Manny Ramirez just retired, after violating the league's substance abuse policy for the second time. This has happened suprisingly quietly. He was caught using performance enhancing drugs (AGAIN), he earned a 100 game suspension, and then essentially told the league, "You can't punish me, I quit!" Where is the rage from the fans? Meanwhile, the world is trying its hardest to put Barry Bonds behind bars. Baseball still has a flaming hatred for barry, who hasn't played since 2007, and yet they're going to let manny quietly dodge his punishment for something he did last week!
The game is different now. In the 90's and early 2000's the league turned a blind eye to steroid usage. Almost every player was on steroids, including the pitchers the sluggers were hitting homeruns off of. I don't care if bonds was on steroids in 2001, nor do i care if manny was. Let's face it, they both were. The league created this environment. Did mark mcgwire, sammy sosa, rafael palmeiro, or jose canseco hit 755 home runs? No. So don't tell barry his achievements don't mean anything. In fact he hit Number 755 off a pitcher who was suspended for using steroids. Basically, what happened happended. Forgive, and move on. But should we forgive a guy who actually got caught twice, not just someone who is the victim of speculation, in a league trying to get clean?
Manny running from this suspension is an obvious disgrace to the game. Some think bonds breaking the all time homerun record is a disgrace, but i take the opposite view. Barry was destined to break that record, took a lot of abuse while doing it, but didn't run from the heat. In a twisted sort of way, bonds' march to 755 was courageous and heroic. Needles were being thrown from the outfield. I remember a game in houston where a pitcher was allowed to throw behind him three times in one at bat. The crowd cheered. He became possibly the most hated player in sports history. But did he retire to avoid all that? No, he dealt with all the undeserved hatred. Ramirez quit to avoid a suspension he obviously deserves. Lanky Bonds hit as many as 49 homeruns in a season before he bulked up and hit 73. He never hit more than 46 after that. Maybe he could have played longer if his knees didn't give out under the weight of his synthetic biceps. He reached 400 at bats only once after his 73 season. If it weren't for this legendary year earning him an intentional walk evertime he stepped up, he almost certainly would have hit more homeruns. So barry was destined to break this record, and running from that would have been an insult to the game.
Manny ramirez is easily a hall of fame caliber player. He has a ridiculous .411 career on base percentage and 555 career homeruns. For the majority of his career he flirted with a .600 career slugging percentage, which would make him just about the best right handed hitter ever. A point of debate is whether or not hall caliber players that are associated with steroid usage should be put into the hall. I think for the guys that did it in the steroid era, you need to let them in. Usage was so widespread and was basically accepted by the league, so i don't know that you can really consider it cheating in the truest sense. If you hit a homerun off a juiced up roger clemens, you certainly earned that homerun. But the line has to be drawn somewhere. At a certain point the league needs to say enough is enough. What happened in the past happened, but manny is cheating in the here and now. So admit sosa, and mcgwire, and clemens, and palmeiro, and certainly leave barry bonds alone. But it just isn't ok anymore, manny. So you should be the precedent, the pete rose of steroid usage. Manny should NOT be a hall of famer if he thinks he can disgrace the game and then run away.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
One Game to Go...Multiple Scenarios
With only one game left to play in the regular season, there are a few scenarios that could play out for the Flyers first round playoff match up.
As of now, the Eastern Conference looks like this:
1.) Washington - 107 Pts - 1 Game Left
2.) Philadelphia - 104 Pts - 1 Game Left
3.) Boston - 101 Pts - 2 Games Left
4.) Pittsburgh - 104 Pts - 1 Game Left
5.) Tampa Bay - 101 Pts - 1 Game Left
6.) Montreal - 94 Pts - 1 Game Left
7.) Buffalo - 94 Pts - 1 Game Left
8.) Carolina - 91 Pts - 1 Game Left
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9.) NY Rangers - 91 Pts - 1 Game Left
The standings are based on season Pt totals (2 for a W, 1 for an OT L). The first 3 seeds are reserved for the 3 division leaders...the first tie breaker is which team has more non-shootout wins.
If the Flyers win tomorrow, the will finish in 2nd place regardless of what other teams do, and will play the 7th seed, either Montreal or Buffalo, in the first round.
