Shootout beDevils again.

The shootout hurdle tripped the New Jersey Devils up again in Toronto as the Devils settled for one point again with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs.
Adam Henrique (11 Power play) and Ryane Clowe (1) each scored in the second period for the Devils goals.
The Devils will be in Montreal Tuesday night.

Hell Raisers

1) The Devils are now 0-7 in shootouts this season.
In my opinion,the Devils just don't have creators that thrive in the shootout format and that is the main issue with the current problems.

2) Adam Henrique continued his scored run with a slick power play goal off a Ryane Clowe pass.
Henrique has been playing well,but the play was made by Clowe,who put the puck on the money.

3) Clowe also scored the first goal of his Devils career on a breakaway set by a Marek Zidlicky pass.
Clowe has played well over the last few games and seems to rounding into form after concussion issues.

4) Cory Schneider played well enough to win as both goals that he allowed were not on him from short range.
Schneider has played three games in a row and I am interested to see if he gets the start in Montreal...

5) Martin Brodeur made a statement that he would like to play next season and realizes that it might not be in New Jersey.
The question is can Brodeur accept being the number two goalie?
If so,the Devils will keep him,if not,he might leave as sad as that would be.

6) Adam Larsson has four assists in his first three games in Albany.
I'm not a guy that blames coaches for stunting development in players generally,but I still believe that Peter DeBoer has done just that to Adam Larsson....

Saints season ends in Seattle 23-15

The New Orleans Saints ended their season in Seattle with an NFC Divisional playoff loss to the Seahawks in Seattle 23-15 with a loss that will be debated for much of the off season by Saints fans.
Drew Brees threw for over 300 yards with all but 35 of those in the second half with Marques Colston grabbed 11 passes for 144 yards,although he'll be remembered for a pass more than any of the catches....

Game Notes

1) When people say the home field advantage does not matter-refer them to this game.
The difference in the Saints offense in a dome compared to in the damp conditions of Seattle makes the difference in these two teams.
Seattle was a deserving winner,but different track might have made a different winner.

2) Normally,I think Sean Payton is among the best play callers in the game,but I did wonder on a few in this game.
Everyone has a bad game and this one might have been Payton's.

3) For example,asking Shayne Graham to attempt two field goals over forty yards into a driving wind was asking too much of a kicker not known for a power leg.
I think both kicks (and I know the first one for sure) would have been good in better conditions,but considering that they weren't and Graham is not known as a long range booter-I might have gone a different way.

4) Key play in the game was the Mark Ingram fumble in early second period play.
Ingram's fumble handed Seattle great field position and they quickly scored their only touchdown until late in the game.
Take that fumble off the board and the two first period field goals make this anyone's game.

5) Khiry Robinson played well and might have put himself in position to be the feature back next season.
John Lynch said that Bill Parcells compared Robinson to Curtis Martin.
I can see those comparisons due to running style,but I think he would have a long way to go to be a Curtis Martin.

6) The play that everyone is talking about the play that ended the game. Drew Bress gunned the ball to Marques Colston by the sideline.
Instead of stepping out of bounds and giving the Saints one shot at the end zone,Colston threw the ball forward for a penalty and since the Saints were out of timeouts,the ten second runoff rule took affect and ended the game.
Yes,it was a wacky decision by Colston,but watching the replay,had Colston put the throw on the money for a backward lateral-it might have worked.
The player that caught looked pretty open to me and it would have at least been interesting to see.

7) No blame on Rob Ryan's defense.
They were on the field most of the day and allowed just two scores-one on a short field and the other late in the game when they were worn out.
Give them credit for keeping the Saints in the game not blame.

8) Jimmy Graham-one catch on the next to last play of the game.Credit to Seattle for keeping the ball out of the hands of the Saints top playmaker,but the Saints did not really try to get the ball to Graham a lot.Six targets is not a ton for Graham..

9) I know the weather is going to get some blame for the offenses struggles and Drew Brees did not relish the first half conditions,but the Saints let the weather and the environment change what they do-go downfield and make things happen.
I'm all for establishing the running game,but seldom in the first half did the Saints try to go downfield.
Sometimes,you have to be what you are-even if things are going to dictate problems with that.

