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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012

From Cubs to Lions: How England is Breeding the Next Generation

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

“I think Wayne Rooney showed all those years ago that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. And I think Oxlade-Chamberlain showed tonight that he’s good enough for this level.” ~ Steven Gerrard

 

Who wasn’t impressed by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain versus France yesterday?  Okay, I concede he has to learn to finish, but what he brought to the pitch was a good trade-off in my opinion.

The “Ox” proudly donned the three lions jersey yesterday.  From the start of the game it was easy to spot his intensity.  His challenges were superb.  On at least four of five occasions, he stripped the ball in mid-field, and led a quick attack at the French goal.  If memory serves me, just four minutes in he did exactly that – he stripped the ball, showed excellent pace to get upfield, though faltered in his pass to Ashley Young.  Even so, he created a spark for England that carried them through much of the first half.

So why is this important seeing as how he didn’t figure into the scoring?   His persistent pressure had the French backs on their toes.  His challenges caused turnovers, which were an especially important objective in Roy Hodgson’s plan to keep the ball away from Ribery, Malouda, et al.  With England’s well-documented injury woes, Hodgson was forced into a more defensive gameplan then he might have gone with if, say, Rooney, Cahill and Lampard were cruising down the centre of the pitch.  At first glance at the starting XI it was easy to arrive at that conclusion.  It was the pace, intensity and work ethic that earned the 18-year old Arsenal mid the start.

I think the inclusion of Oxlade-Chamberlain in the lineup is an excellent sign of things to come for England.  Giving the experience of top-flight football to young players, provided they have the head and feet to handle the situation, is such an important step in creating a quality football program.  We have seen other players brought up a bit too prematurely – even his mate, Theo Walcott, who was in a similar situation six years ago when he was named to England’s roster for the World Cup 2006.  There is sometimes a downside to starting players with very limited experience.

First, there are many players on England’s bench with much more experience.  I am quite certain that Hodgson’s decision to start the Ox surprised Steward Downing as much as it did Theo Walcott.  Downing, who plays the same left position, has had a decent career for England since his inclusion in the World Cup by Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2006.  While he only had two goals in all competitions for Liverpool this past year, he would have been a safer choice.

And then there is teammate Theo Walcott, who has been in and out of the national team for six years. While if you ask him he will say he’s a centre-forward, he assumes a winger’s role more often than  not, and he could easily have been asked to fill the same position as the Ox.

The fact that Hodgson played Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the toughest group match England will have is quite telling.  He clearly has the confidence to develop this youngster, and believes he’s ready for the world stage.   He held his own against a vastly more experienced French defence, and certainly was not out of place patrolling the left side for England.  In fact, his energy propelled the team through the first half – so who cares if he can’t finish?

…until tomorrow, lads.

 

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #65: Charles Hudon

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Drafted 122nd Overall by the Montreal Canadiens.

Hudon burst onto the scene in 2010-11 winning the QMJHL Rookie of the Year honours after putting up 60 points in 63 games for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.  His play would earn him a spot on Team Canada for the 2011 Ivan Hlinka tournament where he scored 5 goals and 9 points in just 5 games, helping Team Canada to capture the gold medal.  Hudon would follow that up with another impressive season in the QMJHL scoring 66 points in 59 games.  He was a huge part of helping Chicoutimi to upset heavily favoured, and eventual Memorial Cup Champion Shawinigan in the 2nd round of the QMJHL playoffs.  Hudon is a talented offensive player who faces many of the same criticisms as Kevin Roy.  Like Roy, Hudon just keeps putting up the points and hopes to prove the critics wrong going forward.

Left Wing
Born Jun 23 1994 — Alma, PQ
Height 5.10 — Weight 171 — Shoots L
2010-11 Chicoutimi QMJHL 63 23 37 60 42 26 4 0 3 3 4
2011-12 Chicoutimi QMJHL 59 25 41 66 50 28 18 6 5 11 16

Hudon has incredible hockey sense, and offensive instincts.  He is almost always in the right place at the right time.  He finds openings in the defense and stealthily exploits them.  A gifted playmaker Hudon has great vision and is able to make crisp passes to teammates with only the tiniest of openings to thread the puck.  Hudon has a very accurate wrist shot, and a great release which can fool goalies.  He could stand to gain some strength and improve the velocity of his shot, and this would lead to a lot more goals.  Hudon is also blessed with soft hands which allow him to make a swift move around a defender or to score on a goaltender in tight.  Undersized, Hudon is not afraid of traffic, and is willing to work on the boards and down low, however adding some muscle to his frame would certainly help him in these aspects.

