While the Warriors finally clinched a title with a home win, not so for the Penguins, who paraded yesterday (A Penguins Parade, if you will), but have never clinched a title at home, despite having 5 NHL titles.
One day with better research, I will say for sure, but I am pretty certain no team in any of the four major North American sports leagues clinched their first and to this point, only titles on the road.
The city of Pittsburgh is a stellar (14-3) in title series/title games–all Supes, since the great 1927 New York Yankees (Lou Gehrig was born 114 years ago this upcoming Monday) swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1927 World Series.
Pittsburgh (Pirates) are (5-2) in World Series play, (3-0) since 1927 and the last Pittsburgh title clincher at home was the Pirates’ great win in #7 1960 World Series. The Steelers are (6-2) in Supes, all won or lost at neutral sites. The Pens are (5-1) in Cup Final play, with the only title series ending in Pittsburgh being the Red Wings #6 clincher in ’08.
Both of last year’s basketball team runnersup, North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament and the Golden State Warriors are champions a year later, upon quick and likely accurate review, a first in 70 possibilities.
The NHL Penguins and NBA Warriors, who won 2 of those titles as the Philadelphia Warriors, each claimed their 5th crown, again most likely after quick review, the highest total of same year/same number titles in NHL/NBA annals.
At the moment three of the six champions (those 6 are from the four major North American sports leagues and college “pig”/football and basketball), were second best a season ago, Clemson winning vs defending champion Alabama after losing to them a year earlier.
In 1975, the New York Islanders stunned the Pittsburgh Penguins, overcoming a (3-0) quarterfinal series deficit, winning game 7 at Pittsburgh with Ed Westfall, scoring the lone goal. That year the Warriors were upstart NBA champions, having not even qualified for the NBA ‘offs the year before.
Last year, a night after the Pens claimed the title with a Sunday night game 6 road win, the Warriors both failed in that night’s game 5 and eventually lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 7 game NBA title series.
When the Islanders overcame the (3-0) deficit vs the Pens in ’75, they became just the second team in any major North american sports league to do so.
The only other team at that point to do so were the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs (vs the Detroit Red Wings in the 19″FORTY TWO” NHL final).
Now a year after the Pens win/Warriors lose juxtaposition of a year ago, and FORTY TWO years after the Warriors win/ Pens dissipate a (3-0) “quarters” lead situation, they are for the first time, respective league champions together.
The Golden State Warriors, eight plus point favorites, won their second NBA title in three seasons, beating the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers (129-120), to win the series in 5 games.
Series MVP, Kevin Durant was brilliant scoring 39 points, while Steph Curry had 34 to pace the Warriors, as they clinched an NBA title in their West Coast home for the first time.
2015 title series MVP, Andre Iguodala contributed mightily, scoring 20 points. LeBron James led all scorers with 41 points, but where was he to stem the tide during a (28-4) Golden State run that put them well ahead? Alas during that period he had no points and more telling, took but two shots.
It is the third time the Warriors’ franchise won a crown in a game 5 home game, as both Philadelphia Warriors’ titles (1947 and 1956) were won in such a way.
Last year and it still hurts, the record breaking 73 win Warriors failed to repeat, just as the defending champion Warriors also failed, forty years earlier. The ’16 Warriors failed 60 years after the ’56 Philadelphia Warriors won it all.
Now 70 years after the Philadelphia Warriors won the first NBA crown, the Warriors under Steve Kerr (with help from ’07 Finals losing coach Mike Brown, then with the Cavs), who won his 7th title (5 as a player, now two as a coach) have won the NBA championship.
Patric Hornqvist scored a/THE goal with just 1:35 remaining in the third period, lifting the Pittsburgh Penguins to a victory at Nashville, vs the upstart 16th ranked Predators, that gives the Pens a second straight title, this one coming a year to the day on a Sunday night/Tony Awards night, in a game 6 road tilt, vs a team making its first NHL final appearance.
Last year, “Pitts” won at San Jose, on Tony Awards night and much like the great talent/performer Bette Midler, the Penguins refused to yield the “stage,” as hockey champions.
