After struggling with the offense on the road earlier this week, the Phillies bounced back once they got home, winning their first two games against the National League West leading San Diego Padres. The offense looks like it's coming back into form as well, but this week belonged to a pitcher once again. This week's Phillie of the Week is:
Jamie Moyer
The 47 year old Moyer became the third pitcher in baseball history to win 100 games after turning 40. He did so with a complete game effort against the San Diego Padres after being on the short end of a 1-0 loss on Sunday against Florida. For the week, Moyer was 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA with three walks and three strikeouts.
Congrats, old man. Now, keep it going for the rest of the year.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Phillies Recap: Phillies-6, Padres-2
Game Recap:
Jamie Moyer pitched a complete game to get his 100th win past the age of 40 and the Phillies finally woke up on offense to win their second straight against the Padres.
What went right?
Shane Victorino was 2-4 with a run scored.
Placido Polanco scored a run and was 2-4.
Chase Utley went 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Ryan Howard was 2-4 with two runs scored and a two RBI double.
Jayson Werth went 1-4 with a two run home run.
Jamie Moyer pitched his second complete game of the season. He allowed two runs on seven hits. He struck out just one and walked one.
What went wrong?
Honestly, nothing. Every Phillies player, save for Raul Ibanez, had a base hit, and Ibanez had an RBI on a sacrifice fly. So, nothing went wrong tonight. It's been a while since I could say that.
Game Analysis:
On May 17, the Phillies beat the Pirates by a score of 12-2. Since then, the Phils have gone 5-10, been shut out five times and dropped out of first place in the National League East. Tonight, it looked like the first time that the Phillies have actually tried to get back all of those games that they've lost. For the first time in three weeks, the Phillies scored more than five runs, and they used another solid pitching outing from Jamie Moyer for their second win in a row against a very good San Diego team.
For the last two games, the Phillies have taken San Diego's supposed vaunted pitching staff and worked it over. Tonight, it was Jon Garland that felt the sting. Though he pitched seven innings, he allowed six runs and ten hits, and didn't look right out there at all. Shane Victorino led off the Philadelphia first inning with a triple, and though he didn't score, it set the tone for the rest of the day. Every Philadelphia position player either had a hit or drove in a run, and it was a combined team effort tonight that got the job done. The Phillies have had enough problems scoring runs of late, but everything looked good tonight.
That's not to say that this took long enough. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth have all been scuffling since the one Pittsburgh game, but they all came through tonight with possible slump busters. All three had a run scored and at least one RBI, and Werth had a two run home run in the fifth inning that broke the game open. Howard's two run double gave the Phils their first four run plus inning since May 17, and it looked like this offense got back on track a little tonight. It's really nice to see, considering this team hasn't been good at all since that Pittsburgh game.
It's still a little early to be reading into everyting that happened tonight, but the key remains that the Phillies came out and scored some runs tonight. San Diego has the best pitching staff in the National League, so to come out and score nine runs in two games is certainly something else. Tonight, Jamie Moyer didn't need any help, as he overcame a shaky start to pitch his second complete game of the season. While this one wasn't a shutout, he did manage to work through trouble, and a two run second inning was all that Moyer had to deal with during the entire game. When he did let men get on base, his control did what it had to do, and kept them from getting any closer to home plate. Tonight, Moyer was as good as a 47 year old can be, and he earned his 100th win since the age of 40. I don't know how he does it, but he keeps on keeping on, and that's all that matters.
After almost three weeks of struggling, it looks like the Phillies are back on track. The offense got going tonight, and Jamie Moyer helped contribute with another solid pitching effort. As long as the offense can match what this pitching staff is doing right now, then everything is going to be fine. However, if anything changes too much, there might be an issue.
Tomorrow, the Phillies take on the Padres in the afternoon for Game 3. Joe Blanton (1-4, 5.68 ERA) can hopefully improve on everything as he takes on Kevin Correia (5-4, 4.55 ERA).
Jamie Moyer pitched a complete game to get his 100th win past the age of 40 and the Phillies finally woke up on offense to win their second straight against the Padres.
What went right?
Shane Victorino was 2-4 with a run scored.
Placido Polanco scored a run and was 2-4.
Chase Utley went 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Ryan Howard was 2-4 with two runs scored and a two RBI double.
Jayson Werth went 1-4 with a two run home run.
Jamie Moyer pitched his second complete game of the season. He allowed two runs on seven hits. He struck out just one and walked one.
What went wrong?
Honestly, nothing. Every Phillies player, save for Raul Ibanez, had a base hit, and Ibanez had an RBI on a sacrifice fly. So, nothing went wrong tonight. It's been a while since I could say that.
Game Analysis:
On May 17, the Phillies beat the Pirates by a score of 12-2. Since then, the Phils have gone 5-10, been shut out five times and dropped out of first place in the National League East. Tonight, it looked like the first time that the Phillies have actually tried to get back all of those games that they've lost. For the first time in three weeks, the Phillies scored more than five runs, and they used another solid pitching outing from Jamie Moyer for their second win in a row against a very good San Diego team.
For the last two games, the Phillies have taken San Diego's supposed vaunted pitching staff and worked it over. Tonight, it was Jon Garland that felt the sting. Though he pitched seven innings, he allowed six runs and ten hits, and didn't look right out there at all. Shane Victorino led off the Philadelphia first inning with a triple, and though he didn't score, it set the tone for the rest of the day. Every Philadelphia position player either had a hit or drove in a run, and it was a combined team effort tonight that got the job done. The Phillies have had enough problems scoring runs of late, but everything looked good tonight.
That's not to say that this took long enough. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth have all been scuffling since the one Pittsburgh game, but they all came through tonight with possible slump busters. All three had a run scored and at least one RBI, and Werth had a two run home run in the fifth inning that broke the game open. Howard's two run double gave the Phils their first four run plus inning since May 17, and it looked like this offense got back on track a little tonight. It's really nice to see, considering this team hasn't been good at all since that Pittsburgh game.
