On Monday night, the Los Angeles Kings hoisted the Stanley Cup after shellacking the New Jersey Devils in a 6-1 Game Six victory, capping one of the more improbable runs for any playoff team ever.
The Kings entered the postseason as an 8-seed, the lowest possible seeding in hockey, and even then LA waited until Game #80 before clinching their spot in the playoffs. Being the 8-seed does not doom a team, but the NHL’s playoff structure deliberately stacks the cards against you. Unlike the other 16-team format in the NBA, hockey’s postseason dictates the highest seed left plays the lowest seed left after each round. So, theoretically, if the #2 and #3 seeds keep advancing, the 8-seed will have to play them all in successive rounds to advance.
LA did that, and achieved a stat so remarkable it bears a paragraph. Forget the overall win-loss record briefly and think on this: the Kings went up 3-0 in each series they played this year, never needing more than six games to close out an opponent, and even that happened just at the end of it all in the Finals. No NHL team can claim that and, for my research, only the 1982 Lakers and 1983 76ers can claim that stat in the NBA. Even then, the NBA format did not require four rounds for the top team.
The win-loss record, much quoted afterwards, ties for the second best in NHL history behind the behemoth 1988 Edmonton Oilers of Wayne Gretzky. But, most impressive and more newsworthy: the Kings had a 10-1 record on the road in the postseason, tied for the best ever. Unquestionably, home ice means a little less in the NHL compared to home-field advantage in other sports, but to travel to Vancouver, St. Louis, and Phoenix, all a fair distance from LA, and win 10 games defies the odds, especially for an 8-seed.
That point makes this the best postseason run in the history of sports. We’ve all seen lower seeds win before. I still remember the Warriors beating the Mavericks in the late-2000s, only to lose the following round. Or the 2006 Edmonton Oilers, who lost in Game 7 of the Finals after advancing all the way through as an 8-seed. Recent NFL history shows wild card teams are more likely to win it all after the Packers and Giants won as 6-seeds, albeit still good teams.
But no 8-seed has ever won it all, and definitely has not won like this. The 3-0 series lead, the dominating road play, and the Kings’ scoring in the third period or overtime (22-8) put this team in the driver’s seat every step of the way. At no point did they play like the underdogs they should have been or were forecasted to be. During the season, the Kings averaged 2.29 goals per game, good for second-worst in the league. In the playoffs: 2.85 goals per game, third among all postseason participants. The offense hummed and brought the Kings good fortune, an occurrence many thought would characterize the team all year.
Some might say the Kings got hot at the right time and clearly weren’t the best team in the league. Many in the sports media this week continue to applaud the NBA for bringing its two best teams to the Finals, despite the principle being the same: leagues use the best-of-seven series to find the best team, arguing that the best teams wins four of seven games. By that logic, the Kings are clearly the best. In addition, who’s going to say the Celtics are better than the Heat? No one, and yet it took the Heat seven games to advance, so they were close to losing. But given the outstanding goaltending of Jonathan Quick and the sheer domination of the team in the face of all opposition, the Kings deserve to be labeled the best for this year. (On a sidenote, if we are really concerned with crowning the best, we should have the top two records play each other at the end of the regular season…which would totally defeat the purpose of a postseason, something everybody loves).
The only postseason run that might contend with the Kings would be the 1985 Villanova team that won the NCAA Tournament, which as an 8 seed beat two #1 seeds and two #2 seeds to capture the title. Even then, however, their run included close shaves with defeat, something the Kings never had to worry about.
Looking across the wide expanse of sports, past and present, there have been tons of unlikely winners that no one expected to win. At the beginning of the playoffs, no expert gave LA a chance, some thinking they might beat Vancouver in the first round but would eventually fade into the sunset. No team seeded so low ever won before Monday night, and even top-seeded teams have more difficulty winning in the playoffs. Hockey found a deserving champion, who endured the downs of a sub-par regular season to find their production as the best and most dominant team in hockey.
Bit #1: People finally waking up to D-Wade’s disappearance
One of the most fascinating aspects of the NBA and sports in general remains the hatred of LeBron James, the belief he can’t be clutch and always passes up the big shot (footage of either Steve Kerr’s or John Paxson’s winning shots in the Finals show Jordan also passed it occasionally, but no matter). Last year, he received tons of blame for how the Heat played in the Finals.
This year, it seems such vitriol has cooled a little and the sports world, while not forgiving of LeBron, has begun to see his full talent and just how singlehanded the Heat are. It’s refreshing to wake up on Wednesday and hear not that LeBron lost the game but that D-Wade couldn’t produce in Game 1. He scored 19 points on 7-for-19 shooting and did not get to the line enough for a guy who can play as aggressive as he did against Indiana. Add in Bosh’s 10 points and LeBron outscored the other two by himself. Add in the 29 points combined from Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers and it’s clear: while LeBron can always score more points, Wade and Bosh need to step up. Battier and Chalmers likely won’t score like that again, so offense must come from elsewhere.
Bit #2: Best feature of Thunder win
Besides Kevin Durant’s monster dunk over pine-warmer Joel Anthony (a #3 center on any team with a decent bench), the most impressive part of the Thunder win was the absence of James Harden in the fourth quarter. Much has been made of the OKC Big Three, the highest scoring trio in the NBA this season. But the depth of the Thunder rendered Harden unnecessary for Game 1, as Thabo Sefolosha and Nick Collison created second-chance opportunities and turnovers while chipping in offensively.