Their great player Sidney Crosby was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for the second straight season, while goaltender Matt Murray notched his second straight shutout to close out a second Cup winning season, while still considered an NHL rookie player.
The city of Pittsburgh, now a pretty nifty (14-3) in major North American sports league’s final(s) (I am tempted to add the ’67-’68 Pittsburgh Pipers’ title in the first of 9 ABA seasons, but despite Connie Hawkins, I do not) since a truly great 1927 New York Yankees team wiped out the baseball Pirates in 4 straight World Series games, becomes I am pretty certain, the first city, to twice achieve as many as two straight titles from two different teams– the ’91 and ’92 Pens led by current team executive, Mario Lemieux, the awesome ’74 and ’75 then ’78 and ’79 Steelers both won 2 straight crowns.
Here’s one, the last Cup clinching game won by a road team that ended (2-0) also resulted in another Pennsylvania team, the 1975 Philadelphia Flyers winning a second straight crown, with a game 6 road win.
The last team to win a Cup clincher (2-0) was two years ago when Chicago (Blackhawks won vs Tampa Bay (Lightning) with Duncan “K”eith getting the Cup winner and Patrick “K”ane, who had the Cup winner for Chi in 2010, getting an insurance/other goal.
Philly, which has not titled since, won the ’75 crown at Buffalo vs the Sabres with same letter/first letter of first name players “B”ob or “B”attle Ship and “B”ill Clement scoring to “B”ack “B”ernie Parent’s shutout.
Last night’s Pitts goal scorers have last names starting with “H” the aforementioned monumental goal by “H”ornquivst and an empty net goal by Carl “H”agelin.
“M”urray is an “M,” brilliant in goal (Pekka Rinne in defeat again, allowed but one goal at home, the case in all 3 such tilts in the ’17 Final) but the “M”ight have been lament “M”ust (sorry for this, but having missed the Cup clincher for just the third time in its last 48 “presentations,” I am trying to get more out of it) surface, as a goal by #6 semis star, Colton Sissons of “Nash,” was disallowed as the official lost sight of the puck.
So different down (1-0), but hail the Pens and credit upstart Nashville.
Tonight the Pittsburgh Penguins are roughly seven to five underdogs in their bid to clinch a second straight NHL crown, a year to the day after doing so with a road win in game 6 last year at San Jose.
The task is to win at Nashville where the home team Predators, like last year’s San Jose Sharks in their first NHL final, are (9-1) in these ‘offs and (12-1) in their last 13 home playoff tilts.
Pittsburgh has clinched all four of their previous titles on the road, almost surely the only team in major North American Sports league’s history to do so.
Seventy years ago, in the first NBA title series, the Warriors franchise, then in Philadelphia, did what these Golden State/Oakland Warriors did through the first four games, namely win the first three, before losing in game four, on the road.
The (1946-1947) Philadelphia Warriors led by Joe Fulks, captured the first NBA crown, winning game 5 vs the Chicago Stags, at home.
Maybe, even likely, maybe even very likely, (save the ABC power and the LeBron James power/greatness), these (2016-2017) Warriors will title at home, on or certainly near, this nation’s Pacific coast for the first time and in so doing win the franchise’s 5th title, in game 5 Monday night.
The Philadelphia Warriors as is the case with the G.S. Warriors have/had 2 crowns, Philadelphia also winning the 1956 title, clinching it in #5 at home.
Golden State won its 1975 title at Washington, in #4, to complete an incredible sweep, and clinched the 2015 title at Cleveland, in #6.
Since they did not go (16-0) and clinch at Cleveland last night, manifestations include, more travel for 50 plus years, Warriors fan, Bob and the/my fear ABC and the James/Irving Cavs will force a 6th and maybe even win the series, in which case James would become this country’s first king.
Joe Fulks, pictured above.
The Pittsburgh Penguins routed the Nashville Predators (6-0) in Pittsburgh in game 5, to take a three games to two, Cup Final lead.
