Brian's World of Sports

RAW Results with Analysis 8/3/20

MVP vs. Apollo Crews for the United States Championship

MVP dropped a promo on the WWE Universe, referring to himself as the real United States Champion and claiming the beef he has with Crews is over when the referee counts three. MVP gained an upper hand of the match until once again the lights flickered. Crews took his opponent down with a snap suplex and worked the arm. The challenger escaped and blasted Crews with a straight kick to the face. The champion answered with a barrage of forearms to the face. The Hurt Business’ Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin pulled their mouthpiece to safety, but Crews launched himself over the top rope with a plancha as the show headed to break. Back from the break, MVP worked over Crews with a cravat then turned him inside out with a big clothesline. Crews finally fought back, unloading on MVP and downing him with a spinebuster for two. He followed up with the toss powerbomb for the win and successful title defense.

Results: Apollo Crews defeats MVP via pinfall to retain the United States Championship

Grade: C

Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan vs. The IIconics

The IIconics worked over Riott until a hot tag to Morgan sparked the comeback. The New Jersey native fended off her opponents and rolled Royce up for the win. After the match, Riott and Morgan worked together to take out Kay before leaving together, reunited despite some obvious hesitance.

Results: Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan defeat The IIconics via pinfall

Grade: B-

Shelton Benjamin vs. R-Truth vs. Akira Tozawa for the 24/7 Championship

Benjamin pummeled Tozawa and the ninjas that tried to interfere before joining Lashley at ringside for a beatdown of the black-clad martial artists. The distraction allowed Tozawa to capitalize on a fallen Truth, deliver his senton and pick up the win and title.

Results: Akira Tozawa defeated Shelton Benjamin and R-Truth via pinfall to retain the 24/7 Championship.

Grade: F

Shayna Baszler vs. Sasha Banks

Baszler frustrated Banks early, but The Blueprint responded, taking advantage of a distraction by Bayley. The Queen of Spades fought through, though, and trapped Banks in the sleeper. Banks fought out and applied the Bank Statement, but Asuka attacked Bayley at ringside, drawing a disqualification. The Empress cleared the ring heading into the break.

Results: Match ended in no contest

Grade: C-

RAW Underground

Shane McMahon returned to Raw to debut RAW Underground. There would be a series of matches in a ring underground with no ropes. I am not a fan of this and I felt like it is a waste of TV time.

Results: Incomplete

Grade: F

Angelo Dawkins vs. Angel Garza

Dawkins rolled over Garza early in their match, but Ford inexplicably collapsed during the match, inadvertently distracting Dawkins and allowing Garza to pick up the win.

Results: Angel Garza defeats Angelo Dawkins via pinfall

Grade: F

Montez Ford vs. Andrade

Back from the break and apparently cleared to compete, Ford battled the former United States Champion, Andrade. Ford sported a glazed-over look for much of the match, especially after El Idolo blasted him with a hard right hand. Running on pure adrenaline, Ford exploded back into the match, using his raw athleticism and a fury that caught his opponent off-guard. Just as Ford fired up, he again collapsed, forcing the referee to call for the bell.

Results: This match ended in a no contest

Grade: F

Analysis: This weeks episode of Raw was terrible. The action in the matches and most of the promos were not good. I am also not a fan of RAW Underground. I would give this show a D.

Recap of 2020 NHL Playoffs So Far

This season due to the current pandemic has given us a weird playoff format for hockey. This year 24 teams made the playoffs. I will not complain as my team the Pittsburgh Penguins made the playoffs as a higher seed and that is a lot of hockey to watch. So far there has only been two days of playoff game and the action has been jammed packed.

Game 1: #11 New York Rangers vs. the #6 Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes won by a score of 3-2. The Hurricanes looked really good as they had a lot of heart and were the much faster and better team. Igor Shestyorkin was supposed to start for the Rangers but due to being “unfit” to play Henrik Lundqvist was the starter. Lundqvist did not even have a bad game either just the Hurricanes outplayed the Rangers. Mika Zibanejad and Marc Staal scored for the Rangers as Sebastian Aho, Jaccob Slavin, and Martin Necas scored for the Hurricanes.

