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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012

Top Shelf Prospects: 2012-13 WHL Preview; East Division

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Welcome to today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects”. My last project was a review of the prospects of all thirty NHL teams. If you missed those you can find a complete listing of my them here. You can also find my extensive NHL Draft preview here.

This past weekend, hockey started across the CHL, and now that the new hockey season is upon us I will be given my thoughts on this coming season. I’ll be breaking it down league by league, and conference by conference. I’ve already gone through the OHL, and the QMJHL; and so today I start with the WHL East Division; home of the 2013 Memorial Cup Hosts.  The Division is loaded with good young defencemen as you can see in our players to watch, and draft prospects to watch categories.

Top Contenders

Saskatoon Blades: The Blades will host this year’s Memorial Cup.  Like most Memorial Cup hosts they have built their lineup with this in mind.  In goal, the returning Andrey Makarov provides the solid netminder that all teams with championship aspirations need.  On defence Duncan Siemens, Dalton Thrower and Darren Dietz are the veteran leaders of a solid group.  The blue line is the strength of this team, and the group is one of the deepest in the WHL.  Up front the Blades have really loaded up for their Memorial Cup year adding Shane McColgan, Brenden Walker and Jessey Astles in offseason moves.  Meanwhile Lukas Sutter, Matej Stransky, and Josh Nicholls who were offensive leaders on last year’s team return.  If there are any holes in this club’s lineup that show themselves early in the season, expect them to be aggressive in addressing them before the WHL’s Trade Deadline.

Prince Albert Raiders:  In a division filled with quality defencemen, the Raiders feature the best collection of scorers.  Mark McNeill the 2011 Chicago Blackhawks’ first round selection leads an attack that also features Mike Winther, and Anthony Bardaro.  The Raiders have also added Leon Draisaitl, a talented import out of Germany.  On the blueline the Raiders feature 2013 draft-eligible defenceman Josh Morrissey who quarterbacks the powerplay and starts the rush for the team.  Harrison Ruopp and Antoine Corbin are veteran leaders who will be important to the team’s defensive play.  The big question with the Raiders comes between the pipes, where newly acquire overager Luke Siemens takes over between the pipes.

Players to Watch:

Duncan Siemens, Defence, Saskatoon Blades: Siemens is a rugged defender who was a bit disappointing last season after being selected 11th overall by the Avalanche in the 2011 draft. At over 6’3 and nearly 200lbs, Siemens has an impressive frame.  He is a rough and tumble customer feared around the league best known for his ability to throw a devastating hit, and to drop the gloves when necessary.  Siemens is an excellent defender who is capable of playing physical, winning battles along the boards, clearing the front of the net, blocking shots, making a good first pass to start the transition game. Siemens is a very good skater, especially for a player his size.  His smooth stride, excellent pivots, and good agility and balance help him to be rarely out of position. With Saskatoon hosting the Memorial Cup this season, Siemens is looking to lead the hosts to junior hockey’s biggest prize.

Dalton Thrower, Defence, Saskatoon Blades: Thrower really showed his worth late in the season last year with Saskatoon, as due to injuries to other Blades blueliners the team was often forced to play with just four regular defencemen.  Thrower was playing over 30 minutes per game, in all situations, with tough matchups at even-strength, top power play unit time, and penalty killing work.  Thrower took this responsibility and really excelled last year. In fact it seemed like the more minutes he was given, the better he played.  Thrower is a hard-nosed physical player, who enjoys playing a style of “old-time” hockey. Thrower is dangerous on the powerplay as he has a cannon of a shot, and is excellent at keeping his one timer low and one net. He is also a good passer who can quarterback the powerplay and start the transition game with a good first pass. Thrower is a physical player who loves to throw big hits, and is always at the middle of any scrum.

Morgan Rielly, Defence, Moose Jaw Warriors: The 5th overall pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs will keep Leafs fans glued to Moose Jaw games during the NHL lockout. Morgan Rielly might have the most high end offensive potential of any defenceman in the WHL. Before he suffered a regular season ending knee injury last year he was scoring at a point per game pace for Moose Jaw. Rielly is an absolutely elite skater, his speed is off the charts, and he has great edgework, acceleration, agility and balance. His skating is already at a level that would leave many NHLers in his dust. Rielly loves to carry the puck, and loves to lead his teams rushes from the backend. A frequent sight at Warriors games this year should be Rielly trying an end to end rush. He’s great with the puck on his stick, and has good vision and passing ability. He also has both a great wrist and slap shot and he utilizes these along with his great vision, and ability to make crisp tape to tape passes to be a future elite PP Quarterback. Rielly will look to improve his defensive game this season, and looks to pick his spots to create offense better.

Mark McNeill, Centre, Prince Albert Raiders: A big talented centre, who plays an effective game in both ends of the ice. McNeill is at his best working the puck down low on the cycle game. He has excellent size, and very good puck protection skills which he uses to control the puck below the goal line and then use his excellent vision to create a scoring chance for a teammate, or use his strength to cut to the net and bury the puck with his soft hands in tight. McNeill also has a decent wrist shot and a good release, which he uses to rack up the goals. McNeill also has a well developped defensive game, and can be trusted in all situations in his own end of the rink. McNeill will try to show that he can be a consistent scorer all season long this year, and will be the key to the Prince Albert season.

