Justin Verlander was the difference

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A lot of lesser known players are getting quality opportunities. Nathan Gerbe, Patrick Maroon, Joe Colborne, Tomas Tatar, Michael Bournival and more are covered in Scott Cullens latest blog. 1. One of the best lines in the league last season was the Carolina Hurricanes trio of Jiri Tlusty, Eric Staal and Alexander Semin. This season hasnt started so well, particularly for Tlusty, who scored 23 goals and 38 points in 48 games last season, but has just two goals and three points in the first dozen games this season. Tlusty has been bumped from that line in favour of Nathan Gerbe, the mighty mite winger who is one of the best stories of this young NHL season. After scoring 29 goals and 72 points in 188 games with the Buffalo Sabres, Gerbe had a two-way deal with the Hurricanes and earned a spot with the NHL club in camp. Not only did he secure a regular spot in the lineup, but hes played a significant role, a career-high 18:37 per game, while scoring four goals and seven points in a dozen games. More impressively, Gerbe has generated 3.42 shots on goal per game, the same as San Joses Logan Couture, and an indication that Gerbes offensive contributions arent merely a matter of good fortune. In fact, with an on-ice shooting percentage of 3.4%, its easy to argue that Gerbe has been relatively unlucky offensively and should have a few more points given the chances created. Theres nothing to say that Gerbe wont get pulled from the Staal-Semin pairing, but the former Boston College star is getting an opportunity, and ice time, unlike anything he has received in the NHL. 2. Injuries (Dustin Penner, Saku Koivu, Jakob Silfverberg, Matt Beleskey) continue to thin out the lines for the Anaheim Ducks, but they have also provided an opportunity for Patrick Maroon to skate with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the Ducks top line. Maroon is a 25-year-old power forward who has had some minor league success, scoring 118 AHL goals in five-plus seasons, but had just three points in 15 NHL games coming into the season. Hes held his own in the possession game and is taking to his new surroundings well, putting up four points and a plus-6 rating in the last five games. Given his limited track record, its early to buy-in on Maroon totally, but hes getting an opportunity and if he makes the most of it, he could earn a regular spot in the lineup. 3. It seems like forever ago that Flames C Joe Colborne was drafted 16th overall by the Boston Bruins and, in some ways, the last five years might feel like an eternity to Colborne, who has been traded twice and is just getting a chance to play a regular role in the NHL after scoring 125 points in 211 AHL games. Colborne had six points in 16 games over the last three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but when training camp neared an end and the Leafs didnt want to risk sending Colborne down to the AHL, knowing that he would likely be claimed on waivers, they got what they could in trade, a conditional fourth-round pick from the Flames. With former Leafs GM Brian Burke now the President in Calgary, its not a surprise that Colborne is getting a chance to play. At the same time, its not like he was giften an opportunity, playing under nine minutes in four of his first five games with the Flames. The ice time has picked up a bit, as has Colbornes production (1 G, 1 A, plus-4 in last 3 GP). He played a season-high 15:18 against Washington Saturday, skating on a line with LW T.J. Galiardi and RW Mike Cammalleri. It may not last or Colborne may just be the guy who has nine points in 26 career NHL games. 4. After starting the year on the Stars number one line, and then moving down the depth chart, Erik Cole has rejoined Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. It worked in Buffalo, which might not be the best measuring stick, as Cole has two assists and played a season-high 20:17. If Cole is going to maintain such a spot on the depth chart, though, he has to generate more shots on goal. Right now, hes averaging 1.64 shots per game, which is ever-so-slightly better than the 1.61 per game he had in Dallas last season after he was acquired from Montreal. When he scored 35 goals for Montreal, in 2011-2012, Cole averaged 2.94 shots on goal per game, so thats a rather precipitous drop in a short amount of time for the soon-to-be 35-year-old winger. Interestingly, Cole replaced Rich Peverley on the No. 1 line, but Peverley has better possession numbers, with a lower percentage of offensive zone starts than Cole this season. If neither Cole nor Peverley can settle into the role, there may eventually be an opportunity for rookie Valeri Nichushkin, who has been playing more (16:18 ATOI in last three games) recently. 