Many have criticized Hudon’s skating, however we feel that the concerns are overblown.  Hudon is certainly not blessed with great top end speed, in fact we’d characterize his speed as just slightly above average, but there is more to skating ability than just pure speed.  More quick than fast, Hudon has a good first step, and acceleration, this allows him to dart into open spaces and pounce on loose pucks in the offensive zone.  He has good balance and  is strong on his skates making him difficult to knock off the puck, especially given his size.  Hudon is also extremely agile, which helps him to get by defenders after he turns them inside out with his fancy stickwork.

Defensively, Hudon’s game is a work in progress.  He loses board battles and containment due to being undersized.  This is another area where added bulk will help him to reach the next level.  He also needs to work on his defensive positioning as he can sometimes look lost in his own end of the rink.  His defensive flaws will need to be improved with more time in the QMJHL and possibly the AHL before he’s ready to contribute in the NHL.

Hudon is an intriguing prospect.  While there are certainly some areas of his game that need work such as bulking up and working on his defensive game, those are areas that can be improved on by a young player through hard work and good coaching.  However Hudon possesses a natural skill that cannot be taught, his offensive instincts and point producing ability.  For these reasons he’s an intriguing prospect going forward.  We believe he has the potential to be a playmaking left wing, comparable to Alex Tanguay of the Calgary Flames.

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

…. and thats the Last Word.

The Trouble With Twitter: Nate Burleson and the Patriots

Posted on by Anto Dowsett

Last Friday morning, we learned why social media can be a nasty thing.

On Friday, a fake Twitter account pretending to be CBS NFL reporter Jason La Canfora, published information that was found later to not be true. This person tweeted that wide receiver Nate Burleson had been traded to the Patriots and in exchange the Lions would receive running back Danny Woodhead.  Imagine learning that you’d been traded through an Internet application.  Your entire life would be changed as a result of a few simple, yet extremely dangerous and careless, words.  Luckily neither Burleson nor Woodhead were around when the word first broke.

Burleson, who is an avid user of social media, mentioned that he wasn’t online when the rumour first hit the web. But he did eventually hear about it that evening.

“That’s not a bad rumour to get started,” he said, “That’s almost believable. Luckily I wasn’t on Twitter, I might have gotten emotional and went crazy thinking Detroit was trying to get rid of me. Yeah, that’s pretty funny. I’m not going anywhere. My plan is to retire here.”

Must’ve been a little wake-up call for this 30-year old receiver; not expecting to be traded and then hearing about it over the Internet.  A fine “thank you” for years in service.  Burleson, who turns 31 in August, has three seasons left on his five-year deal that he signed in 2010. He recently renegotiated the deal to allow Detroit to clear some cap space. In his mind, he’s going to play out the remainder of this deal and then think about walking away from the game.

“I’d rather walk away while I’m ahead, while someone is still offering to pay me to play, than to be pushed out the door with them saying, ‘Them knees aren’t working like they used to.’ Right now, I’m feeling great. I had a nice showing at our OTA’s, caught a ton of balls and I did my thing.” Burleson said he feels like this could be the year that Detroit takes the next step, and he’s glad he’s there to help them get there.

In this case, Twitter could’ve caused some havoc and ruined a player’s career, or at least made his day really, really bad.  Don’t get me wrong, Twitter is a great tool, when put in the right hands.

…and that is the Last Word.

Where Does Brodeur Stand Amongst the Greats?

Posted on by Jack Stone

With Los Angeles defeating the New Jersey Devils, the question of whether Martin Brodeur will retire or not has already flooded the internet.  Whether he does or not remains to be seen.  But while we wait on him, let’s revisit a question that has loomed over him for several years – “Where does Martin Brodeur rank amongst the NHL’s greatest goalies?”

To answer any such question, only three names in recent hockey history can be considered;  Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur and Dominik Hasek.  There are no others.

 

STATS, BIO AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

 

Patrick Roy:

Born: Quebec City, Quebec, on October 5th, 1965

Size: 6’1″, 210 lbs.