If the Flyers and Pens both lose in regulation, both lose in OT, or if the the Flyers lose in OT and the Pens in regulation, then the Flyers will win the division, but might slip to the 3rd seed depending on what Boston does. In this scenario, they would play the 6th seed, again either Montreal or Buffalo.
If the Penguins gain 1 point on the Flyers tomorrow (They win, we lose in reg/OT or they lose in OT and we lose in regulation), they will win the division and the Flyers will finish in 4th and play Tampa Bay in the first round. This is the worst case scenario since they will finish 4th and Tampa Bay is the hardest match up for them.
The bottom line, however, is the Flyers control their own destiny. If they win tomorrow, which they should since they are playing a not so good Islanders team, they avoid slipping to 4th and get a much more favorable first round match up against either Buffalo or Montreal (MTL would be my preference). If the lose, well, then they rely on Atlanta beating Pittsburgh on Sunday...
Other things to watch...
Washington is set in the 1st seed and Tampa is set in the 5th. Montreal plays Toronto tomorrow, if they win they clinch the 6th seed, if not, they open things up for Buffalo to take it, they play Columbus. If Carolina beats Tampa, they will clinch the 8th and final playoff seed. The Rangers must win their afternoon game tomorrow again New Jersey to keep their playoff hopes alive, and then would need Carolina to lose. Wouldn't it be great to see the Rangers miss out on the playoffs for the second straight year on the last game of the season? :)
Lots going on tomorrow, but like I said, the Flyers can make it easy on themselves with a Win. Let's Go Flyers!
As of now, the Eastern Conference looks like this:
1.) Washington - 107 Pts - 1 Game Left
2.) Philadelphia - 104 Pts - 1 Game Left
3.) Boston - 101 Pts - 2 Games Left
4.) Pittsburgh - 104 Pts - 1 Game Left
5.) Tampa Bay - 101 Pts - 1 Game Left
6.) Montreal - 94 Pts - 1 Game Left
7.) Buffalo - 94 Pts - 1 Game Left
8.) Carolina - 91 Pts - 1 Game Left
----------------------------------------
9.) NY Rangers - 91 Pts - 1 Game Left
The standings are based on season Pt totals (2 for a W, 1 for an OT L). The first 3 seeds are reserved for the 3 division leaders...the first tie breaker is which team has more non-shootout wins.
If the Flyers win tomorrow, the will finish in 2nd place regardless of what other teams do, and will play the 7th seed, either Montreal or Buffalo, in the first round.
If the Flyers and Pens both lose in regulation, both lose in OT, or if the the Flyers lose in OT and the Pens in regulation, then the Flyers will win the division, but might slip to the 3rd seed depending on what Boston does. In this scenario, they would play the 6th seed, again either Montreal or Buffalo.
If the Penguins gain 1 point on the Flyers tomorrow (They win, we lose in reg/OT or they lose in OT and we lose in regulation), they will win the division and the Flyers will finish in 4th and play Tampa Bay in the first round. This is the worst case scenario since they will finish 4th and Tampa Bay is the hardest match up for them.
The bottom line, however, is the Flyers control their own destiny. If they win tomorrow, which they should since they are playing a not so good Islanders team, they avoid slipping to 4th and get a much more favorable first round match up against either Buffalo or Montreal (MTL would be my preference). If the lose, well, then they rely on Atlanta beating Pittsburgh on Sunday...
Other things to watch...
Washington is set in the 1st seed and Tampa is set in the 5th. Montreal plays Toronto tomorrow, if they win they clinch the 6th seed, if not, they open things up for Buffalo to take it, they play Columbus. If Carolina beats Tampa, they will clinch the 8th and final playoff seed. The Rangers must win their afternoon game tomorrow again New Jersey to keep their playoff hopes alive, and then would need Carolina to lose. Wouldn't it be great to see the Rangers miss out on the playoffs for the second straight year on the last game of the season? :)
Lots going on tomorrow, but like I said, the Flyers can make it easy on themselves with a Win. Let's Go Flyers!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Oh Captain, My Captain
It wasn't long into Mike Richards' NHL career that people began predicting that he would one day wear the C for the orange and black. Sure enough, on September 17, 2008, that prediction came true as Richards became the 17th captain in Flyers history.