10) The things that will need to improve for New Orleans football in the off season is finding a way to win on the road in order to play at home.
Put the heartbreaking loss at New England aside,two road losses to mediocre teams in the Jets and Rams and the road loss in the rain at Carolina shows the difference in the team on the road.
Win one of the aforementioned games-Just one and the Saints are hosting the 49ers today instead of being in Seattle yesterday.
That is what the top need for the franchise will be-learning to win the road games that you should win..

Love it when a plan comes together! Devils win in OT!

With under five seconds to play in overtime,Peter DeBoer called a timeout to design a play off the faceoff deep in the Florida Panthers zone.
These plays rarely result in goals,but Travis Zajac won the faceoff by topping the puck to Jaromir Jagr,who passed to the waiting Marek Zidlicky.
Zidlicky's shot then eluded the screened Tim Thomas for the game winner with two seconds left in overtime (8) for the 2-1 New Jersey win.
Michael Ryder gave the Devils the early lead with his first period goal (16) before Florida tied it in the second.
Cory Schneider earned the win with an excellent 30 save performance.
The Devils will be in Toronto tonight...

Hell Raisers

1) The game winner was drawn up by Peter DeBoer off the timeout and took perfect execution by all three players involved,but it all starts with the faceoff win by Travis Zajac.
Zajac is the Devils top faceoff man and has been winning more faceoffs than usual of late.

2) Second great game in a row from Cory Schneider,who allowed just one goal,which wasn't his fault and finished the evening with 30 saves.
Schneider was almost perfect in this one and made several excellent saves....

3) Marek Zidlicky showed the inconsistency that makes him Rachel's least favorite Devil.
Zidlicky notched the game winner,but also was involved in the Florida goal by not taking care of business on the defensive end.
Zidlicky is what he is going to be at 36 with his highs and lows,but that is what can make him so frustrating...

4) Zidlicky and Jon Merrill showed how to be befuddled by defending a 3 on 2 rush on the Nick Bjugstad goal.
Both defensemen did not exactly cover their zone,moved out of position and gave Cory Schneider no chance to make a stop...

5) The assist to Jaromir Jagr moved Jagr ahead of Mario Lemieux on the all time points list..

6) I couldn't leave without giving credit to Tim Thomas for a super game at the age of 39.
Thomas was terrific in getting Florida a point and prime Thomas was not stopping either of the Devils goals and made several spectacular saves.

I plan on being back with a look at the Saints loss in Seattle,but that may wait a day with an unexpected day of work tomorrow and more Devils action to come.

Playoff PPM

Last Week:2-3
Season: 72-43

Seahawks over Saints 23-14
49ers over Panthers 16-7
Patriots over Colts 34-20
Broncos over Chargers 40-27

2013 Cleveland Browns-the offense

Here is some thoughts of the Browns offense from the 4-12 season and my grades for the team.

Quarterback:
 The Browns used three players over the course of the season with varying amounts of success
Brian Hoyer won all three of his starts,but suffered a season-ending injury in the third (Brandon Weeden finished up).
That injury might have been the turning point of the season for the Browns and not just for the won/loss record.
Hoyer's injury kept the Browns from knowing just what the team had in him and therefore not knowing for sure if they need to invest a high pick on a quarterback.
Hoyer will likely be given every chance to start next season.
Jason Campbell won just one game in his starts,but did catch a bad break or two due to things beyond his control.
Campbell's work ranged from tremendous to bad and I would suspect with the team wanting to draft a quarterback or two that the veteran spot will likely go to Hoyer.
Campbell played well enough to find a place in the league,but that place will likely not be in Cleveland.
Brandon Weeden's numbers weren't awful (9 TD 9 INT) ,but his play was with some of the most ridiculous plays that you can imagine when games are won and lost.
Weeden will be likely released as I cannot imagine anyone trading anything of value when you see his rookie contract and performance.

