Sixers Acquire Andrew Bynum

Since Allen Iverson's departure in 2006, the Sixers have been searching for that super star.  For years the Sixers have been desperately lacking that go to guy who can be depended on when the game is on the line.

Finally, it seems that the Sixers have their long awaited super star in center Adrew Bynum.
In a 4 team blockbuster deal centered on the movement of Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Sixers came away with the second best big man in the game in Andrew Bynum.  Here is a complete breakdown of the 4 team mega deal.

Lakers Get: Dwight Howard from Magic, Chris Duhon from Magic, Earl Clark from Magic

Nuggets Get: Andre Iguodala from Sixers

Sixers Get: Andrew Bynum from Lakers, Jason Richardson from Magic

Magic Get: Arron Afflalo from Nuggets, Al Harrington from Denver, Nik Vucevic from Sixers, 1st round pick Maurice Harkless from Sixers, Nuggets 2014 1st round draft pick, Sixers 2015 1st round draft pick, Lakers 2017 1st round draft pick

The deal seems rather complicated, but it's pretty simple when its broken all down.  The Sixers definitely gave up a lot in Andre Igudoala, Nik Vucevic, Mo Harkless, and a 1st round draft pick, but they added a 24 year old dominant center to the team who will hopefully be a force in the paint for the Sixers for years to come.  Bynum is entering into the final year of his contract and I feel like the Sixers will definitely look to sign him to a long term deal.

So what does Bynum bring to the Sixers?  First off he brings size.  Bynum is 7 foot, 285 pounds and an absolute force in the middle.  He is also ferocious on the boards as he averaged 11.8 boards per game last year.  Bynum also has a nice close to mid range jumper that helped him average 18.7 points per game last year for the Lakers.

While Bynum is arguably the second best big man in the game behind Dwight Howard, he does have issues off the court.  Bynum is at times immature, but I think he will be fine under the leadership of Doug Collins.

Overall this deal is huge for the Sixers.  The Sixers were lucky to get out of the first round last year, and the addition of Bynum now makes them a legitimate force in the East behind the Bulls, Heat, and Celtics.  Will they win a championship any time soon? Probably not, but they at least have a star to build their team around, and a blueprint for the future.    

Eagles Preseason Game 1 Preview

Finally, the season is almost here.  In just about a month, the Eagles will be back and looking to right the ship after a disappointing 2011 season.  Heading into Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, there are many things to keep an eye out for.  Here are some of the main story lines and things to watch out for.

Michael Vick
I’m more interested to see how Vick assumes his role as leader of this team than I am in his actual performance.  It seems like this year Vick has really stepped into the role as the outright leader of this football team.  While I’m certainly interested to see how Vick bounces back after a mediocre 2011, I really want to see how he rallies the troops and gets this offense to respond in pressure situations.

Middle Of Defense
The Eagles spent a lot of effort both in the draft and free agency to improve the middle of their defense.  On Thursday night, keep an eye out for newcomers Fletcher Cox and Demeco Ryans, two new additions that are sure to improve this defense.  The Eagles traded up in the draft to select Cox who is a very powerful defensive lineman.  They also traded for Demeco Ryans who is an All-Pro middle linebacker.

Desean Jackson
Desean signed a big deal during the off season so I will be watching to see how he performs now that he is all locked up and set financially.  Desean really has no excuses now.  The spotlight will be on him to as he attempts to prove that he is an elite wide receiver.

Juan Castillo
Castillo has been given a second chance after a sub par 2011 season as Eagles defensive coordinator.  I will be watching to see how Castillo adjusts during the course of the game.
   
Andy Reid
It is likely that Andy Reid will be back for Thursday’s game against the Steelers.  After the passing of his son Garret Reid, my prayers are with Andy and his family during this extremely difficult time.  Tuesday was Garret's funeral and there was a quite a big turnout as many came to pay their respects.  So far it seems that there has been a lot of support from the Eagles and beyond as the Reids struggle through this extremely difficult time.

Overall there are a ton of things to watch for in Thursday night’s game against the Steelers.  The Eagles have added a lot of key pieces and hopefully it will all come together against the Steelers.

What To Expect From Phillies

For the first time in six years, during the final two months of the season, the Phillies will not be fighting for a playoff spot.  Although the Phils are coming off back to back series victories, they are simply too far back in both the wild card and division standings to make a move at the end of the year.

So while the Phillies may not be contending for the post season, there are still a lot of things and players to watch for that could affect the Phils next year.  Here are a few of them.

Dom Brown
Domonic Brown has looked pretty solid so far.  He is hitting .278, and defensively he looks strong.  I think that these last two months are basically an audition for Brown.  He has to show that he has the talent to be an everyday outfielder for this team.  If he doesn’t live up to expectations, the Phils may have to look to sign a veteran outfielder during the offseason.

John Mayberry
Although Mayberry has seen significant playing time this year, the final two months are going to be important for him as well.  Mayberry has picked it up offensively in the past month, but he has been inconsistent defensively.  If Mayberry proves that he can pick it up the remainder of the way, I think the Phillies would be content going into next year with Mayberry, Brown, Schierholtz, and Pierre as their outfield.  It’s a cheap, young outfield with a lot of potential.

Lee, Halladay, Hamels
By signing Cole Hamels to a 6 year extension, the Phillies have shown that they are still committed to pitching.  In the remainder of the year look for Hamels, Lee, and Halladay to hopefully return to their dominant selves.

Third Base
The Phillies need to figure out what they are going to do about the third base position for next year.  Placido Polanco’s contract is up after this year and the Phillies will most likely not pick up his option.  In my opinion, the Phillies should try out Freddy Galvis at third.  While Galvis may not be a huge threat offensively, he was great defensively at second base.  If Galvis can make the transition to third, the Phillies infield will be set for next year.

Overall there are a lot of things to watch in these final two months.  And while the Phillies may be pretty far back in the standings, if they keep winning series, they could put themselves in position for a wild card spot.

Quiet Off Season For Flyers

So far, this off season has been extremely disappointing for the Philadelphia Flyers.  They lost out on Ryan Suter, Zach Parise, and Shea Webber.  They also traded away backup goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and forward JVR.

It seems like Paul Holmgren and the Flyers front office are simply content with this young nucleus. Heading into next season, the Flyers will be relying on young guys like Sean Couterier, Brayden Schenn, and Matt Read to have strong sophomore campaigns.

I really like the young core of players that the Flyers have, but the Flyers didn't win the Stanley Cup last year, and it just seems like they haven't taken the necessary steps to get better.  I realize that they have definitely tried.  The offer sheet they put together for Shea Weber was impressive, and I thought it was a done deal.  But still I think the Flyers are lacking in the defensive department and they have a lot of work to do between now and the start of the season.

All though I'm overall not too happy with the Flyers off season, I am happy with some of the moves they made.

First off, signing Jake Voracek to a new contract was a great move.  Voracek is a great young player with a ton of speed and is a big part of the future of this team.  The Flyers agreed upon a 4 year 17 million dollar contract with the young forward.

I also liked the contract extension given to head coach Peter Laviolette.  The extension will keep Laviolette as head coach through the 2014-2015 season.  Lavy is an amazing coach and I'm glad he will be around to lead this young team into the future.

Overall I think the Flyers are still one or two moves away from being completely ready for the upcoming season.  Tim Panaccio of csnphilly.com seems to believe that Holmgren possibly has a few moves left up his sleeve:

"Given Holmgren was willing to trade with Nashville to secure Weber, there’s nothing to prevent him from contacting, say, San Jose and inquiring about either Dan Boyle, who would have to waive his no-trade or Douglas Murray, who will be the top unrestricted free agent defenseman next season.  Holmgren could also call Montreal about restricted free agent P.K. Subban. The Habs made a two-year offer to Subban this week, but he hasn't yet accepted it."

With a possible lockout looming, the Flyers certainly have time on their side as they gear up for the 2012-2013 season.

Phillies Trades Breakdown

The Phillies front office is coming off a very busy past few days.  Ruben and the boys were extremely busy as they dealt away Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence, and Joe Blanton.  Let's take a look at each trade to see how the Phillies made out.

