PPP Power Play!!!

The slumbering New Jersey Devil power play awoke in Atlanta before what seemed to be about 15 people and a cat last night with three goals with the man advantage with Travis Zajac scoring two of them (11 and 12) including the game winning in overtime to lift the Devils to a 3-2 win over the Thrashers.
Ilya Kovalchuk scored (25) the other goal for the Devils.
The Devils host the Islanders tonight at the Rock.

Hell Raisers

1) Time to admit it-during most of this game,I was beginning to write the Devils off.
Time is running out and they still are eight points out of the playoffs and only gained one point on Atlanta last night despite the win.
I started thinking like that when I saw the Islanders had won and at that time before the game was over,the two teams had the same amount of points...
It sounds VERY cliche',but every game from here on out truly is must win......

2) Nice to see the Devils power play finally wake up and especially to see Travis Zajac reap the harvest.
Zajac has been one of the teams unluckiest players this season and perhaps his game is improving with the addition of Dave Steckel.
Why Steckel? Well,Steckel replaces Zajac on key faceoffs now and that lightens the load on Zajac a bit....

3) The Atlanta crowd (all 18 of them) boos Ilya Kovalchuk relentlessly.
I have no problem with that as they feel betrayed by Kovalchuk and I can "feel their pain" as Bill Clinton used to say.
I have been there with the Devils with losses of players that I liked a lot and one needs only to reference "the decision" for the biggest defection of all,but the only thing I would add is this to the Atlanta fans- Boo as much as you like,but remember to cheer your team as well.

4) I was mildly surprised by Martin Brodeur starting in Atlanta over Johan Hedberg after the loss to Ottawa.Not that Brodeur played badly,just thought Hedberg might have a shot at the start considering the game was in Atlanta.

5) The Atlanta goal by Dustin Byflugen sure looked like goalie interference to me by Nik Antropov.
The slightest nudge sent this Russian Oak falling into Brodeur and allowing the puck to zoom by.
Not a bad move by Antropov as the result allowed the Thrasher to gain a point in the standings,but still a bad call....

I will attempt to be back later with more Pirate prospect talk...

Cleaning out the Inbox

Time for work on the inbox with a few interesting notes accumulated recently.

One of my all time favorite hockey stars that passed away last year,Bob Probert was found to have had the brain condition Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy before his death.
Probert donated brain tissue to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy for research.
This research will go a long way into making games both safer and could eventually change the games themselves,which could be good or bad depending on the changes.
In any event,no game is worth life changing or ending damage.

Farewell to Washington Post columnist David Broder,who passed at the age of 81.
Broder won the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Watergate scandal in 1973.
Broder had become a regular television pundit on the various networks through the years,most notably on NBC's Meet the Press.

Goodbye to former Seattle Pilot and boxing trainer Greg Goossen at the age of 65.
The colorful Goossen also spent time in Hollywood as a character actor.
Goossen is most noted here for his appearances in Jim Bouton's book Ball Four.
Goose,I guess he had to consider the source....

I know little about Duff McKagan musically,but his ESPN column encouraging Sacramento Kings fans to rise up now before the chronically immature Maloof brothers abscond their team to Anaheim is dead on.
McKagan offers a look at Seattle since the loss of the Sonics and discusses the pain of losing a team is more than just sports....

As McDonald's continues to attempt to transition into more than "fast food",one person has been less and less visible-one Ronald McDonald.
More and more coffee and other "high falutin" offerings have sent Ronald into the background.
Note to parents,if you are influenced by your children to eat at McDonald's more than you should because of Ronald,you are the problem,not the damn clown.

Ronald's gang might still be the most profitable food business in the world,but Subway is the new king in one area.
Last year,Subway passed McDonald's in number of units and become the largest food franchise in the world in that statistic.
If Subway just added a drive through system,McDonald's would really be worried!

Photo Credits
Unknown

Pittsburgh Pirates Top Prospects 11-15

We start our look at the Pirates system with prospects 11-15.
Thanks for the nice thoughts that were sent to me on the Indians series,I hope you enjoy this one as much as that one....

11) Colton Cain LHP GCL Pirates/Short Season State College
Cain's numbers at State College look pedestrian on the surface with an over five ERA,but a closer look shows an almost strikeout an inning average and hitters hit under .200 against him.
Cain stays in the low 90's but that velocity could improve a bit as time wears on.
Cain works a curve and change,but needs to refine both to improve.
Cain should be part of a West Virginia rotation that might be the most prospect laden in all of minor league baseball...

12) Jeff Locke LHP High A Bradenton/AA Altoona
Locke is the last hope for the Pirates to get anything out of the Nate McLouth trade of impact with the other pieces from the deal (Charlie Morton and Gorkys Hernandez) being disappointing to say the least.
Locke has lost a bit off of his fastball from his days with the Braves,but has used improvements with the curve and changeup to lift his numbers in 2010.
Locke was impressive in his Altoona stay after being promoted and showed good command with the Curve walking just twelve batters.
Locke could start with AAA Indianapolis,but I think he will return to Altoona to begin the season...

