Da Bum's 2018 NHL Picks/News/Trends/Best Bets - Thru The Stanley Cup !

[StarDust Bum]

Chara's status uncertain Game 5
June 4, 2019
By The Associated Press

BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) The Boston Bruins reached the Stanley Cup Final despite a run of regular-season injuries that prevented anyone on the roster from playing all 82 games.

Now comes the real test.

The Bruins are preparing for Game 5 against the St. Louis Blues without captain and No. 1 defenseman Zdeno Chara, who did not return after he was hit in the face by a deflected puck on Monday night. The St. Louis Blues won 4-2 to even the series at two games apiece.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy offered no update on Chara's condition after arriving in Boston on Tuesday except to say the 2009 Norris Trophy winner was on his way to see a doctor. The fact that Chara returned for the third period wearing a full face shield - and never got back on the ice - suggests it is more than the lost tooth or busted lip that usually only keeps a hockey player out long enough to get it stitched up.

''Right now, I've got nothing,'' Cassidy said. ''But we don't play for two more days.''

Although the 42-year-old Chara is the team's elder statesman and emotional leader, Cassidy said he is less worried about Chara's leadership than his 6-foot-9 presence on the ice.

''Taking great players out of the lineup, that's the part that hurts the most,'' Cassidy said. ''I'm not worried about our mentality.''

The Bruins have made it through the playoffs without defenseman Kevan Miller and also lost Matt Grzelcyk when he took an elbow to the head in Game 2 and needed to be helped off the ice. John Moore filled in for him in the third game, which the Bruins won.

But they were down to five men on the blue line again Monday night when Chara took a deflected shot from Brayden Schenn off the right side of the face. He crumpled to the ice, face-first, and then skated off, with blood dripping from his mouth. He returned at the start of the third wearing the shield but never went back in the game.

''Very uncomfortable, was advised not to return to play,'' Cassidy said after the game. ''Had some stitches, probably some dental work in the near future. He wanted to come out on the bench and be with his teammates.''

His teammates knew how difficult it was for him to just sit there.

''He's our leader, and the biggest part of our leadership,'' forward David Pastrnak said. ''Anything that comes out of his mouth ... everybody is listening to him.''

Blues coach Craig Berube said he had a broken jaw when he was a player and was out six weeks. But if Chara has the same injury and misses the rest of the series, it won't change the Blues' approach.

''Nothing from our standpoint,'' he said.

A six-time All-Star and the perennial team leader in minutes played, Chara played a career-low (not counting lockout years) 62 games this season because of an unspecified injury that kept him out six weeks in November and December.

Although it's too early to rule him out for Game 5 - or perhaps longer - Cassidy said the most likely replacements would be Steven Kampfer or rookies Urho Vaakanainen, Jeremy Lauzon, and Jakub Zboril. Only Kampfer, with two games of playoff experience, has appeared in a postseason game.

''If both guys (Chara and Grzelcyk) are out, it's not an easy decision,'' Cassidy said. ''It's not one I want to make, but you have to do what you have to do.''

But don't rule them out just yet.

''Both of those players, they're warriors,'' defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. ''They'll do whatever it takes to play.''

[StarDust Bum]

Doc is in: Emrick not slowing down in his dream job
June 4, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) The Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues' morning skates are over and a handful of broadcasters have taken the ice to re-enact a play from this bruising Stanley Cup Final.

In the otherwise empty stands is a singular figure having a good chuckle at the retired players doing their best to go over the Xs and Os.

But Mike Emrick doesn't sit still for long. It's a rare moment of pause for a man seemingly always in motion. A car comes to take him back to his hotel seven hours before Game 2 so he can get a quick change of clothes for his on-air work. Then it's back to work.

The man known as ''Doc'' because he has a doctorate in broadcasting is working the 21st Stanley Cup Final of his illustrious career. He has been honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame and is the voice of the sport in America, a rapid-fire storyteller who is beloved from the Shark Tank to Madison Square Garden. Colleague Kenny Albert calls him the Vin Scully of hockey, and the admiration level in hockey circles is just as great.

At 72, still calling games on the NHL's biggest stage, Emrick is in his prime and showing no signs of slowing down or stepping away from broadcasting the fastest game on ice.

''I really wanted to do it from the time I saw my first game, but a lot of people really want to do something and they don't get to,'' Emrick said. ''When you have a job like that, you're never working the rest of your life. So it's been 46 years. I don't know when it'll end. God only knows.''

Emrick is so enthusiastic on the air during games that New York Rangers president John Davidson wonders when his former broadcast partner is going to come up for air. Not during the most important time of year for Emrick. This love affair goes back a ways, to when he was a kid sitting at Fort Wayne (Indiana) Komets games, practicing calls in the corner on Wednesday afternoons with his reel-to-reel, battery-operated tape recorder from the music store his dad owned.