Highlights: From 1981 to 2003

  • 18 NHL seasons
  • 4 Stanley Cups
  • 5 Jennings trophies
  • 3 Vezina trophies
  • NHL All Time playoff wins leader with 151 victories (an interesting note:  The Toronto Maple Leafs only have 105 playoff wins as a franchise from 1968-2012)
  • only player in NHL history to win 3 Conn Smythe awards (an award neither of the other two have won)

Martin Brodeur:

Born:  Montreal, Quebec, on May 5th, 1972

Size: 6’2″, 216 lbs.

Highlights: From 1993 to present day

  • 16 NHL seasons
  • 3 Stanley Cups
  • 5 Jennings trophies
  • 4 Vezina trophies
  • Calder Trophy
  • NHL Alltime Record-holder for most regular season wins, shut outs and games played
  • 112 Career Playoff Victories
  • 2 Olympic Gold medals (1 as the starter)
  • 1 World Cup of Hockey
  • 2 goals scored

Dominik Hasek:

Born: Pardubice, Czecheslovakia, on January 29th, 1965

Size: 6’1″, 165 lbs.

Highlights: From 1991 to 2008

  • 16 NHL seasons
  • 2 Stanley Cup (one was as a back-up)
  • 6 Vezina trophies (a record)
  • 2 Hart trophies  (first goalie to ever win two)
  • 2 Pearson trophies
  • 3 Jennings trophies
  • 1 Olympic gold medal
  • Highest career save percentage (.922)

 

THE BREAKDOWN:

The stats show that  all three goalies are the closest thing to unbeatable that hockey has ever seen, however, it should be noted that Patrick Roy played half of his career before the 1995 season, where the amount of goals scored in the NHL were much higher than the “dead puck era” that followed.  Therefore, comparing the GAA’s and Save Percentages of the goalies would be unfair and inconsequential.  Further, when Roy was playing there were much fewer opportunities to represent Canada at the Olympic games, as this only became an option in 1998 as his career was winding down.

I approached the inevitable question – “Which keeper was the greatest?” – with much internal debate.  To solely recognize any of these three as being a step ahead of the other two proved more difficult then I originally thought.  Each offers a different skill set, they played at staggered times (Roy -> Hasek -> Brodeur), and with different defences in front of them.  As mentioned earlier, Roy played during the goal-happy 80’s and early 90’s.  Would I compare them based on stats alone?  Would I consider the teams  each represented?

The only way to breakdown these three phenomenal goaltenders is to recognize what each brought to their teams, and which had the most success given each individual’s situation.  Hasek, arguably, did the best with the least to work with, which was especially true in his 1999 run with the Sabres.  They took the Stars to six games, when Brett Hull scored the infamous “toe in the crease” goal, ending the Sabres season.  His unorthodox ‘ fall and flail’ style certainly garnered him some critics, but it’s hard to argue that he might just be the most talented goaltender in history.  His stats speak for themselves, and they don’t lie.  The only knock on him is that he was only great for eight seasons, whereas the other two were dominant for much longer.

Martin Brodeur has given the Devils 75+ games in a season, and has been reliable nearly every night he has donned the pads for his entire 16-season career.  In addition to his three Stanley Cups, he owns a nice mantle-full of Olympic Gold.  Okay, not a mantle, but two very well-earned golds.  He also was part of Canada’s 2004 World Cup gold-medal team.  Marty definitely eclipses both Roy and Dom in terms of international success.

Patrick Roy was a solid wall that perfected the butterfly style, which goaltenders to this day still try to emulate.  He knew how to make himself look twice as big, forcing players to shoot into him.  His four Stanley Cups overshadows the other two, and if you agree that the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy in professional sports to win, then you will most likely agree that Patrick Roy is the best of the bunch.  Not to mention, in 2001 Roy went head-to-head with Brodeur for the Stanley Cup, which his Avalanche won over the Devils in seven games.  Roy is a straight-up pressure goaltender.  The most interesting stat for me is when he won the cup in 1993 he won an incredible 10 out of 11 overtime games, which is the very definition of “clutch goaltending”.

When it comes down to it, I want the best goaltender in the most pressure-filled situation.  Despite Hasek’s incredible stats, I was debating between Brodeur and Roy.  Both won their share of Cups, and both can win when pressure was on.  Here is how I figure they rank from 1-3.

