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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Day: April 28, 2012

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #24: Brady Skjei

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Drafted 28th Overall by the New York Rangers.

Brady Skjei (pronounced Shay) is our 2nd ranked player from the US NTDP.  A member of the squad’s deep and impressive blue line core, Skjei joins fellow defence mates Jacob Trouba, and Patrick Sieloff as top 50 ranked prospects.  Skjei was a member of the US Team that recently won gold at the IIHF Under 18 World Championships.  We believe that his impressive showing as part of a dominant Team USA blue line, should leave a favourable impression with NHL Scouts and greatly help his draft stock.  Skjei is a Minnesota boy and is committed to join the fabled Golden Gophers Hockey Team at the University of Minnesota next year.

Defense
Born Mar 26 1994 — Lakeville, MN
Height 6.03 — Weight 183 — Shoots Left
2010-11 U.S. NDTP USHL 36 1 5 6 14 -14
2011-12 U.S. NDTP USHL 24 3 9 12 12 5

Skjei continues our run of effective skating defencemen available for this year’s NHL entry draft.   He possesses excellent edgework and agility for a big man.  He has very good mobility, balance, and makes quick pivots.  Skjei has above average speed and uses it to join the rush.  This skating ability helps him in both the offensive and defensive zones.

Offensively Skjei is always willing to join the rush.  He handles the puck well, and is willing to make dynamic rushes, and take the puck right to the net.  On the Powerplay Skjei is a good passer who makes smart decisions and can make creative passes putting the puck on the tape of his teammates.  However his slapshot needs work and is below average when compared to the other defencemen available in the first round.

Defensively Skjei uses good positioning, hockey sense and his great skating to keep defenders to the outside.  He also is pretty effective at keeping the crease clear for the Americans and at picking up loose pucks.  He uses his size to limit passes and chances against.

Skjei possess the ideal height that NHL teams always seem to look for among defencemen.  He is listed at 6’3″ and may still be growing.  However at only 183 lbs, Skjei will have to spend time in the weight room and bulk up before being ready for the rigors of pro hockey.  Despite his great size Skjei is not a physical defender.  We would like to see him be more aggressive and really start throwing his body around out there.   If Skjei can learn to harness the physical aspects of his game he could become a top 2 defender in the NHL.  However we currently see him as more like to top out as a 2nd pairing player.  We’d compare Skjei’s game to Rostislav Klesla of the Phoenix Coyotes.

… and thats the Last Word.

 

The St. Louis Rams Rolled the Dice at the Draft, and Won BIG!

Posted on by Ben Kerr

It was a risky move for the St. Louis Rams to have vacated the 6th spot in the 2012 NFL draft and allow the Dallas Cowboys to select the top cornerback prospect, Morris Claiborne.  As good as Claiborne might be, he couldn’t have helped the St. Louis Rams.  They need much more than one player to help turn this franchise around, and they know it.

The Rams are the winners of only 15 games over the last three seasons.  The result has been a single first-overall pick and two second-overall picks, including the second selection again in this year’s draft.  Prior to the draft, the Rams’ management decided that one more top player wasn’t going to be enough to help turn this franchise around.  When a team losses as much as they have over the past few years, their franchise has fundamental roster issues that need to be corrected.  Bringing in one, or ever two, superstars is not going to change anything.  The entire roster needs to get more competitive at virtually every position.

This analysis led them to make the high risk/high reward swap of the #2 overall pick (Robert Griffin III) to Washington for a massive haul.  They picked up this year’s 6th and 39th overall picks and an additional first rounder in 2013 and 2014.  When it came time to pick at #6 the Rams were happy to move down to the 14th spot and pick up an additional 2nd rounder this year.  They later moved that 2nd rounder down even further and picked up an additional first rounder.  The end result was ten picks in the 2012 draft, five of them coming in the first three rounds including a massive three 2nd-rounders.  When you add this sizeable draft haul to their other recent top picks, the Rams could be starting 10 players drafted in the first two rounds this upcoming season.  This is before factoring in the four first round picks the Rams will have in the next two seasons.

The highlight of the Rams draft is first round selection Michael Brokers, a massive Defensive Tackle from LSU, who will join two other first round defensive linemen, Chris Long and Robert Quinn.  This gives the Rams a chance at having one of the league’s premier defensive lines a few years from now.  At the top of the second round the Rams selected huge WR Brian Quick, who will team with last year’s 2nd rounder TE Lance Kendricks in rebuilding the talent around QB Sam Bradford.  Corner Janoris Jenkins was drafted next and will play alongside free agent acquisition Cortland Finnegan who will give the Rams an upgrade at a sorely needed position.  The Rams final second round selection was RB Isaiah Pead, the fastest back in the draft, who should complement All-Pro Steven Jackson nicely.

The success or failure of the trade to allow the Washington Redskins to acquire Robert Griffin III will not depend on the success of Griffin himself, but rather on the success of Sam Bradford.  All of the talent they now have surrounding Bradford should give him the best chance to succeed.

