KP's Weekly Rant--I

Today, I had the chance to sit down at lunchtime at a pub and catch Headline Sports.

They were showing some hockey tournament featuring a Quebec team versus a Russian squad. Not sure what the tourney was, but it was certainly nice to see daytime hockey on a Friday.

The Quebec team jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, with the third goal one of those you’d call either a fluke play or a highly-skilled one.

The play was in the Russian zone, and right off the face-off, the Quebecer taking the draw swiped the puck right off the draw and it got past the goaltender.

This kind of a goal doesn’t happen frequently, but is sure nice to see—and if you blinked or turned away for a split second thinking it’s just a face-off, you would have missed it.

Mario Lemieux has done it before in the NHL, along with several others.

The one I remember the most happened in the 1992 Adams semi-finals when Adam Oates turned the trick for the Bruins in overtime to give Boston a 3-2 triumph over the Sabres.

Classic play, classic game, and yet this is a game you won’t see on ESPN Classic.

Ironically, today, ESPN Classic (Canada) was showing the 1991 Wales Finals Game Five, a contest in which the Bruins lost 7-2 to Pittsburgh. The network is airing this game as part of its “classics replaying the day it happened” package, rebroadcasting the game which happened 17 years earlier to the day on May 9, 1991.

It’s just unfortunate that the network often shows games in which the Bruins got embarrassed and yet doesn’t air the ones in which Boston participated in during the same era. After all, this was a team that went to two Cup Finals in three seasons, and four Conference Finals in five years.

Shame—this is a pity, and something that I discussed to death in my book.

On a more positive note, Hooray for House, as I see he’s decided to pick Dallas and Philly too! This will be a matchup Bettman wouldn’t want, since a Detroit-Pittsburgh Finals would mean much better ratings. Way to go, House!

Blue Jays tie it!

Well, moments after I posted the 3-0 score, the Blue Jays tied things up against Tampa Bay in the last of the ninth with three runs off closer Troy Percival.

Jesse Litsch is off the hook!

Tough luck for the Rays' Edwin Jackson, though. Jackson has been either very good or very bad.

Three times this season, Jackson has allowed five runs or more, and the Rays lost all three of those games.

In his four other starts, Jackson has allowed one run or fewer--including tonight.

Against the Jays tonight, Jackson pitched a six-hit, eight-hit shutout, but will not pick up the win thanks to Percival's meltdown.

The Cain Watch Part 3 - May 8, 2008

Some pitchers just don't have any luck. Here's the third feature on Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/22075-Cain-gets-run-support-but-still-loses

Speaking of lack of run support, fittingly, as I am writing this, Jesse Litsch and the Jays are down 3-0 going into the last of the ninth against the Rays at Rogers Centre...

Marcum + Litsch = BJs contend for wild card?

Shaun Macum did the job once again on Wednesday night, picking up his 4th win of the year--tied with Jesse Litsch--and Toronto won for the sixth time in seven tries.

How about this young duo for the Blue Jays?

If both Marcum and Litsch continue to pitch this well and get the run support, and mix in Roy Halladay, shouldn't this team be contending for a wild card spot?

And Marcum was impressive for sure--in his previous start, he pitched shutout ball against the White Sox despite his sickness, and Wednesday he took a one-hitter into the ninth inning against the Rays. Impressive.

Here are my thoughts:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/21938-Toronto-Tampa-Bay-Shaun-Marcum-Comes-Up-Big-Against-the-Rays-070508

Where were all the zonk mates?

Well, I was trying to see if the regular house residents on the zonk (or, resident friends, as Rick calls it) were available on Tuesday night, but they all seemed to have their own things going on.

Saw Rick on MSN, but he didn't reply to my messages. Oh well.

Didn't see House or Cliff on FB either.

And the Trouts? Well, no idea how to contact them, but perhaps The Trout may not be that useful anyway, given its negativity at times.

Well, trying to round these guys up to give some feedback about the book cover I was assigned. But with no focus group of Rick, House, and/or Cliff around, I had to just go along with what the graphic designers proposed.

Though it would have been interesting if everyone else was around to give suggestions... oh well, maybe next time!

Update...after 2 rounds

Okay, two rounds are done, and Cliff was the big winner on our OA picks by nailing three of four series in the conference semi-finals.

Taking a look, though, at our friendly OA pool on Sportsnet, Cliff is tied with Slats (ie. Rick) for LAST place! Holy smokes, how is Slats in last place?

Will there be a comeback from the perennial champ? Or is he over the hill?

We'll find out.... but here are the standings:

1. kp 134 points
2. i_pick_corners 127
3. splatking 121
T4. slacks 120
T4. cliff 120