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**jt4545** · 06-06-2010, 10:44 AM

Good luck and thanks

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2010, 11:54 AM

Thanks JT.....go kick some butt today bradda

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2010, 11:55 AM

Los Angeles in command and favored

Have you noticed how calm the Lakers have been this postseason? Yes, they have lost four road games and been 2-2 in two different series, plus gave away a few fourth leads the caused spread losses for backers, but not once have Kobe Bryant and the rest of his teammates looked truly flustered and exasperated to the point where they appeared beatable in a series.

Game 1 was perfect example as Los Angeles was methodical in beating Boston. The Lakers were up by five after the first quarter, led by nine and the half and salted the contest away with 34-23 third stanza, building insurmountable 84-64 lead.

Phil Jackson’s club is 9-2 ATS after a playoff win this spring and are under control. After the Lakers ended the series against Phoenix in Game 6, the talk in the desert was the Suns lack of defensive intensity, as the Lake Show has 91 points after three quarters. Who would have ever guessed the defensive-minded Celtics would have permitted 84 points with 12 minutes still left to play?

It was shocking how little resistance Boston put up. Early today if you Googled the term “non-factor”, pictures of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett all appeared. Paul Pierce was the only Celtics player showing any game close to what Celtics would expect, but that was mostly in the final quarter when the outcome was already determined, as they fell to 6-19 ATS versus teams averaging 83 or more shots a game this year.

To borrow a little Dick Vitale speak, the Lakers were ‘windex-men” cleaning the glass, outrebounding Boston by 42-31. With Pau Gasol having eight offensive rebounds, you would have thought he had grown a foot.

When Doc Rivers was asked about the last time he remembered his team being so outclassed on the boards, he responded this way. “I don’t know if I recall one,” he said. “But I know if there was, we lost that game, too. I can guarantee you that.”
You don’t rebound; you don’t win. What’s true during the regular season holds even truer now.

“They killed us on the glass,” he said.

What can Boston do to plot an upset in Game 2? Of course they have to rebound better, which might entail sending more players to the glass on the defensive side and once the ball is secured, immediately find Rondo and let him fire up the jets to beat L.A. down the floor. Rondo has to show better judgment with the ball in his hands.

The Celtics staff has to find ways to rub Pierce off Ron Artest’s “krazy glue” defense. Garnett can’t be dominated by Gasol, he has to work harder for rebounds and make medium range jump shots to pull the big man from Spain away from the bucket.

The Lakers offense is especially fluid at the Staples Center, which suggests Perkins has to be more a factor on the offense end besides setting screens. Though his scoring skills are limited, Perkins has to defeat Andrew Bynum in the post and be fed the ball for dunks or layups. Rivers and his coaches usually make solid adjustments and are 9-1 ATS off a road loss by 10 points or more over the last two seasons.

Sportsbook.com has L.A. as a six-point fave with total of 190.5 and they are 8-3 ATS after breaking the century mark. With two days between contests the Lakers are 12-4 UNDER this season. The Celtics will have to be much more assertive and are 22-10 ATS away from home after consecutive games with 19 or less assists. The last five times Boston has allowed 100 or more points, the next contest goes UNDER the number.

This matchup has earlier start time of 8:00 Eastern on ABC and this is an absolute must win for the team in green, as it appears very unlikely they would sweep three at home.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2010, 11:56 AM

Sunday Night Baseball Betting Preview

As the Milwaukee Brewers regress, the St. Louis Cardinals continue to surge. The Cardinals look for a fourth straight victory Sunday night to sweep their first three-game home series from the Brewers in more than seven years. Colby Rasmus singled home the winning run in the 11th inning to give St. Louis (33-23, -0.8 units) a 5-4 win over Milwaukee on Saturday.

Winners in seven of nine, the Cardinals won the first two games of this set after dropping its last four home games against the Brewers (22-34, -14.1), who will look to avoid losing four in a row and seven of eight. St. Louis, which has won five of 18 against the Brewers at Busch Stadium, is in position to record its first three-game home sweep of Milwaukee since March 31-April 3, 2003. That’s possible thanks greatly to Rasmus, who is 5 for 7 with five RBIs in the series and 10 for 20 with eight RBIs in his last five games overall.

