#31 Carey Price

Last year Martin Brodeur and Mikka Kippursoff led the league in games played by a starting goalie. Brodeur appeared in seventy-seven games while Kippursoff was behind him appearing in seventy-three games. After twenty-five games Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price has appeared in twenty- three of them, most by a starting goalie. In today’s NHL, starting goalie are asked to play the majority if not all the games. No goalie can, so the role of the backup goalie is heightened.
A typical backup goaltender gets in around fifteen to twenty games depending on the goalie, to ensure that the starter stays fresh and healthy. The problem is when playoffs role around and goaltending is the most important, the goalies who play more get tired and cannot endure long playoff runs.
Martin Brodeur has played seventy-game plus in twelve of his seventeen seasons and signs of fatigue have shown. When he was in his prime Brodeur was able to play long seasons and go into the playoffs last at his best. The last 5 seasons that he played over seventy games the Devils have not made it pass the first round and Brodeur at times, looked bad.
The way this season goes, baring no injuries Carey Price will appear in seventy -seven of eighty-two games. Until the Canadiens replace current backup Alex Auld for a backup goalie they can trust, Price will take on a lot more. It is not just Price playing a lot of games. Most of the starting goalies in the league play sixty to sixty-five games.
Coaches play their best lineup in order to win, and without a doubt Price is the goaltender in that lineup. Price leads the league in: wins, goals against, shutouts and save percentage. Starting Goalies need to play a lesser amount of games in order to stay healthier, fresher and in the end, play when it matters the most.

I remember when..

I remember a story that my mother keeps reminding me of when I was three years old. I was waiting at the doctor’s office, and I was playing with hockey cards when an old man approached me. I was only three at the time, but I was trying to memorize all the statistics and who plays on what team, so if anybody asked me a question, I could be “Jonny on the spot.” The man noticed my hockey cards so he asked if I knew anything about the NHL. I told him to test me. He then asked who my favourite team was? I told him thanks to my Montréal-bread father, who lives and dies by the blue, blanc et rouge that I was a huge Habs fan, knowing all the players and their positions. So he asked me a few questions about the Habs, Who is the captain? Who is the goalie? Who my favourite player was? And with relative ease I responded with the appropriate answer for all of them. So he decided to try a bit harder how many goals has this person score? Whose on this line? Who did they just acquire? And once again with ease I responded with the correct answers. The man was stunned, looking at my mother whose smirk was as big as the sun, says to her “Your son knows a lot at such a young age.” She replied, “ Only problem is he’s not a leaf fan.” My whole life I knew I wanted to be in sports but I just did not know how. I could not play it, when I realized that I could do what a Jay Onrait or a Steve Cybulski were doing, I wanted to give it a shot. I first started doing play-by-play for the North York Grizzlies three years ago, to get the feel of being behind the microphone. As I kept doing it, I realized how much I loved it. My whole life my father told me if I knew sports like I knew Math or Science I would be a genius. Now I tell him that if I know sports like I know sports then I am a genius.

3 Reasons for Why the Jays may Falter

1. Starting Rotation. Baseball is weird in the way where your top pitcher goes once maybe twice during a span of a week of games. Like the other major sports, depth on teams are huge barring injuries and players with off-years. The Jays shutdown Brandon Morrow last year in his 1st year as a starter, trying to limit his innings. Morrow returns healthy and strong but joins a small list of Ricky Romero and Brett Cecil as penciled-in starters. Since trading away Shaun Marcum, the 4 and 5 spots in the rotation are up in the air. If everything goes to plan, young phenom Kyle Drabek will take either the 4 of 5 spot but after him their is a large list of questions. The 3 best possible candidates are all question marks, coming off injuries; Scott Richmond, Jesse Litsch and Dustin McGowan. John Farrell will improve the rotation, but he can only improve with he currently is working with.
2. Blue Collar Bullpen. Out: Scott Downs, Kevin Gregg, Jeremy Accardo and Brian Tallet. In: A pluthera of arms in Jon Rauch, Ocatvio Dotel, Frank Francisco, Chad Cordero and Carols Villaneuva add in the likes of Jesse Carlson, Shaun Camp, Jason Frasor and Casey Janssen and you got yourself a crowded bullpen. It's not a matter of depth here but it may be come a question off quantity overmatching quality. 9 players in a bullpen without a solid closer and a strong set-up man. The Jays haven't had a great closer since B.J. Ryan's recorded 38 saves in 2006. It should be an interesting battle for the Closing spot but until someone comes out, this remains a major question mark.
3. Consistency. Until the Jays start competing late into September, one word will keep getting thrown out; Consistency .No doubt this team has the talent to compete its just a matter of how they go about doing their thing on a day-to-day basis. Consistency is a very broad word and in this case it revolves around a lot of things. Consistently getting quality starts from both the Rotation and the Bullpen.Consistently learn to finish games and most importantly Consistently win. The one thing they did do consistently was hit home runs, a Major league leading 257 of them. Lacked consistent base runners, that would have made some of those solo home runs, 2 run shots. 162 games in a year and at one point or another the Jays hit a dry spell. History shows that it happens between the months of July and Early-to-mid August. Great teams find a way out of the dry spells, some don't even let that happen. The Jays need to bring a WIN attitude to the field each and every day, and its something new Manager John Farrell is trying to implement.

3 Reasons for Why Jays Will Succed in 2011

1.Build with Youth: The Toronto Blue Jays have had problems maintaining with the Yankees and Red Sox cap restrictions, that they have gone the more structured and less expensive way to rebuild a team. To build a core through the farm has worked for teams recently. I.E. Tampa Bay, Texas and World Series Champions SanFrancisco last year had their entire Starting Rotation come up through the system and a rookie named Buster Posey. The Jays have gone young parting way with vets Scott Downs, Brian Tallet, Kevin Gregg along with used-to-be cornerstones Roy Halladay, Vernon Wells and Alex Rios for this kind of makeover. It's clear with TOP 50 prospects Kyle Drabek, Anthony Gose, J.P Arencibeia and Brett Lawrie that it's not who will be here to help the Jays it's just a matter of when. With one of the youngest Starting Rotations in baseball it is up to the 4 of: Romero, Cecil, Morrow and Drabek to help the Jays do something they haven’t been able to, and that is compete for a playoff spot.

2. Coaching+ Manager: Whether it be the late great George Steinbraineur and Joe Torre, the young Theo Epstein and Terry Francona or the most recent duo to have success; San Francisco Bruce Bochy and GM Brian Sabean, teams cannot win without the partnership of a good coach and GM.The intangibles of a good coaching staff and Manager are far more important then any one players ability. The Coaching staff spend every day during an 8-9 month period, working on fielding, hitting and ultimately watching them grow into professional players. Alex Anthopoulous has done a marvelous job of surrounding himself and his team with not just great coaches but great people. Bringing in former Boston Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell to manage the team and to solidify the young rotation. Farrell joins a list of names that include Bruce Walton, Don Wakamatsu, Dwayne Murphy and Pat Hentgen. All have either coached, played or been at a high level of baseball for some time.

3. Talent: Teams need talent on their team to win, plain and simple. Fortunately for the Jays, the quality of talent is on such an up rise that the club felt it was time to part ways with Gold Glove Winner Vernon Wells. With quality seasons from Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow and Brett Cecil and a superb season from Jose Bautista the Jays have paved a way for success. Add in double play partners Aaron Hill and Yunel Escobar, and the potential for players like Travis Snider, Kyle Drabek and J.P. Arencebia has left a feeling in the Jays locker room that has not been their for some time. A drive to not only win but compete with the best. To say the Jays lack talent on their team would be an understatement. They led the majors last year in Homeruns with 257, fifty-four of them coming from reigning homerun king Jose Bautista. 1-9 in the lineup the Jays show pop, its just a matter of getting more people on base for the homeruns.

Baseball Preview: American League East (2/15/11)

NY Yankees- C+. Any time you add talent like Rafael Soriano you instantly become a better team. Pettite retires, Jeter in turmoil, No 4th and 5th starters. Yanks are heading backwards.
Additions: Rafael Soriano, Russell Martin

Boston- A+. The Red Sox added two of the top players in the game and it only cost them a few hundred million. Have solid 1-9 Lineup. Great Depth, Strong Bullpen and Solid 5 starters
Additions: Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Bobby Jenks, Dan Wheeler

Toronto. A. The A is for effort but ultimately the Jays are a B+ at best. Trading the immovable contract of Vernon Wells, giving away aging vets: Gregg, Downs, Tallet, and 28 year old Shaun Marcum shows Jays are going young. Love the idea of Kyle Drabek to what is a good young core of pitchers. Bullpen is the early question, who emerges as closer?
Additions: Octavio Dotel, Jon Rauch, Frank Francisco, Juan Rivera, Rajai Davis

Tampa Bay-D. Bullpen torn to shreds, adding aging vets, have young core but overmatched. Price, Longoria, Upton have to hold the load. Pitching Staff is above average, besides that nothing to be note worthy.
Additions: Manny Ramierez, Jonny Damon, Karl Farnsworth

Baltimore- A. Good thing for Oriole Fans is after many years of being at the bottom, they are starting to put pieces together. Bring in powers in Derek Lee, Mark Reynolds and Vlad,a Plus. Questionable pitching core+ bullpen. Catcher Matt Wieters breaks out
Additions: Derek Lee, Mark Reynolds, Kevin Gregg, Mike Gonzalez, Vladimir Gurrero.

Skinny: It’s ultimately going to be Boston who dictates the division. Toronto contends for wild card. Baltimore does not finish last. Yanks and Rays take a step backwards.

1st: Boston
2nd: Toronto
3rd New York
4th: Baltimore
5th: Tampa Bay