Lightning 4, Devils 1

All-around bad. This is a team the Devils can't figure out. And that's not good news, because guess what, they were just in seventh place (now 6th) and could easily fall back there again and play the #2 team in the East, which would be.....the New Jersey Devils. Other teams around that area are Montreal (beatable) and Carolina (yikes). So the Devils need to figure out these teams that are hanging around the seed that they would face in the playoffs. But for sure, this is the team you don't want to see. They figured everything out. They scored four straight goals and played pretty solid defense. Their team has won 12 of 15. They have great skaters and great shooters. I've said all of this before. The Devils can't figure them out. They have played amazingly well as of late, but the Lightning are the kryptonite right now. Not that the Devils won't be able to figure them out, but time is running out and they should start doing it soon.

Mavericks 106, 76ers 89

What do you get when you have a high-scoring offense and a defense that shuts teams down? What do you get when you have the best record in the NBA, an unheard of 42-9?? I don't know the answers to these questions.

The Mavs own the best record on the road, and it helps to play teams like Philadelphia without Iverson, because how could they win? Sure, the Mavericks were up by so many points that they didn't care and they let the 76ers come back and think there was maybe a chance, but they ended up winning by almost 20. It's a typical story. They get such a huge lead, they get sick of it. They know they will win, so they slack off for a while. Not a great statement, not something to be proud of, but what can you do? If it doesn't even matter, then what's the point? True, it's not a great sign, but there you have it. And better to afford it now then when it counts.

Check the halftime score. 63-39. I mean, there it is. Do whatever the heck you want in the second half. Crap around. Play some horse. Play lackadaisical defense if you want. They did. And they paid the price in a rally from the 76ers. But it amounted to nothing.

Nowitzki had his day (24 points, 11 boards, 7 assists) and Howard did his usual thing (15 and 5). Devean George also got 15, and Jason Terry had 11 assists to go with his 16 points. For the Sixers, it was Igoudala with 21 points and 9 boards. 3-pointers was another key as the Mavs hit 7 of 15 and the Sixers took 10 and made a measly one! Hard to consider knowing that Kyle Korver is out there, but that's what happened.

Asomugha given offer to play in Pro Bowl, still can't go

Weird story.

The deal here is that Rashean Mathis of the Jaguars got injured and couldn't play. So Asomugha got a last-minute call from the Pro Bowl honchos telling him to get on the next flight out of wherever he was. Problem was, the next flight out would get him to Honolulu AFTER the game was scheduled to be over. Whoops. Oh well. He'll be there someday, unless last year was an aberration. Which it might have been.

Martin Brodeur shuts it down

Great post by Tom Lycan right.......................here.

Mavericks 95, Rockets 74

On a night where he was the high scorer in the game, Josh Howard also found out that he was going to the All-Star game. And rightly so.

What can you say about the Mavs that hasn't been said? I've said it all already. The Rockets were the better team in the first quarter. They scored 24 points. Seeing how incredibly low their final score was, we can deduct that they scored 50 points the rest of the game. Considering the Mavs have scored 40+ points in a quarter three times , that's pretty poor. The Mavericks didn't need a lot of anything really, but they still won by 20 points. Howard was the man, and fitting as he is going to the Big Dance with his teammate Nowitzki. The defense was dang good. Case in point = Tracy McGrady. 14 points in the first quarter. Ended up with 20 points, so he got 6 the rest of the game, a microcosm of the Rockets struggles as a whole. I dig it.

This team cannot lose. I hope they don't. I mean, they will. I just think they deserve the NBA Title. I don't want it handed to them, but the Colts were the best team in the NFL according to me, and they won it. It made sense. The Mavericks not only have the best record but are the best team in the NBA. It makes sense for them to win the whole thing. I just hope they can pull through.

Raiders hire Tom Rathman

He is the new Running Backs Coach. He was previously with the Detroit Lions and 49ers under the same title. Lots o' changes going on, this one seems like all the rest. Fine right now. But we'll see the final product when we see it. When I look at the sidelines of all the Raiders games, I won't recognize anyone. Except Rob Ryan. That's it. Shucks.

Folks, remember something. Don't get caught up in the hype. By no means bog yourselves down in pessimism, but let's be real. Just because Darren Perry comes from the Steelers and because they have great pass defense doesn't mean ours will stay elite. Just because Tom Cable is a thousand pounds thick and has coached some great offensive linemen doesn't mean our line will be great. Just because Tom Rathman coached the Niners when they were running the ball like crazy and coached Kevin Jones at Detroit and Jones rushed for a ton of yards doesn't mean our running game will all of a sudden be incredible. Just because Greg Knapp is the new OC doesn't mean our offense will emulate the Atlanta Falcons. Let's keep some perspective here. Hard not to be a little optimistic, though.