2013 Draft Prospects to Watch

Josh Morrissey, Defence, Prince Albert Raiders: Morrissey played for team Canada last year at the Under 18 World Championships and really stood out for his excellent two way game. He is a terrific skater, and is extremely mobile which helps him to lead the rush offensively and to contain opposing forwards in his own end of the ice. Morrissey has excellent playmaking skills including puck protection and stickhandling, and very good vision and passing ability. In Prince Albert he will be expected to quarterback the strong Raiders’ powerplay as well as to take on top defensive assignments this season.

Morgan Klimchuk, Left Wing, Regina Pats: Klimchuk is a natural sniper, gifted with a great wrist shot and an excellent one timer. His outstanding release fools and confuses goaltenders as he seems to have the puck in the back of the net before they know it. Klimchuk has good hockey sense and is able to find openings in the defence where he can set up his deadly shot. More than just a one trick pony though, Klimchuk works hard in the corners, often winning board battles despite the fact he is merely average size. He also does extremely well in the cycle game protecting the puck with his soft hands and excellent balance on his skates.

Ryan Pulock, Defence, Brandon Wheat Kings: Pulock was originally selected as a forward in the 2009 WHL Draft, but has made the transition to defence.  As expected the offensive skills in his game are evident, as he scored 19 goals and 60 points in 71 games this season.  He has an absolute rocket of a slapshot and is a feared shooter on the Powerplay.  A natural PP Quarterback, Pulock makes smart crisp passes and sees the ice extremely well. Pulock is an above average skater with good mobility on the blue line. He’s a potential top 10 pick in June’s NHL Entry Draft and the best draft prospect in the division right now.

Eric Roy, Defence, Brandon Wheat Kings: With 11 goals and 53 points of his own last season Eric Roy showed that there is another strong offensive defenceman in Brandon who is also eligible for the 2013 NHL draft. Roy also has a very good shot, but its not quite the rocket of Pulock. As a result his role on the powerplay is more of being the set-up man at the back end. He is poised and cool with the puck and makes great tape to tape passes to set up shots for Pulock or the Brandon forwards. Roy has also shown that he can be a physical presence in the defensive end of the ice.

Dillon Heatherington, Defence, Swift Current Broncos: At 6’3, Dillon Heatherington has the ideal size that NHL teams love in their defensemen. A strong defensive defencemen Heatherington plays a very physical game as he just loves to throw out big hits or be involved in battles along the boards or in front of the net. Heatherington projects as a mean and nasty shutdown defender going forward. He’s even show the willingness to drop the gloves on occassion. As the prototypical big, physical defenceman that NHL teams look at, Heatherington will be in demand next June. If he can show an offensive skill set this season Heatherington could climb up draft boards and may find himself going in the first round of the NHL draft.

As always feel free to leave your comments below and to follow me on Twitter @LastWordBKerr

Game Of The Week: #25 Baylor at #10 West Virginia

Posted on by Lindsay Higgins

This would have been an incredible game a year ago, with RG III at the helm for Baylor, but make no mistake, despite losing their starting QB, RB, and WR to the NFL, the Bears are still a formidable team, and they’ll be hoping to make West Virginia’s welcome to the Big 12 an unpleasant one.

The Baylor Offense: Senior QB Nick Florence has thrown for 300 yards or more and 3 TDs in each of the Bears’ first three games, in addition to averaging about 30 yards rushing. Granted, their first two games were against SMU and Sam Houston State, but last week they faced Louisiana-Monroe- the same team that dismantled Arkansas and nearly did the same to Auburn. With Florence throwing to Tevin Reese, Terrance Williams, Lanear Sampson, and Darryl Stonum, Baylor is averaging 51.3 points and over 350 passing yards per game. While Baylor’s running game is clearly secondary to the passing game, the Bears are ranked a respectable 35th nationally in rushing yards per game, averaging 207. Florence needs to avoid mistakes early on and take the rowdy Puskar Stadium crowd out of the game.

The Baylor Defense: Much of Baylor’s defense thus far has been predicated on turnovers. Already, six different players have at least one interception this season. Sophomore LB Bryce Hager is “the man” on the defense; if a big stop is needed, he’s the most likely candidate to make it. It’s hard to know what the defense will look like against what’s easily the best offense they’ve faced this season.

The West Virginia Offense: The passing game is excellent, with Heisman candidate Geno Smith at QB and studs like Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin at WR. Top RB Shawne Alston missed last week’s game but is expected to play Saturday, and RB Dustin Garrison should see more carries as he comes into form following ACL surgery. The Mountaineers; passing offense is the 3rd-best in the country, but the run game ranks a disappointing 69th. Maryland was able to slow the offense last week with a lot of blitzing; expect to see a similar plan of attack from the Baylor defense.