1. Patrick Roy

2. Martin Brodeur

3. Dominick Hasek

…and that is the Last Word.

Agree? Disagree?  Feel free to post comments below.

NBA Finals Preview: Will the Title Finally Arrive at South Beach?

Posted on by Greg Persson

On Tuesday the NBA Finals will begin as the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the team who everyone seem to be hating these days, the Miami Heat.

This will be the second year in a row since Lebron James and Chris Bosh took their talents to South Beach that Heat will appear in the Championship series. After losing in six games to the Dallas Mavericks last year, the Heat were criticized vehemently and called “choke artists” by media and fans alike. Much of this reaction, no doubt, stemmed from the circus at the beginning of the year where James and Bosh signed with Miami and came off very cocky, proclaiming that they would win five straight championships. On Tuesday they will have another chance to begin this run, but it will not be an easy assignment as they are up against a team, who are in my opinion the best in the NBA, the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook-led Oklahoma City Thunder.

The road to the finals for both of these teams did not really become rocky until the Conference Finals. This is where the Thunder ran into the Western Conference’s number 1 seed, the San Antonio Spurs. Lead by Greg Popovich, the Spurs have been a well-oiled machine for the better part of the last 15 years and came into the series with an 8-0 playoff record. They quickly took the first two games and it seemed like the Thunder were done. It was then that Oklahoma City dug deep and turned the series around, winning the next four games and eliminating the odds-on favorite to win it all.

The Heat, after getting through the first two rounds relatively unscathed, faced their arch rivals, the Boston Celtics. Due to a season-ending injury to last year’s NBA MVP Derrick Rose, the number one seeded Chicago Bulls were quickly disposed of, opening up the door for this exciting rematch from 2011. The series got very interesting when Paul Pierce hit a clutch three in the dying seconds of game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead, but Boston came out flat in game 6 at home, treating the ball like it was covered in bacon fat, and Miami tied the series and eventually went on to win a hard-fought game seven in their house.

Now these two exceptional teams will collide for basketball supremacy. The experience advantage lies with the Heat who went to the dance last year and who boast a leader who already wears a ring (Dwayne Wade). The return of Chris Bosh from his abdominal injury helped Miami pull it together to beat the Celtics and his presence will be the key to Miami’s series. One can always count on Lebron James to be a force, but Miami’s big man (Bosh) is the most important piece to the championship puzzle. With the NBA’s scoring champion Kevin Durant, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, the massive shot-blocking machine, Serge Ibaka, along with James Harden and Kendrick Perkins, the Thunder have the size and strength to bully the Heat up and down the court. Chris Bosh will have to establish his presence and prove that he is not what Durant referred to as a “fake big man” earlier in the season. Bosh will also need help from the physical Udonis Haslem. Of course, James and Wade will need to play big and fire on all cylinders as well to combat the Thunder’s strength and stature.

At this point, the Thunder have the clear advantage with Russell Westbrook, who has shown time and time again that he can act as a general and control a game, even outdueling Tony Parker in the semi’s. A good point guard can dissect Miami as was seen when Rajon Rondo was playing his best for the Celtics. From what I’ve seen, Westbrook is more dangerous and consistent than Rondo, and if Rondo can do it, Westbrook can certainly do it. Mario Chalmers is solid for Miami at the point, but is clearly outmatched by Westbrook.

At the end of the day this series will be exciting and intense.  Expect to see a shove or two between Bosh and Durant, maybe the odd elbow, and a lot of trash talk and emotion from both sides. Despite their youth, the Thunder should emerge victorious given their depth and size, but Lebron is the type of player who can change a series by himself, and if Bosh can remain healthy and get his minutes the Heat may pull it out. My call, however, is Oklahoma City to win and Lebron to continue chasing down the dream of his first NBA title.

…and that is the Last Word.

Feel free to post comments below.

The Bundesliga Alive in North London

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

Podolski in, van der Vaart out.  Okay, only half of that equation is assured, but allow me to be a wee bit dramatic.

You already knew about the agreement for Podolski to leave the Bundesliga to join the Gunners in the next transfer period.  And you may have heard speculation about van der Vaart leaving Spurs.  Actually, I think it might be more than speculation.  I am not going to throw jibber-jabber around like, “my sources tell me…”, or “according to people I know within the organization…” – if I ever do in the future, please, put me out of my misery.  But there is something about this van der Vaart rumour that has me buying into its potential.

