The cold winter has passed and spring has sprung. Hope is in the air. Draft weekend is here football fans. No more mock drafts, predictions, or rumors. Tonight, your team is on the clock. What better time than now to bring “No Huddle” out of its offseason hiatus. Before the draft clock starts ticking in Philadelphia, let’s take a look at the top storylines heading into the first round of the draft.

Cleveland Wavering on the Top Pick?

This year brings us a decent amount of mystery at the top of this draft. A few days ago, it looked like Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett and Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas were locked in as the top-two picks in the draft. In true draft week fashion, that might not be the slam-dunk we once thought.

Now, rumors are swirling that the Browns might be looking to take North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with the number one overall pick. Could that be a smokescreen to entice a team like the Jets to offer a king’s ransom to move up and grab a much-needed signal caller? Who really knows.

The Browns enter this draft with 11 picks, two of them in the first round (1 and 12). It’s no secret that Cleveland has a ton of work to do with its roster after a one-win season in 2016-17. Realistically, unless they get an offer similar to what the Rams gave up last season to move up to number one (two firsts, two seconds, and two thirds), Cleveland should keep this pick.

While reports seem to indicate that Garrett is “still likely” going to be the pick for Cleveland, owner Jimmy Haslam could throw that plan out the window. There is no guarantee that the Browns will be able to get a quarterback with the number 12 pick either. Ultimately this should make for some drama over the next few hours.

No Offense, It Could Be a Defensive First Round

An interesting dynamic in the first round this year could be the bevy of strong defensive players that are available. Across the seemingly endless number of mock drafts, this looks to be a first round that will lean towards defense over offense. Part of that is due to this being one of the weaker draft classes for offensive linemen.

Barring the Browns going with Trubisky at number one, the first three picks could all be on the defensive side of the football. In total, anywhere from 16-20 picks in this round could be defensive players. This is a draft that is packed to the gills with game changers. Jamal Adams is a hot name on draft boards as the top of a ridiculous class of defensive backs, which is being tabbed as the deepest position in the entire draft.

As the saying goes, “offense wins games, defense wins championships.” The defensive players at the top of this draft can go a long way to help your team climb to the top of the mountain.

Running Backs in Vogue

It’s funny how quickly things change in the NFL. A few years ago, teams were crazy if they picked a running back in the first round. It’s the position with one of the highest turnover rates in the league. That volatility gave many teams pause in selecting a running back because the rate of return was not as high compared to other positions.

Then Ezekiel Elliott ran wild over the NFL last season. Dallas took the former Ohio State star with the fourth pick in the draft and hit the jackpot. It could be the exception to the rule in the modern NFL, but did change the perception that a running back was not a smart pick in the first round.

This season presents us with the potential for three running backs to go in the first round (possibly four according to NFL Network’s Mike Mayock). Each of those top three are completely different players as well.

LSU running back Leonard Fournette is the bruiser of this trio and could be off the board somewhere in the top-five. He has drawn comparisons to Adrian Peterson and Bo Jackson in the past. In a power scheme, he could wreak havoc between the tackles. This is the type of player you can lean on to carry the ball 25 times a game and give your offense a nasty edge.

A versatile skill set is a great thing to have in the NFL. The most versatile player of this running back trio is Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey. A Heisman runner-up in the 2015-16 season there is a lot to love about McCaffrey. Seen as a potential “four-down” player, he can line up in the backfield or in the slot while being your return man on special teams. Another thing that has helped his draft stock is coming from the “pro-style” Stanford offense.

The final player of this trio comes with a bit of baggage, which has made his draft stock a bit uncertain. Regardless, Florida State’s Dalvin Cook has the look of a bonafide first round pick. He is an explosive talent that can run between the tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield. Cook is in the mold of his predecessor at FSU, Atlanta running back Devonta Freeman.

Where Will Deshaun Watson Go?

One of the more intriguing situations of this first round is the fate of Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. Coming off of a stellar career and a national championship season at Clemson, Watson strangely won’t be the first quarterback off the board. That opens up a myriad of potential landing places for the Heisman runner-up from last season.

Some mock drafts have him going as high as 7^th to the Chargers and as low as 25^th to the Texans. That’s a pretty wide margin. Watson showed that he has a skill set that can help him succeed on Sundays, but is a team willing to go all-in on him. Rumors surfaced this morning that Jacksonville may be the team do so. If those rumors turn out to be untrue, be on the lookout for a team to strike a deal to move up and secure this potential franchise QB.

The Red Flag Players

Each and every season, there are players that come into the league with off-field issues. It is a factor that can turn a player from a top-10 pick into a guy who might be lucky to get taken in the first round. This season is no different for two of the potentially best defensive players in this draft.

Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster could easily been in the discussion to be selected in the top-five of this draft. However, an incident at the combine led to the NFL sending him home before the on-field testing even started. Then reports came to light that Foster tested positive for a diluted urine sample during his pre-combine drug test. To add to his PR nightmare of a draft process, the NFL declined to invite Foster to the draft.

Regardless of all of this bad press, Foster could still find himself selected in the top-ten of this draft. His tape is ridiculous. Foster led the nation’s top defense at Alabama for two seasons, and was a unanimous selection to the AP All-American team last year. When you are drawing comparisons to great linebackers like Bobby Wagner and Patrick Willis, teams are a little more open to taking a chance on you. That’s just the nature of the business.

In a slightly different situation is Michigan safety/cornerback/linebacker Jabrill Peppers. The New Jersey native came into the draft process seen as one of the most versatile defensive players in this draft. Peppers was one of the most dynamic athletes on the collegiate level who literally did everything for the Wolverines. In addition to playing three different positions on defense, he also lined up as a wildcat quarterback, wide receiver, running back, and was the primary returner.

However, it played a bit to his detriment in the eyes of pro scouts, who couldn’t figure out how he would fit in an NFL defense given a lack of statistical defensive production (one INT in three years). Despite his off the charts athleticism, his ball skills and instincts have come into question during the evaluation period. This has led to one of the most uncertain draft stocks among the players who could be drafted tonight.

One of the top draft stories this week came on Monday when it was reported that Peppers failed a drug test due to a diluted urine sample. This further adds ammunition to his detractors in the NFL community and could be the final straw that drops him out of the first round.

The Patrick Mahomes Project

We’ll finish up this first round preview with a player who could be one of the final players off the board tonight. Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes has seen his draft stock rise in the last few weeks. While he likely won’t be drafted ahead of Trubisky and Watson, there are teams who see tremendous value in Mahomes at the back end of the first round.

Mahomes has the makings of a great quarterback in the NFL , but will need time to develop behind an established quarterback. While the NFL has acquiesced to the spread offense over the past decade, the “air-raid” offense that Texas Tech runs isn’t an ideal system to prepare a QB for the NFL. Teams like Kansas City, New Orleans, and Arizona all could be potential landing spots for Mahomes. All three teams have established quarterbacks with coaches known for being “QB whisperers.”

Taken from the category of “you can’t make this up” here is what an unnamed NFC executive had to say about Mahomes in his NFL.com draft profile.