It's still a little early to be reading into everyting that happened tonight, but the key remains that the Phillies came out and scored some runs tonight. San Diego has the best pitching staff in the National League, so to come out and score nine runs in two games is certainly something else. Tonight, Jamie Moyer didn't need any help, as he overcame a shaky start to pitch his second complete game of the season. While this one wasn't a shutout, he did manage to work through trouble, and a two run second inning was all that Moyer had to deal with during the entire game. When he did let men get on base, his control did what it had to do, and kept them from getting any closer to home plate. Tonight, Moyer was as good as a 47 year old can be, and he earned his 100th win since the age of 40. I don't know how he does it, but he keeps on keeping on, and that's all that matters.
After almost three weeks of struggling, it looks like the Phillies are back on track. The offense got going tonight, and Jamie Moyer helped contribute with another solid pitching effort. As long as the offense can match what this pitching staff is doing right now, then everything is going to be fine. However, if anything changes too much, there might be an issue.
Tomorrow, the Phillies take on the Padres in the afternoon for Game 3. Joe Blanton (1-4, 5.68 ERA) can hopefully improve on everything as he takes on Kevin Correia (5-4, 4.55 ERA).
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Now, it's a three game series
At the beginning of this week, who would have thought that Stanley Cup Finals would be coming down to a best of three series? The Blackhawks had gotten past the Flyers in two one goal games in Chicago, and were headed to Philadelphia with a 2-0 lead in the Finals. Plus, the Blackhawks had that lead despite getting little production from their top line. It seemed like only a matter of time before the Flyers just got out of the way, and Chicago won their first Stanley Cup in 49 years.
What a difference a few days makes. After two games in Philadelphia, the Stanley Cup Finals are now tied at two games a piece, with the Flyers now having all the momentum after a 5-3 win last night. The two goal difference marks the first time in this series that either team has won by more than a single goal, and honestly, it shouldn't had been as close as the final score shows. Chicago scored twice in the final eight minutes, but Jeff Carter finished things off with an empty net goal to let the fans in the Wachovia Center breathe easy, knowing that the potential Stanley Cup clinching game would be back in Philadelphia next week.
After struggling in the first three games of this series, Mike Richards got things going last night early in the first period. His steal and power play goal just five minutes in set the entire tone for the night and let the Blackhawks know that this team wasn't going to go away. For much of the first period, the game went back and forth, with each team having chances. Michael Leighton was solid in goal throughout the game, having perhaps his best effort in the Stanley Cup Finals. Later in the first, Matt Carle would score his first goal of the playoffs, and despite Chicago scoring just four minutes later, the Flyers had yet another answer. Claude Giroux snuck through the Blackhawk defense and when Kimmo Timonen took a great pass from Scott Hartnell, he fould Giroux open right next to the net. Fifty seconds after Chicago had cut the lead to one, the Flyers had a 3-1 lead at the end of the first period.
It was a quiet second period, but the Flyers did what they had to do to maintain their lead. Chris Pronger continued to stone Dustin Byfuglien, while Leighton made some key saves to keep the Orange and Black up by two goals. After taking a punishing hit earlier in the game, Ville Leino came back in the third period and scored just six minutes into the third to put the Flyers up 4-1. From there, Chicago would dominate the period, scoring first on a five on three power play, and then again just three and a half minutes later to cut the score to 4-3. Luckily, the Flyers showed the same determination that they've had all playoffs long and buckled down. The Blackhawks had their chances, but once Jeff Carter found the back of an open net in the last minute, this game was decided. The Flyers had ensured that there would be one last home game for them this season, and it might be for the Stanley Cup.
Once the dust had settled on the first two games of this series, I said that all the pressure was with the Flyers. They had dropped back to back one goal games, and looked like they couldn't keep up with the Blackhawks at key times during the games. Both Games 3 and 4 were considered must win, and the way things were going, I wasn't sure that the Flyers would be able to win both games. Sometimes it feels very good to eat crow. The Flyers looked like a different team in Game 4, moving past the Blackhawks with fresher legs and putting more pressure on Antti Niemi than he's seen during the entire postseason. Chicago lost back to back playoff games for the first time this season, and now the pressure is back on the Blackhawks. Their first line has been next to useless in this series, combining for one goal and four assists in four games. A lot of the credit has to be given to Chris Pronger and the Flyers defense, which has played with the same speed that Chicago has shown in the last two games. As long as the Flyers can keep up the pace that they've had in the last two games, then Game 5 is going to be another close, physical game that could certainly go either way.
For all the talk about Antti Niemi before this series, the Chicago goalie has certainly looked a bit normal during the Finals. Some of that might be due to the fact that he is a young goalie playing in his first Stanley Cup Finals, but a lot of credit has to be given to the Philadelphia offense as well. The Flyers have scored four or more goals in three of the four games so far, and their lines are moving with speed and skill, which is great to see this late into the season. Add to that the fact that Mike Richards scored his first goal of the series last night, and Claude Giroux and Danny Briere are playing on another level right now, and the Flyers just look like the hotter team right now. I can't say enough about Ville Leino and how he's picked himself off the scrap heap during the playoffs. The same can be said for Scott Hartnell, who's looked nothing but impressive over the last two games especially.
During this entire postseason run, I've compared the Philadelphia Flyers to Jason Voorhees. Every time you think that the Flyers are dead, whether it's at the end of the regular season, being down 0-3 against Boston or this series against Chicago, they've come back. Each time you think that you've lost them, you turn around, and they're standing there, waiting to finish you off. This team has been through more pressure situations than any other Flyer team that I can remember, and for the first time in my lifetime, it seems like this team has a real chance to win the Stanley Cup. This series is a best of three now, with Game 5 in Chicago tomorrow night. You know that Chicago is going to come out playing their best hockey of the series, and they're going to have to. The Blackhawks don't want to come to Philadelphia down 3-2 in the series.
