While the Tampa Bay Lightning hope to clinch their third NHL semi-finals berth in four seasons, today, as they host the Bruins—the three finalists during the past two NHL seasons, lost in game 5 and trail their NHL “quarters,” 3 games to 2.
“T.Bay” leads the Boston Bruins 3 games to 1, winning game 4 last Friday, on Dan Girardi’s overtime goal. Star player, Steven Stamkos had tied the game in the third period, for the Lightning.
Also on Friday night, the unbelievable first year team/story, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, moved within one win of a “semis” appearance, getting two goals from Alex Tuch in a (5-3) win vs the 2016 NHL finalist/losing team, the San Jose Sharks. Game 6 is in “Jose” tonight, do you know the WAY? However, I refuse to PAY, to watch it on NBC Sports Network.
Last night, for the second time this week in odd numbered series games played on the same night (Tuesday last was the other time), “W” teams, “W”ashington and “W”innipeg won vs two time defending champion, Pittsburgh and last year’s finalist/losing team, Nashville respectively, to take (3-2) “quarters” series leads. Game 6 in both of those series is tomorrow night.
One of the greatest sluggers in baseball history is Harmon Killebrew.
He played most of his career with the Minnesota Twins franchise including time when they were still the Washington Senators.
Mr. Killebrew hit 573 home runs and has one of the best home runs per time at bat ratios in baseball history.
I met him briefly at a sports charity event and as expected he was a true gentleman.
The great home run slugger, Harmon Killebrew, pictured above.
Three NHL quarterfinal series are tied at two games apiece after Pittsburgh won at home vs “Wash,” a team they have beaten in 9 of 10 ‘offs series and Nashville (Predators) handing the Winnipeg Jets their first home ‘offs loss, (now all 16 NHL ‘offs participants have lost at home. More on this in a future post as it happens virtually every season) won last night. The night before San Jose (Sharks) won at home to square their quarter vs the amazing, first year team, the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Tonight the Bruins playing at home in Boston, (vs the Tampa Bay Lightning), where the amazing Celtics have gone (6-0) at home in the NBA ‘offs, including two “plus 4 and a half” wins to lead their old rival 76ers (2-0), are favored to help Gary Bettman’s “expansion” and make it 4 of 4, (2-2) NHL quarters.
Yesterday I cited the upset, quarterfinal series opening game wins by both “C” teams, the “C”eltics and “C”avaliers. Each team tries for another upset win tonight, first at 6 P.M. (you think television does not dictate) Cleveland at Toronto followed by Philadelphia at Boston.
On Tuesday three “W” teams posted “w”ins that either kept or gave them “quarters” leads.
The defending champion “W”arriors no covered the New Orleans Pelicans to take a (2-0) series lead.
Meanwhile for the first time in the three consecutive years of Penguins/Capitals NHL “quarters” clashes, the “W”ashington Capitals lead the series after three games. They have a (2-1) series advantage.
Speaking of three, has any team sans home advantage beaten another in 3 playoff series in three consecutive years, which would be the case if the Penguins come back and beat “W”ashington?!
The other “W” team “w”in on Tuesday was posted by the Winnipeg Jets, who overcame a (3-0) deficit vs top ranked Nashville (Predators). They lead the series two games to one.
“W’innipeg is the only NHL team that has not lost at home (4-0) in these ‘offs.
They finished second to the Predators in overall points and are bidding to become the first Winnipeg Jets team, in either incarnation (the original Winnipeg Jets, the greatest of WHA teams led by Bobby Hull, are now the Arizona Coyotes) to win as many as 2 NHL playoffs series in one year.
Tonight again, Pittsburgh hosts “W’ashington while “W”innipeg hosts Nashville.
Last week on Wednesday, the cities of Boston and Toronto faced each other in both hockey and baseball.
Boston teams won both, the exponentially more important first round deciding game in Boston and an early season baseball game in Toronto.
On Tuesday past, Washington won both game 3/Qtrs vs the no matter this series result, great Pittsburgh Penguins and an early season baseball tilt vs the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Both “C” teams, the Celtics (at home vs Philadelphia, “barking” as 4 plus point underdogs and by the way original 5 to 1 series underdogs, now roughly 2 to 1 “dogs”) and Cavaliers (at Toronto and 7 point “dogs,” also original 2 to 1 series underdogs and now likely series “faves”) pulled upset victories in their NBA quarterfinal opening games.
Each team won its preliminary series with a game 7, home win.
Boston took Milwaukee on Saturday and two days later, eased to an opening game win vs the 76ers.
