Phillies Need a Lot of Help

The Phillies right now have a lot of issues, and will need a lot of help to not only try to win the division, but even get the wild card in the National League.

With the trade deadline a little over a week away, it looks like the Phillies have targeted an elite starter to attempt to acquire. Roy Oswalt is the name that has been mentioned most in this situation. It seems kind of stupid that the Phillies need to acquire a starting pitcher at the trade deadline this season when they had Cliff Lee on the team signed through the season. It's actually beyond stupid; it's moronic; it's asinine; and the series of moves that Ruben Amaro has made since taking over are basically all moronic, and they leave the Phillies in a horrible position as it stands right now.

Since the Phillies got rid of 7 of their top 10 prospects in the Lee and Halladay deals respectively, and since I would imagine Domonic Brown will not be traded, the Phillies don't have many prospects right now, and almost all the ones that they do are at the single A level. This means that the Phillies might have to include Jayson Werth and J.A. Happ in a trade. Since Werth is a free agent in the offseason, it makes sense to trade him; however, trading Werth really puts the already struggling lineup in an even tougher position.

If you trade Werth, you can replace him in the field with top prospect Domonic Brown, who is a natural right fielder. That is fine, as Domonic Brown is overdue to join the major leagues in my opinion. However, Jayson Werth, even though he is struggling, fills the #5 hole in the Phillies batting order, and is the right handed bat there. Batting behind Ryan Howard is not as easy thing to do. Domonic Brown is a lefty, and will join and already lefty heavy Phillies batting order. Also, you can't expect Domonic Brown to jump into the #5 hole behind Utley and Howard, as a lefty.

This means that you would have to probably put Rollins or Victorino in the #5 hole, both of whom are switch hitters, and unfortunately, both of whom are struggling at the plate. Rollins can hopefully turn it around and have a good end to the season; Shane Victorino just flat out sucks. If you put Rollins there, he can swing away like he always wants to anyways, but you then have Victorino at the leadoff spot, popping up the first pitch he sees every at bat. Either decision is not optimal.

Bottom line, the lineup right now isn't good enough to make the playoffs. In fact, the offense has been so bad that the Phillies fired hitting coach Milt Thompson tonight. Thompson will be replaced with Greg Gross, who has already been the Phillies hitting coach. The offense is flat out bad no matter who is the hitting coach right now, and I can't even remember the last time I said that about the Phillies. Chase Utley coming back obviously can't hurt, but I don't think it will do enough to revive the offense. Utley isn't going to fire anybody up with his personality, and Utley wasn't even hitting the ball anyways before he got injured.

Therefore, if the Phillies do make a trade, it will need to be for a pitcher, and this is what will need to carry the Phillies into the playoffs; because it sure isn't going to be the hitting.

Flyers Put Away Devils

The Flyers closed our their first round series with a pretty convincing series victory over the New Jersey Devils, who really seemed to have little interest in trying to get back into the series. The Flyers won 3-0 on the Devils home ice to eliminate the #2 seed. The Flyers went 9-2 against the Devils this season, including the playoffs.

If anything last night, the Devils had the puck in the Flyers zone more than the Flyers did in the Devils zone, but the Flyers converted their chances into goals, and the Devils did not. New Jersey went 0-8 on the power play, and I think the Flyers solid penalty killing was the main reason they won this series. This was perfectly exemplified last night when Ian Laperriere went down a blocked a slap shot with his face. It took about 60 or 70 stitches to close up a cut above Laperriere's eye.

With Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne out possibly for the rest of the playoffs, the Flyers needed some guys to step up and score some goals. Guys like Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell need to get going, and guys like Claude Giroux, and JVR, both of whom have played well, need to step up into an even bigger role. Danny Briere did his job, and played a great game. He got the Flyers on the board on the power play just over 3 minutes into the game. Two great passes, one from Richards to Giroux, and then from Giroux to Briere wide open in front of the net set up Briere's tally. Briere also saved a goal that appeared to be rolling into the Flyers net on a Devils power play, and Briere swatted the puck away just before it crossed the line. Giroux ended up scoring 2 goals in the 2nd period to put the game away. The Flyers just kind of sat back and didn't make any mistakes in the 3rd period, and won the game, and advanced to the 2nd round.

Unfortunately, the Flyers probably will have to face off against the best team in hockey in the regular season, the Washington Capitals, and Alexander Ovechkin. The Capitals have one of the most potent offenses the NHL has seen in a while, led by Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Semin. I hope that the Canadiens can win another game at least in that series to extend it and put some pressure on the Capitals. As good as the Capitals offense is, their defense and goaltending aren't great.

Either way, the Flyers played a great series, but need to step it up in the 2nd round if they want to beat whoever they end up playing. Boucher needs to continue his strong performance from this series to help this team advance through the playoffs.

Flyers Take Command of Series

The Flyers won yesterday in Game 4 of the first round series to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in front of the home crowd at the Wachovia Center. The Flyers outplayed the Devils in the past 2 games, and I think the home crowd played a factor in that.

The Flyers were down after the first period 1-0 on a Kovalchuk goal scored on a 5 on 3 power play. Boucher would not allow another goal, and the Flyers went on to score 4, winning 4-1, and seeing players such as Jeff Carter and Danny Briere break out of their slumps.

Jeff Carter got the Flyers going on the power play in the 2nd period wristing a shot past Brodeur. The assist went to Danny Briere. Later in the period, Briere skated in the Devils zone, and ripped a slap shot in the upper corner beating Brodeur and giving the Flyers a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish. The Flyers got 3rd period goals from goal scoring machine Daniel Carcillo, and another power play tally from Jeff Carter gave the Flyers a 4-1 lead and victory.