If their gamble pays off as it appears it might, the Rams will have made off like bandits.

…and that is the last word.

It Comes Down to AC Milan and Juventus in the Race for Serie A

Posted on by Frank Giuliano

Serie A Week 33 Review

Week 33 took place in midweek as a recuperation round from the postponed weekend which marked the tragic death of Piermario Morosini.

Let’s start off in Cesena where Juventus came to town looking for 3 points. The Bianconeri were awarded a spot kick in the 12th minute for a controversial handling offence as the Cesena defender was on the edge of the area. Andrea stepped up and missed his second consecutive pk. In the final stages, Marco Borriello finally broke his duck as it was perfect timing for the ex-Roma striker to score his first goal in a Juve jersey to snatch three points from Cesena. The Seahorses are now officially relegated. Juventus remains undefeated and continue to lead AC Milan by three points.

In Milan, the Rossoneri hosted Genoa in their first game since the incident that included the Genoa Ultras who demanded the players to take off their jersey because they are not worthy of it. Milan welcomed back Kevin-Prince Boetang who entered the match as a substitute in the second half and scored to give Milan the 1-0 win with a beautiful strike in the 86th minute.

ACF Fiorentina challenged the AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in the nation’s capital. The Viola came out surprise winners with 2-1 victory which significantly hinders the Giallorossi’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League.

Inter travelled to Udinese to take on Udinese. The men in black and white struck first with Danilo at the 6th minute. Inter quickly came roaring back with the equaliser 4 minutes later with a wonderful Wesley Sneijder strike. The Dutchman then scored his second which gave the Nerazzurri the 2-1 lead. Alvarez ended any hopes of an Udinese come back as he bagged the third goal for the visitors – 3-1. This win propels Inter back into the race for the final Champions League spot.

Other results: Novara 2-1Lazio; Lecce 0-2 Napoli; Siena 1-1 Bologna; Palermo 1-2 Parma.

Preview of Week 35 matches

The title race remains the same with Milan trailing Juventus by three points with four games left. AC Milan travels to Siena to try keep pace with Juve. The Rossoneri are in a very bad position they do not hold their destiny in their hands anymore. The Diavoli will aim to continue to put Juventus under pressure.

Juventus travels to Novara which will mark the derby of Piemonte as both clubs play in the same region. On paper, this encounter looks as if it should be an easy win for the Bianconeri. Novara earned a confidence-boosting win over Lazio in mid week action and will be motivated to mark the end of the Old Lady’s current undefeated streak in Serie A.

Udinese welcomes Lazio to the Stadio Friuli for yet another decider for the third and final Champions League spot. With an Udinese win, Francesco Guidolin’s men will tie Lazio for that position. This will most likely be a physical match up.

The Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo also takes place this weekend at the Renzo Barbera in Palermo which is always a heated affair. Both teams’ seasonal objectives are simply over so the bragging rights will be up for grabs.

Roma will take on Napoli in Rome. This was expected to be a Champions League spot clash, but the Giallorossi have fallen apart. It will be very difficult to rebound from this crisis against a motivated Napoli side.  Cavani and Co. are still fighting for third and will be keeping an eye on Udinese and Lazio.

Inter is currently three points out of the Champions League spot and will host Cesena. The Nerazzurri are quietly climbed up the table and entered the race. Inter should win with no issues and are hoping the other key fixtures fall in their favour.

Other match ups: Cagliari v Chievo; Bologna v Genoa; Atalanta v Fiorentina; Lecce v Parma

…and that’s the last word.

Week 33 25 Apr 2012
Atalanta 1 – 0 Chievo
Cagliari 3 – 0 Catania
Cesena 0 – 1 Juventus
Lecce 0 – 2 Napoli
Milan 1 – 0 Genoa
Novara 2 – 1 Lazio
Palermo 1 – 2 Parma
Roma 1 – 2 Fiorentina
Siena 1 – 1 Bologna
Udinese 1 – 3 Inter
Week 34 22 Apr 2012
Catania 2 – 0 Atalanta
Cesena 2 – 2 Palermo
Chievo 0 – 0 Udinese
Fiorentina 0 – 0 Inter
Genoa 1 – 4 Siena
Juventus 4 – 0 Roma
Lazio 1 – 1 Lecce
Milan 1 – 1 Bologna
Napoli 2 – 0 Novara
Parma 3 – 0 Cagliari
LATEST
Week 35 29 Apr 2012 (14.00 UK)
Atalanta Fiorentina
Bologna Genoa(11.30)
Cagliari Chievo(Sat 17.00)
Inter Cesena
Lecce Parma
Novara Juventus
Palermo Catania(Sat 17.00)
Roma Napoli(Sat 19.45)
Siena Milan
Udinese Lazio(19.45)
FIXTURES
Week 36 02 May 2012
Catania – Bologna
Cesena – Udinese
Chievo – Roma
Fiorentina – Novara
Genoa – Cagliari
Juventus – Lecce
Lazio – Siena
Milan – Atalanta
Napoli – Palermo
Parma – Inter

Raonic Falters, But Impresses on the Clay in Barcelona

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

Canada’s Milos Raonic is turning heads.  The hard-serving Canadian bowed out today to David Ferrer, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5).  The match was hotly-contested between the two, who have battled over the past 18 months several time.  In fact, as the scores indicate, each set required an extra game for a decision.  There is no way around it, Ferrer has Raonic’s number…well, polo logo.

