Eastern Conference Playoff Previews

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (8) New York Islanders

For the Penguins to Win: Simply put, utilize their high-octane offense. Even without Sidney Crosby, this Penguins’ hockey club can put the puck in the net with guys like Chris Kunitz, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Pascal Dupuis, and Kris Letang. The team’s offense is absolutely lethal and if used the right way, should be able to absolutely pound the Islanders’ young defensive corps.

For the Islanders to Win: Play loose. Going into this series, there is absolutely no pressure on this Islanders’ team. With guys like John Tavares, Matt Moulson, Brad Boyes, Kyle Okposo, Michael Grabner, and Frans Nielsen, the Islanders can score goals, play a high-tempo game and even put a scare into opponents that are greater than them.

Match-up to Watch: The Penguins’ offense vs. the Islanders’ defense. There is a good chance that the young Islanders’ defensive corps will be under siege a lot in this series so it will be interesting to see how they can handle the Penguins’ high-powered offense.

Big Question: Does Sidney Crosby make his return to the ice in this series?

Best Bet: Penguins in five.

(2) Montreal Canadiens vs. (7) Ottawa Senators

For the Canadiens to Win: The team must forget about the last few weeks of the season. During this time, the Canadiens were sloppy, struggled to win hockey games and did not look like a playoff hockey game. The Canadiens must remember how they played in their last two regular season games, both wins over the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canadiens have a lot of skilled hockey players that must come together at the right time to produce on a consistent basis to get this team to the second round for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

For the Senators to Win: Senators’ goaltender Craig Anderson must continue to play the way he did in the regular season. Anderson finished the regular season with a 12-9-2 record with a 1.69 GAA, a .936 save percentage and three shutouts. He has played well in the playoffs before so there is no reason why he will not be able to do it again. The team also must find ways to put the puck in the net. The Senators were 27^th in the league in terms of goals scored this season and come playoff time, goals will be a lot harder to come by.

Match-up to Watch: The match-up between goaltender Carey Price of the Canadiens and the Senators’ Anderson is going to determine who wins this series. When they want to, the Canadiens’ can put a lot of pucks on net and create a lot of pressure on opposing netminders. While the Senators’ offence was quiet in the regular season, they still have guys like Daniel Alfredsson, Kyle Turris, Milan Michaelk and a few others who can create offense and make life tough for Price.

Big Question: Will the Senators’ offence be able to survive without Jason Spezza?

Best Bet: Canadiens in six.

(3) Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers (6)

For the Washington Capitals to Win: Team captain and Rocket Richard winner Alex Ovechkin is going to have to play like he did during the regular season. Ovechkin topped the league with 32 goals, 16 of them coming on the power play. If Ovechkin manages to play with the swagger and man on a mission type attitude in this series, he could make life extremely tough on both the Rangers’ defense and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

For the New York Rangers to Win: Much like he did all regular season, Lundqvist is going to need to be at his absolute best. The Capitals have a lot of offense depth and were a team that finished fourth in the league in goals scored. If Lundqvist can keep the Capitals at bay and the team can get some timely goal scoring from the likes of Rick Nash, Derek Stepan, Ryan Callahan, Brad Richards and Derrick Brassard, the Blueshirts might be able to win this series.

Match-up to Watch: Lundqvist vs. Capitals’ goaltender Braden Holtby. In the second round of the postseason last year, both of these netminders put on a heck of a show. Will they be able to pull off a repeat performance in this year’s playoffs?

Big Question: Which Richards will the Rangers’ have in this series? The one that struggled with confidence for most of the season or the one that played well down the stretch and produced on a consistent basis?

Best Bet: Rangers in seven.

(4) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Toronto Maple Leafs

For the Bruins to Win: The team will need to play to their identity. When all is right in the Bruins’ world, the Bruins can score, play a physical brand of hockey and get terrific goaltending from Tuukka Rask. With forwards like Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin, David Krejci and Milan Lucic, pucks will be thrown on the net and these guys will crash the net for loose pucks and rebounds. If the team can gets its offense going, it could end up being a relative short series in a good way for Beantown.