“He’s got a great arm, big balls, and he’s mobile.”

 

That’s it for me today. Be on the lookout for episode seven of the Shooting the Moon Podcast with my instant reaction to the first round of the NFL draft. I’ll also have a playoff primer for the weekend’s action in the NBA and NHL. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney, subscribe to the Shooting the Moon Podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud, and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Here we go hockey fans, we move one step closer to the Stanley Cup Finals starting tomorrow night. If the first round was any indication, we should be in for another great batch of matchups. With a few exceptions, just about every game was tight and most needed overtime to decide the contest. It has made for compelling drama each and every night.

The Western Conference is ripe for the taking right now with the top-two regular season teams, Chicago and Minnesota, eliminated early. Momentum will play a huge factor because of how close each team stacks up to each other. One series will feature the two hottest goaltenders in the NHL right now, while the other is a matchup of the new guard vs. the old guard in what should be an extremely fast paced series.

Over in the Eastern Conference, the first round didn’t provide much in terms of surprises, but that is to our benefit. Goaltending will be the difference here. One series will be one for the grinders and defensemen. The other is a matchup of the two best teams left in the playoffs, led by the NHL’s premier superstars. We could be looking at an all-Metropolitan Division final in the East. Let’s take a look at my picks and how each team stacks up to each other.

Western Conference

Nashville vs. St. Louis (Game 1, Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.)

One of the major storylines in any postseason is the run of a hot team with an equally hot goaltender. This matchup features both teams that fit that description. The two most impressive teams from the first round will square off here, and it should make for an intense, hard-hitting series. Despite the fact that both teams made quick work in their first round matchups, don’t expect this one to be a short series.

Nashville’s Pekka Rinne and St. Louis’s Jake Allen were fantastic in the first round. Whichever goaltender can channel that momentum in this series will give their team a leg up here. I would give the edge to Rinne here because he was virtually unbeatable against Chicago.

In terms of matching up stars, I can’t wait to see P.K. Subban against Victor Tarasenko. I would expect Peter Laviolette to have his best defender (Subban) on the ice any time the Tarasenko line is on the ice. Subban will have to get more involved on the offensive end though as he remains without a goal in this postseason.

I’ll be interested to see how Mike Yeo counters the Johansen-Forsberg-Arvidsson line. This was a lethal trio against Chicago, totaling 11 points and a combined +22 rating when on the ice. This will have to be the focal point for the Blues to stop a suddenly red-hot Nashville team.

Winner: Nashville in 6

 

Anaheim vs. Edmonton (Game 1, Wednesday, 10:30 p.m.)

If you like speed, this series will be for you. The Ducks and Oilers have a plethora of talented forwards, which should make for a fast-paced series. It is an intriguing matchup of an established team against the up-and-comers.

Off the bat, I have to give a slight edge to Anaheim in this series due to the fact that they took care of Calgary without much issue. Edmonton had to scratch and claw through a tough six-game series against San Jose. That may only last one game though.

As good as Anaheim played against Calgary in the first round, they needed the offense to bail them out of games late. John Gibson was good but not great at times, and needed to get pulled out of Game 3 after allowing four goals on 16 shots. Edmonton is a much better offensive team than Calgary so Gibson will need to be on his game.

The same could be said for Edmonton goaltender Cam Talbot. He was arguably better than Gibson at his best, we also saw that things can break down as well. Talbot notched two consecutive shutouts in Games 2 and 3 before getting blitzed for five goals in Game 5.

This series will come down to which goaltender can be the most consistent in net. Both teams have certainly showed they can score, especially in the clutch. The battle between Talbot and Gibson will go a long way to determining who moves one step closer to the Stanley Cup Final.

Winner: Edmonton in 7

 

Eastern Conference

Washington vs. Pittsburgh (Game 1, Thursday, 7:30 p.m.)

Folks, it doesn’t get much better than this series. The hype for this one is off the charts. Crosby vs. Ovechkin. The defending champions against the two-time President’s Trophy winners. This one has all the makings of an epic seven-game clash. The only question is will it actually happen?

Washington is arguably the best two-way team in the NHL with an elite goaltender. However, this team has criminally underachieved during the Ovechkin-era, having never advanced past the second round. There were times in the first round where it looked like Washington was in trouble. Ultimately, they righted the ship and pulled off a tough series win against a surprisingly good Toronto team. The Capitals can’t afford to have the same lapses against Pittsburgh in this series though.

With all of the talent on the ice for both teams, the more disciplined team will prevail. That means Washington will have to play a much smarter game than they did in the first round. I’m looking squarely at Capitals enforcer Tom Wilson. He has a knack for picking up penalties in bunches, and that could cause serious problems for Washington. Pittsburgh’s powerplay is not to be trifled with.

In terms of the defensive and goaltending matchups, Washington certainly has the edge over Pittsburgh. Marc-Andre Fleury was good in round one, but with his history we could just be waiting for the other shoe to drop. If he struggles against this potent Washington attack, Pittsburgh will likely be stuck with him in net. Last year’s playoff hero Matt Murray is unlikely to return in this series.

Keep an eye on the second lines in this series as well. The Rust-Malkin-Kessel line is a versatile line, and Phil Kessel has been a monster in the postseason since joining Pittsburgh. Washington will counter with the crafty Johansson-Kuznetsov-Williams line. Justin Williams has been great wherever he has gone during his illustrious career, so look for him to really mix it up against Pittsburgh’s second line.

All told, this will be a fantastic series so just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Winner: Pittsburgh in 7

 

Ottawa vs. New York (Game 1, Thursday, 7:00 p.m.)

We finish up the second round previews with what will likely be the most defensive series of the entire round. Both teams like to grind down their opponents and pick their spots offensively. This won’t be a showcase of elite skill, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a great series.

The main storyline heading into this series is the Rangers facing an old friend in Derick Brassard. New York dealt Brassard to Ottawa in the offseason for Mika Zibanejad and a second round pick in 2018. Brassard was New York’s top goal scorer in 2015-16, so the trade came as a bit of a surprise last July. Both teams have benefitted from the move, so this will be an interesting subplot.

Similar to the first round, I think that this series will come down to the play of Henrik Lundqvist in net for the Rangers. Much was made about his apparent “down year” in the regular season, but he looked great against Montreal. If he continues to play like the “King Henrik” we’ve come to expect, New York should be in a great position to move onto the Eastern Conference final.

Winner: New York in 6

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with “No Huddle” to preview the NFL Draft. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook. Also head on over to iTunes and SoundCloud to subscribe to the Shooting the Moon Podcast, I’ll have a new episode up towards the end of the week.

Happy Monday everyone! Another busy weekend of playoff action is in the books and it was incredible to say the least. The first round of the NBA playoffs kicked into another gear as we enter this week with multiple matchups tied up at two games apiece. Over in the NHL it was time to take care of business as all five matchups finished up over the past two days. There is a lot to get to so here are my top takeaways from the weekend.