Trade #1 
Phillies Trade: OF Shane Victorino
Phillies Get: P Josh Lindblom, minor league starting pitcher Ethan Martin, player to be named later or cash

Shane Victorino will forever be remembered for his grand slam against CC Sabathia in the 2008 NLDS.  He will also be remembered for his crucial 2 run homer against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS that set up Matt Stairs' memorable 2 run moon shot to put the Phillies up 7-5.

Off the field Victorino was an outstanding humanitarian.  He helped build an entire athletic facility in Nicetown, and he did a lot of other work with the Shane Victorino Foundation.  Shaner was great for the city of Philadelphia on and off the field.

But the Phillies knew they probably weren't going to resign Shane at the end of the year so they elected to trade him.  In return they got Josh Lindblom, a right-handed reliever who will bring some much needed help to this Phillies bullpen.  This year Lindblom has a 3.00 ERA over 48 innings.  The 25 year old Lindblom will hopefully help the back end of this bullpen and be a guy that the Phillies can rely on in addition to Jonathan Papelbon.

The Phils also received minor league pitcher Ethan Martin who is 8-6 with a 3.58 ERA this season with AA Chattanooga.  The 23 year old is a good prospect to keep an eye on in the next few years.  Martin will finish out the year with the AA Reading Phillies.

Trade #2
Phillies Trade: OF Hunter Pence
Phillies Get: OF Nate Schierholtz, minor league catcher Tommy Joseph, minor league relief pitcher Seth Rosin

Hunter Pence was so goofy.  The Phillies traded for him at the deadline last year, and the right fielder came in and hit .324 with 11 HR and 35 RBI.  Pence was beloved by the fans, and in a year in which the Phillies won 102 games, Pence's defensive blunders went somewhat under the radar.

But this season the Phillies struggled greatly and Pence's defensive woes came under a great deal of scrutiny. Pence still had a solid year at the plate which enabled the Phillies to get some good value for him at the deadline.

In return for Pence, the Phillies received major league outfielder Nate Schierholtz.  Schierholtz hit .251 with 5 HR and 16 RBI this year with the San Francisco Giants.  In 2 games with the Phillies, Schierholtz is 2-5 with a homer.  Schierholtz is 28 and I think has the ability to be an everyday outfielder for the Phillies.  Schierholtz is under the Phillies control through the 2014 season.

The Phillies also received catching prospect Tommy Joseph.  Joseph hit .260 with 8 HR and 38 RBI for the Giants AA affiliate.  In 2 games so far with the Reading Phillies, Joseph is 4-7 .  The Phillies are preparing for life after Chooch by acquiring this 20 year old catching prospect.

The Phils also received minor league relief pitcher Seth Rosin.  The 23 year old had a 4.31 ERA this year with the Giants A+ affiliate.  Rosin will finish out the year with the Phillies Single A Clearwater Threshers.

Trade #3
Phillies Trade: P Joe Blanton
Phillies Get: Cash and player to be named later

Blanton helped the Phillies win a World Series in 2008 and I will forever remember his home run against the Tampa Rays.  He was a solid fourth starter, and was a pretty dependable starter when he was healthy.

But the contract that the Phillies gave him after the 2009 season was simply ridiculous.  3 years 24 million dollars is simply too much for a number four starter.  This trade will help free up some money for the Phillies.

The Phillies didn't outright trade away Joe Blanton.  They placed him on waivers which is a little different.  If you are unfamiliar with the waiver system, Jim Salisbury of csnphilly.com sums it up perfectly:

"The waiver period begins after July 31. Teams can place players on waivers, with the highest priority going to the team with the worst record in that player's respective league.  In this case, Blanton made it through eight NL teams before being claimed by the Dodgers.  At that point, the Phillies had three options: pull Blanton back off of waivers and keep him, allow the claiming team to simply absorb him and his salary, or work out a trade with the claiming team. The Phils chose Option 3."

Overall the Phillies front office did what they needed to do.  They freed up money for next year and filled some very big holes on this team.  The farm system has been replenished after years of buying at the deadline, and the Phils also got some good major league players in Lindblom and Schierholtz.  The Phillies may not make the playoffs this year, but ultimately they took a step back in order to take a step forward.

Playoff Chances Swept Away

4 runs.  The Phillies scored just 4 runs this weekend.  In the biggest series of the season, the series that would determine whether or not they would be buyers or sellers at the deadline, the Phillies scored just 4 runs.  4 runs.

After today's embarrassing 6-2 defeat, the Phillies will now undoubtedly be sellers at the deadline.  The Phillies have approximately 48 hours between now and Tuesday night to trade Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, Juan Piere, and possibly Hunter Pence.  Let's go through each player to see where he could be playing come August 1st.

Shane Victorino
The Pirates seemed to be the front runners for Victorino initially but have fallen off since.  While I think Pittsburgh would be a great fit for Shane, unfortunately I don't think the Pirates are willing to part with enough talent to land the All-Star center fielder.  The Pirates have a lot of young pitching talent but they simply aren't willing to trade any of their young arms.

I think Victorino could end up in San Francisco.  The Giants desperately need another bat, and Shaner could help spark their lineup.  The Giants have a top outfielder prospect Gary Brown who could be ready for the majors as early as next year.  The 23 year old Brown is hitting .293 with 7 hr and 37 rbi's this year with the Giants' AA affiliate.  

Where ever Victorino ends up, the Phillies are sure to get some good value in return.  Although Victorino is only hitting .261 on the year, since the All-Star break he is hitting .360 with 1 hr, and 3 rbi's.

Joe Blanton
Blanton is a free agent after this year and is another guy who will most likely be traded.  Blanton has pitched extremely well in his last few outings, and as a result his trade value has definitely gone up.  The Phillies probably won't get too much in return for Blanton, but they could get a few young arms to help replenish their bullpen.

Juan Pierre
Pierre was arguably the best pick up by the Phillies during the off season.  But with playoff chances extremely slim, the Phils have no use for Pierre on the field and could get value if they elect to trade him.  Pierre is hitting .305 this year and I think could end up in Pittsburgh.  The Pirates seem unwilling to trade away the talent required to land Victorino, so Pierre could be a good backup option for them.    

Hunter Pence
The Phillies certainly want to part ways with Pence who is slotted to make 11-13 million in arbitration in 2013.  Having said that, I don't think the Phillies are in any rush to move Pence.  They still have him under contract for next year, and I think they will probably wait until the off season to make a trade.

The basic sentiment right now is that the Phillies asking price for Pence is extremely high.  And teams that do try and trade for him have to take into account the fact that Pence will be slotted to make so much money next season.  Many teams, including the Giants, have backed out due to Pence's contract status.  The Los Angeles Dodgers could afford him, but again the Phillies would have to be wowed by an offer.

Overall the Phillies can't afford to stand pat at the deadline.  They need to bite the bullet this year and prepare for the future by being sellers come July 31st.

Time To Sell

Going into the weekend series against the Braves, the Phillies had an excellent opportunity to make up some ground. Unfortunately, during the first two games of the series, the Phillies managed to score just 2 total runs digging an even deeper hole for themselves in the standings.

 Now any chance at making the playoffs is extremely unlikely. The Phils are 15.5 games behind the Nationals, and they now trail the Braves by 11.5 games.

Although I really hate to admit it, I think it's now time for the Phillies to sell sell sell. Interest in Shane Victorino is heating up, as is interest in Juan Pierre. Joe Blanton's trade value also went up after his solid outing against the Braves last night.  And the Phillies also have to start thinking about the possibility of moving Hunter Pence to free up room on the 2013 payroll.

As much as I would love for Ruben to pull the trigger on some much needed trades, I feel like he is going to wait until the absolute last second to do so.  The Phillies still have 2 games between now and the trade deadline, and I feel as though if any deal does come through, it's going to come at the very last minute.

In my opinion, even if the Phillies do win their next two games, they don't deserve to keep the team in tact and go for a run.  In arguably the two most important games of the year, the Phillies' offense managed a total of just 2 runs.  They squandered a great outing from Joe Blanton last night, and overall I think the Phillies need to just bite the bullet this year and be sellers at the deadline.