Game #1: #12 Chicago Blackhawks vs. the #5 Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers scored quickly as Connor McDavid nets a Powerplay goal. However, the Chicago Blackhawks controlled the game after that scoring 4 goals in the first period. The Blackhawks won the game 6-4. They were the better team as rookie sensation Dominik Kubalik had five points. Kubalik had two goals as well as Jonathan Toews, and Brandon Saad also scored for the Blackhawks. For the Oilers, McDavid scored as well as Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and James Neal. If the Blackhawks can continue to score at well they will not only pull off the upset but can be a dark-horse team to make it to the Stanley Cup.

Game #1: #10 Florida Panthers vs. #7 New York Islanders

This game was one of the better defensive games of the weekend. The Panthers and Islanders are both very good teams defensively. The Islanders took a lead in the first period and won 2-1. The lone goal from the Panthers came from Jonathan Huberdeau in the third period. Anthony Beauvillier and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Islanders.

Game #1: #12 Montreal Canadiens vs. the #5 Pittsburgh Penguins

As a Penguins fan, I was very excited for this game. The Penguins came out of the gate strong as they were the faster and better team. They got a lot of shots up but could not convert against the great Carey Price. The Montreal Canadiens were able to convert in the first period and score. In the second period the Canadiens took a 2-0 lead. However, the Penguins would not go down without a fight and tied it up. The game was physical, fast, and back-and-forth. The Canadiens were able to win the game in overtime. The Penguins played pretty well including Matt Murray. The Penguins lost this game due to missed chances including a penalty shot from Connor Sheary late in the third period, and poor front and back checking. Hopefully in Game 2 the Penguins can wake up. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nick Suzuki, and Jeff Petry scored for the Canadiens while Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins.

Game #1: #9 Winnipeg Jets vs. #8 Calgary Flames

This game featured two good teams very close in record. The game started off physical as Matthew Tkachuk cleanly hit Jets captain Mark Scheifele against the boards and Scheifele turned his body and took an awkward fall and could not get up. Scheifele went straight to the locker room and did not return. If this is long-term the Jets are in trouble as they lost their captain and a huge part of their offense. The Jets took a lead in the first period until the Flames scored 3 goals in the second period. The Flames ended up winning 4-1. The lone goal for the Jets was scored by Andrew Copp. The Flames goals came from Andrew Mangiapane, Mikael Backlund, Johnny Gaudreau, and Tobias Rieder.

Game #1: #11 Arizona Coyotes vs. #6 Nashville Predators

This game was very fun to watch. The Coyotes controlled the first period as they scored 3 goals to the Predators one. However, in the third period Nashville started to comeback as they scored two goals. However, the late comeback was too little too late as the Coyotes won 4-3. The goals from Arizona came from Christian Dvorak, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Michael Grabner, and Clayton Keller. The goals from Nashville came from Ryan Ellis and two from Filip Forsberg.

Game #1 Round Robin: #4 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #1 Boston Bruins

In the first Round Robin game of the playoffs we saw the Flyers take on the Bruins. Due to Tuuka Rask being “unfit” to start we saw Jaroslav Halak in between the pipes for Boston. The Bruins struggled mightily as they lost 4-1. The lone goal from the Bruins came from Chris Wagner. For the Flyers, Michael Raffl, Scott Laughton, Philippe Myers, and Nate Thompson all scored.

Game #1 Round Robin: #2 Colorado Avalanche vs. #1 St. Louis Blues

This game was also very good on the defensive end. The Blues were looking to defend their historic championship run last year and go back this year. David Perron scored in the first period to take the lead. The second period was scoreless however. In the third period Ryan Graves scored to tie the game. The Blues late in regulation commit a costly penalty where Nazem Kadri scored a game ending Powerplay goal with 0.1 seconds left as the Avalanche won 2-1.

Game #1: #9 Columbus Blue Jackets vs. #8 Toronto Maple Leafs

This game was back-and-forth as well. The Maple Leafs got a lot of good looks but could not convert. The first two periods nobody scored. Both goaltenders played very well. However, in the third period Cam Atkinson scored to put the Blue Jackets on top. Alexander Wennberg scored on an empty net to put the dagger. Joonas Korpisalo had a 28 save shutout.