Mock Draft

Yahoo! Sports' John Murphy cracks open the case yet again, coming to the same conclusion as he did before, that the Raiders take JaMarcus Russell, QB from LSU:

His ability to keep his eyes focused downfield, plus his rifle arm and eye-opening size, would make him a perfect fit for a Raiders team that lacked firepower and punch in its offense this past season.

Okay. Make it so.

Devils 2, Islanders 0

Did not have the proper time to do "the shuffle" tonight, if you know what I mean. I don't. But it means period-by-period breakdown.

I was around for the first period, in which the Devils squandered all four of their power plays. It was not for lack of effort, that's for sure. It's just weird to me. The first period was heavily in the Devils favor, that's clear. 15 shots to 3. 3 weak shots. 15 pretty decent shots, but not enough to do anything meaningful. Still, I felt pretty good as I left my room to go listen to the "Food Dude" who came to speak on campus about........food. And how to eat right. He made me some ginger and honey and lime drink. It was nasty but good. Cleared me up. Anyway.

What it took was Pando scoring a shorthanded goal to show how bad the Devils have been on the power play. But seriously, they can't be that bad. They are 12th in the league. Hard to believe, right??? It sure was for me. But that was no doubt due to earlier in the year, as well as the hot middle when they didn't miss a power play. Nowadays -- not so much. Shorthanded, not much better, but better. Even strength? They are KILLING.

And who can complain about anything for too long until you realize that the goaltender of the New Jersey Devils is the (im)mortal MARTIN BRODEUR who is clearly the best goalie in the league at this point in time. He struggles, they all do. But his struggles are hardly ever mental. And hardly ever physical either, he just has his down days. Don't get me wrong, I call for Clemmensen sometimes just to rest the beast, but John F says if he doesn't want the rest, don't hand the man a rest. And he dominates. He shuts people down. He gets in your head by doing nothing. And he is a genuinely good man. What an athlete to cheer for. Makes the cheering worthwhile.

So, Islanders. Eat it. Eat it again and again and again. There's nothing you can do about it. The Devils are the best. Better than the Sabres? Only when Ryan Miller cries. Better than the top teams in the West? That's a tough bet. Maybe not. Probably not. But I'm riding high on them right now, flaws and all. This is a great team.

Arroyo receives contract extension

Arroyo and Reds agree to $25 million, 2-year extension through 2010

You do what you gotta do. In two days, the Reds have taken care of their top two pitchers for a long time. Sounds good to me. Who knows if they will be as productive as last year, and the odds are not good, particularly with Arroyo. But if you're going to turn this team into a pitching and defense powerhouse, you have to lock up the good pitching that you do have. Well done. We could always add some more pitchers, preferably not older-aged injury-riddled relief pitchers, but maybe some of the more regular type. The article contained an interesting fact,

[Arroyo] and Harang, who won 16 games and pitched 234 1-3 innings, became the first pair in Reds history to each pitch at least 200 innings and have at least 184 strikeouts.

That's a pretty cool stat right there, maybe something along those lines in 2007? You never know.

Mavericks 113, Grizzlies 97

I mean, what else? The Mavericks beat the Grizzlies no matter what else is going on. It's even good enough to bet on the Mavs vs. the Grizzlies when Dirk cuts his hair. And as you can clearly see, that's what he did. I always get nervous when he cuts his hair because his game suffers and the team starts to lose. Maybe that was the old Mavs. Because his game didn't suffer at all, getting 38 points and 10 rebounds. He didn't suffer Samson disease this time. And the Mavericks rolled again, thanks to the rest of the key players. Sure, they blew some huge leads, but they were in it to win it and they knew it. They just knew it. It's so good, it's boring. 40 FREAKIN WINS ALREADY??? 40-9. Look at that record. It's so dang good.

The USC-Oakland pipeline continues

Mark Jackson joins Raider staff

I have no clue what this move means. I just find it hard to believe the incredible AMOUNT of hires that are going on. I mean, I knew a lot of coaches left and a lot of positions are available to be filled, but does it seem to anyone else that the Oakland Raiders are completely different? So many changes at various levels of staff and administration. Makes me feel weird about the whole thing, like I'm cheering for a different team than the Oakland Raiders. Like maybe the University of Southern Cal. Who knows, maybe I'm weird.