Boucher continued to play strong in between the pipes stopping 30 of the Devils 31 shots. The defense has played well for the most part in front of him. Boucher has only allowed 9 goals in the 4 games so far this series. The Devils only goal this game as I said came on a 5 on 3 power play. When the action has been 5 on 5, the Flyers have had control of the last 2 games. Their Flyers have been forechecking relentlessly, and making the Devils defenseman give up pucks, and not enabling the Devils to move easily through the neutral zone. The strong forechecking is a stable of coach Peter Laviolette’s system, which the Flyers seem to be buying into.

The work is not over yet, the Flyers cannot be happy by a strong postseason performance thus far, they need to put the Devils away. It was 10 years ago with Boucher in net that the Flyers had a 3-1 series lead on the Devils, on their way to the Stanley Cup, only to see the Devils win 3 straight games and eliminate the Flyers. Obviously that is in the past, but it can still happen, especially with 2 of the final 3 games of the series in New Jersey. You don’t want to have to go to New Jersey to win a game 7. The Flyers will go to New Jersey for Game 5 Thursday night, and will hopefully be travelling back to Philadelphia without the Devils coming as well. The Flyers will have to win Game 5 however without Jeff Carter, and Simon Gagne, both of whom have injured feet. Ville Leino, and David Laliberte will replace them in the lineup.

Flyers Take 2-1 Series Lead

The Flyers beat the Devils 2-1 in overtime Sunday night to beat the Devils and take a 2-1 series lead in this best of 7 first round series. The Flyers outplayed the Devils most of this game, especially as it went on, and finally solved Brodeur in overtime to put the game away.

This game was easily the most nerve-racking Flyers game all season, and one of those games we as fans are all too familiar with - watching the Flyers dominate the entire 3rd period, and then having them lose on a fluke goal. Well, the Flyers did not let that happen, and even though they couldn't solve Brodeur in the 3rd period, they finally put one past him in overtime.

Daniel Carcillo got the game winner, a little over 3 minutes into overtime on an open net stuff in. The goal came just 5 seconds after a Devils penalty expired making the goal an even strength goal. Mike Richards had the puck at the side of the net and just tried to stuff it into the corner. Brodeur had the corner covered, but the puck popped out in front of the net and Carcillo was there uncovered, and stuffed it in. Gagne was in front of the net also. That line had combined for the 2nd Flyers goal of the game, when Gagne made an unbelievable forechecking hit on a Devils defenseman who gave up the puck. Carcillo immediately swooped in, grabbed the puck and played it out in front to Richards who scored easily. Claude Giroux continued his stellar postseason with the other Flyers goal in the 1st period off a nice pass from Kimmo Timonen.

The Flyers really played well from the start, and benefited from being in front of the home crowd. It seemed to really give the Flyers a boost to play in their own building. The Flyers only got better and more dominant as the game moved along. The 3rd period was completely controlled by the Flyers, and the Flyers seemed to have a legit scoring chance every minute. Brodeur had to show why he is the best goalie of all time to keep the Devils in this one. Even in overtime, the Flyers came right out and had a few scoring chances before Carcillo put the game away.

The Richards, Carcillo, and Gagne line had a superb game. Richards continues to play well this postseason, as he has done the past 2 years. The Giroux, Van Riemsdyk, Asham line also continued to play very well. Giroux has been the best player on the Flyers thus far, besides maybe Pronger, and possibly Boucher. We still need for Jeff Carter to step it up and score a goal. The threesome of Carter, Briere, and Hartnell really need to start playing and give the Flyers something, because they haven't yet in the playoffs. The defense is playing solid for the most part, as Pronger, Timonen, and Coburn had strong games.

The work isn't done yet, the Flyers need to come out with the same intensity that they had at the end of Game 3, because you know that the Devils will be coming out firing on all cylinders. Also, if Brodeur plays like he did tonight, we are going to need to dominate the game just to have a chance to win, similarly to tonight.

Flyers Drop Game 2

The Flyers opening round series against the Devils is tied up after the first 2 games at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. The Devils came back in Game 2, and beat the Flyers with 2 late third period goals to win the game 5-3.

The Devils wasted no time getting on the score sheet in this game, with a short handed goal early in the first period by Zach Parise, less than 3 minutes into the game. The Flyers however, didn't let the early goal affect them, and came back with 2 goals in the first period to take a 2-1 first intermission lead, even though the Devils, like most of Game 1 had control of the action.

The Devils continued to push the pace in the 2nd period scoring a goal about 4 minutes in to make the score 2-2. This was really the first bad goal that Boucher has allowed in the postseason, as he led a fairly weak wrist shot from the point creep through his pads. Each team added a goal later in the period to go into the 3rd period tied at 3. The Devils again controlled most of the 2nd period.

In the 3rd period, the Flyers actually appeared to control most of the action, and definitely had their chances to take the lead and take a 2-0 series lead, but Martin Brodeur shut the Flyers down. The Flyers finally outshot the Devils in the 3rd period, which is the first period they have done so in the first 2 games of the series. However, it was the Devils who got on the board, with ex-Flyer Dainius Zubrus scoring with about 4 minutes left. The Devils would add an empty net goal, and thus go on to tie the series up at 1.