5. While Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville has bemoaned his clubs lack of offensive production, Ive taken up the cause of rookie C Brandon Pirri, who had three points in his first three games of the season, despite playing fewer than 10 minutes in each of them. Pirri had two points in seven NHL games over the last three seasons while he primarily plied his trade in the AHL, developing to the point that he put up 75 points in 76 games last season. Pirri got more of an opportunity Tuesday, centering Brandon Saad and Patrick Kane, picking up a pair of assists in a 5-1 Blackhawks win. While it was a positive step, there are still reasons to have modest expectations for Pirri. One, he likely wouldnt have even had that opportunity if not for an injury to veteran C Michal Handzus, who has played a lot of second-line centre for the Blackhawks since he was picked up from San Jose for a fourth-round pick last season. The other concern is that Pirri is at the bottom end of the possession metrics for Blackhawks forwards. Hes not far behind Handzus, but Pirri needs to improve his all-around play (or simply benefit from injury) if hes going to get an extended look in the role that seems totally suited to his skills. 6. Detroit has been forced to juggle their lines, trying to elicit offensive production from those not named Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk or Daniel Alfredsson. One of the beneficiaries has been winger Tomas Tatar, who joined a line with Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. While Tatar doesnt have any points in four games this season. The 22-year-old hasnt been sent to the AHL because he requires waivers and would never clear after he scored 39 goals and 70 points in 85 (regular season plus playoff) games last season. Tatar played a career-high 15:11 for the Wings against the Rangers Saturday, more than he had played in his previous 30 NHL games, and hes been solid enough in his limited playing time this year. Theres offensive upside with Tatar, but hell have to get some consistent playing time before its fair to place expectations on him. By splitting up Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, the Wings left Datsyuk to play with Alfredsson and Todd Bertuzzi. With those forwards comprising the top two lines, the obvious player to fall out is Stephen Weiss, a free agent signing in the summer who has been having a really hard time in his first dozen games with the Wings, scoring two goals and posting a minus-5 rating. 7. There seems to be some dissatisfaction with the play of Kings LW Dustin Brown, who has two goals and five points in a dozen games, and hes recently been replaced on the top line by LW Dwight King. A 6-foot-4 winger who has four goals on the season, after a hat trick against Phoenix last Thursday, is getting a chance to play with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams, two players that are both consistent in their offensive production, but also in their domination of puck possession. King doesnt figure to have the skill to keep pace with them on a long-term basis, but its an interesting opportunity for as long as he gets to play with the big boys. 8. Injuries have hit the Montreal Canadiens forward lines hard, but it has opened up an opportunity for rookie winger Michael Bournival, who has been spending recent games skating with veteran C Tomas Plekanec and RW Brian Gionta. Bournival hasnt looked out place in the least, putting up strong possession numbers along with two goals and six points, with a plus-4 rating, in nine games. Once Max Pacioretty, Danny Briere, Brandon Prust and others make their way back to the Canadiens lineup, Bournival may not be in such a prime spot, but as long as he remains productive, hes going to make it more difficult to send him back to the American Hockey League. 9. There hasnt been a ton of stability on the Minnesota Wild top line, with Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu going through Jason Pominville and Nino Niederreiter before their latest right winger, rookie Justin Fontaine. A 25-year-old who played collegiately at Minnesota-Duluth, Fontaine wassnt drafted, but had 152 points in 124 games over his last three college seasons, and had 111 points in 137 AHL games in his first two pro seasons. Fontaine has three goals and a plus-5 rating in 13 games this year, but two of those goals have come in the last four games and hes also played more than 16 minutes in two of the last four games (hes played under 14 in the other 11). Like others on this list, Fontaine is not necessarily positioned to stick in his current role, but its worth seeing what he can do with the chance hes being given. 