Irving drive dumps Dallas

Kyrie Irving continues to impress with the game on the line as his drive to the hole was the finisher in the Cleveland Cavaliers 91-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Q Saturday night.
Irving's layup with 15 seconds to go forced the Mavericks into three point mode in their attempts to tie the game,which proved unsuccessful.
Irving led Cleveland in scoring with 20 points with Antawn Jamison adding 19 more.
The 9-13 Cavaliers visit Miami and you know who tomorrow night at 7:30.

Swashbucklings

1) Kyrie Irving has won me over.
I preferred Derrick Williams to Irving by a hair before the draft,although Irving was my second choice.However,there is no doubt that the Cavaliers have made the correct decision.
Irving may not the type of player that can be the only star on a contending team,but he looks to be the type that can lead a team to a title with some surrounding talent...

2) Antawn Jamison's night based on points looks strong,but he was 6 of 18 from the floor.
The main problem I have with the current state of the aging Jamison's game is that his quickness to the hoop is fading and he has become a jump shooter,which is not the strength of his game...

3) 17 points,17 rebounds for Anderson Varejao,who deserves consideration for the All-Star game,although it is unlikely that he will get the nod.
Averaging a hair under 11 points and a nick under 12 boards,Varejao would garner even more consideration,if all around games were part of making the team rather than just scoring averages...

4) Alonzo Gee is being pushed as a candidate for most improved player.
That is seems a bit much for me,but Gee should be considered for the Slam Dunk contest.
Gee has been "throwing the hammer down" with consistency and creativity and deserves some thought.

5) In the Boston games,the Cavaliers shined in the fourth quarter,while in this one,it was the third as Cleveland took a eight point deficit from the half and turned it into a six point lead after three periods.
The talent indicates that hoping for consistency might be a bit much,but the possibilities do make one smile..

6) Byron Scott continues to basically play with eight players with Daniel Gibson,Tristan Thompson and Anthony Parker missing time.
Semih Erden and Ryan Hollins play a little when forced to,but the basic rotation is currently at eight.
It will be interesting to see how that plays out starting tomorrow with a four game in five day stretch.

Photo Credit:AP Photo

Devils finish Pennsylvania twin pack!

The New Jersey Devils polished off a Pennsylvania twin killing with a 5-2 win at home over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins at the Rock.
The win was the Devils fourth in a row since the All Star break and has helped New Jersey climb up the Eastern Conference standings into sixth place and only one point behind fifth place Pittsburgh with a game in hand.
New Jersey goals to Ilya Kovalchuk (22),David Clarkson (20 empty net),Zach Parise (20), Dainius Zubrus (15 shorthanded) and Anton Volchenkov (1).
The Devils are off tonight before a trip to MSG and the waiting first place Rangers.....

Hell Raisers

1) A goal and two assists for Ilya Kovalchuk as he continued his sizzling recent scoring,but the play that I enjoyed most was his dish to Anton Volchenkov for the first goal in a season and a half for Volchenkov.
I realize the Pittsburgh defenders were drawn to Kovalchuk because of the lack of pop from Volchenkov,but Kovalchuk had the confidence in his teammate to wait and make the pass instead of the shot.
Kovalchuk has been a player that has tried to do things on his own,perhaps the realization that those player do not win in the playoffs has matured both himself and his game...

2) The Anton Volchenkov goal was his first as a Devil,but a funny note on a former Devil on a similar drought.
Scott Gomez,who is still getting paid for his outlandish contract from the Rangers to leave New Jersey, has not scored a goal in over a year for Montreal.
Sometimes,there is more to things than money....

3) The Devils did catch a break on the shorthanded goal by Dainius Zubrus,who was fed the puck by Ilya Kovalchuk,who obtained the puck through what could have been a penalty from former Devil Paul Martin.
The penalty probably should have been called,but was not...

4) David Clarkson's twentieth goal of the season came on a long flip up the ice from Martin Brodeur,who picked up the assist.
Marty used to do these things far more often before the trapezoid was installed to slow Brodeur's game among with a few others of the better puck moving netminders.
Rumor has it that the trapezoid could be gone for next season,but that will be too late for Brodeur after wasting years of his skill being taken away from the zone. 

5) Steve Bernier assisted on the Parise goal and has looked strong since being called up.
The skills are there Bernier to be a productive third liner and if he can put things together (just 26),the Devils could find themselves with a solid player for a reasonable price..

Back later with the promised Cavaliers win over Dallas from Saturday...