The Flyers have too many supposed "stars" on their team who either underachieve like crazy or just plain aren't star players. Jeff Carter is coming back from an injury, but he still needs to step it up in the playoffs. Carter had his chances this game, but came up small. Carter was the Flyers leading point getter most of the season, and needs to stop playing soft in big games. Danny Briere is basically a joke on the ice, and is stealing money from the Flyers. He tries out there, but just isn't good enough or big enough to get it done anymore. Also, Scott Hartnell is flat out not a very good player. He's a good guy to have on your team, and a guy you definitely root for, but he doesn't play smart, and doesn't bring much else to the table unless he is mixing it up with an opponent. He definitely should not be in the game at the end when you need a goal, because he is not very good. I honestly think they should healthy scratch Hartnell, and play Ville Leino next game.

Either way, The Flyers need to get a jolt on energy in the next 2 home games, and at worst take 1 of them. The Flyers should play better being at home, they do seem to usually respond to the great home crowds. Game 3 is Sunday at 6.

Flyers Take 1-0 Series Lead

The Flyers took game 1 against the Devils in a very nerve racking game, as the Flyers basically sat back in the 3rd period and trying to hold on a 2-0 lead. They gave up a late goal to make the score 2-1, but held on to take a 2-1 series lead in this first round series.

Brian Boucher was the player of the game for the Flyers, as he made just about every save that came his way, including a few really nice ones. The only goal the Devils scored came off a deflection that he had no chance on. The Devils controlled the play in the first period and Boucher kept it at 0-0 after that period, and the Devils controlled the 3rd period, but Boucher was up to the task. This was Boucher's first playoff win since 2000, also against the Devils.

The Flyers got on the board halfway through the 2nd period on the power play, as the puck was out in front of Brodeur, and Chris Pronger muscled the puck into the net. With just over 3 minutes left in the 2nd period, Mike Richards unleashed a laser that found the upper corner and beat Brodeur on a slap shot. The Flyers took the 2-0 lead into the 3rd period, and then really just sat back and basically wanted to clock to tick down before the Devils could catch up. They came close, but they didn't.

Even though the Flyers won, they were outplayed. They should treat Game 2 as if they were outplayed in Game 1, and show some more energy and a sense of urgency. The Flyers only ended up with 14 shots on the night. The Flyers never really carried the puck into the zone, they were always getting to the red line and dumping it in. And when they did dump the puck in, they were not able to get the forecheck going and start cycling to get some chances. The Flyers did do very well on the penalty kill, as they had to kill off 6 minutes of power play time for the Devils in the 3rd period alone, including a double minor.

Great start to the series, but the Flyers should not be content with this victory. They need to play better in Game 2 and the rest of this series if they want to advance to Round 2, because it is only a matter of time before the Devils players like Parise, and Kovalchuk get going. The Flyers can't count on Boucher carrying them many more games.

Flyers Playoff Preview

The Flyers get underway with the 2010 playoffs this evening when they travel to Newark to play the Devils at the Prudential Center. The Flyers went through a very up and down season, and had to win the final regular season game in a shootout against the Rangers just to get into the playoffs. The Flyers are in as the #7 seed in the East.

This season will definitely be considered a disappointment if the Flyers get bounced in the first round. The Flyers have arguably as much talent as almost anyone in the NHL, and should be competing to win Stanley Cups. The defense did improve this season with the help of Chris Pronger, and the offense, while not great, is above average. The Flyers still have no go to guy in net, and the musical chairs that has been the Flyers goaltending of the past decade has continued. It started with the offseason signing of Ray Emery. Emery started the season in net, and played well. He then had some injury problems and was eventually shut down. Enter Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton. Both goalies got their shot, and Leighton outplayed Boucher. Unfortunately, Leighton also got injured, which left Boucher as the Flyers starter through the end of the season. Boucher did play very well in certain games down the stretch, but overall was not effective. Nothing explains the Flyers inconsistencies in goals more than Boucher vs. Brodeur in the 2010 playoffs… a rematch of the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals that the Flyers lost to the Devils 4 games to 3. We all know the Flyers have had about 100 netminders in between that series and this one, while the Devils have the best goalie in NHL history in Brodeur.

While the goaltending edge obviously goes to the Devils, the Flyers might have the edge in some other categories. As I mentioned earlier, this Flyers team is not without talent. On paper, the Flyers probably have more talent than the Devils, not including goalies. The Flyers have a solid veteran offense made up of playoff veterans such as Danny Briere and Simon Gagne, and younger emerging stars like Glaude Giroux, and James Van Riemsdyk. The leaders of the team, guys like Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Chris Pronger will need to have a very good series if the Flyers want to win. Richards and Carter need to step it up offensively, as they led the Flyers in points throughout the season, and will continue to need to do so into the playoffs. Pronger brings an element to the Flyers that they have not had in a while -- A punishing, intimidating veteran defenseman who has a ton of playoff experience, and success. The defense will need to play well in front of Boucher if the Flyers want to beat the Devils.

The Flyers do go into this series as the underdog, but this is not a typical 2-7 matchup. I think the Flyers have underachieved most of the season. If the Flyers continue to underachieve, then they will be out in the first round, and another disappointing season will pass. The Flyers may just be an above average team and nothing more. The Flyers also will not be afraid of the Devils, as they have won 5 of the 6 meetings this year with New Jersey.

Hockey playoffs are always extremely exciting; one of the best things to watch in all of sports is playoff hockey. The Flyers and Devils know each other very well, and get under way tonight in Game 1 at the Prudential Center.