Since then however, it seems anytime the Flyers go into a bit of a slump, #18 becomes the center of criticism...and the recent slump is no exception. When ever the Flyers play poorly, members of the media and Flyers fan base begin to question whether or not Richards is a capable captain...and in reality it's all a bunch of nonsense. The only thing the anti-richie movement has going for it is that the Flyers do have several capable captains on the team, such as Timonen, Briere, and of course Pronger...but other than that Richards has more than proven himself as a capable captain.
The biggest thing the media likes to nitpick about Richards is his attitude towards them. Yes, towards them, not his team or his play. Lets face it, Richards isn't the most outgoing person in the world...and does not always have the slick answers the media is looking for. After a tough loss, Richards can tend to come off as frustrated and kind of a jerk when asked certain questions...which the media gladly runs with and questions his captaincy. What they don't tell you however is that being able to smooth talk the media is not a necessary characteristic of a good captain in the NHL.
Generally, one of three kinds of players are chosen to wear the C for their team.
1.) The Superstar - This is where a player is hands down the best player on his team and the face of it, and there for gets the C by default...AKA Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
2.) The Grizzled Vet - This is where a teams captain is the guy thats been around for a while...and may not be the best player, or even one of the best, but has a proven track record and the respect of his teammates. This is a captain of the Jason Smith, Eric Desjardins category.
3.) The Lead by Example - This is the captain who just plays the game the right way. He goes out every night and brings it, and even if he isn't the most vocal guy, the team follows him. This is the kind of captain Richards is.
Now, many captains fall into more than one of these categories, but this is generally how it goes.
As I said, Richards has earned the C based on his play. At his best, Richards takes a role on the ice where he takes control of the game and makes things happen...or as I like to call it, plays 'FU Hockey'. A big hit, a big goal, a fight, or just a shift at full throttle are things Richards does that make his team rally around him...whether he is wearing the C or not. After all, the man has a Memorial Cup, a World Juniors Championship, a Calder Cup, an Olympic Gold Medal, and a Prince of Whales Trophy to his name...and all by the age of 25. The Stanley Cup is the next step for Richards...and his track record shows nothing that would leave us to doubt that happening.
So don't believe everything you hear, Richards is this teams leader, and regardless of how he communicates to the media, he will countinue to be. Guys like Pronger play crucial roles in the teams leadership as well, but that does not undermine Richards, it is good for a team to have multiple leaders.
I leave you with my favorite Mike Richards moment from last years playoffs...
Since then however, it seems anytime the Flyers go into a bit of a slump, #18 becomes the center of criticism...and the recent slump is no exception. When ever the Flyers play poorly, members of the media and Flyers fan base begin to question whether or not Richards is a capable captain...and in reality it's all a bunch of nonsense. The only thing the anti-richie movement has going for it is that the Flyers do have several capable captains on the team, such as Timonen, Briere, and of course Pronger...but other than that Richards has more than proven himself as a capable captain.
The biggest thing the media likes to nitpick about Richards is his attitude towards them. Yes, towards them, not his team or his play. Lets face it, Richards isn't the most outgoing person in the world...and does not always have the slick answers the media is looking for. After a tough loss, Richards can tend to come off as frustrated and kind of a jerk when asked certain questions...which the media gladly runs with and questions his captaincy. What they don't tell you however is that being able to smooth talk the media is not a necessary characteristic of a good captain in the NHL.
Generally, one of three kinds of players are chosen to wear the C for their team.
1.) The Superstar - This is where a player is hands down the best player on his team and the face of it, and there for gets the C by default...AKA Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
2.) The Grizzled Vet - This is where a teams captain is the guy thats been around for a while...and may not be the best player, or even one of the best, but has a proven track record and the respect of his teammates. This is a captain of the Jason Smith, Eric Desjardins category.
3.) The Lead by Example - This is the captain who just plays the game the right way. He goes out every night and brings it, and even if he isn't the most vocal guy, the team follows him. This is the kind of captain Richards is.
Now, many captains fall into more than one of these categories, but this is generally how it goes.