Down time for Emrick comes mostly in the summer when he and Joyce, his wife of almost 41 years, go on camping trips to small towns, mostly in Michigan or visit his brother and stepmother who still live in his Indiana hometown. He does like to watch his beloved Pittsburgh Pirates. During the season, they like going to lunch and at night sit together in the living room with their two dogs Joybells and Liberty - he's watching hockey and she's watching veterinarian shows.

''That's a nice night for us,'' Emrick says. ''It's probably not a life many people would find really exciting, but we enjoy it.''

Joyce and dogs are the centerpieces of Emrick's universe that has plenty of room for the people who consider themselves lucky to call him a friend. That includes broadcast partners of various vintages - Eddie Olczyk, Glenn ''Chico'' Resch, Bill Clement and Davidson. He has helped many through difficult times by listening or simply lighting a candle in church for them.

''Just the support part of it from Doc is what is the most important thing,'' said Olczyk, who leaned on Emrick when he was battling cancer. ''He doesn't even have to say anything, but if you just get a text or a picture or whatever, you know he's thinking about you. Having been through it himself, that's what friends do. I look at Doc as a friend.''

Emrick is 28 years removed from prostate cancer. He got the call from Hershey Medical Center on a Friday night while he was on the road in Montreal doing play by play for the Philadelphia Flyers. He waited two days to tell Joyce in person - saying she was going to need to be a rock because he didn't know what to expect - but right away he told Clement, who considers Emrick as close as a brother.

Clement's admiration for Emrick as a broadcaster rivals only that for Doc the human being.

''When you listen to him on the air or see him on the air, he's a real person,'' Clement said. ''He's a real person with an unbelievable gift that he grew himself to describe and to use the English language.''

Ah yes, Emrick's style.

Hockey moves fast and all of its play-by-play announcers need to keep up. Doc loves his verbs - one fan famously counted 153 used in one game - and finding fun or interesting ways to describe the action. A pass isn't just a pass to Emrick - the puck was squibbed, rifled, wanded, even soccered and the puck isn't just stopped by a goaltender, it's waffleboarded, gloved or sticked away. Goals usually get a big ''And he scorrrrrrrrrrrres!'' from Emrick to match the moment and his deep knowledge of the game allows him to get just as excited by the little things that can turn a game - a puck ringing off a post, an a oh-so-close pass, a jaw-dropping save.

''Doc pushes himself to reinvent things and to be the best and to try new things and be different and yet not be a caricature,'' Clement said.

Never is he off the rails. No less an admirer than the late Frank DeFord described Emrick as ''a connoisseur'' whose eloquence is somehow the perfect balance for the frantic, scrambling nature of hockey.

Albert was a statistician for Emrick for games in the 1980s and used to write down quintessential Doc phrases he'd eventually take pieces of and he sat behind him during the call of Sidney Crosby's golden goal at the 2010 Olympics. Whenever Doc and Joyce Emrick decide he should call it a career, Albert may be the most likely person to succeed him as the top NBC Sports hockey play-by-play guy. That day does not seem imminent.

The Emricks don't have kids but have raised several dogs always referred to as their canine children. He skipped the 2002 Olympics because one of their 4-year-old dogs, Katie, was sick; the Emricks have named two of their dogs Liberty after the veterinary surgeon who tried to save Katie. Emrick's love for dogs , minor league hockey and the Pirates is far better known than his faith and involvement with hockey ministries, a huge part of his life.

''He doesn't come across as super religious or come off as judgmental,'' Resch said. ''But that's really what motivates him. He's got a calling on a lot of different levels. ... He doesn't want to let anyone down.''

Emrick doesn't know when he was ''destined'' to do this but his place in hockey broadcasting is clear.

''He's a guy that's found a way to become a major part of sports in the United States,'' Davidson said. ''He's worked for everything. He doesn't want to be treated like a superstar, but he is in his own field.''

Emrick certainly gets the superstar treatment around the rink or at the airport when people ask for a photo or an autograph. As long as it doesn't keep him from his work, Emrick has always obliged. Now going year to year on the decision of whether to call another season, Emrick has so far kept rolling.

''I always do,'' he said, ''because I'll miss it when it doesn't happen.''

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

College football spreads for games on Nov 29-30:

— Texas Tech @ Texas (-10)

— Washington State @ Washington (-9)

— Notre Dame (-5.5) @ Stanford

— Ohio State @ Michigan (-3.5)

— Florida State @ Florida (-14)

— Texas A&M @ LSU (-7.5)


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Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……

13) Starting today with something a little different; an unsolicited endorsement of a couple guys who own a financial advisement firm in this area; they’re very good at what they do.

I’ve known Chris/Dennis Fagan for a long time; they’re very smart people. In 2010, i gave them some money to invest for me, not a lot, but a decent amount for me.