There might only be two or three games left in the NHL season, but this has been one hell of a run for the Flyers. Let's see how it ends now.
What a difference a few days makes. After two games in Philadelphia, the Stanley Cup Finals are now tied at two games a piece, with the Flyers now having all the momentum after a 5-3 win last night. The two goal difference marks the first time in this series that either team has won by more than a single goal, and honestly, it shouldn't had been as close as the final score shows. Chicago scored twice in the final eight minutes, but Jeff Carter finished things off with an empty net goal to let the fans in the Wachovia Center breathe easy, knowing that the potential Stanley Cup clinching game would be back in Philadelphia next week.
After struggling in the first three games of this series, Mike Richards got things going last night early in the first period. His steal and power play goal just five minutes in set the entire tone for the night and let the Blackhawks know that this team wasn't going to go away. For much of the first period, the game went back and forth, with each team having chances. Michael Leighton was solid in goal throughout the game, having perhaps his best effort in the Stanley Cup Finals. Later in the first, Matt Carle would score his first goal of the playoffs, and despite Chicago scoring just four minutes later, the Flyers had yet another answer. Claude Giroux snuck through the Blackhawk defense and when Kimmo Timonen took a great pass from Scott Hartnell, he fould Giroux open right next to the net. Fifty seconds after Chicago had cut the lead to one, the Flyers had a 3-1 lead at the end of the first period.
It was a quiet second period, but the Flyers did what they had to do to maintain their lead. Chris Pronger continued to stone Dustin Byfuglien, while Leighton made some key saves to keep the Orange and Black up by two goals. After taking a punishing hit earlier in the game, Ville Leino came back in the third period and scored just six minutes into the third to put the Flyers up 4-1. From there, Chicago would dominate the period, scoring first on a five on three power play, and then again just three and a half minutes later to cut the score to 4-3. Luckily, the Flyers showed the same determination that they've had all playoffs long and buckled down. The Blackhawks had their chances, but once Jeff Carter found the back of an open net in the last minute, this game was decided. The Flyers had ensured that there would be one last home game for them this season, and it might be for the Stanley Cup.
Once the dust had settled on the first two games of this series, I said that all the pressure was with the Flyers. They had dropped back to back one goal games, and looked like they couldn't keep up with the Blackhawks at key times during the games. Both Games 3 and 4 were considered must win, and the way things were going, I wasn't sure that the Flyers would be able to win both games. Sometimes it feels very good to eat crow. The Flyers looked like a different team in Game 4, moving past the Blackhawks with fresher legs and putting more pressure on Antti Niemi than he's seen during the entire postseason. Chicago lost back to back playoff games for the first time this season, and now the pressure is back on the Blackhawks. Their first line has been next to useless in this series, combining for one goal and four assists in four games. A lot of the credit has to be given to Chris Pronger and the Flyers defense, which has played with the same speed that Chicago has shown in the last two games. As long as the Flyers can keep up the pace that they've had in the last two games, then Game 5 is going to be another close, physical game that could certainly go either way.
For all the talk about Antti Niemi before this series, the Chicago goalie has certainly looked a bit normal during the Finals. Some of that might be due to the fact that he is a young goalie playing in his first Stanley Cup Finals, but a lot of credit has to be given to the Philadelphia offense as well. The Flyers have scored four or more goals in three of the four games so far, and their lines are moving with speed and skill, which is great to see this late into the season. Add to that the fact that Mike Richards scored his first goal of the series last night, and Claude Giroux and Danny Briere are playing on another level right now, and the Flyers just look like the hotter team right now. I can't say enough about Ville Leino and how he's picked himself off the scrap heap during the playoffs. The same can be said for Scott Hartnell, who's looked nothing but impressive over the last two games especially.
During this entire postseason run, I've compared the Philadelphia Flyers to Jason Voorhees. Every time you think that the Flyers are dead, whether it's at the end of the regular season, being down 0-3 against Boston or this series against Chicago, they've come back. Each time you think that you've lost them, you turn around, and they're standing there, waiting to finish you off. This team has been through more pressure situations than any other Flyer team that I can remember, and for the first time in my lifetime, it seems like this team has a real chance to win the Stanley Cup. This series is a best of three now, with Game 5 in Chicago tomorrow night. You know that Chicago is going to come out playing their best hockey of the series, and they're going to have to. The Blackhawks don't want to come to Philadelphia down 3-2 in the series.
There might only be two or three games left in the NHL season, but this has been one hell of a run for the Flyers. Let's see how it ends now.
Phillies Recap: Phillies-3, Padres-2
Game Recap:
Roy Halladay allowed ten hits, but only two runs in seven innings as the Phillies won their first game since Halladay's perfect game last Saturday night.
What went right?
Shane Victorino was 2-4 with two runs scored, a home run and two runs scored.
Jayson Werth went 0-2, but had a bases loaded walk for the game winning run.
Roy Halladay was 1-3 at the plate with a run scored, and he picked up his eighth win of the season, allowing two runs on ten hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
Brad Lidge worked a perfect ninth inning for his second save of the year, striking out two in the ninth.
What went wrong?
Juan Castro was 0-4.
Chase Utley went 0-2 with a walk.
The Phillies still only managed six hits and left nine men on base.
Game Analysis:
As has been the case lately, it wasn't a pretty win for the Phillies, but they way that they've been playing of late, they'll take it. Roy Halladay won his second straight start, and despite only having six hits in the game, the Phils took the first of their series against the San Diego Padres by a 3-2 score.