First, let ‘s be clear that a deal to send Raf to Germany would be anything but easy, and I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s very plausible.  He is still under contract with Tottenham, and it is unlikely the Spurs will want to lose a key piece to their roster seeing as how they were a point off of third-place Arsenal, and a Schweinsteiger miss/Cech stop, away from Champions League football again.  There is also the fact that Schalke, the German side who have openly expressed interest in the Dutch international, would have to pay a mighty transfer fee that it might not be able to afford.  Oh, and then there is the fact that van der Vaart himself said that he is happy to stay in England, blah, blah, blah.  What else would he say!

So then what about this rumor makes sense?

First, van der Vaart has fond memories of his time in the Bundesliga, particularly with former club, Hamburg. He had a strong relationship with then coach, Huub Stevens, who just happens to be coaching Schalke now.  Perhaps more importantly, Schalke finished 3rd in the Bundesliga, and will be playing in the Champions League. Spurs on the other hand, will be watching from their televisions.  The attacking mid, or forward, depending if you ask him or his coaches, might just want to line himself up for more Champions League play.  While only 29, which is not “old” for top-flight football, let’s just say the big 3-0 is a warning sign for many.  Before you bite my head off, I want to be clear, I am not saying he’s done.  I recognize he has a lot left, whether I like him or not.

But Raf and Podolski aren’t the only “big” exchanges between the Bundesliga and the teams from North London.  During last summer’s transfer window, the Gunners made a move to bolster its struggling defence in the form of 8’ tall (give or take) Per Mertesacker from Werder Bremen.  A mid-season injury halted the lanky defensive-centre’s progress at the Emirates under Wenger’s watchful eye.

I’m not going out on any ledge when I say that the Bundesliga has a style of play as similar to the Premier League than any other of the big leagues from France, Italy, Spain, and anywhere else.  For that reason it only makes sense to continue inter-league dealings between the Bundesliga and Premiership.  Players who exchange between the two clubs have less transition.  On the other hand, if you can play football, you can play football.

…until tomorrow, lads.

The Rise of Brandon Morrow

Posted on by Max Warner

In case you haven’t noticed, Ricky Romero is no longer the ace of the Toronto Blue Jays.  With his dominant start to 2012, Brandon Morrow is now clearly the best pitcher on the Blue Jays and is fast becoming one of the best pitchers in the American League.  Morrow’s ceiling is so high that, if he continues to develop as he has in 2012, he could become one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Morrow has always had tremendous potential and incredible “stuff”, which is why he was drafted fifth overall by Seattle in 2006.  However, his development stalled in Seattle as he bounced back and forth between the bullpen and starting rotation over three seasons.  In December 2009, Morrow was traded for middling reliever Brandon League and minor league player-without-a-position Johermyn Chavez.  Morrow’s mismanagement by the Mariners and his trade to Toronto are two significant blights on the record of the Seattle front office, whose management style in the past decade can best be described as “lost in the wilderness”.

Morrow had an almost immediate impact in Toronto, winning ten games, fanning 178 batters in less than 150 innings and striking out 17 batters and coming without one out of no-hitting Tampa Bay in 2010.  However, his 4.49 ERA and 1.38 WHIP left a lot to be desired.  In 2011, Morrow led the American League with 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings, but again posted poor peripherals with a 4.72 ERA and a WHIP of 1.29.

With seven wins and a 2.90 ERA in his first twelve starts in 2012, this is without a doubt Brandon Morrow’s breakout season.  He has reached a new level of dominance which evokes memories of former Jay’s ace Roy Halladay, tossing 3 complete game shutouts in just 12 games.  This is triple the number of complete games and shutouts which Morrow had in his career prior to this season, and he currently leads the majors in both of these categories.  His ERA and WHIP are better than that of C.C. Sabathia, Josh Beckett, Felix Hernandez and some guy named Yu Darvish.   But what is the explanation for Morrow’s new-found success?

The most obvious improvement is that Morrow is allowing fewer batters to reach base than ever before, as his WHIP sits at a frugal 0.99, good enough for eighth best in all of baseball.  Morrow is striking out fewer batters per nine (7.8) this season, but the drop in strikeouts translates into increased pitch efficiency, meaning that Morrow is getting more outs with fewer pitches and is pitching deeper into ballgames.  He has pitched 7 innings or more five times already this season, while doing so 10 times in 30 starts last year, and 6 times in 26 starts in 2010.