Devils 3, Rangers 2 (Shootout)

Goals:
First Period: Paul Martin, Devils (Gomez, Elias)
Karel Rachunek, Rangers (PPG) (Nylander, Avery)
Second Period: Zach Parise, Devils (Langenbrunner, Oduya)
Third Period: Jaromir Jagr, Rangers (unassisted)

Shots on Goal: 30-21 Rangers

Penalties: Devils - 14 minutes, Rangers - 8 minutes

Well, the Devils did it. Granted, they gave a point to the Rangers. The Devils seem to go into overtime against divisional foes all the time. But they won. !! They won a SHOOTOUT!! And why? Because Brodeur was the man, that's why. That's all it took. 3 tries, 3 stops. And the Devils win again. I've been saying this a lot, but the Devils escaped with 2 points yet again. I'll take it. They are clearly one of the best teams in the league and doing it in old-school fashion. Well done, Devils. You didn't deserve it, but maybe you did. Exciting stuff.


--FIRST PERIOD--

Was having major technical difficulties, but I did sort of figure out a couple of things. One is that when Paul Martin scores, I always wonder what it must have looked like. The other is that you don't let the other team score right after you score. But it happened. It was actually a pretty even period it seemed to me. Gionta got screwed with a 4-minute call on a high stick, and it turned into a big deal as the Rangers got a power play goal off of it, even though they were down a man at almost the same time. The shots on goal were pretty even until the Rangers had a little flurry late. Jagr wasn't supposed to play tonight, so that's an unpleasant surprise. And the Rangers just got Sean Avery which is supposed to mean something to me because he's physical. I don't care. The Rangers are always physical. A.K.A. dirty scoundrels. Nothing has changed for me. A tie game is what I was expecting, but not at 1-1. At least the offense has picked things up. Let's hope the defense can do the same. And how about that faceoff thing I keep whining about? The Devils killed in the first, winning 17 of 25. Nice.

--SECOND PERIOD--

Okay, explain something to me please. I mean, you can't. But you're going to try it anyway. The Devils were NOT the best team in this period. In fact, they weren't even the second-best team. The Rangers played this period by themselves practically. And yet, at the end of the period, when the horn sounded, everyone turned to the scoreboard and saw that the Devils had the lead. They all shook their heads and went about their business. But to me, I had to question it. The shots on goal are nowhere near close. The Rangers have a decent amount, maybe a little low. The Devils have 12. They have split it nicely, 6 a period. If not for lack of shots, they haven't had lack of opportunities, scoring twice thus far. A little more offense would be nice, that much is for certain. But it's working just fine. They let Marty do the dirty work, they take unnecessary penalties, and then they seize a great opportunity and turn it into a goal. I can live with this. It hurts my heart and raises my blood pressure, but if they're winning, what's the point? I can live with it. It might not make sense, but it's happening. Must be those dang faceoff victories.

--THIRD PERIOD--

What's up with the penalties? The Devils are usually pretty disciplined. Either they are lacking that tonight, or the refs are out to get them. Either way, it's annoying, though they are playing the penalty kill pretty dang well. Better than their power plays, that's for sure. I don't like Jaromir Jagr, and he scored. So that was upsetting to me. At least he cut his hair a long time ago. That was ugly. Ah frack. It's just coming to the point where, when the Devils go on the power play, I sigh. I'm like, "Oh, daaaaaaaaang." Because they just can't do it. Throw the dang monkey off the back man. Score a freakin' goal or something like that. It's not like they're not working, it just doesn't pay off. I think it's worth complaining. Where are the shots on goal? Like I said, the quality is good, but still, hard to beat taking a lot of shots. That's how they've beaten Lundqvist in the past, but sometimes you just can't get it going. The Devils receive at least a point. Here's to overtime -- let's hope it ends there.

Tom Cable joins Raider staff

Mr. Cable is the new offensive line coach. And he looks the part. Maybe he can get some talent out of Paul "McNasty" McQuistan just because they both are ugly, large fellas. This is the guy Kiffin wanted, and again, I don't see anything wrong with it. I have a quiet confidence about things right now, though my pessimism is still pretty high. I just think these hires have great potential, or at least good potential. Rock on, Raider Nation.

Harang signs 4-year, $36.5 million deal

Good. GOOD. This is what the man deserves and it's finally settled. Locked him up for a while, and they better, as Krivsky believes in turning this team from an offensive juggernaut (which they weren't last year) into a pitching/defensive club. We'll see how that goes, but I like having Harang back. Don't expect him to put up the same type of numbers, but he very well could. He's certainly our best guy, and a truly underrated talent.

Raiders hire Darren Perry

Former Pittsburgh Steelers DB coach to join Oakland

Can't hurt. Seems like a solid guy. I am pretty much in favor of all the hirings and firings that have been going on, seems like a good track we are on right now.

Gordo's back

Eddie Guardado signs minor-league deal with Reds

Not big news, this was pretty expected. But it's good to have him back. Hopefully he will recover quickly and be a force for us.