Every month, I get a statement on how that money is doing, and right now, my account has more than double the amount that I gave them in 2010, so I’m going to post a link to their website here and if you need investment advice, they’re the guys to ask:

http://faganasset.com

12) Raptors 123, Warriors 109— Key for Toronto is how the other four starters (minus Leonard) score; they were 28-53 from floor in this game, which is great production for them. Toronto has a 2-1 series lead.

11) Miami Marlins got an RBI from all nine hitters in the fifth inning Tuesday night, the first time that all nine lineup positions got an RBI in one inning since the Brooklyn Dodgers’ 15-run first inning on May 21, 1952.

10) Marlins are only major league team that has used only five starting pitchers so far this season.

9) Watching some college baseball Sunday night, and it dawned on me that the Creighton Bluejays have nicer jerseys than the Toronto Blue Jays, which shouldn’t be.

8) Colorado Rockies have couple of promising starting pitchers coming up thru their farm system, but here’s the thing: If you’re talking fantasy baseball, do you really want a pitcher on your team from the Rockies? History tells us that you do not.

7) Baseball stuff:
— Cubs are signing closer Craig Kimbrel, pending a physical.
— Mets DFA’d OF Aaron Altherr, third team to dump him this year.
— Indians put P Carlos Carrasco on IL (non-baseball illness).

6) Interesting how different teams draft ballplayers; only three of the 40 players the Oakland A’s picked were high school players- they also picked a guy from both Harvard and Yale.

Red Sox drafted seven HS kids, Marlins took eight, Astros took only four.

5) Bruce Bochy won his 1,000th game as Giants’ manager Tuesday night; he also won 951 games managing San Diego, and is a lock for the Hall of Fame.

4) Comedian Tracy Morgan got very upset Tuesday when a woman hit his $2M Bugatti with her Honda in Manhattan, which raises a question for me.

There is a car that costs $2M? Seriously? I love my Nissan Rogue; it cost $23,000. Oy.

3) Carolina Panthers’ owner David Tepper has promised to build a “world class” NFL practice facility for the Panthers in Rock Hill, SC; the Panthers play home games in Charlotte, NC, but when a $115M tax break was thrown Tepper’s way, he chose the Palmetto State for the team’s new practice facility. Go figure.

2) Starting this coming season, the 3-point line in college basketball will be 22’1¾” away from the basket, a change from the 20’9″ that has been in place since 2008.

In Divisions 2-3, the change will take place in 2020-21, to account for the costs associated with moving the line on the courts.

1) A large echo showing up on radar in Southern California last night was actually a cloud of ladybugs about 80 miles by 80 miles in size flying at between 5,000-9,000 feet.

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

9St Louis -10 Boston
BOSTON is 9-0 ATS (9.7 Units) against good possession teams-averaging 3+ more shots on goal than opp in the 2nd half of the year in the current season.




NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, June 6

St. Louis @ Boston

Game 9-10
June 6, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
14.113
Boston
12,660
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-155
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(+135); Under




NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, June 6

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ST LOUIS (59-35-0-11, 129 pts.) at BOSTON (63-30-0-10, 136 pts.) - 6/6/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 27-8 ATS (+14.3 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 25-8 ATS (+10.8 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 38-24 ATS (+7.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 44-24 ATS (+11.5 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 127-104 ATS (+233.0 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
ST LOUIS is 43-25 ATS (+11.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 38-25 ATS (+11.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 26-13 ATS (+12.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 297-248 ATS (-104.9 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
BOSTON is 140-138 ATS (-91.0 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 5-5 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 5-5-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.6 Units)

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NHL

Thursday, June 6

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Trend Report
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St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games
St. Louis is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
St. Louis is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
St. Louis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing Boston
St. Louis is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston Bruins
Boston is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Boston is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
Boston is 6-13 ATS in its last 19 games at home
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games at home
Boston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Boston is 5-11-2 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against St. Louis

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, JUNE 6
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

STL at BOS 08:00 PM

BOS -147

U 5.5

[StarDust Bum]

Binnington, Blues nip Bruins, go up 3-2
June 6, 2019
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BOSTON (AP) Jordan Binnington stopped 38 shots, and Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron scored for St. Louis on Thursday night to give the Blues a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins and a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Blues have won two straight since a 7-2 loss at home and return to St. Louis with a chance to clinch the first NHL championship in franchise history. Game 6 is Sunday night and the Blues are riding a red-hot goalie of late.

''Unbelievable. He won one for us,'' defenseman Colton Parayko said of Binnington.

Tuukka Rask stopped 19 shots and Jake DeBrusk scored for Boston. The Bruins were lifted by the return of captain Zdeno Chara, who left Game 4 dripping blood after taking a deflected puck off his face. He wore a full-face shield on his helmet, but was unable to provide more than an emotional boost.