The West Virginia Defense: West Virginia’s pass defense ranks just 103rd in the nation, and has been giving up over 250 yards per game. Baylor’s efficient passing game and up-tempo rhythm will be a big test for the Mountaineers. West Virginia hasn’t been hurt badly by their defense, as evidenced by their 3-0 record, but that’s partly because they’ve been successful in forcing turnovers against the likes of Marshall, James Madison, and Maryland.

Prediction: This should be a high-scoring game between two potent offenses. Given that Baylor has the stronger defense, picking the Bears seems like a no-brainer. I’ve seen a lot of Big East games the last few years, though, and I know how well West Virginia can play. I’m taking the Mountaineers to win, 45-42.

Los Angeles Lakers, Reloaded for another run at the NBA Title

Posted on by Kaine Elmy

With the Lakers training camp just days from beginning, the title contenders will have a lot to work on in a short amount of time. No-one is as excited as me to see this new look team and a championship parade in Los Angeles, but it may not be the easy ride the fans, bandwagoners or the players ( *cough* Metta World Peace *cough* ) are hoping.

I know you’re probably bored of hearing about the addition of Steve Nash (Phoenix) and Dwight Howard (Orlando) but I’m going to write about it anyway. The coming together of a star-studded starting ‘big five’ is probably the most exciting off-season move in years; and yes, I remember the ‘decision’. After the formation of the first ‘big three’ by Boston in 2008, teams have hunted such a formation with the Miami Heat boasting the most dominant of all: Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. But the Lakers definitely have the best starting five in the NBA next season with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace the existing pieces before the two star signings.

Assemble an ultimate starting team, build a decent second unit (we’ll get into that later) and we’re sure to win a championship right? Wrong! There needs to be some serious adjustments , team bonding and had work for this team to function at its potential. Kobe Bryant will score less, it’s a given. Can Kobe get used to that? Sure, but it won’t happen overnight. The Black Mamba will have to learn to share the ball around with playmaker Steve Nash as well as leading the team, which don’t doubt for a second, he will be doing. Nash opens up opportunities all over the offensive court and may in fact give Kobe more scoring options, but don’t count on that happening. By no means will Kobe’s play or work ethics suffer from the addition of Nash but definitely expect him to have to learn to share the ball around more. When it comes to the dying seconds however, you know who you can count on to have the ball in his hands.

Dwight Howard will dominate the post this season with help from Pau Gasol. The Lakers experienced a powerful centre last season in the talented Andrew Bynum and we saw a huge amount of points coming from the big men; don’t expect that to change. Dwight is hungry, he wants to quote Lebron this season and say ‘it’s about time’ while holding up his trophy. He will work hard, score big and develop into a much different player than we have seen yet. However, since we will not see Dwight Howard during the training camp or pre-season, it may take a bit of time for him to fit into the organization. Expect great things from the big baby. Fingers crossed we have him for more than a year.

The addition of Jodie Meeks and Antawn Jamison is incredibly exciting. The two second-unit veterans bring talent, scoring and experience to what was previously an inefficient and lacklustre bench. Rookie signing Darius Johnson-Odom should fit in well in the second-unit however don’t expect him to see much time this season. And my personal favourite, Jordan Hill! The monster who, while averaging little minutes and points, showed in the few games he played last season he can dominate and influence a game dramatically. Expect Hill to be training hard this pre-season to join Meeks and Jamison in the high ranks of the bench.

Championship contenders? Yeah. Championship winners? I’d put my money where my mouth is.

…and that is the last word.

Boom or Bust NBA – San Antonio Spurs

Posted on by Jordan Leung

Wrapping up the Southwest division took way longer than expected, but here’s hoping I can pick up the pace.  For those new to the Boom or Bust series, an FYI on the methodology of the prospect scores is available if you click here.

San Antonio Spurs
2011-2012 Record – 50-16

Even in a 66 game season, the Spurs were able to keep their 50-win season streak alive at 13. Fans and critics have always pointed out about the youth of the Spurs, with no obvious heir to the trio of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker. But as long as Tim Duncan is still breathing, the Spurs should not have to worry about their future. With that being said, the Spurs have been introducing some younger talent into their rotation in order to cut down on their Big 3’s minutes, and they have produced some quality minutes.

DeJuan Blair
Age – 23, Previous Season Stats – 9.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG

After a solid regular season starting at the Spurs’ pseudo-center spot, Blair quickly sank to the bottom of the Spurs rotation during playoff time in favor of the ultra-versatile Boris Diaw.

Blair is one of the few undersized power forwards who have found reasonable success in the league. He is strong, athletic, and a monster rebounder, but his lack of offensive skills (shooting in particular) made him a poor fit next to Tim Duncan. Barring any big changes, Blair probably won’t be seeing that many minutes behind Duncan, Diaw, Splitter, and Bonner, which puts Blair in contention as one of the NBA’s best 12th man. Stick Blair on most teams and he’s a fringe starter/key role player. DeJuan is still very young at only 23, but unless he work on his shooting and polishes up the rest of his offense, he will be warming the bench not too far from Gregg Popovich.