NHL: Working Overtime to Take Care of Business

It doesn’t get any better than the high drama in the NHL over the weekend. Do or die overtime in elimination games. I’ve got goosebumps just typing that sentence. We entered the weekend with five matchups left in the first round, and now we are moving on to the second round.

No real surprises this weekend, and unfortunately, no Game 7’s either. Regardless, the action on the ice was heated. Out of the nine games played over the weekend, five needed overtime to decide a winner. In fact, this first round set a new record for overtime games in a single round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Every game has been fought tooth and nail. We can’t ask for much more than that.

Washington narrowly escaped two overtime games to clinch a series win despite an impressive performance from the young Toronto Maple Leafs. Ottawa used the momentum from a thrilling double overtime win on Friday night to catapult them to a Game 6 victory in overtime against Boston, winning the series 4-2. St. Louis completed its upset of Minnesota with an overtime win in Game 5.

Henrik Lundqvist won the duel of Olympic goaltenders, leading the Rangers into the second round with a 3-1 win in Game 6. One young team is still alive and kicking though as the Edmonton Oilers won a tough road game in San Jose to knock out the defending Western Conference champions.

I’ll be previewing all of the second round matchups tomorrow, but let me just say, that this has the potential to be even better than the first round.

NBA: 2-2 Sounds Like Fun

I said on the podcast last week that it has been so far so good for the NBA playoffs. Well after this weekend, we can officially upgrade that to great. Take a few crazy finishes, add some bad blood, top it off with heightened stakes, and you have a recipe for one hell of a finish to the first round.

The game of the weekend had to be Game 4 between Memphis and San Antonio on Saturday night (sorry Houston and OKC fans). It was a hard fought game that featured an impressive performance from Kawhi Leonard in a losing effort. He became the first player in NBA history to score his team’s final 15 points in the fourth quarter. Memphis stole the show though, as Mike Conley hit a runner with 4.5 second left in regulation to force overtime.

In overtime, both teams needed just about every second of the five-minute quarter to determine a winner. Leonard had the Spurs in position to push the game into a second overtime when Marc Gasol netted a runner of his own with 0.7 left on the clock to even the series for the Grizzlies. Strap yourselves in; it looks like we could be going on a hell of a ride with this series.

San Antonio-Memphis is just one of four series currently tied at 2-2 with the potential for a fifth to get knotted up tonight with Washington and Atlanta playing a pivotal Game 4. Boston took advantage of the Rajon Rondo injury to even up the series on the road against Chicago. Toronto got down and dirty to take a must-win Game 4 in Milwaukee in what can best be described as a defensive struggle. In last night’s nightcap, Utah overcame the midgame loss of Gordon Hayward (food poisoning, you really can’t make this up sometimes) to tie up its series with Los Angeles at two games apiece. I’ve got to give credit to the apparent ageless wonder, Joe Johnson, for playing hero-ball in crunch time for the Jazz.

NBA: Cleveland Sweeps Indiana; Portland and OKC on the Brink

While we jack up the intensity to 11 in those matchups, we are getting ready to bid farewell to a few teams. Cleveland completed the sweep of Indiana yesterday, using a huge third quarter from Kyrie Irving to bust open the game, before staving off a late comeback from the Pacers. This series really had some potential, but clearly Cleveland was the better team here. Indiana’s inability to finish games really cost them in this series and is why they were swept in a best-of-seven for the first time in franchise history.

Portland and Oklahoma City find themselves on the brink of elimination after a tough weekend. Despite missing Steve Kerr on the sidelines due to an illness, the Warriors took Game 3 on the road 119-113. The Trail Blazers had their opportunities to win the game, but a late surge by Golden State kept Portland out of reach. Golden State is now up 3-0 with a chance to close out the series tonight.

Over in our matchup of MVP candidates, Houston and Oklahoma City split Games 3 and 4 in impressive fashion. Both games featured incredible finishes and even better performances from James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Once again, Westbrook’s supporting cast couldn’t help out its superstar (which led to this postgame outburst). The Thunder now are now -40 when Westbrook is out of the game, which has only been 39 minutes in this series.

It’s going to be tough sledding for Oklahoma City to get back into this series with Game 5 in Houston tomorrow night. However, with the way Westbrook has played, if they can steal that game, we could have a series on our hands.

 

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a preview of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It’s also draft week so be on the lookout for the return of “No Huddle” on Wednesday. There is potentially a double-dip this week for the “Shooting the Moon Podcast” as well. It should be a busy week on the site. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

There was one question that strangely surrounded the Oklahoma City-Houston playoff series. Would the real MVP stand up? All season long there has been a constant debate over who would win the NBA’s MVP award between Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Once this playoff matchup became a reality, both sides of the debate took their places. As long as this series goes, each game will be a “referendum” on the MVP race for the casual fan. This series, and the MVP award, comes down to Harden’s efficiency versus the volume of Westbrook.

The only problem with that is the voting for the award is already over. In reality, whoever wins this award is already set in stone but we just won’t find out until after the NBA Finals. While Twitter blew up last night with hot takes about the MVP award, everyone seemed to miss the bigger point. Russell Westbrook is a hell of a player, but his style of play will never win a championship.

Was Westbrook’s regular season impressive? Yes, he averaged a triple-double on the season for the first time since Oscar Robertson and broke the single-season record for triple-doubles. Westbrook deserves a ton of credit for that and getting his team into the playoffs.

However, a Westbrook triple-double is more about style than substance. We all knew coming into the season that Kevin Durant leaving would allow Westbrook to be in total control of this offense. Westbrook was in line to put up monster numbers now that he was the only alpha dog left on the roster. Well, we were all right, but lets take a closer look at how he did it.

As the unquestioned top player on this team, Westbrook did take full control of how this offense went. He set a new record for usage rate in NBA history (41.7), topping the mark set by Kobe Bryant in 2005-06. Now you’re probably saying, “well of course, the guy averaged a triple-double.”

Usage rate is a good advanced statistic but you need to understand how it is calculated. There are a lot of stats that go into it, and I’ll link the formula here. To simplify this stat, it is a measure of how much you are attempting field goals, free throws and turning the ball over relative to the minutes you play compared to the team.

As great as Westbrook’s numbers were this season, they were inflated by the fact that he always had the ball. Now, you can argue that he needed to be like that to win with this team, and I’ll agree but it is also why I don’t believe he can win a championship with the way he plays the game. No one in the top ten in usage rate in NBA history have won a title.

Of all the career highs that were set this season, the one that concern me the most were Westbrook’s shooting numbers, specifically his attempts. Prior to this season, the most shots that he took in one season were 1,535. That number was broken, shattered, and left in the dust by the gaudy 1,941 attempts (24 attempts per game) that Westbrook took this season. Westbrook had the third-worst shooting percentage of his career in 2016-17, despite having a career best in three-point shooting.

Essentially that’s how Westbrook was able to lead the league in scoring while averaging a triple-double. Now for the assists, Westbrook didn’t have to change too much. As much as he gets the “ballhog” moniker, he only tied his career-high for assists per game this season. Granted, it was a little more difficult without KD.