Chara followed Rask onto the ice for the pregame skate, and he got a lengthy cheer for his introduction. The Bruins played a video of his highlights during an early whistle, and he went out of the way to deliver the game's first hit, just 15 seconds in, on Brayden Schenn.

When things went bad later, the crowd tried to spur the team on with chants of ''Chara!''

But the 42-year-old defenseman's toughness could only carry so far.

O'Reilly scored in the opening minute of the second period, backhanding in a rebound for his third goal in his last five periods. It was still 1-0 midway through the third when the referees disregarded a leg sweep by Tyler Bozak that knocked Noel Acciari out of the game.

Perron followed with a shot that banked off Rask's pad and into the net. The fans responded with a vulgar chant and a shower of rally towels; the public address announcer eventually asked them to stop.

Boston did seem inspired - or at least desperate - and cut the deficit to one goal on a delayed penalty with about 6 1/2 minutes left. Torey Krug took a high stick to the face at the blue line but he played on, straightened his helmet and dished the puck to DeBrusk for a one-timer past Binnington.

Boston pulled Rask with a little more than a minute left and earned several chances, but couldn't get the puck past Binnington.

Notes: Binnington's nine playoff road wins is the most by a rookie in NHL history. Ron Hextall won eight in 1987. ... Derek Sanderson and Bobby Orr, the connection that gave the Bruins the game-winning goal against the Blues in the 1970 clincher, were the pregame banner wavers. ... Actors Michael J. Fox, Woody Harrelson and John Krasinski were in the crowd. ... Blues D Vince Dunn was in the lineup after missing almost three weeks after taking a puck to the face. ... Boston D Matt Grzelcyk missed his third straight game. ... The Blues improved to 9-3 on the road in the playoffs.

UP NEXT

The series returns to St. Louis, where the teams split Games 3 and 4. The Blues are 6-6 at home so far in the postseason.

[StarDust Bum]

Berube's Blues living dangerously, on verge of winning Cup
June 6, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Craig Berube's bunch likes to live dangerously.

In Game 5 alone, Ivan Barbashev got away with a high hit on Marcus Johansson and Zach Sanford got his elbow up into Torey Krug's head and avoided a penalty. Alex Steen went straight to the penalty box when he lit up David Krejci in the neutral zone with blatant interference. But Tyler Bozak wasn't penalized for tripping up Boston's Noel Acciari seconds before the game-winning goal.

It all left Bruins fans and coach Bruce Cassidy livid. It left the Blues one win from their first Stanley Cup.

These are Berube's Blues all the way.

''We play a hard game,'' Berube said after the 2-1 win Thursday night that resembled so many of his from a 1,000-game playing career with over 3,000 penalty minutes. ''We're a physical team. We forecheck hard.''

Even though the Blues were the least-penalized team in the playoffs, in the final they've taken on the image their hard-nosed coach had as a player. St. Louis is playing with fire with so many borderline hits - some that put Boston on the power play - but it can afford to live dangerously because toeing the line while occasionally stepping over it makes the team so hard to stop.

''That's become our identity,'' Sanford said. ''We've done a pretty good job of finding that fine line. If we can play on that line and stay disciplined too, that's what's made us so successful.''

In what Berube called a ''gutsy win,'' his blue-collar Blues didn't miss a single opportunity to hammer Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, playing with a significant facial injury, or anyone in Boston black and gold. The Blues have done this throughout the playoffs.

Their rough-and-tumble play put the spotlight on the officials to police Game 5 like this was the Broad Street Bullies looking for blood and bruises on every shift.

Cassidy ripped the referees for no call on Bozak midway through the second period, a borderline play at best and at worst another missed call in a postseason full of them.

''It's blatant,'' Cassidy said of Bozak play followed almost immediately by David Perron's goal that put St. Louis up 2-0. ''It had a big effect on the game. This has happened. I'm a fan of the game. It's the National Hockey League's getting a black-eye with their officiating in these playoffs, and there's another one that's going to be talked about.''

Berube talked plenty about the officiating between Games 3 and 4 but was in no mood to do so this time. Cassidy thought ''the narrative change'' after Berube's complaints earlier in the series, and it's even more different now after fans littered the ice with debris

The NHL was not throwing referees Steve Kozari and Kelly Sutherland under the bus after what it considers a judgment call.

''There are hundreds of judgment calls in every game,'' director of officiating Stephen Walkom told a pool reporter. ''The official on the play, he viewed it and he didn't view it as a penalty at the time.''

That plays right into the Blues' hands. Like Berube as a player, they're never afraid to finish a check even if it could be a penalty.

''After a while, you don't want to be hit anymore,'' Blues grinder Oskar Sundqvist said. ''That's just how we've been playing all season long, and that's what we're good at.''

The St. Louis style takes a toll on an opponent throughout the course of a game and a playoff series, and it's doing that to Boston. Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk missed his third consecutive game after suffering a concussion on a boarding violation by Sundqvist. The Blues lost Sundqvist to a one-game suspension, but even that worked out because Sanford re-entered the lineup and has been one of the best players on the ice.

