 and ’54, trailed at one point of game 7, but won the game.
Detroit both trailed in and won in overtime vs a gallant New York Rangers’ team, forced to play 5 of the series 7 games at Detroit and the other two at neutral Toronto in ’50, and trailing, but getting Leswick’s (I believe a distant relative of Len Dykstra, who was on the winning side with the New York Mets in #7/’86 World Series) overtime tally in their ’54 triumph.
Enjoy tonight’s tilt, which is on NBC, beginning at 8 P.M. Eastern Time.
Pete Babando, pictured above, as already cited, scored the Stanley Cup winning goal for the Detroit Red Wings in the second overtime period in game 7 of the 1950 NHL final.
Mr. Babando is still with us on earth. He is 94 years old, having been born on Sunday May 10, 1925.
45 years later, also on a Sunday May 10th, Bobby Orr scored in overtime of the 4th game, lifting the Bruins over the Blues, for their first title in 29 years.
The Golden State Warriors, bet from a three plus point(s) underdog, to a 1 point favorite, first playing with Kevin Durant, then not, as he was injured, won (106-105) at Toronto (Raptors) in game 5, however still trail the Raptors three games to two in the NBA final. Game 6 is in Oakland on Thursday night.
Klay Thompson hit two, as he and Steph Curry combined to hit three, three point shots as “G.S.” scored 9 straight points, to take a 3 point lead with 57 seconds remaining, after trailing by 6 points and Toronto having possession with about three and a half minutes remaining.
Kawhi Leonard, who finished with 26 points, had scored the Raptors last 10 points as they went on a (10-2) run and seemed ready to win their first title when they built the above referenced “up 6 with the ball” lead.
Curry led the scoring with 31 points while Klay, the son of two time NBA title winning player, Mychal Thompson, added 26. It should be noted that Dray Green appeared to get a piece of the ball on Kyle Lowry’s last second shot and that Durant had played well before being injured.
Toronto teams, which remember have won 6 straight final round entities, have now gone up (3-1), winning #’s 3 and 4, but then losing #5, in 3 straight final rounds.
The baseball Blue Jays did so, in both ’92 and ’93, each time winning the title in game 6.
In ’92, Toronto faced another Oakland team, the Athletics in a baseball “semi”/ALCS and leading 3 games to 1, lost a game 5 on a Monday, as is what manifested yesterday. The Blue Jays won that series in six games.
The Boston Bruins won (5-1) at St. Louis (Blues) last night to force a decisive seventh game for the Stanley Cup title on Wednesday night in Boston.
Tuukka Rask was brilliant in goal, as the Bruins staved off elimination for the third time in these ‘offs, and will host a seventh game of the final, for the first time in their history.
Brad Marchand opened the scoring for the Bruins, who had a 2 man advantage power play. The team scoring first has won 4 of the 6 games, thus far in this final.
Rask led the way, Brandon Carlo made it (2-0) in the third period, the Bruins stymied all four Blues’ power plays and Ryan O’Reilly, so clutch in #’s 4 and 5, failed to score on opportunities when it mattered, and then scored with his team down (3-0) well into the third period.
Tuukka Rask, pictured above.
The Bruins were in 14 best of 7, NHL final round entities, including the first one in 1939, a Bruins’ 5 game, series victory, by the way, without playing in a seventh game. Now they are in their second in their last 3 final rounds, having played in and won #7, at Vancouver in 2011.
They narrowly missed being in a seventh game in ’13 when the Bruins dissipated/Chicago (Blackhawks) rallied to both tie and win #6 at Boston, in the last minutes of play.
Should the Bruins prevail on Wednesday night, Boston will join Detroit in 1935-1936, as the only cities to win baseball, football and either hockey (which was the case in ’35-’36, no NBA until ’47) or basketball crowns in that order (baseball then football then either hockey or basketball) and consecutively.
1935 fits in, no matter Wednesday’s outcome, as if the Blues prevail, they will be the first team since and likely joining the (1934-1935), Montreal Maroons, as the only teams to win the Stanley Cup, with a losing playoffs record at home.
We will take Mike Emrick’s word for it on that matter. He also cited the Bruins, now (25-1) record in playoff games, in which Mr. Marchand scored a goal. He wondered regarding the one loss, joked about it, but did not cite it.
I am not like that and offer the failure of the Blues to win the title with a chance to do so, is only the second time after 1946, that a team with a chance to do so on a Sunday, failed in that endeavor. Nine teams succeeded in that span, including the Bruins vs the Blues in 1970.
The other time was in 1971 when Montreal won #6 on a Sunday afternoon vs “Chi” and then won #7, with Henri Richard scoring two third period goals in a (3-2) Habs win. Oh in ’46, it was the Bruins, down (3-0) who staved off elimination for one game, winning on Sunday April 7, 1946. Montreal then “titled” at home.
Thank goodness, David Ortiz, who in my opinion did more than anyone even the great Tom Brady, to positively turn around Boston sports’ fortunes, is in stable condition and not worse, after being shot while in his native Dominican Republic.
Yesterday was the 51st anniversary of pitcher, Don Drysdale breaking the consecutive scoreless innings streak of the legendary Walter Johnson.
“Big D,” as Drysdale was known had accomplished the most difficult part, hurling 6 straight shutouts to amass 56 consecutive innings pitched without allowing a run.