Photo Credit:Mike Stobe-Getty Images

Fast start slow finish in 6-4 Devils win

The New Jersey Devils blazed to a 6-0 lead with two almost flawless periods before seeming to relax a bit in the third period by allowing four goals to the Philadelphia Flyers before the final buzzer in a 6-4 win.
Kurtis Foster rebounded from his benching in the win over Montreal with two goals on the power play (3 and 4),while Ilya Kovalchuk (21 shorthanded),Zach Parise (19 power play),Dainius Zubrus (14) and Alexei Ponikarovsky (9) divided the remaining Devils goals.
Johan Hedberg was in net for the win,which was the third in a row for New Jersey.
The Devils host Pittsburgh today at one,which is why the Devils recap gets priority over the Cavaliers win over Dallas.
I hope to get that up later today,but tomorrow at latest...

Hell Raisers

1) Top note goes to Ilya Kovalchuk with the rarest of Gordie Howe hat tricks- a shorthanded goal,an assist and a fight.
For all scoring news,the talk of the day was Kovalchuk's one punch stretching of Braden Schenn.
I'll deal with how the fight started in the next note,but the fight came about because Schenn interjected himself into a scuffle between Kovalchuk and Zac Rinaldo and found himself faced with an angry Kovalchuk.
The result for Schenn? Being tossed around like a stuffed animal and then flattened by one right by Kovalchuk.
Say goodnight,Braden...


2) The whole event started because Zac Rinaldo tripped Zach Parise from behind well after the whistle had blown with malice.
Dirty play from a player attempting make a name for himself,which appears to be working-if the name you want to be known as is the next Sean Avery....
Rinaldo lost five grand on the day-with $2.500 going for the slewfoot on Parise and a matching amount for a hit on Jacob Josefson earlier in the game.

3) The gas from the Flyers ended with less than a second remaining in the first period as another on my least favorite player list-Scott Hartnell was not content to allow the period to expire,he wanted to get into the corner with some chippy stuff.
That kept the puck alive and Danius Zubrus flipped the puck over Sergei Bobrivsky's shoulder for a 3-0 lead....

4) Always tough to cruise along with a six goal lead,but the Devils did get light in the third.
So light that they were outshot 24-1 in the last period.
I know the game was decided by then,but still...

5) Give credit when due-Kurtis Foster was awful against Montreal,but three points on the power play?
Foster is noted as a PP specialist,perhaps the answer is to limit his minutes at even strength?

6) The Flyers are my most hated team followed by the Rangers.
Most Devils fans reverse the two,but to each their own,but Philadelphia lived up to their reputation as a "goon it up" team yesterday.
It never seems to fail that when in doubt Bobby Clarke finds a new cheap shot artist-Dan Carcillo leaves,Zac Rinaldo enters.
Typical...

Photo Credit-AP Photo

4)

Cavaliers bad shooting is not very Magical

36 percent shooting and yet another huge hole to dig out doomed the Cleveland Cavaliers comeback attempt in Orlando in a 102-94 loss to the Magic.
Alonzo Gee led Cleveland in scoring with a 20 point evening off the Cavalier bench.
The Cavaliers return home to the Q this evening and will be hosting the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks at seven thirty...

Swashbucklings

1) Not a great shooting game by the numbers,but it was even worse watching the game,I bet the Cavaliers left 15 points at minimum off the board with misses within seven feet of the basket alone.
Awful...

2) The game was frenzied and sloppy as featured in a second quarter run that looked more like a seventh grade intramural game with both teams running up and down the court missing drive after drive and followup shots as well.

3) The bright spot was Alonzo Gee ,as noted above,finishing with a team high twenty points including three bombs from behind the three point arc.
Gee is high energy off the bench,so I can see why Byron Scott keeps him there,but he meshes so well with the Varejao,Irving unit in the fourth quarter that I would like to see more of that unit on the floor..

4) Kyrie Irving finished with 18 points,but did it on a 7 of 21 shooting night.
Irving was the main offender of the drive to the basket,flip up a shot and no good club.
Playing out of control a bit is part of the maturation process..

5) Good thing that Alonzo Gee had such a strong game because Mychel Thompson played thirty minutes without scoring a point.
That is pretty tough to do with that much floor time,but Thompson managed with an 0 for 6 game...

6) I know Luke Harangody will always be a slow defender and he will never be a huge board banger either,but he can shoot the basketball and on this team,that is a skill that is helpful.
Harangody may never be more than a situational guy,but I would like to see more of him when the team needs outside shooting to loosen up a defense...

Photo Credit;Gary Green-Orlando Sentinel

Devils notch another comeback win!

The New Jersey Devils were able to twice battle back from two goal deficits in able to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 at the Rock.
The Devils were paced by two goal evenings from Zach Parise (17 and 18) and David Clarkson (18 power play 19 empty net) to enable the rally.
Dainius Zubrus (13) scored the other Devils goal.
New Jersey takes today off before back to back matinee' games against Pennsylvania squads this weekend.

Hell Raisers
1) I thought Martin Brodeur had a great night.
If you didn't see the game,you might not think so,but all three goals were off rebounds/defensive errors that should have been cleared out by someone on defense.