Sundqvist is not flashy but does all the little things to cycle the puck and make life difficult on opposing players. He's part of a team effort that way that has St. Louis closer to the Cup than Berube ever was as a player.

''Simple hockey - that's what we are. We're a simple team,'' forward Brayden Schenn said. ''He obviously played as hard as anyone when he played. He fought and battled for his teammates and he wants no different in our locker room. Our guys are doing that right now.''

[StarDust Bum]

Berube's Blues on cusp of greatness
June 6, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Craig Berube's bunch likes to live dangerously.

Berube on the ice punched his way to 3,000-plus penalty minutes over an NHL career that surpassed 1,000 games.

Berube behind the bench coaches a team that embodies him in almost every way. The St. Louis Blues are hard-nosed, no nonsense and finish every check - often taking penalties in the process.

When it works, the Blues are hard to stop and it is working against a like-minded opponent in the Boston Bruins. The Blues are just one win away from lifting the Stanley Cup.

Berube's blue-collar Blues didn't miss a single opportunity to hammer Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, playing with a significant facial injury, or anyone in Boston black and gold.

Sometimes it's called a penalty. Sometimes not.

Zach Sanford got away with an elbow to the head of Boston's Torey Krug, which the Blues paid for on something of a makeup interference penalty on David Perron soon after. Alex Steen was whistled for blatant interference for lighting up David Krejci in the neutral zone when Boston's struggling second-line center never touched the puck.

Then again, Tyler Bozak got nothing for upending Noel Acciari with a borderline trip right before the game-winning goal from Perron. Fans littered the ice with debris, but toeing the line and stepping over it now and then when it comes to NHL rules is something the Blues do all the time.

The St. Louis style takes a toll on an opponent throughout the course of a game and a playoff series, and it's doing that to Boston. Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk missed his third consecutive game after suffering a concussion on a boarding violation by Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues lost Sundqvist to a one-game suspension.

Sundqvist is a Berube player if there ever was one. He is not flashy but does all the little things to cycle the puck and make life difficult on opposing players. When he was out for Game 3, the Blues got blown out 7-2, and since his return, they've won two in a row.

He's now closer to the Cup than Berube ever was during his playing days.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY JUNE 9, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:20 PM Boston Bruins St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 12, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM St. Louis Blues Boston Bruins TD Garden


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DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

06/06/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -2.35
06/03/2019 1-1-0 50.00% +0.00
06/01/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.75
05/29/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -13.85
05/27/2019 1-1-0 50.00% +0.00
05/21/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/19/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.90
05/17/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/16/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/15/2019 1-1-0 50.00% +0.90
05/14/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.50
05/13/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -1.50
05/12/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/11/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/09/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/08/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/07/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/06/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.55
05/05/2019 1-0-1 100.00% +5.45
05/04/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/03/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -13.00
05/02/2019 2-2-0 50.00% +0.35
05/01/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00

Totals..............22-33-1 .....40.00% -89.05


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BEST BETS:


DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS


06/06/2019..............0 - 0................... +0.00................. 1 - 0................+5.00............+5.00
06/03/2019..............0 - 1....................-5.00...................1 - 0.................+5.00............+0.00
06/01/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00..................1 -0.................+5.00.............+5.00
05/29/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00..................0 - 1.................-5.50..............-5.50
05/27/2019..............0 - 1....................-5.00....................1 - 0................+5.00............+0.00
05/21/2019..............0 - 1....................-5.00....................0 - 1................-5.50.............-10.50
05/19/2019..............0 - 0...................+0.00....................0 - 1................-5.50.............-5.50
05/17/2019..............0 - 1....................-5.00....................0 - 1.................-5.50.............-10.50
05/16/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00...................0 - 1.................-5.50.............-5.50
05/15/2019..............1 - 0....................+6.40...................0 - 1.................-5.50.............+0.90
05/14/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00...................0 - 1.................-5.50..............-5.50
05/13/2019..............0 - 0....................+0.00...................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+5.00
05/12/2019..............1 - 0....................+5.00...................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/11/2019..............0 - 0 .................. +0.00...................0 - 1.................-5.50..............-5.50
05/09/2019..............0 - 1.....................-5.00.................. 0 - 1.................-5.50..............-10.50
05/08/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.00..................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/07/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.00..................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50
05/06/2019..............0 - 1......................-5.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-5.50
05/05/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.45..................0 - 0................. -0.00.............+5.45
05/04/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00
05/03/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50...............-0.50
05/02/2019..............1 - 1.....................+0.85..................1 - 1..................-0.50 ..............+0.35
05/01/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00


Totals..................... 6 - 7.....................-2.30...................10- 17.................-43.50............-45.80

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s 6-pack

College football spreads for games on Nov 29-30:

— Texas Tech @ Texas (-10)

— Washington State @ Washington (-9)

— Notre Dame (-5.5) @ Stanford

— Ohio State @ Michigan (-3.5)

— Florida State @ Florida (-14)

— Texas A&M @ LSU (-7.5)

Quotes of the Day
“You were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser. You are what you make yourself be.”
Lou Holtz

Friday’s quiz
In this century, how many horses have won the Triple Crown?