As I said, Richards has earned the C based on his play. At his best, Richards takes a role on the ice where he takes control of the game and makes things happen...or as I like to call it, plays 'FU Hockey'. A big hit, a big goal, a fight, or just a shift at full throttle are things Richards does that make his team rally around him...whether he is wearing the C or not. After all, the man has a Memorial Cup, a World Juniors Championship, a Calder Cup, an Olympic Gold Medal, and a Prince of Whales Trophy to his name...and all by the age of 25. The Stanley Cup is the next step for Richards...and his track record shows nothing that would leave us to doubt that happening.
So don't believe everything you hear, Richards is this teams leader, and regardless of how he communicates to the media, he will countinue to be. Guys like Pronger play crucial roles in the teams leadership as well, but that does not undermine Richards, it is good for a team to have multiple leaders.
I leave you with my favorite Mike Richards moment from last years playoffs...
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
MLB '11 Predictions
American League
East-Red Sox
Central-Twins
West-Rangers
WC-Yankees
National League
East-Phillies
Central-Brewers
West-Rockies
WC-Braves
World Series-Boston over Philadelphia
AL East
The red sox won 89 games last year with a team decimated by injuries sans carl crawford and adrian gonzalez. They have among the deepest lineups in baseball, one of its best rotations, and arguably its best bullpen. In papelbon, jenks, wheeler, and bard, they have four guys with closer stuff. With beckett and lackey looking to rebound after inury plagued down seasons, you have incredible depth behind breakout stars clay buchholz and john lester. buchholz's era last year was sub 2.40. I expect a sox team that is hungry after finishing third last year, that on paper is most well rounded club I've seen in years.
The Yankees remain stacked at all positions, and have the best offense in baseball. Arod, teixeira, and posada will all be healthier this year, and I expect derek jeter to hit higher than .270. Adding Russel Martin is huge, he seems healthy and poised return to form and removing posada from the catcher slot could add 200 at bats to his season. While the rotation is not elite, lets not forget what leading trio sabathia, burnett, and hughes are capable of, and with one of the best bullpens in baseball, they may not need excellent starting pitching.
The rays lost too many key players, the blue jays lost a few and won't get a repeat performance from Jose Bautista, this could even be the orioles year for third place. This division will be the classic two horse race between boston and new york.
AL Central
The minnesota twins still can play defense and small ball, but they have the deepest lineup they've fielded in years. Morneau staying healthy isn't something you can count on but they have plenty of power even without him. Minnesota's pitching is too shallow for them to be quite at the level of boston or new york, but they will serious contenders this year, as always.
Detroit also has a pretty deep lineup but has many problems with their pitching, I don't see enough depth from the other teams for them to be in contention.
AL West
This division may be the closest race. Losing Cliff Lee hurts texas, plus they caught lightning in a bottle with vlad guererro, and saw a career year from nelson cruz. You can't count on hamilton staying healthy and he likely won't hit .359 again. That said Lee did not pitch well in texas, and they have a very talented young pitching staff featuring lewis, wilson, and hunter. Their offense is on the level of new york and boston. If everything goes according to plan, this is the best team on paper.
The angels and a's should be in contention. The angels have solid pitching, with weaver and santana, get kendrys morales back, and are still getting production from abreu and hunter. The a's could quietly have the nastiest rotation in the american league, with gonzalez, cahill, anderson, and braden all putting up sub 3.50 eras last year. They also made some modest additions to their offense, such as hideki matsui, josh willingham, and david dejesus. And the mariners suck.
NL East
Frankly the NL is much shallower than the AL, and the phillies should roll the competition, even with some severe problems with their lineup. The injury to utley is huge, and many of the veteran players are coming to the end of their usefullness, but they have Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels.
Picking Atlanta is trendy right now but they aren't deep enough to be better than philadelphia. Their rotation is good, but severely outclassed by the four aces up north. Their offense is about equivalent, but only if everything goes wrong in philly. If utley can play a large portion of the season and the phillies get some production from question marks ibanez, rollins, and francisco, the braves will be playing for the wild card.
Marlins are ok, mets and nats should quit.
NL Central
The brewers have an american league caliber offense. Braun and fielder, but also a finally healthy weeks, and an underrated hart and mcghee. adding marcum and greinke to gallardo gives them a very deep rotation.
The reds had a lot of guys over perform last year and their pitching just isn't that deep. the cardinals are going to really miss adam wainwright, in my opinion the best young pitcher in baseball, and don't quite have enough offense outside of pujols/holliday to win the division. these two teams will make a run though
wanna hear a joke? the cubs, the astros, and the pirates!