  • Prospect Score – 5/10

Danny Green
Age – 25, Previous Season Stats – 9.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 43.6 3P%

Danny Green is an NBA player who just lucked out. In his four years at North Carolina he became the only player in ACC history to have a certain amount of points, rebounds, assists, threes, blocks, and steals. He’s a fantastic guy to have on the floor and is really reaching his potential as an NBA player. His three point shooting was his strongest asset last season, but he was also able to contribute in all other statistical categories.

Danny Green’s best case scenario is a slightly less athletic Arron Afflalo. If he can become a reliable defender he can be a very valuable NBA player.

  • Prospect Score – 4/10

Kawhi Leonard
Age – 21, Previous Season Stats – 7.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 49.3 FG%

The Spurs ‘Big 3’ have just been so successful and dominant the past decade. If you went to a specific NBA team’s store ten years ago, you’d find very different jerseys on sale as you would today. This is how it is for every single team in the NBA… except for the Spurs. Three staples. A 21, a 20, and a 9.

With the Spurs’ Big 3 not getting any younger, Kawhi Leonard might be able to change that. Leonard is arguably the most promising non-Duncan/Ginobili/Parker Spur in the past ten years, and played a key role in last year’s first place finish in the West.

He has the makings of a lockdown defender, could become a very reliable knockdown shooter, and the Spurs love him. Coach Popovich has talked about molding him into a Bruce Bowen type player. A long, athletic Bruce Bowen? That is the ultimate role player!!

One of the better young players in the NBA- only thing is I don’t see a lot of star potential in Kawhi.

  • Prospect Score – 7/10

Patty Mills
Age – 24, Previous Season Stats – 10.3 PPG, 2.4 APG, 42.9 3P%

Mills only played 16 games last season, but he did fantastic in those 16 games. He’s more of an explosive, scoring point guard than a pure distributor, but a little bit more speed and explosiveness would not hurt the Spurs.

He played great in the Olympics, and the Australian team he led did fantastic with what little talent they had. If Mills played in the 50s he would have been Allen Iverson before Allen Iverson, but the Australian plays in today’s league, and he can only fulfill a smaller niche role as a game-changer off the bench. Patty should see the majority of back up point guard minutes this season, and these minutes may go up if Popovich decides to give his players a little more rest during the regular season.

  • Prospect Score – 4/10

Gary Neal
Age – 27, Previous Season Stats – 9.9 PPG, 2.1 APG, 41.9 3P%

Gary Neal is another Spurs guy who is not that glamorous, but plays well in the system and puts up good numbers. Neal has a good jump shot and showed some versatility by backing up both guard positions.

Neal is an older rookie, and to be a little more blunt, as soon as San Antonio parts with him, there aren’t many teams that would take him for anything more than the minimum. Neal still does a solid job in his backup role in San Antonio, so kudos to him for making it to the league and playing quality minutes on a good team.

Prospect Score – 3/10

Tiago Splitter
Age – 27, Previous Season Stats – 9.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 0.8 BPG

What? The Spurs have an international played stashed away in Europe?

That’s how I felt when I heard about this Tiago Splitter character. The Spurs also had Luis Scola stashed away before they traded him to the Rockets. Add that to their glowing resume that features Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, and you really don’t know what to expect.

Splitter played spot minutes in his rookie season, but his role has expanded significantly this past year. He is becoming more productive and efficient on offense, and is more aggressive on defense. He’s certainly no heir-to-Duncan material and he isn’t exactly young either, but if Omer Asik can get paid a fat contract, another year of similar production from Splitter might mean a big pay day.

  • Prospect Score – 4/10

Grant's Rants: NFL Replacement Refs – Bad or Biased?

Posted on by Grant Alexander

It appears that enough is finally enough in the NFL. Replacement officials have officially be handing their walking papers, and the world of American football should soon be back to status quo. And if you ask me, or anybody hailing from the Green Bay area, it’s not a moment too soon.

The travesty of the Monday nighter in Seattle was definitely the straw that broke the camel’s back. And it seems that Goddell and staff, have finally got the message that this ridiculousness has got to stop. I understand that they are trying to do the right thing not just for now, but for the future of the game, but when the integrity of the game is on the line, action must be taken, and I’m thankful it has been dealt with, however later it was.

Right from the beginning of the season we knew the referee lockout was going to be a problem, but I don’t think we realized how impactful it was actually going to be. Every week it seems the top story of the day was another game possibly decided by bad officiating. Not just careless penalties, but a complete disregard for rules and procedures. I know that for the most part they did their best to fill the shoes of some of the “best” decision-makers in professional sports, but there has to be a line in the sand somewhere – though I wish it were drawn weeks ago.

And speaking of lines in the sand, I do have to give a shout out to the officials who were on strike, as they were no doubt at home “rofling” (rolling on floor laughing), and awaiting their settlement call – and on Monday they must have said a collective, “Cha-ching”.

So were these replacement officials really this bad, ignorant, and oblivious? Or are there other motives driving their decisions?