Perhaps the biggest adjustment in Morrow’s approach in 2012 is his increased reliance on his four-seam fastball, as 61% of his pitches this season have been heaters, compared with 44% and 58% in 2010 and 2011, respectively.  Morrow is not bringing the heat any harder this season, but rather is using his four-seamer and his off-speed pitches to induce more ground balls.  On balls put in play this season, Morrow has induced 5% more grounders with his fastball, 10% more with his slider, and 56% more with his curveball, compared to 2011.  Morrow has also almost entirely eliminated the use of his sinker, throwing it less than 1% of the time this year, compared to 18% and 6% in 2010 and 2011.

However he is choosing to mix his pitches this year, the results are finally starting to match Morrow’s ability and talent.  And it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Blue Jays, whose pitching staff is the second-youngest in the American League.   The Jays have surrendered the most walks in the American League, the third most home runs, are fourth in the AL East in team ERA, and desperately need an elite starter to take the reins of the pitching staff.  Although Romero has been a serviceable ace for Toronto the past two seasons, the Blue Jays have lacked a truly dominant starting pitcher ever since the trade of Halladay in 2009.  This problem was exacerbated by the fact that many of the pitchers in the Jays’ system, including Kyle Drabek, Henderson Alvarez and Dustin McGowan, are mid-to-back of the rotation starters at best.  With the emergence of Morrow this season, the Jays may finally have the true stud pitcher they so desperately need to match-up against aces like Sabathia and Beckett, and ultimately, the Big 3 clubs in the AL East.

The Blue Jays are now Morrow’s team to lead, and Toronto has committed $30 million in guaranteed money to him over the next four seasons.  It’s going to be fun watching Morrow this year, and in the seasons to come, to see if he can follow in ‘Doc’ Halladay’s steps and become one of the premier pitchers in baseball.  If he does, Toronto may at long last have a legitimate chance of making, and even succeeding in the postseason for the first time since 1993.

…and that’s the last word.

Please feel free to leave comments below.

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #64: Branden Troock

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Drafted 114th by the Dallas Stars.

With all the injuries in this year’s draft class, its rare to write a story about a prospect whose season was remarkable for the fact that he was able to stay healthy.  That is the profile we have for you today, and that prospect is Branden Troock of the Seattle Thunderbirds.  Branden Troock played just 9 games in the 2009-10 season, and then missed the entire 2010-11 season suffering from both a suspected concussion, and an injury to his neck.  He returned to the Seattle lineup this year and while it took him some time to get up to speed he got better and better as the year went on.  Troock scored the winning goal for Team Orr at the CHL Top Prospects game and was named the player of the game for his efforts.  That night was just a glimpse of what Troock has to offer, and if he has finally put his injury issues behind him, he is an intriguing power forward prospect, but one who may be a bit of a project as he’s missed out on some serious development time.  He compares favourably to Tom Wilson, who we ranked over 30 spots ahead of Troock, some might even say that Troock has more pure talent than Wilson.

Right Wing
Born Mar 20 1994 — Edmonton, Alberta
Height 6.03 — Weight 203 — Shoots Right

2009-10 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 9 2 4 6 4 2
2011-12 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 58 14 12 26 83 -16

Troock is a very good skater for his size.  He has good acceleration and very good top end speed.  Troock has good use of his edges and has good agility, both of which help him to be able to make quick, tight turns and pivots.  Troock has extremely good balance and is very strong on his skates; which makes him extremely difficult to knock off the puck.

Troock uses that good skating ability to its full advantage in the offensive end of the rink.  Off the rush he loves to take the puck wide on a defender and then cut to and drive the net hard looking for an offensive chance.  On the forecheck he is punishing, using his size and speed to make defenders think they’ve been hit by a truck.  He uses his size and strength to win board battles and to get to the front of the net.  Troock has a hard, accurate shot, with a decent but not great release.  Troock’s hockey sense and decision making were poor at the start of the season, however these have really come around with more playing time and as Troock has found his groove.  His second half of the season was much better than the first half of the year.  His vision and playmaking skills are a weakness however as we’d say they are below average when looking at the forwards we’ve ranked to date.