Eagles Clinch First Round Bye With Win

The Eagles will clinch the #2 seed in the NFC and a first round bye if they beat the Cowboys on Sunday. You had to know that this Eagles-Cowboys matchup the final weekend of the season would be meaningful, and it is for both teams.

Because the Vikings lost last night, the Eagles and Vikings now have identical records. The Eagles hold the tiebreaker over the Vikings with the better conference record, and thus control their own destiny for that #2 seed. However, the Eagles can drop completely out of that spot, and drop to as low as the #6 seed if they lose to the Cowboys possibly. The Eagles have a lot to gain from a win this weekend, and unfortunately, they have a lot to lose. In fact, the Cowboys who sit at #6 in the NFC right now, could still end up with the #2 seed and a first round bye. If the Eagles, Vikings, and Cardinals lose, and Cowboys win, they take the #2 seed, and the Eagles will fall to the 5th or 6th seed.

If the Eagles lose to the Cowboys, and the Vikings and Cardinals both win, the Eagles would be the #5 seed, and would travel right back to Dallas for a first round playoff matchup. If the Eagles lose to the Cowboys, and the Vikings win, and the Cardinals lose, the Packers also jump the Eagles, and the Eagles drop to the #6 seed. In this scenario, the Eagles would also travel back to Dallas to play the Cowboys. There are also scenarios where the Eagles could lose, drop to the #5 or #6 seed and play the Vikings, if the Vikings lose their game, and Cardinals win.

So, a win would be huge for multiple reasons as you can see. You do not want to have to play in Dallas twice in a row, and in my opinion, you never want to play a divisional opponent for the 3rd time of the season in the playoffs. Should be a very interesting weekend.

Eagles-49ers Preview

The Eagles stay at home this Sunday as the 49ers come to town in a very important game with playoff implications for both teams. The 49ers are coming off a big win Monday night, and sit at 6-7 and must win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The 49ers are just 1-5 on the road this season.

The Eagles are banged up at the wide receiver position, but they also were last week, and DeSean Jackson proved that as long as he plays well, that is all we need at the wide receiver position. Jeremy Maclin is out this game, which means Reggie Brown will get the start at wide received opposite Jackson, and Kevin Curtis is returning to the lineup for the first time in about 2 months. That is not a very strong wide receiving corps besides Jackson. Also, tight end Brent Celek who looks like he is going to play has also been banged up.

It is hard to say how the wintery conditions will affect the game until the game actually starts and we see how much snow accumulation is on the field, and how cold it is at game time. The 49ers are a warm weather team, and you would think the Eagles would benefit from a cold game. They probably would, but the 49ers have a very strong rushing attack in Frank Gore, who should get a lot of carries if the weather is bad.

The Eagles offense has been playing very well as of late. They need to continue doing the same things on offense. Mixing the run and the pass, giving Weaver and McCoy their fair share of carries, getting Jackson the ball, and mixing Michael Vick into the game plan effectively. This has all been clicking lately. The defense however, needs to step it up. The defense was terrible against the Giants. They first need to shut down Frank Gore. Gore is the best offensive weapon on the 49ers, and if you shut down Gore, you can definitely beat the 49ers. If they are able to shut down Gore, they need to get pressure on Alex Smith and not give him time in the new "spread" offense the 49ers have been using the help out Smith. Getting pressure is another thing the Eagles defense was unable to do against the Giants.

The Eagles can clinch a playoff spot tomorrow with a win and a Giants loss, or a win and a Cowboys win. Obviously we won't be rooting for the Cowboys to win, so let's hope the Giants lose to the Redskins.

National League Playoff Picture

The NL playoff picture is shaping up, and I wanted to take a look at what the Phillies should expect in October.... if they were to get to the playoffs. In the division, the Phillies are 7.5 up on the Braves, and 9.5 up on the Marlins. Ohh yeah, and they are 18.5 up on the pathetic Mets, and that is still hilarious.

In terms of the National League, the Phillies currently sit 1 game behind the Dodgers, and in a tie for 2nd place overall with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Rockies are back to leading the wild card, and are up 1 game on the Giants in the wild card, thanks to the Phillies win last night. If the wild card winner comes from the NL West, which would be either the Rockies or Giants, the Phillies cannot possibly play the Cardinals in the first round. This is probably a good thing, as the Cardinals have been playing great baseball as of late. The reason they could not play in the first round is because no two teams from the same division are allowed by rule to play each other in the first round of the playoffs. This would exclude the Dodgers from playing either the Rockies or Giants in the first round of the playoffs. It also means that whoever finishes ahead in the league between the Phillies and Cardinals would end up playing the wild card winner. Again, that is all assuming the Rockies or Giants win the wild card. If the Braves or Marlins go on a run and take the wild card, the Phillies would not be able to play either of those teams in the first round.

Personally, I want to avoid playing the Cardinals or Giants, especially in a best of 5 series. I feel like the underdog has a better chance the shorter the series is, and a 5 game series with the Phillies and Giants might cause some problems for the Phillies. Often times the team who gets the best pitching in the playoffs wins the series - this is especially true in a shorter 5 game series. The Giants feature a great pitching staff which includes two of the best in the league, Lincecum, and Cain. Also, Barry Zito had under a 2 ERA since the all-star break, and Jonathan Sanchez seems to own the Phillies. The Giants offense is fairly pathetic, but they are still a scary team to play.