For the Leafs to Win: Goaltender James Reimer is going to need to play the best hockey he has ever played. Reimer was terrific for the Leafs in 33 games this season, going 19-8-5 with a 2.46 GAA, a .924 save percentage and four shutouts. Reimer also played well in two appearances against the Bruins this year as he went 1-1 and stopped 64 of 67 shots. If he can play that way against the Bruins on hockey’s biggest stage and the Leafs can get a ton of production from the likes of Joffrey Lupul, Phil Kessel, Nazem Kadri and James Van Riemsdyk, the Leafs might be able to steal a series.

Match-up to Watch: Bruins’ defenseman Zdeno Chara vs. Leafs’ defenseman Dion Phaneuf. These two big blue liners can hit, produce and strike fear into their opponents. It will be interesting to see what happens when their respective clubs go head to head in this first round series.

Big Question: What kind of goaltending performance will the Bruins’ get from Rask?

Best Bet: Bruins in five.

  

The Failing 5 - April 29, 2013

After releasing the first installment of The Power 10 last Monday, a friend of mine suggested that I do a similar ranking of 5 disappointing teams – I give you The Failing 5. 

Most teams have played about 25 games to date, and while that obviously doesn’t make or break a season, some of these teams have raised major red flags that need to be addressed before the hole becomes too deep.

Just as I did for The Power 10, these rankings were determined by a combination of preseason expectations and actual performance.  This will not be a ranking of the 5 worst teams in baseball, but will instead focus on teams that aren’t meeting expectations – I don’t think anyone wants to read about the Astros and Marlins all season long. 

Needless to say, you don’t want your team showing up on this list:

Team	Win – Loss	Run Differential
#1 – Toronto Blue Jays	9-17	-35
Boy, where do I begin with this debacle? It’s going to start getting late early in Toronto. They have gone 1-6 vs. the Yankees this season, so I have had the opportunity to see them a great deal in the early going – and they totally fail the eye test on every level. They don’t hit. They certainly don’t pitch. And they have made several defensive blunders that have helped cost them games, specifically the ones against the Yanks.    5 of their 6 losses to the Yankees were by 2 runs or fewer. The Jays also had the lead in all 4 games against the Yankees this past weekend, only to get swept out of town with 4 disheartening losses. Good teams always find a way to win the close ones, and that goes opposite for bad teams - the Jays continue to find ways to lose, which is an ominous taste of things to come this season.   What’s Going Wrong?  Everything. The Jays woke up this morning with a .229 team batting average, the Marlins are the only team in the majors that’s worse; Melky Cabrera’s .250 average leads the starters, and Joey Bats is coming in below the Mendoza Line at .192.   Toronto is also 27th in the majors with a 4.46 team ERA – a bad thing to combine with their early-season offensive struggles. Their starting pitching has been especially brutal, with R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Brandon Morrow, and J.A. Happ leading a starting rotation that has a 5.26 ERA. Disgusting.
#2 – Los Angeles Angels	9-15	-22
Last Monday the Angels were fresh off a weekend sweep of the Tigers and appeared ready to put their early-season struggles behind them. Then came a 2-5 stretch against division rivals Texas and Seattle, pushing them right back into their funk.   They are 3-9 on the road this season, and 5-11 vs. their division rivals in the AL West. Things don’t get easier this week with series’ against Oakland and Baltimore.   What’s Going Wrong? The major culprit for this slow start has been the pitching – which was a major concern coming into the season. The Angels have a team ERA of 4.72, which is 2nd worst in the majors. The starting rotation is seriously feeling the loss of Jered Weaver, posting a collective ERA of 5.18 ERA – and Weaver is still 3-4 weeks away from returning. Joe Blanton and Jason Vargas are a combined 0-7 in 10 starts.   Offensively they are ranked 4th in the majors with a .267 average, but this is deceiving since they are only hitting .220 with runners in scoring position. This futility is led by Josh Hamilton’s .091 average in such situations (2-22).   The Angels also lead the American League in errors.
#3 – Los Angeles Dodgers	12-12	-14
Over the past week the Dodgers have done their best to erase the stench of a 6-game losing streak, going 5-2 to climb back to .500. But the issues are still there. With the senseless loss of Zack Greinke still fresh in their minds, Chad Billingsly went and blew out his elbow and will miss the rest of the season. The Dodgers will spend the remainder of the first half heavily relying on the already-questionable health of Ted Lilly and Chris Capuano to stabilize the rotation led by the stellar Clayton Kershaw. It’s time for Josh Beckett to step up.   What’s Going Wrong? In addition to being victimized by the injury bug, the Dodgers simply are not scoring runs – they have plated just 80 in 24 games, only Miami has fewer. They are hitting a ghastly .206 with runners in scoring position – with Matt Kemp coming in at just .143 in such situations (4-28).   Dodger Stadium is certainly not hitter-friendly, but this offense must improve on its 29th-ranked slugging percentage.
#4 – Cleveland Indians	9-13	-10
There was some real excitement in Cleveland heading into the regular season, with Terry Francona at the helm and several offseason acquisitions brought in to give this team a new feel after so many years of mediocrity. Unfortunately, the team has put too much faith in a rotation that will never live up to expectations. Their bullpen has been solid, but the rotation will absolutely cripple the Indians from making any kind of serious run.   What’s Going Wrong? Surprise! The rotation. Period. Cleveland starters enter today with a collective ERA of 5.53. The face of this futility is Ubaldo Jimenez, who has gotten off to an absolutely atrocious start (0-2 with a 10.06 ERA in 4 starts). Justin Masterson has been the lone bright spot for this group, posting a 4-2 record in his 6 starts with an ERA of 3.12. The rest of the rotation is 2-11 in 16 games. Only bottom-dwellers Houston and San Diego have less than the 9 quality starts the Indians have had.
#5 – Seattle Mariners	11-16	-32
The Mariners kinda flew under the radar in the offseason, focusing on taking flyers on power bats like Michael Morse, Kendrys Morales, Raul Ibanez, and Jason Bay to help improve their futile offense. So far, it hasn’t worked. Seattle still ranks 25th or worse in average, on base percentage, slugging, and runs scored. Couple the 87 runs they have scored with the 119 they have given up, and that is a recipe for an April to forget... only Toronto, Houston, and Miami have a greater negative run differential.   What’s Going Wrong? The offseason acquisitions they made have not panned out over the first month. Michael Morse got off to a blistering start with 6 HR and 9 RBI in the team’s first 9 games – but has come back to Earth, going 11-52 (.211) with 1 HR and 2 RBI in the 13 games he has played in since.    It has continued to be the same old song and dance for this offense – Dustin Ackley, where are you? The promising second baseman has a .240 average with ONE RBI in 87 at bats. Just looking up and down this paltry lineup is an eyesore: Jesus Montero (.217/2/7), Justin Smoak (.211/1/5), and Jason Bay (.229/2/5) have contributed a lineup that is hitting just .203 with runners in scoring position.   The expectations for Seattle certainly weren’t on the level of the teams above, but wherever the bar was set it will be difficult to reach it if they continue performing at this clip.

NHL: Western Conference Playoff Previews

(1)   Chicago Blackhawks vs. (8) Minnesota Wild

For the Blackhawks to Win: Simply put, the Blackhawks need to be the dominant force that they were in the regular season. With the likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and several others, this team’s offense is the most balanced in the entire NHL. The Blackhawks must use it to overpower the Wild.

For the Wild to Win: The Wild must focus on their defensive game and get timely goal scoring. During the season, the Wild were 15^th in the league in goals against so against a team like the Blackhawks, that needs to improve. Secondly, they must find a way to get goals against the league’s top defensive club. The Wild may not have the offensive depth that the Blackhawks do but they do have some guys that can put the puck in the net in guys like Zach Parise, Devin Setoguchi, and Mikko Koivu.

Match-up to Watch: In the postseason, getting points from defenseman is always looked at as an added bonus for NHL clubs. The Wild have Ryan Suter, one of their top free agent pickups over the last off-season, and the Blackhawks have Duncan Keith. Suter finished the regular season with 32 points (four goals and 28 assists) while Keith finished with 27 points (three goals and 24 assists). It will be interesting to see which one of these guys has the better series.

