Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Black Hawks Limp out of Florida
Richard Panik played
for the Belleville Bulls for two years-splitting his first season
with the Windsor Spitfires, and the second with the Guelph Storm. He
was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning, and sent a few years in their
chain before playing in 2014-2015 for the Leafs. The Slovakian native
moved to the Chicago Black Hawks the following year. He is enjoying
great success this year, netting his 21st goal on Monday
night. Playing on a line with Jonathan Toews has its rewards.
The Florida Panthers
hosted the Hawks last Saturday night. The Hawks now have more than
100 points, one of four teams in that category. They have clinched a
playoff spot, but would like to put a few points on the board for
home ice advantage in the playoffs. On the way upstairs to watch the
game, I overheard one scout say to another, “The Hawks can call up
guys, or just slot in rookies, and they just seem to fit right in”.
He may have been referring to John Hayden, who had just finished his
season as a senior at Yale. In five games with the Hawks, Hayden has
three points.
The game against the
Panthers was the first of their two game Florida swing. The Hawks
played the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night. The y were on a roll,
having won six of their seven previous games. Corey Crawford got the
starting assignment in goal for the Hawks, James Reimer for the
Panthers. The first period ended scoreless, and most analysts
expected the Hawks to break the game open in the second period.
For the Hawks, that is
when the roof caved in. Crawford was yanked after allowing four
goals, four minutes into the third period. His replacement, Scott
Darling, was no better, giving up three goals before the horn
sounded, mercifully, to end the game. The Hawks did not get a puck
past Reimer, who recorded his first shutout of the season. It was the
largest margin of victory for the Panthers since an 8-0 drubbing of
the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008.
Several caps were
tossed on the ice as a tribute to Jonathan Marchessault, the young
Panther who scored his hat trick in the third period. He has been the
brightest star for the Cats this season, having signed a free agent
contract in the summer. He is one of those smaller forwards who can
really shoot the puck, and knows how to find open spaces. His three
goals increased his total to 28 thus far this season.
Richard Panik's night
ended quietly, as he tussled with the Panthers' Derek MacKenzie. The
scrap was deemed to be a fight, the second one after the play had
stopped. They were tossed from the game half way through the third
period.
After a couple of days
in the sun, the Hawks took the ice against the Lightning, who are
desperate to make the playoffs. The Hawks lost that game as well,
falling 5-4 in overtime, after coughing up a 4-1 lead. Ouch!
Bob Pulford
Scotty Bowman's son
Stan is the General Manager of the Hawks. Scotty was there to keep an
eye on the team, as was Bob Pulford. Pulford is now 80 years old, and
is certainly a veteran of the hockey wars. He played more than a
thousand games in the NHL, and coached 829 games with the Kings and
the Hawks. He has 4 Stanley Cups and 2 Memorial Cups on his mantle at
home. In 1967, he notched an overtime winning goal for the Leafs in
game three. Most Leaf fans recall that year. Pulford entered the Hall
of Fame in 1991.
Bob Pulford, at the Panthers game.
The season was
disappointing for the Panthers, decimated by injuries to their best
players. Those still with the team are playing their hearts out,
trying to leave a good impression with the brass. Contract time is
just around the corner.
James Hurst
March 28, 2017
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
The Home Stretch-NHL 2017
Most of the
NHL teams have about ten games remaining at this point in their
season. Some teams have already locked up a post season berth; some
are planning for next year; several teams are on the bubble, playing
for a chance to earn some playoff cash, and an opportunity to drink
from the Stanley Cup.
The Florida
Panthers recently had their best West Coast road trip ever, winning
five out of five games. Once they returned home, with high
expectations, they went, as they say, “in the tank”. They won
once in the next nine games. Ouch.
The Toronto
Maple Leafs took the ice against the Panthers on their recent Florida
trip. The naysayers in the Toronto camp were upset that the team had
arrived a little early, and that they had time for a little fishing
and tanning. Expectations were high for the Leafs as the puck dropped
at the B T & T Centre in Sunrise.
Those hopes
were dashed quickly when the Panthers struck after 18 seconds had
ticked off the clock. Jonathan Huberdeau fed linemate Alexsander
Barkov for an easy tally, slipping the puck past Frederik Andersen.
On their second goal, Toronto defender Nikita Zaitsev lost an edge at
a critical moment, allowing Colton Sceviour to score short-handed.
James Reimer
tended goal for the Panthers, and allowed two pucks to get by him as
the Cats defeated the Leafs 7-2. I am certain that Reimer relished
the win against his former team. No matter what might be said, there
is always that extra motivation in those circumstances. He spoke
modestly after the game. “It's nice to win this one and have a good
feeling. I think you enjoy it, for the moment. But then you've got to
get back to work, for the next game.” He has been steady in goal for the Panthers, especially when the Number One tender, Roberto Luongo, has been sidelined. But at this point in the season, the Panthers needed spectacular goaltending, and neither Reimer nor Berra have been able to provide that.