As I stated earlier, the Cardinals are another scary team, no matter where you play them in the playoffs. Their pitching is very underrated, and they throw 3 quality starters out there in Carpenter, Wainwright, and Pineiro. Also, their offense is really starting to click since the addition of Matt Holliday. We all know about Albert Pujols, and now the Cardinals have some pieces in the lineup around him to beat teams. The Cardinals are playing very good baseball right now, and are clicking on all cylinders.

If at all possible, I would like to play the Rockies in the first round. The Rockies have a couple good sinker ball pitchers, but the Phillies pitching staff is better. The Rockies also feature a solid offense, but they do not have the offense the Phillies have - no team in the NL does.

The Dodgers are the team that really no one is talking about right now. The Dodgers have basically been in 1st place in the NL for the entire season, but have been struggling as of late, and coming back to the pack. The Dodgers are still a scary team, as they also have a very good hitting lineup, and when their pitching in on, they are a tough team to beat.

Bottom line, I think the Phillies are the best team in the National League. We can definitely beat any team in the National League, and if we get good pitching, I think we will. Essentially, I shouldn't worry about where the Phillies end up, I should just hope they make the playoffs and go from there. Also, I should be confident that the Phillies can beat any team in any round in the playoffs. I would like to get into 1st place in the NL, to lock up home field in the NL. The Phillies have actually been better on the road than at home this year, but you still want to play at home in the playoffs as much as possible. The Phillies went 9-0 in the playoffs at home last year, and have a tremendous home field advantage. It is a hitters ballpark, we are a hitting team, and other teams can often struggle here. Ohh, and we are the best fans in baseball. But first things first, we have to clinch our third straight NL East.

Flyers Early Elimination Unacceptable

The Flyers season came to a disappointing end Saturday when they lost to the Penguins in the 1st round in 6 games, 4-2. This is not a situation where it is nice for the Flyers to make the playoffs, and we are happy just being there. It is quite the opposite, as lately, we have seen the Flyers make the playoffs year after year, and had to go through the agony of watching us get eliminated every one of those years.

Starting with the 1994-1995 season, the Flyers have made the playoffs every season except for the disappointing 2006-2007 season. In all of those years in the playoffs, we have seen our Flyers get eliminated in every round of the postseason, including a loss to the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup, and multiple losses in the Eastern Conference Finals, including losses to the Lightning and Devils, among others. This season started out with very lofty expectations. The Flyers made the Eastern Conference finals last season, and lost to the Penguins. But the Flyers did a great job last season, and ran into a better Penguins team. The Flyers are a very good offensive team, with a lot of young stars, so we expected a lot out of them this season. The regular season never seems to be a problem for this team. The Flyers always are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and are usually one of the better seeds in the playoffs.

This season, due to struggling down the stretch, the Flyers fell to the 5th seed, and had to play the 4th seeded Penguins. This was a very bad draw for the Flyers, as the Penguins might be the most talented team in the Eastern Conference. However, the Flyers were in this position because of their own doing by playing poor hockey down the stretch. So another offseason comes quicker than we would have liked. The fans deserve more. We deserve a Stanley Cup. As successful as the Flyers have been, they have not won a Stanley Cup since the 1974-1975 season. I, like many other younger fans, was not even alive at that point. Unfortunately, it has usually been the same story as of late with this team. When Bobby Clarke took over, he always seemed to have slower, more physical players. Clarke never liked the speedy, softer European players, or Russians. To Clarke's credit, he did do a successful job with the Flyers, but he never got us over the hump.

Now with Paul Holmgren in charge, he seems to feel the same way about players and talent evaluation as Clarke did. It is not fair to criticize Holmgren, as he has not had the job long enough to build his team, and that is not what this is about. But at some point, the Flyers philosophies have to change. Don't get me wrong - I love being a physical team. I love being able to beat the crap out of softer teams, and muscle teams around. But you need to add in speedy, finesse players to compliment them, and the Flyers have lacked that as of recently.

The offense, while inconsistent at times, is usually not the problem however. The Flyers defense, beyond Timonen and Coburn, is average. Saying the Flyers need to get better at defense each offseason has become like the Eagles need to bring in a #1 receiver. It is the truth, however; the Flyers do need to get better at defense. Too many times, when you see the opposing team score a goal, you say there is nothing that the goalie could have done to save that. That is on the defense. With this team, the offense is set. You have good, young players on offense who can make plays and score goals. You need to get better at defense. Marty Biron is over 30, and is a free agent, and may not come back next season. If Biron does not come back, you need to get better at the goalie position as well. I am not going to bash the goaltending as much as some others, I feel like putting a solid defense in from of the goalie will improve that position greatly.

Bottom line - losing in the 1st round of the playoffs to whoever is not acceptable. To take a 3-0 lead in Game 6, and then lose that game is not okay. The players, and coaches should be livid. The fans are. As fans, we expect and deserve more from the Flyers. Other teams in the Eastern Conference such as the Devils, Capitals, and Penguins aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and will always be among the teams competing in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers need to step up their game, improve their team, and finally win the Cup that we all have been waiting for.

Sixers Magic 1st Round Preview

Let’s be honest - The Sixers do not have that great a chance to win the series. If this was KC odds makers, I would put it at about 9%. But there is still a chance and anything can happen. We at Kotite’s want to give a preview of the matchups you will see while watching this series. This matchup and the 9% is assuming that both Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu will play. Today it was announced they might return. If they do not play, Sixers percent chance of winning goes up to 40%/ Let's take a look at how the Sixers and Magic match up - position by position.