Big Question: Will Wild netminder Niklas Backstrom  be ready to face the offensive onslaught that will come from the Blackhawks’ high-octane offense?

Best Bet: Blackhawks in five.

(2)   Anaheim Ducks vs. (7) Detroit Red Wings

For the Ducks to Win: The Ducks will be trying to avoid a repeat of their playoff history against the Red Wings as the Red Wings have won four of their six playoff series against the Ducks dating back to their first series in 1997. This time around, however, it is the Ducks with the higher seed as the Ducks were one of the most consistent teams this season. Team head coach Bruce Boudreau has the Ducks’ offense flying with an arsenal in Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne and two good goaltenders in Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth. If the Ducks can put these two things together, they should be able to win this series.  

For the Red Wings to Win: The Red Wings almost missed the playoffs for the first time in 21 years but managed to get the seventh spot thanks to a strong final week of the season. To advance to the second round this year, the Red Wings’ offense must find a way to get going and get going early with the likes of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, and Damien Brunner while the team’s defense must find a way to step up without Nicklas Lidstrom.

Match-up to Watch: Ducks defense vs. Red Wings’ power forward Johan Franzen. Franzen has made a living wreaking havoc on opposing defenses and goaltenders by being a big and annoying presence in front of the net. The Ducks must find a way to keep Franzen away from Hiller/Fasth as well as loose pucks around the net.

Big Question: Who is going to be the man between the pipes for the Ducks? Hiller started 25 games this season while Fasth started 23, both posting very similar numbers.

Best Bet: Ducks in six.

(3)   Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) San Jose Sharks

For the Canucks to Win: The team’s offense must wake up. The Canucks finished 19^th in the league this season in goals scored despite having players like Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Alexandre Burrows, Ryan Kesler (injured for most of the season), and Mason Raymond. The Canucks need must pound pucks at Sharks’ goaltender Antti Niemi and crash the net for rebounds and loose pucks.

For the Sharks to Win: The Sharks, much like they have all season, must get an all-world goaltending performance from Niemi. Niemi was one of the league’s best goaltenders in the regular season as he went 24-12-6 with a 2.16 goals against average, a .924 save percentage and four shutouts. The team also must get consistent offense from the likes of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture, and Joe Pavelski. As these four players go, so does the rest of the Sharks’ hockey club.

Match-up to Watch: The goaltending match-up of Niemi vs. Canucks’ masked man Cory Schneider should be a dandy. Both goaltenders were solid in the regular season and both have played well in the postseason in their careers.  

Big Question: Will Thornton find a way to get rid of the stigma of just being a good player in the regular season?

Best Bet: Sharks in seven.

(4) St. Louis Blues vs. (5) Los Angeles Kings

For the Blues to Win: For the second straight season, the Blues have found their way into the postseason and once again have home ice advantage thanks to an 11-2-1 stretch to close out the season. To win this series, the Blues must find a way to play much tighter defensively than they did last year in the playoffs and this year in the regular season against the Kings in order to stop the likes of Anze Kopitar, goal-scoring machine Jeff Carter, hard-working Dustin Brown, Mike Richards and Justin Williams. If the Blues can find a way to shut these guys down while getting consistent offense from Chris Stewart, David Backes, Alex Steen, Patrik Berglund and Dave Perron, the result of this series can end up being much different than last year’s.

For the Kings to Win: For the first time in franchise history, the Kings will be playing in the playoffs as defending Cup champions. While the Blues may be the higher seed, the Kings definitely have what it takes to win this series. The Kings need to use their 10^th ranked offense to take advantage of a Blues’ club that does not score a lot of goals (17^th in the league). As can be seen above, the Blues do not have a lot of offensive depth so if the Kings can shut down the Blues’ top scorers this season, it could end up being another short series in the Kings’ favor.

Match-up to Watch: Everyone who follows hockey knows that come playoff time, goaltending matters. That is going to be the case in this series as it will more than likely be Blues’ netminder Brian Elliott vs. Kings’ netminder and Cup winner Jonathan Quick. After struggling for the first two months of the season, Elliott was clearly the league’s best goaltender in the month of April while Quick, like Elliott, has had an up and down season. The key in this match-up is that Quick has already proven he can play well in the postseason when he won the Cup last year. To win this series, Elliott must a find a way to do the same.

