April 27, 2012 - Last Word On Sports

Pro Bowl: Will It Stay or Will It Go?

Posted on April 27, 2012November 4, 2021 by Anto Dowsett

Ever since January 15, 1939, the NFL in some way or another has held a Pro Bowl-type game after the conclusion of the regular season (with the exception of 1943-1950). Unfortunately, due to lack of real effort, there’s a real good chance that the Pro Bowl becomes cancelled at the conclusion of this coming season.

If you have ever watched the Pro Bowl, you would understand the lack of effort of which I am speaking. To make matters worse, there are extra rules that are enforced during the Pro Bowl specifically, which are apparently were put in place to lessen the chance of injury. Due to these circumstances, the Pro Bowl has become a very lackluster game to watch. There is no pass-rush whatsoever, and the tackling is very poor. Many people no longer watch this game since it is not very exciting; the only real reason to watch now would be to see the big names like Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady. Something needs to be changed in order to once again make this game watchable. Even Aaron Rodgers said last year that some of his NFC teammates “embarrassed themselves” with the effort they gave in the game.

Another idea would be to make a weekend out of the event, similar to that of the NBA. Instead of having just the all-star Pro Bowl game, there could be multiple events throughout the weekend that the players could be involved in culminating in the big game on the Sunday afternoon. Some examples might include a QB accuracy competition where quarterbacks have to hit certain targets as fast as possible. Another is a RB obstacle course they have to complete as quickly as possible. And perhaps a WR/DB, one-on-one drill to see who can come up with the ball. Obviously, these are just random ideas I’m throwing out there, but the NFL must do something in order to regain the energy that the game once had many years ago.

Let’s assume for a minute that the game does get cancelled, the league would still need to create two teams in order to praise those players who excelled during the year. Would they then be merely figurative, existing solely on paper? Further, some players have bonuses in their contracts that they receive if they are chosen for the Pro Bowl, which is another reason why the league would still need to pick the two respective teams.

What do you think the league should do with the Pro Bowl? I think you will agree that it will not last with the way it is currently being played. Please leave suggestions below.

…and that is the last word.

NHL Playoffs Second Round Predictions

Posted on April 27, 2012November 4, 2021 by Grant Alexander

So who’s ready for round two? After one of the most thrilling, controversial, and unpredictable first rounds in recent memory, how can you not be excited for the second round? And the great news is, you don’t have to wait long at all. Game 1 between Phoenix and Nashville starts Friday, April 27, at 9pm.

With all of the craziness the first round had to offer, I don’t think I faired too badly with my first round predictions. I missed on Pittsburgh, and Chicago, and had Boston to win in 7 (who ended up losing by one goal in game 7). And other than that, I had Jersey right, New York right, St. Louis, Nashville and even called L.A. on a major upset. So with that in mind, here goes round two…

Eastern Conference

#1 New York Rangers vs. #7 Washington Capitals

Before the playoffs started I wouldn’t have hesitated to take the Rangers to win, but after the first round, I’m not so sure. New York had more trouble with the Sens than expected, and were forced to a 7th game. The Caps did just the opposite forcing the heavily favoured Bruins to a 7th. The wild card here is Holtby. He was amazing in round one, but can he out-play Lundqvist the way he did Thomas? He is a great kid, and he has shown tremendous poise so far, but my answer is “no”. As good as Holtby is, and can be, I still think Lundqvist is, and will be, better. The season series had them tied at 2’s, but a lot has happened since then.

New York wins in 7

#5 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #6 New Jersey Devils

The Devils have won two playoff series recently against the Flyers, and both times went on to win the Stanley Cup. This year however, after watching them barely squeak out a series win against the Florida Panther in double overtime of game 7, doesn’t make me believe that it will happen again. The Flyers also looked really good in the dismantling of the consensus favourite Pittsburgh Penguins in round one. And there’s no reason to believe that momentum won’t be carried over into round two. Not only that but Claude Giroux has really taken this team on his shoulders. He looks fierce, determined, and unstoppable right now. Don’t expect this to be a cakewalk though. The Flyers scored most of their goals on the power play with an almost 50% success rate in the first series. That isn’t going to fly against Hall-of-Famer Martin Brodeur, and the penalty conscience Devils. The season series was also a draw as these division rivals tied 3-3.