“I was trying to give them all I had,” Rasmus said after finishing Saturday with three hits and three RBIs.

Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer for his 13th of the season and first at Busch Stadium in 93 at-bats, dating to the season opener. He has three homers and 10 RBIs in five games against Milwaukee this season and his club is 23-8 with an on-base percentage of .375 or better over their last five games.

While the Cardinals look to continue their recent success, they could be without shortstop Brendan Ryan (groin injury) for a second straight game. The status of third baseman David Freese also is uncertain after he left Saturday’s contest with an ankle injury. Freese is hitting .316 this season.
St. Louis will face its third straight left-hander in the series when Manny Parra (1-3, 4.06 ERA, 1.742 WHIP) takes the ball for the Brewers and they are 9-6, averaging 4.9 runs per game against port-siders.

Making his third start of the season, Parra gets the nod over the struggling Dave Bush despite allowing three runs in three innings of an 8-6 win over the New York Mets on May 29 in his most recent outing.

“For me, my game is commanding my fastball,” Parra told the Brewers’ official website. “I do that and I’ll be just fine. But the days like (last Saturday) where I’m out of sync and struggling with the fastball command, it’s going to make for a tough day.” With Sportsbook.com posting a total of 8.5 on this encounter, Parra is 11-2 OVER when the total is 8 to 8.5 in his career.

Parra has pitched well in 10 starts against the Cardinals, going 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA, though his team is 5-17 vs. NL teams allowing 4.3 or less runs a game on the season.

The Cardinals turn to rookie Jaime Garcia (5-2, 1.32, 1.191), who looks to continue his stellar season with a third straight victory Sunday. After not allowing a run in 11 innings while not factoring in the decision of his previous two outings, the left-hander earned a victory Monday after giving up three and striking out six in six innings of a 12-4 win over Cincinnati.

Garcia won his lone career start against the Brewers, surrendering a run and four hits in six innings of a 7-1 victory at Milwaukee in his season debut April 10. “They are one of the better teams against left-hand pitching and he was outstanding against them,” manager Tony La Russa said of Garcia’s last effort against the Brewers.

Milwaukee All-Stars Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are a combined 2 for 16 in this series and are each 0 for 4 versus Garcia.

St. Louis goes for the sweep as -210 money line favorites and is 40-15 vs. teams outscored by 0.5 or more RPG and 12-3 UNDER vs. an overused bullpen that pitches more than 3.2 innings per game this season.

Milwaukee is 21-13 (+12.7 Units) against the ML as visitors after five or more consecutive road games.

This Sunday night is packed with sports betting options and the baseball one is on ESPN at 8:00 Eastern. With the Brewers 12th in fielding percentage in the National League, they are 0-10 after two straight games where they committed no errors.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2010, 11:57 AM

MLB Top ******* Weekend Power Trends 6/4-6/6

SAN DIEGO at PHILADELPHIA

PHILADELPHIA is 77-46 (+28.3 Units) against the money line vs. NL teams allowing 4.3 or less runs/game on the season over the last 3 seasons. The average score was PHILADELPHIA 5.1, OPPONENT 3.9 - (Rating = 1*)

CINCINNATI at WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON is 14-50 (-29.4 Units) against the money line vs. good power teams - averaging 1.25 or more HR's/game over the last 3 seasons. The average score was WASHINGTON 3.8, OPPONENT 5.7 - (Rating = 2*)

SAN FRANCISCO at PITTSBURGH

PITTSBURGH is 40-24 UNDER (+13.1 Units) vs. an NL team with an on base percentage .325 or worse over the last 2 seasons. The average score was PITTSBURGH 2.9, OPPONENT 5.3 - (Rating = 1*)

FLORIDA at NY METS

GONZALEZ is 63-53 (+27.7 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents as the manager of FLORIDA. The average score was FLORIDA 5.2, OPPONENT 4.6 - (Rating = 2*)

CHICAGO CUBS at HOUSTON

CHICAGO CUBS are 4-17 (-20.7 Units) against the money line vs. NL teams scoring 4.3 or less runs/game on the season this season. The average score was CHICAGO CUBS 2.8, OPPONENT 4.6 - (Rating = 6*)