Six different Pens’ players scored goals, Sidney Crosby (no goals but assists on three of the first four goals), while Matt Murray notched 24 saves to post his third career ‘offs shutout, one not “expressed” by me.
“Pitts” is now (13-4) in home Stanley Cup Final games, a tremendous (8-1) since the “Vogues”/Detroit Red Wings clinched their 4th title in 12 seasons (’97-’08) there (at Pittsburgh) in #6 of the 2008 Final.
The Pens, whose previous 4 titles were clinched on the road, (I am almost certain that is unprecedented in any of the four major North American sports leagues) can wrap up a second straight title,with a second straight year Sunday night, road, game 6 win if they beat Nashville (Predators) Sunday night.
However, the Preds are (10-1) at home in these ‘offs and (13-1) dating back to last season.
“Nash” is a 3 to 2 game “fave” and the odds are only slightly greater than even against, that the Warriors (about 2 to 1 favorites) and Predators win the next games creating just the second “NBA title series ends in 4 straight and the NHL goes 7,” scenario in 71 possibilities, (the only one in 70 seasons was in 1971), (1947-2017). The ’05 NBA title series did not go 4, in fact ’twas “Tonio” over Detroit in 7, and thus though there was no NHL season in ’05, I am counting 71 seasons (’47-’17).
No matter who wins the “P”enguins/”P”redators series, the champions of the NFL and NHL in succession, will have nicknames beginning with the same letter of the alphabet (“P”atriots stormed back to win the most recent NFL crown, by the way you heard it here first, they will win less than the 12 plus projected games and Not even make the Supe this season. They will be great but I say not lucky. We shall see) for the first time since the “C”owboys of ’92 NFL and “C”anadiens, when it was “allowed,” of ’93 turned that “trick.”
Pushing the esoteric and a previously cited note, after the Pens’ #5 rout, home win, no matter who wins Pens/Preds Final, the home advantage team has won either game 5, the series or both 14 of the last 15 times an NHL Final was deadlocked at two games apiece.
That masked man is Matt Murray.
After the Golden State Warriors recorded their 15th win in as many ‘offs games, a (118-113) 6th straight “cover”–(10-5? vs the spread in these ‘offs and incredibly as there was no “Love” for dog bettors as Kevin Love’s shot for them missed, there has not been a “favorite wins/no cover” result, in any of the 16 GS vs Cleve title series tilts, as the two teams are meeting in such a round for an NBA first, third straight season.), they are almost certain to “title” for a second time in three seasons.
Last season they failed, dissipating a (3-1) title series lead and losing to Leb James and Cleveland.
Then they signed Kevin Durant and all that entails.
Durant hit shots totaling 5 points that transformed a 4 point Cavs’ lead into a one point “GS” lead and with James missing and turning the ball over, (please once and for all, end the comparisons between a great player, James and the discernibly greater Michael Jordan. I am entitled, “paying” mucho to all but assure, the self proclaimed “King’s” (James)–dog bettors need a Bible, maybe we all do) 5th title round series loss, in 8 such series. Mr. Jordan was undefeated in six), Golden State is all but assured of their third West Coast title and fifth in franchise history. (The Philadelphia Warriors won crowns in 1947 and 1956.)
Klay Thompson hit for 30 while Steph Curry had 26 for GS. James had 39, Ky Irving 38 for Cleveland.
The Warriors will look for their second title series sweep in game 4 Friday night in Cleveland, where “GS” clinched their 2015 title in game six. Golden State, a pretty big series underdog, swept the Washington Bullets in the 1975 NBA title series.
They clinched the ’75 crown on a Sunday afternoon, in “Wash,” with the now retired “Horse” (Brent Musburger) presiding.
Clearly the Warriors are the first NBA team to go up (3-0) in the NBA championship series thrice (the Philly Warriors “cream cheesed,” forgive me, a (3-0) series lead in the first NBA title series in 1947 before winning in 5 games vs the Chicago Stags). I am pretty certain no other NBA team has accomplished that feat as many as two times.
Kevin Durant, # 35 pictured above and GS are up Three, almost certain to be #1, hopefully not in 5, but I pay while ABC/ESPN/Disney can afford the sweep.