10. Goals havent been easy to come by in New Jersey and perhaps that shouldnt come as a shock considering that Ilya Koalchuk bolted to the KHL in the offseason and their top two centres coming into the year, Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique, had combined for 36 points in 90 games last season. Henrique and Zajac both have one goal and four points through 11 games this season, so there is an opportunity for Andrei Loktionov, a player who has shown some skill, with 97 points in 135 AHL games, but hasnt yet been able to make a mark in the NHL. Last years 12 points in 28 games with the Devils represents a career-high. Though he only has three points in 10 games this year, Loktionov is getting a shot with veteran Czech wingers Patrik Elias and Jaromir Jagr. If 23-year-old Loktionov is going to prove that hes capable of putting up points in the NHL, those are wingers that should help find his offensive mojo. 11. While the hype was mostly on Vincent Lecavalier when he scored a hat trick while playing right wing with Claude Giroux against the Islanders, its notable that their left winger was rookie Michael Raffl, the 24-year-old who is making a big jump from the Swedish Allsvenskan (below Elite League) to the NHL. Raffl got his first NHL point, while playing 9:18, his lowest ice time in five NHL games. While his puck possessions stats are solid enough in limited ice time, its hard to imagine that Raffl is the best option long-term on that line, what with the likes of Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds toiling as the third line (Scott Hartnell and Jakub Voracek as second line) wings. 12. While this isnt quite the same line combination as some of the others that Ive referenced, its worth noting that Capitals C Mikhail Grabovski has fared just fine since he was demoted to the third line. The Capitals finally moved Martin Erat out of a fourth-line role and Erat responded with three assists in his first game on the second line with Brooks Laich and Troy Brouwer. Since then? No points, minus-5 and three shots on goal in four games. Grabovski, on the other hand, has four points (2 G, 2 A) and is plus-3 in the last four games. Grabovskis goals have come on the power play, but has been productive enough with linemates Jason Chimera and Joel Ward. FIRST NHL GAMES Michael Chaput, C, Columbus - Acquired from Philadelphia in the Tom Sestito trade, Chaput played a modest 7:48 against Anaheim, skating on a line with Ryan Craig and Jared Boll. Thats not going to provide much opportunity, but teh 21-year-old has 36 points in 79 AHL games and could probably use more time to develop before getting a real shot to stick. Kevin Connauton, D, Dallas - Picked up from Vancouver in the Derek Roy deal last season, Connauton has played three full seasons in the AHL and has to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL, so hes been biding his time in Big D and played 16:05 at Calgary, playing mostly with veteran Sergei Gonchar. Jayson Megna, RW, Pittsburgh - A 23-year-old winger who was signed as a free agent in 2012 out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Megna had 12 points in 56 AHL games as a rookie pro, but started this year better, putting up five points in six games before getting recalled due to injuries taking James Neal, Beau Bennett and Chuck Kobasew out of the Penguins lineup. Megna had a goal and an assist in his second game and has a chance to stick around with all those players out of the lineup. Darren Archibald, LW, Vancouver - A physical 23-year-old winger, Archibald wasnt drafted and worked his way up through the ECHL to the AHL, where he had 22 points in 55 games last season. Hes not playing much, but Archibald and Jeremy Welsh are giving the Canucks some size on the fourth line. CHIRPING "The seasons going on." - Kings coach Darryl Sutter, after Kings LW Dustin Brown responded to a question about his low hit totals by saying that he gets more physical as the season goes on. "You can be a fun team, but if youre going to just go out there and give away chances and give away four or five goals a night, then you might be entertaining but you wont be winning," - Coyotes coach Dave Tippett isnt thrilled with the way his team is winning. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Cole Beasley Cowboys Jersey . - Even with a new coach, the Denver Nuggets still love to push the basketball. Barry Church Cowboys Jersey . LOUIS -- The St. http://www.cowboysfootballgearshop.com/chris-jones-jersey/ . The Big Man finished 3-1 in Week 19, and sits at 53-24 on the season. Now Schultz is ready for more action. Charles Haley Womens Jersey .Then came December.Three straight losses, including a crushing 27-24 defeat to Washington (4-11) on Saturday, has the Eagles (9-6) on the brink of playoff elimination. Keith Smith Cowboys Jersey . His second visit, not so much. Roark (7-5) allowed four runs on 10 hits and one walk over six innings in a 7-2 setback in front of several friends and family members, as the Cubs snapped his personal streak of four consecutive victories on Friday.The topics include the Joe Girardis decision to stay with the Yankees, David Prices expectations of a trade, what makes players clutch and Championship Series predictions. 