Think about it from this perspective: for the past five years the Phillies have enjoyed a dazzling record of success.  They have won the N.L. East five consecutive years, and have been to the World Series twice, winning in 2008.  A down year of missing the playoffs isn't going to kill the Phillies or the immense amount of support from this fan base.  If the Phillies do end up selling at the deadline and missing the playoffs, the fans are still going to pack the stadium next year because the fans know that this front office is completely committed to winning.

Being completely committed to winning doesn't always mean that you go out at the trade deadline and acquire the number one player.  Sometimes it means trading away your own top talent to build a better future for your team.

I think Ruben Amaro has some serious thinking to do in these next few days.  After the 2009 season, Ruben proved that he has the ability to prepare for the future when he traded away top talent Cliff Lee for minor league prospects.  Although Ruben has been a buyer at the deadline for the past few years, I think it's time to be a seller for at least one year regardless of the outcomes of the next two games.     

Eagles Fantasy Fix: Season Preview

The Eagles feature a ton of offensive weapons that can rack up huge amounts of fantasy points on any given Sunday.  Lesean McCoy, Mike Vick, and Desean Jackson are just some of the Eagles' fantasy weapons.  Here is a little run down of the Eagles' best fantasy players and my advice as to where you should draft them in your league.

Lesean McCoy
If you have a top pick in the first round, go for Lesean McCoy.  McCoy had 20 touchdowns last year and had over 1,600 all purpose yards.  Shady is a fantasy stud and a guy that you want on your team at all costs.  Unfortunately, if you are stuck with a mid to late first round draft pick, chances are McCoy will be long gone.  But again if he is on the board in the first round, I strongly advise taking him.  He is going to have another big year and he won't disappoint.

Mike Vick
I chose Vick 8th overall last year, and the decision ruined my season.  Vick was hurt for a few weeks, and even when he was playing he was extremely inconsistent.  I was hoping for the Vick of 2010 who could put up 30 plus points any week, but unfortunately he was just a typical QB.  While I do expect Vick to have a bounce back year, I would advise not taking him in the first or second rounds.  I have drafted two teams this year, and in the drafts Vick was selected 25th and 32nd overall.  If he's on the board in the 3rd round, I would say go for him.  I really do believe that he is going to have a better year, and he could be that player that sets your team apart from the rest.

Desean Jackson
My other awful decision last year was drafting Desean Jackson in the third round, 28th overall.  Desean was incredibly inconsistent last year, and I would stay away from him until the 6th or 7th round.  While Desean certainly has the ability to have a big game, he also has the ability to catch just two passes for 20 yards.  With Desean it's either going to be all or nothing.

Jeremy Maclin
Maclin is a somewhat interesting pick.  Maclin is more consistent than Desean, but the most points you are going to get out of Maclin is around 10.  He is consistent but don't expect too much out of Maclin.

Brent Celek
I would advise not drafting Celek as your starting TE.  Celek had two surgeries during the off season, and the Eagles are preparing by working out other TE's around the league.

If you are a huge Eagles fan like me, don't fall into the trap of drafting all Eagles.  If you do draft all Eagles and the Eagles lose, chances are your fantasy team will lose as well making you extra upset.  But you can't go wrong in drafting McCoy and if Vick is available at the right time go for him as well.

Fletcher Cox, Ready To Impress

The Eagles certainly played their cards right on draft day, moving up to select highly talented defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.

In three years at Mississippi State, Cox recorded a total of 113 tackles and 7.5 sacks.  He also forced 2 fumbles, and overall he has tremendous raw athletic ability and a huge upside.  Mike Patterson's injury will force Cox to be extra prepared for the start of the season.  While it's certainly a shame that Patterson is hurt, his injury will enable to Cox to see a lot more snaps with the first team.

Experts and fans everywhere seem to agree that the Fletcher Cox selection was a tremendous pick by the Eagles.  In the past though, the Eagles have certainly had trouble drafting talented defensive linemen.

2000: DT Corey Simon
2003: DE Jerome McDougle
2005: DT Mike Patterson
2006: DT Brodrick Bunkley
2010: DE Brandon Graham

Aside from Simon and Patterson, the Eagles have struggled greatly drafting linemen. Hopefully Fletcher Cox will be a change in that trend and be able to learn a lot from veteran leader Cullen Jenkins.

A huge problem for the Eagles last year on defense was the large holes created by the wide 9 formation.  For this season, hopefully Jenkins and Cox will be able to step up and fill those holes nicely and get into the backfield to make some plays.

I also think the Eagles should continue only using the wide 9 formation on definite passing plays.  Toward the end of last year, Juan Castillo adjusted and limited the use of the the wide 9 for mostly passing plays.  On definite passing plays, it is a huge advantage for the Eagles to have Jason Babin and Trent Cole coming off the edges at fast speeds.  But if the opposition runs the ball, both Babin and Cole are 3-4 yards out of the main picture and huge running lanes are opened.

Overall, I think that Fletcher Cox is the final piece to a highly talented defensive line.  Babin and Cole proved how effective they can be last year posting 18 and 11 sacks respectively.  And now hopefully Cullen Jenkins has a partner of his own who will hopefully wreak havoc on opposing offenses for years to come.

Veteran Leadership, Key To Playoff Push

Let's make a run.  Why not?  Heading into this weekend's series against the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies find themselves 9.5 games out of a playoff spot.  But the Phillies are hot, and they have the pitching, the offensive, and most importantly the veteran leadership to make a run.

When you get right down to it, the Phillies have been way back in the standings before and managed to make the playoffs.  In 2007, the Phils were 7 games out on SEPTEMBER 12.  With just 17 games left to play, the Phillies made up 7 games in an unbelievable comeback combined with an epic collapse by the New York Mets.

Can the Phillies pull it off again?  Now I know that the collapse by the Mets in 2007 was one of the worst collapses in the history of baseball.  But think about the vulnerability of the Atlanta Braves, one of the teams the Phillies are currently chasing.

After play on September 1, 2011, the Atlanta Braves held on to a very comfortable 8.5 game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals.  With 26 games left, the Braves too collapsed allowing the St. Louis Cardinals to walk into the playoffs and win the World Series.

The point of me bringing up these two comebacks is to show that a big comeback can and does happen.  The Phillies did it in 2007 and the Cardinals did it as recently as last year.

In addition to the Braves, the Phillies are also chasing the Pittsburgh Pirates who hold the other Wild Card spot.  While the Pirates are certainly playing well behind MVP Andrew McCutchen, they are still a very young team and haven't made the playoffs since 1992.

Overall, these next few games are going to be critical as the Phillies try to put themselves in a good position heading into the final two months of the season.  The Phillies and other teams have put together bigger comebacks in the past, so expect nothing less from your Phils in the remainder of the 2012 season.

Lesean McCoy, Worth The Money

Heading into the off season, Ray Rice, Matt Forte, and Lesean McCoy were all seeking new contracts.  Matt Forte received a 4 year deal worth 32 million with roughly 17 guaranteed.  Ray Rice received a 5 year deal worth 40 million, and will make 17 million in 2012.  Finally Lesean McCoy received a 5 year contract extension that will keep him an Eagle through 2017.  The deal is worth 45 million, with roughly 20 guaranteed.

McCoy is well deserving of the large contract extension.  Take a look at the stats of the three backs from 2009-2011.

Matt Forte
Rushing: 2,995 yards, 4.29 yards per carry, 13 touchdowns.
Receiving: 1508 yards, 160 catches, 4 touchdowns

Ray Rice
Rushing: 3,923 yards, 4.60 yards per carry, 24 touchdowns
Receiving: 1,962 yards, 217 catches, 5 touchdowns

Lesean McCoy
Rushing: 3,026 yards, 4.77 yards per carry, 28 touchdowns
Receiving: 1,215 yards, 166 catches, 5 touchdowns

Lesean McCoy is an electric back.  He has the ability to turn a dead play into a long touchdown run.  His yards per carry is absolutely astounding, he has a knack for finding the end zone, and he causes other defenses to change their game plans when he is on the field.  Looking ahead to the 2012 season, it will certainly be tough for McCoy to repeat his 2011 campaign especially with Jason Peters sidelined with an injury.  But I think the key for McCoy to have another big season will be the play of the wide out Desean Jackson.

