Both NHL Western Conference semi-final series begin tonight.
The two top rated teams meet in what is the Central Division bracket while the third ranked Pacific Division team has home ice advantage vs a third Central Division team.
Though second ranked, having finished tied for first in points in both the Central division and NHL West, but losing the tiebreaker, the St. Louis Blues are slight favorites vs the NHL West top seed, Dallas Stars.
In what amounts to the Pacific Division bracket, the San Jose Sharks are about nine to five favorites vs the Central Division, 4th place team and first conference wild card team, the Nashville Predators.
Both the Sharks and Predators defeated Los Angeles area, higher ranked Pacific Division teams, the L.A. Kings (2nd in the Pacific Division) and Anaheim Ducks (first in the Pacific Division) respectively in the first round.
Only the Dallas Stars, among the 4 NHL West semi-final teams, has ever won a Stanley Cup or a Stanley Cup finals game for that matter. They won it all in 1999.
Pekka Rinne, the Nashville Predators’ goaltender, pictured above, led them into the second round where they will face the San Jose Sharks.
Two weeks ago last night on April 13th, the Los Angeles area celebrated the great career of the NBA Lakers’ Kobe Bryant which is fine.
However, so much was made of his 60 point effort in what to me was an exhibition game, vs a Utah Jazz team, that earlier in the night knew it would not make the playoffs.
Now in a span of 2 weeks, both L.A. area hockey teams each of whom had the home advantage in the first round of the playoffs, are out of the playoffs as the Nashville Predators ousted the Anaheim Ducks last night.
Last Friday the San Jose Sharks as was the case with the Predators won 3 games in the L.A. area, in their case all 3, the Preds won 3 of 4, and eliminated the Kings with a win in Los Angeles.
Though injuries are a beyond huge reason, the L.A. Clippers after a loss at home last night to the Portland Trail Blazers, seem on the way out of the NBA playoffs.
Kobe Bryant, pictured above, was a big factor in 5 Lakers’ titles the same number won by Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Michael Cooper with the team.
While the Golden State Warriors rolled past the Houston Rockets at home, to wrap up their series in 5 games, two NBA teams won on the road, to take (3-2) series leads last night.
First the Charlotte Hornets, seeking their first playoff series win since 1997, won at Miami in game 5, vs the Heat.
Later last night the Portland Trail Blazers, actually 3 point favorites on the road vs the dismantled Los Angeles Clippers, won easily.
L.A. is without star players Chris Paul and Blake Griffin which is unfortunate. That likely will manifest in the fact that for all 46 seasons in franchise history, which includes when they were the Buffalo Braves and San Diego Clippers, the team will have failed to reach the NBA semi-finals.
The New York Islanders seeking their first NHL semi-final appearance since 1993 won the series opener at Tampa Bay vs the Lightning last night.
Tampa opened the series as about an 8 to 5 favorite but those odds will now be a little higher say 9 to 5 but in favor of the Islanders.
Playing in their first year in Brooklyn, New York the Islanders’ playoff success has revitalized the franchise after the move from Long Island where they played in their first 42 completed seasons from (1972-1973) – (2014-2015.) There was no NHL season in (2004-2005).
A once glorious team that won 4 Stanley Cup crowns in a row (1980-1983) and made semi-final appearances 9 times in 10 seasons (1975-1984), the Islanders won just their second playoff series ever without legendary coach Al Arbour when they beat the Florida Panthers in the opening round of this year’s playoffs.
Arbour died last year and the Islanders’ uniforms have “Al” on them. The only other time the Isles won a playoff series without Arbour as coach was in 1987 under Terry Simpson. Their current coach is Jack Capuano.
Tonight the defending NBA champion and record setting, top record Golden State Warriors seek to wrap up their first round series vs the Houston Rockets.
The Warriors, without star Steph Curry, likely for at least two weeks, are still big favorites to end the series tonight. They have a (3-1) series lead, going into tonight’s home game.
I predicted the Warriors in 5, saying they would win and cover the spread in game four which they did despite the loss of Curry.
Tonight 9 point favorite, Golden State 105 Houston 98.
Some notes and comments on television and movies will follow.
It was great to see the legendary “American Bandstand” host, the late, great Dick Clark in a 1960 movie “Because They’re Young,” which aired on TCM last night.
He was intense, younger than his longtime “forever young” status and showed as they say, some “acting chops” and certainly had screen presence.
I watched the movie “Draft Day” and other than seeing the ESPN banner within the movie, it was entertaining and showed the business, and almost cut throat reality of the NFL draft.
Kevin Costner was fine in another sports movie but the real kick was seeing greats, Frank Langella and Jim Brown share a scene.
Though the NBA Chicago Bulls failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs, a continuation of the horribly disappointing career of the often injured Derrick Rose and the great Chicago Blackhawks were eliminated in the first round of the NHL playoffs, the two Chicago baseball teams are humming along offering great hope in the “Windy City.”
The highly touted Chicago Cubs sans a pennant since 1945 and a World Series win since 1908, are playing up to expectations with a (15-5) record.
Meanwhile the Chicago White Sox, certainly more of a surprise, are off to a fine (15-6) start.
The White Sox did end an 88 year World Series title drought in 2005, a year after the Boston Red Sox ended an 86 year title drought. Both teams swept the title drought ending World Series.
Relegated to a 6 p.m Eastern time start, the NBA Eastern Conference two seed, Toronto Raptors won game 5 by 3 points as 7 point favorites to take a (3-2) series lead vs the Indiana Pacers.
This has been way too big a struggle for the (56-26) Toronto team.
They are not wanted by the all powerful networks and though the Cleveland Cavaliers had a similar (57-25) record, they already 4 game winners vs the Detroit Pistons remain top heavy favorites in the NBA East.
The NHL quarterfinal round begins tomorrow night with the New York Islanders visiting the Tampa Bay Lightning.
New York led by John Taveras, who scored the tying and winning goals, dispatched the Florida Panthers in six games. It was the Islanders first playoffs series win since 1993.
Meanwhile the Lightning, a finalist, a year ago losing to now ex champion, Chicago (Blackhawks) in six games are in the “quarters,” again after a series win vs the Detroit Red Wings.
After the ouster of the Blackhawks and L.A. Kings in the first round and the failure of the Boston Bruins to make the playoffs, this year’s Stanley Cup champion will be one that has not won the title since at least 2009.
The St. Louis Blues, riding a decisive goal by Troy Brouwer, reached the NHL quarterfinals with a win vs the defending champion, Chicago Blackhawks in game 7 at St. Louis.
Brouwer, a member of the Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup winning team, a title that ended a 47 completed seasons’ drought (1962-2009), scored to break a third period tie for a team ripe with playoffs failure, sans a Stanley Cup finals win, no less a title, in its previous, you guessed it, 47 (completed) seasons (1968-2015).
Rather than cite the Blues’ playoffs failures, I laud the tremendous Chicago Blackhawks, three time Stanley Cup champions starting in 2010 (also 2013 and 2015) and ousted in 7 game series (2011, 2014 and 2016) and 6 games (2012) in the playoff years sans a title.
In citing Blues hero, Troy Brouwer (pictured below) and showing a promotion at Maple Leaf Gardens involving Dick “Bulldog” Brower, one recalls the great NHL Toronto Maple Leafs’ goaltender Johnny Bower.
Troy Brouwer pictured above.