Big Question: Which Brian Elliott will be present in this series? Will it be the one that got off to a 3-6-1 start with terrible numbers or will it be the one that played some of his best hockey in his career to solidify the fourth spot in the Western Conference for his hockey club?

Best Bet: Kings in six.

All About Seeding for the Blueshirts

While the New Jersey Devils might not look at this afternoon's game as a meaningful one, it will be the opposite for the New York Rangers.

The Blueshirts might have clinched a playoff spot in their 4-3 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night but what is still to be decided is what spot the team will finish in. It is said that come playoff hockey time, the regular season does not matter but for the Rangers, they should do everything they can to get a higher seed.

As of this writing, the Rangers find themselves in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. That would mean that they would play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, which should be something the team should try and avoid given the Penguins' dangerous offensive arsenal and the way they have played the Blueshirts this season.

Should the Rangers beat the Devils, however, it will make things very interesting in terms of seeding. With a win, the Rangers would have 56 points,  which would give them one more point than the New York Islanders and possibly two more points than the Ottawa Senators, who take on the Philadelphia Flyers tonight and the Boston Bruins tomorrow.

If the Rangers manage to take the sixth spot, they will end up facing the Washington Capitals. The Rangers have met the Capitals in each and every postseason they have been in since 2009, with the Rangers winning one of their three series against the Caps.

Should the Rangers finish in seventh, it could mean a series with an Original Six franchise in the Boston Bruins or Montreal Canadiens. Coming into tonight's slate of games, the Bruins and Habs are tied with 61 points but the Bruins have a game in hand.

This is what is so great about this time of year for NHL fans. There are so many interesting scenarios in terms of first round match-ups and there is also a feeling of hope because of the parity that is ever present in the league.

What exactly does all of this mean for the Blueshirts in terms of this afternoon's tilt with their Hudson River rivals? It means that the team must do something they have done a lot this month and that is win a hockey game.

Now is the time for the team to finish strong and go into the playoffs feeling confident and being a tough team to play against. The Rangers may be one of the lower seeds in the East but they have a lot more to offer and a lot more potential that has yet to be reached.

What better time to reach your potential by doing so during hockey's most important time of the season.

A Positive Look at the New York Rangers

When it comes to New York Rangers' fans and the way they view their favorite hockey club, it is always an extreme point of view.

Either fans are in love and ecstatic about their hockey club or they absolutely despise and are fed up with their so called favorite NHL team. There is never a middle ground.

With two games remaining and just one win needed to clinch a postseason spot in the ever tight bottom portion of the Eastern Conference standings, it is time for a glass half full look. Believe it or not, there are things to like about this Blueshirts' hockey club.

For starters, the team has perhaps the best goaltender in the NHL in Henrik Lundqvist. For the last month or so, Lundqvist has been the team's best player and his statistics reflect that. 

In 41 games this season, Lundqvist is 22-16-3 with a 2.08 GAA (seventh in the league), a .926 save percentage (fifth in the league) and one shutout. He is always the main reason why when the Rangers' win and night in and night out, he gives his team a chance to win a hockey game.

Secondly, this team does have some offense. While the Blueshirts may not show it consistently, this club has guys that can find the back of the net and do so with some kind of regularity.

A good example of this is Rick Nash. In his first season as a Blueshirt, Nash has not disappointed with 19 goals and 21 assists for 40 points in 42 games.

Most nights, Nash does everything he can to create offense. Nash uses his size and speed to drive to the net while also not being afraid to put the puck on net as he has taken 167 shots (fifth in the league) this season.

Another good example of someone who has show some offensive consistency this season is 22-year-old Derek Stepan. Stepan is tied for the team lead with 40 points (16 goals and 24 assists) and has shown the Rangers' organization and their fans that he has the ability to be a big-time offensive player for this franchise.

Believe it or not, nine-year man Brad Richards is starting to come around. He is starting to play with some confidence, has begun to put the puck in the net and his smart on-ice vision has returned as he now has 31 points (10 goals and 21 assists).

