Friday Trends and Indexes 5/14 (NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[Udog]

NHL
Write-Up


Friday, May 14

Flyers are trying to become third NHL team out of 162 to be down 3-0 in a playoff series and then win it; the '42 Maple Leafs, '75 Islanders are only other two teams to do this. Philly allowed only one goal in last two games, after losing first three series games, then winning Game 4 in OT. Bruins are 3-19 in series on power play, 0-6 in last two games. Philly is 2-13 on power play in last two games, after going 0-10 in Games 2-4. Its has been 38 years since Bruins won Stanley Cup; they win this game, they have home ice edge in Eastern Conference finals; lose, and its one of the three biggest collapses in NHL history. Lot of pressure on them.

[Udog]

NHL


Friday, May 14

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What bettors need to know: Flyers at Bruins
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Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins (-120, 5)

Series tied 3-3.

Die another day

The Philadelphia Flyers have rose from the NHL postseason ashes, down 0-3 to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals, to win the next three games and force a deciding Game 7 showdown Friday night.

The Flyers completed the comeback with a grimy 2-1 victory in Game 6 Wednesday night, holding off a late push from the Bruins in the third period. Boston out-shot Philadelphia 31-27 for the game, edging them 10-6 in the final frame.

“It’s a dangerous position to be in,” defenseman Chris Pronger told the Toronto Sun. “Dangerous for us. Dangerous for them. The pressure is on both teams.”

The Flyers can become the first team in 35 years of playoff hockey to come back from a 0-3 series deficit. The last team to claw their way back from three games down were the 1975 New York Islanders, who forced and won a Game 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Philadelphia has out-scored the Bruins 11-5 over the past three contests, two of those games being decided by one goal. The Flyers' defense and goaltending got the job done in Games 5 and 6, allowing only one goal on 53 total shots.

"Even when we were down 3-0, we felt like we were close," forward Daniel Briere told the CBC. "Bounces here and there weren't going exactly the way we had hoped for and we weren't that far off. We knew we had enough to get back in this series."

"Now that we're here and now that we have climbed all the way back in this series, we want it too," he added. "We have to realize that the last game will be the toughest to leave with."

Boston stranglers

The Bruins jumped out to a 3-0 series lead behind their potent offense. Boston scored 12 total goals in those three wins while allowing Philadelphia to find the back of the net seven times. Even in a 5-4 overtime loss in Game 4, the Bruins scoring attack was still firing.

But since that overtime defeat, Boston has managed to score just one goal. But it hasn’t been for a lack of trying. The Flyers' defense has thrown caution to the wind, blocking 99 shots this postseason – second only to the Montreal Canadiens (125) in the playoffs.

"I'm not going to criticize my players' effort," Bruins head coach Claude Julien told reporters. "I thought we were ready.

"But somehow, we have to find a way to score goals. They had about 30 blocked shots tonight."

Leading scorer Patrice Bergeron, who has 11 points this postseason, has gone dry the past two games while returning star Marc Savard has also been invisible for most of the series, having failed to score since netting the overtime winner in his return in Game 1 of the series.

The Bruins power play has also been a no-show for most of the series. In 20 opportunities, Boston has cashed in on the man advantage just three times (15 percent). That’s a huge dip from its power-play success in the first round. The Bruins scored six goals in 22 man advantages against the Buffalo Sabres.

"We've had three chances so far and we haven't been able to do it," Milan Lucic lamented. "They've been playing well, so we have to find a way to break them down."

Be like Mike

Injuries to their goaltending corps have been a regular occurrence for the Flyers this season. But even the most optimistic Philly fan was worried sick after starter and first-round star Brian Boucher went down with a knee injury in Game 5.

Backup and third goalie on the Flyers’ depth chart, Michael Leighton has calmed those worries with his performances between the posts in the past two games. He stepped in when Boucher went down, stopping all 14 shots and preserving the shutout in Game 5, then turned away 30 of 31 shots in Game 6 to send the series back to Boston.

“Down 3-0 is certainly not a great situation,” Leighton told the Boston Herald. “But Lavy (coach Peter Laviolette) said ‘Either you can give up or you can get back.’ We knew we had to take it one game at a time, but we wanted it.

“We knew we were a better team than losing four straight.”

Leighton joined the team off waivers in December and took over the starting job once injuries hampered Ray Emery and Boucher. He was solid for the second half of the schedule before suffering an injury of his own, a sprained ankle in March, that sidelined him until now.

“It’s been like a broken record all year with different goaltenders stepping in,” captain Mike Richards told the media of Leighton. “But were confident in his ability.”


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[Udog]

MLB


Friday, May 14

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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds (120, 8.5)

It's no surprise the Cardinals are leading the NL Central, but the team that's battling them for the top spot comes as a bit of a shocker.

The surging Reds have won five in a row entering tonight's game against the Cardinals, who hold a half-game lead over Cincinnati in the standings.