MILWAUKEE at ST LOUIS

MILWAUKEE is 26-11 OVER (+14.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. The average score was MILWAUKEE 5.4, OPPONENT 5.7 - (Rating = 2*)

COLORADO at ARIZONA

ARIZONA is 17-3 OVER (+13.9 Units) vs. teams outscoring opp by 0.5 or more runs/game on the season this season. The average score was ARIZONA 5.9, OPPONENT 6.9 - (Rating = 4*)

ATLANTA at LA DODGERS

LA DODGERS are 37-19 UNDER (+14.8 Units) in June games over the last 3 seasons. The average score was LA DODGERS 3.3, OPPONENT 3.5 - (Rating = 1*)

NY YANKEES at TORONTO

GASTON is 45-33 (+12.0 Units) against the money line at home when the money line is +125 to -125 as the manager of TORONTO. The average score was TORONTO 4.9, OPPONENT 4.4 - (Rating = 0*)

BOSTON at BALTIMORE

BOSTON is 3-10 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in road games vs. AL teams scoring 4.2 or less runs/game on the season over the last 2 seasons. The average score was BOSTON 4.5, OPPONENT 5.3 - (Rating = 2*)

TAMPA BAY at TEXAS

TEXAS is 14-3 (+13.9 Units) against the money line vs. AL teams allowing 3.7 or less runs/game on the season over the last 3 seasons. The average score was TEXAS 6.2, OPPONENT 4.4 - (Rating = 3*)

CLEVELAND at CHI WHITE SOX

CHI WHITE SOX are 30-10 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in home games vs. terrible power teams - averaging 0.75 or less HR's/game over the last 3 seasons. The average score was CHI WHITE SOX 5.5, OPPONENT 3.7 - (Rating = 1*)

DETROIT at KANSAS CITY

KANSAS CITY is 16-3 OVER (+12.9 Units) vs. a very good bullpen whose ERA is 3.33 or better over the last 2 seasons. The average score was KANSAS CITY 5.9, OPPONENT 6.3 - (Rating = 3*)

MINNESOTA at OAKLAND

OAKLAND is 16-5 UNDER (+10.1 Units) in home games vs. an AL team with an on base percentage of .345 or better over the last 2 seasons. The average score was OAKLAND 2.8, OPPONENT 4.5 - (Rating = 1*)

LA ANGELS at SEATTLE

LA ANGELS are 15-5 (+10.1 Units) against the money line vs. an AL team with an on base percentage .320 or worse this season. The average score was LA ANGELS 4.7, OPPONENT 4.0 - (Rating = 1*)

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2010, 11:58 AM

WNBA Top Weekend Systems and Trends

Sunday, June 6

San Antonio at Connecticut

San Antonio is 0-3 SU and ATS against the Eastern Conference, losing by 11 points per game.

The Sun is 63-36 ATS when they score 78 or more points in a game.

Indiana at Minnesota

The Fever is 39-19 ATS when they score 72 to 77 points a contest.

The Lynx are 9-2 OVER in June games over the last two seasons.

Phoenix at Seattle

The Mercury is 29-12 ATS when they score 83 or more points in a game since last year.

The Storm is 19-1 OVER when both teams score 71 or more points.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2010, 12:00 PM

Game 2, Celtics at Lakers

Can Boston earn a split in Los Angeles on Sunday? It’s easier said than done, considering the last five NBA Finals has watched the home team build a 2-0 lead with consecutive victories on their court.
And of those five teams, four of them went on to win the championship with the lone exception being Miami, who ripped off four straight victories over Dallas in the 2005-06 finals.

When you look at those trends, plus the fact that Lakers’ head coach Phil Jackson is 47-0 in series after winning Game 1, the pendulum is siding with the Purple and Gold, right now.

Regardless of the history mentioned, Boston’s chances of knotting up the series will depend if they bounce back after being outmuscled in the first installment to Los Angeles.

The Lakers captured a 102-89 wire-to-wire victory in Game 1 on Thursday, covering as 5 ½-point home favorites. L.A. also managed to cover the number in the first half (-3.5) and second half (-.5) as well.

Los Angeles led 26-21 after the first quarter and 50-41 at the break. The domination continued in the third quarter (34-23) before the Celtics cut into the 20-point deficit by outscoring the Lakers 25-18 over the final12 minutes.

