NBA and NHL Cheers, Grumblings and Notes
The NBA and NHL post-season tournaments are on the horizon. Of course, that got me thinking about each sport’s regular season and the upcoming playoffs.
NBA Playoff Puzzle
This is not your typical who will play who NBA playoff puzzle. No, this is more of a conundrum. The question around this particular problem is, “Can the NBA put together a post-season where all teams involved are at least at .500?” Once again, professional basketball looks to have two clubs (at least) in the post-season with losing records.
The way it appears now these teams with losing records have a shot at the playoffs—Detroit (36-39), Chicago (36-40), Charlotte (34-42), Indiana (32-44), Milwaukee (32-45) and New Jersey (31-44).
Isn’t that sad? Especially because in the West either Golden State or Dallas will miss the post-season with a winning mark set around .595. It’s true that Detroit and Chicago could both end the season on the plus side. But in order to do that they’ll have to just about run the table.
Funny, but everyone used to make fun of the NHL, saying “all the teams make the playoffs.” Look at the NHL standings. They play 82 games just like the NBA and allow 16 teams into the post-season just like the NBA. The club with the weakest record going into the second-season is the St. Louis Blues with a mark of 38-31-9. True—they have nine OT loses. But that simply means they were tied at the end of regulation and were rewarded with a point at the end of regulation. Anyway, I’ll give you 20 to one odds that the Blues will finish at least even in wins versus combined regulation and overtime loses.
The NBA needs to do something to remedy this playoff situation. The first round is often simply embarrassing. Since they expanded to 32 teams, it seems to happen every year where teams with losing records appear in the playoffs. Maybe fewer teams should be allowed in the post-season? No, that would never happen. That means you’d be setting a higher standard. Who does that anymore?
Tim Thomas
Man do I like late bloomers. (I think because it gives me hope.) Boston Bruins’ goalie Tim Thomas has played in a total of five NHL seasons. The 34-year old Flint, Michigan native participated in his first full NHL season in 2006 when he was 32. He had played in 38 games for the Bruins the year before and four contests in 2002-2003. He signed with the Bruins back in 2001 as a free agent.
Thomas had kicked around the lower leagues and seemed destine to be playing in Europe or the minors for the rest of his career. And then in the 2005-2006 season, due to injuries on the Bruins, he got a chance to appear in a bunch of games.
In that season, the guy put up good numbers—2.77 GAA and .917 SV%. The next season his stats weren’t quite as good but in 2007- 2008 he went 28-19-6 with a 2.44 GAA and .921 SV%. This season he has been phenomenal with a mark of 33-11-7, 2.11 GAA and .932 SV%. He leads the league in GAA and SV%.
The good news for Thomas is that he’s got a new deal with the Bruins– $20 million over four years. That’s a great story! Oh, yeah, in case you missed it, the Bruins lead the Eastern Conference with 110 points. (Another major turnaround, like the Pats, red Sox and Celtics, for a Boston franchise.)
NBA Notes
The Celtics are starting to win again but you’ve got to wonder if this is finally the year that the LeBron James-led Cavaliers finally win the Larry Brown Trophy. The Heat are back in the post-season. Dwayne Wade needs to be the go-to guy for Miami, who are 4-6 in their last 10, to have a chance. I think Miami is out in round one if they draw the Magic, which at this point looks to be the case. If the Celtics aren’t healthy by the post-season, they’ll have a tough time getting past round two. The Western Conference overall is superior, making so many of those series tough to call. The Lakers are the overall favorite, but they will have to battle every inch of the way. Even in round one where they will face either Dallas or Phoenix.
NHL Notes
The Chicago Blackhawks are back in the post-season after a seven-year hiatus. I like that big tme! The NHL playoffs look to have two teams that have scored fewer goals than their opponents. That honor goes to the Eastern Conference New York Rangers (201 GF, 212 GA) and Western Conference St. Louis Blues (220 GF, 226 GA). There are still enough games left for both teams to right that stat. If Brodeur can get his act together the Devils will go deep. If not, and he continues to struggle, then forget it. Detroit looks to win the goal-scoring race in the NHL. But can they get past teams with better goaltending? The answer is “yes” if Ty Conklin, who has had a strong year, is on his game and starts. The answer is “no” if Chris Osgood, who has been inconsistent, is in the crease.
Stay tuned for two of the longest but at times most exciting second-seasons in sports.
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Tags: NBA Playoffs, NHL playoffs, Tim Thomas
