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.
During a whirlwind trek around the New York Book Expo held recently at The Javits Center in New York City, I came away with good memories of friendly people, with some books and websites, I think would be good summer reads.
Among them Lostandfoundinspace.com, which has some great photos and memorabilia for sale and certainly at which to gaze. There is much about many memorable television shows including “Lost in Space,” and “The Munsters.” Both proprietor Debbie, her husband Jeff (see below) agreed with me regarding the great, personable, talented Al Lewis, speaking of “The Munsters.”
Jeffrey H. Herman is a fine literary agent. Jeff@jeffherman.com
Some great advanced technology in a compact speaker for noise reduction is what manifests from “Sounds True,” with Christine day as their marketing manager.
Janelle Gabay has written a fantasy thriller titled “First Born.” Check her website. It is http://www.janellegabaybooks.com
Great sports book are available at TriumphBooks.com
Links to these fine sites and their equally fine products are below.
Triumph Books: The Leader in Sports Publishing
First Born & First Awakened by Janelle Gabay – First Born
The Brooklyn Film Festival running through next Saturday June 11th is an extraordinary event with films that are truly amazing.
I attended on opening night, two nights ago, at one of the venues, The Wythe Hotel, and enjoyed an after party with great food and drinks.
However, as good as that was and it was, the film, “Entanglement” was the highlight, as I loved this film.
It was really provocative, creative and had a great cast. There is a great plot, humor and pathos a film evoking the pleasure of a great, say, black and white cookie and then some.
A pair of “Jasons” director Jason James and writer Jason Filiatrault, will surely be “back” after their great work in “Entanglement.”
The cast included stars, Thomas Middleditch and Jess Weixler and a great supporting effort from Diana Bang. The whole cast, again, was splendid.
Pictured above left to right as you read, Jess Weixler and Thomas Middleditch.
Click below for more information about The Brooklyn Film Festival
Brooklyn Film Festival – Official Site
Going into tonight’s predicted, NBC rooting for,Nashville win, the team down (2-0) in the Stanley Cup final, has won eight of the last ten times in that situation, eight of nine times when returning home, which “Nash,” having not played all that bad in “Pitts,” is doing tonight.
The last NHL Final sweep in ’98 was the fourth consecutive one from (’95-’98) and also that final manifested in the last repeat NHL champion, the Detroit Red Wings.
Since that time only eventual champion Los Angeles, (Kings) in both 2012 and 2014, vs New York/New Jersey area teams, at home vs New Jersey in ’12 and at the New York Rangers in ’14, has taken the commanding (3-0) series lead.
Both times, L.A. lost game 4, before winning in 5 in ’14, clinching on Alex Martinez’ overtime goal and in 6 games in ’12.
Teams up (2-0) after the ’98 “Vogues”/Red Wings, that failed to go up (3-0) are the ’03 Devils, ’06 Carolina Hurricanes with current “Nash” coach Peter Laviolette, behind their bench, the ’07 Anaheim Ducks, both the ’08 and ’09 Red Wings, each time vs “Pitts,” the ’10 Chicago Blackhawks vs Laviolette’s “Philly” Flyers, the ’11 Vancouver Canucks and ’15 Pittsburgh Penguins.
In ’09 the Penguins and in ’11 the Boston Bruins came back to win the title, while the other six teams, up (2-0) won the Stanley Cup Final.
Despite the off the charts, ABC/ESPN hype, the NBA Finals are not only not great, but essentially, no contest games and have been for the great majority of the now 14 such games between the Warriors and Cavs, a pair of teams, the ’80’s Lakers and Celtics and ’90’s Bulls would have prevailed vs (an opinion, of course).
Sure last year it went 7, (Adam Silver helped that by suspending Dray Green for game 5) and was close, but how many others have been?
Unofficially, none of the 14 tilts (6 in ’15 when GS won in 6, clearly covering in games (4-6) and I believe in the overtime game one, certainly all seven last year and last night’s opening GS rout win) and at most one, have manifested in a favorite wins/no cover result.
Kevin Durant, a great player, annexed by the aforementioned 73 win/no title Warriors, led the G.S. game one rout, the still lesser of the two evils, result I prefer.
What I can only dream of is a GS sweep a la ’75. Unfortunately the NBA, ABC/Disney/ESPN and likely and legitimately, the Cavs themselves are too powerful for that wanted result. They may even win the series, which after last year’s horror, really will not add to the “pain.”