The Reds are coming off a sweep of the Pirates, who were outscored 16-1 in the three-game series. The Cards have lost four of their last five, including a sweep at the hands of the lowly Astros.

The Reds' starting pitchers have posted a 1.40 ERA during their current win streak. They look for another strong performance from Aaron Harang, who has pitched well in three consecutive starts.

"He's commanding his fastball on both sides of the plate," Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan told mlb.com after Harang's last outing on Saturday, a 14-2 win over the Cubs. "He's attacking. He had a couple of situations where he fell behind in the count, two or three balls, but he came back almost every time. That shows some composure."

The Reds have been pounding left-handed pitching to the tune of a .322 average over their last 10 games. The Cardinals send southpaw Jamie Garcia to the hill.

With first place on the line, it's a nice price to back the Reds.

Pick: Reds


Chicago White Sox at Kansas City Royals (120, 9)

White Sox starter Mark Buerhle has struggled lately, going winless in his last six starts.

But tonight he gets a Kansas City team that he's owned over his career. Buerhle is 20-9 against the Royals with a lifetime 3.55 ERA.

K.C. counters with Gil Meche, who is 0-4 this season with an 8.24 ERA. Meche already faced the Sox earlier this season, losing 5-1 just a couple of weeks ago.

The Royals fired manager Trey Hillman on Thursday and replaced him with Ned Yost. Some teams get a boost from a change, but the downtrodden Royals may be beyond motivating.

Buerhle pitched well his last time out, allowing just three earned runs in eight solid innings against the Blue Jays. Expect more of the same today.

Pick: White Sox


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[Udog]

MLB


Friday, May 14

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Tips and Trends
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St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds [7:10 PM ET]

Cardinals (-140, O/U 8.5): St. Louis is playing their worst baseball of the season, as they were just swept at home by the Houston Astros. The Cardinals were massive favorites in each game against the Astros, yet lost by 3 runs in each of the three games. St. Louis is now 20-15 on the year, barely holding on to 1st place in the NL Central. Despite their winning record, the Cardinals are down over 2 units overall on the season, and nearly 4 units in the hole on the run line. The Cardinals will take to the road to get back on track, where they are 10-9 on the year. P Jaime Garcia will look to get the Cardinals back on track tonight, as he looks to continue his stellar start to the season. Garcia is 3-2 this season, with an ERA of 1.18 and a WHIP of 1.08. Each start Garcia has made this year has led to the game going under the posted total. The Cardinals are 5-2 in their last 7 games against the Reds.

Cardinals are 3-8 last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 8-1 last 9 road games vs. a team with a winning record.

Key Injuries - 2B Felipe Lopez (elbow) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side of the Day)

Reds: Cincinnati is playing great baseball right now, as they're on a 5 game winning streak. The Reds playing well is giving optimism to a city that has waited a long time for something to be excited about. This home series against the Cardinals is actually for 1st place in the NL Central, as the Reds are only a half game back of the Cardinals. Cincinnati is 19-15 on the season, including a home record of 10-8. The Reds are +5.13 units on the season. On the run line, the Reds are 16-18 for -4.18 units. Offensively, the Reds have scored at least 5 runs in 6 of their past 7 games. Aaron Harang will take the mound for the Reds tonight, as he tries to build on his success he showed against the Cubs in his last start. Harang is only 2-4 with an ERA of 6.02 and a WHIP of 1.46 on the year. The Reds are 6-2 in their last 8 games as an underdog. Cincinnati is only 2-7 in Harang's last 9 home starts.

Reds are 5-0 last 5 overall.
Over is 13-2-1 last 16 games following an off day.

Key Injuries - LF Chris Dickerson (wrist) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 3



Philadelphia Phillies at Milwaukee Brewers [8:10 PM ET]

Phillies: Philadelphia is in their usual place in the standings, right at the top. The Phillies lead the NL East by 1.5 games over a pesky Nationals team. Only the Padres have a better record in the NL than the Phillies. Philadelphia is 20-13 overall this season, up 2.20 units as well. The Phillies are also 20-13 this year on the run line, earning them 6.73 units this season. Philadelphia has shown the ability to avoid losing streaks, as the past 4 times they've lost a game they've responded with a win. The Phillies are 10-7 on the road this year. However, the Phillies are only 5-11 in their last 16 meetings in Milwaukee. The Phillies will send crafty veteran Jamie Moyer to the mound today in hopes of another fine outing. Moyer is 4-2 on the year, with an ERA of 4.38 and a WHIP of 1.08. The Phillies are 5-1 in Moyer's last 6 starts as a road underdog. The Phillies are 7-1 in Moyer's last 8 road starts against a team with a losing record.

Phillies are 4-0 last 4 games following a loss.
Over is 16-4-1 last 21 road games vs. a team with a home winning percentage less than .400.