It's been a running story now for the last two weeks, but the Philadelphia offense still couldn't get much done. To be fair, this time the Phillies were facing the best pitching team in the National League, so it's not like that much was to be expected of them. At the same time, a 3-2 win is still a 3-2 win, no matter how you look at it. Despite the poor showing on offense tonight, the Phillies still picked up the win, and after their four game losing streak, a win is all that matters right now.
Shane Victorino was on top of his game from the leadoff spot tonight, picking up two hits with a two run home run that would give the Phillies the lead early in the game. After going without a hit against the Braves in three games, it's nice to see Shane picking up where he left off again while facing the Padres. San Diego has the best pitching staff in the National League, so to hit them for any runs, especially a two run shot, was very important tonight. To make it even better, it was Roy Halladay that was on base when Victorino hit his home run, meaning that Halladay has continued to swing that bat fairly well with the Phillies.
Aside from Victorino, Jayson Werth had the other RBI tonight with a bases loaded walk. Once again, it wasn't the best at bat in the world, and the Phillies didn't get any other runs out of the inning, but they at least got one, and that's all that mattered tonight. When you win by just a single run, all you need is a little bit of luck some times. That's what the Phillies got at the plate last night, and they took advantage. It's not every night that you can win a game when you have six hits compared to ten, but it went well for the Phillies tonight. They got the hits when they needed them, and Roy Halladay was able to pitch out of trouble when he had to.
There would be no perfect game for Halladay tonight. After retiring the first two batters, Halladay allowed a base hit, and then he would give up nine more with a walk thrown in as well. Compared to last Saturday, he wasn't at his best, but to be fair, no one would be at their best following a perfect game. Halladay allowed two runs in seven innings and still looked sharp out on the mound. He struck out seven and even when he got into trouble, he kept San Diego guessing with good pitches. It's the kind of showing that you wish every Phillies pitcher would throw, and then you realize that they have, but the offense isn't doing enough.
Tonight, that wasn't the story. Roy Halladay only got three runs of support, but that was all he needed. It wasn't pretty, but the Phils got their first win in almost a week, and it came against the best team record wise in the National League. If that's how this series is going to go, then the Phillies might find themselves back at the top very soon.
Tomorrow, Jamie Moyer (5-5, 4.26 ERA) goes for his 100th win since turning 40 years old. He'll be facing Jon Garland (6-2, 2.15 ERA).
Roy Halladay allowed ten hits, but only two runs in seven innings as the Phillies won their first game since Halladay's perfect game last Saturday night.
What went right?
Shane Victorino was 2-4 with two runs scored, a home run and two runs scored.
Jayson Werth went 0-2, but had a bases loaded walk for the game winning run.
Roy Halladay was 1-3 at the plate with a run scored, and he picked up his eighth win of the season, allowing two runs on ten hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
Brad Lidge worked a perfect ninth inning for his second save of the year, striking out two in the ninth.
What went wrong?
Juan Castro was 0-4.
Chase Utley went 0-2 with a walk.
The Phillies still only managed six hits and left nine men on base.
Game Analysis:
As has been the case lately, it wasn't a pretty win for the Phillies, but they way that they've been playing of late, they'll take it. Roy Halladay won his second straight start, and despite only having six hits in the game, the Phils took the first of their series against the San Diego Padres by a 3-2 score.
It's been a running story now for the last two weeks, but the Philadelphia offense still couldn't get much done. To be fair, this time the Phillies were facing the best pitching team in the National League, so it's not like that much was to be expected of them. At the same time, a 3-2 win is still a 3-2 win, no matter how you look at it. Despite the poor showing on offense tonight, the Phillies still picked up the win, and after their four game losing streak, a win is all that matters right now.
Shane Victorino was on top of his game from the leadoff spot tonight, picking up two hits with a two run home run that would give the Phillies the lead early in the game. After going without a hit against the Braves in three games, it's nice to see Shane picking up where he left off again while facing the Padres. San Diego has the best pitching staff in the National League, so to hit them for any runs, especially a two run shot, was very important tonight. To make it even better, it was Roy Halladay that was on base when Victorino hit his home run, meaning that Halladay has continued to swing that bat fairly well with the Phillies.
Aside from Victorino, Jayson Werth had the other RBI tonight with a bases loaded walk. Once again, it wasn't the best at bat in the world, and the Phillies didn't get any other runs out of the inning, but they at least got one, and that's all that mattered tonight. When you win by just a single run, all you need is a little bit of luck some times. That's what the Phillies got at the plate last night, and they took advantage. It's not every night that you can win a game when you have six hits compared to ten, but it went well for the Phillies tonight. They got the hits when they needed them, and Roy Halladay was able to pitch out of trouble when he had to.
There would be no perfect game for Halladay tonight. After retiring the first two batters, Halladay allowed a base hit, and then he would give up nine more with a walk thrown in as well. Compared to last Saturday, he wasn't at his best, but to be fair, no one would be at their best following a perfect game. Halladay allowed two runs in seven innings and still looked sharp out on the mound. He struck out seven and even when he got into trouble, he kept San Diego guessing with good pitches. It's the kind of showing that you wish every Phillies pitcher would throw, and then you realize that they have, but the offense isn't doing enough.
Tonight, that wasn't the story. Roy Halladay only got three runs of support, but that was all he needed. It wasn't pretty, but the Phils got their first win in almost a week, and it came against the best team record wise in the National League. If that's how this series is going to go, then the Phillies might find themselves back at the top very soon.
Tomorrow, Jamie Moyer (5-5, 4.26 ERA) goes for his 100th win since turning 40 years old. He'll be facing Jon Garland (6-2, 2.15 ERA).