Group grade: D+

Running Backs
The Trent Richardson trade proved to be a good one,but the Browns never truly addressed the need at the position after the deal.
Willis McGahee was signed after the trade and showed that he was washed up while Chris Ogbonnaya was miscast at fullback and suffered some key fumbles.
Ogbonnaya should be a third pass pass catching back,yet the Browns insisted on using him at fullback for most of the season.
Fozzy Whitaker did not shine in limited action,but I did like what I saw for Edwin Baker in a late season cameo after being signed from Houston.
I liked Baker coming out of Michigan State and think he should get a shot in camp next year.

Group Grade:D

Wide Receivers
Josh Gordon was the AFC's version of Calvin Johnson,dominating games even when defenses were totally keyed on stopping him.
I'm drooling at what Gordon could do with a decent QB throwing to him and a threat on the other side.
It's a good thing the Browns had Gordon because they got nothing from anyone else.
Davone Bess was traded for and given a large contract because of his great hands in Miami.
In Cleveland,he led the league in drops and handed the Chiefs a game with a fumbled punt before off the field issues that basically saw him quit the team.
I hope Bess does not return,but his contract might mean he will unless the Browns can get breach of contract for his leaving the team.
Greg Little continued to show tremendous physical skills and continued to drop the football.
Little might be better served with a fresh start and at least should not be counted on as the number two receiver next season.
Only Travis Benjamin before his injury and Josh Cooper late in the season were other Browns wideouts to notch catches in the season.

Group Grade: A because of the stunning maturation of Josh Gordon...

Tight End
Jordan Cameron finally turned his physical skills into production with a 80 catch season.
Cameron still has work to do as he seemed to have better chemistry with Brandon Weeden of all people than Jason Campbell,
I still think Cameron has even more room to improve and if he does,he might be the AFC's answer to Jimmy Graham.
Gary Barnridge was a decent enough backup,but nothing special while Mar'Quis Gray was the developmental project at tight end along with fullback and wildcat quarterback.

Group Grade: B

Offensive Line.
Two Pro Bowlers on the line indicates a better line than it truly was.
Joe Thomas was not as good as usual at left tackle although a down year for Thomas is a top of the line year for most.
John Greco was surprisingly good again at left guard beside Thomas and Alex Mack was strong up the middle at center.
Mack will likely leave via free agency,so that will leave a huge gap to be filled.
Shaun Lauvao continues to disappoint at left guard and needs to be replaced.
Mitchell Schwartz regressed at right tackle and might not have a future in Cleveland considering he was selected by the past regime.
Garrett Gilkey showed signs of ability after being a late round pick and Jason Pinkston might be better next season after he has fully recovered from his 2012 battle with blood clots..

Group Grade: C

I'll be doing the defense sometime next week....

Schneider stymies Stars in 1-0 win

Michael Ryder's second period goal from the slot (15) off a Travis Zajac pass was all the New Jersey Devils needed as the Devils received 26 saves from Cory Schneider and defeated the Dallas Stars 1-0 at the Rock.
The Devils complete the homestand Saturday vs Florida...

Hell Raisers

1) Full credit to Travis Zajac for his pass to Michael Ryder for the games only goal.
Ryder finished the play,which is a rarity on this team,but the pass by Zajac made the play easier...

2) Both goalies were very sharp in this one with Cory Schneider and Kari Lehtonen each posting strong performances.
Schneider was very good,but one could make an argument that Lehtonen might have been better.
The Dallas defensemen often left Lehtonen hung out and with one exception,he made all the saves.
In any event,it was a game that saw good goaltending more than bad scoring attempts.

3) Big part of this win? A four minute penalty kill off a Stephen Gionta double minor for high sticking.
The second period penalty was the last penalty of the game for either team and that kill was a huge difference.
Bryce Salvador and Anton Volchenkov both were strong on that PK.

4) I'm not a fan of the Salvador-Volchnkov pairing at full strength,I think they are too slow and will prove to be liabilities against speedier teams,but on the penalty kill,that duo works very well together.
On the PK,their ability to push and shove goes a long way-I like it.

5) Dallas uniforms have been talked about this year and usually I have not been a fan of newer uniforms.
However,I really like these as I like using more of a Kelly Green than the darker version that seems to be used more in sports currently.
They reminded me of the old green Hartford Whalers and that is a favorite jersey of mine...

