The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs couldn't have worked out much better for the Penguins. Consider:
--They won in five games, which gives them time to rest before the next round begins.
--From a business standpoint, they got revenue from three home games without incurring the expense and inconvenience of a second road trip.
--They welcomed back Evgeni Malkin from an extended injury absence and successfully worked him into the lineup.
--They won a playoff series using their No. 2 and 3 goaltenders exclusively. Even if Marc-Andre Fleury returns soon, the organization knows his back-ups won't be afraid of the playoffs.
--There were no new injuries (at least none that have been reported in the super-secret hockey environment).
Coaches always say there's no carryover from the regular season, good or bad, but there may have been in this case.
The Penguins' second half surge included three wins over the Rangers in which they solved goalie Henrik Lundqvist. It's impossible to believe that success didn't play a role in what happened in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, after many missteps, general manager Jim Rutherford is having something of a dream existence. When he's had a chance to do things over, he's done them right.
--Mike Johnston was a mistake; Mike Sullivan changed the entire culture and will deservedly get consideration for the coach of the year award.
--Signing Rob Scuderi was a bad move; trading him for Trevor Daley was a great move.
--Acquiring David Perron didn't pay off; dealing him for Carl Hagelin did.
The Penguins' playoff future still hinges on the availability of Fleury. If he makes it back soon, it's not hard to envision a long postseason run.
You know it's a good season when fans are heading the games in shorts and jerseys.
---
--ON THE CLOCK
Leave it to MLB to mess up the best of intentions.
Concerned about increasing game times, MLB regularly tries to add some speed-up rules.
The latest is a 25-second clock that runs when a pitching coach visits the mound. However, spies report discrepancies in when the clock starts ticking. In some parks, it's been activated as soon as the coach leaves the dugout. There have been instances when the 25 seconds started when the coach crossed the foul line. There's been at least one occasion where the clock started when the coach reached the mound.
The whole thing is pointless. Teams are only permitted one "free" visit per inning. A pitching change is mandatory on the second trip to the mound.
Meanwhile, the catcher is free to visit the mound as often as he wants to. Remember Russell Martin's frequent consultations?
Umpires have traditionally done an effective job of keeping coaches from lingering on visits.
For all of this silliness, MLB has added the expense of installing clocks and hiring people to operate them.
The only way to foul it up more would be to make the timing subject to replay review.
---
--GOOD ADDITION
Good move by Root Sports to add former Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik to its studio crew for Pirates game.
Zduriencik, who once worked for the Pirates, has a diverse background in the game as a scout, minor league administrator and GM. Even better, he was involved in baseball as a GM as recently as last August, so he's familiar with current personnel in the game.
He's also doing some fill-in work on the flagship radio station's extended pre-game show alongside Dan Zangrilli.
---
--WRONG FORMULA
Chris Colabello of the Toronto Blue Jays was suspended for 80 games after he tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.
Colabello was batting .069 at the time of the announcement.
If he's actually guilty, he could make a case to get his money back from the pharmacy.
No comments:
Post a Comment