Last night Cleveland which “7’d” Indiana in a 1 P.M. Eastern start on Sunday, won in overtime two days later, in Toronto, vs the East top seed and overall second best record, Raptors.
Fifty years ago, another “LBJ” (sitting President, Lyndon Baines Johnson) bowed out early in another race/competition, that for the U.S. presidency.
Not so this “LBJ,” as his magnificent play has led Cleveland to a quarterfinal round lead vs East top seed, Toronto (Raptors).
Yesterday, flipping consecutive channels, I saw the great comedian, Buddy Hackett on both, in neither case, as anywhere near the star performer.
First I tuned in and saw Mr. Hackett in “Muscle Beach Party.” Then after quickly flipping the channel, this around 7 P.M. Eastern Time, he was part of the great show, “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh In” being shown nearly fifty years after its original air date on NBC on “Decades.”
Mr. Hackett, a magnificent talent can be seen as a panelist on “What’s My Line,” by clicking the link below.
What’s My Line? – Lucille Ball & Bob Hope; Buddy Hackett .
The great Buddy Hackett pictured above in the movie, “Muscle Beach Party.”
The NBA quarterfinals, already underway in the superior Western Conference, resulting in easy opening game wins by top heavy favorites, defending champion Golden State (Warriors) vs New Orleans (Pelicans) and top ranked Houston (Rockets) vs Utah (Jazz–so much jazz in Utah), are now set.
In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers led by a 45 point performance by LeBron James (241 points in the 7 game series, the ESPN report cited Jerry West but not that he did so in a 6 game series) again no covered, (has any team won a series, going (1-6) vs the point spread?!!) but beat Indiana , and now faces top East seed, Toronto (Raptors) in one Eastern semi.
Meanwhile for the 20th time, counting the five Celtics/Syracuse Nationals ‘offs series (Syracuse became the Philadelphia 76ers at the start of the ’63-64 season), it will be the Celtics vs the 76ers.
I will have much more on the great Celtics/76ers playoffs history later in the week.
Only Boston, by virtue of decisive game/#7 home wins 3 days apart, advanced to the quarters in both the NHL (Bruins) and the NBA as the Celtics raised their home game 7 record to (20-4), (once (10-0) overall with all the games at home, before a home loss to the New York Knicks in the semis exactly 45 years ago today), with an easy victory vs the Milwaukee Bucks, (2-8) in game sevens), last night.
Next, the Celtics renew a great playoffs rivalry with the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston will have the home advantage but the upstart 76ers perhaps surprisingly, are over three to one series favorites.The series begins Monday April 30th, the 47th anniversary of the lone Bucks’ title.
Yesterday, Boston met Tampa Bay in both hockey (the Bruins won vs the Lightning and immediately got back the home advantage they lost when they flopped as huge favorites, in the season finale/makeup game 3 weeks ago tonight) and baseball (obviously in a less important tilt, the Rays won a second straight from the Red Sox, whose lead over their very likely biggest competition in the one eighth “div,” Yankees has been cut from 7 and a half to 2 games, during the 8 wins in 8 days Yankees’ win skein).
The NBA first round finally ends today, as Cleveland hosts Indiana in game 7.
It begins at 1 P.M. Eastern Time, not a great ratings time, something Cleveland star LeBron James has rarely, if ever, experienced, in his storied, over publicized, but certainly great playoffs career.
Tonight’s decisive seventh game of their first round series is the third between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.
Boston won the previous two, most notably, in the 1974 NBA final. That game was in Milwaukee, and the Celts won there for the third time in that series.
The other #7 between the two teams was in their last ‘offs clash before this one, some 31 years ago, in 1987, when the Celtics prevailed at home.
They are 4 plus points favorites tonight.
Click below for a great post on Celts/Bucks with great details on the 1974 game for the title, played on a Mother’s Day afternoon with Pat Summerall, the lead announcer in CBS’ first year of NBA coverage.
The author is either Cort Reynolds aka “Professor Parquet” or “Professor Parquet.” In either case, I highly recommend the site.
Old foes Celtics and Bucks renew long-dormant playoff
I love the show “To Tell The Truth.”
This one, with a link below is special.
Ones are operative, Mrs. (Pat) Maris appeared a day after husband Roger hit his famed 61st home run, on October 1, 1961.
Also noteworthy is the fact panelist, Johnny Carson was one year away from hosting “The Tonight Show.”
Enjoy this episode of a great show by clicking on the link below.
To Tell the Truth – Roger Maris’s wife; PANEL: Dina Merrill, Johnny Carson (Oct 2, 1961)
Andy B Sports 