Jackson got his big contract during the off season, signing a 5 year extension worth 51 million dollars, 15 guaranteed.  Now that Jackson is happy, hopefully he will be able to rebound this year after a somewhat disappointing 2011 season.  Although Jackson had solid numbers in 2011, he just didn't seem to be fully committed.  Jackson let it be known that he was upset about his contract, and it just seemed he was more worried about getting paid than winning football games.

And while Jackson's numbers were down last year, you really can't look at box scores and statistics to see how effective he was.  When Desean goes deep on a fly route or deep post, he inevitably brings 2 defensive backs out of the box who have to prevent the deep home run pass at all costs.  With less guys in the box, Lesean McCoy has extremely wide running lanes to run through to pick up huge chunks of yards.

So while the Jason Peters injury will certainly hurt McCoy's production in the upcoming year, I think McCoy is more reliant on the play of Desean Jackson to be productive.  And aside from Peters, the entire offensive line is intact.  Not to mention the fact that the Eagles have already replaced Peters with Demetress Bell who actually replaced Peters after he left Buffalo for Philadelphia back in 2009.

Overall, Lesean McCoy is certainly worth the money, and providing that the offensive line remains healthy and Desean Jackson can produce, expect another outstanding year from Shady McCoy.    

Crucial Series In Atlanta

The upcoming weekend series against the Atlanta Braves is going to be absolutely critical for the Phillies' slim post season chances.  Heading into Friday night's match-up, the Phillies will be 9.5 games behind the Braves who currently hold one of the two N.L. Wild Card spots. If the Phillies manage to put together another sweep, they could be 6.5 games out of a playoff spot by the end of the weekend.  

On Friday night, newly extended pitcher Cole Hamels will take on Ben Sheets.  Back on May 1st, Cole tossed 6 innings and allowed just 2 runs in a 4-2 Phillies victory.  Hopefully Hamels will be extra motivated after his extension and ready to prove that he is worth the money.  

Joe Blanton will take to the mound on Saturday night and will be opposed by Mike Minor.  Blanton faced the Braves as recently as July 7th when he allowed 5 runs in just 6.1 innings of work.  Hopefully Blanton can revert to his May 3rd form in which he pitched a complete game shutout against the Braves.

Roy Halladay will take on Tim Hudson in the series finale Sunday afternoon.  Halladay is coming off a rough outing in which he allowed 6 runs against the Brewers.  Back on May 2nd, Halladay got clobbered by the Braves allowing 8 runs in 5.1 innings of work.  The Phillies will certainly need a solid outing from Doc.  

Overall this series will be crucial and the Phillies simply can't afford to drop 2 out of 3 or get swept.  They can't fall any more games behind especially as we get into the month of August and closer to the end of the season.  

Phillies' GM Ruben Amaro will certainly have a lot of decisions to make in the upcoming days.  Right now the Phillies are riding a 4 game winning streak, and they seem to really be picking it up and playing at a high level.  Since returning from the All-Star break, the Phillies are 8-4.  When you factor in the Phillies' hot play along with the fact that Hamels has been extended, I think the Phillies would be foolish to sell away guys like Victorino and Blanton.  

One player who could be traded is Hunter Pence.  Pence will be heading into his final year of arbitration this off season and could earn anywhere from 11 to 14 million.  Pence is simply not worth that money and the Phillies can't afford such a big contract come next year.  If Pence is not moved within the next few days, expect him to be moved during the off season.  

Overall this weekend should be exciting not only to see how the Phillies do against the Braves, but also to see if Ruben Amaro elects to make any trades.    

Phillies Ink Hamels To 6 Year Extension

Today the Phillies announced that they have resigned pitcher Cole Hamels to a 6 year extension worth 144 million dollars.  There is also a team/vesting option for the 2019 season.

Overall I really like the move.  At 28 years old, Cole Hamels is the future of this team.  He is an ace, and at this point in his career, he has a higher upside than both Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay.  It was a deal that the Phillies needed to make and a deal that will pay off for them in the future.

Looking ahead to the 2013 payroll, Rollins, Utley, Howard, Pence, Lee, Halladay, Hamels, and Papelbon will eat up approximately 141 million dollars.  Hamels, Halladay, and Lee alone will eat up approximately 69 million.  With Hamels' extension, the Phillies may look to trade someone to free up some money for the upcoming off season.

Right now the Phillies are showing us that they still have a bit of life left in them.  The Phillies have won 3 straight, 2 of which were walk-offs, and they are coming off another epic comeback after last night's stunning 7-6 victory.

In terms of standings, the Phillies still find themselves 14 back of the Nationals, and 9.5 back of the Wild Card.  But should the Phillies look to trade guys like Victorino, Polanco, Pence, and Blanton?

Of the players mentioned above, I think the Phillies would be smart in trying to move Hunter Pence.  Although Hunter is young, he is probably going to get around 11-13 million this year in arbitration, and the Phillies simply can't afford that.  His offensive numbers have been solid, but he is simply not worth 13 million.

Overall though I like the where the Phillies are headed.  Even if they don't end up making the playoffs this year, they will be back and ready for another run in 2013 with Cole Hamels leading the way.

Vick: Eagles, Potential Dynasty

Last year during training camp, newly acquired back-up QB Vince Young made the infamous "dream team" comments that set the stage for a nightmare 2011 season.

This year, starting QB Michael Vick is the one stirring the pot.  In a recent interview, Vick said that he feels that this current Eagles team has the ability to become a dynasty.  

"When I look at our football team and what we have on paper, I think about when I was growing up and the great San Francisco 49er teams, the great Green Bay Packer teams, and the great Dallas Cowboy teams, how they just positioned themselves to compete and be one of the best teams out there, I think we have a chance to be that. I think we have a chance to develop a dynasty."

Personally I have no problem with Vick making these comments.  I think back to Jimmy Rollins' team to beat statement before the 2007 season.  His comments gave the Phillies confidence and swagger which propelled them to their first playoff appearance since the 1993 season.

I think Vick's words, as the starting QB, give the entire team confidence.  There are a lot of players and coaches that really believe in this team's potential to win a Super Bowl, and the Eagles certainly need confidence after last year's 8-8 season.

The only thing I would say to Vick and this Eagles team, is that let's win one championship before worrying about becoming a dynasty.  And just because the team looks good on paper, that really doesn't mean anything.  If 2011 taught us anything it taught us that all of the talent in the world doesn't equal on the field success.  The Eagles know they have to consistently play good football in order to compete with the top talent in the NFL.

Overall though, the Eagles have all the talent in the world on offense.  Lesean McCoy, Desean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Mike Vick are just some of the weapons the Eagles feature on offense.  The big question will be the middle of the defense.  Hopefully Fletcher Cox and Demeco Ryans will be able to fill the holes and rebuild this defense.

Claude Giroux NHL 13 Cover

Claude Giroux beat out Nashville Predators' goalie Pekka Rinne for the cover of the NHL 13 video game.

Giroux is very deserving of the honor coming off a season in which he recorded 28 goals and 65 assists good for 93 total points.  Giroux was a big leader for the Flyers all season long but even more so in the playoffs.  Giroux really stepped up in the post season, and in the clinching game against Pittsburgh, G set the tone hitting by Sidney Crosby just seconds into the game.

Giroux is the young face of both the Flyers and the NHL.  At just 24 years of age, Giroux has a long and promising career ahead of him.

While I'm certainly excited for Giroux, I'm unfortunately not as excited for the rest of this Flyers team.  After making big splashes in the 2011 off season, the Flyers really haven't done too much to get better this off season.  I will give them credit for going after Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, but ultimately the Flyers haven't gotten a whole lot better defensively.

Right now I think the Flyers are hoping that their young stars have another big year.  I want to get excited for this upcoming season, but I think the Flyers are still one or two moves away from being serious contenders.  