13) Robbie Grossman OF High A Bradenton
Some are beginning to drop Grossman on their charts,but I'll give him another year.
Grossman spent last year with light power and tons of strikeouts (118),which usually is not an effective combination.
Grossman projects to have decent power that hasnt shown up in games and has struggled with pitch recognition along with a less than terrific caught stealing ratio,which should not be happening with his plus speed.
On the plus side,Grossman was aggressively placed with Bradenton and was not entirely out of his element,showing potential to improve.
Grossman is likely to return to the Marauders with a fast start moving him to Altoona....

14) Mel Rojas Jr.OF Short Season State College
The only non pitcher selected by the Buccos in the first ten rounds of the 2010 draft,Rojas looks the part of a prospect with a 6'3,200 pound frame and speed to burn.
The questions to me looks to be power as in the lack of it and the average as in .207.
Zero homers and the same number of triples in a small sample size sets off a few alarms for me.
The body gives hope that Rojas could grow into his frame a bit and help the stick.
Rojas looks to be all projection and could either rise on this list next year or fall off completely.
Rojas will be the starter in center for low A West Virginia.....

15) Justin Wilson LHP AA Altoona
Wilson's second pro year was much more impressive than his first as he was able to keep the ball on the ground and his strikeout rate was much improved as well.
Wilson did have the occasional bout with the wildness bug and needs to keep working on the control aspect of the game.
Wilson uses the curve as his breaking pitch and stays in the low 90's for the most part,although he touches 95 per Baseball America.
Wilson might move up to AAA Indianapolis,but a Altoona return is possible with the large amount of possible entrants for Indianapolis rotation spots available.
Either way,Wilson should see more than his fair share of AAA time.....

Sometimes the bear gets you....

The New Jersey Devils had been walking the tightrope of late in one goal games and sooner or later,these things start to even out.

As they did last night as the Ottawa Senators. led by someone named Erik Condra, scored with under two minutes to play and gave Ottawa a 2-1 win.
Patrik Elias (15) scored the only New Jersey goal.The Devils are off for the next two days to stew about this one that got away until a trip to Atlanta kicks off the weekend.

Hell Raisers

1) The breaks and bounces to tend to even out and on this night,the bounces that had going the Devils way during this excellent run went towards Ottawa.
Neither Ottawa goal had anything to with Martin Brodeur and both goals were set by turnovers.
The first goal by Erik Condra was batted out of the air and over the prone Brodeur.
That was dangerously close to played on a high stick (I think the call was close enough either way) and that leads us to number two..

2) The Devils looked to be robbed of a goal by Travis Zajac that was ruled no goal as Jacob Josefson "hit" the biscuit with a high stick.
Replays showed that Josefson never touched the puck,but the NHL replay rules do not allow for a replay in this situation since the call was no goal.
Had the call been goal,the replay could be used to wave it off,but a no goal call cannot be changed to a goal.
Dumb rule and that is one that needs to be changed.
Why replay anything at all then?

3) Patrik Elias had the good news/bad news game.
Elias scored the only New Jersey goal,but his turnover led to the game winning goal.
Funny how these things happen in one goal games....

4) For all the hullabaloo on the high stick,blame the Devils power play for the loss.
The Devils threw away three power plays in a row with one of those being a 5 on 3.
Wasting all of that man advantage time with nothing to show for it went a long way towards this loss...

5) The Devils didn't lose ground to Buffalo as the Sabres lost,but could have gained two more points or at least one point.
The deficit is eight points and the loss to Ottawa looks to be a tough one as just getting to overtime and earning one point would have tied them with Atlanta with a win leaping them over the Thrashers.
Time is running out...

Back later with either a feature or part one of our look at the Pirate system....
Replays showed that

Rolston leads Devils to shootout win

Brian Rolston might have been sixth in the shootout line,but he was the difference in winning for the New Jersey Devils as Rolston's shootout goal lifted the Devils to a 3-2 win over the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum yesterday.
Rolston scored the Devils first goal on the power play (12) as well,so clearly Rolston was the key player in the victory for New Jersey.
Ilya Kovalchuk (24) tripped the twine for the Devils other goal.
New Jersey returns to the frozen water tomorrow against Ottawa at the Rock....

Hell Raisers

1) The Devils set an obscure NHL record in the win as the team held the Islanders scoreless for the first period.That was the 13th game in a row that the team had accomplished that feat.


2) Congratulations to Jacob Josefson for his first NHL point with an assist on Ilya Kovalchuk's goal.
It was the tenth game for Josefson this season.

3) For all the attention on Rolston in the shootout and he deserved it,much of the credit should go to Martin Brodeur.
Brodeur was magnificent in the shootout and his glove save robbery on John Tavares was the difference between winning and losing....

