Thursday, February 13, 2020
At the All Star Break 2020
Patrick Kane
Players from
the National Hockey League are now enjoying this year's All Star
break, roughly half way through the season. The same will apply
shortly to the players from the National Basketball League.
On a
personal note, it was great to run into so many friends and
neighbours last Friday night at the Wellington Dukes' game. There
were very few empty seats at the DukeDome, primarily because it was a
game between the arch rivals in the league, Wellington and Trenton. I
am certain that rivalry existed long before I was born. Both teams
have excellent records this season, and Trenton is a few points ahead
of Wellington, with five games in hand. It certainly would be a great
match up during the playoffs, down the road.
The National
Football League concludes its season in about ten days with the Super
Bowl. The Kansas City Chiefs will play the San Francisco 49ers in
Miami to decide the championship. It should prove to be a great game.
Both teams have explosive offenses.
The Chicago
Black Hawk's Patrick Kane received a nice ovation from his teammates
last weekend when he recorded his one thousand's point in the NHL.
His teammates swarmed the ice to congratulate him, a fine gesture on
their part. It was a bright spot in a rather difficult season for the
Hawks.
They are not
yet out of the playoff picture. On one side, the Boston Bruins lead
the standings with 68 points. Washington has 71 points, also
qualifying for post season play. The Flyers have 58 points, and would
be the last team to qualify, should the season end at this team. That
would put the Leafs and the Panthers tied at 57 points each, out of
the playoffs. The Sabres and the Habs each have 51 points, and need
to press hard after the break.
The Habs
took a chance when they grabbed Ilya Kovalchuck off the waiver list
from the Los Angeles Kings. In 17 games for the Kings, he had 3
goals. He has scored four times for Montreal, in 8 games. Of course
it is too early to tell, but he has certainly sparked the Montreal
squad since his arrival. There are many reasons for his revival, but
I believe the change of scenery is an important factor. He was the
first overall pick when he was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers, but
that was just after the turn of the century!
In the
western regions of the NHL, the fight for a playoff berth is
extremely tight. The Blues are in front with 68 points. Four teams
are tied for the last spot with 57 points each. The Hawks and the
Jets are not far behind with 54 points each. It certainly appears to
be a white knuckle ride for all contenders.
The
Belleville Senators are now in 2nd place in the North
Division, two points out of first place. Drake Batherson leads the
team with 41 points, and is fourth in scoring in the league. Josh
Norris has 38 points. They have a couple of games this coming
weekend, Friday night in Utica, and Saturday in Belleville. All
hockey fans appreciate the game played at the AHL level, and realize
that many of the players will some day end up, permanently, in the
NHL. Game time: 7:00pm.
The
Australian Open Tennis Championships opened Sunday in Melbourne. The
devastating fires that have plagued that nation do not appear to
affect the tournament. Canada has several players in the tourney,
including Milos Raonic. He has not been active for quite some time,
and is seeded 32nd. He did have a strong opening match, winning in
straight sets. Bianca Adreescu is nursing a sore knee, and is not
playing Down Under. There are several other Canadians in the hunt,
perhaps the largest contingent ever.
Brooke
Henderson was one shot off the pace, as the first women's tournament
of the season concluded in Orlando. That bodes well for the long
grind that faces her, and the rest of the competitors, as they travel
across North America, and across the Pacific, throughout the summer.
Their season concludes in Naples, Florida, in November.
I promise
that I will have a full report on the Toronto Raptors next week.
Solemnly, I believe.
James Hurst
January 20,
2020.
-- James Hurst 613.399.2278 sportslices.blogspot.ca
# posted by James Hurst @ 7:17 AM 