2) Wish I could say the same for Kurtis Foster,who was just awful.
As in beyond words bad.
Foster watched the puck skid right by him after a great Brodeur save and allowed Andrei Kostitsyn to cruise by him and tap the puck in and that does not even cover his biggest miscue,where Foster STEPPED on the puck,which allowed Mathieu Darche to skate in uncontested and shorthanded on Brodeur for another goal.
Foster was so bad that was benched in early second period.

3) Adam Larsson had another strong game,but was hammered on two occasions that left him prone on the ice.
I did not think either hit was overwhelmingly dirty,Larsson did suffer a bruised back that he played through.
No word on Larsson's availability for the weekend set...

4) Three assists for Ilya Kovalchuk.
I sometimes worry about the team overloading their top line with Kovalchuk and Zach Parise,but there is no doubt that they have great chemistry together.
You can see it clearly in how both players seem to find the other even when not fully in the range of sight.

5) David Clarkson's two goals enabled him to notch a career high in goals,so every one from here out is a new high.
Clarkson is even getting power play time,which shows how much the Devils like his current level of play..

Photo Credit:AP Photo

Still hope....

First off,thanks to all for setting a new record for visits here for the second month in a row.
We continue to gain readers every month and things just seem to keep going up and up.
Thanks again.

The Hagerstown City Council announced plans for a possible new stadium and talks on a 20 year lease for the Hagerstown Suns and majority owner Bruce Quinn.
Sounds good thus far,right?
Until you hear our favorite Councilperson Ashley Haywood and Lewis Metzner's words.
Metzner says this “It isn’t about whether we can fix up the stadium so the Suns are happy with it, and they’ll decide to stay there,” “What they’re going to do is what they’re going to do.”
Ms.Haywood adds “I think we need to consider its location, and where it will provide the most impact in changing the landscape — the makeup, economically and socially — of our city"

So,one person says a stadium is important,but the team playing there is irrevelant and the other seems more concerned with a facility that is not baseball centered,but "changing the landscape" in a nice general,say nothing statement.
This news at least makes me think that there is a chance the team would stay.
Bruce Quinn has stated what the team needs and from what I can see none of his demands seem to be outrageous.
Quinn is a good businessman and if the city is not going to help with his investment,one cannot blame him for moving on and away from the Muni.
At least,I wouldn't anyway.

My concern from the linked article is that some of the city council and county commissioners seems to think replacing the Suns will be easy.
New stadium or not-gone is gone and the Frederick Keys are not going to roll over and allow another team to reside here,unless maybe the Keys ownership would be interested.
I am sure some of this is negotiating and posturing,but I do have hope,albeit with a long way to go....

Stay tuned for more on these developments as I find out more,I will be talking to a source close on the Winchester end later today and will be discussing the Hub City end over the weekend.

This comeback falls short....

The Cleveland Cavaliers uncorked another huge late game attempt to pull out a seemingly lost game,but could get no closer than two points to the Boston Celtics before finally losing to the Celtics 93-90 at the Q.
Kyrie Irving led Cleveland in scoring with 21 points with 3 of those coming at the buzzer and Anderson Varejao scoring 20 points and grabbing 20 rebounds for a career high total.
Cleveland will take on Orlando Friday night at seven....

Swashbucklings

1)  Anderson Varejao.
20 points and 20 rebounds.
Those are the type of numbers you expect from Dwight Howard not role players such as Varejao,but role players often are the most popular players and some of the most valuable on the team.
Watching the play of Varejao this season,I can only say this-If you don't like the way Anderson Varejao plays the game,then you cannot be a basketball fan...

2) If Byron Scott is not considering moving Alonzo Gee into the starting lineup over Omri Casspi,then he has made the decision that Gee is going to get the lions share of playing time.
Gee played almost 12 minutes more in the loss than Casspi and deservedly so.Gee finished with 11 points played solid defense and hit the shots that you have to make unlike Casspi,who missed two gimme shots in a row and found himself on the bench for most of the remainder of the game...

3) Mychel Thompson got the start at shooting guard for the injured Anthony Parker and finished with eight points.
Cleveland is battling injury issues at the two guard spot with both Parker and Daniel Gibson unable to play,which explains why a player that spent most of the season inactive is suddenly playing thirty minutes...

4) Tristan Thompson aggravated his injured ankle in the second period and was finished for the night.
Hopefully,the injury is not too serious and the Cavaliers are smart enough this time to take their time in bringing the rookie back to the court..

5) The rumor is that with the injury issues,NBDL player of the week Manny Harris could be called up from Canton.
Harris spent last season with the Cavaliers,but did not make the team due to a injury to his foot from freezer burn..Really,freezer burn....

6) Another rumor has the Lakers interested in trading for Ramon Sessions.
The Lakers have their top pick and the Mavericks (top 20 protected) to offer,Cleveland will likely look for a better one,but Sessions does have value to a contender and his value might be at its peak around the deadline...

Photo Credits:AP