Johnson’s record was 56 scoreless innings. Drysdale reached 58 and two thirds, doing so on another Saturday (night–alas it may be “all right for fighting,” but ….) June 8th, made even more memorable, as Robert F. Kennedy was laid to rest that day.
Senator Kennedy had congratulated Drysdale on his 6th straight shutout in his “victory” speech, after winning the California primary 4 days earlier. Soon after doing so, he was shot and killed.
Don Drysdale, pictured on the cover of Life, September 28, 1962
The Toronto Raptors are on the precipice of their first NBA crown, after winning game 4 at the Golden State Warriors, to take a (3-1) NBA final series lead.
Kawhi Leonard led Toronto with 36 points, 17 in the third quarter when Toronto outscored “G.S.” (37-21) to take a 12 point lead into the 4th quarter. Meanwhile Serge Ibaka, came off the bench and scored 20 points, shooting a superb 9 of 12 from the floor. Game 1 hero Pascal Siakim (32 points, on incredible 14 of 17 shooting on field goal attempts in that tilt) added 19 for the Raptors, who can clinch their first title with a win, Monday night at home.
While Klay Thompson, as expected (he had 28 points) returned and Kevon Looney unexpectedly returned, the Warriors were without Kevin Durant for the 9th straight game. They won the first 5, but now trail (3-1) sans home advantage, to the Raptors, who have won and covered 7 of 8 games since falling down (2-0) to the Milwaukee Bucks in the semi-final round.
Remember the city of Toronto is on a 6 game final round win skein (the last word for the benefit of that superb and appreciated proofreader, “Cheese”) dating back to 1960. The city is (13-8) in previous major North American sports league final round entities. (Baseball Blue Jays (2-0), hockey Maple Leafs (11-8)— (by the way the same final round record as a team from a city also one win away from a title for one of its teams, but in a less advantageous situation, namely St. Louis, whose Blues play game 6 at home tomorrow night vs the Boston Bruins, in a bid for their first title. The St. Louis team that is (11-8) in final round play/World Series being the Cardinals.)
This is the third straight time a Toronto team has won games 3 and 4 to go up (3-1) in a final round series, the baseball Blue Jays having done so in both ’92 and ’93, each time winning the crown in 6 games.
The Blue Jays clinched the ’93 title when Joe Carter joined Bill Mazeroski as the only players to hit a World Series ending home run. That Toronto title was the most recent for a team based in Canada.
Kawhi Leonard, pictured above, likely, but far from definitely, on his way to a second final round most valuable player award.
The St.Louis Blues, in their 51st season (’68-2019, no NHL season in ’05) are on the precipice of their first NHL title after a (2-1) win, at Boston (Bruins) in game 5 of their NHL final series.
For the second straight game, Ryan O’Reilly, who played a brilliant all around game, “opened” in the first minute of a period, this time the second, giving the Blues the lead.
In the third period, he assisted on David Peron’s controversial goal (there appeared to be a penalty on the Blues’ Tyler Bozak and why did NBCer, Ed Olczck say nothing was called because the Blues were in the offensive zone?) which made it (2-0) and rookie Jordan Binnington stopped all but one shot, (a goal by Jake DeBrusk) among 39 he faced, manifesting in a chance for the Blues to title in game 6, Sunday night in St. Louis.
Ryan O’Reilly, pictured above.
Kawhi Leonard (30 points) and Kyle Lowry (23) led a balanced Raptors’ offense (all 5 starters had at least 17 points and scored 106), as the Toronto Raptors won (123-109) in game 3 at Golden State (Warriors) to take a 2 games to 1 lead in the 2019 NBA final.
Steph Curry scored 47 points for “G.S.” which played without Klay Thompson for the first time in an ‘offs game and also Kevin Durant and John Looney., the latter out for the season, Klay and Durant, I will say probable for #4 in Oakland on Friday night.
The game 3 win was the fourth straight for a Toronto team in a final round entity, all four in (1-1) situations, with the previous three manifesting in 6 game Toronto team titles (both Blue Jays World Series, those in ’92 and ’93 and the Maple Leafs’ last title in ’67).
Golden State, which has scored 109 points in all 3 final round games, (I would think that is the first time a team has scored the same number of points in 3 straight final round games in the NBA), is now (7-4) in game 3 of an NBA final. They are (1-3) in (1-1) situations, losing in ’48, ’15 and ’19 winning in ’56.
After the Warriors (’64, ’67 and ’75 the latter the last time “G.S.” hosted #3/NBA final) and also Oakland, Athletics, (’74 and ’88) combined for a (5-0) mark in the first 5 Oakland/San Francisco basketball and Oakland baseball home #3/final games, the area has lost the last two, the Reds beating the A’s en route to a very surprising 4 game sweep in the ’90 World Series and last night.
I gave you mucho notes, (likely much, too much) now a fairly obvious opinion: The Warriors need Klay Thompson and probably Durant, to win this series. They really missed Thompson’s defense in #3 as Toronto scored 123 points, the same number L.A. (Lakers) scored in winning the ’80 title in game 6, without Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
In that tilt, in sharp contrast to last night (Curry had 47 points in a loss, with little help from anyone else), Earvin “Magic” Johnson had 42 points and Jamaal “Silk” Wilkes, also a member of the ’75 Warriors title team, added 37.
Danny Green, pictured above had a very good game 3 for the Toronto Raptors.
Andy B Sports 