Thursday’s quiz
Klay Thompson played his college basketball at Washington State.

Wednesday’s quiz
Last time the NBA Finals ended in a 4-0 sweep was last year, when the Warriors swept Cleveland; last time before that was 2007, when San Antonio swept the Cavaliers.

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Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here……

13) The person who shoved Toronto Raptors’ G Kyle Lowry, then cursed at him at Wednesday’s NBA Finals game in Oakland wasn’t just any fan; it was Mark Stevens, who is a minority owner of the Warriors. Stevens was tossed from the game Wednesday, and won’t be at any of the games the rest of the series.

Not only that, but Stevens got fined $500K and was banned from the NBA for a year.

12) Atlanta Braves signed P Dallas Keuchel to a one-year deal worth $13M, which probably leaves Bronx and the Phillies as main trade partners with the Giants for Madison Bumgarner.

11) Eagles signed QB Carson Wentz to a 4-year, $128M contract that could escalate to $144M; $107M of it is guaranteed. Funny thing is that Eagles won Super Bowl two years ago, without Wentz, but Nick Foles is in Jacksonville now, so Wentz has to stay healthy now.

10) 1,200 kids just got taken in the baseball draft; 172 from California, 129 from Florida, 113 from Texas, so 34.5% of players taken were from those three states.

9) Kenyon Martin Jr., son of the former NBA player, is skipping playing basketball at Vanderbilt to try professional ball overseas. Martin is a 6-6 forward; he is the second prospect in two weeks to pass up college ball to play overseas for money.

8) College basketball is moving the 3-point line distance from 20 feet, 9 inches to the international basketball distance of 22-1 3/4; they did this in the NIT the last two years- under went 64-60 in those games.

Last year, 38.7% of shots taken were 3’s; will this result in less 3’s being tried?

This season, they will also reset the shot clock to 20 seconds (instead of a full 30) after an offensive rebound, which will result in more possessions, which helps the over.

7) Blues 2, Bruins 1— Back in January, a guy named Scott Berry bet $400 on the Blues to win the Stanley Cup, when they were 250-1 to win the championship. Now St Louis is one win away from winning its first Stanley Cup title. Berry would bank $100,000 if that happens.

6) Former Steelers’ backup QB Landry Jones may surface next in XFL tryouts; one thing the AAF didn’t have was high-quality QB’s.

5) For what it is worth, ESPN’s new gambling show Daily Wager is not allowed to use NFL team names or logos, but they use names/logos for all the other sports.

4) Brooklyn Nets traded Allen Crabbe, the #17 pick and a protected first in 2020 to the Atlanta Hawks for Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-round pick.

Nets clear $18M in additional salary cap space for July, which gives Brooklyn $46M in salary cap space to sign a max free agent.

Hawks now have three picks (#’s 8, 10 and 17) in this month’s draft.

3) Rockies, Dodgers, Pirates are tied for major league lead, with 13 home-grown players each on their 25-man rosters. Houston leads MLB with 22 players on their 40-man roster.

2) News item: Two female acquaintances vanished with more than half a million dollars in jewelry from Jets’ RB Le’Veon Bell’s Florida home.

Lot of ways to go with this one; not every day someone has two “girlfriends” over to the house. Fact that Bell left to go to the gym and left the ladies in the house seem to indicate that they aren’t escorts; if they are escorts, then Bell is a nominee for immediate induction into the Imbecile Hall of Fame.

1) When MLB puts in the 3-batter minimum rule for relief pitchers in the near future, I’ll be glad that I’ll never have to watch some of these cruddy lefty relievers who are in the majors for one reason only— supposedly they can get lefties out.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

College football spreads for games on Nov 2:

— Miami @ Florida State (-1.5)

— Houston @ Central Florida (-14)

— Georgia (-3.5) vs Florida (@ Jacksonville)

— Virginia Tech @ Notre Dame (-16)

— Oregon (-1) @ USC

— Utah @ Washington (-8)

Quotes of the Day
“When you get used to coming up in the minor leagues, sometimes you don’t know who’s playing until an hour before the game, or sometimes 10 minutes.”
Toronto Raptors’ coach Nick Nurse

Saturday’s quiz
How many current NBA head coaches have a won a championship as a head coach?

Friday’s quiz
In this century, two horses have won the Triple Crown:
American Pharoah (2015)
Justify (2018)

Thursday’s quiz
Klay Thompson played his college basketball at Washington State.