In fact the assists were the most important stat to the success of the Thunder this season. Of the 42 triple-doubles Westbrook achieved this season, the Thunder were 33-9. Out of the 35 total losses that OKC had this season, 23 of those came when Westbrook didn’t surpass ten or more assists.

Then there are the rebounds, the one stat of the bunch that can be manipulated a little bit. If you watched closely, the Thunder were more inclined to set up Westbrook for defensive rebounds off of free throws to jump start the offense. That isn’t to say this is how he got all of his rebounds, but it does explain how a point guard improves from 7.8 rebounds per game in 2015-16 to 10.7 in 2016-17.

Now we can all agree that Westbrook is a great player, but why don’t I think he can win a championship? It goes back to something that I saw last night, and has been a recurring theme over the course of his career. Westbrook needs the ball to reach his full potential as a individual player. The problem is that it is also his downfall when it comes to the big stage.

Look at last night for example, because through three quarters Westbrook was fantastic. However, the fourth quarter was not so kind to Mr. Triple-Double. He had the most missed shots in a fourth quarter in 20 years. 4-for-18 from the field in the quarter eventually led to the demise of OKC as Houston caught fire in the closing moments.

Westbrook doesn’t get all the blame for this particular loss. In the six minutes that he was on the bench the Thunder were -15. Putting that aside though, this is another example of Westbrook going cold and shooting himself out of a game. It is something that he has done his entire career, and something that I believe is what caused KD to bolt to Golden State.

Durant leaving made me realize something about Westbrook, and it’s why I don’t think that he can win a championship. KD and Westbrook were an example of “the Scorpion and the Frog.” Durant is the type of player that you need to get to the Finals. As dangerous as Westbrook can be any given night, it will ultimately be to a fault, and kill your chances at a championship.

At this point, you know what you are getting when it comes to the newly crowned king of triple-doubles. He is a ball-centric point guard who needs to run the offense through him to be the best version of himself. We have already seen what he can do with an elite teammate, and the ceiling is short of an NBA championship.

 

That’s it for me today. Be on the lookout tomorrow for a new episode of the Shooting the Moon Podcast. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

You have to love the playoffs. Sometimes you have an idea of how things will play out and by the end of the night, your opinion has totally changed. For example, today was supposed to be an awards edition of “Heat Check.” After last night in the NHL, that is no longer the case.

As compelling as the NBA playoffs have been, it has been lacking in one area compared to the NHL. Late game drama, specifically overtime. Since the Stanley Cup Playoffs began last Wednesday, there has been at least one overtime game every night.

Last night was a reminder of why the Stanley Cup Playoffs are so great. Not only were there four games on the slate (the more the merrier, right) and every single game needed overtime to decide a winner. Late game drama is what makes playoff games so great, and hockey has that in spades right now.

Just look at how things unfolded last night. Each game was high scoring with a sizable comeback, and the overtime period had you hanging on the edge of your seat. Underdogs prevailed, and favorites overcame stacked odds.

The Toronto Maple Leafs set the tone for the night with its win over Washington to take a 2-1 series lead. Washington started the game by scoring two goals on two shots. They eventually carried a 3-1 lead into the second period where the Capitals had a prime opportunity to put the young guns from Toronto away early.

Toronto had a major lapse in discipline, taking a hooking penalty and roughing penalty. That gave Washington a two-man advantage for a full two minutes, and logic would have led you to believe that the Caps were going to find the back of the net in that time. Amazingly, the Maple Leafs was able to withstand the storm from Washington and kill off the both penalties.

After Braden Holtby made a ballsy play near the blue line to break up a potential two-on-none breakaway, Toronto needed to go back on the penalty kill for having too many men on the ice. However, the momentum was squarely on Toronto’s side by then. The Maple Leafs killed off the penalty again, and the crowd at the Air Canada Centre was rocking.

Nazim Kadri cut the lead to one with just under five minutes to go in the period. Then Toronto was able to tie the game with under a minute left in the second period when William Nylander corralled a rebound and put it past a sprawling Holtby. This set up a dramatic third period.

Both teams threw everything they could at each other in the third, but neither could find the game-winner in the final 20 minutes. The period would not end without some intrigue though as Lars Eller took a penalty in the waning seconds of regulation.

Overtime started with Toronto on the power play, and they would not waste the opportunity. Tyler Bozak deflected a shot-pass from Kadri to give the Leafs a crucial Game 3 victory.

As this game reached a thrilling conclusion, we had another overtime game to get right into. Boston had found a way to erase a three-goal deficit in the second period against Ottawa. The third period saw numerous chances but both goalies kept the score even at three.

Boston could not defend home-ice though. Following a frantic series of turnovers and scoring chances, Riley Nash took a roughing penalty. The ensuing Ottawa power play would end the night as (Jersey boy) Bobby Ryan netted the game-winner, making up for a mind-numbingly bad defensive error earlier in the night. Ottawa now regains control of the series up two games-to-one.

Not to be outdone, the Western Conference had plenty of drama to offer during the nightcap. Chicago looked like it would begin its climb out of a 2-0 series deficit when they finally got on the score sheet in the second period. Dennis Rasmussen snapped the Chicago scoreless streak at 141 minutes to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead. Patrick Kane would then put Chicago up two to end the second period.

Nashville would not go away in the third period. The Predators got back to playing solid defense, and Pekka Rinne continued to flummox Chicago’s offense (Rinne’s miracle save in the first period might be the best of the playoffs). A pair of goals from Filip Forsberg tied the game and forced OT.

In the most exciting overtime period of the night, both goalies did just about everything they could to keep their teams alive. Just when it looked like we would be heading into double overtime, Nashville struck. A Marian Hossa turnover led to a break for the Predators and Kevin Fiala made a great move down low to sneak a backhand shot past Corey Crawford for the win.

If you thought Chicago wasn’t in trouble before last night, it’s definitely time to hit the panic button now. Nashville has a commanding 3-0 series lead and will have a chance to knock out the Blackhawks on Thursday night.

The final game of the night gave us the highest scoring contest and the night’s largest comeback. Calgary looked to have Anaheim all but put away in Game 3, up 4-1 in the middle of the second period. Three power play goals by the Flames had them in the perfect position to score their first win in this series.

An offense as potent as Anaheim’s doesn’t stay quiet for long though. The Ducks were able to cut the lead to two with under a minute left in the second period. A comeback attempt was given some life.

Anaheim cut out the penalties in the third and was able to control the action at even strength. Nate Thompson cut the lead to one just past the halfway point of the third period. As the air was slowly sucked out of the crowd in Calgary, the Ducks found a way to tie the game with under five minutes left in regulation. Go figure, it was Shea Thompson’s first career goal.

As the game entered overtime, Anaheim had all of the momentum in the game. An icing violation by Calgary set up the Ducks with a chance to end the game early in overtime. Corey Perry proved that when you put the puck on net, good things tend to happen. Perry’s shot deflected off the defender in front of the net and careened off goalie Brian Elliott’s glove into the back of the net.