The combined 191 points barely slid ‘over’ the closing total of 190 ½, which probably struck a nerve with some ‘under’ bettors (see below).

Game 1’s outcome was determined under the rim, where Los Angeles dominated. The Lakers owned the battle of the boards (42-31) and they outscored the Celtics 48-30 in the paint, with the help of 12 offensive rebounds.

All-Star forward Pau Gasol was questioned for his toughness in the finals two years ago against Boston but he quickly erased those memories in Game 1. The Spanish product finished with 23 points and had a game-high in rebounds (14) and blocks (3). His size and athleticism was evident against the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett, who finished with 16 points and four boards, but had no answer for Gasol in Game 1.

While Gasol exceeded expectations for L.A. on Thursday, the club’s best effort came from Kobe Bryant. The Lakers’ best player put up 30 points, his 12th of this year’s playoffs, seven rebounds and eight assists. While Kobe was dicing up the Celtics’ defense, Ron Artest grinded out 15 points for the Lakers.

Neither Boston (43%) nor L.A. (48%) shot extremely well from the field but both clubs were benefited with a combined 67 trips to the free throw line. Boston’s Paul Pierce got the most calls (12-of-13 fts) from the zebras and he also played the most minutes for the Celtics too.

Ray Allen was the one Celtic who was plagued by the foul trouble the most. He played 27 minutes and couldn’t get into any rhythm, finishing with 12 points on 3-of-8 shooting. Guarding Bryant doesn’t give Allen much time to rest on defense but he said he’s up for the challenge again for the rest of the series.

While KG didn’t have his best performance, veteran Rasheed Wallace used his craftiness to help with nine points and four boards in just 18 minutes. The rest of Boston’s bench only had seven points, which included a lackluster effort from Glen Davis (3 points, 3 rebounds).

Point guard Rajon Rondo has been great in the playoffs so far and his stats (13 points, six rebounds, eight assists) weren’t horrible in Game 1 but a large part of the Celtics’ success in the playoffs is based off Rondo’s speed and domination, neither shown Thursday.

Boston only attempted 67 shots in Game 1, including 10 attempts from 3-point land. The lack of treys was due to Allen’s limited minutes, plus the C’s had to match up with the Lakers’ bigs. Most would expect both those numbers to go up for Game 2.

Even though the Lakers played the run ‘n gun styles with the Jazz and Suns, they were happy to slow it down with Boston. L.A. attempted 76 shots, which was the lowest number of attempts by the club in this year’s postseason.

The win over Boston in Game 1 helped the Lakers improve to 9-0 straight up at home in the playoffs. L.A. has helped gamblers to a 6-3 mark against the spread. The loss for the Celtics was their sixth of the playoffs. Five of those setbacks have come by eight or more and four of them happened on the road. Boston has never lost yet covered, which is something to think about for Game 2.

For the second battle, the books pushed the Lake Show up to six-point favorites. Gamblers looking to back the Celtics for the outright victory, can take a shot at a generous money-line price of plus-210 (Bet $100 to win $220) on the ‘dogs.

The Game 1 total opened anywhere from 193- to 194 ½ at most books and as we noted in our Trend Piece, the ‘under’ in the opening tip of the finals has been golden. Well, the total closed at 190 ½ in Thursday’s battle and the game went ‘over’ by a hook, leaving some total players with a bad taste, especially those who shopped late. The Lakers led 99-86 with less than 30 ticks left before Pierce converted an old-fashioned 3-point play. L.A. had to take a shot with a two-second differential on the game clock and sure enough, Kobe finished the game with a 3-point dagger that helped ‘over’ players, plus the arbitrage guys were happy as well.

Similar to the closing number in Game 1, the total for Sunday is hovering between 190 and 191. The two regular season battles went ‘under’ and so should’ve the first matchup in this series.

Most sportsbooks had the Lakers listed as $2.00 series favorites (Bet $200 to win $100) over the Celtics and after the Game 1 victory, that number has jumped up to as high as minus-330 (Bet $330 to win $100) at most shops. The takeback on Boston is now hovering at plus-280 (Bet $100 to win $280) at a handful of offshore outfits.