Game #1: #10 Minnesota Wild vs. #7 Vancouver Canucks

The Minnesota Wild are playing a very good game. Kevin Fiala scored in the first period and Jared Spurgeon scored in the 2nd period. Jared Spurgeon scores again as he gets an empty net goal. The Wild win 3-0 thanks to a 28 save shutout by Alex Stalock.

Why the Knicks Hired the Wrong Coach

On July 25th, the New York Knicks hired Tom Thibodeau to be their next head coach. The deal was a five year deal with the money currently being undisclosed.

The Knicks interviewed numerous coaches including Jason Kidd, Kenny Atkinson, Mike Woodson, and many more. Out of the candidates the Knicks interviewed, I wanted any of the three I just mentioned. In total the Knicks interviewed over eleven candidates.

Jason Kidd is a former Knicks player and he is a good coach as he coached LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Knicks could have used Kidd to attract stars to New York and make the Knicks a better franchise.

Kenny Atkinson is a very good coach and probably the person I wanted the most. He previously coached the Nets and turned them into a successful franchise. Atkinson turned Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, and Caris Levert into successful players. Atkinson could have brought over his success from Brooklyn to New York.

Mike Woodson was another coaching candidate I liked. Mike Woodson was the last coach to take the Knicks to the playoffs and lose less than 50 games. Even though the Knicks did not hire him as a head coach, Woodson was hired as an assistant on the coaching staff.

Why Tom Thibodeau won’t work in New York?

As successful as Thibodeau is as a coach, he is not a rebuilding coach. The Knicks have been rebuilding since 2013. Thibodeau is only good with teams that can contend in the playoffs or for a championship. The Knicks are nowhere near contending. Tom succeeded with his strong team in Chicago but struggled in Minnesota.

Smackdown Results With Analysis 7/31/20

Gran Metalik vs. AJ Styles for the Intercontinental Championship

Styles went right after the challenger with vicious strikes and cheap shots. Metalik was able to take advantage of the match shortly before the commercial break. Smartly, the champ went after Metalik’s legs so Metalik could remain grounded while also setting up for the calf crusher. Metalik was able to get a few moves in until his legs gave out. Styles locked in the Calf Crusher for the submission victory. After the match, Styles blindsided Lince Dorado and hit a Styles Clash.

Results: AJ Styles defeats Gran Metalik via submission to retain the Intercontinental Championship

Grade: B

King Corbin vs. Drew Gulak

The match started after Gulak attacked Corbin from behind after Corbin interrupted a promo being cut by Jeff Hardy. Corbin went hard at Gulak as the match started following a post-brawl commercial break. Gulak used a cat and mouse tactic to try and reel Corbin in and capitalize on his mistakes. This strategy worked as he was able to land some strikes. A flying clothesline from the top rope scored a two count for Gulak, but he ran into a Deep Six. Before Corbin could capitalize, Matt Riddle’s music hit and Gulak almost managed to use the distraction for a sneak pin, but Corbin kicked out and hit End of Days for the victory. Riddle immediately hit the ring and attacked Corbin, who had told Shorty G he put a “King’s Ransom” bounty on Riddle’s head earlier in the night. Shorty G then ran out and took out Riddle, walking off with Corbin after laying out The Original Bro.

Results: King Corbin defeats Drew Gulak via pinfall

Grade: B+

Big E vs. The Miz

Big E started strong until a disrespectful shot from Miz brought out the more violent side of the big man, who tossed Miz into the ringside barricade multiple times. John Morrison inserted himself and laid out Big E on the outside while the ref was distracted, allowing Miz to take over. Big E also had a brief comeback end when he missed a splash on the ring apron heading into a commercial break. Big E exploded back with a series of three German suplexes and a big splash. Miz countered a Big Ending into an attempt at the Skull-Crushing Finale, which was then countered back into a Big Ending attempt before Miz raked the eyes to escape. Later, Morrison again took advantage of a distracted referee to kick Big E in the head, allowing Miz to hit a Skull-Crushing Finale, but Big E kicked out at two and managed to use the ropes to escape from a follow-up figure-four attempt.