It is incredibly sad, that I once loved the NBA and never missed a minute of their title round and now have essentially watched an aggregate game and a half (all of #7 last year) of the 16 GS/Cleve title round tilts to date.
This is the 15th NHL Final Series to be tied at two games apiece, since the first expansion, which was implemented starting in the 1967-1968 season.
Only once in the 14 previous situations, has the home team failed to win either game 5 or the series.
The home team is (11-3) in game 5 and (10-4) in the series. Eight times, the most recent when the Chicago Blackhawks 6’d the Boston Bruins in ’13, the home advantage team won both game 5 at home and the series. Three times the home team won game 5, only to lose the “winner take all” game 7 at home, while twice a team lost #5 at home, but bounced back to win the title.
When Chicago won at Tampa Bay, vs the Lightning in #5 in 2015, the last (2-2) NHL Final, and the series in 6, it marked the first time a team did that since the last year before expansion, also the last Toronto Maple Leafs’ title, a 6 game triumph vs the Montreal Canadiens in 1967.
Current finalist, Pittsburgh is in a (2-2) situation for the third time, in this their sixth Final, winning at home in #5 and the series in 6 games for their first title vs a similar (to Nashville), upstart, low ranked, Minnesota North Stars’ team in 1991 and winning the ’09 title with wins in games 6 and 7, the latter at Detroit vs the Red Wings, after losing there in #5.
There were two other situations, again since expansion, where the home team won #5 of the Final, but lost the series.
One was in 2011, when the Boston Bruins, with similar uniform colors to both Pitts and Nash, won games 6 and 7, the latter at Vancouver vs the Canucks, after home standing “Van” won game 5.
The other was in 1971 when Montreal won games 6 and 7, the latter at Chi with Dan Kelly and Jim Gordon on CBS Television, after losing #5 at Chicago.
Twice the home team has lost game 5 but won the title. The Colorado Avalanche did so in ’01 vs the New Jersey Devils and the Tampa Bay Lightning won their lone crown in ’04 “that way” vs the Calgary Flames.
The great broadcaster, Dan Kelly pictured above.
Click below to hear and view Dan Kelly’s call, as the great Bobby Orr scores the Stanley Cup winning goal vs the St. Louis Blues in 1970, giving Boston (Bruins) their first title in 29 years.
1970 Stanley Cup Winner Bobby Orr (CBS) HD FULL
Click below to view Mr. Orr’s goal and hear Dan Kelly’s great call, updated in time one day shy of 50 years ago.
Frederick Goudreau’s goal, originally a save, but judged otherwise via replay, put Nashville (Predators) ahead to stay, in a second straight win vs the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, in which the champions were held to one goal, to square the Stanley Cup Final at two games apiece.
It was the second game in three, to end (4-1), which is “my score,” but of course, there is no longer a way to “express” that notion.
Also (4-1) evokes the ignored Montreal Canadiens (it is preposterous that any team other than one of the five Habs’ title teams from (’56-60) be the greatest NHL team, but of course the fan vote went to an Edmonton Oilers’ team, largely so Wayne Gretzky could promote it and hockey, citing Nashville in the southern United States), no longer as with all teams from Canada, “allowed” to win the title in “Bettman World.”
In winning their last three titles, now pretty long ago in ’93, ’86 and ’79 Montreal won the Final, four games to one.
Their title series wins in both ’79 and ’93 opened with (4-1) game 1 home losses and each ended with (4-1) home, title clinching victories.
Oh (no longer) Canada!
Phil Goyette, a truly outstanding hockey player, pictured above, was maybe a fourth line player for those great Montreal Canadiens’ teams.
Also note to “Ambassador” Wayne, you acknowledged probably the least of the great Canadiens’ teams, the 1971 version, a third place team, that roared to a not so great, but “good enough”(12-8) playoffs mark.
Ambassador–know your history!!
Gretzky did know that his ’85 team, named the best, was not in his opinion, or record wise, even the best Edmonton team.
Leave it to fans or voters in general, to get things wrong.
Andy B Sports 