Thursday, June 3, 2010
We've got a series now: Flyers win Game 3 in OT
Even if the Philadelphia Flyers weren't actually participating in the Stanley Cup Finals this year, I would consider this one of the most entertaining final series in quite some time. For the third straight game, both Chicago and Philadelphia played each other very close, with neither team able to get more than a one goal lead. In the end, it was another one goal win, but this one came in overtime and was in favor of the Flyers. Claude Giroux found the back of the net just six minutes into the overtime period to give the Flyers the win and ensure that this series, at the very least, will not be a repeat of 1997.
For the second time in the series, the Flyers would come out in the first period and take the lead. Last night, it was Danny Briere who did the honors, scoring on the power play off of a great pass from Scott Hartnell. After the power play scored twice in the first two games of this series, the Flyers kept up the pressure on the man advantage last night, as Hartnell would do the honors in the second period, scoring off a re-direct on a long shot by Chris Pronger. The officials would need to go to replay to make sure that the goal counted, and even though the puck only made it about 2 inches past the line, it still counted as a goal, and the Flyers were back on top in the second period. For Scott Hartnell, who had a down season this year after scoring 30 goals last year, to have two goals and three assists in three games against Chicago is great to see. Everyone in Philadelphia knows that he can play well, but his season this year just didn't go the way that anyone wanted it to. However, since the Stanley Cup Finals started, Hartnell has been in another world, and it's good to see.
As has been the case throughout this series, the Blackhawks did not go away after the Flyers struck. Chicago was kept off the scoreboard in the first period, but struck twice in the second. Duncan Keith scored three minutes into the second to tie the game, and after Philadelphia took the lead again on Hartnell's power play goal, the Blackhawks came back late in the second period on a slap shot goal from Brent Sopel. Sopel's goal came right after Chicago won a faceoff in the Philadelphia zone, which can never happen late in a period. Players are looking for shots right off of a draw, especially if the goalie isn't set, and that's exactly what happened here. Michael Leighton never ever saw the shot, and by the time he knew where it was, the puck was behind him. The bad luck continued early in the third period, as Patrick Kane finally got on the board with a breakaway goal that came just three minutes in. It was Kane's first goal of the series, and it seemed like the Flyers were about to go down again.
This team just did what they've done all season when their backs have been against the wall: they came out swinging. On their first offensive possession after the Kane goal, Ville Leino put the puck past Antti Niemi for another tie. From that point on, as was the case in Game 2, the Flyers started an all out assault on the Chicago goalie. For the second game in a row, Philadelphia won the shot battle in the third period by double digits, and Niemi was up to the task once again. This time, though, the game was tied, so the Flyers were headed to overtime with their season on the line. In the overtime, it looked like Chicago had fresher legs, but the Flyers kept coming. Simon Gagne looked to have the game winner five minutes into overtime, but the play was whistled dead before the puck crossed the goal line, so the goal was not allowed. Just 60 seconds later, Claude Giroux would make sure that replay wouldn't be needed for a third time, as he took a pass from Matt Carle and re-directed it past Niemi for the overtime winner. Just like that, the Flyers had life once again, and their first win in the Stanley Cup Finals since May 28, 1987. To put that in comparison, my 23 year old brother was exactly four months old when that game too place.
This Flyers team has more heart and determination than any other Flyers team that I can ever remember watching. They could has easily given up after losing two one goal games on the road and allowing Patrick Kane to score his first goal of the series early in the third period last night. Instead, Ville Leino, who this team got for spare parts, continued his amazing playoff run with a goal just 20 seconds later. That's what this team has done since the playoffs started. Even with Kane's goal last night, Chicago's first line still just has that one goal so far in three games, and Chris Pronger has effectively shown that the hype around Dustin Byfuglien was just that. Byfuglien was called for two penalties last night, and has been completely ineffective against Philadelphia's number one defenseman. Sure, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter haven't been that effective either, but considering the play from Danny Briere, Ville Leino and Claude Giroux, they haven't always been needed. Carter didn't have the best game last night, but one poor showing after coming back from a broken foot just a month ago isn't enough for me to want him gone. Instead, this team needs to focus on the positives, which are the fact that this is now a series that is going back to Chicago for at least one game, and that they've played on the same level with the Blackhawks for three straight games. This series isn't even close to being decided yet.
It is really, really hard to believe that the Flyers were the last team to make it into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year, because the way that they've been playing since they got in is at another level. They rolled through the Eastern Conference, albeit with some good breaks, and have played the Blackhawks tight in all three games of the Stanley Cup Finals. With a break here or there, it could easily be the Flyers up 2-1 or even 3-0 in this series. However, it's not, and the team has to realize that as well. Game 3 was a must win, and the Flyers did just that. Now, they have to come out with the same fire in Game 4 to make sure that this series comes back to Philadelphia for one more game this year. Game 4 is Friday night, and if you thought the Wachovia Center was loud last night, wait until tomorrow.
For the second time in the series, the Flyers would come out in the first period and take the lead. Last night, it was Danny Briere who did the honors, scoring on the power play off of a great pass from Scott Hartnell. After the power play scored twice in the first two games of this series, the Flyers kept up the pressure on the man advantage last night, as Hartnell would do the honors in the second period, scoring off a re-direct on a long shot by Chris Pronger. The officials would need to go to replay to make sure that the goal counted, and even though the puck only made it about 2 inches past the line, it still counted as a goal, and the Flyers were back on top in the second period. For Scott Hartnell, who had a down season this year after scoring 30 goals last year, to have two goals and three assists in three games against Chicago is great to see. Everyone in Philadelphia knows that he can play well, but his season this year just didn't go the way that anyone wanted it to. However, since the Stanley Cup Finals started, Hartnell has been in another world, and it's good to see.