NL West
This division especially will look like the little league world series. the padres should be back to scoring like 1 run per game after losing gonzo and now latos is on the dl, the dodgers can never get their shit together, the diamondbacks have zero pitching, the giants are a punchless bunch of lucky bastards... the rockies have been a solid team for a long time and i think this has to be their year. tulo and cargo and ubaldo!
East-Red Sox
Central-Twins
West-Rangers
WC-Yankees
National League
East-Phillies
Central-Brewers
West-Rockies
WC-Braves
World Series-Boston over Philadelphia
AL East
The red sox won 89 games last year with a team decimated by injuries sans carl crawford and adrian gonzalez. They have among the deepest lineups in baseball, one of its best rotations, and arguably its best bullpen. In papelbon, jenks, wheeler, and bard, they have four guys with closer stuff. With beckett and lackey looking to rebound after inury plagued down seasons, you have incredible depth behind breakout stars clay buchholz and john lester. buchholz's era last year was sub 2.40. I expect a sox team that is hungry after finishing third last year, that on paper is most well rounded club I've seen in years.
The Yankees remain stacked at all positions, and have the best offense in baseball. Arod, teixeira, and posada will all be healthier this year, and I expect derek jeter to hit higher than .270. Adding Russel Martin is huge, he seems healthy and poised return to form and removing posada from the catcher slot could add 200 at bats to his season. While the rotation is not elite, lets not forget what leading trio sabathia, burnett, and hughes are capable of, and with one of the best bullpens in baseball, they may not need excellent starting pitching.
The rays lost too many key players, the blue jays lost a few and won't get a repeat performance from Jose Bautista, this could even be the orioles year for third place. This division will be the classic two horse race between boston and new york.
AL Central
The minnesota twins still can play defense and small ball, but they have the deepest lineup they've fielded in years. Morneau staying healthy isn't something you can count on but they have plenty of power even without him. Minnesota's pitching is too shallow for them to be quite at the level of boston or new york, but they will serious contenders this year, as always.
Detroit also has a pretty deep lineup but has many problems with their pitching, I don't see enough depth from the other teams for them to be in contention.
AL West
This division may be the closest race. Losing Cliff Lee hurts texas, plus they caught lightning in a bottle with vlad guererro, and saw a career year from nelson cruz. You can't count on hamilton staying healthy and he likely won't hit .359 again. That said Lee did not pitch well in texas, and they have a very talented young pitching staff featuring lewis, wilson, and hunter. Their offense is on the level of new york and boston. If everything goes according to plan, this is the best team on paper.
The angels and a's should be in contention. The angels have solid pitching, with weaver and santana, get kendrys morales back, and are still getting production from abreu and hunter. The a's could quietly have the nastiest rotation in the american league, with gonzalez, cahill, anderson, and braden all putting up sub 3.50 eras last year. They also made some modest additions to their offense, such as hideki matsui, josh willingham, and david dejesus. And the mariners suck.
NL East
Frankly the NL is much shallower than the AL, and the phillies should roll the competition, even with some severe problems with their lineup. The injury to utley is huge, and many of the veteran players are coming to the end of their usefullness, but they have Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels.
Picking Atlanta is trendy right now but they aren't deep enough to be better than philadelphia. Their rotation is good, but severely outclassed by the four aces up north. Their offense is about equivalent, but only if everything goes wrong in philly. If utley can play a large portion of the season and the phillies get some production from question marks ibanez, rollins, and francisco, the braves will be playing for the wild card.
Marlins are ok, mets and nats should quit.
NL Central
The brewers have an american league caliber offense. Braun and fielder, but also a finally healthy weeks, and an underrated hart and mcghee. adding marcum and greinke to gallardo gives them a very deep rotation.
The reds had a lot of guys over perform last year and their pitching just isn't that deep. the cardinals are going to really miss adam wainwright, in my opinion the best young pitcher in baseball, and don't quite have enough offense outside of pujols/holliday to win the division. these two teams will make a run though
wanna hear a joke? the cubs, the astros, and the pirates!