*****************************

Saturday’s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind…….

13) Raptors 105, Warriors 92— Golden State led this game 46-42 at the half, lowest scoring first half in a finals game in four years, but Toronto outscored them 63-46 in second half, and is now one win away from its first NBA title.

From sound of things, Kevin Durant won’t be playing in this series. Game 5 is Monday night in Toronto, where there could be a very big celebration.

12) McDonald’s locations in Eastern Canada give away free medium orders of french fries whenever the Toronto Raptors hit at least 12 3-pointers in a game.

According to The Financial Post, McDonald’s estimated 700,000 orders, but with the team playing so well, that number has ballooned to nearly three times the original estimate, resulting in approximately $5.4M (just over $4M US$) worth of fries.

11) Must admit, I don’t get the whole “opener” trend in baseball, unless you have one guy who could be a closer who you prefer to start a game with (Ryan Stanek in Tampa Bay).

Putting a minor leaguer in to pitch the first inning of a game just seems bleeping stupid, like you want to start off at a disadvantage. First inning is the only inning where you’re guaranteed to face the top of the other team’s order- you need a good pitcher there, not some stiff.

10) Batting the pitcher 8th is kind of the same thing, though at least I can see some logic there, but fewer teams are doing that now. Pretty soon this will be a moot point, because everyone will have the DH in the next couple years.

9) Houston Texans fired GM Brian Gaine, only 18 months after hiring him, meaning that coach Bill O’Brien is 42-38 in regular season games, 1-3 in playoffs, but has already seen two Texans GM’s fired.

From Ian Rappaport:
“My understanding is there was no one incident that created the opening. Houston did an evaluation of its football operations and believes — right or wrong — GM Brian Gaine was not good enough. Good, but not good enough.”

In other NFL GM news, the Jets hired Joe Douglas as their GM; he interviewed for the GM job in Houston when they hired Gaine.

8) ESPN’s Doug Kezirian pointed out that there is a gambler in Las Vegas who is having a very bad week; he lost $49,500 on Golden State’s money line in Game 3, then lost $75,000 on the Boston Bruins Thursday.

This person is chasing losses……..Friday he bet $182,000 on the Warriors $-190 to win $95,789 in Game 4.

Another tough night for that gambler. Minus $306,000 in three nights; hope he got free drink tickets, at least.

7) Baseball stuff:
— Mariners put OF Mitch Haniger (ruptured testicle) on the IL. Ouch
— In 2012 there were 2,020 pitchouts in major leagues; last year, there were 350.
— Relief pitchers have thrown 40.5% of innings this year, with a 4.42 ERA; five years ago, relief pitchers threw 33.5% of IP. with a 3.57 ERA.

Next analytics wave in baseball will find starting pitchers being stretched out longer in starts.

6) Boston Celtics are in favor of having free agency happen before the draft, which would be interesting. Right now, there are only roughly 10-14 days between the end of the Finals and the draft, so the draft would get pushed back, which would push back the summer league.

5) Kentucky and UCLA have assistant coaches in Brazil at the FIBA u16 Americas tourney. The quarter-finals of the event started Friday.

4) Alex, I’d like bad baseball for $400 please:
— Top of 6th inning, Cardinals down 3-0 at Wrigley, man on first with one out, and Dexter Fowler gets picked off. Why? How? He wasn’t going to steal. Terrible.

3) Jurors in the Kellen Winslow Jr rape trial sent this message to the judge:

“The jurors could benefit from an explanation as to what being under oath means.

Additionally, how we should follow the law and not what we think the law should mean.”

Sounds like those 12 people aren’t getting along too well.

2) RB Frank Gore Jr signed with Florida Atlantic and Lane Kiffin.

RB Frank Gore Sr is still playing in the NFL, with Buffalo.

1) Phillies 4, Reds 2— Jay Bruce is the first player ever to homer in each of his first three starts with the Phillies.

[StarDust Bum]

Berube's Blues on cusp of greatness
June 6, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Craig Berube's bunch likes to live dangerously.

Berube on the ice punched his way to 3,000-plus penalty minutes over an NHL career that surpassed 1,000 games.

Berube behind the bench coaches a team that embodies him in almost every way. The St. Louis Blues are hard-nosed, no nonsense and finish every check - often taking penalties in the process.

When it works, the Blues are hard to stop and it is working against a like-minded opponent in the Boston Bruins. The Blues are just one win away from lifting the Stanley Cup.

Berube's blue-collar Blues didn't miss a single opportunity to hammer Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, playing with a significant facial injury, or anyone in Boston black and gold.

Sometimes it's called a penalty. Sometimes not.

Zach Sanford got away with an elbow to the head of Boston's Torey Krug, which the Blues paid for on something of a makeup interference penalty on David Perron soon after. Alex Steen was whistled for blatant interference for lighting up David Krejci in the neutral zone when Boston's struggling second-line center never touched the puck.