The two clubs will travel back to Boston for Game 3, which is scheduled for Tuesday.

Tonight’s tip is slated for 8:05 p.m. EDT and ABC will provide national coverage.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2010, 12:02 PM

Sunday's Tip Sheet

**Yankees at Blue Jays**

--Most betting shops are listing New York (34-22, +253) as a minus-120 favorite with a total of 9 ½ flat (-110 either way). Gamblers can take the Yankees on the run line (minus 1 ½ runs) for a plus-140 return (risk $100 to win $140).

--Toronto (33-24, +1325) won a 3-2 decision over the Yankees on Saturday afternoon in 14 innings. Aaron Hill plated the winning run with a one-out single in the 14th, lifting the Blue Jays to victory as plus-120 home underdogs. The win gave Toronto the majors’ best money tally (pending San Diego’s late result Saturday night).

--Cito Gaston’s squad improved to 17-13 at home for the season. Meanwhile, Joe Girardi’s club fell to 15-15 on the road.

--Brandon Morrow (4-4, 6.00) has been much more effective at home this season, compiling a 4-1 record and 3.90 ERA in five starts. Morrow has a 1-0 record and 3.94 ERA in three career starts against the Yankees.

--Javier Vasquez (4-5, 6.06) got off to an extremely rough start in his second tour of duty in the Bronx, but the veteran right-hander has been sharp in his last three starts, going 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA. Vasquez owns a 4-7 record and 4.17 lifetime ERA against the Blue Jays.

--With Tampa Bay losing Saturday at Texas, the Yankees remained just two games back of the AL East-leading Rays. The Blue Jays are in third place, 3 ½ games off the pace.

--The ‘under’ is 28-27 overall for Toronto, 16-14 in its home games.

--The ‘over’ is 30-26 overall for the Yankees, but the ‘under’ is 17-15 in their road assignments. They lead the majors in hitting with a .283 team batting average.

--The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

**Brewers at Cardinals**

--Most spots are listing St. Louis (33-23, -49) as a minus-225 ‘chalk’ with a total of 8 ½ flat (-110 either way). Bettors can back the Cards on the run line at a minus-110 price.

--Milwaukee (22-34, -1385) has been one of the bigger disappointments in the majors this season. The team will turn to Manny Parra (1-3, 4.06) for the starting nod in this spot. The left-hander is 2-1 with a 2.97 lifetime ERA against St. Louis.

--St. Louis LHP Jaime Garcia (5-2, 1.39) has been nearly untouchable at home, posting a 2-0 record and 0.72 ERA in four outings. However, despite his excellent numbers, the Cards are just 5-5 in Garcia’s 10 starts.

--Tony LaRussa’s club went into Saturday’s action with a one-game lead over the Reds for first place in the NL Central. The Cards have been all about their pitching, which is ranked No. 1 in the majors with a 2.97 ERA. The Brewers are 10 games off the pace.

--The Cardinals beat Milwaukee by a 5-4 count in 11 innings yesterday afternoon. Albert Pujols belted his 13th homer of the season in the victory. They improved to 18-9 at home, while the Brewers fell to 14-17 on the road.

--St. Louis owns an 8-6 record against left-handed pitching, while the Brewers are 6-10 versus southpaws.

--The ‘over’ has been a lucrative money maker in Milwaukee games this season, hitting at a 32-20 overall clip. The Brewers have seen the ‘over’ go 18-12 in their road games.

--The ‘under’ is 33-21 overall for the Cards, 16-10 in their road games.

--ESPN will provide television coverage at 8:05 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--The ‘over’ is an MLB-best 41-17 in Arizona games. On the flip side, the ‘under’ is an MLB-best 30-17 for the Cubs.

--San Diego, which went into Saturday’s play with a slim one-half game lead over the Dodgers for the NL West lead, has been led by its stellar bullpen that has an MLB-best 2.82 ERA.

--Minnesota’s Justin Morneau, who leads the big leagues with a .372 batting average, missed Saturday’s game at Oakland with flu-like symptoms. Bettors should check his status for Sunday.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2010, 12:04 PM

Preview: Flyers (41-35) at Blackhawks (52-22)

CHICAGO (AP) - When they won the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals, the Chicago Blackhawks were soaring. A trip to Philadelphia brought them back to reality in a hurry.

