1/3 Bucs at Panthers

The Carolina Paathers have some concerns going into the season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers  My first concern after seeing tweets on the Panthers injuries is how much running Cam Newton wull have to do without Stewart and Whitaker.  Then again they are three deep in the backfield tomorrow with Mike Tolbert, Cameron Artis-Payne, and Brandon Wegher so I guess it will be based on how well the Carolina running game starts.  With no Ted Ginn Jr. that means Corey Brown is the  most likely deep threat so the passing game will be affected..   Bersin might be catching punts (GOD NO!!! DON'T GO TO YOUR KNEES).  I digress  Kurt Coleman on defense so the interception leader is out.  Josh Norman for all his greatness this season has had an INT since week 4 at the Bucs

Besides injuries, swagger is also a concern.  The Tillman penalty early at Atlanta seem to take all the emotion out of the defense  Atlanta converted numerous third and longs causing the defense to  be on the field longer.  The big elephant in the room when it comes to the defense is when are they going to get a sack from a defensive end something they haven't had in a month.  The swagger seem to be gone from the offense as well.due to the Ginn injury.  Olsen seemed to be normal after not converting a 3rd down after the Norman fumble recovery and then one play in the 4th.

I probably give the Panthers a 90 percent chance of winning this game.  However losing at home to rookie QB in Jameis Winston, much less going 14-0 and NOT ending up with home field advantage would not be a good look.

Ducks move on

Bias dooms Ducks

Yes the Ducks did lose in  OT, even if they had touched the puck they would have faced their seventh penalty kill of the game(and fourth since the beginning of the 3rd period).  On what would have been the Ducks lone power play of the period with 2:14 left in the 3rd period.  After two Calgary Flames power plays in the period Matt Stajan would be an idiot and bump into Fredrik Aendersen.  The refs in their infamous wisdom decided to give Simon Despres a roughing call for giving Stajan what he deserved.  The Despres call would come back to haunt the Ducks. Instead of being on the power play Sami Vatanen would get called for a Delay of Game penalty.(That particular penalty call most likely wouldn't have had happen if the Ducks were on the power play.)  Giving Calgary its before mentioned 3rd power play of the period and 6th of the game.  (By the way I think Jhonny Gaudreau did a pierrot as he tried to get the refs attention.)  Gaudreau scored ok fine  Game is going to OT cool.  
After watching a HORRIBLE intermission period in which NBCSN seem like CBC lite.  talking about a controversial no goal that had no further impact on the game.  IT WAS GOING TO OVERTIME NOW ANYWAYS!!

I took a quick notice on my phone about the power play chances six to two for Calgary  so I figured if one team gets a PP opporturnity it would be the Ducks and the refs can fixed their bias.
HAHAHAHA!!! Was I wrong

After chances by Getzlaf and Perry.  Calgary keeps the puck in their offensive zone, delayed call on Stoner then Game Winner

P. S. Nice job Calgary fans throwing stuff on the ice after Gaudreau scored making the delay NBA worthy.

Early Stanley Cup thoughts

First off, The Ducks hope they can continue their  momentum tonight in what will surely be a load arena in the face of a while out(which seems generic, why not a blue out).  The fact they were the only Western Conference team up 2-0 makes things set up real nice for them.

Now on to the other series

Calgary vs. Vancouver Can this series please have fights in each of  the remaining games.  The amount of dislike is awesome.  Assuming the Ducks advance they have to deal with former teammate(s) either way.

Minnesota vs. St. Louis  How far can  Dubnyk carry the Wild.  More thoughts after game 3.

Chicago vs. Nashville: This series is going to be ugly good.  Especially  if we can get a goalie change in each of the remaining games.




Right now its very possible all three of series go to game 7.  Winnipeg would need to win games 3 AND 4 to make me think the Ducks are in any danger.

Ottawa vs. Montreal: I kept waiting for Subban to score on the Power Play in OT think how upset the Ottawa fans would be.  Then they score on the first rush after the PP expires.  Poor Ottawa

Detroit vs. Tampa Bay: Next to Winnipeg, Detroit is the team I want eliminated ASAP. Thankfully Tampa Bay took care of business in game 2 otherwise they would be a big dissapointment early on.