In real-time, split-second calls are hard to make. I don’t care what sport it is or how many years you’ve been doing it, it’s not an easy thing to do. And even though I get upset when the wrong call is made, I give them all the credit in the world for putting themselves in a position to make it. But that being said, we do have technology these days that is constantly advancing, and working on taking as much of the “human error” element out of the game as possible. This is why we have instant replay, referee reviews, and coaches and players challenges. And the technology is so great today, with HD zoom, and freeze-frame motion, all you really need is a copy of the rulebook and common sense to make the right call. So how were these replacement officials in the NFL getting it wrong week after week? Or were they? What was the benefit to them having made the right call? Either way they’re going to be out of a job sooner or later…

I understand that if you pursue officiating in a particular sport, your knowledge most likely stems from your love of that sport. And that probably means that at one point or another you were a fan, and had a favorite team. It’s just common sense. But like becoming a judge on the Supreme Court, you must go through rigorous training to learn to put those prejudices aside, which is exactly what the regular NFL officials had to go through. They are, after all, considered professionals in their field. Having them replaced by inexperienced referees would be like putting a university law school student on the bench and asking him to preside over his friend’s case.

I’m sure that the majority of these guys do have integrity, and are out there doing the best they can. But if you know you are only a temp, and that there are no consequences for your actions, and you are reffing your favorite team… Or if you like to gamble, or you take part in a pool or fantasy league, or you get approached by a bookie… We know these guys aren’t rich, and we know there isn’t job security. And we also know that one of the officials was pulled minutes before the Panthers-Saints game after it surfaced that he was a diehard Saints fan! Not only that, but after further investigation, it was revealed that he had posted his job assignment on Facebook prior to the game. Gentleman, place your bets!

There was also the referee who reportedly asked LeSean McCoy of the Philadelphia Eagles to play better because he drafted him in his fantasy league. That’s two cases of potential prejudice and discrimination, and we only know about because these guys were vocal about it. Who knows what else went on behind closed doors, or in the minds of the officials who weren’t so forthcoming about their intentions. I’m not saying that all of these guys had ulterior motives, but it is pretty clear that some of them did. And the evidence over the past four weeks speaks for itself, ending with the game in Seattle.

I was over at my sister’s place on Tuesday, and yes still trying to get the taste of the Monday nighter out of my mouth, when I decided that just for fun, I would do a little experiment. I pulled the now infamous “Touchdown Interception” play that ended the game on Monday up on her laptop and asked my ten-year-old niece to tell me what she saw. We watched it a few times while I remained silent, and not only did she identify the Green Bay player that caught the ball, but she asked me if it was fair that the a player pushed another player from behind and knocked him down. Obviously referring to Golden Tate’s uncalled pass interference. Funny how a ten-year old caught that offensive pass interference, but the officials standing a few feet away missed it…

Anyway, so in conclusion to my experiment, it appears you don’t need to be “Smarter Than A Fifth Grader” to make judgment calls in the NFL, you just need to have a clear conscience, be un-biased, and have no motive for personal or financial gain.

…and that is the last word.

Serie A: Road to the Scudetto Week 6

Posted on by Frank Giuliano

Three sides continue to remain undefeated so far this season: Juventus , Napoli, and surprisingly Sampdoria! Let’s start off in Milano where Inter is home to Fiorentina. The Nerazzurri haven’t won a game at home this season and are looking to stop their home winless streak. They will have to do it without lead man Wesley Sneijder who picked up an injury in the midweek clash against Chievo. It shouldn’t be too difficult to replace him with players like Antonio Cassano and Radrigo Palacio on the bench. Inter will have a hard time taking control of the midfield against Fiorentina. The Viola are coming off a tie against Juventus in which they were unlucky to not obtain the three points as they out played the reigning champs and deserved the win. Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella is expecting his team to take the game to Inter, and with players like Jovetic, Aquilaini, Ljajic, Pasqual and Pizzaro, Fiorentina can certainly at least dream about victory especially against the aging Inter midfielders namely Zanetti and Cambiasso. This game will most likely end in a tie, thus leaving the Inter home winless streak to continue.

Juventus will battle it out against AS Roma at the Juventus Stadium in Torino. Juve are coming off a very sloppy performance against Fiorentina in midweek as being involved in three competitions begins to takes its toll on the Bianconeri. Prime example: since when is Pirlo ever substituted during a game in progress? The Old Lady’s magician is looking ever more tired these days. Head coach Antonio Conte will aim to put an end to that type of play right away and will most likely rotate the squad ahead against the Giallorossi in order to best prepare for the Champions League encounter Tuesday when Shaktar Donetsk comes to town. Roma has been a little inconsistent lately but are ready turn things around quickly. This game should be a great one seeing that both teams very much dislike each other. Roma coach Zdenek Zeman absolutely loves stirring the pot with his anti-Juve comments made during press conferences, accusing them in the past for doping and match fixing. I believe this game will be played wide open with both teams aiming to attack one another. Juve has the edge in the mid with Vidal, Pirlo (who may be replaced with youngster Pogba), Marchisio and the surprising Giaccherini. Roma’s attack though should not be taken lightly with ‘il re di Roma’ Totti, and the two young Italian internationals Destro and Osvaldo. Although, the Giallorossi have a decent attacking line-up, Juventus possess perhaps the strongest midfield and defence which is where Championship-winning teams are built from.

