14. May 2008 by critter.

The Penguins steamrolled over the Flyers once again last night, 4 - 1.  Marian Hossa leading the way once again with 2 goals, continuing the proof of how important trade deadline deals can really make or break an NHL team as they make their playoff push.  The Pens looked unstoppable as they racked up 2 goals within 2 minutes of each other, just 7 minutes into the game; giving every Philly fan a sense that the season is over.  Luckily Philly was able to get a junk goal a couple of minutes later, but you could still tell a comeback wouldn’t be easy.

 From that point, Pittsburgh’s offensive punch cooled off as they let their extremely underrated defense take care of the job.  The Flyers controlled a good amount of the action in the last two periods, but overall were only able to put 17 shots on net (most of them coming from along the boards and the borders of the zone.  Without any close and direct pressure on Fleury, it was an open and shut case.

 NHL “savior” Sidney Crosby quietly put 2 more points on his playoff tally sheet, assisting and setting up some great plays.

 I wouldn’t be surprised if Philly could bounce back and save some face with a game 4 win, but I wouldn’t exactly expect it either. 

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14. May 2008 by gchacko.

Mitch Lawrence of The Daily News is reporting that new head coach Mike D’Antoni has already begun pushing Donnie Walsh into attempting former players that fit better into his system, specifically Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa. Diaw and Barbosa have reportedly fallen out of the favor of Suns’ management. D’Antoni would reportedly like to offer Stephon Marbury and his expiring ($22 million) contract as the centerpiece of the deal.

In other reports…
The Knicks don’t currently have the type of point guard that Mike D’Antoni needs to run his offense, but they could swing a deal with the Raptors to fill that void, according to The National Post…Jamal Crawford is the kind of slashing guard that Toronto has lacked, and could help keep defenses honest in the paint and on the perimeter.

Last but not least…
Herb Williams, the ultimate survivor, probably will survive another coaching change. A source told The Post Mike D’Antoni likely will keep Williams on his assistant staff.

Posted in Knicks, NBA | No Comments »