Phillies: Sell Or Stay?

Phillies fans were somewhat hopeful going into the 2012 season.  Although the Phils were coming off an early playoff exit, they still had managed to win a franchise high 102 wins in the 2011 season.  And even with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard sidelined with injuries to begin the year, nobody could have predicted a dreadful 39-51 start to the season.

As of right now the Phillies are dead last in the N.L. East, 14 games behind the division leading Nationals.  The Phillies are in a little better shape in the Wild Card standings, where they are 11 games behind the Braves and Pirates who are both 49-39.  With 72 games left in the season, the Phillies will have to go on a serious tear in the remainder of the season to have any chance at playing in October.

With the July 31 trade deadline looming, it's soon going to be decision time for the Phillies front office.  Should they re-sign Cole Hamels or trade him?  Should they trade Shane Victorino or Hunter Pence for prospects?

If I were Ruben, I would hold off on all moves until July 30th.  If on July 30th the Phillies are still double digit games back of both the division and wild card, I would then go ahead and trade Hamels and Victorino.  I would trade Hamels with the hope that he would give the Phillies a fair chance at signing him in the off season.

But if the Phillies are 9 games back of the division lead and say 6 or 7 of a wild card spot, why sell the team?  If the Phillies are winning games and making strides to playing at a high level, why not keep the team together and go for it?

Ruben has to have a certain amount of games in the back of his mind in which he will either decide to sell or stay.  He also has to judge as to whether he thinks that the team is legitimately getting better and capable of making a playoff run.

As of right now the Pirates and Braves (the two Wild Card leaders) are on pace to win around 91 games.  To reach 91 wins, the Phillies would have to go 52-20 in their remaining 72 games, good for about a .720 winning percentage.

I know it's a long shot, but the Phillies are finally starting to get healthy.  They get Roy Halladay back tomorrow night, and they have 9 games left against the Braves.  Also the Phillies also usually get hot late in the season.

The following stats are the records of the Phils in the last two months of the season dating back to 2007.

2007: 33-23
2008: 33-21
2009: 34-27
2010: 41-17
2011: 34-21

A long shot? Yea, no doubt.  But keep in mind that the Phillies are fully healthy and this is the first time in MLB history that 5 teams make the playoffs from each league.  Ultimately it will be up to Ruben Amaro Jr. to decide as whether or not the Phillies are capable of making a run to the playoffs.

Sixers Celtics Game 3 Preview

The Sixers hung on to win game two by a final of 82-81 and in the process knotted the series up 1-1.  Tonight the Sixers will look to continue their success in front of their home crowd and to go up 2-1 in the series.  Here are the keys to a game three Sixers' victory.

4th Quarter Defense
In games one and two, the Sixers struggled to hold off the Celtics in the fourth quarter.  The Celtics' veterans were able to fully come alive in the final quarter, and the Sixers had trouble defending them.  Tonight the Sixers have to clamp down in the final quarter.  They can't go into cruise control late in the game and hope to win.  They have to be at their best defensively in the final minutes.

Build A Bigger Lead
No matter how big of a lead the Sixers build, the Celtics will inevitably make a run.  Tonight, if the Sixers have a 6 point lead heading into the fourth, they could lose.  But if they are able to build a 10-15 point lead after the third, they stand a much better chance at winning.  The Sixers are a very good third quarter team.  They outscored the Celtics 21-11 in the third quarter of game two, and they need to have another strong third tonight so that they have a large sustainable lead heading into the fourth.

Spencer Hawes
Hawes has had a pretty solid series so far with 15 points in game 1, and 8 points in game two.  But I would still like to see Hawes be more of a factor, because it seems like when he's hot the rest of the Sixers' offense benefits greatly.

Home Court
I'm expecting a lot of energy from Sixers fans tonight.  Sixers fans were completely alive and electric after the Sixers knocked off the Bulls in round one.  Tonight, they need to come with that same energy and propel the Sixers to victory once again.

Right now the Sixers are proving that they have the ability to make it to the Eastern Conference finals.  They just have to play consistently and not let their foot off the gas.

Sixers Celtics Game 2 Preview

On Saturday night the Sixers definitely proved that they can hang with and beat the Boston Celtics.  The Sixers seemed to be in control for much of game one, but essentially ran out of the steam at the end and the Celtics' veterans took over.  Tonight the Sixers have a great opportunity to even the series.  Here are the keys to a Sixers' victory tonight.

Continue To Push Tempo
The Sixers were most successful in game one when they pushed the ball in transition.  Instead of forcing the half court offense, the Sixers did a very good job of utilizing their speed and athleticism to generate easy shots in transition.  The Sixers need to continue to increase the tempo of the game tonight.

Stop KG
The Sixers gave Kevin Garnett way too many open looks on Saturday night.  Garnett went 12-20 from the field good for a game high 29 points.  The Sixers need to double up on Garnett and make somebody else beat them.

Defense
In the fourth quarter on Saturday it seemed like the Celtics hit a switch and started knocking down shots.  Rondo, Pierce, and Garnett all seemed to heat up at the same time and as a result the Sixers lost.  The Sixers need to buckle down on defense especially when the fourth quarter comes around.

Elton Brand 
If Elton Brand doesn't pick up his game, the Sixers will lose this series.  Brand was just 2-5 from the field with 4 points in game 1 and the Sixers need to get him involved.  Collins needs to run more pick and rolls with Brand and also just think of ways to get him open looks.

Focus On Split
The Sixers can't be thinking about what will happen in future games of this series.  The Sixers have to be fully focused on getting the split and bringing this series back to Philadelphia 1-1.

Overall I was very impressed with the Sixers' effort in game 1.  They played with a lot of heart in front of a very hostile environment.  But the Sixers can't be satisfied with just a good performance.  They have to be hungry to win, because they definitely have the talent to eliminate the Celtics.

Sixers Celtics Preview

After knocking off the Chicago Bulls in round one, the Sixers will get set to take on the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals tonight at 8 PM.  Game 6, and all of the first round for that matter, was unbelievably emotional and intense.  The first round was ultimately capped off by Andre Iguodala who knocked down two clutch free throws to seal both the game and the series for the Sixers.

While the first round was certainly entertaining, the Sixers know their work is far from over.  They have a great opportunity to take down a very beatable Celtics team and return to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001.

When I say that the Celtics are beatable I mean that the Sixers were fairly successful against them during the regular season.  On March 7th, the Sixers defeated the Celtics 103-71, and then beat them again a few weeks later by a final of 99-86.  But on April 8th, in the final meeting of the regular season, the Celtics crushed the Sixers and won by a final of 103-79.

It's hard to tell much from the season series between the two teams especially when you consider the fact that the Celtics are a veteran team that can flick a completely different switch in the postseason.  The Celtics won the championship in 2008 and they definitely know what it takes to win in the playoffs.  

But again the Sixers know that they can beat the Celtics and they know they have a legitimate shot at moving on to the conference finals.  Season series aside, what else do the Sixers have to do to beat the Celtics?  Here are just some of the things the Sixers need to focus on in the upcoming series.

Increase The Tempo
Let's face it the Celtics are an old team.  Ray Allen is 36, Kevin Garnett will turn 36 during the series, and Paul Pierce is the youngster of the Big Three at age 34.  The Celtics can't keep pace with a young and athletic team like the Sixers.  The Sixers need to get out into transition and really increase the tempo of the game.  If they get stuck playing in the half court they will lose this series.

Defensive Roots
The Sixers were successful against the Bulls when they focused on playing good solid team defense.  The Sixers need to again focus on playing team defense against the Celtics.  Hawes and Brand need to hedge out on their guards, and they need to double up on Garnett.  They can't let Garnett get easy one on one matchups.  They need to help each other out and slide down and collapse on the ball whenever possible.

Elton Brand
Brand was bad against the Bulls in round one, plain and simple.  Brand's scoring lines for round one go as follows: 19,12,0,7,5, and 5.  Brand started out the series pretty good but then became more and more of a non-factor as the series went on.  Doug Collins needs to look for ways to get Brand more involved offensively.  They need to get him clean open looks and he needs to start knocking down shots.

