April 10 – In the first Boston-Miami hoops game in the post-Fenway Sports Group/LeBron James period of the unholy alliance, the Heat destroyed the Celts 100-77. Don’t say we didn’t warn you, Boston.
We are giving ourselves another “Pat” Riley. The Bench Jockeys saw this coming a mile a way. Or rather, the rest of the hockey-covering media just gave up a shortie to the upstart Bench Jockeys who posted….
http://thebenchjockeys.com/2011/03/30/blackhawks-down-and-almost-out/
Tonite the Dallas Stars almost stole the 8th and final playoff spot from the Chicago Blackhawks. All the Stars had to do was get a win against the Minnesota Wild. Toews and the boys better send a case of bubbly to Jose Theodore and each of the Minnesota goal scorers who played an inspired game and prevented the Stars from displacing the Blackhawks from the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. The schedule could not have been more friendly to the Stars and more ripe with stumbling blocks for the Hawks. Earlier this afternoon, Chicago gave a lackluster effort in a 4-3 loss to Detroit which was all too happy to do their part in trying to knock out the 2010 Stanley Cup Champs. Dallas could not keep up with the lowly Wild and lost 5 – 3 playing from behind all evening. The Hawks escape the regular season, back into the playoffs and will play President’s Trophy winner, Vancouver, in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs.
Karma Factor: Medium High. Dallas’ opponent, Minnesota, was once represented by the North Stars franchise which was sold to Dallas in 1993 and became the Stars.
We are giving ourselves our 1st “Pat on the Back.” AOL was a full 8 days behind The Bench Jockeys who reported way back on March 30th the Blackhawks potential playoff drama and the likelihood that the 8th seed will not be decided until the last game of the season. The Stars are now 2 points back and play two non-playoff teams this weekend while the Hawks face the Wings for a home-and-home. Dallas needs all 4 points to grab the final slot in West and some help from Detroit.
With 6 games remaining in the regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks cling to the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, three points ahead of a Dallas Stars team which cleaned Chicago’s collective clocks on St. Paddy’s Day. Chicago wraps their season up with two games against central division rival Detroit which would surely relish knocking the defending champs out of the playoff picture. Should the Hawks – who days after the 2010 Stanley Cup awards ceremony were chopped up like a 2006 Honda Accord – fall short on their 2011 playoff bid, they will be just the 9th club since 1915 to fail to qualify for the post-season after winning the Lord Stanley’s Chalice the prior year. As true competition withers into league parity and dynasties dissolve in favor of bottom lines (even in the formerly immune NHL) it is interesting to note that there has not been a back-to-back Stanley Cup winner since the Red Wings in 1997-98 after decades of multi-year championships by the Canadians, Leafs, Flyers, Isles and Oilers.
The ACC has 3 teams remaining in the Sweet 16 from its original 4 entries (Duke, UNC, Florida State, and Clemson). Meanwhile, the media bandwagon’s newly crowned Belles of the Ball – the Big East – on the other hand, have been absymal with 9 of its 11 teams knocked out by the end of the 3rd round. The only remaining Big East teams are UConn and Marquette – which will need to exhume coaching legend Al McGuire and his 1977 National Championship mojo to beat the Tar Heels on March 25th.
This is an example of a perfect subject for our category called, The Quick Hook. We get in, we make our point and we get out. Just like Czechoslovakia (or Wisconsin).
Loading ... Loading ...