As has been the case throughout this series, the Blackhawks did not go away after the Flyers struck. Chicago was kept off the scoreboard in the first period, but struck twice in the second. Duncan Keith scored three minutes into the second to tie the game, and after Philadelphia took the lead again on Hartnell's power play goal, the Blackhawks came back late in the second period on a slap shot goal from Brent Sopel. Sopel's goal came right after Chicago won a faceoff in the Philadelphia zone, which can never happen late in a period. Players are looking for shots right off of a draw, especially if the goalie isn't set, and that's exactly what happened here. Michael Leighton never ever saw the shot, and by the time he knew where it was, the puck was behind him. The bad luck continued early in the third period, as Patrick Kane finally got on the board with a breakaway goal that came just three minutes in. It was Kane's first goal of the series, and it seemed like the Flyers were about to go down again.
This team just did what they've done all season when their backs have been against the wall: they came out swinging. On their first offensive possession after the Kane goal, Ville Leino put the puck past Antti Niemi for another tie. From that point on, as was the case in Game 2, the Flyers started an all out assault on the Chicago goalie. For the second game in a row, Philadelphia won the shot battle in the third period by double digits, and Niemi was up to the task once again. This time, though, the game was tied, so the Flyers were headed to overtime with their season on the line. In the overtime, it looked like Chicago had fresher legs, but the Flyers kept coming. Simon Gagne looked to have the game winner five minutes into overtime, but the play was whistled dead before the puck crossed the goal line, so the goal was not allowed. Just 60 seconds later, Claude Giroux would make sure that replay wouldn't be needed for a third time, as he took a pass from Matt Carle and re-directed it past Niemi for the overtime winner. Just like that, the Flyers had life once again, and their first win in the Stanley Cup Finals since May 28, 1987. To put that in comparison, my 23 year old brother was exactly four months old when that game too place.
This Flyers team has more heart and determination than any other Flyers team that I can ever remember watching. They could has easily given up after losing two one goal games on the road and allowing Patrick Kane to score his first goal of the series early in the third period last night. Instead, Ville Leino, who this team got for spare parts, continued his amazing playoff run with a goal just 20 seconds later. That's what this team has done since the playoffs started. Even with Kane's goal last night, Chicago's first line still just has that one goal so far in three games, and Chris Pronger has effectively shown that the hype around Dustin Byfuglien was just that. Byfuglien was called for two penalties last night, and has been completely ineffective against Philadelphia's number one defenseman. Sure, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter haven't been that effective either, but considering the play from Danny Briere, Ville Leino and Claude Giroux, they haven't always been needed. Carter didn't have the best game last night, but one poor showing after coming back from a broken foot just a month ago isn't enough for me to want him gone. Instead, this team needs to focus on the positives, which are the fact that this is now a series that is going back to Chicago for at least one game, and that they've played on the same level with the Blackhawks for three straight games. This series isn't even close to being decided yet.
It is really, really hard to believe that the Flyers were the last team to make it into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year, because the way that they've been playing since they got in is at another level. They rolled through the Eastern Conference, albeit with some good breaks, and have played the Blackhawks tight in all three games of the Stanley Cup Finals. With a break here or there, it could easily be the Flyers up 2-1 or even 3-0 in this series. However, it's not, and the team has to realize that as well. Game 3 was a must win, and the Flyers did just that. Now, they have to come out with the same fire in Game 4 to make sure that this series comes back to Philadelphia for one more game this year. Game 4 is Friday night, and if you thought the Wachovia Center was loud last night, wait until tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Double dose for the Phils: Can anything go right?
I'm not going to lie. I didn't do the Phillies recap last night because of how disgusted I was with that game. Not only did the Phillies lose to Atlanta for the second game in a row, but they did so in a game that shouldn't have started until much, much later in the night. Cole Hamels gave up a three run home run in the first inning, and he would only last two-thirds of an inning because of rain. The Phils got 10 hits in the game, but the bullpen couldn't keep Atlanta from scoring, and they ended up dropping a 7-3 loss to the Braves.
Then we get to today. As has been the case for so many games during this last stretch, the Phillies wasted a great effort by a starting pitcher. As much as I've said about getting Kyle Kendrick out of the starting rotation, today he was great. When you only allow a single run through seven innings, then you're doing something right. He was on point with his pitches today, striking out four and walking just two in seven innings of work. His only run allowed was in the first inning, and then he kept the Braves from doing anything through the next six innings. It was one of his best starts of the season, and yet it was ruined by the offense and the bullpen.
Jose Contreras picked up his second loss of the season by allowing a run in the eighth inning after he pitched himself into trouble that he couldn't get out of. Walking two batters and allowing a hit while recording just two outs is a good way to keep yourself in the bullpen and not on the pitcher's mound, and Contreras should have stayed there today. He didn't have his best stuff at all, and couldn't do anything that he needed to do. Contreras only threw nine strikes in 23 pitches, and anyone on the Braves could see that he wasn't the same pitcher that had been almost lights out for the Phils so far this season. Yes, one of his walks was intentional, but that's not the point. When you walk someone to get to another batter, you need to retire that batter. Contreras did not do that, and that's one of the biggest reasons that the Phillies lost today. The bullpen is there to either keep their team in the game or save a lead, and they couldn't do the latter against Atlanta.
There is no straight answer for what's going on with the offense right now. In the games since the Phillies have been shutout in five of 11, they've scored a total of 12 runs. That's as many runs as they scored in a single game two weeks ago against Pittsburgh, and they've done that in two weeks. In that time, they have a total of one home run in the past eight games, and Charlie Manuel has gone through countless lineup switches. Nothing seems to be working. No one is hitting, and it's costing this team games. Jayson Werth got his first RBI since May 21, but that was the only high point for the Phillies today. Chase Utley went 0-4, dropping his average to .270, which is lower than Ryan Howard, who isn't hitting much better than Utley right now. There is no way that Jimmy Rollins' second trip to the disabled list has caused a team-wide slump, so there's really no good answer for what has happened over the last two weeks. This offense was one of the best in the baseball, and now, they look like one of the worst.