A third attempt by Morrison to interfere was caught by the referee and he was ejected from ringside, leading to Big E locking Miz in the Stretch Muffler for the submission. This was a great intro to Big E’s singles run as he not only had to get it done by himself, but get it done while on the bad side of the numbers game.

Results: Big E defeats The Miz via pinfall

Grade: A-

Naomi vs. Lacey Evans

Evans made fun of the #NaomiDeservesBetter hashtag before the match. An aggressive Evans took the fight to Naomi from the jump, eventually taking her outside and slamming her into the ring post before trapping Naomi’s hair in the ring steps in an effort to score a count out victory. Naomi eventually came back with an awkward-looking sliding destroyer on the outside, but again had things reversed before Evans tried to tie her hair to the top rope. Naomi escaped, ducked a Woman’s Right and scored a roll-up for the win.

Results: Naomi defeats Lacey Evans via pinfall

Grade: C-

Nikki Cross vs. Bayley for the Smackdown Women’s Championship

Cross was fired up from the jump, attacking Bayley in the corners before hitting a Thesz press to deliver a bit more punishment to the champion. Cross also scored with a big crossbody from the ring apron to the floor, keeping Bayley almost completely on the defensive. Bayley finally took things over by attacking the “cracked rib” of Cross, the injury suffered at Extreme Rules. In return, Cross began attacking the ribs of Bayley before hitting a tornado DDT. Banks again tried to hand off the Boss ring to Bayley for the cheap win, a callback to Extreme Rules as well. Cross hit another crossbody, setting up a series of pin reversals before Bayley managed to slam Cross down face-first to score the pin and retain her championship.

Results: Bayley defeats Nikki Cross via pinfall to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship

Grade: B+

Analysis: This weeks episode of Smackdown was average in my opinion. I felt like creative had more to work with and they could have booked these matches better. I would give this weeks episode of Smackdown a B.

Why the NFL’s Corona Rules are Unfair

The NFL as well as other professional sport leagues have been extra cautious during this pandemic and rightfully so. The league has worked diligently to make sure the season can still happen while protecting players, staff, and their families. Some of the rules the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell made were players are not allowed to go to any bars or nightclubs during the season. Players are also not allowed to attend parties or religious services that go up to at least 25 people. Anybody that violates these rules will face hefty fines and will not be paid if they contract COVID-19.

In my opinion, I feel l like these rules violate people’s freedom. I get the league is focusing on players safety and that is perfectly understandable. However, I draw the line when one is asked not to go to religious services. Players are responsible and old enough to make their own decisions. I also feel like as long as masks are worn and social distancing is being practiced they could do some of the things the NFL is preventing them from doing.

AEW Dynamite Results with Analysis 7/29/20

Inner Circle vs. Best Friends & Friends

Orange Cassidy and Chris Jericho started out the match as their feud continues. As soon as the bell rings Jericho tags in Jake Hager. Cassidy used his traditional hands in the pocket tactic. An all out brawl broke out. Trent, Chuck Taylor, and Luchasaurus took out the opposition with moves off the top rope and through the ropes. The Inner Circle all ganged up and stomped on Trent. Marko Stunt has been trying to rally up his team at ringside. The heels had control for most of the match. Trent was trapped in the corner until Trent was able to hit a few counters and then tag in Luchasaurus. Luchasaurus came in and was able to give his team some momentum. Every wrestler used a move to take a wrestler out of the ring. Cassidy saved Luchasaurus from being hit by Jericho and the bat. Matt Hardy came to the ring and threw Sammy Guevara off the top rope while the referee was distracted.