Stay Hungry
The Sixers can't be satisfied with just making it to the second round.  Although knocking off a number 1 seed and advancing to the second round for the first time since 2003 is impressive, the Sixers need to keep their eyes focused on what lies ahead.  Like I said before they have a very good opportunity to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.  But if they lose that hunger this will be a very quick series.

Play With Confidence
A lot of people are putting an asterisk next to the Sixers' round one victory over the Bulls.  Although the Sixers became just the 5th team in NBA history to knock off a number 1 seed, many people are quick to point out that the Bulls were without Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah for a good amount of the series.  While the injuries to both players were certainly unfortunate, the Sixers can't control who gets hurt.  All they can do is go out and play against the five guys the Bulls put out on the floor.  The Sixers did just that and they came away victorious.  In the next round the Sixers can't play like a team that doesn't deserve to be in the second round.  The Sixers do deserve to be there and they need to play with confidence against the Celtics.

Evan Turner
Turner once again showed flashes of brilliance in round one against the Bulls.  Turner averaged close to 13 points against Bulls and really seemed to take charge at times.  In the Sixers' 103-71 victory over the Celtics during the regular season, Turner had 26 points and was 11-19 from the field.  Turner needs to continue to attack the basket and play with confidence in the upcoming round.

Overall this is a very winnable series for the Sixers.  I think that this will be an extremely tough and grind out series but ultimately I think the Sixers will win it in 7.  Below is the complete schedule for the series.

Game 1: Sat. May 12, at Bos., 8 p.m.
Game 2: Mon., May 14 at Bos., 7 p.m.
Game 3: Wed., May 16 at Phila., 7 p.m.
Game 4: Fri., May 18 at Phila., TBA
Game 5: TBA at Boston***
Game 6: TBA at Philadelphia***
Game 7: TBA at Boston***

***If necessary.

Flyers Devils Game 5 Preview

Game 2 was painful.  Game 3 was even more painful.  And Game 4 on Sunday was perhaps the most painful game of the entire series.  After an unbelievable round 1 victory over the Penguins, the Flyers were flying high.  They had confidence and swagger and everyone was predicting them to absolutely steam roll the Devils.

But now the Flyers find themselves down 3-1 and on the brink of elimination.  To make matters worse, tonight the Flyers will be without the services of Claude Giroux who will be serving a 1 game suspension for his hit in game 4.

So can the Flyers win tonight?  Can they force a game 6?  Can they claw their way back into this series? Here is what they absolutely have to do tonight in order to prolong this series.

Play With More Energy
All series long the main theme has been to play with more energy and intensity.  Tonight the Flyers have to walk the walk and not just talk a good game.  With Giroux out, the Flyers now have even more motivation to come out with fire and intensity.  Somebody needs to step up and get the boys pumped up and ready to win.

Play With Desperation
The Flyers have to pull out all the stops tonight against the Devils.  They can't just sit back and play a conservative game and still expect to win.

Play With Confidence
Tonight the Flyers have to play with confidence.  They have to play with swagger, and play like the team that beat the Penguins.  The Flyers are the better team and they can't play scared tonight in game 5.

Know How To Play With A Lead
When the Flyers get a lead, they don't know what to do.  They sit back and wait for bad things to happen until eventually they find themselves in a hole they can't dig out of.  If the Flyers get an early lead tonight, they have to keep their foot on the gas.

Give Bryz Motivation
Bryz has had very little motivation during this series.  He's faced a ton of shots and on the other end, the Flyers aren't generating enough shots.  It's tough for a goalie to stop a lot of shots and it's even tougher when he has very little motivation and very little offensive production in front of him.

Win It For G
There is no defending Giroux's game 4 hit.  It was wrong, plain and simple.  But was it warranting of a suspension in an elimination game?  G has been the leader for the Flyers all year long and tonight the Flyers need to win the game for him and give him another shot at this series in game 6.    

With all our will, we will.  Let's go Flyers.

Philly Sports Trifecta Preview

Today, the Phillies, Sixers, and Flyers will all play on the same day once again.  The Sixers will host the Bulls at 1, the Flyers will take to the ice against the Devils at 7:30, and the Phillies will wrap up the day as they take on the Nationals in an 8 PM prime time game.  Here is a quick little preview of what to expect today from each game.

Sixers Bulls
The Sixers hold a 2 games to 1 lead over the Bulls and will look to win game 4 and send the series back to Chicago up 3-1.  The Bulls played with a lot of heart in game 3, but ultimately they ran out of gas at the end and the Sixers were just too much for them to handle.  Today the Sixers have to continue to play defense.  The defense was the main reason the Sixers were able to win games 2 and 3.  Also, Joakim Noah hurt his ankle in game 3 and it looks like he will be out for game 4 as well.  The Sixers now have a clear advantage in the paint both offensively and defensively and they need to capitalize.

Flyers Devils
Aside from the second period of game 3, the Flyers really didn't show up.  They got out hustled, out worked, and overall they didn't deserve to win.  Tonight the Flyers have to pick up the intensity.  Right now they are getting completely out played.  They can't get offensive possessions, they can't set up on the power play, they can't clear the puck out of their own zone, etc.  Although games 2 and 3 were very disappointing, I do expect a big turn around from the Flyers today. But the Flyers can't just play well in one period; they have to play a full 60 minutes of consistent hockey.

Phillies Nationals
The Nationals took the first two games of this series and tonight the Phils will look to salvage a game as they send Cole Hamels to the mound against Jordan Zimmerman.  The offense looked OK on Friday night, but they took the day off yesterday as their only run came off a Hunter Pence sacrifice fly.  Tonight the Phils need to give Hamels a lot of run support.

Overall it should be a very interesting day of sports.  I think the Sixers will win another close game, I think the Flyers will win a close game as well, and I don't know what to expect from the Phillies down in the nation's capital.  Ultimately it should be another exciting Philly Sports Trifecta.

Sixers Bulls Game 2 Preview

The Sixers got spanked around in game 1 Saturday, losing by a final of 103-91.  But with the injury of Derrick Rose, this series is now completely different and the Sixers now have a legitimiate shot at winning.  Here is what they need to do to win tonight.

Don't Expect To Lose
In game 1 it almost seemed like the Sixers were fine with losing.  In other words, they seemed satisfied when they could cut the lead to a few points. They didn't really try to take the lead and they just kind of coasted when the game was close.  The Sixers need to be more aggressive tonight and play to win.

Tighten Up On Defense
Part of the reason the Bulls are such a good team is because they play great team defense.  The Sixers need to return to their defensive roots and focus on creating turnovers and scoring in transition.

Attack The Basket
The Sixers settled for too many jump shots in game 1.  Instead of attacking the basket they simply sat back and forced tough shots.  The Sixers, specifically Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner, need to drive to the basket and generate more high percentage shots.

Rebounding
The Sixers are a much bigger team than the Bulls and they need to win the battle on the boards in game 2.  Lavoy Allen, Spencer Hawes, and Nick Vucevic need to body up focus on out rebounding the Bulls.

Focus On Split
The Sixers can't look ahead to any more games in this series.  Just focus on winning tonight and bringing this series back to Philadelphia a 1-1 split.

The Sixers need to play with a lot more intensity tonight.  They can't come out flat and be satisfied with just keeping the game close.  Come out with intensity and play to win.

Flyers Devils Game 2 Preview

Tonight the Flyers will take on the Devils in game 2.  The Flyers are riding high off of their emotional overtime victory and will look to keep the momentum going.  Here are the keys to another Flyers victory.


No First Period Lull
Luckily the Flyers were able to survive a terrible first period on Sunday in which they were out shot 15-6.  Tonight the Flyers need to pick up the intensity in the opening period and come out swinging.

Reemer
JVR was the hero of the 2011 playoffs.  Although the Flyers eventually lost to the Bruins, JVR took over games and showed flashes of absolute brilliance.  In game 2 and in the rest of this series, JVR needs to step up and start playing with more confidence.

Better Power Play
I'm not expecting the Flyers to maintain a 50% power play through out this series, but they were just 1 for 6 in game 1 and that needs to improve.