In a sick twist of fate, the Flames went from making it a series against the Ducks to sitting on the brink of elimination in the span of 22 minutes. Hey, I did say that this one would get ugly.

Needless to say, playoff hockey is back in a big way.

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with episode six of the Shooting the Moon Podcast. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. While we were all off enjoying some quality time with our families there was a quite a lot of playoff action going on. Rather than go through every single game point by point, today’s “Weekend Recap” is going to feature my top takeaways from the first weekend of the NBA and Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was a pretty interesting weekend to say the least so lets jump right into the recap.

NHL: The Blackhawks are in Serious Trouble

Since the NBA playoffs are only one game into each series, my top takeaway comes from the NHL, where the Blackhawks have a big problem. That is Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators. Not only did the Predators swipe home-ice advantage from Chicago, but they now have the Blackhawks squarely on the ropes. With the series now shifting to Nashville for Games 3 and 4, the Predators have a real chance to knock out the Vegas favorites.

It has all been about the defense in this series as the Predators have yet to cede a goal to the usually potent Chicago offense. Right now its two games and two shutouts for Rinne in net. A 1-0 victory in Game 1 set the tone for the series, but no one could have seen Game 2 unfolding the way it did.

Nashville flat out dominated the second game and halted any attempt for Chicago to build any momentum in this series winning 5-0 in Game 2. However, hockey is a strange sport and a 2-0 series lead isn’t the end of the world. The real issue is the palpable lack of any form of offense from Chicago. We’ll see if the Blackhawks can turn it around, but there has not been a lot to love about these first two games.

NBA: The East is Going to Be Nutty

One game is a very small sample size, but the most telling sign is the way each of the games in the East went over the weekend. Cleveland barely escaped with a win, Chicago upset Boston, Washington came back against Atlanta, and Milwaukee dominated Toronto. Just the way we planned, right?

Chicago’s late run effectively stole a huge Game 1 for the Bulls. Granted, they did catch Boston dealing with a pretty serious off-court issue. If you haven’t heard by now, Isaiah Thomas’s sister passed away over the weekend, and there were some doubts about whether he would play yesterday. Thomas ended up playing and led the Celtics with 33 points in the game.

The problem for the Celtics was they got dominated on the boards, and Jimmy Butler took over the game late. Butler scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to give the Bulls the 106-102 win.

The other surprise in the Eastern Conference was the emphatic win by the Bucks over the Raptors. Toronto had no answers for the length and athleticism of Milwaukee in Game 1. I was pretty certain that Toronto would have issues with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but it was Thon Maker who stole some of the headlines with his playoff debut. The combination of these two was a huge factor in the Bucks holding the potent Toronto offense to 32 points and 20 percent shooting in the second half. Milwaukee only won the game by 14, but as the second half unfolded it never even felt that close.

Like I said before, one game is a small sample size but things are going to get a little weird in the Eastern Conference. It might be time to rewrite the script on how we think things are going to play out.

NHL: The Edmonton Oilers are Legit

After blowing a lead in Game 1 to San Jose and giving up home-ice advantage, you had to worry about how this young Oilers team would respond. The answer was resounding as Edmonton took back control of its first round series against the Sharks.

Edmonton locked down a pretty good offensive team for two consecutive games and took a 2-1 series lead. Each game was impressive in its own right. Game 2 saw Edmonton play with fire by giving the Sharks six power play opportunities. Despite that, the Oilers managed to more than double the Sharks shot totals and scored twice while shorthanded. In fact, it was only the third time in NHL history where a team has won a playoff game by scoring all shorthanded goals.

The series shifted back to San Jose last night for a pivotal Game 3. The Oilers proved that the defensive showing in Game 2 was no fluke. Edmonton shut down the Sharks for a second consecutive game. However, the Sharks brought a solid defensive effort of its own, stifling the Oilers at almost every turn.

A bad defensive zone turnover by San Jose allowed Zack Kassian a perfect opportunity in the slot. He would not waste it, slipping a backhand shot through the legs of Martin Jones. Edmonton and Cam Talbot would not relent the defensive pressure to secure a 1-0 victory in Game 3.

Coming into the postseason, I was unsure about Edmonton’s chances if its offense was not playing well. Through three games, I am very impressed by the inspired effort that I’ve seen on the defensive end by the Oilers. If they can keep up this level of defensive excellence, Connor McDavid’s offensive prowess could become the x-factor to a deep playoff run.

 

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with “Heat Check” to give my picks for all of the major awards in the NBA. Episode 6 of the Shooting the Moon Podcast will debut on Wednesday. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Playoffs?! Yes, it is that time of the year once again. This week marks the beginning of the playoffs in the NBA and NHL. Today, “The Fourth Line” will be looking at the first round matchups in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Intense doesn’t even begin to describe this six-week war of attrition. It’s all about being the team to hoist the greatest trophy in all of sports, Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Before I get into the eight first round matchups, lets set the stage for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 2016 marked the first time in 46 years where none of the Canadian teams made it to the postseason. In a strange reversal of fortune, five Canadian teams will have a shot at the cup this season. It really speaks to the static nature of the NHL from year-to-year.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the winner of the President’s Trophy in the NHL this season. For the second year in a row, the Washington Capitals ended the season with the most points in the league. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean much of anything in the playoffs.

Since the lockout in 2004-05, the winner of the President’s Trophy has only made the Stanley Cup three times. Of those three teams, two have won it all (Detroit in 2007-08 and Chicago in 2012-13). In the case of the Capitals, the Alexander Ovechkin-era has not been that successful either. Washington has failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals during over the course of Ovechkin’s career, including two previous seasons where they won the President’s Trophy.

Historically, the chances of a repeat for the Pittsburgh Penguins are not that great either. Despite the fact that these Penguins are one of the best teams in the league, there has not been a repeat champion in the NHL since 1998. That being said, don’t be shocked if the Penguins make it out of the Eastern Conference.

A return to the Stanley Cup Finals will likely ride on the performance of goaltender Matt Murray. Last season Murray was thrust into the net following an injury to Marc-Andre Fleury, and he shined on the big stage. The Achilles Heel of the Penguins during the Sidney Crosby-era has been poor goaltending (see Flyers-Penguins in 2012).

Over in the Western Conference, whichever team survives will be extremely battle-tested in the Stanley Cup Finals. The top of the bracket is loaded with some of the toughest teams in the league, while the bottom of the bracket features some of the fastest teams in the game.

Unsurprisingly, Chicago is the top seed in the West once again, but the road to the Stanley Cup Finals is littered with stiff competition. Chicago was able to steal away home-ice advantage from Minnesota despite losing four straight to end the season. If the Blackhawks are going to win its fourth Stanley Cup in eight years, this could be the most difficult path they have ever had to go through.

The long journey for the Stanley Cup starts tomorrow night and with that in mind, it is time to dive into the first round matchups.

Eastern Confernce

New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens (Game 1, April 12^th)

 

If you like low scoring, defensive games then this is the series for you. Henrik Lundqvist and Carey Price is an Olympic-level goaltending matchup, which means scoring will be at a premium over the course of this series. Both teams have cut their teeth over the years being the better defensive team on the ice.