Of course, one cannot forget about team captain Ryan Callahan. Callahan has 27 points (14 goals and 13 assists) and plays the game the right way by hustling, forechecking, backchecking, going hard to the net, sacrificing his body and playing in all situations. Not only is Callahan is the Rangers' captain, he is also their heart and soul.

Lastly, the Rangers are still one of the best defensive teams in the league. The club is fifth in the league in goals allowed and should they make the playoffs, that kind of defense could end up being a huge factor.

There is a lot to like about this Rangers' team and should they win one of their last two games against either the Carolina Hurricanes or New Jersey Devils, they will end up being a very dangerous team to play come playoff time.

Rangers' Offense Rolling into Stretch Week in the National Hockey League

Note: I know I already posted this on Sportsnet.ca but figured that this would also be a good place to share my thoughts on the Rangers' streaking offense. Enjoy.

When an NHL team has the likes of Rick Nash, Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan and Derek Stepan, one would think that they would be able to put the puck in the net with relative ease and on a consistent basis.

For much of this season, however, scoring goals has been a difficult task for the New York Rangers. With a roster that had two 40-goal scorers and three guys that had the abilities to produce in upwards of 75 points each, the Blueshirts struggled to generate quality scoring chances, cash in when they had the opportunity to do so and their play on the power play was atrocious.

It appears that after scoring 18 goals in their last three games, the Rangers’ offense, without Gaborik due to his trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets, is coming together at the right time. With three straight wins and six points under their belt, the Rangers’ offense is keeping things simple, getting lucky bounces and finding ways to score with the man advantage, three things that were lacking in the team’s first few months of the season.

In Sunday afternoon’s 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden, it was easy to see why the Rangers' offense clicked. The team got terrific play out of its big-name players, two of its youngsters are scoring like veterans and the club’s newcomers have fit right in and have helped make this Rangers’ team a lot deeper on offense.

For starters, the Rangers’ superstars are coming up big. After struggling for much of the season and playing without a lot of confidence, Richards is starting to find his way.

Against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, Richards picked-up two assists and continues his fine stretch of play in his club’s last three games. In those games, the Blueshirts’ nine-year man has seven points on four goals and three assists. In his team’s 8-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo on Friday night, Richards picked-up his first career hat trick.

Nash has also stepped up for this Rangers’ hockey club. While he did not find the scoresheet this afternoon, Nash’s play over his last few games has been steady. Nash, tied for the team-lead in scoring with 40 points (19 goals and 21 assists), picked-up five points this week on two goals and three assists while also firing eight shots on goal.

Nash has been one of the team’s driving forces on offense this season. He can dangle the puck, he goes hard to the net, is not afraid to shoot the puck and more importantly, he has been able to score goals for the team this season.

With that said, two of the Rangers’ best offensive players this season have been homegrown products. Derek Stepan is tied for the team lead in points with 40 on 16 goals and 24 assists.

Night in and night out, Stepan, just 22 years of age, is all over the puck. He hustles, he back checks, he forechecks, has great vision and this season, is showing how good he can be offensively for this Blueshirts hockey club.

Stepan is also playing some of his best hockey at the most important time of the season. In his team’s victory over the Devils two days ago, Stepan added another goal and an assist and now has six points (two goals and four assists) in his last six games.

Overall, Stepan has 31 points (13 goals and 18 assists) in his last 27 games showing that he can be more than a point-per-game player if put with the right players and in the right situations.

After Stepan, Callahan, the team’s captain, has also had a productive season and has also come through with terrific play over the last week or so. This past week, Callahan had three goals and three assists for six points and on the season, now has 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points.

Callahan plays on the team’s top power play unit, plays on a line with Stepan, and Carl Hagelin while also spending time with Nash, and is out on the ice on the team’s top penalty killing unit, where he is able to create shorthanded scoring chances. He knows how to create havoc in front of the opposing team’s goaltender, knows how to deflect shots and is usually in the right place at the right time to bang in a rebound.