Not all is bad for Raonic, however.  His career has taken off in a relatively short time.  The mostly unknown Thornhill, Ontario, native was not any anyone’s radar a few years ago.  But after a strong 2011, and a good start to 2012, Milos is 25th in the ATP rankings.

Raonic began his great run at the Barcelona Open by defeating the world’s 13th seed, Nicholas Almagro.  But, perhaps no victory in his career is as impressive as that of Friday night over Andy Murray, the world’s fourth-ranked player.  On the strength of his serve and some timely breaks, Raonic  defeated the Scotland native 6-4, 7-6 (3).

…and that is the last word.

Do Rookie QB's Have a Chance, or Are They Over-hyped and Over-paid?

Posted on by Jack Stone

Andrew luck  was drafted first overall by the Indianapolis Colts, to no one’s surprise.  Other QBs drafted in the first round of this years draft include Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), and Brandon Weedon (Browns), But do any of them  stand a realistic chance of playing, and playing well?

Time and time again we have seen a young QB get drafted first overall and get thrown into a starting position for a team that finished in the basement of the standings.  We have seen guys like Ryan Leaf,  JaMarcus Russell, Matt Leinhart, and Joe Harrington fail miserably before celebrating their 25th birthday.

The amount of money these kids recieve is way more than their worth.  In 2010, the St. Louis Rams picked Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford first overall in the NFL draft. The following summer, he signed a six-year, $78 million deal that included $50 million in guaranteed bonus money, all before playing a single down in the NFL.

My thoughts are that aside from Newton, who certainly answered the bell last year, not since Peyton Manning have we seen a first overall pick earn their money early in their careers.   I believe Andrew Luck will have an unsuccessful season as he has a limited chance of playing, despite being on such a weak team.  The other first round quarterbacks will see similar results if they are rushed into the position.  A smarter approach would be to adopt a system like Green Bay, who had Aaron Rogers sitting behind Brett Favre for a few years learning what it takes to be a big-time pivot in the National Football League.  Best of luck, Luck.

…and that is the last word.

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #23: Hampus Lindholm

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Drafted #6 Overall by Anaheim Ducks

Our #23 ranked prospect, Hampus Lindholm continues our draft run on Swedes and on offensively talented defencemen.  He follows immediately after Ludvig Bystrom, and in truth there isn’t much to seperate the two.  Lindholm was also an important part of Sweden’s entries in the 2011 Ivan Hlinka, the 2012 Four Nations, and 2012 IIHF Under-18 World Championships.

Defense
Born Jan 20 1994 – Helsingborg, SWE
Height 6.02 — Weight 185 — Shoots L

2011-12 Rogle BK Swe-1 20 1 3 4 12 -1

Lindholm played 20 games for Rogle in the Swedish Allsvenskan.  He helped Rogle earn promotion, and the club will play in the Elitserien next year.  An explanation of how the Allvenskan and Elitserien work was given earlier in our profile of Filip Forsberg:

“Some think that the Allsvenskan is like the Swedish version of the AHL, this is not the case.  With the way Sweden’s pro hockey leagues are set up, we need to remember that they are set up like European Football (Soccer) leagues.  The Allsvenskan is basically the equivalent of the Italian Serie “B” to the Elitserien’s Serie “A”, or like the Championship League instead of the Barclay’s Premier League.”

Lindholm is yet another excellent skating defenceman in this draft class.  He is particularly impressive in his backwards skating which is extremely fast.  We rarely see him getting beat to the outside by forwards off the rush.  Lindholm shows good agility, balance and edgework.  He is equally adept and also very quick moving forwards, and this adds a lot to his offensive game.

Lindholm is already an excellent defender.  He has size and is willing to use it to hit opposing forwards.  He is generally a defensively responsible player, with good instincts, and an ability to read the play, however he can make youthful mistakes, and get himself out of position looking for the big hit at times.  We do however believe that any issues that he does have can be corrected with time and good coaching.  He does retrieve loose pucks and dump ins quickly due to his quick skating ability and makes a good first pass out of the zone.

Lindholm has good offensive potential.  He has great hockey sense and instincts.  He picks good times to join the rush, and to make pinches at the blue line.  He’s a good passer, with good instincts, vision and creativity.  Lindholm also possesses an accurate shot from the point and good velocity, however this is something he definitely needs to utilize more often.

Lindholm is a bit of a project as he still needs time to fill out his frame as well as to further refine his defensive game.  However we do feel that these issues will be able to be corrected with some time.  Lindholm has a very high ceiling and that contributes to our first round ranking.  We think that if he can reach his potential, he’ll be similar to Nicklas Kronwall of the Detroit Red Wings.

… and thats the Last Word.