4) Rough game for Mark Fayne,who botched a pass and allowed the Islanders to tie the game in the third period.Fayne's error was a mental mistake as well..

5) The Devils are now chasing Buffalo for the playoff spot as the Sabres passed Carolina by one point for the spot for now.

Photo Credit-AP

Cleveland Indians Top Prospects 1-5

We finish our look at the Indians top prospects today with a hope to start the Pirates top 15 next week.

Our next interview was finished,but circumstances with that person have changed and we are in the process of adding more updates to the interview....

1) Lonnie Chisenhall 3B AA Akron
The lefty swinging third baseman has the potential to have the best all around hitting skills for an Indian third baseman since Jim Thome or Matt Williams played there years ago.
Chisenhall doesnt have their power,but he should be good for 20 or so homers a year and should hit in the .280 and up area.
Chisenhall still needs time to develop as a hitter and especially defensively,but after a year at Columbus,Chisenhall should be ready to be the starter in 2012....

2) Alex White RHP High A Kinston/AA Akron
The top pick of the 2009 draft,White dominated the Carolina League and posted similar,if not better numbers after being promoted to Akron.
Some see White as a potential closer,but the Indians want to give him every chance to succeed in the rotation first.
White throws in the low to mid 90's and uses a splitter as an out pitch.
White is refining a slider that would make his fastball even more effective.
White will start at AAA Columbus and could see Cleveland by July....

3) Drew Pomerantz LHP Ole Miss
The 6'5 lefty was the Indians top pick last season and did not play after signing.
Pomerantz throws in the mid 90's and is reported to have a devastating knuckle curve.
Pomerantz has shown touches of wildness and that seems to be the main flaw in his game.
If he can harness his stuff and throw strikes a bit more consistently,Pomerantz has the abliity to be a number one or two starter.
Pomerantz will follow the same course as Alex White last year,starting at High A Kinston and hoping to finish at AA Akron....

4) Nick Weglarz OF AA Akron/AAA Columbus
Weglarz recovered from a .229 2009 at Akron to perform well at both levels last season.The lefty slugger has the potential to be a well above average power producer and he isnt afraid to walk either.
His swing will produce strikeouts and the bat will have to carry him with both his speed and glove being average on a good day.
The comparison that I like best is Adam Dunn with a little less power and a tick higher average,if all goes well.
Weglarz should return to Columbus and has a chance to get the call to Cleveland before seasons end....

5) Jason Kipnis 2B High A Kinston/AA Akron/AAA Columbus
Kipnis roared through the Indian system last season after being shifted to second base and passed Cord Phelps as a prospect on most depth charts.
Kipnis will always be a work in progress defensively after just one season,but he looks to hit for average and should be in the low double digits power wise.
Kipnis isnt a base stealer,but has average speed and should evolve to avoid being slow for the position.
Kipnis will start at Columbus and assuming that free agent Orlando Cabrera is a trade deadline sale asset,Kipnis should get the call as his replacement.....

Kovalchuk gives and then takes!

Ilya Kovalchuk's defensive miscue allowed the Pittsburgh Penguins their only goal of the evening and then took their hopes for a win away with a power play goal (23) over with 24 seconds to go in overtime to lift the New Jersey Devils to another two points with a 2-1 win.
Travis Zajac's second period score (10) was the other Devils goal.
New Jersey takes today off before tomorrow's afternoon game on Long Island against the Islanders,who always seem to play the Devils tough...

Hell Raisers

1) Worst part of the game?Because the game was broadcast by NHL Network,who used the Pittsburgh feed,the Devils network was blacked out.
Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey aren't quite as bad as the Washington pair,but they are pretty close.
I miss the days when Pittsburgh used the fun to listen to Mike Lange as their TV voice.
I always enjoyed Lange,who does the Penguin play by play on radio currently.....

2) The Kovalchuk misplay was only partially his fault,the linesman got in the way of Kovalchuk once and forced the pass from the corner to Kovalchuk to be placed on a bad angle in order to avoid the ref.
Bad luck,but part of the game....

3) The game winning power play was on the first penalty on Pittsburgh all game.
Of course their announcers thought it was a bad call on Zbynek Michalek for hooking Travis Zajac,but they had a choice on interference or hooking.
Either could have been called on the play....

4) Pittsburgh had plenty of shots on Martin Brodeur (26),but Brodeur never seemed in serious trouble except for the goal by Tyler Kennedy,who played very well in the loss for Pittsburgh.
Kennedy was the Penguin that seemed to be all over the ice...

5) Carolina lost to Chicago,so the Devils gained two points in the standings.
The Devils are in 12th place and nine points behind 8th place Carolina.Next on the list to pass for 11th?
Atlanta,who the Devils trail by one point and will play the Devils twice in the next ten days....

Photo Credit-Bruce Bennett-Getty Images