Philadelphia wins in 6

Western Conference

#2 St. Louis Blues vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings

Can the 8th seed L.A. Kings really take down the top two seeds back-to-back? Sure they can. They are one of those teams where there rank doesn’t do their roster justice. And to me, this series is even odds. Both of these teams matchup pretty evenly as they both have similar defensive styles with similar (stellar) goaltending. They also each have a good mix of offensive and defensive defensemen, with lots of scoring depth up front. Even their captains are similar. Dustin Brown and David Backes are both hard-hitting physical players that can score goals and help out in the defensive zone. The one big difference between these teams is their record against each other this season. L.A. won 3-1, and for me, that’s as good a tiebreaker as any…

Los Angeles wins in 7

#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #4 Nashville Predators

It looks like Phoenix will play the role of the underdog yet again despite their top seeding and home-ice advantage. If their fairly decisive win over the Chicago Blackhawks has taught us anything, maybe it’s not to underestimate this team. They are coached very well by Dave Tippett, and really work as a cohesive unit at both ends of the ice. They frustrate teams with their tight checking, trap style defense, and have just enough punch to score on the rush. The only problem is, it’s not going to work against Nashville. The Preds play a very similar style of game, and they are much more talented. They have the better goalie in Rinne (although Smith has been great), their D is better with Norris candidate Weber, and their offense is better, especially with the addition of Radulov. If Phoenix wants to sit back and counter, the Preds will have no problem doing the same thing, which could make this one of the most boring series to watch ever. I don’t think it will go down like that though, as I think a few goals one way or the other could break this series wide open.

Nashville wins in 6

… and thats the Last Word

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #22: Ludvig Bystrom

Posted on April 27, 2012November 4, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Drafted 43rd Overall by the Dallas Stars.

Ludvig Bystrom (Byström) is yet another example of the improvement of Swedish Hockey in recent years. After nearly a decade of poor international results among their junior teams, the Swedish Hockey program has really turned it around, culminating in a gold medal at the World Junior Championships. Bystrom didn’t play on that World Junior Team, but he should be part of future editions of Team Sweden, and he follows Filip Forsberg, Sebastian Collberg, and Pontus Aberg as Swedish Prospects for this years NHL Draft. He also comes in just ahead of fellow defender Hampus Lindholm. Bystrom has come up through Modo’s development program and even made his Elitserien debut at the age of just 16.

Defense
Born Jul 20 1994 – Örnsköldsvik, SWE
Height 5.11 — Weight 187 — Shoots L

2010-11	Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik	SEL	1	0	0	0	0	0
2011-12	Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik	SEL	20	0	1	1	8	2

Bystrom has been extremely impressive at the international level for Sweden. He was a key component of Sweden’s 2011 Ivan Hlinka Team which won the Silver Medal, the 2012 Five Nations Team which won Gold, and the 2012 IIHF Under 18 World Championship Team which won silver. He has also gained valuable experience playing against men in 20 games for Modo in the Swedish Elitserien.

Bystrom has a ton of offensive potential. He is a very good skater, extremely agile and mobile. Bystrom has good work on his edges, excellent pivots and changes of direction, and very good balance. His top speed is above average. Bystrom is a good stickhandler and a creative player in the offensive zone, and when joining the rush. He is a great passer with excellent vision, and is very good at distributing the puck, especially on the PP. One criticism is that we don’t think Bystrom shoots the puck enough. He is always looking to pass and this limits his effectiveness to a certain extent as opponents have realized that this is his game. Even when he does shoot, he will need some time to develop a harder slapshot.

Defensively Bystrom plays a game that relies on stick-checking opponents and using his great skating to stay in the right position in order to stop opponents. While Bystrom doesn’t shy away from physical contact initiated by opponents, he’s not known as a big hitter. When we first saw Bystrom at the 2011 Hlinka Tournament we noticed that he had a tendency to chase the puck too much and take himself out of position. However, our more recent viewings at the Under-18 World Championship indicate a player who has learned to play a very sound positional game, and has developped his defensive hockey sense and instincts. His quick skating and good passing also help him defensively, as he gets to loose pucks and quickly starts the transition game, removing the puck from his own zone.

Bystrom has progressed a lot this year, however he is still a bit of a work in progress. We do think he has a very high ceiling though, and we feel he could develop into a player similar to Tomas Kaberle currently of the Montreal Canadiens. We note that this projection is more of what Kaberle looked like in his prime with the Toronto Maple Leafs, than it is Kaberle today.

… and thats the Last Word.

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Day: April 27, 2012

Pro Bowl: Will It Stay or Will It Go?

NHL Playoffs Second Round Predictions

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #22: Ludvig Bystrom