After two wins by the gritty Flyers on their home ice tied the series, the championship round is now a best-of-3.

Before Sunday night's Game 5 back at the United Center, the Blackhawks know they have adjust - to the Flyers' speed, to Philly's rugged defense led by veteran Chris Pronger, to their own inability to get scoring from their top players - or risk losing what they've come this far to achieve.

Coach Joel Quenneville is expected to mix some lines, and Chicago's defense hopes to give goalie Antti Niemi more support against a balanced Flyers' attack that has shown to be the Blackhawks' equal.

To re-establish themselves, the Blackhawks know they can't repeat their mistakes from Games 3-4. Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson's poor puck handling near the net led to a pair of first-period goals by the Flyers en route to a 5-3 victory.

And Chicago was too slow with a line change in Game 3, helping set up Philly's game-winning goal in overtime that produced a 4-3 victory.

Niemi, whose stellar play in the final period of Game 2 preserved a Chicago victory, gave up eight goals in the two games at the Wachovia Center.

``He's played well for us all season. ... We're not worried at all,' Chicago's Brent Sopel said Saturday. ``We left him high and dry as defensemen.'

Philadelphia's Michael Leighton, meanwhile, ran his record to 8-2 with the victory Friday night. The former ********* has a .924 save percentage and a 2.14 goals-against average. And his defense gave him great support in Game 4 with 28 blocked shots.

One of the Flyers' big advantages in the series has been on special teams. Chicago's power play is just 1-for-9 after converting a 5-on-3 Friday night, while Philadelphia is 5-for-16.

``We know we have to do a better job of staying out of the box,' Sopel said. ``We got to start taking pucks and bodies to the net.'

That's where 257-pound Dustin Byfuglien is supposed to be the force for the Blackhawks. But Chicago's top line of Byfuglien, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have combined for only one goal and four assists in the four games.

Byfuglien, bothered by the constant checking and stick work of Pronger, has not scored a goal and neither has Toews, the NHL's postseason points leader.

Quenneville did some switching late in Game 4. Kane was on a line with Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg while Byfuglien and Toews were joined by Andrew Ladd.

Kane acknowledged how difficult it is to play against the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Pronger, long one of the NHL's nastiest and most talented defenseman. But he also pointed to the tough defense from Philly's forward for bottling up what had been a prolific first line in the postseason before the finals.

``He's really good with the puck. He's not just strictly defense, so that makes it tough on you when you're out there against him,' Kane said of Pronger.

``He's pretty big. He has a big reach. He takes up a lot of time and space, but I'm going to give a lot of credit to the forwards and the way they've been coached as far as how to backcheck and play us in the zone off the top. That seems like where we're struggling a little bit.'

No matter how Quenneville tries to match up, he knows the Blackhawks must do a better job of playing against Pronger, whom he once coached in St. Louis.

``We will want to make him turn and make him play defense and make him play from the back end,' Quenneville said. ``He's what he is. We have to be more physical and we have to be harder on him and make it tougher.'

Chicago hopes its home crowd can be a major factor Sunday night but that kind of emotion can only carry a team so far. It's the matchups on the ice that matter the most. Game 6 is Wednesday in Philadelphia.

``You don't want something like this opportunity to slip away, especially coming all this way,' Kane said. ``It's been a long year. ... We can really put something together here that a lot of us can cherish for the rest of our lives.'

But the Flyers are their toughest test of the postseason.

And Philadelphia is used to working its way out of holes and ending up on top. The Flyers erased a 3-0 deficit against the Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals before staging one of the great comebacks in NHL history to win the series.

``All we've done is just held serve throughout the first two games in Philly and it's 2-2,' Flyers captain Mike Richards said Saturday. ``We can't get too cocky or look too far ahead of what we've got to do tomorrow night.'

But the Flyers certainly are confident based on how close they came to winning in the first two games in Chicago, losing by one goal each time.

To win the series, the Flyers must find a way to break through at the United Center. And now the momentum seems to be in their favor.

``There's a lot of pressure. I mean when you lose a game or you lose a couple of games you go home and you are wondering if you'll win the next game,' Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. ``Usually desperation kicks in at that point. So I would expect that Chicago is going to come with a pretty good game tomorrow night. We know what we've got to win here.'