Parma will challenge AC Milan at the Stadio Tardini in Parma. These two teams have struggled up to now with the Gialloblu coming off a draw against Genoa. Parma forward Amauri enjoys playing against Milan where the Brazilian-born forward bagged a late winner last year at the San Siro that shattered the Rossoneri’s scudetto chances. This time around, of course, he is looking to do just the same against a weaker Milan side. The Diavoli travel to the Tardini with a bit of confidence after beating Cagliari at home, 2-0, which broke the San Siro curse for the Rossoneri. Milan forward Stephan El Sharaawy seems to be the only player in form so far this year. With the return of Robinho, Max Allegri is hoping Milan can finally turn their season around. Even though Milan have struggled so far, the Milanisti are still stronger than Parma and having Robinho back will surely help to spark up the team.

A battle will take place at the Marassi stadium and it is not the derby. Instead, undefeated Sampdoria will go to war with Napoli who’s trying to keep pace with Juventus for top spot. This game will be played wide open as both teams will play for three points. Napoli possesses a killer attack with trio Hamsik, Pandev, and three-goal hero Cavani, the man who absolutely crushed Lazio single-handed on Wednesday. Take out Cavani and why not put in Insigne. The Italian international has been on fire of late. Head coach Walter Mazzarri’s midfield is jam-packed with Chilean youngster Edu Vargas and Gokhan Inler who make up a formidable pair. Samp will have certainly have trouble competing with this line up, but they have been playing very well under former Under-21 Italy coach Ciro Ferrara. Maxi Lopez aims to be in great form. Even Pozzi and Lopez have been linking up great up to now. But with Pozzi getting injured in mid week, who will be the one to lend Maxi Lopez a helping hand in the attack? Although the game is in Genova, Napoli will most likely remain undefeated as the Partenopei’s depth will too much for Sampdoria.

 

Week 6   30 Sep 2012
Atalanta – Torino
Bologna – Catania
Cagliari – Pescara
Inter – Fiorentina
Juventus – Roma
Lazio – Siena
Palermo – Chievo
Parma – Milan
Sampdoria – Napoli
Udinese – Genoa
2012-13   Overall Home Away
  Pts P W D L F A W D L F A W D L F A
Juventus
 13 5 4 1 0 11 2 2 0 0 4 0 2 1 0 7 2
Napoli
 13 5 4 1 0 11 2 3 0 0 8 2 1 1 0 3 0
Sampdoria (-1)
 10 5 3 2 0 8 5 1 1 0 3 2 2 1 0 5 3
Inter
 9 5 3 0 2 8 5 0 0 2 1 5 3 0 0 7 0
Lazio
 9 5 3 0 2 7 5 1 0 1 3 1 2 0 1 4 4
Roma
 8 5 2 2 1 11 7 0 2 1 5 6 2 0 0 6 1
Fiorentina
 8 5 2 2 1 6 4 2 1 0 4 1 0 1 1 2 3
Catania
 8 5 2 2 1 7 7 2 1 0 5 3 0 1 1 2 4
Genoa
 7 5 2 1 2 7 7 1 1 1 4 4 1 0 1 3 3
Milan
 6 5 2 0 3 6 5 1 0 2 2 2 1 0 1 4 3
Torino (-1)
 5 5 1 3 1 4 3 1 1 1 3 2 0 2 0 1 1
Atalanta (-2)
 5 5 2 1 2 4 4 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3
Parma
 5 5 1 2 2 5 7 1 1 0 3 1 0 1 2 2 6
Udinese
 5 5 1 2 2 6 9 1 0 1 3 5 0 2 1 3 4
Bologna
 4 5 1 1 3 5 9 0 1 1 2 4 1 0 2 3 5
Pescara
 4 5 1 1 3 4 10 1 0 2 3 6 0 1 1 1 4
Chievo
 3 5 1 0 4 3 9 1 0 2 3 5 0 0 2 0 4
Siena (-6)
 2 5 2 2 1 6 4 1 2 0 3 2 1 0 1 3 2
Cagliari
 2 5 0 2 3 2 9 0 1 1 1 4 0 1 2 1 5
Palermo
 1 5 0 1 4 1 9 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 3 0 5

 

 

Top Shelf Prospects: 2012-13 QMJHL Preview, West Division.

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Welcome to today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects”. My last project was  a review of the prospects of all thirty NHL teams. If you missed those you can find a complete listing of my them here. You can also find my extensive NHL Draft preview here.

This past weekend, hockey started across the CHL, and now that the new hockey season is upon us I will be given my thoughts on this coming season. I’ll be breaking it down league by league, and conference by conference.  I’ve already gone through the OHL, and 2/3rd of the  QMJHL, so  I now move on to the QMJHL West Division, home of the expansion Sherbrooke Phoenix, and the first overall draft pick from last year’s QMJHL draft.