NL West
This division especially will look like the little league world series. the padres should be back to scoring like 1 run per game after losing gonzo and now latos is on the dl, the dodgers can never get their shit together, the diamondbacks have zero pitching, the giants are a punchless bunch of lucky bastards... the rockies have been a solid team for a long time and i think this has to be their year. tulo and cargo and ubaldo!
Monday, April 4, 2011
The 'Z' Factor
After coming off one of the most exciting playoff runs in the team's history, Flyers fans were devastated to see long time fan-favorite Simon Gagne traded in the off season. For many, it sparked some animosity toward the organization because some, myself included, believed it to be trade of desperation because of a poorly managed salary cap situation. True fans can live with losing a fan favorite if it helps the team, but Gagne appeared to be the casualty of financial carelessness...but that is a whole other article...
With Gagne gone, the organization felt it needed a winger to replace Gagne's offensive production. They found that winger over in Russia, where they signed former NHLer Nikolai Zherdev to a 1 year, 2 million dollar deal. Zherdev, 25, was in no way Gagne, but he did peak some interest of fans because of his impressive offensive skill. If only I could leave it at that.
There is a reason at only 25 Zherdev was a 'former' NHL player. If you ask any hockey expert to describe the Ukrainian winger in one word, most will say 'enigma'.
Zherdev, or Z as he is sometimes called, was drafted 4th overall in the 2003 entry draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Just to give you an idea of how high the expectations were for Z, here are some of the guys he was drafted above that year...
5th - Thomas Vanek - BUF
8th - Braydon Coburn - ATL
11th - Jeff Carter - PHI
17th - Zach Parise - NJD
19th - Ryan Getzlaf - ANA
24th - Mike Richards - PHI
28th - Corey Perry - ANA
47th - Matt Carle - SJS
You get the idea...
Simply put, when it comes to offense, Zherdev brings plenty of it, which is why he was drafted so high. The problem with him however, is every other aspect of his game. Despite registering 61 points in his fourth season in Columbus, Zherdev's hot-dogish, lazy, and defensive liable play put him in coach Ken Hitchcock's dog house. The following season he was traded to the Rangers, where once again he produced offensively, but his attitude left him without a team the following season. Z spent the 09/10 season in Russia.
Zherdev had a nice training camp with the Flyers, but his one dimensional game has left him on Peter Laviolette's bad side, costing him playing time and making him a healthy scratch for close to 30 games this season. Zherdev seemed to be on his way out of Philadelphia...he was waived in February and was told by the Flyers they will not be offering him a contract next season. However, recent injuries have allowed Z to find his way back into the Flyers line-up...the question now is, will he stay there?
In the two games over the weekend, Zherdev played pretty well. His killer offensive instincts created several chances allowing him to register a goal against the Rangers and an assist against the Devils. While the rest of his play was nothing to brag about, it had improved.
I would like to see Zherdev remain in the Flyers line-up going into the playoffs. I know about his short-comings, but the bottom line is, the guy produces. He is arguably one of the most skilled forwards on the team, and gives the Flyers an extra threat that could potentially put them over the edge. He has 16 goals on the year, which is impressive since he has been scratched so often and has not seem much ice time in most of the games he has been dressed for.
Zherdev is the kind of player that can score a goal out of know where and can prove to be a big game changer. While other teams are focusing on Carter, Briere, Giroux, Richards, etc...you have a guy in Zherdev who could pose that extra threat that could come through big in close games. When Z has the puck on his stick and net to shoot at, he doesn't miss...which is comforting after watching Jeff Carter lack of clutchness over the past couple of years.
If Z can just keep up the play and learn to feed off the chances guys like Giroux, Richards, JVR, etc create, he could be that sure fire finisher the Flyers have been missing in the past. Will he have the fire to stay in the line-up? I'd like to think a chance to win a cup will keep him motivated, but hey if that's not enough, he's also playing for a contract next year...
With Gagne gone, the organization felt it needed a winger to replace Gagne's offensive production. They found that winger over in Russia, where they signed former NHLer Nikolai Zherdev to a 1 year, 2 million dollar deal. Zherdev, 25, was in no way Gagne, but he did peak some interest of fans because of his impressive offensive skill. If only I could leave it at that.