No the pain is in hearing how great everything is from Mike Breen, Rachel Nichols and others, part of the hype for a league/5 man sport (thus most affected by buying players), in which the clearly best, albeit non title team of a year ago, was allowed (perhaps as makeup for the Silver “result tampering, SPORTS certainly NOT real, atrocity,” to get a player added, that is truly valuable/great.
I knocked the NBA Finals, now just add this Cleveland title series opening game loss to the facts from a posts before and after Cleveland finally hosted a title series opening game, that in the 2016 World Series.
Click below to view those facts filled posts.
Finally music says it best. Boz Scaggs sings ” Look What You’ve Done To Me.” Click below to view it.
Boz Scaggs – Look What You’ve Done To Me (Live-HQ)
There is another great association regarding the likely, far from definite repeat champion, Pittsburgh Penguins. It is the New York based, Pens’ fans establishment, Foley’s N.Y. (18 West 33rd Street), a truly great place to watch all sports and have fun.
Billed as an Irish bar with a baseball attitude, there are so many good things concerning Foley’s including great food and drink, an unbelievable memorabilia collection and yes an intensity for the Penguins, as all games are featured there with their fans dressed as though we were in “The Igloo,” a reference to the great franchise’s first home.
So if you are a Pens’ fan, or just want to see the Stanley Cup Final games with the equivalent of a great home crowd, come to Foley’s, say Saturday night at 8 or so, for game three and/or any of the remaining games, vs the upstart 16th ranked (the Pens were second in regular season points), Nashville Predators.
Click below for more information on the one of a great kind, Foley’s New York
Foley’s NY Pub and Restaurant | Midtown Manhattan
Last Thursday, an NHL semi-final game 7 went into overtime for the seventh time, with the Pittsburgh Penguins prevailing vs the Ottawa Senators, on Chris Kunitz’ goal in the second overtime period.
Five of the previous six game 7/semis overtime winners prevailed in the subsequent Stanley Cup Final series.
Only a first year expansion team, the 1968 St. Louis Blues, qualifying for the final from a division consisting of the first six NHL expansion teams, on Ron Schock’s overtime goal, failed to win in the subsequent final.
The 1939 Boston Bruins, 1950 Detroit Red Wings, 1979 Montreal Canadiens, 1994 New York Rangers and 2014 Los Angeles Kings all “titled” after game 7 wins in the NHL semi-finals.
This might be a bit much but you know me: “M”el Hill won the ’39 semi for the Bruins in #7 OT vs the Rangers. Boston then defeated Toronto for the crown.
In 1950, Detroit’s “L”eo Reise won game 7/semis with an overtime goal vs the Toronto Maple Leafs, before the Red Wings won it all on Pete Babando’s overtime goal in game 7 of the final vs the New York Rangers. (Four years later, another Detroit player, Tony Leswick also scored in overtime in #7/final vs the Montreal Canadiens, the only other time game 7 of the final went into overtime.)
Forty years after the first overtime game seven of the semis, in by the way, the first best of seven NHL semi final (that year was also the first best of seven NHL final), Montreal defeated Boston on Yvon “L”ambert’s overtime goal in game 7 of the semis. The Habs won an incredible 15th title in 24 seasons by defeating the New York Rangers in the final.
In 1994, it was the Rangers, who won game 7 of their “semi” vs the New Jersey Devils in overtime(s) on a goal by Steph “M”atteau. New York won by one goal in game 7 of the final vs the Vancouver Canucks to claim the title for the first time in 54 years, their only one in the last 76 NHL seasons.
Twenty years later, the Los Angeles Kings’ Alex “M”artinez scored an overtime goal in game 7 at Chicago, vs the Blackhawks, to win that “semi,” before scoring in overtime of game 5/final vs the Rangers, to give L.A. a second “crown” (pun intended), in three seasons.
As you can see all 5 players that scored overtime game 7/semis goals for teams that went on to win the final have one of the two consecutive in the alphabet letters, “L” or “M,” in either their first or last names.
Additionally, all 5 of those scenarios (a team winning game 7 of an NHL “semi” in overtime and then winning the final) involved the New York Rangers, as either a semifinal or final series participant.
Finally the Pittsburgh Penguins are close to two and a half to one favorites to “indoctrinate” “the not far in the alphabet,” Chris “K”unitz in this unique, albeit, perhaps overstated, history/trivia.
Mel Hill, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 