Results: Best Friends & Friends defeat The Inner Circle via pinfall

Grade: A+

Warhorse vs. Cody for the TNT Championship

Cody was as per usual accompanied by his manager Arn Anderson. Warhorse is making his AEW debut. Warhorse picked up a nearfall early and hit Cody with a few arm drag takedowns. Cody seemed frustrated and took a breather and strategized with Anderson. It almost seems like Cody is distracted. I do not know if this is part of a storyline or not because the same thing happened last week as well. During commercial, Cody was able to take advantage but then Warhorse regained the momentum shortly after we returned. Warhorse showed off his agility and versatility with his speed and moves off the top rope. A flying elbow to Cody almost won Warhorse the title. Cody was able to hit the figure four after Warhorse blocked at first but Warhorse tapped out. After the match two members of the Dark Order came to attack Warhorse and Cody. Matt Cardona makes his debut on AEW to help his friend Cody and Warhorse.

Results: Cody defeats Warhorse via submission to retain his TNT Championship

Grade: A-

The Dark Order vs. Kenny Omega and Hangman Page for the AEW World Tag Team Championships

As Kenny Omega was entering the ring, Hangman Page went right after Stu Grayson and Evil Uno. Omega seemed confused and took his time entering the ring. Omega and Grayson started out for their teams. The champions made frequent tags with double team moves. Colt Cabana joined at commentary as well as Mr. Brodie Lee and new recruit Anna Jade. Evil Uno was tagged and took out both Omega and Page. Hangman Page and Omega were able to win in a hard fought match. After the match other members of The Dark Order tried to attack the champions until The Young Bucks and FTR came to help out the champions.

Results: Kenny Omega and Hangman Page defeat The Dark Order to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships

Grade: A

Diamante vs. Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s Championship

Diamante earned her right to face Shida after her win last week on Dynamite. Shida showed off her strong striking abilities early. Shida was controlling most of the match until Diamante hit Shida with several chops and then a cutter. Diamante was then able to regain control and turn up the tempo. Shida then hit a delayed vertical suplex and then a running knee for the win.

Results: Hikaru Shida defeats Diamante via pinfall

Grade: C

Jon Moxley and Darby Allin vs. Brian Cage and Ricky Starks in a No Disqualification Tornado Tag Team Match

In the Main Event, we see Darby Allin team up with the AEW World Champion after returning and helping Moxley fight off the new alliance of Cage and Starks. Ever since Cage arrived in AEW, he has set his eyes on Jon Moxley and his championship. Weirdly, Allin never came out when his music hit until after Cage and Starks came to the ring Allin attacked them from behind. Cage had the advantage over Moxley while Allin had the advantage over Starks. All four of these competitors are very talented with bright futures in this company. After the commercial break the heels had the advantage. A garbage can and steel chair were brought out during the match. Cage and Starks double teamed Moxley to put him through the can but Allin broke up the pin at two. Moxley and Allin used a double team move of their own on Cage. Allin brought a skateboard that had thumbtacks on the back and hit Starks with it off the top rope. Moxley then locked in an armbar to Cage.

Results: Jon Moxley and Darby Allin defeat Brian Cage and Ricky Starks via pinfall

Grade: A

Analysis: This weeks episode of AEW was very good. I enjoyed every match. I would give this show an A-.

Recap of First Week of Baseball

At the time I am writing this article is the record and standings I saw after looking at MLB.com. It has been weird without fans however, I am glad baseball is back.

AL East: The Tampa Bay Rays are currently in first at 4-1. The Rays have been playing great baseball to start off the season. The Yankees are only 2-1 due to two games against the Philadelphia Phillies being postponed due to half of the Miami Marlins roster testing positive for coronavirus who the Marlins just played. Since I am a Yankees fan I have been mainly watching their games. Gleyber Torres, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton have been amazing as well as Gerrit Cole.

AL Central: The Cleveland Indians are in first in their division with a record of 4-1. However, the Twins are also playing great baseball as they are 3-1.

AL West: The Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros are both tied for first with a record of 3-1. The Astros are facing a lot of controversy as their players have been hit and they recently got into a bench clearing brawl with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

NL East: Shockingly, the Miami Marlins are in first with a record of 2-1. The defending champions Washington Nationals are struggling early as they are in last place with a record of 1-4.