Pittsburgh vs. NY Rangers: Pittsburgh may have just woken a sleeping giant.  I don't care if games 3 and 4 are in Pittsburgh I just don't see New York losing another game this series.

NY Islanders vs. Washington: That was a fast OT goal I was thinking what channel NBC would move the NSH-CHI game to  Another series i can see going all the way.  I might have picked Washington but it would be more fun if the Islanders advance.

11/5 Isles at Ducks

Can the Ducks please stop having pregame issues.  On Sunday it was starting  their third string goalie.  Now last night they were without Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perŕý, both out with the flu. They still started Labarbera as weĺl.

With only 5 shots on goal for the first half of the game it was like they were playing   with  their heads cut off.  Then Matt Beleskey and Emerson Etem tied the game by the end of the seconď.  For Etem it was his first goal of the season and it came at a good time with Getzlaf  and Perry out.  John Ahlers and Brian Hayward  admitted that Etem and Rickard Rakell  would have been the healthy   scratches if the twins had plaýed.  Really Heatley over Etem?

The Ducks had an apparent  third period goal taken away because it never really entered the net.  They lost in overtime on an questionable penalty  but it was an Eastern conference opponent so no real harm done.  Just get everyone healthy.

Goalies and Fowler

Well that was an unusual  win given the goalie situation last night  Jason Labarbera  did a  good job after playing Saturday in the AHL. It was a good thing he did not get injured too the replacement would have been Dwayne Roloson.  Even though he is now the Ducks goalie coach every time I hear his name my mind flashbacks to 2006 when he beat the Ducks   in the Western Conference  Final for the Edmonton Oilers with his tricks.

Cam Fowler What a move!!!  I can't  believe  some people were ready to give up on him after the St. Louis game.  You never give up on an athlete named Cam (separate blog post for a certain NFL team maybe)  I keep remember a TSN video that ranked him 3rd behind Hall and Seguin for the 2010 draft and getting him at 12 had me tickled to death.  I like flaunting him over Dallas, Jack Campbell anyone?  When I finally do order a new Ducks jersey it will be between Fowler and Getzlaf.

I hate to nitpick on anything Ducks  related but can Emerson Etem please start scoring goals?

October Sports

First off baseball, how does pitching five innings in a normal nine inning game get you a save and not a win. By definition Baumgartner pitched the fifth inning so he should have gotten credit for the win. Even though I hate the San Francisco Giants win a passion what Baumgartner did in game seven was amazing going five innings on short rest in relief.  Sadly it makes giving Kershaw the Cy Young and MVP awards kind of pointless.  Like the Anaheim Ducks winning the NHL Pacific division title when the Los Angeles Kings won it all.

Now the Anaheim Ducks there is a difference between a lost and a bad performance.  Thursday night was a bad performance getting shutout by an undermanned St. Louis Blues team.  So please try to limit those and pace yourselves because it's not all about the regular season.   That is the only thing I can complain with the Ducks now being the only one of my teams with a winning record.

Oh boy the Lakers it's so mind boggling what's happen to them since David Stern took Chris Paul away from them and gift wrapped him for the Clippers.  Yes Dwight Howard is soft How can he not listen to Kobe as  teammate in 2012-13 after losing the 2009 Finals to him  Besides the fact Howard leaving the Lakers to be coached by that guy really makes it unforgivable.  The NBA should have changed the lottery rules because The Lakers really have no reason to compete this season without Randle.  If their pick is outside the Top 5 it goes to Phoenix.  Now tell me which team could use that pick more.  The Lakers still owe Orlando a pick.  WHAT?   Adam Silver should go into the business of amending trades involving picks rather than changing trade partners.

Now the Carolina Panthers even if they  lose at Philadelphia and at New Orleans they still have a chance at winning record but now they have to fix the offense rather than the defense.  There is still a light at the end of the tunnel despite the General Manager.