The team’s newcomers on offense, Derick Brassard and Ryane Clowe, have also fit in nicely on this Rangers’ roster. In nine games as a Blueshirt, Brassard has nine points (three goals and six assists) while Ryane Clowe has seven (three goals and four assists).

The team’s power play has also been much better. After being one of the worst teams in the category for much of the season, the Rangers are now 13^th in the league and are making their power play work by keeping things simple, getting pucks to the net, and keeping guys moving around instead of staying in one position.

With just four games remaining in the regular season against non-playoff teams, look for the Rangers’ offense to continue building momentum as they look to clinch a spot in the postseason for the third straight season.

When it comes to scoring, there is no better time than the present for the Blueshirts.

The Power 10 - April 22, 2013

It’s time for the first installment of The Power 10. The Power 10 is a ranking of the MLB landscape as I see it, and will be updated every two weeks. The first rankings were determined by a combination of preseason expectations and actual performance. 

The Surprise teams of the first three weeks also met in the 2007 World Series – the Red Sox and Rockies.

Some early season underachievers include the Angels, Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Rays – all teams that I expect to be mainstays in The Power 10 at some point in the near future.

Team	Win – Loss	Run Differential
#1 – Atlanta Braves	13-5	+33
The Braves used an early 9-game winning streak to jump to the head of the pack with an impressive 12-1 record, which included a 3-game sweep in Washington. They have since cooled off by losing 4 out of 5 games, but their grip on the #1 spot remains firm.   How They Have Done It:  Led by the blistering start from newcomer Justin Upton, the Braves lead the majors with 29 home runs - more than compensating for their low team batting average of .244.    But of course, their offense takes a backseat to their league-leading 2.36 team ERA. Incredible starts by Paul Maholm and Mike Minor give the Braves 4 formidable starting pitchers to help get the ball into the hands of electric closer Craig Kimbrel.
#2 – Boston Red Sox	12-6	+31
Early series wins against the Yankees, Rays, and Jays have helped re-assert Boston’s place in the AL East. This past week they swept the Rays and Indians before losing both games of a Sunday doubleheader against KC.    How They Have Done It:  Much like Atlanta, Boston has done it with pitching. Led by an incredible start by Clay Buchholz (4-0 with a 0.93 ERA in 4 starts), Boston pitchers are second in the majors with a .218 batting average against. Jon Lester is off to a nice start in a bounce-back season.
#3 – San Francisco Giants	12-7	+7
An early season sweep of Colorado and a series win in LA helped get the champs off to a good start before a weekend sweep of division-rival San Diego helped them grab this spot. The Giants are off to a great start at home, posting a 7-2 record.      How They Have Done It:  How else to the Giants do it? Pitching, of course.  Except the pitcher you think would be responsible is certainly not.  Matt Cain’s early season struggles have been puzzling, and his 7.15 ERA is unsightly.  The Giants are also 0-4 in games he has started.    Madison Baumgarner has gotten off to a terrific start (3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in 4 starts) to lead the rotation and Tim Lincecum is off to a nice start in his bounce-back season, to help soften the blow of Cain’s rocky April. Sergio Romo leads the majors with 8 saves.
#4 – Oakland A’s	12-7	+20
After a blistering 12-4 start, including a sweep of the Angels, the A’s were humbled by the Rays this weekend, being outscored 17-4. Although their record is impressive, they have taken advantage of the putrid Astros by going 6-0 in their two early season meetings.   How They Have Done It:  Shockingly, they have done it with offense, leading the American League with 100 runs scored over their first 19 games. Coco Crisp has an unusual 5 home runs, and newcomer Jed Lowrie leads the team in average and shares the team lead in RBI. This gritty bunch has found new ways to win, which spells trouble for the American League if their pitching performs the way they did last year.
#5 – Texas Rangers	12-6	+28