Mavericks 94, Timberwolves 93

Tonight the Mavs hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves. Usually a good game. Decent. I left to go work out late tonight and the Mavs were up 71-55 and I felt pretty dang good about the game. I come back and the score reads as it is listed above. I said to myself, "What happened, Tim Mo? What the dang heck happened around here?" I was led to believe that it was the Mavs' atrocious amount of 3-pointers shot and made (1 out of 11) versus the Wolves' 3 for 4. That certainly wasn't the only stat, but it was the one that jumped out at me.

When have we seen Dirk Nowitzki put the Mavs up by 4 by shooting two free throws and then the other team makes a meaningless 3-pointer at the end of the game? When have we seen that before? ........ Could it have been, hmm, let's see THE VERY LAST GAME?????? Yes, it was. And the point difference was one point for either team. Very odd scenario indeed. The Mavs had the game in check, didn't play extremely well, but were able to sustain a late surge by the Wolves. How many times can the Mavs afford to do that?

They held Garnett in check for almost the entire game, but he managed to get 19 in the second half to lead all scorers with 25 for the game. He also pulled down 12 rebounds. Now, Kevin Garnett is cool with me. But he puts up the emptiest states in the entire league. There's no question. You expect a double-double from him, he is a great player, but it never means anything. There's no point. Ricky Davis was hot early for the Wolves, but that was it pretty much. On the other side of the ball, the Mavericks were led in scoring with 22 points, from both Josh Howard and Jason Terry. Nowitzki had an awful shooting night but was able to get to the line and ended up with 18 points. Diop played a strong defensive game, as well as contributing 12 rebounds, helping the Mavs maintain that crucial edge on the glass 46-39. They shot way too many 3's and missed almost all of them, so that needs to change. Another winner, though. Can't complain as I've had a great sports night overall.

Devils 3, Sabres 2

Goals:
First Period: Chris Drury, Sabres (Kotalik)
Second Period:
Third Period: John Madden, Devils (White, Brylin)
Jamie Langenbrunner, Devils (Parise)
Zach Parise, Devils (Langenbrunner, Zajac)
Teppo Numminen, Sabres (Hecht, Pominville)

Shots on Goal: 37-17 Devils

Penalties: Devils - 6 minutes, Sabres - 14 minutes


--FIRST PERIOD--

Not sure what else you could ask for, really. The Devils played a great period, and get the reward of being down a goal. What a joke. Brodeur's save percentage has been going way, way down. But it's not all his fault. He played Drury pretty well, except maybe a little too loosely. But seriously, the Devils were throwing pucks all over Ryan Miller as the two best goalies in the NHL (at least the East) go head-to-head. Elias got flat-out ROBBED. But he's got to be aware and aim that puck somewhere else, although it's hard to blame him. The Devils yet again are struggling on the Power Play, which has been their Achilles' heel almost all year long. They did get a 5-on-3 goal last game, but they had two solid chances so far and didn't seem very interested in trying to score a goal about it. All the talk was about how the Sabres were clearly the dominant offensive team as far as even strength goes. Not the case so far. It's frustrating when you're clearly the better team and are losing. Still a lot of time, though.

--SECOND PERIOD--

Started as we began with no goals scored. Buffalo kept their shots on pace and the Devils slowed down considerably, meaning that the Devils still hold a huge edge in shots on goal. They just won't go through, though there was some controversy on Elias' non-goal from the first period, as Miller may have made the save past the goal line. Too late now. Anyway, do faceoffs matter? I know they must, but you would think the Devils would work on them if it really mattered. Because almost every single game (and maybe every game) the other team has more faceoff wins. I know that allows them to set up their offense, which is a bonus. But is it really that important? I hope not, because the Devils lose more than they win. The Devils got themselves in the penalty box a couple of times but thankfully, they didn't allow any goals because of it. Hopefully that will allow them to build some confidence. They are playing pretty dang well out there, time of possession is slightly in their favor. Let's see what they've got up their sleeve.

--THIRD PERIOD--

An early flurry was just what the doctor ordered. The Devils came out firing on all cylinders (or at least the ones that mattered) and scored three goals in under three minutes. That definitely put the Sabres back on their heels. The Devils were given more power play opportunities and still could not find the net. They were 0-7 which is a pretty average stat for them. Maybe skewed a little negatively, but they draw penalties very well. They just do nothing with them when they get them. The Devils pretty much had the first two periods in their favor to no avail. But instead of sulking and whining, they kept pressing and got the lead. The Sabres did come back and score a cheap goal when nobody was looking, though. Annoying. You can clearly see the edge in shots on goal was huge tonight, as the Devils suffocated a great offense. Even though only 17 shots got through to Marty, he only saved 15 of them. Not great, but it was good enough. The penalties were also heavily in favor of the Devils, and even though they did nothing whatsoever with it, it kept the Sabres off balance on their own offensive sets. Well played.

Ray Guy denied HOF entrance

Sad.

Ray Guy HOF Watch

His time has come