There is a reason at only 25 Zherdev was a 'former' NHL player. If you ask any hockey expert to describe the Ukrainian winger in one word, most will say 'enigma'.
Zherdev, or Z as he is sometimes called, was drafted 4th overall in the 2003 entry draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Just to give you an idea of how high the expectations were for Z, here are some of the guys he was drafted above that year...
5th - Thomas Vanek - BUF
8th - Braydon Coburn - ATL
11th - Jeff Carter - PHI
17th - Zach Parise - NJD
19th - Ryan Getzlaf - ANA
24th - Mike Richards - PHI
28th - Corey Perry - ANA
47th - Matt Carle - SJS
You get the idea...
Simply put, when it comes to offense, Zherdev brings plenty of it, which is why he was drafted so high. The problem with him however, is every other aspect of his game. Despite registering 61 points in his fourth season in Columbus, Zherdev's hot-dogish, lazy, and defensive liable play put him in coach Ken Hitchcock's dog house. The following season he was traded to the Rangers, where once again he produced offensively, but his attitude left him without a team the following season. Z spent the 09/10 season in Russia.
Zherdev had a nice training camp with the Flyers, but his one dimensional game has left him on Peter Laviolette's bad side, costing him playing time and making him a healthy scratch for close to 30 games this season. Zherdev seemed to be on his way out of Philadelphia...he was waived in February and was told by the Flyers they will not be offering him a contract next season. However, recent injuries have allowed Z to find his way back into the Flyers line-up...the question now is, will he stay there?
In the two games over the weekend, Zherdev played pretty well. His killer offensive instincts created several chances allowing him to register a goal against the Rangers and an assist against the Devils. While the rest of his play was nothing to brag about, it had improved.
I would like to see Zherdev remain in the Flyers line-up going into the playoffs. I know about his short-comings, but the bottom line is, the guy produces. He is arguably one of the most skilled forwards on the team, and gives the Flyers an extra threat that could potentially put them over the edge. He has 16 goals on the year, which is impressive since he has been scratched so often and has not seem much ice time in most of the games he has been dressed for.
Zherdev is the kind of player that can score a goal out of know where and can prove to be a big game changer. While other teams are focusing on Carter, Briere, Giroux, Richards, etc...you have a guy in Zherdev who could pose that extra threat that could come through big in close games. When Z has the puck on his stick and net to shoot at, he doesn't miss...which is comforting after watching Jeff Carter lack of clutchness over the past couple of years.
If Z can just keep up the play and learn to feed off the chances guys like Giroux, Richards, JVR, etc create, he could be that sure fire finisher the Flyers have been missing in the past. Will he have the fire to stay in the line-up? I'd like to think a chance to win a cup will keep him motivated, but hey if that's not enough, he's also playing for a contract next year...
Weekend in Review
The Phillies managed to complete their season opening series with a sweep over the Houston Astros this past weekend. Much has been made over the Phillies pitching staff and also their offense. The starting pitching certainly came as advertised with 2 wins and 23 strikeouts in the series. They also only allowed 1 walk between them in the three games that they started.
Much was said about the Phillies offense (or debated lack there of) over the course of the off-season. With loss of Jayson Werth and the injury to Chase Utley, many fans and "experts" were doubting the team's offensive capabilities. Most of the way through the first game, the critics seemed to be correct, with the Phils putting up only 1 run through the first 8 frames. Much to the pleasure of the crowd however, the offense exploded, putting up 4 runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the game.
The late inning heroics in the season opener seemed to open the floodgates for the Phils' offense allowing them to score 16 runs in the next two games. Even more pleasing was the contribution by nearly every player in the lineup. Most notably was the play of Ryan Howard, who, besides collecting a plethora of hits, contributed the team's first home run of the 2011 season.
The key for the team is to going to be getting consistent production out of Raul Ibanez, Ben Francisco, and Wilson Valdez. Francisco needs to replace the production of Jayson Werth and Valdez needs to keep the ship afloat until the return of Chase Utley. Ibanez also needs to attempt to repeat his 2009 production. I foresee both a comeback season out of Ibanez, finally being healthy and also a breakout year for Francisco, who has 25 home run capability. Valdez also seems able to contribute enough in place of Utley not to hurt the team.
So far the offense and pitching are clicking in fine unison, but the real question is...will it continue?
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