NL Central: The Chicago Cubs are in first with a record of 4-1. The NL East and the NL Central are probably the toughest divisions in the MLB right now. The Cubs, Cardinals, and Brewers all could make the playoffs. Also, even though they are currently struggling don’t sleep on the Cincinnati Reds.

NL West: The San Diego Padres are currently in first with a record of 3-1. However, the Rockies are also playing good baseball at the moment. You also cannot sleep on the Dodgers as they have one of the best rosters in baseball.

The standings can easily change at the end of this week and I expect it to. I am glad to have baseball back and will try to watch as much as I can.

Raw Results with Analysis 7/27/20

The Viking Raiders vs. Ricochet and Cedric Alexander vs. Angel Garza and Andrade

Whoever wins this match would face Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford for the Raw Tag Team Championships next week on Raw. Dawkins and Ford watched this match as they served as the ring announcers. Zelina Vega was at ringside to cheer on her clients. El Idolo and Garza went right after their opponents as the bell rang. Then Ivar and Cedric Alexander were trading blows after the first commercial break. Garza and Andrade sat at ringside so they could avoid being hit as much as possible. The other two face teams worked together to eventually take out the heels. Ricochet and Andrade teamed up on Erik. Garza finished off Alexander with the Wing Clipper.

Results: Angel Garza and Andrade defeat The Viking Raiders and Ricochet and Cedric Alexander

Grade: B

Shayna Baszler vs. Nia Jax

Jax and Baszler continue their feud and brawl until they were counted out. Several officials stormed to the ring to try and separate them.

Results: This match results in a double count-out

Grade: B-

Mustafa Ali vs. Bobby Lashley

Lashley showed off his power and dominance by easily shoving Ali to the ground and throwing him. Lashley was able to dominate and control the tempo of the match until The All Mighty had to fight off some ninjas. Ali capitalized on the distraction and hit Lashley with a suicide dive into the barricade. Ali was able to counter the Dominator and hit a beautiful tornado DDT. He missed the 450 splash, and Lashley put him into a full nelson for the submission victory.

Results: Bobby Lashley defeats Mustafa Ali via submission

Grade: C

Asuka vs. Sasha Banks for the Raw Women’s Championship

Kairi Sane chased Bayley away from the ring before the match began to make it an even playing field. The Empress was irate and immediately took control with some stiff kicks. The Boss was able to turn things around and began focusing all of her offense on Asuka’s left leg. Banks tried to pull an Eddie Guerrero move by pretending Asuka attacked her with the title belt, but the official saw everything and refused to declare a disqualification. We came back from a commercial to see Banks with the upper hand again. It took a long time for Asuka to hit a counter and give herself a little breathing room. A frog splash couldn’t keep Asuka down, so The Boss transitioned into the Bank Statement. When the Empress took control, we saw footage of Bayley beating up Sane backstage on the big screen. The distraction led to Asuka releasing her signature submission so she could save her friend. The ref counted her out and declared Banks the rightful Raw women’s champion.

Results: Sasha Banks defeats Asuka to become Raw Women’s Champion via countout

Grade: A-

Humberto Carrillo vs. Murphy

Humberto looked to get revenge on Murphy for what him and Rollins did to Carrillo’s friends Aleister Black and Rey Mysterio. The Juggernaut took control early, but the luchador didn’t let him have the upper hand for long. He used his speed and agility to turn the tables and send his opponent out of the ring. Carrillo came close to winning with a missile dropkick to the back of Murphy’s neck. After he managed to recover, The Juggernaut hit Murphy’s Law for the win.

Results: Murphy defeats Humberto Carrillo via pinfall

Grade: C

Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler

The Showoff had the champ reeling after the break, but The Scottish Psychopath quickly turned things around with one back elbow to the head. He propelled Ziggler into the plexiglass divider before taking out a kendo stick and teeing off on his opponent. It took a low blow for Ziggler to give himself some time to recover. McIntyre caught him jumping from the apron and drove him through the barricade as the show went to a commercial. We returned right as McIntyre began throwing Ziggler around the ring with suplexes. After putting The Showoff through a table with a Claymore Kick, McIntyre scored the win. As he celebrated, Orton hit the RKO out of nowhere to close the show.