The Rangers haven’t been as sharp on the defensive end of the ice this season and Lundqvist may be in the midst of a down year. If you are looking for the story that will determine the outcome of this series, it will be the play of Lundqvist. King Henrik has seen his goals against average rise to 2.74, well above his career average of 2.32. If the Rangers have any hope of advancing in this series, they will need their goaltender to get back to being a superstar in between the pipes.

Luckily for New York, Montreal is among the lowest scoring teams in the playoffs. The Habs only average 2.71 goals per game, and rely on grinding out games rather than having its offense take over. Montreal is a team that is built around the blue-liners, which will make it difficult to get solid scoring chances on Price.

Experts around the league are torn on this series, and are split almost down the middle with their picks. This is a series that will likely go the distance.

Winner: New York in 7

 

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (Game 1, April 12^th)

Familiarity breeds contempt in the postseason (something we’ll see a lot of in the West). The Penguins and Blue Jackets have seen a lot of each other in the regular season and previous playoff series. Consistency is a big factor this time of year, and that will bode well for the Penguins.

Columbus turned a lot of heads at the beginning of the season by winning 15 consecutive games. That almost assured their spot in the postseason, but this has not been the same team since that streak ended. A second half swoon among the teams in the Metropolitan Division kept the struggling Blue Jackets in the postseason despite ending the year 1-5-1.

The Penguins may be without top defenseman Kris Letang, but that shouldn’t be an issue this round. This series will go as long as Pittsburgh allows it. Columbus’s only chance is to (cleanly) goon it up and force the Penguins to worry more about fighting than scoring.

Winner: Pittsburgh in 5

Ottawa Senators vs. Boston Bruins (Game 1, April 12^th)

Fortunately for both of these teams, the NHL has an unorthodox method for playoff seeding. Ottawa and Boston, at 98 and 95 points respectively, have to be glad they avoid playing a Metropolitan team in the first round. This series will be a clash of styles though.

Ottawa is the lowest scoring team in the postseason, while the Bruins have been scoring in bunches as of late. It’s tough for me to picture a scenario where the Senators will be able to outscore the Bruins in four games. The numbers just aren’t there but Ottawa will have home-ice advantage, which could aid their hopes.

Almost every stat gives the advantage to Boston, especially on special teams. Boston ranks as seventh on the power play (21.7 percent) and first on the penalty kill (85.7 percent). Ottawa on the other hand, ranks 22^nd on the power play (17 percent) and penalty kill (79.7 percent).

I’m expecting this to be a relatively short and one-sided series if Boston can win one of the first two games in Ottawa.

Winner: Boston in 5

Washington Capitals vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Game 1, April 13^th)

No matter how long this series goes, it is going to be a fun one to watch. In a matchup against the present and future of the NHL the President’s Trophy winning Capitals face off with the upstart Maple Leafs. It is going to be a treat to see how the youth of Toronto will fare in its first playoff appearance since 2012-13.

The length of this series hinges on Washington goaltender Braden Holtby. He is easily the best goaltender in the league right now, but he also has one of the league’s best defenses in front of him. Washington allowed the fewest number of goals in the entire league, with a GAA of 2.16 on the season.

It will be very intriguing to see if Auston Matthews and William Nylander can have the same level of success on the score sheet against this defensive juggernaut. Matthews and Nylander immediately burst onto the scene as rookies this year, each showing an elite scoring touch with the puck. They will need to overcome the relentless pressure that Washington puts on the defensive end.

Unfortunately, this will likely serve as a learning experience for Toronto. Washington is just better in all phases of the game, but here’s to hoping that we get some great games while this one lasts.

Winner: Washington in 5

 

Western Conference

Edmonton Oilers vs. San Jose Sharks (Game 1, April 12^th)

We ended the Eastern Conference with a matchup of present versus future and we begin the Western Conference with a similar matchup. San Jose is the defending champions in the Western Conference while Edmonton has finally realized the potential of its young stars.

This will be a fast-paced series that could see a ton of scoring in each game. The player to watch is the Art Ross Trophy winner, Connor McDavid. He followed up a Calder Trophy winning season in 2015-16 by leading the NHL in scoring this season. McDavid may be the youngest captain in the league, but he has shown he is more than capable of leading this team.

In any postseason, you can’t overlook the power of a team getting hot at the right time. Edmonton enters this postseason as one of the league’s hottest teams, finishing the season 8-2 over its last ten games.

Health is a key factor in this series as well. Joe Thornton and Logan Couture are both injured right now, and their status for Game 1 is up in the air. They will likely return at some point in this series but at far less than 100%. Without them in the lineup, the Sharks limped into the postseason.

Winner: Edmonton in 6

Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues (Game 1, April 12^th)

Hey, remember when I said familiarity breeds contempt. Look no further than this series to be the prime example in the first round. Not only are these teams division rivals, but St. Louis is coached by Mike Yeo, who coached the Wild for six seasons. That will be a very interesting subplot to this series.

As far as the actual play on the ice, this will be an incredibly hard-hitting series. These teams do no like each other, so look for some bad blood to come to a boil as this series dips into the late stages.

In a series that will likely go the distance, you have to look at the goaltending matchup. That goes to the Wild here. Devan Dubnyk has been fantastic this season and is one of the reasons why the Wild set a franchise record for wins and points. Combine a good goaltender, the second-best offense in the league with home-ice advantage for Minnesota, and you have a recipe for a close series win.

Winner: Minnesota in 7

Anaheim Ducks vs. Calgary Flames (Game 1, April 13^th)

Here is a series that could get ugly in more ways than one. When these teams faced off in the postseason two years ago, it looked like a fight club formed on the ice at times. If there is a first round series that could match the infamous Philadelphia-Pittsburgh series in 2012, it is this one.

Anaheim clearly has the edge in this series with a better offense, defense, and goaltender than Calgary. However, a consistent theme with the Ducks this decade has been their inability to win when they should. Does that mean they are prime for an upset here? Unlikely, but its worth noting.

Jake Allen will have to be a stud in net for the Flames, who will have to find a way to steal at least two games in Anaheim to win this series. Calgary will also need a huge lift from New Jersey native Johnny Gaudreau.

Unfortunately, this is a series of teams that were going in different directions at the end of the regular season. Calgary went 4-6 in its last ten games while Anaheim went 11-0-3 to end the year.

Winner: Anaheim in 6

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators (Game 1, April 13^th)

We end the first round previews with what could potentially be the best of series of the round. Despite the fact that the experts almost unanimously are picking the Blackhawks to win this series, the Predators present quite a challenge.

Nashville has one of the league’s most talented defensive units, led by P.K. Subban. They will be the focus in this series for the Predators to have any chance to upset the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Subban and the rest of the blue-liners will have their work cut out for them trying to stop the lethal Chicago offense. Luckily, Nashville has Pekka Rinne in net and he can be one of the league’s best when he is on his “A” game.

