TWO FORMER AMERKS ARE SPARKING THE OTTAWA SENATORS
Goalie Craig Anderson had 37 saves and left wing Clarke MacArthur had two assist for the Ottawa Senators in a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night in Game 7 of their Stanley Cup conference semifinals series.
Ottawa has reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 10 years and long-time fans of the Rochester Americans have a strong rooting interest. Anderson and MacArthur were popular Amerks (teammates in the 2006-07 AHL season) and have overcome adversity to get this far.
Anderson was the 73rd pick in the 2001 NHL entry draft. MacArthur was the 74th pick in the 2003 entry draft. Noting was handed to them en route to the NHL.
MacArthur had three solid season for Rochester:
2005-96 – 21 goals + 32 assists for 53 points in 69 games
2006-07 – 21 goals + 42 assists for 63 points in 51 games
2007-08 – 14 goals + 28 assists for 42 points in 43 games.
Anderson had a terrific 2006-07 season for Rochester: 23-10-1 record; 4 shutouts; 2.56 goals-against average; .919 save percentage).
MacArthur, 30, suffered concussion if the fourth game of Ottawa’s 2005-16 season and did not play again until the last four games of the 2016-17 season. At one point it was recommended that he retire but he didn’t give up. In 12 playoff games this season, he has 2 goals and 4 assists.
Anderson, 35, played on only 40 games this regular season for Ottawa. He took several personal leaves as his wife, Nicholle, was battling heads and neck cancer. In these playoffs, he is 8-3 with a 2.49 goals-against average, .914 save percentage and one shutout.
WARRIORS AND CAVS HEADED FOR INEVITABLE MATCHUP IN THE NBA FINALS
When the 2016-17 NBA regular season began in October, some of us feared that we’d have to survive the relatively meaningless regular season plus games through the conference finals of the playoffs before the all-but-inevitable Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers must-watch showdown in the Finals.
So far, so good. The Warriors are 8-0. So are the Cavaliers. They barely worked up a sweat in the process.
Now all the two much-the-best teams need to do is knock off sacrificial lambs in their conference finals and – hopefully – get the job done without suffering injuries.
We want the Warriors and Cavaliers to be completely healthy so there could be no excuses in the first Finals matchup with the same two teams for three straight seasons in NBA history.
The Warriors will be out to prove they were one of the greatest teams over a three-season span in league history.
The Cavaliers will be out to prove last season’s championship victory was not a fluke, fueled largely by Warriors sparkplug Draymond Green’s suspension for the tide-turning Game 5.
Cleveland superstar LeBron James also will be out to prove he still is the NBA’s true Most Valuable Player and that he belongs on every list of All-Time Top Five Players – except those of the haters who never would put King James in such elite company.
For the record, my All-Time NBA Top Five list is Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson and LeBron. You might not completely agree, but I’m pretty sure my five could beat your five.
Here is the Tale of the Tape for the playoffs so far for two 8-0 playoff teams:
Points per game – Warriors 115.3...Cavaliers 114.5
Points allowed per game – Warriors 98.8...Cavaliers 104.9
Point differential per game – Warriors +16.5...Cavaliers +9.6
Field-goal percentage – Cavaliers .490 (39.8-for-81.1 per game)...Warriors .484 (41.4-for-85.5 per game)
3-Point FG percentage – Cavaliers .434 (14.4-for-33.1 per game)...Warriors .379 (11.4-for-30.0 per game)
Free-throw percentage – Warriors .824 (21.1-for-25.6 per game)...Cavaliers .771 (20.6-for-26.8 per game)
Rebounding (defense/offense/total) – Warriors .179/.821/.520...Cavaliers .217/.783/.515.
Turnovers per game (own/opponents) – Warriors 11.5/13.6, +2.1...Cavaliers 13.3/12.1/-1.2).
Main reasons to like the Warriors – The addition of future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, who takes pressure off Splash Brothers Steph Curry and Klay Thompson...Peerless teamwork on offense...Underrated defense.
Main concerns about the Warriors – Less quality depth than in the past two seasons...Might miss coach Steve Kerr (sidelined indefinitely due to illness).
Main reasons to like the Warriors – LeBron James has never been better or hungrier...One team that can match Golden State in three-point shooting. In fact, the Cavs have shot more three-pointers and at a higher percentage in the playoffs...Deeper bench than past two seasons, with sharpshooter Kyle Korver particularly effective.