1. Despite a lot of rumours about clubs being interested in his services, Joe Girardi signed a four-year deal to stay with the New York Yankees. Given the uncertainty around the team, did he make the right baseball decision? There are a number of considerations that every free agent has to consider at the end of his contract whether he is a player or manager. What is best for his family? What is best for his career? What is the best financial deal? The Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs were the clubs with the most rumored interest in Girardi. Yet he chose the Yankees over both of them. The Nationals may be better positioned to win their division next year than either the Yanks or Cubs. The Nats underachieved in 2012. They have quality starting pitching and a closer with whom he is familiar in Jose Soriano. They have a young ace in Stephen Strasburg and a young superstar in Bryce Harper. They need upgrades offensively but Washington definitely has the makings of a playoff team. The Yankees have some rebuilding to do but they will always have one of the top, if not the top, payroll in all of baseball. They can land the most impactful free agents on the market, if they so desire. They can also compete for international talent in a way that other teams cannot. The Cubs are several years away from winning. They have a few good prospects but they are not in any position to truly compete in the NL Central any time soon. Girardi is originally from the Chicago area. He attended Northwestern University. It has long been speculated that Girardi would like to return his family to its Midwest roots. The Cubs job had a major advantage if the pull back home was a major issue. The Girardis have been settled in New York for more than a few years now. The kids are in schools and have a base of friends now that would be tough to disrupt. As far as family comfort goes, New York has the current advantage. There doesnt seem to be any family ties to the Washington, DC area. As far as finances, it is easy to distinguish between the three clubs. There will always be one more Yankee dollar than Cubs or Nationals dollars. So Girardi could have gone to a better competitive team than the Yanks in the short term and he could have returned to his childhood home. The Cubs job is one that is coveted because it has been so long since they have won a World Series. If Girardi were to win in Chicago, he would never pay for another meal there. He would be a hometown hero forever. Yet, he still chose to return to the Yankees. Girardi is a perfect fit in New York. All of the traits that make him great in New York make him coveted by others. The reality is that you just dont walk away from the Yankees job, no matter who wants you. Whenever the Yankess decide they are done with Girardi, the Cubs and Nats jobs will be available to him again. Plus, the Cubs arent going to win a World Series with their next manager. It will be the guy after that who wins. Look for Girardi to manage the Cubs in 2018. Girardi is the right fit for the Yanks and the Yanks are the right fit for Girardi. 2. Tampa Bay Rays starter David Price told the Tampa Bay Times this week that he expects to be traded as he only has one year of team control left before he can sign a long-term deal. How robust do you think the market will be for the 28-year-old lefthander? David Price is right to expect a trade. The reality is that a small market team like the Rays cant let Price go to free agency and not get something in return. The best chance that a small market team has of remaining competitive is to continuously re-invent themselves. When Price reaches the free agent market, he will be a highly sought after commodity: a 28-year old lefthanded ace. He is a leader and competitor. He is well-spoken and a good representative of a franchise. The market may vey well change by the time he hits the market as Clayton Kershaw will likely sign a mega-contract extension with the Dodgers. The going rate for a young #1 starter is $25M/year. Felix Hernandez got that much for seven seasons from the Mariners. Kershaws deal will surpass the Hernandez deal and he will assuredly be the first starting pitcher to earn a contract over $200M. I believe that the Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees and Nationals will battle for Price when he is a free gent and he will land an eight-year $200M deal. He may just be worth it, too. 3. Following his Game 5 win against the Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA with four saves (he was the closer for the 2006 World Series champions) in 15 career post-season games. What do you think makes him and others so clutch? If I could bottle what makes a player clutch, it would be worthh millions.dddddddddddd The reality is that it is one of the intangibles in