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2010, 12:05 PM

Blackhawks try to regroup after losses

CHICAGO (AP) -When they won the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals, the Chicago Blackhawks were soaring. A trip to Philadelphia brought them back to reality in a hurry.

After two wins by the gritty Flyers on their home ice tied the series, the championship round is now a best-of-3.

Before Sunday night's Game 5 back at the United Center, the Blackhawks know they have adjust - to the Flyers' speed, to Philly's rugged defense led by veteran Chris Pronger, to their own inability to get scoring from their top players - or risk losing what they've come this far to achieve.

Coach Joel Quenneville is expected to mix some lines, and Chicago's defense hopes to give goalie Antti Niemi more support against a balanced Flyers' attack that has shown to be the Blackhawks' equal.

To re-establish themselves, the Blackhawks know they can't repeat their mistakes from Games 3-4. Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson's poor puck handling near the net led to a pair of first-period goals by the Flyers en route to a 5-3 victory.

And Chicago was too slow with a line change in Game 3, helping set up Philly's game-winning goal in overtime that produced a 4-3 victory.

Niemi, whose stellar play in the final period of Game 2 preserved a Chicago victory, gave up eight goals in the two games at the Wachovia Center.

``He's played well for us all season. ... We're not worried at all,'' Chicago's Brent Sopel said Saturday. ``We left him high and dry as defensemen.''

Philadelphia's Michael Leighton, meanwhile, ran his record to 8-2 with the victory Friday night. The former ********* has a .924 save percentage and a 2.14 goals-against average. And his defense gave him great support in Game 4 with 28 blocked shots.

One of the Flyers' big advantages in the series has been on special teams. Chicago's power play is just 1-for-9 after converting a 5-on-3 Friday night, while Philadelphia is 5-for-16.

``We know we have to do a better job of staying out of the box,'' Sopel said. ``We got to start taking pucks and bodies to the net.''

That's where 257-pound Dustin Byfuglien is supposed to be the force for the Blackhawks. But Chicago's top line of Byfuglien, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have combined for only one goal and four assists in the four games.

Byfuglien, bothered by the constant checking and stick work of Pronger, has not scored a goal and neither has Toews, the NHL's postseason points leader.

Quenneville did some switching late in Game 4. Kane was on a line with Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg while Byfuglien and Toews were joined by Andrew Ladd.

Kane acknowledged how difficult it is to play against the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Pronger, long one of the NHL's nastiest and most talented defenseman. But he also pointed to the tough defense from Philly's forward for bottling up what had been a prolific first line in the postseason before the finals.

``He's really good with the puck. He's not just strictly defense, so that makes it tough on you when you're out there against him,'' Kane said of Pronger.

``He's pretty big. He has a big reach. He takes up a lot of time and space, but I'm going to give a lot of credit to the forwards and the way they've been coached as far as how to backcheck and play us in the zone off the top. That seems like where we're struggling a little bit.''

No matter how Quenneville tries to match up, he knows the Blackhawks must do a better job of playing against Pronger, whom he once coached in St. Louis.

``We will want to make him turn and make him play defense and make him play from the back end,'' Quenneville said. ``He's what he is. We have to be more physical and we have to be harder on him and make it tougher.''

Chicago hopes its home crowd can be a major factor Sunday night but that kind of emotion can only carry a team so far. It's the matchups on the ice that matter the most. Game 6 is Wednesday in Philadelphia.

``You don't want something like this opportunity to slip away, especially coming all this way,'' Kane said. ``It's been a long year. ... We can really put something together here that a lot of us can cherish for the rest of our lives.''

But the Flyers are their toughest test of the postseason.

And Philadelphia is used to working its way out of holes and ending up on top. The Flyers erased a 3-0 deficit against the Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals before staging one of the great comebacks in NHL history to win the series.

``All we've done is just held serve throughout the first two games in Philly and it's 2-2,'' Flyers captain Mike Richards said Saturday. ``We can't get too cocky or look too far ahead of what we've got to do tomorrow night.''

But the Flyers certainly are confident based on how close they came to winning in the first two games in Chicago, losing by one goal each time.