Main concerns about the Warriors – Who tries to guard Durant?...Could they continue to outgun the Warriors from long range?
RED WINGS NEED MORE FROM PAULSEN AND PALKA
The Rochester Red Wings began the season on a roll offensively but have cooled off lately.
Two reasons are the cold bats of left-handed sluggers Ben Paulsen and Daniel Palka.
Paulsen began the season with a home run in each of the team’s first three games. He also had 8 RBI. He has 0 HRs and 4 RBI in 17 games since.5Palka had 5 HRs and 13 RBI in his first 12 games. He has 0 HRs and 0 RB I in 14 games since.
SPRAYING BASEBALL HITS TO ALL FIELDS
In baseball writer Keith Law’s excellent new book Smart Baseball, he writes that the best hitter in any lineup should bat second. The age-old theory is that the best hitter should bat third or fourth. Law reasons that it is ridiculous foi the best all-around in any lineup to get a significantly fewer at-bats per season than the guys batting behind him. The only manager that currently subscribes to Law’s theory appears to be Joe Maddon of the Chicago Cubs, who has Kris Bryant No. 2 in his lineup.
It looks like age finally has caught up with Ichiro Suzuki. His batting line for the Miami Marlins this season: .175 batting average (7-for-40); 2 doubles; 1 HR; 1 RBI; 2 walks; 8 strikeouts; 0 stolen bases). He logged his 3,037th hit Monday night. He’ll turn 44 on October 22. Would you be shocked if he plays another year or two in his native Japan?
BASKETBALL SEASON CAN’T COME SOON ENOUGH AT SYRACUSE
Coach Dino Babers’ Syracuse University football team figures to score lots of points this fall, but opponents likely will score a whole lot more.
ESPN’s Post-Spring Football Rankings, by David M. Hale, have the Orange 123th in the 14-team Atlantic Coast Conference: Florida State...Clemson...Miami...Louisville...North Carolina State...Georgia Tech...Pittsburgh...Duke...Virginia Tech...Wake Forest...North Carolina...Boston College...Syracuse...Virginia.
Writes Hale, “The defense is still young and until we see evidence the Orange are ready to stop a few teams on that side of the ball, it’s hard to be overly enthusiastic about the progress of the offense. We love (quarterback) Eric Dungey and Dino Babers’ system should put up points, but in the brutally tough ACC, that may not be enough.”
Optimistic note: SU opens at home vs. Central Connecticut State and is almost guaranteed to start 1-0.
SHORT SHOTS
Two current New York Yankees have led a major league in runs-batted-in for a season – Matt Holliday 137 RBI for the Colorado Rockies (NL) in 2007 and (surprise) Chase Headley 115 RBI for the San Diego Padres (NL) in 2012.
The eight teams in the American Hockey League Calder Cup conference semifinals (Calder Cups in parentheses): Hershey Bears (11)...Chicago Wolves (2)...Grand Rapids Griffins (1)...Providence Bruins 1 (the city won 4 others as the Reds)..Toronto Marlies (0)...Syracuse Crunch (0)...San Diego Gulls (0)...San Jose Barracuda (0).
Rochester Rattlers goalie John Galloway is Major League Lacrosse’s Gatorade Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in a 12-11 overtime victory over last Saturday over the Ohio Machine. It was his debut this season. The Rattlers (1-1) host the Charlotte Hounds Thursday, 7:30 p.m., at Capelli Sport Stadium.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Wednesday, May 10 – Tyus Jones (21)....Salvador Perez (27)...Wilson Chandler (30)...Ryan Getzlaf (32)...Samuel Dalembert (36)...Helio Castroneves (42)...Mikael Andersson (51)...Rony Seikaly (52)...Randy Cunneyworth (56)...Dan Schayes (58)...Chris Berman (62)...Jim Zorn (64). Bono (57) is invited to the birthday party.
Thursday, May 11 – Miguel Sano (24)...Cody Kessler (24)...Maurice Harkless (24)...Cam Newton (28)...Jeremy Maclin (29)...Brad Marchand (29)...Matt Leinart (34)...Lauren Jackson (36)....Corey Fuller (46)...Chris Mohr (51)...Mike Lupica (65)..former AHL star and Amerks coach Billy Inglis (74).