PG: Andre Miller vs. Rafer Alston - Advantage Sixers

If hometown favorite Jameer Nelson was not injured this would be a lot closer (with advantage still going to Miller, primarily because of experience). Miller should be able to control Skip-to-my-Lou fairly easily, but will have trouble keeping up with his speed.

SG: Willie Green vs. Courtney Lee - Advantage Magic
Any starting 2 guard in the league is better than Willie Green, so the advantage Magic really has nothing to do with Lee’s skill. The rookie from Western Kentucky shoots well from the field, can hit the three, and shoots well from the line, and moved big free-agent signing Mickael Pietrus to 6th man. Hopefully Willie Green gets taken out early and Big Lou Williams gets a lot of minutes in the series.

SF: Andre Iguodala vs. Hedo Turkoglu - Advantage Sixers
Hedo has a bum ankle and might not play in this series and Andre was completely embarrassed last year in the playoffs with a performance that I could match - that is how bad he was. I expect Iggy to step up his game and play very well in this series.

PF: Thaddeus Young vs. Rashard Lewis - Advantage Magic
Thaddeus Young is the best player on the Sixers. You heard it here first. It is a shame that AI part 2 cannot play 2 guard, so when bust-Elton Brand comes back next season, Thad is playing the 3 and not 6th man. Rashard Lewis a freak of nature and will give match-up problems for Thad if Lewis’ knee is alright for him to play.

C: Samuel Dalembert vs. Dwight Howard - Triple Advantage Magic
This is not even close. The self-proclaimed Haitian sensation, Sammy DDDDDDD, on his best day is not even close to the skill level or physical prowess of Dwight Howard on Howard’s worst day. Sammy D could be a good player, but he thinks he is Dwight Howard and he really is much closer to Shawn Bradley. Expect at least one 20/20 game from Howard, especially if Hedo and Rashard do not play.

Bench – Advantage Sixers
The Magic do bring Mickael Pietrus off the bench, who is a very good player. JJ Redick also comes off the bench, who can provide instant offense with his 3-point shooting. The Sixers have the best bench player in this series in Lou Williams, who usually plays in crunch time over Willie Green. The Sixers also bring Speights off the bench, who has shows the ability to do a lot of good things at the power forward position.

Picks
Mr. Green: Sixers in 6
Roget: Magic in 5

Sixers Finally Win a Game Before Playoffs

The 76ers won the final game of the regular season, their first win since April 4th. The win, combined with a Bulls loss, allowed the Sixers to obtain the #6 seed in the NBA playoffs, and face off in the first round against the 3rd seeded Orlando Magic.

In the final game of the regular season, the Sixers finally snapped their 6-game losing streak to the Cavaliers. They are only the 2nd team to win in Cleveland this season. Of course it helped that the Cavs were resting basically their entire starting roster, including LeBron James. In a strange end to the regular season, the Sixers won in overtime, in a game in which the Cavs hit a 3-pointer with under a second just to send the game to OT. So even though the Sixers won this game ugly, we have to take a win any way we can get it going into the postseason.

I'm not sure which is better to play the Celtics or the Magic in the first round of the postseason, but the Sixers will face Dwight Howard and the Magic. Even though the Sixers are 0-3 against the Magic this season, all three games were losses by 10 points or less. Anything can happen in the playoffs, especially with the Sixers playing with house money, much like they were last season when they put a huge scare into the Pistons in the first round.

Flyers Penguins 1st Round Preview

The Flyers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1st round of the NHL playoffs, with Game 1 getting under way tonight in Pittsburgh. The Flyers lost out on home ice advantage in this series by losing in the season finale to the Rangers.

Unfortunately, much like football and the NFC East, I am not too happy that the Flyers play an Atlantic Division foe in the Penguins. Going into the playoffs, I would have rather played any other team in the playoffs than the Pens, Devils, and even the Rangers. The Flyers are 2-4 against the Penguins this season, with one loss coming in OT, and another coming in a shootout. These two teams also met up last season in the Eastern Conference final, with the Penguins winning the series and advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Ohhh yeah, and these two teams don’t like each other too much. Anytime you play a team as much as the Flyers and Penguins do throughout the season, and meet up in two consecutive playoff series’, there is going to be a good rivalry. These two teams have forged one of the better hockey rivalries as of late, with the cross-state teams both being among the elite in the Eastern Conference.

If the Flyers want to have any chance in advancing in these playoffs, and this series, they need to start playing better hockey than they have been down the stretch. The Flyers have been playing average hockey to end the season, while the Penguins have been playing very good hockey. The Flyers are just 3-4-1 in their last eight games. The offense hasn’t been poor for the most part, but the defense hasn’t been great, and Biron has been very inconsistent. All of that said, the Flyers still could have had home ice in this series had they just beaten/lost in OT to the Rangers in the last game of the regular season. They had a 3-2 lead in the 3rd period on home ice, and ended up losing the game in regulation. Good teams don’t let that happen. Teams that will go far into the playoffs don’t let that happen. I’m not saying the Flyers can’t do it, because I believe they can, but they will need to rebound quickly in order to even hang with the Penguins in this series. They will need to rely on their offense to do so. The Flyers offense is dangerous, with six 25 goal scorers in Carter, Richard, Gagne, Hartnell, Knuble, and Lupul. Throw a healthy Briere, and rookie Giroux in the mix, and the Flyers offense is among the best in the league. The defense, beyond Timonen, and Coburn is just average, and Biron will need to have another playoffs like last season for the Flyers to be successful.