Top Contenders

Blainville-Boisbriand Armada:  The club formerly known as the Montreal Juniors begin their second season in the Montreal Suburb of Blainville-Boisbriand.  Last season they were expected to be rebuilding, but shocked all the experts by winning the division.  With another year of experience behind them, they are my bet to repeat.  The attack begins at the blueline where Xavier Ouellet and Samuel Carriere are strong offense defencemen who quarterback the Armada from the blueline.  Ouellet in particular is one of the best pure offensive defencemen in the Q.  Upfront the club adds recent Devils draft pick Stefan Matteau to a returning core of Christopher Clapperton, Cedric Paquette and Tommy Giroux.  The only question is in goal where expected starter Etienne Marcoux will miss the start of the season with a Separated Shoulder.  Still, despite this the Armada have the best team in the division.

Val d’Or Foreurs: Like the QMJHL West, I don’t expect anyone else in the East Division to truly be able to challenge the Armada for top spot. However if I had to pick one team with an outside chance to do it (and your best bet to finish 2nd) it would be Val d’Or. The club has solid goaltending as last year’s starter Francois Tremblay is back to take the reigns again this season. In front of him Gabriel Beaupre, Artem Sergeev, and Guillaume Gelinas lead the experienced Val D’Or defence. Up front the Foreurs have addded Anton Zlobin who scored the Memorial Cup winning goal in Overtime for the Cataractes last season and leading scorer Michael Beaudry returns.

Players to Watch:

Xavier Ouellet, Defence, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada: With 60 points in 63 games last year Ouellet has already proven to be one of the best offensive defencemen in the league. He is very poised on the powerplay and has excellent vision and creativity. He also has a very good wrist shot with a quick release. His slapshot is powerful and he has a dangerous one timer. Ouellet scored over 21 goals last season and is looking for more of the same this year. He is a great skater and is very dangerous off the rush as well. Don’t be fooled though, Ouellet is no one trick pony, as he also is a good defensive defenceman using his solid positioning and good hockey sense to keep opponents at bay.  Ouellet will need to add some muscle before moving up to the next level, but he’s dominant in the QMJHL right now.

Stefan Matteau, Left Wing, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada: Matteau was a first round pick of the New Jersey Devils. Like his father, Matteau is a gritty, hard working, winger who is capable in all three zones. Matteau seems to relish playing a physical game, is effective on the boards winning battles, and protecting the puck in the cycle game. He is more likely to bull through a defender than to go around them. Matteau has a hard, heavy wrist shot and a decent release. When Matteau doesn’t have the puck in the offensive zone, you can find him causing havoc in front of the net. This season Matteau will need to show more discipline as he is a player who needs to play on the edge but not cross the line. He should bring extra offence to the Armada attack.

Olivier Archambault, Right Wing, Drummondville Voltigeurs: A former first overall pick in the QMJHL, there is no questiong Archambault’s offensive skill. He has great vision and is able to make pinpoint passes to teammates. He is a strong skater and stickhandler who can use these skills to make plays. He also has a very good shot and release. The questions with Archambault are more about his consistency. He seems to have a great game or two and then go invisble in the next game. He just doesn’t put a consistent string of good games together. If Drummondville is going to go anywhere this year Archambault will need to use his skills on a more consistent basis.

Dillon Fournier, Defence, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies: Fournier is an excellent skater, with good top end speed and quick acceleration. Another offensive minded minded Dman. Fournier loves to rush the puck and is a very good stickhandler, adept at protecting the puck. He has good vision and makes crisp accurate passes on both the breakout and in the offensive zone. He has a hard wrist shot and a good release, but could stand to improve on its accuracy. His slapshot gets decent velocity but can also be a little wild. Fournier will be a key to the offence in Rouyn-Noranda this year and will be a key player for the Huskies.

Top Draft Prospects for 2013 to Watch

Anthony Mantha, Left Wing, Val D’Or Foureurs: At 6’3″ Mantha is a large winger who uses his frame well to protect the puck. An excellent playmaker off the wing, Mantha works the puck down low and uses his size, strength and good puck skills to cycle the puck and keep defenders at bay until an opening presents itself. Blessed with great vision, it doesn’t take much of an opening before Mantha is able to pounce. He also is strong on the puck and willing to fight through checks and take it to the front of the net. If he can fill out his frame just a little more, he becomes a very intriguing draft prospect.

Martin Reway, Left Wing, Gatineau Olympique: Reway was 4th overall pick in the recent CHL Import draft. Reway is undersized, but is said to be extremely talented with good puck handling skills, an excellent wrist shot, and good vision. Considered the top Slovakian prospect for the 2013 draft, it will be interesting to see what Reway will do in his first season in North America. I haven’t seen a lot of Reway, but he did look pretty good at the Under 18 World Championships this past spring.