Bryz
Bryzgalov has to continue to play well.  As long as he doesn't give up any soft goals the Flyers should be fine.

Extended Possessions
Tonight the Flyers need to focus on getting and maintaining better offensive possessions.  Even when they had the man advantage on Sunday they still struggled to get good long possessions in the Devils' zone.

Establish Forecheck
Marty Brodeur is a very aggressive goalie.  He likes to come out of the net and play the puck out of the zone which can be extremely disruptive to the Flyers' forecheck.  They dump the puck in and Marty quickly fires it out.  Tonight the Flyers need to be more aggressive in establishing the forecheck.  Maybe float the puck in to buy more time to get to it, or just skate a little harder to get to the puck before Marty does.

Wild Card
Somebody else has to step up tonight besides G or Briere.  I would really like to see Jagr or a young guy have a big game.

The Flyers have a great opportunity to take a 2-0 series lead.  I really like their chances to win tonight and I think the Flyers will be victorious winning by a final of 5-2.

Flyers Devils Game 1 Review

Today the Flyers took game 1 against the Devils winning in OT by a final of 4-3.  While I'm certainly happy with the victory I did notice a lot of things that the Flyers need to work on for game 2.  Here are my pros and cons from game 1.

What They Did Wrong

• The Flyers were extremely sloppy early on.  I wouldn't go so far as to say that they were rusty, but they definitely lacked intensity.  They simply weren't as amped up for the game as the Devils were.  
• The Flyers also gave up way too many shots in the early going.  In total the Flyers allowed 15 shots in the first period.
• Offensively, the Flyers got little to no pressure on Marty.  In fact they didn't get their first shot on goal until mid way through the first period.  The Flyers picked up the offensive intensity toward the end of the period but only managed a total of 6 shots to open the game.  
• The Flyers were just 1 of 6 on the power play.  What's worse is that on a few of their power plays they struggled just to get an extended possession.  
• Overall the Flyers were also very sloppy at times and gave up costly turnovers.  

What They Did Right

• Although the Flyers gave up a lot of early shots, Bryzgalov looked great and stopped most of the shots directed his way in the opening period.  The solid play early on gave Bryz a ton of confidence the rest of the game.  
• The Flyers had just 3 penalties in the game and did an excellent job of staying out of the box. 
• After being out shot in the first period 15-6, the Flyers out shot the Devils 30-11 in the remainder of the game.  
• JVR was a huge bright spot for the Flyers.  In the few games that he played in the Pittsburgh series, JVR was basically a non-factor.  But today JVR had multiple breakaways and even cashed in on a play where Marty got caught being too aggressive. 
• G.  One letter says so much.  G (aka Claude Giroux) was awesome today.  He cashed in on a one-timer power play goal, and overall he really stepped up as a leader today.  
• Danny Briere was the MVP of the game.  Briere had two goals; a breakaway goal and a slap shot in over time that won the game for the Flyers.  Briere was outstanding as he continues to put together an unbelievable post season track record.

Overall the Flyers did a great job of rebounding from an awful first period.  They fought off the rust and were able to outplay the Devils in the remainder of the game.  The Flyers now have an excellent opportunity to take a stranglehold on this series and go up 2-0 on Tuesday night.  

Make sure to heckle my buddy @czm26 on twitter.  He's a Devils fan.

Flyers Devils Game 1 Preview

Today the Flyers will take on the Devils in game 1 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals.  The Devils are coming off a game 7 victory against the Florida Panthers and will look to keep the momentum going today.  The Flyers on the other hand wrapped up their round 1 series against the Penguins last Sunday, and have been sitting around for about a week awaiting their next opponent. The Flyers will definitely have to get amped up for today's game and shake off the rust.  Here are the keys to a Flyers victory.

Shake Off The Rust
Some experts are under the impression that the lay off could be a factor in today's game.  Although the Flyers have been practicing all week in preparation, it's extremely hard to simulate the intensity and speed of a playoff game.  The Flyers will ultimately have to use the juice and excitement of the home crowd to get them motivated for the game.

Bryz's Confidence
Bryz is 3-0 with a 0.29 GAA,  and a 987 save % against Devils this year.  The Flyers defense needs to help him out and help him get confidence against the Devils early.  Bryz needs to find a rhythm and rebound after a somewhat difficult series against the Penguins.

Offensive Firepower
The Flyers scored 30 goals against the Penguins in round 1.  They need to continue to get a ton of shots on goal and try to rattle Marty early and often.  Marty struggled against the Flyers in the regular season going 1-3 with a 2.26 GAA and a .905 save%.  The Flyers have to look for continued success against him today and in the rest of the series.

Special Teams
The Flyers led the NHL in round 1 of the playoffs with a 52.2% power play.  The Flyers power play line will have their hands full as they go up against the Devils who statistically have the best penalty kill in the league.  In terms of the penalty kill the Flyers need to just continue to do what they are doing.

Defense
The Flyers did an excellent job of making Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby non-factors in round 1.  Today the Flyers need to do the same thing against Devils' stars Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, and Peter Sykora.

Overall I think the first period of today's game is going to be extremely rough.  But if the Flyers can keep it to a 2-0 game after the first or better, they should be in good shape to win.

Derrick Rose Out

Late in game 1 yesterday, Bulls' star point guard Derrick Rose suffered a freak injury and tore his ACL.  Needless to say, Rose will be out for the remainder of the playoffs.

I would like to preface this article by stating that while Rose may play for the team the Sixers are currently facing in the playoffs, you never want to see something like this happen to anyone.  It's bad for Rose and the Bulls, it's bad for the league, and it's bad for the game of basketball.

Having said that, the whole dynamic of this series has now changed with Rose's injury.  After yesterday's game, any chances of winning the series seemed extremely difficult.  The Sixers started the game ice cold from the floor, and really struggled to keep pace with Chicago.  The Bulls took a commanding lead early on, and the Sixers were never able to fully recover.  Every time they would make the game close, the Sixers would then sit back and wait for things to happen.  Instead of consistently keeping their foot on the gas, the Sixers were very sporatic and struggled to find a rhythm in the game.

But looking ahead to game 2, the absence of Derrick Rose makes this a completely different series.  The Bulls proved during the regular season that they can win without Rose, but this injury has to be extremely deflating to a team with such high expectations.

As the number 1 seed in the East, the Bulls came into the playoffs expecting to compete with the Heat for the Eastern conference crown.  Now the Bulls are a far less scary team in the absence of their best player.

So what does this all mean for the Sixers?  The Sixers really can't get too carried away at this point.  The Bulls are still a very strong defensive team even without Rose in the line up.  But with the injury I do see hope for the Sixers.  Without Rose, the Bulls don't have anyone that they can go to when the game is on the line.  If the Sixers can manage to keep games close and then pounce at the end, I think this series could get very interesting in a hurry.

Again the Sixers can't be too focused on Rose's injury.  Right now their main goal has to be taking game 2 on Tuesday night, and returning to Philadelphia with a 1-1 split.  

Sixers Bulls Game 1 Preview

After a very exciting start to the season, the Sixers stumbled down the stretch but were able to finish 35-31 good for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.  As the 8th seed the Sixers will take on the number 1 seed Chicago Bulls beginning today in Chicago.  

I personally like this match up as opposed to the Sixers playing the Heat again.  The Sixers can't handle the Heat (no pun intended) and it always seems like they get away from their game when they play them.  But the season series between the Bulls and Sixers is a different story.  

Back on February 1st, the Sixers beat the Bulls 98-82.  The Sixers lost the other 2 games against the Bull during the season losing 96-91 on March 4th, and 89-80 on March 14th.  Simply put the Sixers have shown over the course of this year and last year that they can beat the Bulls. 

For today's game, I think the Sixers are going to keep it close but get burned by Derrick Rose late in the game.  Rose has shown the ability to beat up on the Sixers in the past and I think he will really turn it on today.  

Overall I think the Sixers can make this an interesting series.  If the Sixers were going up against the Heat again, I would predict the Heat to win in 5.  But there is something about this match up against the Bulls that really intrigues me.  I honestly think that the Sixers can make this an interesting series if they start playing defense again like they did at the beginning of the year. 

