Saturday, March 03, 2007

NHL: Isles get Smyth for deal of deadline

There were several moves made in the NHL at the trading deadline, with some teams bulking up for the post season and others unloading unhappy players and unsignable free agents.
Among the best deals to emerge from the deadline was the New York Islanders' acquisition of the Edmonton Oilers captain, Ryan Smyth.
Smyth has been the heart and soul of the Oilers for 10 years. He's scored fewer than 20 goals just twice in his career, has scored more than 20 goals four times, and has scored more than 30 goals four times as well, including this season (31 and counting).
He has totaled 50-60 points four times, 60-plus points three times, and scored 70 points once, in the 2000-'01 campaign. Smyth has also tallied at least 10 power-play goals seven times in his career.
Smyth is a great playmaker, as he proved in his Long Island debut, assisting on the Islanders' first goal and playing a big part in their second, even though he wasn't credited with an assist.
There have been kudos from coast to coast and in both Canada and the U.S. praising New York General Manager Garth Snow for pulling off the seemingly impossible.
The Islanders have had their most competitive season in several years, and Snow rewarded his club by adding Smyth, as opposed to past years when Islanders fans watched more and more talent shipped out of Uniondale come trade-deadline time.
With the addition of Smyth and fellow veteran winger Richard Zednik, the Islanders proved that they are out to prove something this year, and bringing Smyth to Long Island just may be the best move of the deadline.

Friday, March 02, 2007

NBA: Time for Thomas to let Lee run wild

I understand that Channing Frye is a local product and a fan favorite, being from White Plains and all, and the Knicks once again don't want to eat crow about another unsuccessful draft pick, but it's time for Isiah Thomas to realize that David Lee is a better player than Channing Frye, hands down, and the numbers more than prove it.
Compared side by side, look at the numbers. They are both the same age, 23; Frye is 6'11", Lee is 6'9". But Frye is one pound lighter than Lee, and it shows. Frye is a nice player, but he doesn't intimidate anyone inside, and he has a soft interior game.
Frye is averaging just under 26 minutes per game, 10 points, and five-and-a half boards.
Lee is averaging just under 31 minutes per contest, and is dropping in 11.2 points and grabbing 10.7 rebounds.
Lee is a nightmare for opponents in the paint, and his play lifts the team's energy level and spells havoc for the opposition. He is instant offense, as he comes in off of the bench time after time, and is usually in double digits in both points and boards after he's been in the game just 10 minutes.
Frye doesn't offer that. He doesn't fight for the ball in a crowd like Lee does, nor does he have that "refuse to be boxed out" mentality that Lee shows under the glass. Not only does David Lee do that (dive for balls), but when he does, he's often more successful than not.
Lee has missed four straight games due to an ankle injury and five out of six. His last game was against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 23, when he recorded 10 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes. In his last game before that, against Orlando on Feb. 20, he scored 14 points and hauled in 16 boards in 36 minutes.
But for some reason, he still doesn't get the start.
I understand the importance of a sixth man. It is something that championship clubs rely on. It is often the final missing piece of a puzzle for a team that has everything else. So, I understand the affect that Lee has coming off of the bench.
But, at the same time, unless I missed something, the Knicks are not at the point where they are missing just one piece of the puzzle. This is a team that struggles to win each and every night, regardless how good or pathetic the opponent is. They need Lee's energy from the opening tip-off, not coming off of the bench when they need a boost midway through, or when a starter gets into foul trouble.
Knicks fans have been complaining during recent years that the only position that the club has taken seriously when it comes to acquisitions, is at guard. With Starbury, Franchise, Crawford, and Robinson, New York has reached its guard quota, and is in good shape.
The problem has been in the paint.The Knicks finally have some light at the end of their power forward tunnel, and that light is David Lee, who shot 14-for-14 and won the game's Most Valuable Player award in the Rookie-Sophomore game at the NBA All-Star Weekend last month. If Isiah doesn't see that, then he just might get hit by that oncoming subway car.




NHL: Isles and Pens shaking up East

As the NHL season enters its final quarter of the regular season, there are two teams in the East that haven't made much noise in recent years, but plenty of people are paying attention to them now: the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In the new calendar year, there aren't any two teams that have been hotter.
Since January 18, when the Islanders won in Philadelphia by a score of 4-2, New York has a record of 11-2-5 in 18 games. This means that they came away with at least one point in 16 of 18, and took 27 of a possible 36 points over the stretch. The Islanders have haven't lost two consecutive game in regulation play since January 15 and 16, when they dropped one game at home against the Lightning and another in Pittsburgh, and they have jumped from being 12th in the conference to their current No. 7 spot.
At No. 7, New York has amassed 73 points in 64 games played. Atlanta is No. 6, with one more game played at 65 and just one more point than the Isles with 74. The Penguins have a firm grasp on the No. 5 position, as they have four more points than New York, 77, and have played two games less.
The Islanders are not just hot, but with the recent additions of right winger Richard Zednik and the Edmonton Oilers' heart and soul, captain Ryan Smyth, New York has positioned itself to make a strong push this coming spring.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been just as hot as New York, if not hotter. Since January 13, when they won at Philly 5-3, breaking a three-game losing streak, the Pens have gone 16-3-2 in 21 games, have taken 34 of a possible 42 points, and did not lose back-to-back games, in regulation or overtime, until this past week, when they dropped a 5-1 decision at Tampa, and followed that with a tough 1-0 home loss against the first-place New Jersey Devils.
The Penguins have truly been the talk of the league this season, and understandably so, as young sensations Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal have meshed terrificly with veterans like Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts, and they have kept Pittsburgh in the thick of the hunt all year.
It looks as though the Penguins will hold on to second place in the Atlantic Division, with the Devils playing great hockey and probably out of Pittsburgh's reach, as Pittsburgh is most likely out of the reach of the Islanders. They're in fifth place in the conference, and barring a collapse by them or the teams in front of them, they will likely be right there at No. 5 come playoff time.
Now, combined with the addition of a tough guy like Georges Laraque, Pittsburgh could be close to returning to the glory days of Mario and Jaromir.