Last night the “4′ seed New York Islanders won in Florida vs the top seed Panthers in their first round series opening game.
The Islanders have not won a playoff series since 1993.
Florida last won a playoff series in 1996 in the semi-finals vs the Pittsburgh Penguins whose roster included the great Jaromir Jagr, who is still playing and is currently with the Panthers.
The Panthers were swept in four straight games by the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL finals that season and have never won the Stanley Cup.
It is still early in the 2016 baseball season, but now each team has played three series and the opponents in the great 1991 World Series, the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves are still looking for their first win.
Both teams are off to (0-9) starts. There were low expectations for the Braves but the Twins a playoffs contender last season under the great player, Paul Molitor have gone under so far and headed that way in regard to their “expected,” at least break even record.
Recalling the 1991 World Series, it was the Twins winning it all (1-0) in 10 innings in the decisive 7th game. Jack Morris pitched a brilliant game and Gene Larkin from Columbia University drove in the World Series winning run with a bases loaded 1 out hit over the drawn in outfield.
Click below to view the end of the 1991 World Series
1991 WS Gm7: Larkin’s single wins series for Twins
The last time the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks met in the NHL playoffs was two years ago and the Kings, en route to a second Stanley Cup victory in three seasons, overcame a (3-0) series deficit to beat the Sharks in 7 games.
This time will be different, no it will not be an easier Kings’ victory.
I predict the long suffering San Jose Sharks will upset the Kings and win their opening round series which begins in L.A. tonight, in six games.
It will not be easy but the Sharks will get at least a split in the first two games on the road and be on their way.
Forty years ago, as defending NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors had a better record than they did in their title season. However, the Phoenix Suns shocked them in the 7th game of the NBA semi-finals thus they did not repeat as NBA champions.
This season as defending champions, the Warriors not only had a better record than last season, but broke the record previously held by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls by winning 73 games.
Now the real season begins with the NBA playoffs.I know how good the Warriors are but feel the intangibles are against them.
One intangible just went their way when Charles Barkley, a fine but vastly over rated player, given way too much air time, guaranteed, not predicted, but guaranteed the Warriors would not win the title. Barkley, by the way never played on an NBA title team. He is so often wrong!
The NHL West top seed Dallas Stars began play as a franchise in Minnesota and were known as the Minnesota North Stars Their first season was 1967-1968 and in 26 seasons in Minnesota failed to win the Stanley Cup.
Their lone Stanley Cup triumph came as the Dallas Stars in the 1998-1999 season and was clinched on an overtime goal, still questioned in and vs Buffalo (Sabres), by Brett Hull.
Last night’s version of the long running show Jeopardy included an answer/question in which Bobby Hull, Brett’s father was the “question.” The lone contestant responding said “who is Brett Hull” and was incorrect.
Tonight the Stars take on the Minnesota Wild, a franchise in existence since the 2000-2001 season and one which has advanced to the NHL semi-final round but once and not further in their 14 previous completed seasons.(There was no NHL season in 2005.)
The following from a post I saw on the internet regarding Blackhawks/Blues playoffs history: “1973 Quarterfinals (Hawks Win 4-1)
The Chicago Blackhawks took it to the St. Louis Blues early and often in 1973. They won the first three games of the series 7-1, 1-0, and 5-2, and after a Game #4 win by the Blues the Chicago Blackhawks finished off the series with a 6-1 victory. Tony Esposito picked the shut out in Game #3, and the Hawks headed to the Stanley Cup Final that year after beating the Blues and then the New York Rangers before losing to the Montreal Canadiens in 7 games.”
This was and is on the internet, an otherwise informative piece on Blackhawks/Blues playoffs history but Montreal defeated Chicago (Blackhawks) in six games NOT 7 as stated above.
Also today ESPN.com reported the Royals had lost 4 games in which they had the lead. That is hard to do considering the Royals’ record is (5-2).
They also were redundant in first stating all 5 games of last year’s Rangers vs Penguins series were decided by one goal adding “including all four won by the Rangers.”
The teams won Stanley Cup titles 50 years apart, the Detroit Red Wings in 1954 and the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.
This is the second straight season they are meeting in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
Last season each team won two road games in the series but the Lightning won at home in game 7 and eventually advance to the finals, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in 6 games.
This time I say the Red Wings in 6, the teams each winning on the other team’s home ice once in the first four games. Detroit then wins the next two games.
What a great time a group of four, including me, had at the taping of the Rachael Ray Show a few weeks back.
The show airs today, check your local listings.
Rachael as always was full of energy, this despite it being her third taping of the day. There were a couple of cooking segments and a really nice mother/daughter fashion segment.
Also there was a very informative part of a series on cooking’s derivation that included of course, fire and all that entails.
I look forward to watching at 10 a.m. Eastern time in New York on WABC television.
I know the story of Jackie Robinson is about so much more than his baseball accomplishments.
In fact, Robinson was a star in so many sports. Once in talking about Jim Brown, broadcaster Marty Glickman called him the second greatest athlete he ever saw. I retorted who’s first Samson as in the Bible and Marty said Jackie Robinson.
I hope in the second installment of Ken Burns’ special on and called “Jackie Robinson,” (tonight at 9 Eastern Time), his exploits on the final day of the 1951 regular season are cited.
Robinson with his Brooklyn Dodgers team facing elimination made a great catch on what would have been a game winning hit by Ed Waitkus. Then he homered in the top of the 14th to put the Dodgers ahead to stay.
Unlike Samson pictured above with the beautiful but harmful Delilah, Jackie and Rachael Robinson stuck together helping so much.
In the 1945 World Series, the last one in which the Chicago Cubs appeared, Detroit (Tigers) took them out of game 7, scoring early and often.
Cubs starter, Hank Borowy faced only three batters, retiring none.
Tigers’ catcher, Paul Richards delivered a three run extra base hit.
39 years later, with similar credentials to Borowy, Cubs’ starter, Rick Sutcliffe also failed in the decisive 5th game of the 1984 NLCS.
If the Cubs had won that game, they would have faced the Tigers in the World Series.
Andy B Sports 