6) Adam Larsson is ready to return to action and has been assigned to Albany.
As critical as I have been of Peter DeBoer's handling of Larsson,this is a smart move as it allows Larsson to get back into shape without being caught in the backup of defensemen.

7) Speaking of that,the Capitals attempted to slide Alexander Urbom back through waivers.
The Devils claimed Urbom and brought the Swedish defenseman back to the organization.
Urbom is still just 23,so the potential is still viable and at no cost,well worth the claim.
Urbom will join Larsson in Albany.....

Saying some goodbyes

Time for some goodbyes with two recent and a few others from 2013 that I missed..

Goodbye to former outfielder Paul Blair,who spent most of his career with the Orioles,but spent a few years with the Yankees and Reds as a defensive specialist.
Blair was quite a hitter in his young days before a beanball took away much of his aggressiveness at that plate.
Blair was a eight time Gold Glove winner for his skills with the leather and ranks with the best defensive centerfielders that I ever saw.....
Blair was 69.

Goodbye to Mike Hegan,who passed away at 71 on Christmas Eve.
Hegan was a journeyman player for five teams,most notably with the 1969 Seattle Pilots and as a result being one of the players in Ball Four.
Hegan will be more remembered by Ohio fans as the long time member of the announcing booth for the Indians on both radio and television.
Hegan was able to do play by play or play the analyst role as well and was very understated and knowledgeable.

Sports Illustrated said some farewells in the year end issue and I missed a few interesting goodbyes from the year.

Former heavyweight champion Ken Norton passed away at 70 and Norton's death fell through the cracks as I did know about that one.
Norton broke Muhammad Ali's jaw in their first fight earning the upset win and lost razor close decisions that could have gone either way in their second and third bouts.
Norton tended to do very well against skilled fighters,but struggles spectacularly against big bombers as George Foreman starched him in two,Earnie Shavers in one (when a win would have gotten him a title rematch with Larry Holmes) and Gerry Cooney in one.
Norton is also noted for being the only heavyweight champion to never win a title bout.
Norton won an elimination bout as the WBC's number one contender via split decision over second ranked Jimmy Young.
When Leon Spinks was stripped by the WBC for fighting a rematch with Muhammad Ali instead of Norton,Norton was given the WBC strap.
Norton then lost in his first defense via split decision to Larry Holmes in a classic bout to give him the above distinction...

Chuck Fairbanks passed at 79.
Fairbanks was the coach that installed the Wishbone offense at Oklahoma and began the Sooners reign of terror before leaving OU for Barry Switzer to dominate with to go to the New England Patriots.
Fairbanks built a good,young team in New England before leaving before the last game of the season in 1978 for a big money contract at Colorado.
Fairbanks suffered through three bad years at Colorado and a losing season with the USFL's New Jersey Generals before leaving coaching for good.

Virgil Trucks passed at 95.
Trucks was most notable for being the ace of the Detroit Tigers staff in the 40's and 50's.
Those Tigers team were generally pretty crummy,so better surrounding talent would have improved a career record of 177-135 and might been enough for Hall of Fame consideration.
Trucks also won twenty games once and threw two no hitters...

Andy Pafko passed at 92.
The five time all star with the Braves,Cubs and Dodgers is remembered by me for two reasons.
The first is being the left fielder for Brooklyn that watched Bobby Thomson's "Shot heard round the world" fly over his head and into the seats.
Pafko also is the first card in the iconic 1952 Topps set.
In days gone by,when putting cards in order,Pafko's card would be on the stack's top and the card would get the worst wear and tear,making the Pafko card a difficult one to find in excellent condition...
Pafko is also part of the book on the Dodgers "the Boys of Summer".

Zelmo Beaty passed at 73.
The center led the Utah Stars to their only ABA title after jumping to the league from the Atlanta Hawks.
Beaty ranked among the leagues best all time post players and his addition was the key in putting the Stars over the top in the playoffs....

Back tonight with Devils hockey and I still want to go into my season wrapups for the Browns soon.