While this is all well and good for Nashville, they are facing the best playoff team of the decade. Chicago has had its ups and downs this season, but there aren’t many concerns heading into the postseason though. This year’s Blackhawks have not been great at any one thing, but you can’t deny that this team can matchup favorably against any team in the league.

Chicago is easily one of the deepest teams in the league with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Artemi Panarin, and Corey Crawford leading the way. My only concern is the penalty kill for the Blackhawks, which ranks 24^th in the NHL (77.7 percent).

Regardless of any stats, Chicago has the best home-ice advantage in the league. The United Center can quickly become a house of horrors for any visiting team when “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis starts ringing through the Madhouse on Madison.

Winner: Chicago in 7

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with “Curtain Call” to unveil my first power rankings of the MLB season. Episode 5 of the Shooting the Moon Podcast will be up Thursday. Friday will be a new edition of “Heat Check” previewing the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney, go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook, and subscribe to the Shooting the Moon Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud

The big leaguers are back. With the first full day of the MLB season in the books, we can now turn our focus to the rest of the season. We got our first look at all 30 teams in the majors, so the question becomes, how will the rest of the season play out. Today marks the first edition of “Curtain Call,” so I’ll be walking you through the top storylines for 2017.

There is a lot of intrigue around the year, much of which starts the first title defense for the Chicago Cubs in the modern era. We also have the growing rumors surrounding some of the league’s superstars. It’s going to be a long ride to October, so let’s jump into the stories keep an eye on this year.

Can the Cubs Go Back-to-Back?

You can’t start any season without questioning whether the reigning champs have a legitimate shot of repeating. The short answer is yes in the case of the Chicago Cubs. The only change for the champs in the offseason was the departure of Dexter Fowler in free agency. It’s not too big of a concern though, because once again the Cubs are loaded once again this season.

When healthy, this is easily the most talented team in the majors. Reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant is one of the most versatile players in the game, with the ability to play at third base and in the outfield. He could hit anywhere in this lineup, but you will likely see him in the two-hole for much of the season. Bryant isn’t the only potential MVP candidate on this team either.

Anthony Rizzo is one of the top first basemen in baseball, and his prowess at the plate is a major asset to manager Joe Maddon. Rizzo is usually the three-hitter for the Cubs, which is the usual spot for a player of his caliber. However, there was talk during spring training that Rizzo could end up in the leadoff spot at times during the year.

When you look around the league, you have to wonder who could possibly stop the Cubs? Cleveland certainly showed it has a puncher’s chance, and even added Edwin Encarnacion to the lineup. For my money though, that is really the only team that I believe could get the job done in the postseason.

The National League has some solid teams like Washington and Los Angeles, but neither team really improved from last season. Chicago is still clearly the class of the NL, and it will take a phenomenal effort to beat them in a best-of-seven series.

Will Houston Take the Next Step?

If there is one team to keep an eye on in 2017 it’s the Houston Astros. While the Cubs may be the most talented team in baseball, the Astros are certainly in the discussion. This team has come a long way since losing 111 games in 2013, and have built up quite a roster through the draft.

Jose Altuve might be the best player that casual fans aren’t aware of yet. If the Astros hadn’t missed the playoffs a year ago (and the presence of Mike Trout), Altuve would have had a strong case to win the AL MVP. The reigning batting champion in the American League from last season is a 30-30 candidate this season.

Houston also boasts two of the best young players in baseball in Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman. Correa won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2015, and is quickly becoming one of the best shortstops in the league. He fell just short of 100 RBIs last season and if he cuts down on his strikeouts, Correa could become a dangerous hitter in this lineup behind Altuve.

Bregman could be in the discussion for AL Rookie of the Year this season (outside of Boston’s Andrew Benintendi). While Bregman struggled for a bit after his call-up late in the summer, he showed that he could quickly become a star. His power is off the charts for someone with such a small frame, hitting 20 home runs with a ridiculous .580 slugging percentage in the minors prior to making his MLB debut.

The only thing that I could see holding this team back is the pitching. Dallas Keuchel was a completely different pitcher last season while dealing with a shoulder injury for much of the season. That being said, he is a tremendous talent evidenced by his Cy Young-winning season in 2015. Houston will need him to anchor the pitching staff and return to his 2015-form if they want to make the postseason.

Colin McHugh and Lance McCullers Jr. will also need to step up in 2017. As a whole, the starting rotation in Houston did not excel, posting a total record of 51-48 with an average ERA over 4.00. While the Astros have a solid offense, the pitching has to be better if this team wants to be a contender in 2017.

Curiosity Surrounding Two of the MLB’s Top Players

 

High profile players often draw all sorts of speculation about their plans for the future. That could not be any more true than in the cases of Bryce Harper and reigning AL MVP Mike Trout. Harper and Trout are easily two of the top three players in baseball, but the biggest question about them has nothing to do with their play on the field.

Heading into 2017, rumors have been swirling that Harper may not resign with Washington when his contract expires after next season. That means the clock is ticking on the Nationals to figure out what to do with the former NL MVP. The problem for Washington is that signing Harper long-term will likely come at a historic cost.

At a rumored $400 million, Harper’s next contract will almost assuredly be the most lucrative of all-time. Unfortunately with the Nationals contending for a World Series right now, a contract of that size may be too big of a check to cash in the nation’s capital.

Despite Harper’s status as one of the best players in the league, his relationship with the team hasn’t exactly been the best during his time in the bigs. This will be one of the top stories to keep an eye on as the season progresses. If the relationship between Harper and the Nats splinters, there will be quite a few teams that would be willing to pony up the dough (and prospects) to acquire his services.

Quite possibly one of the most underreported stories in baseball is the situation with Mike Trout and the Angels. It’s no secret that Mike Trout is the best player in baseball at the tender age of 25. Trout already has two AL MVPs in his trophy case and is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Los Angeles is in danger of wasting his historic talent.

The Angels have only made the postseason once during the Trout-era, and have been going in the wrong direction over the past two seasons. Los Angeles won 94 games during Trout’s first MVP season in 2014, but have seen those win totals slip ever since. Los Angeles has made bad investments in free agency and boast the worst farm system in the league.

At a certain point, the Angels will have to make a decision regarding its star player. A rebuild would be the most logical way to try and win with Trout in an Angels uniform. The issue is that it will take a few years to get this team back into contention with the limited assets and money at its disposal. Trout is signed through the 2020 season, which gives Los Angeles time to right the ship.

Trout can win all of the individual awards he wants, but there will come a time when the lack of a World Series title will become a big issue. This is purely speculation on my part but this should be the first season where the Angels should seriously consider trading Trout. Los Angeles will need a few strokes of luck in the draft or the retirement of Albert Pujols to get better in enough time to keep Trout happy. The only realistic way I can see Los Angeles maximizing Trout’s value is to trade him sooner rather than later.