Then again, Tyler Bozak got nothing for upending Noel Acciari with a borderline trip right before the game-winning goal from Perron. Fans littered the ice with debris, but toeing the line and stepping over it now and then when it comes to NHL rules is something the Blues do all the time.

The St. Louis style takes a toll on an opponent throughout the course of a game and a playoff series, and it's doing that to Boston. Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk missed his third consecutive game after suffering a concussion on a boarding violation by Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues lost Sundqvist to a one-game suspension.

Sundqvist is a Berube player if there ever was one. He is not flashy but does all the little things to cycle the puck and make life difficult on opposing players. When he was out for Game 3, the Blues got blown out 7-2, and since his return, they've won two in a row.

He's now closer to the Cup than Berube ever was during his playing days.

[StarDust Bum]

Bruins frustrated by no-calls in G5 loss
June 7, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Down and nearly out, the Boston Bruins are angry, too.

An emotional return by their injured captain and a frenzied start weren't enough for the Bruins, who must win to avoid elimination in the Stanley Cup Final. Boston coach Bruce Cassidy was livid following the 2-1 loss in Game 5 on Thursday night, lashing out at officials over what he contends was a lack of calls.

There were only four penalties called in the game and although three went against the Blues, Cassidy felt St. Louis was the beneficiary of the officiating.

''Clearly, they missed a couple tonight,'' said Cassidy, who just a few days before was voicing support for the officials as his counterpart, Craig Berube, complained about how the Blues were being treated.

''There's a complaint or whatever put forth by the opposition,'' Cassidy said. ''It just seems to have changed everything.''

Cassidy was particularly upset about a no-call after forward Noel Acciari was taken out from behind by Tyler Bozak just before David Perron scored 10:36 into the third period to put the Blues up 2-0. Acciari didn't return, leaving the already short-handed Bruins with another hole to patch.

Fans tossed debris onto the ice and Bruins President Cam Neely, high up in a suite, threw a water bottle at a wall.

''It's right in front of the official,'' Cassidy said. ''It's a slew foot. Our guy's gone. The spotter took him out of the game for a possible concussion. It's blatant. It had a big effect on the game.''

The NHL defended referees Steve Kozari and Kelly Sutherland.

''There are hundreds of judgment calls in every game,'' director of officiating Stephen Walkom told a pool reporter. ''The official on the play, he viewed it and he didn't view it as a penalty at the time.''

Acciari's status is uncertain for Sunday's Game 6 in St. Louis, which the Bruins must win to force a Game 7 back in Boston.

''Should have been a penalty for sure,'' said Boston defenseman Torey Krug, who took a stick to the face in the third that also didn't get called. ''Any time it leads to a scoring chance for the opposition, it's got to be called.''

Boston will have a little time to ice their wounds and see who's ready to go when the series returns to St. Louis. The Bruins got an emotional lift with the return of captain Zdeno Chara, who was knocked out of Game 4 after taking a deflected puck to the mouth. While Chara was back in the lineup, he logged just 16:42 of ice time Thursday and the Bruins were without fellow defender Matt Grzelcyk for the third straight game after an elbow to the head left him with a concussion.

''It's just another test for this group,'' Krug said. ''We haven't done anything easy all year. We've put ourselves against the wall a lot this season.''

Krug actually recovered enough from the high stick he took to set up Jake DeBrusk's goal 13:32 into the third, assisting on Boston's only goal of the night.

DeBrusk said the Bruins are big enough to go toe-to-toe with the hard-hitting Blues, but aren't capitalizing on their own skating ability.

''They're a physical team. That's what they do,'' DeBrusk said. I think that we can obviously respond. We know their game isn't going to change. When we're playing our best we are physical and we are fast.''

Patrice Bergeron, who has just one goal in the series, said the Bruins can't afford to get flustered by the officiating if they're going to overcome a 3-2 series deficit for the second time this spring. The Bruins needed two straight wins to get past Toronto in the first round.

''We've been in that situation before, so we've got to learn from that experience and be ready for Game 6 and leave it all on the line,'' Bergeron said. ''It was a good effort. I thought we had a lot of looks. We played we until the end, but we need results at this time. It doesn't matter how it happens.''

[StarDust Bum]

NHL suspends Blues F Barbashev for 1 game for illegal check
June 7, 2019
By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) The NHL has suspended St. Louis Blues forward Ivan Barbashev for one game for an illegal check to the head of Boston Bruins forward Marcus Johansson during Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The check occurred 5:24 into the first period of St. Louis' 2-1 victory Thursday night.

The 23-year-old Barbashev has played in each of the Blues' 24 playoff games this year. He has three goals and three assists in the postseason.

The NHL's department of player safety announced the suspension on Friday.

The Blues can clinch the franchise's first championship with a victory in Game 6 on Sunday night in St. Louis.