Islanders, Lightning enliven Cup chase Sitting down at the keyboard, it is Monday night and I’m watching the satellite feed of a tremendous Stanley Cup Playoff hockey game with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins tied 1-1 in the third period, at the East Division cluster of games at Toronto. There are games – two, three, sometimes four a night – and it has become an exciting way to spend this century’s pandemic. That also means I’m writing this before Tuesday night’s game between the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers, so by the time you read this, we don’t know where that series, or any series, might stand. Or be over. But it is the New York Islanders who have captured my imagination. I tend to watch the playoffs with overall interest but it’s sort of a general interest, rather than the intense form if it happened to be the Wild playing. But the Islanders have the masterful Barry Trotz as coach, and he has transformed this youthful but erratic
SPORTS JOHN GILBERT
“There are games – two, three, some-times four a night – and it has become an exciting way to spend this century’s pandemic.” Islanders team into a smart, quick and skillful team that also plays with exceptional discipline. When I do find a team that catches my attention, I find myself then pulling for them to win, and might even predict they’ll win. I’ve done that with the Islanders, and they have rewarded my whim by playing at a championship pace. Think about this: If the Islanders beat Philadelphia one more time, or have beaten them once more since Monday, they will have have eliminated the favored Flyers, because they were up three games to one going into Tuesday night’s action. That’s the same position Tampa Bay held over the Bruins on Monday, a three games to one lead in their 1-1 third-period tie. (Oops! Tampa Bay just scored, to take a 2-1 lead, and only five minutes remain between the Bruins and elimination.) Going into this cocoon-like Stanley Cup, with the East all in Toronto and the West all in Edmonton, the
certainty was that Washington, Boston and Philadelphia were the Eastern giants. Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and maybe Columbus were a shade behind them, and the Islanders were lurking there, just above the middle of the pack. But everything fell into place for the Islanders, who have been led by Minnesotans Brock Nelson on one line and Anders Lee on another, with Nick Leddy showing increased performance on defense by the game. Nelson is from Warroad, grandson of Billy Christian and nephew of David Christian, if you like Olympic connections. Leddy is from Eden Prairie, and he spent one year with the Gophers before signing with the Chicago Blackhawks. But the amazing part of the Islanders success is that if and when they finish off Philadelphia, they will have eliminated Washington and Philadelphia, two of the Big Three in the East. That would leave only Boston of the Big Three, and if Boston were to come back and beat Tampa Bay, the Islanders would get their chance to finish off all three of them!(Oops again! With 2:33 to go, Boston tied Tampa Bay 2-2.) (Oops still again! Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay’s superlative defenseman, who might be the best defenseman in the entire NHL right now, just went off for a penalty with 1:56 remaining. That could be a killer for the Lightning in this game. But no, they made it to 0:00, and the teams will come back for sudden-death overtime, where Tampa Bay seems comfortable. Remember that playoff-opening 5-overtime epic?) (The Bruins are finished, eliminated four games to one when Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman moved in from the left point, shot between a defenseman’s legs and scored at 14:10 of the second overtime for a 3-2 victory in Game Five.) Twins stretched The tense part of every season has become known as the “stretch drive,” named after the closing sprint out of the fourth turn in any horse race. But in this abbreviated pandemic-stifled
48 March 26, 2020 DuluthReader.com
season, the stretch drive is not only upon us, it has a new and expanded meaning. The Minnesota Twins have been leading the league all season, and they’ve been able to boast about their depth all the way. But we have now passed the halfway point in this 60game season, and depth or not, the Twins hit a wall last week on their disastrous road trip that saw a five-game losing streak that, on the final day of the trip, knocked them from first to third in their division. There is no need for panic yet, but it might be time to start pulling for good health. The Twins have had several injuries to the pitching staff, but they’ve been patching it together with a strong bullpen and maybe a little duct tape. But when they are at their best, the Twins are slugging home runs and playing airtight defense. It is an imposing roster, with Mitch Garver catching, Miguel Sano at first base, Luis Arraez at second, Jorge Polanco at shortstop and Josh Donaldson at third, and an unbeatable outfield of Eddie Rosario in left, Byron Buxton in center and Max Kepler in right. A powerful lineup both offensively and defensively, made all the stronger with the ageless Nelson Cruz swatting home runs and hitting solidly over .300. The Twins depth has been stretched by injuries that have knocked out Donaldson Garver and Buxton for lengthy stretches of the first half, and https://www.legacy.com/wp-content/ uploads/2020/08/Mark-Setrich1000x667-1.jpg Polanco, Rosario and Kepler also have spent some time on the sidelines. No team could succeed, or even stay close, without their starting catcher, third baseman and center-fielder, and when you add temporary absences for Kepler, Rosario and Polanco that means you’re taking on contenders without six of your nine defensive stalwarts. Add in the occasional starting pitchers and relievers who have needed time off, and the Twins picture needs to get everybody back, with time to get up to peak rhythm. (Oops! Bruins get a well-deserved tripping penalty with 9-plus minutes left in OT. Bruins kill it, though, and the teams absolutely fly to the end of overtime, and prepare for another.) Emotional tribute We had our chance to say our final
D