The Leafs
flew out to the west coast of Florida after the game. They trounced
the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-0. The Panthers headed north to Ohio to
face the Columbus Blue Jackets, and lost a squeaker 2-1. Most hockey
pundits agree that parity is responsible for results like this. Most
teams are so evenly matched
that anything can happen on any given night.
The
Panthers seem to be pleased to have Tomas Vanek in their lineup. He
arrived via the trade route on March 1st.
The big winger has 43 points in 54 games this season, and is just 33
years old. He had four assists in the game against the Leafs, and
does not play on the first line.
The
B B & T Centre was evenly divided between Leafs and Panthers
fans, as is often the case around March Break. The Leafs trailed 3-1
at the end of the first period, but 6-2 at the end of the second. At
the end of the day, the Panthers trailed the Leafs by five points in
the playoff hunt. Two days later, that gap was seven points. The
Carolina Hurricanes shaded the Panthers 4-3 on Tuesday night, moving
ahead of the Cats by two points. The Panthers trail the Leafs by 8
points, with ten games to go. A tough chore, with little time
remaining.
The
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles men's basketball team had their hopes
dashed in the first round of the NCAA playoffs last Thursday night.
The Florida State Seminoles proved to be too strong, and outlasted
the fiery Eagles 86-80. A fine effort, and a great season for the
Eagles.
Spring
Training is in full progress here in Fort Myers with the Twins and
the Red Sox vying for attention. The Blue Jays trail in the
Grapefruit League. Need I remind you that these games do not count?
James
Hurst
March
21, 2017.
Tuesday, March 07, 2017
Eagles Repeat as ASUN Champs
The game had
a true championship flavour. At opposite ends of the court, school
bands assembled in the stands to play bright and sassy tunes.
Cheerleaders, dance teams and mascots took the floor to stoke the
fires. For more than an hour, players from both teams practiced
shooting from long range, and from the paint. The public seating area
filled quickly, resulting in a record crowd of 4 711. It was the
noisiest place I have ever been in my life, except for the Slash
concert in downtown Belleville.
The Dirty Birds, with "Wings Up"
I sit under
the basket at the FGCU students' section. They are affectionately
known as the “Dirty Birds”. They spend the entire game trying to
unnerve the opposition. Some of their comments are hilarious, some
quite biting. With five minutes left, and with the Eagles holding a
substantial lead, they chant, “Season's Over”!
In the first
half, shots were either falling short, or clanking off the iron. They
had only made one shot from 8 attempts from three point range. Even
with their twin towers under the hoop-Demetris Morant and Marc-Eddy
Norelia, they were being outrebounded by the Ospreys. It did not look
good heading into the second half.
Coach Joe
Dooley, in his fourth season with the Eagles, commented: “We were a
little bit tight in the first half, but it was a great college
atmosphere. I thought the fans were terrific, and they really got us
going in the second half. We figured it out and started making
plays.”
With less
than five minutes gone in the second half, the Eagles had retaken the
lead by three points, and gained some momentum. A Norelia block at
one end, followed by a three point shot by Christian Terrell extended
the lead to 12 points, from which the Ospreys could not recover. The
dagger dashed their efforts.
The Eagles
continued their man-to-man defence throughout the game, even in the
forecourt, frustrating the Ospreys, often resulting in turnovers. The
Ospreys elected to play zone defence the entire game.
Brandon
Goodwin, previously announced as the “ASUN Newcomer of the Year”,
was named tournament MVP after the game. Were it not for the efforts
of the big men-Norelia, Morant, Simmons, and Mickle, the Eagles might
not be awaiting the draw for their NCAA selection next Sunday.
Goodwin and the other smaller players did contribute, but it was the
play of the giants in the second half that made the difference. They
outscored the Ospeys 20-6 in the second half on shots in the paint.
The Ospreys
had succeeded in the first half by making half of their shots. The
smothering defence of the Eagles held them to an 18% shooting
percentage in the second half, just not good enough. From three point
range, the Ospreys shot a dismal 7.1%. The Eagles lead the nation in
points scored in the paint.
Five of the
players on the Eagles finished in double figures, and the nine dunks
the team recorded surpassed the mark established by the original
“Dunk City” team that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen round
of the NCAA final tournament.
Spring
training baseball is in full swing here in Fort Myers. The Twins and
the Red Sox are the hosts in this area, with the Tampa Bay Rays not
far north up the coast.
At
a recent FGCU Eagles game, Red Sox players were invited to throw the
T shirts into the crowd. They then spent some time after the game
shooting hoops, just like in high school, according to David Price.
On Thursday, the Eagles are slated to throw out the first pitch at
the Red Sox game.
David Price
The
Everblades continue to lead in the ECHL. They continue to get stellar
goaltending from Anthony Peters. They play tomorrow night at the
Germian Arena in Estero.
The
Leafs play in Florida next week, trying to nail down a playoff spot.
It is on our agenda to catch that game with our grandson Hunter. A
great time for sports in SW Florida!!
James
Hurst
March
7, 2017