The Penguins on the other hand have a record of 18-3-4 since February 15th, when Dan Bylsma became the interim head coach. Bylsma is obviously getting the most out of his players, because when he took over, the Penguins weren’t even in the playoff picture. No matter how the Penguins are playing, they are still an extremely scary team, as they feature two of the top three players in the world on their roster. Evgeni Malkin, and Sidney Crosby are a lethal combination. Malkin finished the season as the NHL scoring champion, compiling 113 points, which Crosby was 3rd with 103 points. Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins goalie, always seems to own the Flyers also no matter when or where they play.

No matter what the outcome, it will be an exciting series for the fans to watch. These two teams always play each other well, and like I stated before, have a great rivalry going on right now. The Flyers can make it even more fun to watch by winning the series and advancing. Even if the Flyers play well and lose the series, a first round loss is not what we are looking for out of this team. The Flyers are too good, and have too many good players, that a first round loss is considered a disappointment, especially considering where this team went last season in the playoffs. The Flyers are still a young team, but do have enough talent to win this series against the Penguins.

Picks
Mr. Green: Flyers in 6
Roget: Flyers in 6
Queen Aoleon: Flyers in 5

Sixers Struggling Down the Stretch

The Sixers lost what seemed like their 30th game in a row on Sunday (it was actually their 5th game in a row), to the Raptors, and are losing ground in the Eastern Conference with each loss.

Before this losing streak, the Sixers were in the 5th position in the East, and could realistically get to 4th ahead of the Hawks. Even if they had stayed in the 5th spot, they would have drawn the 4th seeded Hawks in the first round, a team that the Sixers have a winning record against this season. Five losses later, and the Sixers cannot get the 4th seed, cannot get the 5th seed, and are tied for the 6th seed with the Chicago Bulls. Because they cannot get the 5th seed, they will fall somewhere in the 6, 7, or 8 seed range, which means a first round matchup against the Cavs, Celtics, or Magic, the three elite teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Sixers need to get Thaddeus Young back as soon as possible. He will probably not return to the lineup the final two games of the regular season, but will return for the playoffs. Without Thaddeus, the Sixers are struggling, as Young can score not only on the break, but also in the half court sets. The Sixers final two games of the season are against the Celtics and Cavs, so we could easily drop down to the 8th playoff spot, depending on how the Bulls, and Pistons do. It doesn't appear likely that the Sixers would win a series against the Cavs, Celtics, or Magic, even if they were playing good basketball. However, the Sixers did lose four games in a row last season heading into the playoffs, and then proceeded to push the Pistons in the first round. Even with a first round exit, it would be nice for the Sixers to make some noise in this playoffs, and get some fans in the arena.

Worst Case Scenario for the Flyers

The Flyers ended the season on Sunday with 99 points, good for 5th in the Eastern Conference. Coming into this weekend, they held the upper hand on the 4th seed and home ice advantage. Not only that, the Hurricanes were also in the 5th position, a team which the Flyers held a 3-1 edge during the regular season. After a Hurricanes loss Saturday, a Penguins win Saturday, and a Flyers loss on Sunday, the Flyers fell to the 5th seed, and allowed the Penguins to take over home ice with the 4th seed.

This is the worst case scenario, because the Flyers wanted to get the 4th seed and home ice in the first round. And all they had to do was get a point in the final regular season game on Sunday against the Rangers. The Flyers were at home, with a 3-2 lead in the 3rd period, having only to go to OT to get 1 point, but they couldn't hang on. It wouldn't have been so bad if the Flyers ended up as the 5th seed, and the Hurricanes ended up as the 4th seed. I'm not saying the Flyers could beat the Hurricanes in a series, but I'm pretty sure every Flyers fan would much rather play the Hurricanes in series than the Penguins. The Penguins have been one of the best teams in hockey over the past 2 months of the regular season. They are a team with so much skill, with 2 of the best 3 players in the world in Crosby and Malkin. The Penguins can look so bad for games, or periods at a time, but have that switch they can just turn on, in which they are virtually unstoppable. Their goalie, Fleury, always seems to play well against the Flyers also.

It should be an exciting first round if nothing else, given the rivalry the Flyers and Penguins have forged these past few seasons. These teams do not like each other. Unfortunately, the Flyers have come out on the short end as of late, losing the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, 4 games to 1. The Penguins also hold a 4-2 edge on the Flyers this season. Playoff hockey is always extremely exciting, and it would definitely be a disappointment if the Flyers bowed out in the first round.

Sixers Battling for Playoff Seed

The 76ers have been playing fairly good basketball down the stretch, and are battling for a favorable position in the upcoming playoffs. The Sixers currently sit in the 6th seed, with a record of 40-37, 0.5 games behind the Miami Heat, with a game in hand. Unfortunately, they lost their 2nd straight last night, in a game they really needed, against the Bobcats 101-98.

In the Eastern Conference, it is all about seeding. With three elite teams (Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando), you do not want to end up in the 6, 7, 8 seed range and face one of those teams in the first round, because it will more than likely be one-and-done. That basically leaves the 4-5 matchup as the first round matchup that you want to be in. There is currently a three-team battle for the 4th, 5th, and 6th seeds between the Atlanta Hawks in the 4 spot right now, the Heat in the 5th spot, and the Sixers in the 6th spot.

The Sixers are playing well right now, with Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams, and the currently injured Thaddeus Young all contributing. The Sixers are 4 games over .500 since the start of March, including a win over the Hawks during that span. Iguodala has had a very good 2nd half of the season, and is averaging 18.5 PPG, and over 5 boards and assists per game. Lou Williams continues to provide a consistent scoring threat from off the bench, and seemingly can get to the rim with ease. Marreese Speights is growing up as the season goes along, and it looks like the Sixers may have a solid player for the future in Speights.