Key Injuries - C Carlos Ruiz (knee) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5

Brewers (-120, O/U 9): Milwaukee is really struggling right now, as they are 15-19 on the season. The Brewers were expected to challenge for the Division title, but that seems highly improbable at this point in the season. The Brewers were just swept by the Atlanta Braves in blowout fashion, losing by a combined total of 21 runs in the 3 game series. Milwaukee is a paltry 4-11 in home games so far this season. The Brewers are -5.53 units overall this season, including -8.39 units on the run line. P Randy Wolf will take the mound for the Brewers today. Wolf is 3-2 on the year with a 3.95 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. 6 of the 7 starts Wolf has made this year have led to the game going over the posted total. Offensively, the Brewers continue to either hit the cover off the ball or not score at all.

Brewers are 1-7 last 8 games as a home favorite.
Over is 5-0 last 5 games as a home favorite.

Key Injuries - LF Ryan Braun (elbow) is questionable.
CF Carlos Gomez (shoulder) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (OVER - Total of the Day)


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[Udog]

Len's Top 5


TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for May 14, 2010 from Len Berman.

1. Quick Hits

As Celtics fans chanted "New York Knicks" at LeBron James, Boston ousted Cleveland in Game 6, 94-85.
Jets owner Woody Johnson admits there are thousands of unsold PSL's at his new stadium. He vows no TV blackouts. Hey Woody, lower the onerous prices. Problem solved.
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig will not move the 2011 All Star Game from Phoenix because of Arizona's controversial immigration law.
There were 41 arrests of rioting fans in Montreal after the Canadiens ousted Pittsburgh. You would think that a city with a rich hockey history would know how to celebrate.

2. Judge For Yourself

I know this is a sports newsletter, but I'm bemused by all the hoohah over Elena Kagan, the President's nominee for the Supreme Court. Does it really matter if she's gay? The White House had to issue background statements saying she's not. Reminds me of Mike Piazza having to hold a mini news conference to talk about his sexual orientation. Who cares? Just because a picture shows Ms. Kagan playing softball, she's supposedly a lesbian? The good news for her, is that she's a life long Mets fan. So every time she votes in the majority, she'll be on the winning team. A new experience.

3. The 500 Club

Many years ago a technician at Channel 4 asked me if I would like to have the original video tape of Mickey Mantle's 500th home run? He used to work at Channel 11, and in the days of king sized video tapes, rarely did anything get saved. But he just snipped the tape off the machine after the telecast and put it in his locker. Of course I wanted the tape, and it's one of my favorites. My hero, the Mick, hits it out to right. He runs around the bases, and that's it. In the short clip there are about 100 things that jump out at you. Announcer Jerry Coleman is touting the upcoming Memorial Day doubleheader. Mickey didn't wear wristbands, or eye black. There was no video replay. No fireworks, no loud music. And there weren't a whole lot of fans in the stands either. After he reached the dugout, he just stayed there. No curtain call. That game against Baltimore took 2 hours and 38 minutes to play. That's around 6 or 7 innings today. It was 43 years ago today, or in baseball terms, light-years ago.

4. Friday eMailbag

Subscriber R.R. has the source of Tiger Woods' disc injury, "His ego is so big that his neck can't support it."

As for Brian Cushing who had his NFL rookie award rescinded for drugs, but won it back in a re-vote, subscriber B.K. writes, " I went to High School with Brian at Bergen Catholic and it all started the summer after junior year. He came back as a senior looking like the Incredible Hulk. I'm sure it continued all through his 4 years at USC as well. Just goes to show how good USC can cover things up.
Editor's Note: There's been quite a bit of finger pointing at USC.

As for the Tasing of unruly fans, B.R. writes on Facebook at "Len Berman's Top 5," How about if they had to Taser fans who booed at Mets games? They'd have to do the whole crowd when Oliver Perez pitches!"

This week's "high brow" discussion has focused on names of race horses, such as Bodacious Tatas. J.G. writes. "Don't think you can print this one in the column, but (track announcer) Tom Durkin often told me the trickiest call he ever had to make is of a horse named Cunning Stunt."
Editor's Note: You're right, we can't print that. We have standards on the Top 5.

5. Spanning The World

Maybe my memory has failed, or I just didn't care, but I don't remember my baseball heroes stopping to admire their home run swings before leaving the batter's box. Now it happens all the time. The height of "look at me," occurred the other night in Pittsburgh. Lastings Milledge "hit a grand slam homer." He trotted around the bases as fireworks were shot off. But his "home run" never left the park. He was tagged out between second and third. Here it is.

On Spanning the World, I used to call that "premature exhilaration."

Happy Birthday: The Goose. Former NFL star and current broadcaster Tony Siragusa. 43.
Bonus Birthday: Oscar winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, Apple. 6.

Today in Sports: The Mick hits career home run number 500 (see above.) 1967.
Bonus Event: For the first time the Olympics are held on U.S. soil, in St. Louis. Then again it was only the 3rd Olympiad. 1904.