To win the series, the Flyers must find a way to break through at the United Center. And now the momentum seems to be in their favor.

``There's a lot of pressure. I mean when you lose a game or you lose a couple of games you go home and you are wondering if you'll win the next game,'' Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. ``Usually desperation kicks in at that point. So I would expect that Chicago is going to come with a pretty good game tomorrow night. We know what we've got to win here.''

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2010, 12:06 PM

Flyers again climb out of tough spot

CHICAGO (AP) -The Philadelphia Flyers stared at one tough spot after another on the way to the Stanley Cup finals, so they weren't about to blink when the Chicago Blackhawks took the first two games.

They were on familiar ground. Now, they're on even footing.

Philadelphia took two at home to forge a 2-2 tie as the series returns to the Chicago for Game 5 on Sunday.

After dropping the first two at the United Center, the Flyers beat the Blackhawks 4-3 in overtime and 5-3 in Game 4 on Friday. Now, they're hoping for better results in Chicago and to keep a recent trend going.

Starting with the fourth game, they're a combined 9-0 the rest of the way in each of the four playoff series.

``I think you see teams over and over again as you do in the playoffs,'' defenseman Chris Pronger said. ``You start to figure out what works and what doesn't. You start to feel better with not only each series, but in games, we get better with each period - or so it seems. I don't really know what the reason for it is, but we've certainly done a good job and hopefully that will continue for us.''

The Flyers dealt with a coaching change this season with Peter Laviolette taking over for John Stevens. They overcame key injuries, they rose from 14th place in the Eastern Conference, and they beat the New York Rangers in a shootout on the final day of the regular season just to make the playoffs.

And then? They made things even more interesting.

There was an historic comeback against Boston in the second round to keep this run going, when they dropped the first three games and fell behind 3-0 in Game 7 before pulling it out.

A five-game win over Montreal put the Flyers in the finals for the first time since 1997, and now, they're looking for their first championship since the Broad Street Bullies repeated in 1975.

Things didn't look good for the Flyers after they dropped the first two games in Chicago.

Only two of the previous 33 teams that lost the first two games on the road came back to win, although the Penguins did it last year against Detroit after falling behind 2-0 and 3-2 in the series.

``We've kind of put ourselves in tough situations all year,'' center Mike Richards said. ``I remember early in the season, Chris and I talking about going through the adversity at an early point in the season will just make us better later on when we get to it. We went through a lot of it this year. We had a lot of ups and downs, and I think it really paid off when we got down 0-3 to Boston and plugged away and then 0-2 to Chicago here going home. When you go through things like that as a group and you come out on top like we did throughout the season - making the playoffs like we did, through the Boston series - I think it just sets up for having confidence in each other and not panicking and just being aware of what you can do as a group if you kind of stick to the system and stick to the plan.''

The Flyers were more aggressive the past few games, and responded quickly when the Blackhawks scored, snuffing any momentum.

In Game 3, it was Ville Leino putting one in the net 20 seconds after Patrick Kane scored in the third period to tie it at 3, and the Flyers went on to win 4-3 in overtime on Claude Giroux's goal. In Game 4, Chicago's Patrick Sharp had just scored late in the first period when Giroux made it 3-1 just 51 seconds later with his 10th goal of the playoffs off a pass from Kimmo Timonen.

Mostly, it's been the Blackhawks reacting to the Flyers.

Chicago switched up lines in the third period on Friday, with Kane dropping down to join Kris Versteeg and Dave Bolland and Andrew Ladd settling in with Jonathan Toews and Dustin Byfuglien to give the Flyers' defense a different look.

The Blackhawks then finished strong, cutting a three-goal deficit to one before the Flyers scored an empty-netter to seal a 5-3 win, and coach Joel Quenneville indicated there may be some more line adjustments.

Those changes are being dictated by the Flyers' defense. And, in particular, Pronger.

``I'm just shocked he's not up there for Defenseman of the Year,'' winger Ian Laperriere said. ``I saw him game in and game out, and the way he plays and the minutes he plays. It's amazing. It's not like he's a little guy out there who skates and doesn't touch anybody. He plays 30 minutes, and he runs everybody over - and everybody runs into his elbows, I should say. But he's amazing. He's one of a kind. And we're lucky to have him on our team.''

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