The depth of Oklahoma City became most apparent in the West Finals, when coach Scott Brooks used different role players in different games to create an impact. Kendrick Perkins, Sefolosha, and Collison all left their individual mark on at least one game in that series, not to mention James Harden who can score in bunches off the bench. Add in Derek Fisher and the Thunder can create a legitimate 8 or 9-man rotation while the Heat play 7 players at most. The offensive and defensive depth for OKC will give Miami problems in this series, especially if the Heat continue the Game 1 trend of settling for jump shots instead of drives to the basket early in the game. I bet the Thunder win this series in six after what I saw last night
Bit #3: Tony Gwynn must not receive mail
It’s unfathomable to think that professional athletes end up owing tons of back taxes when they make more money than all but Richard Branson would ever need. While that already puts a burr in my saddle, I wonder if athletes who owe lots of back-taxes don’t check their mail.
In the real world, tax notices come in the mail. Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, one of the better hitters to play in recent years, reportedly owes $400,000 in back taxes to the government from years 2003, 2007, and 2009. Think about that: at some point he paid his taxes in 2004 without paying 2003, so clearly he knows he has back taxes to pay, meaning the mail must be reaching Tony somehow. I worried he might have issues lugging himself down the driveway at 2 PM during the week, but it appears someone’s getting that mail to him, probably with a large box of donuts as well.
My point being: I never understood why people bathing in money can’t pay taxes. Any good financial advisor will plan for taxes, and these athletes can definitely afford a good financial advisor, so taxes really should be part of their personal finance equations. Perhaps I just want to be rich and famous to show them the straight and narrow, but that’s a dream for another day.
Bit #4: Finally a good incentive to eliminate reckless hockey hits
In a scoreless Game 6 on Monday night, Devils fourth liner Steve Bernier, a role player and grinder, boarded Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi from behind, bloodying him severely. For the hit officials assessed Bernier a five minute boarding major and ejected him from the game. The Kings scored three goals on the ensuing five minute power play, leading to an eventual rout.
While I generally do not favor referee interference in big games, a hit like that needs to be dealt with severely, and the best way to send that message is to throw a player out in a Cup final elimination game. Bernier made no attempt to play the puck, hit Scuderi straight from behind, and made his way off the ice. Should he blamed for the loss of the Cup? Not in my mind, since New Jersey dropped the first two at home and put themselves in a hole immediately. But for that game itself, losing a player for five minutes and handcuffing the Devils cadre of forwards, Bernier’s hit was ill-advised and incredibly costly. Players must know when to let up on hits like that, and deserve criticism for taking that kind of penalty, especially in Game 6 of the Cup finals.
Bit #5: Pete Carroll continuing to play the lottery game
I grew up a USC fan, my mom’s alma mater and coached by one of the classiest guys in the game, Pete Carroll. At least I thought so then, long before he skipped town to return to the NFL, where he had been woefully unsuccessful, in advance of huge sanctions imposed on USC for recruiting violations on his watch. Raised my eyebrows then, but now Carroll continues to play the NFL lottery as coach of the Seahawks.
Carroll tried out wide receiver Anthony Bryant this week, a 31 year old out of the league since 2009. At one point, Bryant could spread the field with the best, but knee and disciplinary issues hampered his availability for free agency. Should he do well, Seattle might sign him to a modest deal, keeping all the leverage over Bryant as he attempts to return.
I understand where Carroll’s coming from. He brought former USC wideout Mike Williams off the junk heap two years ago to become a respectable NFL receiver. But, this same guy also traded for Charlie Whitehurst as his QB, signed Tarvaris Jackson after his awful season with the Vikings, and then used the 3rd round pick this year to pick another QB when the Seahawks desperately needed another starter elsewhere. Not to mention picking the least versatile first round pick in 5 years from the worst conference in college football, Bruce Irvin. The record for Carroll is not inspirational…he’s betting on players at every turn. Sure he won the division two years ago, but with a 7-9 record. If the Seahawks don’t compete this year, I expect Carroll will receive his walking papers or at the very least lose his GM responsibilities.
Bit #6: Jorge Soler signs with Cubs
A weird thing can happen in baseball…international phenoms receive tons of attention from MLB teams, who must submit bids to hire the player’s services. Cuban prospect Jorge Soler, 6’3” and 225 pounds, will sign with the Cubs after vetting bids from them and other teams. He’s supposedly a great hitter who can also play outfield but will need some time in the minors.
That might explain the weirdest looking contract numbers you will ever see in baseball: 9 years for $30 million. Most players with contracts that long usually make over $100 million, including Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols. I’m talking about the best players in the game, so the Cubs must want Soler for the long haul but also know he’s a prospect at this point and not a sure thing. Averaged out, he’ll make just over $3 million a year, a pittance compared to others with such a long contract life.
I think we are seeing the beginning of Cubs GM Theo Epstein’s philosophy: build the team using farm systems and prospects. He will have this kid for a while if he wants and can use him as a bedrock for the future. Personally, I’m skeptical since very few folks have seen this guy play, but for Epstein the move needed to be made as a way of reassuring Cubs fans in the middle of a dismal season.
Bit #7: June 13, 1996 – Cal Ripken breaks baseball’s consecutive game record
Ripken broke the all-time baseball record (not MLB’s) by playing in his 2,215th consecutive game, breaking the mark held by Sachio Kinugasa of Japan. I think often about records that will never be broken, and I think Ripken’s eventual 2,632 straight games played will never be surpassed in baseball. The sport might not include as much contact, but the mental acuity and toughness necessary to play every game for 16 seasons, not to mention peak physical performance, deserves tons of credit.
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