Timmy Needs Help! Queen James Will Have To Wait!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

THOMAS NEEDS HELP:

Talk is cheap.

Vancouver Canucks’ goaltender Roberto Luongo can take as many verbal shots at Bruins’ goalie Tim Thomas as he wants but it doesn’t matter.

What matters now is winning.

For the Boston Bruins, that means taking care of business tonight at home in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals which would send the series back to Vancouver for a winner-take-all game 7 Wednesday night.

The Canucks need only win one more game. No doubt they would love to finish of the B’s tonight at the TD Garden to avoid a pressure-packed 7th and deciding game.

The unfortunate part for the Bruins is that they have outplayed the Canucks for most of the series yet they still trail it 3 games to 2.

The B’s dominated the Canucks twice so far in Boston and have played them evenly in Vancouver 3 times. The problem is, they have wasted 3 excellent performances by Tim Thomas on the road.

Boston’s net minder has given up a total of 5 goals in 3 games north or the border. That’s a 1.67 goals against average. He has stopped 87 of the 92 shots he has faced in Vancouver for a save percentage of .946.

In Boston, Thomas has been even more impressive giving up a grand total of 1 goal in 2 games for a 0.50 goals against average. He turned away 78 of the 79 shots he faced in those two contests for an ungodly save percentage of .987.

In fact, Tim Thomas has been so good in this series that he may very well win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs even if the Bruins lose the series.

Only 4 players from losing teams have won the Conn Smythe, 3 of them being goaltenders. The last to win it from a losing team was Jean-Sebastien Giguere for Anaheim back in 2003. He finished the playoffs that year with a 1.62 goals against average and save percentage of .945.

To this point in the playoffs, Thomas has compiled a goals against average of 2.07 and a save percentage of .937. Both of those figures are tops in the league amongst the goaltenders for all 16 teams that qualified for the playoffs.

The Bruins certainly hope that Thomas wins the award as a member of the winning team in the Stanley Cup Finals. But, for that to happen, the offense will put a lot more pressure on Luongo who will break if the pressure is strong enough.

That means that Boston may have to be more aggressive than they would normally be. Defensemen must pinch when given the opportunity even if it means giving up the occasional odd man rush. For there is no tomorrow for the Bruins. It’s win and advance to game 7 or lose and go home.

It all starts tonight in Boston.

FROM WORST TO FIRST:

It’s hard to believe that the Boston Red Sox are where they are right now considering where they were in the first two weeks of the season.

Boston started the season 0-6 after one week and 2-10 after the first two weeks. They were the proud owners of the worst record in all of Major League Baseball.

Now? The Sox are 39-26 and the proud owners of the best record in the American League. They are a half game behind Philadelphia for the best record in all of baseball. What a difference 8 weeks makes!

The biggest difference in the Red Sox of these past 8 weeks is the offense. Boston bats are pounding opposing pitchers like we thought they would when this line-up was put together in the offseason.

Adrian Gonzalez leads the American League in batting average (.341) and RBI (60). He’s also belted 13 homeruns.

After hitting .155 in the month of April, Carl Crawford batted .304 in May and is hitting .302 this month bringing his average up to .246.

A lot was expected this season from Kevin Youkilis (.264 9 HR 42 RBI) and Dustin Pedroia (.262 5 HR 28 RBI), but they have had average starts to the season thus far.

The two guys who have really surprised us with their torrid starts are Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz.

Ellsbury has been the quintessential lead-off man for Boston batting .318 with an on-base percentage of .376. He has also hit for power belting 7 homeruns while driving in 33 and has stolen a league-leading 24 bases.

Ortiz, meanwhile, appears as if he has discovered the fountain of youth. Big Papi is batting .325 with a team-best 17 homeruns and 43 RBI and he’s hitting the ball well to all fields.

What’s most impressive about Ortiz this season is that his strikeout percentage (.118) is one of the lowest in all of baseball. He strikes out only once in about every 10 at bats.

Who needs Manny anyway?

LEBRON SHAME:

He couldn’t win an NBA Championship in Cleveland because he didn’t have a good enough supporting cast. Isn’t that what we were told when LeBron James made his self-aggrandizing choice of “taking his talents to South Beach?”

What’s his excuse this morning? Is Dwyane Wade not good enough? How about Chris Bosh? Maybe it’s Eric Spoelstra’s fault.

Here’s a better idea “King James;” take a look in the mirror!

His fourth quarter performance in the NBA Finals was fit for a queen not a king!

No one doubts the talent of LeBron James. He is one of the most gifted and athletic players the NBA has ever seen. And he’s capable of winning a lot of games. But is LeBron James a champion?

Not yet!

Maybe if he and Dwyane Wade spent a little less time poking fun at a true winner like Dirk Nowitzki, they would be celebrating one of their supposed 7 NBA championships that they claimed they would win in Miami together.

If James hadn't gone through that dog & pony show of picking Miami last offseason, the criticism of him would be much quieter than it is today. But HE put the bulls eye on his back.

Wait til next year LeBron!

The comparisons to Michael Jordan are asinine! Jordan won 6, count them, 6 NBA titles. LeBron has won 0. That’s zilch, zippo, none, nada.

Enough said!