I wish there was an easy fix to what's going on with the Phillies right now, I really do. However, there's nothing like that at the moment. This team is much, much better than how they've been playing at the moment, but it's not showing in the results. Instead of taking wins against teams thanks to good efforts from starting pitching, the pitchers are having efforts wasted because this offense can't do anything to get out of their own way right now. There's just nothing working at the plate for this team. There's no other way to say it. They came into this series with the Braves up by half a game in the National League East, and they left down two and a half games. This is what the Phillies have done to teams in the last three years: they've faced big moments, stared them down and just kept going. That's not the case right now. I'd love to say that this team can turn everything around, but at the moment, I don't know about that. Nothing seems to be working, and the Phillies just can't get out of their own way.
What else is there to say right now? The only good thing about this whole slump is that it's not happening in September, when it would really, really hurt. A two and a half game hole in June is nothing. It's when it comes down to the end of the season that it really matters.
The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Phils, as they take on the best team record wise in the National League when they face the San Diego Padres for a four game series. Roy Halladay (7-3, 1.99 ERA) tries to follow up his perfect game against Matt Latos (5-3, 3.08 ERA).
Then we get to today. As has been the case for so many games during this last stretch, the Phillies wasted a great effort by a starting pitcher. As much as I've said about getting Kyle Kendrick out of the starting rotation, today he was great. When you only allow a single run through seven innings, then you're doing something right. He was on point with his pitches today, striking out four and walking just two in seven innings of work. His only run allowed was in the first inning, and then he kept the Braves from doing anything through the next six innings. It was one of his best starts of the season, and yet it was ruined by the offense and the bullpen.
Jose Contreras picked up his second loss of the season by allowing a run in the eighth inning after he pitched himself into trouble that he couldn't get out of. Walking two batters and allowing a hit while recording just two outs is a good way to keep yourself in the bullpen and not on the pitcher's mound, and Contreras should have stayed there today. He didn't have his best stuff at all, and couldn't do anything that he needed to do. Contreras only threw nine strikes in 23 pitches, and anyone on the Braves could see that he wasn't the same pitcher that had been almost lights out for the Phils so far this season. Yes, one of his walks was intentional, but that's not the point. When you walk someone to get to another batter, you need to retire that batter. Contreras did not do that, and that's one of the biggest reasons that the Phillies lost today. The bullpen is there to either keep their team in the game or save a lead, and they couldn't do the latter against Atlanta.
There is no straight answer for what's going on with the offense right now. In the games since the Phillies have been shutout in five of 11, they've scored a total of 12 runs. That's as many runs as they scored in a single game two weeks ago against Pittsburgh, and they've done that in two weeks. In that time, they have a total of one home run in the past eight games, and Charlie Manuel has gone through countless lineup switches. Nothing seems to be working. No one is hitting, and it's costing this team games. Jayson Werth got his first RBI since May 21, but that was the only high point for the Phillies today. Chase Utley went 0-4, dropping his average to .270, which is lower than Ryan Howard, who isn't hitting much better than Utley right now. There is no way that Jimmy Rollins' second trip to the disabled list has caused a team-wide slump, so there's really no good answer for what has happened over the last two weeks. This offense was one of the best in the baseball, and now, they look like one of the worst.
I wish there was an easy fix to what's going on with the Phillies right now, I really do. However, there's nothing like that at the moment. This team is much, much better than how they've been playing at the moment, but it's not showing in the results. Instead of taking wins against teams thanks to good efforts from starting pitching, the pitchers are having efforts wasted because this offense can't do anything to get out of their own way right now. There's just nothing working at the plate for this team. There's no other way to say it. They came into this series with the Braves up by half a game in the National League East, and they left down two and a half games. This is what the Phillies have done to teams in the last three years: they've faced big moments, stared them down and just kept going. That's not the case right now. I'd love to say that this team can turn everything around, but at the moment, I don't know about that. Nothing seems to be working, and the Phillies just can't get out of their own way.
What else is there to say right now? The only good thing about this whole slump is that it's not happening in September, when it would really, really hurt. A two and a half game hole in June is nothing. It's when it comes down to the end of the season that it really matters.
The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Phils, as they take on the best team record wise in the National League when they face the San Diego Padres for a four game series. Roy Halladay (7-3, 1.99 ERA) tries to follow up his perfect game against Matt Latos (5-3, 3.08 ERA).
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Not as much offense, but the same result: Flyers down 0-2.
After the scoring frenzy of Saturday night's Game 1, just about everyone expected a much more defensive game for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Well, they were right. The Flyers and Blackhawks played with the same speed as they had on Saturday, but both goalies and defenses looked much, much better. The only problem was that the Blackhawks had Antti Niemi in net, and after Michael Leighton allowed two goals within 30 seconds of each other, Niemi did the rest. The Chicago goalie stopped 32 of 33 Philadelphia shots, including 14 of 15 in a very quick third period to put the Flyers down two games to none in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The first period showed the phsyical play that both teams wanted to unleash last night. Both teams had some heavy hits, and though the Flyers were outshot 9-3, it seemed like they had taken the best punch that Chicago could throw, but they hadn't seen anything yet. The second period was more of the same until very late in the period. The Blackhawks crowded the net in front of Michael Leighton, and Marian Hossa put back a rebound to give Chicago the first goal of the game. As had been the case in Game 1, the Flyers were unable to gain control of a puck in front of their own net, and the Blackhawks took advantage, scooping up the trash and putting it back in for the lead. On the ensuing faceoff, Dustin Byfuglien stole a pass away from Philadelphia and found Ben Eager, who then fired a shot over Leighton's glove for another goal. In just 30 seconds, a 0-0 tie had become a 2-0 lead for the Blackhawks, and they had all the momentum.