Results: Drew McIntyre defeats Dolph Ziggler via pinfall

Grade: A+

Analysis: This weeks episode of Raw had some pros and cons. There were some matches that were well-booked and well-executed and there were other matches that could have gone on longer or had more action. I would give this weeks episode of Raw a B.

One of the most underrated lines in Hockey

There are a lot of dominant and well-balanced lines in the NHL. However, one line that does not get the recognition is deserves is the Islanders third line otherwise known as the “Identity Line”. This line consists of center Casey Cizikas followed by wingers Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders third line is the reason they were able to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs last year as well as succeed this year.

Casey Cizikas is the center on this line and he runs the offense. This season Cizikas has 10 goals and 4 assists. However, his best stat is his +/-. He has a a +/- of 12. If a +/- is positive that means his team outscores the opposition when he is on the ice. Cizikas is not much of a threat offensively however, he is a solid defensive forward.

At Left Wing, the Islanders have Matt Martin on this line. Martin is known as the enforcer on this team. An enforcer is very important in hockey as he will dish out the heavy hits and get into fights to shift momentum. Also, Martin will be the first to defend his teammates especially rising star Matt Barzal since he is the best player on this team and an easy target since he is undersized. This season Martin has 5 goals and 3 assists. Martin is also a good player on defense.

At Right Wing, is Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck is the Assistant Captain of this team due to his tenure with the Islanders and his consistent play. Clutterbuck has 3 goals and 4 assists on the year. Clutterbuck’s +/- is 6 on this season. He is also a very effective defensive forward.

This line is very successful and underrated. They typically will match up against teams first lines to try and stop them offensively. This is a brilliant strategy which Barry Trotz has implemented. Trotz is a great coach and has brought over his success in Washington to New York.

How the New York Giants should handle Deandre Baker and Aldrick Rosas

Situation: In May Giants cornerback Deandre Baker was arrested as well as Seahawks player Quinton Dunbar for armed robbery. Baker and Dunbar were at a party together when the robbery went down. Police discovered the two stole over $12,000 in cash and then over $43,000 in watches and accessories. The two then fled in expensive luxurious cars. I do not understand why they would do this as they make much more with their teams then what they stole. It is honestly just immature and childish. Baker eventually turned himself in. Baker claimed he was allegedly playing Madden the video game when the robbery occurred even though video cameras showed him leaving the party while looking at the camera. Baker however, was released on a $200,000 bail and was allowed to return home and to practice. However, the Giants told him to stay far away from the facilities.

Solution: I had this article idea before Rosas was released and Baker was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. For those who do not know, the NFL Commissioner’s Exempt List means Baker cannot participate in any games, practices, camps, or workouts, and he will not be paid. Essentially, he is indefinitely suspended. I feel bad for Joe Judge as his first year coaching and he has to deal with two immature players on his team getting arrested. Baker was even involved in trouble with his time at The University of Georgia. However, Dave Gettleman traded up to draft him two years ago in hopes he could change Baker’s character. If I was the GM of the Giants I would release Deandre Baker. The Giants should sign free agent cornerback Logan Ryan who was just voted the 60th best player in the league or they could bring up their young cornerbacks on the roster.

Situation: In the middle of June, Giants kicker Aldrick Rosas was arrested for a hit-and-run incident. He was going over 100 mph before crashing into a truck. He then fled the scene on foot before being caught by police officers. Luckily nobody was severely hurt or killed. Rosas was found with cuts on his neck, arms, and legs and was bleeding according to police officers on the scene. Rosas was a danger to society as he could have severely killed or injured anybody. Police officers also discovered Rosas had alcohol in his system. Rosas was charged with three misdemeanors as he drove under the influence, reckless driving, and drove with a suspended license.

Solution: If I was the Giants I would release Rosas. The Giants did so as they released Rosas and signed Chandler Catanzaro. I felt like there were better options such as Stephen Gostkowski however, he may not be 100%. If that is the case then I will hope Chandler succeeds with the Big Blue since Training Camp is starting soon and there is no preseason.