Rookies to Watch

Daniel Audette, Centre, Sherbrooke Phoenix: The Son of former NHL star Donald Audette was the first overall pick in the QMJHL draft. He goes to the Sherbrooke Phoenix, an expansion team in the QMJHL this year, as the Q returns to Sherbrooke, a city with a great tradition of Junior Hockey. The Phoenix won’t be expected to compete this year, but they will want to build a club around the young Audette. Audette is a natural sniper blessed with the fantastic wrist shot and quick release that was his father’s best asset as well. He’s also a very good stickhandler and is able to beat goalies with an array of shootout moves. Audette is a little undersized, but he’s got a couple years to grow both in height, and in putting on muscle to his frame in thw QMJHL. He was born in New York State, but has dual Canadian/American Citizenship and will need to decide what national team to play for in the coming years.

CFL West Playoff Picture: As Expected

Posted on by Matthew Bin

Unlike the playoff projections in the east, the western CFL playoff picture doesn’t have a lot of surprises. While there’s a battle developing for second and third spot, and a good chance of a crossover for the bottom-dweller, the current standings reflect about what you’d expect from the west: BC on top, Calgary struggling to keep second place out of Saskatchewan’s hands, and Edmonton on the outside looking in.

BC has been a model of consistency this year, something that can’t be said for any other team. A couple of stumbles early on in the schedule, and a close loss to a rapidly improving Alouettes later on in the season, are countered by excellent passing from Travis Lulay, a mountain of all-purpose yards from Andrew Harris, and reliable targets in Geroy Simon, Arland Bruce, and Shawn Gore.

Their record reflects their play, and unless there’s a dramatic injury to one of these key players, BC has all but booked the top spot in the west and, very probably, a trip to Toronto in late November.

There’s less to choose from in Calgary and Saskatchewan. Their records reflect some solid personnel, but some inconsistency at the pivot position as well. By all logic, Calgary shouldn’t be in second place at this point, after Drew Tate was knocked out and Kevin Glenn took the starting spot.

Did the Stamps get lucky, or did Glenn get good? He’s stepped up in dramatic fashion, putting up a high passing percentage and even a few rushing yards. Nik Lewis is also having a good season, leading the league in receptions and fourth in receiving yards. No one’s laying short odds for them winning the western final, but they’re doing far better than expected since their 2-3 start.

Saskatchewan has also benefited from consistent, if not consistently stellar, all-round play. Durant is solid but not exceptional; Dressler and Getzlaf are stalwarts in the air game; Kory Sheets remains strong on the ground. They aren’t ripping up the league, offensively or defensively, but they’re about as good as their 6-6 record says they are

But they remain only a game behind Calgary for second spot, and a stumble or two by the Stampeders or a strong playoff run by the Riders could push them ahead. Calgary has the edge in the season series between the two, which is a big edge to hold with only a third of the season left, so it’s likely that Saskatchewan will stay where they are.

Finally, Edmonton. Not bad for a team at the bottom, but they’ll need some good fortune to make it across the country for the third-place spot in the east, and that’s Edmonton’s easy route to the playoffs. Choosing a quarterback would be a good start for Edmonton; neither Kerry Joseph nor Steven Jyles has earned a permanent starting spot, which is fine because they’re both down with injuries, and third-stringer Matt Nichols looks likely to play this week.

Aside from the QB, Edmonton’s receiving has been underwhelming and their rushing anemic. They aren’t a lock to win the season series with either Hamilton or Saskatchewan, and finishing with a better record than either of those teams looks like a stretch now. Even if you ignore their recent humiliation at the hands of the Ticats, signs are pointing to a shakeup at the coaching level on the off-season, and playing for pride at best in the last couple of games in the season.

So there might yet be a little churn in the standings in the west, but it’s unlikely now that we’ll see anyone but BC in the big game in Toronto. That said, I’m looking forward to being proven wrong, something that this league has been rather good at doing for anyone stupid enough to make predictions like I do.

Hammer Radio: Interview with Rory MacDonald

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Its Wednesday Night, so the Hammer Radio show is back, and available in Hamilton on 93.3 CMFU FM.

The Boys at the Hammer feature weekly coverage of all things MMA. This week they are back with another new episode and you can listen to the archived podcast by clicking here. Hammer Radio 112.

“UFC 152 is over, and things are getting back to normal.  After one final rundown of last Saturday’s card, we preview this coming weekend’s UFC on Fuel: Struve vs. Miocic from Nottingham, England. We would preview the Strikeforce card on the same night, but it’s been cancelled!

Also, we end the show with a quick interview with top UFC Welterweight, Rory MacDonald.

Check back online all this week for bonus episodes following various UFC 152 media events, and we’ll be back live next Wednesday night at 7pm on CFMU 93.3 FM, ”

The Hammer features lastwordonsports’ own writer Greg Persson, long time internet superstar Steve Jeffrey, and is hosted by MMA aficionado Dave Abraham.

The Hammer has had interviews with some of the biggest names in MMA over the years, including BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, Sean Sherk, Mark Coleman, and others. They continue to bring unparallelled, independent coverage of all things MMA to fans of the sport.

They’ll give you the straight goods and the Last Word.