The third period belonged to the Flyers, but Antti Niemi was up to the task. Simon Gagne put Philadelphia on the board with a power play goal with 14 and a half minutes to play, and from there, it seemed like most of the game was played in the Chicago zone. The Flyers got chance after chance at Niemi, but they couldn't put another puck past him. You have to give Niemi credit, because a lesser goalie would have folded under that pressure, especially after giving up five goals in Game 1. However, Niemi took control of the game and kept Philadelphia from scoring again. His effort and a solid defensive showing by the Blackhawks, who blocked several Flyer shots and kept Niemi from facing even more pressure.
Now comes the big question: Can the Flyers come back from an 0-2 hole in the Stanley Cup Finals? What this loss last night did was turn both Games 3 and 4 into must wins now for Philadelphia. If they drop either game, they give Chicago a chance to close the series out in five games back in Chicago, and I don't even want to talk about what could happen if the Blackhawks win Game 3. The Flyers have shown that they can in fact play with Chicago, as they did in Game 1, but the Blackhawks are a different creature than any team the Flyers faced in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Against the Devils, the Flyers shut down Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, and did the same to Marc Savard of the Bruins and Mike Cammalleri of Montreal. In each series, the Flyers were able to shut down the top scorers of their opponents. The funny thing is, they're doing it against Chicago as well. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews still don't have a point in the series, but the Blackhawks are doing something no other team had been able to do to the Flyers so far, and that's find someone else to pick up the slack. The role players for Chicago have done a good job in scoring so far, but you have to think that it's only a matter of time until the Flyers break through with a big game.
The Blackhawks are a good team, no doubt about that. They're the first team the Flyers have faced in the playoffs that are as fast as them, play as physical as them and can execute on offense as well as they've been doing in the playoffs. Not only that, but Chicago has the hottest goalie in the postseason, and he's coming off of possibly the game of his life last night. All the momentum seems to be pointing towards Chicago, but there's no reason to give up hope yet. This Flyers team has more heart than the 1997 team, so you don't have to worry about a repeat of that Finals performance again. However, Game 3 has to be the best effort that the Flyers can give, because if they lose that, then they'll be down 0-3 for the second time in these playoffs. While they were able to come back once, coming back from a second 0-3 hole is something no team has done, and against a team like Chicago, it seems very, very unlikely.
For now, the Flyers just have to take it one game at a time. Game 3 is tomorrow night back in Philadelphia, and you know that crowd is going to be crazy.
The first period showed the phsyical play that both teams wanted to unleash last night. Both teams had some heavy hits, and though the Flyers were outshot 9-3, it seemed like they had taken the best punch that Chicago could throw, but they hadn't seen anything yet. The second period was more of the same until very late in the period. The Blackhawks crowded the net in front of Michael Leighton, and Marian Hossa put back a rebound to give Chicago the first goal of the game. As had been the case in Game 1, the Flyers were unable to gain control of a puck in front of their own net, and the Blackhawks took advantage, scooping up the trash and putting it back in for the lead. On the ensuing faceoff, Dustin Byfuglien stole a pass away from Philadelphia and found Ben Eager, who then fired a shot over Leighton's glove for another goal. In just 30 seconds, a 0-0 tie had become a 2-0 lead for the Blackhawks, and they had all the momentum.
The third period belonged to the Flyers, but Antti Niemi was up to the task. Simon Gagne put Philadelphia on the board with a power play goal with 14 and a half minutes to play, and from there, it seemed like most of the game was played in the Chicago zone. The Flyers got chance after chance at Niemi, but they couldn't put another puck past him. You have to give Niemi credit, because a lesser goalie would have folded under that pressure, especially after giving up five goals in Game 1. However, Niemi took control of the game and kept Philadelphia from scoring again. His effort and a solid defensive showing by the Blackhawks, who blocked several Flyer shots and kept Niemi from facing even more pressure.
Now comes the big question: Can the Flyers come back from an 0-2 hole in the Stanley Cup Finals? What this loss last night did was turn both Games 3 and 4 into must wins now for Philadelphia. If they drop either game, they give Chicago a chance to close the series out in five games back in Chicago, and I don't even want to talk about what could happen if the Blackhawks win Game 3. The Flyers have shown that they can in fact play with Chicago, as they did in Game 1, but the Blackhawks are a different creature than any team the Flyers faced in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Against the Devils, the Flyers shut down Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, and did the same to Marc Savard of the Bruins and Mike Cammalleri of Montreal. In each series, the Flyers were able to shut down the top scorers of their opponents. The funny thing is, they're doing it against Chicago as well. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews still don't have a point in the series, but the Blackhawks are doing something no other team had been able to do to the Flyers so far, and that's find someone else to pick up the slack. The role players for Chicago have done a good job in scoring so far, but you have to think that it's only a matter of time until the Flyers break through with a big game.
The Blackhawks are a good team, no doubt about that. They're the first team the Flyers have faced in the playoffs that are as fast as them, play as physical as them and can execute on offense as well as they've been doing in the playoffs. Not only that, but Chicago has the hottest goalie in the postseason, and he's coming off of possibly the game of his life last night. All the momentum seems to be pointing towards Chicago, but there's no reason to give up hope yet. This Flyers team has more heart than the 1997 team, so you don't have to worry about a repeat of that Finals performance again. However, Game 3 has to be the best effort that the Flyers can give, because if they lose that, then they'll be down 0-3 for the second time in these playoffs. While they were able to come back once, coming back from a second 0-3 hole is something no team has done, and against a team like Chicago, it seems very, very unlikely.
For now, the Flyers just have to take it one game at a time. Game 3 is tomorrow night back in Philadelphia, and you know that crowd is going to be crazy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)