baseball. It is impossible to truly predict which players will perform in the clutch and which ones wont. Clutch usually means that a good player performs at the same level in the postseason as he does in the regular season. Or he produces in critical situations, just as he does in non-critical situations. Pressure doesnt change the level of production for a clutch player. Wainwright is one of those rare individuals who actually performs better when the games mean more. Wainwright is 99-57 with a 3.11 ERA in his career which is very good. His postseason numbers of 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA are remarkable. Wainwright has a unique ability to control his emotions and stay in the moment. Emotional control and mental toughness are what separate the mediocre players from the good players. The ability to keep the moment small and to slow the game down are crucial to success in critical situations. It is a mindset and belief in oneself. The entire Cardinals team is clutch. They hit .330 with runners in scoring position. The team with the second highest batting average with runners in scoring position is the Tigers at .282. Nobody is even close to the Cards. The Cardinals have a clubhouse and bench atmosphere that feeds each player. There is a belief that they will succeed. Confidence is contagious and leads to better performance for everyone. Wainwright is a leader in St Louis. He sets the tone that allows his teammates to thrive. Not only is he better when the situation is the biggest but his teammates are too, thanks to him. Fair or Foul Now that we have the participants determined for the League Championship Series, we look ahead to the matchups. I got lucky with my predictions. All four of the teams I anticipated would advance, have advanced. In the NL, I predicted the Dodgers would beat the Braves and the Cards would beat the Pirates. The Dodgers had the better starting pitching and that proved to be the difference over the Braves. Give the Pirates credit. They showed tremendous resiliency after a Game 1 romp by the Cards. I thought it could be a St. Louis sweep but the Bucs had a different plan. Experience proved to be the difference and it was best seen in the Game 5 matchup with Adam Wainwright defeating young Garrett Cole. In the AL, I had the Red Sox beating the Rays. The Sox showed their balance and depth in the series and what jumped out the most was their ability to score runs in a number of different ways. They have the power to slug the ball out of the ballpark and the ability to manufacture runs with speed and contact. A nice combination. The Tigers were the final team to make baseballs final four. They defeated the As in a very tough series as anticipated. Justin Verlander was the difference as he dominated the As hitters and gobbled up innings. Miguel Cabreras two-run homer in Game 5 was the game winner. Verlander and Cabrera are the best duo for any team in the playoffs. The Tigers have great starting pitching depth but do have some offensive questions and have to be a bit insecure about the end of the game as Joaquin Benoit seemed shaky. With the additional information from the Division Series, I want to alter my previous picks. NLCS - Dodgers vs. Cardinals This will be a series of two experienced teams that also have young impact talent. The Cards are the best at continuously re-inventing themselves over the years. Their young players always come to the big leagues prepared and ready to produce. Dodgers OF Yasiel Puig is the best young player still playing and maybe the most exciting player, regardless of age. The Dodgers have an edge in pitching while the Cards have an edge offensively. Wainwright having to start in Game 5 of the NLDS pushes his start back in this series and doesnt help the Cards chances. I will take the pitching over the hitting and choose the Dodgers in six games in the series. NLCS MVP: Yasiel Puig ALCS - Tigers vs. Red Sox The Tigers have pitching depth but so do the Red Sox. The fact that Justin Verlander pitched in Game 5 for the Tigers on Thursday is a disadvantage as it pushes him back in this series. Despite his homer on Thursday, Miguel Cabrera is not quite himself. The Tigers are struggling to score runs and dont have the speed to manufacture runs. The Red Sox offence can score any number of different ways and their starting pitching is very good. Verlander is the best pitcher in the series but he may only get one start. The Red Sox are just too strong for the Tigers. The Red Sox win in five games. ALCS MVP: David Ortiz This will set up a great World Series: Dodgers vs Red Sox. The two teams that made a blockbuster deal last year will square off against one another. It was a rare trade that worked out extremely well for both teams. Baseball fans everywhere will get a Series to remember. Wholesale NFL Jerseys cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '