Author Archives: Jaden Teja

Max Scherzer Signs With Bluejays

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The Toronto Blue Jays have made a splash in free agency signing three time Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer. Scherzer signed a one-year 15.5 million dollar contract. He only pitched 43.1 innings last year with the Texans Rangers due to multiple injuries. This is what Scherzer said last year on his injuries. “Look, this season’s been obviously frustrating for me. Probably the most frustrating season of my career. But the only good news is now I can go into the off-season healthy. My back’s good, my arm’s good. The real serious things that you need to think about and talk about are actually in a good spot. I still believe I can put you at a high level. There’s nothing stopping me from doing that. Just right now, my body is not fully cooperating.”

Scherzer will be a first ballot hall of famer when his career is done. He is an eight time all-star and won three Cy Young Awards while compiling 216 wins, 2,878.0 innings and 3,407 strikeouts. He has played for the Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.

 

His best days are behind him but the Blue Jays aren’t expecting the Scherzer from 2014. They just need another arm in the rotation. Hopefully one that will stay healthy as well. That has been the biggest concern with Scherzer the last couple years. The Blue Jays need a deep playoff run this year or it could be the end of the core in Toronto.

Four Nations Face-Off Captains Announced

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The captains for the four nations face-off were announced today. Some of them were no-brainers, while others could  have been  different. Let me break it down for you.

 

Team Canada: Captain Sidney Crosby, assistants Connor McDavid, Cale Makar

 

This was a no brainer as long as Sidney Crosby is playing he is captain Canada. No further questions. I don’t care how good Connor McDavid is, his time will come. Crosby has the experience to lead a country and is still an elite player. I don’t think it’s time to pass the torch just yet. Especially after leading Canada to gold in 2014 at the olympics and the world cup in 2016. It’s still Crosby’s team.

Team USA: Captain Auston Matthews assistants Charlie McAvoy, Matthew Tkachuk 

 

I figured that Auston Matthews would be captain. If you could be the captain in Toronto, being the captain of team USA might be easier. Matthew Tkachuk being an assistant is understandable. He is a leader on the Panthers and is a huge part of why they went to back to back Stanley Cup finals. The questionable one in my opinion is Charlie McAvoy. I think it should be Quinn Hughes. Hughes is already the captain of the Canucks and is a great leader. He is also a better defenseman than McAvoy so I do have some questions with this choice.

 

Team Sweden : Captain Victor Hedman assistant Mattias Ekhlom, Erik Karlsson, William Nylander

 

Much like Canada’s decision naming Crosby captain. I think Sweden did a similar thing naming Victor Hedmen captain. Hedman is a veteran leader and is going to play a key part in the tournament for Sweden. I don’t have any problem with the either of the assistants. However, I am pleasantly surprised with William Nylander being named an assistant captain. It shows the strides that Nylander has made as a player and leader. Nylander has often shown up in the playoffs and keeps his players accountable on and off the ice.

 

Team Finland: Captain Aleksander Barkov assistant Mikko Rantanen  Sebastian Aho Mikeal Granlund

 

These might have been the easiest choices of the tournament. Barkov captained the Panthers to a Stanley Cup. Aho and Rantanen are two elite players that will help lead Finland in this tournament. As for Granlund he’s had a very solid year in San Jose and will provide some great veteran leadership.

 

I’m very excited for this tournament which is just over two weeks away. How about you?

Canucks Defeat Predators

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The Vancouver Canucks have won three straight games. Sounds the trumpets. The Canucks have won three straight games. I’m going to savor this as much as I can. The last time they won three or more games in a row was early October. Hopefully this calms down some of the news around the team. At Least just for now because the team is finally starting to put together some wins. Vancouver finally climbed their way back into a playoff spot. Ironically it was against the team they beat in the playoffs last year. 

In the first period Vancouver looked great. Nils Hoglander got on the board scoring his fourth goal of the year off of a beautiful passing play from Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. Hughes came out to play tonight. Tallying his 20th multipoint game of the season making his MVP case stronger each game. I know you aren’t surprised us Canucks fans know how good Hughes is. After Nashville tied the game at one. Hughes setup Linus Karlsson for his first career NHL goal. The Canucks shut it down the rest of the game and Pius Suter added the empty net marker to ice the game for Vancouver. I’m trying to remember but I’m pretty sure Suter scored another goal last year against Nashville too. I wonder if that was an important goal.

 

Thatcher Demko played great making 31 saves. I don’t want to get too excited because I want to see more out of Demko. But this is definitely a step in the right direction. However, after this game I want to see Demko start against Dallas to see if he can get some consistency in his game. The Canucks have a tough test next game against the Stars Friday but with how this team is playing I’m feeling confident going into that game. I hope I won’t be eating those words.

Canucks Predators Preview

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With everything going on with the team and all of the noise in the media. I bet you forgot there’s a game today. The Canucks are playing a hockey game. Not just any hockey game, a game vs the team they eliminated in the playoffs. Also against a team they’ve lost to twice this year. The Nashville Predators. I’m not going to get into the JT Miller Elias Pettersson saga because that’s not important right now. It’s Canucks game day and they badly need two points. In Jim Rutherford’s interview yesterday, he said if the Canucks start winning both players might stay.

The Canucks have a winning streak going for the first time since early December. Its about to be February and it already starts to feel like must- win hockey. After Monday’s win against the Blues the Canucks need to take any momentum and run with it. Thatcher Demko is starting in goal today and I don’t know how I feel about that. Demko hasn’t played like himself and I don’t know if he ever will. His knee injury is starting to become a major problem. Kevin Lankinen is giving the team a better chance to win right now. This might be a hot take but I could see this as being Demkos last year as a Canuck.

 

For the game tonight it’s absolutely imperative that the big guns score. If Pettersson, Miller and Brock Boeser score it will be a great game. Honestly if Pettersson scores assisted by Miller everything in Canucks land might be saved… If only it were that easy. But as they say winning cures everything and a Canucks win tonight could go a long way.

Vancouver Warriors : Building Lacrosse Culture In B.C.

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Over the last year the Vancouver Warriors have given fans tons to cheer about. Since bringing in head coach and general manager Curt Malawsky the culture of the Warriors completely changed. Malawsky has the team playing better than they have before. Since the second half of last season the Warriors have turned it around and are making lacrosse exciting in Vancouver. Someone who has seen lacrosse grow in the Lower mainland is Warrior’s defenceman Matt Beers. Beers who grew up in Coquitlam has played professional lacrosse in two different eras. With the Vancouver Stealth now with the Warriors. Beers spoke on the culture of lacrosse in the Lower mainland before practice on Thursday January 23rd.

 

“The culture of lacrosse is really strong, it’s a very like blue collar sport. There’s a lot of hard-working kids that just want to have fun and it still affordable for families”.

 

The Warriors are very active in the community with their stick to school program and lacrosse camps for kids. Beers touched on how Curt Malawsky emphasizes this to the team. “the culture of lacrosse in our dressing room with Curt is really professional.  There’s a lot of emphasis on growing the game on and off the floor there’s a lot of accountability for us to do more in the community. I think that’s something he brings to the table that’s really changed the culture in our dressing room. I will say I think across the league they do a pretty good job of that cause a lot of us (players) have gotten here from volunteers and we know what it means to give back so I do see that around the league but the culture that you Curt brings to his dressing room is unmatched.

 

If you’ve been to a Warriors game, you know how much effort they put into making it fun for the fans. Every game is a theme night with tons of festivities like a machinal bull on country night. They make every game feel like a party. With how the team is playing and in the middle of a seven-game home winning streak the attendance at Rogers Arena is growing. We all saw how much buzz there was around town with the Canucks in the playoffs last year. The Warriors are currently on pace to make the playoffs this year. It would be the second time in franchise history. The first time coming in 2017, but lacrosse as grown a lot in British Columbia since then. Beers added on how important playoff lacrosse would be for the province of B.C.

“Really important, I was actually part of the team we played a championship game out of the Langley Events Centre and sold it out. You can just see the hunger in this city for playoff game. People came out in drove in for that in 2010 when we won in Washington. A large portion of those people were from BC. If  you build it they will come Chris hall used to say that we were playing our first year in Washington.  We’re building it right here in Vancouver and we hope as we continue to grow and have success that the fans will come out and support us, and they have. So really excited for a hopeful playoff game”

 

The Warriors are currently fourth in the NLL and the players and fans are excited for a potential playoff game.

Kirill Kaprizov Out For Four Weeks

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Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov  is out for a minimum of four weeks with a lower body injury. Kaprizov just recently returned after 12 games from another lower body injury. This is a massive blow to the to the Wild as Kaprisov is having an MVP caliber season. He was on pace for 115 points which would be a career high. Minnesota is still eighth in the league and third in the Central division despite Kaprizov’s absence. In his last three games he had two assists but general manager Bill Gurein said he was only playing at 60 percent.

Gurein spoke on Kaprizovs injury. Kirill is very upset,” Guerin said. “Kirill is such a team-focused guy. And I think with what he has, he knows he could probably get by in games and try to help the team. But he doesn’t like it. Him at 60 percent is better than most players in the League, but he wants to be 100 percent and help us play as long as we can this year. And I agree with him.” 

 

Wild coach John Hynes said, “Even on the bench at times, he was struggling to get through it. He did, and we did, everything we could to see if it would work for him, but it didn’t. So, now we’ve got to go this direction.”

 

Minnesota is still a good team but Kaprizov is at the center of it all. He is one of the most dynamic players in the NHL and easily one of the most valuable to his team. The Wild lose their best offensive weapon. This hurts, because outside of Kaprizov  Matt Boldy will have to carry the offensive. Its something that he’s done before but not to the level that Kaprizov can. These next four weeks will be huge for Minnesota, they will need other players to step up big time to help fill Kaprizovs shoes.

Championship Sunday Recap

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The Super Bowl matchup is set. After 20 long weeks we know the two teams who will fight for the Lombardi Trophy. Its the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. A rematch of two years ago. So how did both teams get here, lets breakdown both conference championship games.

 

NFC Championship Philadelphia Eagles 55 Washington Commanders 23

 

This was the third time these two teams met this season, with each team winning once. Obviously this game had the most stakes. These two teams are at different stages. The two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance expected to be here. Especially after last year’s disappointing playoff exit and after signing Saquon Barkley in the offseason. Meanwhile for Washington, this season was a massive success. The emergence of  rookie Jayden Daniels and first year head coach Dan Quinn have turned this team around in just a year. So how did the game go? After Washington drove down the field and put three points on the board. On the first play of scrimmage for the Eagles Saquon Barkley did Saquon Barkley things. He took a pitch broke three tackles and went 60 yards for a touchdown. Stopping the run would be a huge problem for Washington. I mean a huge problem. The Eagles scored seven rushing touchdowns….. Seven. Three from Barkley another three from Jalen Hurts. Even third one from Will Shipley. The Commanders couldn’t stop the run at all and the Eagles run away with the game. Literally.

AFC Championship Kansas City Chiefs 32 Buffalo Bills 29

 

We know the storylines. The Bills are 0-3 against the Chiefs in the playoffs. Kansas Citys looking for a three-peat while the Bills are looking to make it back for the first time since 1991. So what happened? It started out super back and forth through the first one and a half quarters. After Patrick Mahomes touchdown with 1:55 remaining in the first half some people might have thought the Chiefs would start to pull away. Then Josh Allen threw a beautiful pass to Mack Hollins for a touchdown to make it a five point game right before half. At this point you could sense a shift in momentum. Then the Bills went for it on fourth down at the one yard line and James Cook took a toss from Allen and made an amazing play for a touchdown. The biggest play of the game was a fourth and one for Buffalo at Kansas City’s 41 yard-line. It appeared like Josh Allen picked up the first down. However, after review they called him short and the Chiefs went down the field and scored a touchdown. With 3:33 left Harrison Butker kicked a 35-yard field goal. This set the stage for the Josh Allen legacy drive. Three minutes on the clock a touchdown sends his team to the Super Bowl. so what happens the Bills on at midfield its fourth and six. 57.4 million people are watching around the world. The Chiefs send a huge blitz and Allen puts up a prayer. That hits the hands of tight end Dalton Kincaid and falls incomplete. The Chiefs run the rest of the clock out and head back to the Super Bowl. For the Bills its another game added to the list of heart breaking losses. I’m so sorry Bills fans I was pulling for you guys.

Canucks Blues Recap

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For the first time since November 29th and December 1st, the Vancouver Canucks have won back to back games. They really needed this and they came out to play.  From the first shift the Canucks set the tone. Quinn Hughes made an absolutely perfect pass to Conor Garland for the game’s first goal. On the ensuing face off JT Miller dropped the gloves with St Louis Blues captain Bryden Schenn. Once that happened I knew Miller was dialled in. After St Louis lost a challenge, Garland capitalized on the power play for his second of the game. 

Conor Garland was all over the ice generating scoring chances left and right. Miller scored on the power play to make it 3-0, but the turning point of the game was when Nils Hoglander high sticked Blues star Robert Thomas resulting in a double minor. The Blues were starting to turn their game around and you could sense the nervousness in Canucks land. So what happened on the four minute power play? Tyler Myers made a great play by taking the puck away( I know shocking). This sent Pius Suter on a partial breakaway and he scored a much needed short-handed goal. 

 

The Canucks locked down for the rest of the game. Tyler Myers even scored an empty netter to ice the game. Vancouver won 5-2 and actually played well as a team. On offence, defence and special teams. I know what you’re thinking, how did Elias Pettersson play? He had a season high seven shots on goal and recorded an assist. Still not the Petey we know but definitely a step in the right direction. I know the Miller Pettersson noise has gotten loud recently. But at the same time doesn’t very similar to when your mom threatened to turn the car around if you and your sibling weren’t behaving? I hope Alvin figures it out and they both stay.  Regardless, how about we just be happy they won and worry about the nonsense later.

Winning Like Warriors

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The Vancouver Warriors keep finding ways to win games. Whether their down early or it’s a close game or a high scoring game. It doesn’t matter, they are finding ways to keep stacking wins. The production isn’t coming from a few players either. It’s a full team effort each night. After dropping two one-goal games on the road to Ottawa and Philadelphia, Vancouver returned home for a rematch with the Ottawa Black Bears. The Warriors couldn’t afford to drop three games in a row. Especially losing to the same team for a second time within a week.

 

So how did the Warriors respond? By only surrendering four goals a franchise best, including only one at even strength. A true testament to the resiliency that head coach and general manager Curt Malawsky always preaches. Post-game Malawsky spoke on how last road trip wasn’t up to the standard the Warriors needed to play.

 

“We were pretty pissed off. You know, I had a good chat with the leadership group last night, and we talked about how it was a good bonding weekend, but at the end of the day, it was very disappointing to have two one-goal losses, and that’s not acceptable. That was the message even though we played in two tough games, we didn’t win. That’s something I’ve seen in Vancouver over the years, the culture of being close but that’s not good enough. We’re close, but that’s ok it’s not ok, and you know, it’s on the leadership. They really stood up and sent that message today: we didn’t get what we came for last week, and we need to get what we’re here for this weekend”.

Losing three consecutive games is something no team wants to do. Goaltender Aden Walsh talked about how important it was to get this win. Especially at home. “As much fun as we had as a group it was definitely disappointing that we didn’t get the outcome that we wanted. So we knew we had to buckle down and goes on at home”.

 

Adam Charalambides was dominating from the moment the game started. By creating scoring chances with multiple behind the back passes and finished the game with a hattrick and three assets. Post-game Charalambides touched on how important it was to get the win after the two losses on the road. “We weren’t satisfied with that road trip. Two disappointing one goal losses and we understood the magnitude of other going three and four and now we’re sitting hereat four and three. So we played it like a playoff game and I like the way we played”. He also added that he feels are the Warriors are taking steps forward as a team. “Each week we’re trying to get better we’re doing the film win or lose. (We) come back to the drawing board back to the basics and (look at) what can we prove on what are we doing well let’s keep rolling with over doing well.

 

In each of their four wins the Warriors have had different players step up. Even though they only have 71 goals for. Which is third lowest in the NLL, they have only allowed 64 goals. Which is the second best in the league. They aren’t winning with star power; they are winning as a team. Which a recipe for success in the NLL. Especially  for a team with playoff and championship aspirations.

Los Vegas Raiders Hire Pete Carroll As Head Coach

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The Los Vegas Raiders are hiring Super Bowl 48 champion  Pete Carroll as their next head coach. After firing Antonio Pierce after a year and a half the Raiders elected to go with the 73 year old Carroll to help lead the franchise. The 73-year-old Carroll will return to the sidelines after one year as a senior advisor for the Seattle Seahawks The Raiders will be  the fourth NFL franchise that Carroll will coach. After previous tenures with the New England Patriots, New York Jets and most notably the Seattle Seahawks. Carroll led USC to a national championship in 2003 as well as the Seahawks to a Super Bowl in 2013. He is only the third head coach to win a national championship and a Super Bowl.

This does come as a bit of an interesting hire for the Raiders. As they are in a rebuild with a ton of question marks all over the roster. However, Carroll is one of the best culture builders in all of sports. He changed the Seahawks and built the “ Legion of Boom” and made Seattle one of the biggest power house teams in the NFL during the 2010s. The Seahawks only missed the playoffs four times during his time in Seattle. 

 

Carroll is a very old school head coach. Who puts emphasis on running the football and playing good defence. He has his work cutout for him in Sin City because the Raiders have a ton of holes. Outside of Maxx Crosby there isn’t much talent there. Crosby might even be moved in the offseason for draft capital. The Raiders do  have the sixth overall selection in this year’s draft so Carroll will get some good young pieces to work with. What do you think Carroll wll do in Vegas? What direction does the organization go in?