With only six games remaining, it would be optimal to pass the Heat in the standings and get the 5th seed. Even though we would have to go on the road to start the playoffs, the Sixers had a winning record against the Hawks in the regular season, and can definitely beat them in the 1st round of the playoffs. Even with a win in a potential first round series against the Hawks, that would leave the Sixers as one of four teams left along with the Big 3 in the Eastern Conference. So, although the Sixers would more than likely make a 2nd round exit at this point, it is still exciting to watch playoff basketball, and the Sixers need to generate as much interest as possible at this point. Most Sixers fans would enjoy a playoff run, even if it is short lived.

Flyers Look Ahead to Postseason

The Flyers are holding desperately onto the #4 seed, trying to get home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs this season. The Flyers control their own destiny, as they are tied with Carolina with 95 points, but have a game in hand. The Penguins have 93 points, but the Flyers have a game in hand on them also. Unfortunately, this team isn’t making it easy on themselves, losing 3 of 4 games, and 4 of 6. The Flyers also still have tough games among the final four games, with two against the Rangers, and one against the Panthers. The Rangers and Panthers are tied for 8th in the Eastern Conference, so they will be fighting hard to get into the playoffs.

The Flyers have been unnervingly inconsistent down the stretch. Their scoring has slowed down for the most part, despite the 8 goals they scored against Toronto last Friday. Neither goalie has really won the starting job going into the playoffs, although Biron has played better down the stretch. Heading into the playoffs, this team should be able to score goals, it is just still a matter of their defense not giving up easy opportunities for the opposition, and Biron making the saves that he needs to make. Come playoff time, just like pitching in baseball, goaltending in the NHL gets much more important. You cannot go deep into the playoffs unless you have sharp goaltending. Biron must do what he did last season and start playing his best hockey come playoff time.

Another thing to look at is the seed that the Flyers will end up getting. Currently, they are in the 4th spot with four games to play, yet still have not even clinched a playoff spot. Hopefully, they will stay in the 4 spot, but if they continue to play poor hockey, they could end up dropping out of the playoffs completely, or more realistically, losing home ice in the first round.

Home ice is important, but so is the team we will face in the first round. I’m not sure the players concern themselves with too much with who they will face, but as fans, we want to face the optimal matchup for our boys in orange and black. Right now, that appears to be the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina holds a two-point lead over the Penguins for the 5th spot, and as a Flyers fan, we hope it stays that way. We do not want to face the Penguins in the first round. The Flyers play exciting matchups against the Penguins, but you still do not want to face them. We believe the Flyers can beat anyone in the Eastern Conference if they are playing their game, but due to recent history, we would rather not see the Penguins or the Devils in a playoff match-up.

The Flyers have four games left and have to get their act together before the playoffs. They need to start playing a lot better defensively and get the puck in the back of the net if they want to advance in the playoffs.

Phillies Postseason Preview: Better Than Last Year?

When the Phillies clinched the NL East on the final day of the season last year, pandemonium was unleashed. The champagne flowed like Niagara Falls on a warm summer day. And deservedly so. It had been 14 years since Philly fans could cheer for October baseball. But the celebration was short lived. Four days after the postseason began, the Phils returned from Colorado the victims of a sweep.

But this year will be different. This team is better and more prepared to play in the fall chill. Let me explain:

Last year, the team—and the city for that matter—was just happy with getting to the postseason. A playoff berth was a win unto itself. So let’s chalk up last year as a learning experience. They got their first nibble, liked what they tasted, and now they’re back for a full meal.

The Phillies had the luxury of not playing catch-up the entire month of September this year. Coming back from 7 ½ games with 17 games to play took its toll on the 2007 club. No such hole this year. They even took a rest on the season’s last game. It gave them a chance to realize what they accomplished, celebrate and then get back to work.

The starting pitching is much better than it was a season ago. Cole Hamels’ durability issues were put to rest when the lanky lefty led the league in innings pitched. The Phils ace will start game 1 with a full week’s rest. Brett Myers, we hope, has gotten his bad starts behind him. And Jamie Moyer is the epitome of consistent.

The bullpen is experienced and ready to go. Brad Lidge anchors a bullpen who has been the anchor of this team all year. Even Ryan Madson seems ready to pitch in the postseason. JC Romero, Chad Durbin and Scott Eyre are all reliable arms with playoff experience.

And then there’s Ryan Howard. The big first baseman is hitting the ball better than he ever has in his short career. His 11 bombs and 32 RBI earned him player of the month honors, and put the slugger in the perfect mindset.

The keys to this series will be winning game 1, especially since Sabathia lined up to pitch game 2. Basically with Sabathia scheduled to probably pitch games 2 and 5, the Phillies need to at least win every game in which Sabathia does not pitch. Brett Myers will be a key, and hopefully can pitch well enough to steal a game away from Sabathia in Game 2. Rollins, Utley, and Howard will obviously need to hit, unlike last postseason, and the bullpen will need to continue to be strong and keep the Phillies in games.

Position for position (CC Sabathia notwithstanding) the Phillies have the edge in every match-up. From starting rotation to the bench, the advantage goes to Philly. This isn’t the Rockies who came into the postseason on a miracle run a year ago. This is the Brewers. They’re the Phillies of last year. They’re just happy to be there. And hopefully, like the Phillies, they’ll be swept.