 

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with episode four of the Shooting the Moon Podcast, which will include my thoughts on the national championship, MLB predictions, and a Masters preview. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Happy Monday and a happy Opening Day (part two) to everyone! It’s a jam-packed edition of the “Weekend Recap,” and there is quite a bit to talk about today. I’ll be talking Final Four, the first half of Opening Day, and a massive upset in women’s basketball. Plus, I have a preview of tonight’s national championship game. Let’s jump right in and hit the highlights of the weekend.

A Wild Final Four Sets Up a Colossal National Title Game

Saturday night brought us a pair of wild games in the Final Four. Following a crazy second weekend of the NCAA tournament, the Final Four had a lot to measure up to. Luckily, both games delivered a ton of drama.

In the first game, Gonzaga was able to hold off tournament darling South Carolina to advance to its first national championship game in program history. The Bulldogs came in as a heavy favorite, and looked the part for much of the first 25 minutes of the game.

However, the theme of the tournament reared its head once again. The Zags couldn’t put the Gamecocks away on its first try. Down as much as 13 in the second half, South Carolina was able to engineer a furious six-minute stretch that pulled them ahead with seven minutes left in the game.

Gonzaga didn’t let that flurry get in its way of reaching the national title game though. A Zach Collins three-pointer and a pair of layups from Przemek Karnowski put the Zags back in front for good, allowing them to salt the game away with free throws to hang onto the victory.

The nightcap gave us another favorite holding off a hectic comeback attempt from the underdog. North Carolina advanced to its second consecutive national championship game by escaping with a one-point win over Oregon.

On last week’s episode of the Shooting the Moon Podcast, I mentioned that I thought the rebound battle would decide this game. Boy, did I nail that one right on the head. The Tar Heels led for the entire second half, but saw its lead cut to one-point with six seconds left in regulation.

As you could imagine, Oregon immediately fouled to extend the game. That plan almost worked to perfection as Kennedy Meeks missed both of his free throws. “Almost” is the operative word though because Theo Pinson was able to knock the ball away from Jordan Bell and right into the hands of Joel Berry II.

With four seconds left, it was Berry’s turn to try to seal the win for UNC. Unbelievably, Berry missed both of his free throws as well. This time it was Meeks who was able to tip the ball away from Bell, and the clock mercifully ticked down to triple zeroes giving UNC a one-point victory. This now sets up a potential classic in the national title game tonight, which I’ll talk about a little later.

Baseball is Back!

As the calendar turns from March to April, we move away from madness and replace it with the unbridled sense of hope that comes with Opening Day. The World Baseball Classic is a nice event, but for most of us baseball isn’t actually back until the first day of the regular season in the MLB.

We didn’t have to wait too long to see some late game drama either. The defending champion Cubs opened its 2017 campaign in hostile territory as they faced the rival St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis put a swift end to the championship honeymoon for Chicago.

The Cubs lineup was cold for most the night, but finally woke up in the top of the ninth. World Series hero Ben Zobrist was hit by a pitch to start the late game rally, then Jason Heyward singled to bring the tying run to the batter’s box. Wilson Contreras blasted a three-run home run to tie the game at three.

In the bottom of the ninth, it was Randall Grichuk who would send the crowd home happy. Grichuk, who hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning, hit a walk-off single with the bases loaded to give the Cardinals a 4-3 win over the defending champions.

This wasn’t our first walk-off win of the season though. That honor went to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who spoiled a dominant performance by Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner. The ace for the Giants cruised early in the game, retiring the first 16 batters. He would end the day with 11 strikeouts and no walks over seven innings with three runs allowed.

Quick trivia question: who is the MLB home run leader after day one of the 2017 season? The answer is Bumgarner, who became the first pitcher in MLB history to hit two home runs on Opening Day.

Unfortunately, Bumgarner’s big day was all for naught. Mark Melancon was unable to bring home the win for San Francisco. They say the 27^th out is always the hardest one to get, and that held true in this game. Melancon, who signed a big four-year contract to be the closer for the Giants, retired his first two batters before allowing four consecutive hits. Chris Owings knocked in the game-winning run to give the Diamondbacks a walk-off win on Opening Day.

UConn’s Record Winning Streak Ends at the Women’s Final Four

The shocker of the weekend didn’t come at Wrestlemania in Orlando, but at the Women’s Final Four in Dallas. UConn saw its record 111-game winning streak end at the hands of Mississippi State on Friday night. Down two points with 26 seconds left in overtime, a flagrant-1 gave Connecticut two shots and the ball. Katie Lou Samuelson hit both free throws to tie the game up.

On the ensuing possession for UConn, you had the feeling that the Huskies would find a way to escape with the victory. However, UConn didn’t run the clock like many, especially the announce team, thought they would. Saniya Chong drove the lane with 13 seconds left to try and give the Huskies the lead. Morgan William, who made a great play to get her feet set to stop the drive without fouling, met Chong. Chong in the lane and forced the shot to sail out of bounds.

It was Mississippi State’s turn to try to win that game, and they wouldn’t squander the opportunity. William got the ball in the waning seconds of the overtime period and put up a jumper just over the outstretched arm of the UConn defender for the win.

This was a sweet measure of revenge for the Bulldogs, who were trounced by 60 in the tournament last year at the hands of UConn. Unfortunately, this story didn’t have a happy ending for Mississippi State, as they were beat soundly in the national title game by South Carolina.

Men’s National Title Preview (Gonzaga vs. North Carolina)

We bring today’s “Weekend Recap” full-circle with a look towards tonight’s national championship game between North Carolina and Gonzaga. The Zags will be looking to become the first team in NCAA history to win a national championship in its Final Four debut, while the Tar Heels will attempt to avenge last year’s loss in the title game. This game has the makings of a classic as both teams mirror each other in very interesting ways.

The point guard matchup between Nigel Willams-Goss (Gonzaga) and Joel Berry II (UNC) will be the one most experts will hone in on tonight. That is for good reason because these two players are among the best in the country. Berry’s injured ankles are a point of concern though because if he turns badly on either ankle that will give Williams-Goss a clear advantage.

For my money though, the real matchup to watch will be on the low blocks and on the boards. Przemek Karnowski and Kennedy Meeks are going to be a matchup of heavyweights down low. Whichever man can gain an advantage over the other will go a long way to determining the outcome of tonight’s contest. Karnowski and Zach Collins will have to find a way to neutralize the rebounding of North Carolina, especially on the defensive end.

If there is a wild card in this game, I believe that it could be Justin Jackson for North Carolina. Jackson is a “do it all” type of player for the Tar Heels, but it will be his three-point shooting that could be the difference tonight. He was 4-of-9 from beyond the arc in the win over Oregon, and he will need to do more of the same against the tough defense of Gonzaga.

Gonzaga is the top team in the country in defensive efficiency and they will need to hold true to form there to win this game. UNC is one of the few teams capable to scoring in the 90’s, and the Bulldogs would be foolish to attempt to run with the Tar Heels. Look for the Zags to slow down the tempo whenever possible and force UNC to play a methodical game.

So the real question tonight is who will be cutting down the nets? I think that Gonzaga will find a way to win this ball game tonight in what should be a fantastic championship game.

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with my top storylines to watch this year in the MLB. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.