Overall I expect the Bulls to win this series in 6 games.  But the Bulls shouldn't write off the Sixers who if they can return to their defensive roots, definitely have the ability to pull of the upset.     

Flyers Devils Preview

Coming into the playoffs, all of the experts picked the Penguins to beat the Flyers in the first round.  Some experts even went and picked the Penguins and their high powered offense to win the Stanley Cup.  But the Flyers were ultimately too much for the Penguins to handle, and the Flyers were able to advance in 6 games.  Now the Flyers are a young and dangerous team with a ton of swagger and confidence heading into their round 2 match up against the Devils.

I personally think the Flyers should have no problem taking down Marty and the Devils.  While the season series was an even split, the play of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov against the Devils during the season is an extremely encouraging sign for Flyers fans.  Bryzgalov was 3-0 against the Devils during the regular season with a .987 save percentage and a dazzling 0.29 GAA.  In total Bryz faced 76 shots from the Devils this year and stopped 75 of them.  Those are very impressive and encouraging stats especially when you consider how much scoring took place in the series against Pittsburgh.  If Bryzgalov can have similar success against the Devils in the playoffs the Flyers should be in very good shape.


Marty Brodeur's regular season stats against the Flyers are not as encouraging.  Marty was 1-3 with a 2.26 GAA and a .905 save percentage.  But don't forget that while he may be turning 40 soon, Marty still has that playoff switch that he can flick and has the ability to get extremely hot at any time.  

Another encouraging sign for the Flyers going into this series is that they are now the number one offensive team in the playoffs.  The Flyers scored 260 regular season goals and 30 goals against the Penguins good for a total of 290 goals on the season.  The closest team to the Flyers still alive in the playoffs are the Nashville Predators who had 232 regular season goals and 16 against Detroit in the first round for a total of 248 goals.

New Jersey has a total of 234 goals on the year, and their main scoring threats are Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, David Clarkson, Patrick Elias, and Peter Sykora.  Kovalchuk, Parise, and Clarkson all had 30 goals or more during the regular season, while Elias and Sykora were both 20 goal scorers.

While the Flyers don't have as many 30 goal scorers as the Devils they feature a much more balanced scoring attack.  11 guys on the Flyers had 10 goals or more while only 7 guys on the Devils had 10 or more.    And the Flyers had a lot more production than the Devils offensively in round 1.  

The special teams stats for both teams are as follows: the Flyers had a 81.8% penalty kill during the regular season, and a 69% kill against the Penguins.  The Devils led the NHL with an 89.6% penalty kill during the year but posted just a 66.7% kill against the Panthers in round 1.  The power play percentages definitely favor the Flyers.  The Flyers were 19.7% during the regular season and a dazzling NHL best 52.2% against the Pens.  The Devils were 17.2% during the season and 20% against the Panthers.  Overall the Flyers definitely have the special teams advantage.  Their power play line is extremely efficient and they had a pretty solid penalty kill against a very dangerous Penguins team.

Lastly the Flyers have a ton of confidence and rest while the Devils just barely scraped their way past the Panthers.  The Flyers have been practicing and resting all week in preparation for round 2 while the Devils are probably still scrambling after their game 7 victory.  Simply put the Flyers beat a very good Penguins team in 6 games while the Devils needed all 7 games to beat a sub par Panthers team.

Overall I think the Flyers will win this series in 5.  I think they will split at home to open the series, and then win 3 straight to close out this series in a hurry.  If the Flyers can put the Devils away early it will be huge considering the fact that I think the series between the Capitals and Rangers will probably turn out to be a long 7 game series.  I was right about the Flyers beating Pittsburgh in 6, and hopefully I'm right about the Flyers in 5 as they attempt to return to the Eastern Conference finals.  

Flyers Devils Season Series Recap

     

In the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Flyers will take on the New Jersey Devils.  The Devils beat the Florida Panthers in 7 games in the first round, and will meet up against the Flyers in Game 1 Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center.  To get you ready for this series, in this article we will go through the regular season series.

The Flyers were fairly successful against the Devils during the regular season and will look to continue that success in the playoffs.  Here is a quick game by game breakdown.

October 8, Flyers 3 Devils 0 
The Flyers won this game mainly because of the outstanding play of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.  In just his second game with the Flyers, the Bryz had a shutout as the Flyers cruised to an easy 3-0 victory.  Giroux scored an early first period goal, and Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds both had 3rd period goals for the Flyers.

November 3, Devils 4 Flyers 3 (SO)
Backup Sergei Bobrovsky got the start in this game as the Flyers fell to the Devils 4-3 in a shootout.  Max Talbot scored a late penalty shot goal to tie the game at 3, but ultimately the Devils were able to come away victorious to knot the season series at one game a piece.

January 21, Flyers 4 Devils 1
The Flyers were able to win the game thanks to Scott Hartnell who had 2 goals that were both assisted by Claude Giroux.  Bryzgalov also had a very strong game stopping 30 of the 31 shots that came his way.

February 4, Devils 6 Flyers 4
I think this game is one Flyers fans want to forget about.  The Flyers got burned at home as the Devils cashed in on 6 unanswered goals to start the game.  After allowing 6 goals, Sergei Bobrovsky was quickly replaced by Bryzgalov who kept the Devils off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.  The Flyers were able to battle back, but ultimately they couldn't climb their way out of the 6 goal deficit.

March 11, Devils 4 Flyers 1
Sergie Bobrovsky surrendered 3 3rd period goals as the Devils won 4-1.  Claude Giroux was the lone goal scorer for the Flyers.

March 13, Flyers 3 Devils 0
Ilya Bryzgalov got the start in the season finale between the two teams and he capped it off with another shutout.  Sean Couterier was able to solve Marty in the second and the Flyers added 2 3rd period goals to secure the victory.

So what does this all mean?  It's simple: in all three games that the Flyers lost, Sergei Bobrovsky was the goalie.  Bryzgalov was the goalie in the three victories, and posted a shutout in 2 of those games.

While I don't like to make too much of the regular season, the Flyers have proven that the Devils are not a scary team and they should be able to beat them.  Stay tuned to the blog over the next few days as I will be posting my complete breakdown and prediction for the series.

Flyers Keys To Game 4

Tonight the Flyers will go for the knock out punch as they attempt to 4 game sweep the Penguins.  Tonight is going to be crucial as the Flyers attempt to not let the Penguins have any sort of life whatsoever.  Here are the keys to yet another Flyers victory.

1. Early And Often  
The Flyers need to jump out to an early lead in tonight's game.  If they let the Penguins hang around for too long, the Penguins could slowly gain confidence and possibly win the game and force a game 5.  The Penguins are currently up against the ropes in terms of confidence, so the Flyers need to knock them out early.

2. Fluster Fleury 
Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has zero confidence right now.  He was pulled in the third period of Sunday's game in favor of back up Brent Johnson.  The Flyers need to pounce and get a lot of shots and traffic in front of him early on to really rattle his confidence.

3. Keep Composure 
The Penguins played with zero class in Game 3.  They let their emotions get the better of them, and ultimately went out trying to hurt people.  If the Penguins do the same thing tonight, the Flyers have to remain focused on trying to win the hockey game and not getting caught up in the fights and scrums.

4. Strong Play From Bryz 
Bryz certainly didn't have his best game on Sunday.  He allowed 4 goals and he just didn't look too comfortable in net.  I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that Bryz is getting beat early in games.  If Bryz can have a strong first period, it could give him the confidence to finish the game strong.

5. Extra Time Off
Finishing off Crosby and the Penguins should be enough motivation for the Flyers to get it done tonight.  But if it's not then hopefully the extra time off will help the Flyers to end this series in 4 games.  A sweep ensures more confidence and of course more time to rest between now and the second round.  

Overall tonight is not the time for the Flyers to sit back and relax.  If they take the Penguins lightly, they could prolong this series and give the Penguins life.  The Flyers need to go for the knock out punch tonight and I think they will blow the Pens out by a final of 6-2.