Coming off a weekend pummeling of the Mariners, the Rangers start the week with a “measuring stick” series against the Angels. Series wins vs. the Angels and Rays early gave them momentum. The loss of 18-game winner Matt Harrison will make their hold on this spot difficult.   How They Have Done It:  Led by Yu Darvish, the Rangers have the lowest team ERA in the American League, second to only Atlanta in the majors. Darvish, who nearly threw a perfect game against the Astros on the season’s second day, leads the majors with 38 strikeouts in 4 starts. Fast starts by Lance Berkman and Ian Kinsler have helped anchor an offense that lost a ton of firepower in the offseason.
#6 – Cincinnati Reds	11-8	+32
The Reds hit a rough spot a few weeks ago, losing 5 games in a row to the Cardinals and Pirates, but have since responded nicely by reeling off wins in 6 of their last 7. They lead the majors with 106 runs scored and are 2nd in the majors with a +32 run differential. The Reds have also taken care of business at Great American Ballpark, posting a 10-3 record at home.   How They Have Done It:  Aside from leading the majors with 106 runs, the Reds are 2nd in the NL in Team Batting, and 5th in the NL in Team ERA. ‘DatDude Brandon Phillips is 2nd in the majors with 21 RBI, and Todd Frazier is doing his best to avoid the sophomore slump. On the other side of the ball the Reds have posted 13 quality starts in 19 games, helping soften the blow of placing Johnny Cueto on the 15-day DL.  Aroldis Chapman has been his usual dominant self at the back end of the bullpen.
#7 – Colorado Rockies	13-5	+28
Well, I don’t think any of us saw this one coming. The Rockies are off to the most surprising start of the 2013 season, and have won 8 of their past 9, including sweeps of the Mets and Padres last week. They are 8-1 at home, with their only loss coming Sunday to the Dbacks.    How They Have Done It:  The Rockies lead the majors with a .282 average and are 2nd in runs scored, but perhaps the most critical factor in their early season success has been their pitching. Yes, they have middle-of-the-road numbers, but this staff was deplorable last year. The Rockies have 11 quality starts in their first 18 games, compared to posting only 27 quality starts over the entire 2012 season! Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki, and Michael Cuddyer have gotten off to terrific starts with the sticks, and Dexter Fowler uncharacteristically leads the team with 7 homers.
#8 – St. Louis Cardinals	10-8	+22
The Cardinals have lost 3 of their past 5, but had won 7 of their previous 9 games prior to help them get off to a fast start.    How They Have Done It:  Slow starts by David Freese and Allen Craig have forced them towards the bottom of the league in team batting average, but they’re still scoring runs – their 93 ranks them 5th in the majors. On the other side of the ball, Adam Wainwright (3-1 with a 2.48 ERA) has anchored a rotation that ranks 3rd in the NL in team ERA and has posted 4 team shutouts.
#9 – Washington Nationals	10-8	-14
After getting out of the gate quick with a 7-2 start, the Nationals have dropped 6 of their past 9, including being swept at home by the Braves. Their schedule does not do them any favors, as their next 11 games are against the Cardinals, Reds, and Braves.  Ryan Zimmerman, who has gotten off to a brutal start, was also placed on the 15-day DL this weekend.   How They Have Done It:  Offensively, it’s Bryce Harper. Bryce has come out of the gate on a tear, with 7 homers and a .369 average through the first 65 at bats of his sophomore season. Their pitching has been a mixed bag so far – Gio Gonzalez has been terrible. Dan Haren has been worse. They have even lost 3 of the 4 games started by Stephen Strasburg. However, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler have stepped up to keep this team where they belong, which is a testament to the depth they carried going into the regular season and the reason why most feel they will be near the top of the league all season.
#10 – Detroit Tigers	9-9	+6
After trading wins and losses through their first 10 games, the Tigers raised the stakes a bit over their last 8 by following a 4-game winning streak with a 4-game losing streak.  They play in arguably the worst division in baseball, but they absolutely cannot win a championship without a closer.  As it stands now, they have 3 different relievers sharing the team lead in saves, with 1.   How They Have Done It:  Cabrera and Fielder are the lifeblood of this offense, and have both gotten off to blistering starts in the middle of the lineup. In fact, they have accounted for 39 of the 79 runs the Tigers have scored. Perhaps the best surprise for Detroit has been the addition of Torii Hunter to the top of this lineup. With Hunter leading the team in average, hits, and on base percentage, he has told everyone that the cushiest place to bat in baseball is #2 in front of Miguel and Prince.