Troock is adequate defensively, but is continuing to improve.  Early in the year his defensive positioning and ability to read and react to plays was really behind.  However as he got more and more games under his belt these aspects of his game really improved to the point where he is no a decent defender.  His strength and ability to win board battles is of great use in the defensive zone, as is his willingness to throw his weight around.   Overall continued improvement defensively is required, but Troock has really shown that it is something that is getting better all the time.

As we said earlier, Troock is a bit of a project, however we have seen all aspects of his game improve throughout the year with more and more playing time.  We believe his max potential is to become a player similar to Ryan Malone of the Tampa Bay Lightning.  However there is risk here due to the long layoff, and without the scoring touch developping he might end up as a third liner.  Of course there is also the risk that the missed development time will be too much to overcome, or that his injuries will reoccur causing him to bust out completely.    For these reasons Troock is a serious boom or bust candidate ans has been downgraded in our ranks accordingly.

As always feel free to leave your comments below and follow me on twitter @lastwordBKerr

… and thats the Last Word.

Miami Heat and LeBron "LeBeast" James

Posted on by Andy Cunningham

Last night the stage was set for an epic game seven in the NBA finals. Watching the game it appeared early on that only one team decided to show up – that team being the Boston Celtics. Early in the game it seemed as if Dwayne Wade could not find his rhythm. A couple of back-to-back turnovers on some shady passes, where Wade may have been trying to force the ball, lead to the Celtics taking an early lead, one they took with them to the locker room at the half. Boston was up 53-46.

Was this the end for the Heat? Could LeBron muster up the heart he has been accused of not having by his naysayers, and take over as he did in game six?

In game six, many doubters were waiting to pluck at him like vultures, not necessarily for his play on the court, but rather their memories of his highly publicized and televised free agency choice of taking his talents to South Beach two years ago, where he proclaimed how many championships he was going to win.  Because of that, it was all the more special to see Lebron answer critics by taking his team on his back, and put his BIG money where his mouth is.  In game six he transformed into LeBeast, and sank the Celtics. He could not be stopped as he he took the game into his own hands, dropped 45 points in 45 minutes, and led his team to the elimination chambers of game seven.  The beast within was unleashed. LeBron posted a playoff performance for the ages after the media had written him off as a man who could not step up and win the big game. For shame!

But could he find that same energy in game seven with his team down?

“Break out the peanut butter, I’ve got the Jam”, must have been what Dwayne Wade heard just before he set James up for a momentum-shifting alley-oop, that made Heat fans, hell, all fans, go frantic just before half-time in game seven. If you missed it, with around 40 seconds left in the half, LeBron made a steal in his own end, dished a pass forward to Wade on the fast break, who tossed the rock back for the mega-slam. It was one of those plays that can turn a game, and in this case a season, around . LeBron held the rim after the slam,  in his own way letting Boston know they were in for a very difficult second half.

The Heat came out from the locker room with renewed energy and determination. It appeared Lebron’s transformation rubbed off on other Heat players, as Chris Bosh played a fantastic game, easily his best since coming back from injury. Bosh let loose and shot from all over, including some uncharacteristic choices from three-point land. Bosh ended up draining 19 points, and snatching 8 rebounds in just 31 minutes played. But most impressive is that fact that when Bosh was on the court, Miami was plus-17. Thats plus 17 in just 31 minutes. Clearly his return to the court and added minutes made a big impact.

Dwayne Wade found his groove in the second half as well after picking up his game in the second quarter. Wade started to drain some off-balance shots under pressure that were incredibly impressive. His partner in crime, LeBron, consistently drove the rim and drained key baskets as well.  All of this led to the heat wrapping-up the series and giving themselves, and their fans, a second life.

The Heat made the comeback and are now advancing to the NBA championship for the second time in as many years, winning the Eastern Conference both years since LeBron brought his talents to south beach. These finals should be exciting, as Miami will take on a young and very talented Oklahoma City team, fuelled by Kevin Durant. In the regular season they split the battle, with each team winning one of the two games. We may very well be treated to another seven-round duel. The battle starts Tuesday night at 9 pm EST. One thing I am sure of is, whether you are at the bar with a bottle of Jack or sitting on your couch watching the game, Tuesday night you will definitely enjoy some good shots.

…and that is the Last Word.

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